Spotted Recently at a South East London Pub
The pub has an award that doesn't exist! and sells a real ale from no known brewery - quite a feat
J&J Stone
2009 Architectural Advocacy and Ghosts - A whimsy
The weekend 19 and 20th September saw Londoners having the chance to see inside various landmark buildings, by means of the London Open House Programme. On reading the glossy brochure my eyes lit-up, building 11 of our local architectural advocacy list was in fact a fully working pub from the 2010 CAMRA Good Beer Guide − The Capitol in SE23!
To quote Wetherspoons (that's the pub chain not a Russian philospher)− "A rare survival of a 1920s cinema, The Capitol, on London Road, first opened its doors to the cinema-going public in 1929, with a screening of Man, Woman and Sin. Renamed the ABC in 1968, the cinema gave its last picture show in October 1973. There were plans to convert and even demolish the building. However, The Capitol opened as Mecca bingo hall in February 1978, closing in the first week of December 1996. It opened as a Wetherspoon pub on 9th May 2001."
Anyway taking the Da Vinci code as inspiration we joined the Sunday half hour tour, determined to unlock the building's secrets over a few pints afterwards. That said, what became known to must now be concealed, but consider the evidence − the whole building is in the Art Deco Egyptian style and is a cube, it contains images of a Roman godess and a Greek muse, it has an un-enterable projection room, a cellar not used for beer, an ancient safe which cannot be moved or opened whose contents are unknown. Its numbered table plan by no accident puts a certain numbered table at the edifice's very centre &minus he that has eyes will see. Our guide confirmed that local ghost hunters have irrefutable here-say evidence that identifies three supernatural entities in the building, including an energy orb seen in the upper circle. I myself when entering the darkened circle felt somebody, or thing, bump into me. A member of our party mysteriously "lost" a biro without trace &minus presumably it having moved sideways through time it will no doubt re-appear at another location.
The tour took us through the many unseen parts of the building including outside on its roof. Mentally exhausted after all this we retired to a "safe table" for beer and the Sunday roast, and to ponder on what had just happened. For seekers of knowledge, it is worth noting that over the weekend of 31st October the Capitol will have an especial welcome for all celebrants of all hallows night, including special real ales and the possibility of more tours, but do check first.
Julian Stone