George Melly on Transpontine

Thanks to Stephen Troussé on Twitter for spotting this letter by Don Locke in this week's London Review of Books:

'George Melly would not have agreed with Peter Gillman that the East London Overground runs from, rather than to, West Croydon (Letters, 8 July). Melly borrowed Henry Mayhew’s description of a gentleman crossing Waterloo Bridge and entering a ‘transpontine brothel’, and used the word to sum up what was so different about his band’s drummer: ‘simply the fact that he came from, lived in and was loyal to South London’. When the drummer discovered what the word meant he pointed out: ‘All you c*nts is transpontine.’ ‘He had logic on his side,’ Melly commented, ‘but he knew it didn’t work.’

Actually somebody once picked me up on the same point - that transpontine refers to the area on the other side of the bridge, so strictly speaking for someone based in South London, transpontine should refer to North London. But historically in London, transpontine has always referred to the southlands - usually used disparagingly but now proudly reclaimed!

The Bones go Last: Austin Osman Spare film

The Bones go Last is a blog documenting progress towards making a new film about the South London artist and visionary Austin Osman Spare (1886-1956).

Spare's South London movements were traced a few years ago by my friend Chris Jones, who organised a Austin Osman Spare pub crawl around some of his old haunts. As a child's Spare's family home was at 15 Kennington Park Gardens, and from 1916 to 1921 he lived at 298 Kennington Park Road. From 1921 to 1933 his home and studio was on the Tabard Estate at 52 Becket House, then he moved to a flat at 56a Walworth Road, near Elephant and Castle. This was destroyed in a German bombing raid in 1941. In the immediate aftermath he stayed for a while at the Newington Reform Club at 86 Walworth Road., and then moved to a Brixton basement at 5 Wynne Road.

Spare drew much of the inspiration for his portraiture from the faces of the Walworth Road and East Lane market. He also exhibited his work in local venues. As a child artist some of his drawings were exhibited in Newington Library. After WW2 he staged shows in local pubs including the Temple Bar in 1949 (286 Walworth Road), the Mansion House Tavern in 1952 (46 Kennington Park Road) and the White Bear in 1953 (138 Kennington Park Road).

106 years after his exhibition at Newington Library, there will be a major exhibition of his work next door on Walworth Road at Southwark's Cuming Museum. Austin Osman Spare: Fallen Visionary will take place from Tuesday 14 September 2010 to Saturday 13 November 2010.

The makers of the new films have put out a request for any photos or stock footage of South London Circa 1880 - 1950: 'Kennington, Walworth Road, Snow Hill [in the City], Brixton and Bourough are what we are after really, we are an amateur production and so cannot pay a fee, but the film will be shown at a Spare exhibition later in the year and will receive full credit. This would be greatly appreciated if you could help us'. If you can help contact them at info@thebonesgolast.com

In the mean time here's a short psychogeographical ramble through some of the Spare's London - Spare Places by Jamie Gregory (2006):

Spare Places from Jamie Gregory on Vimeo.

Walworth May Day 1920

On May Day this year I gave a short talk at the Kit and Cutter folk club (at the Deptford Arms) on the history of May Day in South London. I didn't realize at the time that there's some great footage at the Pathe archive of Walworth May Queen festivities. These stills are from the 1920 newsreel, showing the crowning of a local girl as the May Queen, followed by a procession on a horse drawn cart accompanied by guides and scouts.

I am guessing that this was filmed in Browning Street, SE17 - as this was where the Browning Settlement was where this event happened.

Steve Harley : New Cross Gate Cockney Rebel

Steve Harley (1951-2024)

Glam rocker Steve Harley, who died in March 2024, grew up in New Cross Gate - to be precise at 37 Fairlawn Mansion, New Cross Road.  As Stephen Nice he went to Edmund Waller Primary School and Haberdashers secondary, where his classmates included Peter Perrett, later of The Only Ones

As he recalled in the Sunday Times (25/7/2010):

'In 1953 when I was two, my parents moved from a two-up, two-down in Deptford to a big flat, No.37 Fairlawn Mansions, in New Cross Gate. My father was a milkman, and I'd sometimes catch him cycling off to the depot at 3.30 am. But he also worked as caretaker of the block - there were five of us kids to keep in shoes, after all - which I think gave him a good deal with the rent. He was the hardest working man - which inspired me to take it easy.

I was the second eldest, with an older sister and three younger brothers. I shared with my brothers until I was 15, sleeping in bunk beds, after which I slept in the front room for a couple of years. There was a communal yard for the 48 flats to share, and we would play ball games and cycle. I also had my first ciggy in the cellars there. I was a pupil at Haberdasher's Askes grammar school, but between the ages of 3 and 16 I spent about four years at Queen Mary's Hospital, in Carshalton Breeches, as I had caught polio in the 1950s epidemic...

My parents ended up moving to Spain, and last year my dad came over for a visit. I drove him to New Cross Gate, and all the memories came flooding back. One day, I'd like to knock on the door of No. 37 to see who lives there. I want to know if anyone sleeps in that big front room'.

Wonder if he ever made it back to Fairlawn Mansions?

[post updated with news of Steve Harley's death, March 2024]

Here's Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel performing their biggest hit  'Come up and see me (make me smile)' :

קריסטל פעלעס - Jewish Norwood

Bob from Brockley wonders about coming across a flyer with the Hebrew letters for 'Crystal Palace' on it - קריסטל פעלעס. Can't throw any light on that, but there's certainly an interesting Jewish aspect to the history of the wider Norwood area. Most notably, the area was home from 1866 for around 100 years to the Jews' Hospital and Orphan Asylum (renamed The Jewish Orphanage in 1928 and in 1956 the Norwood Home for Jewish Children). Former residents remembered "We enjoyed swings, skipping-ropes, hoops, walks to the Crystal Palace, rambles among the lovely hills, dales and woods of Norwood, Dulwich and Sydenham" and "Pictures twice a week at the old Norwood Palace, and later at the Regal. Then there were the concerts at Brockwell Park, and the mad scramble back afterwards - to be rewarded with sweets when we arrived."


The orphanage was demolished in 1961 - it was replaced by the Norwood Synagogue, but this too closed during the 1970s I believe. Norwood still exists as a Jewish children's charity, but no longer has any particular link with South London. The old orphanage site in Knights Hill, West Norwood now belongs to Lambeth Council as Norwood Hall - for which there are ambitious plans to build a swimming pool and health centre, albeit dependent on uncertain government funding and planning permission (see update at West Norwood News blog).

Ben Pimlott Building: the best view in New Cross?

