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BRIXTON BUGLE YOUR FREE
No 50 | FEBRUARY 2017
Published monthly in and for Brixton
ARCHES BLIGHT: TRADERS DEMAND ACTION By Linda Quinn
Traders on Brixton Station Road have banded together to demand action from Lambeth council on the blight afflicting the road as a result of the closure of arches owned by Network Rail. Shop and stall holders say Network Rail has “not lifted a finger” to help them and that the council – which approved its plans – must find ways to help them as takings disappear. Businesses in premises owned privately or by the council on the opposite side of the street to the boarded-up shops have seen their takings halved as footfall has dropped dramatically. And as work seems certain to overrun, many are worried about the future. Claudette Jaggon who runs Bambino’s, a children’s clothes shop, said: “I took £56 on Saturday. How can I pay the rent or electricity on that? I used to take at least £200, but customs down on average by 50-60%.” She has been left with excess stock because she ordered based
COMMUNITY PAPER
GOING PLACES
Dwaynamics set to expand
Open for business – Café Brixtonia – see page 12
on previous sales. “There’s bags of stock everywhere and I’ve no room to put it. I want to know why we can’t get a response from the council and Network Rail,: she said. Traders are critical of what they say is the lack of support from the council and are worried about the impact of business rate rises due in April which will not take account of their loss of income. They also say that the hoardings put up by the council in an attempt to brighten the road do not go far enough.
GRAFFITI
ISSN 2397-852X
Signage for businesses still open is too far up Station Road to draw them to anyone’s attention. One shopkeeper said his shutters had been spray painted by a graffiti artist employed by the council without his permission. John Gordon, Station Road market manager, said there was still no sign of the work that was due to start in January and said he was worried that it would mean the planned 16-month work schedule will take longer.
The closures are also having an adverse affect on market traders, said Stuart Horwood, CEO of the Brixton Market Traders’ Federation. “Station Road Street market is on its last legs. If you look around this corner at Pope’s Road you can see at least nine empty pitches. It has completely demoralised existing traders. Some took the approach ‘If that’s the way it is, we’ll find somewhere else to trade on a Saturday’.” Horwood said the remaining traders are still paying the same with no account taken of the big decline in footfall. “Recognition of this fact by the council would be gratefully appreciated. Network Rail has not lifted a finger to help the street market,” he added. As the Bugle reported in December, Lambeth council leader Lib Peck wrote to Network Rail asking for a meeting and an explanation as to why work had not begun on the arches on Atlantic Road and Brixton Station Road. A Lambeth Council spokesman said: “Since the letter was sent both councillors and council officers
SO HELP ME, GOD
The alternative inauguration
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have met with the traders several times, and work has already started on putting up hoardings to improve how the street looks, fixing street lighting and gathering evidence on the impact on footfall.
RATES APPEAL
“We’re arranging a meeting with Network Rail and are prepared to help businesses with a business rates appeal, which has to be made to central Government. The council is also working to support the Brixton Bid’s #OpenforBusiness campaign to boost trade in the area.” A Network Rail spokesman said it had to wait for the outcome of a legal challenge to its plans by some arches leaseholders. ■■ Lambeth tenants of Network Rail are not the only ones complaining. Small businesses in Hackney have accused it of trying to price them out after it refurbished arches in Homerton’s Ponsford Street. One tenant said her rent would have increased from £7,500 a year to more than £20,000.
NEW TRADITIONS
Let’s hear it for the apple spirits 10
LOOKING FOR A HOME Life after Carnegie closure
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2 NEWS
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‘World record’ pollution on Brixton Road
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ADVERTISING Jenny Shramenko 07811 878394 jenny@brixtonblog.com Circulation 12,000 copies Readership: circa 15,000 EDITOR Linda Quinn linda@brixtonblog.com MANAGING EDITOR Simon Still simon@brixtonblog.com NEWS EDITOR Anna McKie newsdesk@brixtonblog.com ARTS & FEATURES arts@brixtonblog.com FOOD Nick Buglione food@brixtonblog.com SPORT Sandra Brobbey sport@brixtonblog.com ISSUE 50 Contributors Brittney Bien Amie John Akinde Lilly Blanchard Stepen Blanchard Sam Furness Frankie Holah Nicola Jones Susan Sheehan Gemma Pasha Delores William Sub-editor: Jamila Omar Production: Alan Slingsby Distribution: Philip King Crossword: Josie Gardiner A massive thank you to everybody involved in making this issue, and the Blog & Bugle project, a success If you would like to be a Bugle stockist please email distribution@brixtonblog.com
2017 FEBRUARY
The iconic image of David Bowie that appears on Brixton Pound notes was projected on the Bovril wall on the anniversary of his death in January in a tribute by the davidbowie.community organisation in association with the Brixton Pound with support from Lambeth council and Brixton BID.
Bowie mural attacked Police were called and one arrest made in the early hours of 9 January after a David Bowie tribute concert at the Academy when vandals on two occasions attacked tributes left at the Bowie mural on the side of Morleys. Local resident Rob Goacher said he heard screaming and a commotion around the memorial at about 11pm. From his window he saw a woman walking through and kicking flowers and candles across the pavement. Police arrived a few minutes after he called 999. Mourners visiting the site after the tribute concert were very upset. Goacher said police arrived and rearranged the flowers while the woman continued to shout aggressively and smash bottles onto the area around the memorial.
The police calmed her down, but were unable to arrest her, so sent her on her way. Then, at about 2.30 am, Goacher was wakened again by drunks singing Bowie songs loudly and badly as if they were football chants. This went on for about 30 minutes. An hour later, he called 999 again when woken by shouting and glass smashing. The same woman as before, this time accompanied by a man, was kicking the memorial flowers and smashed the glass of a large framed picture. Police again arrived extremely quickly. The woman was again told to go on her way as they could not make an arrest because nobody knew the owner of the picture. The man was arrested for breaching bail conditions.
Brixton police pioneer knife crime project London’s deputy mayor for policing, Sophie Linden, visited Brixton police station in January to check on a pioneering project to reduce knife crime. The project, Divert, works with 18–25-year-olds to support them away from crime and into employment or education. A member of the Divert team will speak to a young person arrested in connection with knife-related crime while they are in custody. Nick Darvill and Ann-Marie Willison who have run the since last April said that, with their partners, they have supported over 150 youngsters
and found 55 employment in Brixton. “Out of the 55 only two have re-offended”, said Darvill. Willison said the key was to have the right “people skills” and to find the right moment to talk.“You need to identify their passion and what they want to get into.” Paying tribute to the team, Linden said: “They are trying to make sure where people have been arrested, they can move on and not re-offend. That’s fantastic. “What we need to do is replicate that and learn the lessons of what they are doing here.”
Eric the Fish is indisposed
Carnegie planning decision expected
Library campaigners believe that the fate of Herne Hill’s Carnegie library may be determined at a meeting of Lambeth council’s planning committee on 7 February. Some 146 people have objected to an application on behalf of Lambeth council and its leisure provider GLL to turn the grade 2 listed building into a “community hub” with a neighbourhood library and gym. The application is due to expire on 15 February. Two competing organisation are seeking to run the building for the community. Both oppose the council’s plans.
“They must include a national network of clean air Pollution on Brixton Road in zones, which stop the dirtiest early January may have set a diesel vehicles entering “world record” for the number pollution hotspots,” he said. of times official pollution limits “They also have to stop had been breached in a single the perverse fiscal incentives day, according to the Clean Air which encourage people to use in London organisation. diesel vehicles and instead help The World Health Organisathem to buy cleaner ones.” tion guideline is for no human London Assembly Green exposure to the dangerous Party member Caroline gas nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at Russell visited the Brixton over 200 micrograms per cubic Road monitoring point that metre (ug/m3) measured over records the pollution and said: one hour. The EU legal limit, “London must comply with also in UK law, is 18 hours in nitrogen dioxide legal limits a calendar year. by 2020 at the very latest.” The monitor in Brixton Mayor Khan is planning to Road was the first in London introduce no/low emission to report 19 “exceedances” at buses on routes between 9pm on Thursday 5 January Streatham and Brixton in (and 21 by 11pm). October this year. Hourly NO2 concentraLambeth council cabinet tions reached an “incredible” member for environment 347.7 ug/m3 in Brixton and transport Jennifer Road at 9pm on 5 Brathwaite said: “This January, Clean Air s shocking, but Brixton’s isadly in London said. not surprising. NO2 pollution Criminal air: We are very aware in Brixton peaked of the high levels Page 8 again on 24 January of pollution in the at 237.3 ug/m3 borough, which is at 9pm. why we encourage our Clean Air in London residents to change their director Simon Birkett called behaviour, while lobbying for outdoor food and drink City Hall and the government sales to be stopped in areas for improvements.” with such high levels of The council says it is dangerous pollution. estimated that up to 40% of air ClientEarth, a group of pollution in Lambeth is from campaigning lawyers, said sources outside the borough. pollution in Brixton Road was It recently completed consulthe highest in London. tations on an “air quality ClientEarth member action plan” which will be and Brixton resident followed up by a steering Alan Andrews said it was group including council “absolutely essential” that officers. One of the proposals London mayor Sadiq Khan it will investigate is installing delivers on his promises to Santander (Boris) bikes tackle pollution and that the outside Brixton station. national government “backs The council wants businesses him to the hilt”. and individuals to join the He has promised a bigger group – contact sustainability@ ultra-low emission zone for lambeth.gov.uk. 2019 and the cleanest buses on ■■ You can check on pollution the most polluted roads. in Brixton and other parts Andrews said draft governof Lambeth at the London ment plans to tackle air Air page of King’s College pollution were due to be London: www.londonair.org. published in April. uk/london/asp/tools.asp.
Cressingham challenge rejected The High Court has rejected a challenge to Lambeth council’s plans to demolish and rebuild its Cressingham Gardens estate. Residents opposed to the plans said they would fight on, but Justice David Holgate said in his judgement that the council’s decision to reject all of the refurbishment options for the estate
that they had put forward was “legally unimpeachable”. The council said that its proposed redevelopment would see all the 306 properties on the estate replaced with a minimum of 464 new homes. ■■ Activist rapper Potent Whisper has created a campaigning video based on Cressingham Gardens. See it at youtu.be/NGcuNBxkN1Y.
FEBRUARY 2017
NEWS 3
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NEWS IN BRIEF Thieves hit St John’s
Thieves have stolen the lead from the roof of St John’s, Angell Town. The church, built in 1853, is a centre for the local community. The congregation is appealing to businesses and individuals to help fundraise for repairs. All donations large and small would be much appreciated. Send to Rev Rosemary Mallet, St John’s, 74 Wiltshire Road, SW9 7NE.
Country Show permits
Applications to exhibit, trade and perform at this year’s Lambeth Country Show are open until the end of February. Go to lambethcountryshow.co.uk/apply.
Trees for Lambeth
London mayor Sadiq Khan has awarded a grant of £100,000 to place 480 semi-mature trees across Lambeth. Part of a Londonwide scheme, they will be planted over the next two months. Khan said: “This is the first step in my plans for a major tree-planting programme across London. I remain fully committed to ensuring that hundreds of thousands of new trees are planted over the next four years.”
Brixton Green job
Brixton Green/Somerleyton Trust is recruiting for a transition director to help shape the future of the trust and to create a business plan for the new community housing trust which hopes to build 300 homes in the Somerleyton Road area. Details at www.brixtongreen.org/job.
Condom campaign
Do It London, an HIV prevention campaign run by Lambeth on behalf of all 32 London boroughs, is urging Londoners to wrap up this winter by “doing it with a condom” because of the steep rise in sexually transmitted infections over the last five years. More at https://doitlondon.org.
Eric Roberson (right) at work on I Have a Song at Brixton’s Raw Materials studios
RAF fly past for unveiling of the Windrush Square memorial to Black people who fought for Britain Details, including an RAF fly-past, have been announced of the high-profile unveiling of the memorial to Black Commonwealth servicemen and women who fought in the first and second world wars which will take place in Brixton on Windrush Day, 22 June. Jak Beula of the Nubian Jak Community Trust said: “I’m delighted that finally there will be a public unveiling of the memorial in Windrush Square. The plans, which have royal approval, are now being finalised, invitations have gone out and the line-up for the evening show is taking shape.” The ceremony will take place outside the Black Cultural Archives from 2 to 4pm. An
evening celebration with a star-studded cast is promised for 6pm. The event will have national significance, with politicians from the UK and the Commonwealth invited. After a bugle call, the memorial will be unveiled, followed by tribute speeches and a uniformed march past. After the parade, a Remembering the Forgotten ceremony will honour those who participated in the wars and veterans and relatives of those who died will be honoured. Beula said the ceremony would close with the lighting of a flame, school children singing a hymn and there would be an RAF fly-past. Beula said: “Star of the evening concert will be international neo-soul godfather and RnB
Ritzy workers reject owners’ Do you know a local hero? ‘legal intimidation’ move The BECTU section of Prospect, the union representing Picturehouse staff including those at Brixton’s Ritzy campaigning for the London living wage, is to ballot its members on strike action for a second time. The first ballot in January – with a 77% turnout and a 96% “Yes” vote across three cinemas – has been challenged by the company’s lawyers on a legal technicality. BECTU says workers have also been threatened with legal action over unfounded claims of intimidation and unlawful picketing.
The Crouch End Picturehouse in North London has now joined the campaign and will be included in the new ballot for strike action. Kiv Legate, Ritzy union branch secretary, said: “These attempts to intimidate and discourage the strikers have not only failed, but have also highlighted the fact that Picturehouse would rather use their substantial profits to pay for expensive lawyers and sue their workers than commit to an ethical pay structure. It is intensely disappointing Cineworld works so hard not to pay their workers a living wage.”
Railton Road memories appeal A local gallery and education centre is appealing for people with memories and/or photographs old and new of Railton Road to help it with a project to capture and preserve the history, spirit and significance of the road. Brixton’s 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning has created the project – Voices From the Front Line – for 13–25-year-olds. It will explore Brixton’s heritage and, in particular, the political and
social history of Railton Road, where 198 is based. Young people who take part will receive training in oral history, archival research and basic research methods. Participants can take part in the the project as part of an enrichment programme, work experience or internship. ■■ Anyone interested in getting students and young people involved should contact 198buki@gmail.com.
Friends of Tate Library and Friends of Windrush Square launched a campaign to identify and celebrate “local heroes” at Brixton Library in January. People are being asked to nominate their local hero – individuals who have made their communities better or inspired others. You can nominate your hero on a postcard available at the library Marilyn Rogers of Friends of Windrush Square said: “The idea was sparked by the Brixton Society’s memorial to Norma Williamson, a stalwart campaigner for her community who passed on in 2015. A ‘green’ memorial is at the corner of the library in her honour.” Organisers hope the nominations will form part of a display wall at Tate Library Brixton and ultimately Brixton’s own equivalent of the blue plaque. Some of those suggested include the famous – David Bowie, Olive Morris and Sam King – and those still with us making a mark on their community – advocates, campaigners and volunteers. At the initial meeting, local artist Pam Williams and young people from Bling Ya Bike roughed out some ideas at a T-shirt painting and badge making workshop. ■■ Contact the friends at foftlbrixton@gmail.com
superstar Eric Roberson. “Eric was kind enough to allow us to use his lyrics for our fundraising memorial CD I Have A Song, which was recorded in Brixton’s Raw Material studios. I’m thrilled he will travel from the US to attend.” Invitations have gone to an all-star cast including Benjamin Zephaniah, Courtney Pine, Beverley Knight and a host of reggae, RnB and Grime artists as well as poets and theatre groups. ■■ The groundbreaking public awareness single for the memorial I Have a Song is available to download from iTunes, Spotify or Amazon for 99p.
Brixton’s Urban Art Fair could fold over road closure charges Organisers of Brixton’s Urban Art Fair – one of the events that has helped to boost Brixton’s reputation as a creative powerhouse since it was founded 15 years ago – say it may have to close because of charges imposed by Lambeth council. They say that the July open air show in Josephine Avenue would have to pay £2,000 for the road to be closed this year compared to £1,400 in 2016. The first show in 2002 was a one-day event with 36 exhibitors celebrating local creative talent and raising money for the avenue’s residents association. Last year’s had 180 artists, down on 2015, but raised a record £4,400 for local charities and good causes. Organiser Tim Sutton said that “Back in 2002 a pop-up street market was a new idea”.
When he approached the council for seed funding he was told by the arts officer that any money available would be spent on council-led projects only. “Since then residents have seen a number of council resourced street markets spring up across the borough all of which compete for both for visitors and exhibitors,” he said. Together with a £500 payment to exhibit street art produced at the fair in Windrush Square, Urban Art would have to pay the council £2,500 to put on Urban Art 2017. Sutton warned: “Urban Art will not be used as a revenue stream for Lambeth’s own arts projects. After 15 years of battling with Lambeth I am exhausted. Maybe it’s time to call it a day.”
