Old Kent Road gin palace

Hallo Everyone,
I can remember this place poodling by on the bus and was wondering if anyone else remembers it and the history of it or even better has a picture.
Unfortunately i never managed to take a pic of it before it dissappeared. I think it closed 5-7 years ago. It wasn't just a figment of my imagination was it?
Cheers,
Ian

It was near the intersect with east street.. Sorry no pictures. It had an appalling reputation for being dangerous so being a bit cowardly never dared to go in.

It had its good nights and bad. I admit being in there when i was younger. Was a good venue for karaoke though!!!! All places down the Old Kent Road have a bad reputation.

Thanks for your help gents, at least I know I wasn't imagining it!

Really liked it in there.
Cheap, cheerful and local.

It is a lot more dangerous up there now without it as the police practically lived on the old kent road when gin palace, caesars and frog and nightgown were all about

I remember The Gin Palace well. Back in the late eighties, early ninties, it was a very popular drinking hole. I would go there every weekend and had a very good time. You would have to queue up to get in, and have to produce i.d for your age. Also you would have to pay 3 quid to get in, which was quite outrageous back then, but it was worth it. I never witnessed any trouble. I just remember it was chaos outside at 2.00am, when everyone was leaving all the pubs at the same time and trying to get home at the same time. No pictures I,m afraid.

Yes I remember it from the mid-80s. My cousin lived round the corner in Marcia Road, so we often popped in for a pint late afternoon, early evening.
There was a flat roof at the back for al fresco drinking. Originally it looked like a tatty south London boozer but at some point it got painted a rather vile bright blue and yellow.
I remember the landlord liked playing mein host, but one day he bragged about how much money he was making (the 80s boom even reached the Old Kent Road) and the fact he was making large donations to Mrs Thatcher and the Tories. Rather took the taste off the beer.

I have a photo - but only as The Gin Place was being demolished in 2002. I have posted it on the history page of my Marcia Road website, marciaroad.com.

Steve

I went there a few times in the mid 80s and it was a fairly quiet place. It had only just opened back then. The bad reputation must have come later.

Don't suppose anyone remembers the name of the pub it replaced?

The pub in Old Kent Road known as the Gin Palace, was previously called The Castle. It was a typical family type pub with some guy playing the piano at weekends, and everyone joining in with the sing songs. My old nan was a regular :)