Centenary exhibition to celebrate 100 years of Bellingham launch by Phoenix

On Wednesday 14 June, we unveiled a free mobile exhibition to mark 100 years since the Bellingham Estate was built.  

The Bellingham Estate was built over farmland in the 1920s as part of the 'homes for heroes' pledge by then Prime Minister David Lloyd George to deliver high quality new housing for war veterans and their families. One of the first cottage estates in the outskirts of London, aimed at relieving overcrowding in London's East End, Bellingham was originally comprised of around 2,500 homes.

The exhibition also includes the history of the Fellowship Inn, the first pub in London to be built on a housing estate and later the training base for Bellingham local Sir Henry Cooper before his historical fight with Muhammad Ali in 1963. It takes visitors on a journey through the impact on Bellingham of the Blitz during World War Two, the floods of 1968, the Battle of Lewisham in 1977, the great storm of 1987, the establishment of Phoenix, and right through to the present day.

Residents and staff who attended the launch event at the Fellowship Inn enjoyed food and drink and live music from local musician Jimmy Beckle whilst they explored the exhibition - learning about Bellingham's rich history and the people and places that make the community what it is today.  

Denise Fowler, Chief Executive of Phoenix Community Housing, said: "Launching this exhibition is an excellent opportunity to capture the heritage of Bellingham through a range of historic photographs that tell the stories of the community.  

"The project highlights how Bellingham has transformed over the years but 100 years on, this remains a lovely community and these are still homes for heroes."

The exhibition will remain at the Fellowship Inn until Friday 23 June, before it moves to the Bellingham Leisure Centre 28 June. To stay up to date with where the mobile exhibition will visit next, click here.