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BRIXTON BUGLE YOUR FREE
No 53 | MAY 2017
Published monthly in and for Brixton
ISSN 2397-852X
COMMUNITY PAPER
Huge rise in demand for emergency foodbank supplies
A STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE Local people received emergency food supplies from the Brixton and Norwood foodbank nearly 8,000 times last year. That is more than 20 for every day of the year and 18% more than the amount supplied in 2015. The foodbank says the increase is due to people struggling with low wages (20%), delays in receiving benefits they are entitled and having no recourse to public funds (19%). While the scale of the problem is shocking, the local response is heartening. Manager Jon Taylor said that over the last year local people donated 61 ‘It is only tonnes of food to the Norwood and with the Brixton Foodbank community’s and more than 200 have volunteered support that to help. we’re able to “Local schools, provide vital businesses and faith groups have emergency provided vital help when it support to the matters most’ foodbank, enabling us to give three days’ nutritionally balanced food and support to people in crisis,”he said. “Foodbank has been a life-saver,” said Hannah, a foodbank client. “I have been in this country for eight years and have had some good jobs in that time. At the moment, I am unemployed. I don’t have access to public funds, so supporting my family is really difficult right now. If foodbank hadn’t been here, I think we would have starved. I am so grateful.” As well as emergency food, the foodbank provides essentials like washing powder, nappies and sanitary products to families ☛☛ continued page 2
OUT TO GRASS
Pedro the Pony is retiring
FIT AND FED
Brixton’s pioneering project
4
24
NOW IN EAST DULWICH…
Living wage campaign expands 5
South African artist Breeze Yoko is painting a series of murals in Brixton with the Watch This Space project. In Blenheim Gardens he created this one based on his Boniswa character which also pays homage to Brixton campaigner Olive Morris. Next in line is the side wall of Costcutter on the corner of Brixton Hill and St Saviours Road. See www.brixtonblog.com/brixton-meet-boniswa
SOUVLAKI TIME
More street food for Brixton
19
2 NEWS
BRIXTON BUGLE brixtonblog.com Proudly edited in Brixton Both website and newspaper are published by a not-for-profit community organisation run by a committed team of people from Brixton » @brixtonblog » brixtonblog.com
ADVERTISING Jenny Shramenko 07811 878394 jenny@brixtonblog.com Circulation 12,000 copies Readership: circa 15,000 EDITOR Linda Quinn linda@brixtonblog.com MANAGING EDITOR Simon Still simon@brixtonblog.com NEWS EDITOR Anna McKie newsdesk@brixtonblog.com ARTS & FEATURES arts@brixtonblog.com FOOD Nick Buglione food@brixtonblog.com SPORT Sandra Brobbey sport@brixtonblog.com ISSUE 53 Contributors: Olivia Cheves Pam Douglas Frankie Holah Nicola Jones Emma Lange Kirsty Lowe Jamila Omar Gemma Pasha Sue Sheehan Simon Still Joe Wallen Sub-editor: Jamila Omar Production: Alan Slingsby Distribution: Philip King Crossword: Josie Gardiner A massive thank you to everybody involved in making this issue, and the Blog & Bugle project, a success If you would like to be a Bugle stockist please email distribution@brixtonblog.com
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Residential development threatens Brixton economy By Alan Slingsby
A major report on Brixton’s economy has warned that officeto-residential development is putting increasing pressure on an already very limited supply of crucial workspace. It calls for better marketing of Brixton and better communication between Lambeth council and the local community. It does not mention the current problems of many Brixton busi nesses caused by Network Rail’s delayed refurbishment of its arches and big business rate rises. Commissioned by the council and 18 months in the making, the Brixton Economic Action Plan says Brixton has less office space available than any of several comparable London “town centre” areas. Shoreditch, The Angel, and Camden have more than 2,000 square metres of office space available, Brixton has only 96. The report says the increasing pressure from office-to-residential conversions – some of which are permitted under planning law – could further limit the supply of office space in the town centre. It says they include proposals to redevelop the Piano House, “an important local employment hub providing flexible space for small businesses”. Lambeth council refused planning permission for such a conversion of the Piano House in August 2013. Last month the council’s cabinet
restricted central government imposed permitted planning rights which allow developers to change office use as they wish. The move, known as an article 4 direction, is designed to protect work space in key parts of the borough and to make sure that housing developments in Lambeth are up to standard, provide affordable homes and are in appropriate areas. The article 4 direction will not stop all office to residential conversions, but it will mean that any application must go through a
proper planning process. The direction covers Brixton town centre and sites in and around Clapham town centre and ten of the borough’s designated key industrial and business areas. It will come into force in September. Since the introduction of the permitted development right in May 2013, Lambeth has received prior approval applications for office to residential conversions that have seen more than 20,000 square metres of office floor space lost. The Economic Action Plan says the lack of affordable and flexible
workspace makes Brixton’s unemployment problems worse. The latest available figures (from June 2014) show 4% of Brixton residents aged 16–64 claiming job seeker’s allowance, compared to the all-Lambeth average of 3.4% and 2.5% across the whole of London. Around 12,900 residents leave the area for work every day, while 8,600 workers travel into Brixton for work, the report says. This represents a labour retention rate of less than 4% – comparatively low compared to other areas. Central London is the main destination for out-commuters. Lambeth council said it wanted the Brixton community to join it to consider how best to take forward the report’s findings and recommendations – “We want to hear your ideas and collaborate to refine the plans and then deliver them.”it said.
IN NUMBERS …
Brixton is home to a diverse community with an estimated population of around 30,000 in the immediate area. Brixton is home to over 11,000 jobs and attracts workers from both surrounding residential areas and beyond. Brixton’s attracts both local residents and people from further afield to its services, amenities and leisure and cultural assets – in 2014 there were nearly 30 million Tube station entries and exits, a figure that has increased significantly in recent years.
