Brixton Bugle October 2015

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>> ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 18 >> RECIPE PAGE 20 >> WHAT’S ON PAGE 22 >> SPORT PAGE 24 >>

CANGELL TOWN

BY ALBERTINE BRANDON

The Angell Town estate in Brixton has been brought into the spotlight after the Evening Standard published a series of in depth reports on it.

The Standard’s campaigns editor David Cohen spent a week on the estate “to gain a unique

insight.” His reports described an estate “struggling to overcome violence and deprivation.”

One Angell Town resident has said the report “made her feel terrible.” Rosalind Henriques, 60, has lived on the estate for 40 years. She was in one of the photos used in the in the series. Henriques said: “It made me feel terrible as someone who has lived there for 40 years.”

“Lots of people visit the area who are new here and they don’t feel threatened. My kids - and lots

of other kids-are not involved in gang crime.”

“I think there needs to be more intergenerational work done.” she added: “We definitely do need that community centre because when they had that £69million to re-build the estate they didn’t put a community centre in. There’s nowhere we could go and do stuff.”

>>>>> Read more at brixtonblog.com

Pollution killing hundreds each year in Lambeth

BY ANNA McKIE Brixton families and residents took to the streets over pollution last month as research showed that hundreds of local people are dying every year because of pollution caused by traffic.

Brixton has some of the worst air pollution in London. Levels of

nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – which is linked to heart and lung disease – are much higher than the European Union (EU) standards.

The air quality monitoring station in Brixton Road recorded a whole year’s worth of NO2 in the first week of 2015 alone.

Last year the same site recorded average annual levels of NO2 nearly four times higher than the EU target – higher than in Oxford Street, Euston Road and the City.

The protest took place a day after the government announced plans to meet European air quality limits – which were met with disappointment by environmental campaigners.

Critics said the plans would make councils responsible for policing CONTINUED PAGE 2

ROBOT ON THE HILL: New

college on Brixton Hill will have robotics, 3D printing and more NEWS PAGE 8

The hops are growing well in south London …

FEATURE PAGE 11

HEDONISM GROWS UP: We Anti-gentrification protesters paraded through Brixton Village during the Brixton Come Together event.

More pictures page 5

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Dread remembers the University of Dub at the Rec NEWS PAGE 7

HOPPING GOOD HARVEST:

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60 YEARS OF SOUND SYSTEMS: Channel One’s Mikey

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chat to Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder ahead of Academy gig ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 19

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Edition 36 | October 2015 | FREE

INSIDE…

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2 NEWS

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 » 020 3730 1312 » @brixtonblog » @brixton_bugle » brixtonblog.com ADVERTISING Jenny Shramenko 07811 878394 jenny@brixtonblog.com Circulation 10,000 copies Readership: circa 15,000 EDITOR Linda Quinn linda@brixtonblog.com DEPUTY EDITOR Lindsay Faller lindsay@brixtonblog.com NEWS EDITOR Anna McKie newsdesk@brixtonblog.com ARTS & FEATURES Barney Evison, Ruth Waters arts@brixtonblog.com FOOD Miss South food@brixtonblog.com SPORT Sandra Brobbey sport@brixtonblog.com David Gibson

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October 2015

Deli joins Club 414 in latest wave of closures

By ANNA McKIE and MARK WADIE

Foodies and clubbers – two of the key components of Brixton’s resurgence in recent years – have been devastated by the imminent closure of two iconic establishments that have been serving their needs for 25 years or more.

After a long-running battle with Network Rail, A&C Continental Deli on Atlantic Road is set to close on Saturday October 3 and planning permission has been granted to change the Coldharbour Lane building now housing the 414 nightclub into a shop and flats.

A&C owner José Cardoso, who has been running the shop with his wife Anabella for 12 years, said the decision was not entirely due to Network Rail’s refurbishment of the arches that house the deli, but it was a big factor.

Businesses in the arches on Atlantic Road and Brixton Station Road between Brixton Road and Pope’s Road will be evicted for the refurbishment and then face rent increases.

Cardoso, whose parents took over the deli 25 years ago, said: “It has been quieter for us recently, there’s been a combination of a change in demographic and people shopping online more.

That, coupled with the proposed rent increases, makes it just too difficult.

“Network Rail have told us rents will increase by 25 per cent in the first few years, then to 100 per cent, then will eventually triple. With the pressures of what’s going on, we’d have to change our business dramatically, to become more of a brand than a shop and we don’t want to do that, so we’re drawing a line.“We don’t want it to come to the point where we’re pushed or forced out.

“We’ve had fantastic memories in Brixton but are looking forward to spending more time with the family. We will continue to work on the Save Brixton Arches campaign.”

Anti-gentrification protesters at the Brixton Come Together event outside A&C Deli The 414 has been a fixture of Brixton nightlife for 30 years. It hosts weekly techno, hard house and psychedelic trance nights on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as regular day parties.

Some 445 comments were lodged on the Lambeth council planning permissions website; 432 were objections from supporters of the club.

A change.org petition at bit.ly/414-petition had

been signed by more than 2,250 people as we went to press.

The closure is part of a trend that has seen the number of UK nightclubs halved in a decade since 2005, according to figures released by the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers in August.

No date has been set for the closure of the club and, at present, it continues to operate as usual.

ISSUE 36 Writers: Nikki Griffiths, Susan Sheehan Mark Wadie Kimberely Moyo Helen Reid Tom Sasse Kate Corry Sub-editor: Jamila Omar Designer: Agnes Graves Production: Alan Slingsby Crossword: Josie Gardiner A massive thank you to everybody involved in making this issue, and the Blog & Bugle project, a success

FROM PAGE 1

pollution in urban areas without any extra money or new powers.

The plans accepted for the first time that more than 50,000 people a year die from air pollution in the UK. But Greater London will only comply with EU pollution laws by 2025.

The mayor has also announced plans for an ultra low emission zone,

which will ban the most polluting lorries, buses and cars. But this will not come into force until 2020 and it will not cover Brixton.

Figures published by King’s College London based on research in 2013 showed that in Lambeth almost 200 people died in 2010 as a result of exposure to nitrogen dioxide.

E a r l i e r t h i s y e a r, L a m b e t h coun­c illor Jennifer Brathwaite launched a petition calling on the

Mayor of London to operate only clean buses in Brixton and Streatham.

Local mum Janet Williamson said: “The pollution around here is really unpleasant.

“I think it’s completely unacceptable that my son, who has asthma, is expected to stay in the house on days with high pollution.

“Surely there must be a better solution.”

One of the protest organisers,

Bess Herbert, said: “If 200 Lambeth residents were being killed every year in road accidents, we would all know about it. But air pollution is a silent, invisible killer. We organised this walk to raise awareness and to call on the Mayor of London to take urgent action.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the support we have received – many local people are concerned about the problem.”

October 2015

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NEWS 3

Piers Allardyce

‘It can be done’ says Brixton Soup Kitchen founder

BY MARK WADIE

It’s win-win for Brixton as veg vouchers take off

BY LINDA QUINN

Brixton’s market traders have joined forces with the Alexander Rose Charity in a fruit and veg vouchers scheme that supports families on low incomes.

Rosie Boycott, the Mayor of London’s food advisor joined traders and local families at Brixton Market to celebrate the launch of the new healthy eating initiative.

Stuart Horwood of Brixton Market Traders says the scheme is proving popular and £1,244 worth of vouchers have already been used at participating stalls.

“Being involved with the vouchers scheme is an excellent way to introduce more people to the benefits of healthy shopping at your local market where your money always goes further,” he said.

The Rose Vouchers For Fruit & Veg project

was set up by the charity in partnership with Food Matters, a Brighton-based organisation that works to create sustainable and fair food systems. It is designed to promote healthy eating and combat food poverty by giving families vouchers that can be redeemed for fresh fruit and vegetables at participating traders at Brixton Market and in West Norwood.

Rosie Boycott told the Bugle that the idea originated in Boston USA, where it is known as the Boston Bounty Bond, and spread to most other major US cities. “It’s fantastic to see the enthusiasm among the traders, children and parents toward eating more fruit and vegetables,” she said. “It’s win-win.”

She said it would be better if the NHS spent more on preventative schemes like this than dishing out pills.

Charity chief Jonathan Pauling said the

The founder of the Brixton Soup Kitchen has described his appearance on a list of most influential Londoners this year as “an amazing experience”.

Solomon Smith (below), 30, who set up the organisation in January 2013, was awarded a spot on The Progress 1000, the Evening Standard’s celebration of London’s most influential people, alongside other charity workers and campaigners, including Greenpeace UK Executive Director, John Sauven, and comedian and activist Russell Brand.

The list, which celebrates the capital’s “innovators and progress makers”, is voted for by writers, editors, critics and experts in a range of fields.

Smith and co-founder Mahamed Hashi attended the star-studded party at Canary Wharf’s Crossrail station in September with other London luminaries including mayor Boris Johnson and England rugby captain Chris Robshaw.

Smith said: “When I saw who else was on the list ... wow, to be there was just amazing.”

Brixton Soup Kitchen was set up without any backing from the government or other charities and relies solely on public donations and volunteers.

Smith said: “We are inspiring young people and the community, and people outside of London who have set up their own soup

Brixton scheme was its biggest yet, after pilots in Hackney and Greenwich. He paid tribute to the stallholders taking part. “This is a great market, and the voucher scheme helps families give their children the healthiest start in life,” he said.

The project will support 100 families over the next 18 months, with support from local children’s centres, to provide them with the skills and confidence to give their children a healthy start.

Run in partnership with Lambeth council’s Food Flagship scheme, the project is part of a wider initiative to make Lambeth’s food culture healthier and more sustainable.

The project, funded by the mayor of London and the Department of Education, hopes to extend the good work happening on school food to the wider community.

Top military personnel visited Brixton on Sunday September 27 for a Black History Month march past organised by the Clapham-based WASP, the West Indian Association of Service Personnel, formerly the West Indian Ex-Servicemen’s and Women’s Association.

In St Matthew’s Garden were (l to r) Sergeant Major Andy Morgan, 7 Coy HQ; Major Nana Twumasi-Ankrah, Household Cavalry; and Colour Sergeant Dennis Atkins, also of 7 Coy HQ. WASP chairman Vince McBean said: “Many service personnel approached me regarding the lack of publicity and information on the contribution and sacrifice made by servicemen and women from the Caribbean and Africa.

“To address this, to celebrate Black History Month and to write our own history of events and educate the mis-informed, WASP have initiated a march past and ceremony for our fallen comrades.”

kitchen.” They now provide up to 40 meals a day for the homeless and those unable to provide food for their families.

The charity is much more than just a food bank, though.

“For us the food is good,” said Smith. “But it is just to draw people in. Then we can ask: ‘What put you in this situation, and how can we help you to help yourself?’

“We have computers and the internet now, allowing us to provide help with CVs and get people back into work. We can help people to claim housing benefits and Job-Seekers Allowance, and refer people with mental health issues to Mind.

“For a guy from Brixton to have formed all of this is astonishing. And I’m showing a lot of young people it can be done. Put the back work in and it can be done.”

Brixton Soup Kitchen is currently raising money for a van to make them mobile. You can donate through their Go Get Funding page at bit.ly/BSK_appeal.

4 NEWS

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October 2015

Union challenges council on agency workers spending

BY ANNA MCKIE The trade union Unison has accused Lambeth council of spending an “unacceptable” amount on agency workers.

Unison said figures showed that Lambeth’s spending on agency workers had increased by 35 per cent in the last year, from 483 in 2014 to 635 at present.

Branch Secretary Jon Rogers said that, using council statistics, it was estimated that Lambeth is now spending at least half a million pounds a week on agency workers.

According to the union, spending “is spiralling out of control”.

Rogers said: “With the council facing massive cuts in funding from the government it is completely unacceptable that Lambeth is spending more and more on agency workers while staff are at risk of redundancy. We don’t accept the need for redundancies and cuts in services while the council is pouring money into the coffers of the employment agencies.”

Unison said it is calling upon Labour councillors to work closely with the trade unions to bring down the use of these workers.

However, the council says the situation is more complex than Unison has suggested.

Councillor Paul McGlone, Lambeth’s deputy leader, said: “In some employment areas, such as social work for example, Lambeth, along with other councils, struggles to recruit permanent qualified social workers as there is a national shortage of suitable candidates.

“This means we need to supplement our permanent staffing with qualified agency workers as a means of covering vacant posts and ensuring that the delivery of essential services is maintained to vulnerable children and adults.

“The last thing I want at Lambeth council is job losses and budget cuts. But the financial realities we face mean that redundancies, cuts and the use of agency workers play a role in best delivering essential services and helping us deliver a balanced budget – as required by law.

“I’ve met with local Unison representatives and those of other unions to explain the very difficult financial situation and complex staffing challenges Lambeth council faces.

That dialogue will continue.”

