Goblin Band and some South London folk nights/open mics

Goblin Band were great at the Goose is Out last week (Friday 31st January 2025) at the Ivy House, bringing a new energy to traditional folk song including not one but two versions of Widecombe Fair, a song which as they note they have resurrected after it being out of fashion for years. Excellent support too from Scottish singer/harpist Holly Murphy and unaccompanied singer Victoria Lynn (Goblin Band also played a few days later at the New Cross Inn, a benefit for Transgender Action).

Holly Murphy

Folk music is pretty accessible for those who want to take part, you don't even need to learn an instrument! For people who want to try singing and performing themselves there are plenty of entry points locally. The Goose is Out has a monthly singaround at the Ivy House (next one is  Sunday 9th Feb) where people take turns with standing and singing a song.

Deptford Folk is on the last Thursday of every month downstairs at the Endeavour, 39 Deptford Broadway, and has floor spots. Folk of the Round Table is a weekly Sunday open session  at SET Social (55a Nigel Road SE15 4NP). There is a Thursday night open mic at the Shirkers Rest in New Cross. As a spin off from that a New Cross Songwriter's Circle is doing a night there too.

Update May 2025:

Goblin Band were amazing at the Broadside Hacks May Day event at St Giles Church in Camberwell (30 April 2025), ending with a hobby horse and the Belles of London City dancing in the church in a night that also featured singer Daisy Rickhman.

Thomas McCarthy at the Goose is Out

An Irish flavoured event coming up at the Goose is Out at the Ivy House pub next week (31 May 2024) with headliner Thomas McCarthy. I first heard Tom sing at another  fine South London folk night, one of Kit and Cutter's great events at the Old Nun's Head way back in 2011. Since then his reputation has grown as one of the foremost collectors and performers of Irish Traveller songs (Ticket details here- advance booking recommended).

 

Nyge and Sue have built up The Goose is Out to be one of London's leading folk nights, attracting some of the best known acts on the circuit to a usually packed out room in Nunhead. In the last couple of years for instance I've seen Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Stick in the Wheel, Burd Ellen and Fay Hield among others. The club has also provided a bridge between the more established folk scene and some of the new wave of queer/pro-feminist folkies - I've also seen Sonny Brazil (Goblin Band) and both Jacken Elswyth and Mataio Austin Dean (Shovel Dance Collective) perform there recently.  They also nurture local singers at their monthly singaround sessions where everyone is encouraged to stand up and sing a song, I've done so a couple of times myself.

So get along to Goose is Out!

The Goose is Out and other South London Folk

I went along to the Goose is Out Singaround last Sunday at the Ivy House in Nunhead and sang a couple of songs. The format is very egalitarian, you put your name down on the door and everyone gets to sing one song each in turn, then a second song in the same order. There was a lovely mix of old and new songs, and styles of singing. There's no stage - most people just stand up at the table where they've been sitting - and no amplification. Most sing unaccompanied though it's OK to bring along an acoustic instrument and a couple of people did. Brendan Behan's centenary was marked with a singing of the Auld Triangle, other songs included Sweet Thames Flow Softly, Arthur MacBride and Fleetwood Mac's Songbird.

The Goose is Out has established itself as one of the top clubs on the London folk circuit. I went to some great nights of theirs at the Ivy House last year including Eliza Carthy and Fay Hield, and they have some amazing performers lined up this year including Martin Carthy, Stick in the Wheel and Andy Irvine. All of these will no doubt sell out fast so get your tickets early.

People are always talking about folk revivals even if it's never gone away. There are still veterans of the 1950s/60s scene out and about in clubs today - and a new oral history project 'Sweet Thames' has been capturing people's experience of the London folk scene from the 1950s onwards. But there is undeniably some new energy about with younger musicians bringing a new take on traditional material. We've mentioned Broadside Hacks here before, who have done sessions at Skehans SE14 as well as making a video at the Rivoli. Shovel Dance Collective are celebrating the launch of their new album 'The Water is the Shovel of the Shore' this Saturday at the Ivy House. Its already sold out so will miss this, but I saw their banjo player Jacken Elswyth do a great set at The Goose is Out last year. The nine piece band take an experimental approach to the 'queer histories, proto-feminist narratives and the voices of working people' to be found in the folk archive.

