Issue 2 of The Camberwell Clarion

A CUT ABOVE

SPIN DOCTORS

CHANGING GEAR

Remembering local tailor George Dyer

Meet DJing duo Toby and Pearl

How one man combines two very different careers

A free newspaper for Camberwell

April/May 2022

Marvellous Margaret

Camberwell’s queen of cakes

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NEWS | 3

Welcome to issue two of The Camberwell Clarion The first issue of the Clarion, a free local newspaper for Camberwell, was published in February following a successful crowdfunding campaign that saw the project backed by more than 160 generous people.

We’ve been absolutely thrilled with the response to the first edition and would like to say a massive thank you to each and every one of you for picking up the paper.

We’d also like to extend our gratitude to all our new stockists, many of whom are advertisers in this second edition. They include local pubs, cafes, libraries, laundrettes, shops, salons, sports venues and more, ensuring that copies of the paper are available to pick up and read all over SE5, from Longfield Hall to Brewbird.

Working on issue two has once again taken us to all corners of Camberwell. Our cover star this month is Margaret Akrong, cakemaker extraordinaire and owner of longstanding local business Margaret’s Cakes of Distinction.

It was an absolute pleasure to interview Margaret about her life and hear the story of how she came to set up her much-loved business with her beloved late partner Bill. Turn to page 18 to read the full story.

As we were putting together this issue, we were hugely saddened to hear that legendary

local tailor George Dyer, owner of Threadneedleman on the Walworth Road, had passed away. We pay tribute to George, who will be enormously missed by so many, in the centre pages.

Also inside, we interview the St Giles Trust, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, to discover more about the invaluable work the Camberwell-based charity does – including its latest project, a new grocery shop called Pantry that is set to open this month. To find out more, turn to page 11.

We also pop into Fowlds Cafe in Addington Square to hear how Jack Wilkinson and Hanne Cole transformed part of a renowned Camberwell upholsterer’s shop into one of the area’s best-loved spots for coffee and cake. Turn to page 17 to read the full story.

We’re now working on the third edition of The Camberwell Clarion, which will be published in midJune. If you’re a local business or organisation who would like to stock copies and/or advertise with us – or if you have a story idea that you think our readers could be interested in – please do drop us a line at camberwellclarion@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading!

Mark McGinlay and Kate White

THE CAMBERWELL CLARION Editors Mark McGinlay, Kate White

Illustrator Jessica Kendrew

Designer Mingo Mingo Studio

Contributors Ian Cleverly, Emma Finamore, Julia Hawkins, Miranda Knox, Nikki Spencer, Luke G Williams

Photographer Lima Charlie Sub-editor Jack Aston

Marketing and social media Mark McGinlay

For editorial and advertising enquiries, email camberwellclarion@gmail.com camberwellnews.tumblr.com @camberwellnews

APRIL/MAY 2022

@camberwellnews @camberwellnews

Back with a bang The Camberwell Arts Festival returns with a bang this summer for its 28th staging. Billed by its organisers as “a very Camberwellian celebration of the Queen’s platinum jubilee”, it is set to run from 4-12 June.

After the rigours and restrictions of the pandemic, Camberwell Arts chair Kelly O’Reilly admitted that it will be a relief to have the festival – touch wood – operating at full and live capacity once again.

“In 2020 the festival was entirely online,” Kelly said. “In 2021 we went with the theme of ‘inside-out’ which gave us the scope to pivot and run events online if we had to, as well as planning events in open spaces, which has always been a big part of what the festival is about.”

Established in 1994, the Camberwell Arts Festival is the UK’s longest running visual arts festival, and the 2022 programme will launch on Camberwell Green on 4 June with a “platinum street party”.

“What we’re aiming for is a slightly irreverent, tongue-in-cheek but affectionate and artistic take on the jubilee,” Kelly explained. “The idea is that all the traditional elements of a street party will be there – the home bakes, the bunting, the paper crowns – but it will be given a more contemporary twist so it’s more representative of Camberwell as it is today.

“There will be west African and Colombian influences among others. It will be a street party but also a street party that is part of an arts festival. The street party is also an opportunity to signpost people to all the other activities that are happening during the festival.”

One of the most eagerly awaited sections of the festival is sure to be the open studios event, which takes place across the weekend of 11-12 June. “The open studios is always an important part of the festival,” Kelly said. “Another thing we also know will be happening is our Camberwell Corgis – a project where there will be 70 cut-out corgis scattered throughout Camberwell for people to customise.”

Kelly emphasised that one of the main aims of the festival is to exclude nobody and ensure that the vibrancy and diversity of the area’s community is properly represented.

“The festival is all about showcasing and demonstrating how many artistic things are happening across Camberwell and how rich it is in the arts. We don’t look at arts in a prescriptive way. We have high-end arts at the South London Gallery and the Camberwell College of Arts but we also want to showcase smaller scale, local, communityled and amateur arts too.

“We don’t want to exclude anybody – whether someone wants to do knitting, crocheting and cake-making or whether they want to display avant-garde sculptures we welcome it. We operate on quite a shoestring budget but Camberwell has all these fantastic artistic resources we can tap into.

“There are so many art students, many of whom stay in the area after completing their studies, and there are lots of large artists’ studios and complexes. So it makes sense to have this annual celebration and showcase of what there is in the neighbourhood.”

Visit camberwellarts.org.uk

4 | NEWS

Workshops for all If you’ve ever fancied turning your hand to music but haven’t known where to start, then Stuart Wilding and Pete Robson’s lo-fi improvised music workshops at Longfield Hall on Knatchbull Road could be the place for you – and what’s more they are completely free to attend.

Stuart and Pete have known each other since secondary school, when Stuart heard Pete playing Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto in a classroom. “We got talking and became instant friends,” Stuart explained.

“Pete was into jazz and got me going to gigs. We went to loads in London and were both drawn to unusual kinds of music and that’s how we found the world of improvised music.”

MUSIC

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Stuart went on to work at the London College of Communication among other institutions, and eventually the University of Gloucestershire. While there he established Xposed Club in Cheltenham in 2007, which went on to become a popular and iconic improvised music night.

Now retired and back in south London, Stuart soon realised that he was missing leading workshops and “spreading the gospel” of improvised music. “So I talked to Pete and we said, ‘Why don’t we do something?’ I found Longfield Hall and it’s amazing, a great space and they’ve been really supportive.”

Explaining some of the rationale and philosophies behind the workshops, Stuart said: “They are influenced by the work of John Stevens, a drummer who has now passed away sadly. He would put on gigs and the music played was always very exciting, almost like jazz punk. It had a DIY aesthetic to it and it was very immediate.

“I went to some of John’s improvised music workshops and they were life-changing. They made me feel like I could be a musician even though I’d had no lessons or anything. John also wrote a book called Search & Reflect, which is a big influence on the workshops.

In the book there are these incredible sonic exercises in improvisation.”

One of the great things about improvised music is that players with no training or

ST

experience whatsoever can play with more experienced improvisers and create group music.

“Our workshops are absolutely open to anyone,” Stuart emphasised. “When I started with improvised music I had no facility to play at all of which I was aware. John Stevens emphasised listening – listen really hard and be sensitive to what other people are doing in the room and you can start to play music.

Anyone can do it, and if you’re interested and passionate you will fly.

“So far we’ve had a wide variety of people attending, including some who have dabbled in music and some who have no experience

at all and are just delighted to be in a room with other people doing something creative.

What happens in the workshops just happens in that space and that time and then it’s gone. There’s something strange but also fascinating and magical about it.”

The next music workshop will take place on 7 May from 5pm to 8pm, with a further session on 18 June before a break for the summer and a planned resumption in the autumn.

For more information about lo-fi improvised music workshops, email wildingstuart@ hotmail.com

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NEWS | 5

Ruskin Park paddling pool reopens The much-loved Ruskin Park paddling pool is set to reopen next month after a major refurbishment – and the team of local people who run it are on the lookout for more volunteers to help out.

The large pool in the park in Denmark Hill has been an important part of the community since it first opened in the 1920s, but it has been beset with problems in recent years.

The pool closed in 2015 when a lack of funds meant it was impossible to maintain, but local feeling was so strong that campaigners raised more than £15,000 to reopen it, and created a community

partnership to run it and ensure it could operate safely. Local residents who pledged their support included comedian Jenny Eclair.