The best views in New Cross, with the possible exception of those from Telegraph Hill Park, are to be had from the Ben Pimlott building at Goldsmiths, opened in 2005.

The outside area by the famous 'scribble sculpture' is the best viewing point, with the London landscape framed by bits of curly wurly metal - here's the top of Deptford Town Hall:

Not only that, but it is all reflected in the glass of the building itself...

If you get the chance to take a look, I recommend it. It is generally open to the public during degree shows and similar exhibitions.

Lewisham River & Nature Trails

Lewisham Council are arranging a number of nature walks and river walks with the aim of getting the people of the borough to “get to know the waterways and the green spaces in your area.”


All are free but some of the courses recommend you book by emailing Chris McGraw or phoning Chris on 07850 713 974. The list of events includes:

Friday 23 July, 2- 4pm
Discovering the Waterlink Way – a walk from Ladywell Fields to Lower Sydenham (part of London Discovering Places Weekend – meet by the café / ranger’s lodge).

Saturday 24 July, 11am- 1pm
Discovering the Waterlink Way. A walk from Bell Green to Ladywell Fields - part of London Discovering Places Weekend) Meet by the main entrance to Sainsbury’s Savacentre SE26 4PU.

Tuesday 3 August, 11am- 4pm
Training course: Trees in the urban landscape. A look at the trees of Deptford, wild and planted. Please phone or email to book.

Sunday 8 August , 2- 5pm
Training course: Wildflowers of urban areas. Wildlife in the streets and derelict places. Please phone or email to book.

Wednesday 11 August, 12noon- 4pm
Afternoon family event at Manor House Gardens (wading and wildlife in the Quaggy).

Friday 13 August, 11am- 2pm
Creekside low-tide wade. Please bring your own lunch for a picnic afterwards. Meet at Creekside Centre, Deptford SE8 4SA.

Tuesday 17 August, 7- 9pm
Bat walk at Beckenham Place Park. Please phone or email to book.

Thursday 26 August, 6-8pm
Walk from Grove Park to Beckenham Place Park. Finding the Downham tributary of the Ravensbourne. Meet at Grove Park Station.

And for the arm chair Lewisham nature enthusiast, we’re pleased to see that the TAGWORTS google map of Deptford wild flowers from the 2009 Deptford X festival. The map is probably still fairly correct for this year but the position of this years individual flowers may have changed.

Sea Monster in Tooley Street

In Mark Pilkington's recent talk at South East London Folklore Society, he suggested that military agencies had sometimes deliberately played along with UFO and related stories as a cover for their own clandestine activities. For instance he talked about the Lake Pend Oreille Paddler, Idaho's very own Loch Ness Monster, which just happens to frequent a lake used for many years for secret US submarine tests.

All of which makes me wonder, why is this particular sea monster in a flower bed in Tooley Street, SE1? Is it part of a plot to disguise dubious goings on in nearby City Hall? I think we should be told.

Cafe Crema Summer

Cafe Crema (306 New Cross Road) is opening over the summer from Monday to Saturday ,10 am til 6.30 .

On Friday, July 23rd ( 1 to 6 pm) and Saturday 24th (10-6) they are having their annual 'treasure sale... A rather special little market stall selling gems from the Cafe Crema basement...Russian dolls/picture frames/outdoor patio heaters/ books/trinkets jewels and antique cutleryas well as shoes and boots from the 60s and 70s, dresses, hand made velvet lined curtains...semi precious beads.....some things might need a good polish others have already had one...oh yes, and a duck/chicken/rabbit hutch and run, in case any of you were needing one'.

Their next music event is on Saturday 24th July with another New Orleans New Cross piano jam. 8 til late. Free.

A Floating Head at Brockley

Brockley Central has a good local ghost story from 1894, the tale of a man walking down Brockley Road and encountering 'the motionless figure of a man on horseback... Neither man nor beast was in the flesh. They were shadowy forms, but so distinctly did they show the man’s face under a three-cornered hat, his leather pistol pouches and the panting and swearing horse'. The story claims that hundreds of local people had made their way to visit the scene of the appearance on 'the lonely lane leading from Ladywell to Brockley Rise' - said lane is presumably the old Brockley footpath which ran (and still does run in parts) from Ladywell to Nunhead via Brockley, crossing Brockley Road by the Jack.

Here's another spooky local tale, from Real Ghost Stories by WT Stead (1897), this one featuring a floating head with green eyes and matted hair:

South London Cuts News

As the reality of long promised cuts begins to dawn, the number of protests seems to be increasing. Last night there was a lobby of around 100 people outside Lewisham Town Hall where Council cuts were being discussed (see reports at Hangbitch and Deptford Visions). Seemingly Labour mayor Steve Bullock called protestors 'Fucking Idiots' (see Newshopper). Charmed.

Meanwhile a Lewisham Anti-Cuts Alliance is being launched in the Red Room at the Deptford Albany at 7pm on July 27th. An initial focus will be the planned closure of the Deptford Job Centre in November. There is also a proposal, discussed at Brockley Central, to launch a group to save the threatened Crofton Park Library. A Save New Cross Library group has been started on Facebook.


In Southwark there is a public meeting against the cuts on Monday July 19th, 7 pm at the Salvation Army, 1 Princess Street, SE1, with speakers from Southwark Pensioners Action Group, Latin American Workers Association and unions.


In education, universities are already cutting back on anything outside of a narrowly defined 'core business'. Nursery World reports this week on protests against the closure of the nursery at Goldsmiths in New Cross. There was a lobby of the Governing Body of South Bank University this afternoon to protest against the potential closure of LLLU+, its pioneering development centre for adult language, literacy, numeracy, dyslexia and family learning. A campaign has been launched to save it.

Some differing perspectives on the Mark Elms affair (highly paid headteacher at Tidemill School in Deptford) at Brockley Central and Bridget McKenzie.

Lambeth Country Show this Weekend

It's the annual Lambeth Country Show in Brockwell Park this weekend, bringing its unique mix of farm animals, craft stalls, fair rides and music. There's a good line up this year; on Saturday the sheep shearers will be accompanied by the Alabama 3 playing an acoustic set (at 2.45 pm), followed by Jazzy B's Soul II Soul sound system. Then on Sunday Saxon Sound System step up, joined at 4.30 by Tippa Irie.

Blackheath Morris out and about in Deptford

If you're out and about in Deptford on Thursday night (July 15th) you may stumble Blackheath Morris Men doing a "tour" of local pubs, starting off dancing at The John Evelyn (Evelyn St) at 8pm, then off to the Dog and Bell (Prince St) from 9pm.

