Sanford Housing Co-op

Sanford Housing Co-operative in New Cross had their annual 'Folkus' summer festival/party/all-nighter on Saturday night. It was mobbed with hundreds of people enjoying themselves in the open air next to the railway embankment on Sanford Walk.

There were bands, DJs, fire jugglers and more. I saw Masqua, an interesting outfit made up of ex-Goldsmiths students (including cellist Jasmine Scott Neale) playing Sicilian songs among other things. Highlight for me though was seeing Viv Albertine (once of the legendary Slits) who still has a good line in punky anger albeit accompanied these days by a harpist. I didn't catch David J, Vocal Pugilist, but there's already some footage of his performance on Saturday up on youtube:



Sanford is an amazing place, built in 1971 as the country's first purpose built housing co-operative, with the aim of providing affordable accommodation for single people. The original co-op members were students, with Nick Raynsford (then a Shelter activist, now Labour MP for Greenwich) helping to set it up. There are 14 houses, each shared by eight to 10 people.

More recently Sanford has become a pioneer in urban sustainable living, as highlighted in an article by John Vidal in The Guardian a couple of years ago: 'The unexpected stage for one of the most ambitious low-carbon developments in Britain today is not an executive estate in the Cotswolds or a pretty new eco-town, but a row of modest 1970s inner-city houses lived in by a 130-strong group of artists, students and others'. There are ponds and many of the people sitting on a terrace made of railway sleepers at the party probably didn't realize that they were on top of a bike shed.

You can see the railway sleepers in the picture below (click images to enlarge) from an article from the South London Press (July 3 2009). The headline 'Urban Co-op's Bohemian Bliss' might be a bit of an exaggeration - like any collective project, people have had their disagreements, and the place has had its share of casualties. But that doesn't diminish its significance.

Sanford were on a bit of a press coverage roll in 2009 - they were also featured in Time Out with an article erroneously entitled 'London's Last Commune' (25 July 2009).

Mural Walk

The recent London Mural Preservation Society walking tour of South East London murals was a success with 20+ people heading from Canada Water to Deptford on a Saturday afternoon (6th August).

The starting point was Surrey Quays shopping centre with its two 1980s murals developed by the Greenwich Mural Workshop. This one combines a representation of contemporary life with the history of the Surrey Docks - by showing people staging a modern day festival about the history of the docks:



Outside the shopping centre in the recreated Dockers shelter, there is a mural by Bermondsey Arts Group showing images from the docks.



I like the way that it incorporates images of items presumably found while researching it in Southwark Archives, including a 1950s flyer for the Dockworkers Social Club (Gordon Club) in Bermondsey Street.



We walked on down to the Sanford Housing Co-operative (Sanford Walk, SE14) with its 1984 mural 'Riders of the Apocalypse' designed by Brian Barnes with help from Ray Walker and others. This late Cold War classic shows Thatcher, Reagan and Heseltine flying around on nuclear missiles - there's also a Russian leader, not sure who it's supposed to be - Gorbachev didn't become Soviet leader until 1985, I think it's probably Andropov who died in 1984. The mural was funded by the Greater London Council via 'London Muralists for Peace'. Apparently the original design featured skeletons on missiles, but some of the residents objected.



A detail I hadn't noticed before is the fence at the bottom with images of people on it. This derives from a famous 1982 demonstration at Greenham Common cruise missiles base where protestors put personal effects and pictures on the fence. Anybody know who some of the people shown in the mural are? And note that one of the images shows a representation of part of the mural within the mural, a signature feature of murals by Barnes.

Incidentally while doing some research recently I stumbled across a report of a 1981 party during the Royal Wedding of Princess Di and Prince Charles - the Mercury reported '100 youngsters at Sanford housing co-operative in Sanford Street, New Cross, staged a Stuff the Wedding party'. A picture of a big Stuff the Wedding banner was included (Mercury 6 August 1981).



We saw some recent spray paint art on the Woodpecker Youth and Community Centre in New Cross, with some Alice in Wonderland-influenced imagery. Anybody know who did this?


In Deptford, the Pink Palace mural is on the corner of Frankham Street and Deptford Church Street. It was designed in 1983 by artists including Paul Pestidge and Mary Maguire.

Pulling back the dustbins we found some hidden details, like this Sony Walkman-wearing skeleton:



I was already familiar with the Love Over Gold mural in Creekside, designed by Gary Drostle with kids from local schools. It dates from 1989 and was partly funded by the band Dire Straits who were formed in the mid-1970s when most of the band were living in the adjacent Farrer House on Crossfields Estate in Deptford.