A broken water pump led to the pool closing again in 2020, and it only reopened briefly in 2021 before ageing equipment caused yet more problems.

Last year the Friends of Ruskin Park launched a fundraising campaign to pay for repairs, which raised more than £16,000 from donations, while £20,000 came from Lambeth Council and £10,000 from Urban Village estate agents. They also received grants from the Herne Hill Forum and Herne Hill Society.

Work began in February and is due to be completed this month ready for opening on the late May bank holiday when a party is being planned to celebrate.

The Friends of Ruskin Park said the improvements, which have included repairs to the pool surface, more water jets and a new pump and filtration system will secure the popular paddling pool’s long-term future.

Suzanne Vincent, founder of Urban Village, has a strong connection with the pool as her children loved playing there when they were younger, and she has been closely involved in keeping it open for everyone to enjoy. “I’m absolutely thrilled that the pool is opening

once again,” she said. “It’s been a beloved feature of Ruskin Park for so long, nobody could bear to see it close.

“Of course, its long history also meant a number of age-related problems were inevitable. I’m so proud of the work of my fellow volunteers at Lambeth Landscapes and Friends of Ruskin Park in ensuring the paddling pool can reopen sustainably. Thanks also to Lambeth Council for their part in funding the works. I’m delighted that we

can maintain the pool for this and future generations.”

The paddling pool is run by Friends of Ruskin Park volunteers and they are keen to hear from more people to help with practical activities such as cleaning and filling the pool. No prior experience is necessary, and all volunteers are trained on the job.

Anyone interested should email volunteering@friendsofruskinpark.org.uk

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NEWS | 7

Using his loaf

All’s well A local mum has created a free six-week wellbeing festival as a response to the isolation and physical and mental health problems stemming from the pandemic – and a whole host of local practitioners and organisations are involved.

The Camberwell Feel Good Festival is set to take place every Saturday from 10am to 1pm on Camberwell Green, alongside the weekly farmers’ market, from 25 June.

Every week the programme will have a different theme, from body, art and mind to music, food and exercise, and will include up to half a dozen activities for both adults and children, from mini health checks, working from home tips and guided walks to singing, street-skating, den-building and planting workshops.

The festival is the idea of local resident Shazna Choudhry, who has lived in south London all her life and moved to Camberwell five years ago.

“All of us have experienced the trauma, and in some cases the tragedy, that the last two years have brought due to the Covid pandemic,” she said. “I wanted to do something to make the community feel good, reconnect and help people to think about their health and wellbeing, especially in these difficult times.”

Shazna joined the board of the SE5 Forum late last year and is organising the event with their support, alongside longstanding board member Marie Staunton.

“Marie has been an absolute rock in supporting my ambition with this event,” said Shazna. “She has lived in the community for a long time and knows just about everyone.”

The pair have enlisted the help of numerous local people and organisations, including the King’s College Hospital Charity, which will have volunteers at every event, mental health charity Mind, Camberwell Community Choir, the Camberwell Society and Bethlem Gallery.

A number of local small businesses are involved, including Margaret’s Music, LandShark Skating and Nikcarl comic club, and Shazna has also received help from a dad at her son’s school who has designed all the publicity materials for the festival.

“We have been awestruck and heartened by all the practitioners and organisations included in the programme who have agreed to do this on a free-of-charge basis. It’s a testament to the community of Camberwell,” Shazna said.

Following this year’s inaugural event, Shazna and Marie hope the Camberwell Feel Good Festival will become an annual event on the green every summer.

APRIL/MAY 2022

An enterprising young choirboy is giving away surplus bread and cakes via a pop-up shop at his father’s office in Camberwell, and he has already raised thousands of pounds in donations to help fund his singing dreams and support other young musicians too.

Ever since he started singing as a young child, nine-year-old Malaki Conteh has dreamt of being a chorister, and last September he joined the Prebendal School, Chichester Cathedral’s choir school.

No one else in the family is musical and his father, Abdul, says his son has “an amazing voice and a very special talent”.

Malaki has been awarded a 50% scholarship and came up with the unusual way to help fund his studies after a family friend mentioned that Gail’s Bakery in Dulwich often had bread and pastries left over at the end of the day.

Malaki and Abdul contacted the bakery and they agreed to let them have leftover stock.

Last September they started giving away the unwanted bread and pastries in return for donations from Abdul’s office, Leone

Legal Services, on Camberwell Church Street. And it worked so well that now Abdul, accompanied by Malaki in the holidays, picks up surplus produce five evenings a week.

“If people can’t afford it, they can have the bread for free, but if they want to give a donation that’s great,” explained Abdul. “Usually people give a few pounds, but some have given more.”

On the window of the office there is a leaflet explaining what Malaki is doing.

“People have been so supportive, and we have got to meet all sorts of interesting people through this,” Abdul said.

So far they have raised hundreds of pounds each month. As well as funding Malaki’s schooling and helping him save up to buy a piano, a third of the cash goes to help children who can’t afford music lessons or equipment.

“It was Malaki’s idea to help others too,” said Abdul. “He has created the ‘Malaki Help

Fund’ and we send money every month to his violin teacher, who helps young people buy violins and access music.

“Malaki has always been innovative,” added the proud dad. “When he was about six, he put flowers and plants in my office window, which he sold to help pay for his singing and violin lessons.”

This month Abdul has had to relocate his office to 163 Southampton Way, but he hopes that people will continue to visit from Monday to Friday, 10am to 7pm to support Malaki’s fundraising efforts.

Crowdfunder for Comber Grove Comber Grove Primary School has launched a crowdfunding campaign so they can transform their “concrete jungle” playground into a space that supports children’s wellbeing and fitness.

“The school has been here for about 100 years and I’m not sure a lot has been done to the playground in that time,” said deputy head Sarah Wordlaw, who has organised the campaign.

“It’s long and not particularly wide and at the moment there’s not much for children to do bar some lines on the ground so they can play football. We want to turn it into a beautiful space where children can play, but also sit and enjoy being outside.”

The plan is to buy some multi-use games equipment with goals and basketball nets and also create a garden area.

“We want to grow things so the children can harvest what they have planted, and we’d like to get their parents involved too.

Most of the children don’t have a garden at home, or, if they are lucky, they may have a shared garden, so this will be a chance for

families to spend time together outside.”

The school has previously used a crowdfunding campaign to help provide pupils with laptops during lockdown and they hope that this will be equally successful.

“In our dwindling budget we haven’t got the money to spend on this so we hope people will support us,” Sarah said.

They are running the crowdfunding campaign, which has so far raised £860, until June and are planning to do the work on the playground over the summer in time for a big launch event in September.

As well as asking for donations they are also looking for volunteers to make and paint planters. “We would love people from the local community to help us,” said Sarah.

Celebrating our launch The Grove House Tavern on Camberwell Grove was the setting for the launch party for The Camberwell Clarion back in February.

Thank you to the various supporters of the paper who came down and celebrated our first edition – it was great to see so many of you there.

Thank you also to Gabor, Isaac, Neil and the whole team at the pub for hosting the

event so well and for buying everyone their first drink! Your generosity was appreciated by one and all.

Coincidentally, we found out via Twitter earlier in the year that there was once a local cycling club called the Camberwell Clarion and they held their first party at Ye Olde Grove Tavern just down the road in SE5.

Anyone interested can contact Sarah via the school office or message her directly via the Comber Grove GoFundMe page.

“Creating this new playground will be great for the children’s health and wellbeing,” she said, “but it will also be good for their parents and the wider community.”

Visit gofundme.com/f/help-us-develop-ourplayground

8 | MUSIC

Sound people Local DJs Pearl Boatswain and Toby Broom – also known as Dubplate Pearl & Mr Swing Easy – tell us how they came to set up their Camberwell Connection sound system

BY EMMA FINAMORE South London has been home to some of the UK’s most influential sound systems over the years, its dancefloors and front rooms pulsing with reggae’s offbeat rhythms and vibrating with the deep hypnotic basslines of dub. DJs Pearl Boatswain and Toby Broom – better known as Dubplate Pearl & Mr Swing Easy – are continuing this rich tradition with their Camberwell Connection sound system, playing reggae, soul and jazz, all on original vinyl.

