8 Comments
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Matt Pycroft's avatar

Great read. I was gonna go. Will rethink that…

Wig Worland's avatar

I think you should go and see the exhibition. I’ve been lucky enough to see the film that Dan Magee made for it and it is brilliant. I’m sure it will become available afterwards but at the moment it’s a Trojan horse like item. Critical of the Southbank Centre but being shown in the Southbank Centre.

Ray Wood's avatar

Great photos. Only constant is change—sub-cultures last until commercialisation & societal shifts ring the changes.

Matthew Barr's avatar

Absolutely. But it’s good to ask these questions.

Paul's avatar

Great piece, loved it.

Matthew Barr's avatar

Right on Paul

Charlotte TSP's avatar

Found this fascinating. Thanks for sharing Wig (and Matt)

Mike O’Brien's avatar

Great piece - I was a kid who’s skate adventure started by dragging my father there in the 1970s on a cultural trip to the capital from the frozen wastes of Newcastle. I returned home and we found our own Southbank at 5 Bridges in Gateshead. It’s now sadly been demolished but it gave us the opportunity to meet others and then build timber halfpipes and the rest is history… It’s important you wrote this piece and make the valid point that the history should be explained honestly. History is complicated but it should be recounted as honestly as possible despite awkward pieces that always exist!

Neil Macdonald’s Elsewhere book and events will be where I would recommend people spend some time regarding history.