Happy Chinese New Year

This is my first post for Camberwell Online. I’m one of an elite (read: small) gang of Camberwellians pitching in here while Peter takes a well-earned break. I’ve been an avid reader of this blog and I hope my (uninformed) ramblings are as interesting as Peter’s.

Today is Chinese New Year as well as Saint Valentine’s Day. We don’t celebrate this Hallmark holiday in the Cookson household so I’ll be spending an unromantic evening in one of Camberwell’s fine establishments nursing a few pints of old man ale.

In the Chinese calendar 2010 is the year of the tiger, which perhaps bodes well for the opening of The Tiger (nee The Oberon), formally The Silver Buckle. After revealing the original façade during reconstruction, Antic have decided to retain the original name. I’ll be eager to see what it’s like when it opens on 25 Feb, but if their other pubs (EDT at Goose Green, Dogstar in Brixton, Royal Albert at Deptford) are anything to go by this should be a good addition to Camberwell. Sadly it’s tied to Scottish and Newcastle (boo hiss) which means inflated beer prices, but I hear that’s true of many of the pubs around here.

According to my sources the pub will aim to be as close to a “traditional pub” as possible with a focus on affordable, decent pub grub. I’m never quite sure what is meant by traditional but I wish them all the best. I hope to get some photos of the renovations up shortly. Perhaps Antic would like to offer some opening night freebies to the readers of this blog?

I also received an invitation to the release of the next stage of flats at “Camberwell Grove” (couldn’t they think of a better name?). From the marketing materials the prices seem to have fallen from almost £500,000 when the first properties were released to £400,000. Having looked around the original show flat I think they’re gorgeous, but I also think my £500,000 would be better spent on a house a few streets over.

I was very excited to try Angels and Gypsies recently. The food was as good as the hype suggested but the bill was enormous. Admittedly we tried plenty of the more expensive things. My better half’s family are staying at the Church Street Hotel above in a few weeks, so I’ll hopefully get a chance to poke around the rooms and to also try their breakfast. I wish they’d open it up to non-residents as their breakfast sounds great. Which brings me on to a pet peeve: why does Johannson’s open at 10:30 for breakfast on a Saturday?

And finally, a quick question: can anybody recommend a good local bike shop for servicing? I usually do my own but I’m fed up of leaving everything squeakier than when I started. Wilson Cycles in Peckham? Edwardes in Camberwell?

So have a great night whether you’re celebrating Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day or England’s close victory over the Italians.

Cruising around Camberwell’s Kitchen’s

Peter has kindly asked me to do a little post about Camberwell.

I started writing about my everyday experiences after a stay at the hospitality of Kings College Hospital. After a while, it became clear that most of my posts involved food (I eat out far too much) so I decided to go down this path and dedicated my blog to food and restaurants. I now write “a rather unusual chinaman”, a record of my food adventures.

Being a proud resident of Camberwell and the surrounding area for the last 6 years, one thing I have come to appreciate is the great diversity that contributes to the area’s character. We have strong African, Caribbean and South American communities here (amongst many others), without forgetting the influence from the locals of course. With these communities come their cuisines, shaping the gastronomic landscape of Camberwell.

Slowly but surely, I have been tasting my way around our glorious neighbourhood. Long gone are the days when Mozzarella and Pomodoro were selling their wares on the corner of Camberwell Green (only to be replaced by the spelling challenged “Noodel City”) and Spice of Life (which has seen more identities than Frank Abagnale Jr) on Camberwell Church Street. However, with sad losses come great gains. Recent times have seen the addition of new curry houses (Ambrosia and Camberwell Tandoori), a Turkish ocakbasi in FM Mangal and a face-lifted Tadim.

My personal favourites are:

The Bear — A traditional English pub with a beautiful interior. A great place for a Sunday lunch, its popularity endorsed by inclusion in the Observer Food Monthly shortlist for best Sunday lunch.
FM Mangal — An excellent Turkish ocakbasi cooking its meat over smoky coals. Great food complemented by welcoming staff. My favourite local takeaway, I dare you to turn down their tea and Turkish delight as you wait for your food!
Caravaggio — Budget Italian eatery. Serving superb value mountains of pastas and excellent lunchtime jacket potatoes.
Johanssons — I wouldn’t go anywhere else for my full English. The dining room feels like you are dining at home, without the fuss. Delicious smoothies. Roaring fires when its cold and a lovely little garden for when its warm.
Silk Road — A very different Chinese restaurant selling food from Xinjiang, an autonomous region in the north west of China. Amazing lamb skewers complemented by hand spun noodles and delightful dumplings.

These are just a few of my favourites but I am sure we all know that there are a whole lot more hidden delights in our local neighbourhood. Where do you like to eat, and where are the secrets that you would rather keep to yourself?

Warwick Wingding: 26 September

Peter has kindly lent me his blog to plug a local music and arts festival.

On Saturday 26 September, from 1pm to 7.30pm,Warwick Gardens SE15 will host the first-ever Warwick Wingding.

