Brixton Bugle| September 2017 by Brixton Bugle

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BRIXTON BUGLE YOUR FREE

No 56 | SEPTEMBER 2017

Published monthly in and for Brixton

ISSN 2397-852X

COMMUNITY PAPER

Noise is making us ill, say residents

SLEEPLESS BRIXTON

People living in central Brixton are being made ill by noise that means they cannot sleep for much of the night at weekends. They have launched a campaign, Sleepless Brixton, in a bid to curb the growing menace of screaming clubbers, loud amplified buskers and other anti-social behaviour. “The streets we live in are being treated as a party venue and a toilet,” said a spokes-

We are Brixton. Why should we move out? Opinion – page 9 person who does not wish to be named after confrontation with an aggressive busker. Bringing together residents of Electric Avenue, Tunstall Road (home of the Bowie mural), Brixton Road and further afield, the campaign says that, in the past year, “things have changed and are now so bad that we can no longer sleep. “From Thursday night to

Monday morning, there is an influx of people and ever louder amplified noise. “The visitors are shouting, screaming and peeing their way round our streets until the early morning – late night revellers who just don’t realise we live here.” Once these have dispersed, mechanised cleaning of the area begins at 5.30am. One member of the campaign said: “My threeyear-old daughter and I are kept up until the early morning hours by screaming and howling revellers passing down Electric Avenue most days of the week. “It wasn’t like this two years ago, and it has started affecting our health immensely. “My daughter has developed an extreme sensitivity to noise, and has been diagnosed as having special educational needs as a result. I’ve thought about moving, but can’t afford it.” Campaigners stress that they love Brixton and want others to come here and enjoy it too, but say that venues must take some responsibility

☛☛ continued back page

VESSELS OF THE SOUL

Local artist at Venice Biennale 17

BRIXTON’S OWN WINE

… from grapes grown right here 10

MEET AARON AND REMI And try their ‘English tapas’

Read about this month’s Brixton Design Trail from our Press Gang work experience reporters – pages 6 to 8

BUSKER WE CAN BACK Maeve is in the final

2 NEWS

brixtonblog.com

Stuart will be back – but shared bus lanes to stay

BRIXTON BUGLE brixtonblog.com

By Simon Still

Proudly edited in Brixton Both website and newspaper are published by a not-for-profit community organisation run by a committed team of people from Brixton

Stuart Horwood “the watch man” is a well-known face in Brixton’s markets. He’s been trading here since 1984. But his Pope’s Road stall (left) has been shuttered since March after he was involved in a horrific collision with a bus on Brixton Hill while riding his bike to work. Six months on he is still recovering from nerve damage to his shoulder and problems with his elbow and hand. He now needs an operation to remove the metalwork that is holding his arm together. Despite all this, he remains relentlessly upbeat. He missed Ride London this year (having raised more than £1,000 for

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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 56 Contributors: Brixton Design Trail Olivia Cheves Pam Douglas Frankie Holah Emma Lange Jamila Omar Gemma Pasha Sue Sheehan Simon Still The Press Gang

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 SEPTEMBER

the NSPCC in 2016), and though his “confidence is currently shot” he is determined he will be back on his bike. Brixton Hill has been identified as one of the key cycling corridors in London and with Lambeth’s aim to be “the most cycle friendly borough” you might expect making it safer would be a priority. But planned changes to the road will not see any improvement as TFL is “satisfied that [bikes in shared bus lanes] provide a balance between safety and efficient journey for all users”. Stuart’s experience shows the reality of mixing people on bikes with 20 ton buses – hi-viz and what his kids call his “disco bike” (for all it’s flashing lights) were no help.

Still no agreement on future of Carnegie library as council and ‘partner’ negotiate Lambeth council and the Carnegie Community Trust, (CCT) which the council has selected as its “preferred community partner” to which it will transfer the Carnegie library building in Herne Hill, are locked in negotiations over its future. The council has approved plans to excavate the basement of the listed building to create a gym which will be run by its leisure provider GLL. The Defend the Ten library campaign – which opposes the plans of both the council and the CCT – was organising a candlelit vigil at the library as the Bugle went to press, because, it said, construction work on the basement was about to start, Carol Boucher, chair of the CCT, said the trust had

Defend the Ten campaigners protesting outside the library earlier this year submitted a “professionally prepared, viable and fundable proposal to adapt the building as a community hub owned and run by a charitable trust”. In an earlier open letter to the council the CCT had warned that a “side deal” between the council and GLL

means that a charity could not run the building without contravening charity law. Because of the deal, CCT said, GLL and the council were insisting that no rent be paid for the basement until 2022, after which a rent “well below the market value” was offered.

CCT said it had been advised that such an arrangement would contravene charity law; be likely to make capital funding for the restoration of the building impossible to secure; and leave a significant shortfall in the anticipated revenue stream. In the CCT’s latest state ment, Boucher said that its proposal “would provide free space to Lambeth, including all the utility costs, to operate their library service”. The trust’s plan was “to use the rest of the building for existing and new cultural, educational and business uses for the wider community”. But she warned that a gym in the basem ent only made sense if its rent supported community spaces upstairs. She said the CCT was “very

concerned that the proposed alterations to accommodate the gym will compromise this heritage building and will take away half of the garden. “We are in negotiations with the council to try to amend their alterations. “We want to see if we can agree changes that respect the architecture of this landmark building and secure its community use for the long-term. We are trying to find a solution that works for everyone”. In its earlier open letter, the CCT complained that the council had been presenting it with fait accomplis and seemed determined to rush through the process of re-opening the building before local government elections in May next year.

SEPTEMBER 2017

NEWS 3

brixtonblog.com

Network Rail boss says no to meeting with arches trader Network Rail has turned down a plea from Ray Murphy, who has run Budget Carpets on Atlantic Road for more than 25 years, for its chief executive to visit Brixton to see the effect its behaviour over its arches is having on the town and his company’s reputation. Citing civil legal action that Murphy is taking against Network Rail in a bid to protect his business in the arches, the company said that: “All correspondence regarding these matters should be dealt with via our respective legal representatives”. Budget Carpets is one of four traders to refuse the terms offered by Network Rail when leaseholders were told they would have to leave their premises while they were redeveloped. They now face a period of great disruption as the arches around them are refitted in a building operation that has attracted strong criticism. Ray Murphy has demanded to know why it was not possible for traders who stood to lose much of their business by an enforced absence of a year or more, to move into an empty arch while theirs was being worked on by Network Rail. “I just want to stay in business like I have done in Brixton for the last 27 years and want to sit down and talk to Network Rail so

we do not have to carry on trading in the middle of a building site,” said Murphy. Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne is overseeing a programme of massive spending by Network Rail, which was taken out of the private sector by government in 2015 to become a publicsector body. In November 2015 the “Hendy review” set out how the newly public-sector Network Rail could

fund the multi-billion work necessary to bring Britain’s railways into the 21st century. A major part of the plan is the sale of £1.8 billion-worth of assets, including property assets like retail units in Network Rail property. Network Rail’s website says – in a section on “social performance” – that: “Our dedicated community teams get right into the heart of communities, finding out what matters to local people, and helping to deliver positive change.” The refusal to meet Ray Murphy

came after Network Rail said it was to make a renewed effort to improve its communications with the Brixton community and traders from its arches on Atlantic and Brixton Station Roads. New hoardings in front of the arches – intended to identify which local business are returning – and a new website are part of Network Rail’s communications initiative. Network Rail says that the majority of original traders plan to return and it is also talking to some sub-tenants about the possibility of coming back. The company says it is committed to “populating new units that will be created as the result of the re-development with independent businesses that complement returning traders”. The first phase of the scheme – stripping out and checking those arches that are vacant – has been completed. The planning application for the next phase is due to be heard later this month. One of three local Coldharbour ward councillors, Rachel Heywood, has made a strongly worded objection to the Network Rail planning application that must be agreed by Lambeth council before work can commence. She believes Network Rail’s plans for refurbishing the arches may be “completely unworkable”.

Maeve performing outside St Paul’s cathedral

Brixton busker in final Maeve Fitzpatrick, a 16-year old from Brixton, is through to the finals of the Mayor of London’s busking competition. Of the 1,700 people who applied, about 40 were selected to perform in “iconic sites” in London. Judges chose 15 finalists in three categories. A sixth performer for each category was chosen

via an audience vote. Maeve is competing in the soloists & duos category and was up against 32 other competitors. She says: “I’m a pop/jazz singer. I won a singing competition while on holiday in Herne Bay and that gave me a chance to sing in all sorts of places – on the pier, in record stores, at parties, an

open mic Upstairs at Brixton Ritzy. I recently auditioned at The Dairy Recording Studios in Brixton, as someone sent them a video of me singing in a church hall.” The competition was launched by Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler. The Grand Final is on Sunday 3 September.

Award for custody book scheme

Special Constable Steve Whitmore with Vi and Ray Donovan and Lambeth borough commander Richard Wood

Steve Whitmore, a special constable in Brixton was awarded the Chris Donovan Trust Award at the station last month for his work with the Books in the Nick project. He started it a year ago with the charity Give a Book. The aim is to give prisoners detained in all 43 of the Met’s custody suites access to more than 30 books, which they are able to take away for free. Whitmore’s experience of lending a book to a teenager he had arrested made him realise that books can make a difference and help build relationships. Teenagers were often held in Brixton police station for up to 24 hours without access to suitable reading materials. The Chris Donovan Trust was started by Vi and Ray in response to the murder of their son Chris.

Splash replacement is cancelled By Olivia Cheves Brixton Wave, a new three-day festival due to take place over the weekend of 11 to 13 August, was postponed just days before it was due to kick-off with organisers citing insufficient time to fulfil necessary safety and sanitation measures. The event was planned take the place of Brixton Splash, which was cancelled after the 2015 event because of safety concerns. Wave organiser Ros Griffiths issued a statement saying: “After careful consideration and despite the willingness of many involved, a decision has been made to postpone this year’s Brixton Wave event. “Issues including community safety and sanitation, among others were not able to be fully resolved in time for the event”. Griffiths added that organisers were

“optimistic that Brixton Wave will be a positive and safe event in the summer of 2018.” A Lambeth council spokesman said: “The council is disappointed that Brixton Wave isn’t going ahead and hopes that everyone involved can build on the experience and knowledge gained this year to make an event a success in the future.” The council responded to suggestions that it had invested thousands of pounds in this event, saying: “Lambeth council has paid £8,800 to suppliers on the behalf of Brixton Wave”. The Brixton Wave app – a virtual itinerary for the festival that would also promote local businesses – is still on the cards. Griffiths says it has been approved by Apple and will launch in the new year. She says more than 25 local businesses had signed up to be featured on the app, signalling a move towards sustainability for the event.

They help to educate people about the impact of crime on the victim, their family and wider society. Whitmore said: “We are about to commence a three-month trial at Brixton custody suite to see the impact books, comics and magazines have on detainees’ stay in custody. “Inside each book, markers will be placed sign-posting local charities that will focus on diverting under-17s away from knife crime, and gangs. “We’ve just recruited our first Met Volunteer to oversee the books in the custody suite acting like a “librarian”. “We will also be working alongside Met police cadets who will transport books donated by Lambeth’s libraries. “So a real effective local volunteer project that is planned to be replicated Met-wide.”

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4 NEWS

brixtonblog.com

2017 SEPTEMBER

IN BRIEF … SOLAR PANELS FOR YOUR SCHOOL?

The Sports Direct Pope’s Road site today

Developers plan more big changes for town centre Two developments that will mean radical change for central Brixton both came closer to realisation recently when Sports Direct, which has bought a large chunk of the area, confirmed to the Bugle that it plans to build a large store there, and revised planning applications for a six-storey hotel next to Marks and Spencer were submitted. Lambeth council’s planning committee agreed to defer consideration of plans to build the hotel after Brixtonblog drew attention to plans for coaches dropping guests there to stop at TfL bus stops on Brixton Road. Revised plans have now been submitted. Planning committee chair Cllr Clair Wilcox told the meeting on 1 August that council officers had asked the committee to “have another look” at the application that was first discussed with the council in March 2015. Rob O’Sullivan, head of development management in the council’s planning department, said that the council was “in receipt of late information” from Transport for London (TfL) – the body responsible for transport systems in

Repowering London and Brixton Energy are looking for local schools keen to put solar panels on their roofs. They are not-for-profit and the schemes would be community-owned and controlled. If you are a student, parent, teacher, head, bursar or just a neighbour of a local school interested in renewable energy get in touch with Afsheen.Rashid@repowering.org.uk or phone 07834 686264 to register your interest. An open project night at 6.30 pm at Impact Hub in Pop Brixton on Monday 9 October will explain the project.

TECH TRAINING OPPORTUNITY

Brixton-based youth charity Livity is partnering tech company Nominet to connect tech savvy teens with local enterprises. The Nominet Digital Neighbourhood scheme offers digital skills training to 175 young people, from 18 to24, from disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as offering paid work experience with local enterprises in need of digital expertise. The training course will take place from the 16 to 18 October, followed by work experience with a local business from 30 October to 10 November. Contact digitalneighbourhood@livity.co.uk.

KILIMANJARO FOR CHARITY

greater London. TfL was “raising some concerns” with the application, he said. Officers were asking that consideration of the application – which they are recommending be accepted – be deferred. The plans involve demolition of the current Superdrug store and the building of a six-storey hotel (computer-gnerated images above) that can be accessed only from Brixton Road or the narrow Nursery Road. Disruption from its construction could be even greater than that expected from Network Rail’s

work on its arches – which has been met with great concern. The development will also rob SW9 bar proprietor Alan Culverhouse of his livelihood. But Lambeth council has twice rejected his attempts to lease a council property elsewhere in the borough. Alan, who has run the bar for 20 years, will get just £18,000 compensation when the anonymous offshore company that owns the SW9 premises terminates his lease as part of the hotel development. Neither are local residents happy. Several have told Alan that they were unaware of the impact of

the plans for a six-storey hotel that will dominate the area. Sports Direct, run by the controversial Mike Ashley who also owns Newcastle United football club, earlier this year paid £11,750,000 for the “coal yard” site next to Brixton Village and bordered by the two Brixton railway lines, Pope’s Road and Valentia Place. It is currently occupied by independent shops and the Brixton Beach venue. Ashley told his annual general meeting in 2016 that Sports Direct was planning to actively change its property portfolio to move into bigger stores.

