Walking the Elephant – The Regeneration Game

Short read: Seeing the Elephant in Sarf London. One of our South London “specials.” Specialist guided. Yes, this one’s curated – come out of the teeming mind, that overflowing storehouse of local knowledge – by our south London specialist, Isobel.

Long read: Let’s run the film backwards. The £1.5 billion 21st century regeneration programme. The clumsy 1950s redevelopment. The devastation visited upon Elephant & Castle by the Luftwaffe. Before all that – including before the junction’s being overwhelmed by motor traffic – this being a locality where people came to socialise, shop and be entertained. The French observer observing on the eve of World War I ” South London’s central edifice is a public house – the Elephant & Castle.” The railway’s pitching up. The Metropolitan Tabernacle pitching up (the portico survives). The local-boy- made-good story – Michael Faraday and his pioneering work on electricity. The tavern becoming a coaching halt and giving its name to the junction. The smithy being converted, about 1760, to a tavern. In 1641 John Flaxman setting up a blacksmith’s forge on an island site here to take advantage of the passing horse-drawn traffic. Outside chance that Shakespeare alluded to it in Twelfth Night (Antonio and Sebastian’s decision to lodge “in the south suburbs, at the Elephant”). So, yes, Elephant & Castle’s a palimpsest. And since, as the Forensic Scientists say, “every contact leaves a trace,” it’s fun to work back through this textbook example of the game London plays better than any other city in the world: the Regeneration Game. And into the bargain get to know a quintessential south London neighbourhood.

WALKING THE ELEPHANT – THE PRACTICALS

Walking the Elephant – The Regeneration Game walk takes place at TBA

To go on the Walking the Elephant walk meet Isobel just outside the Southbank University exit of Elephant & Castle Tube.

LONDON WALKS BAGATELLE

Isobel sometimes starts this walk by saying “the station you’ve just arrived at ‘midwived’ the first baby born on the Tube. It was 1924. Her name was Marie Cordery (though several newspapers got carried away and ran tales crediting her with names that began with the initials T.U.B.E.).” Glee. What fun it is to know stuff like that.

LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS

If you can’t make one of the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, Walking the Elephant - The Regeneration Game it can always be booked as a private tour. If you go private you can have the Walking the Elephant - The Regeneration Game walk – or any other London Walk – on a day and at a time that suits your convenience. We’ll tailor it to your requirements. Ring Fiona or Mary on 020 7624 3978 or email us at [email protected] and we’ll set it up and make it happen for you. A private London Walk – they’re good value for an individual or couple and sensational value for a group – makes an ideal group or educational or birthday party or office (team-building) or club outing.

GIVE THE GIFT OF LONDON WALKS

A private London Walk makes a fab gift – be it a birthday or anniversary or Christmas present or whatever. Merchandise schmerchandise (gift wrapped or not) – but giving someone an experience, now that’s special. Memories make us rich.

LONDON WALKS – STREETS AHEAD!

Don’t just take it from us.

OTHER TOURS YOU MAY LIKE

• Day trips from London
• Undiscovered London
• Ghost Walks
• Jack the Ripper walking tour