No.9 The Story Issue
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THANK YO U ! BB Banks Daniel Gayle Sam (Seabass Cycles) Ana Gomez Teresa Holmes Annie Mulroy Sarah Austin Emily McGeevor Emma + Ian Susie Blackburn Emily Adams Wendy PAJAK Mette Lindahl-Wise Joe Saul Andy Barker Hugo Gorst-Williams Vicky Forrester Sophie Alexander Wells Kevin Cody Guy Haslam Ian Penney Kelly Blaney Helen Osgerby Charles Churchill Kaytee Pie David O'Connell Justin Ellinor Michel Louise Hussey Laura Perrett Julie Kathleen Murphy Peter McCusker Nunhead Osteopathy Practice Andy Millns Stuart Lang Ruth Kent Amy Wilson Will Wrightson Isobel Conroy Kate Cheesman Anthony Shoring Jocasta Kelsey Simon Morris Sophie Tait Alex Mcmillan
Laura Woodroffe Liz Bosson Michele Misgalla Kit Humphrey Really Well Made Angela Mcfarlane Frances Robinson Georgia Veronique Le Therisien Kate Braatvedt Nathalie Websdale Adam Kellaway Dan Froude Ruth Chapple Jonny Gagel Esme Hicks Harry Foster Andy Cullen Lizzie Broom Simon Bartley Shaw Duncan Wooldridge Chris Robyn Paul Ferg Cordy family Gina Grant Kameil Suzanne Hemming Kaz Patwa Rebecca Williams Jamie Campbell Jade Rob Evans (Mammaprada) Hannah Myatt Skye O'Neill Yolanda Chiaramello David Stevenson Paul Bridge Alison Price Nimtim Architects Jill Murphy Joe Thomas Laura Davidson Tom Armstrong Iain Matt Nixson Becki Marsh Russ Chimes Shernae Connie Churcher Steve Malkin Zoe Rocholl Pippa Wright Esme Yuill
Emma Gurrey Kate GallĂŠ Alyson Rolington Cecily Vessey Georgia Bosson Liz May Tom David O'Dell Josephine Seblon Sarah Parker Alana Coates Martin Homent Erin Robinson Anne Riemer Emma Homent Kylie de Chastelain Cleo Stringer Kyriacos Peter Vassilas Sarah Gogus Katy D'Avella Emma Hutton Nickie Roisin Darwish Jo Paton Htay Catherine Osborn Alex Simpson Jennifer O'Keefe Cath Yasmin Michelle Lewis Mark Brearley Richard Radley Emma Sinead Mandlik Alex Rey Tom Westwod Lizzie Bishop London Reclaimed Amanda Culpin SE22 Piano School Natasha David Tom Winterton Claire Godfrey Frances Cooper Katherine Rachel Evans Forest Hill Gin Club Ali Kirsty Boyd Lesley Newsholme Scott Firth Emily Pemberton Vivien Leung Mark Rochell Angelina Taylor Martin Goodson
Philip Pryke Jade Johnsey-Graham Luke Gething Chloe Tomlinson Georgina Mallory Abigail Fry Wendy Ide Svetlana Bountakidou Frank Jonathan Armistead Kate Gale Miho Aishima Lotte Matthew Ross Alexander Docherty Colin Sterling Trevor Llewelyn Aoine Michaela Stirling David Keefe Corali Houlton Christopher O'Shaughnessy Henry Nikki Spencer Shannon Reed Katie HB Sophie Davidson Sian Knight Lisa Barlow Jane Martin Drummond Pearson Lucy Burrows Sophie Wood Hannah Betts Mike Black Justyna Anna Winston Rosie Lovell Luke Merryweather Tessa Booth Catherine Shaw Hannah Bhattacherjee Dale Grundle Grace Webster Leni Dhaliwal Davies Naomi Knill Guy Laura Trythall Helen Dingle Jac Roberts Natalie Mitchell Andrew Sleightholme Nick Borsack
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WELCOME NOTE Welcome to edition No.9 - The Story Issue. It feels like a bit of a special one for us; incase you missed our Kickstarter campaign, this Journal has been brought to you with the support of 257 members of South East London’s community and a great selection of local businesses — all names opposite! So a big old THANK YOU to everyone who chipped in to help bring this Journal to fruition! Although the Journal has slimmed down a little, we have still tried to fill it with great stories from our wonderful part of London. We were lucky enough to interview the best-selling Kennington-based author Sarah Waters, as well as the critically acclaimed Dulwich-based illustrator, designer and author Coralie Bickford-Smith — whose instantly recognisable work for Penguin Books adorns some of the greatest titles in literature. Our brilliant photographer Alex Reyto also documents the personal memories through the wonderful workshop for those affected by dementia, Reminiscence Art. Unfortunately, an interview we were working on with a Syrian refugee family who have recently settled in East Dulwich didn’t make our pages — a worry of adverse reaction on their part, which is a very sad reflection on the current state of affairs here and across the world. So instead, we’d like to give a shout out to the Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network for the support they provide to such families, and for their help in getting the piece together. We hope you enjoy everyone’s stories as much as we enjoyed gathering them! SELJ x
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SOUTH EAST LOND ON JO URNAL A free local culture journal Issue No.9 — The Story Issue EDITOR Polly C R E AT I V E D I R E C TO R Jessica WITH THANKS TO Benji Roebuck SUB-EDITOR Fleur Treglown ADVERTISING advertising@selondonjournal.co.uk I N S I D E C O V E R PA T T E R N Courtesy of Penguin Books info@selondonjournal.co.uk www.selondonjournal.co.uk @selondonjournal Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, South East London Journal does not accept liability for any errors or omissions within this issue. Reprinting of any article or original images from South East London Journal without express permission of the Editor is expressly forbidden. © South East London Journal 2017
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W E E K E N D WA N D E R —Hither Green
H AV E B R U N C H at Archibald’s in Lee, where the vanilla brioche French toast recently made it into The Guardian’s 50 Best Breakfasts in the UK, or head to the Good Hope cafe, run by local charity For Jimmy, where the homemade tomato and chilli jam is legendary.
T R E AT YO U R S E L F at Aroma Beauty Rooms where you can book a massage, facial or pedicure, or take a pilates or yoga class at Lee Complementary Health Centre where they also offer osteopathy, homeopathy, acupuncture and counselling. If it’s male grooming you’re after, check out the new R&M Traditional Barbers on Hither Green Lane. STOP FOR DINNER at Luciano’s, where you can enjoy freshly made pasta or stone baked pizza, while for committed carnivores there’s the steak restaurant Cabrera next door. For great Indian food, The Spice of Life is much-loved by locals. While it’s true that the area is a little short on restaurants, it does have loads of great independent cafes which are plugging the gap by hosting pop-up dinners. Regular nights include Olly’s Turkish every Friday and Saigon Streat Vietnamese every Saturday at Arlo & Moe on Springbank Road, while the Damascus Chef is at Home & Kids every Saturday. Archibald’s and the Good Hope café also host pop-ups. It may not look much from the outside, but Café Green is Hither Green’s hidden gem. A Vietnamese family took over a greasy spoon on Ennersdale Road and everything, from the delicious pho to the spicy noodle salads, is made to order. GRAB A PINT at the Station Hotel, the Lord Northbrook (which also does great food) or at Lee’s Old Tiger’s Head, a traditional London boozer, now under new management with craft beer, lattes and regular live music nights. H AV E A M O O C H around Staplehurst Road where the unique vintage feel of the You Don’t Bring Me Flowers café and florist will bring a smile as well as beautiful blooms and generously sized homemade flapjacks, while across the road, Crimson and Clover sells vintage homewares, gifts and cards. For beautifully designed homewares, children’s clothes, toys and books visit Cissy Wears, or head over to the little Victorian parade of shops on Lee Road where you’ll find lifestyle boutique onetwofive and the Home & Kids gift shop and café. Don’t forget to stop by at second hand treasure trove Halycon Books, or — if you are musically minded — check out Allodi Accordians, a family run business for over 60 years, and the state of the art Billy Vee Sound Systems. Stop for a coffee and freshly baked cake at With Jam and Bread on the way. 6
WORDS — NIKKI SPENCER
TA K E A WA L K to nearby Mountsfield Park, with its well-tended community garden, bandstand and great views, which is home to Lewisham’s massive annual People’s Day, or go towards Lee where there’s Manor House Gardens and Manor Park just a few streets away from each other. Manor House Gardens is the bigger of the two, overlooked by a large Georgian manor house which is now the local library. There is an ornamental lake, the popular Pistachios café and children’s play area. Time it right and on the first Saturday of the month you can pick up fresh fruit and veg and bread at the Farmers’ Market.