Brixton resident Charlie Wright, a worker for the mental health charity Certitude is undertaking a sponsored climb of Kilimanjaro in September. He will be heading 6,000 metres up the Tanzanian mountain in an attempt to raise £1,000 for Certitude’s Connect and Do space on Railton Road. Charlie has previously trekked the Camino to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. To donate search for Charlie Wright on justgiving.com.

Police consult on closure of seven front counters across Lambeth By Olivia Cheves

• FAMILY • DIVORCE • NOTARY PUBLIC • PROPERTY • WILLS & PROBATE • CIVIL LITIGATION • MEDIATION 57-61 Atlantic Road, Brixton SW9 8PU Telephone 020 7095 5700 • HOUSING • IMMIGRATION & ASYLUM • EMPLOYMENT • PRISON LAW • CRIME 6A Acre Lane, Brixton SW2 5SG Telephone 020 7737 9330 info@wainwrightcummins.co.uk

The London mayor’s office for policing and crime (MOPAC) has launched a consultation on the proposed closures of seven police station front counters and neighbourhood bases in Lambeth. The closures are part of a plan to reduce the number of “underused” front counters, a move that could save the Met as much as £10 million. The consultation, which runs until 6 October, was initiated after an internal survey found that only 8% of crimes are now reported at

front counters – a drop of 14% over the past decade. The survey found that most crimes are reported by phone. A recent trial of online reporting received over 1,200 submissions per week. In Lambeth, the proposed closures are: ●● Kennington Police Station ●● Cavendish Road Police Station ●● Streatham Neighbourhood Base ●● Loughborough Junction Neighbourhood Base ●● Coldharbour Lane Neighbourhood Base ●● Clement Avenue

Neighbourhood Base ●● Norwood Road Neighbourhood Base. Brixton police station is not affected. Borough Commander Richard Wood and a MOPAC representative will be at a “drop-in briefing” in Brixton police station at 4pm on 14 September to assess the community response to these changes and discuss the implications. AAFind out more about the consultation, and register comments at www.london.gov.uk and search for mopac-consultations.

SEPTEMBER 2017

BRIXTON LEGAL Pam Douglas is a solicitor with local firm Wainwright & Cummins. Each month, she takes a common enquiry and asks colleagues to answer it for readers

Your rights after Brexit Many local residents have, understandably, expressed concern about what will happen to them and their loved ones following Brexit. My colleague, Monica Karir, who heads up our immigration team, has looked into the issues and gives her take on this worrying issue … On 26 June this year, the UK government set out its position on the status of EU citizens post-Brexit. Briefly, there will be new rights in UK law for qualifying EU citizens, enforceable in the UK courts but The Court of Justice of the European Union will have no jurisdiction in the UK. The proposals are: AA EU nationals who have been living in the UK for five years before the “specified date” will be granted “settled status” in the UK. The specified date is likely to be between 29 March 2017 and the date of UK’s exit from the EU. AA Any EU nationals who entered the UK before the specified date and who are yet to accrue five years’ residency in the UK, will be given the opportunity to build up five years’ residency to enable them to qualify for settled status. In the interim they will be granted “temporary status”. AA Any EU nationals who enter the UK after the specified date will not be able to benefit under the proposals. However, they might be assisted under the UK Immigration rules or possibly under new rules for EU nationals under the post-exit immigration arrangements. So, family members of qualifying EU nationals who join them before the UK’s exit will be able to apply for settled status after five years’ residency in the UK. But family members who join after the UK has exited the EU may have to qualify under the UK immigrations rules or possibly under the post-exit immigration arrangements. It will be mandatory for EU nationals and their family members living in the UK to apply for their new residence status in the UK – settled or temporary, depending on the individual circumstances. Anyone without a residence document will be deemed undocumented and will be at risk of removal from UK. The UK’s proposals in relation to the treatment of EU nationals are subject to EU offering reciprocal treatment for UK nationals overseas. We are entering uncharted legal territory and what the final exit deal on the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and those UK citizens living in other EU member states will be, remains to be seen. However, we advise all EU nationals living in the UK who have completed five years’ residence and wish to remain living here for the foreseeable future, to seriously consider applying for permanent UK residence status. and then for British citizenship, as soon as they become eligible. As usual, please get in touch if you have any questions and we’ll do our best to assist. AA Please contact the team at Wainwright & Cummins with any enquiries: info@wainwrightcummins.co.uk.

NEWS 5

brixtonblog.com

Ritzy workers vote to back more strikes for London living wage Brixton’s Ritzy workers and others campaigning for the living wage at cinemas in the Picturehouse chain have voted to continue their strike action. The new votes for strike action – necessary under labour laws – came nearly a year after the current round of the long-running dispute got under way. In less than 12 months, the dispute which began at Brixton’s Ritzy has escalated and expanded with union members at Picturehouse cinemas in East Dulwich, Brighton, central London, Crouch End, and Hackney joining with the Brixton workers to demand improvements in terms and conditions with the Living Wage

at the heart of them. In the case of the Ritzy, where the trade union BECTU has formal recognition, 77% of members took part in the ballot which closed on 29 August. Some 92% of members backed further strike action with 8% against. A single ballot of members at the five other venues saw 61% of members taking part with 96% voting in favour of action. Despite members at all the Picturehouse cinemas involved backing almost 60 strikes during the past 11 months, management is still refusing to negotiate with BECTU. Active support from Picturehouse cinema-goers, local

residents and leading figures in the creatives industries has helped to sustain members throughout the long campaign. Alisdair Cairns, a representative at the Hackney Picturehouse speaking on behalf of BECTU’s Picturehouse representatives, said: “Our campaign has lasted over a year now. The tactics employed by Picturehouse over that period have appeared to be deliberate attempts to grind us down and demoralise us. “We’ve received countless threats from their lawyers, we’ve seen our friends and colleagues needlessly disciplined and in some cases sacked, and we’ve still heard nothing with regards to resuming negotiations.

Celebration of local heroes

FOODBANK IS SEEKING FRESH FRUIT Brixton and West Norwood foodbank are looking for donations of fresh fruit to add some extra goodness to food parcels including home-grown apples and pears ripe for picking. Other in-demand items include tinned fish and vegetables and small jars of instant coffee. Customers of Brixton’s Three Little Birds restaurant donated more than £500 in one month over the summer which has been used for much needed Foodbank items. Owner April Jackson came up with the idea of adding a discretionary £1 to each bill in July and customers were more than happy to cough up for a good cause. AA norwoodbrixton.foodbank. org.uk

FrockSwap back at Pop The Brixton FrockSwap returns to Pop Brixton on 1 October. Organised by the Baytree Centre local charity, the clothes swap, now in its second year, is currently taking donations for the event. Organisers are on the look-out for clean, second-hand clothes in good condition. Hats, bags, shoes and jewellery are all welcome too – but no socks or pants. The event raised £700 for the charity last year. It works to empower, educate and support girls and young women through skills development. ■■ The event takes place from 2 to 5pm. If you would like to donate, call the centre on 07939 059087, or contact it via Twitter [@frockswappers].

“These ballots show conclusively that the management’s strategy hasn’t worked, and that we are just as determined as ever to win the Living Wage and fair, reasonable working conditions. We call again on Picturehouse management to recognise their responsibilities to staff and to agree to talks with BECTU.” The union and workers are still waiting for the outcome of an Employment Tribunal in Croydon on 10 August that considered Picturehouse’s decision to sack three BECTU representatives from the Ritzy in June. Union representatives will meet soon to discuss the next steps in the campaign.

Textile work Brixton Sisters by the late Teri Bullen, a member and director of the Brixton Artists Collective founded in 1983 and one of the Local Heroes nominees. Her work has been shown in London, Soweto and Moscow

Friends of Tate (Brixton) Library and Friends of Windrush Square are organising a “Celebration of Local Heroes” on 27 September at 6.30 at Brixton Library as part of the Brixton Design Trail and Lambeth Heritage Festival. The Local Heroes project began with a postcard campaign inviting residents to nominate their heroes. Nominations will be included in a roll of honour that will hang in the library. Local artist and Bugle illustrator Pam Williams will unveil a commemorative image at the event. The project was started to find the next generation of local heroes to follow in the footsteps of Brixton greats like activist Olive Morris, library philanthropist Henry Tate, musician and opera singer Lloyd Newton, and the Ashby family who bequeathed Brixton Windmill to the community.

JOB VACANCY

TEAM LEADER £25,000 (36 hour week)

rising to £26,000 after one year’s service plus on-call & sleep over allowance

We are looking to recruit a new Team Leader for our Community Support Service. If you are committed to delivering high quality, person centred services and also have the ability to supervise and motivate a team of Senior Support Workers, we would like to hear from you. Please go to JOBS at www.lambethmencap.org.uk for further information and to download an application form.

Closing date 18 september, interviews on the 27 september

ACR 18 23

R OA

16 33

TAL

Chandeliers, Champagne + Fromage, Brixton Village, SW9 8PR

9 Life in Boxes - Phil Dunn

Brixi, Unit 40, Brixton Village, SW9 8PS / please check the website for additional locations

10 Power Lines - Studio 73, Brixton

Village & Market Row, 73 Brixton Village, Coldharbour Lane, SW9

11 Kids Kreate Love at POP Brixton

Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ

12 Brixton Create Space - Chill Create Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ 13 Convey: Open Design Studio

Unit S33, Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ

14 Smoke & Salt, Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ

15 Seven at Brixton, Unit 7,

D RO A O N RA

8 Coldharbourlights - Feather

39 43

ZONE 2 - WINDRUSH / ST MATTHEW’S

ZONE 3 - FERNDALE

17 Brixton Playing Fields St. Matthew’s Church, SW2 1JF

27 Design Circus - Brixi & Crafty Fox The Department Store, 248 Ferndale Road, SW9 8FR

18 Brixton Revival

Black Cultural Archives, 1 Windrush Square, SW2 1EF / please check the website for additional locations

19 HUBB, Windrush Square, SW2 1EF 20 ID Papers & Cosmos Collages -

ANIMALI DOMESTICI, 1b Saltoun Road, SW2 1EN

21 Love Stops Windrush Square,

SW2 1EF / please check the website for additional locations

22 Take a seat, Windrush Square,

SW2 1EF / please check the website for additional locations

23 Local Heroes - Friends of Library Brixton Library, SW2 1JQ

24 Linda Skoglund Art - Elephant Love/ Community Board Game, Upstairs at the Ritzy, SW2 1JG

25 SoLo Craft Fair, Prince of Wales,

467- 469 Brixton Road, SW9 8HH

26 BCA Café,1 Windrush Square,

Market Row, SW9 8LB

16 Salon, 18 Market Row, SW9 8LD

www.brixtondesigntrail.com

28 Revolution of kindness

TK Maxx 440 Brixton Road, SW9 8BH (Ferndale Road side)

29 UNDEREXPOSED - Multiple artists, The Department Store, 248 Ferndale Road, SW9 8FR

30 Tinkamel - T(h)ink Club: Light Up

your Heart 19/09/17 for Kids & Adults, The Chocolate Museum, 187 Ferndale Road, SW9 8BA

ZONE 4 - coldharbour crossings 31 Valentia Open Studios,

21 Valentia Place SW9 8PJ

32 Brixton Bee Trail - Magdlen

Rubeclava, Parissi Café, 76 Atlantic Rd, SW9 8PX / Brixton Flower Boys, outside Brixton Tube Station, SW9 8HE

33 Antonietta Torsiello Presents London Rocks - Revival Pop Up Exhibition Diverse, 390 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LF

34 The Priority of Truth - From Brixton

With Love, Caya, 344 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8QH

AD O

ZONE 1 - between the tracks

LDF EVENT BRIXTON DESIGN TRAIL FOOD PARTNER

LOUGHBOROUGH JUNCTION 15 MIN WALK

HERNE HILL 15 MIN WALK

SW2 1EF

LAN

198 Railton Road, Herne Hill, SE24 0JT

ILT

7 Paving the way - 198 Gallery

ZONE 4 - coldharbour crossings

Brixton Road, SW9 8HH

6 Open borders - Eley/Dolman

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House, Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ

Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ

4 Livity PresentS: Love Fashion Power

LDH

Toni hollis, Brixton Village & Market Row, Coldharbour Ln, SW9

3 UNTRANSLATION - Sam furnness &

D OA

The Heart, 25 Atlantic Rd, SW9 8HX

TION

2 Silent Arch - Bharat & Jean

11 12 13

N STA

POP BRIXTON

BRIXTO

Atlantic Rd, SW9 8JA

P O PES RO A D 5

10 15

BRIXTON VILLAGE

D OA

1 BDT collective, Obsessive Interests,

N RO

ETT

VAN

ZONE 1 - between the tracks

ANE

T OU

KELL

MER

The Heart - BDT Hub 25 Atlantic Rd, SW9 8HX

ROA

BRIXTON MARKET

UR L

SAL

www.brixtondesigntrail.com

BLACK CULTURAL ARCHIVES (BCA)

RBO

LAMBETH LIBRARY

RITZY CINEMA

WINDRUSH SQUARE

TON

DHA

TULSE HILL 20 MIN WALK

OA D FRA R

BRIX

BRIXTON W

FE RN D A LE R O A D

17 ST MATTHEW’S

COL

16-24 sept

SQUIRE & PARTNERS DEPARTMENT STORE

HILL

ATERLANE

TON

BRIX

ZONE 2 - FERNDALE

E LA

ZONE 2 - WINDRUSH / ST MATTHEW’S

Brixton Community Base, Talma Road, SW2 1AS 36 Love Is Upcycling - Wilson Oryema Brixton Pound Café, 77 Atlantic Road, SW9 8PU

37 Brixton Pound Café, 77 Atlantic Road, SW9 8PU

ZONE 5 - discovery /trails 38 Bleu Furniture - Herne Hill 39 Gold Trail Jewellery Workshop

Blue Turtle Oasis, 210 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8SA

40 Deborah Bowness in association

with SIXTON London. Paper Trail around Brixton / please check the website for multiple locations

41 Sanctum Ephemeral - Mark Aitken

Cressingham Gardens Estate, Tulse Hill, SW2 2NJ

42 SHARP gallery - Virtual Garden Finalists Show, SHaRP Gallery, 312 Brixton Road, SW9 6AA

43 Roots Grow Love - Up Circle

The Loughborough Farm, Loughborough Road, SW9 7AH

44 Tinkamel - T(h)ink Club:

Light Up your Heart 23/09/17 for Kids Effra Space, 21 Effra Parade, SW2 1PX

SEPTEMBER 2017

LOVE IS POWER In a message to visitors and local people, the organisers of the Brixton Design Trail explain their mission and method …

