Vauxhall, in South London, was a place of sharp contrasts in the 1980s. Once a busy industrial hub, it was hit hard by factory closures, rising unemployment, and vacant buildings, yet at the same time it drew artists, squatters, and a diverse working-class community who shaped the area on their own terms. Photographer Peter Marshall roamed its streets and captured scenes from daily life — corner shops, squatted terraces, cold stores, community farms, and pub fronts — leaving behind a vivid record of a neighbourhood in the middle of change.
Built in the 1870s for railway workers, it was compulsorily purchased by the GLC, who intended to demolish it and build a school. But one resident took legal action to prevent the demolition as the properties were emptied, and squatters moved in to occupy the whole area, setting up a café, shop, bars, and a community garden. They formed a housing co-op and negotiated a lease, and in 1998 were able to buy the buildings from Lambeth Council. Various festivals took place in the square.
‘Don’t Panic!’ is good advice, though not always easy to follow. It was useful to the residents of the street when Lambeth Council was attempting to evict them. They made their first attempt in 1977 but were only really successful in 2005.
Built in 1964 on a site where the South Metropolitan Gas Works had closed in 1956, the cold store was built to hold around 2 million cubic feet of frozen food, with a 90-foot jetty for barges on the Thames, rail access across the road, and large lorries. It closed in 1979 and stood largely empty for around 20 years before demolition. It was replaced from 2003 by the rather less attractive St George Wharf development of expensive flats, with the 590-foot St George’s Tower — widely considered a planning error in many respects.
At left is the railway line from Vauxhall to Waterloo. Several pictures were taken of these boys, who, as the photographer’s mother would have said, were clearly up to no good. This was either on Tinworth Street or Black Prince Road, both of which have changed considerably.
Built in the 1870s for railway workers, it was compulsorily purchased by the GLC, who intended to demolish it and build a school. But one resident took legal action to prevent the demolition as the properties were emptied, and squatters moved in to occupy the whole area, setting up a café, shop, bars, and a community garden. They formed a housing co-op and negotiated a lease, and in 1998 were able to buy the buildings from Lambeth Council. Various festivals took place in the square.
