The Bedford was one of the first suggestions I received for local stories. This series is about exploring what makes each piece of London unique through stories of its people. So much more than a local pub, The Bedford is a hub of history, new ideas and culture, and a lovely reflection of why Balham’s community is beloved.
When I visit The Bedford, it is hot in London. I show up dishevelled, with my blazer hanging limp over a sweaty arm. Stepping out of the sun and into a huge brick building, I find a refreshing, beautifully composed interior. An impressive horseshoe bar juts out before me, with a pyramid of gleaming bottles behind it and polished beer taps standing ready for an evening rush. Cool 70's pop art hangs on the walls, which somehow fits perfectly with the traditional pub features – the grand wood detailing and leather booths. I’ve heard this place has undergone a multimillion-pound renovation, and it does not disappoint.
I push down my fly-a-ways, trying to mimic the cool of my surroundings. General Manager of The Bedford, Ethan Glackin-McColgan greets me with a big smile and a clipboard of notes, setting off at a quick pace. He starts in on why The Bedford is special right away, his eyes alight, and I find his excitement infectious. I quickly forget myself in the incredible story of The Bedford’s transformation.
Starting with a tour, he points as we go, “We didn’t plan to find the parquet floor, that was buried, and that’s why parts of it then blend into concrete or tile… there’s this cornicing that was boxed up. People say ‘wow, you installed beautiful cornicing,’ and we’re like ‘no, we’ve just recovered Grade II features.’”
To the left of the main bar, there’s a cosier section that was once completely closed off – the Saloon Bar. This is Ethan’s favourite spot because, “In the evening, there can be such a nice hustle and bustle atmosphere, people eating, people drinking…Especially in the winter when the fire’s on, it’s just such a beautiful room.” The Saloon Bar is my first glimpse of The Bedford’s penchant for reimagined space.
The Bedford has the kind of layout you’d expect from a building with its longstanding history – it’s complex. We wind our way through lovingly renovated spaces with restored features and creative décor.
Up on the first floor, Ethan and I wander into the Ballroom, “so before the refurb, these were all a series of odd rooms.” The beautiful lighting, the panelled walls and the gold accents bring a touch of Regency elegance. When paired with the simple wood dance floor, the room feels Old World romantic.
“This is primarily used for dance classes and larger birthday parties,” he says. “We’re also licenced to do weddings.” He opens a door to a parlour room set up with tables – Bridge Club meets in here later today. Then, through the next door, there’s a beautiful cocktail bar with speakeasy vibes. “All three rooms can interconnect, which is generally what weddings do. You can have reception drinks [in the cocktail bar] and dancing in the ballroom.”
“Good year to get into it,” I guess, “with all the COVID-delayed weddings.” Ethan nods, “We’ve hosted weddings for just six people – rule of six, and now we’ve gone from that to weddings of 400!”
Another collection of disused store rooms was knocked through and turned into 15 gorgeous boutique hotel rooms – where you can enjoy easy access to central London for sight-seeing, plus delicious food and access to a full schedule of exciting events just downstairs.
Into the spotlight
Finally, we wind our way back down to The Club Room for the interview. This venue space was once called The Globe for its layout, but The Club Room suits its glamorous 1920's atmosphere.
Ethan brings a table to the middle of the floor, so we can talk surrounded in all the magic of a historic theatre. Plush booths are tucked under a balcony, awaiting martini-sipping revellers. Up above, tables for two are set against the rail. Regal red curtains frame the domed windows. It is odd to be here in the afternoon, sat in the centre of this incredible room with a comedy stage behind us, and the chairs that’ll fill this floor stacked high around the edges. I feel an unexpected excitement for 2pm; pre-show jitters instead of my typical post-lunch lull.
“I was told this was a pub,” I laugh, astonished, “This is not a pub!”
“No,” Ethan agrees, “The Bedford, for me, is a venue first and foremost.”
“Two years ago,” he recalls, “I was really excited to put my name forward…because [the Bedford] has so much on offer. First off, you’ve got the hotel, you’ve got the restaurant, you’ve got a big, busy bar. Okay, then you do live music, then comedy, wrestling, you’ve got drag shows and quizzes, then all the daytime classes – bridge, yoga, first aid, Pilates…I thought [my previous pub] was the heart of the community, but this is times ten!”
