General Brixton history - photos, stories etc
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lang rabbie
Je ne regrette les gazebos
Thanks - it was the lack of the glazed roof in the aerial photos from the 1944-50 run that puzzled me. If David Greig's had the lease of 33-37 Electric Avenue, they might seem the most likely candidate to have sponsored an ambitious post-war rebuilding.
However, I am wondering if the glazed block was much more recent...
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lang rabbie
Je ne regrette les gazebos
This might be the smoking gun from Lambeth's archived planning applications, suggesting it was a new building on a vacant site as recently as 1995!
Does anyone remember a short lived set of lock up shops around a cafe before Nour???
Does anyone remember a short lived set of lock up shops around a cafe before Nour???
Having just been that way on my morning run, the Electric Avenue canopy has now been taken down as part of the current refit works. Still visible on streetview though. But, tbh it could be completely unrelated to the building behind and simply part of a tidying up of Electric Avenue/Pope’s Rd.
Shutters were open on the old Nour unit and there’s a good view of the structure. It doesn’t look that old. Welded mild steel tubes and box section rather than cast iron.
Also noticed that the dozen or so units at the eastern end of Market Row are vacant and have had a coordinated refurb. How long has that been going on?
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happyshopper
Well-Known Member
I have a vague memory that it (i.e. creation of the space previously occupied by Nour) was a LBL initiative in the 1990s intended to provide more market units.
Yep. Here's the Heritage Statement from the current planning application. It dates from the 1996 refurbishment.
And here's the Design and Access Statement showing how the site will be reconfigured due to the new electrical substation, meaning the yard will now be accessed from units 25-27, rather than the old Nour entrance in unit 23.
Noticed yesterday that the covers are off. While it looks a lot smarter, it’s hardly a restoration job. A shame.
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
Des had a very bad reputation in short life housing and squatting.
Not liked. I had few run ins with him.
Entrepreneurial - yes. Squatting was a money making exercise.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
found it, not sure it adds a lot to what we already had -
from a survey of London's town halls, issued 1998 by what's now English Heritage
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
I was restarting the series of podcast episodes My Dad Mr Brixton - and funnily enough number 8 and 9 are now shown "coming soon"
Every indication is that the complete set were launched originally. Were they there back in July - or did your attention flag, like mine?
There is some very interesting stuff about the 1960s and 1970s in the early episodes. It seems clear that Somerleyton and Geneva Roads were the epicentre of the Jamaican community at the time. This material would make a good book if illustration photos were available.
I am of course keen to know what Claudette's version of the last year of her father's life - and how she interprets Lambeth Council Social Services having him prosecuted for fraud. If anyone can help on the final 2 episodes let me know.
I suppose I could ask Claudette herself - the podcast has a gmail account.
GarveyLives
Well-Known Member
Saturday was 11 not 10 April in 1981.
If, as I suspect, the photograph was taken at around 5.15 p.m. on Saturday 11 April 1981, then this would be within 35 minutes of the actions of PC Cameron and PC Thornton that triggered the disorder in an incident with a mini-cab driver outside the offices of S&M Car Hire next to the All Star Takeaway. The photograph would have been taken just before or just after the first attacks on police vehicles and just before or just after the first police baton charge in Atlantic Road. The people in the picture are seen looking towards 'The Triangle' at the junction of Atlantic, Mayall and Railton Roads and beyond to 'the Frontline', where combatants would fully engage later in the evening.
If the photograph was taken at the stated time on Friday 10 April 1981, then this would be around a hour before the first outbreak of disorder in Atlantic Road and Vining Street on that day.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
You've "triggered" an old and now it seems false memory here.
I'd always jumped to the conclusion that the initial disorder was outside the Grenada cab office at the entrance to Brixton market. Quite often there seemed to be incidents over the years near that entrance to Market Row.
However your account makes a lot of sense. One to check up on definitely.
RoyReed
Must fly!
Lots of Brixton photos in these two Lambeth albums on Flickr:
Lambeth Black and White
Lambeth Colour 1985-92
Lambeth Black and White
Lambeth Colour 1985-92
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
came up on teh tweeter today
briscoe buildings (now renton close), 1907
built 1903 - 07 by the london county council
briscoe buildings (now renton close), 1907
built 1903 - 07 by the london county council
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
Can anyone comment on the Lambeth flag?
I noticed on the Town Hall today a new-looking flag I hadn't seen before. (Today, 24th Jan is a Full Council meeting, so they fly the Lambeth flag)
Whereas I recalled the Lambeth flag as having a lamb on it, the one flying today seems derived from this coat of arms - but only the "quarters"
Anyone know why they changed the flag?
I noticed on the Town Hall today a new-looking flag I hadn't seen before. (Today, 24th Jan is a Full Council meeting, so they fly the Lambeth flag)
Whereas I recalled the Lambeth flag as having a lamb on it, the one flying today seems derived from this coat of arms - but only the "quarters"
Anyone know why they changed the flag?
lang rabbie
Je ne regrette les gazebos
Back to the future? This was the Metropolitan Borough's flag in 1961.
Hope the new flag has "mullets or" (gold stars) added in the top right and bottom left quarters for the addition of the separate ancient parishes of Streatham and Clapham in 1965.
Hope the new flag has "mullets or" (gold stars) added in the top right and bottom left quarters for the addition of the separate ancient parishes of Streatham and Clapham in 1965.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
I saw gold stars - one in each opposing quadrant - though I thought the background was plain white rather than "ermine".
I was too lazy to go back and take a photo - so unless someone else can oblige we will have to await the next full council for a picture.
Maybe the council has removed the ermine as an economy measure.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
looks like the 214 brixton hill post office, about here
1950ish OS map here. think the shelter marked on the map is further back - trams and buses tended to have separate stops in most places, although looks like the tram might be at a stop.
This one was not unusual for 1930s London Transport bus shelters - Charles Holden (he of the modernist 1930s Underground stations) also did bus shelters, but I think involving a lot of glass may have gone out of favour during the war.
It's not quite on the same level as these ones (location not recorded) which didn't catch on (and no, they don't appear to have been on a revolving base)
editor
hiraethified
I've featured it before:
Bus shelter 222, Brixton Hill, Brixton. Historical Brixton - old and new photos of Brixton, Lambeth, London, SW9 and SW2
Bus shelter 222, Brixton Hill, Brixton. Historical Brixton - old and new photos of Brixton, Lambeth, London, SW9 and SW2
www.urban75.org
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
from flickr
photo has been colourised, taken at the top end of effra road looking north (about where windrush square is now) - slightly odd angle with the times furnishing company shop (now mcdonalds) just out of shot.
tram is going through the 'change pit' where trams changed between the conduit and overhead wire electrical supply - the 'plough' is being slid out from under the tram (this didn't require manual intervention) as it moves forward on overhead power. a supply of ploughs is ready for northbound trams, these required the attendant to use the two pronged fork thing to assist them in to position.
photo has been colourised, taken at the top end of effra road looking north (about where windrush square is now) - slightly odd angle with the times furnishing company shop (now mcdonalds) just out of shot.
tram is going through the 'change pit' where trams changed between the conduit and overhead wire electrical supply - the 'plough' is being slid out from under the tram (this didn't require manual intervention) as it moves forward on overhead power. a supply of ploughs is ready for northbound trams, these required the attendant to use the two pronged fork thing to assist them in to position.
davesgcr
Reading books
The tramwaymen's term was "shooting the plough out at the change pit" - I dare say it paid to keep your feet well away from the conduit when that took place ! (as seen in possibly the most evocative film that recorded the last week of tram operations in South London. BTF - "The Elephant will never forget" .....