2016 DECEMBER
Somerleyton redevelopment moves ahead Redevelopment of Brixton’s Somerleyton Road took two steps forward last month with the appointment of a director to help set up a housing trust and contractors invited to tender to build the new Ovalhouse theatre. Brixton Green, the community organisation that has for nine years campaigned for a new type of development in the area, appointed Mark Slowikowski as transition director for the Somerleyton Trust. The first phase of the scheme, including the new theatre, needs to go ahead now because £3 million of Arts Council funding is time-limited. It will include Carlton Mansions and its Nuclear Dawn mural, which will be preserved. It is hoped that work will start next spring with the Theatre which should complete in autumn 2019. Lambeth council deputy leader Paul McGlone said: “This is an important step in our ambitions for Somerleyton Road. “An assessment of how the council, Brixton Green and the community can achieve the next phase of this scheme is expected to end in the summer. “Procurement for the next phase of the scheme is expected to be launched shortly after that assessment concludes.” Dinah Roake, chair of Brixton Green, said it was pleased the first phase of the Somerleyton Road project was finally moving forward. “Over nine years, we have been working to put Brixton people at the forefront of redeveloping this part of Brixton, making new homes and developing our streets to makes people’s lives better,” she said. ■■ Future of public housing? – page15
A struggle to survive ☛☛ from page 1 who are struggling, as well as signposting them to other services in the local area. Many foodbanks run by the Trussell Trust, including the Norwood and Brixton Foodbank, join up with other agencies to provide additional services such as welfare and debt advice, and provide their own budgeting and cooking courses, helping people to break out of crisis.
Elizabeth Maytom, project lead at the foodbank said: “Anybody could find themselves in need of the foodbank. “Every week people are referred to us after being hit by something unavoidable – such as illness, a delay in a benefit payment or an unexpected bill – meaning food is simply unaffordable. “It really is only with the community’s support that we’re able to provide vital emergency help when it matters most, and we hope that one day there
will be no need for us. But, until that day comes, we will continue to offer the best possible service to help local people facing a crisis. “Thank you so much to everyone who already donates time, food and money to help local people. If you’re not already involved, we’d love to hear from you.” ■■ The foodbank welcomes offers of help. Local businesses, organisations and individuals interested in the foodbank’s work can find out more atnorwoodbrixton.foodbank.org.uk.
Foodbank manager Jon Taylor (right) with volunteers collecting for the foodbank
MAY 2017
NEWS 3
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Lambeth knife and gun crime rises ahead of London average Knife crime in Lambeth has risen twice as much as the London-wide average according to the latest crime figures. A Metropolitan Police report said knife offences saw an increase of 51% in the borough compared to an average of just 24% across the capital. Gun crime in Lambeth rose by 54% in the last year, ahead of the London-wide average of 42%. Solved crime rates in the borough might appear low, with just one in six (22 of 129) gun crimes and one in five (134 of 646) knife crimes reported as solved. But this represents a 22% and 54% increase on the number of crimes solved the previous year. Met assistant commissioner Martin Hewitt, responsible for territorial policing, said: “We are concerned about the rise of gun crime and rise of knife crime offences committed by young people and the changing nature of the offenders.
“Young people carrying knives are doing so for a variety of reasons including status, criminality and self-protection but only around a quarter are affiliated with gangs. “Whilst we continue to focus on reducing stabbings by taking weapons and dangerous offenders off the streets, prevention and diversion from knife crime is key. “There are complex social reasons why more young people are carrying knives and this cannot be solved by the police alone, we must work with communities to help combat knife crime.” Instances of reported rape also saw an increase. In Lambeth there was a 13% increase and the Londonwide average rose to 15%. Of the 323 rapes in Lambeth in the last year, just 41 were solved (one in eight). ■■ Brixton Blog/Bugle has used police statistics to show the incidence of recorded violent crime and sex offences over the past two years within a one-mile radius of Brixton Tube station (right). It shows that these crimes tend to peak in July.
CRIMES OF VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL OFFENCES RECORD BY METROPOLITAN POLICE WITHIN ONE-MILE RADIUS OF BRIXTON TUBE STATION February 2017 January 2017
MONTH
By Kirsty Lowe
279 259
December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015
279 279 292 297 343 368 326 329 280 293 308 276 354 358 336 280 343 388 332 306 250 301 257 275
0 100 200 NUMBER OF CRIMES RECORDED
Source: https://www.police.uk/metropolitan/E05000420/crime/violent-crime/+YRYsnK
300
WHAT’S YOUR BIG IDEA?
This year’s Brixton Design Trail – theme: Love is Power – is calling on all makers, creators, doers, thinkers, funders and supporters to get involved. “We challenge you to dig deep and create bold and passionate ideas that will ignite our theme of love with the same visceral power as a loud protest chant and flaming Molotov cocktail,” say the organisers If you have a great idea for a creative event or project, then BDT organisers want to hear from you. From exhibitions, workshops, open studios, installations, tours to talks, there are lots of ways to get involved. The festival takes place from 16 24 September. BDT, a collaborative creative network that provides a platform for a wealth of home grown talent, says it want this year’s event to be bigger and better, attracting more visitors to Brixton. ■■ Visit www.brixtondesigntrail.com to register your interest.
Week-long celebration will mark installation of Brixton memorial The first memorial of its kind in the UK to specifically honour soldiers from Africa and the Caribbean who served with British and Allied forces in both World Wars will be installed in Brixton in June. The installation will follow a week-long London-wide series of commemoration events – Remembered. The week will start with the launch of Remembered, the book at Brixton Library on 20 June. With a foreword from the Queen, the book is an unprecedented collaboration of historians, military experts, institutions and museums, current and former servicemen and
women, and a host of leading authorities on the African and Caribbean contribution to Britain’s armed forces. A day later there will be a gala evening performance of Remembered – the play at its opening night at the Paul Robeson Theatre in Hounslow, West London on 21 June. Next day, 22 June, unveiling day, is also Windrush Day, named after the ship which carried Caribbean pioneers who settled in Britain after the war – will see the memorial unveiled in Brixton. Created from two obelisks in Scottish whin stone, the memorial (below) stands on a 12-foot pyramidal plinth and
weighs just over five tons in total. It cost £500,000 to deliver. It was part funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government, Lambeth council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and private donations. A single, I Have A Song, recorded by Eric Roberson, multi-nominated Grammy artist and godfather of neo soul, and Britain’s own Jak Beula aka Nubian Jak, is also raising funds and public awareness of the memorial. The recording by Memorial Aid involved artists from the world of grime, reggae, RnB and Afrobeat coming together to record the single for a good
Now and then: Allan Wilmot today and in the Southlanders in the fifties
cause. Beula believes this is the first time all the different genres have collaborated on one recording. The video and single also features former WWII RAF and Royal Navy veteran, Allan Wilmot who also featured on the first post-war million selling single by a Caribbean group in the UK – The Southlanders’ Alone. Beula added: “If I Have a Song enters the pop charts as it is predicted to do, it will create a new world record for Allan Wilmot as the only living artist to have two pop hits seven decades apart.” The Memorial Aid single I Have a Song is available on all download platforms. ■■ For more information contact African and Caribbean War Memorial on 020 7692 4880; www.acmemorial.com; or info@acmemorial.com.
