2018-10-25 08:50
We've mentioned late 1970s/early 1980s band Rubber Johnny before, including their residency in that period at the Royal Albert pub. Led by singer John Turner, the band grew out of the Deptfo… Read More
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Transpontine Blog
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South East London blogzine - things that are happening, things that happened, things that should never have happened. New Cross, Brockley, Deptford and other beauty spots. EMAIL US: [email protected] Transpontine: 'on the other (i.e. the south) side of the bridges over the Thames; pertaining to or like the lurid melodrama played in theatres there in the 19th century'.
2018-10-24 07:51
Since it started in 2014, South London site Deserter has been a refreshing slacker voice as 'the voice of degeneration... an aspirational lifestyle website for those with a predilection for… Read More
2018-10-22 06:30
An interesting find on a second hand stall in Lyme Regis over the summer was this brochure for The Press Arts School, a correspondence course in drawing run from Forest Hill. The brochure is… Read More
2018-09-24 20:37
The Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art is a new public gallery on the Goldsmiths campus in New Cross (entrance via St James SE14). It is located in part of the form… Read More
2018-09-06 20:37
In February 1964, famous folk singers Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger performed at Lewisham Town Hall (Concert Hall) in Catford at a 'Folk Songs for Peace' benefit concert. I believe the couple… Read More
2018-08-29 06:38
Opening this week at Lewisham Arthouse, Gill Roth and Andrew Clarke present their joint exhibition 'Make Believe' Gill and Andrew 'make work that blurs the edge between abstraction and… Read More
2018-08-22 07:38
A real treat coming up at South East London Folklore Society on 13th September:Old Ways, New Ways: using folklore and song in contemporary music and literatureKerry Andrew is an award-winnin… Read More
2018-08-14 09:12
Was it really only a month ago that the pubs of New Cross (and indeed of the whole country) were filled with excited crowds cheering on England in the World Cup? It seems like another age in… Read More
2018-08-13 10:04
Another year, another anniversary of the anti-National Front 'Battle of Lewisham'. I am posting this on 13 August 2018, the 41st anniversary of that momentous day. The following article was… Read More
2018-08-11 20:50
In a sensational trial in 1957, a 52 year old man was prosecuted for shooting a 22 year old woman with intent to murder in Gellatly Road SE14 (described in contemporary press reports as bein… Read More
2018-07-17 21:15
Events in the last few years have reminded us that there is still a lot of unfinished business from the American Civil War. The flag of the defeated Southern states is still a rallying point… Read More
2018-06-29 20:42
Possibly slightly biased, but the best track on Florence and the Machine's new album 'High as Hope' (released today) is 'South London Forever'. The opening lyrics go:'When I go home alo… Read More
2018-06-26 07:09
I have been reading “The Boys of Summer” (1971) by Roger Kahn. Considered by many to be one of the great sports books, it focuses on the 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team who… Read More
2018-06-19 07:10
'I pray you mar no more trees by writing love-songs on their barks'(Shakespeare, As You Like It)I would agree with the Bard as far as living trees are concerned, but you can't really object… Read More
2018-06-15 07:45
A couple of great murals by Deanio X commenting on the Windrush scandal which has seen the deportation of people who have been living in the UK for decades. The works, by London Bridge and o… Read More
2018-06-11 21:55
The Poster Workshop was a radical screenprinting project 'set up in a basement at 61 Camden Road, Camden Town, London N1, in the summer of 1968. It was carried along on the wave of rebellion… Read More
2018-06-04 20:15
London Radical Bookfair at Goldsmiths on Saturday went well, saw lots of people I haven't seen for a while (well, probably since the last bookfair) and helped out for a bit on the Datacide s… Read More
2018-06-03 18:49
Last night I paid my first visit to waterintobeer, the Brockley shop/bar for all things beer - big selection of bottles and cans as well as homebrew gear for those who fancy doing it themsel… Read More
