Beckenham Archives - Brockley SE4

Featured local business - Clubtek

Forest

SE23

Hill

I was already a regular visitor to Clubtek’s DJ shop when it was in Penge, but now they're even handier in Stanstead Road, just a few doors down from Shannon’s Garden Centre - another old favourite. It’s by no means just for DJs and bands...

The Gig Guide – 1995 South London music listings

Oct

2025

I found this June 1995 issue of The Gig Guide for London in Revolution Records in Penge. I don't remember it from the time and it certainly doesn't cover the breadth of music from that period. Its focus is very much on the pub music scene but it provides an interesting snapshot of South London ...

Music Monday: Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger and the Critics Group in Beckenham

Jan

2024

In musical terms the folk singer Ewan MacColl (1915-1989) is associated in most people's minds with the Salford where he was raised (the subject of his song Dirty Old Town) and the Scotland of his parents with which he so strongly identified. But many of his most creative years were actually spent in the outer ...

Bethlem Museum of the Mind/Bethlem Gallery

Aug

2022

The Bethlem Royal Hospital in Beckenham (Monks Orchard Road) is one of the world's oldest mental health institutions. Starting out near Bishopsgate in the City of London in the 13th century, it moved to Moorfields in 1676, and then to St George's Fields in Southwark in 1815, now site of the Imperial War Museum. It ...

Life tips from Beckenham

Oct

2021

‘Folk Songs for Peace’ at Lewisham Town Hall (1964) with Ewan McColl & Peggy Seeger

Sep

2018

In February 1964, famous folk singers Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger performed at Lewisham Town Hall (Concert Hall) in Catford at a 'Folk Songs for Peace' benefit concert. I believe the couple were living in SE London at this time (and for many years later) at 35 Stanley Avenue, Beckenham BR3 2PU.tickest from Janice Edmunds, ...

Peckham Soul brings Togetherness to Beckenham

Apr

2017

I love Beckenham Place Park with its green spaces, woodland and grand old mansion house, so good to see that there are some interesting things going on there to encourage other people to come along and discover it. Personally I mainly go there to run (among other things there's a newish parkrun every Saturday morning) ...

Althea Gyles, poet and artist: ‘A Strange Red Haired Girl’

Oct

2015

Althea Gyles (right) with Irish revolutionist Constance MarkiewiczThe Irish poet and artist Althea Gyles (1868-1949) was born in County Waterford and moved to London in 1892. She knew Oscar Wilde, W B Yeats (who described her as "a strange red-haired girl, all whose thoughts were set upon painting and poetry"), Constance Markiewicz, Aleister Crowley (with ...

Springtime

Feb

2014

After all the dreadful weather of last couple of weeks, today has been a perfect sunny spring day. I saw a kingfisher (my favourite bird) while running along the Pool River in lower Sydenham, and lots of spring flowers in bloom in the churchyard of St George's in Beckenham.The blossom is also out on the ...

Firefighters strike in South London

Dec

2013

There was solid support at South London fire stations for the national strike last night. Firefighters walked out between 6 pm and 10 pm over plans to raise their retirement age from 55 to 60 and increase their pension contributions. There will be another strike between the same times next Saturday night.Here's a few pictures ...

Music Monday: Richard Sanderson

Dec

2013

Richard Sanderson is an important figure in the London improvisational music scene, not to mention a member of the fearsome Blackheath Morris Men. For the past couple of years he has been releasing some interesting sounds on his digital label, Linear Obsessional Recordings, and he has now put out a new album of his own, ...