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.

Notable residents

• Peter Collinson FRS
• Oliver Goldsmith was a teacher at Dr Milner's Academy
• Robert Browning attended Reverend Thomas Ready?s school
• Alfred Hugh Harman founded his business in Peckham before moving to Ilford
• Edgar Wallace attended Reddin's Road School
• Harold James Ruthven Murray was born near Peckham Rye
• Michael Caine attended Wilsons Grammar School
• Tom Phillips
• Simon Callow
• Antony Gormley
• Hilary Alexander
• Anish Kapoor
• Stephen Bourne attended Oliver Goldsmith School
• Lorraine Chase was discovered in a café by Peckham Rye station
• Gillian Wearing
• Matt and Luke Goss of Bros
• Rio Ferdinand
• Marlon King
• Peter Mansfield attended Peckham Central then William Penn School when it was in Choumert Road.