2018-05-30 21:24
So here's a few street/public art animals to be found in South London pubs.First up, never mind the famous cat model in Catford town centre, not far away on the south circular is 'The Pride… Read More
2018-05-15 20:34
It was the opening night tonight of 'House of Covvens' at Harts Lane SE14 (the road next door to Sainsburys).Conceived by artist Jodie Chinn, House of Covvens is 'an imagined poli… Read More
2018-05-11 08:07
Chartist Ancestors is an excellent ongoing project aiming to document participants in the Chartist movement, arguably the first modern mass working class political movement in the UK, which… Read More
2018-04-29 21:14
It's very easy to take for granted places you pass every day, so I want to give some appreciation to a Chinese takeaway that has been in New Cross for as long as I have - Uncle Wrinkle at 29… Read More
2018-04-26 21:25
This 'No Nazis in South London' poster dates from 1977. It calls for people to assemble for a demonstration on Saturday September 10th at Elephant and Castle called by the 'South London Co-o… Read More
2018-04-16 20:56
Brockley grime artist Novelist has an LP - Novelist Guy, released on his own MMMYEH Records label - and its great as expected. There's catchy anthems galore, politics (Stop Ki… Read More
2018-04-15 08:00
Slightly surprized, to say the least, to see my local featured in the Evening Standard magazine 'Cool List' of 'what's hot in the capital now' (11 April 2018). Skehans - once know… Read More
2018-04-03 17:51
A great gig coming up this Friday 6th April 2018 at the Ivy House in Stuart Road SE15 (east side of Peckham Rye) with the Band of Holy Joy:'A night of beastly beatitude and other sonic devia… Read More
2018-03-24 14:26
Found recently at Deptford market, three football programmes from three South London teams - Crystal Palace, Millwall, and Charlton (guess they must have been from a Chartlon fan, as the Pal… Read More
2018-03-19 21:49
I hope the weather warms up for next weekend in time for the free Woodland Folk Music Festival on Saturday 24th March 2018, 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm in Brockley Nature Reserve, Vesta Road, SE4 2NT… Read More
2018-03-16 07:48
Bunnett and Corpe was a 19th century engineering firm with a factory in New Cross Road. The Post Office London Directory, 1843, described them as 'engineers and patentees of the concentric s… Read More
2018-03-14 21:18
There's already been lots of music in this year's Telegraph Hill Festival, not least last weekend's community production of West Side Story with an all ages cast of 250 and some fantastic si… Read More
2018-03-11 17:54
Walking up Kitto Road SE14 last night, alongside Telegraph Hill upper park, I saw a toad. Then a few metres along another one, and then another. In fact I saw five toads in procession all on… Read More
2018-03-10 15:37
The 2018 Telegraph Hill Festival kicks off today (Saturday 10th March) with the first of the sold out community performances of West Side Story. Between now and 25th March, there's lots of&n&hell…Read More
2018-03-08 22:15
I've been down to the picket line at Goldsmiths in New Cross a couple of times in the last week to show support to the striking lecturers and other college staff. They have been ta… Read More
2018-03-08 21:22
Coming up this Saturday 10th March 2018 at Lewisham Library (199 Lewisham High Street Se13 6lg), 'It’s not all about the suffragettes'.The free event, which runs from 10 am t… Read More
2018-02-21 19:13
Tomorrow night (Thursday 22 February) at Lewisham Town Hall there's a free talk by swift expert Edward Mayer about swifts and enhancing urban biodiversity, including what can be done lo… Read More
2018-02-12 08:54
Protestors gathered in the rain on Saturday 10th February for a funereal farewell to the New Cross Post Office, due to close this week and be replaced by a counter within a local convenience… Read More
2018-02-09 16:31
In August 1980, Jools Holland played his last gig as keyboardist with Squeeze at The Albany in Deptford. In fact they played three nights at the venue (12,13,14 August), a deliberate re… Read More
2018-01-25 08:31
From the Murky Depths reports that a planning application has been submitted to build flats on the site of the Aladdin's Cave' second hand shop. (72 Loampit Hill SE13).The streetscape… Read More
2018-01-18 19:29
