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BRIXTON BUGLE YOUR FREE
No 70 | FEBRUARY 2019
Published monthly in and for Brixton
ISSN 2397-852X
BRIXTON MARKET IS SET FOR NEW ERA AND STYLE Plans for a new open-air mezzanine area with music in Brixton Village
The new owners of Brixton Village and Market Row have produced plans for the future of the indoor markets that appear to have music and foodie culture at their heart. But they have also reached agreement with a longstanding Brixton institution, the Healthy Eaters Caribbean restaurant on Electric Avenue after a lease dispute that got as far as court costing both sides tens of thousands of pounds. The owners will be applying to Lambeth council for planning changes for the market. Unfortunately, the Bugle was not allowed to see them at one of two “consultation” meetings in Brixton recently and those who were, were not allowed to take them away with them. Major change is already happening, with Photofusion that has its premies above Health eaters, moving out. The new owners are applying to the council to extend the opening hours of the indoor markets from 11 pm to midnight and to alter the balance between shops and bars and restaurants.
REPORT: Pages 4 and 5
Stafford Geohagen, proprietor of Healthy Eaters on Electric Avenue – lease renewed
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This has provoked fears that the character of the market might change. In a leaflet for residents the owners say: “We have worked to help maintain a space that is instantly identifiable as a safe, happy, exciting place to trade, shop and come together. “Much of the physical infrastructure of the Market had been neglected for many years. We have absorbed the cost of refurbishments which will upgrade the physical structure and facades of the Market. “We are helping to promote the Market to a wider audience with clearer wayfinding, events and music programming, and PR and marketing campaigns to help drive footfall for all traders.” The owners are also planning to build an open-air “mezzanine” area in Brixton Village.
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BRIXTON BUGLE brixtonblog.com 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 @brixtonblog brixtonblog.com
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Community campaign Brixton Green refuses to join council’s Somerleyton Road steering group Brixton Green, the community-led development campaign that plans to build truly affordable housing in Brixton, has after more than a decade decided to pull out of any further work with Lambeth council. Explaining the decision, taken by its board of trustees, Brixton Green chair Dinah Roake said: “We have worked incredibly hard to place a shared vision of community led housing at the forefront of the Somerleyton Road development. “We are proud of the impact our members have had on the mixed uses, housing standards, and the design, which has planning permission, and in putting together a strong body of work on how the housing can be 100% rented, be managed by the community and developed at no cost to the council. “Our members wanted a true partnership with community-led decision. Unfortunately, Lambeth council’s actions have shown us
that it has neither the appetite nor the capacity to work with the community on this development.” “Since May 2018, the council has not acted collaboratively, and the pledge signed by Lambeth Labour to fully support a community-led approach has been broken. “We cannot, in good conscience, be associated with their proposal to join a steering group which smacks more of placation than real partnership. “Should the position change and Lambeth show a genuine desire to share decision-making with the community, we stand ready to assist. “In the meantime, we are considering the future of Brixton Green – what role it might take in Lambeth and in promoting our model elsewhere.” The council’s cabinet agreed in January to develop the Somerleyton Road site using its wholly owned Homes for Lambeth organisation.
New managing director for Black Cultural Archives Black Cultural Archives (BCA) has appointed Arike Oke as its new managing director. According to the BCA, her role, when she takes over from current director Paul Reid in March, “will be to drive BCA’s mission to use its unique collection to promote the teaching, learning and understanding of African and Caribbean people’s history and heritage in Britain, as well as leading
the strategic development of BCA, delivering against a business plan and fundraising strategy for the long-term sustainability for the organisation.” Oke secured significant funding for a national cross-sector multi-platform programme to commemorate the dance company Rambert’s 90th anniversary. BCA chair Dawn Hill said: “Arike is the perfect person to join BCA.”
Protest is child’s play at town hall Families protesting against the planned closure of five children’s centres by Lambeth council staged a play-in in the reception area at the Town Hall in Brixton in January. They marched in and set up their rugs and toys for the children to play while the parents made their point to the council. Council officers and staff stood back and made no move to stop the protest. Jennifer Brathwaite, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for children and young people, agreed to meet the protesters. She had said earlier that recent government cuts and changes to grant funding meant Lambeth council has a £1.4 million budget gap for its children’s centres. It is consulting on proposals to reorganise the centres. The consultation closes on 10 February. The “play-in” was organised jointly by Lambeth Unison, the trade union that organises staff in the children’s centres, and Lambeth Save Our Services (SOS), a campaign group. Becky Crocker, a local parent and Lambeth SOS
campaigner, said: “We’re fighting to stop the closure of our children’s centres because we need to. Pressure on remaining centres will increase dramatically, at a time when parents are already being turned away because stayand-play and other sessions are oversubscribed.” Kelly Rogers, Lambeth Unison organiser, said that, in the long run, the proposals would cost the council more than it hopes to save by the closures. The planned reorganisation will see Lambeth divided into six “cluster” areas – two of which will be in Brixton because of its size and density of population – with 11 “core centres”. The council’s entire budget for children’s services in the current financial year is more than £70 million. The Sutton Trust, a charity promoting social mobility, has estimated that as many as 1,000 children’s centres in England may have closed since the government ended specific funding for the Sure Start scheme that was launched by the late Tessa Jowell, former
MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, in 1998. Brathwaite said: “We are proud to have an excellent network of 23 children’s centres in Lambeth and proud that we have kept these vital services for Lambeth families despite eight years of cuts from the Tory government. “Our proposals protect 18 children’s centres and will continue to provide excellent services in the borough for young children. “Unfortunately, the funding challenge does mean withdrawing funding from five centres. “This is a tough decision, but one we have made based on centres’ locations and accessibility to them for most parents, the number of Lambeth children who use each centre and ensuring that we continue to provide services that support the families who are in the greatest need.” The Lambeth Green party, the official opposition on the council, called for a workplace parking levy, reining in spending on additional councillor allowances and a four-day week for council employees to help keep the centres open.
NEWS 3
FEBRUARY 2019 brixtonblog.com
Probe council’s financial affairs, two former Labour councillors urge government Two former Lambeth Labour counof their request for intervention. cillors have called on central gov“Our complaint is that Lambeth ernment to appoint commissioners council engaged us in a five-year to investigate the council’s “failure process to take ownership of the to conduct its financial affairs in Carnegie library that required enoraccordance with the law”. mous amounts of work by volunCarol Boucher and Fred Taggart teers and professional consultants, are, respectively, the former chair as well as £100k of council grant and secretary of the Carnegie expenditure,” they told the minister. Community Trust who resigned “We embarked on this process these posts when, after more than with the benefit of repeated perfive years of work, Lambeth counsonal assurances from the leader cil rejected the trust’s plan to of the council, the deputy leader take over the Carnegie library in and appropriate cabinet members Herne Hill via a process known as that, provided we complied with asset transfer. Lambeth’s requirements and proTheir call comes after local duced a viable proposal, they would government secretary James transfer the building to a charitaBrokenshire rejected, via a letter ble body. from a junior civil servant, an ear“It is not right that just before lier appeal to intervene over what concluding what was Lambeth counBoucher and Taggart describe as cil’s own asset transfer process it “serious failings” in the council’s financial management and decision-making and its use of public money and assets. The local government department told them that “the validity of individual spending decisions” was A Defend the Ten vigil at the library not a matter for government auditors. It conceded that it has powers to should be able to simply and unilatinvestigate councils, but only “in erally terminate the process.” exceptional cases of most serious They ask the minister to act to concern and systemic failure”. “create a level playing field between Fred Taggart who is honorary seca local authority and the voluntary/ retary of the Brixton Advice Centre community sector in asset transon Railton Road and has worked fer processes” that would prevent with it for more than 30 years, was a council starting the asset transfer awarded an MBE for services to of a building to a community group regeneration and charity in 2016. and then arbitrarily stopping it withCarol Boucher ran her own marketout good reason. ing business for many years. The Carnegie Community Trust The two have frequently been was set up in 2012 with the intention condemned by Defend the Ten camof taking ownership, via asset transpaigners, who want the Carnegie fer from the council, of the library. library to continue to be run by But after hundreds of hours of volLambeth council, as being agents of unteer work over five years, a grant its ruling Labour group. of £100,000 from the council, and an Their most recent letter to James assurance from the council’s chosen Brokenshire says they are “puzzled advisers, the giant accounting firm and surprised” by his interpretation PWC, that the trust’s plans were
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viable, the council decided to lease most of the building to its leisure provider GLL. Boucher and Taggart point out that there was no tender for this move and that, at a stroke, it destroyed the trust’s business plan. The private gym that GLL has installed in the basement of the building will not pay rent for several years and the council itself paid for the expensive excavation of the basement. The remaining four members of the trust have continued to work with the council and have been advertising since October last year for a project manager on an eightmonth contract. They have been offered a lease by the council, but not, so far, an asset transfer. Cllr Sonia Winifred, Lambeth cabinet member for equalities and culture, said: “Carnegie library is fully open and operational, with a new gym in the basement, expanding the building’s offer to residents and protecting the library’s future for many years to come. “We’ve worked hard and invested to keep all our libraries open in the face of severe cuts to our budget, while hundreds of libraries in other areas across the country have been closed in recent years. “The council is still working with the Carnegie Community Trust and the group have a presence in the building with a view to completing the asset transfer process. “GLL and the CCT have had constructive meetings about working alongside each other in the building. Future rent will include a share of profits from the gym. “Lambeth council has successfully undertaken several asset transfer agreements in recent years and we hope that the Carnegie and CCT agreement will work in much the same way as others.”
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Brixton Soup Kitchen is to extend its help to local people in need by offering confidence-boosting counselling. Kitchen founder Solomon Smith has teamed up with life coach Sarah Jones (above) to run regular “motivation” sessions at the Coldharbour Lane base, helping to give visitors the confidence to get into work.
Top award for local education centre London Connected Learning Centre (CLC), a pioneer in digital leaning and critical thinking in education, has won a top award for its work with local schools, including Brixton’s Hill Mead primary. It won the support and service category at the BETT show, the most high-profile awards in the educational technology sector. Sarah Horrocks, CLC London co-director said: “It’s particularly satisfying to have our work with schools validated at a time when there is a renewed focus on the potential for technology to support learning and school life. “We are proud to have an exceptional track record of improving teaching and learning with 100% of teachers telling us that pupil learning outcomes improve following attendance at our curriculum support workshops and CPD sessions.”
Reports of a major hotel development in Brixton on the old Quin & Axtens site now housing the Barnado’s charity shop have prompted questions about what is happening to the proposed hotel on the Superdrug site next to Marks & Spencer that received planning permission in March last year But, to date, there has been no movement to build the planned five-storey hotel. In the process of the planning application and the toings and froings surrounding it, Alan Culverhouse, proprietor of the independent, popular and long-established SW9 bar surrendered his lease. But the SW9 bar is still open and Alan has been granted a one-year lease extension. The problem is that many people believe the SW9 bar is, or is about to be, closed. The Bugle is happy to confirm that it is open and remains firm favourite of ours. SW9 is open from 4.30pm Monday through Thursday and from 10.30am Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It’s local. independent, near the Tube yet off the main tourist trail and serves a great Sunday roast for just £10. It’s the real Brixton .
New leader for Lambeth Cllr Jack Hopkins will be leader of Lambeth council following his selection by the Labour group of councillors. The selection follows current Leader Cllr Lib Peck’s announcement she would be stepping down from the role after six years. She is
also stepping down as a councillor and taking up the role of director of the Mayor of London’s Violence reduction unit. Cllr Hopkins said: “I’m delighted and honoured to be chosen to lead this wonderful borough. Lambeth is a place of energy, creativity and
diversity, with fantastic community groups, an engaged voluntary sector and businesses that want to play their part. “As leader, I want to bring Lambeth together and I’m optimistic that we’ve got the energy and skills to tackle the challenges we face.”
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4 BRIXTON MARKET brixtonblog.com Change is coming to Brixton Market. Its new owners’ strategy would appear to see music and catering for ‘foodies’ as the way to get the rents up. But, in the process, some of the things that make Brixton unique are under threat. Tim Gopsill and Alan Slingsby report
Healthy Eaters keeps its lease at a cost of £40,000 and increased rent When Hondo Enterprises “and its investors” announced the purchase of Market Row and Brixton Village, they promised: “The market is at the heart of Brixton’s community and under our stewardship its unique character will be secured for the long term”. Hondo said it would develop plans “to protect and enhance the market”. The experience of one longstanding trader at the centre of Brixton’s community calls this pledge into question. It is a complex story involving lawyers, the complexities of commercial leases and the rights of tenants and landlords. Stafford Geohagen is the proprietor of Healthy Eaters, whose Electric Avenue Caribbean food takeaway and eat-in also has a frontage on Market Row. It is, he points out, “a prime location”. Its high quality, reasonably priced food is in big demand and Stafford himself is active in the community as a member of the management board of Brixton’s Business Improvement District and chair of the Brixton Village and Market Row Traders Association. He could, for instance, not attend the unveiling of a plaque marking his support for the African Caribbean war memorial in Windrush Square last year because he had been up most of the night before preparing food for an Armistice Day dinner in Lambeth Town Hall for veterans of the armed forces. He began selling food from a caravan in the market 15 years ago and has been in his current premises for nearly ten years.
New lease
The owners of Brixton Market are calling for “food entrepreneurs, start-ups, supper club starters, street food junkies and even amateur cooks” to enter a contest to be “the next Brixton Village food idea!” The winning chef will get a rent-free outside plot in Granville Court on Coldharbour Lane opposite Carlton Mansions – soon to be part of the new Ovalhouse theatre. Tiendieta Del Sabor, the popular Venezuelan street food that lost its site when the market was sold because it did not have local authority permission to trade there has been invited to take part.
