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.
The spring sun has finally started to take hold and a new normalcy has begun to settle. After a long winter and a tough few years, we are all well deserving of some fun! There are loads of great bars and pubs in the borough of Lewisham - in this list we’ve highlighted 11 of the most unique, enjoyable and best! Whether you want to celebrate the weather or that all the best places are back open, this list of Lewisham’s loveliest places for a drink is for you!
There’s little more enjoyable than snuggling up with a good book. One thing that probably pips it for most readers is the joyous trip to the heaven that is the bookstore! Being surrounded by fresh books that are itching to be read, unleashes something feral in most of us. Going just to bask in the comfort of a bookstore can very quickly turn into spending half your paycheck on books, even though there is half a bookstore unread on your own shelves already! But there is always space somewhere for more books and this is your excuse to go out and get them at one of these wonderful independent bookstores in South East London!
What makes South London so special? For me it’s undoubtedly the people. The same thing is what makes local art galleries my favourite to go to. It is wonderful to be able to connect to art made by people from your own community! We will be looking at these 7 super galleries in the Borough of Lewisham to start the celebrations for Lewisham being the London Borough of Culture for 2022! Check out the South London art scene and help highlight these vital local institutions that support local creatives!
Living in the concrete jungle of London, we think the vibe of the vivacious South Americas is a welcome addition to everyone’s lives. Where better to start than their delicious cuisine? South American cuisine is all about Churrasco (grilled meats), succulent steaks, black bean stews and sensational empanadas. Not forgetting their love for finely mixed cocktails, because finding a fantastic Caipirinha in London is something everyone needs to do. Whilst South American cuisine hasn’t gained the widespread attention like other cuisines just yet, we think it is coming up in a big way! So, with this list of our 10 favourite spots, when going out for a Brazilian becomes the new Italian, you’ll know all the best places to go.
For a foodstuff that makes up a very large part of the diet of a large proportion of the the great people of South London, we don't seem to take much care in the quality of the meat we eat. We're happy to go to the supermarket and buy the pre-packaged meat on the shelves because it's more convenient, and we're not going to damn you for doing it, a lot of the time you've just come home from work and haven't got any food in your fridge. However, we would certainly encourage you to make an effort in purchasing meat of a higher quality as the taste and flavour will certainly make it worthwhile. Butchery is an ancient trade and though almost all large supermarkets will have a butcher in their premises, independent butchers are a great way of supporting the local economy. If you're not sure of where to look for your new local independent butcher, we're here to help you with our list of the 11 best butchers in South London.
Let it be known that haircuts are very important. Though their importance varies from person to person, there is little question that haircuts are always important. They're a key way in which we as individuals define ourselves and play an incredibly important role in how we are visually received by others. Really, a haircut should be what you like, what you want - not what every one else has, but it's difficult to argue against the power of wanting to look like your peers. For some people, the role of a haircut is quite complex - it's there to help you stand out, but not massively. It's a rather peculiar but essential balance. Anyway, having a hairdresser or barber that you trust and know is, by proxy, vitally important. You are a beautiful portrait that needs touching up now and then, and if you're happy with how it looked previously, you're not going to have some other artist touch your portrait are you? No, so if you're in need of a new artist in Lewisham Borough to trust your hair (portrait) with, then we've got you covered with our list of the 13 best places for a haircut in Lewisham Borough. We split it up into unisex, female, and male to make sure you don't go somewhere that can't help you.
Many of you reading this may be wondering why we're doing a history of what is now a McDonalds and a roundabout. While we would really love to talk about the roundabout, and it may feature on a future poll to decide what is South London's best roundabout, we are going to talk about the building's past as a pub. Located between Eltham and Lee on the Eltham Road (part of the majestic South Circular), the Yorkshire Grey was, for a long period, one of the more infamous pubs in all of South East London.
The earliest known dedicated Indian restaurant opened in the United Kingdom was the Hindostanee Coffee House on George Street in Westminster, owned and run by one Sake Dean Mahomed, and which began trading in 1810. Though Britain apparently already had a taste for curry by this point, as shown by the fact that curried dishes were included in cookbooks published during the eighteenth century, the Hindostanee Coffee House apparently closed only a year after opening due to a lack of business - though some accounts suggest it continued trading till 1833. To put this into context, the first outlet dedicated to selling the dish now most synonymous with the UK - fish and chips - opened during the 1860s. Curry has become a staple of the British diet, and is easily one of the most popular 'takeaway' foods commonly served in the UK. Almost everyone has a favourite curry dish, and a favourite curry restaurant. We're not going to try to change that, but maybe you're thinking about trying somewhere new, and if you are, we've got you covered. To help you get your search started, here is our list of the 11 best Indian restaurants in South London.
Bicycling as a method of transport for getting round London has grown and grown - something which is only positive. While some cyclists are not as responsible as they should be, it's likely that those individuals would be just as careless behind the wheel of a car, so we should be thankful that they are only in control of a bike. South London Club are firmly behind this clean method of transport which also provides a convenient opportunity to exercise. We understand it can be aggravating as a driver if a cyclist skips a red light, but just bear in mind that if you are involved in a collision - they'll be coming off a lot worse, so maybe be a little more forgiving when in control of a machine that was directly involved in the death of 1,732 people in 2015, and in incidents which caused serious injuries to 22,137 individuals. Anyway, less about that, and more about how useful bike shops are, and how the gradual growth in the number of independent bike shops across South London reflects how many people are now using their bike to get around. We know that a good bike shop is something that many people rely on for repairs and whatnot, so we think it's a good idea to give you our list of the the 13 best bike shops in South London.
We all have a particular meal that we enjoy more than others, it's natural, so don't feel bad about it. Some days you feel like trying something new, some days you don't, and today we're gonna be focusing on those days that you don't - though you could still use this list as a guide of places where you can try new foods, there's absolutely nothing stopping you. There are even more added layers to all this, you could use this list as a guide for new places for you try your favourite foods at, did you think of that? Yes? Well done then. If you are using this list of 17 places for your favourite foods in South London for any of these reasons, that's fine, we just hope you're using it safely, in a responsible environment, with people you trust. Anyway, here it is.
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.