South London Anti-Fascists at Olympia

Continuing the occasional series on South London anti-fascists, we turn now to the British Union of Fascists notorious rally at Olympia in West London in June 1934. This was Oswald Mosley's first big attempt to hold a choreographed political rally along the lines of those deployed by Mussolini and Hitler, so it was very important to his opponents that it should not go according to plan. And indeed it didn't - not only did anti-fascist protestors in and out of the hall disrupt proceedings, but the extreme violence used by the BUF's stewards to eject hecklers showed the party's true face and scared away some of its wavering 'respectable' supporters.

Court reports show that a number of South London anti-fascists made the journey across town for the occasion, so let's just salute a few of them here:

- Charles Larry, 24, motor mechanic, Grenville Buildings, SE [not sure where this was], was charged with 'wilfully damaging an omnibus'.

- Alfred Goddard, 27, 'described as a bricklayer, of Longford Road, Camberwell, charged with insulting words and behaviour was fined 10 shillings'

- 'James Jeffereys, 20, described as a student, of Jerningham Road, New Cross was fined 10s for using insulting words, and 40s, for obstructing the police. A constable said that he was trying to disperse a hostile crowd around a man who was bleeding from a wound in the head. Jeffreys, who appeared to have adopted the role of leader, shouted: "Down with these dirty Blackshirts. Let us get together. Come on comrades, gather round". Jeffreys said that he asked the policeman why he did not do his duty and stop the obvious "beating up" that was going on before his eyes'. He told the court 'Fascists were hitting people about the head with fists and weapons, and were twisting their arms and forcing them out of the gates of Olympia'.

Source: The Times, 9 June 1934

Ernest Dowson Remembered

The local connections of the Victorian decadent poet Ernest Dowson have been covered at Transpontine before (born in Lee, died in Catford after spells in Paris and Brittany, buried in Brockley). His life will be celebrated on Monday August 2nd at 2 pm, with the unveiling of his restored grave in Brockley & Ladywell Cemetery.

There will be an introduction and a reading by Jad Adams, Author of the biography 'Madder Music, Stronger wine: The Life of Ernest Dowson, Poet and Decadent' followed by a memorial in the cemetery chapel, ending with a toast to celebrate the life of Dowson in the Brockley Jack Theatre.

I note that Ernest Dowson was familiar with the term Transpontine. In 1893 he wrote to a friend: 'Yesterday an advertisement in The Times was sent me, for a librarian, in a Public Free Library (under the Public Library Acts) ... I have been advised to apply for this, I fear, not very desirable post, and I have thought that if you, with your official signature of Librarian . . . could give me a testimonial, I might stand some chance. Could you consider me then, in a short missive a competent person to hand out dime novels to transpontine shop boys?' (source: Ernest Dowson, 1888-1897, reminiscences, unpublished letters and Marginalia, 1914).

The library in question was the (still open) Newington Library in Walworth Road - he didn't get the job. Transpontine proles like myself still frequent it.

(thanks to Mike Guilfoyle from the Friends of Brockley & Ladywell Cemeteries for the heads up on this)

Convoys Wharf - latest plans

This weekend I intended to go to the 'consultation' exhibition for the planned Convoys Wharf development in Deptford. Getting ready to set off on Saturday lunchtime I checked the times and realized that it was actually only open until 2 pm and I was going to miss it. It had also been open on Friday, but less than two full days for the public to see plans that will potentially transform the river front at Deptford is hopelessly inadequate. It was a similar story last December, when an exhibition on the Convoys Wharf site was only open for two days with no outside signage that I could see to inform the local residents who will be most affected that it was happening. On that occasion I did manage to find it after wandering around the site for a while (photos in this post were taken then).

Deptford Dame did manage to make it this weekend, and reports that the plans on display were not very informative. The site of the former Royal Dockyard has most recently been used by News International, but is now owned by Hutchison Whampoa who are proposing to massively redevelop it with 3,500 new homes (only 25% 'affordable') plus office blocks and bars. As DD points out it is proposed that there would be 2,300 car parking spaces which will significantly increase traffic on local roads. What community facilities, if any, will be provided is unclear. There is mention of a school, but if this is dependent on government funding to build it... well, don't hold your breath.


There is little to defend in the present site, an empty expanse of warehouses surrounded by a wall that blocks access to the river. From that point of view some would argue that anything is preferable, but that's hardly a reason to sit back and allow a global property developer to unilaterally impose its vision on this important site. What they have in mind seems to be a kind of identikit high rise office/flats/leisure complex of the kind that can be seen all over the world. How this connects to the needs and wishes of current and future Deptford dwellers, let alone to the history of the site, is another matter.

It's no surprize that a property developer should want to maximise profit by cramming in as much as possible on the site, and to focus the development on an affluent minority who can afford to purchase luxury riverside flats. It would be good for others though to develop alternative visions of how a space like this could be used, no matter how utopian, as a yardstick against which to measure what is being put forward. For instance, when the scheme was first mooted in 2000, Creekside Forum did set up 'Convoys Opportunity' to develop alternative plans for the site. They published a number of proposals, with a main focus on the site being a working wharf, including the idea of developing a Cruise Liner terminal there.

Looking along the river we can see that to a certain extent campaigns by local people have been successful in preventing the riverside becoming entirely corporate - for example in Rotherhithe, Surrey Docks Farm was preserved as well as council housing on the riverfront, while on the South Bank too there is substantial public space (including parks) and Coin Street social housing right by the river (not tucked away in a corner of the site as a concession to planning requirements).

Anti-Cuts Lobby at Lewisham Town Hall

There's a demonstration outside a Lewisham Council meeting next Wednesday 14th July at 5:15 pm (at the Town Hall in Catford), called by Lewisham National Union of Teachers and others opposed to plan cuts in Council jobs and services. Libraries, Children's Services and Adult Social Care are amongst the areas identified for cuts - further details on the leaflet below (click to enlarge).

Of course it is true that Lewisham is being compelled to make cuts by big reductions in the funding it receives from national government. But that doesn't mean that cuts are inevitable. It is a choice that that the ConDem government is making cuts in this way, just as ultimately it is wider political choice by governments across the world to allow 'the market' to determine that people's wages, pensions and living conditions should be cut to pay for a crisis not of their making. And ultimately governments could be forced to make different choices if they meet enough resistance.