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CHAPTER No.1 — FOOD
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FOOD EDIT —Eggs!
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A celebration of the humble egg — signifier of S pring and new beginnings ! A versatile culinary delight regarded as the ulti mate convenience food , they are a powerhouse of nutrition , packed with protein and a range of vitamins and minerals , of course this can not be said of the chocolate varieties . Clarence Court Eggs William Rose Butchers, SE22 Old Cotswold Legbar eggs have a distinctive pale blue shell which hides a rich creamy yolk with a dense flavour. The Legbar have plump and upstanding yolks. Quail Eggs William Rose Butchers, SE22 A quarter of the size of hens eggs and for this reason make a truly novel way to present eggs, with beautiful speckled shells holding delicate little eggs with pale yolks which need just 30 seconds to soft boil. A dozen CHOCOLATE Quail Egglets Hotel Chocolat, SE1 A selection of small chocolate egg filled with caramel, praline and simple truffles, all bedecked with intricate decoration. ROCOCO Roly-Poly Bird Chocolate Egg Smash Bang Wallop, SE19 and Bunka, SE23 From the Roald Dahl range this milk and white chocolate shell is flecked with strawberry pieces and contains six colourfully foiled mini chocolate eggs.
ROCOCO Salted Caramel Seagull Eggs Smash Bang Wallop, SE19 and Bunka, SE23 Rococo, salted caramel ganache covered in milk chocolate with a fine sugar shell. Free Range Eggs The Hill Bakery, SE5; The Lader, SE13; Brockley Marke SE4 Stalls: Fosse Medows Farm, Brockmans Farm, Hook & Sons. Duck Foot Egg Cup Roullier White, SE22 Delicate porcelain egg cup from the designer Roos Van de Velde. Old Fashioned Gourmet Crackers The Hill Bakery, SE5 Made from a nourishing mix of seeds and stone ground whole grains. Fun fact — these crackers were served at the Nobel Prize party, probably as close as we will ever come… Nordic Egg Cup Rigby and Mac, SE22. Also a shout out to Fresh Start for Hens, a not-for-profit who re-home hens at the end of their commercial life. Find out more at fsfh.org.uk
RECIPE —Mr Bao’s Traditional Taiwanese Spring Onion Pancakes Taiwanese restaurant Mr Bao opened the doors of their beautiful independent restaurant last year and have since become a firm favourite in the Peckham community. This is the recipe for their famous Taiwanese Spring Onion Pancakes. Frank Yeung is Mr Bao. Frank's dad, Joe grew up in Hong Kong in a very poor family. Joe used to make little stars out of paper and sell them to buy his family food. The first thing he ever bought his mum with the proceeds was a live goose! 31 years ago, Joe caught a boat over to England and opened a small Taiwanese/Chinese restaurant. He closed the restaurant in 2016 and is now helping Frank continue his mission to bring amazing food to the Peckham community at Mr Bao. (Follow Joe’s funny Chinese sayings on Instagram @DaddyBao) Ingredients: 1 little bowl of spring onions, chopped 500g plain flour 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds 3 tbsp vegetable oil Method: First you should ‘burn’ the flour by adding the flour to 150ml of boiling water. Stir this constantly. If you’re doing it with little ones, be careful! Once cooled, it’s fun to mix it in with your hands. Slowly add 150ml of cold water, don’t rush, do it slowly! When it’s thoroughly mixed, throw flour all over your kitchen worktops and knead the dough. You will know it is ready when the worktop, your hands and the dough are all clean! Make the dough into a ball and cover it with cling film. Leave it to rest. To Cook: Cut a piece of dough about the size of a small fist. Roll it into a flat circle. Spread a little vegetable oil over the dough. Add the chopped spring onion and the toasted sesame seeds over the top. Then smush (technical term) the dough back into a little ball again to combine the ingredients. Roll it back into a flat circle. Add a little oil to a frying pan, and turn to a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the spring onion pancake. When the bottom is a nice golden colour, FLIP! At the restaurant, we serve these the traditional way, topped with our fresh House Kimchi, grated cheese, eggs and fresh basil. It’s also part of our awesome Full Taiwanese breakfast! mrbao.co.uk 11
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RECIPE — Spanish Natillas by L’Oculto founders Ana Gomez and Teresa Holmes ANA: I grew up with this dish and as a child it was always a treat. My mother often added a twist to it but my favourite is the original recipe, as it takes me straight back to my childhood. Even though the origin of Natillas (a Spanish word for a variety of baked custards and similar delicacies) is not very clear, there is an theory that they could have been a concoction of the monasteries because of the simple ingredients used in the recipe. Ingredients: 400ml of milk 100ml of double cream 5 egg yolks 100g sugar (100g white or 125g brown) Lemon peel of 1/2 lemon Orange peel of 1/2 orange 1/2 cinnamon stick 1/2 vanilla pod Method: 1. Place the milk, cream, lemon and orange peel, cinnamon and vanilla into a pot and heat gently. 2. Just before boiling, remove the pan from the heat and pour the now fragrant milk mixture through a sieve. Set the milk mixture to one side. 3. Beat together the five egg yolks and the sugar, slowly add in some of the milk mixture. Use a whisk to avoid the mixture getting too thick too quickly. Add more of the milk mixture, until the egg yolks and sugar have dissolved completely. Now add in the rest of the milk. 4. Place the mixture back on a low heat, stirring constantly until it starts to thicken. Just before it starts to boil, remove from the heat and fill your serving dishes. 5. Refrigerate the mixture once it has cooled to room temperature, as it is best served chilled. 6. To finish sprinkle the top of the Natillas with cinnamon. If you are feeling fancy and to save your egg whites going to waste, you can make a simple meringue to top the Natillas with a final flourish. Don’t forget to brown the top of the meringue under a grill or with a blow torch!
L’Oculto, SE13 tapas, wine and shop
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WHERE’S YOUR COFFEE FROM?
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CHAPTER No.2 — C U LT U R E
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Chill Pill 2 3 M arch A mixed bill night of unpredictable, heartfelt and hilarious spoken word. Featuring writer and teaching artist Arielle John, whose work twists home-grown narratives from the Caribbean diaspora into intricate memoirs and intriguing Instagram photo captions. London’s premier psychedelic rap animals, Strangelove will be bringing their mix mezze of word jazz and moody future-beats.
c u l t u r e
The Albany, SE8
E UA N UG L OW/ SA RGY M A N N B OOK L AU NC H 29 MARCH This book and exhibition bring together the work of two painters who first met at Camberwell Art School in 1960. In very different ways these two artists ask us to think about what it means to see and remind us what a wonderful and extraordinarily complex thing it is to try to communicate that experience with others. South London Gallery Bookshop, SE5
O ur N a t i v e C oun t ryman : J ames T h orn h i l l 11 APRIL Sir James Thornhill’s Painted Hall is one of the jewels in the Old Royal Naval College crown, but what of the man outside of Greenwich? From his Dorset origins to his lifelong connections, including Thornhill Park, his role as an MP, work at Sherborne House to his obelisk to George II and Queen Caroline, Thornhill expert Jeremy Barker will explore the greater works of Sir James.
