Peckham-mania !

[JohnL]

That's how I notice it - communities that like to socialise separately for cultural reasons probably

Walking from Rye Lane along choumert road - something is happening there weekends, anyone know

Louisa Wrote:

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> edhistory Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > > Huh? I was talking about an event at the

> Bussey

> > Building, not Rye Lane.

> >

> > Since you posted a couple of people broadened

> the

> > discussion.

> >

> > I have difficulty recognising Louisa's history

> of

> > Peckham. It's not the Peckham I knew, it's not

> the

> > Peckham of reminiscences published in the

> Peckham

> > Society News, it's not the Peckham of the

> history

> > books. It's almost as if Lousia did shopping

> along

> > Rye Lane and never ventured into the side

> streets.

> >

> >

> > John K

>

> What Peckham do you recall then which is so

> different? As has been discussed, people in London

> often live in the same place but are basically in

> a parallel universe. We all live different lives

> depending on any number of factors. The Peckham I

> remember as a child was largely white and working

> class. There were pockets of wealth along grove

> park towards Camberwell and out towards Dulwich

> proper, but overall it was a largely poor area. It

> took the main shopping street a long time to catch

> up with demographic change. The area still had an

> M&S and Sainsburys until the late 80s, and from a

> socio-economic point of view they probably should

> have closed down 20 years earlier. The departure

> of major department stores on Rye Lane from a

> retail point of view didnt always match the

> fortunes of the surrounding streets and areas, and

> the emergence of ED as a gentrified neighbour is a

> good example of this.

>

> Louisa.

[Eileen]

edhistory Wrote:

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> I was walking along Rye Lane this morning. The mix

> of folk looked pretty representative to me. But

> what do I know?

> I did wonder how many of the shopkeepers and their

> customers are members of Peckham Vision.

> John K

The mailing list has been growing since 2001 and is now about 2500, and more on

and http://www.facebook.com/PeckhamVision. It includes 40-50 traders from Rye Lane & Peckham High St and we work with others who don't use email. Remembering people who have come to gatherings of various sorts over the years, lots of people of all ethnicities who shop there are on the list, but we have no capacity to collect such statistics. Some of the work with the traders can be seen here: http://www.peckhamvision.org/wiki/RLTA. To join the list: email [email protected]

[Bellenden Belle]

MikeP - I think the Bussey Building is doing a brilliant job of being an arts / community venue which actually reflects the community it is based in.

Instead of looking at ONE event held there, have a look at the overall programme:

http://www.clfartcafe.org/

Afro-bass fusion, deep house and bass, bump 'n' grind - there are loads of events that are in your words "representative of Peckham". And rightly so...

I think the theatre programme at the Bussey Building is one of the most impressive examples of audience development and community engagement I have seen. A partnership with the Royal Court has brought some of the most exciting work from young playwrights - black and white - to Peckham. The Royal Court's own audience is predominantly white and yet their seasons at the Bussey have attracted a noticeably more diverse audience. What I love about what the CLF is doing is that it is able to balance these partnerships and collaborations without changing the overall identity of the organisation.

Before Kerb, how many times had you been to the Bussey Building MikeP? I'm going to stick my neck out and hazzard a guess that actually, like myself, probably not that many. How ironic that whilst you are talking about the building needing to do more marketing, I think they are probably doing an extraordinarily clever job of getting a new audience in. It's just that actually for the Bussey Building, you and I are probably the targeted minority group that they are trying to attract. Because maybe a few of the people who went to Kerb and enjoyed it will look at what else is on at the building....and there the seeds of change are sewn and the demographics of an audience slowly shift.

[Jeremy]

I didn't really understand all that bump and thump stuff, but well said BB.

[edhistory]

http://www.2010.voa.gov.uk/rli/

The entry for SE15 4ST is interesting.

John K

[MrBen]

Is this the official Peckham gentrification thread? Has everyone checked the maps??

I'm glad to see the area improve so quickly. It IS starting to have a Disneyland/filmset feel to it though. There's something definitely cartoonish about Bellenden Road that doesn't feel quite right. "Airlifted from Williamsburg" remains one of my favourite Woodrot-isms.

[Louisa]

Just checked the Southwark planning portal. Fear not folks, Peckham is a million miles off full blown gentrification. Unit 10 of the Aylesham Centre (formerly WHSmith) is set to become dah dah dah... Poundworld.

http://planningonline.southwark.gov.uk/DocsOnline/Documents/301331_1.pdf

Louisa.

[Bellenden Belle]

Louisa - it's already opened!

[Jeremy]

As Louisa says... I don't think any of us expect (or even hope for) fully blown gentrification along Rye Lane. But what we're seeing is interesting things happening, more young people in the area, visitors from other parts of London, and pockets of (relative) wealth.

[Annette Curtain]

MrBen Wrote:

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> Is this the official Peckham gentrification

> thread? Has everyone checked the maps??

