53-643: The Lambeth Country Show is a free festival that takes place annually in Brockwell Park in Lambeth , South London . The show was first founded as the annual Brockwell Park Flower Show in 1967. This was organised by the Lambeth Horticultural Society (LHS) and the Lambeth Arts & Recreation Association (LARA). Lambeth Council took over the management of the event in 1974 and developed it into what
106-452: A 2015 Adele at the BBC TV special, singer and songwriter Adele stated that her song " Million Years Ago " is, " kind of a story about … I drove past Brockwell Park, which is a park in south London I used to live by. It’s where I spent a lot of my youth. It has quite monumental moments of my life that I’ve spent there, and I drove past it and I just literally burst into tears ". Brockwell Park
159-524: A Cannabis Law Reform Rally, including "a wicked turbo sound rig with Jah Shaka, Coxone, King Sounds and DBC Rebel Radio´s boxes all connected in a huge horseshoe". Madness also headlined a Greater London Council / CND 'Festival for Peace' in Brockwell Park in 1983, compered by John Peel , with a crowd of 30,000 in attendance. Paul Weller 's new band The Style Council made only their second public appearance at this festival. Unfortunate scheduling of
212-617: A major restructuring of local government in London. This included the abolition of all existing local authorities with the exception of the City of London Corporation ; a Greater London Council was to be established along with 32 new lower-tier London boroughs with populations of 100,000 to 250,000 each. The new boroughs would split the responsibility for government functions with the Greater London Council. The Royal Commission's report led to
265-511: A number of years, including Found Festival in 2016 and Sunfall Festival in 2017. As far back as 1913, it was said that, "On the whole probably the people in Brockwell Park, like those in Hyde Park and the other parks, would refuse the weaker Italian stuff and demand the Wagner over and over again". There is local opposition of monetizing the park and the erection of a 12 foot high steel fence around
318-659: A power administered by the City of London Corporation within the City. The LCC initially used the Spring Gardens headquarters inherited from the Metropolitan Board of Works. The building had been designed by Frederick Marrable , the MBW's superintending architect, and dated from 1860. Opinions on the merits of the building varied: the Survey of London described it as "well balanced" while
371-410: A series of lakes. As well as adding to the landscape value, these support a variety of birds, and bats including Pipistrelles, with frequent visits from rarer species like Daubentons, Noctule, Leisler's and Serotine bat. The park is listed for its heritage value on The National Heritage List for England , Parks & Gardens, Grade II. Noted for its nineteenth-century layout as a gracious public park,
424-463: A similar role to the mayor of a borough or city. The vice chairman performed these functions in his absence. The first chairman was the Earl of Rosebery , and the last chairman was Arthur Wicks . The chairmanship was a prestigious office, second only to that of lord lieutenant . The incumbent chairmen were honoured with knighthoods on the occasions of the coronations of Edward VII and Elizabeth II , and
477-624: A time when some London areas had as many as 80 housing units per acre. The passage of the Housing of the Working Classes Act in 1885 gave the LCC the power to compel the sale of land for housing development, a power that was vital to the systematic rehousing that began under the council's early Progressive leadership. The Totterdown Fields development at Tooting was the first large suburban-style development to be built under LCC authority, in 1903, and
530-536: A year with the new Greater London Council to ensure a seamless transition, and the LCC was finally abolished on 1 April 1965. The Royal Commission commented that "nobody studying London Government can fail to be deeply impressed with the achievements of the London County Council. It has given the Administrative County of London a strong and able form of government which makes its standing very high among
583-557: Is bordered by the roads Brixton Water Lane, Norwood Road, Tulse Hill and Dulwich Road. The park commands views of the skyline of the city and Central London , and hosts almost 4 million annual visits. At the top of the hill within the park stands Brockwell Hall. Whilst competing against multiple demands from a broad range of other interests, the entirety of Brockwell Park is a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) of Borough Importance (Grade I), with mature trees including ancient oaks, substantial lawn areas set to meadow, and
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#1732894729111636-567: Is the setting for the music video of "Do Your Thing" by local band Basement Jaxx . Brockwell Park was used as a filming base camp for the 2015 movie The Man from U.N.C.L.E directed by Guy Ritchie . The park is a key location in Mo Hayder 's crime novel The Treatment . London County Council The London County Council ( LCC ) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and
689-486: Is today's show. The festival hosts animal and livestock displays (courtesy of Vauxhall City Farm ), agricultural demonstrations (in the past this has included steam traction engines ), craft displays (including a popular vegetable sculpture competition), live music performances (with Sunday designated for roots reggae ), local community and charity groups, food and stalls, a funfair , and an educational entertainment program for children. Acts and artists to have played