Foodie judges Jackson Boxer, James Cochran and Claire Ptak
2019 FEBRUARY
Far from the new owners of the market working with him, they saw a discrepancy in the terms of his lease and said it meant that he could not trade as a food outlet. They told him that to continue to do so, he would have to sign a new lease that did not carry the right to be renewed automatically. Stafford had to spend £40,000 of his own money on lawyers’ fees, beginning in April last year, before his new landlords changed their mind in early February. It was not Hondo that he was fighting in court, but one of its partner Angelo Gordon’s Amsterdam-based companies that are the registered owners of the market. Its legal fees were well over £100,000. A Hondo spokesman said that this was because AG Brixton Market and AG Brixton Village are the ownership vehicles for Hondo and its investors, adding: “These are therefore the entities which constitute the market’s ‘legal personality’.” “I won’t be bullied by a giant company because they can spend more than me,” Stafford said. He had reached agreement on a renewal of his lease with the previous leaseholder of the entire market, Market Village, shortly before the freeholder, London and Associated Properties (LAP) sold Brixton Village and Market Row. The new owners, in the shape of Hondo Enterprises, who say they also bought the overall market lease from Market Village, said this agreement did not apply to them and demanded big rent increases. But it was not this that took Stafford to court. Whether it was Hondo, its advisers Bruce Gillingham Pollard, or Angelo Gordon – whose
Healthy Eaters and, above it, the striking first-floor home that Photofusion is to vacate. Below: Stafford Geohagen
name was on the court papers – a remarkable legal approach was used to pressure Stafford to agree to their terms. On taking over the market, the new owners discovered that the premises used by Healthy Eaters had been leased to be used as an “A1” establishment – basically a retail shop. Healthy Eaters, because it serves food on the premises, requires “A3” premises which, even though it has been selling food for almost 10 years, were not in its lease. LAP had agreed with Stafford ten years earlier that he could operate Healthy Eaters in this way. The issue was not council planning permission – which allows A3 use of Healthy Eaters’ premises – it was purely the new owners’ decision to ignore nine years of operation as a food shop with the previous owner’s agreement. The terms of most commercial leases in Britain are governed by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. This lays down that a tenant has the right to a new lease when an existing one expires. But landlords and tenants can “contract out” of the terms of the Act, with the tenant losing the right to an automatic renewal of their lease. Hondo/Angelo Gordon told Stafford that they could only agree to renew his lease “inside the Act” – retaining his right to automatic renewal – if he traded as a retail shop. To continue to trade as Healthy Eaters, Hondo told him, he had to agree to the new terms “outside the Act” with no automatic renewal at the end of his lease and a rent review to “market rent” every three years. To him, this did not seem very much like securing the unique character of Brixton Market.
‘This is my legacy’
Signing a lease “outside the Act” would, at a stroke, remove his security. “This is my wife’s legacy. This is my sons’ legacy. This is my daughters’ legacy,” he says. “This is what feeds the 22 members of staff that I have and their families as well.” As the Bugle went to press, the lawyers representing the market owners agreed not to enforce their wishes in response to an offer from Stafford that he would agree, more or less, to their rent demands but that he would stay “inside the Act”. Those rent demands mean that, with a £30,000 a
year service charge, Healthy Eaters will be paying rent rising to £112,000 a year from April 2020. This was not all. A suggestion, now withdrawn, is an indicator of how the new owners of the market may be thinking about its future. They discussed an option of taking as rent 7% of Healthy Eaters’ annual turnover (total income before taking account of any expenses) . Stafford explains: his popular Caribbean food is healthy, high quality and inexpensive. He achieves this triple attraction by a high volume of sales at a low profit margin – so his turnover is high compared to his profit.
Direct threat to business model
Hondo’s suggestion of 7% of his turnover in the form of rent would be a problem for this business model. The higher the turnover, the higher the rent, with actual profit disregarded. It would, however, have favoured a low turnover, high profit margin approach, threatening businesses like Stafford’s that make Brixton Market what it is, and ushering in the sort of businesses that can be found all over London at places like Borough and Spitalfields markets, whose customers are not local working people, but tourists. A 7% turnover option would also have favoured businesses that boost their profits by refusing to pay the London Living Wage, which currently stands at £10.55 an hour. Stafford, on the other hand, pays all his staff this as a minimum and urges all Brixton businesses to do the same. A Hondo spokesman said turnover rents are a common feature of retail leases in London and across the country, and something that many tenants enjoy in order to keep their base rents low. “We discussed this as an option with Healthy Eaters, but they didn’t want this. “Healthy Eaters have now renewed their tenancy after we accepted terms based on an offer that they made and we are pleased they will be remaining as part of the Market.” Stafford, as chair of the Brixton Village and Market Row Traders Association, is trying to organise a united front of traders. He is all too aware that not many traders have the tens of thousands of pounds in the bank that are needed to take issue with Hondo/Angelo Gordon.
Arts organisation must leave the market after 28 years Higher rents and charges are driving out a photographic arts organisation after 28 years in Brixton Market. Photofusion is moving out of the upper floor of Market Row, along Electric Lane and above Healthy Eaters (see above) where it has studios, a picture library
and exhibition space in which it shows the work of London photographers and runs training courses. It has a staff of eight and dozens of freelance photographers are involved in its work. But in March Photofusion is switching to a smaller space because it cannot afford the rent
that Hondo wants to charge. It is moving to International House, the former council offices that are being let to social enterprises, including the Brixton Blog and Bugle, at reduced rents. A director of Photofusion (who did not want her name published) said that Hondo had
not demanded a specific increase but that discussions with the new market owner had made it clear they would not be able to stay. Because its new space will be smaller, Photofusion asked photographers whose pictures it holds to take them away. It told them that the move was “not our
choice, but nevertheless it has to be done. We’re going to have to clear out our physical archive as there will not be space to house it in our new building.” Hondo market chief Alistair Maddox declined to tell the Bugle what use might be made of the large first floor studio space.
FEBRUARY 2019 brixtonblog.com BRIXTON MARKET 5
The micro-entity that says it owns Brixton Village and Market Row The Brixton Bugle and Blog reported Hondo’s statement last year that it and “its investors” had bought Brixton market. But we remained curious. We invested the £3 fee needed to see one of the official UK Land Registry records for Brixton Village. It showed that the site is owned by an Amsterdam-based company that is clearly part of the empire of Angelo Gordon, a large multinational hedge fund with head offices in New York. There appear to be a total of six Angelo Gordon companies registered in Amsterdam that have an interest in Brixton Market. They have names like AG Brixton Village B.V. and AG UK Brixton Village Coöperative U.A. Hondo Enterprises is not a massive company. Records at the official UK government business registration body, Companies House, show that it has just one director, Texan DJ Taylor McWilliams and that it is a “microentity” company. Such a company can file abbreviated accounts that may not need to be audited. To qualify as a micro entity, a company must have at least two of the following: ●● a turnover of £632,000 or less ●● £316,000 or less on its balance sheet
●● 10 employees or less These did not seem to us to be attributes of a company that had just spent more than £37 million pounds to buy the heart of Brixton and was using top lawyers and property consultants to wrangle its tenants’ leases. It is usual for companies that borrow from or use the assets of another company to record this in Companies House records. We can find no such records for Hondo Enterprises. A Hondo spokesman said: “We have explained the ownership structure of Brixton Market. The structure has not changed. AG Brixton Market and AG Brixton Village are the ownership vehicles for Hondo and its investors. Hondo are managing all aspects of Brixton Market.” The company’s latest filing of information at Companies House, on 7 December last year, are for accounts for the year ending 30 December 2017 and are in the name of Hondo Asset Manager Ltd. These show that the company remains a micro-entity with a share capital of £100 and assets of £339,938 – up from £107,733 in 2016 – and liabilities of £229,927.
Council says that it will work to preserve character
Rough map showing the site of the proposed new open-air mezzanine area
More music mooted for a new market mezzanine Hondo Enterprises says it is planning a temporary raised mezzanine area for community activities in a little-used part of the market. The space between Third Avenue in Brixton Village and the railway viaduct that crosses Popes Road, at first floor level, will be transformed into an open area of decking that, Hondo says, would “bring this underutilised space to life, creating an area that can be used for workshops, local art, music and theatre groups, community meetings, and leisure activities such as yoga and meditation during the day. “We believe this location at the
heart of Brixton can offer units providing food and drink for people to relax or socialise with friends.” The aim is to provide “communal and event space to increase dwell time and raise footfall.” The company is submitting a planning application to the council for three years, in addition to the awaited application for changes of use through the covered market. Hondo’s market boss Alistair Maddox, who formerly managed the Broadway Market in Hackney, told residents that public music events had worked well in other markets, making a more pleasant atmosphere for visitors.
Lambeth council says it will try to work with the new owners to preserve the character of central Brixton. A spokesman told the Bugle: “The traders at the Brixton Village and Market Row are hugely valued by the council and we are keenly aware of their concerns. “We have sought assurances from the new owners that they respect and preserve the existing character of this key community asset. “The covered markets are privately owned, meaning the council is not able to get involved in direct landlord and tenant negotiations. “But the council will seek to work with Hondo Enterprises and use our broader powers under planning and other laws to ensure that the mix of businesses and the character of the market is preserved.”
Sleepless Brixton Planning application wary about future is kept under wraps
Property purchase was ‘blind to open market’ First reports of the sale of Brixton Market by London and Associated Properties were confused. At first, it was confidently announced in the London Standard that a consortium led by Irish property developer Aidan Brooks had beaten Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct, already owner of a site in nearby Pope’s Road, to buy the market for £37.3 million. But, in the end, Hondo Enterprises announced that it “and its investors” had bought the property. The explanation for this confusion may lie in a case study on the website of the property consultant Bruce Gillingham Pollard (BGP). It says that it engineered the purchase in a way that was “blind to the open market”. BGP describes itself as “the leading niche agency offering creative property solutions to the UK’s most prestigious property owners, developers, retailers and restaurateurs”. It says that “acting for Hondo Enterprises and Angelo Gordon” it acquired Brixton Market and Market Row for £37,250,000 and also acquired the “overriding leasehold interest”
for a confidential sum. BGP boasts that it was able to draw on “extensive occupier relationships and contacts” to “engineer a purchase structure that was blind to the open market”. Woody Bruce of BGP said of the purchased property that: “The assets, in our opinion, were heavily under rented and we held detailed conversations with both existing and potential occupiers”. He said BGP’s track record in the central London leisure market and its wider market strength in the investment market ensured that it was able to “maximise value though the transaction” and adds: “We are now implementing the asset management strategy”. A Hondo spokesman said BGP “form part of our consultant team, supporting us in renewing tenants’ leases.” Bruce Gillingham Pollard has more than one interest in South London property. In May 2017, the Dulwich Estate – which owns swathes of land around the private fee-paying school Dulwich College, including shops in Herne Hill – appointed the company as its sole retail and leisure agent.
Central Brixton residents are worried that later opening, more bars and the new raised open communal space might lead to more noise and disturbance late in the evenings. Karin Christiansen of Sleepless Brixton, the residents group that campaigns against late-night noise, said it had been reassured by Hondo that the changes it wants to make are positive, but she said they could carry risks of abuse in future. With the later opening, she said, the worry might be that some establishments would continued to serve later than 11pm. The new open-air mezzanine space could be very noisy, she said/ The area should be sound-protected and not be licensed to sell alcohol. “I am convinced that they are trying to make the plan work,” said Christiansen/ “The challenge is not what they are going to do but what it might lead to further on.”
The new owners of Brixton’s indoor markets are working hard to win over local people worried that commercial development could wreck its character. Hondo Enterprises is proposing changes to how the market is run and imposing rises in rents, charges and conditions that could drive out some traders. It is applying to the council to extend opening hours from 11 pm to midnight, and to shift the balance from retail to bars and restaurants. Potentially, half of the shop fronts in the Market Row and Brixton Village could become bars or restaurants; at present 70 per cent are still retail premises. There are worries that the character of the market might change with chain restaurants replacing food, textile and clothing or household shops; and that night-time noise could get worse. The extra hour of opening would be solely for traders to clear up, market boss Alistair Maddox told residents in two consultation sessions organised by the owners. At present, premises are closed at 11pm, but it is 11.30
before the gates are rolled down. In the new plans, everything would be cleared up by midnight. In a leaflet to residents, Hondo said: “We have worked to help maintain a space that is instantly identifiable as a safe, happy, exciting place to trade, shop and come together. Much of the physical infrastructure of the Market had been neglected for many years. We have absorbed the cost of refurbishments which will upgrade the physical structure and facades. “We are helping to promote the Market to a wider audience with clearer wayfinding, events and music programming, and PR and marketing campaigns to help drive footfall for all traders.” At the sessions for residents, Maddox passed round draft copies of the planning application to Lambeth Council, though the copies had to be returned, he said, because such applications cannot be made public until they are formally submitted – though this was only a draft. A reporter for the Brixton Blog and Bugle was refused permission even to look at the document.
6 CREATIVE BRIXTON brixtonblog.com
FEBRUARY 2019
ARTS
Energy creativity and confidence
A European drama that we can laugh about Leslie Manasseh talks to director Kristine Landon-Smith, about what made her choose her latest South London production
By Leslie Manasseh As trailed in December’s Bugle, Bloomberg New Contemporaries is now on show in the South London Gallery in Peckham. One of the leading platforms for contemporary art has selected this top notch space to host a wide range of work from emerging artists. The selection panel chose 57 artists from a process of open submission, and the result is a curated cross-section of drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, performance and video. The works address issues ranging from migration and borders, cultural and gender identity and the use of technology, mixing serious comments with fun and irreverence. Unsurprisingly the show is something of a mixed bag. There are some genuinely arresting pieces which delight, engage and provoke. Heidi Maribut’s IMPORT IN(CHOIR) is an elaborate installation which fascinates and amuses while you seek to unravel its meaning as a comment on contemporary living. Using a more traditional medium, Rebecca Harper’s Stouping is a wonderfully dynamic
piece of representational art that compresses lots of possible narratives and questions about the scene caught in a single snapshot. Louis Bennett’s The Touch of That Vapour, the Inhaling of its Pungent Wisps is a dark and rather pessimistic political comment wrapped in a glossy, comic book type illustration. Tom Waring’s Hurnebaal has echoes of Max Escher as it juxtaposes and plays with organic forms, bits of detritus and geometric planes all brought together with a sense of drama and movement and a fine technique. Sam Henty’s Eborakon Ofrior is a gruesome tableau in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry. A similarly Top: Viviana Troya, Hatchery Left: Rebecca Harper, Stouping
Capitalism chases its tail in Block 336 Process Accelerator 2.0 by Finnish artist, Anu Suhonen, is a large-scale installation, comprising video and 3D printed sculptural objects. The exhibition presents a factory that chases maximum productivity, reflecting on late capitalism’s push for constant economic growth. Like a snake eating its own tail at an ever-increasing pace, Process Accelerator 2.0 explores technological advancement, mass production, and short-lifespan goods – considering the effects this vicious circle has on the environment and its limited resources. AAThe exhibition runs from 9 February to 9 March, Thursday – Saturday, 12 – 6 pm in Block 336, 336 Brixton Road SW9, 7AA.
dark – if more witty – comment on where we have come to as a society, is Viviana Troya’s Hatchery. Anna Reading’s sculpture, Economy Class, is an amusing and clever reminder of the discomfort most of us have experienced when travelling. Penance by Camilla Hanney uses an intricate pattern of holes burned in a fabric to tell a rather haunting story of pain and beauty. As you would expect, there is a fair amount of video work. Some of it is engaging and provoking, although a 40-minute magnum opus set a test of commitment and patience which I failed. Most of the work has much to commend it. Some, however, reminded me of the great American novelist, Philip Roth’s words when, around 20 years ago, he described one of the scourges of the modern world as “the hyperdramatization (sic) of the pettiest emotions”. It was a prescient insight expressed in a typically muscular and unapologetic form. That said, this is a show worth seeing. Lots of energy, creativity and confidence make for an enjoyable experience and an insight into the shape and direction of the contemporary art world. AABloomberg New Contemporaries runs until 24 February in the South London Gallery, Main Building 65–67 Peckham Road, SE5 8UH and Fire Station, 82 Peckham Road, SE15 5LQ. Entry is free and the gallery is open Tuesday – Friday 11am – 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am – 6pm. It is open until 9pm on Wednesdays and the last Friday of the month. For more, visit southlondongallery.org.