• FAMILY • DIVORCE • NOTARY PUBLIC • PROPERTY • WILLS & PROBATE • CIVIL LITIGATION • MEDIATION 57-61 Atlantic Road, Brixton SW9 8PU Telephone 020 7095 5700 • HOUSING • IMMIGRATION & ASYLUM • EMPLOYMENT • PRISON LAW • CRIME 6A Acre Lane, Brixton SW2 5SG Telephone 020 7737 9330 info@wainwrightcummins.co.uk
4 NEWS
brixtonblog.com
2017 MAY
Local union members protest over sanctions against claimants By Olivia Cheves Local trade union members protested outside Brixton Jobcentre last month against the continued use of sanctions against claimants. The protest, by members of the Lambeth and Southwark branch of Unite Community, began as a stall outside the Jobcentre on Brixton Road. They later joined a larger group protesting in Westminster. The National Day of Action Against Sanctions was part of a campaign by Unite to end benefit sanctions, which have
had increasingly detrimental effects on claimants. Ian Townson, Lambeth and Southwark secretary for Unite Community said there were many examples of people being forced to limit their food intake, or visit food banks because they were sanctioned for turning up five minutes late for an interview, or being at a funeral. “There are even people who have been sanctioned while they were at a job interview,” he said. In January, 78 job centres, including Brixton’s, were
earmarked to be merged with larger ones. The closures will put greater strain on people less able to travel further to access services. The loss of the Brixton Jobcentre would mean that Brixton claimants would have to travel to Stockwell or Kennington. “People who claim benefits, who are disabled or maybe have children to take care of, will have to drag themselves further afield, putting them at greater risk of being sanctioned for being late, and incurring more travel costs,” said Townson. Unite Community holds monthly meetings with London Unemployed Strategies for people affected by sanctions, as well as other benefit difficulties incliding claims, work capability assessments and universal credit. ■■ For more information visit the London Unemployed Strategies website or Unite Community.
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Ebony member Grace Mpunghi with Pedro and his friend Parker the Poodle
Brixton’s pint-sized pony star is retiring to Surrey By Anna McKie Brixton’s hardworking Shet land pony Pedro is retiring to the countryside in Surrey after three years at the children’s charity Ebony Horse Club. During his time in Brixton, the 17-year-old miniature has cultivated quite a following, meeting royalty, Olympians and film stars. In 2015, he finally got the chance to see over his then stable door after children designed him a special “Pedroscope” and raised funds to build it. He has also made an appearance as the guest of honour at a wedding party. But arthritis has begun to set in and the Ebony team decided that it’s time for retirement. Dan Cook, who looks after the eight ponies at the club, said it was a tough decision as “he’s been such an asset to the club and everyone loves having him here, but the welfare of the horses has to take priority”. Pedro is heading to a “wonderful home” in Epsom that will help his condition, Cook said. Ebony Horse Club in Wyck Gardens was founded in 1996 when children were transported by minibus to riding centres around London. In 2011, it was officially opened as a community riding centre in Brixton’s Coldharbour Ward, one of the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the country. The charity gives children who would otherwise have no contact with horses the chance to learn to ride and interact with them. It aims to be a safe haven for young people in the area, mentoring children through a mix of sessions with youth workers, as well as helping them get into colleges and employment using the equestrian skills they develop. Pedro’s petite stature – he
Keeping an eye on Clare Balding and Lauren Laverne is only 33 inches high – has meant he has been perfect for introducing young people to ponies, as well as working with children with disabilities. Pedro was less intimidating than some of the bigger horses, particularly for those who
At a Brixton East wedding
Using the Pedroscope have never come face to face with one before. During his time as ambassador for the club, Pedro has met some notable names including: TV presenter Clare Balding, Team GB show jumping gold medallist Ben Maher, author James Bowen and his famous ginger tom, A Street Cat Named Bob, and radio presenter Lauren Laverne.
In March this year, he met the president of the club, the Duchess of Cornwall, when she visited the centre to mark its 21st anniversary. Balding said she wished Pedro “a very happy retirement after a life lived in the service of others. He has mastered the art of pretending to let children take control while dragging them towards a patch of tasty grass.” Although the diminutive star has been a firm favourite with the young people and staff, it’s his best pal Parker the miniature Poodle that will miss him the most. Owner Holly Lieberson, senior youth worker at the charity, said that at first Parker was very timid and afraid. “Then one day I found him sat next to Pedro in the yard and since then they’ve been inseparable pals.” Member Andrew Smith, 14, said that “Pedro makes me laugh”. “He’s got this funny thing he does with his hoof, when he knows there’s a carrot or something around, he’ll scrape his foot on the ground to get your attention,” added Laura Fee, 16. Another member, Zoe Cardew, 13, who likes plaiting Pedro’s mane and tail, said he is particular when it comes to his mane. “He lets you know when you’re not plaiting it right, which is really sweet.”
MAY 2017
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Syrian Supper Club to host fundraiser for refugees
BRIXTON LEGAL
The Marhabtayn Syrian Supper Club and the Baytree Family are organising another night of delicious Syrian food,
music and culture on 19 May. It will celebrate Syrian hospitality and be an opportunity to learn about UK initiatives to welcome and support Syrian refugees. It will be a “pay as you feel” event. All money raised will go to supporting Syrians in Syria and as refugees. ■■ Brixton Baptist Church, Corrance Road entrance, SW2 5UX. Tickets from Eventbrite.
LEARN A LANGUAGE IN YOUR LUNCH HOUR The Edmundsbury Court Estate tenants and residents association will run lunchtime language courses in its community hall from 8 May. Courses in Arabic, European Portuguese, German, French and Spanish will be tailored to local professionals and unwaged residents who would like to learn a new language – but will be open to all who would like to participate. Each language level will be divided into three 12-week terms designed by native teachers and language professionals. The one-hour classes will run weekly: Arabic and European Portuguese on Mondays from 12.30pm German for beginners on Wednesdays at 12pm and intermediate level at 1pm French and Spanish on Fridays at 12pm for beginners and 1pm for intermediate level. Each course will cost £90 per term for professionals, £30 per term for unwaged residents and a £10 discount is offered to all Lambeth Council employees. ■■ Edmundsbury Community Hall, 171 Ferndale Road, SW9 8FQ.
