The Vauxhall Society

Civic consultative group covering the London parliamentary constituency of Vauxhall

Six Essays on Vauxhall Gardens

Published by The Vauxhall Society
in association with Caret Press

by David E. Coke

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  • Deadly Skies Over Lambeth: The night a V-2 fell on Lambeth Baths 28 June 2026
    The night Lambeth was devastated by a German missile – and a curious local connection to its Nazi designer By Ken MacTaggart FBIS Death fell silently from the sky.  The residents of Lambeth were accustomed to the rising and falling whine of air‑raid warning sirens, and the steady drone of aircraft engines as fleets of...Read […]
  • ‘Macaroney Beaus and Bells in an uproar’: The traditional riot on the last night of the season at Vauxhall Gardens 21 June 2026
    For historian (and VauxhallHistory.org consultant) David Coke at least, Vauxhall Gardens remains a place of endless appeal, fascination and entertainment, despite the fact that it closed almost 170 years ago. This appeal is partly because so many unexpected and surprising objects and stories emerge continually, each one enriching our knowledge of the place, and highlighting its...Read […]
  • Walks highlight: Irish Stories South of the River 17 June 2026
    Date: Sunday 28 June 2026 & 26 July, 11am (2 hours)Meet: St George’s Cathedral, Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HRCost: £11Booking essential: Eventbrite (2-for-1 offer available)Led by: Christina Fitzgerald Qualified Lambeth Tour Guide Christina Fitzgerald invites you to discover historic Irish events and figures on a walking tour of Kennington. Meet Bessie, famed Music Hall star, and the...Read […]
  • Walks highlight: Pride and Protests – an LGBTQ+ History Walk around Kennington 27 May 2026
    Date: Saturday 13 June 2026, 12noon (90mins)Meet: 318 Kennington Park Road, SE11 4PPCost: £15Booking: Outsavvy (booking is essential)Led by: Adrian Gibson and Claire TruscottAccessibility: Accessible toilets, relaxed performance, step free access, wheelchair accessible Join qualified Lambeth Tour Guides Adrian and Claire to explore the LGBTQ+ history of Kennington. The tour starts near Kennington Park, which...Read […]
  • Projecting the Past – magic lantern slides of Vauxhall and Kennington landmarks 29 March 2026
    by David E. Coke, Vauxhall History consultant editor Although machinery to project images had been in use for two centuries, classic Magic Lantern shows gained huge popularity from the 1870s and ‘8Os. The lanterns themselves became more affordable, more mobile, and more technologically advanced, allowing travelling ‘Professors’ to take their lanterns to parish halls, schools...Read […]

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