Description: Black and white photos of the buildings and residents of The Spike throughout.

Opens with a picture of a building with vans and bikes outside in the snow. The narrator says that the first known occupants of the land where The Spike stands were the Sisters of the Christian Retreat. In 1848, seven sisters left Le Fontanelle and came to London France (painting of a nun with a child and a building in the background). 41” On 16/12/1848 the nuns arrived at Nazareth House which they used a base to help the poor of Peckham (black and white photo of the building). However the noise and dirt of the railway line drove them out in 1850. 49” Black and white footage of two nuns dressed in white.

1’03” In 1856 the building came into the hands of the Camberwell Board of Guardians who opened it as a poor house. In 1875, 110 aged and infirm men received board in exchange for labour. The retreat was pleasant and the gardens ran at a profit. 1’23” During the Industrial Revolution two large wings were built to accommodate the increasing numbers of homeless people in the area (picture of the building).

1’34” The men staying here now had to break stone for the roads being built locally and it some say the term Spike comes from the metal tool used for this (pictures of men labouring). There are other suggestion though. 1’47” Contributor, Jimmy, who stayed at Spike in 1974, says that workhouses used to have two spikes at opposite ends of the yard with a rope joining them and that residents would sleep by leaning on this.

2’10” By the 1930’s thousands of homeless men would end up here once in a while in order to wash, eat and get a bed for the night (photo of men outside). Contributor, Mick, Spike warden 1979-1984, says the building had a huge number of beds and that people from round the country had heard of The Spike (black and white shots of men at The Spike).

2’58” Modern footage of the outside of the building interspersed with old black and white footage and photos of men both outside and inside the building. Contributor says the gate opened about 4pm and there would be huge queues of people waiting to get in. Former warden Mick says it would take three to four hours to book the people in the queue in and that you would know most people in the queue.

3’38” Contributor, Frank, who worked locally in the 1960s, says a lot of the people queuing would have big bottles of illicit drink like methylated spirits and that many were ill and very down on their luck. However there wasn’t any trouble.

4’21” Mick talks about a man whose wife and two children were killed in a traffic accident and who then turned to drink. He says that it could happen to anyone and that everyone was welcome. Jimmy talks about trying to sleep in the big dormitory and being woken by an elderly man in a ‘frenzy’. He says breakfast reminded him of the scene in Oliver when he asks for more (photos of the residents, the breakfast room, work in the Spike).

5’56” Narrator says the men could stay in the centre during the day if they did chores. Mick says that if anyone didn’t do the work properly or refused to do it they couldn’t stay the following night. 6’ Sign saying ‘ Sunday Arrangements. Anyone engaged on task work on a Sunday can remain in the centre for the rest of the day. Lunch and Tea will be provided’. 6’16” Mick talks about having to do the tasks.

6’32” It is thought that George Orwell stayed at The Spike under the name P.S. Burton when writing Down and Out in Paris and London. Jimmy says you can tell it’s Gordon Road (where The Spike was located) that Orwell is talking about in the book.

6’57” Mick says he thoroughly enjoyed working there and would still be there today if he could (black and white picture of a man – Mick? – with a quote ‘The wardens are particularly conscious of its background. One said “I’m sure there are prayers within these walls. It is a comforting thought at times”’). He says it did have to close for health and safety reasons (newspaper stories about the closure). There were eight dormitories with 140 men in each and it was filthy.

7’26” In 1985, Brian Deer in The Sunday Times wrote that despite the conditions some people prefer being in a big institution and ‘pools of urine in the dormitories are less important that the right to be left alone’.

In 1985 when the council was considering demolishing The Spike, the first campaign to save it was started with local people trying to get it turned into flats, studios, workshops, community gardens and a theatre but the council sold off most of the site to a housing association in 1990 (pictures and plans of the site). However a small portion, known as 39b Consort Road, was saved for the community and was used for the Children’s scrap scheme during the 1990s. 8’10” Contributor, Trish, a volunteer at the scheme, says anything could be used. The children would do art and put on plays but after about five years it was closed because of funding.

8’31”The council then abandoned the site and it was fly tipped and vandalised. Picture of the derelict site. Local people worked to repair it and open it up for the community (lots of photos and footage of the work and the centre e.g. dancing, music, food, people, art). Donna, who was the caretaker of the Spike Surplus Scheme, says it is and was a beautiful space to meet, be creative and have events. The scheme provided a vast array of facilities and services which could be used for a donation. 9’10” Former scheme caretaker, Paul, said much of what was there was second-hand, recycled or donated and that people volunteered many man-hours to make it work. Donna says that the scheme is there 24/7 and that changes need to be made at a local level to effect the future of the planet. 9’50” Venus, Spike Community Member, says it is an amazing centre for creativity. Kate Tempest, Spike Community Member and spoken word performer, poet, recording artist, novelist and playwright) says it is a very welcoming place where you can come to be creative or for a ‘breather’. She says it is the only place she knows like it.

10’55” Spike Community Member, Fil itistv.org, says he was made bankrupt in 2007 and was living in a caravan on the street and The Spike offered him space for all his equipment and belongings to be stored. Later he was given a studio space, started working again and was able to get back on his feet. 11’34” Jimmy says if you give people the tools they can help themselves. Fil itistv.org says he imagines that the men that lived in The Spike in the past would love the freedom offered by the new Spike. 12’10” Donna says it’s only by working together collectively that we can change things and that communities need a physical focus. The Spike is about inclusion.

12’49” Save the Spike sign and newspaper stories on protests to save it. The council decided to sell off the land in 2008, after 10 years. They won a possession order forcing the community centre to close. 13’05” Bob, Spike Community Member, says that the people at the Spike are not going to give up and that even if it does get closed, members will start similar schemes wherever they are.

13’23” Sign saying ‘The Peckham Spike. Workhouse Poorhouse since 1860. Derelict since 1996. Rebuilt from scratch 1998. Now including permaculture and ideas, economy, audio and video production. Maintained and run without external funding’. The narrator says that as the caretakers leave we wait and see what happens to the site.

14’31” Footage, after credits, of the site at night, with a caravan with a light on and a fox in the foreground.