NEWS 5
Pam Douglas is a solicitor with local firm Wainwright & Cummings. Each month, she takes a common enquiry and asks colleagues to answer it for readers
NEW SIGN TO REPLACE ‘BE OUR GUEST’ Another of Brixton’s iconic sights is set to disappear. Dilapidated and graffiti-besmirched messages “Be our guest” on one of the rail bridges over the Brixton Road are to be replaced by new signage. Lambeth council says the original artist has agreed that the lettering should come down and that closing the busy Brixton Road for long enough to make the change is the biggest obstacle. It is believed that a competition for a new design will be launched as part of the Brixton Design Trail in September.
EAST DULWICH JOINS RITZY CAMPAIGNERS
The gelaterias, boulangeries and French wine shops of East Dulwich echoed to chants of “The workers united will never be defeated”, as staff at a second local Picturehouse cinema joined the campaign for a living wage last month. Backed by an array of political and community groups – and trade union solidarity in the form of a flag from the actors’ union Equity – strikers from the East Dulwich Picturehouse leafleted passers-by and cheered the honks of passing supporters. They had walked out to be greeted by colleagues and workers from other London Picturehouse cinemas. The campaign by members of the cinema workers’ BECTU section of the trade union Prospect began at Brixton’s Ritzy cinema in 2014. Their strikes and the call for a boycott of cinemas belonging to Picturehouse and its owners Cineworld are backed by many stars. ■■ facebook.com/RitzyLivingWage/
Brixton says farewell to Darcus Howe Brixton said its last goodbye to activist, broadcaster and local resident Darcus Howe at the end of last month when his funeral cortege halted outside 165 Railton Road, the former home of the Race Today collective, where a wreath was laid. Race Today magazine was produced in Brixton from 1973 until the late eighties by Darcus Howe, his colleagues Farrukh Dhondy, Linton Kwesi Johnson and others. It reported and analysed anti-racist politics, campaigns and culture. The procession went on to a funeral service in Notting Hill and the West London crematorium in
Kensal Green. People from all walks of life were at a Black Cultural Archives event – Tribute to Darcus, Man Free – earlier in the month. Hundreds of people crowded into Brixton’s Black Cultural Archives.
Those who could not get into the courtyard to watch two films and hear the people who knew him recall his life spilled out into Windrush Square. Introduced by BCA director Paul Reid, speakers ranged from childhood friends in Trinidad to former Cabinet minister Lord (Paul) Boateng. Without exception, they recalled his inspiring presence and intellect, bravery and humanity. ■■ Listen to Brixton Blog’s Delores William interview Lord Boateng and poet Benjamin Zephaniah during the event at bit.ly/BB-Darcus.
Housing disrepair and homelessness are issues that increasing numbers of us face daily, whether we rent privately or from social landlords. The charity Shelter has estimated that one in three of us are only one salary cheque away from losing the roof over our heads. Causes include rent increases, loss of employment and relationship breakdown. Many are also facing home loss due to welfare benefits issues and the regeneration of social housing estates. One of our recent cases illustrates just how unpredictable and precarious life can be. Grace Bovill, head of our housing team, recently successfully represented a long-standing Brixton tenant when her landlord, Guinness Partnership, took her to court, putting her at real risk of losing her home. Our client’s first home was demolished by her landlord in 2015. Not only did this mean that she had to relocate from the home she had lived in for over 10 years, but that her weekly rent was increased from £109 a week to £265 a week for a two-bedroom flat in a new area. This single mother of two had no choice but to take the property on offer. If she had not, she would have been deemed to have made herself and her children intentionally homeless. In moving to a new area, she could no longer keep her full-time job in Brixton, and had to seek part-time work. While the Department of Work and Pensions worked out if she was entitled to benefits to assist her in paying the increased rent, they suspended her payments for three months. As a result, our client fell into arrears with her rent and her landlord took steps to evict her. However, thanks to her own dogged persistence and widespread community support, she was able to obtain legal representation in the nick of time. As it turned out, the landlord had restored previous possession proceedings without permission to do so, and the court threw their claim out. This would not have been the outcome if the error hadn’t been pointed out to the court by her solicitor. If your landlord is threatening you with eviction or failing in their duty to provide you with decent, safe accommodation, you should make sure you keep copies of all correspondence and get legal advice as soon as you can. In many cases it’s possible to raise a defence to a possession claim or bring a counterclaim (for example for disrepair). Legal Aid is also still available to defend possession and eviction claims in many circumstances. In relation to disrepair, it’s sometimes an option for a tenant to withhold rent until the repair is done, or to pay for the repair themselves. There are almost as many solutions as there are scenarios, but the most important thing to remember is that you have rights and your landlord has obligations. Do get in touch with us with any legal queries, whether or not they’re related to housing: info@wainwrightcummins.co.uk
6 COMMUNITY
brixtonblog.com
2017 MAY
Could you help someone with dementia to do the things that they love? By Joe Wallen Megan Jones and Angela Phillips make a big difference to local people’s lives. In the four months they been helping Juliana Brathwaite look after her father, a dementia sufferer, he has become more sociable, more talkative. “And even his memory has improved,” says Juliana. Now Megan, who runs a local Alzheimer’s Society project that helps to put dementia sufferers and volunteers who want to help them together, is helping to organise a community event on 19 May where people can find out more about the service. It is part of National Dementia Awareness Week (14-20 May) and the Side By Side scheme Megan organises was piloted in Lambeth. It is designed to help people with dementia to keep doing the things they love by getting out and about with the support of a volunteer. At the 19 May event people can find out more about the service and at the same time join yoga sessions, listen to
music and experience other dementia friendly activities. Juliana Brathwaite says: “Megan and Angela are fantastic. They keep me fully informed and I know I can rely on them. Seeing Angela every week is making such a big difference.” Angela’s decision to sign up as a Side by Side volunteer was personal. Her late father had dementia and, as she lived some distance away, she struggled to get him the support she felt he needed. Megan Jones says that relevant experience is helpful when applying to be a volunteer but is not necessary. “It’s the person’s motivation that matters the most and that they must be able to commit to at least two hours a week for a minimum of six months.” ■■ The community event is on Friday 19 May 11am – 3pm at the Woodlawns Centre, 16 Leigham Court Road, SW16 2PJ. To find out more or register as a volunteer, call 020 7735 5850 or contact Janet.clarke@alzheimers.org.uk.
