Social History

The Gangs of London website is a lovingly-maintained map of the capital, with a helpful guide to local gangs.

Brockley Central reader Paul pointed us towards the entry for Lewisham. It's an interesting bit of local history and it's worth checking out. the entry for the "Blue Borough" as patriotic local gang members call it, perhaps as a tribute to our famous bins.

According to the site:

"The most prominent gang areas in Blue Borough were organised around New Cross, Deptford and Brockley, those being the Ghetto Boys and Brockley Mandem."

These gangs have a long heritage, with common roots in the Milton Estate, New Cross. The only local school which gets a mention in the gangs' history is Crofton School (now Prendergast - Ladywell Fields College).

Brockley Mandem was centred around the Turnham Estate, in the west side of Brockley, near the border with Honor Oak. As is so often the case, the younger generation sought to express their own identity and became known as the Younger Brockley Mandem and - sometimes - Younger Brockley Boys. The baton has recently been handed to a newer generation, who've renamed themselves the Turnham Gang or Team Brockley.