Ethan says wrestling, and he really does mean professional wrestling in a ring, built right where we’re seated. On the tour, we ran into the busy Events Manager, Becky, who mentioned that the next events up would be previews for Edinburgh Fringe, experimental classical music, “and wrestling,” she grinned, “I’m proud of the wrestling because there are so few venues in London that can actually do it. I’m kind of up for anything. Robo Zooma is an ITV children’s programme that’s got wrestling robots. They did a PR stunt for the new season… so we had a giant robot with guys wrestling in shiny spandex, whilst we were all around with giant foam thumbs, eating popcorn. It was utterly bizarre!”
The making of The Bedford
Three childhood friends from South London, Tom, Mark and Nick, set out to create a company to celebrate the position local pubs hold in London communities. They built a collection – buying, renovating and running long-running establishments cherished as much more than just a place to drink – and named it Three Cheers.
From the beginning, these three locals had their eye on The Bedford, with dreams of restoring this historic venue to its former glory.
To achieve that goal, as Ethan describes, they focussed on the “heritage of outstanding contribution it’s made to the arts.” The Bedford hosts Banana Cabaret, one of London’s longest running comedy venues in one place. On one wall, you’ll see framed head shots from past performers including Catherine Tate, Eddie Izzard and Michael McIntyre, among others. The Bedford has also seen some major musicians in their early days: Ed Sheeran, Jorja Smith and George Ezra, to name a few. They balance new and local artists and comedians with returning big names, for one of the most exciting free venues South London has to offer.
The Club Room was a focal point in the refurbishment, to give talent the best stage possible, “It’s the biggest refurb we’ve done at the group, and at the heart of it was the live music and comedy. In the refurb, we got the same sound system as the Ministry of Sound.”
An Introduction to Balham
Before the interview, I’d asked the Foxtons Balham Lettings Managers, Sophie and Victoria, about the area. They said Balham is beloved by residents for its culture and community. It’s well-linked to big London hotspots through the Northern and Overground lines, but far enough out to enjoy a more connected lifestyle. Ethan adds, “The community here in Balham…is such a diverse, artsy people. [In The Club Room], there’s comedians who’ve had hard nights, there’s artists who’ve had songs not go the way they want, but we’re still able to celebrate.”
Ethan also describes Balham residents as hugely engaged, “when we came here, the flag poles were broken. We restored them, and it’s just amazing to see how the community responds…we get tags in all these posts. Whether it’s putting up pride flags or Wandsworth Fringe, or the NHS, or sports flags.”
With such active neighbours, it’s easy for The Bedford to connect. The staff support local charities, like cleaning litter and watering planters for Beautify Balham, and Balham locals get involved, “our yoga is taught by Nel, who lives in the area, our bridge club is done by Kit who lives in the area… I’d say quite confidently 80% of our staff live within a 20-minute walk or 40-minute bus.”
Ethan talks a lot about community, I notice. He grew up in a village in Ireland with “that village ethos of helping each other. The pub was the heart of the community...” Ethan had been working in engineering, but eventually came back to pub work at The Rosendale, another Three Cheers pub, because “it kept bringing me back, that community,” he says. “It sustains me in the work I do…You have that connection to the events happening around us. It’s the mix of running a business and being part of the community that I think’s so important.”
The heart of a one-of-a-kind community
Ethan and I are drinking coffee under a soft purple spotlight, where comedians will crack jokes and crowds will gather to dance the night away. He describes a recent Friday, starting with Baby Jam, “beautiful jazz music, children are playing away and the mums are having a soft drink or a glass of wine. It’s interesting to see the room going from 12 babies here enjoying themselves, then 100 people watching comedy, and then 500 people, dancing to 2am.”
I’m trying to picture everything he’s described happening in here – a 10-piece band jamming, a trapeze artist performing in an art festival, all the filming from Masked Singer to Kiss Radio’s Haunted House Party. I picture 250 fans filling out the venue to watch the big match, “The sport here is second to none because you’ve got a 5-metre projector up here…I love the atmosphere. Everyone’s happy, celebrating, commiserating, and now just looking forward to the World Cup coming in winter.”
It seems to me, this unexpected, incredibly versatile room at the heart of what I’d thought was just a pub, does a good job of describing Balham. Sophie, one of Balham’s Lettings Managers, had told me, “People generally don’t move [to Balham] directly. A lot of people…probably lived in Central previously.” Foxtons Managers said Balham is where people go when they get to know London’s areas a bit better, and start to look for those hidden-gem communities with a surprising amount to offer. That’s Balham, and that’s The Bedford.
I'd strongly suggest a visit to The Bedford when you're next in the area. You'll find them at: 77 Bedford Hill, Balham, SW12 9HD (T: 020 3976 8007). You can find them on Facebook or Instagram: @thebedfordpub.
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