There's just so much going on in terms of  folk sessions and clubs in South London (and beyond of course).  As well as the Goose is Out in Nunhead there's Dulwich Folk at the Castle SE22, a Scottish session at The Clock House SE22, the Thursday night Irish session at Blythe Hill Tavern and a newish monthly folk session at the Hill Station SE14. Check out Folk London to try and keep up!

LGBTQ+ South London History and Now

Coming up for LGBTQ History Month...

LGBTQ+ London:  Discover London's LGBTQ+ History (with a little Deptford and New Cross history thrown in)

'To celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month, Lewisham Heritage (formerly the Lewisham Local History Archive) are highlighting LGBTQ+ lives from times past with borough historian Sheldon K. Goodman, who will be joined by Queer historian Sacha Coward. From Molly Houses as part of London's 17th century queer subculture to protests on Fleet Street, Christopher Marlowe and ingenious quick thinking of cruising culture in the 1930s, this talk will give you an oversight of LGBTQ+ life and experience from the Roman times to the present day.

This is also a great opportunity to explore and support CORNER, a new queer venue and local business in New Cross run by Mark and Tarek

FREE: Tuesday 21st Feb 2023 @ 6:30pm, to be held at CORNER, 117 New Cross Road (tickets from eventbrite)'

The same venue is launching  a monthly queer coffee morning on Thursday 16th Feb, 9 am to 1:30pm, a free 'Low key queer social with warm drinks and lovely chats'. After that is scheduled for every 3rd Thursday of every month. 

A Whole Orange queer matchmaking service who are are helping organise the coffee morning are also involved with promoting 'Fruity Singles Mix: a night of live music and slow speed dating for queer babes looking for connection' at the Ivy House, Stuart Road SE15 on Friday 17th February.  Live sounds on the night from Buggs, Zha and Kitty Fitz.

See previously at Transpontine:

Corner New Cross

Police raid Forest Hill gay club (1987)

Sharley McLean: from refugee nurse at Lewisham Hospital to LGBT activist

Gay New Cross 2011

Deptford Gay Disco 1976

A SE London Transgender Marriage 1954

Band of Holy Joy at Ivy House on Friday

A great gig coming up this Friday 6th April 2018 at the Ivy House in Stuart Road SE15 (east side of Peckham Rye) with the Band of Holy Joy:

'A night of beastly beatitude and other sonic deviances at the Ivy House in London. Come and join us at The Ivy House London's first co-operatively owned pub with the best back room and stage in London. Band Of Holy Joy make a long over due return to South London whilst welcoming Quarterlight down from the North East and looking forward to grooving with the house cats Pendennis, this will be all held together with our brilliant MC Richard Strange [ex Doctors of Madness], who will be channeling his rogueish inner Donleavy spirit the whole night through. Come and join us for some good old bohemian beatnik post punk kicks...'

I've waxed lyrically at this blog a number of times about BOHJ so for now will just repeat what I wrote about them last time I saw them: 'The Band of Holy Joy are surely one of the greatest bands ever to have been associated with New Cross. In the late 1980s they were fairly massive on the indie scene with their lush Brechtian/Brelish/folk-tinged tales, but they split up in 1993... Obviously if you loved them then you will want to see them now. But apart from nostalgia, why bother? Well since they reformed they have been putting out some fine new music...  Rather like The Pogues, their music was always 'mature' - back in the day they were young musicians singing as if they were old men and women looking back on lifetimes of passion and regret. Now maybe they've grown into the songs!'  

They have been fairly prolific in recent years, and their latest album 'Funambulist We Love You' (2017) is as strong as anything they've done before.  They are always a great live act, so come along on Friday. I have my ticket get your's here for a mere £7: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/429200

Robert Dellar Memorial

Writer and mental health activist Robert Dellar sadly died last month (December 2016)  just after his 52nd birthday.  Robert was one of the founders of Mad Pride, which brought a new defiant energy to the mental health service users in the noughties, putting on punk gigs and festivals as well as  protests. More recently he was active in its successor, the Mental Health Resistance Network, campaigning in particular against the increasingly punitive benefits regime for people with mental health problems and other disabled people. 

