And it never was, coming as it did, second-hand from Mitcham Stadium, the brainchild of entrepreneur Sydney Parkes who built it in 1935, hosting among other things, rugby league, baseball and greyhound racing and, although the latter is disputed, the gable was built to be in line with the finish line.
Mitcham Stadium closed in 1955 and the stand was bought by Leyton Orient who gave it a new lease of life at Brisbane Road in 1958.
There’s much more of this story here and here, but in the meantime, our brand new video premieres next week, and you can find that here:
*Lost in the mists of time is Steve singing Mary Had a Tory Baby. It went out live on a Punk 4 The Homeless live stream never to be seen again. If anyone has a copy, please let us know.
On Friday 16 December, we’ll be playing at a fundraiser for local food banks and supporting local homeless people at The Hoe Street Club in Walthamstow. It’ll be a rare outing for Steve, Lol and Simon playing as an acoustic (but plugged in) three-piece.
And on Saturday 17 December, Steve makes the trip to Nottingham, acoustic guitar in hand, for a Punk 4 The Homeless all-dayer at the Sumac Centre and (shh) a celebration of Eagle’s birthday.
Will there be poetry? Will there be Christmas songs? Can Steve remember the words to Mary Had a Tory Baby? There’s only one way to find out….
If you think Theresa was the sensible one Just remember the hostile environment, son And if you think Boris ain’t as bad as this Then you’ve forgotten the bottomless Pit of his corruption The meetings with spies and the lies upon lies And the party, what party, oh that party, somebody should’ve said it was a party To be sure, he broke the law Meanwhile Liz turned up Fucked up, fucked off An impressive comic economic Molotov
Now the field’s wide open for more of the same Hunt rhymes too easily Shapps ain’t a hundred percent sure of his name And when Penny was at fire She’s on record as a liar So, there’s nothing to recommend here Except Project Have No Fear It’s time to smash it up and start again
This September, we’ll celebrate ten years since we drove the fascists out of Walthamstow.
I remember walking up a packed Hoe Street, past closed and shuttered shopfronts, with the notable exception of the Rose & Crown of course, thinking “This is big”, but it wasn’t until we got to Bell Corner that I realised quite how big. Over four thousand local people, anti-fascists and trade unionists had turned up to oppose the racist EDL who had been escorted to Blackhorse Road with the intention of marching through our community to a rally outside the Magistrates Court and whose numbers barely troubled two hundred.
Met with opposition from local people from the moment they set foot outside the tube station, their route blocked by thousands of us at a key junction, forced into the back streets and literally wetting themselves in a police kettle in Farnan Avenue, and their leaders surrounded by anti-fascists in Forest Road, it’s fair to say that that Tommy Robinson and co. did not have a good day.
Like Roger says, most people aren’t racist.
To mark the anniversary, there’s a whole series of events which can be found here, including us playing a show at the Trades Hall, with tickets available here.
In honour of the occasion, we’re also re-releasing the Double B-Side, The Day We Kicked The Fascists Out Of Walthamstow (Graham Larkbey & The Escapees) c/w No Pasaran In E17 (Steve White & The Protest Family). It’s a free download and you can find it here.
They’re back by popular demand, for a limited time only (i.e., one print run). Get yours here and don’t forget to check the sizing info. (Steve wears a 2XL…)
The River is inspired by and a tribute to Pauline Town.
Pauline is the beating heart of We Shall Overcome. Every day, her tireless work feeds over one hundred people, homeless and rough sleeping, and she has helped over a thousand people into safe, secure, permanent accommodation.
At the heart of everything that she does is a raw kindness and down-to-earth humanity: a practical socialism that doesn’t judge but raises a fist of anger at the cruelty of the system while extending the helping hand of solidarity.
If Pauline is the beating heart of We Shall Overcome, then it’s spiritual headquarters is her pub, The Station in Ashton-under-Lyne. Over the course of the pandemic, it has become a community hub and place of safety and refuge.
The Station is re-opening as a pub in May 2022 and costs need to be covered alongside the fundraising for food and shelter, so go and have a pint if you can and chuck a few quid in this digital bucket to help our hero keep doing everything that she does to support people living at the roughest edges of Tory austerity.
You can support Pauline in keeping The Station going here.
Steve White & The Protest Family 