Song and stories tour of Bermondsey

From the One Eye Grey crew:

'Singer songwriter Nigel of Bermondsey and tour guide Chris Roberts are teaming up to deliver a walking tour with a difference. At every stop from Crossbones Graveyard in Borough to the Thames water front Chris will relate stories about the location and Nigel will perform a song from his album the Bermondsey suite. Both the songs and stories will reveal the history of area and some of the tragic tales associated with it. Expect giant shift shifting rats, hidden graveyards, buried rivers and lost industry. The tour will last roughly two hours and, although free, must be booked as numbers are limited.

To book a place on the tour please e-mail penny@fandmpublications.co.uk

For more information about Nigel please visit http://www.nigelofbermondsey.com/. Chris edits the 21st Century Penny Dreadful One Eye Grey stories which will feature on Radio Four’s London season in late July'.

Ash - Kung Fu in the Venue

Irish band Ash filmed the live scenes for their 'Kung Fu' video at the Venue in New Cross:

I believe it was filmed in March 1995, when they played a gig there. Check out some of the other names on the flyer - Creaming Jesus, BMX Bandits, Headbutt, Prolapse, The Sultans of Ping and The Longpigs.

The Abuses of Enchantment

The always entertaining and erudite Mark Pilkington (of Strange Attractor) is talking at South East London Folklore Society this Thursday 8th July on 'The Abuses of Enchantment': 'How beliefs in UFOs, ghosts, vampires and other folkloric and supernatural phenomena have been exploited by military and intelligence operators. Mark Pilkington is the author of the forthcoming book Mirage Men: An Adventure into Disinformation, Paranoia and UFOs'.

It will take place as usual at The Old King's Head, Kings Head Yard, 45-49 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1NA. Talks start at 8.00pm, £2.50 / £1.50 concessions.

Happy Birthday Peckham Library - can we keep one in New Cross too?

Peckham Library recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, with kids from local schools producing some birthday messages that were displayed outside.

All of this reminded me that it must be getting on for ten years since we were first promised a new library in New Cross through the New Deal for Communities. The earmarked site in Briant Street is still a wasteland; the NXG Trust (which has superseded NDC) reports that : 'Despite getting planning permission for our development and putting three parcels of land together the project has been setback by the general recession and slump in the property market. All is not lost. We have a new developer, Building Better Health who have a great track record in building great new facilities for communities across London. They built the recently completed Waldron Health Centre in New Cross. They are convinced they can make minor adaptations to the existing design to make it feasible and we hope to sign a development agreement with them in the next few months.After that it will still take some years before we can have a completed new healthy living centre and all the new community facilities this area deserves'.

Building Better Health incidentally is owned by Meridiam, a property company in turn sponsored by AECOM (global engineering firm with US origins) and French financial institutions. So like other public services, whether we ever see a new library in New Cross looks likely to depend on the roulette wheels of the global market.

In fact as things stand, we may not even have the existing small library in New Cross Road - it is apparently one of a number of smaller libraries across Lewisham earmarked for possible closure as a result of Government cuts in funding to local authorities. Blackheath Bugle has the full story and links to a Lewisham Council report suggesting consulting on closing Sydenham, Blackheath, Crofton Park, Grove Park and New Cross libraries.

New Mural at the Broca

New mural at the Broca coffee shop next to Brockley station. It has a bit of a Mexican day of the dead feel, doesn't it?

Footballs flood Potters Fields

If you noticed lots of people walking around by Tower Bridge today holding footballs here's why. There was some kind of BT promotion happening at Potters Fields Park (SE1) with loads of balls being given away.

Lewisham Stop the War Meeting

Lewisham Stop the War have a public meeting tonight (Tuesday 29 June) at the Methodist Church Hall, Albion Way, SE13 6BT. The topic is 'Afghanistan: cut the war, not jobs and services'. Speakers include Joan Humphreys from Military Families Against the War. It starts at 7:30 pm.

Animatainer

If you're interested in animation you might want to pop along to the London College of Communications at the Elephant and Castle this week. Located in a bright red container, Southwark Bear (DIY film veteran Clive Shaw) and other students will be hosting free film screenings and workshops, not to mention mint tea and biscuits. It's open from 11 to 5 until Thursday 1st July 2010.

Lewisham Socialist Blogs

Chris Flood and Ian Page were the two Socialist Party councillors for Telegraph Hill ward who lost their seats in the election last month. Along with most of the Green Party councillors in Lewisham they were swept away by people turning out to vote Labour in an attempt to keep out the Tories in the general election, most of whom seemed to have also voted Labour locally (a similar turnout in Southwark saw Labour take the Council from the Lib Dem/Tory coalition).

Anyway they've now moved from the Council chamber to the Blogosphere with the new Socialist Alternative blog - early posts include an interesting one about housing policy, focusing on Lewisham's creation of 'Lewisham Homes' as an 'arms length' body to manage council housing.

Meanwhile Nick Long's Green Socialist blog has a national focus, but he is based in Lewisham and seems to have been involved in the Lewisham People not Profit election campaign.

Albany Gigs, 1972-1980

Another one of Colin Bodium's (Bo) Albany posters, this one a list of acts that played at its old Creek Road location between 1972 and 1980 (click to enlarge photo). Some legendary names from punk/post punk to jazz, and lots of people I've never heard of. Here's the full list:

Abraca; Alien Kulture (Asian punk band), Amba, Alternative TV (great punk band fronted by Deptford's Mark Perry), Androids of Mu (punk/hippy/free festival crossover), Aubana, Au Pairs (post-punk feminist politics), Auto da Fe, Basement Five (black post-punk band from Forest Hill), Big Chief, Debbie Bishop, Bluebirds, The Blues Band, Bongo Danny and the Enchanters, The Box, The Bread and Butter Band, Syd Bishop and the Comedowns, Chelsea (first generation punk band), Chords (SE London mod revivalists), Convent Nuns, Cool Boys, Cool Thrust, John Cooper Clarke (punk poet), Copasetics, The Cortinas (Bristol punk band including 2010 Turner Prize nominee Dexter Dalwood), Elvis Costello and the Attractions (you've heard of him, right?).

Da Garti, Dance Band, Dr Sax, Dire Straits (biggest band ever to emerge from Deptford), Delta Five (female fronted post punk), Drowning not Waving, Early Days, Electric Storm, Executives, Extro 2, Fabulous Poodles (Deptford band that had US hit with Mirror Star), Fashion, Patrick Fitzgerald ('Safety pin stuck in my heart'), Flackettes, Flatbackers, Flying Pickets (acapella band linked to Albany, had 1980s hits including version of Only You), Carol Grimes (feminist singer), Sweet FA, Gusha Band, The Gymslips (all girl pop punk, I saw them once at the Hope and Anchor in Upper St), Hardware, Headline, Hi Tones, 100s and 1000s, Idiot Dancers, Jabba, Jona Lewie, Juice on the Loose.