The Old Royal Naval College Greenwich, SE10
NADINE SHAH 18 APRIL
It is the first show in a while from Shah a Camberwell local with Pakistani and Norwegian heritage. Pitchfork reckon “She can make almost anything sound remarkable, or at least interesting, and her sharp, incisive rock songs shimmer with a ripe theatricality every time she opens her mouth.” OMEARA, SE1
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A C i t y of Women Bu t Not A lways For Us: London 1817 - 2 017 25 APRIL Both at the time of Baudelaire's male flaneur and in the many decades after him the relationship of women to 'the city' has become a problematic and in many cases a political matter. This is curious since the 'modern' and the very nature of 'modernity' are both usually associated with the emancipation of women. This lecture will discuss the many ways in which access to the city, and what we define as 'the city', has in the past one hundred and fifty years been gendered. Dulwich Picture Gallery, SE21
UNTIL 29 APRIL Love it or hate it, the concrete landscape of Europe’s largest art centre has been dividing opinion for generations. Here polite modernism is flanked by stark brutalism; join in on a tour exploring decades of architectural innovation and see Southbank Centre from a whole new perspective. SOUTHBANK CENTRE, SE1
T h e U n t h anks : How W i l d T h e W i nd B l ows 0 3 M AY Never intended for public release, Molly Drake’s simple home recordings, could easily have been perceived as just a curious footnote and jigsaw piece in explaining the enormous talent of her son Nick Drake. However the Mercury nominated band, The Unthanks have reimagined her work as they believe it should rank alongside and independently of her brilliant son — charming and bittersweet, yet dark and pensive. The Albany, SE8
P eop l e P ower : F i g h t i ng f or P eace 23 MARCH — 28 AUGUST From conscientious objectors to peace camps and modern day marches, Fighting for Peace tells the stories of passionate people over the past one hundred years and the struggles they have endured for the anti-war cause. Over three hundred objects including paintings, literature, posters, placards, banners, badges and music reveal the breadth of creativity of anti-war protest movements, reflecting the cultural mood of each era. Imperial War Museum, SE1
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c a l e n d a r
S ou t h bank C en t re : A rc h i t ec t ure Tour
SARAH WAT E R S —
"I always thought Champion Hill would be a good place for a murder..." Kennington is lucky enough to have among its residents the best-selling author, Sarah Waters. Her six novels have been adorned with too many awards to fit into one introduction, and her masterful use of language and story-telling has resulted in her work often being adapted into TV series, feature films and theatre productions. Imbued with themes of love, murder, social shifts and secrecy, her most recent novel, The Paying Guests, is set in 1920s Denmark Hill with beautifully vivid descriptions of South East London throughout. We met Sarah on a sunny morning on the Southbank, and later that week, our wonderful photographer Alex Reyto went to explore the corners of Ruskin Park and Champion Hill in which the novel is set.
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SOUTH EAST LONDON JOURNAL: What inspired you to choose Champion Hill as the setting for this novel? SARAH WATERS: I live in Kennington and have a good friend in East Dulwich, so I often do that drive. Way before I thought of The Paying Guests, I’d always been intrigued by Champion Hill, partly because it’s such a great name, and partly because there are still so many relics of an older suburban London there. Those big houses, all tucked away… the road that actually makes up Champion Hill is very secluded and I always thought it would be a good place for a murder! I knew I wanted a sort of semi-suburban setting, and I’ve always liked Camberwell and known about its history. It had been pretty genteel and then it got filled up with clerks — it was known for having a lot of lower-middle class people and that fitted in with the class dynamics in the novel. Originally the house in The Paying Guests was set on Grove Lane, but I began to think that I needed it to be a bit more secluded for the events in the novel, and Champion Hill felt right. Researching it was good, there’s a brilliant local history library for Southwark up on Borough High Street; it’s just a regular library, but at the back they’ve got this local history room which is really well stocked. They’ve got lots of photos from different periods of history with all the streets indexed alphabetically, so I could just look up Champion Hill or Grove Lane. Also they have lots of maps, which was really brilliant. SELJ: The novel set in the 1920s, and there are some great descriptions of walking down Walworth Road… SW: Walworth’s interesting. You can see it now when you look at the buildings on Walworth Road; they’re quite impressive — it was a very respectable shopping street, but just off it were some very poor streets. Quite recently I discovered my dad’s mum was born and grew up in some very poor bits of Walworth. I’ve done a lot of reading and thinking about the area and I do a lot of walking around it, and there are these islands of grander bits just stuck in the middle — very London, very mixed. So it just seemed to me, from a story point of view, an area that had a lot of potential with different sorts of people living side-by-side. In the book, the character of Frances’s mum is a sort of genteel relic, and Lilian’s family is working class — then there’s layers of poverty underneath that as well. SELJ: Your novels are always set in the past — you have gone from Victorian-era, to the Second World War, then back to the 1920s. Which decade do you think you’re going to explore next? SW: Well, I’m there already; the book I’m writing now is set in the early fifties, just outside of London. But it’s still early days, so I won’t talk about it!
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SELJ: One of the things I love about your novels is your attention to the minutiae and loyalty to the language and descriptions of the era. Frances and her mum have lost their servants and are still adjusting to life in a time of social shift — there’s a great passage describing Frances’s mother putting on the kettle, “She looked like a passenger that had been taken into the engine room to man the guages” and Frances’s everyday battle with dust. Do you think you’ll ever write a novel set in the present day and enjoy it as much? SW: Well it’s funny, because I enjoy details like that as well. I mean, I have an everyday battle with dust – but I don’t care, because we don't have to care so much anymore. But to be genteel in the 1920s, you did have to care about dust, because you had to keep up if you came from a family background where you had servants to do the work for you. I think it’s really hard to realise how shaming it was, how people felt to lose that sort of status, so there was this continuous effort to keep up appearances that did really carry on until the fifties. But I guess now it’s all about possessions, gadgets and what you own, and I think there isn’t the pressure on people to have their houses spick and span. I mean writing about the fifties is interesting because a lot of people were buying their homes for the first time and it was very exciting, but I think there was an extra pressure to keep it all sparkling clean with vacuum cleaners and washing powders. SELJ: If you were writing a present-day novel, do you think those nuances would be lost? SW: I do find things like that really fascinating. I don’t know what would replace that if I went into a contemporary setting, but then again it’s about story — I think if if a story came along that really grabbed me and was clearly a contemporary story… Actually, after I wrote The Little Stranger which is a sort of haunted novel, I thought I’d really like to write another ghost story but with a contemporary setting; it would be interesting because that would be coming at the modern world a bit sideways and linked to the past. That might be something I’d like to do one day. SELJ: That’s one of the great things about living in old houses or flats in London, it’s always interesting to wonder who’s lived in them before us… SW: I often think that too. We looked up our house on the census and I think there were about thirteen people living in it in 1901, and now it’s me, my partner and our cat! Swanning around… I mean our cat probably eats better and gets better medical attention than they would have got. What would they think? SELJ: What took you to Kennington? SW: I moved to Brixton in 2000 from Hackney. I split up with somebody and had to move quite far! And I knew Brixton a bit and saw a house advertised; actually it was a squat, one of the last squats. A very well-established women’s squat near the Academy. And it was great, I moved in there for about eighteen months and then I moved to a flat up by Brockwell Park. So I really got to like that area of Brixton and South London. I was living in Brixton and getting the bus up to town, and I’d go through Kennington quite a lot and think it looked nice. So when I was earning enough from the books, I bought a flat. That was in 2002, and then I moved into a house with my partner about seven years ago and stayed in Kennington. I really love it there now. SELJ: In your debut novel, Tipping the Velvet, there’s a scene where they go to a
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SE LONDON JOURNAL thriving East End gay pub; London is currently losing a lot of gay bars due to gentrification… SW: I don’t know – I never really seek them out anymore! And partly because I’ve got my gay friends and we don’t tend to want to go to gay bars anymore, or indeed any bar! I think things have changed and there isn’t that urgency there, I don’t know what it’s like if you’re younger. But the excitement of going to a lesbian evening – there was the Angel Bar in Islington, they did a women’s night on a Wednesday and it was so exciting, it seemed so important that it was there. There seemed to be hardly anywhere else. And I don’t think that’s so true anymore, partly because of the internet, I suppose, with people meeting online. SELJ: It does feel a shame that a generation has partly missed that though… SW: It was exciting and you did have a real sense of community identity, and what you wore; you could really spot it back in the nineties, and it was a culture. It was thrilling and had a political edge to it. Sometimes I do think, where would I go? SELJ: There are a few places, but even with Soho, it does feel like you’re still entering a gay man’s world. SW: Yes, that’s still thriving isn’t it? SELJ: I guess the argument is that it’s become much more accepted that those spaces aren’t needed as much… SW: There’s Southbank Surfing here, I went once and it seemed huge. So there was clearly a desire for it. There’s still the Vauxhall Tavern going strong, but that’s always been great. Again, very male whenever I’ve been, but I like it a lot. SELJ: Tipping the Velvet came out in 1998, and it has become a kind of go-to novel for young women discovering their sexuality. Christine and the Queens recently said in a Guardian article that her dad gave her the book for the strong female characters, but it turned out to be her introduction to gay sex… how does having that kind of influence make you feel? SW: I know, I was so tickled when I read that! I was just delighted. It’s a really long time since I wrote that book, well over twenty years. And I’ve written several novels since then, so I’ve slightly left the preoccupations of that book behind. But it was such an important book to me and I was 29 when I wrote it, so very much coming out of stuff that had happened to me when I was younger and discovering your sexuality and finding your place in the world. So the thought that it’s had an impact
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on younger women and still does is really exciting, it’s brilliant. I felt very honoured to read that actually. And the thought that her dad’s given it to her! SELJ: The hugely popular BBC drama series followed in 2002, and now almost every single novel of yours has been adapted… SW: There are plans to do the last two as well —The Paying Guest for TV and The Little Stranger for film — so that’s nice. It’s been great. And what’s been interesting lately is the theatrical adaptations. Tipping the Velvet at The Lyric in Hammersmith and The Night Watch in Manchester — that was obviously very different from Tipping the Velvet, a lot more sombre, and actually really moving. It worked really well in that theatre as it has a revolving stage. The whole adaptation thing has been a delight; when I first began to have the books adapted, it was very exciting. Tipping the Velvet especially, as it felt very much like a ‘moment’ for the BBC. You must have been young when that was on telly, did you watch it?
