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BRIXTON BUGLE YOUR FREE
No 74 | JULY 2019
Published monthly in and for Brixton
ISSN 2397-852X
COMMUNITY PAPER
Brixton GET Bugle CREATIVE! and Blog Summer Art Show
A People’s Vote will decide the winners– see centre pages
MARKET OWNERS TO LOOK AT NEW HOTEL By Alan Slingsby
The leading international architect Sir David Adjaye OBE has revealed his designs for a new building on the current Pope’s Road site of Sports Direct, which has been bought by Hondo Enterprises, that runs Brixton Village and market Row. The scheme could include yet another new hotel for Brixton, alongside ones already planned for Brixton Road and Dorrell Place next to Marks and Spencer. Sir David told the Architects’ Journal that the project was an “incredible opportunity to give back to the community” in South London. The new scheme will include markets and community space on the ground floor and offices above. According to exhibition boards at brief public consultations that local media were not informed of or invited to, the Pope’s Road purchase offers a “unique opportunity” to extend Brixton Market and make it more publicly accessible. Adjaye said: “This project fits into a narrative that is incredibly important to me, making civic and social spaces that are about bringing in diverse constituents both locally and from the city and its visitors”. He said it would be “socially constructed architecture that can edify the community”. Taking on this project, he “could see the incredible opportunity it had to elevate the experience and give back to the community”. According to the consultation,
Computer-generated images from Adjaye Associates of the interior (below) and exterior of the new building of at least six storeys appear to show that the Popes Road public toilets have disappeared
WANT JAM WITH THAT? Meet Ray Mahabir
SHE’S GOTTA HORSE Riding at Goodwood
Hondo and Adjaye Associates are also “considering the possibility” of incorporating a hotel to the east of the Pope’s Road development. This would “look to accommodate the increased demand
of visitors in Brixton as we aim to promote Brixton including its historic and vibrant market to the world.” A Hondo spokesperson told the Architects’ Journal: “This offers a
unique opportunity to extend the footprint of the market by opening it up on to Brixton Station Road, to create a more publicly accessible space for the benefit of existing traders and visitors. “As Brixton becomes a growing business hub this will allow for additional commercial employment space above the new market.” The new scheme would be near Lambeth council’s Grade II-listed Brixton Rec. Built in 1970, it is itself scheduled for major changes. Sir David Adjaye is recognised as a leading architect of his generation. He was born in Tanzania to Ghanaian parents. Adjaye Associates has offices in London, New York and Accra. His largest project to date, the $540 million Smithsonian Institute National Museum of African American History and Culture, opened in Washington DC in 2016 and was named Cultural Event of the Year by the New York Times.
USA! USA!
International dominos
FAREWELL 414 You’ll be missed
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BRIXTON BUGLE brixtonblog.com Proudly edited in Brixton Both website and newspaper are published by a not-for-profit community organisation run by a committed team of people from Brixton @brixtonblog brixtonblog.com
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Brixton markets are a centre of attention Brixton’s famous street markets have recently been and are to be future examples for study and discussion. “The future of London’s street markets”, a one-day interactive conference on Monday 24 June at Brixton Community Base on Talma Road, will bring together market activists, traders, shoppers and academics with an interest in the future of street markets in the capital. And 30 participants in a two-day international conference on markets organised by the Greater London Authority visited Brixton in June for discussions and tours of its markets. The tenth International Public Markets Conference, based at London’s City Hall, looked at trends in markets through interlinked themes of inclusion, innovation and impact, and, as well as Brixton, included visits to New Covent Garden, Billingsgate and Smithfield. At the Community base conference, organisers say individuals and groups
associated with covered markets, community, street and retail markets will meet, discuss and share common ideas and experiences from the last two decades of policy change that have left markets and public spaces feeling increasingly under pressure. “Can we truly have a say in the future of London’s street markets?” they ask. The day will include workshops, discussions and a market tour. The event is funded by the School of Geography at the University of Leeds and the Just Space Network. AA The conference is from 10am - 5pm. Brixton Community Base: Talma Rd, Brixton, London SW2 1AS Booking is essential via http:// bit.ly/BCB-markets. Alternatively email Saif Osmani and Mama D at streetmarketsuk@gmail.com or call 07915 234 404 to book a place or for further information. Participants are expected to stay for the duration of the day. Lunch and light refreshments are provided.
SPORT Sandra Brobbey sport@brixtonblog.com ISSUE 74 Contributors Emma Bartley Ethan Delcroix-Jones Fabian Daniel Abby Jones Leslie Manasseh Jamila Omar Dave Randall Simone Richardson Stephen Powdrill Lucy Williams Sub-editor: Jamila Omar Production: Alan Slingsby Distribution: Philip King A massive thank you to everybody involved in making this issue, and the Blog & Bugle project, a success If you would like to be a Bugle stockist please email distribution@brixtonblog.com
Electric Avenue fruit and vegetable stallholder Tracey and Jonathan Palling of Rose Vouchers explain the success of the scheme that began in Brixton in 2015, working with the Brixton Market Traders Federation. It enables local people to buy fruit and veg in local markets. The Alexander Rose Charity scheme is now operating in other markets ad cities including Bradford and Liverpool, benefiting both traders and families on low incomes.
Luol Deng with Year 7 students from Ark Evelyn Grace Academy, with Principal Tim Dainty and Mareca Laing, assistant associate principal and head of key stage 3
‘Act like who you want to be’ Luol Deng tells students US all-star basketball player Luol Deng and his sister Arek Deng visited Brixton’s Evelyn Grace Academy recently. Born in what is now South Sudan, Deng fled the country with his family as a child, settling in the UK and growing up in Brixton, where he was trained by the late Jimmy Rogers of Brixton Topcats at the Rec. He became a British citizen in 2006. He told students: “My main message I wanted to share is in order to be Café Max owner Zelia Alves Figueira is among the first to return to its premises in Brixton Station Road arches. Zelia, who runs the family business with husband Joao Jose and daughter Nicole, is delighted to be back behind the counter
great at what you do, you have to be committed to achieving your goals. “More importantly do not to be shy or afraid of sharing out loud who you want to be, because, by doing so, you then start challenging yourself. “Act like who you want to be, put in the time and good things will happen. Greatness is the result of hard work, discipline and not being afraid. Every one of you can achieve this.” Principal Tim Dainty
said Luol Deng was inspirational but also very down to earth. “Not only did he come from very similar backgrounds to many of our students, his success in basketball has not made him in any way arrogant. Quite the opposite. “To hear a man who was raised in South London and started his basketball career here and then go on to this kind of success is a wonderful example to every member of our academy.”
JULY 2019 brixtonblog.com NEWS 3
Application in for new rooftop bar Planning and licensing applications for a rooftop bar at 3Space International House on Canterbury Crescent – the former council offices – are now out to public consultation. The application is for the conversion of the top two floors to a work, education, conferencing, exhibition, dining and bar space. If successful 3Space hopes to have the space fitted out and open in September. You can view the plans and leave a comment on the Lambeth planning portal at http://bit.ly/LamPlan-3Space Dom Cools-Lartigue is overseeing the project, to be called The Civic for 3Space. He is the founder of Street Feast, which in recent years has pioneered night market culture in London, including renovation of old warehouses, builders merchants and train stations. As the Bugle went to press, the consultation had attracted 20 supporters and six objections. Supporters say: “This is a brilliant idea, not only for the staff who work in the building, but also for the residents of Brixton! A great space for the whole community to enjoy, it’s about
International House and Pop Brixton time Brixton had a modern, elevated social space like this! Fully support and really hope it happens!” Objectors raise concerns about the late opening hours and attendant noise problems when users spill out onto the residential streets surrounding the building. International House, now run by 3Space as a creative workspace with a social purpose, is the first London Living Wage building in London. It is also home to Brixton Media CiC, publisher of the Bugle and Brixton Blog.
Blocking the traffic in Brixton By Raya Branford and Sue Branford
Brixton Road, just outside the Underground station, is a well known bottleneck, and people deliberately making the congestion worse, if only for a short while, can’t expect to be made welcome. So it was a brave group of children, mostly aged 12 to 14, with the support of a few parents and Extinction Rebellion members, who stepped out into Brixton Road, waving placards warning of the catastrophe that faces the world unless urgent action is taken to tackle the climate crisis. They forced the traffic to a standstill. There was no doubting the sincerity of the children. Twelve-year-old Zoe Lees, from Dunraven school, said: “This is our future and we don’t have that much time to save it, and if we don’t do something about
it now, we can’t ever do something about it.” Sam Riddy, 14, (inset) who goes to Charter school, said: “Everyone knows the solutions to the problem, but no one is implementing those solutions. For instance, we have the US president claiming that statistics gathered by a branch of his own government, NASA, are a hoax, which doesn’t help the problem and it’s a bit of a ploy to stop people worrying. We need to stop that and actually get people to worry if we’re going to solve this.” Several of the children said that Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish activist, had been an inspiration. Saying they had been told that they could legally stop traffic for seven minutes and no more, the children blocked each side of the road two or three times, each time for seven minutes, carefully timed
Could
you
By Ethan Delcroix-Jones The mural commissioned by the Herne Hill Forum and designed by local artist Victor Szepessy was recently installed in the Herne Hill station underpass. Created by 2,300 children and local residents last year, it is in the Guiness Book of Records, having beaten the previous record for the numbers involved in a mural. The Mayors of Lambeth and Southwark and local Oscarwinning actor Mark Rylance were among those to visit
the creators. Rylance said: “I regularly use this underpass – what was once a very unattractive space, will now be transformed.” The project faced logistical problems before the mural was finally unveiled. It was painted on parachute fabric and the adhesive that would have had to be used to mount it would fail at low temperatures. So what underpass users see is a reproduction. The Herne Hill Forum hopes to display the original by Victor Szepessy in a new space above Herne Hill station.
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Record mural is unveiled
foster?
on their phones. Many passers-by showed interest and a few expressed support, but the dominant reaction was one of hostility. A few men shouted quite aggressively at the children, saying that they were trying to get to work and the children’s action was selfish. Though clearly startled, the children remained calm. The action was timed to coincide with a much larger protest organised on the same day in front of Parliament by the School Strike for Climate, an international movement of youngsters who have decided not to go to school one day a month until much more effective action to prevent further global warming and climate change is taken by the authorities. The children in Brixton said they wanted to spread the message outside central London. Many of the children joined the bigger march later. We saw Sam Riddy, equipped with a loudspeaker, striding up and down the march for hours, shouting out slogans for the youngsters to repeat. “The oceans are rising and so are we.”
Pop in for a chat and join us for a coffee at San Marino Cafe. The fostering team will be holding walk in information sessions every Wednesday from 10.00am to 12.00pm.
Call us: 020 7926 8710 or online: lambeth.gov.uk/fosteringandadoption Location: San Marino Café, 413 Brixton Road, Brixton, SW9 7DG
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Free festival is careers fair with a difference A careers fair, designed by young people, for young people comes to POP Brixton on Saturday 6 July. Beginning at 11am and running to midnight, activities at the ERIC Fest include a youth market and a pop-up podcast studio. There will be youth-led debates, networking as well as workshops at Pop and at nearby International House. Music starts at 7pm. Sam Hornsby and Mae Yip, directors of ERIC, say: “This year we’re partnering with Pop to host a first-of-its-kind and completely free community festival, a day-to-night event for 400-plus 16-25-year olds. “We’re working with BBC Sport, Universal Music, Havas, National Theatre, Southbank Centre, BFI, We Convey, LUSH and many more companies that want to connect with young creative talent in Lambeth. Lambeth Council is backing the event through its Elevate project
(lambeth.gov.uk/elevate). Council leader Jack Hopkins said: “Lambeth is at the forefront of artistic excellence and business innovation in the creative and digital world, but currently we lack diversity in these thriving sectors of the economy. We want to change this with Elevate, Lambeth’s mission to support diverse talent and open up the creative workplace. An advisory group and a group of young Elevators have worked with the Brixton-based agency Renaissance to develop the Elevate brand. Their presentation at the event will lead to an hour of interactive games between 6 and 7pm. Eric empowers young creatives by providing relevant and interesting information about the creative and digital industries. Its Eric Fest alternative careers events provide Buzzfeed-style careers advice. AA More information and booking at ericfestival.com/popbrixton
Event to challenge portrayal of youth violence Livity, the youth-led creative network based in Brixton, will run the “Inside Out” festival in partnership with Lambeth council at the Lambeth Country Show on 20 and 21 July. It has worked with 15 young people to examine and challenge
how violence affecting young people is portrayed. Livity says: “Participate – meet the makers, performers and game changers behind the programme as they demonstrate who is owning the narrative with a youth market, a music stage,
talks, spoken word, art exhibitions, workshops and more”. Inside Out is funded by the council’s Elevate programme and delivered in partnership with School Ground Sounds, Active Communities Network, Juvenis and PCF Global.
