Camberwell, 19th to 21st Century

Back in the late 19th Century, Camberwell was reknowned for its Variety theatres, which included the People’s Palace of Varieties, the Bijou Palace of Varieties, and the pride of the area, the Camberwell Palace of Varieties. This stood from 1899 to 1956 (although it was converted to a cinema in the 1930s) on the site where the Post Office now stands (or slouches).

Variety shows have long since fallen out of fashion, but some people want to bring it back, and they’re holding their first show under the Palace of Varieties banner this Saturday, 2nd February, at St Giles Church Hall on Benhill Road. If this is successful they’re hoping to run a more frequent event at a smaller location, under the Bijou Palace monicker.

After the theatre boom, Camberwell had a cinema boom. Two of the old cinemas are still standing; one is now the International House of Praise (formerly Gala Bingo) on Camberwell Road, and the other is the former Jono’s Snooker Hall on Camberwell New Road, soon to be demolished for a new housing development. I’ve been contacted by someone called Nichol who’s planning to create an audio documentary about the history of Jono’s and is looking for stories about the place, or the people who used to go there. If you’ve got any stories you’d like to share, leave a comment or email me and I’ll put you in touch.

In modern times, Camberwell is better known for its arts scene. A new project called Our Art School is starting a series of workshops with young people in Camberwell and Peckham. Their next project, A Map of Objects, will teach film-making skills, and will take place at House Gallery this Saturday, 2nd February.

The South London Gallery opened in 1891, eight years before the Camberwell Palace, and is still going strong today (albeit having passed through various incarnations). If you’re around on 6th February you should pop in to see the proposed plans for the regeneration of Camberwell centre.

January Variety

Closures and sales of local businesses, brief reviews of The Sun and Cool Cats Cafe, a variety revival, and a public consultation on regeneration.

Almost three weeks into 2013 and this is my first post. I saw in the new year from the balcony of Grove Court, the flats that run between Grove Lane and Camberwell Grove, which have an enviable view of the London Eye and, hence, the fireworks. It was a nice way to start the year.

January is always a troublesome month for businesses, and we’ve seen the Wing Tai oriental supermarket on Denmark Hill close, Tadim has definitively shut now (the bailiffs have seized it), The Recreation Ground is up for sale (with rumours that it may become a hostel, or flats), and changes at the pub company Antic have seen a restructuring which could mean The Tiger is put up for sale (along with other properties), although due to some reorganisation The Sun doesn’t seem to face the same fate. Regardless, all of the pubs mentioned are still open for trading.

I’ve only been into The Sun once, just before Christmas. It was very busy, there was a private party in so no food was being served, so I had a drink and left. It seems unfinished, especially outside (that may have changed as I haven’t been past it for a few weeks), so I’ll reserve full judgement until it’s complete. But nice to have that space back, anyway; missed the garden a lot last year.

I also recently went to the Cool Cats Cafe on Southampton Way; they’ve done a beautiful job of it, very bright and open, and the brunch menu was very promising. Unfortunately, the food wasn’t up to scratch; it wasn’t terrible, but it just wasn’t all that well cooked. Good ingredients let down by poor cooking. I’ve chalked it down to an off-day, but it’s 10 minutes further from my house than No. 67 and doesn’t give that much incentive for the extra walk. They’re putting on plenty of events, however, if you do live nearby.

Speaking of events, the Camberwell Palace of Varieties is a new attempt to bring back the golden days of variety in Camberwell’s music halls, notably their namesake and inspiration. Their next event is on 2nd February at St Giles Church Hall and costs £12.50 for entry. I’ll hopefully have more to say about this soon.

Recently the inquest was opened into the fire at Lakanal House in 2009. Some tragic stories of the event have come to light.

Finally, a public consultation into the regeneration of Camberwell centre is to open on 21st January. The consultation will cover five key areas:

  1. A new library and public space in the plaza in front of the Magistrates Court
  2. A redesign of the Green
  3. Street improvements, including the new cycle superhighway
  4. Changes to ‘pocket spaces’ around the centre to make them part of a coherent whole
  5. A supplementary planning document to cover a general development plan

A total of £11million is earmarked for these projects, and this is likely to be the only chance we have in the near future to change things, so I would urge everyone to get involved with the consultation.

So much to discuss. I really should update more often, but am still short of time, so as always am actively looking for more people to contribute. If you can help, even with one post every month or two, please do get in touch.