As Mark Knopfler of the band recalls, their 1982 song/album Love Over Gold took its name from some local graffiti: 'there was just some graffiti that was on the wall in Deptford really that stuck in my mind when we were living in this condemned estate. Someone had written "Love Over Gold" on the wall as an idea and it stuck with me'. The original 1970s graffiti is shown as a detail in the mural - in effect the mural is named after the song which is named after the graffiti!

Other details include 'love over gold' written in sign language:

...and St Pauls Church:

In Deptford market we paused in Douglas Way to view the scene of a recently departed mural. The 1988 mural by Christopher Ryland and Paul Pestidge (detail below) has now gone, but Lewisham have commissioned a replacement - so watch that space!

Finally we checked out two murals by Patricio Forrester/Artmongers. The first on the Deptford High Street was apparently at one point due to include actual necklaces hanging on from the chimneys rather than a painted one.

The other will be familar to people on Deptford Broadway, and indeed replaced two previous murals at the same location.

Sanford Housing Co-op Open Day

The famous Sanford Housing Co-op in New Cross (Sanford Walk SE14) is having its annual open day on Saturday 7th September, 2 - 8 pm. Come down and find out about its permaculture and eco heating, listen to the acoustic open mic or maybe try out some juggling. For more about the place and its history, check out this post I did a couple of years ago.

NXD Free Film Festival closing weekend

It's the last weekend of the New Cross and Deptford Free Film Festival 2013, and there's lots to do. Today's events include

13.00 h - Function and Purpose at Old Tidemill School  SE8 - an afternoon of workshops and short films inspired by the counter-cultural bible the Whole Earth Catalogue.

14.00 h - Cinema Paradiso at London Theatre

14.00 h -Circus at Sanford Housing Co-op (Cold Blow Lane SE14): a 2010 film looking behind the scenes at New York's Big Apple Circus. Plus there willl be a juggling/circus skills workshop and live music in Sanford's garden from 4 pm.

19.30 h - Tulennielija (Fire Eater) Sanford Housing Co-op

20.00 h - ET in Telegraph Hill Upper Park - a cycle powered showing complete with great sunset view of the London skyline.

Full details here.

Folkus Festival at Sanford Walk

Tomorrow (Saturday 19th Sept) the Folkus Festival takes place at Sanford Housing Co-op in New Cross. The event marks the 30th anniversary of the Co-op and as well as lots of music, that old bus that has been there for ever is going to be turned into a temporary cinema by the folks from Exploding Cinema and friends.
Sanford Walk, SE14, Noon till late (films from 9 pm)

Walking New Cross (6): Cold Blow Lane

Cold Blow Lane is one of the older roads in this part of London. Stanford’s map of London (1862-1871) shows that even after the birth of the railway most of the area north of New Cross Road was still fields and market gardens, but Cold Blow Lane is there heading to Cold Blow Farm, which was more or less on the site of Sanford Housing Co-op.

The brick tunnel under the railway lines still has a feel of the past – it was built in around 1854 as part of the Croydon Railway and until about five years ago the road was still cobbled.


The brick walls feature a veritable museum of graffiti – football (the inevitable ‘Millwall’), politics (the old anarchist ‘Never Work’) and music (‘T.Rex’ – the latter must be over thirty years old). There used to be a nice piece of an angel on a swing by contemporary graffiti artist Arofish, but most of this has been pointlessly painted over. I don’t hold with the idea that graffiti pieces should be indefinitely preserved – ephemerality is part of the nature of graffiti - but in this context of a deserted tunnel it seems plain spiteful to eradicate it.

The Sanford Housing Co-op on Sanford Mews features a 1980s anti-war mural. 'Riders of the Apocalypse' by Brian Barnes (1983) includes images of Margaret Thatcher, Michael Heseltine and Ronald Reagan on cruise missiles.

Off Cold Blow Lane on the other side of the railway tracks, the newish Joseph Hardcastle Close is named after the slavery abolitionist who once lived nearby in Hatcham House. On the other side of the road, the modern flats of John Williams Close, Myers Lane, Bridge Meadows and Samuel Close were built in the 1990s on the site of the old Millwall Football Ground. Millwall played here from 1910 until they moved in 1993 to the New Den nearby.