Kakoullie, Jo-Anne Kelly, Kleenex (Swiss post-punk girl band), Kraze, Leopards, Lonesome no More, The Lucy's, The Lurkers (West London wannabe Ramones), Magnets, Johnny Mars, Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolds, Matumbi (reggae band with Dennis Bovell), Merger, Menace, Merton Parkas (South West London mod revivalists), Misty (UK reggae, saw them once in Luton), Monitors, Mutiny, Nine Below Zero, 90 Inclusive, Naiad, The O.T.S, The Otters, Paraphanalia, The Piranhas (Brighton band, had hit with Tom Hark), Psychedelic Furs ('Pretty in Pink, Presto Clubs, Pressure Shocks, Punters, Psalms.

Raaw, Raincoats (great post punk women's band, later feted by Kurt Cobain), Realists (Deptford new wave, released stuff on Stiff Records), Red Lights, Red Tape, Reflectors, Replicas, Reggae Regular, Rejects, Rubber Johnny, Rudi and the Rialtos, Ruts (great West London punk band), Salt, Jimmy Scott (US jazz singer), Searchers (1960s Merseybeat), Seven Year Itch, Shoot Straight at Right Angles, Silly Boy Lemon, Soul Band, Spare Parts, Spitz Energy (so the poster says, presumably Spizzennergi, famous for 'Where's Captain Kirk?'), Spread, Squeeze (need no introduction - second biggest band from Deptford/Greenwich after Dire Straits), Stagefright, Stan Tracey (Camberwell-born jazz legend), Steel'n'skin, Stone Cold Sober, Strange Fruit, Target, Tea Pot, This Heat (still infuential post punk band from Deptford), Top Hat, UK Subs (Charlie Harper's long standing punk band), Victims of Pleasure, Mike Westbrook Band (influential British jazz composer), Young Bucks, Young Marble Giants (ethereal post-punk, The XX remind me of them).

Anyone remember any of these gigs at the Albany? Or does anyone want to add to the list?

Once upon a time it was a pub

The sad state of the former Deptford Arms, which closed last month after at least 150 years of drinking, socialising, music making, meetings and much more. Will history be made in the bookies that is set to replace it? I doubt it.

While I have previously voiced concern about the potential gentrification of Deptford High Street, to the extent that I would hate to see it become an extension of Greenwich, the equally threatening opposite pole is its social decay whereby public spaces such as pubs are turned over to the crudest ways of extracting money from the poor - bookies, pawn shops etc.

Amnesty Blackheath Bookfair

This year's Amnesty International (Blackheath and Greenwich group) book sale takes place on Saturday June 26th from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.

If your reaction to this is 'so what, sounds like a jumble sale with a few books', you've obviously never been. It is a bibliophile's dreamland, a whole church packed with thousands of books. I can only assume there must be a whole load of sympathetic writers and publishing industry types in the area, because you can pick up all kind of proof copies as well as second hand bargains.

Bottom line, if you love books you would be mad to miss this.

The sale takes place at the Church of the Ascen­sion, Dartmouth Row, SE10 8BF (on the right as you go up the hill from Greenwich to Blackheath).

Lewsham Cop jailed for Corruption

From the Press Association, 18 June 2010:

A former south London police officer has been jailed for two years for her role in a lucrative car-ringing and drug-smuggling crime syndicate. Former Lewisham constable Hayley Cloud, 27, was paid to access confidential police records as part of the scam. Southwark Crown Court, in London, heard Cloud was "indirectly" involved in the theft of "about a dozen" high value cars, including a Range Rover Sport, a Porsche Cayman and a BMW.

She also organised the theft of a damaged £60,000 Lamborghini Gallardo from a police compound in Charlton, south London. Cloud colluded with her prison officer partner, 34-year-old Ian Cooper, to pass information to a convicted criminal, the court heard.

Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC, sentencing on Thursday, told Cloud: "This was a grave and far-reaching breach of trust on your part, highly damaging to the reputation of the police force."

New Cross resident celebrates 100th birthday in Sainsburys

Feelgood story from Sainsburys Journal (July 2010) about Ivy Osborne, of Arbuthnot Road, SE14, celebrating her 100th birthday in New Cross Sainsburys where she has been shopping since childhood (not in that store obviously, it only opened about ten years ago). I've seen her and her sister walking around, no idea they were of such venerable age. Local historian me would love to interview them.

(Presumably they don't spend their time in New Cross Sainsbury's like me, bemoaning its apparent downgrading and subsequent reduction in vegetarian diversity).

Telegraph Hill Assembly - the Great Skate Debate goes on

A packed hall at Haberdasher's Askes school for Lewisham Council's Telegraph Hill Local Assembly tonight, perhaps up to 200 people present. The Skate Park Action Group (SPAG), Save the Upper Park Campaign and even the Telegraph Hill Dog Strollers facebook group had all mobilised around the question of whether to site a skateboarding facility in the upper Telegraph Hill park (see previous post on this).

The start of the meeting was nominally a discussion of local priorities, but the feedback from the tables was dominated by early skirmishes between pro and anti-skate park campaigners. This included a truly shocking statement from one person to the effect that she would like to see one park for kids and one for adults. The loud cheer this got from some of the crowd showed that behind some of the arguments about the park lurk some nasty ideas about young people being seen and not heard, or preferably not seen at all. The upper park has, fortunately, never just been for adults and young people have as much right to hang out, play and indeed skateboard there as anybody else, whether or not the skatepark goes ahead there.

The main spokesperson for the park campaign was much more reasonable, rejecting the anti-child argument and suggesting that he was not opposed to a skate park but only its proposed location. Indeed he promised his support for a facility in the lower park.

The SPAG presentation was given by a group of young skaters who made a strong case for more facilities for young people in the area and for the joys of skating. They too were clear that they would be happy with it being in the lower park, where there are already facilities for younger children.

It seems the lower park had previously been ruled out because somebody had suggested it wouldn't be possible - but since SPAG, the Save the Upper Park Campaign, councilllors and council officers (including Martin Hyde - Green Space Regeneration Manager) all seemed to agree that it was possible, this can hopefully move ahead quickly. There was even a suggestion that the skatepark could be placed where the basketball/football cage is now, and the basketball/football relocated to the flat area next to the playroom where people sometimes play football now, but which is usually too muddy for much of the year. So possible win win all round, even if doesn't please everybody.

I walked through the upper park afterwards, where bats were flying around in the twilight oblivious to the heated debates down the hill. Hopefully all this controversy will at least make people appreciate what a great place it is.

