Vauxhall, Oval & Kennington

Information for Residents of Fentiman Road, Richborne Terrace, Usborne Mews and nearby roads

This is information that may be of particular interest to residents of the above roads.  Please email Martin Stanley if you wish to add or correct anything.

Your Residents Association website is here. 

More general information about the Vauxhall Area and its history may be found here. 

Newsletters

Your Residents Association sends a brief email newsletter to local residents every few weeks. Contributions should be emailed to Ros Hallifax in a form that can be published without redrafting.   Formulae such as "xxx has asked me to tell you that ..." or "The next meeting of yyy is ..." or "You might like to know that ..." work fine. The key thing is to keep the contributions short and simple - one para only, up to around 100 words, no images, no attachments, but including links to further information and/or someone who can be contacted.

Ros is happy to include information about items for sale, or to be given away, if they are likely to be of particular interest to local residents. One example might be heavy furniture which cannot easily be disposed of elsewhere. But she generally does not carry information about items that could be posted on eBay etc., or on free-cycling sites.

Similarly, she is happy to pass on information about cleaners, au pairs etc. who are looking for work, but she does not list the many neighbours looking for such help, as such requests would come to dominate the newsletters.

For similar reasons, Ros does not generally help publicise theatrical and musical events unless there is a particularly strong local connection.

Council Services

We are in Oval Ward within the London Borough of Lambeth.  (Vauxhall Park, however, is in Vauxhall Ward.)

You will find much helpful information on Lambeth Council's web site.

Lambeth's waste and recycling advice is here.

Bulky waste collection and recycling can be arranged here.

Use this link to find out how to switch to a smaller wheelie bin.

The nearest recycling banks, for smaller quantities, are at Tesco on Kennington Lane, Sainsbury's on Wandsworth Road, and Thorne Road.   Larger quantities need to be taken to the recycling centres on Smugglers' Way, Wandsworth, SW18 1JS or Vale Street, West Norwood SE27 9PA - but check their restricted opening hours (Google: 'Lambeth recycling').

Problems with lighting, potholes etc. can be reported via the Fix My Street website.

If you have a problem with local services, your local councillors are all keen to help you. They are all easily accessible by phone and email, and hold weekly surgeries for which no appointment is necessary.   Details are on the Lambeth Council website - see above.

Follow these links for information about Vauxhall Park and Kennington Park.

Police, Security etc.

Our Safer Neighbourhoods Metropolitan Police team are best emailed at oval@met.police.uk and you can Tweet them using @MPSOVAL .  Their phone number is 020 8649 2465 or call 101 to report non emergencies such as suspicious behaviour or a crime that has already happened.

Streetsafe is a service that allows you to report safety concerns in public places without giving the police your name (anonymously). This includes issues like poorly lit streets, abandoned buildings, or vandalism, as well as instances where you felt unsafe due to someone following or verbally abusing you.

The police have also set up the 'Roadsafe' website for members of the public to report particularly bad driving, such as speeding down our roads, cutting up cyclists and so on. Every report is researched, but the aim is to educate the driver, rather than prosecute. Submissions may be made anonymously if you wish, though that should not be necessary.

Burglar alarms can cause considerable distress so - if you have a burglar alarm - please ensure that your neighbours are able to contact you and/or your key-holder, and that the alarm automatically stops after 20 minutes. (I understand that this is a legal requirement for all alarms fitted since around 2000.)

If you are concerned about an alarm that has been sounding for much more than 20 minutes then you should call the Lambeth noise pollution team on 020 7926 5000 - I understand that they are very helpful but they need at least 3 complaints before they can act, so you may need to encourage neighbours to contact them.

If the Council need to use force to enter premises, an application to a JP may be made for a warrant to enter and silence the alarm. The officer may take with him such other persons and equipment as he thinks necessary for the purpose of silencing the alarm. This will normally include an electrician and, where force is required to enter premises, a locksmith. Any reasonable costs incurred by the Council in connection with silencing the alarm including entering the premises, silencing the alarm, securing the premises and administration may be recoverable by the authority from the responsible person.

Click here for crime prevention advice and other advice on living in Lambeth. 

Recommended Businesses and Traders

Below is a list of (mainly local) traders and others who have been recommended by local residents. Please email Martin Stanley if you would like to recommend that someone should be mentioned on (or removed from) this page.