John Williams Close includes the Manley Court Nursing Home, where Magda Pniewska worked and near to which she was shot dead on her way home last year. There is still a candle and a picture of her on the stairs which lead up to Bridge House Meadows, a green open space where once stood another sports venue – the New Cross Stadium (1913-1969), famous for speedway and, for a short while, stock car racing. The graffiti below is on a Transport for London box on the Meadows - next to it you can see my walking companion.

Radical Housing Weekend in New Cross

An interesting programme of talks, films and visits in New Cross this weekend as part of the Radical Housing Network's London-wide Housing Weekender events.

On Saturday 26 April there will be films from 2 pm at New Cross Learning, whille in Cafe Crema (306 New Cross Road) talks will start at 1 pm, with speakers including:

'Jon Glackin on……Street Homelessness: Jon Glackin from World Homeless Action Movement is a street homeless campaigner who currently works supporting those on the streets with soup runs and advocacy. Jon will be speaking about the encroaching criminalization and discrimination of the homeless, such as the Met Police’s Operation Encompass and the banning of soup kitchens in certain areas. He will also be outlining the ways in which homeless people are self-organising and providing basic services for themselves.

Owen Hatherley on….. Urban Blight: Owen Hatherley is a journalist and writer, author of several books and articles around the issue of housing and urban architecture, including Militant Modernism, A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain and This Property is Condemned. Owen will be speaking about bad architecture, poor design and the take-over of our cities by profit-driven corporativism.

Jon Broome on……Self-Build: Jon Broome, self-builder and one of the UK’s leading self-build architects who worked with Walter Segal using an innovative building method which made self-build easy, accessible, and affordable. Groups like the Lewisham Self-Builders adopted this approach in the 1980′s, and was later used to good effect at various sites in Lewisham, Southeast London, Brighton and elsewhere. He will outline: What we mean by self-build, What are the potential benefits, Examples of people who have done it, Who can take part, Participatory design, Low energy building and Sustainable neighbourhoods'.

There will also be an opportunity to tour two local Housing Co-ops:

SANFORD HOUSING CO-OPERATIVE:  Established in 1973, Sanford is currently celebrating its 40th year as an independent housing co-operative. Tours will be running during the day, exploring the gardens, fish ponds, renewable energy measures, and looking inside the 8-person shared houses.

NETTLETON ROAD HOUSING CO-OPERATIVE: Nettleton Co-op was established in the late 1970’s/ early 1980’s, when derelict council houses that had been squatted were turned into a housing co-operative. Nettleton co-op is made up of a number of terraced houses on a pedestrianised street, and is renowned for its annual community street-party.

Further details/full programme here

Folkus and Drum Garden

Some amazing free music in New Cross and Deptford this weekend, featuring internationally-known artists.

Folkus

Firstly tomorrow there's Folkus, the annual street party at Sanford Housing Cooperative (Sanford Walk, SE14). Actually although it starts on Saturday around noon it will be continuing all night until Sunday morning.

In the afternoon there will be the FOLKUS PICNIC with talks, and stalls about 'Empowering Sustainable Communities Through Grassroots Organizations'.

Then on the TREE OF LIFE stage from 7 pm - 4 am there will be live music including Spektrum and Viv Albertine (once of The Slits), plus DJs. More details on facebook.

Drum Garden

On Sunday September 4th from 5 pm to 7 pm there's 'Drum Garden' in The Herb Garden, MacMillan Street, SE8: 'a specially constructed performance by 10 or 11 drummers from the south east London underground, a highly motivated and vibrant scene with wildly individual players. We will be playing throughout the garden so that the sound moves across and through the space. Strategies have been devised to keep the playing fresh'. Percussionists include Charles Hayward (ex-This Heat, Camberwell Now) and David Aylward (Brain of Morbius, Blurt).

At around the same time on Sunday (5 pm - 7:30 pm), 'post-folk' outfit Manglenote will be playing at the Royal Albert, New Cross Road, as part of their Octo-pump beer and cider festival.

Deptford Arms Talk

Tuesday's talk at the Deptford Arms on the musical history of New Cross and Deptford threw up a few new (to me) local connections.

One of the emerging themes of my research into this is that the amount of sustained musical activity in the area is not a result of some magic creative dust (well there might be some powders involved, but whether they promote or impair creativity is another matter), nor is it solely due to having Goldsmiths in the middle of the area (though that is definitely one contributor). A key factor has always been the availability of cheap/free places to live, rehearse and play music, with for instance local housing co-ops like Nettleton Road and Sanford being significant musical hubs.

So it was good to hear of some recent Sanford musicians. Apparently the bassist of New Young Pony Club lived there until recently...