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SELJ: Yes, and then I remember secretly buying it from HMV. You feel so closeted in those years, clinging quietly to those things! SW: So that was true for you too? Because that was certainly true for my generation. SELJ: I think the internet has helped. And I think even with accepting parents, you’re still inbuilt with a shame at that age. SW: I remember buying The Well of Loneliness, I was a student at the time. I was home for the holidays and I’d gone to Haverfordwest, which was the next big town with an Oxfam shop and buying a second-hand copy of it. The old Virago edition has very striking butch-looking women on the cover, and I remember my dad coming in and peering at the book and reading the back! SELJ: What are your favourite bookshops in South East London? SW: There used to be the fabulous Crockatt & Powell on Lower Marsh. It’s a really great old pedestrianised street with a funny vintage clothes shop, and a fetish shop – some really weird businesses! And it used to have this great bookshop but they’ve gone, unfortunately. The street’s getting a bit more mainstream now. There’s a great bookshop in Crystal Palace — Bookseller Crow On The Hill — I go there when I can, and there’s Dulwich Books. Review in Peckham is really nice, Evie Wyld runs it. Have you read All the Birds Singing? It’s a really great book, I recommend it. In terms of places, I’m very fond of Ruskin Park; it’s very small but very cute. I also like Nunhead Cemetery. I was looking through your last issue at the photos of the Rivoli Ballroom – I haven’t been there for many years. Also, The Ivy House in Nunhead! My friend did an event there with all sorts of performances – it’s great, I didn’t know it existed and I was really happy to find it. I do love that about South London, there are things tucked away that you can still discover.
The Paying Guests is out now on Virago The Local History Library and Archive John Harvard Library 211 Borough High Street SE1 1JA 26
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M I X TA P E “Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.” — Alphonse de Lamartine
Wuthering Heights — Kate Bush Cemetary Gates — The Smiths I'm Writing A Novel — Father John Misty Wrapped Up In Books — Belle & Sebastian Books Of Moses — Tom Waits Book Of Love — Fleetwood Mac Poet — Sly & The Family Stone All U Writers — !!! Sideline Story — J. Cole Poetic Justice — Kendrick Lamar, Drake Scud Books — Hudson Mohawke Facebook Story — Frank Ocean Paperbag Writer — Radiohead Books — Tall Ships Books From Boxes — Maximo Park Books Written For Girls — Camera Obscura My Back Pages — Bob Dylan Stories of the Street — Leonard Cohen
Listen to the mixtape here: bit.ly/thestoryissuemixtape 28
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VA N E S S A B E L L
Astonishingly, Vanessa Bell (1879-1961) at Dulwich Picture Gallery is the first major monographic exhibition of artist Vanessa Bell’s work. The exhibition is part of the gallery’s ongoing series dedicated to modern British art, and with approximately a hundred paintings, ceramics, fabrics and photographs revealing Bell’s pioneering work in the genres of portraiture, still life and landscape it explores her movement between the fine and applied arts, focusing on her most distinctive period of experimentation in the 1910s. It represents a welcome opportunity in which to reassess the artist’s legacy and presents works which, according to gallery director Ian Dejardin, “can astonish even today”. WORDS — FLEUR TREGLOWN Opposite — Vanessa Bell at Durbins, 1911, Unknown. Presented by Angelica Garnett, 1981 and 1988-92. Part of the Vanessa Bell Collection. ©Tate Archive, London 2016.
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SE LONDON JOURNAL made of Bell’s approach to domestic life. In rejecting the Victorian values and expectations that were still prevalent at the time, Bell – a vigorously self-determined person in her work, in love and in her home life – sought to claim the domestic realm as an extension of her artistic self. Just before the outbreak of the First World War, Bell, her two sons, her lover Duncan Grant (they had a daughter, Angelica, in 1918) and his lover David Garnet moved to Charleston Farmhouse in East Sussex. Her husband Clive Bell was a frequent weekend visitor. There, Bell and Grant continued the experimental artistic practise they had established in Bloomsbury. Domesticity is a key theme in Bell’s painting, particularly in the output following the birth of her first child; this theme was only enhanced by the move to rented Charleston. This theme of domesticity has often been suggested as the reason for her work being denied the recognition it deserved. Virginia Nicholson, Bell’s granddaughter, discussed this point recently on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour: “She hadn't been recognised, perhaps also as a woman painter who focused on the domestic, on the interior, on flowers, the children, on female concerns. I think that has not done her any favours where the male establishment is concerned. I do think that the Dulwich show is restoring that balance.”
Bell’s reputation as an artist and an important figure in British art history has long been overshadowed by her family life, her sister – the acclaimed writer Virginia Woolf – and her unconventional romantic entanglements. Born in London in 1879, Vanessa Bell (née Stephen) was the eldest of four children. After their father’s death in 1904, the siblings moved to Bloomsbury in central London, where with friends, they formed the Bloomsbury Group in 1904. A circle of like-minded artists, writers and intellectuals, the group included Clive Bell (whom Vanessa married in 1907), E. M. Forster, Roger Fry, Lytton Strachey, the artist Duncan Grant, the economist John Maynard Keynes, and the philosopher G. E. Moore. The group’s outlook and philosophy was wide-ranging and its influence can be seen in much of the literary, aesthetic, philosophical and economic thinking of the time. Indeed, the the Bloomsbury Group’s ideas are regarded as having prefigured modern attitudes to issues such as sexuality, gender roles and pacifism (many members of the group were conscientious objectors during the First World War). Writer Dorothy Parker said they “lived in squares, painted in circles and loved in triangles”. Having been encouraged from a young age to pursue her artistic talents, in 1901 Bell began her studies at the Royal Academy Schools, where her tutors included John Singer Sargent and James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Post-Impressionist exhibitions held in London in 1910 and 1912 organised by Roger Fry held great interest for Bell, and her work is acknowledged as gaining from Matisse in particular. This exposure to French modernism gave Bell the tools to capture her world in all its avant-garde vitality, and proved pivotal in creating a liberating excitement for not replicating reality in a traditional manner. A simplification of shapes and figures followed; an evolution which can be clearly seen in the Dulwich exhibition and which contributes to the effortless sensuality of many of her works. The art historian Richard Shone goes so far as to assert that “From c.1912 to 1920 Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant were among the most innovative artists in England in both their easel painting… and their decorative work and applied design”.