Wild child with razzle dazzle By Linda Quinn Brixton’s got talent and you can find art and design all round you throughout the year – often in unexpected places – like Mark Aitken’s portraits on the walls of the Cressingham Gardens estate. The week-long Brixton Design Trail (BDT), part of the London Design Festival, is an opportunity to showcase Brixton to the world as a place proud of its diverse heritage. Brixton Design Trail’s partners are the Brixton business Improvement District (BID) and Lambeth council. BID director Michael Smith says: “After a resounding success in 2016 with the Brixton Design Trail, our aim for this year’s Design Trail is to be bigger and better. More razzle, more dazzle. “We will showcase our world class creatives, such as Edible Bus Stop and Bharat & Jean with more high-level, quality projects in the works and the idea of enhancing Brixton as a destination for all. “We want to encourage visitors and residents, new and old, to walk in Brixton and explore what we have to offer.” Many of the installations will be on display throughout the town centre. But there are less

public activities worth a mention. The passageway through the arches that links Atlantic Road and Brixton Station Road is getting a Brixton-style makeover before whatever it may get from Network Rail. The BDT collective will turn the neglected walkway into a bustling bazaar populated by designers

and makers. It would be a shame if the improvements finished at the end of the BDT. Architectural firm Squire and Partners is opening up its new premises, the Department Store, to designers, artists, makers and workshops. Design Circus and Crafty Market will be there over the weekend of 23 and 24 LUKE FORSYTHE

Brixton Design Trail returns for its second year as a London Design Festival District with a positive message of Love is Power. We have a mission to put design into the everyday wherever we can, to open minds and offer a different perspective. Brixton Design Trail offers a free platform for local creatives to showcase their talent. With over 45 events all over town and 15 headline projects, visitors can expect to find installations in key locations in the public realm from Brixton Station passageway to leading cultural organisations like the Black Cultural Archives. In a strong collaboration with the business community, designers take up residence in shops, bars, restaurants for a series of pop-up exhibitions throughout the indoor markets and in neighbouring streets. Alongside we offer the more traditional opportunities to indulge in affordable work at Design Circus and Solo Crafts. Jewellery, furniture, textiles, print and fashion and much more are all on offer. Our late night on Friday 22nd features a mash up with Ovalhouse Theatre’s Brixton City Festival plus other outdoor surprises. Throughout the week Salon, Smoke & Salt, The Black Cultural Archives café and Brixton Pound will have special offers to take the strain out of your tour of the trail. ■■ To plan your route on the trail, visit brixtondesigntrail.com for details of all events throughout the week.

BRIXTON DESIGN FEATURE TRAIL 7

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September with different traders taking part each day. Makers have designed a limited edition of products for Design Circus. It’s not all high art and public installations, community organisations are also involved and are running a host of talks, walks and workshops. Friends of Brixton Library and Friends of Windrush Square are organising a celebration of “local heroes” that looks at Brixton’s identity and heritage. The heroes were nominated by the public by postcard and their portraits have been made by local artists past and present. Local voices will be present at the Brixton Community Base where you can hear the stories of the Windrush generation which are part of the “Lovers’ Telephone” installation. Brixton Revival, who since last year have opened a pop-up shop, The Front Room, will build on the momentum with a Love Carnival Revival Trail – a celebration of carnival, craft and history. BDT committee member Mark Eley, says: “Brixton is the wild child of the London Design Festival, with a provocative spirit that is for the people.” Let’s hope that is so, and the whole community feels the vibe.

Meet the Press Gang A bunch of work experience students, aka the Press Gang, were set a challenge over the holidays. The 11 students, who had not worked together before were given a brief to find out what was happening behind the scenes at the Brixton Design Trail and to interview some of the artists and designers taking part. Their base for the week was the Brixton Pound Café. The idea was the brain child of Abigail Melville, founder of social enterprise Raw Talent and supported through the Pound’s Brixton Fund. Abigail provided the mentoring, Brixton Design Trail set up the interviews and the Bugle’s Linda Quinn and Olivia Cheves coached the students. The Gang’s first task was to “doorstep some locals to find out what this year’s theme “Love is Power” means to Brixton. See what they discovered over the page Big thanks to our reporters (left): A Juliana Adenegha A David Adeyinka A Finn Allott A George Bakare A Leone Conteh A Nesa Depeza Njie A Stefania Florea A Matine Mbenzivo A Chantal Millen Mfumu A Melanie Rodrigues-Silva.

Love is … And these are some o f the answers the Press Gang got when they asked members of public what “Love is Power” meant to them Spreading the love! Making good stuff spread by connecting, supporting, being positive! Compassion is the bedrock of community and society.

Love never fails Love in, love out Love is all things nice and sweet Love is extra virgin olive oil

Family is love

Love is all we need in Brixton

Love is Togetherness

Love is the best

8 BRIXTON DESIGN TRAIL

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2017 SEPTEMBER

A smile on your face Emy Gray, Brixi Project: Design Circus Interview: Melanie, Stefania and Edie Emy Gray, who owns Brixi in Brixton Village has partnered with Sinead Koehler of Crafty Fox Market and will be exhibiting in the Department Store. Emy says the Brixton Design Trail “is a great opportunity for Brixton” as it makes people aware of “the amount of talent tucked away” and creativity amongst the design community. She chose the circus theme as, “it’s so visually rich, and what you can do with a circus theme is so much fun.” She explains what Love is Power means to her: “In terms of all the turmoil that’s been going on politically, emotionally and culturally, love has the power to unite and conquer. It’s appropriate for Brixton, Brixton is such a loving and inclusive neighbourhood. When you leave your house there is always something to put a smile on your face. It’s a powerful thing.”

Stories from the community Variant Office Project: Lovers’ Telephone Interview: Leone, Matine and Juliana

Derelict to Divine, nature inspired architecture Mak Gilchrist, Incredible Bus Stop | Project: Take A Seat Interview and image: Matine, David, Nésa and Leone Edible Bus Stop specialise in making “urban interventions” that founding director Mak Gilchrist (above with Press Gang interviewers) describes as “quite playful, quite mischievous but always planted”. Edible Bus Stop will be renovating public seating in a project called Take A Seat which will see public

Lover’s Telephone is a multi-sensory installation occupying the stairway of Brixton Community Base in Talma Road. Visitors will be encouraged both to listen and record their own oral histories of Brixton. The name Lover’s Telephone is another name for the “tin-can telephone”, that both

seating throughout central Brixton being transformed with a “Razzle Dazzle” pattern. This is a camouflage technique used on submarines and ships in WW1. The aim of the project is to encourage a wider variety of people to use public seating and to reduce the anti-social behaviour often associated with it.

Peace in a bustling market Bharat & Jean | Project The Silent Arch Picture Edie. Interview: Finn and George

engages with the historic building, animates the interwoven stories and encourages the recording of new stories from the community and visitors, engaging directly with the theme of of this year’s BDT. Plywood shells will be hung in the stairway. Some will house looped audio accounts of Brixtonians from the Windrush Generation (as part of the Vintage Voices project by Sixteen Feet Productions), while others will house projections of short films and other immersive dioramas of Brixton created by Variant Office.

Brixton-based designers Bharat & Jean are creating a large colourful arch made of interlocking soundproof joints to be placed in the heart of Brixton Market. The Silent Arch will muffle and silence the vibrant bustle of the Market providing an introspective area for reflection amidst the stalls. Bharat & Jean’s main inspiration for their Arch stems from the local railway arches and the recent evictions of traders from their shops in the arches. The iconic shape of the arches is recreated in the installation, creating a connection with the local businesses and protesting corporate takeover. Love Is Power is expressed through the shared strength of community. Bharat and Jean want the silent arch to contribute to the energetic Brixton community, fitting into the brilliant colours of the market with bright oranges and blues covering the piece.

A place of unification Eley Kishimoto and Phil Dolman Project: Open Borders Interview: Finn, George and Chantal

A deeper meaning Kids Kreate | Project Seeds of Love Interview: Nésa and Stefania Jackie Keane is the founder of Kids Kreate, an organisation that provides free art classes for 5-12 year olds at Pop Brixton. Working around the Love Is Power theme, they will be producing a mini-installation that includes haikus (a very short traditional Japanese poem) and “Seeds of Love” packets. “We’ll be working with the plants,” explains Jackie. “We’re making seed packets with seeds of love in each one – all different kinds of love.” Jackie feels that Love Is Power has a deeper meaning beyond one word, it is the “ability to believe that you can do something even when you don’t know how. It can’t just be friendship or family, or a hug, or an ice cream. It is really powerful and it can change a huge amount of things.”

The Open Borders project created for Brixton Design Trail is a huge work of art surrounding the borders of Brixton with brightly coloured “Flash Crossings”. Its purpose is to define the borders of Brixton and to welcome visitors rather than push them away. Over the last few years, the two have created flash crossings around Brixton like those at the Coldharbour Lane/Atlantic crossroad. But the Open Borders project looks to be their largest and most ambitious undertaking yet. The inspiration for the projects stems from key recent events such as Brexit and President Trump’s plan to build a wall across the Mexican border wall. Open Borders is designed to do the opposite – to open Brixton up as a welcoming and inclusive place. “With so many things dividing us,” says Phil Dolman, “I wanted to show that Brixton is a place of unification and a home to all.”

Fashion for the streets Livity | Project: Love Fashion Power House Interview: Melanie, Stefania and Edie Youth-led creative network Livity’s project for the Design Trail is “Love Fashion Power House” Gillian Jackson (above, right with colleague Aishat Ola-Said) explains: “Love Fashion Power House is a pop-up shop by a collective of local young artists and creatives that have teamed up with Livity.” The project will take place at Brixton Pound Café and brings a week of fashion-inspired workshops, talks and exhibitions exploring the theme of Love is Power. Gillian says: “Young people will produce work, and the project will culminate in a fashion show bringing fashion to the streets of Brixton.”

SEPTEMBER 2017

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OPINION 9

BRIXTON BUGLE

COMMENT

Brixton rocks

The Brixton Design Trail and the Lambeth Heritage Festival take place this month. Each focuses on a different aspect of what makes Brixton such a great place to live – our heritage past, and how art and design can help shape our community and our town centre in the future. The Design Trail has a vision that Brixton’s creative spirit is rooted in the community and kept alive during the process of regeneration of the town. It’s a shame that vision hasn’t been adopted more widely or we could have avoided the blight of the Arches closure on Brixton Station Road and Atlantic Road. If Lambeth council had taken into account earlier the community vision for libraries or headed the views of librarians, the debacle around Carnegie could have been avoided. A vibrant town centre is a good thing, we all love the hustle and bustle of the market, but there needs to be respect for those who live there. The Sleepless Brixton campaign highlights the downside of becoming a night economy destination made possible by the all night Tube over the weekends. Buskers with heavy duty amplification playing in residential areas surely should not be permitted. Yet the buck passes on where responsibility for dealing with noise lies – the police, the council, local venues. Meanwhile it has been left to residents to deal with the situation themselves. Most people aren’t anti-social and will abide by rules that are fair. Noise abatement seems to be a grey area. Police say it is a council responsiblity. Council officers say they are powerless unless the culprits have been identified and issued warnings at the time. It surely can’t be up to residents to approach buskers during the night and ask them to tone it down. So, when we are celebrating Brixton’s heritage and art and design. Let’s also remember that Brixton rocks . . . can have a different meaning. Regulated by IMPRESS: The independent monitor for the press 16–18 New Bridge Street EC4V 6AG 020 3325 4288 complaints@impress.press www.impress.press

We are Brixton. Why should we move out? Residents of central Brixton have launched a campaign– Sleepless Brixton – to demand action to control increasing levels of noise and anti-social behaviour. This is why …

Sleepless Brixton is a group of long-term local residents of Brixton town centre who want to be able to sleep again. The heart of Brixton is a diverse community. It’s a place where people live, work, shop, raise their children and grow old. We love this place and many of us have been here for decades, without a problem. We have had fun here and we like the way other people come to Brixton to have fun too. But in the past year or so, things have changed and are now so bad that we can no longer sleep. From Thursday night to Monday morning, there is an influx of people and ever-louder amplified noise. The visitors are shouting, screaming and peeing their way round our streets until the early morning – late night revellers who just don’t realise we live here. Residents are becoming ill. We don’t feel safe and happy in our homes. Often we dread coming home on the weekends. The streets we live in are being treated as a party venue and a toilet. Sleepless Brixton developed from people who kept meeting in the middle of the street, in the middle of the night, trying to talk to amplified buskers at the end of Electric Avenue or in front of the tube. Residents from Electric Avenue and Tunstall Road, we got together to form Sleepless Brixton. Since setting up our Facebook page, people from Atlantic Road and Brixton Road have been in touch. It has become clear the scale of the problem is much bigger and the number of people affected much larger, than we first thought. We want to work for all the residents of Brixton – not just push problems away from one street to another. The stories of three of our members illustrate what we are suffering.

Long-time Electric Avenue resident …

I choose to live in a market, and I love it. But after the last street clean at 10pm or so it used to be quiet. Visitors to places like the Dogstar, 414, The Albert or the Fridge (showing my age here) walked home or to the Tube down the main roads or quietly down the short cuts

through Electric Lane or Avenue. But on a Friday night we had, at its peak, four different sets of amplification going on along Brixton Road – including Ed Sheeran lite, distorted speaker reggae and group karaoke. This started around 11pm and went on until 3am or so. A couple of us went down at midnight and had a chat with one group at the mouth of Electric Ave. They were sweet and apologetic. But by the time it was 1am and the other three people with heavy amplification had started up, noise levels rose again. All the three groups of buskers were regulars. They simply don’t care. One, in particular, is threatening. He said that because “you live in crappy flats and I live in a house” it was OK that we didn’t sleep. Lack of enforcement and the night Tube means the hardest core buskers are now those

working the streets here. They have driven off the nice ones, who were also the ones who were thoughtful and responsive to us. A major consequence of all this amplification is that people walking down the streets raise their voices. They shout and scream their way down Electric Avenue. Places like Market House and Wahaca have recently started to open their doors and blast heavily amplified music down both ends of Electric Lane. Why shouldn’t they? It is already so loud you wouldn’t believe people actually lived here.

Electric Avenue resident …

‘My three year old daughter and I are kept up until the early morning by screaming and howling revellers passing down Electric Avenue most days of the week. It wasn’t like this two years ago, and it has started affecting our health immensely. “My daughter has developed an extreme sensitivity to noise, and has been diagnosed as

having special educational needs as a result. I’ve thought about moving, but can’t afford it.”

