Peckham

Peckham is a place in the London Borough of Southwark about a mile (1.6 km) east of Camberwell and a mile (1.6 km) west of New Cross. It has never been an administrative district, or a single ecclesiastical parish in its own right, but it developed a strong sense of identity in the nineteenth century when Rye Lane was one of the most important shopping streets in south London. It was the setting for the popular sitcom "Only Fools and Horses" throughout the eighties and early nineties, and has not yet shaken off its reputation as the run-down, dangerous area that was depicted in the TV series. Most media coverage of Peckham is in relation to its high crime rate - recent famous cases include the murder of Damilola Taylor in November 2000 and the machine-gunning of eight or nine (contemporary reports vary) people queueing outside Chicago's nightclub in the summer of 2000.

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Peckham is an area of great diversity: gang-related shootings, muggings and burglary characterise one picture whilst another emphasises the high population of artists and professionals. The Bellenden area in the south west is busy with caf?s, wine bars, niche shops and artists' studios. There is also clear cultural diversity: the offspring of generations of Londoners mix with members of communities from China, the Caribbean, India, Ireland, Nigeria and Turkey. The European Union has invested heavily in the regeneration of the area; building the futuristic, award-winning Peckham Library, a new town square and swathes of new housing to replace the North Peckham Estate. Throughout the area state funding is being provided to improve the housing stock and renovate the streets. This includes funding for public arts projects like the Tom Phillips mosaics on the wall of the Peckham Experiment restaurant.

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The main shopping street is Rye Lane, and the large Peckham Rye Park is nearby.

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The oldest surviving building in Peckham is 2 Woods Road, built in 1690.

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London Borough of Southwark: The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough, located on the south side of the River Thames and part of Inner London....

Sitcom: REDIRECT situation comedy...

Only Fools and Horses: Only Fools and Horses is a hugely popular British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan, and made and broadcast by the BBC. Seven series were broadcast between 1981 and 1991, with special Christmas episodes occasionally until 2003. The show was selected as 'Britain's Best Sitcom' in a 2004 BB...