The Post Office's Valentine's gift to New Cross is its plan to close the Post Office at 199 New Cross Road on 14 February 2018. Some Post Office services will be available instead as franchi… Read More
2018-01-16 17:56
It is a year now since the sad death of Mark Fisher, writer, critical thoughtist and lecturer in the Department of Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths in New Cross. … Read More
2018-01-01 16:09
Hither Green-based experimental/improvisational label Linear Obsessional Recordings has released its annual compilation album. 'A View from a Hill', released on Christmas Eve 2017, includes… Read More
2017-12-29 15:43
Earlier this month, Dennis Bovell was made an Honorary Fellow at Goldsmiths, a recognition of his contribution to music and his links to the South East London area. Bovell is probably best k… Read More
2017-12-10 17:32
Snow in Nunhead Cemetery today, here on the scouts memorial. This is the burial place of eight boy scouts aged 11 to 14 from the 2nd Walworth troop who were drowned on 3 August 1912 whe… Read More
2017-12-08 07:40
The latest undercover police spy in radical movements to be profiled by Undercover Research is 'Rick Gibson' (not his real name), who infiltrated Irish solidarity and other groups in South E… Read More
2017-12-04 19:57
Alan Tyler was the lead singer of The Rockingbirds, who in their early 1990s indie/country rock hey day put out a couple of albumns and a series of singles and EPs on Heavenly then Cooking V… Read More
2017-12-01 21:51
The Walworth Beauty (2017) by Michele Roberts is a novel featuring two entwined stories set in the same area of south London over a 160 year period. One thread concerns a man working for Hen… Read More
2017-11-26 20:21
There are lots of 80s pop hits which all the cool indie kids mocked at the time but which with hindsight sound pretty good, and which today's cool nobody-worries-about-being-indie-kids… Read More
2017-11-20 07:42
Electro/alt pop duo Oh Wonder played a sold out gig at Brixton Academy this month, part of a massive international tour to mark the launch of their second album Ultralife. Their track… Read More
2017-11-10 21:13
American rock'n'roll legend Little Richard played in Lewisham on at least two occasions.The first time was on 31 October 1963 as part of an amazing line up that also included the Rolling Sto… Read More
2017-11-01 22:40
Maybe not quite so spooky in daylight, but the surviving pumpkins on the morning after Halloween have their own horrors...Malpas Rd SE4Drakefell Rd SE4Drakefell Road SE4Asylum Road SE1… Read More
2017-10-31 23:14
The extreme right wing group Britain First have called a march in Bromley town centre on Saturday November 4th 2017. The leaders of the group, Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen, who both live i… Read More
2017-10-30 09:50
King Krule has a new album out, The OOZ. In a recent Gilles Peterson interview the East Dulwich/Peckham Rye raised artist mentions that he demo'd some of the tracks at Shrunken Heads st… Read More
2017-10-16 18:35
There's still a couple of weeks to give your views on proposals to close the NHS Walk-in Centre at the Waldron Health Centre in New Cross. The Walk-in opened in March 2010 and offers appoint… Read More
2017-10-02 05:30
Yes I know this is not exactly news - Otzeki's Falling Out was released last year on Rough Trade. But the video starts with the message 'Thank you Ziggy for bringing freedom and happin… Read More
2017-10-01 20:54
A new advert for Domino's Pizza was filmed in New Cross Gate's Fordham Park. 'The Official Food of Squads' features a group of young guys trying and failing to look cool as they wander throu… Read More
2017-09-05 20:39
This year's Peckham and Nunhead Free Film Festival is already underway - too late if you've missed vampire film Nosferatu being screened in Nunhead Cemetery, but there's plenty more to come… Read More
2017-09-04 09:22
There were lots of South London shout outs at Reading Festival last week including East Dulwich's Tom Misch, Croydon's Loyle Carner and in the Lewisham corner Ray BLK.Nigerian-born and Catfo… Read More
2017-09-02 06:28
Maria Alyokhina, who was jailed in Putin's Russia for her activities with punk collective Pussy Riot, is speaking at the Centre for Investigative Journalism at Goldsmiths in New Cross on Wed… Read More
2017-08-21 20:53
Some interesting material in the University of Warwick's digital archive on British Political Theatre 1930s to 1950s, including some newsletters from the 1930s from the Workers Theatre Movem… Read More
2017-08-21 10:34
Lewisham-based Vision Crew aren't shy about representing the 'blue borough'. The video for their latest release, Forever, was shot at St John's Station, while on their earlier 'Walk the Walk… Read More
2017-08-20 16:13
I found this browsing at the interesting digital archive of feminist magazine, Spare Rib. The July 1980 issues records a 300 strong march through Lewisham on May 10 1980, called by South Eas… Read More
2017-08-15 14:14
Coming up tonight (15 August 2017) at Rye Wax in the Bussey building on Rye Lane Se15, a Q&A with Brixton-based musician Dave Randall (Faithless, Slovo) about his new book 'Sound System:… Read More
2017-08-14 06:00
'From the palace of VersaillesTo the streets of Peckham RyeYou craved the dizziest of heightsBut were caught out at the lightsThe streets been talkin'So starts Bloc Party singer Ke… Read More
2017-08-12 17:11
The currently empty shop at 318 New Cross Road, next door to the New Cross House, was an important location in the 'Battle of Lewisham' forty years ago this weekend, when ant-fascist demonst… Read More
2017-08-11 07:42
I went along last week to the launch of What Are You Taking Pictures For? an exhibition of photographs documenting the events of 13 August 1977, a day of riotous demonstrations a… Read More
2017-08-09 17:55
An interesting talk coming up at South East London Folklore Society this week - Thursday 10th August 2017 - looking at all kinds of magickal and folkloric aspects of the goat. No less than '… Read More
2017-08-07 11:29
SE London soul singer Joel Culpepper has been getting lots of attention recently on the back of his new Tortoise EP. He was on Gilles Peterson's BBC 6Music show a few week ago and gave a sho… Read More
2017-08-01 20:52
My current favourite phone app is SkyView (I have only used the free version so far). Essentially an astronomy aid if you point it at the night sky it will tell you the names of the stars, p… Read More
2017-07-31 19:12
As mentioned here before, there's a whole series of events led by Goldsmiths coming up in next couple of weeks to mark the 40th anniversary of the 'Battle of Lewisham' w… Read More
2017-07-27 06:39
Coming up at Catford Constituional Club on Sunday 31 July 2017 (7:30 PM - 10 PM), Catford Film are showing 'They Will Have To Kill Us First', Johanna Schwarz's feature length documenta… Read More
2017-07-22 20:58
Walking past Brockley Social Club yesterday I noticed that there was a film shoot in progress. Quick bit of investigation - OK I looked at the sign on one of the vehilces - and it transpires… Read More
2017-07-17 06:11
'How the West was Won' is the new solo album from Peter Perrett (Domino, 2017).Perrett is best known as the former lead singer of The Only Ones, responsible for one of the greatest songs of… Read More
2017-07-16 05:52
'I want your love' - tape on metal box, Peckham Rye/Nunhead Lane junction.But are they referencing Chic or Transvision Vamp? Read More
2017-07-10 00:30
Tom Misch has a new single and it is a proper transpontine neo-soul anthem entitled South of the River. It has a bit of a disco feel to it including a nice violin line from Tobie Tripp as a… Read More
2017-07-06 20:56
Tucked off the New Cross Road in Clifton Rise SE14, Green Onions has been going for about 18 months offering a great combination of healthfoods and vinyl. Out front there's vegan goodie… Read More
2017-06-26 21:31
There was food, music, books and sunshine to be had in Crofton Park earlier this month (3rd June 2017) with stalls along the main road as part of Croftest in the Brockley Max… Read More
2017-06-19 21:23
Jem Finer is probably best known as a member of The Pogues, for whom he co-wrote the Christmas favourite The Fairytale of New York and the transpontine anthem Misty Morning Albert Bridge. In… Read More
2017-06-14 22:26
An interesting event coming up tomorrow night (Thursday 15 June 2017, 5:30 to 8:30) at Goldsmiths focused on the Laurie Grove Baths. This building hosted swimming pools and public wash… Read More
2017-06-11 21:53
When 19th century writers referred to transpontine theatre houses, on the wrong side of the river from high culture and power, they seem to have particularly had in mind the Royal Surrey on… Read More
2017-05-26 14:36
On this day in 1881, a 'beating the bounds' procession took place in Penge. As reported in The Beckenham Journal and Penge and Sydenham Advertiser, Wednesday, June 1, 1881:'The ancient custo… Read More