Eighteen-year resident of Brixton …

I have lived in Brixton for the last 18 years, and spent five years here in the 1980s. I’m a boxing coach and helped to set up the Afewee team that trains in Brixton Rec and coach at other London clubs. I’m also a singer-songwriter and live with my partner on Electric Avenue. The noise is unbearable: screaming, shouting. There’s nuisance and anti-social behaviour at least four nights a week. People are peeing everywhere. People go into Brixton Beach peacefully, but from 9pm onwards they start coming out noisy. Not everyone goes home – a lot of them loiter in groups. Sometimes it can go on until 2 or 3 am. We can’t use our front bedroom. We can only get some sleep because we use the back room. Two of my adult children came to stay here and they couldn’t bear the noise. My son was convalescing and the noise made him worse. People use the street as a toilet. There is street cleaning at 5.30 in the morning. Brixton Road has descended into chaos now. The crowds of people on Fridays and the weekends are like the West End. The thoroughfare gets blocked. I’m not sure Brixton was built for this many people. People can get threatening. There’s the potential for public disorder. My partner asked a guy to stop peeing in the street, saying “We have to live here”. He said in a posh voice: “Well move somewhere else, then!” I think he would have got even nastier with her but he saw I was there. I can’t afford to get in a fight, as I’d lose my licence. But people come here and act in a threatening way and, sooner or later, they will end up hurting someone. Brixton’s always been a residential area. We are Brixton. Why should we move out? ■■ If you want to keep Brixton as a place where people of all ages and backgrounds can live, then please get in touch. Let’s stop Brixton becoming a theme park for the worst kind of drunken tourism. ■■ If you are affected, please sign up at: http://bit.ly/SleeplesBrix ■■ Facebook: www.facebook.com/SleeplessBrix ■■ Twitter: @SleeplessBrix ■■ Email: SleeplessBrixton@gmail.com.

10 INCREDIBLE EDIBLE

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Blooming Lambeth! We have been amazed by the entries to the Blooming Lambeth competition. There’s some great use of small spaces and some spectacular veg. Here’s a sneak preview of a couple of the pictures we have received to inspire you! (Entries have been kept anonymous at this stage – and those shown

2017 SEPTEMBER

John and neighbour Maria check the first cuts if the harvest

Red, red wine – from Brixton

are not necessarily shortlisted. Judging has yet to be completed). Winners will be announced in the autumn at a celebration event on the evening of 12 October at the Garden Museum. AA For details please email bloom@lambeth. gov.uk. This will also be the Incredible Edible Lambeth AGM.

The Brixton grape harvest got under way this week as John Spicer and helpers cropped his vines that grow in a garden a stone’s throw from Brixton police station. Not only does it produce grapes but also other fruit, including traditional bullaces and exotic loquats, as well as cucumbers,

pumpkins and more. John strives to turn it into a communal garden and wildlife haven, battling problems from cats to damaging building work and disappearing equipment. About a third of the grapes from 19 vines will go to make about 25 litres

of red – conventional wisdom is that the climate of southern England is only good for white wine. The surplus will be on sale in Brixton Station Road on Saturday and Sunday 2 and 3 September, courtesy of Brixton Market Traders’ Federation.

Top award for Brockwell Greenhouses Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses were the overall winners of this year’s Sustainable City Awards, as well as the winners of the Health and Wellbeing Category. The awards, run by the London Sustainability Exchange and funded by the City of London

BRIXTON,

Corporation, recognise London organisations that demonstrate excellence in sustainable development and best practice in environmental management. The awards, established for 15 years, attract entrants ranging from small organisations and charities to multinational banks

and corporations. Judges said: “A wonderful community project demonstrating a wide range of functions and activities, supported by a passionate team of staff and volunteers and clearly well-loved by the local community. “A pleasure to visit and a credit to the local area.”

Award presentation: (l-r)Kate Sebag, BPCG; Shirley Rodrigues, deputy mayor for the environment and energy; Ursula Allen, BPCG; and Samantha Heath, chief executive, London Sustainability Exchange

PRETTY MUDDY, SEPTEMBER. BROCKWELL PARK 30TH

… and there’s more to come

RACEFORLIFE.ORG

RACE FOR LIFE Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464) and Scotland (SC041666). ©Cancer Research UK 2017.

Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses are not sitting back and basking in their achievement and have plenty of developments to report. Director Kate Sebag says: “We’re grateful to Lambeth council who have reroofed and refurbished our open sheds which have been out of action for the past two years.”

In other new developments, the woodland bank has been replanted with ferns and other woodland species. A new meadow “has been a big wow,” says Sebag. “Everyone loves it and new pond planting is already a lush habitat for our aquatic and marginal wildlife.” There’s still time to see

the summer exhibition – The Ginger House – a collection of 25 of the world’s most important members of the ginger family of plants. The Ginger Fete, celebrating all things ginger, takes place on Saturday 16 September from 2 to 5pm. Tickets are selling like hot ginger cake.

AA www.brockwellgreenhouses.org.uk DJ6676R V6 RFL Quarter Page 1 box.indd 1

06/03/2017 11:19

We are clear that with hard work, we can achieve anything An introduction from the new Principal of ARK Evelyn Grace Academy, Tim Dainty I am writing to introduce myself as the new Principal of ARK Evelyn Grace Academy and share my vision for the future of the school. I previously co-founded an outstanding ARK school in Brent, Ark Academy, where I served the families and communities of Stonebridge, Harlesden and Chalkhill. I cannot tell you how excited and honoured I am to now serve the families of Brixton. I wish to work with all our parents by building on the firm foundations that already exist and build and cultivate its reputation for great teaching, exemplary behaviour and unrivalled opportunities beyond the classroom. I have spent the last four months planning and recruiting for September. This has meant I have already met many of our children. They have greatly impressed me by how welcoming they have been. They have spoken passionately about the academy and these experiences have made me all the more excited about the future. I was particularly impressed by our year 10 cohort who sold me, along with a host of entrepreneurs, their business project ideas, as part of a “trading game” activity they had been involved in. I was also warmed by the sight of our new year 7 students collecting their rewards and certificates at the graduation ceremony of their excellent Saturday morning induction programme, which was running over six weeks. If these two insights into life at Evelyn Grace

are in any way reflective of the students’ drive and desire to succeed, then I believe that we have the firm foundations to build a truly exceptional school. I believe that schools are not just places; they are journeys. My aim is that by the end of every journey, each student will leave, having become cleverer and kinder. It will not always be easy, but we are clear that with hard work, we can achieve anything. We do not want any student to put a ceiling on their ambitions, as the more they learn and grow the more they will accomplish. It is the job of schools and parents to help children realise their talents and flourish. We will work relentlessly to help your child secure a very bright future for themselves. I have been given firm foundations to work on, as the academy was inspected by OFSTED in June and they drew some very positive conclusions: “Pupils’ behaviour is exceptionally strong and has a positive impact on their social skills, personal development and learning” “There is a studious, mature learning environment in classes and around the school. Pupils are engaged and participate in their learning and are proud of their achievements.” My task is to now make this school great and thereby ensure that every student leaves the academy qualified and ready to compete for the very best positions in their chosen careers.

Tim Dainty: My task is to now make this school great and thereby ensure that every student leaves the academy qualified and ready to compete for the very best positions in their chosen careers.

Come and visit us If you are interested in securing a place at ARK Evelyn Grace Academy, please come and visit us at one of our open mornings or our open evening. The dates for these events are: Year 6 Open Mornings Monday 25 September 9.00 am – 10.30 am Tuesday 26 September 9.00 am – 10.30 am Wednesday 27 September 9.00 am – 10.30 am Please call on us on 020 7737 9520 to book a place. Year 6 Open Evenings Thursday 28 September 4.00 pm – 7.30 pm Sixth Form Open Evenings Thursday 9 November 5.00 pm – 7.30 pm I look forward to meeting you. Tim Dainty

Evelyn Grace Academy, 255 Shakespeare Road, SE24 0QN | Tel: 020 7737 9520 | Email: info@evelyngraceacademy.org | Website: evelyngraceacademy.org | Twitter: @ARKEvelynGrace

OUR CHALLE BRIXTON UN BID Director Michael Smith

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.

How do we manage our buskers without losing our unique Brixton flavour?

We have just now celebrated the first anniversary of the night tube coming to Brixton after being chosen by TfL as its first-ever destination. With the Victoria Line now established as the fastest Underground line in London and one of the fastest in the world – with 36 trains every hour – this was perhaps no great surprise. Brixton is now one of the easiest places to get to in London. Day and night, the tube brings tens of thousands of travellers to Brixton. At the entrance to the Brixton Underground stood the imposing message “NO THEM ONLY US”. This is a message that for me is ahead of us? as relevant, if not more relevant, What happens to people and to those coming into Brixton as it businesses when they arrive is for those leaving. in Brixton? Do they simply and In Brixton, the “us” is what’s easily become Brixtonians? Is relevant, not the “them”. When their claim to Brixton just as great award-winning companies such as the claims of the not-so-new as Squire & Partners, Beauhurst, arrivals? Do they deserve to be Tangle Teezers, Premier Inn, given the title of gentrifiers, as or even All Bar One, come to they often are? Are they behind Brixton, it is no longer simply us all having cleaner streets about them. and an ever-imWhen award-winning proving public They become companies come “us” because of realm? the impact on Blaming new to Brixton, it is no us all. arrivals with longer simply about The benefits poshly named them. They become to businesses offices and an in Brixton these appetite for £10 ‘us’ because of the companies burgers for the impact on us all bring is unquesincreasing rents tionable. Their impact on and business rates being experirents and future business rate enced in the area is a very “them” re-evaluation will also affect all and “us” approach. businesses in Brixton. There is no denying, however, Brixton is one of London’s most that house prices have gone up vibrant areas and will be for years almost 30% in the Brixton area in to come. These companies are the past couple of years. now all here. It’s now only about In the meantime, rateable “us”. How do we now go about values attached to all businesses facing the Brixton challenges in all sectors have gone up by

ENGE IS TO KEEP NIQUE FOR US ALL

at least 11%. Some sectors are suffering more than others, with retail up by 61% and offices by 30%. While this is happening, London – with Brixton included – has lost a third of its grassroots music venues since 2007. The suggestion is that these music venues – a number of them significant and iconic – will face further significant financial challenges in the short term. This will impact not just on them but on all of us who are music lovers. Business Improvement Districts, including the Brixton BID, sit squarely amidst these issues. Our commitment to our new and not-so-new levy payers in Brixton is the same. Our challenge is to work with businesses as well as residents, the council and other stakeholders and partners to keep Brixton unique for us all. Our businesses are learning to manage local issues important to residents such as sound emanating from their night-time establishments. They are taking

income to be collected through business rates and to recognise the potential and benefits of the local nighttime economy. The Mayor of London, Mayor of us all – businesses as well as residents – recognises the potential income from London’s night-time economy and its potential benefits to us all as Londoners amidst all the Brexit shenanigans – hence, his drive to keep London open all hours. Our local night-time businesses are constantly learning to manage its benefits to us all. They are learning to engage with residents – neighbours who are also potential customers. Some are offering discounts to residents, guaranteeing them a constant flow of customers. They are learning the skills of positively managing complaints and turning them into dedicated, on more and more issues around loyal customers. dispersal after closing times and There are many challenges the impact poor crowd dispersal ahead for Brixton’s economy. can sometimes have on a good Lambeth council and its night’s sleep for some town contractor Veolia must learn centre residents. lessons from its town centre The impact of hotels and/ waste collection, cleaning up or residential establishments and applying these benefits to atop of night-time hospitality further improve town centre waste collections. businesses affects us all. Not Our additional cleaning just them. Choosing to live and is working, build on top of Our businesses are but more pubs and clubs learning to manage needs to be is adventurous. done to have The concept of a issues important to less waste peaceful night’s residents, such as and graffiti sleep cannot sound emanating around our be the same as town centre. having a hotel from their nightOur High or residence in time establishments Street retailers Brixton, Devon. are losing significant amounts For most, coming to Brixton is of stock and facing rising by choice – a choice based on insurance rates as a result of rent, rates or the attraction to high levels of daily shoplifting. being in Brixton, one of London’s Our Section-92 Brixton BID most vibrant areas. police officers are working to The value of London’s nightreduce this level of shoplifting. time economy to London’s overall And … how do we manage economy cannot be underour buskers without losing our estimated. Lambeth council unique Brixton flavour? is challenged to maximise

Lambeth council and its contractor Veolia must learn lessons from its town centre waste collection, cleaning up and applying these benefits to further improve town centre waste collections

#BrixtonFundedMe: Brixton Fund winners get to work

SPACE FOR HIRE Looking for a space to hire in Brixton? Look no further: between our café and studio downstairs we host workshops, meetings, consultations, yoga classes, rehearsals, regular groups and supper clubs. Drop us a line on spacehire@brixtonpound.org or pop into our café to make an enquiry. We want to keep our space affordable so we offer discounted rates for local community groups.

LIFE DRAWING Get your sketch pads out! Drop-in life drawing starts on Monday 25 September 6.30-8pm. Responding to demand from customers for more sociable evening events, we’re starting a 10-week life drawing class with different local artists leading each session. Classes start at £7.50 for unwaged/low wage and £10 for those who can afford a bit more. Pencils and other artistic accoutrements provided, and you can also buy an A3 sketchpad from us to use and store in the space.

LAPTOP CLINIC Café regular Nick has offered to repair laptops in need of speed-up help, virus removal, decluttering, improving security. Interested? Drop into the café to enquire: Brixton Pound Café, 77 Atlantic Rd, SW9 8PU.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED! The B£ is powered by community, goodwill and lots of coffee. We’re currently short of volunteers, so if you can help us out by sharing your skills for a couple of hours a week – be it photography; copy writing; social media; business administration; project management; or maybe you have café/kitchen experience and can offer a shift a week in our café – we want to hear from you! AA Email lucy@brixtonpound.org.