You might also like to see if you can find the help you need via Checkatrade.

Building Trades

General Builders

Painters, Decorators, Plasterers, Stone/Wood Restoration

Plumbers & Central Heating Engineers

One or two neighbours - several years ago now - reported that they were unimpressed by Pimlico Plumbers, either because of poor workmanship or high cost.  Up-to-date reports would be very welcome.

Electricians

Carpenters & Sash Window Installers

Roofers & Scaffolders

House Numbers

John Singh (Alpha Sign Writing) drew many of the traditional house numbers painted on the pillars of the larger houses in the area. 

Miscellaneous Services

Appliance Repair

TAR (The Appliance Repairs) have been recommended by a number of neighbours.  They have a good website and clear, reasonable pricing.  And they can often offer same day appointments at no extra cost.   Their engineers are friendly and efficient.  01689 639117  &  020 3691 1116 .

Capital Repairs  (020 8868 9792) service and repair every imaginable make and age of appliance, and operate all across south-east England.  Reports suggest that they are pleasant and efficient.

Neighbours have also recommended Damien Nwosisi (07908 505 859),  London Spin Doctors  ,  Domex Appliance Services  and  Appliance Warehouse Services.  More reports please!

Bike Repairs

Friendly and fast Jake Alabaster lives right on our doorstep in Meadow Road.  His mobile number is 07392 697 466.

Nazaan Cycling is nearby at 28 Brixton Road  SW9 6BU.  07975 539 427.  One neighbour reports "excellent customer service. Took real care to find out what was wrong, good value for money and explained what they had done and why." Nazaan has a standard charging structure that is easy to understand including a Diamond service where they pick up and deliver.  They also offer courtesy bikes and a walk-in repair service.

Blocked Drains?

Chiswick-based Flowaway Drainage have been recommended by a neighbour as offering good value for money, as have DraineX.

Chimney Sweeps

Battersea's London Chimney Company  (020 7223 2777) are friendly and efficient.

Mick at A1 Chimney Sweeps, based in Croydon, has frequently been recommended by neighbours:- 07860 263 874.

Computer Repair

Zoltan (07891 087 260) specialises in repairing Macs.

Curtain Makers

Driving Schools

Brixton-based Tuga Driving School has been recommended by several neighbours. They are good and caring teachers who offer two-hour lessons, and collect from, and deliver to, your door so the pupil is not driving around with another pupil in the back of the car. They are also helpful and flexible, even to the extent of supporting one young driver when he managed to snap up an early Saturday morning driving test at only 48 hours notice.

Another neighbour commented as follows:

My daughter did an intensive driving course with Shabir from the Elephant Driving School and passed first time:- 020 3633 2535. Another good local instructor is Gina Attridge (ginaattridge33@msn.com).  You can also find locally DVLA approved instructors via the DVLA website - also a good way of checking that the instructor that you might be offered by a driving school is properly approved and not just a trainee.

French Polishers:

Trinity Bell Restoration are recommended. Their address etc. is 2a Codrington Hill, SE23 1LW:- 020 8314 5300.

Gardeners

Guitar, Piano, Singing & Dance Teachers

Locksmiths

Brixton-based Fortress Lock & Safe Co get good reviews on the web and from neighbours. They will if necessary carry out quite complex carpentry such as replacing doors and frames.

Trafalgar Lock & Key Co (7928 0639) at 36 Kennington Road, near Hercules Road, is also a very reliable locksmith, door strengthener etc.

Pest/Mice Control

We used Beaver Pest Control to eradicate a large wasps' nest.  They attended very quickly and dealt with the problem efficiently, giving good advice on follow up.  We also discussed other pests, including moths and rats, and the technician seemed very knowledgeable and helpful.

And a neighbour strongly recommends Pestgone Environmental who offer urgent call outs at a reasonable price (and for much less than the Council charge).  020 8914 8285.

The following have also been recommended:

Removals & Storage

Big Yellow Storage (020 7587 1453) on Kennington Lane gets good reports.

Rapid Removals and Collections (070 8578 6864  &  07722 201 130) are recommended by Big Yellow Storage and by a neighbour who has used them.

Both are said to have friendly and helpful staff, and to be efficient and reasonable priced.

Tree Surgeons

Tyre Repair/Replacement:

Any recommendations?

Watch Batteries/Repairs

M Allen (020 7582 6688) underneath Platform 7 in Vauxhall Station provides an excellent (and guaranteed) watch repair service.  He also stocks a range of reliable but inexpensive watches.

Window Cleaners

Daniel Kemp - 07946 329 910.  Daniel took over from his uncle who cleaned windows in our area for many years.  "He is not ridiculously cheap but does the job very well."

Victor  (Transparent Window Cleaning)   07528 582 807  Reported as pleasant and trustworthy.

Miguel Quero (see also above) also cleans windows. His phone number is as above but he uses a different email address for this business: miguelwindowcleaner@gmail.com.

I understand that the following also works in our area.  Reports please!

Miscellaneous Shops

P J Frankland have an excellent reputation as our local butchers selling much tastier meat than our local supermarkets. They are conveniently located at 6 Jonathan Street, SE11 (7735 5627) just 7 or 8 minutes walk from both Vauxhall Cross and Kennington Cross. And it is easy to park nearby, often right outside the shop - 'though they are in the Congestion Charging Zone.

There is a very good Farmers' Market from 1000-1500 every Saturday in St Mark's Churchyard, opposite the Oval Tube Station. Very tasty meat, veg, fruit, pies - and coffee and cake. Definitely a pleasant place, if expensive, to shop.

Blissetts of 32 Brixton road, SW9 6BU (7735 4095) are a very friendly and helpful old-fashioned ironmongers and DIY/builders suppliers.

Travis Perkins at the corner of Fentiman Road and South Lambeth Road are very helpful to even the most amateur DIY-ers, and they also have a tool hire department - or you can try HSS Tool Hire in Stockwell or near Lambeth Bridge.

More specialist stuff, such as brass fittings, can generally be found at SDS London at 185 Northcote Road, just south of Clapham Junction. As it is a bit of a journey, you could ring first on 7228 1185 to make sure they have what you need.

Michael's Shoe Repairs is a local shoe repairer with an international reputation! They are a family business dating back to 1962 and you can find them at 45 South Lambeth Road SW8 (near the corner with Fentiman Road) (7735 2386) . They offer high quality shoe repairs, cut keys and sell a variety of goods including shoes, footballs, leather bags, wallets and umbrellas.

And Michael's (see above) now also offer a very useful trophy and engraving service.

Charities & Similar Organisations

It is good to help charities based in and around where we live - and some of them might help you, too, when you need support. The following charities etc. are based around the Vauxhall/Kennington area.

Trinity Hospice, by Clapham Common, provides care for those dying from cancer and other diseases. The hospice is multi-cultural and non-denominational and helps 1500 patients every year. Care is provided free of charge in wards, through day care or in patients' homes. The hospice depends heavily on voluntary contributions and needs to raise £4m every year. There could hardly be a local charity more worthy of your support so please do give what you can to support their excellent work.

Thames Reach Bondway looks after vulnerable homeless people. Originally based in a building in Bondway - in the middle of Vauxhall Cross - the charity now occupies Graham House just outside the Vauxhall Cross circulatory system. Clients have a range of issues including challenging behaviour, alcohol misuse and physical/mental health issues. They are each allocated a key-worker who will provide support, including linking people back into services. Graham House has visiting services from local GPs, START (the local mental health team) and outreach from the DSS. The project can accept clients with dogs, couples and women. Graham House offers clients 3 cooked meals daily and art/poetry groups, surgery and TV/recreational lounges.

The Walcot Foundation is an independent grant-making foundation and charity. Its aim is to break cycles of financial deprivation for people living in Lambeth and seeks to tackle poverty by creating opportunity. Over the ten years to 2015 they made grants amounting to more than £17 million: 3,200 grants to individuals and 1,821 grants to organisations and schools. The Foundation has a history dating from Edmund Walcot's Will of 1667. Edmund Walcot was a prominent haberdasher who left seventeen acres of land in Lambeth in trust for the local poor.

The Tommy's Campaign, based at St Thomas' Hospital, carries out world-class research, and provides education and information, aimed at reducing the heartache caused by premature birth, miscarriage, and stillbirth.

The lives of many important local families and individuals, including Sir Henry Doulton, are celebrated in the West Norwood Cemetery. The Friends of West Norwood Cemetery are well worth your support.

 

 

Martin Stanley

Spotted something wrong? Please do drop me an email if you spot anything that is out-of-date, or any other errors, typos or faulty links.