The Paxton Centre

In the course of the last five and half years of blogging in SE19, I've met some pretty inspiring people; people who campaign and contribute hugely to the local community. Beth Mander, whom I first met on the Handmade Palace stall at the market a couple of years ago, is someone of huge energy and determination to get things done. She originally set up the stall as a Transition Town project, and its success spawned off-shoot Christmas markets and the monthly Makers market. At the same time, she was pursuing her own creativity as a potter, as well as offering pottery classes. Now she has brought all those threads together by taking on the lease of the former Paxton Hotel, halfway down Anerley Hill. With this large, light and airy high-ceilinged space, it has been possible to house all her projects under one roof, and throw in a cafe for good measure. Here, the work of artists can be displayed in a way not possible on a market stall, creating a gallery setting for regularly changing exhibitions. In addition, The Paxton Centre not only hosts pottery classes, but a variety of other activities, including life drawing classes, an adult and kids' art club, a venue for choir practice, quiz nights, a hot-desking / co-working club, and with the cafe in place, it's able to hold regular creative social events. Coming up soon, there will be a Bonfire Night, pop-up curry evening, and in the new year, a series of music events is planned. Impressively, Beth runs the centre with a team of volunteers, who in return, can earn free classes or hot-desk sessions. There's a buzz about the place, and Beth is delighted that what started as Handmade Palace, has been opened up to a whole new audience.
The 150 year old building housing all this, has an interesting story too. Beth was drawn to the building's "resilience" in the face of adversity, after seeing old pictures posted online of the structure standing proud, while surrounded by bomb sites. On 11th July 1944, a bomb fell nearby, killing 13 people. A split second earlier and it may have killed many more, as a bus had just pulled away from the scene. Drinking at the bar at that moment, was a man named John Markham, finishing his pint. He dashed out to help rescue people from the bombing, and 11 years later, when the pub finally re-opened, there was a pint awaiting him on the bar. As Beth relates this tale to me, she is busy finishing a ceramic plaque, which will be fixed to the building's exterior to commemorate those who died in the attack.
So this is the start of a bright new future, for Beth, for the building, and for the creative community in Crystal Palace.

Prints by Gerri Keniger and David Wolverson

Jewellery by Nicoletta

Tea-Lightful Candles by Harriet Jarvis

Cushions by Laura Hawkins

Cushions by Terri Dean

Postcode cushions by Saundra O'Shea

Familiar looking coasters!

Photographer, Janet Berry

Ceramics by Sally Durran

Crochet cards by Libby Holloway

Baby Kimonos by KIKI

The multi-purpose mezzanine with a painting of the building by Martin Jessup

Cafe

Paintings by Mila Moroko, the current featured artist

Beth Mander

Beth at work on the commemorative plaque

The Paxton Centre

52 Anerley Hill

020 8659 4701