In June we awarded £5,000 to local projects via the Brixton Fund with the help of the people of Brixton at our public Fund Event. Since then, we’ve seen the projects that you voted for start to unfurl. Last month, ten young people spent a week in a wonderfully engaging work experience project, learning media skills from the old hands at the Brixton Bugle to generate content for the upcoming Brixton Design Trail. The SpaceCraft, a project to support older people at risk of social isolation, is launching its craft sessions in Pop Brixton this month. And Lambeth More in Common group have planned their coach trip to Lincolnshire’s Boston, the town with the highest Brexit “leave” vote in the UK, with the

mission of building bridges across political, social and geographic divides! Those updates cover only a few of the projects we supported. Look out for the hashtag #brixtonfundedme to keep up with their progress. We’d like to say a big thank you to our partners and sponsors the Brixton

Help us take over the Tate! We’re going to be showcasing the Brixton Pound at the Uniqlo Tate Late on 29 September. Alongside other South London projects, we’ll be bringing the B£ currency to the Tate Modern, running a workshop on the design of money where visitors will get to design their own local currency, and telling people all about the Brixtopian dream: a nation state of mind built around a community which values empathy above all else. No need to book, just come along on the night! From 6pm onwards. Dedicated B£ user? Could you help us spread the word about B£ on the night? We need lots of volunteers to come and help us make a real splash at the event. Laughs and culture guaranteed. AA Contact lucy@brixtonpound.org.

BID and the Brixton Neighbourhood Forum, as well as Marsh & Parsons for their contributions. AA We are looking for new sponsors for the Brixton Fund. If you’re a Brixton business and you care about the future of the Brixton community, get in touch via fund@brixtonpound.org.

Local business investing in the community Do you know about the Pop Brixton community investment scheme? It’s a project through which local businesses give back to the local community through voluntary work and support for community projects. Businesses also offer work experience to local youngsters and free kids’ activities. So far over 6,000 hours of community support have been delivered through the scheme. In 2017 alone, over 1,000 local people have participated in an activity or benefited from the project in some way. If you’re a Lambeth local, there’s work experience on offer as well as longer term placements and jobs. There are also free activities for kids, including a reading club on Tuesday evenings from 4.30-5.30pm. AA Get in touch to find out more: lucy@brixtonpound.org.

7 7 At l a n t i c Ro a d | b r i x t o n p o u n d .o r g | @ b r i x t o n p o u n d | i n fo @ b r i x t o n p o u n d .o r g

SEPTEMBER 2017

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COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE 15

SEBASTIAN WOOD

Brixton film maker bringing South London comic hero to the world

Library of Things is run by social entrepreneurs Rebecca Trevalyan, Sophia Wyatt and Emma Shaw

Library of Things story can now be heard in podcasts have come to borrow, and how the enterprise might develop in the future. The series kicks off with an exploration of community – how Library of Things is connecting neighbours – and if it can help with the problem of loneliness. Other episodes cover cooking and sharing food and the environment. Co-founder Emma Shaw talks about the living roof on top of one of the library’s shipping containers – installed by the London Wildlife Trust to attract bees to its wild flowers, reduce local flood risk, and provide a talking point for local people

with its colourful periscope. The Library of Things works with partners like Karcher, Bosch, Berghaus, Patagonia and B&Q to stock high quality items. It also hosts DIY classes and mending meet-ups. The team is busy creating a platform for teams around the UK to set up Libraries of Things in their own areas. AA www.libraryofthings. co.uk/podcast. AA To find out more, contact Maria Passingham on mariapassingham@btinternet. com or Library of Things community activator Alys on alys@libraryofthings.co.uk.

Notorious: Malcolm Hardee

The team behind West Norwood’s Library of Things social enterprise has produced four podcasts featuring stories from its members and borrowers. The library allows people to borrow useful items cheaply and learn how to use them. So no need to buy and store drills, sewing machines, carpet cleaners and more when you can borrow them at affordable prices when you need them. Produced by Maria Passingham, the podcasts look at the impact Library of Things has had on the community, the people who

For Brixton resident Jody VandenBurg, a film graduate and comedy fan, the life of the late alternative comedian and South London celebrity Malcolm Hardee was the perfect subject matter for his first major film. Hardee was notorious, not only for his comedy, but also for his outrageous antics, famously stealing Freddie Mercury’s 40th birthday cake and urinating on a sleeping audience member at a comedy gig. For VandenBurg, Hardee was an irresistible character. “I was fascinated by his behaviour … I’ve never seen anything like that before.” Looking for guidance with the business side of the film, VandenBurg enrolled in the “incubator” programme of the charity Hatch Enterprise and sees his time there as a significant period of personal growth and development. “Hatch has transformed me beyond what I expected it was able to offer me,” he says. “It has helped the progression of my business in a pretty profound way.” VandenBurg says he found the first half of the course challenging, but his mentors

VINCENT LEWIS

By Emma Lange

Jody pitches his business to Hatch dragons

helped him clarify his subject matter and make progress on the business and marketing of the film. Since graduating from the programme, Jody has focussed on bringing Malcolm’s story to an international audience. His 2010 short film The Tunnel – about the infamous Tunnel Palladium in Greenwich in the 80s – played at the Edinburgh Fringe and at the International Documentary Film festival in Amsterdam. VandenBurg is convinced that the practical business knowledge he has acquired with Hatch will help him bring his Malcolm’s story to an international audience in his new film. AA To see the film, contact Jody at: tunnelfilms@gmail.com. AA To get in touch with Hatch to learn more about growing your business, email info@hatchenterprise.org.

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16 CREATIVE BRIXTON

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2017 SEPTEMBER

Heritage and heroes Lambeth Heritage Festival returns for its fifth year in September, celebrating the history of the borough with over 60 events, many of them in Brixton. The festival opens with the Lambeth Local History Fair on Saturday 2 September at St Leonard’s Church, Streatham, 10.30am – 4.30pm. The full programme can be downloaded from lambeth.gov.uk/heritagefestival, or pick up a printed copy at Lambeth libraries. Below are some of the highlights in and around Brixton. Brixton Windmill guided walk Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September. 1pm Meet at the windmill. Pass some of Brixton Hill’s oldest surviving houses and discover surprising celebrity inmates of Brixton prison. £5, concessions £3, children free; pay on walk. All money goes to the maintenance of the Windmill.

Documenting Lambeth: Wikipedia photo walk Saturday 9 September 12 – 4pm Lambeth Archives, 52 Knatchbull Road, SE5 9QY. Join people all over the world who are documenting their communities on Wikipedia. Workshop includes an opportunity to take photographs in the streets around Lambeth Archives and contribute knowledge that is free to all. Bring your own digital camera and laptop or smartphone. Free, but booking essential at lambethwikiphoto.eventbrite.co.uk.

The Chocolate Museum, 187 Ferndale Road, Brixton, SW9 8BA. Introduction to the history of hot chocolate with a focus on the relations between Britain, West Africa and the Caribbean. Jamaican cocoa tea served. Free, but booking essential at www.TheChocolateMuseum.co.uk.

Time-lining the Front Line Saturday 23 September 12.30pm Meet at the Commercial, 212 Railton Road SE24 0JT. Railton Road, aka The Front Line, is an address rich with local historical associations. This walking tour, organised by 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning, looks at the earlier history of the road as well as its association with the 1981 Brixton riots/uprising. Free, but booking is essential. Email kareen@198.org.uk or phone 020 7978 8309.

Summer of Love revisited Saturday 9 September 1.30 – 4.30pm Milkwood Park, Milkwood Road, SE24 0HZ. Picnic celebrating the spirit of 1967, the liberalising legislation passed then (Sexual Offences Act, Abortion Act) and the songs and cultures of 50 years ago. Hippie gear welcome. Free, no booking required.

Brixton Market Heritage Saturday 9 September 2.30pm Meet at the Brixton Society stall in Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PB. Guided walk taking in the Brixton market area. The history of the markets mirrors the history of Brixton – learn about from the Brixton Society. Booking essential. £3 including a copy of the walk booklet. Email: marketwalks@brixtonsociety.org.uk.

Spyros Parrisis at work on the set of The Feast

Lights, camera, food The Feast, a new short film, is a story of power, abuse and hunger. It will be privately screened in September and is definitely one you should look out for when it’s released. Not least because Brixton restaurateur and all-round foodie guru Spyros Parrisis, who runs Parrisi on Atlantic Road, provides the food and its lavish styling. London-based producer, writer and director Gaëlle Mourre, who works on international film projects and co-producer Michelle Fan, who has also produced films in New York,

Shanghai, and northern India, had a brilliant time working with Spyros on the project. Mourre says: “Michelle and I were looking for a chef and food stylist when Melonie Gault, a mutual friend of mine and Spyros, introduced us and let us take it from there. Working with Spyros was wonderful, I knew the feast scene was in very good hands as soon as he took the project on.” Spyros says he had a lot of fun working on The Feast. “It was definitely full on in terms

of food production, as everything on the table was real food, but working with Michelle and Gaëlle felt so easy and natural. I felt I knew exactly what they needed for The Feast and I loved envisaging, planning and producing for the project. “Although a film set is a fairly new direction, and one that I always wanted to try, it felt very natural to me and I would definitely like to do many more projects like that. “I really enjoy the artistic side of food presentation and the research in finding the appropriate food genre and style of presentation. I find it quite thrilling.” Starring Katie Leung (Cho Chang in the Harry Potter series), The Feast is based on a short story by L.P. Lee, whose short stories have featured in magazines and anthologies including Popshot and Best New Horror. An aristocrat who presides over an impoverished community invites one person each month to dine with him in his mansion. They come, but return home changed … The film focuses on Hayley and her visit (above). Played by Katie Leung, she’s hard-headed and self-possessed – but can she satiate her hunger without sacrificing what he’s intent on taking? The film’s climactic scene involves a lavish display of food, made and styled by Spyros. AA The producers will be submitting the film to festivals and you can follow their news at www.thefeastfilm.com.

Digital Soap Box Saturday 9 September 1 – 4pm Brixton Pound Cafe, 77 Atlantic Road, SW9 8PU. Clapham Film Unit invites people to come into the Digital Soap Box and “have their say”. The unit will livestream via its YouTube channel and make recordings for Lambeth Archives. Free, no booking required.

Showcasing our History Saturday 9 September 7pm Longfield Hall, 50 Knatchbull Road, SE5 9QY. Join writer and researcher Steve Martin for an illustrated talk about the stories of the musicians, singers and performers who have lived and worked around Longfield Hall since it opened in 1889. Featuring music and film, the talk will look at the history of the Myatt’s Fields area from Victorian times through to the 1970s when Longfield Hall was home to one of the UK’s first Black theatre companies. Free, no booking required.

Henry Tate and the Brixton Library

In the Valley of the Comedians Sunday 24 September 1.00 Walk. Meet outside White Bear Theatre, 138 Kennington Park Road, SE11 4DJ. Discover the forgotten era of Lambeth’s music hall, stage and screen performers (like trapeze artist Zaeo, above) – a time when race, class and gender were in constant collision. S. I. Martin leads the walk from Kennington Common to Brixton Hill. Free, but booking essential.

Thursday 14 September 7pm

Brockwell Lido, 1937 – 2017: 80 years young

Vida Walsh Centre, 2b Saltoun Road, SW2 1EP. Illustrated talk by Bill Linskey, the chair of the Brixton Society, on how Brixton’s Tate library came into being and the role of businessman Henry Tate. Free, no booking required.

Monday 25 September 7pm

Windmill Harvest Festival Sunday 17 September 2 – 5pm Windmill Gardens, SW2 5EU. Harvest festival celebrating rural crafts. With craft workshops, food, music, farm animals and family fun. More information at brixtonwindmill.org/whats-on. Free, no booking required

Brockwell Park: creation and early years Sunday 17 September 11am Brockwell Hall, Brockwell Park, SE24 9BJ. Brockwell Park is an almost intact version of an original estate, crowned by its Regency villa and created in the early 1800s by John Blades, supplier of chandeliers to the Prince Regent. Friends of Brockwell Park chair Peter Bradley explains how this estate became a Victorian park. Free, no booking required.

V2s In Lambeth and the Dora Project Wednesday 20 September 6.30pm Brixton Tate Library. Artists Françoise Dupré and Rebecca Snow connect two sites of terror during the Second World War: the V2 bomb-sites of Lambeth and the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp in Germany where the rockets were built by slave labour, including Françoise’s uncle. See doraproject.wordpress.com. Free, no booking required.

Hot Chocolate – An Introductory History Thursday 24 September 3pm

Lido Café, Dulwich Road, SE24 0PA. There is a Lido in Brockwell Park because locals were already swimming in a big lake there from the 1890s. Celebrating the Lido’s 80th anniversary, daily swimmer and local historian Peter Bradley looks at 120 years of swimming in Brockwell Park. Free, no booking required.

Windmill Lecture – The Ashbys of Brixton Hill Wednesday 27 September 7.15 St Paul’s Community Centre, Blenheim Gardens SW2 5BZ. Talk by a family descendant, recounts the history of the Ashby family who built Brixton Windmill in 1816 and worked there until 1934, as well as their Quaker beliefs and their determination to continue to produce stoneground flour in the face of the industrialisation of flour production. Free, no booking required. Refreshments, exhibition.

Brixton Local Heroes Wednesday 27 September 7pm Brixton Library, Brixton Oval, SW2 1AS. The project celebrates and commemorates local people. This event presents a list of suggested names and culminates with a film screening and discussion of recent “local heroes” who have contributed to society through arts, science, entertainment and politics. Free, no booking required.

Memory on a T-shirt Saturday 30 September 11.30am – 2.30pm 198 Gallery, 198 Railton Road, SE24 OJT. Join 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning and their Voices from the Front Line project about the history of Railton Road for an introductory practical workshop on designing and printing your own T-shirt inspired by Brixton’s history. Booking essential. Donation of £10 for materials. Email kareen@198.org.uk.

