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[title]Matchstick Piehouse
‘It’s a theatre and music venue and I like how down to earth it is. They sell pies, and it’s a perfect package: a laidback but cleverly organised way of presenting music, in the middle of the week.’ Railway Arches 213-214, Edward St, SE8 5HD.
The Well Charity Shop
‘They are so sweet in there. There’s a man at the back who does the sorting out. He’s really kind and allows me to peer over the counter to see if there are any musical instruments. You never know if you’re going to find a pair of Gucci shoes or some Issey Miyake trousers.’ 1 Creek Rd, SE8 3BT.
Phone Services Ltd
‘My phone is my life and the guy in this shop has saved a couple of phones for me. He’s fair and there’s a clear honesty about what they do. That’s a very salt-of-the-earth, Deptford kind of thing.’ 105 Deptford High St, SE8 4RG.
Chicken King Peri Peri
‘On this site was a café called Café Selecta: typical greasy spoon. My friends would go to the market and we’d meet there. They’d let us join tables together, have breakfast. The owner, Fodd, would let me get plantain from one of the greengrocers and would fry it up for us. I go in now just to feel that feeling.’ 79 Deptford High St, SE8 4AA.
The Quaggy and Ravensbourne rivers
‘You can join the river behind the Stephen Lawrence building, through Brookmill Park, and walk up in the water to where it becomes the Quaggy. You just need a pair of waders or wellington boots and you can walk to Catford. It’s London, but away from all of the noise. You could be anywhere.’ Brookmill Rd, SE8 4JP.
Aaja
‘It’s a small, not-too-bougie bar. They have a mirror perfectly positioned that makes you believe it’s three times the size. It’s beautifully run by the owner and his partner. I DJ there sometimes, playing soul and disco: good music.’ Arch 2, 4 Market Yard, SE8 4BX.
Fordham Park
‘The park is part of a cycle route that connects Deptford with New Cross. You have to be lucky to catch this, but on Sunday mornings, outside the Moonshot Centre, you have some African drummers that rehearse. They’re all 65-plus, in a crescent moon shape. It’s a beautiful morning concert.’ Sanford St, SE14 6LU.
Picked by Gerald Francis, DJ and Deptford local who buys and sells treasure via Instagram @geraldisapopularname