Shortly after the end of the second world war, a third-rate orchestra is playing to an indifferent audience. Behind the scenes tensions simmer and battles rage between the players … This is the setting for The Orchestra – a little-known play by the celebrated French playwright, Jean Anouilh – presented by Teatro Latino in Clapham’s Omnibus Theatre. “It’s a bit of an unknown and unusual gem based around a lovely conceit which has lots of different elements,” says LandonSmith. The play is not about the music or the performance. It’s about the interaction between the musicians during the interludes. This simple mechanism of idle workplace chatter – albeit just after the catastrophe of the war – discloses anxieties, jealousies, suspicions and exposes broken lives. But it’s also funny. The dialogue is light and witty – even about a subject as dark as which members might have collaborated with the Germans. How to make the comedy in the text work with the actors on stage makes for some tricky directorial challenges. Landon-Smith believes that The Orchestra, like all good writing, both stands the test of time and has something to say about the contemporary world. Coincidentally it is being staged amid a major European debacle where loyalties, social cohesion, honesty and integrity are being severely tested. “The one thing the French can bring to the theatre is humour,” says Landon-Smith. This is a time when humour in matters European is in very short supply. So a night at the theatre to see The Orchestra could be a welcome break. AAThe Orchestra runs until 17 February at the Omnibus Theatre, 1 Clapham Common Northside, London, SW4 0LH. For further information see omnibus-clapham.org/ the-orchestra or call 020 7498 0544
Month long festival sets up camp in Clapham 96 FESTIVAL, a no-holds-barred extravaganza of queerness and theatre, returns to Omnibus Theatre from 20 February to 24 March. Events and performances setting up camp in the Clapham Northside venue span comedy, cabaret, drag, burlesque, theatre, music, art and activism. Headlining is writer and director Sarah Chew’s Lipstick: a Fairy Tale of Iran, a story of rage and redemption straddling Tehran, Derry and London. Republica and The Morning After the Night Before are highlight productions that open the festival. Republica is a fusion of anarchic
theatre and dance, presented by a trio of creatives including flamenco dancer and performance artist Juan Carlos Otero. It celebrates the ideals and achievements and Spain’s Second Republic which preceded the civil war. The Morning After the Night Before, from Irish theatre company Guna Nua, is a personal story of Ireland before and after the referendum on marriage equality and promises an entertaining tale of weddings, “coming out” and arguments over who takes out the bins. AAomnibus-clapham.org/96-festival-2019 AABrixton LGBT+ history month – p17
FEBRUARY 2019 brixtonblog.com CREATIVE BRIXTON 7
MUSIC
Happy anniversary Dave Randall looks below the bassline at the Brixton roots of a legendary music culture In these divisive and fraught times let’s take a moment to appreciate one “B” word that helps to unite people: Bass. In an excellent BBC Four documentary On Bass screened last month and still available online, Talking Heads bass player Tina Weymouth investigates the extra ordinary journey travelled by bass over the last century. She charts how the modest low-end of acoustic rhythm sections, or “fat man at the back” as one player put it, evolved into the brash and bombastic star of new electronic dance music. One interviewee is Dizzee Rascal whose tune Bonkers became an anthem of the 2012 London Olympics. If one image from those games that fostered a sense of global unity and celebration was Usain’s “Lightning Bolt”, another was
the sight of international crowds joyfully pogoing to the Bonkers’ bass drop. In the documentary Rascal tells us that this, one of his biggest hits, nearly never was. He made the mistake of auditioning the demo sent by producer Armand Van Helden on his phone – a device ill-equipped to reveal the power of the synth bass – and nearly passed on the tune. An evolutionary leap for bass in
the UK began with the arrival of the Windrush generation. Young men looking for a good time found themselves excluded from London’s pubs and clubs by racist door policies. Some decided to put on their own dances in homes and community halls, bringing in speakers, a turntable and some choice cuts on vinyl. In so doing they gave birth to a legendary musical culture. The documentary fleetingly acknowledges the importance of Brixton to the sound system story thanks to an interview with Don Letts. But what Letts doesn’t mention is that Brixton can lay claim to hosting the UK’s earliest documented sound clash. Local historian Kelly Foster told me about the competition, held in the Lambeth Assembly Hall in 1956. One sound system was from Notting Hill, probably Duke Vin’s Tickler, and the other Brixton’s Count Suckle Sound. In the decades following that clash, as rhythm & blues, ska, blue beat and rocksteady gave way to
This year we’ve decided to Hi-Five local musical movers and shakers. We’ll ask five questions to get to know the people who play regularly or contribute in other ways to Brixton’s live music scene. Kyle McInnis kicks off the new series: What do you do and where do you do it? I’m a freelance Tuba player and I play gospel keyboard. I also work in secondary education. On a Saturday morning I do a few hours for Lambeth Music Service Saturday centre, where we develop the musical skills of young people.
Favourite memories of playing in Brixton? I’ve had many memorable gigs in Brixton in recent years but one of my favourites was in 2015 with Brixton-based brass band Brasstermind. We played one of the closing sets on the Village Green Stage at the Lambeth Country Show. It was a packed show with great weather and a responsive crowd: a musician’s dream.
BRIXTON
Favourite album of all time and why?
My favourite album has to be Portraits of a Legend by Sam Cooke. This album has many of Sam Cooke’s hit songs as well as popular numbers with the gospel group Soul Stirrers. The rawness and passion in his voice make it so easy to understand and really feel his songs. Sam Cooke will never grow old.
HI-FIVE
What are you listening to at the moment? At the moment I am tuned into the new wave of music coming from London artists. In particular new albums from Theon Cross and Mark Kavuma. Though their music is rooted in jazz, you can hear an eclectic mix of influences coming from both their culture and heritage that make their music very original and fascinating to listen to.
Where can we hear you next? You can catch me at the Brixton Blues Kitchen playing with Brasstermind on the second Saturday of the month. Also, look out for new music being released independently later in the year.
roots reggae, lovers rock and dub, bass became king. Today sound systems compete to find out not only who has the best tunes, but also the most bone-shaking, Babylonquaking sound. If you’ve never experienced a sound system get along to the Brixton Electric on Friday 8 February and help Channel One celebrate their 40th anniversary. Expect dub reggae classics with the richest of heavyweight bass delivered by a wall of hand-crafted speaker cabinets. Selector Mikey Dread (left) and his brother Jah T (both above) began playing at blues parties and local dances under the watchful eye of their father, owner and operator of
Admiral Bailey Sound. They chose the name Channel One in homage to the legendary Jamaican record label of the same name, whose tunes featured heavily in their early selections. Mikey describes Channel One’s mission as breaking down barriers via reggae music. That mission feels as urgent now as ever. Happy anniversary Channel One – may others be inspired by your example. Whether it’s upright and swinging, smooth and grooving, deep and dub-stepping, digital, analogue, acoustic or brass, may bass continue to lay the foundation for some unity. AADave Randall is a musician and author of Sound System: The Political Power of Music.
8 YOUTH VIOLENCE brixtonblog.com
Don’t give up
FEBRUARY 2019
Do you think there is nothing you can do when you hear of another child murderer or murder victim? Do you, perhaps, buy drugs in Brixton? Delores William, who has been talking to people about the problem of youth violence, says it is everybody’s problem London mayor Sadiq Khan talks to Pastor Lorraine Jones at Dwaynamics that he chose to launch a new knife crime strategy in 2017. Khan called on the government to reverse cuts to the youth service which had lost nearly £400 million in cuts nationally since 2010 Last year 2018 was a particularly awful year for young Black men in London. Headlines screamed that London had overtaken New York in the murder stats. I, like a lot of people, felt despair, anger, helplessness and an overwhelming feeling of sadness. Speaking to mothers and looking on social media it was clear that many parents have made up their minds not to let their young sons out of the house and, from my own experience, there are a lot of young boys and men who choose to stay at home, which is so sad. Childhoods spent in their bedrooms living life through phones and computers. Into 2019, and we have already seen a slew of murders and stabbings.
THE PROBLEM
I was scanning Twitter one morning when I came across a thread of Tweets from Abimbola Johnson, a highly regarded criminal defence barrister at 25 Bedford Row chambers. She is aware of the scope and nature of the problem. A lot of the young men she defends look just like her younger brothers, she says. She is horrified that when a case is highlighted, one thing that is omitted from the reports – the types of knives and the ages of the children who are participating. Police searching for a group of young men who had been involved in a stabbing in Tulse Hill attended a birthday party for a 14-year-old girl. The boys had nothing to do with the birthday party and were not found there. But what the police did find were knives hidden everywhere – in the hall, in girls’ handbags, behind cupboards. No child at that party was older than 16. We are not just talking about normal kitchen knives, we are talking Rambo-style knives, horrific weapons used to inflict maximum damage. Abimbola tells me of a case in which a young boy was found not guilty of attempted murder after it was revealed that he himself had been stabbed, as had his brothers, uncles and father. It was found that he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Add this young man to the growing legions of others who actually feel as if they are at war and carry knives in self-defence, often with deadly consequences
THE MATRIX
If a young person is unlucky enough to be stabbed in an area like Brixton, even if they have never been in trouble before and are not affiliated to any gang, that young person will be put on to the Metropolitan Police’s “gangs matrix”. This will label them as a gang member for many years. It can affect them when they try to get jobs. Katrina French, chief executive of
StopWatch, a coalition of legal experts who Where you have bone-grinding poverty address excess and disproportionate stop and you have the killer of dreams and ambitions, search, says: “To be on the matrix is to be slashed youth services, parents in work who literally blacklisted. It means that the young earn just enough to scrape by and then maybe people on it are marked out for harassment not enough. and humiliation. It’s a highly racialised stigma You will hear all sorts of unfounded that follows someone through every aspect of rumours, says Jasper. “You hear it all the time their life. that there are no fathers around and that this “Not only is the matrix completely is causing all the trouble. Well this is only half ineffective at combating the crime it claims to the truth. There are lots of families around want to tackle, but our research also suggests this country who have one parent at home.” it makes crime more likely. There are mothers who are cleaning offices “The young people we work with describe in the City and fathers who are doing security. being stopped and searched as a daily The mother may get up at 5am to be at her occurrence – like putting on clothes. Some job by 6pm, go back home to rest, cook and people report being stopped and searched as then out of the house again at 2pm to do her many as three times a day. late shift. “They are not bad parents, they are “I think it’s hard for most people to imagine working poor parents”. that level of invasion of personal space and the A lot of these women used to work for local mental strain the young people experience.” authorities in higher skilled admin jobs, but I spoke to a young man called Arthur who cuts have put these women out of the race. said: “We could be laughing about some stupid There are long-term money worries. “You prank on Instagram or talking about a girl, have a bedroom tax to pay, bills, there are no not who to stab or where to rob”. youth clubs for the children of the working I also met poor to go to after the parents of a school, creating There are mothers who are young man who latch key kids. developed alopecia “If that is not cleaning offices in the City and (the medical term enough to create a fathers who are doing security. for involuntary pressure cooker at The mother may get up at 5am hair loss) after home I don’t know being stopped so what is”. to be at her job by 6am, go often. Many young What about back home to rest, cook and men just stop and the 32% of black wait for the police graduates who can’t then out of the house again car to turn around get work? That’s at 2pm to do her late shift. and come back to pretty demoralising. They are not bad parents, they search them. Children who I also met a are excluded from are working poor parents lovely young schools now have undergraduate at no one to report to. Goldsmiths University of London who told me So who fills the gap in the employment market of the excruciating search he experienced on – the drug dealers of course. They run an Oxford Street in front of hoards of tourists. industry worth up to £700 million with London Cuts to youth services leave children with as the distribution centre. nowhere to go and nothing to do and therefore If you are someone, or know of people, who at the mercy of the predators. comes into Brixton at the weekend and meet What are we doing to help alleviate this up with a dealer to get a little bit of coke or a problem? Abimbola thinks that it’s all well bag of weed to make the party a bit more fun and good being outraged, yet to do nothing … Yes, your dealer’s a nice bloke, he wouldn’t personally is just pointless. rob you. Then he’s gone and you have a new dealer. THE GAP IN THE MARKET Do you ever stop to think where your old I spoke to Brixton resident Lee Jasper, who dealer has gone? Well, he could be dead, or served as senior policy advisor on equalities to in jail. But, no worries, the men we call the former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone. olders have more youngers to sell you drugs. The good news, he says, is that 98% of By the way, the nice young chap, your dealer, African-Caribbean kids in Brixton did not could also be armed to the teeth. come into contact with the police in 2018. Olders are the predatory older men who The bad news is that unemployment is at groom the children and young men who need its highest since the financial crash of 2008 – and want to make money, but can’t get work. 75-80% youth unemployment in some of the They dazzle them with their branded clothing, most deprived estates in Lambeth. wads of money and flashy cars.