Charity seeks people to aid independent living A charity is looking for people in Lambeth who can help adults with learning disabilities to live independently. They would not need qualifications or experience, it says, just “the right attitude and a willingness to share their lives with another person”.

Grace Eyre, a charity with over 100 years’ experience in this area, has launched its Shared Lives scheme in the borough.

The service enables people with learning disabilities and other social care needs to live life to the full in their community without having to live on their own, or in a care home.

It gives the people it helps the opportunity to live in a family setting, offering an alternative to traditional residential care.

The charity wants to recruit and train local people to become Shared Lives carers.

Lambeth’s scheme is planned to grow rapidly over the next three years.

Eva Eriksson, chief executive officer of Grace Eyre, said the charity was very excited to be working in Lambeth and recruiting Shared Lives carers in the borough.

Carers open up their home and family life to include an adult with support needs. They are paid a fixed amount per

week and can get advantageous tax arrangements.

“For me, it’s about supporting someone and having the patience to support someone to learn new skills in their own time,” said one existing Grace Eyre carer.

“You want the person living with you to be as independent and a part of their community as much as possible. It also provides a natural realistic environment to live in and to learn new skills – so much better than a care home or residential care.

The scheme launches early this month. For more information see www.grace-eyre.org.

New market for Angell Town A new community market model is being piloted in Lambeth, with the first one launching at the Angell Town estate.

It’s Your Local Market aims to provide an urban sustainable market managed and operated by the residents and is funded by the London Community Foundation.

It will host and promote locally sourced materials, renewable energy and sustainable food for those living and visiting Lambeth, giving priority to local businesses, residents and projects supporting sustainable living.

Andrea Brown, the project development

officer, said the market is about showing how sustainability can be achieved in Lambeth, protecting the environment while involving the community in the market.

She said the process would be collaborative, with ongoing meetings and other events such as skills workshops and work with children.

Brown said: “It’s all about sustainable living, promoting a greener and brighter borough and giving local people in Lambeth the opportunity to benchmark their business, skills and workshop.”

The market will be launched on October 10 at Max Roach Park.

October 2015

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NEWS 5

Brixton comes Jerrell Elie murder: together … police release images Brixton Come Together 2015 was an event to remember with late summer sun, fabulous live music, food and drink and a samba-style protest against gentrification, soaring property prices and evictions that made a circuit of Brixton, passing several recent victims of the changes that are taking place, including A&C Deli and Club 414.

Photos by Andrew G-J and Alan Slingsby.

Police have released these images of men they believe can help them with their investigation

BY ANNA McKIE Police have released images of two men they want speak to in relation to the murder of 17-year-old Jerrell Elie.

On Saturday August 8 police were called to Flaxman Road, Brixton, at 8.50pm after reports of a fight in progress. They found

Jerrell in the street suffering from severe head injuries. The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 29-year-old man has been charged with murder and will appear at the Old Bailey on Friday October 30.

Detectives say they are trying to identify two men who were in

the vicinity at the time as they may have information which could help the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4054 or 101.

Alternatively, if you wish to remain anonymous, then please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Council planning notifications go online

BY KIMBERLEY MOYO Lambeth Council has agreed to limit the number of planning notification letters sent out to residents affected by development sites in a bid to save money.

But Green Party member councillor Scott Ainslie warned that reliance on online information could exclude local people who are not “internet savvy”. He expressed concern that the push to transfer neighbour notifications and information online could lead to community exclusion.

The majority of council members welcomed the proposals and approved the recommendations on changing the statement of community involvement (SCI) procedures.

Under the recommendations, residents will no longer be able to see physical copies of planning applications at Lambeth’s libraries and the council will stop placing public notices in local papers for planning

Celebrate Brixton with a winter festival

Calais refugee collection

By MARCO CILLARIO Around 100 people attended a “Lambeth says: Refugees are welcome here” meeting at Karibu Centre on Wednesday September 30.

The meeting was supported by the “Stand Up To Racism” association and chaired by Sara Tomlinson of the Lambeth Trade Union Council.

It focused on the refugees’ situation in Calais, calling on the government

to take in more people and discussed what each citizen of Lambeth can do to help. Speakers included the photojournalist Guy Smallman, a member of the Institute of Race Relations.

■■ A solidarity delegation to Calais is being organised for Saturday October 17 departing from Windrush Square.

People wanting to take part, make donations or have more details can call or text 07956579566.

We lose an hour of daylight at the end of the month when the clocks go back. But don’t snuggle under the duvet just yet.

Brixton BID has plans to light up Brixton for Christmas and is calling for individuals and organisations planning activities to come together to create a Winter Festival.

If you, your organisation or business have activities planned contact Susie at the Brixton BID: susie.barlow@brixtonbid.co.uk.

Send a copy to info@brixtonblog. com for a free listing.

policy consultations. Instead there will be more information on planning processes in the initial notification letters, and any information on planning applications will now be available to view on library computers free of charge.

Cllr Ainslie said: “more needs to be done to inform residents” and said that maintaining the notifications and leaflets in the libraries was a better alternative.

But Cllr Jack Hopkins argued that the money could be used better elsewhere to protect services when the council is driven to make budget savings following cuts imposed by central government. £80,000 per year is spent on posting information onplanning applications, and an additional £48,000 is spent on stationery.

Cllr Hopkins, backed by the majority of the council, said that the money currently spent on notifications by the council “is not sustainable” and stressed that this money could be redirected elsewhere.

#BrixtonBonus

Brixton Bonus is a monthly prize draw with two winners: you, and Brixton.

It only costs £1 to enter, and you can win B£1,000!

#BrixtonBonus:

Winners’ Stories

To enter, go to brixtonpound.org/brixton-bonus

Last month’s jackpot winner was Will Bugler. He had this to say about where his winnings will end up:

If you’re a Brixton Pound member already, you can play-by -text!

Simply text ‘pay bonus [amount between 1-10]’ to the regular Brixton Pound payment number (07754832867).

“I’ve donated some of it already to Brixton Soup Kitchen and the Brixton Foodbank. Solomon who runs Brixton Soup Kitchen is such a great Brixton character. I want to give some to Brixton People’s Kitchen, too. I took my girlfriend out to Casa Sibilla, it’s run by people who used to be our neighbours. I’m gonna spend some at Brixton Cycles, too – I’m a cyclist, and they’ve got a fundraising campaign going on because their premises are under threat, so it will be good to support them.”

Next draw: Friday 30th October - get in!

Jeff tweeted about his prize:

Linda, who won a runner up prize of B£20, said: “What a nice surprise to win. Glad I set up a recurring payment so I don’t miss them in the future, and you never know I may win the big one!”

Read more about the Brixton Bonus winners on brixtonpound.org/blog

featured community group:

Become a regular player and earn yourself some goodies: WHY DON’T YOU BECOME A...

• Brixton Backer, at least 1 entry/month: receive a collectors’ Jeremy Deller B£5 note • Brixton Builder, a least 3 entries/month: receive a collectors’ Jeremy Deller B£5 note + a collectors’ David Bowie B£10 note • Brixton Booster, at least 5 entries/ month: receive a much-admired B£ T-shirt worth over £20 • Brixton Boss, 10 entries/month receive a beautiful B£ T-shirt worth over £20, plus we’ll take you out for lunch at a B£ business of your choosing!

You can set up a recurring entry online: brixtonpound.org/brixton-bonus

Ebony Horse Club Every month the Brixton Bonus provides revenue for the Brixton Fund, our new micro-grants scheme in Brixton for projects looking to create employment, challenge injustice and create community benefit.

Each month we showcase a local group doing the kind of work that the Brixton Fund was set up to support. This month it’s the Ebony Horse Club, a youth club and community horse riding centre which works to improve the education, life skills and aspirations of young people growing up in some of the most disadvantaged communities in south London. They teach riding and horse care, take groups to outdoor events and on residential trips, and mentor children experiencing significant challenges in their everyday lives.

Whenever you buy a Brixton Bonus ticket, you’ll be contributing to the Fund, which will then support groups like the Ebony Horse Club. One more reason to get involved!

October 2015

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Purple lights fight pancreatic cancer

By ANNA McKIE Buildings across Brixton will be lit up in purple to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer.

The Ritzy cinema and Foxton’s estate agents have signed up to be part of Purple Lights for Hope, run by charity Pancreatic Cancer UK, on November 1 and a number of other buildings in Brixton are expected to join in.

Amber Kenworthy, who is from Brixton, is organising the light-up. She is encouraging as many businesses to get involved as possible.

“I want to raise awareness and the more buildings that do it, the more of an impact it will have,” she said.

“My father, who was very fond of Brixton, died of pancreatic cancer two and a half years ago. We had no idea what to expect or how serious it was when he was diagnosed. He only survived eight months of this horrid cancer.”

“Lighting up in purple helps to put a

spotlight on pancreatic cancer and to highlight a disease that many people still know very little about. It is intended to symbolise hope and inspiration.”

Purple Lights for Hope marks the start of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in November.

One person dies from pancreatic cancer every hour, making it the UK’s fifth biggest cancer killer.

Buildings and landmarks around the UK will be lighting up to raise awareness in local communities.

In its inaugural year, 60 were lit up in the UK, including the Trafalgar Square Fountains, the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, the Brighton Wheel and the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.

If you would like to get your building or business involved, email smileyamber@ hotmail.com or call Amber Kenworthy on 07977 406488.

NEWS 7

Pedro helps tie the knot Brixton’s favourite Shetland pony greeted newly-weds Emily Georghiou and Glenn Pougnet to their reception at Brixton East 1871.

Pedro, from the Ebony Horse Club, is already a YouTube star with more than 350,000 views, thanks to the club’s campaign to fund a stable door he could see over – he is only eight hands (84 centimetres) high.

He demonstrated his temperament by keeping calm during a long wait on busy

Barrington Road as the bride and groom were delayed in traffic. His groom, Chelsea Hughes, led him to a nearby patch of grass every now and again.

■■ The Ebony Horse Club has received confirmation that it is to receive funding of £80,000 a year over three yearss to expand its riding programme and to introduce additional sporting activities for young people.

Some families have periods of instability due to life issues. Perhaps it is related to health; family breakdown; substance dependency or they are simply losing the struggle to cope.

Support organisations do all they can to keep families together but there can come a point where children are at risk of being harmed and of having their most basic needs neglected.

Could you be a foster carer in

Brixton?

At Children First we are looking for foster carers who can offer a home and encouragement to children who have not had a good start in life.

Sound systems hit 60 An iconic act from Brixton’s musical past, Channel One sound system, is touring the Britain to mark 60 Years of UK sound system culture.

Mikey Dread (above) and Ras Kayleb, who are Channel One, were regulars at the legendary University of Dub sessions in Brixton Rec. Since then, they have continued to perform across the globe and in the UK, where they have obtained Arts Council funding.

Mikey recalls: “I used to go to the Record Shop back in the 80s – Sir Coxsone’s Record Shop. We then started playing the Recreation Centre towards the end of ’99, after we finished at the 4 Aces in Dalston.

“The best session we had there was the first:

we, Shanti and Iration back in 2000. It was jammed, got about 1,500 that night. It was jam-packed. That’s where Uni of Dub started.

“Brixton’s changed a lot. It’s not the same for reggae music anymore. Still got Supertone Records on Acre Lane – hanging in there. Still holding the fort, which is good.

“There are one or two record shops starting to spring up about the place too. Brixton Jamm is there, though, it’s filling a gap. We play there regularly. The best session we had there, was the session we had with Twinkle Brothers in 2011. Hopefully some more roots sessions to come in 2016.”

Sadly, the tour will not be coming to Brixton, but the nearest event will be on October 18 at The Village Underground in Shoreditch.

We are a well established, independent fostering agency - inspected by Ofsted and a gold standard Investor in People.

Children First works in close consultation with our foster carers, local authorities, our social workers, and most importantly, the children and young people we look after.

As one of our foster carers you will receive expert training and the benefit of support groups in your area.

A member of our team will always be on hand with help and advice, including out of hours assistance.

Could you make that difference to a child’s life?

If you have ever thought about becoming a foster carer in Brixton, or would like to find out more, please take a look at our website www.cffa.co.uk or call Kim free on 0808 178 1144

8 YOUR BRIXTON

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NEW SCHOOL WILL BRING ROBOTS TO BRIXTON HILL Sightings of robots have been reported in the streets of south London over recent weeks.

Rather than being the start of an invasion, they are the latest recruits of South Bank Engineering University Technical College, a new 14–19 engineering school opening next year.

The UTC on Brixton Hill will offer a specialist curriculum based on GCSEs and A levels, delivered in a practical way using advanced technology.

Dan Cundy, the principal designate, says: “there is a very real skills gap in the engineering sector, particularly in London.

“Major employers are desperate for young people with the right type of skills, with high value careers in engineering available”.

