SHOUT OUT to the old school punk sitting out side the Socialist Party of GB HQ as I ran along Clap’ham High Street this morning.
If it wasn’t for me pounding the mean streets of SW4, I probably would have stopped by for a chat.
The fella was rocking the Punk’s Not Dead look. He wouldn’t have looked out of place on an Exploited album cover from 1984.
Some form of staff was in place. My eyes lit up at first when I thought he was flogging on old punk CD’s.
The return leg of the route concluded that it was Socialist pamphlets.
The revolution will be involve cheap cider, etc.
He stood out like a punk on a postcard along Clap’ham High Street. Even with the Bright Young Things of SW4 back at work, passing through Clap’ham is like landing in another Universe these days.
I pressed on with the run, back down to earth and back down to Sunny Stockwell. I took in the lovely Larkhall Park detour.
The Tree Men were in place, chatting shit etc, buried away amongst the bushes.
It’s a very localised sight, and even then, one that you might miss and you run or walk past.
The Tree Men are a group of elderly fellas who take cover in some of the bushes around the Wandsworth Road end of the park. They turn the daily gathering into quite an event, with picnic stools and music.
The picnic of choice appears to be BOOZE and strong weed.
But they’re harmless.
Like the Punk’s Not Dead dude of SW4, the Tree Men of lovely Larkhall are a reminder that South London 2025 is not all about luxury apartments and hot yoga.
Life carries on behind the fringes, often in pretty bleak circumstances. That doesn’t make it any less worthy.