The pair, Toby based in Camberwell and Pearl just up the road in East Dulwich, have been playing together since 2013, when they landed a Sunday residency at Communion Bar on Camberwell Church Street. But their musical journeys stretch back far further. Pearl followed London sound systems and clashes closely back in the late 1970s and 80s, and tuned into pirate radio stations playing soul, jazz and reggae in her teenage stomping ground of west London.

She soon started collecting her own (often rare) records in a maledominated field, before crossing over to the other side of the decks as a DJ, with a name inspired by dubplates – vinyl test pressings, usually with a dub version of an exclusive, unreleased reggae track. She’s since gone on to be part of reggae collectives, DJed for the likes of Boiler Room, and was profiled as part of the Museum of London’s Dub London: Bassline of a City exhibition.

Toby also came to the decks as a fan, through the groundbreaking skareggae-punk crossover of two-tone in the late 1970s and early 80s, before discovering the hidden world of blues parties at university, and ending up in London on pirate radio in the early 2000s; stations like Style FM in Battersea and RJR in Harlesden.

“Style FM particularly was pure tower block, aerials, budget equipment… everything a pirate station should be,” he remembers.

“That’s where I cut my radio teeth. It was a dream come true really. I didn’t have any particular ambitions as a DJ but one I did have was to be a DJ on a pirate radio station, and I ticked that one off for a number of years.

“It’s unbelievably thrilling, an absolute buzz. And there are lots of incredibly knowledgeable people too – the level of knowledge on all the stations that I’ve played on is stratospherically high.”

He’s even documented these experiences in a book, titled Englishman – Adventures in Music, a reflection on a life in reggae music and a Dub Vendor (the legendary London reggae record store, and now online outlet) bestseller.

When it came to starting Camberwell Connection, Pearl and Toby wanted to do something different to the all-reggae events they were seeing more and more of. “When we were going out back in the day, there was always more of a mixture,” explains Toby. “You’d go to a function and hear 40 minutes of soul, then funk and different things, so that’s what we were used to. So we decided we would do reggae, soul and jazz, and I think that has stood us in good stead.”

Pearl says that’s why people come to the duo’s functions: “They want to hear something different. So the reggae crowd might want something soul, and the soul crowd might want something reggae.”

This mix has led the duo to a regular slot on local radio station Balamii, and shows everywhere from the Bussey Building, Peckham Festival, Camberwell Fair, the Ritzy and Pop Brixton to places further afield like Somerset House and Notting Hill Carnival.

Their Camberwell Connection hi-fi – a small but perfectly formed sound system, upgraded during lockdown – has been rolled out for gigs far and wide, including the recent wedding of two Balamii listeners at Copeland Gallery, a couple who’d been fans of the show for years.

Toby says the radio show has opened up a whole new aspect to DJing. “We’re the oldest people there, in terms of DJs and listeners.

The best thing about that is turning people who are 20 or 25 on to what we play, because actually what they’re listening to is very much based on classic black music,” he explains. “Pick a genre – dubstep, grime – it’s all based on black music. We’re opening them up to the origins of that.”

“When we do play out, people come up and tell us they’ve listened to us on the radio. It’s really nice to see the reaction on their faces, especially if it’s a record they know from their parents – they’ll come up and say they remember the record from when they were little,” adds Pearl.

“You’re looking at them thinking, ‘They’re really young but they know their music!’”

Camberwell Connection take pride in their own deep music knowledge, drawing on sound system culture’s rich lineage. Citing her heroes as oldschool heavyweights like Gladdy Wax, Jah Observer’s Austin “Spider” Palmer, Jah Shaka and Channel One, Pearl is inspired by their use of a reggae sound system’s most powerful element – the bass.

“What I take from them is the bassline, the instrumentals,” she explains. “They never used to play lovers rock or anything, they used to play versions upon versions of a particular record. And when I started buying music it would always be a particular version of a track. I still have that in me – it’s the sound quality, and how it sounded on those oldfashioned speaker boxes, back in the day. I still have that in my head, listening to that bassline.”

For Toby, it’s Saxon Sound System from Lewisham who’ve helped shape the DJ he is today. “To my mind they’ve been ahead of the pack for 40 years,” he says. “They broke through with Tippa Irie and Papa Levi but then they developed into a really heavyweight, clashy sound.

“What I take is the sequencing of records. A good selector will start at point A, and get you to point X or Y, and take you on a journey where each record makes sense next to the other one. The dots are all joined up.

“It’s an ear to know which record goes next to which record. You have to know what you’re doing, it’s not enough having great records – it’s about putting them together. You

Style FM was pure tower block, aerials, budget equipment... everything a pirate station should be.

That’s where I cut my radio teeth

Above: Pearl Boatswain and Toby Broom, AKA Dubplate Pearl & Mr Swing Easy

have to go out and listen to other people.”

Both Pearl and Toby emphasise the importance of responding to the audience too, and that using vinyl is part of this. Pearl describes observing a crowd and its mood, then flicking through a box of vinyl records, selecting the ones that work for that particular moment – a process in stark contrast to a laptop DJ scrolling through infinite tracks on a streaming site. Quantity does not equal quality.

“It’s all about engaging with the audience,” she explains.

And of course, a huge part of music – playing it and enjoying it – is the community that bubbles up around it.

Camberwell and south-east London are a hotbed of music-led pubs, clubs and venues, and the duo cite Vinyl Meltdown every Thursday at the Flower of Kent pub in New Cross as being especially vital in today’s sound system scene.

Pearl says: “If you want old-school entertainment and old-style music where two selectors are playing, it’s the place to go. The atmosphere is buzzing, everyone knows everyone else.”

With their show on Balamii Radio every first Wednesday of the month, and functions like “Camberwell Connection meet General Echo” – dedicated to the late MC Earl Anthony Robinson – at Walthamstow Trades Hall on 8 April, as well as regularly playing out in south London, Camberwell Connection are set to remain a key part of this important musical community.

APRIL/MAY 2022

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CAMBERWELL GREEN MARKET EVERY SATURDAY, 10am-3pm Street Food • Farmers’ Market • Craft/Local Artisans

WHAT’S ON IN APRIL & MAY? CAMBERWELL SATURDAYS

Marsh Produce • The Old Tractor Shed • Breadwinners • Celtic Bakers Maciscakes • Juice Da Cruz • Tapas Bravas • Drunk Cheese • Mya And Joe @gustosissimashopuk • Strawberry Nut Nuts • Angelica Poems • The Scentiment Me Bali • The London Realm • J&B Barkery • Unis Creations • Anais Amor Melts Rubys reads • Saboon Alee • Roka Brings Flowers Herbal Haven plant nursery is back! Sat 14 May & Sat 4 June

First Saturday of every month Discover your love of the high street Themed shopping weekends across SE5

SATURDAY 2 APRIL RE-NEW | REFRESH CAMBERWELL

Spring is coming so time to clear out our wardrobe and refresh your style, or re-decorate your home!

Visit our treasure trove of charity shops or invest in some true retro style and sounds. Your home may need a refresh too: SE5 has hardware, homewares, plants and flowers all on your doorstep.

SATURDAY 7 MAY THE TASTE OF CAMBERWELL

You really can eat your way around the world in SE5: from falafel to fish and chips and fine dining – there is a bar, restaurant or cafe serving your favorite food, no matter the size of your wallet.

Why not use these weekends as a chance to try something new and unexpected?

@camberwellgreenmarket

SE5 Forum for Camberwell is a community group, which improves Camberwell for the benefit of all in our diverse community.

Visit our weekly stall at Camberwell Green Market. Sign up for free membership and e-newsletter at www.se5forum.org.uk

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY CAMBERWELL FEEL GOOD FESTIVAL Six Saturdays of FREE health and wellbeing events from 25th June to 30th July. Camberwell Green 10 am to 1pm.

Healthy eating, exercise, art, music, free health checks and lots more to help you feel good this summer.

Share your discoveries with us! @Camberwell.life #camberwelllife

@se5forum

CAMBERWELL TALKS We proudly present more vibrant voices of esteemed locals. On the first Monday of the month, 7-9pm at The Crypt St Giles Church SE5 8JB • Mon 4 May: Surprise Guest !