With specialisms in medical engineering and engineering for building, the UTC is sponsored by London South Bank University along with major engineering firms

Dan Cundy and robot at a Windrush Square event last month and two local NHS Trusts.

Sponsors are working with the UTC to create “real-world employer challenges”, to boost students’ employability as well as their specialist understanding.

The UTC will have specialist equipment and facilities including robotics, advanced computing and 3D printing, which is not normally available to schools, and is part of a £30 million building programme. The curriculum will be academic but hands-on, embracing advanced technologies in a

Moving into a new season, especially autumn, is a transition which isn’t always an easy one.

The days are getting shorter and darker, the temperature is dropping and motivation levels can be low.

But … it’s also a great time to reflect on where you are on your fitness journey, even if you’re only just starting. Where would you like to be in your training when the daffodils start popping up and there’s blossom on the trees?

Believe me, if you start now and work through the colder months you won’t regret it come spring/summer ’16.

With some tips to help you through, let’s fight the urge to curl up every evening on the sofa, or snooze the alarm in the morning … getting out from under your duvet when it’s cold is a struggle, but the rosy-cheeked achievement of being bad ass and completing your workout makes it all worthwhile …

TIPS FOR AN ACTIVE AUTUMN:

businesslike environment.

Student recruitment has started, with a very limited number of places into Years 10 and 12 open for September 2016.

Pupils will be given real projects, like modelling the lighting and ventilation to improve children’s hospital w a rd s w o r k i n g c l o s e l y with Guys, St Thomas’s and King’s hospitals.

Open events are currently taking place – details at southbank-utc.co.uk – where people have the chance to meet the principal, university and employer partners and the robots of course.”

Shake up the routine – If you’ve been meaning to try that dance class or fancy a bit of Animal Flow, find a session and give it a go.

Alongside your training programme, shaking up the routine could be the perfect way to stay motivated throughout autumn and you might just find something you really love. Don’t be afraid to try something new, just move, play and enjoy!

Workout wear – The right gear is key and a great excuse to buy some gorgeous kit for the new season. All motivation is good! I would recommend bagging yourself a thicker pair of leggings (you too, boys), some thicker or longer trainer socks and layers for your top half. As you get sweaty you’ll probably want to peel off, but post workout it’s really important to be warm! My fave brands include fizzYcaL (stocked online and at United80, Brixton Village), Catalyst Activewear (legging lust) and

October 2015

>>>>FALL FITNESS Finisterre (base layer heaven).

Group workout sessions – Training with a group is great motivation at any time of year but if you need that extra push during the colder season and the buzz of other people getting their sweat on alongside you, it’s the perfect time to find a group. From the beginning of October I will be running female only Bodyweight training & Calisthenics classes at Studio B on Brixton Hill – You can find all the information @frankieholah online or contact frankie@frankieholah.com to register - #JoinTheTribe Stay hydrated – Even when it’s cold you need to stay hydrated, especially if you’re training! Herbal teas are a great option if you can’t always face cold water… Fresh ginger tea is really warming and as well as being super tasty, it’s also great for boosting your immune system and aiding muscle recovery. Hit up Nour Cash & Carry on Electric Avenue for ginger joy and much more yummy goodness!

Happy sweating! – If you would like to book for the Bodyweight & Calisthenics classes, get in touch on frankie@frankieholah.com.

BRAND NEW 14-19 ENGINEERING SPECIALIST SCHOOL OPENING IN BRIXTON IN 2016 South Bank Engineering UTC is a new type of school. We have partnerships with London South Bank University and major organisations in engineering, a sector with a real skills shortage.

We will offer a hands-on academic curriculum with state of the art digital and engineering facilities including robotics and 3D printing.

Our curriculum is based around real world challenges set by employers, giving you the skills needed to move into university, higher level apprenticeships or potentially into careers with our partners.

Open events near you soon! www.southbank-utc.co.uk Lead sponsor:

South Bank Engineering University Technical College @SouthBankUTC

Employer sponsors:

October 2015

www.brixtonblog.com

OPINION 9

BRIXTONBugle

COMMENT Brixton has been under the spotlight again in the Evening Standard’s series of articles about Angell Town and its problems.

Where once we might have seen a sensationalist account – like those the same paper was guilty of during and after the riots of the 1980s – we read instead of the work of people like Lorraine Jones, who we featured in our own last issue.

Her example of hope, hard work and optimism when facing enormous odds must be followed by everyone who wants Brixton to fulfil its enormous potential.

If the multitude of initiatives to boost its economy and image are not to be a thin crust of glitz above a seething social crisis, then they must include all of Brixton and not only the gentrifiers and entrepreneurs.

How, for instance, must the people campaigning for the repair of Angell Town’s multi-use games area feel when they see Pop Brixton rising before their eyes?

And why is Dwaynamics, the boxing project that is a memorial to Lorraine Jones’ murdered son Dwayne, housed in Loughborough Junction by Network Rail – the villain of the piece over its actions in central Brixton – and not on council property in Angell Town?

Commander Duncan Ball, head of combating gang crime at Scotland Yard, told The Guardian: “This is not an issue we will ever arrest or enforce our way out of”.

Police, schools, parents and communities needed to tackle the underlying causes of young people seeing life as cheap on Britain’s streets, he said.

True. We are seeing enormous efforts and resources bearing fruit in many areas of Brixton. The outstanding performance of Hill Mead School is just one example.

However hard it will be, the people of Angell Town must not be left behind as change sweeps through Brixton.

STREET ART Bugle illustrator Kaylene Alder exhibited her work as part of the Brixton Design Trail last month.

See more of her work at www.kaylenealder.com

Our Brixton campaigners in the Brixton Hill Tesco

After its latest campaign event, the Our Brixton campaign explains how it plans to reclaim the cultural spaces that are being lost to development

Why we dance to resist gentrification Back in April, local artists and residents launched a multi-arts community campaign called Our Brixton. The campaign serves to create discussion on, and response to, the hyper-gentrification of the area. For the past six months we have been demonstrating, supporting eviction resistance, running free arts workshops for young people and generally raising awareness of local campaigns.

Most notably perhaps, we staged a “lie-in” at Foxton’s back in April to highlight the homelessness and displacement that comes as a result of the ongoing and widespread evictions/demolition of social housing.

Housing has typically been at the forefront of our efforts, but homes are not the only thing being destroyed in Brixton. Local venues, arts spaces and community spaces have also been under heavy attack and huge numbers of venues, pubs and bars have become nothing more than a mere memory. These stolen spaces were not simply venues and pubs; they were part of our culture, heritage, and they were community spaces.

Case in point: the Tesco Express on Brixton Hill. Until 2012, the site that now belongs to Tesco had stood as a music venue George IV, also known as Music Bar. Records detail that the venue had been

@brixtonblog

serving as a community space since 1864, it had been listed as an “Asset of Community Value” and over 3,000 local people had signed a petition to oppose the closure of the space in this manner.

Brixton has a rich history in the arts and is noted for its vibrant artistic climate that has produced some incredible artists.

Tragically, Lambeth council has been actively facilitating the sale of these spaces to private developers and big chains, ripping them from our community.

The council has also been making devastating cuts to local arts services and charities like Raw Material, for example, who continue to work tirelessly to provide arts training

September 2012 protest against the closure of the George IV

info@brixtonblog.com

and opportunities for our young and vulnerable people.

Community spaces and access to the arts are key ingredients for both the wellbeing of individuals and social welfare and we firmly believe that they are worth fighting for.

On Sunday September 27 we decided to reclaim one of these stolen spaces, for a short period of time, staging a “flash rave” (a dancing flash mob) at the Tesco Express where George IV/ Music Bar used to stand.

More than 30 local residents, artists and activists gathered inside the shop with signs reading “R.I.P Music Bar”, “Reclaim Community Spaces”, “Dance and Resist”, before blasting out heavy-bass Jungle music and doing what we used to do in that very same space … dance! We danced to resist.

There are many ways of opposing gentrification. Raising awareness online and signing petitions are powerful and, of course, have their place in the resistance.

However, we are able and more interested in physically being out in the community to reclaim our spaces in whatever ways we can.

Next time, we may stay a little longer …

■■ To keep up to date with the ‘Our Brixton’ campaign, find us on Facebook or Twitter @OurBrixton

t: 020 3730 1312

10 FEATURE

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October 2015

PENSIONER WHO TOOK THE FIGHT TO APARTHEID Brixton resident Gordon Hutchins visits pensioners action group with comrades who smuggled aid to ANC while posing as tourists

By LINDA QUINN One evening in the summer of 1971, Brixton pensioner Gordon Hutchins received a phone call. “Would he like to go on a two-week holiday to South Africa?” He and dozens of other brave Londoners like him were about to go undercover in South Africa, posing as tourists.

Gordon was a member of the engineering union and active in the Boycott South Africa movement.

The African National Congress (ANC) was under constant surveillance and many of its members, like Nelson Mandela, were in prison.

It was difficult for black South Africans to travel freely, the pass laws restricting movement, but white people from outside the country could.

Gordon and his colleague Bob

Condon, agreed to go undercover.

Each team was unaware that there were others, and they were all sworn to secrecy. Many kept that secret for more than 20 years.

They travelled by plane to Port Elizabeth, via Johannesburg. Their suitcases were filled with normal holiday kit – but hidden in secret compartments were the timers and leaflets to make ‘bucket bombs’.

The explosive tubes for launching the leaflets were often hidden in Fortnum and Mason’s biscuit tins.

Gordon says: “In all, we set off six ‘bucket bombs’ in various places”.

His team’s main target was the Ford Motor works, where many black workers were employed.

The leaflets were in Xhosa and addressed to black South Africans.

It was a call to continue resistance

to apartheid in South Africa. Their appearance puzzled the secret police who thought the ANC’s organisation had been smashed.

During his ‘holiday’ Gordon

How it was done – basic diagram of a ‘bucket bomb’ used to fire leaflets into the air says: “On our strolls around town we noticed cars parked with plain clothes police observing all and sundry. It became a game between me and Bob, to see who could spot

three before lunch. Not too difficult.”

You can read Gordon’s story along with some of the other London Recruits in a book London Recruits, The Secret War Against Apartheid (£15.95 from Amazon).

In late September, members of Lambeth Pensioners Action Group packed in to hear the stories of other Londoners who volunteered to make the dangerous journey to South Africa.

The chair, Ellen Lebethe, welcomed Bob Newland, Katherine Salahi, Norman Lucas, George Bridges, Tom Bell and Peter Smith (above).

They all had one problem in common with their visits to South Africa – how to explain their absence. Bob Newland never told his mother and only told his sister two years ago.

Join our partnership as a

parent representative

The LEAP (Lambeth Early Action Partnership) is an innovative programme that will transform the lives of babies, young children and their families in four Lambeth wards: Coldharbour, Stockwell, Tulse Hill and Vassall.

Working together with parents, carers, local workers and the community LEAP will provide a wide range of programmes to support parents and change the way services work with families.

Who we are looking for: enthusiastic parents and carers who live in the LEAP areas.

The role: together with other parents you will take part in six meetings year and act as ambassadors in your neighbourhood.

This is a voluntary position but expenses will be paid and training provided.

For more information please contact the LEAP team via LEAP: admin@ncb.co.uk or 0207 582 4182

www.leaplambeth.org.uk Telephone: 0207 582 4182

Lambeth Early Action Partnership

Matt Writtle © 2015

Katherine Salahi was one of the few women recruited. Her cover story was an academic research trip. But once there she posed as one half of a honeymoon couple touring in a Land Rover.

The vehicle had been adapted with a hidden compartment to hide the weapons she took to Botswana.

She says: “I wasn’t frightened, the worst I thought could happen was that I would be deported. I came home and forgot about it.”

Like the others, she was invited to the South African Embassy in 2005.

It was only then they realised how many of them had taken part.

“When we met again 10 years ago there were 40 there,” says Bob. “I only knew of four. We never talked about it. We had no idea when we went out how low the ANC were.”

October 2015

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FEATURE 11

RAISE YOUR GLASS TO A HOPPING GOOD HARVEST JAM, JELLY OR CHUTNEY?

“My vision is to make

This is the time of year to think about preserving homegrown foods so they can be enjoyed throughout the winter and into next year. I am regularly forced into preserving because my apples taste better cooked and there is only so much apple crumble and apple cake I can eat. I love chilli jam and whilst many recipes use cider or cider vinegar as a base, it is cheaper and more sustainable to use surplus apples. There’s a very simple recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.co.uk/recipes/apple-and-chilli-jelly.html.

This year I also need to do something with green tomatoes. I have had a very healthy crop of tomatoes but as it is getting colder the plants are suffering. I will try to ripen as many of the green tomatoes as possible (top tip: put them next to an overripe banana) but some are nowhere near ripe. Just Google green tomato chutney for a recipe and chose the one that recommends the ingredients that best suit – for example, some use apples or sultanas. Chutney is much easier to make than jam or jelly – to be as sustainable as possible also harvest jam jars before they go into the recycling.

