Christmas Markets
Martin Turner
Your Ultimate Guide To South London Christmas ...

For us, none other than the amazing tradition of Christmas markets is what gets us in the Christmas spirit, and so we have gathered some of the fantastic Christmas markets in South London that are definitely worth checking out in your local area this year!

Your Ultimate Guide To South London Christmas Markets 2018
Bars and Pubs, Putney, South London, South West London, Summer
Mollie Farley
5 great Putney beer gardens to check out this ...

As the sun finally begins to show its face, we’re bringing you a list of the best spots to don your sunnies, slap on the suncream and settle in for an afternoon of cold ones in the London sunshine. From riverside sundowners to boozy lunches on the terrace, Putney’s got an exciting little assortment of al fresco possibilities and we’ve rounded them up just in time for the Bank Holiday.

5 great Putney beer gardens to check out this Summer
Catford, History, Lewisham
Martin Turner
A Brief History of the Catford Broadway Theatre

With the gradual, yet steady closing-down of local cinemas and theatres that has been happening in Britain for decades, we thought it a good idea to use our platform to pay homage to one of the oldest theatres in South London that has survived this unfortunate decline in entertainment venues, and continues to showcase cutting edge theatre and events to this day....

A Brief History of the Catford Broadway Theatre
Events, Christmas Markets, South London
Martin Turner
Your Ultimate Guide To Christmas Markets in ...

Season's greetings! There is no better way of getting into the Christmas spirit than by attending your local christmas markets. Wrap up warm with the family or a few friends, stroll down to your local market and enjoy the rich warming smells of mulled wine and mince pies, whilst trying to remember the lyrics to your favourite carols. We've got the round-up; check out where your local market is happening and make sure you're there!

Your Ultimate Guide To Christmas Markets in South London
South London Bookshops
Martin Turner
7 Independent Bookshops In South London To Get ...

Run your fingers along their spines, cast your eyes up and down the shelves, flick through the pages and sit cross legged on the floor engrossed in the words resting in your lap. Escape the dull, uniform, needlessly clean chain bookshops that are a stalwart part of any high street or soulless shopping centre. South London has its fair share of independent bookshops where hidden treasures can be found, prices are right and the shelves hold countless stories to lose yourself in.

7 Independent Bookshops In South London To Get Lost In

Local History

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Sherlock Holmes in Lambeth Borough

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Sherlock Holmes in Lambeth Borough

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character indelibly linked with London - he lived in Baker Street, and subsequently the vast majority of the crimes the character deals with are either within the centre of London, or the surrounding environs which would eventually become part of London. Many of these suburbs are now relatively central parts of South London, and we will discuss most of them in later articles, but in this one we are going to discuss Sherlock Holmes activities in a consistently central part of South London - Lambeth.

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Blue Plaques of Wimbledon

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Blue Plaques of Wimbledon

Wimbledon is arguably the most famous name in all of South London. Okay, maybe Greenwich or London Bridge run it close. But how many people the world over who know of Greenwich Meantime know that it is named after an actual place in London? Okay, a few. The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club which, for those of who somehow do not know, hosts the most major grass tennis tournament in the world, simply known as ‘Wimbledon’. Beyond knowing there is a tennis tournament in Wimbledon though, many people might not know that Wimbledon has been home to numerous luminaries and big players, most of whom are commemorated by blue plaques.

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A Brief History Of The Greenwich & Woolwich Foot Tunnels

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A Brief History Of The Greenwich & Woolwich Foot Tunnels

Approximately 1.5 million people use the Greenwich & Woolwich Foot Tunnels to get from one side of the mighty River Thames to the other. They are, however, somewhat taken for granted. Have you ever stopped to wonder at their existence? They are quite remarkable - there's not much else quite like them in London, let alone the UK. At a time when we're going through an arduous process of trying to work out what London's next crossing will be - thankfully it seems the wonderfully impractical Garden Bridge won't be it - we should take a moment to appreciate how curious and marvellous these two crossings are.

