The Communist Kebab, New Cross Road

The Communist Kebab is now up and running at 492 New Cross Road. According to those running it 'For the first time in the world there is a communist kebab shop... we don't think of this place as money-oriented, the main thing is here how can we apply the parameters of communism in one shop' (see youtube film, 'Is this the world's first communist kebab shop?')

The Menu includes various radical themed dishes, including the Marx vegetarian option.

Chalk your own messages on the board

'give us roses but give as kebabs'

'The Communist' doner grill and takeaway under construction in March 2023 promising that on the first day '1000 portions of food will be delivered free of charge':

 The site has been a kebab shop in various guises before, including 'London Kebab', and a place of eating and drinking sociality for a lot longer - the 1891 Post Office Directory lists it as Edward Ratcliffe coffee rooms.

[post updated 4 May 2023 following opening]

 

Gellatly Road 1990s Traffic Campaign: a Geography Lesson

A perennial campaign in the SE14/SE4 area has been in relation to traffic in Gellatly Road/Drakefell Road, part of a busy B road linking  the Old Kent Road (via Pomeroy Street) with Brockley and beyond. 

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 In the early 1990s a campaign by local residents to slow and reduce the traffic included blocking the road by continually crossing back and forth during the rush hour and placing skips on both sides of the road so that vehicles had to slow down. The campaign did have some success, resulting in speed humps and 'pinch point' barriers to prevent large vehicles using the road. While still busy today, it is no longer routinely used by lorries and coaches as a short cut from one part of the A2 to another.

Remarkably this local campaign was featured in a 1990s Geography school textbook as an example of how 'ordinary people can also bring about change in their neighbourhoods. The people of Gellalty Road, in south London, were so fed up about the amount of traffic using their road as a shortcut, they decided to do something about it'. The following section comes from 'Geography in Action' editeed by Andy Owen (Heinemann, 1995):

More recently the Drakefell Road Action Group and others have been continuing the campaign to make this road safer. 

(does anybody have any press cuttings or leaflets from the 1990s campaign - please get in touch if so)

Kitto Road Folk

At the Hill Station Cafe on Kitto Road SE14 Hannah Elizabeth Young and George McNaughton Ellis are hosting a monthly 'Folk Sessions on the Hill'. Next one is on Sunday 19th March 2023 from 6 pm onwards. First time I went along a few months ago it was quite quiet, but it has quickly grown into a very popular night. The February event was packed, with lots of great performers - format is basically an open mic with a wide range of acoustic song styles.

 They are also taking part in the free folk festival that is happening on the afternoon of March 25th as part of the Telegraph Hill Festival, in the churchyard of St Catherine's next door to the Hill Station.

Down the road at Skehans there's lots of live music too including Irish sessions, a songwriters circle and live folk music on Sunday nights. Last weekend (Saturday 25th Feb) there was a different flavour with 

Dacre Morris and Greenwich Morris Men starting their tour of local pubs at Skehans, with dancing on the pavement outside - before heading off to do similar at the Golden Anchor, the Pyrotechnists Arms and the Old Nun's Head.

 

'You and Me' - South London ITV Drama

'You and Me', first broadcast on ITV in February 2023, is a romantic drama series shot pretty much entirely in South London. It opens with a shot of Telegraph Hill Park, a location that features in many key scenes (top and bottom parts of park), then the set up scene is in Deptford High Street at a bus stop that isn't really there.  There are scenes inside and outside Skehans pub and the Hill Station Cafe, Kitto Road SE14, on the rainbow bridge in Avignon Road SE4, not to mention Peckham Levels, The Trafalgar pub in Greenwich, Brockwell Park Lido and the Bridge Theatre by Tower Bridge. 

The series starts Harry Lawtey, Jessica Barden, Sophia Brown and Julie Hesmondhalgh.

I actually saw them filming some of this back in June 2022, bit disappointed not to feature in the scene where he jumps in cab outside Skehans as it drove past me! 

Film crew opposite Skehans, June 2022

Ben and Emma discover that they live in Telegraph Hill:

Fascists seen off at Honor Oak pub

A large crowd gathered outside the Honor Oak pub in Brockley Rise yesterday to defend it from far right threats against a drag queen storytelling session.  An impressive community turn out of more than 500 people occupied the street in front of the pub and the handful of far right goons who turned up never got anywhere near it.

