Love Clapham website is the local guide for residents and visitors of the Clapham area, London. This includes Clapham Common, Clapham North, Clapham South, Clapham Old Town, Clapham Junction and the surrounding areas of Battersea, Balham, Stockwell, Vauxhall and more.
Introducing InstaClap
Did you see what we did there Clappers? Instagram + Clapham = InstaClap. Yes! It’s our all singing, all dancing, all clapping live feed of Clapham Instagram photos direct from YOU. If you tag an Instagram pic with #Clapham, it will instantly appear on LoveClapham’s InstaClap feed. Hashtag awesome. Go to the InstaClap feed now and start adding your own photos. We’re already hooked on the latest things going on right now…
One Weekend in Clapham
Let’s collectively show the world what Clapham is all about Clappers! Tweet your photos to us this weekend and we’ll add them below. Keep checking back for more!
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- writing a chalkboard!! #rockandroll
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- having a beer, watching 16 and Pregnant #chavtastic #plastic #scouser
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- bashing out orange and cinnamon ciapiroskas at the clapham north! #tasty
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- Friday night rock and roll with the kids……..
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- I’m getting my face round these! Oh yes. MM x
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- Chilling with a cat
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- watching 10 things I hate about you #longweek #livingthedream @chittchitt @lottie_els
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- What a night. This will take time to recover. Unbelievable crowd, unbelievable venue !
Slack Clapper
Check this out Clappers! It’s a man, on a rope, on Clapham Common, jumping around like a loon! We’ve seen a lot of cool things on the common but this is among the coolest.
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?!
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.
Two cult novels by local author
Exciting news! Local author Helen Smith, who lives on the border of Brixton and Clapham, has just had her two novels based in the area republished ten years after their original release. The first, Alison Wonderland, is about a woman who joins an all-female detective agency in Brixton – it includes a scene on Clapham Common and another in Battersea Park . The second, Being Light, is about a man who flies away on a freak gust of wind while setting up a bouncy castle in Brockwell Park. Love Clapham has managed to get our grubby paws on two signed copies of the books to give away to two Clappers. If you’d like to win them, email in the answer to this question: what other famous female author spent some time living in Clapham? Winner to be announced on Friday 16th July. Learn more about the two books below. Continue reading
Clapper of the Week: Clapham Common ice snorkel
Yes, you’re right. That is the most amazing picture you have ever seen in your life. As if a man in a wet suit breaking through the ice of a Clapham Common pond wasn’t brilliant enough, a goose decided to honk along and make the picture approximately 1 MILLION TIMES more amazing. Taken on Clapham Common in the winter, John Forbath who runs the Big Squid Dive Centre, donned his wetsuit, cracked open the ice and had a little paddle. Bonkers! This can definitely be filed under ‘don’t try this at home kids’ and ‘only for experts’. John Forbath is one of the nominees for our Clapper of the Year award in the Clapham Awards 2009. More photos in the rest of the post. Continue reading
Interview with Steve Reed, Leader of Lambeth Council
In this frank interview, Steve Reed the Leader of Lambeth Council, talks about new community developments, solving local youth crime, charity bike rides, where our money is spent and helps us to understand local politics. Did you know there’s been a 2 year Council Tax freeze? If you didn’t, you do now. It is essential reading for anyone that lives in Clapham or the wider Lambeth borough. Continue reading
Clapper of the Week: Clapham Common Polo competitors
This week’s Clapper is going like the clappers. Believe it or not, these stunning photos are from Clapham Common at the Toast Festival 2009 polo competition, the festival’s main highlight. From the first day, you can see South Africa vs Great Britain in the above picture. Great Britain won 7:6. Thanks to Eddie Clarke, who runs the Clapham Omnibus blog, for sending these in, see a selection of photos including the Umhlathuzi welcome singers in the rest of this post. Continue reading
Clapham Band Stand used by band shocker!
No you haven’t gone mad. This is evidence of the Clapham Band Stand actually being used by a band – and a mighty fine one at that! If you have lived in Clapham as long as Love Clapham, you’ll know how precious this is because the Clapham Band Stand never seems to be used. The band in question is the South London Concert Band and they were ace. They’re back on 12th July, don’t miss them to witness the million pound Clapham Band Stand makeover being put to good use. More pictures of the band are in our Picture Gallery.
MSF Clapham Treasure Hunt
Here’s a cool thing, this month the sixth MSF Clapham Treasure Hunt takes place to help raise money for MSF, a charity that supplies medical aid around the world to people who might otherwise not receive it. It gets better because it’s held in Clapham, organised by local resident Sarah Turtle and you can support it by taking part and donating. Continue reading
Clapper of the week: Boots banjo band!
It may look gloomy but it’s a lovely Saturday out there in Clapham and it’s all going off as Clappers far and wide are making the most of the weather to make Clapham feel as villagey as possible. We heard a trumpet on Clapham High Street then lo and behold, a trio were outside Boots playing catchy tunes. We aren’t 100% sure why they were there but assume it’s to celebrate the shop’s first weekend. Then, just up the road Lambeth College is holding its Sixth Form open day with cheer leaders and all sorts of funky goings on. We Love Clapham!
| 1. | Le Petit Boulangerie, Abbeville Road | 1. | Lack of waffles on sale in cafes |
| 2. | Gastro, Venn Street | 2. | Too many Sainsbury's |
| 3. | Clapham's new Leisure Centre | 3. | Rainy weekends :o( |
| 4. | Venn Street Sat market | 4. | Rubbish shops on the High Street |
| 5. | Costa in Clapham Junction station | 5. |