Du Cane Court is an

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

apartment block A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building, as opposed to a low-rise building and is defined differently in terms of height depending on the jurisdictio ...

on Balham High Road,

Balham Balham () is an area in south London, England, mostly within the London Borough of Wandsworth with small parts within the neighbouring London Borough of Lambeth. The area has been settled since Saxon times and appears in the Domesday Book as B ...

, south

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. A distinctive local landmark, it was opened in 1937 and, with 677 apartments, is the largest privately owned block of flats under one roof in Europe. It was a popular place to live for many music hall stars in the 1930s and 1940s and boasted a social club, on the top floor, before the area was converted into flats. Past residents have included the comedian

Tommy Trinder Thomas Edward Trinder CBE (24 March 1909 – 10 July 1989) was an English stage, screen and radio comedian whose catchphrase was "You lucky people!". Described by cultural historian Matthew Sweet as "a cocky, front-of-cloth variety turn", he was ...

. Currently comedian and writer Arthur Smith, the self-styled 'Bard of Balham', is a resident. Du Cane Court, Balham, London-6850667563

During the Second World War it was speculated that Du Cane Court had escaped bombing because it was planned for use by military officers in the event of a successful German invasion. This and related legends were explored by writer

Steve Punt Stephen Mark Punt (born 15 September 1962)Mr Stephen Mark Punt
company-director-c ...

in a 2009

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

programme called ''

Punt PI ''Punt PI'' is a fact-based comedy radio series on BBC Radio 4 in which Steve Punt investigates mysteries in Britain. Format Each episode is 30 minutes long and there are three or four episodes in each series. Starting with series two, every ep ...

''.Punt Pi
at Radiolistings Similar Art Deco residential buildings in London include

Florin Court Florin Court is an Art Deco / Streamline Moderne residential building on the eastern side of Charterhouse Square in Smithfield, London. History Built in 1936 by Guy Morgan and Partners who worked until 1927 for Edwin Lutyens, and two years ear ...

Cholmeley Lodge Cholmeley Lodge is an Art Deco / Streamline Moderne grade II listed residential building in Highgate, London, designed by architect Guy Morgan. Built in 1934 and taking its name from Sir Roger Cholmeley, (pronounced 'Chumlee') who owned the lan ...

and

Hillfield Court Hillfield Court is a prominent art deco residential mansion block in Belsize Park, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1934. It is located off Belsize Avenue and can also be accessed from Glenloch Road. It is one of the many purpose built ...

References

External links

* * Vincent, Gregor
A History Of Du Cane Court
September 2011 Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Wandsworth Apartment buildings in London Art Deco architecture in London Residential buildings completed in 1937 Balham {{London-struct-stub