Friday lates @ Deptford

If you find it difficult to get along to Deptford's art galleries during weekends, this Friday you get the chance to enjoy late night openings at many of them followed by a gig at the Old Police Station. The late night openings will take place from 18.30 to 20.30 at Bearspace, Arch, The Agency (on Evelyn Street), APT, Utrophia, SE8 Gallery and even Viewfinder (Royal Hill, Greenwich) so that you can check out their latest shows, enjoy a glass of wine and even rub shoulders with others members of the Arty Crowd.

This first late night event coincides with the launch of the Deptford Art Map, which you can find here - it includes information about all the local galleries, shows, and links to their websites as well as information about events. Hopefully this site will continue to be updated and hence become a one-stop shop for information about new openings, upcoming shows, competitions and so on. Check out the site if you think you know every gallery in the area - I'll hazard a guess that, like me, you'll be surprised there are so many!

Those looking for an aftershow party should head on down to the Old Police Station for Dirty Cop Friday with Tainted Live Art.
"Amidst the cells and the vestiges of an institution, ten young live artists are inviting you to examine the traces and leave your own imprint on their work. Exploring the themes of intimacy, home, absence or memory, through the means of live performance, the audience is enticed to participate in a private encounter in a cell.
4-11pm - £5/3 conc. Free from 9pm."

Deptford in Time Out

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about current and ongoing art shows in Deptford, highlighting the fact that we have a huge number of galleries and art spaces in such a small area.

I'm delighted to see that Time Out has picked up on it, albeit with a few additions and ommissions. They do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so the Dame will take it in a positive spirit and consider herself duly flattered.

Events in the week ahead

A couple of items have come to my attention in the week ahead, which may prove of interest to my local audience.

This weekend (13 and 14 June) the Creekside Centre is holding two open days, on Saturday and Sunday, which offer the opportunity to go along and find out just what goes on behind those decorative gates on Creekside.

Having been on one of the low tide walks in the past, I can thoroughly recommend them - and this weekend the centre's staff are leading four walks, two each day. It's best to book in advance, but then you just turn up, put on the waders and grab a stick and enjoy an hour or so's walk along bottom of the creek. If this isn't really your sort of thing, there are plenty more activities going on at the centre this weekend - you can check out the numerous sculptures made of peculiar items that have been found in the Creek; enjoy river dipping sessions; or sample tea and cakes and participate in the bug hunts and games and quizzes.

See the website for further information.

Meanwhile there is what promises to be a good night out at the Albany for the adults next week - the OOXXOO art collective is running a music night on Thursday 18 June from 7.30pm onwards. The Invisible are headlining, fresh from supporting Hot Chip, the Doves and the Foals and are supported by Monade, Exlovers, Dimbleby & Capper and David Jay. There will also be DJ sets by Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip, Laetitia 'Stereolab' and Marie 'Lisbonne' along with A Little Bazaar Market.

Full details of the evening and tickets are available here.

Urban wildlife in the south east

One of the things that constantly delights and surprises me about London is the amount of wildlife that can be found even in the depths of its urban sprawl. My favourite places to spot the wild side of the capital include Deptford Creek, Brookmill Park, the cycle routes along the Thames and the Regent's Canal, and a combination of our best-kept local secrets; Russia Dock Woodlands and Stave Hill Ecological Park over in Rotherhithe.


I occasionally stray down here on my bike for an hour's ride if it's a sunny evening, or pass through while tracing the Thames from Tower Bridge down to Deptford. Russia Dock Woodlands meanders between the houses, with paths leading off in all directions making it seem something of a maze and giving it a really secluded feeling. On the route of the central path is a series of pools, each with its own character, and further along it opens up into a large meadow area surrounded by trees, where families come to picnic and play games. It always feels oddly remote and otherworldly in comparison to the housing estates and roads that surround it, and I always find plenty to look at and ponder while passing through.

It seems that the wildlife in these parks is much more diverse than even I could have imagined - local resident Andie Byrnes has been keeping a blog about the area for a year now, and it has really opened my eyes as to how much more there is to see.

Andie has many, many fantastic photos which will have you itching to get down there for a visit if you haven't been already. She posts wonderful pics of the flora and fauna (mammals, birds and insects including butterflies and moths) along with identification information for those she has managed to pinpoint, links to articles containing local news or relevant wildlife information, and updates on residents' attempts to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime in the parks.