The protest was called by Turning Point UK (nothing to do with the long established drug charity who must be seething) who are trying to wage a US-inspired right wing culture war focusing on universities. Their attempt to mount a street mobilisation failed, but it did show how different strands of  the far right come together - Turning Point occupy the extreme right of Conservative politics and they were joined yesterday by GB News presenter Calvin Robinson who is linked to reactionary 'traditionalist' Christian circles. He didn't like people chanting 'you're not a real vicar'. Also present were some familiar fascist faces, included former members of violent neo-nazi group Combat 18. A couple of people gave fascist salutes.

Brockley Rise occupied by anti-fascist crowd

The far right contingent barely made double figures

'Be fabulous not a fascist!'

'Fascists out of Lewisham' - a poster

Earlier in the week the pub issued a statement correcting some of the lies being spread about it:

'Everyone here at The Honor Oak is proud to serve the wonderful community of Forest Hill. We are here to make sure your local pub is a safe, warm and a fun place for everyone to enjoy. Next Saturday morning we will be hosting our Magical Storytelling session, hosted by That Girl.

 

It has come to our attention that there may be some misunderstanding about the event, so we wanted to reassure you all that our popular Magical Storytelling event will be age appropriate and it isn’t anything different to what families will see and experience together in a theatre. This event is an opportunity for families and friends to come together and listen to a reading of a storybook and have fun.

The most important thing for us is that everyone is safe and happy when they are here'.

Wait til the fascists hear what goes on in Pantomime...

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

Lewisham Teachers Strike Rally

On a day which saw the largest number of workers strike on one day for many years, hundreds of striking teachers and their supporters held a rally in Lewisham before heading into central London to join a demonstration there.

Speakers at the rally next to the Glassmill leisure centre included teachers as well as a Royal Mail worker also involved in this season of strikes. There was lots of community support with seemingly every passing lorry and bus tooting their approval.

Chelwood Nursery School banner

If you can read this thank a teacher

Kids from Edmund Waller Primary School

Lewisham Trades Council banner

'I'd rather be teaching' (at Addey & Stanhope school, New Cross Road)

Members of the UCU were also on strike at Goldsmiths today. The common thread with all these strikes is that people have had enough of their real wages going down as prices rise. While the Government complains about disruption to the public, we have to ask who exactly is the public if not teachers, train drivers, nurses, ambulance workers, posties and all the rest?

Goldsmiths strike

NHS Physios on Strike: 'F**ck praise, we need a raise'

Physiotherapists are the latest group of NHS workers taking strike action in the cost of living crisis. Their strike on 26 January 2023 was well supported at South London Hospitals. I visited the picket line at Guys Hospital:

'if you're happy to exploit NHS workers and you know it clap your hands'

 'F**ck praise, we need a raise'

Pickets were also out at St Thomas' and Lewisham Hospital

St Thomas' Hospital - photo by @EmilyAHickson on twitter
 

Lewisham picket (photo from @aminamangera1 on twitter)

 

South London Tarot

 Brockley Pop Up on the corner by Brockley Cross roundabout has hosted some interesting retro clothes and other short term shops recently. Lates temporary occupant is Tia Xixa Tarot offering tarot readings until 29 January 2023

Like many tarot readers, Jessica uses the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck, to which there is a South London connection  (there always is). As mentioned here before A E Waite, who co-created the deck with artist Pamela Colman Smith, was initiated into the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in the grounds of what is now the Horniman Museum in 1891.

There are lots of new and interesting decks out there too, at a recent Old Kent Road Arts Club fair I came across Ayshe-Mira Yasmin's work. She has designed  an Earth Mother Magic Tarot Deck as 'an intersectional feminist tarot deck for queer women and femme non-binary people. The intention of the deck is to empower women and femme people in the face of an adversary world, to celebrate queer love, and to embrace raw feminine power through an intersectional representation of femininity'.  Yasmin has been studying illustration at Camberwell arts college. You can find her on insta as Illustrationwitch.

New Cross Fire remembered one year later

In January 1982, on the first anniversary of the New Cross Fire '800 people attended a memorial outside 439 New Cross Road where the 13 black youngster died'

 Lots more information about the New Cross Fire in previous posts here