... as did a couple of members of Spektrum (this is Kinda New):

.

Some other stories people came up with:

- Richey Edwards sometimes hung out on Crossfields Estate with Detpford-based Manic Street Preachers roadies.
- Futures nightclub was on Deptford Broadway where the Lady Florence Institute is now.
- The shop at 21 Deptford High Street that was the 1960s Soul City (Europe's first specialist soul shop) was later used as the base for Deptford Fun City records.

As always, keep the stories coming in if you have memories of any of this or related tales.

The Commons

The 1805 Ordnance Survey Map shows some of the unenclosed common land of SE London. Peckham Rye Common covered a much larger area than the current park. The land to the south of what is now Lewisham Way, between Deptford and Brockley, was Deptford Common.

The Well to its South East was presumably the Lady Well (hence obviously Ladywell). Oh and the Folly in Peckham was 'Heaton's Folly' on what is now Heaton Road, about which I'll have to write another time. The dotted line down the middle marks the Kent/Surrey border I believe - Surrey to the left, Kent to the right.

Those commons were enclosed and largely built on in the 19th century, notwithstanding some remaining parks and green spaces. Are their different kinds of commons today, and indeed new forms of enclosure? That is something that is being explored by New Cross Commoners, a new group looking at 'commoning' in the local area (something they describe as 'a process of coming together and doing things together that differs from the private and the public/State controlled ways of doing things'). They are meeting and discussing contemporary theorists of the common, such as Massimo De Angelis, as well as having excursions to possible examples of common practice such as Sanford Housing Co-op and the Creekside Houseboat community.

Here's a map some of them started on during a workshop at New Cross Learning (the old library) - presumably in this schema Fordham Park and Sandford represent some kinds of common but the Supermarket (Sainsburys) represent some kind of enclosure. Some interesting ideas, though with their own contradictions. For instance does replacing a properly funded and staffed library, run by the Council, with a volunteer led project llike New Cross Learning represent enclosure (the loss of a public service) or commoning (the creation of a new kind of common space)? Or a bit of both? Is a common future prefigured only in 'alternative' spaces or in the social labour of the supermarket where people from all over the world encounter each other and the products of global human effort (albeit in the context of a profit-driven corporate supply chain)? Discuss!

Check out their blog for information about future activities.

If contemporary radical theory is your thing you might also be interested in a talk coming up at Goldsmiths in New Cross on on 19 March 2013, with  New York-based wrtier Jodi Dean introducing her book 'The Communist Horizon' which aims to chart 'the re-emergence of communism as a magnet for political energy following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the stalling of the Occupy movement'.

The event takes place  in Rm 309, 3rd Floor, Richard Hoggart Building, 19:00 – 21:00 (organised by Centre for Cultural Studies, free, all welcome).

New Cross and Deptford Free Film Festival 2015

Some great events coming up in this year's New Cross and Deptford Free Film Festival, here's a quick summary from the organisers, for full details check out their website.

New Cross + Deptford Free Film Festival 2015.

Fri 24 April - Sun 3 May

'The fourth annual New Cross + Deptford Free Film Festival is shaping up to be a cinematic extravaganza. This year there really is something for everyone - from Youtube Cats to radical politics (there’s an election on!).

The festival launches with Friday Night Fever, a screening of Saturday Night Fever followed by a 70s disco. Strut your stuff at Number3, the new warehouse space on Creekside. 

  

The festival closes with a very special guest. Legendary DJ, musician and filmmaker Don Letts will be talking about his documentary film The Clash: Westway To The World followed by a DJ set at the Job Centre in Deptford.

Other highlights include:

Tuesday 28 April: Westmonster / Spirit Level - Two politically charged films with Q & A and discussion at New Cross Learning

Wednesday 29 April: Carrie – the original teen horror at Deptford Lounge

Thursday 30 May: Global Shorts - 16 films from 16 countries at Deptford Lounge

Friday 1 May: Old Kent Road -Everybody’s heard of the Champs-Élysées. The Old Kent Road’s the same. It must be one of the best known names in Europe.” - at The Hill Station Cafe

Saturday 2 May: Wizard of Oz - Follow the yellow brick road to this bike powered, open air event in Telegraph Hill upper Park

Throughout the festival Sanford Housing Co-op are presenting Ways Out: Unfolding the topography of the possible. Six films investigating alternatives to generic Capitalism. Join filmmakers, activists and guest-panellists for discussions'

Out Now: 'New Cross, New Cross: a cultural history of London SE14'

'This new book from the man behind the indispensable Transpontine blog is a deep cultural history which ripples far beyond SE14' (Emma Warren)

New out in Summer 2026:  300+ pages covering music, radical politics, sports, spirituality, pubs and much more. Price £15.