742-518: The Conservative government of the day would have preferred not to create a single body covering the whole of London, their electoral pact with Liberal Unionists led them to this policy. It was established as a provisional council on 31 January 1889 and came into its powers on 21 March 1889. Shortly after its creation a Royal Commission on the Amalgamation of the City and County of London considered
795-740: The LCC Tramways were taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board , it was the largest tram operator in the United Kingdom, with more than 167 miles (269 km) of route and over 1,700 tramcars. One of the LCC's most important roles during the late 19th and early 20th century, was in the management of the expanding city and the re-development of its growing slums. In the Victorian era, new housing had been intentionally urban and large-scale tenement buildings dominated. Beginning in
848-566: The Representation of the People Act 1948 this was altered, to three each. Elections of all councillors were held every three years save that none were held in the First and Second World Wars . Complementing the elected councillors and of equal power but longer tenure the council appointed one county alderman for every six councillors. These were elected by halves (as to half of their number) by
901-418: The 1930s, the LCC incentivised an increase in more suburban housing styles. A less-dense style of development, focusing on single family homes, was popular among London housing developers because it was believed that this would satisfy the working classes and provide insurance, "against Bolshevism," to quote one parliamentary secretary. The LCC set the standard for new construction at 12 houses per acre of land at
954-534: The Bill for the London Government Act 1963 , and when this was introduced into Parliament it initially faced considerable opposition. The Bill passed into law with some minor amendments. An Inner London Education Authority was set up for education to be overseen on a broad county level. The first elections for the new Greater London Council were held on 9 April 1964. The London County Council ran concurrently for
1007-522: The Exchequer , Sir William Harcourt , offered the council a site at Parliament Street, Westminster for three-quarters of a million pounds. Another site subsequently became available between The Strand and The Embankment , when the Official Receiver took over the partially completed premises of the failed Liberator Building Society . The council's Establishment Committee recommended the purchase of
1060-490: The LCC undertook between 1857 and 1945 to standardise and clarify street names across London. Many streets in different areas of the city had similar or identical names, and the rise of the car as a primary mode of transportation in the city sometimes made the duplication of names challenging. In an extreme case, there were over 60 streets called "Cross Street" spread across London when the LCC began its process of systematic renaming. These were given names from an approved list that
1113-635: The Moderate group. In 1906, the Moderates became known as the Municipal Reform Party . The LCC was elected every three years. The Progressives were in control continuously from 1889 until 1907, when they lost power to the Municipal Reformers. Municipal Reform control lasted until 1934 when Labour won power, which they kept until the LCC was abolished. Council composition: The post of leader of
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#17328947291111166-508: The Parliament Street lot, as it would be a prominent site opposite the Palace of Westminster and next to the principal government offices. Following a debate of the whole council, the committee's recommendation was rejected on financial grounds and as it was felt that the headquarters should not be in the privileged West End . The matter remained unresolved, and in 1900 a special committee
1219-581: The Queen's Golden Jubilee weekend, had a capacity set at 50,000. In January 2018, Lambeth Council announced that Field Day Festival had been given permission to hold its event in Brockwell Park. Acts lined up for June 2018 included Erykah Badu , Thundercat , and Four Tet . The San Francisco band Red House Painters wrote a song about the park, named "Brockwell Park", for their 1995 album Ocean Beach . The Ocean Beach album also features an unlisted hidden track, referred to as "Brockwell Park (Part 2)". In
1272-470: The architectural correspondent of The Times was less enthusiastic. He summarised the building as "of the Palladian type of four storeys with two orders, Ionic above and Corinthian below as if its designer had looked rather hastily at the banqueting house of Inigo Jones ." The most impressive feature was the curving or elliptical spiral staircase leading to the principal floor. The original board room
1325-419: The clocktower, water garden, JJ Sexby -designed walled garden and other monuments, the park provides a pleasant exploration with links to its eighteenth-century agricultural past in the hedge lines, and mature oak trees. The model village houses outside the walled garden were originally donated to London County Council by Edgar Wilson in 1943. The Brockwell Lido , a Grade II listed art deco building near
1378-417: The council was only officially recognised in 1933. This table gives the leaders of the majority parties on the council before this time. The county council was required by statute to appoint a chairman and a vice chairman at its annual meeting. Both of these positions were generally filled by members of the majority party. The chairman chaired meetings of the council, and was the county's civic leader, filling
1431-430: The council finally agreed to seek powers to buy three adjoining plots of land on the eastern side of Westminster Bridge as a site for a single headquarters. The debate in the council chamber was somewhat heated with one councillor objecting to the purchase as it was "on the wrong side of the river ... in a very squalid neighbourhood ... and quite unworthy of the dignity of a body like the council". Leading member of