SEPTEMBER 2017

CREATIVE BRIXTON 17

brixtonblog.com

NICOLA GREEN

From a squat in Stockwell to exhibiting at one of the art world’s top shows – the Venice Biennale – is quite a journey. Local artist Hew Lock embarked on it when he moved to Brixton in 1989 and is now a renowned artist exhibiting internationally. He has created a new work for the biennale which runs until 26 November. It is the third time he has exhibited there. Lock’s work On the Tethys Sea is on show in the Diaspora Pavilion and focuses on ships as symbolic objects. According to the biennale blurb, the ship can be seen as: “a vessel of the soul, a means of escape, of both safety and danger”. Lock finds his inspiration in things around him. “I moved to Brixton in 1989, working in a squatted hospital which housed the Stockwell Independent Artists Group. “The market is and was a source of inspiration, the street fashions, the groceries for sale, the hair and beauty products. I used to buy lots of materials here to make my art – such as plastic toys and flowers, hair extensions and fabric and used to gather lots of old cardboard boxes to make it too! “I am fascinated by the fishmongers and the vegetable stalls, and the hair and beauty shops. The Kashmiri yam boys selling West Indian cassava and sweet potato, Colombian butchers selling deep fried pork to people from the Seychelles and Mexico, Vietnamese nail technicians beautifying their Black British clientele. This is how I envision multi-cultural Britain. This is what it looks like. “I walk around Brixton and ideas flow through me and around me. I come to the studio and then I start to function on that sort of high from being in the market. I’ve been living in Brixton for about 16 years and I’m

Vessels of the soul

not bored yet, which is quite a feat.” The Diaspora Pavilion at the Venice Biennale challenges the prevalence of national pavilions at an international exhibition and is spread across different locations in Venice. Nineteen artists explore what “diaspora” means. Lock was a mentor to Abbas Zahedi,

Green in the city Lucy Reynolds’ first children’s book Parrots Don’t Live in the City! was inspired by Brockwell Park and launched at its community greenhouses. Written in rhyming couplets and with illustrations by friend Jenna Herman, the book is aimed at two to six-year-olds. The book – first of a planned quartet – is designed to encourage children to notice nature all around them, Lucy says. “It invites readers to enter a hide-and-seek world of animals, birds and mini-beasts, in search of one very special creature”, the park’s parakeet population. “Every time I’m out in the city I’m amazed by how much nature is all around us – in the most unexpected of places,” says Lucy. “We want to encourage children to appreciate this too. So our hide-and-seek books are about searching for animals that wouldn’t usually live in the city, whilst stopping to notice nature in local nooks and crannies. “It’s the perfect story

one of the emerging artists in the show, and has worked with him over the past few months. Mentors and established artists all exhibited together. Lock has another show coming up in Germany that explores the city of Bremen’s links with slavery through his work Cui Bono. He has just finished making a single large boat three metres long for the show. “It is hanging in the upper hall in the medieval town hall there,” he says. “Four beautiful old model galleons have been hanging there since the 16th century. They took one of them down for me – the first time in many years – and are hanging mine instead

for the course of the exhibition, which is called Blind Spot. Lock says “Cui bono” is a Latin phrase describing the question asked in a legal or police investigation when trying to discover who has a motive for a crime. “The motive may be hidden and the guilty person may be not who it first appears to be. The criminal may be the person who gains financially. “Even though Bremen merchants may not have traded slaves directly, the city’s prosperity was dependent on cotton and tobacco – the products of slave labour in the USA and Brazil.”

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10pm – 3am Lucy and Jenna tried out their book in schools and playgroups

Bleed Area for little nature lovers and intrepid explorers alike”. The pair have set up their own publishing company, Doodles & Scribbles. Jenna says: ‘We’re both new mums and are always fascinated by how inquisitive our sons become when we’re in the great outdoors. “To them, every outing is an adventure, a discovery, pure joy – and that’s what we wanted to capture in Parrots Don’t Live in the City!. “We created the book during our maternity leaves, working the nightshift and fitting everything around young children to get it

finished, so we’re really excited to have the book in our hands after two years of hard work. “And we’re hugely grateful for all the local support we’ve been getting.” Jenna and Lucy teamed up with Kimberly Mears of Herne Hill’s Bumble Box family activity kits to create a special family activity box. It is full of fun ways for families to get to know their bird neighbours – parrot or otherwise. AA Both book and box are available online at doodlesandscribbles.co.uk.

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414 - 416 Coldharbour Lane - Brixton - London - SW9 8LF

18 FOOD & DRINK

brixtonblog.com

2017 SEPTEMBER

REVIEW: CALCUTTA STREET

Homage to Calcutta Nick Buglione’s Indian summer of Bengali street food Way way back, many centuries ago, I reviewed a restaurant which had created an entirely fictional back story of explorers, exotic journeys, handlebar moustaches, waistcoats and braces (before the hipsters adopted all that as post-ironic daywear). It didn’t really work. The story works a lot better at Calcutta Street, in no small part because it isn’t indulgent fiction. Shrimoyee “Shrim” Chakraborty’s Bengali-meets-Brixton diner is a homage to a childhood in Calcutta. Every dish has a story and, dare I say it, this is Bengali street food that once actually was (and still is) food on the streets of Calcutta, arguably the gastro capital of India. Translated to Coldharbour Lane. Shrim is all over it at Calcutta Street, from menus to painting the walls to working the room with stories of Calcutta and growing up

in her mum’s family kitchen. Mum is still chief food officer, keeping an eye on things. Perhaps appropriately, it’s hot, that flirting week of 2017’s British summer that wasn’t a violation of the trades descriptions act. So we shimmied past the open kitchen, through the dining room, all dark reds and greens, 70s retro red leather booths and period sepia photographs, to the cute little alfresco garden. Swiftly followed by cocktails – Bengali Rose (East London Liquor Company vodka, bitters, rose, ginger, prosecco) which is apparently “one for the ladies of the house” and, “for when Shrim’s little brother has friends over”, Orko’s Tonic (gin, kaffir lime, cucumber and Indian tonic). And they even serve Thumbs Up cola. The menu is not so big that you can’t have most of it (and over two visits we more or less did) and many of the highlights were in the “Streetfood from Golpark” starters. Puchka, crispy semolina spheres

filled with spiced potato, and a dip of tamarind and mint water were a tangy amuse bouche, Mach Bhaja, whitebait crisped in mustard oil and spiced up with a zingy mish mash of chaat masala, cumin and chilli along with Tengri chicken kebab with coriander and mint chutney. Then things got pretty messy. In a good finger-licking way. Kanrar jhal was an extravagant platter of whole crab buried in a deeply spicy sauce that was all about diving

into hands-on. I love crab and this spicily concocted rendition only extended a love affair with sea dwelling crustacea. Prawn Malai Kari, tiger prawns in soothing, creamy coconut and kosha mangsho, a dark rich lamb curry were accompanied by aam dahl, a red lentils with green mango dahl miles removed from high-road brown sludge. With crispy coriander and poppy seed fritters for dipping. Only slight misstep, and that’s

only in contrast to the excellence of the rest, was a slightly underwhelming lamb biryani on our second visit. Calcutta Street has brought something new to Brixton, not a million spiritual miles away from Dishoom’s reinvented street food. Lest you suspect, this is not hipster adoption, but a lively authentic homage to Indian cuisine sprinkled with bags of personality. Order the crab. Bib optional.

395 Coldharbour Lane SW9 8LQ | calcuttastreet.com/locations/Brixton | 20 7326 4200 | @CalcuttaSt

REVIEW: COACH & HORSES

Frontier boozer Simon Still pops into the reinvented Coach & Horses Venturing away from the mania of the market and central Brixton opens up a huge range of pub options. Along with the arrival of Knife, the corner axis of Acre lane and Clapham Park Road is undergoing a revival, including the latest incarnation of the Coach & Horses. It’s a proper old pub that survived the 60s and 70s redevelopments of this part of Acre Lane. New owners Frontier Pubs are a small chain that pitch themselves as a modern “local” with, and I quote, “Craft beers, awesome pizza and all the big screen sport that’s worth watching”. The first two definitely work for me, but the third is a big turn off. So it was good to see that on a night with no sport the projector screen was rolled up and the other TV remained silent. I’m told it’s a good place to watch footie and rugby. Outside there is a patio that, while next to the road, catches some nice evening sun. Inside it’s an attractive space with retro light bulbs, bare brick walls, green wood panelling and art on the walls surrounding a central bar. There were no ales on the hand pumps the night we popped in, but Brixton’s Reliance Pale Ale and craft beers from five other breweries were on tap along with ciders. The Urban Farm House Tartelette was an easy drinking sour that was perfect for a warm summer evening. Another refreshing choice was Old Hands Denali – an American pale ale with Denali hops adding a fruitiness to Citra’s sharp notes. With some supposed craft beer pubs having only pales and APA,

it was good to see a dark beer on tap even in summer and I couldn’t resist a pint of Five Points classic Railway Porter. Pizza, which seems to have replaced Thai as the cuisine of choice for pubs, isn’t complicated but a lot of places still manage to mess it up. Not so the Coach & Horses. A large, professional pizza oven stands in the open kitchen and it turned out thin pizzas which were crispy right across the base without being overdone on top. It’s a welcome alternative to the sourdough style of Franco Manca and Mama Dough. It’s 2 for 1 on pizzas all day Monday. There was enough soft nduja on the eponymous pizza to give a good chilli kick alongside cherry tomatoes and fresh rocket. On the other hand, the supposedly fiery chilli on our eggcetera (ouch) wasn’t that evident, but a shaker of dried chilli flakes meant it was easy to bring the heat. They do doughnuts as well, so we finished with a plate of them drizzled with molten Nutella. The Coach & Horses is an unpretentious modern boozer that’s clear what it does and does it well. And if you like a slice of big screen sport, there’s that too.

173-175 Clapham Park Road, SW4 7EX | frontierpubs.co.uk/coachandhorses | 020 7498 6308

SEPTEMBER 2017

FOOD & DRINK 19

brixtonblog.com

REVIEW: SMOKE & SALT

Small plates, big flavours Nick Buglione gets all ‘British tapas’ at Smoke and Salt Tonight is pretty much exactly what Pop Brixton was invented for. Hot summer night, alfresco terrace, lots of international bright young things (on Instagram) and interesting, genuinely original dining coming out of a sea container. The former home of Kricket, poster boys for Brixton boxpark pop-up stardom, is now where two guys Aaron and Remi bring you Smoke and Salt’s modern dining, ancient techniques. A sea container can disguise many sins and much of Pop’s dining is style over substance and/or just OK food. Smoke and Salt’s seasonal small plates are anything but. As a foodie dabbler in the worlds of curing and smoking, each plate comes with technique, presentation, precision, enthusiasm and invention. For starters, try their

Boston Sour, a rye whiskey and infused sorrel reinvention of the classic sour. And then let it rain small plates of British “tapas”. And don’t let the simplicity of the menu fool you, there are some complex techniques coming out of the tiny kitchen. From sourdough and whipped butter to heritage tomatoes with a whey vinaigrette and a deep (home smoked) swirling ricotta. And everything looks beautiful (for you Instagram food porn junkies). The menu is a restless seasonal beast and changes all the time. Tonight we tried panelles (Sicilian chickpea fritters) with spicy ketchup, chicken with truffle ponzu and daikon slaw and a super slow-cooked pork belly with broccoli. All distinct, multilayered on-point cooking. But the best of the illustrious bunch was cured chalkstream trout and jalapeno salsa and, a surprising first for this fan of tartare, a merguez tartare of spicy lamb with flatbread and

harissa. All north African spice and uber-tender lamb. I like surprises. Nothing is overdone, nothing is overpresented and nothing is overworked. Restraint is a virtue. Food reviewers are prone to over-gush or knee-jerk criticise, but I would be hard pressed to find any criticism whatsoever. The staff are

fully engaged and clearly committed, each dish is a little world unto itself and for a man who is suspicious of tasting plates (as they are often an excuse for scattergun

service to suit the kitchen), Aaron and Remi’s plates work in a logical harmony. Each one a little global flavour adventure. If there was a candidate to follow

in Kricket’s sea container to Soho stardom template, Smoke and Salt could easily be the next to follow. Neo fine dining with its tie loosened.

Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road,SW9 8PQ | smokeandsalt.com | 07421 327556 | @SmokeandSaltLDN

DIY COCKTAIL: TURTLE BAY’S MARLEY MOJITO

Across the Caribbean by cocktail Lively up yourself, or your late summer BBQ party, with a colourful Caribbean twist on the classic Cuban cocktail with fresh ginger and watermelon.

INGREDIENTS ¡¡ 4 fresh lime wedges ¡¡ 8 fresh mint leaves ¡¡ 25ml Appleton signature rum ¡¡ 12.5ml watermelon syrup ¡¡ Fresh watermelon purée ¡¡ Ginger beer ¡¡ 12.5ml green melon liqueur

METHOD In a tall glass tumbler, muddle the lime wedges. Slap mint leaves and add to the glass. Add Appleton signature rum and watermelon syrup. Puree a slice of fresh watermelon and add a couple of splashes. Add half a glass of crushed ice and churn. Top up glass with ice. Add ginger beer and float melon liqueur on top.

turtlebay.co.uk | @Turtlebayuk

Authentic African and Caribbean cuisine from fresh juices, hot dishes to vegan snacks at Black Cultural Archives. Tues-Sat, 10am-6pm Windrush Square, Brixton 020 3757 8500 bcaheritage.org.uk

20 WHAT’S ON

brixtonblog.com

What’s on at Whirled As we went to press, the Picturehouse chain, owner of Brixton’s Ritzy, was still refusing to pay its workers the London living wage and to reinstate three sacked union reps – so here’s what’s on at Loughborough Junction’s Whirled Cinema … it’s got oppression of workers and gentrification for starters

A Man Called Ove

Director Hannes Holm Friday 1 September Sunday 3 September starts 6pm Running Time: 116 59 year-old Ove is the block’s grumpy man. Despite being deposed as

president of the condominium association, he still tries to rule the neighbourhood. When Parvaneh and her family move in opposite and accidentally back into Ove’s mailbox it is the beginning of an unexpected friendship.

Machines

Jamila Omar rounds up a September selection of what’s on in Brixton and nearby FRI 1 @ STREATHAM ROOKERY Look forward to a hotbed of pagan fun and frolics when Cine South present a fundraiser screening of THE WICKER MAN with a difference, transforming the Rookery into Lord Summerisle’s garden. Entertainment includes a ceilidh from The Ceilidh Tree, secret cinema-style interaction and performance and a screening of the film itself in this stunning outdoor theatre space. Artisan beer and food from Inkspot Brewery and Deli Llama. Get there for 7pm. £10.

SAT 2 @ THE WOODLAWNS CENTRE Stay in Streatham for some rootin-tootin, high-falutin EID-AL-ADHA FESTIVITIES. Great grub at the grill, teetotal tipple and happy high-noon hijinks. Buffalo Bill’s Bouncy Castle, Frontier Face Paint and games galore, from Texan Tug of War, Lafayette Ladder Toss, Sponge Splash the Sheriff and more. £2 adults, £1 kids. Entry fee donated to Moroccan streets kids charity Walou.