Legendary jockey Frankie Dettori and ITV Racing presenter Oli Bell with Khadijah Mellah
Ebony club member to ride at top course Lucy Williams and Ethan Delcroix-Jones visited Brixton’s Ebony Horse Club to find out more about its latest success story, Khadijah Mellah Khadijah Mellah, 18, from Brixton’s Ebony Horse Club, is to race alongside 11 other riders (including Olympic medal winner Victoria Pendleton and model Vogue Williams) at Goodwood Racecourse on 1 August. Organisers say that a capacity crowd of 25,000 will be watching. Khadijah said: “I am superduper excited about riding in the Magnolia Cup.” She has ridden at the racing yards of Chris Wall and Simon Dow. “It
was a great experience seeing how different racehorses are. “It was my first time on a racecourse at Newmarket last month, so it was good to get my head around what race day is like and what it’ll be like on the day. “It’s going to be a busy few months with my A-Levels as well, but I can’t wait to get going.” A documentary team will follow Khadijah’s training regime and her journey from Brixton to Goodwood, one of the most famous racecourses in the UK. Goodwood, Great British Racing and the Racing Foundation are funding the documentary which will be produced by Tom Bolwell and Mattia Reiniger who helped film the Oscar nominated
Could you mentor a 16-year-old? We Rise, a Brixton-based community business created by parents to empower young people to create successful futures, is looking for volunteers to support a local 16-year-old. Having a mentor to talk to can help a young person make positive choices. Volunteers will take an interest in their life, talk through their plans and help them find work experience. Volunteers would need to be committed to building a relationship with a young person, have experience of work and be able to offer one hour a month over 12 months – timed to suit your schedule. No experience is needed and full training and support will be provided. AA Contact: abigail@werise.org.uk
Black Sheep. ITV Racing presenter Oli Bell who is a patron of Ebony Horse Club said: “I am incredibly excited about the documentary and its potential to shine a light on Ebony’s brilliant work and the ways in which it is opening up opportunities for its members in racing. David Fleming, engagement manager at Ebony, who introduced Oli to the club, told the Bugle the club has 150, mostly local, kids who are members along with eight local schools with special needs children and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Khadijah is not the only club member to have achieved great things. One of the latest is now working with Team Godolphin that has won more than 5,000 races worldwide.
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JULY 2019 brixtonblog.com COMMUNITY 5
Council’s traffic calming project wins award The New Park Road traffic calming project at the top of Brixton Hill has won Lambeth council a Street Design Award (highways category) from Local Government News. The innovative project, which followed growing concern about speeding and rat-running outside Richard Atkins primary school, has transformed a car-dominated street with a high collision rate, into a localised “Healthy Street” focussed on the school, shops and local community. Difficult to drive through and easy to access on foot and bike, the street has multi-coloured decorations and trees. The council said that, through high levels of community engagement and collaborative design, the low-cost scheme “sets a precedent for how other London streets can become more
liveable, people-friendly places to live in and move through, rather than car-centred, dangerous environments”. Along with the addition of street trees, cycle parking and the general place-making, there has been a 27% reduction in speeds and a 14% reduction in traffic volume. There has also been a 30% reduction in the number of HGVs using the street. “For a limited investment, the scheme, which was majority funded by Transport for London underspend, provides great value for money,” the council said. “New Park Road sets a precedent for how other London streets can be dynamic, safe and enjoyable places to live, work and play with an innovative design and using cost-effective materials.”
Brixton shop Diverse in running for ‘retail Oscar’
Celebration of change creators Women who create change in art, business, culture and their community are to be celebrated at a festival in at Pop Brixton. The Fe-Fest – part of National Inclusion Week – is organised by Impact Brixton and takes place over the weekend 27 – 29 September with workshops, exhibitions and keynote speeches. Friday night will focus on the Motherworks exhibition by local photographer Fiona Freund (above). It Illustrates and celebrates the “brilliant and
Tumbles launderette
Garden of tomorrow A Brixton gardener will present her ideas on how to get more children outdoors at the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Hampton Court Flower Show from July 1 to 7, writes Emma Bartley. Seonaid Royall of Sprout Up has built her Believe in Tomorrow garden with the help of children from Richard Atkins, St Jude’s, Holy Trinity, Christchurch and Jubilee schools. Designed to reconnect the city’s children with nature, her garden is part oasis and part classroom, with edible planting beds, a fire pit and pond, and secret pathways to explore. Believe in Tomorrow was crowdfunded, with hundreds of small individual donations raising more than £15,000. A BBC1 TV crew spent a day filming at Jubilee primary school and in Brockwell Park to create a film insert telling the story. After the show, parts of the garden will be relocated to the schools and communities that helped to build it, giving them permanent access to the health and wellbeing benefits that go with spending time in nature.
A reader has asked us to point out that certain points in our story about Tumbles launderette in the May issue of the Bugle are not borne out by Lambeth council planning documents. In particular: an application to build a shed in 2015 is not
Effra Road sanctuary open longer Mosaic Club House’s evening sanctuary at its Effra Road headquarters is now open seven nights a week from 6pm to 2am. From 6 to 8pm the drop-in social programme is open to Mosaic members who can take part in workshops including jewellery-making, art deco, creative writing, mindfulness
and yoga. Anyone staying after 8pm will need a referral from a healthcare professional. The sanctuary offers adults experiencing mental health issues and who have limited access to the services outside the normal hours of 9 to 5, the opportunity to share experiences and to talk to others in peace and quiet with trained
and experienced staff to support them. One user said: “I come to Sanctuary because I have anxiety and am going through a change of medication. The other people who come here are very supportive. I don’t feel judged by others, people understand and they are very respectful of each other.”
Free training to combat isolation of women Sharon Brooks’ Wise Woman Wellness (WWW) project – funded by the Lambeth Wellbeing Fund of the Brixton-based charity London Community Foundation – helps women through a mixture of self-help and counselling, writes Simone Richardson. Sharon and her sister Lorraine Suxdorf, the programme director,
coordinate the Achieving the Life Balance programme. “The mission of Wise Women Wellness is to combat isolation and help women avoid going into an emotional crisis because they are unable to navigate the health service to find the support they need,” says Sharon. WWW wants to inspire and encourage women to become
bizarre duality” of the life of working mums – “A celebration of the women who hold up the economy with one hand and a baby with the other”. Organisers want to raise awareness of the work women do in every field and to put Brixton on the map as a place that women from all backgrounds and stages of life can fulfil their potential and thrive. AA To register your interest, visit impactbrixton.com/events
wise about their self-care and put it as their number one priority.” Its free training is for women over 19 who live or work in Lambeth, particularly Brixton. AA The next Achieving Life Balance course is in July at the Eurolink Centre on Effra Road. Contact info@ wisewomenwellness.org.uk
mentioned in council planning documents; an application for installation of equipment to control dry-cleaning fumes was rejected by the council in 2017 because it did not contain sufficient detail; and the council did not object to plans to use recycled rainwater.
Brixton’s Diverse gift shop on Coldharbour Lane has been recognised as one of the best card retailers in the UK, reaching the finals of the national awards for the category. Retas Awards – also known as the Retail Oscars – are now in their 15th year. They were launched by Progressive Greetings magazine to recognise card sellers across the retail spectrum. Greeting cards are sold in one in six shops in the UK, so reaching the finals of The Retas is definitely an achievement. Diverse founder Anita Thorpe said: “It’s great to be recognised for our efforts in bringing inclusive greeting cards to Brixton. “It’s something we’ve been committed to from day one and our nomination shows that the industry is starting to take note of the importance of representation of different social and ethnic groups in greeting card design and marketing. “It would be the icing on the cake if we won, as we’re celebrating our 20th year in business in 2019”. Finalists were decided by a poll of greeting card suppliers, reps and agents and validated by a panel of experts.
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ARTS OTHELLO REMIXED CLAPHAM OMNIBUS
The Bard, boxing and Brixton Leslie Manasseh talks to Darren Raymond about his reimagined version of Shakespeare’s Othello Dancer Geni Lou will perform Home in a Deli Scratch Night – one of several that will preview new work
THEATRE DELI BEYOND BORDERS FESTIVAL, CAMBERWELL
A creative contribution Theatre Deli’s Beyond Borders Festival, celebrating the contribution, courage and creativity of refugees in the UK is back for its third year. Taking place in Camberwell from June 15 to 22, the festival includes live music, comedy, open rehearsals, theatre and dance performances and new writing. All funds raised will go to organisations that support refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. It caters for all tastes and interests. “Arabs Are Not Funny!’ Is for comedy fans. “Music Without Borders” features a Palestinian hip hop duo, a Kashmiri street poet, and musician, Esbe. “Scratch Nights” will present new work from a number of writers and performers. And “Hands Up” is a big party in aid of Help Refugees – a charity that provides essential support for vulnerable refugees. AAFor tickets and details of artists and performances go to theatredeli.co.uk/theoldlibrary
URBAN ART
On 6 and 7 July, Brixton’s Josephine Avenue will, once again, be transformed into a bustling open air art fair. With more than 120 exhibitors, this is one of the best opportunities in South London to explore a wealth of creative skills, including painting, printmaking, photography, mixed media and street art. You can browse a vast array of styles and techniques, talk to artists about their work, eat and drink, and enjoy the knowledge that you will be supporting the local community as 10% of sales will go to local charities.
Intermission Theatre Company’’s production of Othello Remixed at the Clapham Omnibus is a tantalising prospect. Anchored in Shakespeare’s original text and narrative, it has been totally re-imagined as a contemporary drama. The love, jealousy, betrayal, murder and revenge which drive one of the most famous tragedies ever written, play out not in 16th century Venice, but in a modern boxing ring. The language has also been updated to fuse the inventiveness of Shakespeare with that of young people in today’s Britain. Director Darren Raymond believes the power and appeal of Shakespeare are timeless and universal. He has made it his goal to bring the work of our greatest playwright to life for young people. Rather than focus on the “400-year-old language”, he first used improvisation workshops around the key themes and emotions to engage mostly young Black people and to bridge the 400-year gap by connecting with the humanity of Shakespeare.