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Celebs join fight to save local community centre By Anna McKie
Locals DJ Don Letts and writer Will Self joined Joanna Lumley and campaigners outside Stockwell Tube station to protest against the closure of a local community centre, one of six community centres at risk of being sold or demolished by their owner Hyde Housing. Said Letts: “I grew up on the Studley Estate in Stockwell and I know that communities need centres which can provide a refuge, a place to get skills and build the kind of mutual understanding and respect that modern society can be lacking”. Hyde has announced plans to sell the Stockwell Centre and the Kennington Park Centre in Lambeth. It plans to lease Stockwell to another group, with no guarantee that it will stay open or provide the same services– currently used by 1,000 people a week – to local residents. Campaigners are fighting to ensure it will continue in its current form, which include a welcome project for refugees, disability group meetings and support for unemployed residents. Lumley said closing the centre would be a
Call for volunteers to be ‘community connectors’ Lambeth council’s Community Connectors Programme run by its health and wellbeing team has extended from the Vassall and Coldharbour Wards to the whole borough and is looking for volunteers to become connectors. Mary Salmon writes: “The role involves signposting people who need help with problems including health checks, debt assistance, and housing advice to the right sources of help. Four days of training are provided and the next round takes place on 9, 21, 22 February and 13 March. “You need to attend all four days. You can take exam at the end of the course, leading to a Level 2 qualification in Understanding Behavioural Change from the Royal Society of Public Health”. Fraser Serle, programme coordinator for the Lambeth Commissioning Group said: “Many of our current connectors have said that the training we provide and the monthly meetings have helped them to update skills, make new friends and contacts, learn about funding opportunities and even apply for new jobs based on the skills and confidence they have gained.” ■■ For more information, contact Fraser Serle on f.serle@nhs.net or 07720 601048.
“terrible blow” to the community. “I opened the centre when it was refurbished four years ago and we need this kind of support more than ever,” she said. On 21 January the estate’s residents association organised a protest attended by 200 people, which marched to Hyde’s offices. Local councillors have organised a petition to save the centre, which has now reached 1,800 signatures. Stockwell councillor Alex Bigham said the campaign would “use every tool we can to fight the decision to get rid of these community centres which are so valuable to local people”. Campaigners have instructed solicitors to examine a potential legal challenge and are applying have the Stockwell and Kennington centres listed as assets of community value. Hyde, founded as a housing association in 1967, claims that it provides “more than housing” and “improves the quality of people’s lives by helping to create a sustainable, inclusive and thriving community”. ■■ Sign petitions at: change.org/p/hyde-housing-save-the-stockwell-community-centre and kenningtonparkestateresidents.org.uk.
NEWS IN BRIEF Foodbank’s Xmas record
Lloyd Newton: teacher, opera performer and worker for charity Lloyd Newton, founder and artistic director of the Brixton-based multicultural Pegasus Opera Company died in January. At Pegasus, he provided a platform for Black and minority ethnic (BAME) performers to work on stages where they are traditionally under-represented. He also encouraged diverse audiences to engage with opera. A secondary school music teacher for 15 years, he raised funds for charities including Hope and Homes for Children, Warchild and The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. He was twice nominated for the Creative Britons Award and received an award from The Voice newspaper for his outstanding contribution to BAME communities at both local and national levels. He performed with English National Opera, the Royal Opera House and Glyndebourne Festival and toured with Opera North and with The Royal Shakespeare Company. Pegasus’ educational work includes a free education programme for young people from eight to 19 and an intergenerational choir (aged 12 to 112) as well work with members of local communities in Lambeth.
Top award from PM for Black Cultural Archives patron Brawn Miranda Brawn, patron of Brixton’s Black Cultural Archives, has won another award for her work to improve diversity. Prime minister Theresa May gave Brawn (inset), a successful lawyer and businesswoman, a “Point of Light” award for her work with young future leaders from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation mentors 14 to 21-year-olds through a scholarship programme that includes coaching and work experience. Its annual lecture was the first of its kind aimed at school children. May said in a letter to Brawn: “Your tireless commitment to increasing opportunities for future leaders from ethnic minority communities is changing lives.
2017 FEBRUARY
“As well as inspiring young people with your own story, the very practical support you are providing through your foundation is supporting young people to go as far as their talents will allow and showing them that there should be no barriers to achieving their potential.” The Point of Light award recognises outstanding individual volunteers, people who are making a change in their community and inspiring others. The awards will be presented at a Downing Street reception. Brawn said: “I am truly honoured and humbled to win a Point of Light Award for my diversity and community work during the past 18 years. It is such an honour to be recognised by the UK prime minister for helping to increase equality and diversity in the UK workforce.”
The Brixton and Norwood Foodbank ended 2016 by distributing a record number of parcels in the run-up to Christmas. 600 people received emergency provisions – five tonnes of food – on 23 December alone, the foodbank reported. In the two days before Christmas more than 80 volunteers helped to get food to those who needed it. Brixton Foodbank said there are a number of new roles available in 2017, including administration, drivers, and meet-and-greet roles. Email norwoodfoodbankad@gmail.com for more information. Elizabeth Maytom from the foodbank will join Helen Hayes, MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, and others on a panel discussing the causes of food poverty and what the government needs to do to tackle it at Christ Church, Gipsy Hill, on 7 February at 8pm.
Minister in Brixton
Government minister Caroline Dinenage, parliamentary under secretary of state for women, equalities and early years at the Department for Education, visited the Liz Atkinson Children’s Centre in Brixton to meet staff and parents involved in the Lambeth Early Action Partnership. The partnership, one of five Big Lottery funded “A Better Start” programmes, works with families in four Lambeth wards – Coldharbour, Stockwell, Tulse Hill and Vassall – to improve the literacy of young children. It offers support and advice for parents from pregnancy until the child is age four. Dinenage met staff in Brixton involved in “Making it REAL’” an early literacy project. She said that, no matter what their background or circumstance, children should experience the joy of reading widely and well. “Thanks to our dedicated early years staff, and through projects like REAL and LEAP, we are seeing an improvement year on year in literacy standards by age five,” she said. “Parents are key to ensuring children get the best start in life, and they need the confidence to help boost their children’s learning at home. That’s why it’s so great to see the success of projects like these and the enthusiasm of their parent champions.”
South London carers
South London Cares, a community network that tackles social isolation by bringing together older and younger neighbours, is raising its profile with new events this year. The charity has been running for three years and has connected more than 1,000 older neighbours with 1,200 young professionals through its two programmes – social clubs and Love Your Neighbour one-to-one friendship matches. From 27 March to 2 April is the South London Cares baking week, where it will ask its volunteers and supporters to help the charity raise funds by baking – with a Southern twist. “We’ll try to get our 60 Love Your Neighbour matches and ask them to share recipes and culinary stories from their past. We expect a wide range of dishes, as our Love Your Neighbour matches are an incredibly diverse gang and had quite adventurous lives.”
FEBRUARY 2017
BUGLE 5
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INTERESTING TIMES If journalism is the first draft of history, then the first 50 Brixton Bugles will make for an interesting chapter. They record not only a time of accelerating change in the community, but one in which an increasing recognition of its unique character went hand in hand with growing threats to it. We have picked some of the many news highlights from that time as we reported them
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Free tickets and discounts at south London’s favourite cinema in our competition. Turn to p7
Edition 1
ISSUE 1 – June 2012. Founders Zoe Jewell and Tim Dickens kick off with an issue that brings together Brixton’s Caribbean heritage and a royal visit
SOUL LEGEND HONOURED
Soul II Soul and Jazzie B unveil plaque at the Electric, where they played first gig 20 years ago. See p3
FREE
Friday, June 2012
‘BIGGEST’ SPLASH EVENT IN HISTORY
PARTY COINCIDES WITH 100m FINAL AND JAMAICA DAY
The town’s annual street festival, Brixton Splash, will be the “biggest and most dynamic” ever, organisers have said. With Usain Bolt running 100m final at the Olympics that day and the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence the next, the stars have aligned to produce something special in the town centre on August 5. There’ll be a Jamaican film festival at the Ritzy in July and a photo exhibition at Brixton Library featuring archive photos from Britain’s leading black newspaper, The Voice. Speaking to the Brixton Bugle this week, co-organiser Lee Jasper said: “This will be the biggest Olympic party for Jamaicans in town. It will be the biggest and most dynamic Brixton Splash ever. “The Splash is important to Brixton because the notion of multiculturalism has been under constant attack of late, notably by the Prime Minister himself.“ Jasper added: “We want to celebrate Brixton’s hyperdiversity. This is the world in one place. The cultural assets which that brings can be a real strong driver for the local economy. “The Brixton Splash vision is to support this.” Lambeth council will also host a
Lee Jasper, Brixton Splash re-creation of a “no colour bar” tea dance that took place at the Town Hall in 1955 to welcome Windrush emigres to the borough.
Look who came to town. Royal visit: Page 2
GOOD TIMES: Brixton Splash is the ultimate street party pic: Becky Edwards The dance this year will be inviteHe said: “The cultural assets which only to pensioners and Splash are that brings can be a real strong driver looking to contact those who attended for the local economy. The Brixton the original event. Splash vision is to support this.” On August 5 itself, a line-up of Splash organisers are still looking artists will perform on the main stage for volunteers stewards for the event, in Windrush Square as well as at the who will receive professional events usual soundsystems along Coldhartraining in return. bour Lane and Atlantic Road. For more information visit www. In the evening, the Electric Brixton brixtonsplash.org. will host the official after-party, with live streaming from the athletics final and a countdown to midnight. “We’ll be ringing in Jamaican independence day at the Brixton Electric”, said Jasper. The street festival was first held in August 2006 to mark 25 years since the Brixton riots and to show the vibrant, positive side of Brixton to the world. It is very much a community-led event, founded by Blacker Dread, who owns the Blacker Dread record store on Coldharbour Lane, and Ros Griffiths of the Brixton Employment Cafe. Jasper said that events like Splash are vital to support Brixton and surrounding areas.
BUGLE IS BORN Your own free hyperlocal newspaper
Welcome to our first edition of the Brixton Bugle. We run a local Brixton website called the Brixton Blog and for a long time we have wanted to create a newspaper which can, open up news about Brixton to a wider group of people, not just the web savvy. We love Brixton, we are proud of it and we want you to know all about what is happening here, be aware of the good and bad stuff going on - and start talking about it. We’ve spent the last few weeks learning some of the skills required to put a newspaper together, so we ask you to bear with us. It’s not perfect! But it is packed with local news, reviews, and sports. A trader in the market who has had a shop there for 30 years, long before any of the Village turned up, shares her recipe for Nigerian pepper soup, a certain soul band have received a special plaque in Brixton, and basketballing giants (literally) will be slamdunking at Windrush Square this Saturday...
Edition 9
BUDDHIST BRIXTON... Author Stella Duffy p12
FREE
Social housing lost
April 2013
INSIDE...
Homes set aside for social tenants reclassified as ‘affordable’
By Tim Dickens and Zoe Jewell Flats in a town centre development set aside for social housing will cost tenants 20 per cent more after Lambeth council passed a controversial planning amendment. Senior Labour councillors have defended the move to approve plans from Barratt Homes to change the provision of 48 homes at their Coldharbour Lane development from “social” housing provision to “affordable”. The flats will now cost Lambeth’s poorest residents about 20 per cent more. A four bed flat will go from £166.39 to £202.70 per week, for instance. The decision was taken despite a joint campaign by Brixton-based news sites Brixton Blog, Brixton Buzz and Urban 75. In the comment pages of The Bugle this month, Cllr Pete Robbins defended the decision, blaming the coalition government instead: “Until 2011, central government subsidised the cost of building homes for social rent to make them financially viable – but this subsidy has been abolished by the coalition government.” Speaking against the changes at the Town Hall meeting, local resident Matthew Clarke said: “As gentrification continues apace in Brixton this will make it increasingly difficult for low income tenants to live in the town centre. It is extremely important to conserve social rented properties at the heart of Brixton.”
World of words
A poignant and touching interview with Patrick Kelly of Bookmongers, reflecting on Brixton past, present and future. Brixton People, p7
Brixton boxer LUXURY: The Brixton Square site will no longer have ‘social’ homes. Cllr Pete Robbins, inset. Barratt Homes, which made a In a concession to the objectors, the housing is as yet uncertain, howpre-tax profit of about £45million new affordable homes will be run ever, and the decision on Barratt in the second half of last year, and is selling 2-bed flats at Brixton Square for £500,000, applied for the change of housing provision despite having nearly finished building the development. Phil Davidson, from Barratt Homes, said his company had started building at the site with a commitment to the council to deliver.
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by a registered social landlord. The move comes as the Government introduces savage cuts on housing benefit and as consultation begins on another crucial town centre development. Workshops are underway to hear locals’ ideas for the strip of land on Somerleyton Road. The extent of affordable or social
Homes does not signal a commitment on behalf of the council to conserving social housing in the area. There will be workshops specifically about housing and communal space at the Lambeth Volunteer Centre, Brixton Station Road, at 7pm on Tuesday April 16. Analysis, p9
Brixton schoolgirls couldn’t believe their eyes last month when Hollywood actor Will Smith visited their assembly. Smith, who was accompanied on the visit by Streatham MP Chuka Umunna, visited St Martin in the Fields School, Tulse Hill, last month after going on a walkabout
through Brixton Market and stopping at Federation Coffee, Granville Arcade for a cuppa with Paul Reid from the Black Cultural Archives. Krishnan Guru-Murphy, the Channel 4 news presenter, tweeted a picture with the words: “What is Will Smith doing in Brixton?” Full report on p5
Fresh Prince of Brixton
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Editor Zoe Jewell chats to AJ Carter at Brixton Recreation Centre ahead of his first pro fight. Sport, p20
Marathon heroes
Meet Brixton’s delegation to the Virgin London Marathon this month. Local runners tell us all about ice baths, sore knees and snowy runs. News, p7
Edition 22 FREE
ISSUE 22 – June 2014. Lambeth’s volatile politics are the lead as Labour scores an election landslide. Outgoing Lib Dem leader Alex Davies warns of a threat to accountability
June 2014
The election, which had a turnout of just 32 per cent in the borough, left a surging Labour party with 59 of the 63 seats up for grabs. Cllr Lib Peck, Lambeth council leader, said she was delighted with the result: “It’s a ringing endorsement of the last administration’s sound financial management, successful lobbying and push to Continued on p2
SUMMER IN THE CITY p12-13 Your double page guide to enjoying the sunshine in and around Brixton
Totally Tedx Talks
TedX Brixton, an event for local people to give inspiring talks to their community, is gearing up for its main autumn event by holding a Kick Off day in Lambeth Town Hall on June 7. All are welcome to the warm up gig. Turn to page 5 for more info.
www.brixtonblog.com @brixtonblog
MAXI JAZZ INTERVIEW p17 New music editor Phoebe Robertson catches up with Faithless legend Maxi Jazz ahead of his Electric fundraiser
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ISSUE 27 – November 2014. Brixton’s radical nature is in evidence as Ritzy workers battle an unscrupulous employer. They won this battle in the end. But the war is still not over
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>> YOUR PHOTOS, PAGE 8 >> COMMENT, PAGE 9 >> WHAT’S ON, PAGE 18 >> COLUMNS, PAGE 26 >> SPORT, PAGE 28 >>
OXJAM: Five venues around Brixton played host to one of London’s coolest charity fundraisers. news, p6
Ritzy Revenge:
many staff will lose jobs
Ritzy workers earlier in the year campaign for the London Living Wage
By zoE JEWELL Staff at the Ritzy have been told that as many as 34 jobs will be axed and around 50 people will have to reapply for their jobs in a terrible blow to our
much-loved local cinema. In an extraordinary move, just a few weeks after a campaign to get the Living Wage was finally resolved,
the Picturehouse company, bought by Cineworld in 2012, proposed getting rid of the positions of two managers, all eight supervisors, three technical staff, and numerous front-of-house and bar staff. All front-of-house and bar employees will be re-interviewed for their existing jobs. The union BECTU has now released a ballot for strike action and if voted through then strikes could take place as early as November 20. Some have read the move as punishment for the Ritzy campaign for the London Living Wage earlier this year. Nia Hughes, staff representative, said: “I feel like it’s a really brutal attack on a workforce. No other site is having redundancies, so it can be perceived that it is direct victimization. We will stand up to this and we will fight against any single person being made redundant.” There is no evidence of financial problems at the Ritzy and it regularly pulls in the largest monthly profits. In a document handed out to staff at the meeting, the company justified the redundancies by saying “the Ritzy currently has the lowest customer satisfaction of all the Picturehouse
cinemas”. This ‘customer satisfaction’ was measured through reports from ‘mystery shoppers’ in the period between May and September, also the period when staff were striking and campaigning for a London Living Wage. The document states: “we can deliver much better customer service if we create a multi-skilled team of people all of whom can provide whatever a customer needs”. Nia told The Bugle: “It’s incredibly confusing because we mostly have really great rapport with customers and many customers we have known for years.” Picturehouse Cinemas said: “The staff at The Ritzy recently agreed a pay package with Picturehouse Cinemas… During the negotiation process it was discussed that the amount of income available to distribute to staff would not be increasing, and that the consequence of such levels of increase to pay rates would be fewer people with more highly paid jobs. No decisions have been made.” Luminaries from Will Self to Tessa Jowell have expressed their support for the Ritzy staff.
>>>> bugle launches crowdfunding campaign on page 3 >>>>
It’s all about Brixton.
BrIXTOn BOOze: We take a look at the stories behind some of our area’s very own brews. Features, p10
THALI TALes: Find out what our reviewer thought of one of the Village’s bestloved eateries. Food, p23
PHOTO eXHIBITIOn: Great pictures spanning three decades of Afro-Caribbean funerals. Arts & Culture, p17
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ISSUE 30 – March 2015. Traders in arches owned by Network Rail accuse Lambeth council of colluding with the landlord that wants them out – a charge denied, but that will not go away
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>>> my brixton p8 >>> GEt KnittinG, p12 >>> HiLL mEAD HErALD, p21 >>> DULWiCH HAmLEt FootbALL p28 >>>
LARA FInds HeR VOICe: Local singer Lara Lee gave a stellar performance on BBC1’s The Voice recently. Catch up with other music happenings in our round-up. What’s On, p 18
Arches traders slam council BY ANNA MCKIE
BRIXTOn PeOPLe: Musician Leroy nembhard shares his story in the first of our brand new series of features on local characters. Features, p15
VIeW FROM BeLOW ebony Horse Club’s Pedro finally gets to see the world outside his stable with his own custommade periscope. news, p3
ANGRY: Shop owners say Lambeth Council is not doing enough to help he has done is brokered extra time for Network Rail, putting them in a much stronger position.”
