Are you ready for the first Wandsworth Town Centre Music Tour? Guaranteed to spin you right round, baby right round the Wandsworth one way system like you've never been spun before! Where the Wandle meets the Thames, Wandsworth 'London Borough of Culture 2025' is a place where gargantuan tower blocks jostle uneasily alongside rusting remains of the area's remarkable industrial legacy - all making for a fascinating ramble! Mantle-makers, costermongers and those who trooped into the gasworks everyday may have gone but their legacy lives on and the streets that shaped Sadiq Khan, Voltaire, Frank Bruno and Nigella Lawson resonate with history. This is the community that over 300 years ago gave sanctuary to the Huguenots and later provided a home for so many migrants and refugees. It also inspired imaginative minds and some of the musical history here needs wider appreciation. So lets hear it for this cradle of creativity that nutured the fledgling Sex Pistols, indie groundbreakers 4AD, reggae production powerhouse Dennis Bovell and launched pioneering MTV videos at Capital Studios. Throw in the legendary 90s rave destination that was Club UK, 'The Swedish Nightingale', Marc Bolan, thr drummer from Adam and the Ants, Zodiac Records and connections with Mick Jagger, Pink Floyd, Duran Duran and the National Opera Studio and you have one helluva mix. As always, you can rely on Geoff for informative and entertaining historic commentary supported by a killer soundtrack from Call Me Fred enhancing understanding and enjoyment.
A Wandsworth resident for over 30 years, Geoff Simmons runs a community history project in south west London called Summerstown182 alongside his job as a graphic designer. This involves Guided Walks and Talks, working with schools and putting up plaques. Over the last ten years a trail of these have emerged along the Wandle Valley, shining a light on some of the lesser-known history in this area. They range from the youngest soldier to serve this country in the First World War to a ground-breaking plaque acknowledging Romany Gypsy and Traveller heritage in Wandsworth. 'Planet Tooting' is an ongoing initiative championing the outstanding migrant contribution to our neighbourhood which resulted in a blue plaque on Tooting Market. Have a look on Geoff's blog for more details or follow @summerstown182 on social media.