Kwame Reed as Othello He then began to mix the output of the workshops with the original text to produce a new language and dramatic form. “Shakespeare in his use of language is a genius … but young people are also very inventive and creative and are doing the same thing that Shakespeare did … and the two can make a great marriage,” says Raymond. He sees the drama of a boxing match as an authentic contemporary setting for the story of Othello – “the idea of staging the drama in a boxing ring came from a discussion within the theatre company about what type of person Othello would be today – and we hit upon a boxer.” I asked Raymond how relevant this play is to a Brixton audience: “It’s very relevant. It
tells the story of a man who is at the top of his game but, all of a sudden, he becomes an outcast because of the colour of his skin and people want to bring him down. “He goes on a downward spiral and ultimately self-destructs. That’s a universal story because we all feel at some point in our lives that we don’t belong and I feel the people of Brixton will be able to connect with it. “This is Shakespeare, but nothing like you’ve ever seen before, spoken by voices who have not been heard before”. AAOthello Remixed runs from 25 June to 14 July at Clapham Omnibus, 1 Clapham Common Northside, SW4 0LH. Tickets £13/£16. For more information call 020 7498 4699 or visit www.omnibus-clapham.org/othello-remixed
Sharing and celebrating Windrush history WINDRUSH STORIES POP-UP EXHIBITION AT THE MIGRATION MUSEUM
Black people need to know where they come from, to help them to move forward Carol Sydney, Windrush elder The Caribbean takeaway is an important cultural meeting place in the community. Caribbean Takeaway Takeover is an interactive
pop-up art and sound installation showcasing the stories of Windrush generation elders by artist EVEWRIGHT. The Breathing Space Café at the Migration Museum has been transformed into an art installation featuring photo etchings of 12 Windrush Generation elders along with audio interviews and recordings of these pioneers. Walls and table tops are covered in vinyls, photographs
and documents to reflect Windrush lives and memories. Hear how these 12 elders tackled racism, and how, through their perseverance and resilience, they were able to overcome barriers to make a life in Britain. The programme will include a Caribbean activity day and spoken-word event on Saturday 22 June as part of nationwide Windrush Day celebrations. In the words of EVEWRIGHT:
“This work is about the sharing, celebrating and preservation of our stories and history”. AADetails of the elders can be found at http://bit.ly/MM-WGS AAThe free exhibition runs until Sunday 30 June in the Migration Museum, 26 Lambeth High Street, SE1 7AG. Opening hours: Thursday 12pm-8pm, FridaySunday 12pm-6pm. For further information visit http://bit.ly/MM-CTT
A light on key cultural moments and everyday lives LOST LEGACY NEIL KENLOCK IN BRIXTON LIBRARY This exhibition of photos from the 1960s and 70s interweaves two elements of Black history – protest and culture. Neil Kenlock was born in Jamaica in 1950 and moved to Brixton in 1963. He became interested on photography while at school in Tulse Hill and in the late 60s became involved with the Black Panthers, anti-racist organisation. In 1973 he began work as a photographer for West Indian World and became interested in lifestyle, fashion and culture. The exhibition reflects both stages of his life. His work records
Neil Kenlock with his image Barbara Bees, Tony Douglas, Russell Pierre and Leila Hassan at West Indian World HQ, 1960s © NEIL KENLOCK
important Black protests and demonstrations – many in Brixton – and key cultural moments. You can see icons such as Muhammad Ali when he visited Tulse Hill School and the release from arrest of Bob Marley, standing alongside key figures in the history of Black resistance such as Angela Davis. You will also glimpse the less dramatic, everyday worlds of culture and lifestyle. Many images are both strong in themselves but also historically significant. They shine a light on the lives and experiences of the first generation of African Caribbean migrants. AAThe exhibition runs until 30 June in Brixton Library. 020 7926 1058. www.lambeth.gov. uk/places/brixton-library
JULY 2019 brixtonblog.com CREATIVE BRIXTON 7
MUSIC
Continue in their spirit The way to pay tribute to that which is past is to celebrate and support what we still have, says Dave Randall, bidding farewell to an inspiration and an institution that will both be sorely missed in Brixton
…where we hi-five local musical movers and shakers. We ask five questions to get to know the people who play regularly or contribute in other ways to Brixton’s live music scene. This month it’s the turn of Laura Mills (AKA DJ BlondeZilla)
Though the festival season is in full flow and musical treats abound, this is a sad time for some Brixton music lovers. Last month we learned of the death on 21 May of Jake Black – aka The Very Reverend D. Wayne Love – one of the founder members of Brixton-based country, blues, soul and acid-house alchemists Alabama 3. This statement was posted on the band’s Facebook page:
Early this afternoon, on a beautiful summer’s day, our friend, comrade and spiritual teacher, Jake Black AKA The Very Reverend D.Wayne Love, passed over to the higher ground. After a magnificent performance at the Highpoint Festival in Lancashire, D.Wayne in his supreme wisdom, decided it was the appropriate moment for his ascension into the next level. The transition was painless and peaceful. He was surrounded by brothers Larry Love, L.B. Dope, The Spirit, Jonny Jamm and Sister Therese Mullan. We are heartbroken. All that remains for us, at this moment, is to carry out his precise instructions regarding the continuation of his teachings as a First Minister of The Presleyterian Church of Elvis The Divine, and continue The Great Work. His last words, which we have yet to decipher, were “Tweet Tweet, Possil Fleet”.
For 30 years the club hosted hedonistic all-night raves, epic parties, charity events and more recently regular live music nights. Independent, friendly, fun-loving, community minded and more than a little subversive, Club 414 represented many of the attributes we love about Brixton. It will be missed. One way to pay tribute to the people and places passed is to continue in their spirit and celebrate and support those still with us. So if these
Jake Black
sad events or simply the state of the world have got you down, then why not start to coax back the summertime vibes with some soul soothing good times. The Lambeth Country Show can lay claim to a
particularly pleasing soul soothing combination: roots reggae, Chucklehead cider and a lookalike vegetable competition. Genius. Acts this year include reggae legends Dawn Penn, General Levy, Dennis Alcapone and the Twinkle Brothers. It’s London’s biggest and best free family festival and it takes place in Brockwell Park on 20 and 21 July. In the meantime get your fix of roots and culture with the Sisters of Reggae who continue their Pop Brixton residency on Friday 14 June. Expect ska, rocksteady, roots, revival reggae, rub-a-dub, lover’s rock and early digital. 100% vinyl, 100% niceness and free admission to boot. And on any Thursday drop into the Hootananny where, for 10 years now, the fantastic Cecil Reuben and his Jah Revelation Muzik Sound System have been delivering the finest heavyweight bass and choice live acts. As Bob Marley put it: One Love, One Heart, let’s get together and feel alright … Dave Randall is a musician and author of Sound System: The Political Power of Music.
BRIXTON
HI-FIVE
What do you do and where do you do it? I’m the events manager and live music programmer for Upstairs at the Ritzy. I’ve been doing that for 10 years. On the side I’m a DJ, playing African vinyl from any/ all countries and eras, but with a massive soft-spot for 70s Ghanaian music. I also sing backing vocals with Afrik Bawantu.
Favourite memories of playing in Brixton? I started DJing Upstairs at the Ritzy (easy when you can programme yourself!), and it’s like my second home, so I have beautiful memories with various friends playing and partying there. I’ve also had a couple of super lively gigs at the Hootananny.
What are you listening to at the moment? Well, aside from my old records and my current weakness for cheesy East African pop … I just got the new ‘Untitled’ album by Lonely Table & Anja Ngozi. It’s an ode to Basquiat by lots of the best London jazz/ beyond musicians/producers including our very own (local) Wu-Lu, and Shabaka Hutchings who is hands-down one of my favourite artists. Every project he is in kills me – in the best way.
Favourite album of all time and why? Can anyone really pick ONE?! I guess if I’m being super honest it would have to be Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’. I got it for Xmas when I was five and it was played on loop so much and for so many years that my mum almost put a ban on it. Beyond that, the two albums I love and would want to recommend would be the Ghana Special Soundway compilation, and Zambiance.
Where can we hear you next? I have a weekly residency at The Understudy (National Theatre) every Saturday where I book amazing guest DJs to play with me… but my next Brixton date is at Brixton Village on Friday 21 June. Summer vibes, on!
Alabama 3 reached a global audience when their song Woke Up This Morning was chosen as the theme to hit US TV series The Sopranos. It was taken from the band’s 1997 debut Exile on Coldharbour Lane and it is from that iconic Brixton street that our second sad news item comes – the closure of Club 414.
Club 414 proprietors Louise Barron and Tony Pommell
ATTENTION ALL ASPIRING SINGERS
Do you want to learn to sing? Learn the secrets to sensational singing. Discover your own X-Factor. Build your confidence Call 020 8265 9877 now
Brixton BID is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening Brixton’s diverse business culture. We represent more than 650 levy‑paying businesses in the local area and work to develop new and exciting opportunities for Brixton. Local business voted in November 2018 for the BID to continue its work for another five years.
Clean air is a community responsibility Michael Smith, Director of the Brixton Business Improvement District, Clean air in Brixton will make it a better place to visit, live, work, play and do business. We could become a town centre in South London where more people walk and cycle. Our local council must, however, effectively use our parks and green spaces to support personal wellbeing and to stimulate business growth in the area. If London’s environment is a challenge for Mayor Sadiq Khan, it must also become a priority for the Mayor of Lambeth, Ibrahim Dogus, and Lambeth Council. Health impact assessments must become a part of everything we do, including the pivotal Brixton Central Master Plan. The recent development of projects such as the Brixton Orchard, led by the Brixton Bid, shows the practical role that urban projects can play in cleaning our air as well as encouraging volunteering and supporting personal wellbeing. Brixton must now be bold in future green infrastructure plans, we know of their positive impact on clean air. But, currently, we have; no living walls and no sky/ roof gardens. We are struggling to agree our first active maze to entertain both children and adults outdoors
A free, driverless, electric shuttle in Luxembourg as well to increase the presence of bees in the South London pathway. London aspires to become the world’s first National Park City by 2050 where more than 50 per cent is committed to green spaces. Town centre areas like Brixton must play their part if we are to achieve this. Imagine Brixton town centre being serviced by free, autonomous electrical or hydrogen “shoppa” buses designed to reduce town centre congestion, improve air quality and encourage more shoppers and visitors to our markets and streets. Imagine Brixton with a cycle super highway to
BRIXTON ORCHARD The Brixton Orchard is a public green space with 35 fruit trees and hundreds of edible hedges, showcasing how fruit trees can be integrated into urban spaces. By growing fruit trees, Brixton Bid and Urban Growth reconnect people with food growing and spark curiosity about the amazing diversity of produce that cannot be found in shops. Unique apples with red
flesh and juice, sweet cherries, sour cherries, damsons, plums, quince, mulberry and pears grow there, chosen to celebrate
BRIXTON ORCHARD OPEN ORCHARD
the amazing heritage and deliciousness of European fruits The orchard is a community project designed to encourage
more people to interact with and learn about the natural world on their doorstep – even in the unlikeliest of places – at one of London’s busiest junctions. AAAnyone can sign up to help maintain this city oasis. Urban Growth hosts volunteer sessions on the orchard, every Thursday at 1pm. Sign up on Eventbrite at http://bit.ly/UG-orchard
ERIC FESTIVAL
CONNECT WITH US
BRIXTON BID Room 3C, Floor 3 International House Canterbury Crescent London SW9 7QD
encourage more safe cycling. Imagine our town centre with a host of electrical charging points to support and encourage the use of safe, clean, delivery and personal use vehicles. But we are so far off the delivery of these ideas. Our town centre is still only grudgingly offering one or two public seats in our public spaces and parks allowing people to dwell. Our outdoor markets lack support for suitable dwell space to encourage prolonged shopping and browsing. There is a general reluctance by the council to encourage and support this approach in Brixton. If public seating and dwell time is encouraged on the South Bank, why not Brixton? Complaints about our public spaces being occupied by “local drinkers” and others is used to justify not improving this provision. We have yet to put down our first parklet in Brixton and show a reluctance to encourage and maintain pocket parks and smart planters. Clean air impacts both indoors and outdoors. Liveable neighbourhood and healthy street projects reclaim streets and neighbourhoods and bring more people out walking and cycling, playing or just being. Clean air is a community responsibility involving business improvement districts, residents, land owners and other private and public stakeholders. Together we can make Brixton cleaner and greener and a better place for all. Join us on Wednesday, June 19 from 12 to 4pm at the New Town Hall public space for a clean air and business exhibition in partnership with Lambeth Council. We all need clean air.
020 3417 7373 BrixtonBID BrixtonBID brixtonbid.co.uk
An alternative, youth-led careers event, ERIC partners with POP Brixton to host a first-of-its-kind and completely free community festival. A day-tonight event for 400-plus 16-25 year olds. You will find a mixed programme of talks, creative experiences, immersive workshops, exhibitions, pop-up stalls, showcases and lots more. Book now at ericfestival.com/popbrixton
MATERIAL COLLECTED FROM MAY 2018 TO APRIL 2019
Over the past 12 months Brixton BID members have: SAVED L796 L trees L139 L tonnes of CO2 emissions RECYCLED L100,475 L kilograms of waste PRODUCED L86,680 L kilowatt hours of energy This has been made possible by Brixton BID’s partnership with First Mile to provide affordable recycling solutions for businesses.
CARDBOARD
JUNK REMOVAL
COFFEE GROUNDS
MIXED RECYCLING
600
1,437
66,325
40 30
Recycling rate (%)
10325
8775
50
438
750 APRIL 2019
20
MARCH
438 FEBRUARY
5975
6750 500
27,625
60
11950
14700
11850
9550 JANUARY
438 NOVEMBER
70
MATERIAL RECYCLED FROM MAY 2018 TO APRIL 2019 (KILOGRAMS)
Businesses are doing their bit
90
Recycling rate
DECEMBER 62
375 OCTOBER
8100
11425 7025
562
6675
CLEAN AIR FOR BRIXTON!