>

> I'm glad to see the area improve so quickly. It IS

> starting to have a Disneyland/filmset feel to it

> though. There's something definitely cartoonish

> about Bellenden Road that doesn't feel quite

> right. "Airlifted from Williamsburg" remains one

> of my favourite Woodrot-isms.

I agree with Mr Ben, there's a serenity along Bellenden road that feels slightly constructed, much like a visit to a movie lot

Don't get me wrong, I'm ok with it, just part of me can't believe it's actually happening

The other evening I drove through, the begging bowl was in full swing, the Vic was all people outside, the night sky was an absolutely perfect purple-blue, the air was warm and balmy. Nice people of all extractions who could walk upright, filled the street.

But I still it seemed a bit surreal-even the Costcutter/Spar shop by the crossing had woven baskets outside.

Oh actually, now I come to think about it. The dark haired-bulging eyed woman was propped up on the railings by the crossing outside the Begging Bowl, can of Kestrel firmly clenched in her hand

Phew, for a moment there I thought I was dreaming.

[MrBen]

ElmGrove Wrote:

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> Cartoonish? How so?

Because it has to be one of the most stylised and rapid high street take overs in recent years.

Inter-war fonts on the shop sign? Check

Carefully positioned WWII bicycle with vintage basket? Check

Waxed moustache and/or beard? check

I like going out round there. It's fun and beats East Dulwich hands down for energy, interesting bars and new stuff happening. But people can get too serious with the irony. And when I see "Peckham Hotspot" type articles in the EasyJet inflight magazine....it's not exactly underground.

[MrBen]

General Store, Andersons, Flock and Herd....

[MrBen]

I can just feel someone about to post that Flock & Herd's font is not inter-war but art deco. Either way I think you get the point. It didn't all naturally happen this way. The new shop owners really thought about it. Long and hard. And then the thought about it again. Before going to a man in a Dalston workshop who's about to knock out some more for Walthamstow.

To quote Woodrot: "They have arrived".

[david_carnell]

Some of us arrived a while ago and have been waiting for the street to catch up!

;-)

[Annette Curtain]

Pre or post Gormley bollards d-c ?

[Jeremy]

MrBen - that would be "Walthamstow Village", right?

I don't think it's been quite so sudden though. The Peckham Experiment and Ganapati were pivotal in the earlier stages of the transformation. Then the Victoria Inn ushered in the next wave a few years later. Anyone who lives round there can see that it's been changing for a long time...

[david_carnell]

Annette Curtain Wrote:

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> Pre or post Gormley bollards d-c ?

Post bollards but pre Victoria Inn, so I reckon I get some sort of credit for foresight....

It's the shop selling wood carvings of your favourite reggae artists I really miss though.

[Eileen]

Annette Curtain Wrote:

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> Pre or post Gormley bollards d-c ?

very pre Gormley - in fact 40 years ago last month I moved into Nutbrook St ... What's happening now is a further development of changes happening slowly for all the time I have been here.

[woodrot]

dinner table chat c. 2004 " Yes, I live in East Dulwich, its technically an SE15 postcode, but its really East Dulwich"

dinner table chat c. 2013 " Yes, I live in Peckham "

[maxxi]

Louisa wrote:

> Just checked the Southwark planning portal. Fear not folks, Peckham is a million miles off full blown gentrification. Unit 10 of the Aylesham Centre (formerly WHSmith) is set to become dah dah dah... Poundworld.

Bellenden Belle Wrote:

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> Louisa - it's already opened!

- and has been open a while - the careful shopper, though, will already have noticed that despite the staff wearing pretty costumes on opening day the goods on offer do not represent an improvement on those to be found at the other 2 pound shops or the more daring 99p shop.

My fave is the in-many-instances-cheaper-than-the-poundshops-when-you-add-it-up 'Savers - Health Home & Beauty' and their mobile air conditioning units that the inevitable queue jostles to stand in front of. It's the new Franks.

[numbers]

woodrot Wrote:

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> dinner table chat c. 2004 " Yes, I live in East

> Dulwich, its technically an SE15 postcode, but its

> really East Dulwich"

>

> dinner table chat c. 2013 " Yes, I live in Peckham

> "

dinner table chat c.2014 "Yes, I live in Peckham, North Peckham" etc (y'know the edgy bit)

[woodrot]

im planning to open a 98p shop and make my fortune as the shoppers rush to snap up the bargains

[Jah Lush]

I'll wager most of the people who have recently moved to Peckham don't shop there. They shop in East Dulwich.

[edhistory]

Eileen Wrote:

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> very pre Gormley - in fact 40 years ago last month

> I moved into Nutbrook St

These recent incomers trying to destroy our architectural heritage...

John K

[Mick Mac]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> I'll wager most of the people who have recently

> moved to Peckham don't shop there. They shop in

> East Dulwich.

And it seems that a lot of the people who recently moved to East Dulwich now socialise in Peckham.

Organic meats, fish, veg and home comforts in a safe environment by day in East Dulwich, edgy vibes by night in Peckham.