A lot of these children help mum to pay the bills, to buy food with the money they make selling drugs. It’s hard to judge a mother on her knees taking money from her child. It’s very hard to judge. These are the men who are basically kidnapping children and sending them across the county lines from the top of the British Isles down to Brighton and so on. The olders were the youngers, as the youngers will become the olders of the future. Such a sad prediction, as Abimbola says, you can pretty much map out a child’s future by his upbringing and surroundings
THE COMMUNITY
I visited a Brixton project myself to see what members of the community were doing. Dwaynamanics, just off Coldharbour Lane, was set up by a young man, Dwayne Simpson. He had never been in trouble and wanted to help the young children from his area. But he was tragically killed while trying to stop a fight. His mother Lorraine Jones carries on his work. It’s a Saturday morning when I arrive, the music is blaring out, boxing gloves are clashing together and there is a class already in session for adults who have brought their own children in and have stayed themselves. It’s busy later as children start arriving for their classes, people shout out to Lorraine and she has a friendly word and smile for everyone. She has members of the community helping, including a lady who works in the City for an exclusive watch company. She said she felt that she could not live in the area, feel outraged, and yet not do anything. Coming from a privileged background made her want to give something to children who have nothing. She first approached Lorraine and helped her with funding. She stayed and has been with Dwaynamics for a number of years. She says she has seen change. A young man who was quite broken turned his life around and now even comes in to help himself. Another volunteer is a man who runs a nursing recruitment agency, he says he will not give up on the children and everybody is welcome. In the summer Dwaynamics runs a special event for children to attend regardless of where they live in London. Lorraine is an inspiring, warm woman who, despite the loss of her beloved son, will not give up on her community. She gives me a special message to pass on to the children and young men: “Every one of you matters, your lives are important, we love you and we care and we are ready to listen to you. We are not just going to listen, we are going to help you achieve your dream”
FEBRUARY 2019 brixtonblog.com
OPINION 9
BRIXTON BUGLE
COMMENT
Market forces
Our reports on local real estate dealings make for some grim reading. But all is not lost. The owners of Brixton Market appear to have seen sense and backed away from a bid to remove security of tenure from our landmark Caribbean food outlets, Healthy Eaters. If this is an indication that it has dawned on them that destroying one of the things that makes Brixton Brixton is not a good idea, then it is to be welcomed. No doubt the owners of Brixton Market have been looking hungrily for inspiration across London to Borough Market, Smithfields, Hackney’s Broadway and others of the new tourist-based markets that appear to be thriving. We all have things to learn and, no doubt, these markets have lessons that might be useful for Brixton. But what we have is not a weekend market selling expensive handbags and novelty food. We have something that caters for a large, diverse community, six or seven days a week. This is not something to be tossed aside in favour of a copycat replica of somewhere else. Nor is Brixton the sort of place that would let that happen without a fight. Brixton Market was listed by English Heritage because of its cultural value. This is something that the new owners should be boosting, not overlooking. Their plan for outsiders – however distinguished – to “mentor” wannabe chefs in Brixton Market spaces to find “the next big talent in food” carefully overlooks the possibility that the talent may already be there. Have they heard of Franco Manca? It also puts a very big question mark over why, when there is a waiting list of local traders wanting space in the market and more than half a dozen empty units there, the owners are looking elsewhere to fill those spaces. But let’s not be negative. The food landscape in Britain is changing. Huge supermarkets are giving way to much smaller, locally based ones. Is there an opportunity for the owners of Brixton Market to expand its offer of specialist foods. Might they get inspiration from or even back the outdoor vegan market? To blunder blindly down the road of creating yet another temporary “foodie” destination for footloose hipsters who will pass on to the next new thing in a couple of months, does not strike the Bugle as a great business plan. If you have a complaint about the Brixton Bugle, see bit.ly/BBB_complaints for how to pursue it 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
Something to shout about: Advocacy Academy students at their graduation ceremony Downstairs in Brixton’s Department Store
What makes you angry? Natalia Morgan was one of this year’s graduates from the Advocacy Academy that offers young people from South London intensive training in campaigning …
From being live on Sky News – talking about the rise of school exclusions and the need for compassionate education – to seeing former First Lady Michelle Obama at the Southbank centre, Advocacy has given me such a wealth of experiences that I could not have imagined at the start of 2018. I’ve laughed till my belly hurts, performed a full choreography and marched in protest with friends who, six months ago were complete strangers. I’ve learnt history and skills that were never taught in a classroom. I’ve been mentored by people who listen without judgement and give everything to young people like me. It’s February. I’ve just left my interview and Advocacy Academy is like an extended I tell myself: that’s it. I’m not going to get family. We show up for each other, no matter into Advocacy Academy (and I really wanted what. It’s about more than campaigning to). But a couple months later and I’m on the and protesting. summer residential. Truthfully, at first, I felt It saw me, a 17-year-old girl from South out of place. Like I had missed the tip to study London, through a question as simple as: What Activism 101 before I arrived. makes you angry? But after adjusting, I The Academy taught me started to get the conversathat if you’re angry about tions about intersectionality The Academy taught me something, if you think and political blackness and that if you’re angry about something’s not okay – then pronouns. The Advocacy you’ve got to do more than something, if you think Academy was and is a just complain. something’s not okay process of unlearning and And I did. I worked my ass learning through fresh eyes. off co-creating a campaign – then you’ve got to do And although it was alien to more than just complain. for my generation and me at first, I’ve come out of it the generations to come. a better person. And the Academy gave Over the course of six me the platform to make months I went on several residentials and that possible. attended Friday gatherings covering different Power: the ability to act. topics, trying different cuisines, and got to For me, it is the Advocacy Academy. visit the theatre. I’ve been to a talk with the The fellowship taught me that “activist” is a journalist Sir Trevor McDonald and had him title you earn. It’s is more than being #Woke , sign my name badge (which for an aspiring you actually have to be willing to give your all journalist is beyond amazing!). for a cause, because if you don’t, who will?
Education should help young people with complex lives achieve their potential, not exacerbate their disadvantage Natalia’s cause was #NoLostCauses. It is the first youth-led campaign fighting for a more compassionate education system: We know from experience that the current approach to behaviour is failing pupils and wasting potential. We demand this outdated system is replaced by one rooted in pastoral care rather than punishment, counsellors rather than criminalising, and which addresses root causes rather than symptoms. We are fighting skyrocketing rates of isolation, exclusion, off-rolling, and the school-to-prison pipeline which sees two thirds of incarcerated people with experience of exclusion as students. We demand better, more loving alternatives that support and understand students living in challenging circumstances. This includes a roll-out of restorative and therapeutic practices in schools; more funding for teaching assistants, mental health specialists and SEN (special educational needs) support staff who are on the frontline; better training for all staff; and proper resourcing of alternative provision like PRUs (pupil referral units). Education should help young people with complex lives achieve their potential, not exacerbate their disadvantage. @nlcauses
Daughters Arise offers strength, support and encouragement Yvonne Ellis, founder of the charity Daughters Arise, told the full Lambeth council meeting last month about the work the charity does with survivors of sexual abuse and asked for support for a base for it in Brixton. Here, she explains what motivated her to set up the charity
For many years I have carried a burning desire to help girls and women who, like me, have been through sexual abuse, emotional and physical abuse which has resulted in low-self esteem and confidence issues. The vision for setting up this charity in 2010 was birthed off the back of my autobiography Daughter Arise. It chronicles my experience of childhood sexual abuse at
the hands of my father. On my journey since being taken into government care at 13, I have met many girls, women and men from different paths of life who have been through this kind of abuse and have witnessed first hand the devastation it has left behind for many. Daughter Arise is here to stand in the gap with those who feel isolated for
whatever reason. I want those affected to be able to gain strength, support and encouragement from the services this organisation offers. AA Yvonne’s new book Choose Life was released on Amazon in January. It is an awareness and practical empowerment workbook for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Find it at http://bit.ly/YE-ChooseLife
10 COMMUNITY brixtonblog.com 2019 FEBRUARY
BRIEFLY … Lottery grants
Sign the pledge on pesticides Incredible Edible Lambeth is backing a London-wide campaign against the use of pesticides writes Emma Slater. We deserve a clean, healthy place to call home. Instead, we’re spraying Lambeth’s streets, shopping centres, schools, parks and green spaces with chemicals. Pesticides have been linked to health problems, especially in children, pregnant women, older people and the most vulnerable in our communities. They contaminate water supplies and contribute to the decline of wildlife, from bees to butterflies and sparrows to hedgehogs. IEL is urging people to stop using pesticides and herbicides in their gardens and to write to local councillors asking them to sign the London Pledge Against Pesticides. Incredible Edible is working with Lambeth council and Pesticides Action Network UK to help make Lambeth a healthier place to call home. AA Find out more at www.pan-uk.org or incredibleediblelambeth.com
Local charities and good causes are being encouraged to apply for a share of more than £3 million raised by the players of People’s Postcode Lottery. They can apply for grants of between £500 and £20,000. Applications close on 20 February. See: postcodetrust.org.uk postcodelocaltrust.org.uk postcodecommunitytrust.org. uk
This year’s Advocacy Academy graduates at Brixton’s Department Store
Passion into practice By Linda Quinn
Family and supporters of young graduates of the Advocacy Academy cheered them on in an emotional graduation ceremony in Brixton as each group of students described the issues they had campaigned on with passion, eloquence and poetry. The Academy each year takes a group of young people and trains and helps them to mount campaigns about issues that they are passionate about. The graduation, held downstairs at the Department Store, was the culmination of six months’ training and support for the young South Londoners. They developed the knowledge and skills to tackle the social challenges they identified and worked with campaigners, creatives, academics
and coaches to develop grass-roots campaigns in their community. They ranged through the representation of women in magazines; the education system’s neglect of Black history; the demand schools tackle the culture of “toxic masculinity”, homophobic bullying and discrimination; better understanding in schools for young people struggling with mental health; and that the Latinx community be recognised as a distinct group in official statistics so that data showing discrimination or otherwise can be collected. No Lost Causes tackled the issue of why schools exclude and isolate pupils – arguing for better pastoral care rather than punishment. Natalia Morgan, one of this group, writes about its campaign on page 9. The Academy campaigns were launched in the House of Commons
T-shirt donation
at an event hosted by local MP Helen Hayes. At the launch Natalia asked: “Why have a record number of young people been fatally stabbed in London this year? Children are being robbed of their futures because of a disease – a lack of compassion in our education system – that desperately needs a cure. “Teachers should be empowered to increase the amount of time they can spend dedicated to pastoral support for those students who are most at-risk of being excluded. And schools should have a much bigger team of therapists and specialists to support students with mental health issues and special educational needs.” AA Find out more about the Advocacy Academy at www.theadvocacyacademy.com
Singer-songwriter Andreya Triana is to donate profits from limited-edition T-shirts promoting her single WOMAN to the Brixton-based Housing for Women charity. Her new album, Life in Colour, is released on 22 February. https://ffm.to/lifeincolour
School cycle Big Pedal, the cycling charity Sustrans’ annual school challenge to encourage more children to cycle, walk or scoot to school takes place from Monday 25 March to Friday 5 April. Over the 10 days, participating primary and secondary schools, or individual classes, will compete to make the most journeys by bike, foot or scooter. bigpedal.org.uk
Free food in a community environment
The Compliments of the House pop-up in Brixton station passageway
Zumba with Suzie Licensed Zumba Instructor Class: 10.30-11.30am Saturdays Clapham Youth Centre 61 Lyham Road SW2 5DH £8 a class. Taster sessions £6. Contact me on suzieinlondon@gmail.com
Compliments of the House is a notfor-profit organisation dedicated to collecting and re-distributing surplus food for free to people in need. Since moving to International House in Brixton, it has been collecting surplus food from restaurants and supermarkets and redistributing it to those in need from locations around Brixton. The organisation secured its first pop-up in the Brixton station passageway, which operated over Christmas, with the help of Brixton Design Trail and the Brixton Business Improvement District. It set up a second pop-up in Pop Brixton and is now operating out of a shop in Brixton Village.
Founder Sinéad Browne said: “Our mission is to save and redistribute for free all of the incredibly delicious and nutritious food that would otherwise go to landfill – serving it with a smile and fostering a community environment. “London can sometimes feel very cold and sterile.
“Our vision is to create a safe, inclusive and welcoming community orientated space where we are on a first name basis with those who regularly stop by, while welcoming new faces and hoping to see them again. “We will take the time to listen, include and never judge those who visit ‘our hub’ as we believe being recognised, heard and acknowledged is the most integral part of any journey towards happiness and hope. Compliments of The House currently has no funding and runs purely on donations from the public. AA To donate funds, volunteer or to offer surplus food or any other support please contact Sinead at sinead@complimentsofthehouse.org.
FEBRUARY 2019 brixtonblog.com COMMUNITY 11
BRIXTON LEGAL Pam Douglas is a solicitor with local firm Wainwright and Cummins. Each month, her column takes a common legal issue and explains it for readers
Act provides new legal options for renters I was struggling to come up with an idea for this month’s column. Then, recently, as I sat freezing in my home, the result of my landlord’s ongoing neglect, it occurred to me that part of the misery for many people in similar situations is the overwhelming sense of powerlessness and déjà vu. Currently, if you rent privately, you can complain to your landlord about the condition of your home. But if the landlord ignores you, the local council will be the body that has the authority to take any action, but often does not have the resources to do so. If you are a council tenant, you must complain to the council and, if your council landlord does not take appropriate action … well, I think you can see the problem. In both cases, tenants must rely on the local authority, which can be very timeconsuming and stressful and potentially dangerous if the issue poses a hazard to health. But there is now hope for the afflicted, even if some of us will have to wait. On 20 March 2019, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act comes into force. Under the Act, renters experiencing problems relating to the condition of their homes will be able to instigate legal action directly against their landlords. It will apply to all new private tenancies of less than seven years, granted after the commencement date (i.e. after 20 March 2019). It will also apply to all fixed-term tenancies granted before the commencement date but that become periodic tenancies after the commencement date. This
would include an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) which rolls over after six months, as well as introductory tenancies which become secure tenancies. It will also apply to all other common forms of tenancy which exist on 20 March 2019 (including council secure tenancies) from 12 months after the commencement date. So if you are a private or council tenant who is renting on 20 March 2019, you will be able to take direct legal action from 20 March 2020.