100 80
10450
10950
11750 AUGUST 188
312
0
JUNE
2000
MAY 2018 250
4000
7175
6000
JULY 125
8000
9300
10000
10775
12000
11925
14425
14000
16000
16000
Waste to energy
10300
Anaerobic digestion 16300
Recycled
SEPTEMBER
18000
8950
Material collected (kilograms)
20000
10 0
FOOD RECYCLING
2,997
PAPER SHREDDING
2,700
GENERAL WASTE
WASTE ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT AND TONER
GLASS
150,150
125
3,100
CLEAN AIR WEEK IN LAMBETH Lambeth Council is committed to minimise air pollution and tackle clean air. To celebrate National Clean Air Day on 20 June, the borough has organised a week of events to raise awareness of air pollution and to empower people to improve air quality.
Monday 17 June
Sustrans will complete the “Monday Marathon”, travelling sustainably between schools in Lambeth and teaching young people about reducing air pollution. Follow their journey on Twitter at: #LCAW19. Tuesday 18 June:
Lambeth Council’s Twitter channel – @lambeth_council – will host a live Q&A session from 10am to 4pm, to answer questions residents have about air quality. Post questions to @lambeth_council using the hashtag #LCAW19.
Wednesday 19 June
Air pollution is not only hazardous to human health and the environment, it also affects businesses. Meet Veolia, ZipCar and other businesses in the courtyard behind the town hall between 12 and 4pm, to learn about what they are doing to tackle clean air, in a fun and interactive way.
Refreshments will be provided. At 6pm, Lambeth will meet the Air Quality Action Plan Steering Group to discuss the progress of the council to deliver its air quality action plan.
Thursday 20 June
To celebrate National Clean Air Day, Lambeth invites you to a lunchtime walk from Windrush Square to Brockwell Park between 12.30 and1.30pm. To take part, just turn up. Post your pictures of the walk on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #LCAW19. The best pics will win a prize. Lambeth is looking
for more volunteers to join the walk. If you would like to take part please email sustainability@lambeth.gov.uk At 3pm an anti-idling event will take place in Vauxhall to encourage drivers to switch off their engines when stationary. At 6pm room THG-14 at the Town Hall will host Lambeth’s annual resident engagement event. Council officers and councillors will answer questions about air pollution in Lambeth. To find out more about these initiatives or to let the council know that you have organised your own activity, email sustainability@lambeth.gov.uk.
10 BRIXTON PEOPLE
As Carnival approaches, Stephen Powdrill meets a man with a mission to make it sustainable as well as stunning Fun, frivolity, bright colours and excess usually come to mind when we think of Notting Hill Carnival. Saving the planet? Not so high on the list. Brixton-based Ray Mahabir, founder of Sunshine International Arts (SiA), isn’t too happy about this. “I’m a namer and shamer!” He laughs mischievously, as we sit amongst some of his creations – gigantic feathery head-dresses, glistening tribal masks, picture collages celebrating carnivals that came before. “I tweet supermarkets that aren’t being eco-friendly!” We’re in the main space of SiA, where many of Notting Hill’s costumes are brought to life, and which (Mahabir is pleased to inform me) became an eco-friendly workspace last year. Creating carnival-wear with the environment in mind is no small task. Plastic-containing beads, glitter and polyester are all important materials used to make an extravagant costume pop. Many costumes are bought as weekend one-offs and, due to the complexity of their designs, are notoriously difficult to recycle. Mahabir tells me he has a solution. Leading me to a large room, he demonstrates with a flourish, where a selection of costumes from the previous ten years of NHC are laid out across the floor like unwrapped gifts. “We’re going to upcycle them!” Using a feather here and a sequin there, SiA’s 2019 carnival band will be showcasing a range of redesigned costumes using old materials, in hope that onlookers might take
We also make our own jam … Ray Mahabir amid the multiple functions of Sunshine Arts
Attitude and adventure inspiration from their eco-friendly stance. Many of these will be created at “MasCamp”, a summer-long workshop course at SiA, which will cover the range of design skills needed to make a first-class, eco-friendly costume. While a colourful co-ord and all the accessories could set you back hundreds on the high street, Mahabir hopes that upcycling at MasCamp will allow well-tailored carnival-wear to be accessible to everyone this year. “People will come after work, after school, people who wouldn’t usually afford to buy materials … we want people on a low income to still be able to get involved in the art of carnival.” Whilst Mahabir prides himself on
NEW HOME DELIVERY
high-quality work, the social aspect of the workshops seems just as valuable as the end-product. “MasCamp is about community coming together, working together. It’s about the conversations happening around the table, while we’re sticking glue. I don’t want a life where we depend on trained artists too much.” Mahabir is in earnest about community. Having been involved in UK carnival and festival production for the last 20 years, he is well aware of the good that inclusion and celebration can do for neglected members of society. Indeed, even SiA’s motto speaks volumes – “The Art of People”. For Mahabir, making do with what you’ve got seems to be his vision on making a difference in carnival – everyday people, places and things transformed into something extraordinary. SiA is a difficult organisation to sum up because they just do so much. Costumes aside, the centre functions as a licensed charity, a Trinidadian lunch-time café, a second-hand shop of curious objects from around the
2019 JULY world, as well as offering various spaces in the building to rent for rehearsals and more. “We also make our own jam …” Mahabir offers, and I throw away my pen. Funds raised by SiA contribute to the charity’s outreach programmes in India and, more recently, Kenya where carnival-based workshops are run for disadvantaged children with limited access to education. The goal of the “Reach the Unreachable” programme, running since 2015, is to empower these young people to express themselves through art and create the foundations of a legacy in carnival arts. Despite the momentum SiA has built over the years, running a charity does not come without its difficulties. Arts funding across the country has suffered nearly £400m worth of cuts in the last eight years of Conservative government, and some local arts organisations have had to drop out of projects they would usually collaborate on with SiA. On top of this, closures of shops in central Brixton’s railway arches have given Mahabir and the SiA team cause for concern. “It really shook everyone here to see all of Brixton’s arches being shut down. It just feels inevitable that at some point this may spread to Loughborough Junction, where we are.” Closure of the site would prove extremely tricky for the team; the vast number of costumes in storage would be hard to relocate. Mahabir tells me that, after talking to me, he’s got to drop off a costume with a client. It’s a five-foot wide, swan-like top piece, with spreading wings and delicate, ultrawhite feathers. “I’m taking it with me on the Victoria Line,” he announces to my horror. How will you get it through the doors? Mahabir notes my expression with amusement. “Oh, just like this,” he says, propping the frame of the piece onto his shoulder in a cheerful, hey-ho sort of way. I shouldn’t be too surprised. If I’ve learnt anything from my visit, it is that a positive attitude and a thrifty sense of adventure are what carnival spirit is truly all about. AA With MasCamp at SiA fast approaching, visit the SiA website at www.sunshineiarts. co.uk for more information on how to join in. Classes will cover everything from head-dress building to feather flowing and anyone is welcome to join in on the fun.
SUNSHINE ARTS’ TOP TIPS FOR GOING GREEN AT CARNIVAL AA Carry a reusable water bottle. Glastonbury music festival calculated that, in 2017, over 1 million plastic water bottles were used over the weekend’s events, and Notting Hill Carnival can’t be that much better. AA Clothes swap with friends. This is a great way
to wear something that feels new and fresh at this year’s festivities, without buying a needless, one-off costume. AA Avoid glitter … jazz up your outfit with face or body paint, or get plastic-free glitter, which is naturally derived from plants. AA Carry a bag for your
rubbish in. Some 300 million tonnes of waste ends up on the street at Notting Hill Carnival each year. AA Bring a bio-degradable ashtray. At the end of the day, just throw the ashtray in the nearest recycling. They can be bought online from carnival/ festival suppliers.
The bikers of Brockwell Park Simone Richardson finds out how the kids feel about BMX biking in Brixton’s Brockwell Park
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Meat, the way it’s meant to be.
Brixton BMX Club was established in 1981 at the Stockwell skate park and moved to the park in 1990, which makes it the oldest BMX club in London and in the top three in the UK. Lots of youngsters enjoy BMXing, some starting as young as four. At the park’s BMX track, 10-year-old Jonathan says he “likes going up in the air on this BMX”. Aiden, 7, told me he has been doing it since he was
four and “and I love going up and down as if I’m in the waves”. Franklyn Fretwell says: “I enjoy meeting new people, racing and it’s friendly and free!” Ken Floyde who started the club takes Brixton’s young BMX racers all over the country, sponsored by Lambeth Youth Service which help with transport, bikes and appropriate wear. Ken says: “I was always cycling but borrowed as I couldn’t afford a BMX bike and felt deprived. The teenage 1980s BMX riders were great as they all saved up for a second-hand bike
for me and made sure it was fixed.” Ken visits the track weekly to watch and collect payments for weekly classes taught by younger BMX bikers through him. Any BMX rider can come to the track on Saturday or Sunday 9 to 11am for experts; novices and beginners 11am-1pm. It’s £6 for non-members, £4 members The Access Sport charity runs women’s BMX nights on Mondays from 6.30 to 8pm. Mums can take their kids too and a first lesson is free, with bike, helmet, knee and elbow pads and gloves included.
BRIXTON BUGLE & BLOG SUMMER ART SHOW BRIXTON LIBRARY 24 JULY TO 4 AUGUST
People’s vote will decide winners In this four-page special readers will find the works shortlisted for exhibition from all those submitted for the Brixton Bugle and Blog’s first summer art show Judges were delighted with the number and quality of the entries and thank all the artists who submitted work for the two categories – amateur and professional. The judges had a hard time deciding which works made it through. The variety of subject, and the diversity of techniques and media, testify to the wealth of talent that exists in our community. All the pieces here will be exhibited in our show which opens in Brixton Library on Wednesday 24 July and runs until 4 August. Although the judges have selected their favourites, the winners in each category will be decided by a people’s vote. This will take place during the show. So make sure you visit the library and vote for your favourites.