The Wingding will see a line-up of the most exciting new bands on the local scene from Peckham, New Cross, Camberwell and Nunhead, including:

The Pepys, The Saudis, Kids Loves Lies, Lime Headed Dog and Butch & Femme.  The Wingding will also welcome singer-songwriters Pierre La Rouge, The Boycott Coca Cola Experience, , as well a 30 piece swing band The Starter Big Band.

Peckham’s own DJ Mickey Smith will MC proceedings.

Expect too to experience yoga classes, hands-on theatre, hula-hooping, dressing-up, face-painting plus stalls from local artists and creative types.

Food and drink there will be plenty: Thai Pod, Chicken Wingding Barbecue plus Spanish and Italian along with wine and cider from Green & Blue and a beer tent.

And if that isn’t enough, South East London’s best municipal bouncy castle will also be present, courtesy of LB Southwark.

So come along and enjoy the late Summer fun.

Or if you’re feeling even perkier, we need help! If you can spare some time to get involved during the day please LET US KNOW.

Email us at warwickgarden@​googlemail.​com or attend the volunteers’ meetings on Thursday 24 September or Friday 25 September at Wilton Hall, Bushey Hill Road at 7–8pm.

London Open House 2009

Hi everyone, my name is Joe and I’m honoured to be writing for the Camberwell
Online blog post in Peter’s absence.

This year’s London Open House will be held on the weekend of the 19th-20th of September throughout London and, once again, there are several buildings in Camberwell opening their doors for the public to view.

If you’re not familiar with Open House it is an annual architectural and design event, providing the general public with the opportunity to explore a diverse range of buildings of architectural interest in the capital which are not normally open to the public. Access to hundreds of buildings both public and private is free, although admission to some of the more popular locations does require pre-booking.

I really enjoy Open House and have seen many fantastic buildings throughout London including several local flats and houses. I would encourage anyone to take an interest and, with this in mind, I have put together a list of local locations participating in the event. In compiling the list I was a little disappointed to see that the Salvation Army building opposite Denmark Hill train station does not seem to be taking part this year, they usually provide access to their tower which, providing you can climb the ladders, offers fantastic panoramic views across London. I actually think there are less local participants this year although I’m happy to be corrected on that one.

Locations in SE5

There is also a tour and talk at the South London Gallery apparently, although I have not been able to find a link to this on the Open House website.

UPDATE: I found a link on Facebook to the Open House event at the SLG:

Find out more about the SLG’s expansion project as well as its history in these special ‘hard hat’ tours. Acclaimed architectural practice 6a will outline their plans for the neighbouring terraced house and a new extension behind the original building.

Booking recommended on 020 7703 6120. Part of Open House 2009.

Locations Local to SE5

I’ll be interested to hear reports from anyone who visits any of these buildings, you could also post any photos to the Camberwell SE5 Flickr account.

Weekend Festival Highlights

Greetings once again dear readers.  I bring you information about what’s hot and happening in the Camberwell Arts Festival this weekend.

On Friday you’ll be spoilt for choice.  Local artist Steven Appleby will be offering an insight into the extraordinary world of one of the country’s leading cartoonists.  Stephen is a regular contributor to The Guardian, and has published books such as ‘Steven Appleby’s Normal Life’ & ‘The Secret Thoughts of Cats’.  You can catch him at the Library at 7pm.  Meanwhile, at 8pm on the Green, the Scratch Choir of random passing souls will perform the songs they’ve been practising over the course of the week.  The songs all have a connection to Camberwell in one way or another, apparently.  And for the keen photographers out there — we know who you are — your challenge is to ‘Shoot Your Own Damn Festival’ — the results can be displayed at the Arts Bar.

Saturday and Sunday bring the famous Open Studios — all the artists who are squirreled away in Camberwell’s nooks and crannies all year round, throw open their doors and invite you in to take a peek at their work.  They might even offer you a glass of wine and a canape.  Hell, they might even sell you some of their work.  There are studios all over Camberwell, in collective buildings like Vanguard Court, or in the artists’ own homes.  Check out the names and addresses on the Camberwell Arts website (http://www.camberwellarts.org.uk/).  And if you’re a little shy and prefer to travel in a pack, a tour of some of the open studios will be meeting at Vanguard Court at 3pm on Saturday.

Meanwhile on the Green on Saturday will be Camberwell’s first Arts and Crafts Market.  Organised by Camberwell Community Council this could become a regular event if well supported.  Whilst you’re there it’s the last chance to enjoy the Camberwell Piano — there’ll be an All-Comers concert at 12noon, and then a stripping down of the thing to find new ways to play it at 2pm.  At the same time, in Butterfly Walk, deaf performance artist Aaron Williamson will be busking, but with a twist — he’ll give money to anyone who stops and listens (only 5p mind)!  Saturday night brings Wet Sounds at the Swimming Pool — an evening of underwater entertainment which invites you to float or dive through water to hear a collection of especially made sound art.

Come Sunday it’s wind-down time, and there’ll be an artist’s encampment on Camberwell Green.  More than 40 artists will be coming and going, creating art works, giving performances and leading interactive activities.  In the tradition of the historic Camberwell fair, the event will end with a puppet fight — Puppet Wars.  And then we can all go home.

More details and information about times and locations can be found at http://www.camberwellarts.org.uk/.