Lottery boost for community business A new lottery-funded project, OurSpace, launched in January at Impact Hub in Pop Brixton. It aims to build inclusive spaces that can drive community action. The project will work across community centres in Tulse Hill, Angell Town and central Brixton. OurSpace is funded by Big Lottery Fund, through its Power to Change programme. The new project was inspired by local initiatives, including Impact Hub Brixton’s Open Project Night where individuals or community groups pitch ideas and get support and advice over a pizza. The aim is to create community centres that can support local people to grow project and business ideas. The team will collaborate
over a year with community spaces Angell Delight, Yellow Cube in Tulse Hill and Impact Hub Brixton. “We believe that community business has the potential to drive real local economic empowerment”, Stephanie
Gamauf, co-founder and project director said. “But this is only possible if opportunities are co-created by all. “We need to have honest conversations about the inequalities some of our communities in Lambeth are facing.”
AA OurSpace is to open for applications for leadership and community facilitation training. To find out more, visit www.ourspaceprojects.com. Contact OurSpace at info@ourspaceprojects.com.
We Rise work experience ‘absolutely outstanding’
What is covered? The Act specifies the inclusion of: state of repair, stability, damp, lighting, ventilation, internal arrangement, drainage and toilet facilities, and food preparation and cooking facilities. Whether or not any issue arising renders the property “unfit” will depend partly on it meeting the definition of “hazard” under s10 Housing Act 2004. But, crucially, the Act will allow for a broader interpretation to take into account any risk of harm to inhabitants. Many people stop short of taking legal action because of worries about the cost. But legal aid will be available in cases of disrepair that qualify. Many law firms will also offer “conditional fee arrangements” (sometimes known as “no-win-no-fee”) to assist those who fall outside of the scope of legal aid. This is a complicated area of law, so I do strongly recommend that you ensure that you keep records as evidence of your issue, and that you speak to an experienced lawyer before taking action.
OurSpace co-founders (l-r): Georgina Wilson, Stephanie Gamauf and Yvonne Field
Windrush Square gets fountain and spring bulbs Friends of Windrush Square is encouraging people to use the new fountain below the Bovril wall to refill water bottles and help reduce the number of plastic bottles discarded on Brixton streets. Funded by the Mayor of London, the fountain is by the entrance to the Black Cultural Archives. The Metropolitan Public Gardens Association charity and Taylors Bulbs have donated hundreds of bulbs for Windrush Square to improve the environment and create a spring display in the centre of Brixton. Friends of Windrush Square in collaboration with Friends of Tate Library Brixton organised planting around the large central plane tree and in the grassed area around the oak trees.
We Rise, a Brixton-based community business created by local parents, works with young people over 16 to offer meaningful work experience projects with local employers through its Futures programme. Families, friends, and employers joined the first cohort of young people to complete a 10-month careers inspiration programme funded by Lambeth council from contributions from companies developing sites across the borough. Speaking at the packed graduation event at the town hall in Brixton, new council leader Jack Hopkins said: “The We Rise programme has been absolutely outstanding. “It’s working with young people who sometimes live in really challenging environments. It’s opened the world for them, it’s shown them businesses, it’s given them confidence, their horizons are expanded, they’re going to go far.” Young people explained the benefits in their own words: “The We Rise project helped me by thinking of things I could bring to a job and understanding my strengths and weaknesses,” said Marisha Forbes-Gayle. “I want to big up We Rise for helping me, my behaviour.” Kelvin Correia.” “As a result of this programme I’m more open
Kelvin Correia and Marisha ForbesGayle with council leader Jack Hopkins
to reality and I’ve gained more confidence,” said Shante McPherson. Tulse Hill born spoken word artist Reuben Braithwaite (@AbstractBenna) wrote a special poem for the occasion: It takes: a village to raise a child, one person to see a frown and reshape their smile, it’s up to us to give them the tools to make us proud We Rise have engaged 166 young people, Coming from within the bits of London some would regard as a sinking ship 96% of them are from BME backgrounds Our last cohort got to pick the brains of 58 employers If we don’t set them up for a bright future who will? We see the potential in which the youth show Even if they don’t see it yet We make it our business to build their ambitions, self awareness and resilience giving them skills to transition into a job they deserve and then hopefully our impact feeds and nurtures the best version of them AA Find out more at www.werise.org.uk
Brixton BID is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening Brixton’s diverse business culture. We represent more than 650 levy‑paying businesses in the local area and work to develop new and exciting opportunities for Brixton. Local business voted in November for the BID to continue its work for another five years.
Vibrant and edgy or dirty and dingy?
W
Business Improvement District Director Michael Smith
orking to promote Brixton as the place to visit, do business and live should be easy… but it’s not as easy as you would think. Some of us who would like to see a Brixton that is “open all hours” and fitting in with the Mayor of London’s aim for the City. Some want to see Brixton as a quaint, sleepy market town opening and closing with our markets. Whether you are coming home, coming to work or just visiting, you will simply need to get here. Getting to Brixton is easy – Underground, buses, cycling, rail, even Zipcar. The Victoria Line, with one train every 100 seconds during peak times, is the second most frequent line in the world after Moscow’s Metro, which has one train every 95 seconds. Brixton buses are No. 1 for passenger interchange and the most popular location for people to use the Mayor’s Hopper fare. More than 7,800 Hopper journeys a week are made from Stop P outside H&M. There are enough Santander Cycles scattered across three stations in central Brixton to transport avid visitors to and from Brixton easily and from only £2. Up to seven trains an hour at peak times stop at the two Southeastern Rail platforms of Brixton railway station. Getting to Brixton is not the problem. Being in Brixton is challenging to many. Our public realm does not sufficiently support dwell time for visitors or even those who work here daily.
Allowing people to dwell supports them spending more money in our economy. Should you have a disability, traversing Brixton could indeed be difficult. Being hearing or visually impaired, your difficulties could be increased tenfold. Uneven pavements and a lack of audible assists at many street crossing points restrict mobility. Accessing Brixton must be as easy as getting to Brixton. Then there is the problem of the lack of public toilets, unless you are male and able to use our pissoirs after dark. There is much to see and much to do in Brixton, and when the Ovalhouse Theatre section of the Somerleyton Project, which is now fully under way, is completed in 2020, there will be even more to see and do. There are now more interactive kiosks around the town as information aids and for internet and telephone capabilities, but the ultimate free town centre wi-fi is yet to come. Doing business in Brixton should be easier – so say the more than 300 small businesses who are currently members of the Brixton BID. Brixton is always considered vibrant and edgy but the very small businesses making us edgy and vibrant are not getting the necessary protection to help them to survive.
The plight of our outdoor markets and small local traders is inextricably linked to the arrival of larger entrepreneurs in our neighbourhood. Each is as important as the other. Our systems must equally sustain and support the growth and development of smaller businesses, even as it offers encouragement and support to bigger businesses coming to Brixton Many of our small businesses believe their landlords – be they council or private landlords – are eagerly awaiting and supporting the demise of their businesses as they can easily increase/double their rental income with the taking on of other eager tenants. Invariably, these new tenants are never old Brixton faces or businesses on any existing waiting list but “new entrepreneurs” with pockets deep
enough to sustain the private rental frenzy that is devouring large chunks of Brixton. The anticipated re-opening of the ‘Arches’ in February 2019 is promising to buck this trend with a flurry of returning tenants and encouragement and support given to local small entrepreneurs wishing to join the ranks of small traders looking to grow. Even here some may find the return to normal rents plus the impact of business rates large obstacles to their progress. The Brixton BID welcomes all businesses to Brixton. It is what we do. The growth and arrival of new businesses coming to Brixton is reflective of Brixton as a distinctive destination. The current plight and future of our outdoor markets and small local traders is inextricably linked to the arrival of larger entrepreneurs in our neighbourhood. Each is as important as the other. Our systems must equally sustain and support the growth and development of smaller businesses, even as it offers encouragement and support to bigger businesses coming to Brixton. The UK is anticipated to lose 175,00 jobs and 23,000 shops through 2019. Sadly, some of the victims of what could be the worst recession ever will be in Brixton. The Brixton BID is already assisting qualifying businesses to make savings through business rates relief. The local authority collects most of its income from business rates and the community charge. Declining businesses will ultimately mean less income. The local authority must invest more of its income in supporting local business communities. The concept of vibrant and edgy is invested in all our Brixton businesses big and small. Losing businesses could mean the Brixton community going from vibrant and edgy to becoming “dark and dingy” – a place where nobody would want to live, visit or do business.
MAKE A DATE WITH BRIXTON Why endure the romance-deadening hassle of trekking into central London when you can keep it local this February and visit any one of Brixton’s renowned restaurants and bars. From sit-down dinners to world -famous street food, Brixton is the perfect place to celebrate Valentine’s – date or not! Brixton Village and Market Row offer every cuisine under the sun for cosy, romantic dinners. Pop Brixton is a great choice for dates with different tastes. You can grab any number of delicacies from the food stalls and meet in the middle for a shared meal and drink. So, whether you are celebrating Valentine’s, meeting up with friends, or just fancy some really good food, make sure you stay in Brixton.
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3 The Duke of Edinburgh
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8 Market Row** Three Little Birds Three Eight Four Nanban Satay Bar Market House Rum Kitchen
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LL For the full listing of restaurants, please visit * www.popbrixton.org/members ** www.wearebrixtonvillage.co.uk
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CONNECT WITH US
BRIXTON BID Room 3C, Floor 3 International House Canterbury Crescent London SW9 7QD
020 3417 7373 BrixtonBID BrixtonBID brixtonbid.co.uk
14 FEATURE brixtonblog.com 2019 FEBRUARY
Amy: More understanding of how you can set up your own company would be really helpful
Paulio: Brixton is prime market now. It’s not cheap for a start-up company
Saucer inspiration Steve Powdrill meets Brixton freelancers who run their businesses from café tables and hotdesking workspaces The life of a freelance is tough. Whether your trade is digital arts, financial consulting, journalism, or even running your own retail business, finding your own work and putting your products on the market requires hard work, drive and business acumen – especially in Brixton. Known for bustling marketplaces and entrepreneurial vision, Brixton has more recently become home to many more workers plying their own trade and shunning the traditional nine-to-five slog. In some cases, workers are grappling with full-time jobs and being their own master for the remainder of the week, with one in four UK workers said to be running “side businesses”. (BBC) research has also shown millennials are most likely to be their own bosses, with 37% of workers aged 25-34 running a business of some kind. This pioneering spirit does not come without its woes, with commercial rents in South London rocketing in recent years and shops shutting down with disappointing frequency. Expensive office and retail space is the second most frequently mentioned challenge for business owners. With Brixton serving as the populous, “go-to” area for trendy Londoners, prices do not look likely to get any lower. So rather than forking out a likely £20,000 for a “small retail unit measuring in the region of 500 sq ft on Electric
Avenue”, it seems new business owners and freelancers would much rather get their work done in the warmth of a café or shared workspace, for a fraction of the price. Several businesses looking to provide workspaces for the community have popped up, with ImpactHub in Pop Brixton being an especially busy venue – even offering a Monday morning Breakfast club for freelancers, where professionals can brainstorm solutions to widespread issues within a range of creative ventures. Hinton House of Loughborough Junction and Canova Hall of Ferndale Road both offer hotdesking passes, entitling workers to unlimited hot drinks, wi-fi and use of the social work space, with the latter venue also serving as a bustling restaurant and bar for those needing a quick break from their laptop. These privately run hotdesks range from £50 a month at Canova Hall to a substantial £200 a month at Hinton House. But local public sector workspaces were boosted after London mayor Sadiq Khan launched a new, Brixton-based creative enterprise zone (CEZ) in December. The program endorses one of London’s largest affordable workspaces at International House (new home to Brixton Blog and Bugle), where office space will be allocated via application on a “BuyGiveWork” initiative. This is
people building small businesses etc. I think you’ll find that here more than other, more central parts of London, so Brixton is a really valuable place for me.
Paulio
Owner of Aphewthings garment decoration company
George: Brixton is a really valuable place for me
James: I’d love to see businesses change their hours to open longer
designed to ensure that as space is purchased, additional “free” space will be divvied out to creatives most in financial need. It remains to be seen how effectively this program will run, and exactly how accessible the work space will be for the wider Brixton creative community. But with other CEZ initiatives focusing on career progression and leadership opportunities for 500 more young people in the local area, this kind of government support should only be a good thing for the new generation. The horizon looks hopeful for the freelancers, artists, entrepreneurs and bohemians of Brixton in 2019. I asked four for their thoughts …
Brixton is more understanding of how you can set up your own company and how you can start off. For those people in the initial stages of an idea, there could be social events with public speakers or differently themed work sessions. I think skills building specifically into how freelancers can do what they’re doing in the local area and then further into the London boroughs would be helpful.’
Amy
Freelance urban planning and crisis management consultant What would be really helpful in
George
Freelance graphic designer and owner of Chip off the Block food truck I’ve lived here for two and a half years, and Brixton is now a great place to work during the day, it’s a real hot, melting pot of interesting, dynamic people. Having discovered Canova Hall, I’ve met a lot of interesting people in interesting fields, a lot of the time by chance. There’s freelancers, web designers,
I’ve had positive and negative experiences, but affording a shop to work from is quite difficult as Brixton is prime market now. It’s not cheap for a start-up company. In that sense, it’s been a bit heart-breaking. Brixton really needs to go back to its roots of start-up companies and freelancers being able to showcase their own work and create a big community hub. You’re investing in the future with small businesses, which would then bring more money into the community and the council.’
James
Freelance screenwriter Brixton is supportive in that there are loads of little businesses where you can open up your laptop and get work done. But the opening hours of my favourite places to work shortened. They found it to be unprofitable later in the evening. If you’re a writer, you want to find a place open in those later hours to push your passion projects forward and be productive. Stir Coffee, a place I love, had to shorten their open hours and they now close at 5. F Mondays, similarly, shut at 4pm. I’d love to see businesses change their hours or some new businesses open up that could do this.