Many owners fear the premises will be given to big chains as Brixton’s popularity and rents soar.
A meeting between affected traders, the council, Brixton Business Continued on p7
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>> ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 18 >> RECIPE PAGE 20 >> WHAT’S ON PAGE 22 >> SPORT PAGE 24 >>
CANGELL TOWN BY ALBERTINE BRANDON
The Angell Town estate in Brixton has been brought into the spotlight after the Evening Standard published a series of in depth reports on it. The Standard’s campaigns editor David Cohen spent a week on the estate “to gain a unique
insight.” His reports described an estate “struggling to overcome violence and deprivation.” One Angell Town resident has said the report “made her feel terrible.” Rosalind Henriques, 60, has lived on the estate for 40 years. She was in one of the photos used in the in the series. Henriques said: “It made me feel terrible as someone who has lived there for 40 years.” “Lots of people visit the area who are new here and they don’t feel threatened. My kids - and lots
of other kids-are not involved in gang crime.” “I think there needs to be more intergenerational work done.” she added: “We definitely do need that community centre because when they had that £69million to re-build the estate they didn’t put a community centre in. There’s nowhere we could go and do stuff.”
>>>>> Read more at brixtonblog.com
Pollution killing hundreds each year in Lambeth BY ANNA McKIE Brixton families and residents took to the streets over pollution last month as research showed that hundreds of local people are dying every year because of pollution caused by traffic. Brixton has some of the worst air pollution in London. Levels of
nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – which is linked to heart and lung disease – are much higher than the European Union (EU) standards. The air quality monitoring station in Brixton Road recorded a whole year’s worth of NO2 in the first week of 2015 alone. Last year the same site recorded average annual levels of NO2 nearly four times higher than the EU target – higher than in Oxford Street, Euston Road and the City. The protest took place a day after the government announced plans to meet European air quality limits – which were met with disappointment by environmental campaigners. Critics said the plans would make councils responsible for policing CONTINUED PAGE 2
60 YEARS OF SOUND
SYSTEMS: Channel One’s Mikey Dread remembers the University of Dub at the Rec NEWS PAGE 7
ROBOT ON THE HILL: New college on Brixton Hill will have robotics, 3D printing and more NEWS PAGE 8
HOPPING GOOD HARVEST:
HEDONISM GROWS UP: We
Anti-gentrification protesters paraded through Brixton Village during the Brixton Come Together event. More pictures page 5
䌀氀愀瀀栀愀洀Ⰰ 䈀爀椀砀琀漀渀Ⰰ 䐀甀氀眀椀挀栀 ☀ 渀漀眀 愀 渀攀眀 漀昀昀椀挀攀 椀渀 ㈀ 㜀 㤀㔀 㔀㜀㜀㜀
INSIDE…
The hops are growing well in south London … FEATURE PAGE 11
䬀攀愀琀椀渀最 䔀猀琀愀琀攀猀
戀爀椀砀琀漀渀䀀欀攀愀琀椀渀最攀猀琀愀琀攀猀⸀挀漀洀
eAT, dRInK & Be MeLLOW effra social is great for a relaxed weekend tipple but what about sunday lunch? Read our review. Food, p17
吀漀 挀攀氀攀戀爀愀琀攀 漀甀爀 渀攀眀 漀昀昀椀挀攀 眀攀 愀爀攀 漀昀昀攀爀椀渀最 ꌀ㔀 琀漀眀愀爀搀猀 昀漀漀搀 愀渀搀 搀爀椀渀欀 愀琀 琀栀攀 搀攀氀椀最栀琀昀甀氀 ᠠ倀爀椀渀挀攀 刀攀最攀渀琀ᤠ 眀椀琀栀 愀渀礀 氀漀挀愀氀 瘀愀氀甀愀琀椀漀渀 昀漀爀 猀愀氀攀猀 漀爀 氀攀琀琀椀渀最猀⸀⨀
chat to Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder ahead of Academy gig ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 19
ISSUE 36 – October 2015. We highlight the deadly effects of pollution and its big effect on Lambeth – a story that rumbles on and on . . .
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ISSUE 31 – April 2015. Libraries and council consultation – two persistent themes grab the front page as they will again
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Anger at cultural cutback
eLeCTRIC BRIXTOn LOWdOWn: Find out about this iconic landmark’s transformation into an updated music venue that’s here to stay. Features, p 15
GeT TO KnOW GHOsTPOeT The musician chats about his new album and electric Brixton gig, as well as a possible name change. Arts, p13
•MINET LIBRARY TO BE SOLD IN £4M fuNDINg CuT •CuLTuRE CONSuLTATION BRANDED ‘pOINTLESS’ •COuNCIL SAYS IT IS LISTENINg TO RESIDENTS
by AnnA McKie Friends of Lambeth’s libraries and parks, including those in Brixton, have criticised Lambeth council for its proposals to reduce cultural services. They have branded its Culture 2020 consultation “pointless” and said that the council do not understand the seriousness of what they are doing. The proposals include the sale of Waterloo and Minet Libraries, having
community groups take over running three others, cuts to the remaining five libraries, as well as cuts to park budgets and having friends’ groups or communities take over the running of the borough’s green spaces as “charitable trusts”. Friends of Lambeth Libraries said it is “appalled” by the proposals and that it has “no doubt more sensible savings could be made.” Bill Linskey from Brixton Society
FURIOUS: Protestors outside Lambeth Town Hall said the sale of Minet Library, in Knatchbull Road, Brixton, was particularly worrying because it is home to the Lambeth Archives. He told The Bugle “Selling Minet not only robs the community of their local lending library but it threatens the Archives. They are the history and memory of the borough, and one of the best collections in London. “The council have proposed they go to Brixton Library but there isn’t
enough room and the space there is isn’t suitable anyway. The government cuts are obviously a huge problem but some of these plans, like selling Minet, seem like panic measures... and they are doing things they can’t undo.” Colette Thomas, chair of Lambeth Green Parks and Spaces Forum, is no more positive about Culture 2020. “Asking a ‘friends group’ - a role of a council to manage major Continued on page 3
>>>>>>>>>>> cressingham gardens blow P4 >>>>>>>>>>>>>> www.brixtonblog.com @brixtonblog
It’s all about Brixton
BRIXTOn PeOPLe Up and coming actress Ashley CaselyHayford explains how a career change two years ago seems to be paying off. Feature, p14
PARIssI PeRFeCTIOn This gem of an eaterie on Atlantic Road delights the palate with simply satisfying ingredients. Food, p17
May 2014
Rec boxing club gets go-ahead
Inside:
A new boxing club has been launched at the Brixton Recreation Centre following a highly successful community campaign. The club was given the go-ahead by Lambeth council and the Rec’s operators, Greenwich Leisure, after a petition to support it gathered nearly 1,000 signatures. The campaign was spearheaded by Brixton-based football training club Afewee and it has been a long struggle to get the agreement of both the council and the Rec. Steadman Scott, founder of Afewee, said: “Brixton has always celebrated boxing stars when they visit and now we can find and support the next generation of local grown talent.” Afewee is already an established name through its football coaching, which has earned a reputation for pro-
BAKING NEW GROUND: Gordon Ramsay’s Bad Boys’ Bakery at Brixton Prison goes from strength to strength. News, p7
BY OWEN PINNELL
ducing talented young players, many of whom can now be found in the academies of London’s top-flight teams. AJ Carter, Afewee’s unbeaten professional heavyweight boxer, demonstrated his technique and sparred with youngsters at the club’s launch event on April 27. He said: “Afewee helped me to put my life back on track and I’m now well on the way to achieving my boxing dream. “This is a great opportunity for local youngsters to find out what boxing’s about and how that focus and discipline can change your life.” A screening of Uncle Steadman, which depicts Steadman Scott’s inspirational life story, spurred the campaign for the club. Scott called the launch a “real milestone.” He also thanked Greenwich Leisure and Lambeth council for their support.
For more images from the launch and details of open training visit www. brixtonblog.com. Above: AJ Carter. spars with a new reruit. Right: Steadman Scott (Kneeling) with club members and coaches
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Edition 29 | February 2015 | FREE
Estate £14M repair costs ‘inflated’ BY ANNA MCKIE
Residents of Cressingham Gardens estate have accused Lambeth council of “grossly inflating” the estimated cost of refurbishing their estate. They say the real price-tag will be half of the council’s proposed figure of £14 million. The dispute over costs erupted at a meeting between Cressingham residents’ representatives and officials of Lambeth council and Lambeth Living, the housing stock managers, on January 26. At the meeting residents said an independent surveyor had estimated the cost of refurbishment as only £7 million. The representatives also say that when challenged, Lambeth Living was unable to justify how it had worked out its costs. “They couldn’t explain why they were allocating £4,000 for kitchen renewals,” said resident representative
Gerlinder Gniewosz. “Yet last year they signed a contract... which showed a complete new kitchen would cost a maximum of £2,000.” The battle over Cressingham Gardens first erupted following the Council’s announcement, in 2012, of regeneration plans for the estate that could involve its partial demolition. The council says regeneration is necessary as many of the flats are in a poor state. The plans include five options for Cressingham that range from repairing existing properties to complete demolition. The council favours an option that involves demolishing half the estate, on which new housing would be built by a private property developer. But the proposal is opposed by residents who are in favour of refurbishment. “We really enjoy living on the estate – we don’t want to leave. There is true community spirit here,” said resident Pam Douglas.
MATERIAL WEALTH: Market institution Simply Fabrics continues on its colourful roll, with two shops crammed full of sewing pleasures. Arts, p16
Cressingham Gardens residents. Picture: Louis Leeson At the meeting, residents questioned Cllr Matthew Bennett, Cabinet the calculations used to produce the Member for Housing, said: “We council’s £14 million figure. “Lambeth are working very closely with are saying sorting out windows on the Cressingham Gardens residents on estate would cost £1.7 million but getting homes on the estate up to the they were only installed 10 years ago Lambeth Housing Standard. At the and are supposed to last 30 years,” same time we are examining if new added Gniewosz. “Some need to be flats or houses could be built on the fixed, but it is completely unfounded estate as part of our pledge to make to say they all need to replaced.” 1,000 new homes across the borough “We also questioned the £150,000 available for council rent. allocated for drainage that was “As part of our work with residents apparently based on ‘surveys’. Yet on the refurbishment of Cressingham they could not provide any survey for Gardens they have produced their reference. It seems as though Lambeth own costings for the project. We will would prefer the cost of refurbishment thoroughly test those figures, and will to be a higher figure, so it can push be looking to make both savings and ahead with plans for demolition.” get the best value for money.”
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It’s all about Brixton.
Supporters of Windrush Square have reacted to growing concern about the state of the square by urging the community to use it or lose it. The square has been beset with problems since its creation six years ago this month with funding from Transport for London (TfL). Prostitution, theft, joy riders, litter, broken flagstones, lighting that is too expensive to repair and public urination are all problems that concern supporters of the square and nearby residents, some of whom – at the end of their tether – have contacted the police in the hope of getting action. As Lambeth council tackles huge cuts to its budgets, residents, local groups and the Friends of Windrush Square met council leader Lib Peck to discover what the council plans to do about these problems. A spokesperson for Lambeth council said last month: “We are aware of residents’ concerns about antisocial behaviour in Windrush Square and, together with the Brixton Society, the Friends of Windrush Square, police and other partners, are working to resolve the problems.” But, says Annick Alet (pictured, left) of Friends of Windrush Square, there is also plenty to be proud of – community events hosted in the square have included fun palaces, bulb planting, art fairs, and community days. It is one of the few open public spaces in Lambeth where people now naturally congregate, as with the Bowie homage a few weeks ago. Marilyn Rogers (pictured, right), of Friends of Tate Library Brixton, says that a library day on 6 February (10–4pm) is a good example of how the square can be used. Friends of Tate Library, with the support of the London Community Foundation and Lambeth council, are running workshops in gardening, creativity and healthy lifestyles as well as a celebration of David Bowie with music and film in the evening that spill out onto the square. Friends of Windrush Square, an offshoot of the Brixton Society, is determined to be positive. Annick Alet said: “We are calling on the community to engage with the square and come up with ideas for events and celebrations and to help organise them. Come and be a Brixtonian!” ■ Anyone interested should contact info@windrushsquare.org.
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>>> RECIPE, p16 >>> WHAT’S ON p18-19 >>> ARTS & CULTURE, p20-21
INSIDE…
BMX HERO HONOURED People’s award for long-term work
Charity celebrates 30-year record
24
7
Ms CUPCAKE’S A WINNER … and so is Pop Brixton’s Kricket
2
BOWIE’S LASTING GIFT TO BRIXTON
㈀ 㠀㘀㜀㐀 㠀㠀㠀㐀
栀攀爀渀攀栀椀氀氀䀀欀攀愀琀椀渀最攀猀琀愀琀攀猀⸀挀漀洀
http://www.southlondonguide.co.uk/ brixton/davidbowie.htm
>>> SPORT p24 >>>
Top of the
POPS
TAPAs TURn On: Resident foodie Nikki Griffiths takes on the Spanish vibes at Gremio in St Matthew’s crypt. Food review, p17
FROM GAnGsTeR TO GURU: Find out what inspires and motivates Block Workout founder Tyrell Lewis down on Somerleyton Road. Features, p13
CONTAINER PARK OPEN fOR busINEss
FOOTBALL FOCUs: An exhibition in Brockwell Hall turned the camera on Lee Dema and the lads of the St Matthew’s Project. Features, p11
LOCAL sTART-uPs ANd TRAdERs INvOLvEd PROjECT hAs fACEd sOmE CRITICIsm BY AnnA MCKIe Pop Brixton, the “creative hub” built entirely from shipping containers, will open on Friday May 29. The site on Brixton Station Road will provide units for restaurants and retailers as well as workspaces for local business, start-ups and “a community event space’. Pop Brixton is a partnership
between Lambeth council, which has provided the land for free, and Carl Turner Architects (who have teamed up with developers The Collective), to deliver the scheme which will be there until at least October 2017. Around a third of the venues at Pop Brixton will be food and drink establishments, including Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen,
MY seCReT BRIXTOn: Chef Brian Danclair shares his favourite Lambeth experiences, from driving down Brixton Hill to fnding a little piece of Barbados. Your Brixton, p8
Continued on page 4
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BROCKWELL PARK LIFE Local author’s new book for kids
16
ISSUE 40 – February 2016. The state of Brixton’s streets and David Bowie – two subjects we would have a lot more about
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ARCHES: ‘IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY’
BRIXTON STRIKER
Rinsola Babajide in England squad
24
Pawnbrokers and betting shop can stay By Angus Peters
Traders in the arches owned by Network Rail in Atlantic Road and Brixton Station Road have reacted with fury and frustration to a solicitor’s letter, telling them to get out by Friday 19 August this year. Network Rail had warned the traders to expect a letter in mid-January setting out details of planned refurbishment of the arches which, it claims, means they must be vacated. The infrastructure giant is yet to have its planning application approved, despite the eviction date already being set. Traders expressed frustration at the lack of information and written agreements, fearing that Network Rail could easily go back on its promise to let them return. “There is only one legal document that we have received from Network Rail,” said Malek Menad, Director at Denmay Fabrics. “There’s no documents about our new lease, as they promised us.” H&T Pawnbrokers are not included in the eviction, but declined to comment further. It is thought that betting shop William Hill are also not included. This exception sparked outrage amongst other traders. Ray Murphy, owner of Budget Carpets, expressed incredulity at the news: “The most morally decrepit businesses, the ones that leech off the poor, are the ones that are staying in the Railway Arches?” “It’s all about the money,” he said. Traders are now considering their next moves and were due to meet on Friday CONTINUED page 2
ISSUE 33 – June 2015. Controversial Pop Brixton opens. It had morphed from an original plan for ‘Grow Brixton’ which would ‘complement not compete’ with existing local traders
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AIDING MIGRANTS
Calls for a permanent memorial to David Bowie in Brixton where he was born have come from all over the world – highlighting the special place that they both hold in many hearts. Bowie’s link with Brixton did not end when he moved to the (then) more upmarket Bromley in Kent. He agreed personally to appear on the Brixton Pound £10 note. “In allowing his image to be used on the notes, Bowie has provided a lasting gift to the community,” the Pound said, “both in terms of the activities of the B£ and its mission to create a local and sustainable high street, but also through the Brixton Fund from which we give grants to local organisations of community benefit.” STORY: Page 9
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WINDRUSH SQUARE – USE IT OR LOSE IT
WHERE’S FRANCO? Meet Giuseppe Mascoli, the man behind Franco Manca - the Brixton gem now found all over London . Food, p9
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ALL THE FUN OF THE FLEA Bag a bargain. From furniture and fabrics to mugs and bric-a- brac, there’ll be something for everyone. What’s On, p23
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PUTTING ON THE RITZY: Follow the fascinating story behind your beloved cinema, from homemade carrot cake and old projectors to surviving riots and strikes . Features, p10
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>> BRIXTON ILLUSTRATED, P9 >> TOP FILM PICKS, P17 >> WAHACA REVIEW, P21 >> AFAWEE BOXING CLUB, P28 >>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> more photos on page 4 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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ISSUE 29 – February 2015. Yet another development in the battle for Cressingham Gardens which began in 2012. Plans for total demolition were yet to come
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FINE ART ON DISPLAY Mayor at Hill Mead exhibition
23
WE’VE SEEN IT ALL BEFORE Brixton 45 years ago
Older Brixtonites wanting to cheerlead need look no further than their home town to get fit and have fun. The charity Silverfit has started running cheerleading sessions at Brixton Rec on Wednesday mornings and, following a trial session last December, by popular demand there will also be evening sessions on Thursdays at the Ferndale community sports centre. See page 4.