Angell Terrace communal garden a centre for viticulture in a Lambeth

By Susan Sheehan BRIXTON BEER COMPANY - A COLLECTIVE OF HOP GROWERS

The hops are growing well in Brixton. This year Brixton Beer Company harvested its hops for a live brewing event at Canopy Beer, a microbrewery in the railway arches in Herne Hill. The company has now inspired eight different Grow Beer projects in the UK and one in Germany.

This involves individuals growing a hop plant in their community garden or their own private growing space and harvesting collectively to contribute to a beer which they then also get to drink. The fresh ‘green’ hops are highly prized and rare as most hops are now grown in China or the USA and imported dried. The beer will be sampled for the first time at Canopy Beer on October 17 and will be available to buy for a few weeks – until it runs out.

If you are interested in being part of Brixton Beer Co check Twitter @BrixtonBeerCo or www. facebook.com/groups/107597066037918.

market garden. With a greenhouse in the garden to propagate vine cuttings a new sustainable cottage industry can benefit grape growers” John Spicer GRAPE EXPECTATIONS

It’s not just beer that Brixtonians are growing.

John Spicer was selling Black Hamburg grapes in Brixton market at the beginning of September. He is pictured above (right) in the garden with friends, celebrating the harvest and preparing it for market, in the communal green at Angell Terrace, Brixton Road/Rossiter Grove.

John selected the variety of grape, which he thinks is well-suited to London’s clay soil. This species of vitis vinifera, a black Muscat, has a history going back to Ancient Egypt, land of the Pharaohs. In 1768 Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, royal gardener to George III, planted a Black Hamburg cutting in the glasshouse at Hampton Court Palace, that still regularly bears masses of fruit testifying to the sustainability of this variety.

John has ambitions to grow grapes in Lambeth.

He has proved that grapes grow well and could form the basis of a small cottage industry.

Although Black Hamburg grapes are principally dessert grapes, John is making 23 litres of wine this year. So look forward to Chateau Angell, Muscat Nouveau in October 2015.

DOWN ON THE FARM Loughborough Farm spread its roots across the road as part of Urban Food Fortnight. The Farm set up a pop-up cafe and market shop in The Platform Ridgway Road for two weeks in September. Customers were able to sample locally crafted beers and farm-inspired cocktails. The farm is a community food-growing project, with around 30 volunteers meeting Tuesdays and Saturdays, 1-3pm.

Group leader Simon (left) says the compost is contributed from local organisations - horse manure from the Ebony Pony Club, coffee granules from Blue Turtle and the Beehive brewery deliver their spent hops. “It’s all about growing community and growing people.”

The Open Orchard project is looking for new sites to plant urban orchards after their success this year in other parts of the borough. This year they planted 67 fruit trees at nine sites surrounding Brixton – all on publicly accessible land.

The project teamed up this August with Hawkes, the craft cider-makers, to pick apples from established urban orchards where fruit would otherwise go to waste.

Hawkes blend these urban apples to make their Urban Orchard Cider, and donate 10 per cent of their profits to groups to plant more fruit trees. The Open Orchard project are now looking for sites and funding for Year Two, and are aiming to plant another 67 trees. Find them on Facebook at Open Orchard Project and on Twitter @OpenOrchardProj.

We are a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening Brixton’s diverse business culture. We represent 656 levy-paying businesses in the local area and work to develop new and exciting opportunities for Brixton.

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS All businesses are invited to attend meetings, which happen once every six weeks and are a forum for businesses to decide on how their BID levy budget is spent. Please contact us or come along to have your say.

Brixton Economic Vision Workshop 8:15am Tuesday 6 October 2015 Satay Bar, Coldharbour Lane Marketing and Partnerships 11:30am Tuesday 20 September 2015 Pop Brixton Greenhouse meeting space, Popes Road Environment Forum 10:30am Tuesday 20 October 2015 The Courtesan, Atlantic Road Times and dates of meetings and other events can be found at brixtonbid.co.uk 020 3417 7373 admin@brixtonbid.co.uk @BrixtonBID brixtonbid.co.uk

BRIXTON ECONOMIC VISION Lambeth Council is committed to developing an Economic Action Plan for Brixton. There is no doubt that the economy is growing, but how can we ensure that that growth benefits local residents? The Council’s aim is to develop an action plan that can be delivered in collaboration with Brixton’s local businesses and community.

To start the conversation, there will be a series of workshops: Young Lambeth Coop A workshop to explore the aspirations of young people and opportunities for employment and enterprise.

Impact Hub Brixton and Brixton Pound A workshop to explore the perspectives and priorities of Brixton’s social entrepreneurs and community groups, focusing on opportunities and challenges, additional support needs of local residents and businesses, and potential mechanisms to help deliver equitable growth.

Brixton Business Improvement District (BID) A breakfast workshop to explore the perspectives and priorities of the business community, focusing on current performance, future opportunities and challenges, support needs (workspace and business support), and potential mechanisms to help deliver equitable growth.

The business workshop will be at Satay Bar, Coldharbour Lane on Tuesday 6th October at 8:15am

REPREZENT AT POP BRIXTON

BRIXTON DESIGN TRAIL

In September, Reprezent Radio moved into their new home at Pop Brixton. Reprezent 107.3FM is a social enterprise broadcasting across the capital since 2011.

The station is the UK’s only broadcaster run by entirely under 25’s. Reprezent had been on the lookout for a suitable space since earlier this year and decided on Pop when they met the team, viewed the site and realised the opportunities Pop could offer in terms of Lambeth residents, space and events.

September’s Brixton Design Trail was a big success and a great opportunity to highlight the creative talent and diverse businesses we have in Brixton. Big thanks to local organisations 2MZ, Brixi, Eley Kishimoto, Brixton East 1871 as well as Squire & Partners who are moving their HQ to Brixton in 2016.

Pop Brixton, their new home, is the result of an exciting collaboration between Lambeth Council, Carl Turner Architects and The Collective. The council provided the land at no cost, subject to the project delivering local benefits to the community, including an agreement that ten units would be made available at reduced rents to support local start-ups, social enterprises or organisations that will have a positive social impact.

Three of those subsidised units have now been let to Reprezent.

YOUR BUSINESS HERE Contact Brixton BID if you are a BID member business and would like a FREE ad space on these pages in next month’s Brixton Bugle.

The move for Reprezent means more space and better training facilities, which ultimately allows more young people to get involved with the station. The broadcaster already has a large audience in Lambeth and it gives local young people a chance to get more actively involved. The event space at Pop Brixton also allows the station to run lots more events bringing their sound out of the studio into the community.

To find out more and see what else is happening at Pop visit popbrixton.org & futurebrixton.org

BRIXTON BID TECHNICIAN We are looking for a new technician to serve the Brixton business community in completing maintenance, repairs, plumbing and small installations.

This is initially a part time role, with the potential to increase to full time hours in response to demand from businesses. If you know somebody skilled and good with people who might suit this role or if it sounds like you, email admin@brixtonbid.co.uk

Somerleyton Road plans put local communities centre stage It’s with thanks to all the local people and community organisations that helped develop the Somerleyton Road scheme over the last seven years that we are excited to announce that a planning application has now been submitted. new cultural facility on Somerleyton Road.

Opposite the entrance to Brixton Village, we plan to build an ambitious, fully accessible theatre with rehearsal rooms and creative workspace. A chef school and training restaurant could help local young people capitalise on Brixton’s reputation for good food by learning the trade.

This could see more than £100 million invested in a corner of Brixton town centre that is largely under-utilised. Put simply, the Somerleyton Road project is about building more than 300 new, high quality homes to rent, but it’s also much more than this.

space providing activities for all ages. The outdoor spaces included for playing, growing food, meeting neighbours and a street gym were all suggestions made by local people and encourage a healthy and strong community. Importantly local people will be involved in the running of the new development too.

It also includes a children’s centre and nursery, extra care homes and community

With its existing heritage and central Brixton location, people strongly supported the idea for a

How we got here

What will the development look like?

In 2013 the council, Brixton Green and Ovalhouse formed a partnership and set about agreeing a shared vision with local residents and businesses. Since then, we’ve been listening to what local people want and exploring their ideas; looking at what communities will need in the future and bringing people together to make difficult decisions about priorities and funding.

People told us they wanted a different kind of regeneration, one that built on the strength of existing local heritage; built homes with secure tenancies and fair rents; supported jobs, training and enterprise; and created a high quality buildings with green spaces in between.

A planning consultation exhibition will be held at the BCA for Somerleyton Road on the following dates and times Tues 13 Oct 5.30pm to 8pm Wed 14 Oct 12pm to 2pm Sat 17 Oct 12pm to 3pm

A view from Coldharbour Lane down Somerleyton Road, with Ovalhouse theatre on the right

Your New Town Hall The Town Hall closed on 4 September and most services moved to Olive Morris House. Lambeth Register Office is now at Redfearn Centre 329 Kennington Lane, Vauxhall, London, SE11 5Q.

From l to r - community facilities with housing above, the street gym, extra care homes

Read more at www.yournewtownhall.org

For more information about the scheme go to www.futurebrixton.org LBL Brixton Bugle OCT v5.indd 1

24/09/2015 17:13

October 2015

FEATURES 15

www.brixtonblog.com

PRESIDENT LESLIE ON THE BRIXTON MIX AND THE RITZY STRIKERS Leslie Manasseh’s last major task at the end of his 12 months as president of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) was to welcome the newly elected Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to the annual meeting of the body that represents all the UK’s trade union members.

A Brixton resident since 1987 (with a five-year stint in Tulse Hill preceding that), Leslie’s full-time job is deputy general secretary of Prospect, a union that represents professional and specialist workers in private firms and the public sector.

“You can go out into Brixton on any day at any time and it is genuinely lively and it is ever-changing,” he says.

“I love the fact now – which was not the case 20 years ago – when I walk along the street I am listening to loads of different languages that I don’t recognise.

“I think Brixton’s ethnic mix and cultural mix are remarkable. And it’s broadly at ease with itself, even though there are issues around gentrification.

“The real wonder of Brixton is evident if you visit a suburb or a provincial town. There you are looking at the past. In Brixton you are looking at the present and the future.”

He has a one-word answer when asked what he likes least about Brixton: “Traffic”.

Trade unions in Britain are not the force they were when Leslie began working for one in the early Eighties. Do they have a role in a place like Brixton?

“That’s an interesting question,” he says, “because when I became president of the TUC a year ago, the dispute at the Ritzy was running.

BRIX

PEO TON PLE

“That had all the ingredients of the modern workplace. Very low pay; precarious employment; unscrupulous employers who thought that they held all the cards and therefore the people who worked for them had to accept whatever they were offered and be grateful into the bargain.

“The important thing for me, and the important lesson, was that the Ritzy staff decided to take a stand. They said ‘No. We’re not going to put up with this’.

“They were part of a trade union; they took strike action; they acted collectively. They understood that they had a power in the workplace and that they could not only say ‘No’ to an employer but also exercise their right to take action for a fair wage and fair conditions.”

“They did that and they mobilised the community and it was a real object lesson in how trade unionism can help any group of workers in any kind of workplace to improve their lot.

“The modern workplace, full of precarious, zero-hour contracts, is one many Brixton residents will be familiar with. But they will probably be less familiar with trade unions, because I think unions have a job to do in reaching out to communities in places like Brixton.

“We’ve spent too long in committees and conferences refining our policies instead of being out in the community and out in the workplace talking to people who don’t know much about trade unions, or who know only what they read in a hostile press or see on the TV. “Trade unionism empowers ordinary workers to defend their legitimate rights in the workplace.”

LESLIE MANAS SEH, TU C PRES IDENT

CARE LESS, ENJOY MORE AN AUDIENCE WITH THE BRIXTON NIHILIST CYCLING CLUB

BY HELEN REID

The Brixton Nihilist Cycling Club meets at the White Horse pub on Brixton Hill. The Bugle went along to find out what it was all about. The brainchild of Daniele D’Orazi and René Donner, it was created three years ago and now has a large following on Tumblr and Instagram. “We’ve been into cycling and bicycles for a long time. The thing is we couldn’t find a club; they all looked very serious and strict,’ Daniele explains.

“So we said, let’s create a club, but we can’t call it a club because we don’t care!” Daniele, who studied philosophy came up with the idea of the Nihilist Club (a version of Nietzsche’s belief that life is meaningless, and therefore nothing should be taken too seriously!)

“Basically we don’t care - we welcome everyone, we have people from all over, it doesn’t

Anything goes matter if they ride a Brompton.”

Too many cycling clubs impose a uniform, a time and place to meet every week, and a type of bike. “We want to break with this stereotype about cyclists that they’re Lycra Nazis! You should ride what you feel safe on or what you feel happy with,” Daniele emphasises.