1484-580: The council for a six-year term at the first meeting after each election. Initially, it had been hoped by many that elections to the LCC would be conducted on a non-partisan basis, but in the council two political groups formed. The majority group in 1889 was the Progressives , who were unofficially allied with the Liberal Party in national politics. Those who allied with the Conservative Party formed
1537-464: The council, John Burns countered that it "would brighten up a dull place, sweeten a sour spot and for the first time bring the south of London into a dignified and beautiful frontage on the River Thames." The necessary powers were obtained under the London County Council (Money) Act 1906, and a competition to design the new building was organised. There were approximately 100 entries, and the winner
1590-586: The first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council . The LCC was the largest, most significant and most ambitious English municipal authority of its day. By the 19th century, the City of London Corporation covered only a small fraction of metropolitan London. From 1855, the Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) had certain powers across
1643-524: The laying of the foundation stone of County Hall. As part of the celebrations of the Silver Jubilee of George V in 1935 it was announced that the chairman would in future be entitled to use the style " right honourable ", an honour already enjoyed by the Lord Mayor of the City of London . The council's standing orders also provided for the post of deputy chairman. Until 1895, the holder of this office
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1696-475: The main stage at the show have included Mad Professor , Saxon Sound , Alabama 3 , Soul II Soul , Horace Andy , Twinkle Brothers , Luciano , Loose Ends , Aswad , Max Romeo , Alison Limerick , Incognito , and Johnny Clarke . The 2012 show was originally cancelled, and then postponed to September, to avoid clashing with the London Olympics. In 2018, the council courted controversy by announcing that
1749-422: The means for amalgamation with the City of London . Although this was not achieved, it led to the creation of 28 metropolitan boroughs as lower tier authorities to replace the various local vestries and boards in 1900; they assumed some powers of the LCC and shared others. The LCC provided very few services within the City of London, where the ancient Corporation monopolised local governance. The LCC inherited
1802-538: The metropolis, but it was appointed rather than elected. Many powers remained in the hands of traditional bodies such as parishes and the counties of Middlesex , Surrey and Kent . The creation of the LCC in 1889, as part of the Local Government Act 1888 , was forced by a succession of scandals involving the MBW, and was also prompted by a general desire to create a competent government for the city, capable of strategising and delivering services effectively. While
1855-407: The north of the park, is an open-air swimming pool popular with swimmers and bathers. Its attached café/restaurant is also popular. Other amenities in Brockwell Park include tennis courts, a bowling green, a BMX track and a miniature railway. Brockwell Park is open from 7.30am to 15 minutes before sunset every day. The Grade II* listed Brockwell Hall was built between 1811 and 1813 when the area
1908-548: The opposition party on the council. After World War II , it became evident that the London County Council was too small to cope with the greater demands being placed on local government by the new Welfare State . In 1957, a Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London was set up under Sir Edwin Herbert to examine the issues and make recommendations. The Commission deliberated for three years and in 1960 it recommended
1961-515: The original park. In the 1920s, there were 13 cricket pitches in the park, which attracted crowds of up to 1,500. Brockwell Park was home to the Galton Institute . During World War I it is recorded that Brockwell Park grazed a large flock of sheep. During World War II , three sites in the park were set aside for wartime food production in the form of 'Pig Clubs', built of timber and bricks salvaged from bombed houses. Pig swill for this purpose
2014-533: The park even hosted an annual cannabis festival. The cannabis festival was eventually stopped in 2005 by Lambeth Council , after drug dealing at previous events. In June 2002, Australian band Midnight Oil headlined The Fierce Festival in Brockwell Park in front of a crowd of 20,000 people. A dance event called Purple in the Park was held on the preceding day, headlined by Grace Jones , and including performances by Boy George and Yoko Ono . The two events, held over
2067-459: The pay to enter large festivals. The park has previously hosted large-scale free to attend un-fenced music events, including an estimated crowd of 150,000 in attendance at a Rock Against Racism carnival in September 1978, headlined by Elvis Costello and The Attractions , and with " people in trees, on the roofs of the flats and on the lido wall ". Costello ended his Brockwell Park performance with
2120-532: The powers of its predecessor the MBW, but had wider authority over matters such as education, city planning and council housing . It took over the functions of the London School Board in 1903, and Dr C W Kimmins was appointed chief inspector of the education department in 1904. From 1899, the Council progressively acquired and operated the tramways in the county, which it electrified from 1903. By 1933, when
2173-565: The previously open festival would be enclosed by a perimeter fence along with full bag searches and increased security. The show celebrated its 50th anniversary in June 2024. 51°27′7.66″N 0°6′26.78″W / 51.4521278°N 0.1074389°W / 51.4521278; -0.1074389 Brockwell Park Brockwell Park is a 50.8 hectare (125.53 acres) park located south of Brixton , in Herne Hill and Tulse Hill in south London . It