JANET BAKER (self taught) What Lies Beyond
DENZIL EVERETT (professional)
Colin 2019
KES YOUNG (self taught)
Tribute to my li’l old dog JOHN BATESON-HILL (self taught) The Preacher in Brixton Market � judges’ favourite
RACHEL BATE
(self taught) Woman On Pink
DENZIL EVERETT (professional) Carolyn 1979 � judges’ favourite
JADA SIMMS
(self taught) Afros
JOHN BATESON-HILL
(self taught) Apple Blossom
TREVOR CHRISTIE (self taught) Untitled
TILLMANN LENZ (professional)
Small man in a big world 1
TREVOR CHRISTIE (self taught) Untitled Ljudges’ L favourite
TILLMANN LENZ (professional)
Small man in a big world 2
MICHELE SEDGWICK
(self taught) Bees on a globe thistle
FIONA FREUND (professional) Maggie Aoussou
MARTIN GROVER (professional)
Waiting For A Train (Brixton Skyline)
MARTIN GROVER (professional)
Aretha Franklin in Brockwell Park
TESS STONE
(professional) Beetle
JOHN SPICER
CARLOS SUAREZ (self taught)
Levitation
CARLOS SUAREZ (self taught)
Tri-logia
(self taught) Isaac Newton’s apple
JEZ JACOBS (professional) Artwork 01a
ANNALIESE FAYE (self taught) Eye CHARLIE RICE (professional) Pain inspired abstract
MATHANKI KODAVASAL
(professional) Windmill under the stars
ANNALIESE FAYE (self taught) Girl with KATE NEWINGTON
Flower
Ljudges’ L favourite
(professional) Ken Loach Ljudges’ L favourite CLAIRE BRENNAN (professional)
Regents Park 1
MARIA BEADELL (self taught) Minnie Diamond
KATE NEWINGTON
(professional) Ye
HUGH GILMOUR (professional) Loughborough
Junction pigeons
KAREN SMITH (professional) Family KAREN SMITH (professional) LUCY SPANYOL (professional) Hen Party
Ribera meets the 21st century
ANDY INSH (professional) Marketplace
ANDY INSH (professional) Figures
with a Tree
MARILYN ROGERS (professional)
Re-Generation 2
STEVE WILDE (self taught) It’s Already Too Late � judges’ favourite
STEVE WILDE (self taught)
The Constant Hiss of Cosmic Noise
The art show judges were Colin Failes Adrian Flower Aveen McHugh Leslie Manasseh Binki Taylor
MARILYN ROGERS (professional)
Re-Generation 4
JULY 2019 brixtonblog.com OPINION 15
BRIXTON BUGLE
COMMENT
Made in Brixton
“In the past boundaries were there to be crossed”, this is one of the slogans from the recent Crossing Boundaries exhibition in Brixton. At its heart this is what Brixton is good at – challenging barriers, breaking down boundaries. These obstacles need not be physical, but, real or imagined, they are part of the struggle to improve where and how we live. The railway and its barriers – the arches and bridges – are also central to the character of Brixton. They can be seen to be barriers that break up the community or celebrated as part of the infrastructure. We celebrate. Visitors to Brixton are greeted by the bridge slogans – “come in love”, “go in peace”. The breadth of community groups, creative organisations, youth groups and schools that participated in Exploring Boundaries is part of what makes Brixton a remarkable place to live. A tribute to its citizens who strive to challenge boundaries where they can. Brixton is at a crossroads. What Brixton will look like in the future, and who can afford to build a business or live here, is not necessarily in the hands of those that live here now despite “consultations” around future planning. This is a real barrier that will limit who can shape the Brixton of the future. Hedge funds and property developers that are snapping up huge chunks of central Brixton have a vision for Brixton. But it needs to be a vision shared by those that live here now. What makes Brixton great is its people, not property. You can read testimony to that in this issue of the Bugle. It’s our artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, sports people that put it on the map. The community activists who campaign on clean air, environment and celebrate our heritage make it a place worth visiting. So why not put our people front, back and middle of the Brixton story. Jokes about East Croydon station rebranding as “Croydon international” and Penge having its own tourist board are not as daft as they sound. Why not Brixton? Even the “developers” of Brixton must see the sense in keeping intact the sense of vibrancy, creativity and culture that defines Brixton now. It’s in nobody’s interest to destroy that. So how about it, who’s up for The Citizen’s Tourist Board of Brixton? If you have a complaint about the Brixton Bugle, see bit.ly/BBB_complaints for how to pursue it Regulated by IMPRESS: The independent monitor for the press 16–18 New Bridge Street EC4V 6AG 020 3325 4288 complaints@impress.press www.impress.press
These vital resources deserve clean streets
investment in the area. It is to be hoped that Lambeth council confirms this policy as a matter of urgency, because with no council funding the playground only survives through successful grant applications that require some certainty over the continued operation of the applicant’s premises, something the playground is unable to guarantee with the current lease agreed with Lambeth due to expire in 2021. But even in the absence of sufficient funds to be able to expand the services to the local community, the playground continues to provide safe, supervised, adventure play and healthy, cooked nutritious food each Saturday during term time and throughout each holiday with no charge to the parents and carers of the children and young people who flock to the playground. Surely the least that could be expected is that the street and pavement is properly cared for, cleaned and maintained directly in front of a vital community resource in the middle of one of the most deprived and densely populated wards in London, where the impact of long – term austerity and reduction in public services has been devastating.
Nick Lewis says vital community resources must not be left surrounded by filth and rubbish Staff and children of Grove Adventure Playground in Loughborough Junction have recently taken the unusual step of donning hi-vis jackets, safety glasses and picking up brooms to try to improve the dreadful and often dangerous condition of the public highway and pavement that runs by the entrance to the playgr. It is easy to understand why Gordon Grove may have fallen off the radar with regards to street care and maintenance, given the general cuts in services and the fact that the playground is the only property with a front door to the street. However, this neglect has resulted in the street and pavement becoming a local dumping ground and wasteland where glass, nitrous oxide canisters, old furniture, weeds, vehicle parts, overfilled bin bags and years of filth combine to create an approach to the playground that is unacceptable. Conditions get even worse after rain as the roadside sewers are permanently backed up and blocked, creating a toxic and unpleasant soup that regularly claims the footwear of unsuspecting parents and children arriving for a day’s play. The playground itself has made improve ments to the street by cleaning and painting the premises, recommissioning automatic external safety lights that now illuminate much of the pavement and street throughout the night, as well as installing, planting and maintaining flower beds along the street and recyling dumped furniture into street art. But without any regular street cleaning
or public bins, the street is often overcome with discarded fast food packaging, drinks containers and other rubbish. When Grove Adventure Playground was re-opened by the Loughborough Junction Action Group and local volunteers in 2018 it had previously been claimed by the council that there was “no demand” for an adventure playground in Loughborough Junction and one of the most iconic play structures in Lambeth was almost lost through closure, neglect and planned development. However, less than a year after re-opening the playground and with 350-plus local children registered, the retention of Grove Adventure Playground has been shown to be absolutely critical. This fact was tragically underlined after the recent loss of Glendon Spence to knife crime at the Marcus Lipton Youth Club, that sits next door and shares a perimeter fence line with the playground. In partial response to this terrible incident, Cllr Jack Hopkins, leader of Lambeth council, has made a commitment over the long-term to protection and enhancement of both the playground and youth club, along with future
Council response
Responding to a request for comment from the Bugle, a council spokesperson said: “ Lambeth council has had to save more than £230 million since 2010, with the need to find another £38 million in savings over the next four years. We have worked hard to protect the most vulnerable from these cuts, but their impact is still being felt in the community. “We remain committed to directing our remaining money to where it will have the biggest impact, and towards those most in need. “At a public meeting in Loughborough Junction the community said the Marcus Lipton Youth Centre must re-open, and that council support for the near-by Grove Adventure Playground should continue. Local people also asked for development proposals for the Grove Adventure Playground and Marcus Lipton Youth Centre, as contained in the draft Loughborough Junction Masterplan, be dropped. “The council is honouring all three of these requests, and plans for the Marcus Lipton centre’s re-opening are progressing well. More details will follow shortly.”
Olive Morris memorial must not be lost Olive Morris was a community activist in South London who died aged 27 in 1979. In 1986 the Brixton Black Women’s group, of which she was a co-founder, campaigned to have 18 Brixton Hill renamed Olive Morris House in her memory. In 2006 the Remembering Olive Collective set up an online resource to collect information about her life. Now the collective has reformed as ROC 2.0 to ensure that the demolition of the Lambeth council building bearing her name does not mean she has no memorial in the borough where she left an extraordinary legacy of local activism
Founding members of the original Remembering Olive Collective (ROC), founded in Brixton in 2008, have re-formed in response to plans to demolish Olive Morris House, at 18 Brixton Hill, as part of Lambeth council’s New Town Hall development. Creating ROC 2.0, they are concerned to ensure that Olive’s legacy is not lost and are dedicated to continue to responsibly steward the Olive Morris Collection, held at Lambeth Archives. In the summer of 2015, ROC member Liz Obi, began discussions with Lambeth
council planning officers to secure as part of the planning application for Olive Morris House a stipulation that £50,000 would be allocated through a section 106 agreement* towards ensuring Olive’s legacy. It was subsequently agreed with the property developer, Muse, that part of the money would be used to install a memorial cornerstone in the new development, commemorating Olive Morris House. The collective and members of Olive’s family had further discussions to decide on an appropriate alternative
memorial for Olive and decided the balance of the money would be used to republish a tenth anniversary re-issue of the Do You Remember Olive Morris publication and to sustain an annual Olive Morris Memorial Award for young activists. Though the planning application for the section 106 funding had been approved, the delays in negotiations between Lambeth and Muse has meant a delay in the release of funds. Members of the collective are concerned that Olive Morris House is now derelict and nothing has yet been put in place to remember Olive, which is against the spirit of the agreement made with Lambeth council. ROC 2.0 is calling upon the council to honour the agreement and to release the £50,000 so that the re-issue of the publication can be undertaken and the Olive Morris Memorial Award can be launched. The collective hopes this will happen regardless of
the outcome of Lambeth’s negotiations with Muse as, without it, Olive’s legacy will have effectively been erased by the new town hall development. The collective are raising funds to re-issue a tenth anniversary Do You Remember Olive Morris publication and to launch the Olive Morris Memorial Award for young activists. To be kept up to date with Remembering Olive Collective (ROC 2.0) activities or are interested in supporting our plans, please email rememberolivemorris@ gmail.com ROC.2 * Planning obligations under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act, are a mechanism to make a development proposal acceptable in planning terms, that would not otherwise be acceptable. They focus on site specific mitigation of the impact of developments.
16 FOOD & DRINK brixtonblog.com
2019 JULY
FOOD & DRINK PROFILE: WEST NORWOOD FEAST
Market forces We go awayday to the West Norwood Feast
All the people. So many people. First Sunday of the month, centred round St Luke’s Church (appropriately) a mass congregation of local West Norwood residents and fellow travellers get together for West Norwood Feast. April to December, for the last seven years. Almost totally generated and maintained by more than 100 volunteers. How very Bugle. Farmers market, vintage stalls, free children’s activities, flea market, crafts, street food, spread over five patches of this end of the high street. Throw in talks, art and fashion shows, a kaleidoscope of performers, live music … this is not just vegan cupcakes and a well-meaning attitude. It’s a bit of a day out. And interesting that nothing quite like this has taken off in downtown Brixton. Attendance is in the thousands. Norwood has got itself a new sports centre, a
radically revamped library (in the age of the death of libraries), a cinema, and, first Sunday, has its own country show. Food is pretty central. Don’t think they called it Feast by accident. Coffee, cakes and confectionary from cupcakes to fudge, dirty burgers to souvlaki, dim sum to curries. And for home cooks, charcuterie, fruit and veg, cheese, pickled and preserved stuff. The “Artisan’s marketplace” is a chirpy buzz of kids’ activities amidst handmade ceramics, jewellery, T-shirts, bags, artworks and crafty ephemera while the “Retro” hub (in the forecourt of Rosebery Auctioneers) hosts everything from vinyl to vintage clothing, collectors’ items through to quirky upscale bric a brac. The “Family” hub jumps all over healthy living with a picnic and play area, free cake and tea stand and stalls hosting everything from maths workshops to themed family activities – gardening club? apple pressing? Sporty workouts?
In a nutshell, this still emerging high road gets a major monthly makeover, seemingly in harmony with the permanent retailers. The cafes and shops along the whole boulevard are just as busy as Feast itself. Even the gentrification warriors would be hard pressed to deny that this is a
vibrant, local, community-led takeover that doesn’t have to cost you a penny to wander round and join in. Or you could join in and volunteer. Brixton could learn a thing or two from West Norwood Feast. AA Next date for West Norwood’s big day out is 7 July.
St Luke’s Church, 13 Norwood High Street, SE27 0DT | westnorwoodfeast.com | @WN_FEAST
JULY 2019 brixtonblog.com FOOD & DRINK 17
FOOD & DRINK REVIEW: BOQUERIA
Sketches of Spain Nick Buglione embraces his inner Mediterranean Last time I checked, I am not Professor Emeritus of Tapas at Universitat de Barcelona, but am I wrong in thinking that, as we are showing with our EU-leaving pantomime, when it comes to many things European, we Brits get it all a bit wrong? “Tapa” were traditionally served by hostels or bodegas in 19th century Spain as a menu sample. More often or not the innkeeper and the traveller were illiterate – so tapa were free samples of the ‘house’ menu. The name literally comes from the practice of putting a top (tapa) over a glass of wine to keep the flies off. Up north, they are called pinchos (stick) and people paid the bill on the amount of sticks. Tapas seemingly then morphed into what I understand it should be, smaller portions to accompany drinks. Classically that would be a sherry - fino (good with ham and cheese) or manzanilla (for seafood). Of course, a nice Rioja or a cold glass of Estrella will do fine. Arguably the forerunner of the “Marmite” trend of small plates charging at you in no particular order from the kitchen, tapas suits a Med culture of more languid drinking and parallel snacking. Not so suitable to the (older) great British tradition of necking as many pints as possible, then collapsing into a kebab shop. Or the requirement that any meal should leave you stuffed to the oesophagus. I distinctly remember my Dad (supposed Europhile), on summer camping holidays in Spain, having a good old British moan
about how, just as we all went to bed, all our neighbours started getting together, cooking (he particularly liked the whisking of eggs) and chatting the early hours away. How annoying to be in Spain to find Spanish people doing Spanish things. Boqueria on Acre Lane, is both a Spanish restaurant and tapas bar. Downstairs think restaurant, upstairs think tapas at the bar. So, I quite often pop in for a catch-up where it’s just a few beers and a couple of dishes, rather than a full-blown meal. You don’t have to be Spanish to run a proper Spanish tapas bar, but I am guessing it helps. So alongside ice-cold Estrella (and some kind of live flamenco coming from downstairs) take your pick from classic small plates and larger almost main course dishes. The “tradicional” classics are all there, patatas bravas, cheesy croquetas, tortilla, chorizo, meatballs, calamari, Padron peppers. But our favourites were pincho de solomillo, beef tenderloin, foie (liver) and Pedro Jimenez (dark, dessert sherry) – super rich, super tender on toasted bread, as well as presa Ibérica, Iberian pork shoulder with roasted peppers marinated in, garlic and cumin “pont neuf” chips and goat’s cheese. There is some deft cooking coming out of this kitchen. And I am (cue pun) a sucker for octopus, so it’s a given I’m trying pulpo a la Gallega, octopus with paprika on bed of potatoes, while dipping into pals’ red tuna carpaccio with almond soy and tomato tartare. Or just grab one of their many varieties of sherry and get acquainted with Boqueria’s cured meats and cheeses, particularly their jamón Ibérico puro bellota. These dishes were culled from a couple of visits and much like how dim sum works. It’s such a flexible proposition, quick sherry and a snack, a few beers or wines and something chunkier or, if you insist, loads of everything. I am not remotely Iberian but I feel I’m probably doing it right when it’s a pop in rather than a full frontal blow out.