SUN 3 @ BAR 414 Grassroots Live Music. A weekly Sunday night that looks set to encourage and inspire LOCAL GRASSROOTS TALENT. UB40 trumpeter Patrick Anthony leads the experienced house band with resident DJs and Caribbean food available too. 10pm – 3am. Free. Director Rahul Jain Monday 4 September Running Time: 71 Moving through an enormous and disorientating structure, the camera takes the viewer on a descent to a dehumanised place of physical labour and intense hardship. This gigantic textile factory in Gujarat, India might just as well be the

The Midwife

Director Martin Provost Wednesday 6 – Friday 8 September Sunday 10 September starts 6pm Running Time: 117 Catherine Deneuve and Catherine Frot give tour-de-force performances in a drama from celebrated director Martin Provost. Conscientious and inhibited midwife Claire (Frot) is stuck in a rut. But a phone call from her father’s

set for a 21st century Dante’s Inferno. Jain observes the life of the workers, the suffering and the environment they can hardly escape from. With strong visual language, memorable images and carefully selected interviews, Jain tells a story of inequality, oppression and the huge divide between rich and poor and the perspectives of both.

former mistress, Béatrice (Deneuve), a capricious free spirit, changes everything. As circumstances reunite two polar opposites, flighty Béatrice is forced to consider her responsibilities, while uptight Claire learns to let go of her troubles. Sparkling with humour, tenderness and charm, The Midwife is an unapologetic celebration of life’s loves, losses and endless fresh surprises.

Finding Dory (Kids’ Whirled) Directors Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane Saturday 9 September starts 11am Running Time: 103 Dory lives in the ocean with her friends Marlin and Nemo and works as a teaching assistant. But she has short-term memory loss. She lost her parents as a young fish and wants to find them. Her adventures involve reunions with lots of old pals, as well as a few new ones, and take Dory into the Marine

Free Fire

Director Ben Wheatley Wednesday 13 – Friday 15 September Sunday 17 September starts 6pm Running Time: 91 It’s 1978, Boston, USA. Justine has

Aquarius

Director Kleber Filho Wednesday 20 – Friday 22 September Sunday 24 September Running Time: 146 Clara (Sonia Braga), a 65-year-old widow and retired music critic, is the last resident of the Aquarius, one of the few remaining buildings of its age

Life Institute, an aquarium for diverse ocean species, where her parents might be found. This sequel to Finding Nemo is just as inventive and charming, sensitively discussing issues around disability, adoption and the rehabilitation of troubled creatures. Recommended from 5 years old. No unaccompanied adults unless Whirled Cinema members. Children aged 10+ can attend without an adult. Buy tickets online if possible: £3 only if bought online; £4 on the door.

brokered a meeting between two presumed IRA members and a gang selling them guns. But when shots are fired, a gory game of survival ensues. Described as an action-comedy.

and character in Recife, Brazil a rapidly changing seaside neighbourhood. All neighbouring apartments have already been bought by a company that has other plans for the plot. Clara has pledged to leave her home only upon her death and engages in a cold war with the company.

2017 SEPTEMBER

MON 4 @ OFF THE CUFF Head to Herne Hill for this regular weekly Monday JAZZ JAM SESSION. The house band (Heads Up) will play the first set from 8.30-ish then open up for a jam session at 9.30-ish. Come along and bring your instrument! Free.

TUE 5 @ PRINCE REGENT

The Prince Regent PUB QUIZ 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 6 @ THE ILLUSIONEER Head to Half Moon Lane for this intimate monthly show – an eclectic mix of CABARET, stand-up and close-up magic! Bring your own drinks (glasses supplied) and settle in for an evening of magic and comedy. Doors 7:30, show at 8pm. £15.

THUR 7 @ HOOTANANNY

A Hootananny tenth anniversary ROOTS ROCK REGGAE special with Kenne Blessin live from Jamaica. Tina Burnett supports. 9pm-2am. £3.

MON 11 @ POP BRIXTON

Daddy, Mummy & Me TODDLER YOGA. Focusing on the children with the encouragement of parents. Includes breathing games, yoga postures, singing, stories, yoga games and music. Suitable for parents/ guardians and children. 11-11.45am. Free.

TUE 12 @ HOOTANANNY

Olas Boss and Jahrevelationmuzik at Hoot’s monthly SKA revival night – reggae, rocksteady and ska, 9pm–12am. Free.

WED 13 @ BLUES KITCHEN

Swing Night and Double Down. Jump, JIVE and wail your night away! 8pm till midnight. Free.

THUR 14 @ THE CAMBRIA

David hosts the Cambria PUB QUIZ. Teams of six or less battle it out for a cash prize, which is doubled if the winning team gambles and answers the Killer Question correctly. Second place wins a bottle of wine. Each player gets a raffle ticket for a meal-for-two voucher. 8pm, £2 per player

FRI 15 @ HOOTANANNY

Back by popular demand and bringing a smile to midSeptember is HOOTS COMEDY which returns for a new season. Angela Barnes “is the best mainstream female comedian I’ve seen since Sarah Millican … I can’t be any clearer than that can I?” (Evening Standard). Hilarious Ryan McDonnell as MC and opening the night. 8.45–10pm.

SAT 16 @ BRIXTON JAMM

Love Kulture Project are reviving the FUNK & SOUL CARNIVAL and bringing it to Brixton. Expect festivalstyle production across two rooms and outdoor terrace courtesy of Gypsy Disco. Plus performers and world class DJs following on from the likes of Joey Negro, Thris Tian, Love Ssega, Henry Wu & Get Down Edits. 4pm–4am. £5–£15.

SUN 17 @ CLAPHAM COMMON

Bored with regular running events and obstacle races? Then ROUGH RUNNER LONDON is for you. It promises awesome obstacles and challenges inspired by game shows, from Wipeout-style big balls and sweeper arms, Ninja Warrior-esque zip lines and walls, to straight outta Gladiators-style legendary Travelator! 9am–6pm. 5km £41, 10km £49.

MON 18 @ MARKET HOUSE

Learn to Lindy Hop. 7–8pm beginners – learn the basics of swing dancing – absolute beginners can join any week, no partner needed. 8–9pm improvers move on from the basics, develop your Lindy Hop vocabulary and techniques. One class £10; both £12 (cash only).

FRI 8 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON

Snakehips are set to bring their fresh R&B ELECTRONIC BEATS to Electric Brixton. The British duo first burst onto the scene in 2015 with Hype Machine, doing chart-topping remixes for Banks, The Weeknd, Wild Belle and Bondax. 7pm – 10.45pm. £17.50.

SAT 9 @ PRINCE OF WALES

Up On The Roof Norman Jay MBE and SANCHO PANZA team up for the sixth year! Norman plays an Extended Good Times Set, while SP features Matt Brown & Jimmy K-Tel, Rob Alldritt, Mr Shiver & Si Kurrage and Tim Keenoy, Hotel Room hosted by The Downlow, with John Jones, Dylan Lewis, Mark Newman, Louis Jones & Macky. 3pm – 4am. £15-£20.

SUN 10 @ BRIXTON JAMM

This week Sunday Jamm hosts REGGAE ROAST SOUNDSYSTEM with The Nextmen and Sisters of Reggae. This is the ultimate Brixton “Sunday Funday” spot for those who want to chill out with pals or shake off any remaining weekend energy. Great pizzas, jerk chicken, with special meal and drinks deals. 2pm to midnight. Free before 5pm, £5 – £7 after.

GAY HISTORY OF THE SEVENTIES

Brixton Umbrella Circle, a group of older gay men in the Brixton area will present Gay Liberation Front – Personal History 1970-74, an evening with Stuart Feather at Brixton library at 7.30pm on 29 September. He will read from and take questions about his new book, Blowing the Lid: Gay Liberation, Sexual Revolution and Radical Queens, a personal history of the Gay Liberation Front. Stuart was a co-founder of the GLF Street Theatre, a member of the Bethnal Rouge commune and bookshop, and a founding member of Bette Bourne’s gay theatre troupe, Bloolips – so anyone with an interest in the gay history of the 70s will find this unmissable. Brixton Umbrella Circle offers a forum for mutual support, socialising and discussing individual and collective experiences in a social, cultural and political context. Why umbrella? “Our hearts and minds are like umbrellas – useless if we don’t open them”.

SEPTEMBER 2017

TUE 19 @ EUROLINK BUSINESS CENTRE

Join the Ovalhouse revolution in Brixton

Join Louise and the Sincerely Louise team at a LEARN TO KNIT WORKSHOP. This snug studio is full of faux taxidermy, wool and friendly faces, with the experts on hand to teach you how to knit, help with any projects you’re working on or just have a natter about craft over a mug of tea or glass of wine. Experienced knitters welcome too. 7–10pm. £10.

Ovalhouse’s second Brixton City Festival runs from Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 September and will link revolution to popular entertainment in “unique theatrical experiences in everyday locations”.

WED 20 @ POP BRIXTON

The festival begins in the Ovalhouse Car Park with a Mobile Incitement Unit theatre/gig exploring the history of protest in England.

Every Wednesday during term-time, GROOVESCHOOL explores musical forms and instruments old and new, embracing vintage and the most cutting-edge technologies, be that sounds, loops or completed tracks. Ages 5-12 (under 8s accompanied by an adult) 4.30-5.30pm, ages 13-19, 5.30-7.30, Ableton Push / NI Maschine User Groups 7.30-9.30pm. Free.

THUR 21 @ WINE PARLOUR

Thursday

Friday

The unit moves to Brixton Community Base in Talma Road for more radical protest while A Rhyming Guide to Radical

There’s may be more to sherry than you think. Find out in the Wine Parlour where Vining Street meets Atlantic Road at a tasting that will give you a go at the full variety. Led by a qualified wine taster and including cheese and charcuterie. 7.30–9.30pm. £35.

SAT 23 @ THE WINDMILL

Every Sunday evening you can catch a FREE MOVIE at the fantastic Cafe Cairo. Check their Facebook page for which films they have in store. 7.30 to 11pm. Free.

MON 25 @ EFFRA SOCIAL

Comedy improvisation show Duck Duck Goose host their IMPROV JAM plus guests in the Churchill Lounge each and every Monday. Just watch or join in. From 7.30pm. Free.

TUE 26 @ EFFRA SOCIAL

Tuesdays mean PUB QUIZ. Tommy McArdle hosts one of the busiest quizzes in Brixton, with a cash prize for first place and booby prizes for second and second to last place. Starts at 8pm, £2 per person.

WED 27 @ MARKET HOUSE

House of Idiot is an ALTERNATIVE COMEDY show held upstairs at Market House every Wednesday. Take a walk on the weird and wonderful side, with sketch, character, musical comedy, clown, cabaret and more. 8pm. Free.

THUR 28 @ BRIXTON REC

Paraiso School of Samba’s regular percussion workshop – a fantastic opportunity to learn SAMBA or develop your skills. 8.30–10pm. £8.

FRI 29 @ DOGSTAR

The Magic Robot is a destination for PARTY ANIMALS, with party-centric hip hop, funk, soul, disco, new hits, old favourites and all of your terrible requests. 10pm-4am. Free before 10pm, £5 after!

SAT 30 @ BRIXTON JAMM

Say a fond farewell to summer on the Jamm’s funky outdoor terrace with Heatwave Brixton. The final DAY & NIGHT TERRACE PARTY of the year hosts a house and disco special, with some hand-picked talent to keep you grooving. Joining the party will be Moda Black star Ben Pearce, with favourite residents to fuel the antics. Expect glam, BBQ & cocktails, dancing & good vibes. 4pm-4am. £5-£15 (more on door).

Saturday

The festival will showcase Brixton’s young musical talent with Raw Material before Brixton’s own Lara Lee (below) returns to fill Windrush Square with smooth soul sounds in her Wonders of Brixton.

Sunday 24 Sep

Take a journey through Brixton with All the Journeys I Never Took; take part in our hula-hooping roller-disco with Marawa the Amazing; or catch Bootworks as they cycle through Brixton on mobile jukeboxes.

Want to make beer and not just drink it? Craft Academy – an apprentice-led brewing scheme that trains beer enthusiasts in brewing, marketing, sales and branding – is launching at the Florence in Herne Hill. Daniel Scott and Nancy Nangle, the academy’s first two apprentices, will be setting up shop at a free launch event from 4pm till late on Friday 8 September. As well as DJ sets there will be a BBQ menu including unique food and beer pairings and an opportunity to sample one-off beers brewed for the event. AA More about Craft Academy at www.unbottlingpotential.co.uk.

Hailed as “the worlds greatest rock n roll band” by Iggy Pop, SLEAFORD MODS are set to play a live show in support of their new album, English Tapas. Keep an eye out for their documentary Bunch of Kunst. Doors 7pm. From £26.

SUN 24 @ CAFE CAIRO

Brixton invites you walk through town with street poet Potent Whisper.

WELCOME THE BEER APPRENTICES

FRI 22 @ 02 BRIXTON ACADEMY

Windmill favourites EVANS THE DEATH are calling it a day but are going to go out with a blast. with some extra special guests. The band formed in London as teenagers, releasing their self-titled debut in 2012 with their follow up, Expect Delays, in 2015. Both albums received critical acclaim from the likes of NME, The New York Times, Uncut, Q and Rolling Stone. 8pm. £5.

WHAT’S ON 21

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Cut the lino with Kaylene As part of Brixton Design Trail, Bugle illustrator Kaylene Alder, who is also a printmaker and teacher, is running a lino-cutting workshop – Love Grows Linocut. If you love a bold print then this is the workshop for you. You will learn how to draw, cut and print your own A5 design in a single colour. Kaylene says: “You will print several of your design – in different colours and on different papers. You will be able to take your printing block away to continue your printing adventure at home. “The inspiration for the workshop ties in with the ‘Love is Power’ theme of this year’s Brixton Design Trail and a fondness for plants but all ideas/inspirations are welcome.” The workshop is for ages 18 and older. All materials will be provided. The workshop is on Saturday 16 September and runs from 11am to 1pm. Book here: bit.ly/KA-lino.

Absurdly good idea The Bureau of Silly Ideas, Brixton’s purveyors of inspired madness and controlled chaos who bring giant squids and custard pie throwing to the public realm, are ready for a new season of Club Silly. A taster week of workshops and classes begins on 11 September under the arches at Valentia Place. Among the offerings will be juggling, graffiti, craftivism, and puppet-making. On 14 September at 7.30pm illustration enthusiasts can learn how to draw comic strips with graphic novelist Roger Mason and discover the mechanics of cartooning. Over the coming months, Club Silly will programme alternative workshops for the Brixton community to add a touch of the absurd to the everyday and continue to provide a space to imagine, explore and play with silly ideas. AATo find out more about workshops, contact sillyschedule@gmail.com.

Wander for wisdom Street Wisdom is a movement run from Brixton that spans 30 countries and seeks to teach people how to use the streets to unlock fresh thinking through free, three-hour walking workshops. Its World Wide Wander takes place around the world from 8 to 10 September and you can join a wander in Brixton on Saturday 9th. It starts at the Bowie mural at 10am. Wanderers will gather at the Brixton Pound café at the end of the workshop which is free, but spaces are limited. AA Sign up at bit.ly/WWW-BRX.