NEWS IN BRIEF Windrush clean up New tree guards around the oaks and plane tree on Windrush Square have
Here’s your chance to be a positive role model By Olivia Cheves An award-winning children’s charity, has opened applications for new mentors from the Lambeth. Chance UK provides encouragement and support for children and their families through year-long mentoring plans. The children – who are referred to the charity by schools or their carers – are those thought to be most at risk of exclusion from school as well as taking art in anti-social and criminal behaviour in later adolescence. The scheme offers volunteers full training and the opportunity to improve the outlook and skills of children through weekly activity sessions planned by the mentor. Anna, who recently finished her year of mentoring with Max, 8, said: “Mentoring offered me a fun
alternative way to spend my time at the weekends. “After a long week at work, hanging out with Max, flying a kite or getting messy with art and crafts on a Saturday morning, allowed me to forget about those everyday stresses.” Jessica Easton, Chance UK’s programme manager for Lambeth says: “Our mentors come from all walks of life and Chance UK looks at the different personal qualities each individual can bring when we train and support them. “There are children who could really benefit from having that positive role model in their life so if you think this could be you, then please get in touch.” ■■ For more information: www.chanceuk.com, call 020 7281 5858 or email volunteer@chanceuk.com.
been welcomed by the Friends of Windrush Square who thanked volunteers who helped with watering during the dry spring. Watering takes place every second Tuesday of the month from 2-4pm. The next one is Tuesday 9 May.
Vintage Voices Memories of earlier generations of Brixtonians who settled here and shaped its identity have been recorded and will be presented at Brixton Library on Friday 26 May at 7pm. Organised by Sixteenfeet Productions, the project is part of the Lambeth Readers and Writers Festival. The final recording session, at Brixton Community Base, Talma Road, is on Thursday 4 May 1-3pm.
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MAY 2017
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COMMUNITY BUSINESS 7
A project built on a passion for inclusion Architect Danna Walker launched Built By Us to help other people to get on in the construction industry she joined as an apprentice. She explained why to Emma Lange
Shop that came in from the cold needs your help Samantha-Jane, of united80 tells the Bugle her crowdfunding campaign is not all about the money, but don’t let that stop you chipping in Brixton Village stalwart united80 has kicked off a five-week crowdfunder campaign to raise funds for the redesign and development of the store. Owner and self-taught fashion designer Samantha-Jane has set an ambitious target of £30,000. She also plans to a build a website to sell her wares online, and to launch a range of homeware, art and apparel that is exclusive to united80 through its continued collaboration with local artists and brands. Samantha-Jane says: “It started seven years ago when myself and a couple of friends took the opportunity to collaborate and form a small shop in Brixton. “We didn’t have any investment or huge plans, just a desire to have a dedicated space. “We used to trade on market stalls. But we didn’t want to be in the cold anymore, so united80
was born. “After the first few years it built momentum. We put on events and the shop grew into its own brand. We didn’t plan to do it.” Over that time united80 has built a “community of like-minded people who love that the shop represents the African diaspora experience and London culture rolled into one.” Originally from Liverpool, Samantha-Jane was taken by the multiculturalism of Brixton and wanted the shop to reflect that. “I came from a place with a strong identity, but I have that here too,” she says. All brands supported by united80 are independent, which is important to her. United80 has been a platform for, and hosted cultural events, guest DJs, live band performances, fashion shows, trunk shows, and topical forums.
So far (26 April) they have raised £5,868 with 1348 supporters. There is still a week to go, so if you would like to show your support go to: crowdfunder.co.uk/ teamunited80. It isn’t all about the money for Samantha-Jane: “I’d love to meet the target, but more people will hear about the shop and what we’re trying to do. If it wasn’t for the people who come here, the shop wouldn’t exist.”
BLACK CULTURAL ARCHIVES PATRON BRAWN NOMINATED FOR NATIONAL DIVERSITY AWARD Miranda Brawn, patron of Brixton’s Black Cultural Archives, business woman and diversity champion has been nominated for a national award for her work as a positive role model. The National Diversity Awards ceremony will take place in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral in September. “I’m humbled to be part of this,” said Miranda. “I would like to thank everyone who has supported my diversity initiatives.” The awards have attracted a growing list of supporters including Sir Lenny Henry, Graham Norton and Katie Piper. Olympic Diver Tom Daley said: “Everyone
who has been nominated and shortlisted is striding onwards making society better for everyone, regardless of age, gender, race, faith, religion, sexual orientation or disability. ■■ Nominations close on 9 June. To nominate and vote for Miranda Brown visit http://bit.ly/NDA-nominate. ■■ Miranda Brawn, has launched a new YouTube channel to help young people with business career advice. The first videos focus on diversity and were shot at the Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership annual lecture at the University of Law last year. See them at http:// bit.ly/MB-Channel.
As an apprentice electrician and now a qualified architect, Danna Walker has experienced a consistent lack of diversity in the fields she has worked in. “Everything is affected by our built environment, from outdoor green spaces, to train stations,” she says. “And yet the ones creating these environments did not reflect the society they serve.” This, paired with a personal passion for inclusion gave her the idea to start Built By Us, a platform for connecting diverse talent in the construction sector. Danna enrolled in Brixton based startup incubator Hatch Enterprise where she developed her idea into a social enterprise. “I felt very passionate about my cause, but didn’t feel ready to commit to starting my own business.” But the Hatch programme was a perfect fit. As well as the support and skills she gained to build her business, Danna benefited from the mentoring aspect of the programme. “My mentor, Ignacio Delcastillo from Deutsche Bank, was brilliant, understanding and driven. He now sits on the advisory board for Built By Us.” Danna is a strong champion for mentoring, having experienced the benefits of both mentoring and being mentored in past roles. “Mentoring should not be restricted to early stage careergrowth,” she reflects. “It provides a wealth of knowledge that can be tapped at any stage of your life.” Built By Us’ Making It project supports and mentors people from different backgrounds and
experiences who are interested in entering the construction sector. The project wants to engage people who would not think of themselves as potential construction candidates. “The industry presents itself as construction, but it is a very diverse sector that includes many creative aspects as well,” says Danna. “We hope to recruit diverse talent by showcasing the variety of roles available and by providing strong role models.” By growing a diverse pool of talent, Built By Us then connects its candidates with construction companies, to help build inclusive workforces. ■■ If you are curious about construction, visit www.builtbyus.org.uk to find out more about its free career events and opportunities to get involved.
LOOKING FOR A YOGA CLASS? Humble Warriors Yoga run by Caitlin Holland is based in a Loughborough Junction railway arch and offers donation-based, pay-what-you feel classes with a suggested £7 per session donation for people in work. See humblewarriorsyoga.com.
