Lost Brixton: disappeared shops and stores
Celebrating lost landmarks of Brixton

ATLANTIC ROAD


July 2001 Howes, Atlantic Road
The long-abandoned Howes Confectionary Wholesale Store which had lain empty for a decade in Atlantic Road.

See 'Then and Now' photos


July 2001 Sid Cars, Atlantic Road
Another derelict shop front.


July 2001 Closed shops, Atlantic Road
The whole street has now been redeveloped and the shop fronts renovated and modernised.



COLDHARBOUR LANE
» Angel pub


Aug 2001 Part Worn Tyres, Coldharbour Lane
Now buried under a substantial seven storey development, the slowly deconstructing garage sign was fully documented in our Part Worn Res article.


Aug 2003 Gresham Spares, 322, Coldharbour Lane
After being run by the same guy for over forty years, this family store facing the Barrier Block closed in 2005. Tony, the shop owner's son now living in Australia, emailed me his recollections:

"The Barrier Block was a fucking disaster when it first went up. My most vivid memories of the Block are from the riots with the local kids using the block as a warren to firebomb the cops and escape into.

I was across the road with my old man and we were both fucking wide eyed as we watched each shop get looted by a huge mob, one by one as they got closer to us from the Angel pub end -And one poor lone cop in a wagon trying to stop them.

His vehicle got trashed and I have never seen a car on fire go backwards so fast. At the time we were putting on a brave front as we were outside the shop with a well known local hard man and his 6 Rottweiler dogs.

Mind you - we were all fucking terrified and I think the dogs were more terrified than us. It didn't do any good because as soon as nightfall came - the mob knew they had us and they did the shop as we scarpered down the road.

What a bloody nightmare. Still you could only laugh and get on with it. We were happy we got out in one piece."


May 2003 Post Office, 332, Coldharbour Lane
A small demo by OAPs unsuccessfuly tries to fight the closure of their local Post Office, which was run by a popular local character, Mrs Roy.

Tony, takes up the story, " She was one tough little cookie. I have never seen a braver little lady than her. She would give it to the junkies and nutters from behind her steel screen, and they would go ballistic and scream at her and smash on the screens and swear to kill her - and the next minute she was outside taking that little rat of a dog for a walk. And she was as short as the bloody dog!"



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