Tell me about this lovely gothic building on 308 Brixton Road

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Robills, it was, not Robbils. I loved it too.

I think everyone loved Robills

 

[jamessedgewick]

What is the Society For Co-operation In Russian & Soviet Studies next door?

 

[TruXta]

http://www.scrss.org.uk/

Looks very serious and academic. My office-mate might know some more, he's big into everything Russia and USSR.

 

[jamessedgewick]

Looks like some KGB shizzle!

 

[editor]

Getting back to the lovely buildings at 308-312 Brixton Road, I've posted up a feature:

http://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2014/11/...unning-gothic-facade-at-308-312-brixton-road/

 

[el-ahrairah]

Mouse Agents?

Was there a booming trade in mice in Brixton once?

 

[boohoo]

I remember when it was selling bath fittings. It is a lovely building.

 

[trabuquera]

Mouse Agents?

Was there a booming trade in mice in Brixton once?

Little-known sideline for Brixton's established rep in Victorian/Edwardian times as a base for actors, singers and entertainers - the magicians' animal assistants were all properly unionised and represented in them days too.

 

[thriller]

I remember when it was selling bath fittings. It is a lovely building.

yeah. it was defo a bathroom fitting shop. I remember it. Used to walk past that all the time as I lived near Wynne Road from 1983 to 2011.

 

[Manter]

Getting back to the lovely buildings at 308-312 Brixton Road, I've posted up a feature:

http://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2014/11/...unning-gothic-facade-at-308-312-brixton-road/

There is another lovely one just the other side of tesco- that had been incredibly badly converted and now appears to be a single building again, painted grey and the glass restored. Any idea what that is?

 

[editor]

There is another lovely one just the other side of tesco- that had been incredibly badly converted and now appears to be a single building again, painted grey and the glass restored. Any idea what that is?

You don't mean this place, do you?

http://www.urban75.org/blog/the-pol...l-talking-machine-at-322-brixton-road-london/

 

[Manter]

Yes

You don't mean this place, do you?

http://www.urban75.org/blog/the-pol...l-talking-machine-at-322-brixton-road-london/

! Thankyou! Have you been past recently though? The windows are back and it is dark grey and lovely looking again. But no idea what it is

 

[editor]

Yes

! Thankyou! Have you been past recently though? The windows are back and it is dark grey and lovely looking again. But no idea what it is

It's poncey flats of course. I'm doing a little feature on Brixton Road at the moment and have included updated pics of the place. Will post soon!

 

[Manter]

It's poncey flats of course. I'm doing a little feature on Brixton Road at the moment and have included updated pics of the place. Will post soon!

That's a shame- the restoration looked like it might be something more interesting.

 

[Tricky Skills]

That's a shame- the restoration looked like it might be something more interesting.

Didn't catch it as I cycled past, but there's a liberal quote now painted to the side of the building.

 

[editor]

Didn't catch it as I cycled past, but there's a liberal quote now painted to the side of the building.

 

[Tricky Skills]

View attachment 64257

Ah - not so liberal then

There's a nice South London connection though.

 

[simonSW2]

Ah - not so liberal then

There's a nice South London connection though.

Osman Spare lived (for a number of years) at a house along that very street where that quote is painted. The location of the flat was up that road and on the opposite side. There are some flats or property relating to NHS there now iirc.

So it's spot on having that quote there really.

I think we've discussed where osman spare lived before on here. He also lived near Borough High Street before for much longer, I think he lived in brixton toward the end of his rather strange life. I think it was a muse / girlfriends flat but can't quite remember.

 

[purves grundy]

Bricky. Looks great.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Mouse Agents?

Was there a booming trade in mice in Brixton once?

I wonder if I could retrain as a mouse agent

 

[Manter]

Osman Spare lived (for a number of years) at a house along that very street where that quote is painted. The location of the flat was up that road and on the opposite side. There are some flats or property relating to NHS there now iirc.

So it's spot on having that quote there really.

I think we've discussed where osman spare lived before on here. He also lived near Borough High Street before for much longer, I think he lived in brixton toward the end of his rather strange life. I think it was a muse / girlfriends flat but can't quite remember.

I didn't know that, I like the connection.

I also love the restored windows

 

[editor]

Osman Spare lived (for a number of years) at a house along that very street where that quote is painted. The location of the flat was up that road and on the opposite side. There are some flats or property relating to NHS there now iirc.

So it's spot on having that quote there really.

I think we've discussed where osman spare lived before on here. He also lived near Borough High Street before for much longer, I think he lived in brixton toward the end of his rather strange life. I think it was a muse / girlfriends flat but can't quite remember.

He has a sort of contemporary look about him, to my mind.

He had a tough time in Brikkers:

At first taking up residence at the working men's hostel in Walworth Road, he then moved into a sculptor's studio in Spitalfields and finally the Brixton basement of his friend Ada Pain at 5 Wynne Road. In these cramped confines, Spare had to sleep on two chairs in lieu of a bed, and was regularly surrounded by stray cats, whom he fed.
Despite his personal problems, with this period marking a growing poverty for Spare, he continued working, and proposed the creation of a new art journal with his friend, the poet Vera Wainright, although this never materialised

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Osman_Spare

 

[CH1]

Bumped because a video describing the philosophy of Austin Osman Spare just went up this evening.
The narrator pronounces Spare as Spar. Is the correct pronunciation in occult circles - or just his Detroit accent?

I'm amazed that there is so much on the net now about this guy who died in poverty in Wynne Road


Even the Fortean Society have something to say:

 

[Puddy_Tat]

from 1896 London Suburbs Directory



not much movement by 1919



looks like the mouse agents weren't there very long

 

[CH1]

from 1896 London Suburbs Directory

View attachment 312870

not much movement by 1919

View attachment 312871

looks like the mouse agents weren't there very long

Yes well I'm a bit confused as to the exact location of Austin Osman Spare's final abode whilst on this earth.
I think someone said up thread that it was in lodgings in 5 Wynne Road - which would have been behind "Liberal House" 322 Brixton Road, which has the writing on the wall.

320 is another interesting place - which may be keeping a low profile just now

SCRSS - Society for Co-operation in Russian and Soviet Studies

The SCRSS promotes knowledge of the culture, language and history of Russia and the former Soviet Union. This educational charity, based in London, houses an important library, archive and photographic collection. It organises film shows, lectures, exhibitions and other events. It caters for...

www.scrss.org.uk

 

[CH1]

Puddy_Tat not worth checking Kelly's for SCRSS - they downsized and re-located maybe in the Kruschev era - they used to be at 14 Kensington Square W8
Here is Yuri Gagarin visiting them there in 1961

 

[Puddy_Tat]

@Puddy_Tat not worth checking Kelly's for SCRSS

thanks - the ones in public domain are over 100 years old (presume copyright) - some of the sites like 'ancestry' do have some more recent ones, but home access via local library was only a temporary thing while they weren't letting people use computers at the libraries