Camberwell Online in the Digital Universe

This is… well, this is just astonishing.

As of April 6, a consortium of libraries — including the British, Bodleian and Trinity — will be given permission to archive the entire UK web. As promotion for this, they’ve curated a list of 100 websites that they think will be important for future generations to learn about life today. And on that list is this blog you’re reading.

And I’m amazed, and flattered, and humbled.

They say:

A community blog with lively comments section giving insight into life in South London today. In the future a blog like this could easily be lost, taking the personal insights of a community in 2013 with it.

And I think that the key words in there are “community” and “comments”. I started this blog in 2004 as a way for me to record my rediscovery of Camberwell, and never dreamed that it would be considered like this one day, and the fact that it’s happened is down to everyone who reads, comments, and otherwise gets involved in the discussions that go on here.

If you’re reading this in 2113, I just want to say that I’m sorry you never got to meet some of the great people I’ve met through writing this blog for the last nine years, and that I hope in your time Camberwell continues to be as vibrant and weird and grotty and beautiful and friendly and contrary as it is right now. Also, have you got a tube station yet? And please have a glass of future beer in the Hermits for me.

Author: Peter

Long-time resident of Camberwell, author of this blog since July 2004.

63 thoughts on “Camberwell Online in the Digital Universe”

  1. Wow — thanks for that Eilean. Yet another reason never to leave Camberwell’s fine borders.

    @Dagmar — am I detecting an unhealthy interest in Swindon?

  2. Congratulations to Peter and all the regular contributors for being judged “essential reading for future generations researching our life and times”. Having browsed through the The Curators’ 100 it looks like you’re keeping company with some seriously significant websites!

    Despite living in Camberwell for a few years, I’ve only posted on here a couple of times so for the most part I’m a long-term lurker, but I think future generations should at the very least be grateful that Dagmar’s Situationist opus in the comments section of this blog will have been preserved for them.

    In other news, prompted by the Haart Estate Agent signs outside St Giles’ church (which at a quick glance strangely made it look like the church was up for sale) I’ve had a look at the Music at St Giles website which explains that their annual May Concert Series is about to return http://www.musicatstgiles.com/page5.htm

    In previous years the line up was full-on classical music but this time it has branched out to include a barbershop quartet, a steel orchestra, and some sort of interesting/experimental/quirky vocal ensemble. And according to the homepage there’s a ticket and meal-deal with the Crooked Well, so you can stuff yourself silly on lovely food then catch an evening of cultcha afterwards. And it’s a big old church so no one will notice if you nod off at the back after the meal.

  3. St Giles concerts are great. It is an excellent Situation. There was a gentle young, mediaeval theorbo player there last summer — best theorboist in the world, plays for Doctor Dee to this day — there were sirens howling outside, but he played the best concert you’ve ever heard, very gently, from centuries away.

  4. I am doing potted shrimps and an asparagus tart. Possibly. Still waiting to hear confirmation about some things from the (not very) camberwell food festival!

  5. Assuming a 400k price today and prices continuing to roughly double each decade then in 2113 a two bed Wates house in Selborne Village will be worth 409.6m quid.

    Was I close future Camberwellians?

  6. “Heggo? [Crackle, crackle.] We are caulking coo you frog a long time away. Since the North Korean invasion, the Village hag been uged ag a concentration camp. The price for a unit is 409 quid, you are right, maybe roung ig ugg to 410.” [Peeeeep! Silence…]

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