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

Brave Girl

"A nation of shopkeepers" is a quote usually attributed to Napoleon. Whether he said it or not, it was surely not meant as a compliment. Liz Perridge's family, however, are hugely proud of their history of shopkeeping. At the back of Liz's tiny shop, surely the smallest on the Triangle, is a little gallery of old sepia images of her grandparents and great-grandparents standing proudly outside their various premises, which dotted the area around Upper Norwood. They ran a successful chain of fish shops, selling both wet fish by day, and fish and chips in the evenings. Her parents, now retired, chose other professions, but her Dad now helps out on Saturdays in the shop, where he is known as Brave Dad.

Born in Auckland Road, Liz has always stayed close to her roots, and now shares a flat with her sister just off the Triangle. She studied footwear design at London College of Fashion, following a passion for shoes that she'd had since childhood, when she dreamed of opening a shoe shop. During her course, she did a one year placement at the National Theatre, which lead to her working as a theatre dresser, which she still does part time to this day. Currently she's working on the musical, Wicked. 

The childhood dream of having her own shop remained, but had always appeared too elusive, without substantial financial backing to get started. But then on a trip to the US a few years ago, she was inspired by the independent shops she saw in Brooklyn, many of which were pop-ups, an idea which wasn't common his side of the Atlantic back then. And so in September 2012, she followed her dream, and bravely opened her little shop. In reality it's half a shop, carved out of the kebab shop next door, but that suited Liz perfectly, taking her first small steps into business. The store is a happy mix of affordable things for the home, gift ideas, handmade jewellery, cards and novelty items. Liz buys on the basis that if she likes it, and would have it at home, then it will probably sell. While some is bought through larger wholesalers, she is also keen to support local and independent artists and makers. I spot a couple of Matt Bannister's marvellous dinosaur prints, and Beth Mander's ceramic bunting for example. And the support works both ways, with Liz having a very loyal band of customers. Though I've said it many times before on this blog, it's that sort of feeling which makes Crystal Palace the strong community that it is. Liz puts it down to being on top of a hill. "We're like an island community up here", she says, and adds that because the station is so far down the hill, it's a bit of an schlepp to come and go, while it possibly also serves as a bit of a deterrent to some outsiders, hence cutting us off slighting from the swirling city below. But then, as I've found, after 10 years in SE19, why would you ever want to leave? We have everything here, and Liz chips in, "we've got dinosaurs in the park, and you can see St.Paul's for God's sake!" Our conversation is punctuated by repeated hooting at the traffic lights outside, which is possibly the only fly in the local ointment as far as Liz is concerned.

As with many small businesses of this type, I imagine January and February must be pretty bleak after the Christmas excess, so do remember, particularly with Valentine's Day coming up, that local shops aren't just for Christmas. Our high streets would be much duller without the Brave Girls of this world such as Liz.

 

 

 

Brave Girl herself, Liz Perridge

Brave Girl

86a Westow Hill

07460 233060

Diamond Jubilee

I've mentioned the thriving independent spirit of the locals before, but do I also detect a streak of republicanism? Wanting to add a topical piece to the blog, I went in search of bunting and other displays of patriotism, but was sorely disappointed. Many shops and businesses have hardly bothered, and as so often, Upper Norwood appears to have slipped into the crevice between 5 boroughs, with no council sponsored decorations. If not republicanism, I guess it's simply a manifestation (or lack of) of the current austerity. My search wasn't completely fruitless however. Facing each other across Church Road, The Alma & Vintagehart had both made an effort. Vintagehart provided a classic punk themed window display. Ironically, punk, and in particular, The Sex Pistols and their version of "God Save The Queen" have over the years acquired national treasure status, making them as important to Britain's cultural identity as the icons they sought to smash. Meanwhile in total contrast, the simple but tasteful bunting in the pub opposite, was crowned by a blooming marvelous Union Jack!


The Alma

Vintagehart