I M M I G R AT I O N L AW A P P L I C AT I O N S & A P P E A L S Our fees are transparent and competitive Our other work is performed to the same high standards and we pride ourselves on our clear pricing and plain language. You can contact us for help with Wills, Probate, Business Leases, Family, Landlord & Tenant Litigation, Divorce and General Litigation
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8 COMMUNITY
brixtonblog.com
2017 MAY
Domino is more than a game – it’s a way of life Alicia Grizzle, a member of the Brixton Immortals Domino team, says it’s no longer a man’s game. More women are involved and it’s now a people’s game. Everyone welcome. Knock on the door anytime. All you need to start a domino game is a sturdy table, four players, rum, beer and other alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages. The game starts, the talking gets louder, players brag and onlookers heckle. They know they can play better than the four at the table. But at the end of the game you will still have best friends who cannot wait for the next time they see their fellow opponents. And that’s what we call a game of domino. Anyone who has never seen it played before may decide to stay close to the exit doors for fear a fight could break out. But once you take a sip of your nice cool choice of beverage, you will realise you might just fit right into the madness and chaotic fun we create. Brixton domino team started in someone’s house in the late 70s. Friends would gather and play a few rounds of six while their wives and partners wondered where their husbands and partners were. The game is so captivating that, before they knew it, players would realise that they had spent the majority of the day or night playing dominoes instead of rushing to get home to face the trouble they were already in. They just shuffle the dominoes, have another drink and say “this is the last round now” which would end up being another six rounds.
The old: Lord Scarman, author of the official report into the Brixton Uprising of 1981, has pride of place among Immortals players from a bygone era But domino is no longer a “man’s game”. More women are involved and it is now a “people’s game”. We were invited to join a domino league that had been started in Sheffield. Teams from all parts of the country were competing against each other. It was so successful that domino teams were going abroad to compete. They had sponsors like British Airways, and Jamaica National. Now, a lot of our founders have passed away and it is up to us to bring back the legacy they left for us. Listening to the older generation who were around when domino was the best thing since sliced bread, we can only imagine the fun they used to have
The new: Brixton domino club has been going since the 1970s. The game hasn’t changed but the players have. Women have joined the Immortals!
and the laughter they shared. Brixton Immortals Domino Team is a non-profit business and we maintain ourselves financially. Jamaica National has kindly contributed some funds to us this season. And we are very grateful for their sponsorship. But we continue to search for more sponsors to keep our entry to the Domino league going each year. The team players are the ones who support themselves to compete against different clubs across the country. They do so knowing there isn’t any payment at the end of the matches but the reward of winning and love for the sport. Brixton Immortals have been able to maintain a strong competitive team and have done well. We are a part of the Anglo Caribbean Domino League where we play against some of the best teams around the country. This season’s league started in April. Brixton’s first home match is 10 June. We are trying our best to spread the word about Domino and encourage people around the area to come and watch us play this fascinating game. We were second in the league cup last year, but we intend to bring the cup back to Brixton where it belongs this season. So whenever you pass the Lloyd Leon Centre/Soup Kitchen on Coldharbour lane in Brixton – which was opened in 1987 by The Rt. Hon. Lord Scarman – if you see the lights on or the door open, come in and see us slamming on tables, jumping and skanking, loud talking, name calling, laughing, hugging, singing, dancing and drinking – all in the name of fun and love for domino.
If the lights are on and the door is open, come on in. You’ll see us skanking, laughing and dancing. All for the love of domino
JOIN THE CLUB AND BEC0ME AN IMMORTAL
The Brixton Immortals play in the Lloyd Leon Community Centre which also houses the Brixton Soup Kitchen. The building, which is very old, needs renovating. The domino club is appealing for help to support the club and to help generate funds for the building. Why not drop in and find out more about the game. The building is also available for hire for events to help generate funds. To find out more contact brixtonimmortals@yahoo.com
Plenty of trophies in this picture from the past
MAY 2017
brixtonblog.com
OPINION 9
BRIXTON BUGLE
COMMENT Strange times We live in a time and place where tens of thousands of people a year seek emergency help because they have no food or money. Where, if you have it, you can spend £45 on a comparative champagne tasting in Brixton Village that lasts 90 minutes. Where a cinema company with profits in the ten of millions refuses to pay its London workers £9.75 an hour – the London Living Wage. Where just one bedroom in a house in Streatham (but said to be in Brixton) is advertised at £1,500 a month for a three-month let (plus a £1,500 deposit). Where our legal column on page 5 quotes the charity Shelter’s warning that one in three people are only one payday away from losing their home. But we are also living in a time and place where hundreds of people give their time and money to help people. We could fill all our pages with appeals for volunteers and with reports of the great work they do – like the St Matthews Project, for instance, which pioneered feeding children during the school holidays, when money for many local families gets even shorter than usual. But charity and volunteering deal with the symptoms, not the causes, of what is wrong. We are entering an election campaign that the government appears determined to cast as being about nothing but which party can get us out of the European Union most quickly and most comprehensively. Even if we did not live in the area of the UK that, apart from Gibraltar, was the most strongly opposed to this policy, this would be an insult to the intelligence of anybody. Opinions differ as to what must be done to deal with the rapidly widening gap between haves and have-nots. But one thing is certain. No one will take a blind bit of notice of your opinion unless you can vote. If you are not registered to vote, now is the time to put that right. It usually takes about five minutes to do it online. Time well spent. Regulated by IMPRESS: The independent monitor for the press 83 Victoria St, London SW1H OHW 020 3585 4160 complaints@impress.press www.impress.press
Atlantic Road as was – above and below
From rural tranquility to bustling shopping centre The Brixton Society runs through a potted history of Brixton’s past shopping glory as we prepare to celebrate Love Your Local Market week
The railway coming to Brixton in the 1860s changed everything – in ways and at a pace that is difficult to envisage today. Before then, Brixton was a semi-rural spot on the London to Brighton road in the county of Surrey. Behind some grand houses along the main roads, there were mainly fields used for market gardening and grazing horses – the only means of transport apart from walking. In just 20 years the local population trebled and the fields were built over with the Victorian terraces which largely survive to this day. Shopping followed. The first shops were built in Atlantic Road opposite the railway in about 1867. By the 1870s a street market had grown up in Atlantic Road and in 1877 Bon Marché opened as the first purpose-built department store in the UK. Other department stores followed: Morley’s (originally Morely & Lanceley) and Quin & Axtens (between Ferndale Road and Stockwell Road). Other “firsts” for Brixton include the first David Greig in Atlantic Road in the 1870s (the DG logo can still be seen in the entrance to the Lounge) and British Home Stores (BHS) where Superdrug is today in Brixton Road. Our Marks and Spencer started out as a “Penny Bazaar” in a railway arch over 100 years ago. The grand Electric Avenue was built in 1888. There were glazed cast iron canopies over the pavements which not only protected shoppers from the rain but housed electric lights – the first shopping street in the country with electric lighting. Change continued apace in the new century.