FEBRUARY 2019 brixtonblog.com FOOD & DRINK 15
FOOD & DRINK REVIEW: CATTIVO
Pasta la Vista Nick Buglione’s Italian job at Cattivo Don’t be fooled by my surname, I am as Italian as Yorkshire pudding. In a far more natural way than the Instagram-fuelled latest smashed-avo-nduja-sausageBao-bun trend splatters, we appear to be seeing a subtle South London renaissance of Italian regional dining. POP favourite Trattoria Franzina is moving from sea container to Coldharbour Lane, Tuscan Maremma is opening this month, Clapham is swooning at Robin Gill’s trip along the Amalfi coast, Sorella and the people behind Canova
Hall have transformed another chunk of the former Bon Marché department store into cocktail and pasta bar Cattivo. In south London, Italian doesn’t belong to Jamie. Cattivo is aesthetically far removed from the classic Italian Trattoria with multi generations of the same family behind the stove, front of house and everything in between. Tongue in cheekily meaning “naughty” Cattivo is all highceilinged, open-plan expansion with bare plastered walls, strippedback cement columns and floor-to-ceiling windows with cosy little candlelit booths. And as sibling to Canova Hall across the road, cocktails. The faithful menu offers cicchetti (bar snack nibbles), starter-sized sharing plates and a collection of ragu and meatball pastas. We had frico (fried parmesan crisps) and fried anchovies with our cocktails before pecorino crocchettas
with pea, mint and watercress pesto accompanied by indulgently creamy burrata with heritage tomatoes, rocket pesto, spinach and focaccia. Could the croquettes have been, for want of a better word, “cheesier”? Yes, but pleasing all the same, and the salad was crisp and fresh as a new shirt collar. In the end though, if you are pitching what Cattivo is pitching, you live or die on the pasta and the meats and sauces. Despite the slickness of the venue these are classic recipes, probably little different from the traditional, or that scene in Godfather 1 where Peter Clemenza, one of the Don’s “caporegimes” teaches Michael (Al Pacino) how to cook meatballs. There are decent nods to the
non-meat eaters, beetroot gnocchi, and Mrs B chose the truffle and pecorini tortelloni with salsa di noci and crispy sage. They do ricotta “meatballs”, even though that is a contradiction in terms, alongside spicy pork, and beef with Sicilian sausage – though I chose slow and deep beef pappardelle. And the verdict? Reassuringly good, as in no à la mode reinventions, deconstructions or elevations, just a good low, slow simmered beef, a rich sauce and nice fresh pappardelle (large, wide pasta ribbons – think tagliatelle’s
207 Ferndale Road, SW9 8BA | 020 3096 2236 | cattivobar.com | @CattivoBar
big brother). The only problem was eating it all. We could have passed on frico and starters and still possibly be full. The tortellini was rich with hint of pecorino and the creamy walnut and herb sauce. Similar to my Yorkshire relatives, Italians simply don’t want you leaving anything close to empty. So nice though they are, maybe don’t get too lost in the starters on the way to the pastas? Clemenza would approve, then pop out and execute the heads of the five families.
16 FOOD & DRINK brixtonblog.com
2019 FEBRUARY
REVIEW: BLUES KITCHEN
DIY COCKTAIL: BLOODY MARY
Bottoms Up Nick Buglione joins the weekend brunch bunch What is Brunch? And why? For people who slept through breakfast? Or can’t wait till lunch? Or to wash down “hair of the dog” remedies to the night before? Apparently, brunch originated in England in the late 19th century and was embraced by the US in the 1930s. English writer Guy Beringer is credited with the portmanteau talking up “a new meal, served around
Especially in winter, can any new hipster cocktail compete with the classic Bloody Mary? After all, this is a cocktail you can have for breakfast. Here at Bugle Towers, we tend to wait for brunch and we like them spicy.
noon, that starts with tea or coffee, marmalade and other breakfast fixtures before moving along to the heavier fare”. Anyways, it’s a thing. That people do. Whether Guy Beringer envisaged “smashed avo” and huevos rancheros is unlikely, but I’d imagine he’d approve of “bottomless brunch” at Blues Kitchen. At least the “rhesus negative” Bloody Marys. I am unclear how many of the mostly 20/30-somethings populating a midday Blues Kitchen are going “bottomless” (unlimited
WWW.FRANZINATRATTORIA.COM
INGREDIENTS
refills for two hours) but we start with a rock solid Bloody Mary while navigating a menu of stateside tinged fry-ups, whopping sausage patty burgers, buttermilk pancakes, crab benedict and banana and walnut granola. Blues Kitchen’s noisier night-time brashness has given way to a chirpy hum of people catching up, pausing a shopping trip and possibly a few first daters who woke up together this morning? If you don’t know it and its siblings, Blues Kitchen is big, brash reproduction all-day, and most of the night of New Orleans’ Bourbon bar, restaurant-diner and bluesy
INFO@FRANZINATRATTORIA.COM
We are OPEN!
every day
in our new Brixton home at 395 Coldharbour Lane SW9 8LQ
live music venue (with an impressive wall of liquors). They claim to have London’s largest whisky collection. Despite an almost pathological devotion to big steamy fry-ups, I went all Mexican cattleman with heuvos rancheros, a big steamy combo of refried beans, chorizo, guacamole, tomatoes, fried eggs and crispy corn tortillas. My appointed brunch buddy chose, yep, smashed avo on toast with a couple of pert poached eggs. I reckon I got the better deal – this is hearty stuff, it’s cold out there, and after being on a self-imposed chorizo holiday, nice to back to hunks of paprika infused sausage. The eggs of course tie it all together and yolks running into the beans and chorizo is a winning combo, whether you are about to herd cattle or collapse into a sofa with
TRUFFLE invade the kitchen with, you guessed it, a truffleinfused menu of small plates, signature burgers, slow cooked meats and truffle mash (ups). Until 31 March. AA thekingandco.uk
Mon Wed—Sun 2.30pm — 11pm Tues 6pm - 11pm
Come celebrate!
GROWING UP TASTES OF TUSCANY Along with its landscapes, history and artistic legacy, Tuscany is celebrated for its regional cuisine and high-quality seasonal produce, particularly game. This month, Tuscany on a plate is arriving in Brixton via MAREMMA, with its focus on regional specialities, charcoal grilled meats, fresh pastas and gnocchi. AA maremmarestaurant.com
POP TRUFFLE WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/FRANZINATRATTORIA @FRANZINATRATTORIA
†† Place the ice into a tall glass and add the vodka †† Add the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and tomato juice †† Stir well †† Season with celery salt and pepper †† Add celery stick and serve
PIMP IT? Up to you if you want to augment a classic, but almost anything goes – crispy bacon, croutons, chorizo, cornichons, olives or prawns.
SMALL PLATES
HOURS
07802 473444 info@franzinatrattoria.com.
METHOD
40 Acre Lane, SW2 5SP | 020 7274 0591 | theblueskitchen.com/brixton | @TheBluesKitchen
(next to ‘T he Dogstar’)
PHONE
the Sundays. Almost the epitome of big “man” food. I thought the smashed avo was, what ultimately it is, some beaten up avocado on toast (with a lime dressing). Nice (and healthy) but probably not so much for our Mexican rancher. Maybe more for the summer. Star of my show were the Bloody Marys – classic recipe, bit of booze but hearty and savoury with kick from the Tabasco. Blues Kitchen is a relaxed, slick operation, although an operation it pretty much is. I guess soul is earned rather than acquired. But that is at least partly unfair on a perfectly decent couple of hours chewing the fat, and chowing down on good, not interstellar, but good, brunch. AA Brunch 10am-4pm Sat & Sun.
¡¡ 2-4 ice cubes ¡¡ Vodka, double shot (Grey Goose is a favourite) ¡¡ Juice (only) of ½ lemon ¡¡ 6 dashes Worcestershire sauce ¡¡ 3 dashes Tabasco sauce (or more to taste) ¡¡ 175ml tomato juice ¡¡ Salt ¡¡ Freshly ground black pepper ¡¡ Celery
They do good pop up at THE KING & CO. This month and next, street food guerrillas
POP’s fave home to quirky Sicilian dining, TRATTORIA FRANZINA is departing its cosy sea container. Panic not, the team are setting up a bricks and mortar “proper restaurant” just round the corner. Bringing the classic traditions of family-run tavernas and regional Sicilian cuisine to Coldharbour Lane. AA franzinatrattoria.com
BLUES BROTHERS Not just Americana dining and lots of Bourbon at BLUES KITCHEN Brixton. They have kicked off a midweek Brixton Blues Jam where anyone can join in. Channel your inner
Robert Johnson and get a free drink, the rest of you £5 cocktails all the way. AA theblueskitchen.com/ brixton
CREATIVE COMFORT For Clapham’s vegan pop up MEET, the experiment is over – they’ve gone permanent. So unless you were just flirting
in Veganuary, Dominic Taylor’s chirpy indulgent plant-based comfort menu, vegan revamp of “millenial favourites” and vegan cocktails are here to stay in Clapham North’s industrial arches. AA the-meet.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2019 brixtonblog.com WHAT’S ON 17
WHAT’S ON Dance, talk, read, view – it’s LGBT+ History Month in Brixton February is LGBT+ History Month and this year’s theme is Peace, Activism and Reconciliation. Brixton has played a significant role in that history that will be reflected in local and borough-wide events Lambeth libraries will host a series of events including Q&A sessions with local authors, reading sessions for people of all ages and art exhibitions that explore the contribution LGBT+ people have made.
Friday 8 February, 7pm Brixton Library SW2 1JQ.
GIOVANNI’S ROOM BY JAMES BALDWIN Join the Radical Readers group to discuss Giovanni’s Room, a classic of gay literature by James Baldwin. In 1956 his publisher suggested that he burn the book because of its theme of homosexuality. Fortunately he ignored the advice and Giovanni’s Room has now been ranked number
2 on a list of the best 100 gay and lesbian novels of all time. For a copy, contact the library on 020 7926 1056.
Wednesday 20 February, 7pm Brixton Library. SW2 1JQ
NARCYZA ZMICHOWSKA An event to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Narcyza Zmichowska. Under the nom de plume Gabryella, she was the first Polish author to write about women’s friendship and sisterhood, education and independence. Ursula Phillips (translator) will introduce Zmichowska’s controversial novel The Heathen (1846) and then chair a discussion with contemporary poet-translators Anna Błasiak
and Maria Jastrzebska on their own recent poetry, on Polish women writers of the past, and on what we might understand by “women’s writing” and “lesbian/ queer writing”. The event will be accompanied by an exhibition of photographs by Lisa Kalloo, which make up the visual aspect of Anna Błasiak’s upcoming collection.
Sunday 24 February, 7pm to midnight Assembly Hall, Lambeth Town Hall SW2 1RW
GAY TIMES TANGO In 1975 South London Gay Liberation Front organised the original Gay Times Tango in support of the Gay Times Festival. Fast forward to its 44th anniversary
– February 2019 – and Mayor of Lambeth, Christopher Wellbelove will host a celebratory fundraiser event, compered by Timberlina. Performances on the night will include CK, Heart and Soul, Marsha Mellow, Mrs Moore, Sandra London, Topsie Redfern and Vanity Nightmare, with more acts to be announced. The event is in partnership with Gay Times magazine, The Two Brewers and Pride in London. A quarter of the proceeds will be donated to the Brixton-based charity GMFA (Gay Men Fighting Aids) and the rest to the Mayor’s Charity Fund. AA Tickets in advance from Event Lambeth £25 full price/£20 concessions. This is an 18+ event.
Tuesday 26 February, 10.30am Brixton Library SW2 1JQ
DRAG QUEEN STORY TIME Drag Queen Story Time is where fairy tales come to life for under-fives Presented by real Queens, the event will capture the imagination and fun of the gender fluidity of childhood allowing children to imagine the world in which people can present as they wish. With songs, arts and crafts and storytime – there’s fun to be had for all ages. It’s a standard storytime, with a bit of extra glitter.
Wednesday 27 February, 7pm Brixton Library. SW2 1JQ QUEER LIVES IN PRINT Will Eaves (Murmur) and Jennifer Hodgson (The Unmapped Country: an anthology of Ann Quin writings) discuss their recent books and the writing of queer lives. Murmur is based on Alan Turing’s experience during the period of his punishment for gross indecency, when he was submitted to chemical castration. The cryptanalyst who, at Bletchley, had programmed machines to break the German naval code now applies himself to the cipher of his own trance-like visions. In The Unmapped Country Jennifer Hodgson edits the unpublished writing by the cult 1960s author Ann Quin and explores the risks and seductions of going over the edge. The stories cut an alternative path across innovative twentieth-century writing.
February/March at Brixton Library
COMMUNITIES OF BELONGING Photographers and artists Sunil Gupta and Charan Singh have previously created work that addresses gender and sexuality in India today. Their exhibition Delhi: Communities of Belonging chronicles contemporary LGBTQ life in the city. Gupta and Singh’s project offers an unprecedented portrait of queer people’s lives in India.
18 WHAT’S ON brixtonblog.com 2019 FEBRUARY
Jamila Omar rounds up a February selection of gigs and more in Brixton and nearby FRI 8 FEB @ EFFRA SOCIAL
A spontaneous, fast moving, genre-leaping mix of fun, dancefloor-filling POP THUMPERS and anthems from the likes of Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson, Eminem, The Cure, Kelis, Sean Paul, Nirvana, David Bowie and more, hosted by Brixton Buzz. 9pm-1am. Free.
TUE 12 FEB @ BROCKWELL PARK
SUN 17 FEB @ CLUB 414
FRI 22 FEB @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON
Set off on the road to better health with the regular Brockwell Park Tuesday WALK that leaves from the Lido at 11am. Friendly leaders will encourage and advise. Details 020 7926 0731.
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.
The Kings of Carnival and Europe’s largest static carnival SOUNDSYSTEM and stage Rampage Sound are bringing the Carnival to Brixton alongside local party starters Shabba. Expect a full carnival experience as this iconic venue is transformed into the Rampage Stage from Notting Hill with a stage show from United Colours of Mas, Notting Hill’s largest carnival band. 11pm-5am. £5-£20.
WED 13 FEB @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON
SAT 9 FEB @ DOGSTAR
Two rooms play the best in all your FAVOURITE MUSIC across the board. Private bookings and booths available for big groups, with pool and table football until 1am. 9pm4am.
SUN 10 FEB @ WINDMILL BRIXTON
Louis The Child is compiled of Freddy Kennett and Robby Hauldren, who have taken the music industry by storm in recent years. With over 200 million Spotify streams, the two Chicago-bred work horses show fans ELECTRONIC BLISS through stadium-ready anthems. 7-11pm. £17.
THUR 14 FEB @ HOOTANANNY Cecil Reuben presents reggae extravaganza Shining Stars Dancehall Stars. VALENTINE SPECIAL – featuring Clarkz, Candy Silk, Danny Sprang, Cece Foster and Ukrile, backed by the Artist Band. 9pm-2am. £3.
