Advert for The Gaff, jazz club at the Green Man with compere George Melly. The Green Man is described as 'South London's greatest jazz centre' (from Jazz News, 28 February 1962, found at great National Jazz Archive) |
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
1960s Jazz and R'n'B in Blackheath
Friday, August 27, 2010
Henry Miller and Crystal Palace
Anyway in a brief conversation with the Bookseller himself, I mentioned that the American author Henry Miller refers to Crystal Palace in his novel Sexus, first published in Paris in 1949. Here's the quote:
'It is to Covent Garden I go a few hours after landing in London, and to the girl I single out to dance with I offer a rose from the flower market. I had intended to go direct to Spain, but circumstances obliged me to go straight to London. A Jewish insurance agent from Baghdad, of all places, is the one to lead me to the Covent Garden Opera which has been converted into a dance hall for the time being. The day before leaving London I pay a visit to an English astrologer who lives near the Crystal Palace. We have to pass through another man's property to get to the house. As we are walking through the grounds he informs me casually that the place belongs to Thomas Burke, the author of Limehouse Nights' .
Of course the work is novel, albeit a fictionalised account of episodes in the author's life. So did Miller himself visit the Crystal Palace area? Quite possibly, as he was a friend of the writer Lawrence Durrell. According to Norbert Blei's blog 'Durrell had come to London with Henry Miller, another writer whom Dylan [Thomas] greatly admired. They were at that time editing an English language magazine in Paris together, originally called The Booster and later Delta.'
Durrell's novel The Black Book (1938) was written in 1935-6, a period during which he lived for a while at the Queens Hotel on Church Road, Crystal Palace (the work features local scenes). So as a friend of Durrell it's quite likely that Miller would have visited and been familiar with the area. The Covent Garden Opera was indeed turned into a dancehall at the start of World War II in 1939. Thomas Burke (1886-1945) was a South London born writer of books set in London's Chinese communities.
In a post on The Crystal Palace in Literature, Sarah J Young discusses other literary references, including George Gissing’s The Nether World (1889), E Nesbit's The Ice Dragon, or Do As You Are Told (1900) and The Enchanted Castle (1907), and Peter Carey’s Oscar and Lucinda (1988). She has also discussed the differing perspectives of the Russian authors Dostoevsky and Chernyshevsky on the Crystal Palace itself, and even pondered whether 'Dostoevsky was thinking of the Crystal Palace dinosaurs when he wrote ‘The Crocodile’'.
Emile Zola's stay in Crystal Palace is covered in a previous Transpontine post.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Nollywood Now in New Cross
'The Nigerian film industry, popularly known as Nollywood, exploded at the beginning of the 1990s and is now the world’s second largest film industry in the world in terms of number of annual film production. The industry has an estimated turnover of US$250 million, and produces around 2400 films a year. Films are rarely released in cinemas, but are distributed in DVD and VCD format in markets and shops for home viewing. In London, many Nollywood fans rent or buy their films from shops in Deptford, Peckham and Dalston...
Nigerian film is popular with audiences from across Africa. In 2006, 42% of Nollywood films were made in English language, 37% in Yoruba and 18% in Hausa. The industry has taken influence from all around the world (including Bollywood melodrama, Latin American soap operas, low-budget American/British horror and Hong Kong gangster flicks) but transform these influences to address local concerns.'
The festival runs from 6 to 12 October, with the launch event on Wednesday 6 October featuring a panel discussion and screening of the documentary Nollywood Babylon. The venue is the Moonshot Centre, Fordham Park, New Cross, London SE14 6LU
Full details of all events at the Nollywood Now site.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
New Cross: handy for Millwall
'Exclusive research for the Evening Standard today showed the value of properties in areas such as Haggerston, Shadwell, Wapping and New Cross have risen sharply over the past two years.
Estate agents along the route from Dalston in the north to Crystal Palace and West Croydon in the south have seen a flood of enquiries from workers looking for quick transport links into central London'.