• Mon 6 June: Nandine: Stories from Camberwell’s Kurdish kitchen • Mon 4 July: Rupert Maas (Antiques Roadshow): The Art Market Tickets £10 (£7 concs) Availble at www.se5forum.org.uk

/SE5Forum

For those living, working or interested in Camberwell

Find out more about the things we do: • Tree walks, Black History walk, Ruskin walk • Green spaces and urban gardening • Raising money for local causes • Planning • Camberwell Quarterly magazine • Denmark Hill Station Art Trail

The Society aims to stimulate public interest in Camberwell, promote high standards of planning, and to secure the preservation, protection and improvement of features of historic or public interest.

We are a charity and raise money for local causes such as: St Giles Trust, The Bike Project, Cambridge House, Camberwell Community Choir, Hollington Youth Centre, Camberwell Arts Festival, the Secret Garden on the (D’Eynsford Estate).

SUNDAY 29 MAY 2022 – Camberwell Society Open Gardens (open to members and their guests – join on the day)

JOIN US AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN CAMBERWELL www.camberwellsociety. org.uk/membership/ @camberwell_society /camberwellsociety

CHARITY | 11

Trust in us As the St Giles Trust turns 60, we find out more about its invaluable work

BY MIRANDA KNOX When the St Giles Trust was set up in Camberwell 60 years ago as a day centre for homeless people, no one could have foreseen how rapidly the organisation would grow.

Now a social justice charity helping people held back by a number of issues including poverty, abuse, addiction, mental health, crime and exploitation, it supports more than 16,000 people each year across the country.

It does this by offering support, advice and training, and by taking people’s past experiences to help build positive futures.

But as it rightly celebrates its phenomenal national achievements, as well as its landmark birthday this year, thankfully St Giles will never forget its south London roots.

Its main office Georgian House – which provides a whole host of supportive services to local clients – is unassumingly nestled on Camberwell Church Street next to Lumberjack cafe, and it has a whole host of Camberwell-based projects supporting the local community.

These include social enterprise cafe Brewbird, situated on Peckham Road, which was set up six years ago to offer paid work placements for clients being supported

by St Giles caseworkers.

The environment provides employment experience in everything from food handling and preparation to cashing up, customer service, menu creation and all aspects of helping to run a busy, bustling cafe, which is also open to the public and offers a selection of hand-cooked meals, artisan coffee and snacks.

Additionally, a new referral-only Pantry shop is due to open imminently – hopefully in April – on Camberwell Church Street, which will offer high

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quality, nutritious and healthy food in a shop environment to those struggling with food poverty.

People referred to the Pantry will be able to pay a weekly subscription of £3.50 for six months, and in return access an abundance of affordable, nutritious food and added on-site support to help them move towards independence.

David Adams has worked at St Giles for six years, lives in Nunhead and grew up in Dulwich.

He is the Brewbird social business manager, and also helps oversee the London network of Pantries, which are also based in Hackney and Kensington.

He says: “Camberwell is a real hub – you’ve got Peckham one side and Vauxhall and Elephant and Castle in the other direction.

“In Southwark there are so many families who’ve been identified as living in food poverty.

“We’re known for our criminal justice work and working with people who’ve left prison, but as [we’ve grown] and developed we’ve started tackling more of the issues surrounding why people end up being involved in the criminal justice system – the root causes or reasons – and now we do a lot more work around tackling poverty.

“We’ve been teaming up with UAL [University of the Arts London], who’ve been homing us for a while, [but] we’ve always wanted a shopfront.”

Having a shop environment to browse is an important element of the set-up, and anyone is welcome to pop in and find out more.

David says: “The shop will have a frontage – we want people, the whole community to have an understanding and also play a role in it. That’s why we’re trying to raise awareness around the project [but] at first it will be on a referral basis so we can ensure the people who require the service receive

it, as we want to make sure we are supporting people to move off the service so they don’t require us.

“We have a capacity to support 100 households and potentially up to 150 households a week and then we will look at – once we’re established – how we can widen it out to self-referrals.

“We [want to change the narrative] around food provision. We’re saying while food banks are there for emergency use, [at the Pantry] people pay £3.50 a week and get to pick 10 items plus fruit and veg, which typically ends up being about £25 of produce in return.

“We wanted to replicate the shopping experience and give people that dignity of choosing their own food. It sounds so simple, but [we’re saying] you take control and take ownership.”

The food distributed by the Pantry is sustainably sourced, with St Giles working closely with surplus food charity FareShare, rescuing food that would otherwise go to landfill.

The charity has achieved huge success supporting not just the local community but thousands nationally – particularly when you take into account its very humble beginnings.

St Giles was initially set up in Camberwell in 1962 by the chaplain of St Giles’ Church, Fr John Nichols.

Initially called Camberwell Samaritans, it didn’t become formally known as St Giles Trust until much later, in 1995.

Among the first ever recorded cases was a young homeless man who had left prison and was suicidal, and a centre – formally opened by the Queen Mother – was established offering food, warmth and shelter to those who were vulnerable and in need.

During the 1970s hostels and shelters offering accommodation for homeless people were also established, and in 1995 Prince Charles opened head office Georgian

We want the whole community to play a role in the Pantry, our new shop on Camberwell Church Street understanding and play a role in the new shop

Above: David Adams and Jason Hill from the St Giles Trust Left: the charity is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year PHOTOS BY JULIA HAWKINS

House, which offers a “one stop shop” of services for clients – from outreach work to benefits advice and training.

Another strand of its work is the SOS project, which involves mentoring and sees trained staff who’ve had their own lived experiences sharing their knowledge and providing educational sessions in schools on topics including gangs, knife crime, social media and exploitation.

Southwark-based Andrew Parker is a trainer assessor and has worked at St Giles for seven years, in its London Peer Hub – one of a number of hubs located within communities that offer structured programmes of training and work placements to people who have overcome adversity.

Thanks to a £3.7 million grant from the National Lottery Community Fund, there are now networks all over the country – but it all started in Camberwell.

He says: “We secured some money from the National Lottery to train people with lived experience across the country in advice and guidance.

“As part of the programme they get a level three qualification which is vocational and has to be in the workplace.

“A lot of peers have their own experiences to help others and we train them in giving advice and guidance. A lot go on into full time and part time paid employment in the advice and guidance sector [so] it’s really, really worthwhile.

“There’s a lot of confidence building.

A lot of the people, within six months go on a huge journey and make rapid progress if we can build their confidence in what they’re doing. The programme we do naturally [helps] because it involves voluntary work as well, and the qualification is very meaningful.

“The most rewarding element is [seeing] the progress people make, and how they’re able to reflect and use that experience and move on with their lives.”

12 | CAMBERWELL IN PICTURES

Gentleman George

BY JACK ASTON Legendary local tailor George Dyer, owner of Threadneedleman on Walworth Road, has sadly passed away.

George was a longstanding and muchloved member of the community. A tailor to the stars, his clients ranged from Bob Hoskins, Paul Weller and Suggs to David Haye and Martin Freeman.

Born in St Elizabeth, Jamaica, George moved to London aged four in the early 1960s and lived with his family on Lyndhurst Grove, on the Camberwell/Peckham border.

He attended Lyndhurst Primary School followed by Peckham Manor, where he became friends with Trix Worrell, who went on to write Channel 4 sitcom Desmond’s. He was also a pupil when Johnny Nash and Bob Marley performed a concert for the students in 1972.

After leaving school, George worked stacking shelves in a supermarket. He then joined Dombey & Son tailors on Fleet Street and quickly made an impression, starting an apprenticeship with the firm that saw him study at the London College of Fashion.

After 18 months he moved on to other shops under the Dombey & Son umbrella, beginning at the Brixton branch and later working in Peckham. He then joined another Peckham tailor, Sidney Fox, where clients included the likes of boxer Henry Cooper.

After that he worked in a menswear shop on Bournemouth Road, just off Rye Lane, for 12 years, before hearing that the owner of a well-established tailor at 187a Walworth Road was looking to retire.

George took on the historic shop, becoming only the fourth tailor to run it.

In an interview with our sister paper The Peckham Peculiar in 2018, he said: “Suits have been made here for at least a century.

It gives me a sense of its history.

“I started at one of the worst times [for the economy] and it took me three years before I was given my first bespoke suit.

I had to rely on my skills to do shortening trousers, altering jackets, etcetera.

