The Three Tuns Beckenham Arts Lab 'Growth'
Sept 10, 2012 16:57:14 GMT
Post by Halloweenjack84 on Sept 10, 2012 16:57:14 GMT
The Three Tuns was situated at 157 High Street.
This pub is now used as a restaurant.
David Bowie was still a long way from superstar status, despite having been in the music business for several years. He was living in Beckenham with a friend Mary Finnigan, and appearing most Sundays at The Three Tuns pub in Beckenham High Street.
The shows began as a way for him and Mary to make a little money and to showcase his talents, but developed into what was christened the Beckenham Arts Lab "Growth".
Bowie went on to fame and fortune but it was not until 2001 that a plaque commemorating his involvement with the town was hung outside the pub that was by now known as The Rat and Parrot.
The pub changed it's name to The Rat and Parrot in the late 90s then changing back to the Three Tuns just before it shut again and became a Pizza Restaurant. During the development the plaque was taken down and it took another four years to get it reinstated.
Ian Muir (Feb 2012)
"I run an arts lab which is my chief occupation.
It's in Beckenham and I think it's the best in the country. There isn't one pseud involved. All the people are real - like labourers or bank clerks. It started out as a folk club, arts labs generally have such a bad reputation as pseud places.
"There's a lot of talent in the green belt and there is a load of tripe in Drury Lane. I think the arts lab movement is extremely important and should take over from the youth club concept as a social service. "The people who come are completely pacifist and we get a lot of cooperation from the police in our area. They are more than helpful. "
Respect breeds respect.
We've got a few greasers who come and a few skinheads who are just as enthusiastic. "We started our lab a few months ago with poets and artists who just came along. It's got bigger and bigger and now we have our own light show and sculptures, et cetera. And I never knew there were so many sitar players in Beckenham".....
David Bowie September 1969.
Which of course led to the Beckenham Free Festival immortalised in 'Memory Of A Free Festival'.
