With summer in full swing, I am about to take a break from my repertory walks, though I seem to spending a great deal of the coming weeks guiding inside the British Museum and the Palace of Westminster.
I shall still be pounding the streets though. I have to decide on the definitive route for C the City which has its debut in October. At the moment it risks being several days long as I keep thinking of more and more things I want to include. I may offer a dress rehearsal of it at some date which people could sign up for via this site.
I have my eye on Nunhead for another local London walk. My aunt used to live there, and it has a nice feel. I also admire a community that buys its own pub. Years ago, when we protested at the planned high speed link through neighbourhoods of south London, Nunhead had the best dressed part of the demo. Playing on their name and their famous cemetery they dressed as nuns and carried coffins. Somewhere I should still have the photos. I know I still have my No Wall Through Walworth badge.
On Sunday I spent some time pre the Men’s Singles Finals in neighbouring Kennington.
Estate agents like to call Walworth Kennington, but this really was SE11. The locals were having a fete in lovely Cleaver Square. The previous day in SE17 there was a Sausage Sizzle. Does that say something about our two neighbourhoods?
I think it’s a bit of a stretch to call Kennington a village, but it is a jolly nice place. Everyone was having a blast. Lots of children, but no sign of tears or tantrums. Friendly, approachable, fighting to defend their library, the good folk of Kennington were celebrating in sunshine.
Leaving the square, I saw local MP Kate Hoey. Kennington is full of MPs who have their weekday homes there, but if there were a national competition for most loved parliamentary representative, I reckon Kate’d win. Her constituents seem almost universally proud of her, even when they don’t agree with her.
I was heading for ArtsLav which was having an Open Day. It features on my Kennington walk, Princes and Paupers, which I’ll be doing again sometime after the end of October, and I have often peered through the railings, but never been inside.
I even took a little video. But that can wait for another day.
Guided By Isobel 
Lovely post! Full of atmosphere.
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Thanks Ruth.
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Hi Isobel, I was there too, after your great talk it would have been lovely to see you.
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Ah, are you local? Maybe I’ll meet you on a walk one of these days. 🙂
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“C the City” – I am all a tingle with anticipation. Really. Plans for the regular migration have now returned to the usual colder months. What will you have on offer end of November/beginning of January?
Love the pic of your local MP – what’s her politics? She seems a down to earth and practical type.
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Thanks for that Kathy. I’m looking forward to it too. David is putting together the winter programme but I haven’t got my dates in yet. You have done quite a few of mine now haven’t you. Have you been on my Kennington walk, Princes and Paupers? Or Vauxhall?
Kate Hoey is a Labour MP, but not my Elected representative. I am in another constituency.
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I should get out more. I just pottered about indoors waiting for the tennis, you look like you had a great time. It’s true what you say about kennington and MPs I believe John Major and jack straw live in cleaver Sq, nice post, yours John cooper.
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I understand Straw lives in Hanover Gardens and John Major in St George’s. Do come on a walk with me. It would be good to meet you. Hope you are enjoying the summer.
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Now that looks like a place I would like to live 🙂 Wonderful photos and you can really sense the feeling of the neighborhood and the friendliness. How do I sign up for the dress rehearsal for the C the City walk?
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I hoped you might like it! 🙂
If I do a dress rehearsal I’ll put a link here and a way that people can sign up and pay in advance.
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