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Clapham News Roundup
Happy summer Clappers! Well, almost. It’s still a bit chilly but the sun’s out, the flowers are in bloom and we at Love Clapham HQ are feeling it. There have been quite a few developments around Clapham over recent months leading us into what promises to be a better summer in Claps than ever. Here’s the roundup…
WHSmith has opened on Clapham High Street, which might not seem like a huge deal but it’s significant as the first big brand shop to open since Boots took over from Woolworths a couple of years ago. Given that Clapham High Street has very limited shops compared to bars and restaurants, we’re happy about this.
Of course, the new Clapham Leisure Centre has been open for a few months now and is being heavily used – a great success after eighteen months without it, albeit with mixed feedback from our loyal readers.
Venn Street has really transformed the Clapham High Street area. Bringing a weekly market on Saturday’s with very high quality produce and snacks, but most noticeably for pedestrianising the road creating a community hub. We love it.
As you’ll see in the previous posts there’s huge debate about the bus station situation in Clapham Old Town – should more busses be stopping in one of Clapham’s prettiest spots?
Finally, Love Clapham has been hit with a series of stray cats, luckily they’ve all been re-homed. But where are they coming from?!
Lost Cat Clapham
Is this your cat, or do you recognise him? He arrived in our back garden near Clapham North, between Edgeley Road and Clapham Manor Street, on Saturday night and hasn’t left – which makes us think he may also come from an end terrace. He’s relatively large, fairly fluffy and very friendly, wanting attention – we believe he’s male but not confirmed. Has a deepish miaow, a tortoiseshell coat on top and all white underneath. While he seems in relatively good shape, he’s clearly been outside for a while with a scratch on his face that’s healing. He’s miaowing a lot 
Update: we’ve now taken him to the vet and onto Battersea Cats and Dogs Home where he is currently housed and being cleaned up should you recognise him or want to adopt him. He is lovely!
New Clapham Leisure Centre Open
Clapham has been without a swimming pool for over a year but the new leisure centre (which looks something like the above drawing) is open. And dagnamit, it’s only got a swimming pool with a moving floor to change its depth! This probably entitles Clappers to say we have a ‘state of the art’ leisure centre. It also has a large gym area and a sports hall above it. Fabulous. For those of you going “whaaa? A new leisure centre? In Clapham?” you can find it on Clapham Manor Street next to the equally healthy KFC. Have you been yet, what do you think? Tell everyone below…
Clapham Junction Riots
Monday 8th of August 2011 will be the day all local residents remember wanton violence coming to our much loved streets. Worst hit was the Clapham Junction area around Lavender Hill caught in its early throes in the below video.
Of course, the most familiar image to us all is now the gutted Party Superstore – which Love Clapham has frequented for many a fancy dress party – ablaze.
Other shops were smashed, looted and destroyed in a disgusting abuse of our local area. Clapham High Street was largely unaffected, although Blockbuster near Clapham North has had its windows smashed, and property destroyed and stolen. Love Clapham witnessed a gang of 20 or so hooded youths lurking behind KFC at around 11pm – they may have been entirely innocent, but last night was not the night to be hanging around in gangs.
Riot police eventually turn up en masse captured in this resident’s video:
No one involved had any intentions of delivering a political of social message, they just wanted to enjoy themselves by destroying people’s livelihoods. It was disturbing to watch on television, and terrifying for some of our residents stuck in the thick of the violence. Personally, the worst image for me was that of the young girls in the attack laughing at their friends tearing a TV off the wall in Ladbrokes. Such a depressingly pathetic display of ignorance and stupidity.
But the local community has come together in a tear jerking response as residents supported those affected today with broom in hand to clean up. Something to be proud of. Take care Clappers.