Here at Healthy Eaters on the corner of Electric Avenue and Electric Lane in the heart of Brixton, we serve freshly cooked, authentic, great value, great tasting Caribbean food over the counter with speedy and friendly efficiency. 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 sit a while and eat in. We are open early lunchtime right through the afternoon.

Healthy eaters

17 Electric Avenue Brixton SW9 8JP

020 7274 4521

www.healthyeaters.co.uk

22 COLUMNS

brixtonblog.com

2017 SEPTEMBER

GEMMA PASHA

FRANKIE HOLAH

Spend quality time with your garden

Break the mould and get moving

As we prepare for the children to go back to school and our lives to return to some kind of normality, it is time to take stock of the garden after the holiday madness. Gardens tend to get neglected during the summer holidays as the priority is spending time with family, long-awaited travels and visiting relatives. But it is important to spend some quality time getting the garden sorted for the remaining summery days and in preparation for the autumn and winter months. Basics such as mowing the lawn, trimming shrubs and bushes, dead heading and weeding have fallen to the wayside and the garden is beginning to look something like a jungle. We have had a phenomenally wet and warm summer which is fantastic growing weather. But it also means it is hard to keep on top of. Don’t get disheartened though, I think by committing to spending half a day or so in the garden “kid free” will enable you to get back on top of it. Perhaps make a list of the jobs to do and work through them systematically. I always find it easier to start at one side of the garden and work round rather than flitting from task to task. The key things to get on top of are:

This summer I was part of an exciting campaign with Asics (sports clothing) and Sound Mind Sound Body (non-profit sports academy) called I Move London. The message was to move more around the city, to break the commuter-gym mould and explore London’s surroundings in order to move more. Take a minute to think about your commute, your journey to and from work … Does it involve a crowded, hot Tube journey? Does your schedule leave you with very little time to squeeze a workout in? For most people in London this is a daily reality. It’s so easy to go from bed, to bus, to tube to desk and back again, especially with increasingly busy lives. Not only does this mean that varied movement is limited, but it can also have the side effect of stress and terrible moods. As well as the physical benefits of moving more (which are always easier to see) the I Move London campaign also aimed to highlight the positive effects of movement on your wellbeing, mental health and mood. These are just as important, but often overlooked, when it comes to being more active. Is any of this ringing true for you? As we get back into the September grind, I challenge you to challenge your routine. It doesn’t need to be a huge change – how about walking past the first few bus stops in the morning or getting off the Tube a couple

WEEDING – some weeds are very harmful to your other plants so make sure you tackle any weeds such as bindweed which will strangle and take over your entire garden if you aren’t careful. CUTTING BACK – keep your shrubs healthy by not letting them get too “leggy”. By this we mean very long stalks and not much foliage until the top. Ideally, you should be cutting back enough for there to be green leaves throughout the entire plant. DEAD-HEADING – September can be a tremendous month for summer evenings and warm weather. Keeping the plants dead-headed will mean you flowers will bloom for even longer. Hooray! And, remember, we will still have periods of dry weather, so remember to water and make sure you do it at the end of the day. 66 If you need any advice or assistance in your garden feel free to call me on 07826 551353 and one of the team can come and sort you right out ;).

of stations early and walking the last leg to work? Take the stairs instead of the escalator (can you make it to the top first?). Walking is so simple but an incredibly effective way to move more and see your city at the same time. For those who may already walk or run all or part of your commute, could you add some extras in there? Maybe use that park bench for some press-ups or tricep dips. Get on the monkey bars in the park, use those steps you always pass for box jumps … Your training can easily become a part of your journey, saving time and money AND increasing the enjoyment factor – WIN! “This isn’t our city; it’s our playground, our gym, our race. Lets get off the buses, out from behind desks and get moving! Moving changes you for the better. But it all starts with you … Get moving … keep moving! @frankieholah @smsb_global #IMoveLondon

A top floor apartment with a sun-drenched roof terrace.

Matching people and property in London for over 160 years.

400-402 Coldharbour Lane, London, SW9 8LF www.marshandparsons.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2017

Hill Mead HERALD Ms LAWRENCE SPEAKS AT WALCOT FOUNDATION ANNIVERSARY

Performing and preparing for the Velveteen Rabbit Since January, Year 2 have been creating their performance of The Velveteen Rabbit. The children were inspired by their trip to the Unicorn Theatre to see the show as well as reading the original book by Margery Williams. Every child in Year 2 began to write their own scripts. To help with the writing, the class worked on role play and drama. After every child had written the six scenes, working together they

took the best lines, creating the final script. The children practised singing with Mr Jordan to prepare for the show. They also helped to design their set and make props, including pirate hooks, keys, toys and an ambulance. Ms Reid made wonderful costumes for the children. The children performed to the whole school as well as to their families and friends.

The Walcot Foundation charity celebrated 350 years of work in June. Hill Mead was honoured that deputy head Ms Lawrence was asked to speak at the event at the newly refurbished Garden Museum in Lambeth The Walcot Foundation recently gave Hill Mead a significant grant to progress our theatre enrichment programme and offer outreach workshops to parents. Most recently, the National Theatre organised parent workshops in preparation for the Year 1 performance of The Sea Serpent’s Daughter. The Walcot Foundation is the most significant local charity and, recognising our partnership, Ms Lawrence gave a speech about all that we have been able to provide children and parents, since receiving the grant. This year, with funding from the Foundation, we have been able to extend our theatre programme, participating in all of the National Theatre’s education projects and piloting a creative writing project with the Unicorn Theatre.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Home for 2 down (6) 4. Shoo (5) 7. Arrears (6) 8. Exculpate (5) 9. Flightless bird (4) 10. Moniker (8) 12. Cagiest lute (anag) (11) 17. One with seven siblings (8) 19. Level (4) 20. More! (6) 21. Coiffure (6) 22. Bear (5) 23. Towards a higher place (6)

OWN D 1. Nuptials (7) 2. Promiscuous: at it like (7) 3. Necessary (9) 4. Ignite (5) 5. Shiny-bright (7) 6. Way (6) 11. Up Ostrich (anag) (9) 13. Tempted (7) 14. Land of the free? (7) 15. Corrected (7) 16. Frank (6) 18. Do (5)

Our marvellous trip to Margate By Daniaayan and Afnan On a sunny Friday we went on a brilliant trip to Margate. I woke up at quarter past six and I felt so excited. We had to rush to get to school on time. The coach left at 8 o’clock. It took two hours to get there and some of us even fell asleep. When we got to Margate, we walked all the way to the pier and went up to the lighthouse and we saw the high tide splashing up to the beach. It nearly got everybody soaked. After, when we were eating our lunch, all the seagulls tried to steal our food. We had to chase them all away. Then we went to the beach

and built sandcastles and buried ourselves in the sand. We all got the chance to go in the sea. I loved the feeling of the water and I wanted to stay there all day. We were very lucky with the weather, it was a scorcher. When we had finished playing we went to get a Mr Whippy ice cream, it tasted like cream and it was delicious. Finally we went to the shop and we each had some money to spend. I bought a squishy crab and pink bubbles. It helped our learning because it was the first time I had ever been to the beach. We did lots of learning about the beach and under the sea at school.

Reception grow their own The Whole Kids Foundation awarded Hill Mead a garden grant enabling us to begin setting up some exciting new garden areas in school, one in Nursery and another in the playground for the whole school. We have been growing many types of fruits and vegetables including potatoes, radishes, spring onions and strawberries. Gardening club students have helped throughout the process and have loved finding out more about where their food has come from. They have also tasted foods they didn’t think they liked – until they grew and tasted them themselves! In Reception we have been visiting Moorland Garden Allotments every Friday. This has undoubtedly been one of the children’s favourite things to do each week. Loughborough Farmers have kindly donated many plants to us. We have taken part in many Natural Thinkers (a programme that supports teachers to connect children with nature) activities including finding natural and man-made materials in the garden,

sorting them and going on a bug hunt. The allotment has a nature area which we have used to release butterflies after watching their transformation from caterpillars to butterflies in class. We have enjoyed caring for our plot by weeding, watering and pruning all our produce. We can’t wait to get our green fingers back to work in September.

BRIXTON

Bugle SPORT

Dulwich on top in Tooting derby By Sandra Brobbey Dulwich Hamlet secured a 2-1 win against Tooting and Mitcham at Champion Hill in the first derby clash of the season with their the South London rivals. A second half brace from industrious Dulwich captain Kenny Beaney was enough to see the home side claim maximum points from a game in which Tooting took the lead in the fifth minute courtesy of a goal from Billy Dunn. The Terrors parked the bus for most of the first half in an effort to

protect their lead, stifling the Pink and Blue’s attacks in the final third. Dulwich started the second half strongly with winger Nyren Clunis coming close to scoring an equaliser with a shot in the 50th minute. A free kick struck by Beaney on the edge of the penalty area following a foul on Dumebi Dumaka saw Dulwich go level just before the hour mark. The home side began to dominate proceedings with more fluency in their attacks with Muhammadu Faal hitting the post shortly

after a header from Dumaka flew over. Dulwich scored a well worked second goal in the 80th minute when Kenny Beaney struck a low shot past Tooting goalkeeper Kyle Merson after Clunis had pulled the ball back to the edge of the penalty area. Dorking Wanderers will be up next for Dulwich in the Bostik Premier Division on Saturday 9 September. Before then the south Londoners will face Hastings United in a first round FA Cup qualifier at Champion Hill tomorrow (2 September).

New biography celebrates Bolt Usain Bolt, the fastest man on the planet, last month called time on a sprint career that has seen him win eight Olympic gold medals including the 100m and 200m at London 2012. While Bolt’s final races at the IAAF World Championships did not result in the gold victories that have been a prominent factor in his illustrious career, his past sporting achievements and his gracious humility will be remembered by many athletics fans across the globe. Bolt’s life story and domination of men’s 100m and 200m sprint is the subject of a new biography produced by Ian Randle Publishers and journalists from the Jamaica-based newspaper The Gleaner. The book, Usain Bolt – Legend, charts the prolific sprinter’s life story in pictures, from his childhood in the small Jamaican town of Sherwood Content, through his emergence as an up-and-coming sprinter, to his Olympic and World Championship victories which include breaking 100m and 200m world records.

Bag a book with the Bugle Brixton Bugle has a copy of the book to give away to one reader. If you are interested, please email your answer to the following question to sport@brixtonblog. com Please include your postal address with your reply. Q) In what year did Usain Bolt make his first appearance at the IAAF World Youth Championship?

NEWS EXTRA

Sleepless Brixton ☛☛ from front page for the behaviour of their customers. They want to work with Lambeth council, the police, local businesses and Transport for London to try to find solutions and compromises to tackle the problem. The campaigners believe a major reason for the upsurge in noise and anti-social behaviour is the night Tube. Campaigners other issues are: ●● The many new licensed venues in Brixton ●● New ultra-bright street

lighting, which, campaigners say, makes residential roads look like a high street, “so that you wouldn’t guess people live there” ●● The scrapping of Lambeth council’s late-night noise abatement service ●● The re-surfacing of many local roads with basalt blocks creating an “echo chamber” effect An initial lack of enforcement, campaigners say, has made amplified busking much worse. They also want to talk about solutions, like: ●● Meeting new businesses

and their door staff so they show customers routes that avoid local residential areas “just like the old businesses always have done” ●● Signs in the Tube station and on key street corners telling people they are in residential streets ●● Adjusting the levels of street lighting ●● Stopping amplified busking after 9pm ●● Starting street cleaning at a sensible times of day. ●● Allowing deliveries to be made during the day, not the middle of the night.

Look up – people live in Electric Avenue

Council, venues want to ‘strike a balance’ The Bugle asked Lambeth council, the Brixton Business Improvement District (BID), which represents most major night-times economy venues, TfL and police for their views. The police pointed out that the local authorities, rather than police forces, are the bodies empowered by legislation to deal with complaints about noise. And in informal meetings with Brixton residents local police officers have explained that what people complain about may be infuriating, but may not be a crime. Nigel Holness, Director of Network Operations for London Underground, said: “We understand how important it is to minimise noise for our neighbours. “We don’t tolerate any form of antisocial behaviour in or around our stations and we encourage our customers to respect fellow passengers and local residents. “There are signs in Brixton station directing people to the nearest public toilets, but we will speak with the local community to discuss what more we can do to reduce any noise and antisocial behaviour.”

24-hour city Cllr Donatus Anyanwu, Lambeth council’s Brixton neighbourhood lead, told the Bugle: “Brixton town centre is a thriving place where there are ever more job opportunities, places to go out and entertainment on offer. The streets are safer and venues are expected to

maintain high standards – otherwise their licences are reviewed. “The night Tube appears to be achieving London mayor Sadiq Khan’s vision of a 24-hour city, making it easier for people to go out at night, as well as making journey times quicker for shift workers. “With this success there can be local impacts. Lambeth council is keen to address these with the community and our partners. For example, in Brixton when it comes to street urination, the council has introduced pop-up urinals and encouraged businesses to open their facilities to the public. On-the-spot fines are also issued. “I have been meeting with businesses and church groups to discuss tackling noise in the town centre after feedback from residents. I also spoke to our waste management team on Friday to look at ways that their noise could be reduced. “We have asked City Hall for guidance on managing busking in Brixton town centre and work with Lambeth police to tackle anti-social behaviour. There is obviously a balance to be struck between the competing interests here – and we need to hear from the whole community to help us get it right.”

New ways of co-operating Pat Foster, owner of Market House, Nanban and the Satay Bar – and the man who saved the Ritzy (but has no connection with

the current Picturehouse management) – said that, for as long as he had been a night-time economy business owner in Brixton (nearly 40 years), “there has always been a vibrant, bustling and young crowd who have enjoyed the very few late-night bars that are only located in the centre of Brixton. “We are rigorously monitored both by officers from the Met police and Lambeth council on our night-time operations,” he said. “Almost without exception over the years, the managements of these venues have complied responsibly with all their demands, particularly in respect of late-night dispersal and our obligations to local residents. “Street urination in Brixton remains a problem at all times. Brixton businesses (both daytime and night-time) have repeatedly appealed, along with residents, to the local authority to find a solution to this problem. “The Brixton Business Improvement District has played a key role in assisting our understanding of – and our response to – the experiences of our town centre residents. “Businesses of the late-night economy are important to the success of the economy in Brixton, but we are always open to learning new ways of co-operating with residents. “It is important that our town centre residents are also open to our existence and the important role that we play in Brixton.”