The spirit of the Bullring lives on…

Waterloo has a deeply rooted connection to London’s homeless community. For many, central to this legacy is the Bullring, an area in the underground passages linking Waterloo Station and South Bank that in the 1980s and 90s was also colloquially known as ‘Cardboard City’.

Led by people with experiences of homelessness, this exhibition seeks to remember and memorialise the community of the Bullring and the North Lambeth Day Centre, a daytime support centre for the homeless that operated from the St John’s Waterloo church.

Through the lens of photographers Liza Hamlyn and Moyra Peralta, alongside personal accounts, artworks, and historical commentary, the exhibition aims to preserve the stories of the ‘Cardboard City’ while supporting the ongoing campaign to help those experiencing homelessness today.

The organisers stress that the exhibition does not aim to provide a comprehensive account of the origins, history, significance, or lived experiences of the Bullring. Instead, it offers a heartfelt endeavour to preserve and reflect upon the memories shared by and archival fragments of those whose lives were shaped by it, while honouring the legacy of those who are no longer with us.

The exhibition has been brought together as part of an ongoing Homeless Heritage project known as ‘The Lost City of Cardboard’. Working to preserve and share the often-overlooked histories of homeless communities in the Waterloo area, the project engages directly with former residents of the Bullring, those who supported them, and local residents with personal recollections of this era.