The latest trawl through our extensive Brixton photographic archives has produced a selection of images from fifteen years ago, when James Blunt, McFly and Oasis took turns at #1 in the pop charts.
Above, you can see three traditional market stalls being towed along Coldharbour Lane in front of the recently-closed Gresham Spares shop. To the left is the William Hill betting shop which closed in 2014.
Here’s the smiling and welcoming faces of the local constabulary on the occasion of the opening of The Beat, a Met Police ‘community resource’ at 411 Coldharbour Lane.
Opening up on the 2nd August 2005, the cop shop metro was situated in the premises of the closed Pedro Keys restaurant, which was described as a “former drugs den” in the press release (see archive photo here). It closed down last year,
The Beat was due to open on the 7th July, but the ceremony was postponed due to the 7/7 terror bombings on London Transport.
The speech-laden event saw the Met’s Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson, Greater London Authority member Lee Jasper, Ros Griffiths, director of Employment Café Ltd, and Lloyd Leon, the first black mayor of Lambeth, all taking a turn on the mic.
Further down Coldharbour Lane, the Prince Albert was undergoing a major refurbishment, with the interior being completely stripped out and the eye-popping orange paint job being toned down.
The Albert’s old toilets were the stuff of unpleasant legend. It was said that you’d need a canoe to get across the men’s liquid-laden loos after a busy Friday night. Some say the new ones ended up even worse!
The Prince Albert is currently undergoing another refurb and is expected to reopen in Sept 2020.
In the Dogstar, our 19th Offline show featured an eclectic line up, including Milk Kan, Digidub and ‘comedy terrorist’
Aaron Barshack.
On the poet’s stage.
Aaron Barshack.
The old Medussa Club in Barrington Road occupied the buildings of the former East Brixton railway station.
The venue closed in February 2013. It’s now used by Simulacra studio, a photographic/design studio, although occasional dance events are still hosted there.
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