Dellar was one of the editors of the book 'Mad Pride: a celebration of mad culture' (2000) and published an autobiography 'Splitting in Two – Mad Pride and Punk Rock Oblivion' in 2014. He put out numerous fanzines and for many years edited the newsletter of Southwark Mind (later Southwark Association for Mental Health). 

The wake for Robert, who lived in New Cross, will take place next Tuesday 24th January at the Ivy House pub (Stuart Road) at 2.30 pm, following the funeral service at Camberwell New Cemetery at 12.15. People are invited to donate to the costs of the funeral and party/wake.

More detail on Robert's life here.

Lewisham Refugee & Migrant Network Fundraiser

A fundraiser for Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network takes place this Saturday 19 November at The Ivy House, Stuart Road SE15. The family friendly event from 1 to 5 pm includes music from the LRMN women's choir, South London Songsters and others as well as a cake sale and raffle prizes. Further details on facebook.

Where are we now? Bowie Tribute Nights at Ivy House and Amersham Arms

Various Bowie events coming up over next few days and weeks. 

Tomorrow night - Saturday 16th January - at the Ivy House (40 Stuart Road, Nunhead SE15 3BE) there's The David Bowie Spectacular Send Off. They say:  

'Let's give our London boy the send off he deserves. It's simple: let's party to his tunes, have the Duke on the big projector screen and toast to his life and work all damn night long.

19:00: Decks up and spinning and Labrynth plus more footage on the big screen. Lovely Rob and Martine who both frequent and work at the pub will be playing their much loved records. 

21:30: Resident DJ Billy, who entertained you for New Years brilliantly, will be seeing the night out on the decks.

This is all about the love of the man so of course it is FREE ENTRY. Not strictly fancy dress but I feel like Ziggy would approve... Let's Dance XXXXXXX'

Black Star Ball at Amersham Arms

On Friday 12th February, Enola Arts theatre presents 'Where Are We Now? A celebratory tribute to David Bowie' at the Amersham Arms in New Cross. The evening of live performance and art will be in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Acts taking part  include The Featherz: 'previously featured on David Bowie's website, and attired by Mark Charles and appearing in various Boy George videos, perform glitter glam rock that will have you slipping out of your catsuits'.

Bruno Wizard ( once of 1970s punk band The Homosexuals) will be providing some punk prose and time travel to the original era. 

More live acts to be confirmed, plus DJ Jean Genie, Art, Visuals, Professional Make Up Artist, Rebecca Rowe ('will help you release your inner Stardust', Bowie Art Auction, Strut your stuff as Bowie on the FAME Catwalk and more.

Amersham Arms, 388 New Cross Road (opposite New Cross station), London SE14 6TY

£5 Advance http://www.wegottickets.com/event/347086 - £10 on the door or with concessions (NUS/NHS or Lewisham Card).

Dani Cox of The Featherz

Ceri James album launch at the Duke

Ceri James has been a key part of the SE London live music scene for as long as this blog has been going, and over the years we have featured some of his songs here (including 'Blythe Hill Fields', 'Deptford Broadway' and the New Cross cultural history of 'The Real Coffee Shop'). Recently he has playing regularly at the Wickham Arms in Brockley as part of the Wickham Songwriters Circle.