“It was a hard few years, but I knew that if I could do it for those companies [Dombey & Son and Sidney Fox] I could do it for me.

I had that leap of faith,” he said, adding: “Thing is, failure is not in my vocabulary.”

George expertly crafted every style of suit over the decades, using his impeccable hand-cutting techniques and traditional tailoring methods. His bespoke creations were worn by everyone from mods and skinheads to suedeheads and teds.

Known for his friendly manner and exceptional customer service, he told the Peculiar: “A customer once said to me, ‘Who’s the latest celebrity you’re making a suit for?’ and I said, ‘You are’. All my customers are celebrities. Whoever likes what I do and the services I provide, it’s for them.”

He will be greatly missed.

PHOTOS BY LIMA CHARLIE

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CAMBERWELL IN PICTURES | 13

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14 | CAMBERWELL PEOPLE

Tour de force Camberwell resident Peredur ap Gwynedd, AKA Perry, tells us how he juggles playing guitar with one of the world’s biggest drum’n’bass bands with commentating on the Tour de France for Welsh channel S4C

BY IAN CLEVERLY Portfolio careers may be increasingly common in the modern work sphere, but combining playing guitar in one of the world’s biggest drum’n’bass acts with commentating on the Tour de France is quite the dual job.

Laying his instrument aside and picking up a microphone each July before slipping seamlessly into his mother tongue Welsh, Peredur ap Gwynedd juggles two high-octane professions with aplomb. And he’s rarely ruffled, despite some hair-raising near misses sprinting from one to the other.

Camberwell resident Perry was a session musician playing with the likes of Natalie Imbruglia and Brixtonbased Faithless until Australian band Pendulum came calling in 2008 and suggested he join the tour for their second album In Silico.

It was something of a departure for what had been, up to that point, a duo performing DJ sets, but the expanded line-up quickly became firm favourites on the festival circuit. And Perry has been adding his searing guitar licks to the pulsing drum’n’bass foundation of Pendulum ever since.

Asked what the biggest crowd he has faced has been, the memory is understandably instantaneous: “Main stage, Glastonbury 2011, in front of 120,000 people,” Perry says. “We were on just before Beyoncé.”

No pressure, then...

As for the cycling commentary strand of Perry’s career, a production company called him in 2014 when they were about to pitch a Tour de France show to Welsh language channel S4C, and asked if he’d be interested in hosting it.

“I’d been posting my cycling photos for years on Facebook and Twitter, of me up mountains, or riding in hot and hilly locations. I’ve always been a fan of the sport, but had never done anything like this before.

“They called back six weeks later and said, ‘What are you doing in July?

We’ve got the gig.’ I was actually on tour with Pendulum, but managed to make it work... just about.”

Perry’s description of the following year’s Tour de France, run off at the same time as playing huge European summer festivals with Faithless, sounds like a real-life version of the Planes, Trains and Automobiles movie.

The band’s tour manager was less than pleased with his job-hopping antics.

“Thursday, Gdańsk, and we were playing at stupid-o-clock in the morning. It was that horrible feeling when the sun starts coming up and you’re feeling dreadful from the lack of sleep, but still buzzing from the gig.”

Insomnia, one of Faithless’s biggest hits, seems an apt soundtrack to Perry’s following few days as he bounced from bike race to gigs, then back to the bike race. It entailed a flight from Gdańsk to Brussels, three different trains to Utrecht for the opening stage of the race, another sleepless night due to persistent mosquitoes, the Tour de France show, a run to the train station, three more trains to Belgium for the next gig, a minibus to the festival...

“We did the show, again early hours of the morning, and I tried to get an hour’s sleep but was still buzzing again. Then it was three more trains to Zeeland to do the second stage of the Tour, but now it’s pouring with rain and freezing cold. Then three more trains to get to Eindhoven, and I only just made the gig. The tour manager was furious this time. It was the last gig of that leg of the tour, so I then had to get to Huy in Belgium somehow.”

Now Perry needed to make another frantic journey across the Benelux nations for stage three, travel bag and trusty guitar included, his leather jacket his only protection against the changeable weather. Only this time, his train got cancelled.

“Ended up getting a taxi, but now it is boiling hot again, so there I am, guitar in hand, walking up the Mur de

Huy in an absolute sweaty mess. But again, I just made it. I’d had about 10 hours’ sleep in total from Thursday to Monday.”

You’d have thought he would have learnt his lesson by now, but sure enough, this July will see Perry somehow squeezing in performing at the Provinssi festival in Finland before hot-footing it to Denmark for the Grand Départ stages of the Tour, after which it transfers to France and he can settle into the commentating groove.

British interest in cycling as a sport has risen dramatically in recent years, as Olympic golds and Tour de France victories from the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Victoria Pendleton and Laura Kenny have inspired the next generation of racers.

For Wales, and its 892,000 Welsh language speakers, having 2018 Tour winner Geraint Thomas to shout about was an extra boost for Perry and his annual three-week jaunt around France.

“It was building up before that,” Perry confirms. “Geraint was our poster boy, of course, even though he wasn’t a contender to start with, because he was the ‘Welsh guy’. He speaks a little Welsh, not a lot. But there is a new generation of riders coming through now – half a dozen,

including a couple of Welsh speakers, so that will be great for us.”

It is time to let Perry – the guitarist – go back to rehearsing his craft.

Pendulum have a gig in Miami to get into shape for. Playing live is finally a possibility again following a financially crippling two years due to Covid19. And the uncertainty is ongoing: June gigs in Moscow and Kyiv for the band are clearly cancelled due to the invasion of Ukraine.

Seeing Perry and the gang live in concert may be tricky for a while. In the meantime, we heartily recommend Pendulum’s set recorded at Spitbank Fort in the Solent in 2020 – a spectacular aural and visual treat available on YouTube – to give you a flavour of what’s in store once they are gigging back in Britain.

I almost forgot to ask: why Camberwell? Three years after seeing the light and moving from Camden, Perry is enjoying life back south of the river, his original London stomping ground while studying music at Goldsmiths.

Burgess Park is on the doorstep for playing with young son Blaise.

Green spaces and parks are plentiful.

And the Camberwell Arms is a firm favourite for eating out with partner Victoria. Just don’t expect to see him around in July.

The biggest crowd I’ve played for was Glastonbury 2011. We were on just before Beyoncé

Above: Perry on stage

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE | 15

A hidden gem in Camberwell EASYGYM CAMBERWELL’S AFFORDABLE MEMBERSHIPS INCLUDE FREE CLASSES AND PREMIUM EQUIPMENT IN A NON-INTIMIDATING SPACE FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS TO ACHIEVE THEIR BEST HEALTH. With over 350 five star reviews on Google, easyGym Camberwell is transforming the health of local residents by offering outstanding value and service. The first floor location above Lidl on Denmark Hill is both sunlit and discreet. Off-peak memberships start at £14.99 with the best value being the monthly £29.99 standard membership (£24.95 for blue card holders and NHS staff).

While all memberships include access to a huge variety of premium equipment, boxing bags, 15 metre track and a 2,000 square foot functional training zone, standard membership holders can also access the gym 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

For new gym goers, easyGym Camberwell has an unbeatable friendly, professional and nonintimidating community. This is how Elusoji Samuel described the new joiner experience via Google: “It’s my first time going to a gym. I can tell you that everything you could possibly need is easily and readily available. The gym is equipped with state of the art facilities that will transform you into great shape. The gym members are fantastic and really hard working. I met the professionals who are really nice and caring, they protect the wellbeing of members, they give immeasurable support to the members.”

Member Rita Henriques goes on to describe easyGym Camberwell as a “great space, for a person like me that doesn’t like the gym”. She attributes her newfound gym enjoyment to the fact that it’s not crowded, it’s open 24 hours and it offers PACK45 classes that “make you sweat and feel good with yourself”.

More seasoned gym goers like reviewer Craig Slaney appreciate how the convenience encourages a consistent routine. “I don’t usually write reviews but in this instance I had to. Joining this gym has improved my lifestyle massively. I’m no longer under pressure to finish work at a decent time, I can get to this gym at ANY time in the evening and still do my workout without the inconvenience of waiting for someone to finish using a machine first. Friendly members and VERY friendly staff.”