FRI 15 FEB @ PRINCE OF WALES Launch for numerous recent Eyewear pamphlets, with POETRY READINGS from Teige Maddison, Judymay Murphy, Gale Burns, Barbara Marsh, Niall Firth, Alexandra Strnad, Rhiannon Williams, Alex Wylie and more. 2pm. Free.
MON 11 FEB @ BRIXTON POUND CAFE A friendly LIFE DRAWING CLASS with tutor Natalie and local artist Andy. Come and expand your skills and enhance your creativity in a relaxed setting. Sketch books and materials provided. 7-8.30pm. £10/£7.50 concs.
Back by popular demand, Concrete Music’s infamous NINETIES PARTY returns for their first event of 2019. 90s jams all night on the rooftop, in the club room and in the secret Karaoke room. 9pm-3am. £8-£10.
SAT 16 FEB @ BUSSEY BUILDING Head over to Peckham where The South London Soul Train pays tribute to influential DJ Paul Trouble Anderson (RIP). Host Jazzheadchronic is joined by friends of PTA for a marathon back-to-back celebratory session in soulful HOUSE, DISCO, FUNK and beyond. 10pm-5am. Entry (inc £10 donation to Beat Cancer) £22.
WWW. POW-LONDON.COM
TUE 19 FEB @ PRINCE OF WALES Come and join the relaxed, entertaining and bang up to date BIG FAT QUIZ every Tuesday, where the main ingredient is Fun. Each quizmaster is a successful performer in their own right. From trained actors to professional stand-up comedians – the stuff in between is every bit as good as the questions. £2 per person. 8-11pm.
WED 20 FEB @ OFF THE CUFF Herne Hill’s Off The Cuff Bar presents a night of LIVE MUSIC from local singers and songwriters each and every Wednesday. Well worth a look. 8pm. Free.
THUR 21 FEB @ PRINCE OF WALES Thursday nights at the POW are dedicated to LIVE JAZZ. Jazz nights have been running weekly here for four years now, making this a south London institution for late night live music. The Banger Factory House Band are often joined by industry professionals. 11pm3am. Free.
SAT 23 FEB @ O2 BRIXTON ACADEMY American DRAG QUEEN, singer-songwriter, comedian and television personality Trixie Mattel graces Brixton as part of her Skinny Legend Tour. She’s perhaps best known as a contestant on cult TV show Ru Paul’s Drag Race. 8pm. £35-£42.
SUN 24 FEB @ BLUES KITCHEN Come down and nurse your soul with a Sunday ritual of BBQ and booze, winding down the weekend as James Riley provides the soundtrack with a soothing mix of BLUES AND COUNTRY. 8pm-midnight. Free.
MON 25 FEB @ POP BRIXTON School might be finished, but Pop Brixton’s KIDS KLUB has something to keep them learning new things until dinner, from reading to karate. Must be booked in advance. 5-8yrs 4.30-5pm. 8-14yrs 5-5.30pm.
TUE 26 FEB @ TRINITY ARMS Test your knowledge to win a £25 bar tab at this weekly PUB QUIZ, held every Tuesday. 8-10pm. Free.
1st
HOUSE OF DISCO'S 2019 OPENING W/ CODY CURRIE, HARRY WOLFMAN
Sat
2nd
WAVED IN FULL (THE STREETS AFTERPARTY) MIKE SKINNER (DJ SET)
7th
GOSPELOKE
Fri
8th
LEGEND - A CELEBRATION OF BOB MARLEY
Sat
9th
MARDI GRAS FESTIVALE LONDON
Thurs
T H E P R I N C E O F WA L E S
Comedy improvisation show Duck Duck Goose host their IMPROV JAM plus guests in the Effra Social’s Churchill Lounge every Monday. You can watch or join in! 7.30pm. Free.
Fri
Thurs
WHAT’S ON FEBRUARY
MON 18 FEB @ EFFRA SOCIAL
14th MUSICAL BINGO
Fri
15th
90'S PARTY - CLUB & ROOFTOP PARTY
Sat
16th
FLAGZ SOUND & FRIENDS
Fri
22nd SUPA DUPA FLY X BRIXTON WITH SHORTEE BLITZ (KISS)
Sat
23rd DIGITAL LOVE: A TRIBUTE TO DAFT PUNK
Thurs
28th SOUL STRIPPED - ROOFTOP SESSIONS
467- 469 Brixton Rd, Brixton, London SW9 8HH
FEBRUARY 2019 brixtonblog.com WHAT’S ON 19
What’s on at Whirled WED 27 FEB @ QUEEN’S HEAD
Musicians from all over London play a mixture of genres at WICKED WEDNESDAY JAM. Join Aurora Dawn Aka (Alabama 3), Laura Ibáñez (Brixton Gypsy Jam) and James Lawrence (Ronnie Scott’s Ruby Sings Jam) in this weekly event. 10pm-3am. £3.
THUR 28 FEB @ EFFRA HALL TAVERN
This long-running JAZZ JAM SESSION is still going strong at this much-loved Brixton boozer after many years. 9pm-midnight. Free.
FRI 1 MAR @ GREMIO DE BRIXTON
In the majestic crypt of St. Matthews, this SPANISH TAPAS restaurant and bar oozes style and seduction. DJs play commercial house on rotation from 10pm at weekends, with a live saxophonist from 11pm. Open until 3am. Free.
SAT 2 MAR @ WINDMILL BRIXTON
The Cypher Lounge returns for their second instalment of 2019, with another superduper line up. Dr Syntax (MC) and Pete Cannon (producer/DJ/MC) are renowned for smashing shows all over the UK, combining witty, insightful lyricism and BANGING BEATS to great effect. 7pm. £6 adv/ £8 door.
SUN 3 MAR @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON
Lyapis-98 is the reincarnation of Lyapis Trubetskoy, performing beloved hits from the 90s and early 2000s. Get ready to let loose and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the You Left Me album, which catapulted Lyapis into the PUNK-ROCK elite and earned them nationwide admiration. 7-11pm. £40.
MON 4 MAR @ THE ELM PARK TAVERN
Hosted by everyone’s favourite bartender Josh, this PUB QUIZ gives you a chance to use your brain and all of its randomly stored snippets of info to win loads of great prizes such as a bottle of wine, free drinks rounds and of course the mega cash pot. Book a table through hello@elmparktavern.co.uk. 8pm start, £2 per person.
TUE 5 MAR @ 224 BRIXTON ROAD
Charisma Events present an evening of panel discussions, an EMPOWERMENT WORKSHOP and networking. Come and hang out with inspirational panellists including Charlotte Jones, Rayvenn D’Clark, Klerissa McDonald, Kelly Pretty, Amani Eke for advice and practical tips to push forward with your goals and aspirations. From £16.50 (inc goody bag worth £50). 6.30-8.30pm.
Leave No Trace Monday 11 – Wednesday 13 8pm Sunday 17 6pm In Debra Granik’s film a father and daughter live a perfect but mysterious existence in Forest Park, a beautiful nature reserve in the North West USA, rarely making contact with the world. When a small mistake reveals them to the authorities, they are sent on an increasingly erratic journey in search of a place to call their own.
Sweet Country Monday 25 – Wednesday 27 Sunday 3 March A sweeping, historical epic set in a brutal but a stunning Australian landscape, and based on a true story from 1929, Warwick Thornton’s film Sweet Country follows the story of Sam Kelly, a middle-aged indigenous Australian who becomes a wanted criminal after a violent altercation with a bitter war veteran. When Sam is pursued across the harsh desert country, the truth about his supposed crimes starts to surface and the community begins to question whether justice is being served.
Loveless Monday 18 Three Identical Strangers – Wednesday Thursday 7 March 20 8pm The documentary Three Sunday 24 6pm Identical Strangers tells the In director Andrey astonishing story of three men who Sweet Country Zvyagintsev’s film, Zhenya make the chance discovery, at the and Boris are going through age of 19, that they are identical triplets, a vicious divorce marked by separated at birth and adopted by different resentment, frustration and recriminations. Already parents. The trio’s joyful reunion in 1980 catapults embarking on new lives, each with a new partner, them to fame, but it also sets in motion a chain they are impatient to start again, to turn the page of events that unearths an extraordinary and – even if it means threatening to abandon their disturbing secret that goes far beyond their own 12-year-old son Alyosha. Until, after witnessing one lives – a secret that might one day answer key of their fights, Alyosha disappears. questions at the heart of all human behaviour. Whirled and curators Rude & Loud are bringing six big films back to the big screen for Sunday matinées (1-4pm) over February, March and April along with a special selection of short films: PULP FICTION 10 February THE BREAKFAST CLUB 24 February CINEMA PARADISO 10 March
THE GREAT DICTATOR 24 March THE BIG LEBOWSKI 7 April BUTCH CASSIDY and the Sundance Kid 21 April
Whirled Cinema | 259 Hardess Street, SE24 0HN | 020 7737 6153 | www.whirledcinema.com
A5 Flyer Portrait
Art and activism Brixton-based Frann Preston-Gannon and her colleague Maggi Li – both successful children’s book illustrators – are running an interactive exhibition of art that explores and exposes the impact on the natural world of human activity. Common Lands looks at issues such as biodiversity, habitat destruction and migration. It aims to highlight the threats facing the natural world but also to celebrate its wonders. So the bright, bold artworks are stylistically upbeat, but contain more serious messages.
210mm x 14 8m m
Because the artists want to encourage active engagement and give a sense of hope, the exhibition includes two workshops each day, primarily for children (from 11am to noon and 2 to 3pm ) which will be opportunities for creative work and learning. Preston-Gannon says this mix is designed to “push boundaries and start conversations”. In particular it’s about bringing the environmental debate to life for young people. AA The exhibition runs from 15 to 24 February in 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning, 198 Railton Road, SE24 0JT. Entry is free.
Dreaming on the Brixton Road The new exhibition at the SHARP gallery on Brixton Road – Dreams and Dreaming – runs until mid-March. The gallery project turns a drab meeting room into a popular gallery space at the Social inclusion, Hope and Recovery Project (SHARP) a service that is based in Brixton and works with people with psychosis. Since it was established in 2011, it has shown the work of more than 120 artists, many of whom use mental health services. The gallery transformed the
environment and experiences for staff and service users at SHARP, as well as providing a platform for artists. Curator Anna-Maria Amato says: “The gallery is not art therapy and does not focus on mental health, but is about people being artists. The gallery has invited artists, from services users to emerging artists in the local community and beyond, to exhibit their work.” Dreams and Dreaming artists responded to questions about dreams. Responses were varied and exciting, says
Amato: “One of our artists, Eurekah Aba Nourbesé, has invited responses to her video installation, creating a dialogue between herself, the viewer and the subject. Eurekah will be running a creative writing workshop, cultivating inspiration in people and exploring the methods of expression.” AA Dreams and Dreaming runs until mid-March. To find out more, email SHARPgallery@ slam.nhs.uk or call 020 3228 7050. Information on its exhibitions and events at http://bit.ly/S-G_events
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20 FILM brixtonblog.com 2019 FEBRUARY
We want to inspire passion for film Jessica Dyer meets the founders of Film & Chill What was a dark screening room filled with reclining deck chairs and 20 guests awaiting the December launch of Film and Chill at Renaissance, is today filled with light as The Bugle sits down with Kelechi Ehenulo and Charlene Campbell, founders of the intimate new Brixton-based cinema experience. A product of shared passion, Film and Chill is bringing independent films and blockbusters together in the hope of offering an alternative to mainstream cinema. After meeting at the Discovery Channel, Kelechi and Charlene became fast friends, bonding over their interest in film and passion for independent cinema. Kelechi says: “We believe in the power of film to uplift, there is something spiritual about it.” Later, they worked together on an independent film festival and were inspired by the quality of short films being produced – “Most films had a great cinematic quality with small scale productions and relatively little budget.” It was their belief in the transformative power of cinema that lead them to create a space in which these two worlds of film could be brought together. Kelechi explains: “We realised no one is really doing this, bringing independent short films to mainstream audiences.” Charlene mentioned this new project to her friend Marcus
“Paradise” Dawes who works with youth from the local community and he was immediately supportive. “When I was explaining the equipment we needed, he said” ‘I’ll get that for you’. He became our benefactor straight away. It is very rare as young black women to feel so supported.” Charlene had already spoken to her sister, Tamara BartonCampbell, as well as Julian Knox, both co-founders of Renaissance who offered their studio space in Tunstall Road opposite Brixton Tube as a venue for the screenings. “Tamara said ‘I love it!’ when I told her about the idea.” Film and Chill was born. Kelechi jokes: “I always say I’m the ‘Film’ and Charlene is the ‘Chill’!” Using Brixton Design Trail 2018 as a soft launch for their idea, they soon realised this was something that could become a regular Brixton event. “One audience member came up to us after the screening and asked ‘Do you do screenings every day?’.” It showed the partners that the demand is there for independent cinema offering more for your ticket price. Unique cinema experiences have grown in popularity with events hosted by Secret Cinema, Backyard Cinema and Rooftop Film Club in recent years. Audiences who have been to these events will see the progression that Film and Chill represents. By replacing the trailers with independent short films, they are introducing a new audience to under-represented
and harder-to-access pieces of cinematic art. “With Film and Chill, we want to offer you more for your money, with your ticket you receive complimentary food, drink and popcorn.” It is important, too, that everyone feels welcome – whether they love classic cinema or binge on Netflix, say Charlene and Kelechi. Kids’ screenings happen earlier in the day and offer a family friendly environment. “We want to expand our offering and are looking into autistic and tourettes friendly screenings.” The two are also making family screenings educational by running quizzes, showing the first film
ever made and sharing film facts with young audiences. Kelechi and Charlene hope to motivate the next generation of filmmakers by adding this extra dimension, “We want to inspire passion for film in children so they can think ‘I can be a producer’ or ‘I can be a director’!” Charlene recalls: “When myself and my sister were at school, we were lucky enough to be part of a YCT project which started a studio with students from Holland Park School. We had free access to classes in acting, directing, producing and editing.” It’s this experience that has inspired the pair to help open up the world of film to young people.