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History of The Brixton Markets

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History of The Brixton Markets

“We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue and then we’ll take it higher” sang Eddy Grant in his 1982 hit single. The song - his response to the 1981 Brixton riots - centred on one of the area’s most famous streets and home to part of Brixton Markets. Brixton Markets now comprises of the street market down Electric Avenue, Pope’s Road and Brixton Station Road plus the arcades of Brixton Village, Market Row and Reliance Arcade.

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Blue Plaques of Streatham, Tooting & Tulse Hill

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Blue Plaques of Streatham, Tooting & Tulse Hill

A group of three areas that straddle two separate boroughs of London, and yet only five blue plaques between the whole lot of them. Now, this is not to say that Streatham, Tooting & Tulse Hill have been historically devoid of people of note – far from it. As we have already covered in this series, South London is unfairly underrepresented in the blue plaque scheme. We at South London Club are not going to argue the proverbial with those north of the river as to why this is the case, it’s obviously prejudice and we are just fine with that. If English Heritage and all the other custodians of the blue plaque scheme want to continue adding to the 165 blue plaques already in Kensington and Chelsea, go for it. We should probably be happy about the lack of blue plaques, all the cool cats South London has produced are still alive. Anyway, here's our list of the blue plaques of Streatham, Tooting & Tulse Hill.

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Brief History of Borough Market

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Brief History of Borough Market

Situated right next to Southwark Cathedral, Borough Market, in one form or another, has sat at the southern end of London Bridge for a very, very, very long time. It was there before a certain Norman chap with a penchant for conquering called Will turned up on Great Britain’s shores and it has seen several versions of the London Bridge come and go. Despite a brief demise in the 1700s, it has seen London cross the Thames, consume Southwark, and spread further and further south, and will likely do so for many years to come. Borough Market is, regardless of its long history, a special place. The atmosphere, the location, the people – it’s no surprise it’s such a hotspot for tourists. It is quite easy to forget that Borough Market is essentially a farmer’s market and would be a likely recipient of the ‘Most Improved Farmer’s Market Award 1014-2017’ if that award were actually given out. As such, we at South London Club think it is essential that we provide you with a brief history of the most famous and prestigious market in South London – Borough Market.

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Blue Plaques of Greenwich

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Blue Plaques of Greenwich

There isn’t much else to say about Greenwich than to quote the old Greenwich Council signs – ‘Greenwich, Where Time Begins’. If one travels from Deptford into Greenwich across Deptford Creek, you really feel the seismic change. It’s as if the air changes. Curiously though, there is a lack of blue plaques in Greenwich town proper. There are more, in fact, in little Blackheath, just across the way, where many of the plaques are for individuals who worked in Greenwich. That said, Greenwich does have it's own set o blue plaques, and here is our list of them.

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Blue Plaques of Battersea

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Blue Plaques of Battersea

Battersea is largely famous for three things – Battersea Park, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, and Battersea Power Station. Being on the river, Battersea was easy to access and naturally had a role to play in the industry of London, hence the construction of the Battersea Power Station. Like its neighbour Clapham, the vast majority of the blue plaques of Battersea are dotted around the green and open space of Battersea Park, which was opened in 1858, where naturally those of note who became wealthy would look to move if possible. So without further introduction, here is a list of the blue plaques of Battersea!

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Blue Plaques of Clapham

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Blue Plaques of Clapham

We’ve already established that blue plaques are a great way of lending meaning to areas, we’ve already done that okay? We’ve already established that there is a serious dearth of blue plaques in South London, particularly when compared with North London. We’ve been through it all. However, there is one particular area of South London that has a rather high concentration of blue plaques – Clapham. These plaques are mainly dotted around the outskirts of Clapham Common and represent a rather curious array of individuals. Unlike modern Clapham, not a single one of them is Australian, but there are a couple of very significant personalities on this list of the blue plaques of Clapham.

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A Brief History of the Brockley Jack

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A Brief History of the Brockley Jack

The Brockley Jack is so synonymous with the area of Brockley and Crofton Park, that it has its own bus stop. There is good reason for this. A pub of that name has stood on that spot since 1863, though the current building, as the date at the top states, has stood there since 1893. There is, nevertheless, a more intriguing history to be told here...

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