192 Acre Lane, SW2 5UL | 020 7733 4408 | boqueriatapas.com | @BoqueriaTapas
Greek pitas and plates made from scratch. Now open at 441 Coldharbour Lane SW9 8LN. Follow us
@mikosgyros
18 FOOD & DRINK brixtonblog.com REVIEW: MAMMA DOUGH
DIY COCKTAIL
Mum’s the word
Abby’s rhubarb refresher
Nick Buglione reboards the sourdough express Simplicity is often overlooked in our modern dining mish-mash of complex processes, over-thought concepts and the Kafka-esque maze of contemporary diets. Not so much in the world of pizza. Not so much at Mamma Dough. Once a pub I never set foot in, on the evolving parade along Coldharbour Lane, Mamma Dough have kept things simple. Stripped back open plan room, energetic chatter of Italian from energetic chefs, spinning dough clustered round the oven. And a menu that fuses offbeat topping combos with traditional “Neapolitan” technique and methodology. This evening we were en-route to Brixton’s bestkept-secret boutique cinematheque – Whirled, to see Sky and Ground, a remarkable documentary following a Syrian refugee family attempting to cross most of a (hostile) Europe. See it. I am, of course, reminded that my daily struggles revolve around overcrowded tubes, work deadlines and whether to start with the rosemary bread. Which we do. Mamma has a concise, totally navigable menu and an interesting daily
specials board. The de rigeur departures from classic traditional toppings complement rather than frustrate – tradition is the bedrock of the more esoteric combos. I had the not so quirkily titled “Cured Meat”, Napoli and Calabrese salami, parma ham and chilli (they also do a good sharing meat plate as a starter). Laurent chose the “Mischievous” from the specials board – ham, artichokes, mushroom and olives (which isn’t particularly mischievous? more reassuringly
classic) and Connie had the (big) salad, mixed leaves, feta, sundried tomatoes, walnuts, olives and crusty homemade bread. Brixton lagers, craft ales, homemade ginger ale and wine by the glass to lubricate. The sourdough base is pretty
much why this may be the best pizza in Brixton? Blistered, on the edge of charred, cosy and engagingly chewy underneath. Ditto the rosemary bread and there is zero skimping on toppings. In the relatively objectionable, tainted world of “fast food”, pizza is food – that’s fast.
Those earth’s core hot ovens sort you out in minutes. Classic child #1 couples (“Oh look, he’s eating pizza, lets record every moment”), 20-somethings catching up (with phones), afterworkers and people on their way to a documentary on refugees.
Pizzas kick off at £6.50 through to £12 so even a pre-payday wallet won’t be terminally damaged. It’s a friendly drop-in, isn’t trying to be vogue and we got to pitch-up (fairly early) grab a table without queuing. Done and dusted, fed and watered in an hour. The sourdough express keeps rolling, with stops at Franca Manca, Agile Rabbit, 400 Rabbits (down the road in West Norwood) et al. As it stands right here right now, this is currently this traveller’s favourite station. But the journey continues. I am not fetishist on sourdough, but Mamma Dough is good pizza with just about the right amount of improvisation. For any South London flatearthers who think Brixton stops at the Village, it’s worth extending down Coldharbour Lane. And it’s on the way to my favourite cinema, who pay their staff a living wage.
354 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8QH | 020 70951491 | mammadough.co.uk | @mamma_dough
2019 JULY
Resident booze expert Abby Jones unveils her fave summer cocktail The rhubarb season is short and sour. Enjoy the last of it with this cocktail; easy to make, very pretty and goes down a storm at the BBQ. Start off by making some rhubarb syrup which can keep in the fridge for a few weeks and can also be used on top of cakes or desserts.
INGREDIENTS
NN 30 ml white rum NN 2/3 sticks of rhubarb NN 200g sugar NN Pinch of cinnamon NN Pinch of nutmeg NN Drop of vanilla essence NN Lime NN Mint leaves NN Soda water
METHOD
¡¡ Make the syrup by simmering the rhubarb, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla for 15 mins, then strain and let cool ¡¡ Add mint leaves, lime juice and a grating of lime zest to a highball glass and muddle (bash about a bit) ¡¡ Add ice, rum and 60ml of your rhubarb syrup ¡¡ Dash of soda water (to taste) ¡¡ Stir and garnish with mint leaf, lime wedge or stick of rhubarb
DE-PIMP IT?
If you are going “virgin”, replace the rum with sparkling water.
20 WHAT’S ON brixtonblog.com
2019 JULY
WHAT’S ON Jamila Omar rounds up a selection of gigs and more in Brixton and nearby FRI 14 @ PRINCE OF WALES
Back by popular demand, Concrete Music‘s 90s party returns to POW for a summer edition. DJs will play the best in NINETIES HIP-HOP, old skool dance, house, UK garage and R&B with a special guest appearance from none other than Kevin & Perry. 8pm3am. From £8.
SAT 15 @ HOOTANANNY
SUN 23 @ PRINCE OF WALES
TUE 2 @ PRINCE REGENT
MON 8 @ EFFRA SOCIAL
Thank U Next returns for a very special summer ROOFTOP PARTY. Join them for a magical day full of girl power anthems, sunshine and pop sing-along tunes. Expect anything from Ariana Grande to Beyoncé and beyond. 3pm-11pm. Free.
The long-running Prince Regent PUB QUIZ starts at 8pm sharp, each and every Tuesday. Big cash prizes, free drinks questions and a rollover jackpot question that grows each week. Come down early because it’s first come, first served and tables get filled quickly. 6-10pm.
TUE 9 @ TRINITY ARMS
MON 24 @ ELM PARK TAVERN
Stranger Than Paradise presents BALKAN GYPSY, swing and Latin band Los Kamer (Mexico), as well as foot stomping altcountry Gypsy circus band Blackberry Wood (Canada), along with Dana Immanuel and the Stolen Band, an all-female assault on the senses. 9pm-3am. Free before 10pm, £7 after.
Hosted by everyone’s favourite bartender, Josh, this PUB QUIZ gives you a chance to use your brain and all of its randomly stored snippets of info to win loads of great prizes such as a bottle of wine, free drinks rounds and, of course, the mega cash pot. Book a table through hello@elmparktavern.co.uk. 8pm start, £2 per person.
SUN 16 @ BRIXTON LIBRARY
TUE 25 @ POP BRIXTON
Travel back through time to WHEN BRIXTON WAS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE with the Brixton Society’s Rush Common and Effra Farm walk. Meet at Brixton library at 2.30pm for the 90-minute or so foray into the past. Free, but donations welcome.
MON 17 @ CHIP SHOP BRIXTON
DJs select a mix of classic funk, disco and soul, epic hip hop cuts and rare picks all ON VINYL, mostly 45s. Hosting the night is Misbehaviour. After cutting her teeth on the London scene, she moved to Brooklyn so is influenced by life on both sides of the pond. Each week there will be a top special guest, so come along, join the community and celebrate the art of the DJ. 7pm-midnight. Free.
TUE 18 @ THE JUNCTION
With an accomplished house band featuring bar manager Luke Fowler getting dextrous on the DOUBLE BASS, expect some top-notch musicianship at this affordable, independent boozer. 7.30-11pm. Free.
WED 19 @ THE WINDMILL
Each and every Tuesday drop in for a LIFE DRAWING session with illustrator and drawing tutor Rana Fadavi. Expect an inspiring venue, great models and professional, friendly tuition. With poses from one minute to one hour there is something for everyone and all abilities are welcome. Buy materials in the class or bring your own. 7-9pm. £10.
Born on Road present live PAs from Inja, an exceptional artist whose work spans a huge variety of genres including hip hop, grime, DRUM AND BASS and freestyle poetry, plus Gardna, known for his sharp, good time lyrics with an infectious, melodic flow. Other guests include Kelvin 373, Selecta J Man, AC 13 and Chiminyo. 9pm-3am. Free before 10pm, £5 after.
SAT 22 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON
We Party, London’s hottest new super-brand, brings a whole lotta of joy, glitz and glam to proceedings at their PRIDE SPECIAL. 10pm6am. From £10.
Day two of the London Salsa Festival features Alexander Abreu and Havana D’Primera for an outstanding feast of SALSA dancing, amazing music and masterclasses. 9pm-3am. £30.
SUN 7 @ THE WINDMILL
Each week Better Fridays run THERAPEUTIC GARDENING afternoons, where you can enjoy a spot of gentle gardening with support from qualified psychotherapist Cathy. Bring your own lunch. Tea and biscuits provided. 1pm4pm. Free.
SAT 13 @ HOOTANANNY
Movimientos return for a night of powerful AFRO LATIN sounds. Fresh off the back of their latest album release, Bongo Hop take you on a transatlantic journey through the Afro-Caribbean diaspora, alongside Imperio Bamba, the London-based group whose Latin American roots are championed through their psychedelic cumbia sounds. 9pm-3am. Free before 10pm, £8 on door.
SUN 14 @ BLUES KITCHEN
Come nurse your souls with the Sunday ritual of BBQ and booze. Wind down the weekend as James Riley provides the soundtrack with a mixture of soothing BLUES AND COUNTRY. 8pm-midnight. Free.
Pop over to Peckham where Main Squeeze return for another dope baked session of BOOM BAP BEATS. Joining resident BobaFatt this month are two incredible selectors, #JustCallMeTeddy & Chris P Cuts. 11pm-5am. £5-£10.
MON 15 @ POP BRIXTON
Each Monday, Neville from Wu Style TAI CHI CHUAN holds a free community class in Brixton. This traditional Chinese martial art has many potential health benefits including improved posture and balance, circulation, flexibility, core strength, joint mobility, focus and concentration. Open to all and suitable for all ages and abilities. 12.30-1.30pm. Free.
Reggae on the terrace by day, jungle on a MLA compact system by night … Original Junglist CONGO NATTY and very special guests are taking over Brixton Jamm for a reggae and jungle special. This is an unmissable session for those who love dub, reggae, roots and jungle sounds alongside some of the finest Caribbean street food, cocktails and more. 4pm-4am. £8-£15. More OTD.
TUE 16 @ PORTICO GALLERY
Head over to West Norwood for an open level dynamic flow YOGA session, held each Tuesday. 10am-11.30am. £10.
WED 17 @ THE WINDMILL
SUN 30 @ O2 BRIXTON ACADEMY French HEAVY METAL band Gojira headline Brixton Academy. With support from Rolo Tomassi and Black Peaks. 7pm. £35.
Hank Dog’s wonderful Monday night JAM SESSION takes place in this traditional, old school Irish pub in Camberwell, with sensible bar prices to boot. Musicians assemble by the sofa near the front of the pub in a welcoming and laid-back atmosphere. Highly recommended. 8.30pm-1am. Free.
