Are we witnessing the slow death of Peckham? How residents are battling big business to save the area's soul
In 2011 Soni Marquez spotted an advert on Gumtree for a warehouse to rent. She was looking for a base for a new art studio, the warehouse was appealingly cheap and Soni, a graduate of the Royal College of Art, jumped at the chance.
Sonsoles Print Studio (sonsolesprintstudio.co.uk) has been providing affordable space to a community of hundreds of local artists ever since.
Marquez is one of the creative entrepreneurs who helped kick-start the evolution of Peckham, from vibrant but down-at-heel backwater to global destination.
On Rye Lane, discount stores and beauty salons now stand next to art galleries, bars and cafes, house prices have spiralled and big money is sniffing around SE15.
Locals fear that peak has been reached, and its character is about to be erased in the same way that the rough edges and excitement of Brixton and Hackney were sanded down by fancy new apartments and organic coffee shops.