Tomorrow night (Thursday 10 April) he is launching his fourth album, Songs from the Saloon, at the Duke in Deptford, with some good support. Admission is free, with the line up as follows:

- Dai Herbert - start 8pm

- Jimmy Lyons - start 8.20pm

- Dan Raza - start 8.45pm

- Ceri James (Band) and guests 9.10 pm

Further details on facebook

Ceri James - Songs from the Saloon album cover
(photograph taken in the Ivy House)

Revue ZouZou: 1930s Paris comes to Nunhead

Back in 2010, there was a great 1920s night at the Ivy House (Stuart Road SE15) themed around the film Piccadilly. The people behind it have also been doing the Brockley Jack Film Club, and now they are back at the Ivy House putting on 'Revue ZouZou' on 8 February 2014. They say:

'we move through the decades to 1930s Paris.  A time of Gypsy jazz, surrealist adventure and cabaret. Come to experience music, magic and moving images.  Dressing up, drinking cocktails and dancing are recommended – but nothing except having a good time is compulsory'.

Acts include:

- gypsy jazz ensemble Belleville RendezVous ('Bringing to life the spirit of Django Reinhardt and the Quintette du Hot Club de France')

- alternative magician Dee Riley ('Mysterious and hauntingly dark entertainment, stretching the limits of human belief and delving into the depths of the power of the mind. His ”Illusion Of Laughter” and “DistasterPiece”  shows sold out')

- 'offbeat, surreal comedy' from the Dead Secrets ('Following their success at the Edinburgh fringe.. surreal comedy with a special thirties Parisian twist for the night')

More information at Piccadilly Productions; tickets (£9) from wegottickets

Music Monday: Filthy Boy

A big summer for Filthy Boy, playing festivals and getting national radio airplay for their new single That Life (from their album 'Smile that won't go down').



The young band, based in the Peckham/Nunhead area, played early gigs at the Ivy House and recently had a friends and family gig at the Old Nun's Head.

Singer Paraic Morrissey explained in Time Out, the video for their earlier single Jimmy Jammies was filmed in 'Deverell Street, off the New Kent Road'.



Yes there are comparisons with Nick Cave (maybe Tindersticks too). But if an Australian artist can channel a singer from the American South, why shouldn't a boy from South London?

South London Pub News: Good and Bad

More bad news on the pub front with the closure of Lewisham's only gay bar, a threat to close a good pub in Catford, and Greenwich Council refusing permission to open a decent new pub in Woolwich, among other things. Good news is that all of these have resulted in people campaigning, with a possibility of making some real progress in some case.

Two8Six

Two8Six, Lewisham's only gay pub, is boarded up. More than a hundred people attended a public meeting to oppose the closure last month  (26 Oct) at Lewisham Town Hall, organised by Lewisham LGBTQ+ Community Involvement Group. According to Pink News (1 Nov. 2012):

'Hundreds of residents in the London Borough of Lewisham are fighting to restore a popular gay pub. The Two8Six venue, on Lewisham High Street, was recently shut after the offshore property firm, Mendoza Limited and their management company Golfrate Limited, forced the closure of the pub by sending in bailiffs and changing the locks. At an LGBT community meeting last week, Stephen Thompson, the former licensee of Two8Six, said: “[Golfrate] are claiming that they took this action because I owed them rent when in reality it was because I refused to surrender the upper floors of the building and evict my staff from their homes... This pub has been closed, not because it isn’t profitable, but because an offshore property developer with no connection or concern for Lewisham, wants to make money out of the land value of the pub and placed unreasonable demands on my business including raising the rent from £38k to £60k.”'

photo by Ewan-M at Flickr

Catford Bridge Tavern

Hundreds of people have filed objections to planning permission for a plan to close the popular Catford Bridge Tavern, SE6 (formerly the Copperfield) and replace it with a supermarket. The plan highlights the complexity of who makes decisions about the future of pubs. The pub is run by Antic, who have a Tenancy at Will  from Punch Taverns, who lease it from DVS Property Ltd. The latter have submitted the planning application to Lewisham Council.

A Lewisham Council report earlier this year reported that the number of pubs in Lewisham fell to 92 in 2011 from 145 in 2001.

The Woolwich

Meanwhile in Woolwich, local blogs such as 853 have been campaigning against the decision of Greenwich Council to refuse planning permission for Antic (who run Royal Albert in New Cross as well as Catford Bridge Tavern) to open a new pub, The Woolwich, in the town centre.  A revised planning application has been submitted and early signs are that it may have more success.

