Julie and I caught the train into Waterloo this afternoon to drop in at Iklectika, a respected venue, and ‘Waterloo’s Paradise’, which is a collection of artists’ units next door to Archbishop Park. An experimental music and book fair had been arranged to help publicise an on-going campaign to save the cultural centre from being replaced by a large office complex. An application for the new building has been approved, sadly, by Lambeth Council.
The area is currently home to a wide range of community ventures, including a city farm, social housing initiatives and a thriving grassroots theatre. Please sign the petition to save the site.
Family history
The second reason for visiting this historic part of Waterloo, was to explore Carlisle Lane. Julie’s grandfather William was born, and lived his very early years, at no. 44 Carlisle St in 1886. (The name changed, we believe, in the 1930s). The family moved to Paddington, then Knightsbridge, before settling in Croydon, as recorded in the 1911 census.
After a quick drink in the Crown & Cushion, we crossed Westminster Bridge Road and walked down the now familiar Lower Marsh. An informative and engaging afternoon.
