"We could go to Deptford..." (Albion, The Libertines)This art and music drenched Shire of Elsewhere is London's best kept secret but in the ancient word of mouth tradition, increasingly immortalised in song
Including:
'Sultans Of Swing' - Dire Straits (about Paradise Bar, New Cross Road, SE14)
'Deptford Beach' - Deptford Beach Babes
'The Only Living Boy In New Cross' - Carter USM
'Deptford Wives' - Hatcham Social
'Mirror' - Subliminal Girls ("I'm considering a move to New Cross")
'On Guard' - Tommy SE14/8 ("New Cross")
'New Craas Massakkah' - Lindon Kwesi Johnson
'I Love Deptford' - Nathan Persad
'Shooters Hill' - Officer Kicks
'Are You Ready For This?' - Tiszara (New Cross Gate)
'Mad Dot' - Band Of Holy Joy (New Cross Road)
'Popular Photograph' - Dexy (Dirty South, Lewisham)
'Deptford Broadway' - Ceri James/Zen
'Lewishambles' - Mr Bligh (and about New Cross Inn / Rocklands)
'Deptford Days' - Venus Kicks
Everybody is from everywhere, so there is no end of great but affordable food (and decent helpings of it!).
Unlike Rip Off Britain, this area is a Rock On Republic. Prices are realistic.
Would be contributors, please send calendar dates for London's South East X (Festivals, Events, Holidays) and contribute information on Affordable Accomodation, Recommended Shopping and Dining, Places of Interest by email to SOUTHEASTX - ROCKLANDS CALENDAR (a fraction, the South East Bank rivals the West End, Shoreditch etc - all within easy reach - for quality entertaining, dining etc, but at realistic affordability) -
Historic, scenic, surreal mix of 20th century down to earth charm (including the clip clop of horses hooves on Deptford Market day) and sci fi views...(Rocklands is completely round the bend. Of the River Thames. Opposite Docklands - it is a love pirate's cove these days - (St Nick's Church inspired the jolly roger flag).
There's a fairy gateway, a stone circle, old boats in the creek and the biggest every day artistic and creative community collaborating and making their own world an increasing reality... Something positive for a change.
ACCOMODATION - Cheap hostels : New Cross Inn (above NX Inn music bar, SE14), The Bird's Nest (theatre/venue, SE10), St.Christopher's Inn (theatre, SE10), plus hotels, especially in Greenwich.
ART galore. Over 100 galleries/studios in Deptford alone, and collectives; 13:53 Magazine , The Blue Light District , Raw Nerve, Utrophia , Artmongers , rsvplondon ...
Outdoor art EVERYWHERE!
COMMUNICATION & DUPLICATION Lots of net cafes. Greenwich Internet Cafe (town centre) is pretty quality. Photocopies are 5p each at Gem on Deptford High Street. Arrow (Lewisham Way, opposite Goldsmiths) does student discount (copies/printing etc).
DANCE - Greenwich Dance Agency (SE10), Laban (SE8)
FAIRIES Moon Fairies live at Mabel Lucie Attwell House (386 New Cross Road), Twinkle Park (SE8), Fairies Gateway (SE10), The Fairies Band
FOOD Tony's Chip Shop, 399 New Cross Road SE14 for REAL, fried until golden brown, 20th century CHIPS. A little further along the road you can get a "Paul McCartney special" (pickled egg and chips), which The Beatle had when he popped in one day. As you do.
Also Cafe Crema (SE14), Noodle King (SE8), Maggie's Cafe (SE13) and nosh galore in traditional tourist spot, Greenwich (SE10)
INTER GALACTIC Local girl Rose Tyler was one of Doctor Who's travelling companions. One of Captain Spock's ancestor's beamed down to Hilly Fields (Vulcan Road, London SE4 - see streetmap.co.uk - is named in his honour). Aside from the Stargate at SE1 there is also Vega Fair, Space Port and Magic Market (Douglas Way SE8)
LOCALS and LOCALLY CONNECTED Jools Holland, Big Mo (now moved to Walford), Junior Simpson, Klaxons, The Pepys, knOwn, The Rank Deluxe, Danny Baker, SE14/8, Dire Straits, Rhys Ifans, Nebraska, The IRS (oh, just loads)
MUSIC VENUES, CLUBS, LOCATIONS include - The Albany (SE8), Amersham Arms (SE14), Arc Studios (SE14), Bubblegum (SE8), Dirty South (SE13), The Fox & Firkin (SE13), Goldsmiths S.U. (SE14), Live Bar (SE8), Montague Arms (SE15), Moonbow Jakes (SE4), Music Complex (SE8), The Music Room (SE14), New Cross inn (SE14), Rivoli Ballroom (SE4), The Venue (SE14) - more during festival events (all year!)