There's a meeting of the Friends of Telegraph Hill Park on Monday night, 21 June, at 8 pm in the Telegraph Hill Centre, where no doubt the Great Skate Debate will continue.

(OK if you don't live in New Cross/Brockley, this debate about the lower and upper park must seem very strange. Basically Telegraph Hill Park is on two sites at the top of a hill, split by a road. The lower park has a children's playground and closes at sunset; the smaller upper park is never closed and is known to many as the 'dog park' as dogs are banned from the lower park, and many people walk their dogs there as well as picnicing, drinking and watching the sunsets over London).

The Green Green Grass of Telegraph Hill

The Telegraph Hill area of New Cross is known for its big gardens, parks and general green-fingered enthusiasm. Interesting then that some locals have taken their horticultural skills indoors. According to a report at This is London today, 'A property in Telegraph Hill, New Cross, was recently raided by Lewisham Police and found to contain 20 fully grown cannabis plants. Officers seized the plants and spoke with the landlord who had no idea the tenants had caused £2,500 worth of damage by using the flat as a drug factory'.

Gulliver of Redriff

A giant Gulliver puppet was the star guest at Redriff Primary School last month (20th May). The occasion was the opening of a new Children's Centre building at the community school on Rotherhithe peninsula, which also featured a procession of children with an Old Father Thames theme and kids doing Irish and maypole dancing.

But why Gulliver? Well in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels we are told that Gulliver lived in Redriff (as Rotherhithe was then written). In fact the book's opening lines are: 'The author of these Travels, Mr. Lemuel Gulliver, is my ancient and intimate friend; there is likewise some relation between us on the mother's side. About three years ago, Mr. Gulliver growing weary of the concourse of curious people coming to him at his house in Redriff...'

Deptford Rock against Racism, 1978

Transpontine has previously featured Colin 'Bo' Bodium's 1970s/80s posters for the Deptford Albany, currently on display there in the cafe. Here's another one that wasn't originally included in the exhibition, from 1978 advertising nights 'presented by the Combination in conjunction with Rock Against Racism' (Combination was a radical theatre project based there).

Biggest name on here is clearly Dire Straits, shortly before they moved on from the Crossfields Estate to global stardom. Support Rubber Johnny were, I believe, the Combination house band. A week later (May 25th) Misty and The Ruts played there. The following Thursday's Rock Against Racism benefit featured reggae from Psalms, Patrick Fitzgerald (best known for 'I've got a safety pin stuck in my heart) and punk band Menace. Believe they are still going and released an album 'Live in Bermondsey'.

Note also there was a Brockley Boogie Band!

Walter Rodney remembered in Peckham

Red roses placed in Peckham today in remembrance of Walter Rodney (1942-80), who was killed thirty years ago on 13 June 1980. Rodney was a key figure in Caribbean radical politics in the 1960s and 70s. He wrote a number of influential books including 'How Europe under-developed Africa' and 'A History of the Guyanese Working People, 1881-1905'. In 1968 there were riots in Jamaica after Rodney was banned from the island by the Government because of his political activities. After a spell in Tanzania, he returned to his native Guyana where he helped form the Working People's Alliance. He faced intense repression, and was seemingly entrapped by a state agent into handling the explosive device which killed him.

In 2005, palm trees were planted in Peckham square (between the library and the swimming pool) in Rodney's honour. The plaque describes him as 'local resident, historian and global freedom fighter'.

According to Walter Rodney's intellectual and political thought by Rupert Lewis, Walter Rodney came to London in 1963 to study African history at the School of Oriental and African Studies. He also joined a marxist study group around CLR James (who later wrote Walter Rodney and the Question of Power), and spoke regularly in Hyde Park. In 1966 he left to teach in Tanzania. So presumably it was in the 1963 to 1966 period that Rodney lived in South London, though I haven't been able to find any more details. Does anyone know any more?

Linton Kwesi Johnson commemorated him in the track Reggae fi Radni:

The Great Skate Debate

Two rival campaigns are now up and running regarding the question of whether to have a Skate park facility in Telegraph Hill Park in New Cross. On the one hand there's the Skate Park Action Group (mentioned at Transpontine previously) who have been campaigning for a small concrete freefrom skate park in the area, and who believe that locating it in the Upper Park (also known as the dog park) may be the most feasible option. They have secured a promise of £47k funding, but with the condition that it must be spent by March 2011.

Now leaflets have been put out calling on people to 'Save the Upper Park of Telegraph Hill' arguing that locating the skate park there 'would permanently damage this wonderful green space'. Both sides are mobilising supporters to come to the Telegraph Hill Ward Local Assembly Meeting on Thursday 17th June, where the matter will be discussed (it takes place at the Haberdashers' Aske's Jerningham Road site at 7 pm).

For a flavour of the debate see the comments thread on this at Brockley Central (115 comments so far) and the Telegraph Hill Forum (130 comments and counting). Some of the anti-comment is really obnoxious - it is plain that some people would pretty much prefer young people to keep out of the park altogether and also to get off the streets while they're at it. But the discussions about where best to site a skate park are worth considering.

I am generally in favour of the skate park, and would support it going in the top park if nowhere else can be found. But I would also prefer it if it could be achieved without losing any green space, such as by concreting over any grass. There is quite a large tarmac area in the lower park, the main argument against it seems to be that the lower park is closed at night - so why not open it at night? A better option still would be use road space, such as by pedestrianising all or part of Kitto Road outside the church. The main objection to this seems to be that it would take time to achieve the relevant permissions, and therefore the funding would be lost.

Personally I think it's good that kids are playing in the streets, including skateboarding, so I don't entirely endorse the suggestion that a skate park is a good idea because it keeps children off the streets. Clearly though there are traffic and other dangers and it would be good to consider how to make the streets safer for children to play.

Save Goldsmiths Nursery

A campaign has been launched to save the nursery at Goldsmiths College, threatened with closure at the end of September 2010. The nursery currently provides 23 childcare places for students and staff.

The College states that it cannot afford to continue to subsidise the nursery at a cost of £70k per annum. The case against closure is set out on this petition:

'On 8th June 2010, parents and nursery staff were told by a member of Goldsmiths College’s Senior Management Team that in 3 months’ time, they plan to completely close the college’s nursery. Staff and Students have asked for an enquiry into the handling of the whole matter. Meetings informing staff and students were only announced with 24 hours notice, resulting in inevitably poor attendance at meetings crucial to the livelihood of many staff and students.