You can now buy the book from the following: 

The Word Bookshop, New Cross Road SE14 

Crofton Books, Brockley Road SE4 

Books Peckham, Maxted Road SE15

56a Info Shop, 56a Crampton Street SE17

Past Tense (stalls and online)

You can also order online here: https://transpontine.sumupstore.com/ or use QR code below:

[At the moment there is free delivery if ordered online for people living in the following postcode areas:  SE1, SE4, SE5, SE6, SE8, SE13, SE14, SE15, SE16, SE22. If this applies to you, at the checkout under 'shipping method' there will be an option to select 'local delivery'. If you select this it will ask for your postcode to check and if you are in one of these areas you should be eligible for free delivery] 

Some of the people and things mentioned in the book:

 Geoffrey Chaucer – Executions at the Foul Oak – Peasant revolts –  James Bond -  Noel Coward – the abandoned Ringway motorway-  cycle and road protests - New Cross psychogeography –  London Clay- Great North Wood - Romans in New Cross – Robert Browning – is the area named after a pub or vice versa? –  Welsh and Irish workers in market gardens – Octavia Hill and the campaign for Telegraph Hill Park – slavery beneficiaries and anti-slavery campaigners – New Cross in books and films – Joyce Cary – Kae Tempest – Gary Oldman –  Nil by Mouth – Shaun of the Dead – Tales of a Vampire – the first Indian nationalist to stand for parliament – a prisoner in Irish jail is nearly elected as MP – Charles Parnell – the Irish War of Independence comes to New Cross – Canals – Train factories – Chartists – the First International and a New Cross basket makers strike – tram and bus unions – the 1926 General Strike – Stone’s Engineering – Lady Flo’s squat – lost sounds and smells – 19th century vegetarians – the first Indian and Chinese restaurants – Nouvelle Quiche – Uncle Wrinkle -New Cross Hospital – New Cross Fire Station – Libraries – Spiral Tribe -Hatcham Liberal Club – labour, socialist and anarchist clubs – an anarchist bomb in New Cross Road – unemployed protests – Sylvia Pankhurst – Spanish civil war – The Field – Avalon Café – Haberdashers schools – Suffragettes – the burning of St Catherine’s church – feminism – music hall – Louis Armstrong – Fats Waller – cinema – Spike Milligan – the Harp Club – the Venue – Blur – Placebo - Oasis – a horse racing course – swimming pools – athletics – first cycling clubs – the roller skating boom – the founding of the Football Association – Gaelic Athletics – Millwall not scabs – wrestling – boxing – speedway – greyhounds – war damage – peace protests – CND – Montague Arms – New Cross Inn – Bonzos - New Cross House/Goldsmiths Tavern – Vic Reeves – Julian Clary - Paul O'Grady - Denton Welch -  Gil Scott Heron - Deptford Urban Free Festival – Skehans – Shirkers Rest - Royal Albert – Kate Bush - Nubia Garcia – Paradise Bar – New Cross Scene – Angular records – No Pain in Pop - Deadly Rhythm – Five Bells – Charles Dickens – Marquis of Granby – the first Great Train Robbery  - Wellards Record Shop – Eddy Grant – Saxon Studio International – Dennis Bovell – Mad Professor – Jah Shaka – Lovers Rock- the Richardsons –  Underhill Studios - Chocolate Factory – Band of Holy Joy – Test Dept - Hagar the Womb – pirate radio – Double Trouble – Rebel MC - Digital Holdings – UK Funky – Drill – Jamz Supernova -  Music Room -Danger Mouse – Ultramarine – Planet Wax – Victor Le Lubez – secularists – churches - New Cross Synagogue – kindertransport -Harry Price, ghosthunter – Conan Doyle and spiritualists –  Chaos Magic – Did a New Cross Golden Dawn member invent peroxide for hair?  - the Anglo-Caribbean Association – New Cross Fascists and Anti-Fascists -Fasimbas -  The Battle of Lewisham 1977 – the New Cross Fire -  Linton Kwesi Johnson - David Rocastle – Ian Wright - 2011 riots - Fred D'Aguiar -  Queer New Cross - Venue MOT - Deptford Ravens FC - Corner  – Gentrification? - 'The New Shoreditch'– Edith Nesbit - Milton Court Estate- 'Crack City' - Squats and Housing Co-ops – Sanford – Nettleton Road –  Venue MOT – Paul Gilroy - New Cross Commoners

 

New Cross and Deptford Free Film Festival 2013

New Cross and Deptford Free Film Festival takes place from 26 April to 5 May and as the names suggests will feature free film showings in lots of interesting venues locally - including Fordham Park, Sanford Housing Co-op, the Amersham Arms, Big Red Pizzeria, the Hill Station, Goldsmiths, Telegraph Hill Park, Tidemill Old School, London Theatre, King of Hearts Tattoo Parlour and New Cross Learning - full programme here.