Within a few years of the end of the First World War, motor buses trying to navigate Atlantic Road finally made the congestion intolerable and the street traders were moved out into Popes Road and Brixton Station Road. It wasn’t until after the Second World War that street traders were allowed into Electric Avenue in about 1949-50. The covered arcades were all built in a relatively short period: Reliance Arcade (1929), Market Row (1931) and Granville Arcade (now Brixton Village) (1937). In its heyday Brixton was the Oxford Street
of south London. Paradoxically, the second coming of the railways – Brixton Underground station opened in 1971 – only accelerated the post-war decline that had set-in, as it became easier for locals to use the Victoria line to shop in the West End without bringing commensurate numbers to Brixton. How things have changed again! Brixton Market has become a major shopping destination while still serving the needs of local people. Long may that mix continue. AA The Brixton Society aims to make Brixton a better place to live and work, and to give local people a voice in what happens to our surroundings. We lobby and monitor planning applications. AA Join in our Brixton Market Heritage Walks taking in the street markets, covered arcades and high street. More informataion at www.brixtonsociety.org.uk. Book walks at marketwalks@brixtonsociety.org.uk.
10 INCREDIBLE EDIBLE
brixtonblog.com
2017 MAY CHARLOTTE O’CONNOR
It’s time to get growing, if you are not already. But don’t go to a commercial garden centre to buy vegetable seedlings – your local community garden will probably have some they can give in exchange for a donation. Or you can plant your own seeds. Some seeds that are good for sowing all through the summer include interesting salad leaves such as rocket and mizuna (below). They are very easy to grow and otherwise only available in eco-unfriendly salad bags
Incredible Edible Lambeth says food is local business and it can change our world. And there are plenty of activities to get involved in, writes Sue Sheehan
What’s cooking? By Victoria Sherwin How can food change our world? How can we work together to make sure that everyone can eat well in Lambeth? That was the question for people from Brixton’s Vassall and Coldharbour Forum during a visit to the Granville Centre in Kilburn, West London recently. Ten cooks, gardeners and people interested in bringing about change visited Deirdre Wood, BBC Food and
Spring – time to get growing
Farming Awards community cook of the year 2016, at the community centre where she and others prepare two weekly community meals. We cooked alongside her team, preparing food donated by local supermarkets (chicken and a delicious savoury bake and salad) which we all shared in the evening. We learned that people in Kilburn face the same issues we do in Lambeth – people living in food poverty and mass
redevelopment meaning that people are losing homes and community spaces. Granville Centre is in the middle of negotiations about a redevelopment plan that could see flats built on the site with a community centre included. We were inspired to hear that Deirdre is on the London Food Board and involved in drawing up a People’s Food Plan for London. We were also excited about the possibility of organising more community meals that help to
bring about social change. We want to build on this for Vassall and Coldharbour – we have so many food-growing spaces, gardeners, cooks and people committed to helping other people, as well as many in need of emergency food aid. We loved joining up with another community and want to work together to make life better for Londoners. ■■ For more information visit www.vassallandcoldharbour. org.uk.
If you eat, you’re in
that wilt as soon as they are opened. You can pick fresh leaves just before you need them for every meal – even if they just boost the interest and flavour of a bought whole lettuce. Herbs are also good to grow directly, although most are best bought as small plants. I am growing thyme from seed for the first time this year, but the plants are very, very small, and won’t be large enough to harvest until next year. Chillies are another favourite for windowsills and small spaces. They can often be bought as small plants at flower shops. It is quite late to start planting chilli seeds in May but worth a try at the very beginning of the month. Tomatoes and cucumbers can also be planted at the beginning of May. If you have small tomato plants it is best not to plant them outside until past the middle of the month as they could be killed by frost.
Lambeth has many innovative food projects – from community farms to pay-what-you-want cafés – how can these businesses support each other and develop the local food system we urgently need, asks Duncan Law? This month will see Transition Town Brixton, Incredible Edible Lambeth and the Lambeth Food Partnership organise an event to bring together local people and community businesses to build momentum for more local food. Participating projects include Myatts Fields Food Project, the Loughborough Farm, Local Greens veg box scheme, Little Cat Café, Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses, the Brixton£ café and Brixton Food Surplus Network. Open Orchard Project will be invited to collaborate with other participants at the 22 May event to understand the issues and work up possible solutions. As well as celebrating the inspiring things already happening, we will identify gaps, needs and challenges and work out how we can solve them “better together” and with the support of community members, who are
Tomatoes from Loughborough Farm
CHELSEA FRINGE also warmly invited. We want to provide an opportunity for local people to join in and support their community enterprises. This will not be a “talking shop” but a connecting and solving workshop. It will be inspiring and useful for all-comers. If you eat you’re in! If you grow, sell, process, campaign on local food we definitely want you there. “Local Food is the Business” will take place on Monday 22 May, at Impact Hub Brixton at the back of Pop Brixton. Get there at 6.30pm for delicious local food and a 7pm start. Book
free tickets at bit.ly/localfoodtickets.
Event format:
■■ Five-minute presentations by selected participants focusing on gaps, challenges and needs. ■■ Work in small groups on particular issues and projects. Participants will be free to move around and contribute to all groups if relevant. All welcome. ■■ For more information contact Duncan Law: info@transitiontownbrixton.org.
Many Lambeth community gardens will be taking part in the Chelsea Flower Show Fringe this year. Keep an eye on the www.chelseafringe.com website for inspirational horticultural events and activities between 20 May and 4 June. Incredible Edible Lambeth has been commissioned to organise a series of events in the north of the borough and in Wandsworth. For more detailed information see nineelmslondon.com/chelseafringe.
DEBATE WINNERS Ark EGA’s debate team are the winners of this year’s Ark Schools Senior Great Debate – Well done team!