The atmosphere in the Nursery is special; educational, creative, friendly and safe. It is very rare to find the kind of care, support and attention to children that you find at Goldsmiths Nursery. It is a central part of College life, and should be respected and nurtured as such. The kind of care offered enables staff to return to work after maternity leave and students to return to their studies as parents, in the full knowledge that their children will be well looked after, nearby and safe.

If the College is committed to Equal Opportunities and encouraging the best professional women and men in the workplace, then the issue of childcare provision is highly pertinent. The lack of adequate on-site childcare is a classic barrier to women in terms of career development, but, conversely, the provision of high-quality childcare is a valuable incentive. Taking away the Nursery, especially when there is no comparable local provision (and Ofsted ranks the Goldsmiths Nursery as ‘good’) is a shot in the foot...'

A campaign meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday June 15 2010, 2 pm at Stephen Lawrence room, SU building, Dixon Road, New Cross.

Two demonstrations have also been planned, both to take place outside the old Deptford Town Hall building in New Cross Road. The first will be at 2 pm on on Friday 18th June, and the second on Monday 21st June at 9:30 am to coincide with the meeting of the Goldsmiths Senior Management Team.

Further information at the Save Goldsmiths Nursery facebook group

Unfortunately similar closures are happening round the country as cash-strapped colleges cut the soft target of childcare, and the national rhetoric of inclusive education is replaced by a retreat to the old style elitist model of limited access to university.

Meanwhile, Lewisham Council is planning to close eight childminding centres which provide childcare for parents using adult education centres as the Brockley Rise Centre. 26 jobs will go as a result.

Hacienda on the Hill

Brockley Max festival finished last weekend with Hacienda on the Hill. Hilly Fields was nice and busy, just like a real festival... I know that sounds patronising, what I mean is that it didn't feel like just a handful of passers-by watching their mate's band. Bumped into a few people (including Bob from Brockley and Scott Wood), sat in the sunshine, heard some good music, what more could you want?

I particularly enjoyed Maracatudo Mafua, samba from Brazil's Northeast State of Brazil - Pernambuco via Brockley.

Seemingly I missed the later restaging of the Wicker Man in the stone circle by Decodance - anybody who was there care to describe it?

Some nice Brockley Max photos by Rupert Hitchcox

There also's a whole page of photos in this weekend's South London Press

New Amsterdam

Following on from last week's British Sea Power song, here's another namechecking Rotherhithe. New Amsterdam by Elvis Costello is obviously about New York, but reflects on its connection with other port cities:

Somehow I found myself down at the dockside

Thinking of the old days of Liverpool and Rotherhithe

Transparent people who live on the other side

Living a life that is almost like suicide

Beatrice Offor of Sydenham

Tomorrow night (Thursday 10 June), Geraldine Beskin is giving a talk at South East London Folklore Society on 'The Women of the Golden Dawn'. It takes place at The Old King's Head, Kings Head Yard, 45-49 Borough High Street , London SE1 1NA . 8.00pm start, £2.50 / £1.50 concessions.

I don't think I can make it tomorrow, but I wonder whether Geraldine will cast some light on any of the South London connections to the story of this famous order of Victorian occultists.

Transpontine has previously covered the connection between Annie Horniman and the Golden Dawn, as a result of which the grounds of what is now the Horniman museum played host to mystically-minded luminaries including WB Yeats, Golden Dawn founder Samuel MacGregor Mathers, his wife Moina Bergson and AE Waite.




A looser connection is with the painter Beatrice Offor, born on the 21 March 1863 at Peak Hill Villa, Sydenham.

She attended the Slade School of Art and befriended Mona Bergson and Annie Horniman . They shared a studio together in Fitzrovia.

To what extent Offor herself shared her friends' occult leanings I do not know, but certainly some of her paintings suggest some kind of interest, even if only in the associated imagery. The bottom painting is entitled the 'Crystal Glazer' (don't know the name of the top painting.

Offor lived in Tottenham in later life, and died in 1920.

Her family seemed to have been quite interesting all round. She was one of ten children born to George and Emma Offor, though not all lived for long. Her brother William died as a baby before she was even born. A George Offor of Peak Hill Villa (presumably Beatrice's father, or possibly a brother) was listed in 1887 as a member of the Shelley Society.

Peak Hill, for those who don't know the area, is just around the corner from Jews Walk, where Eleanor Marx lived and died.

Goldsmiths Trust School Takeover Abandoned

We reported here last year proposals for Goldsmiths College to lead a Trust to take over managing two secondary schools and a Sixth Form College in New Cross. It appears though that this is no longer on the cards, at least according to this press release from campaigners against it:

CAMPAIGN SCORES VICTORY AND DEFEATS ‘GOLDSMITHS TRUST’ PROPOSAL

Staff at Addey and Stanhope School have been officially informed that Goldsmiths University has withdrawn its support for the proposed “Goldsmiths Trust” of Addey and Stanhope, Deptford Green and Crossways schools.

This news - confirming rumours that have been circulating for the last week - represents a significant victory for the joint campaign of trade unions, students and parents that have opposed this damaging Trust.

Martin Powell-Davies, Lewisham NUT Secretary, said: “This is tremendous news for everyone who supports comprehensive education. The Trust was always a half-baked idea. Its supporters were never able to show how a Trust would really benefit education. It would have taken staff out of Council employment and would have been a significant step towards the break-up of Local Authority schooling in the borough. We hope that we can now work together to strengthen genuine partnership between schools, not a divisive Trust”.

Des Freedman, UCU Secretary at Goldsmiths, said: “We are delighted that the proposers of the Trust have finally seen sense. We hope that they will continue to demonstrate their support for comprehensive education and not be swayed by the false promises from the Conservatives for more Academies”.

The “No Trust in the Goldsmiths Trust” campaign – backed by the NUT, UCU, ATL, NASUWT, GMB, and UNISON unions in Lewisham, along with Goldsmiths Students Union, Defend Education In Lewisham and ‘Hands Off Lewisham Bridge’ – organised a number of meetings and lobbies as well as street leafleting to highlight their opposition to the proposed Trust.

Campaigners are now moving on to oppose another school takeover. Lewisham Council have opened a consultation proposing that Merlin Primary School in Downham is taken over by Haberdashers' Aske's Knights Academy - just like Monson was taken over by Haberdashers Aske's Hatcham Academy. For further information, contact: Martin Powell-Davies, 0794 6445488.