Consistency at any fitness level has

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rewards. Member Jacki Glen joined the gym after the Covid lockdowns to build her fitness and energy levels. She has become a regular at easyGym’s abs, “legs bums and tums” and PACK45 functional training classes over the past year. Jacki has improved her fitness so much, she can now sustain the more challenging 90-minute Elite fitness classes. Along the way, Jacki built friendships with other members and staff. Of easyGym Camberwell, she says: “This is a safe, welcoming space for me to work on my fitness goals. There is a warm family feeling and a very supportive team of PTs. The standards are high, as are their aspirations for their members.”

After months of lockdowns and uncertainty, easyGym Camberwell offers an oasis to feel energised, confident and strong. According to easyGym Camberwell manager D’yon Christopher, positivity and consistency is helping to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of the neighbourhood.

“Every day I walk into our gym, I see people discovering new movements, improving their health and gaining confidence. People get intimidated going to the gym, but they forget everyone starts somewhere. Anyone can reach their best health for their life here. You just can’t build that kind of confidence using some app or bands in your living room. Achieving the kind of health that makes you smile at your reflection in the mirror; that allows you to explore a great city like London after a long week of work or that gets you running with your kids in the park, takes the whole package – people, environment, equipment and convenience. When it all comes together, you can achieve anything.” easyGym Camberwell is open 24/7 at 60A Denmark Hill. Memberships start from only £14.99 and are available either as rolling monthly contracts or annual payments. Use discount code HealthyCamberwell and receive 30% off your first month plus pay £0 joining fee. Blue card holders, including NHS staff, enjoy 15% off 24/7 memberships.

Join by visiting www.easygym.co.uk/ camberwell or visit us just above Lidl on Denmark Hill.

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FOOD AND DRINK | 17

Cafe on the corner When Fowlds Cafe opened in the disused shopfront of a historic Camberwell upholsterer, it quickly became a firm favourite with local people. Owner Jack Wilkinson shares the story behind the Addington Square staple

BY NIKKI SPENCER Fowlds Cafe, which opened nearly eight years ago in the shopfront of AV Fowlds & Sons Ltd upholsterers, clearly has a very special place in people’s hearts.

Back in 2019 the TV presenter Sandi Toksvig was promoting her memoir Between the Stops: The View of My Life from the Top of the Number 12 Bus. The book takes readers on a meandering journey along the bus route from her family home in Dulwich to the BBC, and when she was asked at a literary festival to pick the one place that she’d like to get off at right then, she chose Fowlds.

“That was the best endorsement,” says owner Jack Wilkinson. “My mum still reminds me about it!”

And the QI presenter is just one of many fans.

“I have been bowled over by how much people love and appreciate Fowlds, especially since the pandemic,” says Jack. “When lockdown happened, we got so many messages on social media saying, ‘Please don’t close’ and ‘We need you’.”

It was never in Jack’s life plan to run a cafe, but the Fowlds building captured his imagination when he and his wife Laura moved into Addington Square in 2013.

Master upholsterer James Fowlds first set up shop in Walworth in 1870 and in 1926 the company took over a corner site on the square just by Burgess Park. There was a workshop at the rear and a largely unused shopfront.

“We used to walk past and say how wonderful it would be to open a cafe there,” says Jack. “Back then the nearest place to get good bread and coffee was Borough Market, which was quite a schlep.”

At the time Jack, who had worked as an art director on various TV shows including Black Mirror and Peep Show, was doing an MA in product design at Ravensbourne.

“One morning the tutor told us that we all had to have a business idea and I hadn’t got one. Off the top of my head I said, ‘I’m going to open a pop-up cafe in an upholstery shop’.”

As Jack developed the idea for his course, he started to think that he should seriously give it a go.

“I decided that even if it didn’t work, we’d have nice coffee and bread for a while!”

But first he had to get the permission of Bob Fowlds, who ran the business until he passed away in February 2020.

“I went to see Bob to ask if he would consider renting out the space and he just laughed and said, ‘Get in line!’” recalls Jack. “He said that every day someone would come in and want

APRIL/MAY 2022

to do something with his building. I kept trying but he kept just laughing it off.”

So Jack decided to try a different tactic.

At the time he was making props for events and needed a workshop, so he asked Bob if he could rent the space for that.

“He agreed, and once I had the keys and my foot in the door, I mentioned the cafe idea again. He realised I had outmanoeuvred him, and in the end, he caved in!”

However, it took quite a bit of work to turn Jack’s cafe idea into reality. “It needed far more doing to it than I’d realised,” Jack admits.

He had to upgrade the power supply, as well as sand the floors, paint the walls, build a counter and put up an awning at the front.

“We didn’t change what was there but we enhanced it,” explains Jack.

“Lots of cafes go for that industrial chic look but we had genuine industrial chic,” he laughs. “You could see through to the workshop from the cafe and watch Bob working.”

With no experience of running a cafe, Jack teamed up with his friend Hanne Cole who was working in catering at the time.

As well as selling coffee from Square Mile and bread and pastries from Little Bread Pedlar in Bermondsey, they created a small breakfast and lunch menu. Fowlds became famous for Hanne’s three-tiered Camberwell carrot cake, a nod to the cult film Withnail and I where the name was given to a giant spliff. “People loved it and often asked if there was anything extra in it,” says Jack.

The cafe quickly became a focal point for the local community and was popular with dog walkers and runners.

“It gave everyone a meeting point from all the surrounding streets and it definitely broke down barriers,” says Jack.

And Bob loved it.

“I think he enjoyed the energy and buzz and liked talking to the young people who worked there and getting their views. It was also a great advert for his business, so he got more upholstery work because of it.”

Bob had worked for the family firm since starting out as an apprentice in 1964 and was known for taking on complex commissions that other people turned down. Clients included TV shows such as The One Show and Big Brother.

“I think the fact we worked in similar fields gave us a bond and we became close. It was a bit of a father/ son or even grandfather/grandson relationship,” says Jack. ”We used to chat about all sorts of things and one day he told me he went to school with David Bowie, which blew my mind as I am a massive Bowie fan.”

Jack and his staff were devastated when they discovered Bob was ill.

“He was very private about his feelings and his health and we only knew he was really sick as he was winding things down. He actually closed the business and three days later he died, which was very poignant,” says Jack.

“Just before, he sent me a lovely text saying how much he loved the cafe and that he had spoken to people and wanted us to carry on.”

We used to walk past and say how wonderful it would be to open a cafe there

Above: Fowlds Cafe PHOTO BY LIMA CHARLIE

They planned to hold a memorial for Bob in Fowlds, but everything was put on hold due to the pandemic, although they have since planted a tree in his memory in the corner of Burgess Park opposite.

“We chose an acer as Bob loved China. He visited the Great Wall and was fascinated by Chinese history,” says Jack.

When the UK went into lockdown Jack was worried about how they would keep going. He held a crisis meeting with his staff and they took the decision to transform the cafe into a grocery store.

“Within five days we had created a counter for the doorway and two massive shelving units for the windows. It was a risk and I did wonder if it was the right time to blow a lot of cash, but it has worked really well,” says Jack, who set about stocking the shop with everything from store cupboard staples to seasonal fruit and veg. “South London is rich with so many amazing food producers,” he says.

The shop sells jams and chutneys from England Preserves in Bermondsey and charcuterie from Perinelli Salami, along with house plants and flowers from local sisters Poppy and Lilly who run Birch & Birch. Fowlds stocks wine from St John, which also supplies the shop with doughnuts at the weekend.

It has carried on selling coffee and cake to take away throughout, which has proved incredibly popular.

“At the beginning of the pandemic we sold twice as much coffee as we did before and loads of cake,” says Jack. “Cake and coffee is what people turn to in a crisis.”

Fowlds became a regular stop-off point for local ambulance crews too.

“Word went out that we were giving free coffee to frontline workers. You’d often see ambulances parked in the street and there was a lot of cheering and clapping,” says Jack.

When supermarkets ran out of flour they managed to get hold of bulk supplies.

“The truck it came on was bigger than the cafe!” Jack recalls. “We decanted the flour into bags, but some people bought the huge 25-kilo sacks and carried them down the street.”

Operating as a store has worked so well that Jack has decided to continue, although the business’s long-term future is uncertain.

Following Bob’s death, the building is now up for sale.