Sixth form ‘Big Readers’ will give back to the community After the success of last year’s “Big Reading” mentoring programme, EGA is proud to announce that its sixth form students will again be mentoring primary students in the local community this academic year. Taking part are Loughborough, St Saviour’s, Jessop and St John’s primary schools. Reluctant readers from each school visited the Academy recently. They met our Year 12 students, who all volunteered to be “Big Readers”. It was a lovely afternoon visit and all of the primary students had the opportunity to choose the books that they would like to read with their mentors. In return, this term our Year 12 students had the opportunity to visit their selected primary schools, where they too had a great time reading with their younger readers.
Year 9’s Ashley wins gold ski award in Austria
Are you looking for that next step in your teaching career? Are you seeking to make a real difference and impact the lives of young people through innovative teaching? If so, Ark EGA is the place to be! Visit www. evelyngraceacademy.org/ vacancies and apply today!
Dear Brixton community Here at Ark Evelyn Grace Academy, we aim to raise leaders in every walk of life. Congratulations!! To all those who have been offered a secondary school place for September 2017. We look forward to welcoming you! Our academy aims for students and staff to succeed. We are proud of the wonderful opportunities we have to offer and the vast number of testimonials from staff, students and visitors telling of how inspired they are by the opportunities and evidence of positive growth; and the many achievements that are obtained within the Academy. These are all possible through our belief in our academy, the potential of this wonderful community and us working together to ensure the future of our children is one that is great and leaves a positive legacy. As we prepare for final exams, let’s all go that extra mile to demonstrate with passion how much we believe in our young people. Let us support them, support our staff and work together as a community to provide the wonderful opportunities and experiences that yield success. Kindest regards Devon Hanson Principal Ark Evelyn Grace Academy
EGA students selected to attend engineering challenge celebration A team of Year 8 EGA students have been selected to attend an event to celebrate the The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Faraday Challenge for this year. The Challenge is a day of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) activities for six teams. The day gives students the opportunity to research, design and make prototype solutions to tough engineering problems. Teams compete to win a prize for themselves and a trophy for their school. EGA’s day, on Thursday 30 March, saw 40 Year 8 students taking part facilitated by STEM professional Phil Hart who filled the day with engineering activities, discussions and presentations. Students were split into teams of four or five, where they put their team working skills into action to create innovative designs, solutions and prototypes to enter into the overall competition. Our students did so well that they were selected to attend an IET celebration event in partnership with the Jack Petchey Foundation on Thursday 6 July at The Institution of Engineering and Technology. We are extremely proud of our Year 8 students and so happy to have been able to provide such a wonderful opportunity and experience for our students. Well done all.
Students prepare for A-level Spanish exams in Salamanca
Don’t miss out on this sci-fi classic
Two of our Year 13 students, Amarachi Orie and Sam Malis (below), visited Salamanca in Spain during the half term holiday to attend language classes and learn more about the Spanish culture and history. As part of their trip they also
Ark Evelyn Grace Academy will be proud to host Herne Hill free film festival – a wonderful community event for all – on 27 May at 9pm, when the Academy will host a showing of the amazing sci-fi film Arrival which, apart from being a great drama, looks at the importance of languages. Don’t miss out, be there and enjoy!
stayed with a Spanish family. Sam said: “Going to Spain on our own was a very enjoyably challenge. “From day one we had to act as true Spaniards, having to speak Spanish everywhere we went without having a teacher there and being
able to ask for directions or to order a meal. It was easy to immerse ourselves in the local culture while staying with a host family where we got to practise our speaking skills while also getting to have a taste of traditional Spanish food, and maybe the occasional Subway! “We spent the week learning Spanish in a language school where we got to meet people from all across the world. “The teachers were very helpful and were very engaging from Day 1 considering we were put into classes with people who already knew each other. “I got to learn and witness the many differences in Spanish society compared to the UK. Some did shock me. I found this trip really useful as I prepare for my Spanish A Level exams.”
Congratulations to Year 9’s Lorena Gutierrez, who is the first EGA entrant to an external Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music piano exam. She met the celebrated singer and musician Laura Mvula (above) – herself a former teacher – when she visited EGA last year to celebrate the donation of a Celviano Grand Hybrid Piano to the Academy.
JAN THIJS/PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Ashley Poole from Year 9 FTH won a gold skiing medal on a trip to Austria. He didn’t give up throughout the slalom competition and he got better and better as he progressed through to the finals. Ashley loves travelling and has been to various places including Germany, Spain and France. He is currently doing his Duke of Edinburgh Award. We are very proud of him!
Message from the Principal
Evelyn Grace Academy, 255 Shakespeare Road, SE24 0QN | Tel: 020 7737 9520 | Email: info@evelyngraceacademy.org | Website: evelyngraceacademy.org | Twitter: @ARKEvelynGrace
Brixton BID is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening Brixton’s diverse business culture. We represent over 650 levy‑paying businesses in the local area and work to develop new and exciting opportunities for Brixton.
Our markets – important, relevant and home to the entrepreneurs of the future BID Director Michael Smith sets the scene for Love Your Local Market week in Brixton Our local markets in the centre of Brixton are more than just a place to shop, they are places where we stop and talk and eat and drink. Our Brixton markets are vital to every aspect of our town centre shopping experience. For the first time in Brixton, the Love Your Local Market Festival will celebrate the unique combined offers of our indoor and outdoor markets in a single shopping opportunity. Brixton Village (Granville Arcade) and Market Row will entice the public with their unique shopping experience. Outdoor markets on Brixton Station Road, Pope’s Road and Electric Avenue will enthuse shoppers with a combination of offers for regular shoppers, and new and exciting treats from new traders in these spaces. With the recent refurbishment of the Electric Avenue Market, Love Your Local Market 2017 is the first opportunity to exhibit in full, the new features in this market. Recent changes to this space will be an important influence in the modernisation of other town centre spaces. The indoor markets once described as “London’s Largest Emporium” and the outdoor markets may have lost some of their historic appeal. The test for both, however, is to become as relevant to the next generation of shoppers and traders as they were to generations of shoppers and traders past. It was not long ago that local London markets such as ours stimulated the creation of companies such as Marks & Spencers and Tesco. Our own Brixton markets produced local
entrepreneur Stafford Geohagen of Healthy Eaters, giving him his first trading opportunity on his way to establishing his own business. Local markets can continue to provide good, relevant service to local people while incubating future entrepreneurs. But this will only be the case if we continue to recognise the importance and relevance of local markets in the ecosystem of our local business economy. Our Love Your Local Market Festival will re-ignite the dynamism of our markets, generating greater business and increasing footfall into the area over the six-day festival. