An invitation from Councillor Anyanwu

Organised by Lambeth Archives and the Lambeth Local History Forum, the festival takes place across Lambeth throughout September and brings together a host of over 80 different events and activities with the shared aim of celebrating the history and heritage of our borough.

I am passionate to ensure that the history of Lambeth’s people and places is shared widely with residents and other Londoners, and is preserved for generations to come, as well as using it to help connect local people with the opportunities and challenges in Lambeth today. So, I am really excited about this year’s rich and innovative programme. The varied line up and attractive mix of events should offer something for everyone and reflect our diverse communities. There are talks, author events, film screenings, exhibitions, walks and workshops, each uncovering a different aspect of our collective history.

Starting with the Lambeth Local History Fair at St Leonard’s Church, Streatham, the festival covers just about every historical and geographical perspective. There are talks about South London’s lost rivers, the history of Ovalhouse theatre and women artists at Doulton’s Pottery. There are online workshops on family history and an urban sketching tour of Brixton. There are opportunities to explore the hidden corners of our extraordinary borough with tours of Brixton Market, St Leonard’s Crypt, an architecture walk exploring Streatham’s art-deco heritage, history walks in Norwood, Lambeth and Streatham Cemeteries, Kennington Park, Brixton Windmill and Henry Tate’s gardens as well as a tour of Brixton through the eyes of the Windrush generation. The energetic can opt for a 6-mile pilgrimage between the churches of St Matthew, Mark Luke and John (each celebrating their 200th anniversary this year) and a 16-mile cycle tour around the boundary of the ancient parish of Lambeth.

Lambeth Archives, in its glorious new building on Brixton Hill, will be using the festival to celebrate the return to Lambeth of the three Shakespeare folios, which had been on loan to the British Library for the last 75 years. This is a momentous event, one which I was proud to have been involved in, so do catch their Shakespeare in Lambeth exhibition at the Archives as well as some of the linked events it is running.

Once again, the Lambeth Heritage Festival showcases some of the best things happening in Lambeth, and I look forward to celebrating our borough and its history with you.