Unrestrained in the emotional expression that is evident in her artistic output, in person Bell is known to have been reticent almost to the point of awkwardness, seemingly impervious to the endless flow of conversation and artistic criticism amidst which she chose to live and work. In her fascinating 2013 essay ‘A Lavender Talent’ or ‘The Most Important Woman Painter in Europe’? Reassessing Vanessa Bell, the art historian Grace Brockington offers a prescient analysis of this tension between Bell’s intense visual expression and the reticence of her personal bearing. Brockington notes that in her writing, Bell’s sister “Woolf tackles the ‘puzzle’ of Bell’s expressiveness by invoking the idea of a parallel language. Her pictures are ‘immensely expressive’, but they have ‘no truck with words’. She projects a powerful emotion, ‘transmits it and makes us share it; but it is always by her means, in her language.’” Here, I think, we are offered an insight into the central tension within Bell’s considerable interest and appeal. In viewing Bell’s work, one is struck
In parallel to her artistic output, much has been 31
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Below — Vanessa Bell, Asheham House, 1912, Oil on board, 47 x 53.5 cm, Private Collection. © The Estate of Vanessa Bell, courtesy of Henrietta Garnett. Photo credit: Photography by Matthew Hollow.
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Opposite — Vanessa Bell, The Other Room, late 1930s, 161 x 174 cm, Private Collection, Š The Estate of Vanessa Bell, courtesy of Henrietta Garnett. Photo credit: Photography by Matthew Hollow
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SE LONDON JOURNAL by images that are suffused with emotion and a powerful sense of instinct and intelligence, an intensity of feeling and expression, and an unbounded use of colour; sensations that might also reflect our impression of the way in which the artist lived. Yet, one might equally be struck by the artist’s seeming lack of need to explain herself or her approach to life, work and love, either in writing or indeed in conversation with her family and peers. Although Bell’s work and her prominent position within the Bloomsbury Group were noted in the criticism of the time, and she has enjoyed phases of recognition since her death in 1961 – most notably a period of around five years during the late 1970s and early 1980s during which the renowned gallerist Anthony D’Offay staged shows of her work in London and New York – it is true that her position within the history of modern British art has at times been overlooked in both critical discourse and the public imagination. With this in mind, those interested in the almost kinetic sensuality of this most individual artist’s work can relish in Dulwich Picture Gallery’s exhibition as a key moment in her legacy. As the curator of the exhibition, Sarah Milroy, explains: “Bell’s art embodies many of the progressive ideas we are still grappling with today, expressing new ideas about gender roles, sexuality, personal freedom, pacifism, social and class mores and the open embrace of non-British cultures.” Perhaps at this moment, more than ever before, we can draw meaning from Bell’s powerful image-making.
Vanessa Bell, Self–Portrait, c. 1915, Oil on canvas laid on panel, 63.8 x 45.9 cm, Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund. 5050 - B1982.16.2 © The Estate of Vanessa Bell, courtesy of Henrietta Garnett
Vanessa Bell: 1879 – 1961, Dulwich Picture Gallery, SE21 8 February – 4 June 2017
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H arry from the brilliant D ulwich B oo k s curates this issue ’ s book selection This Is Memorial Device David Keenan This Is Memorial Device is a hallucinated oral history of a Scottish post-punk scene that never existed. The book’s 26 chapters each set out the fictional recollections of one person who was there to witness this most obscure explosion of culture. The effect is a story drawn together from fragments – from memories that might be hallucinations and from local legends that might be apocryphal. The book raises many serious questions about hidden history. It’s also hysterically funny, revolving around a cast of misfits who’ll do almost anything to give their lives meaning – “some of the greatest musicians; the most heartbreaking chanters; the heaviest drinkers; the least responsible workers; the slackest teachers; the most committed intellectuals; the oddest astronomers; the most obsessive collectors; the most serious amateurs; and of course the greatest failures”.
TRANS Juliet Jacques Trans tells the story of Juliet Jacques’ gender reassignment. It’s a genuinely moving account of someone’s attempt to find an identity – and a body – that they can live with. It’s also an enlightening history of how thinkers have theorised the experience of trans and non-binary people, and a romp through British counter-culture of the last 20 years. This book is not a comfortable read, but it will change the way you think about gender.
The Glorious Heresies Lisa McInerney The Glorious Heresies won last year’s Baileys Prize and if you haven’t already then you must make the time to read it before taking in its much hyped followup The Blood Miracles. It’s a gripping story of organised crime, disorganised families, drugs, and young love. Set in ‘the arse end of Ireland’ (also known as Cork) the book doesn’t shy away from presenting the deprivation of a nation in crisis. But it’s also a rather sweet story of an adolescent romance between 15-year-old drug dealer Ryan Cusack and his sweetheart Karine. In the end a crisis of conscience forces Ryan to choose what he values most… With sensitive characterisation and a pacey plot this book proves that Irish writing is as pressing as ever. 38
CORALIE BICKFORD-SMITH Coralie Bickford Smith is a writer and illustrator, whose recent debut book The Fox and The Star was named Waterstone’s Book of the Year 2016 and selected in Time Out's 100 Best Children's Books. It is a moving story of a fox, a star and an eternal friendship all bound together in a beautifully executed cloth-covered book. As a senior in-house designer at Penguin Books, Coralie is also the creative force behind several highly-acclaimed series designs. She lives in East Dulwich with her adopted cat Max, and we were lucky enough that Coralie found time to tell us more about her work. SOUTH EAST LONDON JOURNAL: What led you to make the wonderful The Fox and the Star? Was it liberating creating the whole thing as both the illustrator and author? CORALIE BICKFORD-SMITH: To create a book of my own was a dream I had for a long time. I admire William Blake; he not only wrote books, he illustrated, designed, printed, coloured and bound them. He was very inspirational to me and my love of books. Although I have yet to print my own book I am pretty hands-on with the production side of
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things, so for a long time I really wanted to create a book that I would love to own and to consider all the elements that go into making it, right down to the colour of the thread that holds it together. It was an interesting process — but not liberating when I was in the middle of it! I realised that at every point you have to answer questions that eventually lead you to a very controlled and formatted end product. There are so many things to consider that by the end of each day you question your decisions and sometimes have to retrace your steps, which is heartbreaking but all the lessons learnt lead to a better book. When things are flowing it is the best feeling in the world, but then when you question the decisions you have made it is pretty hard going. I moved house halfway through working on the book, too; I ended up living a little way from Peckham Rye where Blake had his first vision of angels in a tree. That felt special. SELJ: Tell us a little bit about the process and how long it took. CB-S: It took quite a few years from start to finish; it became so embedded in my mind that it’s hard to know exactly when the idea for the book began. I did get six months off my day job as a cover designer at Penguin to do the illustration and design. That was pretty amazing, just focusing on one project every day and spending so much time alone at the top of my house, where I have set up my studio. I loved that isolation, a chance to really get to know what I felt about what I was doing. There was a lot of experimentation to begin with, and once the basic words were down I spent most of my days away from the computer, drawing and combatting my fear of the blank page.
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It was a constant process of getting down idea after idea, and keeping some but rejecting many. I now understand the process. I’m constantly asking myself questions about what worked and why, and having to learn to walk away when things were not working. It was an intense period of time. My biggest and most stifling question was ‘can I actually do this?’ I woke up a lot in the middle of the night with fear. My editor had to chase me to sign the contract, as I had a lot of doubt that I could write, illustrate and design a book of my own. I felt if I committed, there was no way out. SELJ: The Fox and the Star has really struck a chord with people of all ages, they identify with Fox’s journey coming to terms with his loss. Did you expect the book to get the response it has received? Has it been overwhelming? CB-S: Would this book resonate with anyone? Would anyone care? These were some of the questions I was asking myself when I was in holed up in my attic working on it. But in the end I had to let all that go, as I was doing something that meant so much to me and I felt that if I was creating something to appeal to others in a calculated way, it would not be truthful. The story was so personal, it was a way of solidifying one of my life lessons about the inner strength you get from dealing with adversity. I never wanted to forget that lesson, so it was therapeutic to be able to give it a physical place to exist in the world, and I find comfort in that. Everyone goes through some really hard times and there is no escaping that life can be tough – but it can also be very beautiful. The emails I get from people who have found meaning within Fox are incredible. They mean so much to me. I have been a bit overwhelmed by the response. When your work is suddenly noticed,
the temptation is to want to get that attention again – it’s a bit addictive. This made me very nervous about writing a new book: what do people expect, and what do I expect from myself? Do I follow my truth and create something about what is going on for me right now, or tread some easy line to capitalise on the success of The Fox and The Star? I think everyone battles with their ego. This battle has taught me a lot about what I want to do, and why I do things. Coming out of the other side of the attention has made me want to follow my heart. It’s not an easy road to follow, but it is the most satisfying when you pour yourself into something that you believe in. SELJ: There is a sense of traditional book design in your work; it has quite a timeless feel, like the book is already a classic. Was this something you were conscious of throughout the process, and do you think your work for Penguin influenced in any way? CB-S: I am trained as a typographer, and I studied the history of printing and book design at Reading University for four years; this background is intrinsic in my design work at Penguin. It’s very much my ‘happy place’. The work of William Morris and the Kelmscott Press is a big influence on my book design. There was a heyday of private presses all creating incredible books around the Arts and Crafts period. I’m no scholar and I don’t know all my dates and facts particularly well, but I do know a well-proportioned grid, beautiful printing and good ink! 40
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SELJ: Are you working on another book, and if so can you give away and any clues about it? CB-S: Yes, I am working on another book. Once again I’m in the attic feeling my way through the process. I know a few more of the pitfalls this time, so I can down tools when I know not to push myself. In terms of how the next book will look, being the designer of many series it would go against my grain not to create a book that would sit alongside The Fox and The Star quite happily. This time it is about a worm and a bird. I won't say too much just yet, but all being well it will be out in August this year. SELJ: How did you you get involved with Penguin and what’s it like working for such a respected British institution? CB-S:As a young designer I had always wanted to work for Penguin, but it felt like an unrealistic dream. Then one day I saw an advert in The Guardian for a cover designer at Penguin. I got an interview and I really liked the Art Director, Jim Stoddart. I remember leaving the building thinking that it had been a great interview experience, but that my chances of getting the job felt pretty slim. A week later I was offered the job; I took it and never left. For the first year I would sit in meetings with an internal monologue saying 'Wow, you’re in a Penguin cover meeting' over and over. It was pretty hard to get my head around it – all that history, all that incredible work. Now I am totally settled and it is still great. We’re encouraged to be true to who we are as designers and do work that we think is the best solution for each book — we do have free rein, and that’s why I’ve stayed there so long.
I’ve really been able to develop my style and find my niche. SELJ: Your book cover designs are so recognisable — how does it feel to have your work adorning some of the most classic works of literature? Do you ever get used to seeing them in bookshops? CB-S: The thing is, I’m too busy looking at all the book covers I have not designed to see what’s new – there’s so much great work out there. I am huge fan of many other cover designers so I don't really think about my own work in the way you might expect. I’m always moving on to the next cover, the next project. I can see faults in all my finished printed work. I guess that’s what keeps me trying harder and pushing forward to learn more. When I go into my local bookshop, Rye Books, I really try to talk to Alastair properly but it’s like my eyes have to see all the covers, they are all so bright and colourful that it’s a constant distraction. He’s always changing his displays too. It must really annoy him that I can't focus on what we’re talking about. Now he has a puppy too, so when I go in I create total chaos as I talk to the puppy, look at the books and try to have a conversation. We’ve worked on a few designs together for the window of Rye Books, which is very enjoyable to do. SELJ: How many books have you designed? Do you read them all? CB-S: Yes, I do try to read everything that is available. Obviously with the classic texts I can read the whole thing, but some42
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times for a new book only a synopsis is available. We work on the covers about a year in advance of the publishing date, so sometimes not all the text is available when we get the brief. One year I had 100 classics to design in under a year, and I had to call for some help with all the reading I needed to do. I love to read the books when wherever possible, to give the covers as much meaning and depth as I can, and to showcase the authors’ work and give them a fighting chance of being picked up in a bookshop. SELJ: What has been your favourite cover or collection to design? CB-S: My favourite cover happened when I got the opportunity to design Robinson Crusoe as a clothbound edition. I wrote my dissertation on the history of printing as told through numerous editions of Robinson Crusoe. It was exciting to get my hands on that cover job. There were many rejected ideas and the design was pretty simple in the end. I used the idea of phases of the moon to show time passing and give a sense of isolation. I had to do something that was distinctly different from what had gone before, and I did not want to rely on a cliché.
Four Quarters on Rye Lane to play asteroids and then on to the Mexican by The White Horse. I also like getting lost in Khan’s when I need some random thing for a project, it also gives me an excuse to pop by and see [Peckhambased artists] Garudio Studiage, who are always around for a cup of tea and a chat. And of course I can be found in Rye Books, or eating the amazing food on a Saturday at North Cross Road market. It is great around here – I feel like I have found my home.
The Fox and the Star is out now on Penguin Book.
SELJ: What is your ideal working set-up? CB-S: Up in the attic in total isolation with loud music playing, apart from when Max the cat appears outside the roof skylight asking to be fed. At first I was a bit alarmed, but it turns out he just likes a bit of roof action. Oh and endless coffee is important too! SELJ: What are your favourite South East London spots? CB-S: I love walking through Peckham Rye then over to Nunhead Cemetery and stopping off for a beer in The Beer Shop. Another favourite outing is going to the The 44
R eminiscence A rts —by Alex Reyto
Age Exchange is a chairty aimed to combat lonliness and isolation in old age. Combining reminiscence with the arts, the exploration of living memory and life through any artform. The benefits of participation improves people's quality of life and wellbeing by 42%. With a largae collections of items which could be referred to as social history objects and artefacts from 1860s to 1950s. They are very important as a way to helping unlock people in telling their story as memory triggers. You could have a hundred different stories for the same object.
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Myrtle (attends Artful Caring with her daughter, who cares for her)
Object — Sphygmomanometer (blood pressure monitor) “I was a healthcare assistant at Lewisham hospital for well over 20 years, and after I’d retired I went back as agency staff. Sometimes I’d work at Guy’s or St Thomas’, but I liked Lewisham – I got used to it. It was the 1970s and by then you has the option of a nurse’s dress, or a top and trousers. I chose to wear the top, which was light blue for healthcare assistance, and the trousers had to be dark. “I used to help look after the elderly. There’d be one or two of us taking blood pressure, depending on how busy the ward was. We’d have a bigger monitor at the hospital though. You’d roll up the patient’s sleeve to attach the cuff to the upper arm. Then you would use the pump to [manually] puff it up. You’d listen with a stethoscope, and release the pump when you’d found the right reading.”
Alan (attends Artful Caring with his sister, Yvonne, who he cares for)
Object — 1930s Roller racing cup “This cup was won by my mother for roller racing (stationary bicycles, on timed sprints). She won it when she was 20, at Crystal Palace, before it was destroyed by fire in 1936. She beat some of the top lady rollers at the time. “She appeared in the paper at the time, presented with the award by a then-famous cyclist. The excerpt accompanying the photo reads in part: ‘F.W. Southall presents cup to Mrs Bristow… wife of the Norwood Paragon Sprinter [my father]’. They were both active, sporty people. The date was 20 March 1935, before I was born two years later. It was silver when she won it. I remember it being a silver cup, but it has lost its original colour, so it’s now a brass hue.’
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David (attends Artful Caring with his wife Sandra, who cares for him)
Object — Metal cash box with compartments and key “I kept a cash box like this for a long time. Not sure when I actually got it [Sandra jokes that it’s so old, he practically came with it!] We’ve still got the key, although I haven’t looked inside it in years. When I was working as a postman, I’d put something in there every week. One pound notes, fivers and tenners. I’d put maybe a quarter of my wages away. It was alright for managing your savings – well, as long as you kept the key!”
Yvonne (attends Artful Caring with her brother Alan, who cares for her)*
Object — Lipton’s loose leaf tea tin *Yvonne was not able to talk about the object that she was very drawn to, a tin of Lipton’s loose leaf tea. She picked up a mug of tea next to her, and the tin in the other hand, and smiled. 47
Hetty (who attends Artful Caring with her daughter Louise)
Object — 1940s nurse’s uniform; starched collar, dress and apron “I used to have a long hat too. Opposite the hospital I worked in was a butchery. One day, a boy who worked there near enough took his leg off with a butcher’s knife, by accident, so the surgeon I was working for had to remove it. I was asked to take the severed leg and throw it in a bucket – I tried, but all I could say was ‘It’s too heavy!’ It was at the National Temperance Hospital (near Mornington Crescent), and it was founded by teetotallers. However, the surgeon used to have a drink before operating to ‘steady his hand!’”
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Sandra (attends Artful Caring with husband David, whom she cares for)
Object — Mini sewing machine “My grandma in Scotland was a seamstress for the rich; she’d go to people’s homes, tailoring and then sewing on her machine. I just used to like playing with the treadle. We’d go up there once every other year for a fortnight. She did well out of sewing; she had a fur coat and two real fox-fur stoles – which I hated! The whole fox, around your neck! But owning furs was a sign you were rich. “I never really took up sewing, although she encouraged me to. I used my machine to make clothes for my dolls. This mini one doesn’t look like a toy, it looks just like a very small machine because it’s made of metal, but that’s what toys were made of in those days, not plastic. The stitches didn’t always last very long, though!”
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Floss (attends Artful Caring with her daughter Moira, who cares for her)
Object — Pre-WWII era mascara “What you had to do was – and this is nasty – you had to spit on the powder to make a paste, and dip in the wand to apply it to the lashes. Imagine the germs that must’ve been living on the wand! You never wore makeup until you left school, at 14. Then, you were expected to get a job immediately, and you could have a bit of mascara, lipstick and powder. I worked at Randall’s sweet factory, about five minutes from home. They didn’t mind if they saw you eating little bits here and there, because they knew you’d get sick of the sight of the sweets pretty quickly! Then during the war, makeup was often substituted, but Rimmel were probably making powder mascara up until about 1960. You only had to have a little laugh – or cry – and in would run down and stain your face terribly!” Moira (attends Artful Caring with mother Floss, who she cares for)
Object — 1960’s era hairdryer, with cap “I had very long hair. Usually I’d let it dry naturally, but from the time I was about 13 or 14, if we were going out somewhere, I’d have rollers put in and then one of these dryers would fit on top of them. It got really, really hot under there and felt like it was burning. But it was nice in the winter, when it warmed you up. Although technically you could walk about with it on, you could only go as far as the cord allowed, which is not very far! It felt like carrying a handbag, the part that fitted over the body. You could make a cup of tea or do some ironing with it on, but I wouldn’t recommend trying the washing up! I did used to like wearing it at times, on cold days for example. But in about 1970, there was an episode of Coronation Street where Valerie Barlow was electrocuted by a hairdryer, and that really changed my mind! I suppose it was a very good invention, but it did make your ears burn…” age-exchange.org.uk 52
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B E C K E N H A M P L A C E PA R K Imagine being given the keys to a derelict Georgian Mansion in the middle of 240 acres of lush parkland and being asked to make use of the space in the best way possible. What would you create? WORDS — ALEX GARDINER PHOTOS — TIM WILSOM
When Lewisham Council approached the people behind Peckham’s Copeland Park and Bussey Building to cooperate with them in the regeneration of Beckenham Place Park and its Mansion House, they were intrigued right away. Lewisham needed an interim solution for the mansion while the surrounding grounds undergo a two year redevelopment to make the space one of the most vibrant parks in London. The estate, which is larger than Greenwich Park, has been used as a public golf course for decades. Now, the council has received an £8.5 million lottery grant to return the park to its original 18th century landscaping, with an emphasis on outdoor leisure, including a lake for wild swimming and canoeing. ‘The mansion is a beautiful building and the park is amazing, but this is very different from our project in Peckham,’ says Tim Wilson of Copeland Park, a Victorian industrial estate that has evolved into the creative quarter of Peckham. ‘We like to let everything develop organically and to cater to the community rather than just imposing our ideas, so we had to think a lot about how we could make it work for the Beckenham locals.’ As the majority of the building hadn’t been in regular use for over 40 years, there was a lot of dust to be swept up, radiators and lights to be fixed - and a number of golf balls to be collected from all over the place.
says Sydney Thornbury, who is heading the project for Copeland Park. The artists will be joined by a yoga and pilates studio as well as a sewing and textile school. Pexmas (of Peckham Fame) will be running the café and are planning a regular Saturday food market on the grounds. There will also be an array of events such as concerts, exhibitions, markets, theatre performances and art classes for kids and adults. ‘People from the area have been amazingly generous with their support and ideas. Everyone seems really excited that the building is finally coming to life,‘ Sydney notes. ‘We may only have two years, but we’re going to pack it full of magical things during that time’. There will be a public launch of the building on the 29th April with taster sessions, Open Studios and lots more. beckenhamplace.org
If you’re interested in the Council’s plans to improve Beckenham Place Park, go to www.lewisham.gov.uk and search 'Beckenham Place Park'
Now the mansion, which was built for the noted Quaker John Cator in 1762, has reopened its doors, with a number of artists setting up studios in the former living quarters. ‘We knew when we first came here that we wanted part of the space to be used as art studios – it’s such an inspiring setting,’ 54
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CHAPTER No.3 — HOME
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INSIDE A NUNHEAD HOME
Smita Patel, a documentary maker for BBC Radio, lives in a beautiful doublefronted late Victorian house in Peckham, near Nunhead Green. It is a masterclass in calming neutral tones and a minimalist approach to living in a Victorian space. We caught up with Smita to find out more about her home. SOUTH EAST LONDON JOURNAL: What do you know about the history of your house? SMITA PATEL: The house is called Elm Cottages. The story goes that there was an asylum nearby and the manager built this house for himself in 1870, and the two detached houses on either side for the asylum supervisors, so my house is one of a kind on a very long road. I bought the house from Roz, co-owner of Review, the Peckham bookshop, and Roy Middleton, a master cabinet maker. I saw the house on a sunny October day and made an offer without seeing the inside, just viewing the garden was enough to know I wanted it! I'd been looking for a house for over 10 years and within seconds this felt like home and Roz and Roy have become good friends. They left the house in such good structural condition that I feel I owe it to them to maintain the beauty of the house and garden. I was determined not to knock through rooms or extend out or up. It is stunning just as it is so I've simply pared it back letting the original features – of which there are many – speak for themselves. SELJ: How long have you lived in your home for? SP: Since October 2012 and it’s been bliss, I can't imagine living anywhere else in London! I love Peckham and at weekends I hardly venture beyond it, it has everything you need – green open spaces, galleries, great cafes and restaurants, cheap cinema and shops catering for my Indian cooking. The only down side is the litter, which is a big bugbear. SELJ: Did you design each space in its entirety, or has the interior evolved over time? SP: As an entirety! I knew what I wanted – simplicity, no clutter, lots of light. I pared back everything, put in reclaimed radiators, painted everything one simple colour and then added a few lovely paintings and vintage furniture, which I had collected over years. I also visited Kempton Antiques Market, a favourite haunt, to pick 59
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up the odd vintage beauty – such as glass, old mirrors, linen and zinc garden pots. SELJ: Have you consciously balanced the need for practicality and everyday life with aesthetic choices? SP: I'm a believer in living with only the basics, plus I live alone so it’s easy to have pale painted floor boards. I'm also not a great one for gadgets, so I have no television (I watch programmes on my laptop) and in my kitchen, I have no excess of cupboards crammed full of stuff I never use. I'm very good at living with little and everything is used and practical. Even my treasured collection of beautiful ceramics by Tomoko Abu. I use them daily, they're not just for show – I love good design married with practicality. SELJ: The palate of soft neutral and off-white shades paired with stripped wood brings a calmness to the house. Is that something that’s important to you? It also creates a lovely contrast to the gentle colour in the study at the back of the house. SP: I have a very busy job making current affairs radio documentaries for the BBC and work in a big, untidy open plan office, so I need a calm and uncluttered home. Colour is a great way to achieve that – or rather an off-chalk white with painted floorboards. I did think of stripping them and using lye but painting was cheaper and easier, and I wanted all the rooms to flow into each other. But the study, which is off the kitchen, overlooks the patio with zinc containers planted with a range of silver/ green plants and white climbing roses. So I chose 64
Hawkins Framing Picture Framing & Fabrication
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SE LONDON JOURNAL a grey/green paint colour, which reminds me of old watering cans – a weathered zinc – which helps to marry the out and inside spaces. Plus, I wanted one room to have colour, but muted – not loud and bright. I love colour but find it hard to live with. SELJ: Your home is full of beautiful objects arranged in interesting still life displays, can you tell me about your collections and whether you play around with composition and different configurations? SP: Ceramics are my passion – I have a collection of pots by Sophie Cook and plates and bowls by Tomoko Abu. Plus artwork by Tom Hammick, Wilhelmina Barns, and Graham and Huw Griffith which take pride of place. I never buy anything that is simply ok, I must love it. Even if it’s a small £2 vintage green glass vase. And yes, I do move things around, especially from summer to winter. SELJ: Your house is used as a location house. Can you tell us a bit more about that? SP: An antiques dealer friend came to visit, and a few weeks later I got a call from a stylist friend of his asking if she could use my home for a photoshoot. The photographer asked if the house was on with a location company and if not, why not? So it went from there, and the house is now registered with JJ Locations and 1st Option. It's hired by magazines for editorial spreads and companies for advertising – from Canon to Sainsbury to magazines like Home & Gardens, and book publishers. It’s interesting to see how they change it for a shoot, it’s also a good way to pay for the upkeep of an old house!
SELJ: What are your favourite South East London places? SP: I'm a big foodie and since I moved to Peckham there has been an explosion of amazing eateries. They are all great, but my favourites are Miss Tapas, Mr Boa, Peckham Bazaar and Babette’s which has the best veggie platter ever! I'm a big cook so I can't live without Khan’s for my bulk buying of Indian food supplies and the Pakistani-run grocery store on Bellenden Road, which has a great selection of fruit and veg. The only takeaway food I buy is from Cravings, which does lovely homemade Mexican food, and the Afghan takeaway stall down an alley opposite Peckham station, which is great value. They do lovely freshly made naan, a fab dhal and potato curry for the days I can't be bothered to cook! Simply walking around Peckham's green spaces is lovely. Regular haunts covered most weekends with my neighbour Adam and his Battersea rescue dog Guinness are Nunhead Cemetery and my own 200ft back garden, which is my own oasis in the city. From April to October it becomes my dining room, full of friends eating homemade Indian food! Photographs by Peckham-based photographer Ian Skelton. Smita's house can be hired for location shoots through JJ Locations and 1st Option
SELJ: Do you feel part of a community where you live? SP: Definitely, Peckham/Nunhead is a very friendly place to live; I live alone, so that’s very important to me. Our road is very neighbourly and we pop in and out of each other’s homes a lot and help each out where we can. There are lots of initiatives which have been community-led which is great, like our new local community centre in Nunhead, food weekends and artists’ open days, to name a few. Also, my end of Peckham is still very mixed in terms of race, class and professions but that is changing fast, which is not great. Gentrification has its downside for sure.
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A serene scented spring posey— the Little Honey jar contains a intoxicating arrangement of Genister, White Stock, White Waxflower and Feathered Eucalyptus with a Hanoi 'super' ranunculus as the star of the show. Honeybunch, SE15. honeybunchlondon.co.uk
Blooms
A riot of colour and scent, a bouquet which is full of the joys of spring! Hyacinths, Narcissus papyraceus, Narcissus poeticus, Scabiosa Burgundy Black and Eucalyptus cinerea fill the house with vibrancy. The English Flowerhouse, SE8. theenglishflowerhouse.com
A modern children’s shop in South East London. We stock a wide range of toys, books, craft kits. We also run book clubs and workshops for kids regularly.
We now stock the award winning Owl and Dog Play books-pop in and have a read
We are proud to be the first stockist of Honey & Toast-here are their Rocket Scooter Satchels
1 2 O L D D OV E R R OA D, L O N D O N SE 3 7 BT T: 0 2 0 8 4 6 5 5 3 1 8 W W W. O T T I E A N D T H E B E A . C OM
CHAPTER No.4 — KIDS
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W hat ’ s
Tac t i l e Ta l es 05—12 APRIL
T h e A dv en t ures of T h e L i t t l e G host 2 7 — 2 8 M AY
J eramee , Hart l eby and O oog l emore UNTIL 09 APRIL
Storytelling that engages all the senses! Encounter the exciting history of Greenwich — kings and queens, sailors and monsters — through song, art and role play. Explore our textured rug, showing the Painted Hall ceiling - helping all participants (including visitors with visual impairments) engage with the artwork! Parents and carers are invited to join in and learn with their children.
At the stroke of midnight each night The Little Ghost wakes up. He haunts the castle, visits the knights as well as his friend the owl. At the stroke of one, he falls asleep in his chest. His greatest wish is to see the world in daylight, just once. But how can he make his wish come true? And what will the townsfolk make of a ghost in the daytime? All shall be reviled at this family show for ages four and up.
The White Queen has gone missing from a chess set in the exhibition, Game Plan, you are one of the game pieces on a mission (yes, you will dress up!) to find her hiding somewhere in the Museum. Take the challenge, solve the mystery, and visit some of the Museum’s fascinating objects for clues. An experiential and fun theatrical tour.
The Old Royal Naval CollEge Greenwich, SE10
THE ALBANY, SE8
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THE UNICORN THEATRE, SE1
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ON
M i n i M ast erp i eces
Dragon B ab i es
UNTIL 20 APRIL
U N T I L 1 0 J U LY
Immerse yourself and your child in the delights of the Dulwich Picture Gallery collection with the Mini Masterpieces workshops. Discover peaceful Dutch landscapes, important historical figures and intricate still lifes, then roll up your sleeves and create your very own masterpiece in a practical, hands-on session tailored to you and your baby. Sessions are focused around a theme that changes monthly so your little creatives won’t get bored!
Let your Dragon Babies experience the sounds of Southbank Centre's beautiful Gamelan (Japanese orchestra) through singing, movement and percussion as part of Imagine Children's Festival. No previous musical experience is needed, just a willingness to take off your shoes, sit on the floor and have fun! SOUTHBANK CENTRE, SE1
DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, SE21
Adventures in Moomin Land UNTIL 20 AU GUST Climb into and get lost inside the eccentric world of Moominland in an immersive and interactive exhibition that explores the internationally renowned Moomin stories through the life of its author, Tove Jansson. Part of the Southbank's Nordic Matters season, it is also worth noting relaxed tours of the exhibition are available, which are designed to be suitable for individuals with additional needs, especially those on the autistic spectrum. SOUTHBANK CENTRE, SE1
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COLO UR IN YO UR OWN CORALIE BICKFORD-SMITH PENGUIN BOOK COVER!
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Through the Looking-Glass
Lewis Carroll
SE LONDON JOURNAL
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson
PUTTING GIRLS FIRST School in Action Morning Thursday 9 March 2017 9.00am- 12.00noon
13+ Entrance We are pleased to offer the opportunity for students to apply for 13+ entrance. Application deadline: 17 March 2017 INSPIRATION, CURIOSITY, DISTINCTION
Junior School: info@blj.gdst.net 020 8852 1537
Senior School: info@bla.gdst.net 020 8853 2929
@blackheathhigh blackheathhighschool www.blackheathhighschool.gdst.net
“Forster Park is a good school with outstanding, rigorous, extremely thoughtful leadership and outstanding Early Years provision.“
VISITS TO THE SCHOOL ARE WELCOME - PLEASE SEE OUR WEBSITE OR CALL 020 8698 5686
OFSTED, JUNE 2015
FORSTER PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL BOUNDFIELD ROAD CATFORD SE6 1PQ A TEN MINUTE WALK FROM SANDHURST PARADE • • • •
Caring staff and a deep commitment to the progress of every child as an individual Fully renovated classrooms, library and dining hall State of the art computing, music and design technology rooms Brand new playground with enriching games and resources, including qualified sports coaches, shaded areas, climbing wall and quiet area • Breakfast and after-school clubs for wrap-around care from 7.30am until 6pm www.oakbridgefederation.co.uk/forster-park-campus
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