Street Parties in Deptford & Camberwell

Lots of partying in Deptford and elsewhere yesterday. At Social Centre Plus, the occupied ex-Job Centre, there was an anti-Royal wedding event, with lots of people hanging out on the roof to a mixed soundtrack. During our visit the music included The Ramones, Happy Mondays and Heads High by Mr Vegas, the latter performing its usual role of getting people up dancing.


There was some republican bunting outside:

The social centre has moved next door in the last couple of weeks from 122 to 124 Deptford High Street - they are now in the main former Job Centre building. They are due in court next week so future is uncertain.


There was another street party down by the Deptford Project. This wasn't specifically pro or anti the wedding - there wasn't any royal bunting or imagery - but there was some dancing, in this case to 1940s music:

Like many of the local street parties, people were glad of the opportunity to party outside in the sunshine, but that didn't mean they were enthusiastic royalists. The retro feel of the Deptford Project event was mirrored in the actual wedding with its flyby of second world war planes - strange this summoning up of the 'good old days' of war and rationing. Perhaps an unconscious recognition that the days when the Royal Family meant something more than a celebrity reality show are already long behind us (a republican writes!).

Best decorations were at this street party on Ada Road, Camberwell with giant cup cakes blocking the street to traffic and a 'God Bless Aunty Ada' banner.