It includes summaries for some of the areas along the line, including New Cross and Brockley:
'New Cross/Gate [Average House] Price: £286,036 (+22.7%). Best roads: Billington Road and Pepys Road for Victorian houses. Why live there: Excellent if you are a Millwall fan. Good pubs include the Amersham Arms. “Outstanding” Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College. Who lives there: Musician Steve Harley grew up here.
Brockley [Average House] Price: £294,157 (+7.8%). Best roads: Five minutes' walk from the station, Wickham Road is rated one of the area's best. Why live there: The area is not short of green spaces with Blythe Hill, Brockley and Hilly Fields. Who lives there: actor David Haig and musician Nick Nicely'.
The article is based on the totally unbiased view of housing offered by local estate agents, who as usual are peddling two contradictory stories:
1. South East London is always already cheap, you can afford to live here.
2. House prices in South East London are always already rising, if you buy here you will be able to make money in the long run.
There's no questioning of the assumption that rising house prices are intrinsically a good thing - no interviews with people who might now not be able to afford to live locally (perhaps despite growing up round here) because of rising prices and their knock on effects on rents.
Anyway the fact that the Standard article highlighted the Millwall connection, complete with a photo of banner waving fans, should help to keep New Cross more affordable for a while longer!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Telegraph Hill Skate Park Latest
'The Skate Park Working Group includes: local councillors, Skate Park Action Group, designers, Park Users Group, Save Our Park and other interested people.The proposal is to use the path area on one side of the basketball court (East) and a small section at either end of this.
The Skate Park Working Group had a site meeting in the Lower Telegraph Hill Park and looked at all of the possible spaces. The site we agreed was best was to use the strip of path along the top side of the basketball court with a piece opening out at either end of this. It would create a dog bone / telephone type shape. The site benefits from banking and planting which screens views and noise, as well as being a good distance from houses. The fact that there are already activities (basketball / football) in the area was also seen as a plus. There is a path on the other side of the ball court so it wouldn’t affect access. The space chosen was far enough away from trees not to create problems, although drainage will be a consideration for the groundworks'.
The proposal will be put to a public vote at the next Telegraph Hill Assembly on Tuesday 21st September 2010, 7:30pm at Haberdashers’ Askes’ Hatcham Road College ( Jerningham Road site - lower school).
Monday, August 23, 2010
Upstairs in the Amersham Arms
Many bands have played at the Amersham Arms in New Cross over the years, and upstairs in the pub a few of them seem to be commemorated with their promotional photos framed on the wall (click to enlarge). Bit of a random collection - from top there's Beki Bond (also known as Beki Bondage from punk band Vice Squad); Attila the Stockbroker & John Otway; and The Barely Works.
Naturally this selection has got my musical archaeologist brain working. Obviously these photos date from the pre-internet days when a band's idea of self-promotion amounted to sending round black and white glossy pictures of themselves. London folkies The Barely Works existed from 1988 to 1993, so that narrows it down to a five year period. The caption on the Beki photo says Beki Bond (Bombshells) - the band she played with after Vice Squad and Ligotage from 1986 afterwards. Otway and Attila have been gigging for decades around London, separately and sometimes together. But in 1991 they made an album together called 'Cheryl, a Rock Opera'. So I am guessing that the Amersham Arms photo collection dates from around then.
Anyway back to the future, American songwriting legend Jonathan Richman is playing at the Amersham Arms on October 9th. Expect to hear the words 'One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six...'
Friday, August 20, 2010
172 to Brockley Rise
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Melodica, Melody and Me
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Ballroom Boot Fair at the Ivy House
Entrance is 50 p (kids free) at the Ivy House, 40 Stuart Road, Peckham Rye SE15 2PL.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Jude Cowan - Doodlebug Alley
More details at Jude's myspace site. You can catch her at the Montague Arms on 9th September.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Beautiful South Benefit
The line up includes:
* GRACE BANKS [ http://myspace.com/gracebanks]
* HANNAH SCOTT [ http://myspace.com/hannahscottuk]
* GABRIEL MESH [ http://myspace.com/gabrielmesh]
* MILLA TRAYLEN [ http://myspace.com/millatraylen]
Suggested donation: £3 waged / £2 unwaged.
