Alexandra Day in Peckham

Charming charity antics in Peckham, as locals dig deep for 'Alexandra Rose Day'.

Peckham flower-sellers are out in force for the second ever 'Alexandra Rose Day', a fundraising event for London hospitals dreamt up in 1912 by Queen Alexandra, consort to Edward VII. Armed with sashes, fake roses and collection tins, the girls parade bashfully from Camberwell Town Hall, and are soon making mischief on Peckham High Street and Rye Lane. A vibrant snapshot of South London life.

It's worth watching this film twice to catch its fascinating details. As the girls perform a spontaneous dance outside the Peckham Hippodrome, notice the poster in the background advertising a screening of this very film! Then there's the general commotion caused when the collectors chase a market porter, before stopping traffic in Rye Lane.