Read more on the following websites:
- Clapham Junction riots: A timeline of the violence and looting, images, write up and videos [Metro]
- Clapham Junction riots in pictures [BBC]
- London riots: Clapham broom picture goes viral as Londoners defy looters [Metro]
- Boris Johnson being heckled in Clapham Junction [Guardian]
- Clapham Junction write up [Telegraph]
- Boris Johnson criticised on Clapham Junction visit [Mirror]
- Clapham riot clean-up brings 400 volunteers [BBC]
Sainsbury’s on Abbeville Road controversy
If you live in the Clapham South / Abbeville Road area you may have heard that Sainsbury’s would like to open a new local store on Abbeville Road itself amongst the local shops. It will go in the large retail space that used to be Dexters restaurant (where you could amazingly buy a full English breakfast with the works, tea, coffee and a fruit just for about £8 – no wonder it went under!) This development is proving to be fairly controversial, dividing residents right down the middle. Some want to keep the road local shops only, while others welcome the idea of an affordable local supermarket. No doubt the supermarket will get its way regardless – but what do you think? Interestingly, the even more controversial betting shop that opened on Abbeville Road has now closed, after only a couple of years of poor trade.
Let’s hope you have a sense of humour
Bored Clappers. WE HAVE BEEN BORED. With a lack of things to do in the evening in Clapham, us Clappers have had to turn to either binge drinking, paying extortionate prices for meals or jogging around the common. All of which sound good in principle but leave you with an empty, soul destroying feeling afterwards in their own unique ways. So it’s with a massive sigh of relief and a cheer that Love Clapham can announce that The Funny Side… of Clapham Common comedy nights are now every blinkin’ Thursday at the Alexandra on Clapham Common south side (by the bus stops!) Check it out, it’s a bargainous £12.50 and you can still binge drink, eat and perhaps jog home. Wonderful.
Clapham History: past local disasters
Love Clapham has received an email from the disasters historian, John Withington, who has a book out called London Disasters. In the book is a piece on Clapham disasters which is an interesting, if tragic read. In the book John explains how at the Arding & Hobbs store in Clapham Junction (now Debenhams) in the run-up to Christmas in 1909, a fairy light bulb exploded in the window and set fire to tinsel and cotton wool decorations. Read the rest of this entry »
Clapham to City on the Cycle Superhighway
Please donate just £2.50 (or what you can afford) to the charity Amy is volunteering for: Raleigh International. Your donation will build schools, protect endangered Elephants and support poor rural communities in India.
Join the Clapham Community!
Love Clapham has just launched a new, better, easier to use online community to help our mission of bringing everyone in Clapham together using this site. Whether you just want to see who’s in the area or voice a concern about Clapham issues, please join to talk and meet other people in your area. We have a new community events section and an improved directory on the way soon as part of the community. Together we are better connected, better informed and a stronger voice.
Clapham Common Festivals 2010
It’s that time of year again when we all head to Clapham Common, strip off most (in some cases all) of our clothes and burn our skin to the sound of amazing music from some of the world’s best artists with an alcoholic bevvy in hand. Yup, it’s time for Clapham Common Festival season – just another typical summer eh? There’s tonnes going on and here’s a brief run through of what’s been, gone and coming up… Read the rest of this entry »
Northcote Road Hit and Run
Tragic news Clappers. Fellow Clapham citizen @stuartleewhite stumbled upon the traumatic scene above where this little blighter – who we shall call Classie (do you get it? do you get it?!) – after being mown down on Northcote Road near Clapham Junction this week. A tear doth run down my cheek for poor Classie died of a severe case of stuffing being knocked out of her. Paramedics did arrive according to Stuart, but they were too late. If you were a witness, please write in ASAP to help the local police solve this pawful crime.
Clapham Cycle Superhighway
Love Clapham is prone to the odd over-the-top superlative here and there (obviously!) but believe it or not, that is the actual name of those new blue streaks down Clapham High Street. Yes ladies and gentlemen, thanks to the heads up from Clapper @XanderBrown, say hello to Clapham’s section of the Cycle Superhighway! Read the rest of this entry »
| 1. | I TRAIN WITH TIM Personal Training | 1. | No Ben & Jerry's Festival this summer |
| 2. | Esca sandwiches - High Street | 2. | Still not enough decent shops |
| Clapham's new Leisure Centre | 3. | Litter on the Common | |
| 4. | Venn Street is now pedestrians only with a market every week! | ||
| 5. | The Black Lab for coffee and cake ... mmm |