“It’s sad to think that Fowlds upholstery is no more, and we hope that whoever buys it will let us stay on,” says Jack. “For now though, we will still be here providing everyone locally with the best coffee and bread and produce available.”

18 | CAMBERWELL PEOPLE

Sweet success Margaret Akrong opened her Camberwell cake shop, Margaret’s Cakes of Distinction, with her partner Bill in 1985. She tells us more about the much-loved business

BY NIKKI SPENCER “Cakes are my life,” smiles Margaret Akrong as she gestures around her shop in a small 1960s shopping precinct just off Camberwell Road, where examples of her work cover almost every surface.

The window of Margaret’s Cakes of Distinction is crammed full with everything from huge five-tier wedding cakes with intricate lattice work to birthday cakes featuring Barbie dolls with voluminous frilly cake skirts and edible baskets filled with yellow roses.

In a large glass cabinet, there’s a stunning white church wedding cake complete with a tall steeple, while on another shelf there’s an array of children’s cakes from footballs to fairytale castles. On a rack, cakes sit ready to be decorated for the weekend, including a West Indian fruit cake for an 89th birthday and a Victoria sponge for Mother’s Day. One wall is covered with photographs, thank you letters and messages from happy customers from across the capital and beyond.

“My cakes have been shipped all over the world, to the US, Germany and Ghana too,” says Margaret, who opened the shop with her late partner Bill Branche in 1985.

Margaret came to Britain from Ghana when she was 11, and it was her older brother, Joe, who set her off on her career in cakes straight from school.

He had started work at ABC, which was one of Britain’s largest restaurant chains in the 1950s.

“One day he brought home a beautiful tiny cake called a bijou, and asked if I’d like to learn how to make them,” says Margaret. “I had never really baked before and was thinking of maybe training in dress-making or floristry, but I said yes, so he took me to ABC and the rest is history.”

Margaret started as an apprentice cake-maker in 1958 and studied at night school at Hendon Technical College to get her National Vocational Qualification in cake decorating and baking. “I loved it at ABC and worked with some wonderful, wonderful people,” she says.

It was there that she met Bill who was instrumental in the creation of Margaret’s Cakes of Distinction.

“Without him, this place would not be here,” she states simply.

At ABC Margaret went on to become the team leader in the cake decorating department while Bill was the company’s computer programmer.

However, when Bill first asked

Margaret out she refused. “He was tall, good looking and very confident and charismatic and I didn’t think he was my type,” she says.

But then she reconsidered.

“Any time Bill was going to the executive canteen he passed through my department and always gave me his infectious smile. My colleagues would shout, ‘Hey Margaret, go out with him’.”

What finally prompted her to change her mind was when one colleague confided, “I wish he would ask me out. I wouldn’t hesitate to say yes.”

“This statement made me agree to his request,” says Margaret, “and we took it from there.”

After leaving ABC, Margaret worked for a number of leading bakeries in north London and Knightsbridge before joining Selfridges as a cake decorator. Her creations were supplied to luxury stores including Harrods and Fortnum & Mason, but she always wanted to have her own shop specialising in engagement, wedding, christening and birthday cakes.

By this time the couple were living in Camberwell and one day Margaret spotted a “to rent” sign when she went to visit a local dress shop.

“I thought it would be a wonderful place for me,” she recalls. “I discussed it with Bill, and he put his career on hold and supported me in my dream.

We set up the business together.”

Bill contacted the council and the couple set about converting the premises into a cake shop with a bakery at the back.

Margaret was unsure what to name her new business so sought advice. “I asked a very good friend who had a business in Los Angeles and she said, ‘Start with your name’, so I did.”

They purposely designed the shop so that customers would have a view of Margaret at work while they waited for their orders.

“I was so excited when we opened the doors on the first day, although I think Bill was even more excited for me than I was,” she recalls before breaking off for a moment.

“God I miss that guy!” she sighs. “He was the man in my life.”

Bill was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and he died four years ago.

“We had been together since 1973 so that was a long time,” she reflects.

Up until his illness, they very much worked as a team. “He was the admin and ran around doing everything while I made the cakes,” says Margaret.

Word quickly spread that she had opened her own shop and customers travelled from all over the capital.

As we are chatting she brings out a folder filled with press cuttings and photos of weddings and celebrity gatherings featuring her cakes, including an article from Hello magazine where I spot supermodel Caprice among the partygoers.

“We have had lots of customers who are celebrities,” she says, “but we cater for everyone.”

Rather than sell cakes off the shelf, Margaret’s Cakes of Distinction is a bespoke service and cakes have to be ordered in advance, ideally three months ahead for wedding cakes and two weeks for birthday cakes.

Margaret uses traditional royal icing and specialises in delicate filigree and scrollwork, which all takes time. “I don’t like to rush as that would take away the joy of what I do,” she says.

“Every cake is special.”

The couple decided to specialise in West Indian cakes as well as traditional English cakes. “Bill is from Guyana and he noticed that no one was making West Indian cakes. People baked them at home, but nobody was making them to order,” says Margaret.

I don’t like to rush as that would take away the joy of what I do.

Every cake is special

Above: Margaret Akrong PHOTO BY JULIA HAWKINS

Customers can choose between traditional Victoria sponge or fruit cake or West Indian fruit cake, which is laced with alcohol.

“I have a special recipe, where the fruit is soaked in wine and sherry before you bake it,” shares Margaret.

Lockdown was tough for the business with no parties to cater for, but Margaret used the time to develop new lines. “I can never stop making things,” she says.

She created a range of miniature birthday cakes that she would like to sell through a local bakery or deli.

Margaret is keen to pass on her talent to others, and offers six-week cake decorating sessions for beginners as well as one-to-one sessions.

She also makes handmade sugar paste flowers and roses and plaques that customers can buy to use on their own cakes.

After 60 years in the business Margaret has no plans to retire quite yet. “Cake-making is still in my blood,” she says, “and I love what I do. When Bill was dying, he told me to keep going with my dream, so I am.”

APRIL/MAY 2022

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HISTORY | 21

The man who would be king Hailing from a family of pickle manufacturers, Camberwell-born Khalid Sheldrake converted to Islam and in a surreal turn of events, was invited to become king of a faraway land

BY LUKE G WILLIAMS In 1888, Rudyard Kipling penned a story titled The Man Who Would Be King, in which two British adventurers become kings of a remote area of Afghanistan.

It’s a tale that would decades later find a strange echo in the real-life story of Khalid Sheldrake – pickle manufacturer, Islamic convert and short-lived monarch of an obscure breakaway Islamic republic.

Khalid’s unusual life is certainly one of the more surreal historical narratives to have a connection with Camberwell and its surrounds.

Browse online and you will find all manner of stories, anecdotes and several untruths about this enigmatic figure. Dig a little deeper into the likes of ancestry.co.uk and the British Newspaper Archive and the truth begins to emerge from underneath the myth.

Bertram William Sheldrake was born in Camberwell on 29 July 1888 (funnily enough, the same year the aforementioned The Man Who Would Be King was first published) to William Charles and May Sheldrake (nee Williams). Known as Bertie to his family, he was raised a Roman Catholic, educated privately and then went to work for the family pickle business.

Named G Sheldrake after Bertie’s grandfather Gosling Mullander Sheldrake, the Camberwell-based firm was founded in the 1870s. Its works were located initially on Albany Road, and then in the grandly named Sheldrake House on Cobourg Road.

Both locations were in the vibrant industrial area surrounding the Grand Surrey Canal, which once ran along the swathe of land now occupied by Burgess Park.

G Sheldrake was a highly successful manufacturer of “pickles, sauces, chutneys, ketchup and vinegar”, as well as a bottler of “capers, curries and other condiments”. As late as the 1911 census, Bertie – by now aged 22 – was still listed under his birth name as living with his parents and working as a “commercial traveller in sauces and pickles”.

However, by this point it is thought he had converted to Islam and renamed himself Khalid. How this conversion came about is something of a mystery, with some accounts maintaining it occurred in 1903 when he was just 15 years old.

APRIL/MAY 2022

Certainly by 1914 Bertie – or Khalid as we will call him from now on – was honorary secretary of the British Muslim Society. It was in this capacity that he penned a letter on 19 December to King George V, in which he “most humbly” sought to bring the king’s attention to press cartoons and articles in which the “Muslim creed” was “held up to ridicule”.

