At a recent event in Camberwell for the launch of a local author’s new book, Southwark News Arts Correspondent Michael Holland got talking to Joanna, who had organised the evening of readings, questions and wine for SE5Forum, a local group who campaign to get things done in their area as well have regular nights of interest and entertainment.
It came up in conversation that he had made a film about Clubland, the iconic youth club where Michael Caine famously first acted, where Hollywood royalty would appear to play table tennis with the young people and real Royalty would cause traffic jams in the Walworth Road when a Queen visited the legendary Reverend Jimmy Butterworth. More importantly for Joanna, it was in Camberwell.
Micky had never heard of Clubland until local artist Rene Eyre asked him to film her 24-hour art event in the Clubland building, a beautiful place built from the best architectural designs with the best materials. In the library he saw numerous photos on the wall, most of them of youngsters playing a sport or an indoor game, but there quite a few of a small man with a big smile posing with giants of the stage and screen: Olivier, Hope & Crosby, Vivien Leigh, Gracie Fields, and there he was shaking hands with the top Arsenal players of their day. But the photo that clinched it for Micky was the smiling reverend with The Beatles!
Who was this man? After a little research he discovered it was Jimmy Butterworth who had grown up in a northern mining village, took holy orders and came to London in 1922 to help the poor. That year he set up his first boys’ club for six people in a shed!
From that moment on Micky knew he had to make a film about him and over many months managed to track down his two children who furnished him with old film footage of the club and their father’s diaries, plus former members who had tales to tell about how the Reverend had changed their lives: John Wallington went on to lead the East Lane market traders, while Brian Catling held the post of Professor of Fine Art at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art in Oxford – Brian was one of the candidates for this year’s Blue Plaque Award run by the Southwark News.
But, best of all, from that chance meeting with Joanna a date was booked for Micky to go along and show his film and answer any questions that the Camberwellians might have.
Website: https://www.se5forum.org.uk/projects/
Tickets are £10 (£7 cons) including a free drink.
The Crypt, St Giles’ Church, Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8RB Monday 1st July 2024. 7pm.
Under-18s free. To book tickets on Eventbrite, go here: bit.ly/3JLtXA0
This venue is not step-free.