The first festival last year was a great success, Pasolini's Gospel According to Saint Matthew at St Nicholas Church being a particular highlight for me. Over the next few weeks I will be featuring some of the events in more detail, including a couple I'm helping out with.

Just to mention one for now, on 2 May houses around the Telegraph Hill area will be projecting films into their front windows so you will be able to wander around watching movies.

Tim Whelan

Terrence Baker, a former resident of Sanford Housing Co-op in New Cross, has been in touch and confirmed that when he was living there in the late 1980s, so was Tim Whelan. So we can now add two more great bands to the South East London Hall of Fame.

Tim Whelan was the guitarist in Furniture, who had a hit with their single Brilliant Mind in 1986 and split up in 1990.



He then went on to form Transglobal Underground. Their first single Templehead was a big club hit in 1990, it really reminds me of going to the Whirl-y-Gig at Shoreditch Town Hall. I know the video below is just one of those home-made cut and paste fan jobs from Youtube but at least you get to hear it:

Robbery at Halfpenny Hatch

A few weeks ago I walked late at night from Greenwich to Sanford Walk via the Ha'penny Hatch bridge over Deptford Creek. Luckily I had a better experience than somebody making a similar journey in 1831. As reported in the Police Gazette (6 August 1831):

'ROBBERY FROM THE PERSON

On Monday night, the 25th ultimo, about twelve o'clock, Ebenezer Radford, of Montague Terrace, Peckham Lane, Deptford, was returning from Deptford, by the Canal, to his residence, when we was suddenly seized by two Men, near the Halfpenny-hatch, who dragged him some distance, and told him it was useless to make any noise, as they intended taking his life: they then attempted to suffocate him, but, by great exertions, he jumped up, and ran several yards, crying 'Murder !' He was then overtaken by the same parties, who dragged him through some water, and threw him into a ditch, where he was discovered, senseless, about four o'clock on the following morning'.

(Peckham Lane is what is now Queens Road, Peckham).

Free Film Festival Opening Weekend

The New Cross and Deptford Free Film Festival got off to a great start this weekend, even if the weather hasn't been ideal for the outdoor screenings!

The opening party was last Friday at the Old Deptford Police Station, with films showing in the old holding cells (there were more films on a human rights theme there on Saturday as part of Freedom Cells in the festival).

Also on Friday night there was a cycle powered outdoor screening of the last Harry Potter film at Somerville Adventure Playground.

On Saturday night, rain failed to stop Sherlock Holmes in Fordham Park thanks to a couple of gazebos. Tonight's Alice in Wonderland was moved from Sandbourne Road Community Garden to the Hill Station Cafe.

Plenty more coming up this week at Sanford Housing Co-op, the Big Red Pizzeria, Goldsmiths Student Union, Telegraph Hill Park, the Deptford Lounge, St Nicholas Church and other venues. Full programme here.

Please note that tomorow's (Monday) Lost Cinema of Deptford and New Cross history talk starts at 7:30 at The Big Red Pizzeria, not 8.00 as stated on some flyers.

Did a member of The Slits live in New Cross?

This image of The Slits by photographer Terry Lott is apparently from a 'Photoshoot At Home Of Band Member In New Cross'. I've seen it dated from 1981 and 1987, former seems more likely as they split up in '82.

But does this mean that a member of the band actually lived in SE14 at the time? I once saw former Slits guitarist Viv Albertine playing at a party at Sanford housing co-op (in 2011) and bassist Tessa Pollitt DJ at Goldsmiths (2019) But did either one of them or singer Ari Up actually live in this part of London for a while?  For the sake of my completist SE14 obsession would love to know more.

Update: in her autobiography, 'Clothes, clothes, clothes; music, music, music; boys, boys, boys', Viv Albertine mentions that soon after the band split up she went 'to evening classes at Goldsmiths College in New Cross, to learn how to read music, practise playing guitar and develop my ear'