Brixton: George IV and Hootenanny

In Brixton campaigns are being waged in relation to two of my old locals from when I lived over there. Over 100 people attended a public meeting about plans to replace the George IV pub on Brixton Hill with a Tesco Express. The once popular music pub played host to early Basement Jaxx nights, not to mention me dancing to Northern Soul, but has been empty for a while. A couple of weeks ago the building was squatted by opponents of the plan.

A petition has also been launched (signed by 2500 people so far) against restrictive licensing conditions at Hootenanny on Effra Road. The music and drinking venue opens until 3 am, but are being told they cannot admit anybody until after 11 pm.  The owners say that they may have to close unless these restrictions are lifted. The venue has been a late night place for decades, in its previous incarnations as the Hobgoblin and George Canning.

Ivy House

Some good news in relation to another pub and music venue, the Ivy House in Nunhead. The pub closed earlier this year and had been put up for auction last month by the property developer who bought the building from its previous owners, Enterprise Inns. However, campaigners have successfully lobbied Southwark Council to have the building listed as an  'asset of community value' under the new Localism Act. This doesn't mean the pub has definitely been saved, but it will make it harder for the building to be used for other purposes as 'The fact that it is on the list will be treated as a 'material consideration' for planning purposes. This means that it should be taken into account by the Council in deciding a planning application (including for change of use) or an appeal against a planning decision' (see article by campaigner Tessa Blunden in The Guardian). If nothing else the decision buys time for campaigners to come up with alternative plans to get the place up and running again.

New Cross Inn

The New Cross Inn (SE14) is up for sale. Christie + Co  state that it 'has been instructed to obtain bids for a substantial freehold investment in London. The New Cross Inn is a distinctive building with Victorian features including a domed turret and arched windows. It is in a prominent position between New Cross and New Cross Gate stations.The investment is split into two distinct businesses and has recently undergone an overhaul with capital expenditure of £80,000. There is a ground floor and basement live music bar with a 10-year free-of-tie lease and a current rental income of £36,000. The upper floors are presently operated as a hostel with 80 beds, a 10-year lease and a rental income of £60,000. Christie + Co is inviting bids for the freehold investment with a guide of £1,200,000'.   There doesn't appear to any immediate any direct threat to the pub's future, but longer term that may depend on the interests and intentions of whoever ends up buying the building.

Save the Ivy House!

Sad news that the Ivy House pub off Peckham Rye (Stuart Road SE15) looks set to close. As posted on South East Central today:

'Yes, the rumours are true. This Sunday (April 22nd) will be our last day of trading. The gorgeous, lovely people at Enterprise Inns have finally managed to sell The Ivy House and are kicking us out in a stylish and classy last-minute way. On Monday one of South London's most iconic venues will be boarded up.  As far as we know it's been sold to developers and will never re-open as a pub again.

We're obviously gutted, after just 10 months we were really starting to turn this place into a popular and lively pub and venue. Lots of great stuff was already booked in for the next few months, all now sadly cancelled... Our final 5 days:

Wed - Hankdog's Easycome Acoustic Club
Thurs - Silent Film Night - Nosferatu (1922), with live accompaniment from musical genius Igor Outkine
Fri - Private party in the ballroom, front bar open as usual
Sat - Comedy Club - Scott Capurro, Steve Best and more
Sun - Big fat leaving party

Massive thanks and love to all the people who've supported us in our time here, we've had some amazing nights and met lots of lovely new friends.  I hope you'll be able to join us for a goodbye drink before the end of the week, we plan on going out with a bang rather than a whimper - watch this space for details of our 'closing down/drink the bar dry/so what if it's a school night' party on Sunday. For those of you who'll miss the pizzas the most, get yourselves down to The Joiners Arms in Camberwell - same recipe, same chefs, same awesomeness.

Big Love,
Nick and the whole Ivy House team'.

Photo by Ewan Munro at Flickr

Ivy House and Newlands Tavern


With the recent demise of the Montague Arms in New Cross, we now look set to lose two of the best music pubs in South London.

