-The city over the water-
Stories from south London
Events
Larks in the parks. Strolls stories and songs with Cunning Folk providing the music. 90 minutes of exploration, entertainment and evening views in Brockwell, Myatts, Burgess and Kennington Parks. May to August. Booking form
Larks in the parks booking details and flyer
Brockwell Park May 9th SE24 : 7.00 PM -8.30 stroll stories and songs with Cunning Folk providing the music. 90 minutes of exploration, entertainment and evening views in one of London’s greatest parks. Wild west heroes, mermaids, and legends of the River Effra are likely to feature. After all it’s only 24 seconds from Tulse Hill. Meet by Arlingford Road Gate.
Booking here
Myatt’s Fields Park SE5 June 13th 7.00 PM -8.30 stroll stories and songs with Cunning Folk providing the music. 90 minutes of exploration and entertainment in the gorgeous Myatt’s Fields Park. As John Betjeman said it’s a strangely beautiful place and there are cats, expect Camberwell tales and park folklore. Meet by Calais Street / Knatchbull Road Gate
Booking here
June 14th 2-4 Book signing Elephant Books Sayer Street SE17. Chris Roberts will be signing copies of South Parks; Stories from the southern commons from 1PM to 3PM and occasionally chatting southern breeze about the history of parks in south London, the folklore behind the stories and tales set around the Elephant and Walworth from both that collection and the previous one (Bus travel in south London). Expect lost zoos, South American folklore, the P5, literature’s first commuter and talking plants.
Burgess Park SE5 July 11th 7.00 PM-8.30 stroll stories and songs involving Connection with Wonder 90 minutes of exploration and entertainment around the old Surrey Canal and Burgess Park. Latin American folklore, stories of the old farm of the Britons and the world’s first literary commuter are likely to feature. Meet by Camberwell Road Entrance
Booking here
July 31st Horse Hospital. Salon for the city with Travis Eldridge Chris Roberts will be discussing the history, development of and folklore of south London parks. Expect anti golf riots, stolen geese as we celebrate places to sit in, places to play in and places to spend the day in alongside contemporary (and older) threats to the concept of free open spaces in London.
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Kennington Park SE11 August 15th 7.00 PM -8.30 PM stroll stories and songs with Cunning Folk providing the music 90 minutes of exploration and entertainment around Kennington Park. Expect revolutionary tales, lost Rasta Temples, speaking statues and some of the men they couldn’t hang. Meet by Prince Albert's Model Cottage
Fortean London Event Aug 26th Chris Roberts talks about toilet goddesses, pagan estate agents, mermaids looking for a mate, lost racecourses and Peckham Rye’s gay cultural renaissance alongside a celebration of south London’s open spaces. The talk will switch between the real and the magically real and is based on his book South Parks : Stories from the southern commons.
South Parks talk Carnegie Library SE24 Sept 9th As part of Lambeth Heritage Month Chris Roberts talks about the history, development of and folklore surrounding south London parks. Expect anti golf riots and stolen geese as we celebrate places to sit in, places to play in and places to spend the day in alongside contemporary (and older) threats to the concept of free open spaces in London. There may also be references to park toilet goddesses, pagan estate agents, mermaids looking for a mate and Peckham Rye’s gay cultural renaissance alongside a celebration of south London’s open spaces.
Podcast and Events
Some Kind words about Bus Travel in South London
"If you love London, this book is unforgettable. But if you know her, it’s like coming home."
"Roberts manages to do for the estates south of the river what Hardy did for Wessex, revealing it to be as good a place for epics and myths as ancient Greece ever was."
"is a fascinating mix of the down-to earth and the magical." SF & FANTASY BOOKS Review Dave Barrett
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