Daniele and René do care about making cycling safer, more accessible and more popular - spreading the ‘not

caring’ attitude to cycling by, well, caring.

“We need to remember small things like respecting each other, respecting traffic lights and pedestrians, and then we can create more space for bicycles,” says Daniele. BNCC also supports initiatives to encourage more women to take up cycling, ‘feminism on wheels’ as they call it.

“We’re not evangelists, we’re not trying to convert people to cycling,” Daniele emphasises.

“We just want people to understand that cycling is better and cheaper than anything else.”

René has a piece of advice about cycling, and life: “Try to fall off every now and then, and laugh at yourself.”

If you want to join in the nihilist fun, for a ride or at the pub, follow BNCC on Tumblr: http://brixtonnihilistcyclingclub.tumblr.com and Instagram.

16 FEATURES

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October 2015

BRIXTON REFUGEE EFFORT MOBILISES THOUSANDS

BY HELEN REID

B r i x t o n re s i d e n t K a t e Coggins has created a movement across south London mobilising aid for refugees in Calais, Greece and Italy. This joint effort of Brixton, Clapham and Herne Hill residents to provide tonnes of relief clothes, food and hygiene items is an example of how small initiatives can suddenly bloom into large community-wide movements for constructive action.

Kate created a Facebook group to coordinate support for refugees, joining the Calais Action charity. “I just felt it was the right thing to do, I didn’t want to just be sending £5 to charity, I wanted to roll up my sleeves and do something.”

Initially involving 200 friends of hers, the group quickly grew. Kate received at least 500 emails on the day three-year-old Alan Kurdi’s photograph appeared on the news washed up on a Turkish beach.

I met Kate in the huge St Anne’s Hall on Venn Street in Clapham, where she was storing donations collected from thousands of people over a two-week period.

This is Kate’s first foray into organising; she says she “hasn’t done anything like this since the girl guides”. She is

modest about the scale of the movement she has created.

After only two weeks she had more than 4,000 people attending her event on Facebook.

Kate is usually a freelance film editor, but the Calais effort has become a “fulltime job”. She is not, h o w e v e r, w o r k i n g single-handedly - she’s using existing charities with local knowledge to contribute to the cause: “We want to make sure we minimise waste, and so we’re getting

very targeted information about what is needed.”

Shipment company Mail International, based in Burgess Hill, approached her and offered her 1.3 tonnes of free shipping in order to transport aid to refugees in Greece. “This generosity is unheard of”, she emphasises. Other companies have also answered the call for help: Brixton Brewery donated packing boxes as well as beers to keep volunteers going through hours of sorting and packing.

The effort has brought the community together; Kate has met neighbours she had never seen before: “They came out onto the street on the Saturday when I had boxes spilling out of my flat, to ask what I was doing and offered their help.”

“It’s important to give what there is a need for, rather than simply what we want to get rid of. Part of the problem with ad hoc donations is that they are not organised or labelled. It shouldn’t be getting to Calais like this, it should be getting there in boxes already sorted.” says Diane Grano, the community missioner of Holy Trinity Church, who says the church is proud to contribute the hall space to the effort.

Grassroots efforts are often criticised for being inefficient and badly organised, but Kate’s effort is an example of grassroots organising which utilises pre-existing infrastructure intelligently in order to give what there is a need for.

Black Georgians: The Shock of the Familiar Opens Friday 9 October This new exhibition reveals the everyday lives of Black people in Britain during the Georgian period, 1714-1830.

An array of historical evidence presents a surprising, sometimes shocking, and inspiring picture of Georgian Britain.

Treasures in the Archive Talks The life of George Scipio Africanus Thursday 8 October, 1pm Black people in Lambeth’s 18th century parish registers Thursday 22 October, 1pm The life of Ignatius Sancho Thursday 5 November, 1pm

Len Garrison Memorial Lecture: Gaps in Black British History

Family Workshops with the National Army Musuem

Thursday 12 November, 4.45pm-8.30pm

Tuesday 27 to Thursday 29 October

Explore some of the lesser-known periods of Black British History, with historian David Olusoga (BBC documentary series Forgotten Slave Owners), historian and writer Marika Sherwood, and freelance journalist and historian Dr Miranda Kaufmann.

Are you curious to learn how African and Caribbean people were involved during the First World War? Then come along to one of our three events being held for adults and families alike during half term week.

TUESDAY-SATURDAY, 10AM-6PM. WINDRUSH SQUARE, BRIXTON. SW2 1EF. @bcaheritage

bcaheritage.org.uk

020 3757 8500

Brixton

October 2015

ARTS 17

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BCA EXHIBITION RETELLS BRITISH HISTORY On Friday October 9 a new exhibition opens at the Black Cultural Archives.

Black Georgians: the Shock of the Familiar promises to shed new light on the black presence in Britain from 1714 to 1830.

“British society starts to look familiar to us in the 18th century,” says Steve Martin, local historian and curator of the exhibition. It’s when manners, language and the built environment become recognisable to present-day observers, as well as a rise in visible minority populations and debates about immigration, repatriation, and social mobility.

The BCA wants to take visitors back to this apparently well-documented period of history and cast a new light on it. The subtitle of the exhibition is The Shock of the Familiar - the ‘shock’ in this case being first and foremost the number of black people living in Britain in the 1700s.

National curriculum history and our TV diet of costume dramas have left

us with a monochrome perception of 18th-centur y Britain; when you conjure a street scene from Georgian London in your mind’s eye does it contain any non-white faces? The BCA’s new collection paints a much more diverse picture of Georgian Britain than the one we might expect.

“Blackness and Britishness are never seen as co-existing,” says Steve, “there aren’t any stories in either community that we tell about this past, although it informed our culture then and today.”

Much of 18th-century street slang contained black words, he says - such as the Jamaican ‘bumbo’, used by white working-class Londoners (I’ll let you look it up if you don’t know what it means).

The bulk of the exhibits come from Leslie BraineIkomi, a leading collector of art portraying the black presence in Britain pre-1948. The extent of social mobility for people of all races depicted in Georgian Britain may be another surprise for visitors: “The great thing about the

BRIXTON CONVERSATIONS

Brixton Conversations is a short film in which 10 old and new Brixton residents are paired up for a chat about their experiences of the area, exploring the subjects of identity, heritage and belonging.

Each participant, including Bush Man and Keith Lawrence (above, from left) brought an object which represented their connection to Brixton.

It is the brainchild of Anchor & Magnet, a Brixton-based artists’ group set up in 2012 by artist/curator Barby Asante, artist/academic Katy Beinart and creative producer Kate Theophilus.

The film will be shown at a free public screening, followed by Q&A, at 2pm on November 7 at Upstairs at The Ritzy.

The objects will become part of The Brixton Museum, a mobile travelling museum case inspired by the architecture (past and present) of central Brixton and the market. It will visit venues in central Brixton in the run-up to the film

screening. People can see the objects, hear the conversations in full and also contribute their own stories and objects to the museum.

Anchor & Magnet say: “Our aim is to create new encounters and conversations and introduce the ideas that emerge from these dialogues into the fabric of Brixton through the Museum. We want people to encounter the museum by chance and though the project is not specifically intended as a response to a crisis of change, it can perform a useful role of providing space for different voices to hear and encounter each other. It is a museum of the past but also the future” The Brixton Museum project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund through Lambeth council’s complementary projects stream, the Arts Council, and University College London’s public engagement unit. For free film tickets email anchorandmagnet@gmail.com

collection is that you get snapshots of people in all stages of life, from beggars and sailors to writers and landowners,” explains Steve.

So what was it like being black in Britain in the 1700s? “There’s no typical experience,” says Steve, “but a feeling of alienation would have run across black people of all social ranks.”

It’s impossible to compare, for example, the experience of writer and composer Ignatius Sancho with that of a teenage runaway surviving on a day-to-day basis, but both would have experienced oppression on a daily basis.

The BCA’s bold retelling of the narrative of minorities in Britain will challenge preconceptions of our cultural history, and help shape new perspectives on our past that may lead to a better understanding of the society we live in today. Well worth a look.

Black Georgians: The Shock of the Familiar runs at the BCA from October 9 to April 9 2016. It’s open 10am to 6pm, Tuesday to Saturday and admission is free.

BOOKS

18 ARTS & CULTURE

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October 2015

MONUMENTS TO EQUALITY

BY RUTH WATERS, ARTS CO-EDITOR

Local historian Edmund Bird has published his fourth book, Lambeth Architecture: 1965-99.

ARTS

Having started his series with the Edwardian period, Bird’s latest book presents the stories behind Lambeth’s landmark buildings built in the 60s, 70s and 80s, many of which are located in Brixton.

“During this period of our history, the architecture reflected a great confidence in the future of our society and sense of progress towards a fairer, more equitable and happier world,” Bird said as he launched the book to an audience of architects, town planners and local

historians in September. “This was a period which saw a great expansion of public services accommodated in new forms of architecture built of concrete, glass and brick.”

Brixton buildings in the book include those built under the leadership of Ted Hollamby, then Head of Architecture and Planning for Lambeth County Council: Southwyck House (or the Barrier Block), Herne Hill House and Park View House looking onto Brockwell Park, Cressingham Gardens and Brixton Rec. Hollamby’s signature London stock brick and slate with pitched roofs meant that many of his buildings integrated well with older housing, whilst larger developments were carefully matched to their existing surroundings.

Although this was a boom period for industrial and public buildings, it’s the domestic architecture which most seems to have had the greatest impact on Brixton and its neighbours - a mark which is fast seeping away.

As Bird flicks through the book from Central

Hill in Upper Norwood, to Cressingham Gardens to Myatt’s Fields North, it’s easy to see that the housing built with pride in the last half century is far from permanent: the latter estate was demolished before its 30th birthday to make way for the Oval Quarter, and the other two are under threat of demolition despite their relative youth and vehement campaigning of residents.

The pace of change, particularly of housing estates, is something which Bird is very aware of. “In the last 12 months, as fast as I could write the entries in this book, buildings were tumbling down – I lost count of the number I had to shift from the present to the past tense and shunt them off to the Lost Lambeth chapter!”

Looking at Lambeth’s architecture from the last half-century, it’s clear that very different social, and economic forces were driving large scale developments than those which drive today’s building frenzy. If architecture leaves behind a narrative of the ideas of the period, I wonder what today’s developments will say about now.

AFRICAN IMPACT IN LAMBETH

The annual Africa Utopia Festival highlights the impact of African arts and ideas on our society. Arts writer Kate Corry finds out more about it, ahead of a special takeover event for Black History Month at Brixton Library on October 2.

The Africa Utopia Festival returned to London for its third year earlier this September, running for four days at the Southbank Centre. For the first time, Brixton will play host to its final night at a free takeover event at the Tate Library.

The festival looks at how African art and ideas are changing the world, and how Africa can lead the way in thinking about culture, community, business and technology. Topics covered include fashion, gender, power, politics, sustainability and activism.

The festival has a large audience from all over the world and was set up by musician

and Oxfam Global Ambassador Baaba Maal, along with Jude Kelly, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre. Keen to involve the wider Lambeth community, organisers have arranged the night at Brixton Library to bring the festival to the centre of the borough.

Tim O’Dell of Lambeth Libraries explains: “Brixton really is the heart of the British black community, and has been for many years now. If you have a festival celebrating what’s best about African culture, business and community, where better to come. We want to make these arts accessible to the ordinary people of Lambeth who may not be able to afford the Southbank Centre.”

The takeover is sure to interest Brixtonites, whether connected to Africa or not. “It’s got everything,” Tim says. “Fantastic artists, great discussions, business development, all the great things coming out of Africa. All mixed with the culture, community and art.”

The Library takeover will be hosted by the poet and founder of Poejazzi magazine, Joshua Idehen (right). Confirmed artists include Grupo Lokito, who fuse contemporary Congolese and Cuban beats and Bafula, a London-based group who blend the melodies and rhythms of Gambia with western styles and raw-edged vocals.

Tim says: “I hope that having such a quality line-up of artists means that people who may not have been to Brixton Library before come along and see it as their library, and a place to be. I want to get that message out as much as possible that this is a people’s library.”

The takeover event may be the last night of the Africa Utopia Festival, but it’s the first event in the Lambeth Black History Month programme.

To see what else is on visit www.lambeth. gov.uk/blackhistorymonth.

What will future generations think of the Juliet balconies and fingerprint-operated security gates which adorn our streets? Monuments to division and fear abound, whilst the sense of optimism and drive towards equality is sold off to the highest bidder, filling the Lost Lambeth chapter.

Lambeth Architecture: 1965-1999 by Edmund Bird and Fiona Price, with photographs by John East, is available to borrow and to purchase from all Lambeth libraries.

October 2015

ARTS & CULTURE 19

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MUSIC

HAPPY HEDONISM GROWS UP Mancunian hedonists Happy Mondays are stopping off at Brixton Academy on December 3 for their ‘Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches’ 25th anniversary tour.

