Brixton is a district in South-West London. It was one of the first areas to become popular with West Indian immigrants in the 1950s, and over the decades has become one of the most multi-cultural boroughs in London. Famous for large markets, some on the street and another inside a purpose-built market hall, at one time it was also a hotspot for street crime, and heavy-handed policing as a result. In the early 1980s, those tensions erupted into open rioting that lasted for days.
Since then, there has been much investment in the borough, and the proximity to the centre of the city attracted wealthier residents, causing property prices to increase and a gradual process of gentrification. In 2021, Journalist Martin Godwin revisited the area, and compared modern Brixton with the same streets in 1981 and 1985.
(The photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.)
The Indoor Market.
A bleak 1960s Housing Estate, demolished to provide nicer homes for people and give a sense of community.
The main street, close to the train station.
A run-down area repurposed for social housing.
The Street Market.
Unwanted shops now open with new owners and thriving businesses.
Another Street Market. The goods sold in them have changed over the years.
beetleypete 
There hasn’t changed much. It seems we could say the UK is a very sustainable country. xx Michael
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Small changes, and mostly for the better.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Reblogged this on https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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So much has changed!!! Love seeing the ‘then’ and ‘now’ comparisons!
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I’m always on the lookout for Then and Now features, Jill.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I can see that housing has improved. Hopefully, it’s affordable.
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It is predominantly social housing there, Liz. The rents are usually very fair.
Best wishes, Pete.
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That’s encouraging.
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Carolyn & FR summed it up. Warmest regards, Ed
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Thanks, Ed. Not unlike ‘The South Bronx’, but London’s version.
Best wishes, Pete.
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What a change! I’ll never forget driving by the bridge in the picture, and somebody suddenly jumping in front of my car. I managed to break but had quite a scare!
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It was a stressful place to be in at one time, I remember that all too well.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Inspector Kemp: ” riot is an ungly thing… undt, I tink, that it is chust about time ve had vun.”
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Young Frankenstein! Well done, david.
Best wishes, Pete.
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(1a/b) MamaLan ate all of Woolgars’ Danish bacon.
(2a/b) There’s a ton of bricks in Brixton.
(3a/b) From a child in a wheelchair to healthy babies in strollers. Life has improved!
(4a/b) From a rundown area to a place that offers cheap international calls.
(5a/b) At least now I can call 020.7733.2867 to order a Supermalt at the SW Foodstore.
(6a/b) Overheard:
Young Man: “Okay, I’ll go work on the motor again. What are you going to do?”
Young Woman: “I’m going to work on my plans for opening HAIR Focus.”
(7a/b) No matter which photo I look at, my eyes keep following the up arrow. No wonder my head is in the clouds.
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5) Supermalt is a very popular drink with the West Indian community in England. I tried it once in 1981, and found it tasted disgusting. It’s a cultural thing, and definitely not for me.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Interesting to see the changes, some enormous and others only slight. On the whole improvement? One has to hope.
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Definitely much improved. But I confess I would still not want to live there, Carolyn.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Yes, it looks a little more upmarket now. Interesting comparisons…
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Certainly better than it was, Stevie.
Best wishes, Pete.
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There was a lot of slum clearance in the 1960s/70s I think.
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There was, and it was accelerated in Brixton after the 1980s riots.
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Progress, Pete! I’ve only flown through London. I enjoy seeing it through you. My “small” town (155,000) has “brought to life” many historic buildings and areas.
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The nearest city to where I live now is Norwich, the largest town/city in Norfolk. That has around the same population as your ‘small town’, and a wealth of history. It has been a city since 575AD.
Best wishes, Pete.
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How fascincating, Pete! I love history to my core. Take care!
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More London history tomorrow, Karla.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Wonderful, Pete!
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I always love comparing before and after pictures. Fascinating to see what is still there from the past. And what has changed.
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Nice to see you again, TA. Then and Now features are some of my favourites too.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thanks Pete…when I do get the chance to check into WordPress I always enjoy your posts. It is just a matter of not enough hours in the day. Work, family and the now-teenage puppy. I’m not sure what is more challenging: my teenage daughter or my teenage puppy 🙂
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Interesting to see the changes over time….good choice of photos chuq
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Thanks, chuq. They tried to rectify most of the mistakes made in the 1960s, and mainly succeeded.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Good to see some improvement
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Yes, small improvements, but significant ones.
Best wishes, Pete.
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😊😊
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Knew this suburb well. Went to those riots, will tell you more private. It was quite a run down area in the 80s, certainly not safe. Back then I still had my kiwi accent & played cricket so I was let off a few run ins.
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I remember all the trouble there, and it was not an area I ever visited by choice. It still has its problems of course, but a lot has been done there to improve things since the 90s.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Doesn’t look that much better really.
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Not by some standards, but a huge improvement on when I knew the area well. There was a time when I would not have even driven my car along any of the side streets there, let alone walked on them. At least they were given back a real sense of community, and the ‘yuppies’ managed to integrate quite well too.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I love seeing these before & after shots, especially when things have changed for the better. A lot of the buildings surrounding the markets are remarkably unchanged! Cheers, Jon.
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It was mainly the residential areas that were changed there, Jon. The previous large estates were awful places to live in, and generated a lot of unrest and crime. The main roads, markets, and the shopping centre are mostly unchanged, as you noticed.
Best wishes, Pete.
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glad they are all still going and doing better
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The regeneration of the once-troubled area is often hailed as a success story, Beth. Though I wouldn’t recommend walking alone around there after dark!
Best wishes, Pete.
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