Lunch break in the Vauxhall no-mans land

Having had an intense morning at work handling cutting edge first world “issues”, it was time for a Friday afternoon break in the past…. A short bike ride away was the oddity of Vauxhall, with the ever present oasis that is Brunswick House. 

Chaining up my bike, I am greeted with the ugly site of the main bus station - a horrible design for this giant glorified bus stop. According to RC, who regularly adds esoteric facts to conversations, the reason why they make buses go around it for no apparent reason is because it helps MI5 to increase their spiritual power due to the airflow generated (based on an Aleister Crowley-esk spiritual theory related to lay lines). Who knew? 

Rolfe Judd was originally commissioned by Lambeth council to sort this area out. However, the original £16M “Pod” design proved too costly and was scaled back to the “Ribbon” design we have today.

This Vauxhall area is still being developed rapidly but it still appears odd, like some sort of no man’s land whose only purpose is a through route for traffic.

A short walk down from my bike and I get to my destination for lunch - Brunswick House. It is a place I have been coming to for years, often combining it with trips to Vauxhall City farm when the kids were young. As I wonder through the main gate, the beautiful Grade II listed Georgian architecture is a contrast to the ugly modern buildings that surround it. It was built for the Duke of Brunswick in 1752.

Inside is even more amazing, like the Tardis, there are huge rooms and amazing spaces filled with interesting antiquities and art that you can buy! It is actually owned by Lassco, a reclamation yard business.

You can buy a Miro prints for £500 a pop.

A bronze Borgheze Gladiator for £1500, bargain!

Even a NeoGrecian Bardiglio marble fireplace c1830 for £14,000! Try sticking that in a new build flat!

This Hogarth print called ‘Night’ (one of the Times of Day series) reminded me of a scene outside Wetherspoon’s on a Friday night! I didn't see a price on this one, but probably quite expensive.

As I wondered through, more amazing spaces filled the senses and transported me back to times past.

Having covered three levels of antiquities, I finally made my way into the amazing Restaurant / Cafe for the main reason for coming here, lunch! Amazing two course menu, a snip at £23. The atmosphere enhanced by elegant sounds of songs such as “Lover Never Die”by the Flamingos (Shazammed from my Apple Watch).

What a hidden gem of a place in the strange concrete jungle that is Vauxhall. When things are hectic in the present, where better to seek refuge than the past. 

Having been revived it was time to get back to it. Hopefully some of the spiritual Vauxhall lay line magic will unlock some solutions at work.