Brixton: lost pubs: THE ANGEL
354 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9


The Angel, 354 Coldharbour Lane. [May 2006]

One of the last remaining old-school black Brixton pubs, The Angel closed without warning on May 26th, 2006, with the premises suddenly being sealed tight with metal security doors and windows.

We've no idea if the pub had fallen victim to a drugs bust or if it had been closed down by bailiffs, but losing this pub would be a real loss to the community.

In the 12 years we've lived opposite the place it's never caused us any bother, and on the odd occasion that we popped in for a pint, we've always enjoyed the friendly vibe and reggae/ska sounds.



We're still researching its history, but it seems that pub was featured on BBC Nationwide in 1980 in a TV report about West Indian immigrants coming to Brixton in the 1950's.

Here's the (slightly incomprehensible) program notes from the BBC's experimental resource, which lists their archive footage.

It suggests that the Angel was an important part of Brixton's recent history, being the 'first pub to sell drinks to coloured people'

pub manager; Lynette SIMMS; Norman BEATON; s. thru'out Brixton streets. Pub Sequence: ext s Angel pub in Brixton (5.47-5.50), rept to cam on Angel being first pub to sell drinks to coloured people (5.50-6.14), int s.bar n Angel (9.46-10.13) (11.01-11.17)intv: Tony WALLER, Angel was the first pub he drank in when he came to Britain(6.14-7.07), his first job was in a paint factory, being the first & only black man there, he was treated v.well by workers there, when more coloured people started working then intolerance started to happen (7.20-7.50), worked a lot of overtime to buy Angel pub (9.15-9.46). BBC





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