There was an ace night at the Grosvenor, Brixton last night, with some great bands, much drinking and a table football battle to end the night.

It's a great old boozer and well worth checking out if you're in the 'hood.
 

Labels: bands, brixton, pubs

After documenting the depressing roll call of closed Brixton pubs, I decided to collate some useful information together and provide a short guide to Saving Your Local Pub.

There's some excellent downloadable PDF files on the page full of tips, information and strategies for keeping your local open, so check it out pronto if your boozer looks like it;s about to close.



It can work too: the community around one of my old pubs in Cardiff recently fought a long and hard battle against developers and emerged victorious!

Pantmawr Inn saved!


More: Save your local pub: a guide

Labels: pubs

Link

On Friday we headed south and up hills for an Offline gig back at the Alma, a friendly old school boozer on Church Road.



We had the No Frills Band playing a set and they were excellent as usual. You gotta love a band that packs mandolins, a tuba and a spoon player!

More pics here: Offline at the Alma



On Saturday, we grabbed a couple of beers at Mango Landing in Brixton. It's a nice, friendly bar but the service is mighty s-l-o-w.



We wrapped up the evening's drinking at the daftly named Hootananny, a large Brixton boozer which - despite some opposition from locals - has managed to get a bit of a good thing going, with free nights offering live acts.

Labels: brixton, offline, pubs

Woot! It was great to see urban75 being listed in Time Out's "Top 50 London Websites," especially as were number one in the 'communities' section. Nice!



Elsewhere on the site, I've been obsessively updating the Brixton History features, posting up old billboards and adverts and taking a modern day look:
2-4 Atlantic Road, Brixton
58 Atlantic Road, Brixton
80 Atlantic Road, Brixton
Walton Lodge, Brixton



There's also a big feature on Quin & Axtens, a long-gone grand department store in Brixton Road.



If proof were needed that perhaps my obsession is going a little too far, my recent feature on the Public Toilets in Tate Library Gardens could be it!



Sadly the Lost Pubs section keeps on growing, with new features on the Loughborough Hotel and the Hammerton Brewery.

Still to post up are pictures from the fabulous Actionettes night at the 100 Club, Oxford Street. I'll sort them soon - honest!

Labels: brixton, london, photos, pubs

I've just finished a photo feature on this quiet little street in the centre of London.



Rumoured to be named after Jonas Hanway - the man who introduced the umbrella to the streets of London and faced of a ton of grief from hackney cab drivers for his troubles - it's a fascinating little backstreet.

See: Hanway Street feature



On a sadder note, I've had to add another entry to my growing list of Lost Pubs Of Brixton.



The beautiful Loughborough Hotel at 39 Loughborough Road, Brixton, SW9 7TB had already lost its famous ballroom to developers, but it now looks like the pub has gone too.

Read the full story here: Loughborough Hotel, Brixton closes

Labels: brixton, london, photos, pubs

I took a little wander today around some hitherto unwandered parts of Brixton - here's some snaps from my stroll:


I'd been here before, but not when this bizarre ship-meet-mushroom slap of designerdom had been built.


Here's what used to be here - a delightful Victorian pub called The Queen, full of interesting characters, eccentric locals and frenetic late night lock-ins.

See the full story here: The Queen, Brixton



Happily, I stumbled across this beautiful pub - Marquis of Lorne - on my travels. Despite it being less than a mile from my house, I'd never heard of it before.



The pub has almost all its original features intact - look at those lovely tiles!



The walk took me past Stockwell skate park, which is still undergoing restoration.



Currently flanked by Peter's Barber Shop and a mini-cab firm right next to the Astoria, the curved windows hint at a grander heritage for the entrance to the Stockwell Partnership at 205 Stockwell Road.

The building used to host the Brixtoria Ballroom Club, which was still offering 'practice and tuition' and 'private lessons' for 90 minutes at 5/- (25p) in April 1954.

See the full walk here: Brixton and Stockwell photos

Labels: brixton, pubs, walk