Arts Co-Editor Barney Evison spoke to frontman Shaun Ryder (left, photo by Elspeth Moore) to discover what it’s like being the world’s greatest dad and what he thinks of Taylor Swift.

You have a reputation for crazy hedonism and mad partying, is that still your scene?

We haven’t done parties like that for 10 years or so. When we all hit 40 we decided to knock that on the head - apart from Bez. Bez is still very much like he was when he was 19. I’ve never known anyone like him in my life. He’s just unreal - he looks fit and healthy. He’s incredible.

So what’s your lifestyle like now?

I’ve been lucky enough to become a dad again. First time round I wasn’t around, touring and that.

This time round I’m grown up and I get to do it right - I’m the world’s greatest dad.

Do you miss the old ‘Madchester’ days?

No. I’m incredibly happy being 53.

I enjoyed being 20, I enjoyed being 30. When I got to 40 I decided to clean myself up and that took a couple of years but then I started enjoying 40 too. The sex and drugs

have gone and now we’re just left with the rock and roll!

You said in old inter view that you were just “a bunch of talentless arseholes from Salford”. Do you still think that?

Listen, if we were in school now, every one of us in our band would have a label: ADHD, behavioural problems, whatever. We got very lucky. We got in the right place at right time, and met the right people. We got our break because we knew a guy who knew a guy who was friends with Tony Wilson.

You’ve played Brixton Academy before, did you like it?

Oh yeah, we’ve played there loads of times. It’s great, I love it - it’s always a good show at Brixton Academy. Back in the day we were a hit in London before Manchester.

Have you spent much time in Brixton otherwise?

A long time ago - I worked down there back when Stereo MCs had a studio there. It’s a long time since I’ve been out in Brixton - back in the old druggie days! Obviously we used to score down there.

What do you think of music these days? What’s most exciting for you?

Because of the six- and seven-year olds the music I listen to now is Taylor Swift, Jessie J and Miley Cyrus. When the kids get a bit older I’ll go out and watch bands. If I do put music on now I’ll chill out with Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra, or a bit of northern soul.

So what do you think of Taylor Swift?

I think she’s great, very talented.

And Miley Cyrus is too. You’ve got old farts saying she’s corrupting youth and all that - it hasn’t really changed since Elvis’ day has it? What’s she doing now that Madonna didn’t do back in the day?

How long will the Happy Mondays keep going for?

Until we’re the same age as Keith Richards and Mick Jagger! If we’re enjoying it and we’re not shoving anybody’s arms up their back to come and see us we’ll keep going.

I’m enjoying it now more than ever. We’re just a bunch of old men playing rock and roll - all the bullshit’s gone.

So what’s next for you then?

I’ve got a solo album coming out at the beginning of the year, and when that’s out I’ll be recording a new Black Grape album. Then at the end of next year we’ll get into recording a new Mondays album!

ART

ADJANI’S UNDERDOGS

Brixton-based painter Adjani OkpuEgbe will be opening Underdogs, a solo exhibition at Bloomsbury’s renowned centre for international art, Mokspace gallery, on October 9. Arts Co-Editor Ruth Waters went to his studio to preview the work he’ll be showing.

Adjani’s paintings, produced at an astounding pace, each carry the imprint of his journey, from a day-dreaming boy in Cameroon to a soldier to living in Brixton’s D Convenience Store and, finally, to becoming a celebrated south London artist.

“It’s like my autobiography,” Adjani tells me, talking about the largest painting featured in

his upcoming exhibition. “This is where I’m up to now,” he says pointing to a photograph of himself, incorporated into the work, within layers of paint sitting within a kite, “I’m free… but there have been so many obstacles in the way.”

In all of the paintings featured in Underdogs, there’s a sense of raw balance. The good and the bad, his heroes and enemies, emblems of trauma

and hope are layered and scraped bare across the canvas for the viewer to work out. And that working out is often quite hard.

Artists, critics and collectors love his paintings, which pull the viewer in and demand to be worked out like a murder mystery to be solved by dream logic: “I like to think of my paintings as being the beginning, of needing some research and starting a journey for someone else…”

If you’re around Bloomsbury in the next month, pop into Mokspace to start puzzling Adjani’s paintings out for yourself. If you can’t make it along, visit Brixton Blog to see more of his work or check out his work on Instagram @adjani_okpu_egbe.

20 FOOD & DRINK

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October 2015

REVIEW MAMMA DOUGH’S PIZZA ACTION

BY NIKKI GRIFFITHS

I live with a person who is something of a pizza fanatic (he’s eating one right now), and so, correlatively, I eat a lot of it.

In Brixton we’re pretty spoiled for choice when it comes to pizza, with the likes of Agile Rabbit and Franco Manca in Brixton Village, and Adommé and Bravi Ragazzi just up the road in Streatham. But, let’s face it; you can’t have too much pizza.

Newcomer Mamma Dough has moved into the former residence of the Angel pub on Coldharbour Lane. This is the second premises for self-confessed foodies Will and Jake who opened their first restaurant in Honor Oak Park in early 2014. According to Will, they chose this spot because they fell in love with the building and enjoy Brixton’s support for local, independent businesses.

We popped down one Friday night at around eight o’clock and were greeted by smiling, pizza-spinning chefs – good start. We had a short wait for a table – you can make reservations by phone or do as we did and use it as an excuse to have a cocktail down the road.

The kitchen is open plan with a huge pizza oven in plain view. It gave good insight to see one of the chefs checking for what Mary Berry would call a soggy bottom, on pizzas fresh from the oven – that’s the kind of attention to detail I like to see.

Seating is a combination of large, picnicstyle sharing tables and smaller tables for two. From their simple black-on-white pencil-drawn logo (which I’m sure wasn’t quite as easy to design as I make it sound), to the plywood floor, exposed brick walls and individual hanging filament light bulbs on a

rope, Mamma Dough’s vibe is naked-industrial (yes, that’s a thing). It’s got a friendly feel and the level of simplicity you’d pay a lot of money for in central London.

The drinks menu is solid. There’s a decent choice of wines and they also stock a selection of local beers, including some from Peckhambased Brick Brewery, which come highly recommended by the pizza-obsessive.

We picked a starter of burratina to share before our mains arrived. The fresh cream filling oozed out as soon as we cut into the Puglian mozzarella wall and mixed with the generous moat of olive oil. The crunchy rocks of salt and black pepper rounded it off and it

came with lovely bread to pile it on top of.

Our pizzas arrived promptly after we’d finished the starter. The pizza-monster went for the Cured Meat which comes topped with tomato, mozzarella, three types of cured meat and chilli, on top of a sourdough base made with Shipton Mill organic rye, wholemeal and white flour. He added goat’s cheese as an extra.

The base was the optimum of thin and crispy and the tomato was good enough to make a pasta sauce from. The crust was charred just right and the toppings were, firstly, generous and, secondly, well-sourced. Delicious meats slathered on top of yummy sourdough; this was a very good pizza and … drum roll please

… absolutely as good as its brothers in other Brixton pizzerias.

With the aim of really testing these guys, I thought I’d try their gluten-free option. Fact: I’ve never had a good gluten-free pizza in a restaurant.

Mamma Dough’s menu says they offer their pizzas “served on cannellini beans baked in the oven”. I had (wrongly) assumed they would crush cannellini beans into a base, as you would with cauliflower. I was wrong, and what arrived was a rustic-looking enamel dish (left) filled with a bed of whole baked cannellini beans topped with all the pizza ingredients. Genius!

I admire that they’ve accepted that glutenfree pizzas are insanely difficult to pull off at home, let alone in a busy kitchen.

These bases are prepared in advance, frozen and cooked to order. I take my hat off to these guys for coming up with a simple and intelligent alternative. I had the Devil topping consisting of tomato base, mozzarella, spianata, onions, nduja, dry chilli and the unusual but welcome addition of black olives.

It was delicious – so much so that I’d actually consider ordering it instead of a pizza again.

We ordered a salad too which was super-fresh, though it could have been pointed out that salad is served with the beans.

I’m delighted to have a new pizza option in town, though we were divided on opinion as to whether it beats its rival neighbours. Either way, it’s a very close call and in my opinion, the jury’s still out on who makes the best pizza in Brixton.

Did somebody say competition? Call me when you need a judge.

oPen thursday 1 oCtober

426 Coldharbour l ane, brix ton sw9 8lf MasterChef champion Tim Anderson’s Japanese soulfood adventure on Coldharbour Lane (once Gyoza) is now oPen! Combining izakaya (Japanese after-work bar + drink friendly side dishes) with ramen shop, nanban serves up a modern take on traditional southern Japanese food, as well as the Brixton influenced dishes made popular during our residency at Market house (just across the road).

The amazing drinks list will be focused on beer and shochu, a Japanese, um, beverage . . hard to describe . . stronger than sake and . . . well, come and find out.

Follow @NanbanLondon on Twitter for information and updates

a taste Kumamoto Ramen tonkotsu ramen with braised pork belly, fermented mustard greens, burnt garlic oil, garlic chips, tea-pickled egg, etc.

Dead Ringer Chanpon: pork, chicken, and seafood broth ramen with stir-fried shellfish and vegetables, seafood sawdust, salted duck egg, etc Curried Goat Tsukemen: dipping ramen with goat curry, teapickled egg, pickled Scotch bonnets, etc.

Electric Eel: lightly breaded, deep-fried eel with lime-ginger sauce and sanshō pepper Mojiko Yaki-Curry: vegetable curry on rice with melted cheese, onsen egg, and pickles Horumon-Yaki: twice cooked pig tripe with garlic chives, bean sprouts, spicy miso sauce, and yuzupickled radish Ackee & Saltfish Korokke: Japanese-style potato croquettes with ackee and flaked salt cod

October 2015

FOOD & DRINK 21

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FOOD NEWS So much food news in Brixton this month we can hardly keep up with all the change!

N NCaribbean-style food chain Turtle Bay is coming to Brixton. Taking over the

old El Penol bar and club site on Brixton Road by the Academy, it opens with a late licence in October.

N NThe old Cafe Van Gogh at the Christchurch on the north Brixton end of Brixton Road near Oval has reopened as a community cafe serving vegan food.

N NAnother relaunch is the cafe at the Black Cultural Archives featuring food from the fantastic Groundnut Collective who specialise in Afro-Caribbean dishes.

cafe and shop at the Loughborough Junction Community Farm and the latest incarnation on the old Coast Bar site on Coldharbour Lane. Coming back as The Junction, it’s a cafe bar with reasonably priced food and drinks as well as music.

N NSpeaking of drinks, the Kaff Bar crew are back and bringing their famed

cocktails to an open air bar at Granville Market Space on Saturdays and Sundays, from 12-7pm.

N NFollowing on from there, you can grab a drink at Bink’s Gin Shop in Brixton Village. Taking over the site of Snugg, you can sample a variety of excellent gin-based cocktails each night of the week with music at the weekends.

N NIf that’s built up an appetite, try and get a table at Nanban on Coldharbour

Lane where Gyoza used to be. Serving Japanese soul food, it’s the first restaurant from Masterchef winner Tim Anderson and follows on the smash success pop up at Market House last year.

N NOr try Donostia Social Club at Pop Brixton, recently voted Best Restaurant

in Brixton by the readers of local blog ‘Eat in Brixton’. Serving Basque pintxos (the regional variation of tapas) it serves small eats and full meals that people are queuing up for.

N NIf you don’t fancy standing and waiting for your table, book in advance

at The Blues Kitchen on Acre Lane in the old Electric Social site. Run by the same team who have taken over Phonox from Plan B, it serves Texas BBQ and sings the blues. It opens on October 9.

BEFORE: Hominy corn

AFTER: Llapingachos de mote

RECIPE ECUADORIAN CORN PATTIES MISS SOUTH

N NLoughborough Junction’s rejuvenation continues with a pop-up

INGREDIENTS (serves 4–6)

FOR THE PATTIES: 50g dried hominy corn, soaked and cooked 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, diced 2 teaspoons achiote powder 50g cornmeal salt and pepper 2 eggs 1 ball mozzarella, grated 4 tablespoons vegetable oil FOR THE SAUCE: 1 small onion, diced 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon achiote powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 100g chunky peanut butter 250ml milk 1 tablespoon soy sauce (use tamari if gluten free) 1 lime, juiced salt and pepper to taste 1 ⁄2 bunch of fresh coriander, chopped

I love that aisle of rice and pulses in Nour Cash and Carry. When I was growing up, beans came in tins and you had a choice between red kidney beans or ones in tomato sauce. In Nour, you have a choice of what feels like the whole world.

On one of my trips in there I bought some hominy corn which caught my eye because it looks more like beans than corn. I then took the bag home and had no idea what to do with it.

Then I happened to be in the new Ecuadorian cafe near my flat and saw llapingachos de mote, or hominy corn patties, on the menu and finally had my inspiration.