2017-05-22 22:02
So far the General Election street art hasn't been too extensive. I did spot this grime artists/rappers supporting Labour poster under the railway bridge at Brockley cross.Among those f… Read More
2017-05-15 22:28
Hither Green-based experimental/improv label Linear Obsessional Recordings (LOR) has a busy weekend coming up with a two day festival starting out on Saturday (20/5/2017) with a gig at… Read More
2017-05-14 20:48
From 1866, the tale of an unusual protest in a New Cross church -deliberately singing loudly and out of tune!'Unseemly conduct at churchFor the last fortnight or three weeks the congregation… Read More
2017-05-13 16:35
At a neighbour's moving house sale earlier I picked up a vinyl copy of Galliano's acid jazz album 'A Joyful Noise unto the Creator' (Talkin Loud, 1992). Looking at the cover photo… Read More
2017-05-10 06:00
I'm loving 'Playground', the new album by Laura Misch. Self-produced at home by the multi-talented singer, saxophonist and ableton whizzkid from East Dulwich, it has a much bigger sound… Read More
2017-05-09 06:00
Media coverage of the London Marathon tends to concentrate on either the international elite runners of the very front or the fancy dress charity runners further back.In between are the many… Read More
2017-05-08 07:16
The joint Independent Label Market/London Brewers Market in Greenwich on Friday night (5/5/2017) was good and busy, with music, food and drink stalls and Lewisham's Unit 137 Sound System sha… Read More
2017-05-04 22:37
This Friday night (May 5th 2017), a free night of music at Greenwich Market:'Independent Label Market, supported by Sound Performance are excited to announce the launch of their debut Night… Read More
2017-05-01 14:07
What could be better for May Day than a whole album of May Day themed songs? Beautiful singing combined with found sounds, birdsong and spoken word samples - including what sounds to me like… Read More
2017-04-30 16:32
'The May Day demonstrations - The London anarchists - Violent scenes''A demonstration arranged by the Social Democratic Federation was held today in Hyde Park. The processionists, who did no… Read More
2017-04-28 08:58
August this year sees the 40th anniversary of the demonstrations and clashes of the 'Battle of Lewisham' when thousands of people turned out to oppose a racist march from New Cross to Lewish… Read More
2017-04-27 20:57
I love Beckenham Place Park with its green spaces, woodland and grand old mansion house, so good to see that there are some interesting things going on there to encourage other people to com… Read More
2017-04-25 20:18
Last weekend 40,000 people including both myself and the world's greatest endurance runners ran round the Cutty Sark in the course of the London Marathon. The week before thousands more were… Read More
2017-04-14 16:27
Next weekend sees the start of The New Cross & Deptford Free Film Festival, featuring 31 free film screenings in the ten-day period starting 21st April. According to the organisers:'The… Read More
2017-04-07 07:04
The final weekend coming up of the 2017 Telegraph Hill Festival, plenty of events still to come - see programme for full details. Its open studios weekend, a perfect opportunity to see… Read More
2017-04-05 06:45
The death earlier this week of Darcus Howe led to several mentions in obituaries of his role in helping to organise the Black People's Day of Action, a major demonstration called in response… Read More
2017-03-26 10:25
There was a strange light at Telegraph Hill upper park (Kitto Road SE14) earlier this week, with the night artificially brightened with floodlights to create a hyperreal landscape. The… Read More
2017-03-16 07:24
Government proposals to introduce a new natonal funding formula for schools from next year are expected to lead to big reductions in funding for local schools. Essentially the formula would… Read More
2017-03-15 17:08
Tonight - and every second Wednesday - it's 45 RPM night at the Telegraph at the Earl of Derby, the pub at 87 Dennets Road SE14. The format is simple enough, bring along a few 7 inch si… Read More
2017-03-12 20:54
Tate Britain gallery is currently displaying 'Stan Firm inna Inglan: Black Diaspora in London, 1960s-1970s', featuring images by 'eight photographers who documented Black communities i… Read More
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