THUR 11 @ WHIRLED CINEMA
FRI 12 @ BROCKWELL GREENHOUSES
SAT 6 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON
MON 1 @ OLD DISPENSARY
Herne Hill’s Off The Cuff Bar presents a night of LIVE MUSIC from local singers and songwriters each and every Wednesday. Well worth a look. 8pm. Free.
FRI 5 @ PHONOX
Join AGT’s TechClub, where their Mac specialist shows tips and tricks on how to get the best from your Mac at a MAC MASTERCLASS. Learn about data management, shortcuts, apps and utilities or Mac customisation. Vegan / vegetarian buffet and drinks included. 6.30 – 9.30pm. £20.
SAT 29 @ BRIXTON JAMM
WED 10 @ OFF THE CUFF
This long-running JAZZ JAM SESSION is still going strong at this much-loved Brixton boozer after many years. 9pm-midnight. Free.
THUR 4 @ EFFRA HALL TAVERN
THUR 27 @ BRIXTON POUND CAFE
THUR 20 @ MARKET HOUSE
Test your knowledge to win a £25 bar tab at this weekly PUB QUIZ, held every Tuesday. 8-10pm. Free.
The next monthly instalment of Sidestreet Cinema, Brixton’s hip and funky FILM CLUB. See the best new and exclusive mainstream/ indie black films accompanied by fantastic short films twice per day on one Thursday, Friday and Sunday each month. £10.
Brixton Library is hosting CRAFT WEDNESDAYS. Free sessions will include sewing, embroidery, beading, macrame and many more. Explore and learn crafts old and new. All welcome. 1.30-3.30pm. Free.
WED 26 @ BRIXTON LIBRARY
FRI 28 @ BUSSEY BUILDING
FRI 21 @ HOOTANANNY
Musicians from all over London play a mixture of genres on stage at WICKED WEDNESDAY JAM. Join Aurora Dawn Aka (Alabama 3), Laura Ibanez (Brixton Gypsy Jam) and James Lawrence (Ronnie Scott’s Ruby Sings Jam) in this weekly event calling all musicians, singers, MCs, the local musical community and beyond. 10pm-3am. £3.
Two of London’s most forward-thinking and distinctive imprints go head to head. Night Slugs, one of the UK UNDERGROUND’S most influential and iconic powerhouses, are joined by Bok Bok and Girl Unit plus London favourite, A.G. Butterz morphed from a grime blog, into a radio show and then a fully formed grime, garage and UK bass imprint. 9.30-4am. £5 adv, more OTD.
An exciting return to the Windmill for Mohit, who create soundscapes with a wash of guitar, silk bass and towering drums, with vocal harmonies intertwining together, weaving in and out of earshot. This is ART ROCK at its most expressive. Support comes from Platypus Complex, an all-female outfit of psychedelic explorers. 8pm. £3.
South London stand up ’cos the GROOVE is back! The BEspoke crew (Chidi Ubani & Chima Anya) bring you a night of Motown, hip-hop, soul, electronic, funk, disco and RnB to get you grooving and moving. 9pm3am. Free.
WED 3 @ QUEENS HEAD
Comedy improvisation show Duck Duck Goose host their IMPROV JAM plus guests in the Effra Social’s Churchill Lounge every Monday. You can watch or join in! 7.30pm. Free.
All musicians and all styles are welcome to The No Frills FOLK CLUB. Expect Irish, Welsh, English and Scottish, American old time, bluegrass and western swing, French, Yiddish, East European, Scandinavian, Greek, Turkish, Balkan and more. Swap styles, share tunes and learn stuff. 7pm. Free.
Seattle band Massy Ferguson headline this ALT COUNTRY special at the Windmill. Expect a glorious mix of bar band twang with raw, guitar-driven bang. Support comes from Peter Bruntnell, with his canon of classically constructed, melodically rich, lyrically ingenious and emotionally affecting songs. 8pm. £8.
THUR 18 @ MARKET ROW
Crafty Fox NIGHT MARKET – one of a series on the third Thursday of the month with 30plus traders selling art, jewellery and more. 6pm to 10pm.
JULY 2019 brixtonblog.com WHAT’S ON 21
WHAT’S ON Still from Hero
FESTIVAL CELEBRATES IDENTITY, CREATIVITY AND COMMUNITY
Camberwell Arts Festival is back for its 25th year of showcasing the best of South London’s diverse arts scene. Running from 15 to 23 June, this year’s programme, The Art of the Party, features workshops, an arts market, commissioned installations, outdoor galleries, artists’ open studios and a fringe festival. It will be launched with a free communal banquet on Camberwell Green from 12 to 4pm on Saturday 15 June. AA For more information visit www.camberwellarts.org.uk
Gigs at the greenhouses Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses have a programme of Gigs at the Greenhouses. We list below the next ones up and you can see ones for the remainder of the season at brockwellgreenhouses.org.uk. Sunday 16 June 6 to 9pm
TSVEY KIPPERIM, a breakaway duo from the larger Don Kipper, is clarinetist Daniel Gouly and accordionist Josh Middleton who play Jewish klezmer music. An intimate and lovely interplay between two great friends and musicians.
Sunday 30 June 6 to 9pm BALLADESTE, a collaboration between Preetha Narayanan (violin) and Tara Franks (cello), explores the
versatility and potential of two string instruments alone. With traces of contemporary minimalism, Indian classical and folk, this is vibrant, experimental and melodic.
Sunday 7 July 6 to 9pm NU-PHONIC, a new London jazz quartet led by saxophonist Roger Humbles with Julie Walkington on acoustic bass, Christian Prior on piano and Matt Skeaping on drums, will showcase Roger’s original compositions.
AA Tickets: brockwellgreenhouses.org.uk
Windrush Day to see screening of Hero film A Brixton cinema will host a public screening of the movie Hero on 22 June, Windrush Day, writes Lucy Williams. Based on the extraordinary life of Trinidadian war veteran Ulric Cross, it will be released nationwide in July. At its debut screening at the BFI Southbank, producer Tony Fairweather said the Ulric Cross story “hit me on so many levels. Here was a humble man who made a difference in the world. A lost
Medicinal plants in Brockwell Park Melinda McDougall, a qualified local medical herbalist, is to run a workshop in Brockwell Park in collaboration with the Community Greenhouses. She will explain how to use plants found in the
park including comfrey, cleavers, hawthorn, elder, dandelion, ginkgo, plantain, nettle, lady’s mantle and yarrow. Folklore, recent scientific discoveries and how to use plants safely will be covered in the session
on 13 July from 10am to 12.30pm. It will end with a herbal infusion at the greenhouses. Limited spaces are available. Not suitable for young children or dogs. AA Details and tickets at http://bit.ly/BCG-medicinals
Deep feelings Me & My Whale is a mix of experimental music, sound installation and contemporary theatre, created by sound artist Xavier Velastin and writer-performer Hannah Mook (above). Using an absurdist blend
of techniques from sound art, contemporary theatre and new music, and the story of a misanthropic submarine captain who falls in love with a whale, this piece calls out the damaging way we appropriate the sounds of
the ocean. The show is for one night only on 22 June at 7.30pm in the Vaults, Leake Street, Waterloo, SE1 7NN. Tickets £6/£4 concessions. AA www.thevaults.london/ me-and-my-whale
piece of Caribbean history that all nations need to see.” Hero, directed by Frances-Anne Solomon, has a cast of celebrated British actors including Joseph Marcell (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) and Jimmy Akingbola (Holby City). Its screenings will be in conjunction with community partners such as Brixton’s Black Cultural Archives (BCA) whose director Arike Oke said: “For me, it’s a story
about becoming who you are, not who society says you are, and about understanding how each individual can influence the course of history and society. “It’s an important story for all generations and one that BCA wants to uncover and celebrate.” The first public showing is at the Ritzy. There will be showings at West Norwood Picturehouse on 23 June and Peckham Plex on 27 June.
Rapport Festival back in Brixton Rapport Festival – the arts festival celebrating the African diaspora – returns to Brixton for a third year from 28 to 30 June. Streets, theatres, cinemas and arts venues of Brixton will be the stage for the unique festival that provides a voice and platform to a group still on the margins of the British arts establishment – the African diaspora. The Rapport Festival highlights the arts created by Black Britons, urban music, for example, but also their contribution to cinema, photography, art, theatre and dance. AA For more information visit rapportfestival.com AA Rapport at Whirled Cinema – page 22
CLEAN AIR PARTY
Clean air campaigners Mums for Lungs will welcome guests to a Clean Air Day street party on Sunday 23 June from 11am to 1pm at Hurst Street opposite Brockwell Lido. Bring a picnic, or just drop by to enjoy music, games and a pollution quiz.
22 WHAT’S ON brixtonblog.com
Kush Films come to Brixton Kush Films, that has been showcasing the work of Black film-makers for more than 20 years, has launched #SidestreetCinema, a new venture with Brixton’s Whirled Cinema. It will screen documentary, feature and short films that explore and depict Black cultural experience across the globe. Screenings will be monthly on Thursdays (7.15pm & 9.30pm), and Fridays (7.30pm & 10.00pm plus late night screenings) and Sunday evenings at 8.30pm. Programmes will include music and, occasionally, panel discussions and themed events. Marlon Palmer, the man behind Kush Films, wants to enable the community “to feel this is the best place to see new, old and classic Black films with a great selection of accompanying short films .” Admission is £10. For full programme and booking details visit whirledcinema. com or call 020 3070 3200.
Rapport Festival Whirled will host screenings the third annual Rapport Festival. See listings, right.
2019 JULY
What’s on at Whirled Duke Vin and The Birth Of Ska Friday 14 June | 7.30pm A Windrush reggae-reggae film special with a double-bill event featuring two great films about the history of reggae and sound systems in the UK. £10 (Whirled members: £8.50 only – pay on door) PLUS The Story of Lovers Rock 11.00pm Much-loved documentary film full of classic Lovers Rock tunes retelling the story of the birth of the Black British reggae genre and the children of the Windrush Generation who created it. Featuring: Carol Thompson, Janet Kaye, Victor Romeo Evans, Peter Hunningale, Sandra Cross, Dennis Bovell, Angie Lemar, Kojo, Eddie Kaddi, Donna Spence, Mr C, Eddie Nestor, Robbie G and many others. Double-Bill price: £17 (Whirled members only: £15 pay on door) Bookings: www.jus-tickets.com/events/ sidestreetcinema-WindrushReggae Sunday 16 June | 8.30pm Kush Films invitational international short films programme: stories of migration and identity. Ahead of Refugee Week and Windrush Day Kush Films will screen international shorts with a theme of migration and identity, followed by an audience discussion with Windrush spokesman and activist Patrick Vernon OBE and guest international filmmakers like Emiel Marten (Dutch producer of Gifts From Gambia) and others.
The Story of Lovers Rock and relays the true story of the best-selling celebrity biographer.
Films: Gifts from Babylon (Gambia/Netherland /24 mins ) The Dead Sea (UK / Libya / 15 mins) Brixton Rock (UK / 13 mins) Showtime (US / 16 mins) Melody (UK / 23 mins) Stories of Friendship (UK / 5 mins) Admission: £5 (plus 50p booking fee) Bookings: https://jus-tickets.com/events/ sidestreetcinema-Windrush
Green Book Monday 24 – Wednesday 26 June | 8pm Sunday 30 June | 6pm Set in America in 1962, Peter Farrelly’s Green Book tells the true story of Tony Lip, a working-class Italian-American bouncer who takes on a job as a chauffeur for Dr. Don Shirley, a highly educated AfricanAmerican classical pianist.