PIRATES Town Hall Pirates, Love Pirates, Greenwich Pirate/Toy Pirate, Saint Nicholas Church (SE8)inspiration of the Jolly Roger, Patchwork Pirates on the decks at Rocklands Party
SHOPPING - The East & West Supermarket on Deptford Broadway/New Cross Road, Prangsta (SE14), Rubbish & Nasty - "The Harrods of Rocklands"(SE14), Witcomb Cycles (SE8), Deptford Market/Vega Fair (SE8, Greenwich Markets (SE10) + shopping centres at Canada Water (SE16) /Lewisham Town Centre (SE13) and a big Sainsburys at New Cross Gate
THEATRES - Albany, Brockley Jack Theatre, Greenwich Playhouse, Greenwich Theatre
VIEWS Old boats in Creekside (SE8), Greenwich Park (SE10) has many, including a vista of Docklands/London central. Telegraph Hill (SE14) also has a vista of the city. Many riverside views, and you can walk/cycle along the Thames path to the Thames Barrier.
MARCH - Telegraph Hill Arts Festival, Lewisham Irish Festival
APRIL - All Fools Month, Paul Robeson Day, London Marathon
MAY - Deptford Jack In The Green, Rockands Party, Foxfest
JUNE - Brockley Max Festival
JULY - Made In Deptford Festival, Tour De France (Deptford), People's Day Festival
AUGUST - Gateside Urban Music Festival
SEPTEMBER - Deptford Design
OCTOBER - Artful Festival, Black History Month
NOVEMBER - Deptford X, X Party
DECEMBER - X-Mass (8 Day Weekend)
JANUARY - Poor, Cold, smiling...
I'd like to meet:
friendly daydreamers and Rhys Ifans.
PLANET WATER's favourite alternative holiday destination in London...
(Pics: streets of playing class friends gather in Rocklands
Music:
There are musicians, music bars, music colleges, music collectives, studios, clubs, festivals, promoters, DJs, music music music all over the place.
Year on year, more of the buzzy acts are calling into Rocklands - from Courtney Pine recording his album at The Albany (where Reggae legends U-Roy and Junior Mervin recently played, to the thriving, punky anti-scene that only this locality could spawn, to the heap of stunning talent that inspired Gateside Urban Festival... All without pretention, making it pretty welcoming for alternative friends, old and new, of all kinds.
Movies:
Cafe Crema (SE14)
Deptford Arms
The Electric Cinema (SE24)
,
Greenwich Picturehouse (SE10)
The Blue Light District Film Night (SE13)
and a load of film makers...
The moon fairies make their TV show, Lunar Tunes, hereQuite a lot of filming has been done in this area and the streets of Greenwich were used in the film The Krays. The film GMT is based in South East London.
Television:
DEPTFORD.TV
and
CHANNNEL6TV
(both = filming and on line broadcasting), The Blue Light District and Digital Sneakers have also documented Rocklands on film.
Passion TV (Sky Channel 183) is based in Woolwich.
Books:
Wow, loads
try Deptford Fun City - the music and history of Deptford and New Cross, by Neil Gordon Orr, for starters (essential Rocklands inspiration).
And ask the Transpontine and South East London Folklore Society posse.
Heroes:
ROCKLANDERS - it's not about coming from or to here, it's a wavelength of Planet Water that exists, mainly in cyberspace. Share The Joy.
"One day people will come to New Cross because of Metro Riots" a reviewer once remarked. The garage punk blues heroes, once described as the New Cross Dolls were in the vanguard of the 21st century movement based around London's most creative, alternative, community.