I've had some memorable nights at the Ivy House, notably Brockley Jack Film Club's showing of Piccadilly and indie-pop lovelies The June Brides. As noted at Transpontine before, the pub has a long history as a music venue, 'particularly in its previous incarnation as the Newlands Tavern when it was a key point on the 1970s pub rock circuit in the lead up to punk. Bands that played there at this time included Eddie and the Hot Rods, Flip City (with Elvis Costello), The Kursaal Flyers, Kilburn and the High Roads (with Ian Dury), The 101ers (Joe Strummer's pre-Clash band), Dr Feelgood and Johnny Sox (with Hugh Cornwall, later of The Stranglers). According to 'No Sleep Till Canvey Island - The Great Pub Rock Revolution' by Will Birch, Graham Parker and The Rumour rehearsed and debuted there in 1975.

It's not over yet...

Some pubs die on their feet because nobody wants what they have to offer anymore, but this is not the case with The Ivy House. It's been coming along fine since its latest relaunch last year. The problem is that like many other pubs it is owned by one of a small number of corporate pub chains - in this case Enterprise Inns -  with no real commitment to pubs as local social spaces, especially if they think they can make a short term profit by selling off pubs to developers. Nunhead is what estate agents call 'up and coming', so no doubt the pub site has value as potential space for housing. Never mind the long term needs of the people in that area for places to eat, drink, be merry, dance, listen to music and watch movies.

Still the strategy of selling off pubs for housing is dependent upon Councils agreeing to give planning permission  to change the use of historic buildings like the Ivy House (an application to have the building listed is currently being considered by English Heritage). In Deptford recently, Lewisham Council refused planning permission to demolish the Lord Clyde, as reported by Deptford Misc:

'The Lord Clyde public house building has been identified by the local planning authority as an undesignated heritage asset, which has both historical value and architectural character and adds positively to the local distinctiveness of the area. Inadequate justification has been provided for the demolition of the existing building, and as such its demolition would result in an unacceptable loss of a heritage asset and consequently would result in unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the surrounding area'.

So while sadly it looks like the present tenants of the Ivy House are facing imminent eviction, it's certainly not out of the question that the pub could be saved if enough people make a fuss.

Update, Friday 20th April - there is now a Save the Ivy House group on Facebook and Twitter. The former has picked up over 1000 members in the last two days. More importantly the digital outrage has been followed through with some real community organising, with people meeting last night at the pub to discuss what to do next.

Return of the Ivy House

Good news on the pub front - The Ivy House at the top of Peckham Rye (40 Stuart Road, Nunhead, SE15 3BE) is set to re-open this month.

I've mentioned before this place's importance as both a pub and a music venue, both as the Ivy House and in its earlier incarnation as the Newlands Tavern. I will do a proper history post on it soon, but for now will simply note that John Bundy and friends, who successfully relaunched The Joiners Arms in Camberwell, are behind the latest episode in this pub's story. Lots of events are already being planned for later in the year.

The official opening night is on 22 June, with lots of music, but there's also some gigs and stuff happening in the week before. Full details here.

Lucky Soul on Hilly Fields

Lucky Soul are SE London's finest purveyors of indie-pop-soul, and their new single honours the green heights of Ladywell - Upon Hilly Fields.



Following the earlier post on the closure of the Ivy House (SE15), Darryl at 853 has reminded me that Lucky Soul's 2007 video for 'Add your light to mine, Baby' was filmed in that very pub, and even features a shot of Darryl's arm.

Pubs closing and opening

More bad news (and a little bit of good) on the SE London pub front.

Southwark - one of the areas worst hit by pub closures in recent years - has suffered some more losses. On the Walworth Road both the Beaten Path (formerly Prince Alfred) and the Temple Bar have closed recently. The latter was one of the pubs where the artist Austin Osman Spare exhibited his work in the 1940s.

In Nunhead (Lausanne Road), the Swiss Tavern is seemingly being converted to flats. Until the death of its landlady Miss P (Patricia Walters) last year this was a popular African Caribbean pub. So many people turned up there when Miss P died that the police had to close Lausanne Road.