Can You Ever Forgive Me Monday 17 – Wednesday 19 June | 8pm Sunday 23 June | 6pm Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) made her living in the 1970s and 80s profiling the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estee Lauder and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. When Lee is no longer able to get published because she has fallen out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Richard E. Grant). Marielle Heller’s film is an adaptation of the memoir Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Rapport Festival Random Shorts Friday 28 June | 8pm A selection of short films focussed on stories about and relating to the African diaspora in the UK and internationally. Tickets and details: https://rapportfestival. com/movies-28-june-2019 African Brazilian Films Saturday 29 June | 12.30 – 3.30 pm Two Brazilian short films by filmmaker Renato Candido de Lima: In Simone: Stories at a Transfer Station
Simone makes a date with her boyfriend at a station and waits for him for long and harrowing hours. Viewers enter Simone’s imagination, where her boyfriend and other male figures appear as stereotypes in Brazilian history, social memory and her life. Simone exorcises her anguish and finds herself in dignity as a Black woman. In Dara: The First Time I Went to the Sky, a 10-year-old Black girl from the rural area of Bahia in the 1960s is about to move to São Paulo, Dara wants to set up a swing in a cashew tree where she lives with her grandparents and little brother. But her parents are already in São Paulo and it’s time for her to leave. Sunday June 30 The final day of Rapport Festival screenings is focussed on love – of family, origins/heritage, ancestry and self – wjth a mixed bill of fictional and documentary films: The Right Choice (UK) – Dir. Vijay Varman Part Of Me (USA) – Dir. Marcellus Cox Onye Nmefie – The Trespasser (UK) – Dir. William Alexander Boyd Duality (USA) – Dir. Jana Mosquera Love Letter (USA) – Dir. Lauren Smith Caterpillar Butterfly (UK) – Dir. Nairobi Thompson Searching For Wonder (USA) – Dir. Greg Osei Kwabena (USA) – Dir. Déwun Owusu Lugha Ya Mama (UK) – Dir. Mary Nyambura Girls Like Me : A Self/Love Story (USA) – Dir. Aisha Raison Council In Me (UK) – Dir. Wale Shittu Sankofa (USA) – Dir. Princess Garrett
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JULY 2019
Hill Mead HERALD Acting is so exciting Year 3 took part in a workshop on the flowers, plants and herbs that Shakespeare mentions in his plays. It ended with a performance in the Metropolitan Housing Nature Garden allotments in the nearby Moorlands Estate. Workshop leader and actor Rebecca Mays, who is also a florist, incorporated quotes from Shakespeare’s most famous plays, including Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet.
Shakespeare’s plays about love and remembrance. We learnt lines for our performances. Mine (Zahra) was: “This is rosemary and this is for remembrance”. Mine (Zane) was: “But I see, while idly I stood looking on, I found the effect of love and idleness”. We performed in front of Year 1. I loved acting and learning more about Shakespeare. Acting is so exciting.
Julio and Zephyr (The audience, Year 1)
Zahra and Kane (The players, Year 3) We started with some warm-ups. I enjoyed them because we did funny things like making noises pretending to be chewing bubble
gum and shaking our arms and legs to get ready. We even did a Mexican wave. Then we started to find out about
Year 3 were holding rosemary and other plants and flowers and saying words from Shakespeare. They all said: “This is rosemary for remembrance”. I liked to listen to the interesting words and it was strange they did it in the allotment. Year 1 visited the allotments to garden at the school plot there. Rebecca Mays, who grows and sources the plants and flowers, divided the children into small groups and each had a plant and lines to work on. She was delighted with the workshop. “The children picked up the ideas and language incredibly quickly,” she said.
Creating our own paradise By Jason and Hafsa, Year 6 We went to Dulwich Picture Gallery recently to look at famous paintings that are now worth millions of pounds, and to create our own pieces of art. The Dulwich picture gallery opened in 1817 and is the oldest public gallery in England. It has over 600 paintings collected in Europe. Unlike other galleries that I have been to, this one does not have many modern artists like Matisse or Picasso, but does have older artists like Rembrandt, a very famous painter. Art galleries are very important to everyone. Without galleries, people interested in art would not be able to explore the history behind art. (And certainly would not have been able to buy the artworks!) For our inspiration we studied Aelbert Jacobsz Cuyp (known as Aelbert Cuyp) who was one of the famous painters of the 16th century. He came from a small town in the Netherlands. His most famous painting, Herdsman with Cows, is a simple painting of cows and we were asked to describe what we saw in the painting. Some of Year 6 said, “dull, calm or tranquil”. One person said, “cow”, which others giggled at. But
our workshop leader said :“You are right. It is about cows! Cuyp wanted us to look at the cows.” Cuyp’s artwork had mountains, which was strange, because the
Netherlands is flat! He painted mountains because this was his dream landscape. Our task was to create our own paradise. In the art studio, we had objects from nature: pine cones, leaves, flowers, shells and stones, to help us to create our own paradise. Our workshop leader described different landscapes – some hot and some cold – while our eyes were closed to help us imagine. Her main advice was to fill the page so the sky was meeting the land. I (Hafsa) drew the sun setting on an exquisite beach … my paradise. Mine (Jason) was a sea of stars at night on a beach. I imagined I was lying there looking up to the stars.
Writing, acting and expressing ourselves By Amy and Kermarley, Year 6 Polarbear (aka Steven Camden) is a storyteller who is working with a group of us in Years 5 and 6. We went to see him at the Unicorn Theatre last year for a performance of his one-person work Mouth Open, Story Jump Out. We are creating a story with Polarbear using all our own ideas. It is growing into a mystery. Polarbear is fun to work with. He jokes around and uses funny voices. We have been able to express ourselves in ways that we have not done before, mixing the writing and acting. Below are some extracts from our writing. The Mystery of S town by Ally Eyvode (aka Amy) Shhh … am I alone? OK, good – has anyone heard of S town? No. Oh, you haven’t heard about the mystery then? So let me tell you about it. The most beautiful town in the world was S town, it smells like fun, like candyfloss. Carefully picking sugary, edible fluff and dropping it into your wide-open mouth. That is what S town smells of! The Mystery of S Town by Jake aka Kermarley But there is a dark side, called Area 51 – Area 51 is not a happy place,
hidden in the blackest corner of the forest The building is gigantic but mostly underground. General Danger runs it, Warning: do not mess with General Danger, he is a trained, skilled warrior who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. We interviewed Polarbear for the Hill Mead Herald: Q: What advice would you give us as writers and actors?
A: Take things from your own life and play with them, exaggerate, but make it matter and feel real. Q: How did you start and at what age? A: I started making up stories in primary school but didn’t start writing until my 20s Q: Who inspired you A: My nan, she used to make up stories Q: What have you enjoyed about working with us so far A: Making up stories with other people is so amazing.
Dulwich move up Surrey league table
BRIXTON
Bugle SPORT BMX riders from 6 to 50-plus in action
Brixton BMX riders have had to deal with both dry and threatened wet conditions in recent meetings in Peckham and Merton. The London Series BMX event at the Merton Saints’ track saw Brixton riders take on teams from all the London clubs including Merton, Peckham, Hackney and Hayes, as well as riders from Surrey and Kent. Brixton had 27 riders competing in expert and novice classes from the age of six to over 50 and dominated in many categories as storm clouds lurked on the horizon, but stayed away. In the six and under boys’ novice races, Milo Enweani, Anton Weijburg and Hugo Wynne raced for Brixton, with Enweani and Weijburg crossing the line in second and first respectively in their final. Brixton’s Isla Radcliffe dominated the 9-10 year old girls expert racing all day, claiming a deserved first in her final. In the 13-14 year old boys expert category, with Tien Albert, Kieran Beneochrist, Joel Peck, Alex Taylor and Ezra Thompson were all racing for Brixton. In the A final, Taylor took second with Peck third, Beneochrist in seventh and Albert in eighth, while Thompson came first in the B final. In the 17-29 year old men’s experts, Jaden Higgins was one of the youngest riders on the track but still achieved sixth in his final. In the 17+ men’s cruiser category, John Peck and David Radcliffe achieved fourth and fifth respectively in their final, despite being somewhat older (at 50+) than some of their competitors.
UK players celebrate an early win
Brixton Immortals greet visiting US domino team Brixton was the first port of call for a United States domino team on their recent visit to Britain to play an international series with Britain. The Brixton Immortals domino team, based at their club on Coldharbour Lane, are current UK champions after an unbeaten run last year. They hosted a welcome ceremony and warm-up games. The series was organised by Jermaine Wright, a member of the Immortals, who also supplied several members for the UK team, which was captained by Clapham Eagles’ Marva Grossett. It had elements of a grudge match. Against their expectations, the US team lost to the UK during a five-way international tournament last year and they were looking for revenge.
Brixton riders Ezra Thompson and Tiegan Hastings (first and second from left) and Kieran Beneochrist and Tien Albert (fifth and sixth from left) were fast out of the gate at the Burgess Park track
Time for US celebrations Unfortunately, that was what they got in a four-match series with two played in Crystal Palace and others in Peckham and Wolverhampton. The UK team, sponsored by the Jamaica-based Victoria Mutual Building Society, got off to a good start but were overhauled. This will not be the last match between the two sides as more
internationals are planned. Brixton’s Immortals, though, remain unbeaten in the AngloCaribbean Domino League. Any players who would like to try their luck against an Immortal will have the chance on Windrush Day, 22 June. When they will be playing outside the Black Cultural Archives on Windrush Square. The club is also planning to raise the UK profile of a game that has been a way of life in the Caribbean. Playing is certainly good for the brain, concentration and maths skills. And, if darts, for instance, is a recognised and televised sport, why not dominos? ask members. Anyone who has watched the Brixton Immortals play will know that it is a tense, noisy and thrilling sport.
Members of the US team pose for a picture with captain Kay Gordon on the left
Dulwich Cricket Club were fifth equal in their new league after two successive victories as the Bugle went to press and were and about to take on Stoke d’Abernon, also fifth. It will be the first-ever Surrey Championship match between the two sides. In their previous match against Sanderstead in division 2 of the AJ Fordham championship, Dulwich had their opponents at 24 for 3 in the ninth over after inviting them to bat after winning the toss. In mid-innings Elliot Miles and Salaar Waqar reduced Sanderstead to just 12 runs off 10 overs for three wickets. They were all out for 134 off 52 overs with the wickets shared between five bowlers. Dulwich, replying, lost three wickets in the first 12 overs but were helped by a succession of byes and eased to victory with 12 overs to spare. In their previous match Dulwich beat league leaders Dorking by six wickets after a fine allround performance. Dorking chose to bat, but could not score until the 28th ball of their innings. Opener Bradley Erasmus dominated the innings with 83 off 123 balls, the second highest score was 17. The team was all out for 159 in the 47th over. Six Dulwich bowlers got at least one wicket, but none more than two. Keeper Will Bancroft celebrated his recall to the first team with three catches and a stumping. Their rival’s counterpart, Toby Blood, was less lucky, having to retire injured. Dulwich reached their target off the last ball of the 39th over.
South Region series In Round 6 of the South Region BMX series at Peckham’s Burgess Park Brixton riders met others from London and nearby as well as Bournemouth and Knightwood near Southampton. Riders had to contend with dusty conditions – although the track team sprayed water to minimise the problem – and strong winds. Fourteen Brixton riders took part and had a strong showing in the 13-year-old boy’s expert category with Tiegan Hastings, Kieran Beneochrist, Tien Albert and Ezra Thompson coming first, third, sixth and seventh in their B final. In the veteran men category, Jason Lewis came eighth in his final and second in the 40-50+ men’s cruisers A final. Jon Peck and Mike Woof came first and fourth respectively in the C final.
Herne Hill Velodrome hosts fundraising weekend By Fabian Daniel Friends of Herne Hill Velodrome are hosting a “Big Velofete” fundraising event on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 June to help keep the venue open. It starts on Friday at 7.30pm in the Exodus Travels Pavilion with a talk by renowned cyclists David Millar and Ned Boulting, president of the Herne Hill club. Former competitive cyclist Dr
Marlon Moncrieffe, a senior lecture at the University of Brighton will talk about his research “Made in Britain – uncovering the life stories of Black-British champions in cycling”. It looks at the stories of seven Black cyclists and why they are under-represented at the top levels of track and road cycling Village Books is sponsoring talks by a range of speakers in the cycling industry. Visitors will be able to buy and exchange new and
used books at the event. “Have a go” events over the weekend range from strider balance and frog pedal courses to mountain bike sessions and a keirin event in which cyclists start behind a motorised pacer. A road race for over-40s starts at 8am on Saturday morning. Track lessons for young people will run all day. Disability charity Wheels for Wellbeing will provide modified
bikes for test rides. There will also be live music during the weekend, with local school orchestras and bands playing hip hop to opera, as well as a DJ set and an open mic on Sunday after 6pm. Condor, Pro Cycling Trumps, Elite Cycling, Volcano Coffee, Canopy Beer and the London Cycling Campaign will have stalls. AA Velodrome: 104 Burbage Road, SE24 9HE