GREAT NORTH WOOD Putting the trees back
14
9
Brixton Library, Windrush Square Brixton Recreation Centre, Station Road McDonalds, Brixton Road POP Brixton, Station Road Cornercopia, Brixton Village Brixton Pound Café, Atlantic Road You’ll also usually find us at more than 200 spots around Brixton, including:
DAILY BREAD: The Village’s Foccaccia offers quality ingredients and fresh flavours prepared in simple fashion. Review, p19
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Pop Brixton gets ready (picture by Kit Oates). Inset: Philippe Castaing, Pop Brixton’s Commercial Director
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⨀渀漀 猀琀爀椀渀最猀 愀琀琀愀挀栀攀搀
Traders in Brixton’s railway arches have slammed Lambeth council for failing to support them in their fight against eviction by Network Rail. Last month, businesses under the railway arches in the triangle between Brixton Station Road, Atlantic Road and Pope’s Road were told they were being kicked out by Network Rail to make way for refurbishment. Traders were told they would have to vacate their premises and were offered no assurances they would be able to return to the units where many have worked for decades. Now Lambeth cllr Jack Hopkins has been accused of helping Network Rail bosses by ‘buying them time’ to get into a stronger position. Jose Cardoso, from A & C Continental Deli, also said cllr Hopkins and Network Rail had failed to provide ‘proper information’ during the murky process. “Getting Network Rail to provide a few facts and figures to us in May, a month before they plan to serve notice on us, for a development they have been planning in conjunction with Lambeth council for several years, is not something Jack Hopkins should regard as an achievement for the traders,” said Cardoso. “What
FACES OF CRESSINGHAM Eritrea, fashion & Italy p11
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COME TOGETHER Spring Sessions pictures p10
ISSUE 21 – May 2014. The Afewee boxing club begins life at Brixton Rec – two Brixton institutions we were to write lots more about
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Lib Dems wiped Inside: off Lambeth map
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The Liberal Democrats have been wiped off the political map in Lambeth, failing to gain a single seat in the borough’s local elections. The party lost 14 of its 15 seats to Labour in the poll on May 22, while the Conservatives fell to just three councillors, all in Clapham Common ward. The Green party took the 15th Lib Dem seat, as Scott Ainslie bagged 11 per cent of the votes in St Leonard, Streatham. Speaking to the Brixton Bugle after the results, a stoical Liberal Democrats leader Alex Davies thanked his “hard-working” colleagues for their time on the council. He said: “In the last four years is has been the Liberal Democrats as the opposition that has held the Labour council to account, for everything from the budget to planning applications and housing issues. “The council is going to make some big decisions, but it’s going to be very difficult indeed for the it to be held to account now.”
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ISSUE 9 – April 2013. Housing and who gets it – an issue that is to dominate Brixton politics – is on the front page, along with a different kind of royalty – Will Smith visited the market
Where to get your next 50 Bugles
ISSUE 41 – March 2016. ‘It’s all about the money’ – the words of Atlantic Road trader Ray Murphy sum up what many feel about a changing Brixton
Central Brixton: Beehive Pub, Black Cultural Archives, Brixton Blend, Brixton Mosque, Brixton Wholefoods, Café Brixtonia, Effra Hall Tavern, Ferndale Sports Centre, Karibou Centre, Lounge, Morleys (Nero), Parisi Café, Photofusion, Ritzy Cinema, Seven Bar, Shawl Café, Stuart the Watchman, Trinity Arms, 20 Storey Gifts, Urban Heart Café; Coldharbour Lane: Book Mongers, Brixton Soup Kitchen, Caribbean Spice, Chestnut Nursery, Diverse, House of Bottles, Nail Spar, Satay Bar; Brixton Village: Cafe Sibilla, Circus, Federation Café, Studio 73; Brixton Hill: Café Tana, Corpus Christi Church, Eden Harper, F Mondays Café, Fish Lounge, Kwik Stop, Pempamsie, Stir Coffee, White Horse Pub, Windmill Pub; Effra Road: Effra Social, Eurolink Business Centre, Hootenany; Herne Hill: Archway Cafe, Florence Pub, Kaya, Dugard & Daughters Butchers, Prince Regent; Seasons of England Greengrocer; Also at: Angel Delight Community Centre, Brixton Advice Centre (Railton Road), Brixton Cycles, Brockwell Blend Café (Tulse Hill), Loughborough Estate Office, Minet Library.
Be part of the B£ Café, the first paywhat-you-feel cafe in South London
Did you know that every time you spend electronic B£s, 1.5% of the transaction goes directly into the Brixton Fund, our grant scheme for organisations of community benefit? So when you pay for your groceries, gifts, coffee or meal by pay-by-text or the new B£ app, you’re effectively donating money to community organisations in Brixton! Additionally, close to 95% of B£ users have discovered new businesses as a result of using the currency, and about 80% have made friends with their local traders, too. A similarly large percentage said it made them feel more part of the community. To sign up for pay-by-text, simply go to register.brixtonpound.org or visit us at the B£ Café. The Brixton Pound app is free and live on the Apple Store and Google Play Store (search for “Brixton Pound”). The app makes pay-by-text payments with Brixton Pounds even easier and gives live information about local businesses accepting the B£ based on your location.
LAURA WARD, EFFRA FC
Use B£s to support local initiatives
The B£ Café was set up in July 2016 at 77 Atlantic Road. From the start, it was operating on a pay-whatyou-feel basis – meaning customers could decide how much they want to pay for their food and drink. This system means all customers have an opportunity to have an affordable experience, or be generous. As with all our initiatives, the cafe is a not-for-profit, with all revenue supporting the local community via the Brixton Fund. If you’re a local resident, come visit us! We’ve got a seasonal and locally sourced menu of food and drink (our most recent special, turmeric chai, has been very popular in this chilly weather), and the Café is a great meeting space with a friendly atmosphere. We’re open Mon 8am5:30pm, Tue-Fri 8am6pm, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm.
Events The Café space is available for all sorts of events, too. We’ve previously held poetry nights, screenings, meetings, workshops, parties … Get in
touch if you’d like your event to happen here!
Surplus food We partnered up with local organisations and businesses to source the Café’s food and drink from local surplus – perfectly edible food that would otherwise be wasted – and turn it into delicious and healthy meals. Are you a business or individual who could donate your surplus? Particularly cakes or baked goods? We’d love to hear from you.
Art space The Café has also become an art space, hosting exhibitions and shows by local artists. Are you an artist working locally? Would you like to use our downstairs studio space or exhibit your work at the Café? Get in touch!
Volunteer Last but not least: would you like to volunteer some of your time to the B£ Café? We are looking particularly for people available during afternoons and weekends who could help with preparing food and drinks,
serving customers, and telling them more about the B£. If you’re interested, come to a volunteer welcome evening on Wednesday 1 February, from 6.30pm at the Café. It’ll be a chance to find out more about the opportunity and meet other volunteers. Alternatively, drop us an email at info@brixtonpound.org or come by the Café for a chat. Please spread the word among your friends and networks!
Volunteers bring Xmas cheer to older people With the help of local volunteers and donors, the Brixton Pound ran a collection and gift wrapping session at the B£ Café to give isolated older people gifts and treats to help warm their Christmas. Previous recipient of a Brixton Fund grant, Age UK Lambeth, asked us whether we could help them in sourcing donations of food and gifts to be distributed at a Christmas Day lunch for older people who would otherwise be spending Christmas alone. We sent out a call to our network of Brixtonites and other loyal supporters, and thanks to you lovely people and, in particular, thanks
to staff of Lambeth council, we received several large bags of fruit, biscuits, chocolate, and assorted gifts.
A group of cheery volunteers (above) transported the donations, sipped teas and coffees and diligently helped to wrap presents at our café on Atlantic
Road. As well as collecting an impressive pile of gifts for the event, with the help of the Lambeth community, Age UK Lambeth managed to raise more than £3,000, massively exceeding the target of £750. The money not spent on the Christmas lunch will be used to upgrade the services they provide for users in Lambeth. Age UK research suggests that there are 2,550 lonely older people in Lambeth. If you feel you could offer an hour or so a week to befriend an older person, Age UK Lambeth will match you up with someone – apply here: www. ageuk.org.uk/lambeth/getinvolved.
77 Atlantic Road | brixtonpound.org | @brixtonpound | info@brixtonpound.org
FEBRUARY 2017
BUSINESS 7
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From Brazil to a Brixton Village creperie via some tough decisions
Fundraising in the community – Brixton Cycles staff
Banking for all of us Duncan Law of Transition Town Brixton proposes a bank that would benefit the community, not bankers Brixton Cycles raised over £62,000 in 35 days in November 2015. Some 1,500 people contributed to help the shop move to a new location. Their bank failed to provide the help required, but the community around Brixton showed their support through a successful crowdfunding campaign. Each month lots of money in salaries swills into Lambeth and most of it disappears again without much benefit to local people. It’s held by banks “too big to fail”, who invest in fossil fuels but still won’t lend to local businesses. And (apart from Brixton Energy’s
community owned solar projects) there is almost no way of investing to benefit the local community. Wouldn’t it be great if we could harness energy for the local economy from that tide of money and provide a way for those lucky enough to be able to be “investors” to put their spare money to work locally? Transition Town Brixton’s New Economy Group is working on just that with its Bank of Lambeth project which meets at 6.30 every second Monday of the month at Open Project Night at Impact Hub Brixton. We will campaign for Lambeth to divest from fossil fuels and invest locally. We want to set up a community of “community investors”, not just of money! ■■ Find us on Facebook – Bank of Lambeth project. Email info@transitiontownbrixton.org.
INDIAN FOOD
Claudia Rodrigues de Oliviera, came to the UK from Brazil in 1998. Now she runs Senzala Creperie in Brixton Village with her partner Elieser Fernandes. Dirk Bischof of Hatch Enterprise, which mentors her start up and many others, checks how she is doing.
she was celiac intolerant. “This made us consider offering our galettes as a gluten-free crepe made from buckwheat. With all these ingredients together, Senzala was born.” Claudia, despite experience in catering, waitressing and supervising, had not run a restaurant before and was nervous about
“I always wanted to have my own business and be my own boss,” says Claudia. In 2010 she came to Brixton Village for the first time and liked what she saw. Like all start-up business plans the first question to address was: what makes us unique? “That’s when the idea of a creperie with a Brazilian twist was born. “We did some market research, then we started making our own crepes to test the process. “Most creperies offer crepes as a snack but not as a full meal by itself. So we combined our Brazilian heritage with serving meal-sized crepes in Brixton, offering fresh, high quality produce at good price.” At the same time as the business was developing, Claudia discovered
CRAFT BEER
whether the concept would work. “We started by ourselves, my partner in the kitchen and me on the floor. “As we progressed, we had to decide what to invest in, whether it’s a new, bigger fridge or a new crepe griddle. “Should we start to employ our first member of staff or continue managing the restaurant by ourselves to save money and to continue to invest in the business. “These were tough decisions to make at the beginning.” Now established, Claudia says the hard thing now is to ensure the quality of the meals while managing a busy restaurant. “We always want to be proud of every meal we serve. As the restaurant gets really busy in the evening we also want to ensure we provide a really good experience for our customers.” This year she is thinking about opening a new restaurant and says she is ready for the new challenge. “Hatch has been a supporter of my business from the start. I personally want to be involved in the community projects Hatch is running. “They are doing an excellent job helping entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses. It’s an opportunity for me to pass on my experience and the lessons I have learnt throughout the years.”
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BOOMA BOOMA-BRIXTON.CO.UK
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8 OPINION
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2017 FEBRUARY
Brixton’s criminal air
Simon Still calls for bold action from politicians as Brixton leads the UK in pollution caused by cars and commercial vehicles
An Invitation
Drawing upon the ancient tradition of family-run tavernas in Palermo, we aim to serve you no-fuss, wholesome dishes to go with a glass of wine and a chat. This is the food that we enjoy eating, the authentic taste of our homeland, Sicily. Our menu changes daily, using the freshest picks of locally sourced produce, which chef Pietro uses to concoct traditional dishes with a twist. Explore Sicily’s culinary traditions: discover panelle, arancine and sfincione – perfect for a quick lunch, or to take away. Or indulge yourselves with our hand-made fresh pasta, aubergine and ‘poor meat’ based dishes. Our food is our passion and we’d love to share it with you. So do drop in !
Stefania and Pietro
trattoria franzina 49 Brixton Station road SW9 8PQ. Phone 07802 473 444 @ PoP Brixton info@franzinatrattoria.co.uk Lunch - Dinner - Aperitivo - tAkeAwAy - cAtering
Brixton was in the news at the start of the quality in the borough also fail to address the year for all the wrong reasons. Brixton Road problem at source. The borough’s draft air exceeded its air pollution limit for the whole of quality action plan states that “priority 1 is to 2017 in the first five days of January. continue to encourage modal shift … to more Under EU law levels of nitrogen dioxide sustainable transport”. But the document is (NO2) must not exceed 200 micrograms per long on vague promotional activities and short cubic metre more than 18 times in a year. On on the potentially unpopular actions that are our high street that had happened 19 times needed to get people to leave cars at home. before most of us had properly recovered from No amount of encouragement will persuade New Years Eve. people to walk and cycle while the road Air pollution is one of the main causes of environment remains so hostile – due to premature death in the UK, second only to both the volume and speed of traffic and the smoking. In London it is responsible for 10,000 pollution that results. premature deaths each year. Sustainable transport needs to be enabled Children are particularly susceptible, with not encouraged, but after ending its particulate pollution having been shown to experimental Loughborough Junction road cause a reduction in IQ. Most of Lambeth’s closures scheme early, Lambeth council schools are next to busy roads. has lost any political will for Cold, still, weather has schemes to reduce traffic on No amount of not helped and pollution has the borough’s roads and to drifted from Europe but the encouragement will improve conditions for walking only day of “clear air” in the and cycling. What started as persuade people to last month was Christmas Day promising proposals for New walk and cycle while Park Road ended with no when there was almost no motor traffic in the city. This the road environment significant reduction in traffic is a London problem caused by and cyclists squeezed by cars at remains so hostile London’s roads. newly created pinch points. The advice from mayor Sadiq Since well over half of Khan when pollution hits dangerous levels is Lambeth households don’t even have access to to “avoid busy roads and strenuous exercise”. a car, let alone drive on regular basis, this is It’s not easy to avoid busy roads to access not a problem where everyone can do their bit. public transport in London. And, telling people If you do currently drive local journeys I to avoid exercise for the good of their health is doubt that being asked to consider the health particularly ironic. of others is going to make you switch (but The city of Paris reacted to similar issues we are asking anyway). Banning smoking by banning the most polluting vehicles and indoors made public buildings better for implementing an alternating number plate everyone but we didn’t achieve it by asking ban to reduce the number of cars on the people to be more considerate – it took what roads. London’s mayor is still treating only was, at the time, a contentious and unpopular the symptoms. His air quality plan has some policy decision. good measures but most are years away Our air needs to be cleaner, and quickly, from implementation. and that needs bold decisions and actions from Lambeth council’s plans to deal with air our elected leaders both locally and nationally.
FEBRUARY 2017
OPINION 9
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BRIXTON BUGLE
COMMENT If you want something done properly … The first issue of the Brixton Bugle – published in June 2012 – covered things that still feature in our pages 50 issues later. A community group facing eviction, libraries, Brixton Splash, regeneration, Levi Roots opening something, planning issues (someone wanted to open a strip club in the Piano House basement), house prices, traffic, parking and crime – it’s all there. We featured a long interview with Cllr Paul McGlone, then, as now, at the heart of Lambeth council’s finances. He put his finger on the big problem Brixton has faced for some years – dealing with the influx of money, people, shops and restaurants that our unique culture and traditions attract while keeping intact that culture and the existing traders who created it. McGlone and his colleagues have taken a lot of criticism for what is happening in Brixron now, but if recent elections and referendums have shown anything, it is that blaming one lot of politicians will not necessarily stop an even worse crew following them into power. Cllr McGlone had the answer for us, though. Back in 1990, Lambeth council was obstructing a group of residents trying to turn derelict land on Pulross Road into a playground. “I could see it wasn’t right and I thought ‘If I don’t like what they’re doing I should do it myself’. So that’s how my political career started.” In Brixton today we face more and bigger problems than we did just 50 issues of the Bugle ago – but it in our first issue Cllr McGlone, now deputy leader of the council, had the answer for what we should all do about it. Or as Britney Bien Amie (right) points out in our 50th issue, sitting and shouting at the telly won’t change anything except your blood pressure. Regulated by IMPRESS: The independent monitor for the press 83 Victoria St, London SW1H OHW 020 3585 4160 complaints@impress.press www.impress.press
Brixton builds bridges, not walls Brittney Bien Amie, an 19-yearold student, explains why she and other young people staged on alternative ‘swearing in’ in Brixton – at the same time as President Trump was inaugurated I feel the atmosphere of polarisation like a thick smog in the air – it’s blurring everyone’s vision, obscuring our path to progress. Our short-sightedness may have stopped us from seeing what was directly in front of us, but it will not stop us from fighting what is to come. I am a 19-year-old black woman from a small Caribbean island. What does the inauguration of President Donald Trump mean to me? A constant state of vulnerability and insecurity. To know that the people around me support a man who not only lacks the experience and qualifications to lead any country, but is also openly sexist, racist, Islamophobic, xenophobic, misogynistic and sexually violent (just to name a few) makes my spine shiver and my knees weak. I feel for the women – myself included – who now, more than ever, leave the house feeling like a pub dartboard, an open target. I feel for my hijab-wearing friends, my queer friends, my friends of colour, my immigrant friends and my disabled friends. Yes, Trump is a businessman, but I’ve rarely seen any good come from people being treated as a number on a balance sheet – we’re not just profit or loss. We should have learnt that lesson from British colonialism, when India was literally run by a company. Just as then, I’m certain the profits won’t be shared equally. America needs more compassion, not more capitalism. Last Friday’s “Brixton Builds Bridges Not Walls” protest was a way for me, and a lot of
the people in my community, to come together in solidarity. We took non-violent direct action at 5pm, precisely the time President Trump was being inaugurated in Washington DC. We didn’t want to sit and shout at the television, so 40 of us held an “alternative inauguration,” and pledged an oath of our own – against the values of President Trump and his followers: “We have built too many walls, now is the time to build bridges. No matter what, we ain’t gonna let nobody or nothing turn us around …” It felt powerful, and necessary. All of us in The Advocacy Academy are in our final year of school – we’re literally going to bear the brunt of these huge decisions. While taking
action, we shared our views on Trump with each other. Here are a few that stuck with me: “My overall feeling is that Trump is an under-qualified president and businessman. He’s filed for bankruptcy several times. How can he possibly run a country efficiently?”