These little gluten-free patties use hominy and cornmeal to make a dough and are then stuffed with cheese or shredded meat and fried on each side as a snack or lunch and traditionally served with a peanut sauce. They’re an excellent way to use up leftovers and make a fantastic packed lunch.

Start by soaking your hominy corn overnight in cold water, then drain and rinse well. Put the soaked corn in a large pot and cover with as much cold water as possible.

Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 60 to 90 minutes or until plumped up and soft. It will absorb a lot of liquid and might boil dry if you don’t keep an eye on it. Drain and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.

Dice your onion and soften gently for about 10 minutes in the vegetable oil on a medium heat.

Add the chopped

garlic and achiote powder. You can buy this in the Nour or Brixton Foods, where it might be under the Caribbean name annatto. Soften it all for another 15 minutes.

Put the drained hominy in a large bowl and add the onion and garlic mix. Season. Use a hand blender or potato masher to turn the hominy into a sticky dough with no sign of the kernels. Crack the eggs into all and mix in. Add the cornmeal a tablespoon at a time to make a pliable dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl easily.

If you want to make lots of small patties, add the grated mozzarella to the dough at this stage. You’ll get about 30 patties this way, as bite-sized snacks.

Simply pinch small amounts of the dough with wet hands, roll into a ball and flatten. Chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

If you want something heftier, you’ll get about 16 large patties. Line a baking tray with paper and pinch off larger amounts of dough with wet hands. Roll and flatten out on the tray. Then use your thumbs to push out toward the edges to make a hollow. Fill it with grated cheese and then cover over again with the corn dough. Chill for 30 minutes.

Make the peanut sauce by softening your onion with the achiote, cumin and paprika for about 15 minutes in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the peanut butter to the hot pan and stir it all well. Turn the heat down as low as possible and mix in the milk, stirring constantly. Add the soy sauce and season as liked. Take off the heat and add the lime juice and fresh coriander. Leave covered until needed.

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan on a medium heat and fry the patties in it. The small ones take about two minutes each side and the larger ones about four minutes each side. Keep the first ones in the oven while the others fry and serve hot with the cheese still melting.

Dollop on the peanut sauce and some hot sauce if liked. They are also great with some pickled red onion, avocado, salsa or a fried egg on top at any time of the day.

The Brixton Bugle team devoured every scrap of them, so you know they are good as well as filling!

22 WHAT’S ON

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October 2015 Library, who will provide refreshments. 11am – 1pm. Free.

MUSIC NEWS

SAT 10 @ BRIXTON REC

Arts Co-Editor Barney Evison rounds up the latest music news from our corner of south London BLUES LEGEND BARRENCE WHITFIELD TO PLAY BLUES KITCHEN American R&B star Barrence Whitfield and his band The Savages are coming to London off the back of their latest critically acclaimed album Under the Savage Sky. You can catch them at the Blues Kitchen in Brixton on October 9.

of children who have been permanently excluded from school. Artists include Jermain Jackman, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, The British Collective and a soon-to-beconfirmed global artist.

SOPHIE PASK

BEZ IS BACK! Madchester ravers Happy Mondays are touring to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their classic album ‘Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches’ and are playing Brixton Academy on December 3. Check out our interview with frontman Shaun Ryder on page 19.

PHONOX DJ JASPER JAMES BIRTHDAY SPECIAL Brixton’s new nightclub Phonox is gaining momentum, with sets from Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and DJ Sneak lined up for October. Resident DJ Jasper James is also celebrating his birthday on October 10 – and a little bird tells me he has some very special guests in store…

MISTY MILLER GOES ON TOUR Brixton singer-songwriter Misty Miller unveiled a UK-wide tour for next month, including a date at 100 Club in London on November 11.

If you missed her at the Windmill recently, or can’t wait to see her again just head to www. mistymiller.com/tickets for more info.

BRIXTON ACADEMY TO HOST ACCLAIMED SHOW

BY EXPERIMENTAL CHOREOGRAPHER Brixton Academy is hosting criticallyacclaimed choreographer Hofesh Shechter’s piece Political Mother on October 7 and 8 – part of #HOFEST, a four-week long season of work taking place across London.

FRI 2 @ BRIXTON LIBRARY

Africa Utopia looks at art and ideas from Africa that are changing the world. Artists will form an exciting line-up of spoken word and live music, featuring a special commission performed by local young poets, all hosted by the fantastic Joshua Idehen. The South Bank’s Africa Utopia experience will come to Brixton Library as part of Black History Month.

SAT 3 @ RITZY

A special screening and Q&A of the documentary 3 1/2 minutes, Ten Bullets. The film examines the murder of Jordan Davis, a black teenager who was shot by a middle-aged white man, after a dispute over the volume of the

CELEBRATION OF HIP-HOP IN BRIXTON DJs, MCs, graffiti artists and dancers gathered at multiple venues in Brixton last month for a three-day street-dance festival featuring dance-offs, street-dance workshops and a panel discussion. It was all for the Pioneers History Dance Festival, an annual event to celebrate the history and evolution of hip-hop culture.

BRIXTON CHARITY ‘EXPELLING MISCONCEPTIONS’ On October 21 Brixton-based charity Communities Empowerment Network and Island Records are taking over The Camden Roundhouse to raise money in support

THE THIRST HIT THE STREETS OF LONDON Local funk rockers The Thirst (above) have been delighting their fans around London, busking at Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road and, of course, in central Brixton. They’re drumming up interest for their gig at the O2 Academy Islington on December 10.

CRITIC’S CHOICE SAT 3 @ CAFE CAIRO

REFUGEE CRISIS FUNDRAISER The wonderful people at Cafe Cairo (88 Landor Road) are hosting a fundraiser packed with music, film and performance in support of refugees suffering across Europe and the Middle East. The line-up so far includes: Emrys Baird, playing soul and funk; gypsy folk five-piece Barbarella’s Bang Bang; electronic artist and violinist Ariadne’s Labyrinth and Dubtastic (roots reggae), with more to be announced.

Free entry (suggested donation £5, or as much as you can give). Come and show support at one of Brixton’s best kept secrets.

Mindfulness is a rapidly growing movement that is helping lots of people to cope with various types of stress, anxiety and depression by taking control of their wellbeing.

Carnegie Library is offering a four-week Mindfulness for Beginners programme, made up of four one-hour classes, offering guided instruction in a variety of mindfulness meditation practices in relaxed, no-pressure environment. 5.30 – 6.30pm. £32 for course; concessionary rate available.

TUES 13 @ BLACK CULTURAL ARCHIVES

WED 7 @ BRIXTON EAST GALLERY

The Edge is an exciting and eclectic exhibition of original prints, drawings, paintings and textiles from an emerging London-based art collective, 6328 Studio. The group of artists work in a variety of mixed media and this is their inaugural exhibition. 11am – 7.30pm

THURS 8 @ RITZY

WEDS 14 @ EFFRA SOCIAL

SUN 4 @ DEE DEE’S COMEDY CLUB, HERNE HILL.

The first Monday of the month means its Brixton Ping Pong Society’s open tournament.

With free entry, two tables, and a wide

Herne Hill Music Festival continues with Jazz in the Greenhouses. Harriet Eaves is a London-based jazz singer and session artist who has performed to sell-out audiences all over the world. 3.30 – 4.30 pm. Tickets £5, concessions £3. There will be other performances in the park, as well as classical and Latin guitar and more at Brockwell Hall.

Check out http://hernehillfestival.org/ for the full schedule.

New exhibition (opens October 9) Black Georgians: the Shock of the Familiar. This exhibition interrogates the seams between the all-too-often prettified costume period dramas and the very different existence of hardship, grime, disease and violence that was the reality for many. It will reveal the everyday lives of black people during the Georgian period (1714-1830) and offer a rich array of historical evidence and archival materials that present a surprising, sometimes shocking, and inspiring picture of Georgian Britain. 10am – 6pm. Tues – Sat. Free.

selection of beer why not try your hand?

7pm-11pm.

MON 5 @ EFFRA SOCIAL

SUN 11 @ BROCKWELL PARK COMMUNITY GREENHOUSES

MON 12 @ CARNEGIE LIBRARY

music coming from his car. The Q&A will be held with Jordan’s father, Ron Davis and director Marc Silver. 8.30 pm. £12.60.

Feel like finishing the weekend with some fun? Dee Dee’s Comedy Club runs a night of laughter every Sunday with special guests, hosted by comedian Junior Booker. Entry free from 7pm.

TEDxBrixton kicks off from 12pm with 14 inspirational talks and performances from speakers such as Sam Hall aka DJ Goldierocks and Robyn Parker of Archie Mac London. The event takes place at Brixton Rec, with free live streams at the Ritzy, Pop Brixton and Block 336. To reserve for the livestream, email tickets@tedxbrixton.com.

Every Thursday at the Ritzy there is a Ra yoga class with Cara. Ra uses movement and breath to feel lightweight in your body and bright in your mind! Expect yoga with a few ideas borrowed from dance, Pilates, Tai Chi, singing techniques, relaxation techniques and massage. 10am – 11.30am. £7 per class.

Beginners to intermediate levels welcome.

Please bring your own mat.

FRI 9 @ BRIXTON LIBRARY

Black History Month Special: Radical Reads will be discussing the Autobiography of Malcolm X. 7pm. Free.

FRI 9 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON

Hackney’s forward-thinking electronica group Asian Dub Foundation are back in Brixton for the London launch of new album More Signal More Noise, billed as a return to their early militant sound. With Lazy Habits and a Dub Pistols DJ set also on the line-up, its certain to be a raucous night. 10pm – late. £20.

SAT 10 @ CARNEGIE LIBRARY

Herne Hill Music Festival showcases London Consorts of Winds – a collective of three wind ensembles: Ancient and Modern Consort, Classical Consort and Clarinet Consort. The event will be organised with the Friends of the Carnegie

Brixton Knitting Group AKA ‘Stitch and Bitch’ have a gathering every Wednesday at Effra Social. You’ll need bring your own needles and wool but beginners are welcome. Starts 7pm.

THURS 15 @ DOGSTAR Come As You Are is a rock-hop and bass party with tunes spanning the Eighties through to the Noughties. Long-standing Brixton DJ Mr Freeman will be at the turntables all night.

9pm – 2am. Free.

FRI 16 @ HOOTANANNY There’s a buzz growing around The Future Dub Project. They’ve been making a name for themselves on the festival circuit, most recently starting a party in the woods at Boomtown Fair, and now they are bringing dance dub and live breakbeat sounds to Brixton. Expect a heady mix of reggae and electronic sounds, backed up with strong rhythms. Supported by local favourites Brixton Dub Collective, a multipiece Space Reggae Brass Band and Pareidolia, a genre-fusing seven-piece from Manchester.

DJ Snuff and MC Honey Brown will be spinning beats into the early hours. 9pm – 3am. Free entry before 10, £4 after. Arrive early for live comedy.

October 2015 SAT 17 @ JAMM

Mr Woodnote earned his current success busking his looped saxophone sounds on streets all around the country. Now he’s formed a group with two other talented Bristol artists, Lil Rhys and Eva Lazarus, and has a new album to launch. Local collective Wormfood are responsible for the rest of the bill, bringing live acts drawing on jazz, hip-hop and African music. 10pm – 5am. £6-£12.

WHAT’S ON 23

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RITZY ROUND-UP LONDON FILM FESTIVAL TAKEOVER

Oddly enough, London is scarcely ever referred to as ‘the Cannes of the UK’. But for two weeks every year, our fair capital strikes more than a passing resemblance to the French city’s Promenade de la Croisette. Film contributor Adam Marshall rounds up the London Film Festival highlights to check out at the Ritzy and beyond.

MON 12 @ WHIRLED CINEMA

Award-winning film A Syrian Love Story, will be shown plus a selection of short films & a talk from a Syrian campaigner All proceeds go to Syrian volunteer search and rescue organisation White Helmets . Tickets needed in advance with a £10 suggested donation.

Starts 8pm.

MON 19 @ DURNING LIBRARY

A chance to meet Allan Wilmot, a Caribbean author who celebrated his 90th birthday in August and who has lived in Lambeth for nearly 60 years. Allan will be in conversation with Mr Arthur Torrington and will give an illustrated talk on his new book, Now You Know about his service for Britain in World War II and his unique career as an entertainer in the 1950s and 1960s. This event is organised in association with The Friends of Durning Library, refreshments will be available for a £2 donation. 6.45pm.

TUES 20 @ BROCKWELL LIDO

It may be a little early to be handing out awards, but if there was a gong for the most timely film of the fest, then MEDITERRANEA (Sat Oct 17, 1pm) would be a shoo-in. After an epic journey across the Sahara and eponymous sea, two refugees from Burkino Faso are given a hostile – sometimes violent – reception from their new hosts in Italy. The harsh realism of the film is amplified by the fact that much of the cast is untrained, and some face the very same unthinkable predicament as their displaced characters.