Rockabilly against Racism at Cafe Crema

Coming up on Saturday 19th June, it's the Café Crema music festival at 306 New Cross Road: 'Rockabilly against Racism, Folk against Fascism, Bluegrass not Blackshirts (and some other sounds too) mini-festival, in the garden and indoors, 2pm 'til midnight. Union Canal String Band, The Henry Brothers, Reverend Jim Casy, The Lucky Strikes, All The Queen's Ravens, The A Train, Tina Pinder, The Flaming Czars, DJ Johnny Clash, DJ Fancy Girrl, DJ Nigel. Profits will go to Hope not Hate. Tickets £6/£5 advance (from the cafe)'.

Bridget Riley

There's a new Bridget Riley exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. One of the great South London artists, she was born in Norwood in 1931, studied at Goldsmiths in New Cross (1949-52) and later taught at Croydon College of Art. Apparently she also had a revelation at Peckham Rye that she should start her art practice with drawing:

'One evening in the autumn of 1949 I was walking up and down Peckham Rye station. It was dark and wet and I was trying to decide what to do. I was coming to the end of my first term at Goldsmiths School of Art and was feeling upset and frustrated. I had arrived anxious to make a start, to find a firm basis for the work that I hoped lay ahead. It seemed that I was unable to get to grips with some of the real problems of painting, which I felt sure existed but which I could not even begin to identify.

A copy I had made of Van Eyck's Man in a Red Turban had been included in my portfolio submitted for entry to Goldsmiths, and this had probably helped me to get a place. Competition was stiff. People were still returning home after the Second World War and had priority in further education. These were men and women in their thirties who, delayed only by the slow pace of demobilisation, came directly from active service. They were overjoyed to be back in civvy street and to have the chance of making a life as artists. Coming straight from school, I counted myself lucky to be there. But this cultural climate did not diminish the challenge of what to do at Goldsmiths. On the contrary, it intensified it, as it became clear that this problem was felt by many of us in different degrees.

Excerpt published in Evening Standard, 10 May 2010, from 'Bridget Riley: From Life (£15), a catalogue published by the National Portrait Gallery to accompany the exhibition.

Bridget Riley, Blaze 4, 1963

Brockley Max- forward to Hilly Fields!

Good night last night in the Ladywell Tavern with Brockley Central hosting a night of music as part of the ongoing Brockley Max festival. Evening started with a few songs from Deptford via Goa balladeer Rupert, then a set of June Brides/Wedding Present indie pop via Eltham from Tracey's Love. Even as I write I am listening to their demo CD, specifically a song called The Girl with Amsterdam Eyes about nearly being run over by a cute cyclist.

With a sound like that they just have to playing at How Does it Feel to be Loved? soon, and indeed they are, on 24th June at Jamm in Brixton. Incidentally at How Does it Feel's club night at the Canterbury Arms in Brixton this evening they are having a Meat is Murder special, playing the entire said Smiths album to mark the 25th anniversay of its release.

Next up at the Ladywell Taven last night was jazz singer Andrea Mann, playing a solo set with her gorgeously rich voice accompanied by piano. She started with a Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square and ended with the pub whooping for an encore.

Unfortuntely we had to leave before The Madding Crowd played, but not before saying hello to Darryl from 853, Brockley Nick, Moira Max, Ceri James, Mark Sampson and Moonbow John.

The latter is involved in plans for the Brockley Max finale this Saturday June 5th - Hacienda on Hilly Fields no less, with loads of music, games, theatre and children's actvities from noon to late. Not sure whether the vibe will be Hacienda (Manchester night club), Hacienda (Spanish estate) or Hacienda (situationist image of an abundant utopia - 'the Hacienda must be built'). Hopefully a bit of all three!

My first time in the Ladywell Tavern since it was refurbished, seems like a good pub. My only complaint is that I couldn't see the picture of the Ladywell that used to hang in the pub (that is the actual local well after which the area is named). A few years ago I took a group of people on an epic history/mythology/pyschogeography ramble from Camberwell to Ladywell which finished up in the pub, and coming across the picture was a fitting end to the adventure. Maybe it's still in there somewhere.

Ghosts in Deptford by Cicely Fox Smith (1921)

Cicely Fox Smith (1882-1954) was a poet and writer on ships and sailings. Her poem Ghosts in Deptford was published in her book 'Roving: Sea Songs and Ballads' (published in 1921). Not sure if this was actually written as a song, but I guess it could certainly be set to music - though I think I would probably drop the verse about 'chinks' and 'dagoes'!

If ghosts should walk in Deptford, as very well they may,
A man might find the night there more stirring than the day,
Might meet a Russian Tsar there, or see in Spain's despite
Queen Bess ride down to Deptford to dub Sir Francis knight.

And loitering here and yonder, and jostling to and fro,
In every street and alley the sailor-folk would go,
All colours, creeds, and nations, in fashion old and new,
If ghosts should walk in Deptford, as like enough they do.

And there'd be some with pigtails, and some with buckled shoes,
And smocks and caps like pirates that sailors once did use,
And high sea-boots and oilskins and tarry dungaree,
And shoddy suits men sold them when they came fresh from sea.

And there'd be stout old skippers and mates of mighty hand,
And Chinks and swarthy Dagoes, and Yankees lean and tanned,
And many a hairy shellback burned black from Southern skies,
And brassbound young apprentice with boyhood's eager eyes,

And by the river reaches all silver to the moon
You'd hear the shipwrights' hammers beat out a phantom tune,
The caulkers' ghostly mallets rub-dub their faint tattoo —
If ghosts should walk in Deptford, as very like they do.

If ghosts should walk in Deptford, and ships return once more
To every well-known mooring and old familiar shore,
A sight it were to see there, of all fine sights there be,
The shadowy ships of Deptford come crowding in from sea.

Cog, carrack, buss and dromond — pink, pinnace, snake and snow —
Queer rigs of antique fashion that vanished long ago,
With tall and towering fo'c'sles and curving carven prows,
And gilded great poop lanterns, and scrolled and swelling bows.

The Baltic barque that foundered in last month’s North Sea gales,
And last year's lost Cape Horner on her sails,
Black tramp and stately liner should lie there side by side
Ay, all should berth together upon that silent tide.

In dock and pond and basin so close the keels should lie
Their hulls should hide the water, their masts make dark the sky,
And through their tangled rigging the netted stars should gleam
Like gold and silver fishes from some celestial stream.

And all their quivering royals and all their singing spars
Should send a ghostly music a-shivering to the stars —
A sound like Norway forests when wintry winds are high,
Or old dead seamen's shanties from great old days gone by,

—Till eastward over Limehouse, on river, dock and slum,
All shot with pearl and crimson the London dawn should come,
And fast at flash of sunrise, and swift at break of day,
The shadowy ships of Deptford should melt like mist away.