Michelle Banson, 17 “He’s dangerous in terms of what he represents. A lot of racist people identify strongly with the man who is in arguably in the most powerful position in the world, which I’m certain legitimises their offensive opinions.”
Zhané Salmon, 18
“Trump coming into office is going to be terrible for civil rights – bringing in laws that will hurt women, the LGBTQ community and America’s immigrant population. It could also be so, so dangerous in terms of global policy. He might pull out of NATO, repeal all the work Obama has done to form relationships with places like Cuba, or worse. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Thalia Papanicolaou, 17 Young people aren’t uninterested. We’re making the banners and leading the protests. We know how serious this is, and we’re coming together to express our outrage at the dangerous politics of scapegoating and bigotry that could define our adult lives. However, my aim isn’t to be negative. I’m here to provide you with my answer: Community. Blame isn’t going to help us get through this. To change the direction we’re headed in, we have to learn to understand one another and remember that, at the end of the day, we’re all human. We need to fight for more unity, more solidarity, and more love. Just because we disagree doesn’t mean we must be enemies. The fight against Trumpism has just begun. My pussy has teeth, and I’m ready to take a bite. ■■ The Advocacy Academy trains young people from Lambeth to engage in collective action to improve their communities and tackle social issues that directly affect them. Through education and action, their young advocates learn to analyse the socio-political conditions in their communities, identify problems as well as solutions that will better address their needs, and leverage instruments of power to make their demands heard. At the same time, these young people develop their own capacities as leaders and challenge the public perception of adolescents as either politically apathetic, naive or unprepared to assume civic responsibilities.
10 INCREDIBLE EDIBLE
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2017 FEBRUARY
We want your windowsill Wassailing, the ancient custom of visiting apple orchards and singing to the trees to promote a good harvest, is alive and well in South London, Susan Sheehan reports on the urban renewal of a rural tradition
Wassail revival is a banging good time Wassailing is great fun. It is an ancient tradition that celebrates the apple tree and encourages good spirits to come and help produce a good crop for the year. It is being revived in South London and Incredible Edible Lambeth gardens are leading the way. Loughborough Farm and Brockwell Gardens both held wassailing events on 14 January and each had its own unique twist. We attended the Loughborough Farm event which was supported by musicians from CAMRWA – the Campaign for Real Wassailing – a group with a passion for folk music. Molly, one of the musicians, said: “We want to revive wassailing because it brings people together to celebrate their green space. We can leave behind our stressed-out lives and sing and dance together. “We want to revive it in a modern way – adapt it to make it as open and intergenerational as possible. We have also made up an apple dance so we are adding to the tradition.”
We walked with music and the banging of saucepans across the road from Loughborough Farm to Wyck Gardens where there is a small apple orchard. We took time to prune the very young trees and drink mulled apple juice, accompanied by apple cake. The event was organised by local resident Karen Hooper. We asked why she felt it important to organise it. “It’s the real thing,”
said Karen, “it’s something that all the community can get involved in, and it’s a chance to celebrate and nurture our tiny orchard”. Karen is a long-standing mental health advocate and was also encouraging people to write their “mind apples”. They put down five things that they appreciate and hang them on a cardboard apple on the tree. There was a complete mix of
people present. Teenage girls were quizzed about what they thought of the music, “I just love to sing,” said one. They also particularly enjoyed putting toast in the trees – another element of the ritual. There was some disagreement about whether wassailing is designed to encourage good spirits or discourage bad. An element of the celebration involves banging saucepans and making as much noise as possible which feels more like driving the bad spirits away. There were shouts of “drive the fascists” away too, just to completely modernise the ritual. Agnes Riley Gardens held its wassailing event on the afternoon of Sunday 22 January with the support of musicians from the Balham Ukelele Society and the local Commoners group. The event is linked to Twelfth Night which, according to the old Julian calendar, is around 17 January. If you missed out this year then put the date in your diary now.
Lambeth gardens have been in hibernation, often under frost, but winter greens and salads are still able to grow, even with snow on them. Those of us eager to get summer crops growing rely on starting off seeds indoors, on warm, light windowsills. If you have a windowsill at home or at work, give a thought to your gardener friends. Windowsills are a valuable and increasingly scarce resource. Gardeners need them. Please let us know if you have a windowsill space via Twitter @ediblelambeth or on our facebook page. Fun seeds to sow now are
Myatts Fields Park Greenhouse grew some amazing chillies last year. But seeds need to be sown early … chillies. The best way to buy seeds is online. We recommend Seeds of Italy which has a good value multipack of five different varieties. We also like Tamar Organics and the Organic Gardening Catalogue. ■■A tip from Incredible Edible Bristol: Did you know the best antidote to chilli heat is a dairy product like milk or yoghurt. Drinking beer is one of the worst things you can do, as the alcohol washes the heat further into your taste buds.
Loughborough Farm is still growing Stephen Blanchard began his involvement with urban farming in the Wyck Gardens orchard
One of the first things that caught my eye after our family moved into the Loughborough area in November 2013 was a beautiful painting of a giant chaffinch by artist ATM. It’s a little weather-beaten now since its been there from the start of Loughborough Farm over three years ago. A few weeks later an invite to the planting of an orchard on nearby Wyck Gardens came through the door. As a lifelong urbanite I’d only a passing interest in trees and greenery, but our new home had a garden and so I thought I should try to gain some useful knowledge and maybe meet a few of the locals. I helped plant half a dozen apple, pear, quince and cherry trees. In between I chatted to a couple of the farm volunteers, the keepers of the big bird, and promised to pay a visit to see what was going on. I turned up on the next wet and windy Saturday. The farm bore no resemblance to the industrialised factory-farms you see from
the motorway. The ground was once used by industry and probably polluted so things were grown in those big bags builders merchants use to supply sand and gravel. Despite this, the farm managed to grow an amazing variety of edible plants – everything from artichokes to zucchini along with exotics like Nepalese mustard leaf and black tomatoes. There was also a DIY group busy crafting planters, chairs and tables from old pallets and scrap materials. Probably my proudest achievement of those early days was the construction of a dining table from the wall of an old garden shed. On dry days the volunteers still take their tea on it (with cake baked by our wonderful Anthea!). Loughborough Farm has thrived and helped to create a sense of engagement in an area with high levels of unemployment and deprivation. It has a core of regular volunteers and more who drop in when their busy lives allow. I now work alongside John (aka Joao), a skilful carpenter from Portugal. Volunteers take home a bag of produce and it’s great to be able to cook and eat food that
was in the ground only a few hours before. The farm runs workshops on food growing and nutrition and diverse topics from mindfulness to bathbomb-making. The farm has developed into something of a outdoor community hub, doing work with local organisations such as the Marcus Lipton Youth Club and Lambeth Harbour as well as providing space for local artists, poets and musicians. One of our volunteers, Karen Hooper, is running a project called Wish You Were Here, working with GPs’ surgeries and vulnerable groups. Another, Walter Reed, is heavily involved with the Seven Bridges Project, which aims to transform Loughborough Junction’s grim Victorian railway bridges into inspiring works of art. In 2016 we opened our very own Community Café (Friday 11–4) across the road at the Platform, where local residents and organisations can share their food cultures and provide affordable and nutritious meals. Lambeth council obtained funding from the Greater London Authority to turn the space
into affordable workplaces for local residents. Known as LJ Works, the site will also provide a permanent home for the Farm. There’s plenty of growing and building still to do and I’m sure that life on the farm will continue to be as interesting as it has been in the last three years. In the winter months we’re open from 1pm to about 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays (more in the summer). If you woud like to get involved, contact Charlotte at charlotte_ oconnor@hotmail.co.uk Or drop in for a look around and a chat. ■■ To support the farm, visit its website – www.loughboroughjunction.org – to donate via PayPal.
Year 11’s Micah Dolphy publishes poetry book Congratulations to Micah Dolphy on the release of her first book, Poetic Surds – a collection of bold poems written by the 15-year-old. Delving deep into loss, mental health, self-perception and self-love, it conveys the message that, no matter what we go through, we are never alone and that we are
all undergoing different levels of mental evolution. The academy is extremely proud of Micah. and will be hosting a book launch for her. Poetic Surds is available on Amazon at £3.99. ■■ A surd is a square root which cannot be reduced to a rational number.
Message from the Principal
PERFORMANCES OF DISNEY HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL JR A GREAT SUCCESS! We are delighted to announce the success of our first ever school musical. On December 19 and 20 last year, our students performed Disney’s High School
Musical, Jr in a professional and high quality performance that could rival any mainstream musical. Well done to Ms Hurst, staff and all students who worked
Sprinter Shakiem Whyte to train at Crystal Palace
extremely hard on this project. ■■ To read more and view photos from the performance, please visit www.evelyngraceacademy.org.
Our students win gadget award at Tech City event
Ark Evelyn Grace Academy student Shakiem Whyte has taken the sprinting world by storm! After winning the 100m for the whole of ARK last July, Shakiem (below) has been awarded a scholarship to start training at Crystal Palace with John Powell MBE, a renowned athletics coach. Shakiem is one of the great testaments to the fantastic work of Mr Wingate and our PE department.
Eight of our Year 9 students (Bruno, Dean, Harry, Leynner, Neco, Raynel, Tatiana and Try) and two Year 8 students (Mario and Samuel) attended the Teen Tech City Event, held at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on 12 January. They had the opportunity to explore a range of Computer Science challenges presented to them by some of the largest national/global companies including Google, BBC, TfL, JVC and more. During the day they competed against 49 other schools from across the country to come up with innovative technology. They then had to pitch their idea in front of the other schools and industry professionals from the top companies. Our students won the award for Best Gadget. Well done!
EGA team wins school science challenge award After months of hard work and dedication we are happy to announce that Team Intellectrials – Calm Cloud (above) won the award for most innovative waste product in the JP Morgan Schools Challenge. Our grand finalists met TV scientist Professor Brian Cox who was impressed by their invention, well-spoken presentation and team working skills. Well done Team Intellectrials.
YEAR 11 STUDENTS MAKE THE MOST OF COLLEGE FAIR The academy held its third successful Annual College Fair on Thursday 12 January. We invited 15 local Further Education Colleges to talk to students about their course
offers, life at college and progression routes.We also invited back some of our alumni to give an insider’s view of life after secondary education. We are committed to ensuring
our students get the best out of every opportunity and are happy to see our Year 11 students making the most of these. ■■ Read more at: www.evelyngraceacademy.org.
Students hear the inspirational story behind war memorial project Ark Evelyn Grace Academy was honoured to host Allan Charles Wilmot, who shared inspirational words of wisdom and encouragement. Mr Wilmot volunteered to fight for Britain in the Second World War when he was just 16 and living in Jamaica. He gave an insight into his journey and contributions as a Royal Navy veteran. The Remembered project, which honours people like Mr Wilmot, will culminate in the unveiling in Brixton of the UK’s first dedicated war memorial to Commonwealth servicemen and women from Africa and the Caribbean. The Academy has been fortunate to be a part of this project.
Dear Brixton, 2017 is officially here! This year promises to be a year full of opportunities to achieve, fulfil our purpose and be a beacon of inspiration to others. We here at Ark Evelyn Grace Academy are embracing this. Already we are seeing our students accomplishing great things: Our dear student Micah Dolphy (Year 11), has published her first book titled Poetic Surds. This young lady has grown over the years in confidence when it comes to her writing and, through the opportunities she has experienced in her learning here at the academy, she has nurtured a true passion and gift for writing. We also congratulate Shakiem Whyte, Year 10, who has won a scholarship to train at Crystal Palace; another student, Deno Mebrahitu, Year 9, who has recently signed a major record deal with Sony Music’s Columbia records. We are extremely proud of all of our students. I am inspired by all of our students. They represent and remind us all, that every one of us has the ability to do something great. If we can will ourselves to maximize our potential, work hard, persevere and seek to achieve in every opportunity life throws at us. This reflects our core values: Excellence, Endeavour and Self-discipline. Through education here at Ark Evelyn Grace Academy we can ensure our students are leaders in every walk of life in our community. If you are seeking secondary education for your child, consider our academy. I can assure you that the opportunities we provide are centred on supporting your child to achieve their very best in every way. Devon Hanson Principal Ark Evelyn Grace Academy
Facilities for hire
EGA is a state of the art, award winning building designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid. We have fantastic facilities available for hire. Find out more: evelyngraceacademy.org/contact/ facility-lettings
Evelyn Grace Academy, 255 Shakespeare Road, SE24 0QN | Tel: 020 7737 9520 | Email: info@evelyngraceacademy.org | Website: evelyngraceacademy.org | Twitter: @ARKEvelynGrace
Brixton BID is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening Brixton’s diverse business culture. We represent over 650 levy‑paying businesses in the local area and work to develop new and exciting opportunities for Brixton.
BRIXTON S IS OPEN FO
Cafe culture, exotic food stalls, gorgeous party clothes, school BID REDUCES LEVY BY 15% uniforms, alternative Brixton BID is reducing members of the BID. health and beauty, craft the levy its members “We also wanted to pay by 15% for 2017 and alleviate some of the pain beer, vaping supplies … 2018 and exempting of increased costs for the smaller businesses. businesses by giving a It’s all still here! Co-chairs Elly Foster of the further across-the-board Satay Bar (right) and Laverne Walker of Sackville Travel said: “It felt right to raise the levy threshold so that a number of smaller businesses will not be required to pay a BID levy at all and could access our services (training, additional services, marketing) as business club
discount of 15% on all our BID levy bills for 2017 and 2018,” they said. “This would still allow us to continue the great work achieved in recent years but without adding to the burden of the current increased business costs to our members.”
The Brixton Market Traders Federation runs specialist Saturday markets in Brixton Station Road. You can visit or rent a stall. FLEA MARKET Saturday 4 February Fantastic bric a brac and great bargains to be had MAKERS MARKET Saturday 11 February Suppport local makers and arts and craft. Or sell your own RETRO MARKET Saturday 18 February An eclectic mix of clothes through the decades BRIX MIX MARKET Saturday 25 February Pick and mix from old and new, arts and craft.
“We are open for business” is the message from Brixton shops and stalls struggling to keep going in the face of Network Rail’s mass closure of most of its units on Atlantic Road and Brixton Station Road that has created the impression of a ghost town. Traders who are still central Brixton have lost business as footfall in the businesses has plummeted. The closures have had an adverse impact on all nearby establishments. Footfall is down by between 500 to 1,000 people a day. But John Gordon, operations director and a founding member of the Brixton Market Traders’ Federation and a market trader for 43 years, says there are plenty of reasons to visit Brixton Station Road. “The market is still here and there are wonderful food traders from Monday to Saturday. Shops that aren’t in the arches are still open and ready for trade. They need the support of the community. The area was
Mussie Aokki – Shawel Internet Café created by the community and needs the community to survive.” He said that the new billboards outside the arches premises reclaimed by Network Rail and improved lighting have made a difference … “At least they have stopped the street looking like a funeral parlour.” Claudette Jaggon who runs Bambino’s children’s clothes shop at 31 Brixton Station Road on the opposite side from the arches says her business is down. She specialises in school uniforms, yet has seen her takings drop dramatically. “I took £56 on Saturday. How can I pay the rent or electricity on that? I
STATION ROAD OR BUSINESS
é
Aman – Café Brixtonia used to take at least £200, but custom is down by, on average, 50–60%.” Claudette says this is because her customers think she has closed. Bambino’s and the other shops have formed a group to lobby their landlord – Lambeth council – as fears grow that Network Rail’s work schedule will overrun into 2018. Stuart Horwood, chief executive of the Market Traders Federation, says that the organisation had had reasonable success in regenerating the Brixton Station Road market until the Arches closure. He urged customers to keep coming as it is open for business.
