Big Guns on Clapham Common
Every now and then something comes along that makes Love Clapham go “holy crap” and this picture is one of them, found in a book by Clapper Christopher Anderson. During World War II, Clapham Common was used for more than buff posturing joggers, it was the location of four large anti-aircraft guns (pictured above). In the picture you can also see trenches, huts and possibly soldiers doing exercises. This is so far removed from the Clapham Common of today it’s hard to comprehend what it was like. Thankfully, the BBC has a report from a lady called Jean Vines who lived in the area at the time. Jean talks about cycling across Clapham Common to get to school with a very real “danger of being hit by shrapnel from the four big guns on Clapham Common”. Fascinating!
Open Studios Art Show
As you can probably tell, Love Clapham loves a bit of artistic flair, so imagine our delight when Clapham resident artist Katy Jackson got in touch to tell us about this month’s Open Studios Art Show. The Open Studios Art Show is on from Thursday 26 – Sunday 29 November in Wimbledon and features a number of local Clapham artists, including Katy. Read the rest of this entry »
Upload your photos of Clapham Fireworks 2009
If you went to the Clapham Common Fireworks yesterday, why not add some of your own photos to our gallery from the event? What a day yesterday was. If you’re following LoveClapham on Twitter you’ll know that not only were there fireworks on Clapham Common, but loads of free pasta too. Not to mention the Windmill being turned into a mini-rave and then the roads being overrun by people. Just one of the annual wonders of the area. Lambeth Council did us all proud yesterday with London’s best free fireworks display. The Mayor of Lambeth even went so far as to film the finale and upload it to YouTube.
Are you following us on Twitter yet?
Follow @loveclapham on Twitter for regular updates, tips and news about the Clapham area. On top of these blog posts, Love Clapham tweets regularly to offer you a more instant news service. If you have anything to tell us or if you want an answer to a question, feel free to tweet us and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
Clapham History: Clapham North Deep Shelter
Check out this awesomeness from the Clapham North Deep Shelter. Built to house 12,000 people during the air raids of World War II, these rare photos offer a unique look into the forgotten structures. Urban Explorer UK has a stunning set of photos taken inside the shelter including a couple with models which bring these pieces of history bang up-to-date. Their size is mind boggling when you think they’re lying there beneath Clapham High Street. Kudos to Urban Explorer for securing access when they aren’t open to the public.
Hot Clapham Tip 1… Daniel and I
As the nights get colder and Love Clapham gets lazier, I’ve found myself eating out more often. This week I went back to ‘Daniel and I’ with a couple of pals for my second visit. “Where the hell is Daniel and I?” you’re thinking, and clearly very few know the answer because at the moment it always seems to be empty. At night Breads Etcetera transforms into a restaurant called Daniel and I, with a large range of home made soups and hearty main meals (although as the waiter warned, the soups are main courses in themselves!) Both times I’ve been here the service, food and atmosphere has been stellar, which makes it all the stranger that this restaurant, packed for breakfasts, hasn’t yet made its mark on the Clapper Massive. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed.
Clapham Businesses Failing to Adapt to Recession
Love Clapham HQ had serious concerns for Clapham’s local shops and restaurants when the economy started to collapse. The area has done fairly well, although there have been casualties. As the recession continues to bite and moves into its sixth successive quarter, I’m shocked to see that many local businesses simply aren’t applying simple tactics to survive the the slump in spending. The majority of Clapham’s restaurants are extremely overpriced, yet often half empty; some even put their prices up this year! Some shops on Clapham High Street don’t stay open past 5.30; again, not ideal when the majority of Clapham’s resident’s commute to Central London, working until gone 6pm. Here’s a tip: restaurants, cut the price of your entire menus by £1 per dish and shops change your opening hours. Then tell everyone about it! You can use LoveClapham for free to do this… I still find it amazing how few Clapham businesses get in contact to tell us about their offers. This site has thousands of visitors and we don’t charge a penny for passing on news of good offers.
Clapham History: lion loose in Clapham Junction
The above grainy picture is from a video of a lion chilling out while on the run in Clapham Junction. In case you were wondering why you hadn’t heard about this on Twitter, it’s because this amazing footage is from back in 1943. Watch the video on British Pathe, but beware the poetic narrative. Many thanks to Eddie Clarke for spotting this one! If you find any other Clapham historic treats, please get in touch.
Register to Vote before 21 November
Whether you live in Lambeth or Wandsworth, time is running out to make sure you are registered on the “electoral register”, the list that allows you to vote in local and general elections. You have until 21st November to register, and if you don’t you won’t have a say in who runs the local council or who runs the country for the next four years. That should be important enough, but if it isn’t, by not being registered it can mess up your ability to get loans, bank accounts, direct debits etc. Read the rest of this entry »
Clapham Cinema: loads of great films!
Forget the “summer blockbuster”, this year it’s all about the Autumn blockbuster with the Fantastic Mr Fox, The Imaginarium of Dr Parnasuss and the absolutely brilliant “UP” by Pixar. On top of that, the Clapham Picture House is showing the Michael Jackson This Is It tour rehearsal documentary and a one off MET Opera Live event in HD on Saturday 23rd October. There’s tonnes to watch, so get watching! Read the rest of this entry »
Children’s Drama Classes in Clapham
Dramatical Theatre School in Clapham, between Clapham North and Wandsworth Road, has sent in some information about the children’s drama classes it now offers for 4 – 8 year olds. They say that “At Dramatical, we are dedicated to teaching drama to your child in exciting ways that help their physical and mental development, as well as their confidence.” Keep reading for full information and to contact them. Read the rest of this entry »
| 1. | I TRAIN WITH TIM Personal Training | 1. | The queue to get in to Infernos |
| 2. | Esca sandwiches - High Street | 2. | Over crowded gyms |
| 3. | Clapham Junction Fancy Dress shop is back!! | 3. | End of summer - boo! |
| 4. | New leisure centre coming soon to the High Street | ||
| 5. | Venn Street Market |