WEDS 21 @ CARNEGIE LIBRARY

TRUMAN (Thurs Oct 8, 8.45pm) is about another pair of friends, and when one reveals to the other that his days of battling cancer are almost up, they spend their last few precious hours in a nostalgic haze. It may sound morbid, but with protagonists played by the superb Ricardo Darín (him from The Secret in Their

If you need to let loose at the end of a long day, Brockwell Lido is running Salsa classes every Tuesday (8.15-9.15pm) and Kizomba classes every Wednesday (7.15-8.15pm). A great chance to meet new people and move your hips! Beginners welcome.

Feel like stretching yourself? Why not try Pilates with Tania, it will improve your posture, abdominal strength and flexibility. Classes are a mix of gentle stretches and some flowing movements, helping you to feel relaxed. All ages welcome. 2pm – 3pm. £11 per class, £5 trial lesson.

THURS 22 @ PORTICO GALLERY

Italy Heart Africa: An evening of dance, drama, performances and more at the West Norwood venue to fundraise for a charity that helps to rescue migrants drowning in the Mediterranean. Featuring rising beatbox/ rap stars Maverick & Malachi, urban funk styles dancers, an art auction, and more. 7pm- 10pm Entry £10/£5 U16s

FRI 23 @ PHONOX

The latest addition to Brixton’s nightlife, Phonox, is run by the people behind The Nest and XOYO, music venues in east London which have made names for themselves with a selection of big-name residencies and up and coming DJs. They look set to replicate the house vibes in Brixton, with Chicagoinfluenced “house gangster” DJ Sneak playing all night long. 6pm – 4am, free entry before 9pm, £5 advance tickets, £10 on the door.

SAT 24 @ HOOTANANNY

Having spent the summer touring UK festivals with musical connoisseurs Chai Wallahs, 6-piece trip-hop act BOMBS have gained a following. Edgy, energetic and soulful, this is a group of young, very talented musicians carving out a highly original sound.

Supporting them: Tell Tale Tusk, a “three-part vocal harmony with Killer Klezmer riffs”; Simpson, a soul singer making waves with his debut EP; and Desert Island Disco DJs. 9pm-3am.

Free entry before 10pm, £4 after.

SUN 25 @ HOOTANANNY

Why not finish your weekend with some chilled West African sounds? Sadio Cissokho embodies a practise of kora that is resolutely open with rich sound experiences gleaned from the four corners of the planet. Grab the opportunity to “vibrate with accents of her warm voice and unique musical feeling”.

8pm-12pm. Free.

MON 26 @ WINDMILL

Australian band We Came From The Wolves land in Brixton as part of their third UK tour.

“Emotive Perth rockers, in the vain of Biffy Clyro, Twin Atlantic and Fugazi,” according to BCC Radio Scotland’s Vic Galloway. Supported

by Rat the Magnificent and Gears. Doors 7.30pm. £4-£5.

TUES 27 @ EFFRA SOCIAL

Test your knowledge at Effra Social’s pub quiz, brought to you every Tuesday by question master Tommy McArdle. £5 entry per team, cash prize for the winner, prizes for second and second to last place. 8pm – 11pm.

WEDS 28 @ INNER SPACE

Women’s Empowerment offers “An opportunity for women to discover and embrace their shared spiritual journey; looking at identity and its practical application in daily life”. 10.30am – midday. Free.

THURS 29 @ TATE SOUTH LAMBETH LIBRARY As part of Black History Month, Tate South Lambeth Library is screening Look How Far We’ve Come, a film in which history consultant Kwaku examines the question of equality for young people. It features interviews with MPs David Lammy, Dawn Butler and Dianne Abbott and Sam King MBE

Eyes) and Javier Cámara (him from countless Almodóvar movies), Truman instead plays out as a moving, bittersweet comedy.

Looking for something a bit closer to home then Calabria and España? Then ELEPHANT DAYS (Sat Oct 17, 3.45pm) should satisfy your south London hunger. What starts as a document of the making of the fourth album by popular beat combo The Maccabees (and THAT’S why I write about cinema and not music), turns into an ode to the buzzing communities of Elephant and Castle and Peckham.

Off-kilter British films play well at the London Film Festival. And where Sightseers, Under the Skin and The Duke of Burgundy have led with massive critical acclaim over the last few years, COUPLE IN A HOLE (Sunday Oct 11, 3.30pm)

about their experiences in the movement towards equality. Starts 5pm. Free.

FRI 30 @ PRINCE OF WALES

Itchy Feet returns to bring the party to Brixton with a night of funk, rock n roll, soul, rhythm & blues, reggae and ska. 10pm – 3am. £8.

SAT 31 @ THE RAILWAY

At the end of the month Halloween will be upon us once more. It originated as a time of the year to laugh at and ridicule the fear of death, something we could probably all do more of. If you like to dress up, check out The Railway next to Tulse Hill station which is having a fancy dress party themed

looks set to follow. Yep, it’s about a couple who live in a hole. A hole in the ground. A hole.

And they just want to be left alone there. But not everybody around them wants the same thing. It’s odd, it’s funny and – with a suitably strange soundtrack from Portishead genius Geoff Barrow’s BEAK – it’s well worth a look.

Believe it or not, there are other cinemas in London that aren’t the Ritzy… apparently. And there are still Gala tickets to be snapped up – including Lance Armstrong biopic The Program (Odeon Leicester Square, BFI Southbank), Johnny Depp playing balding Irish gangster ‘Whitey’ Bulger in Black Mass (Odeon Leicester Square), Nick Hornby’s adaptation of Colm Tóibín’s epic novel Brooklyn (Odeon Leicester Square) and the all-star festival curtain raiser Suffragette (Odeon Leicester Square).

Fear and Loathing in Tulse Vegas. No costume, no entry, but a free bottle of prosecco goes to the ‘Finest Freak’. 7pm-3am. £5.

SAT 31 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON

Alternatively, at Electric Brixton there will be an End Of The World Party. They are offering revellers the chance to choose the playlist, and have even employed The Church, a wild theatrebased group who cover funk, soul and blues classics, to run the after-party.

10pm-4am, £12-20.

LISTINGS COMPILED BY TOM SASSE

CRITIC’S CHOICE SAT 17 @ WINDRUSH SQUARE

CAN YOU TOUCH YOUR TOES? Fierce Grace Brixton are hosting a free yoga class in Windrush Square. Michele Pernetta, founder of Fierce Grace Yoga, will be teaching the free 20-minute class as part of the 30-day ‘Touch Your Toes’ challenge. As part of a fundraising drive Solomon Smith, Founder of the Brixton Soup Kitchen, will attend a Fierce Grace Yoga class every day in the hope he can Touch His Toes at the open air event. 2pm. Free.

24 SPORT

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October 2015

BMX event cancelled over Brockwell track concerns

BY SANDRA BROBBEY

Young Brixton BMX Club riders at Brockwell Park and (above) Brixton BMX Club volunteers working on the Brockwell bike track Photos: Brixton Bugle

A Brixton sports club battling for funds to renovate a local bike track was forced to cancel a London regional race event due to safety fears at Brockwell Park’s BMX track. More than 100 Londoners and riders from as far as away as Kent and Essex had travelled to take part in the London BMX Series on September 20.

The competition, open to novice and experienced racers, was to be hosted by Brixton BMX Club, London’s oldest BMX riders’ club. The club, whose patrons include London 2012 Olympian Shanaze Reade, had spent thousands of pounds on a three-week repair job on the track in September. Despite its efforts, rider officials representing clubs across London decided to pull the plug on the event.

“We had 150 riders and representatives who had come here hoping to race,” said Ken Floyde, who founded the club after the Brixton riots in 1981. “Rider reps said the track looked dangerous to ride on. It was almost like riding through sand. We put it to a vote and all the officials agreed to cancel the race series due to the condition of the track.

“Last month we spent £4,000 of club funds donated by members and volunteers on repairing

the surface of the track over a three-week period.

It’s really disappointing that we couldn’t go ahead with the event.

“The London BMX series events play an important role in helping to grow the sport in the capital. Everyone at our club is angry and upset at the lack of support we’re getting to repair the track. Without more support from Lambeth council we can no longer host events of this prestige and magnitude.”

Brixton BMX Club, whose alumni include racing legend Charlie Reynolds and BMX World Championship bronze medallist Tre Whyte, hopes to raise at least £50,000 to fund a renovation of the track at Brockwell Park. The club says the bulk of the support they received in the past year has been in-kind backing.

“We received in-kind support from the council via Access Sport to fund the cost of coaching courses for six of our club members.

These courses are worth £200 per person,” said Floyde.

“But what we really need is more funding to renovate the track to try and get it to a similar standard as the track at Burgess Park. We hope to develop a new start hill and build two training sections for professional riders.”

Hamlet celebrate influential black players in new exhibition Dulwich Hamlet will mark Black History Month with a tribute to eight of the club’s most influential black players.

The monumental role black footballers have played in the club’s achievements will be the focus of a new exhibition launching on Saturday October 3.

The showcase, which is the result of a collaborative project involving the club, a group of fans and the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters’ Trust, will be unveiled ahead of a home game against VCD Athletic.

Over the years Dulwich Hamlet have blazed a trail in

tackling bigotry head on, both on and off the pitch. Recent milestones include the team becoming the first non-league side to publicly back a campaign against homophobia.

Fans have also overwhelmingly supported the club’s public appeal on behalf of Calais refugees.

Duncan Hart, Chair of Dulwich Hamlet’s Supporters Trust, welcomed the launch of the club’s new exhibition.

“Black players have played a huge role in the club’s history and successes, with Black History Month being the perfect opportunity to

highlight the contribution of some of the Club’s terrace heroes,” he said. The trust was thrilled to be recognising Black History Month through an exhibition in the club bar.

The exhibition will coincide with another “pay what you like day” for fans at Champion Hill. The event is part of the fifth Non-League Day – an annual campaign that encourages fans of top-level football sides to back their local non-league team.

“Pay what you like day” follows the success of last year’s event, which led to a mammoth supporter turnout.

Last year, 2,856 fans flocked to

Champion Hill and raised over £6,000 for charity.

Due to Hamlet playing away from home on Non-League Day, the club have chosen to run the “pay what you like” event a week in advance at its first home league game in October.

A proportion of match day proceeds will be donated to the British Heart Foundation and CoolTan Arts.

“The fixture didn’t fall for us this season, but it was such an amazing day last year that we decided to have our own one again, just a week early,” said Mishi Morath, a member of the club’s community development

committee. “The charities we’ve chosen picked themselves really.

CoolTan are our charity for the entire campaign, and the British Heart Foundation was picked in recognition of the important work they do, especially in the light of the serious heart problems last season suffered by two of our fans Neil Cole and Andy Greig.

“We spoke with Hadley, who own the stadium and finance the club – and they were, as always, very happy to support us fully.”

Visit www.dulwichhamletfc. co.uk or follow @DulwichHamletFC on Twitter for more details

QUICK CROSSWORD Quick Crossword

Sporting Crabs triumph 4-1

ACROSS I. Deep exhale (4) 3. Dawn (8) 8. Hero (4) 9. High voice; loaf test (anag) (8) 11. Conservatory (10) 14. Eavesdrop (6) 15. Flowery (6) 17. Itchy childhood disease (10) 20. Jumping game (8) 21. Crust on top of cut (4) 22. Anonymous (8) 23. Chimney pipe (4)

East Dulwich Sporting Crabs – aiming for promotion to the Southern Sunday League’s second division – recently trounced third division rivals Westminster 4-1 writes Brixton Bugle contributor David Gibson.

The Crabs started brightly, with a quick free-kick from Dan Cannon who knocked the ball to Chris Taylor who passed across to Stu Woo, who performed a classic chip lofting the ball dangerously into the six-yard box.

Westminster’s centre-back fluffed his lines, nodding the goal into his own net to make it 1-0 to the Crabs.

It didn’t take long for the Crabs to increase their lead with striker George Dalman opening his account for the

D OWN 1. Roof tiles (8) 2. Mathematics of shapes (8) 4. South American river (6) 5. Popular page-turner (4, 6) 6. Consumes (4) 7. Door handle (4) 10. Perceptive (10) 12. Coral pit (anag) (8) 13. Bendy (8) 16. Not down (6) 18. Scheme (4) 19. Soothing ointment (4)

season. He found himself one-on-one with the Wanderers’ goalkeeper after a great run and pass from Taylor.

It was then skipper Sam Pearson’s turn, calmly slotting the ball into the corner from close range. Before half time, Dalman netted his second.

An error at the back led to a Westminster striker gaining possession deep in the Crabs’ half. The ball was then played across into the box where the Westminster striker “wandered” in to provide a simple finish to make it 4-1.

East Dulwich would have been unhappy to see their second clean sheet of the season become stained by a sloppy goal.