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FEBRUARY 2017
COMMUNITY 15
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The walls that never stop giving Delores William enjoys the give and take of unofficial recycling by the garden wall Before I moved to Brixton I lived on a very busy main road (the A2) not the part of the A2 where the traffic just flies past and can’t stop. No – I lived on the part where there was a never ending traffic jam. I would have to be very careful about looking out of the window half nude because what I thought of as a rather lovely quiet jam free day was just a trick, traffic jams don’t make noises they just sit and people stare up; up to my first floor flat. I was one of the only people on my road who would put stuff outside my door that I no longer needed. I could have taken the bits and piece that I didn’t want to the recycling centre or second hand shop but I enjoyed the buzz of putting it out the front and seeing that within an hour or two the bits would be gone. When I was packing up to leave my home after all those years, I put out the last of my possessions late at night, it was a balmy August evening and before I knew it there was a flock of women sifting through it all and, like pigeons at a bread feast, there were soon just a few crumbs left. Well, imagine the joy I experienced when I moved into overcrowded, rather lovely Brixton, front garden walls packed with goodies that owners don’t want anymore. “Walls that never stop giving,” as a friend remarked. A lady saw me going through a box of kitchen utensils quite early into my arrival in Brixton and came running back to me saying she was too embarrassed to go through the box on her own. I have no such qualms. She ended up with some rather smart pans and I sauntered off with my new electric blender. Be careful with electrical goods. But I find that if someone has left them out it’s because they are in working order. By the way, my companion gave me a kiss for
stopping and giving her courage to come have a look. With my lifestyle of minimalism and moving regularly, I don’t want to overburden myself with stuff. It doesn’t mean I don’t want stuff. Of course I do. I want – and I got – lovely, gaily decorated dinner plates, cafetières, and mirrors – two large, one small. Silver (pretend) goblets, child bike helmets, oh, and bikes, one adult, one child’s, hula hoops, a massive ball of very thick blue rope (I left that) and my pièce de résistance, a Christmas tree and poinsettia. I remember the days when you were very limited in where you could buy your trees but now every shop and his mother sells trees. Hence the left-out well wrapped Christmas trees. The Christmas tree was an acquisition on Christmas Day and, funnily enough, I found a buggy that had been put out so wheeled my tree home in that. Yes, I was that woman. Now there is a difference between leaving out lovely stuff and just plain old dumping your rubbish which makes me so mad I could spit. (Dry spit, mind). Or bags of rubbish which have split giving the poor, slightly demented townie foxes a lovely but very untidy dinner. Is it really beyond you to go out with some rubber gloves on and pick up your crap? It is yours isn’t it? Why do we have to step over someone’s left over dinner and dirty nappies? Gross. By the way, there are “street champions” who can actually get great events arranged for your road. They can organise street parties or play streets. They also look out for our more vulnerable neighbours. ■■ If you fancy getting a bit more involved instead of moaning, try applying at love.lambeth. gov.uk/do-the-right-thing/ streetchampions.
Tutor Rae Stoltenkamp (right) with Tracey Cameron
Care of the community Stephen Blanchard traces Ruskin Readers’ search for a new home
their own tutor. Skills are developed at the student’s own pace and volunteers receive support and training. Advice and support are also given for students’ lives outside the club. The groups go on outings to local theatres and cinemas and visit museums, galleries and other places of interest. The organisation had a secure home in the library until the present Lambeth council announced that it was to close the building and re-open it as a gym. Like other local groups, Ruskin Readers was forced to find a new venue at very short notice. And they had lost access to their collec-
the group’s few hastily acquired resources in boxes and bags in her front room. “This involved lugging books, reading lamps and stationary to and from the Cambria,” she says. A challenging task for a disabled pensioner Adults with literacy issues can be without a car. a hidden minority in Lambeth. The Cambria is a friendly neighPeople may struggle to get by at bourhood pub, but it could only work and in accessing things like ever be a stop-gap. jobs, housing and health services “Caroline scoured the internet,” but they are often reluctant to tutor Rae Stoltenkamp recalls, share the problem with others. “calling contacts and posting But despite recent set-backs, desperate messages on Facebook.” a group of local volunteers is Then another tutor suggested St still helping them to improve Faith’s Church on Red Post Hill in their literacy. nearby Southwark. Amity Reading Club was set There they were warmly up almost 40 years ago by welcomed by Reverend Gladys and Philip Glascoe to Susan Height who allowed teach adults with reading and Where was Lambeth council in all them to use an area of the writing difficulties. this? The funding promised for the church and then rent a The Lambeth council of the upstairs room in its evicted groups is still to materialise large time recognised the imporcommunity centre. tance of this work by giving “We feel as if Ruskin the organisation permission to use tion of books and educational Readers has finally found a refuge,” the Carnegie Library in Herne Hill material—now behind the locked Rae says. as a venue. shutters of the library. “But where was Lambeth council In 2008 the group became known “We were forced to spend money in all this? The funding promised as Ruskin Readers (named after on expensive publications written for the evicted groups is still the Victorian critic John Ruskin especially for adults,” says lead to materialise.” and the nearby park that bears tutor Caroline Knapp. Ruskin Readers has been kept his name). For a while, Ruskin Readers alive by the commitment of its Ruskin Readers is made up was forced to split, with the members, help from private donors, of around 25 volunteer tutors Monday night group meeting at a London Community Fund grant, and 20 students, split into two the Cambria pub on Cambria and the generosity of a church in a groups meeting for two hours Road in Loughborough Junction neighbouring borough. on Monday evenings and and the Wednesday afternoon “That is what I call community Wednesday afternoons. group meeting upstairs at spirit – something which seems Students are welcomed into a Streatham Library. decidedly lacking at Lambeth friendly atmosphere and assigned Caroline was forced to keep council,” says Rae.
THE BRIXTON PEOPLE’S FRIDGE IS READY FOR TAKE OUT Brixton People’s Fridge is London’s first community fridge, bought and paid for by the community through a crowdfunding campaign. The fridge is having a test run in Pop Brixton before the launch proper and is already well used. When up and running, the
fridge will enable people and businesses to donate spare food or food that would otherwise go to waste. Others can then go to the fridge to pick up what they need. People behind the fridge project include Brixton residents, food activists,
Pop Brixton traders and market traders. It grew out of a course at Impact Hub Brixton in Pop Brixton that saw 25 people get together once a week for six weeks to try to find answers for the food problems that people in Lambeth and beyond face.
Also backing the project are Lambeth Food Partnership; Transition Town Brixton; Pop Brixton and the Brixton Pound. Organisers wanted “a big, solid fridge that can take a bit of wear and tear”. And the fridge is only a start: “We have a whole list of ideas
for giving and sharing that will help build more generous communities that care about one another. “But the fridge is our starting point. It’s cool to be kind.” ■■ The official launch for the fridge will be in Pop Brixton at 6.30 pm on 8 February.
16 ARTS & CULTURE
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A Brixton story that is graphic in every sense David Cameron being eaten alive by pigs on the streets of Brixton is just a sideshow in the graphic novel Scotland Yardie which is set on our home turf. Politically correct readers should stop reading now. But if you like laugh-out-loud jokes about things that should make you weep and rage, then Scotland Yardie is the book for you. The eponymous hero is brought from Jamaica to Brixton by mayor Boris Johnson to be a role model for Black police officers. He finds corruption and worse at every turn and his unorthodox ideas about how to fight crime cause consternation. Brixton is populated by a cast of film and TV stars and patois-speaking cats and pigeons. No stereotype is too gross or insulting to escape brain-stopping satire. Brexit and gentrification feature in a story that samples every cop film or TV show you have seen and probably some you haven’t. “Black Lethal Weapon in Sarth London” is one description. Scotland Yardie was the break-out character
2017 FEBRUARY
Crocodiles! … maybe Carol in reception had a point Local author Amy Baker has a new book out in March – Miss Adventures: A Tale of Ignoring Life Advice while Backpacking Around South America. Baker, originally from Sussex has lived in Brixton for seven years and worked behind the bar at the Effra Social while writing the book. She has travelled in South America, South East Asia, Australia and Europe. Her first book is a hilarious and candid account of the
lessons she learnt while travelling on her own in South America. She finds herself faced with streams of seemingly unnecessary and dramatic advice after announcing her plans to quit her job for the trip. But after stumbling into a crevasse and swimming into crocodile infested waters, she wondered if her mum, her boss, and Carol from reception, were really on to something.
Miss Adventures provides insights into the life of a solo female traveller and how, and what, to expect when ditching the 9-5 in search of adventure. Amy Baker is an experienced travel writer, and has written for the Huffington Post, STA Travel, EasyJet Traveller and TNT magazine. ■■ Miss Adventures will be published by Summersdale on 9 March and is available for pre-purchase on Amazon. Lilly Blanchard
from the controversial cult comic classic Skank Magazine in the nineties. Twenty years on, the character is back in his first graphic novel, brilliantly scripted by Bobby Joseph (creator of Skank and Black Eye comic) and illustrated with genius by Joseph Samuels (vice.com). And it’s as clever as … choose your own expletive, because you’ll find it in the book. It’s £10.99 well spent and it’s published by Knockabout Comics – Britain’s biggest independent comic book publisher.You can get it on Amazon for a bit less than that. You can even get a signed copy at Foyles. Alan Slingsby
Thank you, Brixton For Sam Furness, Brixton is a source of inspiration that never runs dry
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Inspiration is a potent elixir. It’s the thing that grabs us by the collar, elevates us out of our everyday mindsets and gives us the strength and clarity of mind to solve problems or realise new and fantastic things. It’s the platform on which great original ideas are built – and it can often be difficult to come by. Brixton is and has been a magnet for creative people of all ages and backgrounds for many years and has an earned reputation as one of London’s independent, creative hubs. You only need to step out of the Tube station to be swept up in its energy. It’s loud, it’s vibrant, and it doesn’t stop. It’s exciting. The area has cultivated a community of passionate doers and makers that feel like Brixton in some way represents them and their creativity, myself being one of them. In 2016 I set myself a year-long creative challenge to discover more of the ways we express ourselves. I set a theme for each calendar month (in something I didn’t know all too much about) and learnt/did absolutely everything I could to do with it, with an aim to do or create something unique with my findings by the end of each month. The project was called 12x16. More info at 12by16.tumblr.com. It was an extremely creative and productive year where I constantly bombarded myself with new stimulus, to gain inspiration, with which to construct ideas, and I learnt that inspiration can come in many forms – perhaps any form. One source of inspiration, that for me never seemed to run dry, was the energy of Brixton. The people, the spaces, the architecture, the
history, the sounds … it just kept giving – and it was all right on my doorstep. I believe great original ideas are created in the tension between existing notions in your imagination and new external influences. The mixture of known and unknown or old and new is what ignites the inspirational thought process to work out how they can collaborate and ultimately create one new thing or concept. This is exactly why I believe that Brixton is an inherently inspiring place – because it is home to so many different types of people and places – old and new. The opportunities to discover or be influenced by new things come thick and fast. A couple of examples … You have the magnetising atmosphere and beauty of Brockwell Park. A place that exists perfectly between urban life and a green, community focused ideal; which means it’s just removed enough from the pace of city life to feel like an escape, but just close enough to still feel London’s energy. Windrush Square, the epicentre. It swirls with variety. Skaters, buskers, long-time locals, new-time locals and it plays stage to any number of gatherings, protests, parties and markets. It’s consistently representative of all manner of people and points of view. Last year’s Brixton Design Trail was a joy to behold (and be part of – I created an interactive origami installation at Pop Brixton). The whole thing was a colourful mixture of local creatives lighting their fuses at the same time, and with a tremendous bang, reminding people that independent spirit, creativity, passion and inspired thinking is alive and well in Brixton. Long may that continue to be the case. Thank you Brixton – not just for the inspiration – but for the ideas. ■■ Follow me for more creative projects. Instagram/Twitter: @S_Furness_
FEBRUARY 2017
ARTS & CULTURE 17
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Maria Beadell’s show Girl Power! at the Brixton Pound Café from 18 February for two weeks is a celebration of what it means to be female. Her paintings look at various facets of femininity and female identity. Beadell says: “As a female artist, I am aware that the subject of this show might seem a little clichéd and overdone. Nonetheless, I think my work presents an original and personalised take on the theme. “ ■■ mariainpaint.webnode.com Instagram: @mariainpaint
Alex Wheatle to judge writing competition Award-winning local author Alex Wheatle, The Brixton Bard, is joining a panel of judges for “Voices”, a national writing competition for children in care and young care leavers. Coram Voice, a charity that supports young people in and around the care system, says its competition is a platform for young people to express
their creative talents. It has three age categories: primary, secondary school and care leavers, with a special award for migrant children who are in care or care leavers. The theme for 500-word entries is “New Beginnings”. ■■ Entry and information are online at coramvoice.org.uk/ voices-2017 until 21 February.
WHO WHAT WHERE,
a photography exhibition showing at the Brixton Pound until 2 February, celebrates the diversity of cultures across the world. The photographs of Saskia Selwood, Frankie Mills and Charlotte Harding (above), all anthropology students, chronicle their travels in Africa, Mexico and India. Their portraits invite the viewer to observe a scene through the eyes of the
photographer. All three emphasise the importance of creating a relationship of respect between the subject and photographer. Their images confront the viewer with the photographer’s situation as an outsider in a foreign setting. The opening will be on the 27 January at the Pound Café at 77 Atlantic Road from 7pm.
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St Christopher’s Hospice
I do like Mondays Why wait for the weekend when there’s Off The Cuff on Mondays, asks John Akinde Now, Mondays aren’t Fridays and usually mean a night of television, reading, web-surfing and general housekeeping. But this doesn’t have to be the case, if you’re in and around Brixton. Because on Railton Road, Herne Hill, inside Off The Cuff, a trendy live music venue, is the ultimate jazz jam session. Heads Up is the name of the band that play every Monday night from 8:30pm. As soon as I entered the venue, I was greeted with a very smooth and mellow arrangement from the band. The combination of saxophones, keyboards, bass and percussion offered a very pleasant, melodic experience. I got myself a Red Stripe at the bar and then found myself a seat to bask in some very jazzy vibes. The musicians were very relaxed, and played with such flair, it got to the stage that I really wanted to join in, however I can’t play an instrument and so quite happily settled
with humming along. After the first set, I got the chance to speak to Roger Humbles, band leader and compere, who also happens to be the local pharmacist. He told me that the group had been going for around two and a half years and consists of people, from different walks of life, united by a common love for jazz. I also got to speak to James Mudie, a very talented musician, aged 23, who plays trumpet for the band. A recent university graduate, he told me how he happened to hear of the Jazz night from a friend a few years back, decided to play one night and has been with the band ever since. The audience were very chilled on the night, some were chatting, others drinking, humming and singing along, which combined very naturally with the live music to cultivate a very laid-back, warm atmosphere to encapsulate a wonderful night of jazz. The Heads Up, Jazz Jam session @Off The Cuff runs every Monday evening and is open to every lover of Jazz and ,more broadly, lovers of good music. If you also play an instrument, you can come along and play!
In 2017, St Christopher’s Hospice will be celebrating 50 years since its opening. To help raise much needed funds, Andrew Baker and Jim Davidson will complete a 300 mile bike ride from London to Paris. You can help us raise money for this important cause by donating directly to my fundraising page —
www.justgiving.com/J–Davidson1 Or text BYKE50 and the £amount of your donation to 70070 JustGiving sends your donation straight to St Christopher’s Hospice and automatically reclaims Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer, so your donation is worth even more! Thank you all for your support. James Davidson
www.brockwellart.co.uk 232-234 Railton Road, Herne Hill SE24 0JT. Telephone 020 7274 7046 OPEN Monday to Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday 10am - 6pm
18 FOOD & DRINK
brixtonblog.com
2017 FEBRUARY
FOOD & DRINK NEWS Rosa’s finally makes it
Anna McKie on a new chain, a new book and a new year Rosa’s Thai Café for Atlantic Road
NNA Thai restaurant with branches in Soho, Westfield, Spitalfields and Carnaby Street is set to open its eighth on Atlantic Road at the end of February. Rosa’s Brixton was originally touted for Coldharbour Lane, but residents who lived in flats above objected to the proposals because of fears over noise, fumes and rubbish. “We’re known for our authentic Thai food. We’re as much about our East London roots and this shows in our brand, interiors, beverage offering and service style,” say chain founders, husband and wife Alex and Saiphin Moore.
RECIPE: FRANZINA TRATTORIA’S SFINGETTE
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Stefania at Franzina Trattoria’s classic Sicilian ‘doughnuts’ bring back happy childhood memories. “My grandfather would cook them every Holy Christmas and special occasions,” says Stefania. “It is a simple dish but really a great taste. We use sheep’s ricotta imported from Palermo, but you can use a supermarket one.”
Ingredients
¡¡ 100g 00 flour (mix 1 part pastry flour with 3 parts plain flour to make a substitute 00) ¡¡ 200ml water ¡¡ 10g yeast ¡¡ 100g Ricotta ¡¡ 50g powdered sugar ¡¡ 2g salt ¡¡ Sugar and cinnamon to garnish
Ricotta cream Mix the ricotta, sugar and salt together until smooth and creamy. Chill.
Sfingette Sift the flour, dissolve the yeast and blend both with the water. Create a “fountain” of the flour, blend inwards and knead until you have a good consistent dough. Rest in the fridge for one hour. Take your dough and hand roll it into roughly golf ball size pieces (or whatever you prefer). Deep fry at 110C for three minutes. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and serve with the ricotta cream.
