Review of The Tiger, Camberwell

As part of my mission to explore the delights of South London, my friends and I paid a visit to The Tiger next to Camberwell Green. 

The tables were cosily stuffed into the busy pub, and everyone seemed to be happily enjoying themselves on a rainy Saturday night in April. The Tiger is only a short bus ride from my flat in Elephant and Castle, and was a welcome change from the bustle of central London establishments I am wont to frequent. 

Formerly called the Silver Buckle, the atmosphere was buzzing and lively, filled with an array of very normal people. Obviously young and reasonably trendy, but nothing close to the painful hipster-ism of the Old Queen’s Head in Islington the other week - though the decor was equally as sumptuous.

The décor was a delightful mash of 1900s period furniture and ornaments, the highlight being art nouveau shell lampshades ensconced on the wall, emitting a pearlescent glow over the revelers. The sense was very modernist art salon, but lightened up by the moose heads protruding from the walls. The highlight was their propensity to play old songs by The Smiths; need I say more?  

I’m not sure about value for money as I had my drinks bought for me all night (only two, in fairness) by my ever-generous boyfriend. There were no complaints later on so I assume they were fairly average for a zone 2 student-y pub in South London. I recommend this pub highly as a gem below the Thames. 

 

The Tiger 18 Camberwell Green London  SE5 7AA

Rumpus, Islington Metal Works - Review

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A Dorset country bumpkin like me barely knows how to process partying the night away at somewhere like Metal Works: it hosts weddings by day and raves by night. The warehouse party I ever went to (NYE 2010) was great, but costume-gala rave Rumpus hosted every two months is a spectacular array of campness and delight. 

My attempt to photograph revelers. 

The fancy dress theme is always a new one, and this time it was myths and legends. There were a many heads turned at Angel Station,  just round the corner from the venue, and especially when the man dressed a giant zebra - replete with stilts - trotted past. Not sure what legend that creature was from. The male costumes were particularly awe-inspiring – there was anything from a gaggle of Mr Tumnuses, Mad Hatters and vaguely defined Classical warriors, as well as fairies, angels and dandies. 

The effect was both childishly whimsical and devilishly intriguing. You find yourself staring open-mouthed at people as they frolic happily, dancing and drinking the night away. I took many terrible-quality pictures inside the venue to prove the wonders that I beheld, in order to convince my friends that attending the next Rumpus in two months time is a good idea. 

It is indeed like a wonderland, a carnival of very chilled-out pockets of people interspersed with glitter, ball-pits and alcohol. 

One feature of the night I particularly like was the live-and-let-live attitudes – the bouncers were almost invisible and clearly there for safety rather than control. The downstairs bartenders were serving drinks from a converted train carriage and artists were illustrating the walls in black marker-pen. 

Train carriage bar! Serving helpings of mead. 

The live music playing constantly may be loosely defined as gypsy swing and electro swing – re-purposed violins and accordions adding to the jovial atmosphere. The latter genre enjoys popularity en mode, apparently due to an expiration of copyright on twenties music which makes the genre very cheap to produce – or so says one of the band managers attempting to chat me up.

The club was very spacious too, which is good for someone small like me. At £10.00 for an early bird ticket, and opening hours from 10pm to 7am, you can hardly get more for your money in any other club in London. It was also shockingly easy to get back to Elephant and Castle from Islington due to my friend’s excellent planning skills – two ten minute bus rides and I was all tucked up in bed by 5am (earlier than most, I'm sure). 

As you can tell from previous posts I don’t club much in London, but if every time was like Rumpus I’d definitely reconsider.