“I wish to bring to your notice that there are hundreds of English Muslims serving in His Majesty’s forces, and you will understand our feelings on this matter,” Khalid explained, while also emphasising that “the Muslims of the empire are praying for Your Majesty’s life and prosperity”.

In 1917, Khalid married Hampshireborn Victoria Catherine Sybil Gilbert, who thereafter adopted the Islamic name of Ghazia. He established mosques in properties he owned first in Peckham and then East Dulwich.

For example, the Weekly Dispatch reported in 1927: “There is a house in Fenwick Road, East Dulwich, where until the new moon is visible on the night of April 3 the great Mahommedan Fast of Ramadan, which began yesterday, will be strictly kept.

“It is in the house of Dr Khalid Sheldrake, an Englishman, who is imam of the mosque and sheikh of the British Moslems. Members of the sect from all parts of the world come to the building for prayer night and day.”

By this time Khalid was still involved with the family pickle business, but was spending most of his time writing about Muslim issues and causes, mainly for journals he had helped establish, such as the Muslim News Journal and The Minaret. By the 1930s he was living in Forest Hill with Ghazia and their two sons, while also touring the UK and abroad giving talks and lectures about Islam and his experiences as a convert.

At this point there were only around 3,000 Muslims in Britain, of which probably only a fifth were converts.

Khalid was disappointed by the low rate of his compatriots converting to the faith, but in the early 1930s he became a central figure in an Islamic conversion that caused a worldwide media sensation.

Gladys Palmer, a famous socialite and daughter of Sir Walter Palmer, a rich biscuit mogul, was renowned for mixing with the great, the good and the not so good, but by 1932 she had decided that she was in need of further spiritual enlightenment. Having

already tried and rejected several forms of Christianity, she decided to convert to Islam instead.

“I particularly wanted to become a Moslem in an aeroplane so that I might be as far from Earth and as near to heaven as possible,” Gladys declared, and as probably the most high-profile Muslim in the UK at the time, it was Khalid who was called upon to lead the ceremony in which she officially embraced Islam on a 42-seater Imperial Airways craft somewhere above the English Channel.

Khalid’s role in this somewhat surreal religious ceremony made headlines around the world, and brought him to the attention of a group of rebels in the newly proclaimed Islamic Republic of East Turkestan (popularly known as the ETR), a breakaway state in China.

A deputation from the ETR arrived in London in 1933 and over tea with Khalid and Ghazia in Forest Hill proposed that he become “overlord” of the new state, which was dubbed “Islamestan” in the British media.

Khalid accepted and headed to the Far East on a tour of Muslim communities and territories, hoping to end up on the throne in Islamestan in due course. By 1934 he was in Peking and – having met with another set of ETR officials – it was announced that he would henceforth be known as “His Majesty King Khalid of Islamestan”, although wags in the media also suggested titles such as “The Pickle King of Tartary” and “The English Emir of Kashgar”.

Ghazia, who was reported in Time magazine as having said: “I intend to take my responsibilities as queen seriously” and “my two sons are excited at the idea that they are now princes”, joined her husband in China and the duo prepared to travel over 4,000km by camel train to assume the throne.

Alas, Khalid’s dream of becoming monarch of an Islamic republic collapsed, as did the ETR amid all sorts of political wrangling and subterfuge. Time reported: “Before the royal family could get to the coronation city of Khotan on the southern rim of the Taklamakan desert, the troops of General Shen Shih-tsai, young Chinese provincial governor, swooped down on King Khalid with planes furnished by Soviet Russia.”

Khalid and Ghazia fled to India, where he told the media: “I am not ready to be the pawn of any political game… for the moment I prefer to be an absentee king. I am awaiting events before proceeding to my kingdom.”

Events never unfolded in a way to allow Khalid to assume the throne he had been offered though. Instead he returned to England to his life of Islamic lectures, tours and writing – he also rejoined the family business, travelling to Turkey to purchase pickles. And when Khalid died in 1947 in Redhill County Hospital in Middlesex, there was nary a mention in the press of the long forgotten pickle mogul who almost became king of a faraway land.

I am awaiting events before proceeding to my kingdom

Above: Khalid Sheldrake ILLUSTRATION BY JESSICA KENDREW

22 | CAMBERWELL CURIOSITIES

The Camberwell crossword

6 Across is a place in Camberwell.

ACROSS 6 CRUSHGLITCHES (anagram) (2, 5, 6) 9 Very small (4) 10 Male pupil (9) 11 Room heater (8) 13 Bays, coves (6) 15 Show, exhibit (7) 17 Doctor’s check-up (7) 19 Creepy-crawly (6) 20 Happiness (8) 22 Ancient Greek philosopher (9) 23 Bloody (4) 24 Resolution, determination (13)

DOWN 1 Hope, ambition (10) 2 Very unattractive (4) 3 Walk-in wardrobe (6) 4 Chemical element, symbol Cl (8) 5 Those people (4) 7 Ball, orb (6) 8 Uprising, revolt (9) 12 Inexact, rough (9) 14 Sin, do wrong (10) 16 Opinion, stance (8) 18 ____ Christie, crime writer (6) 21 Representatives (6) 22 As well (4) 23 Delight, joy (4)

ACROSS: 6 St Giles’ Church, 9 Tiny, 10 Schoolboy, 11 Radiator, 13 Inlets, 15 Display, 17 Medical, 19 Insect, 20 Gladness, 22 Aristotle, 23 Gory, 24 Steadfastness. DOWN: 1 Aspiration, 2 Ugly, 3 Closet, 4 Chlorine, 5 They, 7 Sphere, 8 Rebellion, 12 Imprecise, 14 Transgress, 16 Attitude, 18 Agatha, 21 Agents, 22 Also, 23 Glee.

SOLUTION

Camberwell connections Actor Rafe Spall was born at King’s College Hospital in Camberwell in 1983.

The son of renowned actor Timothy Spall, he harboured ambitions to act from an early age and joined the National Youth Theatre when he was 15.

He continued to pursue his acting dream despite a rejection from RADA, and went on to appear in more than 50 films and TV shows.

His film credits include Life of Pi, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Men in Black: International and Kidulthood, while his TV work ranges from Black Mirror to The War of the Worlds.

He’s currently starring as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird at the Gielgud theatre, which is on until 13 August.

Charred sweetheart cabbage with prawns and a pickle brine dressing Helen Graves is a food and travel writer based in Camberwell. She is author of the award-winning website Food Stories and the editor of Pit magazine, a celebration of live fire cooking lauded by many, including national newspaper food critics such as Jay Rayner and Marina O’Loughlin.

Her latest book, Live Fire, is published in May and includes more than 100 seasonal barbecue recipes celebrating the common thread of live fire cooking in cuisines from around the world. Featuring seasonal produce including lots of vegetables alongside meat and fish, Helen also interviews chefs and home cooks from the multiple diaspora communities cooking with live fire in the UK, exploring the techniques that define and unite the way we grill.

Of the recipe below, she says: “I love using pickle brine in dressings as it adds gently spiced acidity and some sweetness. Here, it finds a way into all the frilly, charred leaves of the cabbage, their bitter edges a pleasant contrast. Plump prawns make this feel special, and I’d definitely add some potatoes or buttered brown bread to bulk it out, if in the mood.”

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4) Pickle brine dressing 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice from a jar (I used Mrs Elswood) 1 tablespoon strained pickling spices from the jar ½ shallot, very finely chopped 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 sweetheart cabbage, quartered 350g raw, shell-on prawns (around 12 prawns) Generous sprinkle of urfa chilli A wedge of lemon

METHOD Light a barbecue for direct cooking.

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a clean lidded jar or bowl and shake or whisk to combine.

Rub the cabbage with a little neutral oil and season with salt. Grill over direct heat for six to eight minutes on each side, or until nicely charred. You can take this quite far, as the inside leaves will stay soft and tender.

Coat the prawns in oil too, then grill for a minute on each side, or until fully pink and cooked through.

Separate the charred cabbage leaves, remove the root and arrange them on a plate. Add the prawns, dressing, urfa chilli and a big squeeze of lemon juice. Serve.

ILLUSTRATION BY JESSICA KENDREW

APRIL/MAY 2022

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