For further information about the project contact beautifulsouth@riseup.net
Friday, August 13, 2010
Lewisham Booze Ban, No Thanks
Is SE London now Straight Edge London, by order of the Mayor? Is Lewisham the new Saudi Arabia? Maybe not, but this is a pernicious plan
Firstly, there is nothing wrong with drinking in public as such. Sitting in the park watching the sunset with a drink in your hand, sipping from a can on the way to a party - these are some of life's harmless pleasures.
But wait, says the Lewisham press release, 'The DPPO is not a ban on alcohol consumption in a public place, and does not make drinking in public an offence, but is a measure that can assist in tackling problematic street drinking linked to anti-social behaviour'. So it's OK for some people to drink in parks and streets but not others, with the police deciding who can and who can't. If that's not a recipe for discrimination I don't know what is. In practice, as well documented for instance in Brighton, DPPO powers have been used to implement de facto bans on public drinking in some places, with people having drink confiscated while sitting in parks and on the beach, or even having unopened cans and bottles taken off them while walking back home from the off licence. The implementation certainly hasn't been restricted to 'problem street drinkers', but it has been used to target people who the police may not be so keen on, such as protesters.
Yes, say the advocates but this is just about tackling 'problematic street drinking'. It is true that there are places, such as outside betting shops, where heavy street drinkers tend to congregate. Some of these people clearly have alcohol problems, but for the most part don't cause anything more than minor inconvenience to other people most of the time. Sometimes drunk people do get aggressive and violent - but when they do, the police already have plenty of powers to deal with them.
There are some broader issues at stake here. The first is the use of arbitrary police powers. The historical relationship between police, courts and the individual in the UK requires the police to present evidence of wrong doing to a court, with the person accused having the right to defend themselves before a judgement is made on their guilt and a sentence passed. With the DPPO, the police officer is judge, jury and 'executioner' - they can impose a punishment on the spot, such as pouring away somebody's drink, with the person affected having no right to question their authority or decision before 'sentence' is implemented. Worse, under the Police and Criminal Justice Act 2001 (which gave Council's powers to introduce DPPOs), these arbitrary powers can be extended to other 'authorised officers' such as park wardens.
The second wider issue is the creeping hyper-regulation of public space. The nature of public spaces is that people engage in lots of different behaviours and activities, some of which other people may find irritating, annoying or even mildly offensive. As long as people aren't actually harming others, they should be left to get on it. Just because some people disapprove of others' actions is no reason to ban them. Just because a few people engaging in an activity do cause harm to others is no reason to band everybody from that activity. In this case the 'drunk and disorderly' behaviour of a few people, already covered by existing laws, is being used as the basis to affect everybody's right to drink in public. It may not be a total booze ban, but it does mean that drinking in public is only permitted if the police choose to allow it.
A further comment on the consultation. The Lewisham press release states that the plans 'have been given the go-ahead by the Mayor, Sir Steve Bullock' but that 'Before the implementation of any DPPO, the Council is required by law to consult with the public'. The whole tone of the press release suggests the consultation is an afterthought to a decision already made. The consultation information provides no real rationale for the decision, or evidence that there is a major problem that requires it. It doesn't ask for view, but only a 'yes' or 'no' on a survey monkey questionnaire. If you want to take part in the consultation, you need to do so at the Lewisham consultation site before 27 August 2010.
The Manifesto Club have lots of information about Designated Public Order Orders and their implementation elsewhere, as well as some good arguments against them.