Kelechi adds: “I believe that everyone has a creative spirit and heart, there is no age limit to inspiration, and we want adults to see what independent cinema can be too.” Film and Chill’s monthly screenings respond to larger themes and events happening during the month, so February will focus on love through an abundance of Valentine’s themed content with La La Land and Beauty and The Beast, while March will see screenings with strong female leads to celebrate International Women’s Day including Hidden Figures (the 2016 film focusing on three female African-American mathematicians working for NASA during the Space Race). With screenings at Renaissance in January and February, Film and Chill are also in talks with other local spaces including Upstairs at Squires’ Department Store and Pop Brixton. They have just been awarded membership of The Film Hub London which is run in connection with the BFI. Additionally, they are looking for independent film makers from the local community to submit shorts for screenings and hope to run a competition to find the best of independent cinema soon. Film and Chill are also working to raise awareness of two charities close to their hearts: Sickle Cell Society and Diabetes UK. “Sickle Cell is something that effects the local community and is close to our hearts as my younger sister suffers from the disease,” says Charlene. “We want to give back to the community.” They hope to forge links with local businesses and are always seeking potential collaborations and sponsorship. That isn’t to say that Film and Chill is fixed, “Brixton will always be our home, but we can pop-up anywhere!” Kelechi sums up “I see a big future for us.” Both also continue with individual projects, Charlene is a producer currently working on a film celebrating Motown and Kelechi is a freelance film critic. AAFor more information on Film and Chill, visit filmandchill.com. You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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22 brixtonblog.com 2019 FEBRUARY The long tradition of women artists in South London was featured in one recent show and will be part of a forthcoming history project
GARDENING GEMMA PASHA
Do you remember the Loughborough Prune today Road neighbourhood from the past? growth tomorrow On Friday 15 February the San Mei Gallery in what was once the Loughborough Hotel on Loughborough Road, will host a free event that will share highlights of a Heritage Lottery funded project organised by a local tenants and residents association – LEAF, standing for Loughborough, Evandale, Akerman, Fiveways, four local roads. The idea for the project came after a LEAF exhibition of local artists’ work in the gallery (under different ownership) in 2016.
Lambeth Archive images of the area inspired people to talk about their recollections of shops and pubs from years ago. A main aim of the project is to collect and record people’s memories of the changing area. One of the people who will feature at the 15 February meeting at 7pm will be Nellie Roberts, who lived all her life – from 1872 to 29 March 1959, 60 years ago next month – at 72 Loughborough Road. For 56 years she was the official orchid artist of the Royal Horticultural
REDDER SPLASH! had its first meeting in 1983, initiated by Camberwell School of Art graduate Linda Crook. Its aim was, and is, to build confidence and encourage women to create and show art. The group consisted of socialists, mainly from South London. For many years they met weekly to explore techniques and learn from each other. Some members who had not been formally trained went on to art schools as mature students. Others with jobs discovered talents for etching, glass sculpture and stone carving – among other art forms. Linda Crook is now an internationally recognised artist with work in the British and Victoria and Albert museums.
Society, painting up to 5,000 award-winning orchids and private commissions. She was discovered as a teenager when a passing orchid-fancier saw one of her paintings in the window of her father’s jewellery shop at 72 Loughborough Road. She never moved and never married – a possible reason may be her younger sister, cruelly described as an “imbecile” in the 1939 census. Now Nellie lies in an unmarked grave at Lambeth Cemetery in Blackshaw Road, Tooting.
Linda Crook (3rd left) with Redder Splash! members (l-r) Marcia Crow, Pat Campbell, Carol Hughes, Claire Allam and Janet Vaux The group exhibited regularly and some members got together again in December, more than three decades on, to mount a show at Coldharbour Studios in Loughborough Junction as part of Camberwell Arts winter open studios.
Shrubs set the tone of a garden and need to be kept in shape – both physical and health – with regular pruning that also promotes the growth of flowers and fruits. Winter is a good time to prune many plants and shrubs. Cuts could allow disease to enter so use sharp and clean tools to make clean cuts that do not leave snags. Cut close to, but not into, buds and always above them. Prune young shrubs to establish a shape and encourage growth. Most evergreen shrubs do not need thinning, but all shrubs benefit from shortening long shoots and removing weak or damaged areas. Deciduous shrubs are more likely to need pruning into shape – known as formative pruning. Young shrubs often have many shoots so thin them out early on. Correct lopsided growth by lightly pruning longer shoots and hard pruning weak stems. Shrubs like forsythia and buddleia can accumulate masses of dead wood in their centres if they are not pruned regularly. Rejuvenate them by cutting back in winter when they are not growing. First remove the dead, diseased and crossing stems, then thin those that are left by half. Shrubs like ribes and philadelphus respond well to severe pruning and may be cut back almost to ground level to encourage
new growth. Take a cutting if you are not sure of the shrub’s overall health. Many readers with small urban gardens will have shrubs in pots. When these reach maturity, they should be repotted each year in spring, or every other year. Use a pot that is about the same size as the old one. Lightly prune the roots if you find the shrub is pot-bound. Cut about one-third of thicker non-fibrous roots back to the rootball, avoiding damage to the fibrous feeder roots. Repot with new compost, cutting back top growth by about a third to balance lost roots. Shrubs grown for their colours, such as dogwood, should be pruned every spring leaving four or five buds to encourage new growth. This is known as coppicing. To keep a framework of older stems, remove a third of them Pollarding is a similar process – all stems are cut back to the same point. Seen on London’s plane trees, this technique is also used on eucalyptus. Feed and mulch the plant after pruning. 66 If this all seems a little daunting, then feel free to contact The Gardening Girl on 07826 551353. I and my team are working and it is an excellent time to get some prep work done before spring.
FEBRUARY 2019
Hill Mead HERALD We make robots dance
The theme of this month’s page is visits by Hill Mead pupils to the London Connected Learning Centre(CLC) in Clapham, where a team including teachers, computing and multimedia specialists, trainers, technicians, filmmakers, designers and family learning tutors, help teachers and their classes learn about the digital world
By Albaraa and Ellie, Year 6 Year six blue learnt how to how to use controls to command EV3 Lego Robots to practise our programming. It was an interesting experience that encouraged others to investigate deeper into the mind of a robot. The first thing that we discovered was how to use the app properly and look at all
Sprites, spikes and spirals By Nevaeh-Rae and Kidimacaje Year 5
Year 5 visited CLC to learn more about coding using the Scratch 3.0 computer program. Rowan, who teaches at the CLC, welcomed us and taught us how to use code to make patterns. Scratch is a program for children that can make coding instructions to create a maze or move a “sprite”, make games and patterns and control devices like iPads. At first Rowan, showed us how to give the pen instructions (the sprite holds an imaginary pen). Then we tested the new Scratch program and started to make a simple shape (a square) with pen. Next Rowan gave us angles to test to create different shapes. An example of an instruction is: “glide your sprite to Y - 0, X - 0; tell your sprite to go point direction of 120 degrees; go forward 100 steps …” My favourite bit was when we got to make our own blocks, because I never knew that coding could be so fun! I made a block called colourful spiral square, so my sprite drew a square that overlapped the square with different colours (Nevaeh-Rae) My favourite part was when we used a pen to do different patterns, for example, a pattern which will make a shape with spikes and moving characters (for instance, a bat) using coordinates. (Kidimacaje) At CLC you get to do new things and experiment.
I got a kick By Kadidiatou, Year 4 Year 4 played the Robot Challenge. There was Lego Kicking – you use a computer app to code angles and speed to make a Lego leg kick a tissue paper ball. I did it! Spiro is like a squishy ball with wires inside, you put on the map with numbers and make it move. We used the app, connected using Bluetooth* to speak to Spiro. I tried to make it go forwards, but Spiro went backwards – it was difficult. Light Bot Hour is an app you use to move a Bot from box to box boxes. If you get the Bot on a blue box, you have to light it up. Codapilla is for very young children but we tried out for fun, its easier than Bee Bot! It is like building blocks that move and the instructions are inside the body and it makes baby noises. I enjoyed everything but most of all the Lego Kicking leg. *Warning: Bluetooth is a way of connecting to a robot without a wire. It is not blue teeth!
Dutch visitors impressed our love of learning Hill Mead hosted a half-day tour by about 30 Dutch teachers for the third successive year. The tour is part of Co-think – the CLC’s cross-Europe project on computational thinking. The teachers toured Hill Mead, visiting every classroom and discussing with teachers and children their learning, work and experience. Year 4 and 5 children demonstrated their new skills in Scratch
and Light Bot Hour. We had time for questions and answers at the end of the tour and the teachers quizzed us about the reasons behind our curriculum decisions and our vision for the future. We received great feedback and they were particularly impressed with the children’s love of learning, how confidently they talked and their explanations about what they had learnt.
the commands we could use. Then we learnt how to start up the robot and use it. Our first challenge was to make it move forward. You do this by using the app to send a command to the robot. We also went though many challenges such as making the robot go through mazes. Making it dance was one of the activates many people chose. The challenge that we most enjoyed was commanding the EV3s to go through the mazes. It was trial and error. We estimated the routes that would let the robot finish the maze. We saved the most exciting activity to last the robot race between Albaraa and Imran. I’m smiling – so guess who won!
Hill Mead congratulates the Connected Learning Centre on winning an important BETT award for its work with us and other Lambeth schools
How we used a computer program to make a giant light-up city By Lassina, Yurena and Hadi (Year 3) When we went to the CLC we had to create a light-up city. In the morning, we followed instructions to connect wires to something called a “crumble” which we then connected to the “sparkles”.
We used the computer to program the sparkles to light up. We were able to choose the colour that we wanted the sparkle to be. When we added a repeat function to the program we had written, we could make the sparkle flash different colours. After lunch, we got to design
and make different buildings. The teachers at the CLC gave us boxes to make the buildings from and we used tape, feathers, pompoms, tissue paper and colouring pencils to decorate our buildings. Once we had finished decorating, we put our sparkles inside our buildings and we had to make sure
that the sparkle lit up. Then, we put everyone’s houses on the road on the floor to make a giant light up city! Our favourite parts of the day were when the teacher taught us how to program the sparkle and also when we saw it light up inside the buildings that we had made.
BRIXTON
Bugle SPORT Brixton Rec hosts marathon 5-a-side fundraiser
South London five-a-side football team Samba Quays are reuniting 10 years after their last competitive game to play a sixhour marathon match in Brixton Rec to raise money for the cancer treatment that one of their player’s wives is receiving in Germany. Basil’s wife Ula was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma in April 2015 and, after treatment at the Royal Marsden and the Royal Brompton hospitals as well as a clinic in Istanbul, she is now receiving specialised drug therapy in Germany. The treatment is not available on the NHS and treatment, travel and accommodation costs are being funded privately. Samba Quays will attempt their challenge on Sunday 10 February when they will face six opposition teams, playing each team for 1 hour at a time without any breaks. Samba player Jonny Breeze said: “We can only hope we raise a ton of money and awareness, please give generously.” AA You can donate at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/samba4ula
Jayden Taylor and Vanessa Tabares with Efe Obada
Stockwell refugee who became NFL player encourages local youngsters to dream big Efe Obada from the Carolina Panthers American football team brought his inspiring story back to South London as part of an NFL UK and Nike programme to promote the sport in the UK. The programme was delivered in partnership with West Norwood based charity BIGKID Foundation that helps young people at risk of social exclusion and youth violence to find, develop and act on their own potential. Obada’s journey from Stockwell to the NFL was not easy. A refugee from Nigeria, he was trafficked to the UK at the age of 10. He was left homeless and then placed into foster care in Lambeth.
At the age of 22, when he was working in a North London warehouse, a friend recommended that the 6ft 6in Obada try an American football training session. He was scouted shortly after, and the rest is history. Obada’s story led the NFL and Nike to pilot their training programme in Stockwell, where they hoped to inspire the next generation of young people to dream big. Jason Brisbane, head of community at NFL UK said: “You never know what will happen if you try something new, and you never know where it will take you.” Over six weeks, 70 boys and girls from
BIGKID Foundation were introduced to American Football. At the end of the programme, their fitness and skills were put to the test during a combine – the showcase used by NFL scouts to spot new talent. For the youngsters this was a totally new experience – a chance to try a sport that many teenagers never get access to. After the combine, NFL and Nike surprised two participants, Jayden Taylor and Vanessa Tabares, with an all-expenses paid trip to North Carolina, to visit the home of the Panthers and Efe Obada. As Obada says: “Keep pounding, and you’ll go places.”
Brockwell Swimmers enjoy ‘mild’ 4ºC relays Three Brockwell Swimmers relay teams took part in the Tooting cold water swimming championships in January. “With more than 600 swimmers taking part, and a very high standard, we were not expecting any medals,” said club chair Tim Sutton
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“Just to take part in the event was reward enough.” The impressive event is organised every two years by the South London Swimming Club and attracts cold water devotees from all over the UK and beyond, including teams from Finland, Belgium
and Germany. Brockwell team members Lou, Leah, Amit and Tess (Team1); Peter, Alison, Giles and Tracy (Team 2); Tim, Gillian, Penny and Hillary (Team 3); braved what the club described as “the surprisingly mild” 4°C temperature.
Brixton Arches traders preparing to return Businesses are due to start returning to Brixton Arches in the next couple of weeks as work on phase one is finally completed. Among those returning are Café Rio, Max Snack Bar, Beautiful Books and Tahlos Butchers, some returning tenants have opted to start a fresh with new businesses. Local business owner for over 20 years, Ola Adamson, who ran Cheques for Cash, will be returning with a new offer called Ola’s matching a small plate seafood menu with wine and cocktails. “Seafood is really healthy and popular. I want people to come and enjoy themselves with
something high quality.” Owner of the former station café Ali Akbas will be opening Naz café and deli, serving Turkish specialities. Zelia and Joao at Max Snack Bar have plans for their fit-out which will include a new charcoal grill. The whole family has been involved with the re-birth of the business including 16-year old daughter Nicole taking the lead on design and graphics. During closure, Mohammed Asif has been running Rehan Mobile from a stall opposite his former kiosk. He is delighted to be returning to his kiosk in the Station Passageway and is looking forward to
being able to offer a greater range of repair services and more accessories at Rehan Mobile. Businesses will re-launch throughout March after they have completed their fit-outs. Binki Taylor, who has been working to support returning businesses through the closure says: “This is a really exciting moment for these businesses. They’ve endured a very difficult couple of years and worked hard to get to this point. This is an important new beginning for them and this development.” Taylor will remain working with the tenants as community manager for the Arch Company.