Franzina Trattoria Pop Brixton, SW9 8PQ 07802 473444 franzinatrattoria.co.uk
Caribbean cookbook kickstarter
NNTezeta Press have launched a Kickstarter campaign to get their book Belly Full: Caribbean Food in the UK off the ground. Run by London-based duo Riaz Philips and Zandile Nkomo, Tezeta Press is offering PDFs, first edition prints or a chance to have your logo featured in its book for contributions. Belly Full is “a journey across the UK”, going back to the 1950s, looking at what Caribbean establishments mean to their local communities, “not to mention that the families and people behind them are local legends in their own right”. It features a number of Brixton institutions, such as Fish, Wings & Ting and Bushman Kitchen. Philips and Nkomo say that their dream is to have “Belly Full available in bookstores across the world as soon as possible, for present and future generations to learn about this rich and important part of British culture. One day we hope to have a whole series of foodie books available, spreading the word of good food.” See the Kickstarter page at bit.ly/BF-CFUK. Chinese New Year in Brixton
NNTo celebrate the Year of the Rooster on 28 January why not head to one of Brixton’s Chinese restaurants? Mamalan’s roots are in Beijing street food and serves wonderful handmade dumplings, noodle soups and street snacks. And over in Clapham Dim Sum bar Fu Manchu, has created a spicy rooster cocktail exclusively for Chinese New Year. There is also Courtesan for some delicious Chinese dim sum on Atlantic Road, Happy Dumpling in the market and many more – so pick your fave and get ordering!
FEBRUARY 2017
FOOD & DRINK 19
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INTRODUCING …
Thought for Food I suspect I am t∫he worst kind of modern foodie. One whose culinary ambitions, fuelled by cooking channels and dining out, are rarely matched by my kitchen skills. My first job as the new food editor is to say a huge thanks to Miss South who, since the birth of the Bugle, has captained these food pages with such passion. As far me? I am a wide ranging diner, equally happy with dirty poppy-uppy street
Meet new food editor Nick Buglione food or high-road curry as I am with a Michelinstarred meal and everything in between. I would like these pages to be the definitive word on one of London’s most energetic and interesting foodie
hotspots. As well as reviews of Brixton eateries, we will be meeting chefs and owners, trying out Brixton-inspired recipes, talking bars, pubs and cocktails and keeping you up to date with the latest openings, new menus and gastro gossip. Ultimately this should be less about me and all about you. If you would like to contribute to these pages, let me know at nick@brixtonblog.
REVIEW: YA HALA
Middling Eastern? On only its second night open, one could forgive Ya Hala, Brixton’s new Lebanese grill room the occasional hiccup, but it has a little way to go to ensure it is more than just a decent kebabberie. No drinks licence, some sort of industrial draft gusting from the ceiling and somewhat disorientated, waiters. In the shell of what used to be Joy with raw warehouse distressed décor, a sprinkling of Verner Panton chairs and banquettes, de rigeur industrial styling alongside more conventional chairs and tables, it’s a nice space. For Mrs B and I, breaking our half-hearted dry(ish) January for the night, a lack of beers was borderline traumatic. But bring on the meats. Alongside a fattoush salad – leaves, mint, onion, radish, sumac and toasted Lebanese bread (£4), we chose two classics, a charcoal infused mixed grill of kofta minced lamb, lahem meshwi lamb cubes and shish taouk chicken (£10.95) and deeply marinated lamb shawarma (£9.90). Served with rice and chips respectively, Lebanese breads,
chilli and garlic sauces. There is very little that can go wrong with grilled marinated meats sizzled on a smoking charcoal grill, but the devil is sometimes in the detail. Alongside some nice tasty meats, the fattoush could have done with a shot of adrenalin to wake it up from limp sulkiness, instead of steamy, crispy hot breads straight out of the oven (yes, I’ve been spoiled by the likes of Dishoom and even Lahore Kebab House), ours were standard cold pitta fare. Which is not to say it wasn’t busy and isn’t already a workable pit-stop at reasonable prices. The next few weeks will show if Ya Hala is going to be just a decent Lebanese addition to Brixton’s dining roster, or more than a dime a dozen one. Little improvements can go a long way. Ya Hala 432 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LG 020 7733 3098 lebanese-restaurant-london.co.uk
PROFILE: DUCK DUCK GOOSE
Source for the goose Nick Buglione grabs a sitdown with Oli Brown of Duck Duck Goose It’s quite a trip from head chef at Rowley Leigh’s Café Anglais in Bayswater to a shipping container in downtown Brixton. And the oven’s playing up. Duck Duck Goose (yes, is a take on the children’s game) is the latest culinary arrival at Pop Brixton, via the street cafés of Hong Kong. It was there that Oli Brown fell in love with Cantonese barbecue meat shops and kitsch old school cantinas. “We’d finish our shifts at The Continental and hit the local canteens, crack open some beers and stuff ourselves,” says Oli. “Some of them probably hadn’t changed in decades and I loved the theatre of the glazed hanging meats. That is my inspiration for Duck Duck Goose.” At DDG Oli and his team will be fusing modern takes on Guang Dong province classics with traditional renditions of Cantonese cuisine. “The menu will be ever-changing and is a combination of reinventions like our prawn toast revisited alongside very traditional roast meats and steamed fish. Cantonese cuisine is all about ingredients being the star of the show, aromatic flavours with lots of star anise, spring onions and ginger. Packed with flavour.” So expect glazed duck, pork and goose that will be air-dried and roasted on site in a custom-built air dryer and duck oven, whole steamed sea bass and offbeat offerings such as turnip cake with ceps. And the new wave prawn toast with its indulgent wedge of prawn
mousse, deep fried and topped with kewpie mayo, endive and pickled kohlrabi. The clue is in the name though – the stars of the show are the birds. “We air dry our duck and goose for three days which allows a lovely fusion of crispyness and moist, succulent meat. In Hong Kong they actually serve more goose than duck, they like the fattier, gamier flavour.” It’s a pretty stylish container, a playful take on the everyday style of the Cha Chaan Tengs, the Western hybrid cafés that sprang up in post-war Hong Kong. Think orange pastel kitsch with on-trend low hanging butcher lights and wipe-clean vinyl – with the theatre of the air-drying birds in their hi-tech glass casket. So why Brixton? “I am friends with Will from Kricket and he suggested it,” says Oli, while acknowledging the roll call of Brixton pop-ups that have catapulted wider from their south London start-up. “This has only been possible through the support of my wife and friends who have invested and been really supportive. It’s an accessible entry point compared with a normal site but, roughly speaking, we hired a tin can with nothing in it so it’s a big jump from the kitchen at Café Anglais with its 30 chefs.” Once upon a time Chinese cuisine was just anglicised fusion “Chinese”. Operations like Duck Duck Goose excavate further down into the pleasures of regional oriental cuisine, dicing them up with modern twists. Just need to fix that oven. Duck Duck Goose Pop Brixton, SW9 8PQ duckduckgooselondon.com
Here at Healthy Eaters we combine great tasting food with quick and friendly customer service. Every meal is as healthy as can be thanks to our low fat cooking techniques which lock in our uniquely succulent flavours. So drop in for take-away or stay to eat in. We are open lunchtime through the afternoon. Or come back in the evening to enjoy our cocktails and Jamaican rum until 11pm, served with authentic jerk chicken to the sounds of sweet reggae music. Mm.
Healthy eaters
17 Electric Avenue Brixton SW9 8JP Tel. 020 7274 4521
www.healthyeaters.co.uk
20 WHAT’S ON
brixtonblog.com
2017 FEBRUARY
Jamila Omar rounds up a February selection of what’s on in Brixton and nearby FRI 27 @ BREAD & ROSES
Sizzle Up Cabaret is south London’s newest GAY FRIENDLY CABARET night, presenting awardwinning global artists who will captivate, enthral and mesmerise you with their charming, quirky, powerful acts. 7.30-11pm. £15 / £10.
SAT 28 @ FU MANCHU
The 90s Brunch is an “off the chain” 90s THEMED PARTY, filled with yummy food, a “far out” 90s bottomless cocktail for an hour and the “freshest” entertainment, including a lip-sync battle, where you can sign up to “blow up” the stage with dance moves. Includes all the most poppin’ music of the decade from The Spice Girls and Nirvana to R Kelly and Eminem, as well as classic club hits and modern remixes. 12 – 5pm, £35 to £40.
LOVING: Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton
RITZY ROUNDUP
SUN 29 @ SALOME ART GALLERY
Exhibiting 31 artists, the WINTER SOLSTICE GROUP SHOW holds a wide variety of work in various art forms. The Salome Gallery turns a drab meeting room at 308 Brixton Road into a popular gallery space at the Social Inclusion, Hope and Recovery Project which works with people with psychosis. All day. Free.
It is a heavy hitting month for those of us movie obsessed. As the Bafta awards (12 February) and the Oscars (26 February) have us all in a dizzying tizzy of opinions, polls, and politics. At least it is a great time to be reminded of a love of cinema across all borders, says Nicola Jones This month’s slate at the Ritzy is led by director Jeff Nichols’ new film LOVING (from 3 Feb). Nichols’ fourth film centres on the famous inter-racial romance between Richard and Mildred Loving played by Joel Edgerton and Oscar nominated Ruth Negga. The couple’s legal battle would take them to the Supreme Court. This is paired with Mel Gibson’s latest directorial effort HACKSAW RIDGE (from 3 Feb) starring Andrew Garfield as war pacifist Desmond Doss. Both films were festival favourites. Releasing that weekend as well is much lauded German film TONI ERDMANN (from 3 Feb). One surely not to be missed – it sees a father trying to reconnect with his daughter in unconventional ways.
At last month’s Golden Globe Awards the new film MOONLIGHT (from 10 Feb) walked away with the award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. Barry Jenkin’s coming of age film about a young African-American man is a heavy contender in this month’s award season. Alongside it is Denzel Washington’s direction of August
MON 30 @ GX GALLERY
Tin Tribes in the Garden of Ether is a unique PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION at 43 Denmark Hill, Camberwell, looking at different subcultures, where style and fashion play an important part, be it for gender equality or self expression. Until 3 February. 9.30am – 6pm. Free.
TUE 31 @ UPSTAIRS AT RITZY
Ra Yoga Class lead by Cara, a Yoga Alliance certified teacher of ASHTANGA & VINYASA YOGA, with a few ideas borrowed from dance, Pilates, Tai Chi, singing techniques, relaxation techniques and massage. 10 – 11.30am. £7.
Wilson’s play FENCES. Starring Washington and the incomparable Viola Davis (above) – who won a Golden Globe for her performance – the adaptation deals with an African-American family in the 1950s. Both actors and the film are Oscar nominated.
WED 1 FEB @ MARKET TAVERN
Come take a walk on the weird side at House of Idiot, an ALTERNATIVE COMEDY OPEN MIC show. This week’s performers are Night of Joy, Kathryn Bond, Cheekykita, Markus Fieldman, plus resident agony aunt Ms Samantha Man and an improvised musical from the magical Multiverse. 8pm. Free.
Rounding out the month is the arrival of HIDDEN FIGURES (from 17 Feb). Already flying high in the US box office, the film chronicles a group of AfricanAmerican female mathematicians who were instrumental in NASA’s successful space missions. Starring Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson, and Janelle Monáe the film’s phenomenal success is great new ground for proving that commercial victories do not have to all look the same!
THUR 2 @ BLUES KITCHEN
Lastly, also this month, the Ritzy will be conducting a Q&A session with director and actor Alice Lowe for her satirical slasher PREVENGE. The event will take place on 9 February.
SAT 4 @ KARIBU CENTRE
A live stripped-back set of classic soul tunes from SOUL SACRIFICE, ranges from the intensity of James Brown and Solomon Burke to Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye. 8pm til midnight. Free.
FRI 3 @ POW
Hosted by Brixton Boogaloo, this is a fun 80s THEMED ROOFTOP PARTY. Bop in the enclosed Narnia-themed winter wonderland space and check out the brand new 80s karaoake room. 8pm – 4am. £10. Celebrating DENNIS BROWN’s 60th birthday in Sound System Style. Music by Gladdy Wax and Wassie One. 10pm-4am. £10.
WED 8 @ HOOTANANNAY
Songwriters and Wordsmiths presents PAPA STOKELY, lead MC in The Unscene Supper Klub and vital member of the band Papa Stokely’s Revival, a collaborative effort between a hoard of London bands. Support from Van T, George Husband and Kirk Morgan. 9pm to midnight. Free.
THUR 9 @ EFFRA HALL TAVERN
A great weekly live JAZZ SESSION at this friendly local style pub each and very Thursday night. Free.
FRI 10 @ GIGALUM
Each and every Friday Gigalum brings you the finest selection of ECLECTIC BEATS to start your weekend off with a bang! 9pm to midnight. Free.
SAT 11 @ DOGSTAR
AudioSushi is one of Brixton’s longest running Saturday nights spinning deep house, bass bangers, classics and shouts from the floor – a non stop full-on HANDS IN THE AIR PARTY mix. 9pm – 3am. Free before 10, £5 after.
SUN 12 @ BAR 414
Grassroots Live Music. A weekly Sunday night event that looks set to encourage and inspire local GRASSROOTS TALENT. UB40 trumpeter Patrick Anthony leads the experienced house band. 8pm – 2am. Free.
MON 13 @ WHIRLED CINEMA
Get down to Loughborough Junction for a small scale screening of A Plastic Ocean, a new, featurelength documentary focusing on the pressing issue of PLASTIC POLLUTION in the world’s oceans. Proceeds towards Marine Conservation Society UK. 7.30pm. £10.
TUE 14 @ PRINCE REGENT
The Prince Regent PUB QUIZ is held every Tuesday. Big cash prizes, free drinks questions and a rollover jackpot question that grows each week. Come down early because it’s first come, first served. 8pm.
WED 15 @ O2 BRIXTON ACADEMY
VO5 NME AWARDS 2017. Honouring the best talent in music and culture from the past 12 months, with an explosive set of live performances and massive-name guests. 7.30pm. From £29.99.
THUR 16 @ THE CAMBRIA
David hosts the CAMBRIA QUIZ. Teams of six or fewer battle for a cash prize, which is doubled if the winning team gambles and answers the Killer Question correctly. Each player will receive a raffle ticket for a Meal For Two voucher. 8pm. £2 per player.
FRI 17 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON
Soundcrash host a massive DRUM N BASS event, featuring DJ Marky, LTJ Bukem, DJ Storm, Metalheadz and more. 10pm to 6am. £9.50 to £19.50.
SUN 5 @ UPSTAIRS AT RITZY
■■ Nicola Jones is a freelance writer whose website asophisticatednoise. com covers film reviews, trailers, and industry news. She can be found tweeting @MzJones. HOPPER STONE
Big roots reggae special CATCH A FIRE, with singer Ras Nestar and Ana Rebel Joseph on melodica backed in fine style by Jah Time Band. Roots the way it should be, wicked and wild … 8pm. Free.
MON 6 @ POP BRIXTON
Daddy, Mummy & Me TODDLER YOGA. Focusing on the children with the encouragement of parents, guiding their child to learn and grow. Includes breathing games, yoga postures, singing, stories, yoga games and music. Suitable for parents/gaurdians and children. 11-11.45 am. Free.
TUE 7 @ BRIXTON EAST ary Jackson (Janelle Monae, left), Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. M Henson) and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) in Hidden Figures
18s free.
Phos Music Festival. A new three-day CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTIVAL in Brixton on the 7, 8 and 9 February at Brixton East. Concerts last for about an hour. Pay bar from 6.15pm. Today’s concert features Beethoven and Grieg. 7pm. £5 on the door, under
SAT 18 @ HOOTANANNAY
Superhoot presents Mankala, high-energy PANAFRICAN MUSIC, plus Mama Brass – eight-piece New Orleans-inspired brass band playing a mix of funk, latin, ska, reggae, pop – and Midas 22, a mix of traditional European music and old school, global sounds from electro swing to funk, afro-bass and Latin. 9pm to 3am. Free before 10, £5 after.
FEBRUARY 2017
brixtonblog.com
WHAT’S ON 21
Radical theatre for Spring season
Lebanon in Kennington The South Social cinema event is back with a second series of events. In 2017 there will be six Saturday events dedicated to different countries supported by indie screenings and musicians paired with the country’s cuisine. First up will be Lebanon at the Cinema Museum in Kennington (2 Dugard Way, SE11 4TH) on January 28, followed by: March 18 Finland; May 13 Israel; July 15 Venezuela; September 23 Australia; and November 18 Russia. Danielle Arbid, director of Parisienne (above) will be at the Cinema Museum on 28 January to introduce the film with a question-and-answer session. The music
ambassador for Lebanon will be singer and poet Juliana Yazbeck. Food by Sami of the Cedar Lebanese restaurant in West Hampstead. South Social Film Festival is a cinema, music and eating experience celebrating independent world cinema. Launched in September 2015, it dedicates every event to a different country, celebrating diversity through art, cinema, world music and food. ■■South Social Meets Lebanon: £15 film+music/£25 film+music+food+drink/£10 Students and seniors. Tickets at billetto.co.uk/ en/events/south-social-meets-lebanon.
SUN 19 @ UPSTAIRS AT RITZY
FRI 24 @ HOOTANANNAY
Come feel the riddims and enjoy the vibes giving you a unique reggae, dancehall and soca KARAOAKE … as featured in Time Out London “Best Karaoke Nights in London”. Hosted by Jay9 with MC Dazzla & DJ Barse spinning the tunes – a sing and dance-along with a whole heap of pull-ups and fun! 7pm – midnight. £6.
SAT 25 @ PORTICO GALLERY
MON 20 @ POP BRIXTON Each Monday Neville from Wu Style TAI CHI CHUAN holds a community class in this traditional Chinese martial art that has many potential health benefits including improved posture and balance, circulation, flexibility, core strength and joint mobility. Open to all and suitable for all ages and abilities. 12 – 1.30pm. Free.
TUE 21 @ BRIXTON JAMM Italian rap phenomena Luche and Guè Pequeno playing live in London together for the first time ever. Once again HIP HOP ITALIA has the honour to bring you some of the best players in the rap game of the Belpaese. 7.30 pm – 1am. From £12.