Up on Stuart Road SE15, the famous Ivy House has closed with its future uncertain. This is an iconic venue with a long musical history, including in its previous incarnation as the Newlands Tavern. The most recent managers pursued a policy of discouraging the previous locals with the aim of making it more of an event venue pulling in people from further afield. Some of the events have been very successful, such as comedy nights and the Brockley Jack Film Club Piccadilly showing. But I imagine that the pub's location, a long way from the nearest rail or tube station, makes it hard to keep it really busy like that on a regular basis.

In Brixton, popular pub/music venue Rest is Noise is closing (maybe already has) - a busy place so doesn't look like revenue was the major issue. For discussion of possible reasons to do with the building's landlord see Urban75.

Better news from the Old Kent Road, where the even more iconic Thomas a Becket looks set to reopen as a cafe/bar soon after being closed for a few years (other than being partially used as an art gallery). Not sure if they will keep the name, I would like them to because of the whole link to the Kent Road pilgrimage route. The pub stands on the site of St Thomas a Watering, mentioned in the Canterbury Tales as the place where the pilgrims stopped for refreshment on the road to Becket's shrine in Canterbury Cathedral. But if they do go for a name change can I propose Ziggy's or Stardust?

The relaunch of the Goldsmiths Tavern as the New Cross House is on track - new owners Captial Pub Company took possession today (see more about their plans at Food Stories). And Brockley Central reports a new bar may be opening soon in New Cross - but nobody seems to know where or when?

(any other news, updates or corrections, please comment)

Piccadilly at the Ivy House

Last weekend's Brockley Jack Film Club event at the Ivy House was a great success, with the 1920s silent movie Piccadilly played to a full and glamorously-attired house. The film was accompanied by accordionist Igor Outkine - whose accordion can replicate the sounds of a piano, Chinese instruments and much more. It added a whole other level, and reminded me of the lost art of the silent movie pianist, not just accompanying but commenting on the film by, for instance, punctuating it with humorous interludes. There's a good set of photos of the night by Andy Cullen at Flickr (from which the above picture is taken).

Piccadilly

A glamorous night coming up at the Ivy House on Saturday December 4th, with Brockley Jack Film Club taking a holiday from their usual venue to bring a touch of 1920s Soho to Nunhead.

They will be showing the 1929 silent movie Piccadilly, starring Anna May Wong as a Chinese dancer in the West End. I've seen this film before and there's some great nightclub footage from the Cafe de Paris. To add to the atmosphere on the night there will be an evocative improvised score performed by acclaimed Russian accordionist Igor Outkine (who himself has appeared in Cronenberg's film Eastern Promises). There will also be classic cocktails at the bar.

Piccadilly with Igor Outkine from BrockleyJackFilmClub on Vimeo.

Further details from Brockley Jack Film Club (tickets are £8).

Ballroom Boot Fair at the Ivy House

The next Ballroom Boot Fair at The Ivy House is happening on Sunday 29th August, 12 - 4 pm with 'art, wares, bric-a-brac, records, vintage clothes & cool junk!'.

Entrance is 50 p (kids free) at the Ivy House, 40 Stuart Road, Peckham Rye SE15 2PL.

365 days of Live Music

Hugo Simms has finally finished his epic exploration, 365 Days of Live Music in London. As he recounts in an article in The Evening Standard (16 April 2010), last April he made a vow to experience live music every day, taking him on an odyssey of streets, pubs, churches, concert halls and various improbable venues. All of this written up in his blog, and one day to be a book.

As Hugo lives in Nunhead, a lot of the performances were in South East London. The Birds Nest, New Cross Inn, Amersham Arms, Jam Circus, Old Nun's Head and Ivy House all get visited. There were several posts where I cursed that I hadn't heard about the gig beforehand - I mean, seeing Viv Albertine of The Slits at the Glad in Borough?

Hugo's effort should serve as a reminder of just how important pubs are for the culture of low key musicking - which is why it is quite right to get agitated at things like the threatened closure of The Deptford Arms.