See also Deptford Dame on this.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Only Living Boy in New Cross
Must admit it was years later that I realized that it was a pun on the lovely Simon & Garfunkel song, The Only Living Boy in New York. Puns on South London locations were Carter's stock in trade, with other songs including '24 Minutes From Tulse Hill' and 'The Taking Of Peckham 123'. I think they were actually Brixton/Streatham based - one of them used to live on my road in Brixton when I was over there.
With its reference to 'gypsies, the travellers and the thieves... grebos the crusties and the goths', I always imagine that this song was inspired by the 1990s scene in The Dewdrop Inn, a pub with just such a crowd (just as the Crystal Palace Tavern in Tanners Hill had in the 1970s, according to an interesting recent comment at this earlier post). Anyway here they are on Top of the Pops in 1992 (the original video for the song is here):
Sang this great South London folk song a lot when I was with the Brockley Ukulele Group.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Lewisham Anti-Cuts Alliance
'On 27/07/10 several local trade unionists, former councillors and local campaigners met to discuss ways to fight the cuts in services that both the Con-Dem Government and Lewisham Council have planned. The people at the meeting resolved to all they could to campaign in Lewisham and work with community campaigns to defend services that we all rely on'.
More to come, no doubt.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Tidemill Parents Question Academy Plans
In the first instance, concerned parents are campaigning for a proper consultation about the proposals. They say: 'To consult with and inform parents, it has been suggested that over the summer holiday a random selection of 5 parents from each year followed by a one hour meeting by the Board of Governors is adequate. This petition is for a full and unbiased consultation with all parents and the local community before this important and far reaching change is pushed through to become an Academy'. They further argue:
- 'The decision to become an academy can’t be reversed,
- It affects whole community, not just current parents
- Some claim it will mean more money, but others say this will mean taking money off other local schools
- Some claim it will mean more freedom but other say parents will lose rights over Special Educational Needs etc
- The school will be run by a ‘trust’ – a private company set up by the governors. We may like the current head and governors, but what happens when they leave?'
Truth to tell, the full implications of the ConDem Academy plans are still unclear as so little detail has been published. But what is clear is that the plans are driven by an ideological imperative to create a market of competing schools, with a greater role for private business, and a reduction in the already limited input for parents and the community on governing bodies.
Monday, August 09, 2010
South London Folk Clubs in the 1960s
Over at folk music site Mudcat they've been discussing the London folk clubs of the earlier 1960s revival, and a few SE London venues get a mention.
In the early 1960s, there was a Friday night folk club at the Railway Tavern on Catford bridge, and a club run by the Young Communist League in Forest Hill. Seemingly, 'There was often a sing song in the Three Tuns, Blackheath... a fine 'alternative' pub in those days'.
In 1967/68 venues for folk clubs included the "Rising Sun" at Catford, the "Mansion House" in Deptford, the two "Tigers Head" pubs (Old & New) in Lee Green, and a club called Tramps & Hawkers at a pub on Blackheath Hill. This may (or may not) have been at The Green Man at the top of Blackheath Hill, where a club was held in the mid-1960s with notable guests including Paul Simon. The pub has long gone, replaced by housing in Alison Close (according to Edith's Streets, developed in 1972).
There was also at some point (early 1970s?) the Quaggy Folk Club somewhere near Manor Park.
As with all SE London musical histories, would be interested in any memories of these or similar places.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Thais, Jhoselin and Justina belong in Lewisham!
'Thais and Jhoselin arrived in the UK with their mother Justina Grajeda and their father in 2002. Their father died tragically in 2007 in a bike accident. The girls were 8 and 9 when they arrived, and have done very well in two Lewisham schools. Now aged 16, they are described as grade A students, and both have places at local sixth forms. The have integrated well into their schools and the community, and have made significant friendships.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Deptford spooks
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Goldsmiths Postgraduate Art Show
Highlights for me were Jin Hee Park's range of Ikea-like furniture with a twist...
... Hee Seung Sung's paintings (this one entitled 'The Garden of Eve')