WED 22 @ BLUES KITCHEN Swing Night and Double Down. JUMP & JIVE and wail your night away! 8pm – midnight. Free.
THUR 23 @ WINDMILL Six-piece LIVE BAND James Ray and the Black-Hearted Riders plus Jazz Riot. Band members include James Ray, known for his work with Sisters Of Mercy & Gangwar, Justin Greaves of Crippled Black Phoenix, and John e. Vistic of the Rock & Roll Sound Machine. 8pm. £5.
Future Brixton theatre Ovalhouse will return to its roots of radical theatre from home-grown talent in its spring 2017 season which includes a fiftieth anniversary show from People Show. Highlights will include Seiriol Davies’ Milky Peaks, a fusion of Dylan Thomas and David Lynch, exploring Welsh Nationalism. The season will end with two Edinburgh Festival Fringe hits: JoAn – a gritty and tender re-telling of Joan of Arc (inset), and Eurohouse – a darkly comic view of the Greek financial crisis. Of the 16 productions in the season, eight are FiRST BiTES – new works, still in development which the company want to share with its audiences before they go back into rehearsal. Three productions in the season, Custody, Pot and Quarter Life Crisis, have been created by artists who have come through Ovalhouse’s own participation programme designed to create a new generation of radical theatre makers. February shows include Focus Group* *or How to Stare Down and Transfigure
Loneliness by TOOT 31 January – 4 February, 7.30pm A comedy exploring the absurdity of modern life and consumer culture. Moonshine’s Entirely Necessary Adventure by Magic Maverick 13 – 14 February, 2pm Moonshine is 13 with silver skin and a thirst for adventure and a threatened forest home. With live music, shadow puppetry and clowning. For ages eight-plus. The Many Doors of Frank Feelbad by Bootworks 16 – 19 February, 11.30am, 2pm Frank hunts for his mum in a show that asks how we cope when things go missing. There’ll be scavenger hunts, puzzles to solve and dancing to dub-step. For ages five-plus. The Last Straw by People Show 21 – 25 February, 7.30pm Part of People Show’s 50th year celebrations, this is a journey through internal politics, the Wild West, the plagues of humankind and disaster movies. ■■ Details at bit.ly/OH-spr17.
Got a huge bundle of old plastic bags stuffed under the sink? Need some new rugs? This is your lucky week. Brixton Craft will be using a simple technique and a handmade cardboard loom to transform those bags into rugs and mats at its monthly get together. Just round up the bags and get yourself and them to Upstairs at the Ritzy for 2.30pm on Sunday 29 January. Even better, the event is free.
Bison, Addictive, seductive mayhem from Sheffield and Soul Grenades HEAVYWEIGHT FUNK and soul grooves, plus Ying Yang Magic Gang, Zombie Dub, Dancehall, Reggae, Roots, Jungle, with The Asbo Disco DJs. 9pm – 3am. Free before 10, £5 after.
Grand opening of West Norwood’s newest SOUL JOINT. Playing soul classics, Tamla Motown, Northern soul, rare soul, 70s grooves – all with a splash of RnB and a hint of Latin. Special guest DJs Tony Schokman and Mick Gauntlett (from the legendary Kitchener Road). 7pm – midnight. £5.
SUN 26 @ OFF THE CUFF
And What Live, a monthly LIVE MUSIC SHOWCASE hosted by And What LDN, at Off The Cuff by Herne Hill station. Kicks off with a rap cypher hosted by in-house MC Amp Medley. Vocalists, MCs, spoken word artists and beatboxers are invited to come and jam with the house band. Local funk band, Jelly Rain, are manning the stage this month. 6pm11pm. Free.
MON 27 @ POP BRIXTON
Held every Monday, a fun, challenging and exhilarating CAPOEIRA inspired bodyweight conditioning class called i.flo (i.feelove) – filled with efficient exercise routines and techniques, designed to aid beginners into the art of Capoeira. Led by Baris. 7.45 – 9.15pm. £10.
TUE 28 @ INTREPID, PIANO HOUSE
National Geographic Traveller (UK) invites you to view the shortlisted and winning entries from the National Geographic Traveller PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION 2017. 11am – 6pm. Free (reservation required).
Friends of the BCA presents
Love in the Archives
Sunday 12th February 2017, 2.30pm to 6.00pm Join us as we gaze into the archive to view love notes, between lovers, friends and relatives from our collective past. Enjoy a private tour of our current display concluding with a beautiful Caribbean meal provided by Healthy Eaters and appealing to all tastes, vegan and pescatarian alike. Meet friends and talk over our love stories from the archive. All funds will go directly to the BCA, with the support of volunteers and Healthy Eaters. Tickets £25.00 from BCA and online at Eventbrite (online fee applies)
BLACK CULTURAL ARCHIVES SW2 1EF 020 3757 8500 bcaheritage.org.uk
22 COLUMNS
brixtonblog.com
2017 FEBRUARY
GEMMA PASHA
FRANKIE HOLAH
New Year, New Beginnings, New Life
MumPowered
The beginning of a new year is an exciting time for many reasons. But this year, more so than any other before – as my husband and I welcomed into the world a beautiful baby boy, Zaki. As we look to a new life with our baby, and a new start in the year, we must also start to think about the new life which will soon be upon us in our gardens. Until now, we have had an unusually mild winter and you may have noticed that some poor trees and shrubs have got confused and started to put blossom and new buds out already. If you, like me, have not really set foot in your garden for the past couple of months, February is a good time to start to get organised and prepare for Spring, which, depending on the weather, can come as early as March. We can certainly expect to see some signs of life from the ground with bulbs shooting through, especially snowdrops and crocuses. The garden can look fairly depressing at this time of year – damp, muddy, bare – but it’s important to keep on top of some essential jobs before Spring is here. Don’t let weeds take over growth and keep the evergreen shrubs in check. By minimising the weeds you are making space for the bulbs to grow through and bring the first signs of colour back into the garden. It is also a good time to get rid of anything you are unsure of in the garden, and make some space for new and exciting plants which can be planted as early as March. Plants will be much easier to fully uproot now as they are still in their dormant phase. If there are any dead and rotting leaves left over
from the Autumn they should be swept up, kept off the lawn and bagged up to make mulch/or recycle them in your green waste. If your window boxes are looking a little worse for wear, try cutting them back, or planting some Tete-a-Tete daffs which are available now in most garden centres. As we have had considerable rainfall, the soil may have got quite damp and compacted. If you can face it, why not dig it over to breath some life into it? But make sure you don’t dig up any bulbs in the process. It’s still a bit early to start enjoying the garden, BUT by spending a few hours now you will maximise the productivity and pleasure of your garden in the frothing spring, summer and autumn. And don’t despair folks … We’ve broken the back of winter … lighter evenings and warmer weather are just around the corner. If, of course, you can’t stomach the thought of doing anything outside yet, then feel free to call Gardening Girl where one of my team will be able to come and knock your garden into shape without you even lifting a finger. The Gardening Girl 07826 551353 | thegardeninggirlat82@gmail.com
New year, new projects – and I’m excited to introduce MumPowered; a new postnatal boot camp in Brockwell Park, with the aim of improving your strength and fitness post bubba, using bodyweight training. Our outdoor sessions provide a supportive and fun environment whatever your fitness level and, to top it off, you’re surrounded by other fabulous mummas. Babies are obviously welcome, so wrap them up, slip on your Lycra and come and join our newest tribe of women. At MumPowered we believe not in trying to get back the old body, but in building a stronger and more athletic version of a body which is, to be honest, already bad ass … you grew a human! Encouraging women to look after and love their bodies has been my mission since I started coaching and I always knew that working with mums would be a very special part of the journey. I can’t wait to meet you all at sessions!
If you would like to come along, we meet outside Brockwell Lido at 11am every Wednesday. Sessions are 60 minutes and include a thorough warm up and cool down before and after the workout – £10 per person. We will be launching more classes as the year continues and you can follow us @mumpowered and @frankieholah on social media as well as contact us at info@ mumpowered.com if you have any questions or to secure a space. Happy New Year everyone - here’s to an awesome 2017!
To celebrate opening in Brixton, we’ll sell your property for FREE* We officially open our doors on Monday 16th January, but we’ll be busy valuing your neighbours’ homes from the new year. We like to think of it as a ‘welcome to the neighbourhood’ gift, from us, to you.
T 020 8033 8380 marshandparsons.co.uk/zero-percent
*See website for details, terms and conditions
FEBRUARY 2017
Hill Mead HERALD Seeing ourselves at the National Portrait Gallery
The brilliant Brixton bus tour On a cold winter’s morning, news reporters Abdurrahmaan and Amy from Year 4, joined the Reception children’s Brilliant Bus Tour. Waiting for the bus to arrive, 60 four-yearolds were wriggling with excitement. And we were excited too.
By Selisa and Tomisin Who would think that self-portraits could be so fascinating? Year 6 Red had the opportunity to go to the National Portrait Gallery in Charing Cross. Our curator was an inspiring woman with a passion for art. When she began talking about art she just couldn’t stop! We were given a blank piece of paper and a mirror. We shared are thoughts on what we was going to do. Many of us had different ideas on what to do, but one member of are class suggested we would be doing a self-portrait and she was correct. Our curator told us to base our self-portraits around how we were feeling right then. We started with the main features of our faces and added the not very important features towards the end. We only had five minutes, so we felt under a bit of pressure. Our time was up! Every one took a sigh of relief! Without a moment to see our finished masterpieces, we moved on to the next paper. This one had a square in the middle and we were told we couldn’t go out of the little box. And so we began, many of us struggled drawing in a little box but others found it rather easy. After five minutes we were stopped and were
told to choose between our first self-portrait and our second self-portrait. Then it was time to have a look around the gallery. We went all the way to the top and saw a lot of different artists. The class was amazed by the art they saw. After we had all had a look around the gallery, our curator showed us a picture of a face painter who expressed her self-portrait as her inside a cat. We were asked if we thought that this was a real self-portrait. One member of our class suggested that a self-portrait is how the people around you see you. But I had another suggestion: that a self-portrait is how you see yourself, so if you see yourself as a cat you could happily paint that.
The bus driver took us to the bus wash but on the way there was lots and lots of traffic. Guess what? At the bus wash, there were loads of clean buses and some were getting fixed. Our bus needed a wash, the window were dusty and the paint was filthy. We drove through the bus wash once and then once again and it cleaned all the dirt away. The children were trying to touch the big blue cleaners through the windows and they screamed with excitement. The Reception children had lots
of questions for the bus driver. Star asked: “How old do you have to be to drive a bus? ” He replied “At least 18.” Amy asked “Why don’t you have any seat belts” The bus driver explained “The bus moves slowly and they are not needed.” Yes, we know – especially driving in Brixton traffic. We travelled in a big circle from Hill Mead, to Brixton, Herne Hill, Camberwell and back to Brixton. The bus stopped at Brixton Academy and Reception children had the packed lunch on board on the Bus!. We got to sit in the driver’s seat and took photos of us wearing the driver’s hat. Then it was back to school. We found out that the bus driver is Mrs Allenye’s husband – she teaches in Reception!
THE MAGIC OF PETER PAN By Sahayla and Emily
Going to the National Theatre is an adventure. We’ve been lucky enough to visit it three times since December. We had a secret tour behind the scenes, and – Shhh – we watched the performance from up high, and took part in a theatre workshop. It has all been about Peter Pan. In our first workshop we had a tour around the theatre. We saw where they make the costumes and tried some on. They also showed us where they made and designed the props and decorated them. Later we made some hand puppets using recycled
material like bin liners and sticks. It was difficult to make them, but we got there in the end. The part we liked most was a sneak peek of a video from behind the scenes of Peter Pan – showing us how Peter could fly. Our second visit to the theatre was remarkable as we watched them retell the story of Peter Pan. Did you know that there no such thing as fairy dust but fairy strings do exist. And Tinkerbell speaks gibberish … The way they taught us how to fly and what we saw was very different from the movie. They used counterweights and a pulley system. This means that a human
acted as the weight to lift the actor off the floor in order to fly. We have been learning about pulleys in science. A pulley is a wheel system that uses string or rope to raise heavy weights. We created our own pulleys using card and bottle lids. Our favourite part of the play is the ending when Captain Hook was eaten by the crocodile and Wendy and her parents were able to adopt the Lost Boys. On our third visit we designed and created head bands of animals that we could find in Neverland. In the afternoon we created our own songs, changing the lyrics to the songs in the play.
Celebrating Chinese New Year BY Armanie and Ruqayya We interviewed Year 1 and Year 2 students and their teachers who are studying Chinese New Year to find out what they had learnt. This is what they said What do you know about Chinese New Year? Chinese citizens dance, dress up as dragons and put on a puppet show. They eat rice, noodles, crackers and spring rolls. It is the year of the chicken which is great because Hill Mead has its very own chickens that we look after. Is there anything intriguing you found out? The Chinese New Year is a celebration in February where
they make things out of silk. When it comes they decorate their houses and have family gatherings. This celebration goes on for 14 days. They light up lanterns and release them into the air at night. The highlight is when dragons parade through the streets. What’s your most fascinating Chinese fact? Miss Davis, a Year 1 teacher, said children in China go to school for 10 hours every day. She added that fortune cookies are popular because they are sweets that tell your future! For Chinese New Year they put up lots of red because that is their lucky colour. Year 1 have been reading about
a king who organised a race and whoever won would get their first Chinese calendar Year 2 have been reading The Dragon’s Tears to find out about Chinese storytelling. It is about a boy, Chun Li, and his mum, Mei Mei, who live close to the river. They come across a magic pearl which brings good luck to their family. Some people are happy for them but some are envious and want the pearl for themselves. Chun Li is forced to swallow the pearl and turns into a dragon, but it has a happy ending. Read the book to find out! We like Chinese New Year because it puts a smile on everyone’s face!
TEACHERS VISIT TO LEARN FROM US
Student teachers from University College London (UCL) often visit Hill Mead with their tutors to observe how we learn. Our school is a specialist partner with the UCL Institute of Education.
BRIXTON
Bugle SPORT
Pastor Lorraine Jones with Olympic boxing medallists Josh Buatsi (left) and Joe Joyce and above with Afewee head coach Bobby Miltiadous
DWAYNAMICS TO EXPAND By Sandra Brobbey
Olympic boxer Josh Buatsi teamed up with fellow Team GB pugilist Joe Joyce to support dozens of youngsters attending a boxing awards ceremony in Brixton. The Olympic medallists were special guests at an end of year celebration hosted by Lambeth Police and local boxing group Dwaynamics. The group, which runs non-contact boxing classes under a Loughborough Junction railway arch, is due to launch new classes on the Tulse Hill Estate and at a primary school at
Angell Town later this year. Buatsi, a talented light heavyweight fighter who won a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, praised the work of local boxing coaches and church minister Pastor Lorraine Jones. Pastor Jones, a resident of Brixton’s Angell Town Estate, established Dwaynamics in memory of her son Dwayne Simpson, who was fatally stabbed in 2014. “What Pastor Lorraine is doing is so inspirational,” said Buatsi. “For her to carry on with the work her son was doing before he died is totally inspiring. My heart
‘Our vision to take Dwaynamics right across London is what is giving me the steel and the strength to continue to fight so that no more of our kids will be killed on our streets’ goes out to her because she lost her son and life is precious. “I’m glad I had the chance to visit Dwaynamics to see what they do and if more people are motivated to come here to train because Joe (Joyce) and I have visited, I’d be more than happy. The work being done here is great.”
Buatsi, who is 23 and based in London, has been touted as a promising talent after his Olympic performances caught the eyes of professional boxing promoters. The Ghanaian-born boxer from Croydon is in two minds as to whether he will turn professional before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS
1. Second in command (6) 4. Supple (6) 9. Pasta parcels (7) 10. Sentient(5) 11. As above (5) 12. Hard igneous rock (9) 13. Take revenge with a like punishment (3,3,2,3) 18. A small mat for a glass (7) 20. Overtly masculine (5) 22. Rescind (5) 23. Rainy day fund (4,3) 24. Vindicate (6) 25. Insist on (6)
DOWN 1. Pooh-pooh (6) 2. Fulcrum (5) 3. Mocked; launched (4,3) 5. Woolly member of the camel family (5) 6. Talent (7) 7. Conical tent (6) 8. Distinctive identifying characteristic (11) 14. Hankered (7) 15. Arch enemy (7) 16. Cream filled choux pastry(6) 17. Chewy sweet (6) 19. ~ (5) 20. Southernmost Greek Island (5)
“Right now I’ve got to say still it’s fifty-fifty for me,” he said. “My ultimate goal is to be a professional world champion, but it’s still split fifty-fifty as to whether I will turn professional. I won an Olympic medal and it’s been the best experience of my life so far. “My short-term plans are to finish my degree in management studies and sports science at St Mary’s University and I finish my course in January. After that, I can decide whether I turn professional.” Coordinators at Dwaynamics hope to encourage more children to join new boxing classes to be established in other areas next year. In addition to working with local police officials, managers from the project are also building links with other Brixtonbased boxing clubs. “What we have here is a true reflection of community spirit, unity, and empowerment bringing together our young people, their families, and local police,” said Pastor Jones. “It’s been a phenomenal year. There has been a lot going on and we have had two fantastic Olympic medallists come over to visit us. We’ve also had other boxing coaches come down here including Bobby Miltiadous from Afewee and ‘Q’ Shillingford. “So much has been achieved and the children who come here are so inspiring. I can just imagine my son Dwayne in heaven and smiling at what’s happening here. “Our vision for the next 12 months is to take Dwaynamics right across London. This is what is giving me the steel and the strength to continue to fight so that no more of our kids will be killed on our streets.”