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2226-684: The slummification that blighted so many Victorian tenement developments. The success of these commuter developments constructed by the LCC in the periphery of the city is, "one of the more remarkable achievements in London government, and contributed much to the marked improvement of conditions between the wars for the capital's working classes." The LCC also built overspill estates outside London (some after World War II) including Debden in Essex, Merstham and Sheerwater in Surrey, and Edenbridge in Kent. The MBW, and
2279-435: The song ' (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding '. A further Rock Against Racism event including performances by Aswad and Stiff Little Fingers was also held in the park in September 1979. In May 1981, Aswad and Pete Townshend "swigging Remy Martin brandy" headlined a TUC benefit gig for the 'People's March For Jobs' campaign, with a crowd of 70,000 in attendance. In May 1982, Brockwell Park hosted
2332-461: The support acts, meant that many arriving in Brockwell Park hoping to see The Damned had already missed their 35-minute set, and subsequent support acts, including The Style Council and Hazel O'Connor , were pelted with mud, amid chants of "We want The Damned". In August 1984, the park hosted a GLC free festival, where Leader Ken Livingstone gave a speech, and the increasingly rowdy crowd during performances by The Fall and Spear of Destiny
2385-693: Was calmed by poet Benjamin Zephaniah before the headline set by The Damned . One eyewitness recalls The Fall being pelted with cans during their performance, with singer Mark E. Smith narrowly dodging one effort, "about an inch from his face, when he suddenly twitched to the right and let it sail past him". The park has also hosted reggae festivals, and the London Pride festival in 1993 and 1994. In May 1994, an Anti Nazi League Carnival in Brockwell Park featured performances by The Manic Street Preachers , The Levellers , and Billy Bragg . Between 2000 and 2004,
2438-623: Was collected from local homes. A bust of Thomas Bristowe was returned to the park and unveiled on its 120th birthday, 2012. The park is Grade II listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens . The park is home to the free Lambeth Country Show , which usually takes place over two days in July, attracting crowds of up to 150,000 people. A ticketed annual fireworks display, attracting 30,000 people, also takes place around November 5. Paid-for music events have been taking place in Brockwell Park for
2491-589: Was formed by the council to seek out a suitable site. In July 1902, they presented their report, recommending a 3.35-acre (13,600 m ) site in the Adelphi . Entry roads to the proposed county hall would be made from The Strand and The Embankment. The council rejected the recommendations in October 1902, and a suggestion was made that the committee seek a site south of the Thames, adjacent to Westminster Bridge . In April 1905,
2544-460: Was in charge of the organisation of the council's activities, and was paid a salary. This was seen as a conflict of interest by the Royal Commission on the Amalgamation of the City and County of London when they reported in 1894, and in 1895 a county clerk was added to the council staff to perform these duties. The deputy chairmanship then became purely ceremonial, and was filled by nominees of
2597-480: Was maintained by the LCC, containing only "suitably English" names. If street names were deemed un-English, they were also slated for change; Zulu Crescent in Battersea , for instance, became Rowena Crescent in 1912. By 1939, the council had the following powers and duties: Until 1933 the council provided a network of tramway services in the county. This passed to the London Passenger Transport Board . † Denotes
2650-530: Was part of Surrey and was the country seat of glass merchant John Blades Esq. The land and house were acquired by the London County Council (LCC) in March 1891 and opened to the public on 2 June in the following summer, led by the local MP Thomas Lynn Bristowe . At the unveiling, Bristowe died of a heart attack on the steps of the hall. In 1901, the LCC acquired a further 43 acres (17 ha) of land north of
2703-587: Was quickly followed by developments at Roehampton , Bellingham , and Becontree . By 1938, 76,877 units of housing had been built under the auspices of the LCC in the city and its periphery, an astonishing number given the previous pace of development. Many of these new housing developments were genuinely working-class, though the poorest could rarely afford even subsidised rents. They relied on an expanding London Underground network that ferried workers en masse to places of employment in central London. These housing developments were broadly successful, and they resisted
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#17328947291112756-422: Was the 29-year-old Ralph Knott . Construction began in 1911, and the first section was opened in 1922, with the original building completed in 1933. Extensions continued to be made throughout the council's existence. The county was divided into electoral divisions , co-terminous with parliamentary constituencies. Initially, each returned two councillors, save for the City of London , which returned four. Under
2809-547: Was too small to accommodate meetings of the new council, and it was soon replaced by a horseshoe-shaped council chamber. By 1893, it was clear that the Spring Gardens building was too small for the increased work of the LCC. Seven additional buildings within a quarter of a mile of the County Hall had been acquired, and it was estimated that they would need to take over an average of two more houses annually. The Chancellor of
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