For us, none other than the amazing tradition of Christmas markets is what gets us in the Christmas spirit, and so we have gathered some of the fantastic Christmas markets in South London that are definitely worth checking out in your local area this year!
As the sun finally begins to show its face, we’re bringing you a list of the best spots to don your sunnies, slap on the suncream and settle in for an afternoon of cold ones in the London sunshine. From riverside sundowners to boozy lunches on the terrace, Putney’s got an exciting little assortment of al fresco possibilities and we’ve rounded them up just in time for the Bank Holiday.
With the gradual, yet steady closing-down of local cinemas and theatres that has been happening in Britain for decades, we thought it a good idea to use our platform to pay homage to one of the oldest theatres in South London that has survived this unfortunate decline in entertainment venues, and continues to showcase cutting edge theatre and events to this day....
Season's greetings! There is no better way of getting into the Christmas spirit than by attending your local christmas markets. Wrap up warm with the family or a few friends, stroll down to your local market and enjoy the rich warming smells of mulled wine and mince pies, whilst trying to remember the lyrics to your favourite carols. We've got the round-up; check out where your local market is happening and make sure you're there!
Run your fingers along their spines, cast your eyes up and down the shelves, flick through the pages and sit cross legged on the floor engrossed in the words resting in your lap. Escape the dull, uniform, needlessly clean chain bookshops that are a stalwart part of any high street or soulless shopping centre. South London has its fair share of independent bookshops where hidden treasures can be found, prices are right and the shelves hold countless stories to lose yourself in.
Sometimes it can be hard and challenging to find the motivation to go on a run or exercise on your own at the local gym. We can advocate the sense of community and support that comes with attending a group exercise class by instructors that really care about each of their clients’ fitness journey. If you’re still trying to get moving more in 2020, then here’s 5 ways to have fun and get fit in Forest Hill
Everyone can dance! Taking a dance class is an amazing way to bring a community together and meet new people who love to move their bodies. Whether you’re looking for a way to change up your fitness routine or want to try out a new hobby, dancing may be your next calling. Look out for options for your little ones to get involved and have a boogie too! So, here’s 13 places to dance your way through South London!
Yoga is a form of exercise that not only looks after your body, but your mind too. If you’re looking to get active, but want to start off gently, yoga is a fantastic way to begin your journey to a healthier you. In preparation for World Mental Health Day on 10th October, we’ve recommended these 16 yoga studios to keep you mindful and relaxed in South London.
So, you’ve bought the gym membership, the results should come in time, right? Not always. Most of the time gyms are so daunting you end up wandering around looking at the scary contraptions and deciding on attempting some crunches in the corner, which you realise you could have done at home anyway. For the best results and a kickstart on your fitness goals, getting a personal trainer the first step to the new you. No longer exclusive to the rich and famous, personal trainers are for everyone who’s trying to shape up. We’ve narrowed down a list of our favourite personal trainers in South London, so you can choose one that is local and appeals to you.
If you’ve missed the boat for this year’s beach body and want to up your game for next year, look no further. Londoners want the best of everything and are already balancing busy careers, family life and socialising. Introducing fitness seems a big ask, but these places make working out flexible, sociable and enjoyable. From relaxing yoga classes to intense boot camps, Blackheath and Greenwich can deliver your fitness results (providing you turn up).
This week the Oval in Kennington, South London's premier cricket ground, is celebrating hosting its 100th test match when England play South Africa. It is now one of only four cricket grounds across the world to have done this. Though one would prefer for England to win the test, it will be a joyous occasion regardless of the result. To coincide with this milestone, we thought it would be suitable to provide our own brief history of cricket in South London - we should stress, it is brief.
We read a statistic last year that said, in 2016, 14% of English footballers in the Premier League were from South London. That got us thinking, who are the best players from South London? Then we thought, what if we were to assemble a team of the greatest players to come from the wondrous land of South London? South London being defined as any London Borough south of the River Thames. Now, for fairness, to define a player from South London, we thought we would include both players born in South London and players brought up in South London. So this means if a player was both in South London, they are from South London and if they were born away from South London, but brought up in South London, then they are also from South London. So there are players in this list who were born in South London, but brought up elsewhere, and also players born outside South London, but brought up here. We should stress that this is our XI, and you have every right to disagree with it. If you do, as is very likely, we would welcome your suggestions to players who should be included. Anyway, here it is, our all-time South London XI
After our last article about non-league football, we received a flurry, a raging, dangerous, flurry of messages demanding an explanation as to why their team had not been included in our list of six teams. It was never a definitive list, but we realise that much of South London was badly under-represented so in this article we've gone out of our way to rectify this issue. Along the way we decided that we might as well include all the teams we could find playing between the sixth and tenth tiers of the English football league system who currently play in South London boroughs. This means that the likes of Kingstonian, though traditionally a London club, are currently playing outside London and thus aren't in the list. We found 28. Just to stress, the previous article (hyperlink) included Dulwich Hamlet, Greenwich Borough, Tooting & Mitcham United, Welling United, Fisher FC, and Cray Valley Paper Mills, so they will not be in this list.
There’s no segregation, very little swearing and absolutely no pressure. Non-league football is an inexpensive, unthreatening and enriching day out for people of all ages, genders and backgrounds. Oh, and the football is not bad either - but where can you go and watch some? Here are 6 of our favourite non-league team in South London.
Having not been held last year, the Crystal Palace Overground Festival is set to return this year with events being held in conjunction with the festival from 12th-18th June. Having started in 2006, the festival has grown and grown, with approximately 10,000 people visiting over five days back in 2015, as it seeks to create cultural events and activities that bring the local community together, and promotes Crustal Palace as an interesting and special place to live and work in. We at South London Club love anything that promotes the diverse culture of South London, and we also love events that promote local independent business, so we’re definitely big fans of the event. To give you an idea as to what is on offer during the festival we’ve gone through the programme of events and have worked out a short guide of what we reckon are the best bets for each day, starting with the last day of the festival.
A local discount card to support South London's local businesses while saving you money!
We aim to help you discover and explore all that South London has to offer, from hidden gems to the best-kept secrets!
The South London Club Card will take you on a tour of South London that you've never experienced before, showcasing our fantastic local businesses that are the lifeblood of our communities.
With 850+ local businesses to choose from, including gift shops, bike shops, restaurants, and roofers, our pocket-sized card is full of value.
Join us and let's work together to make South London even better.
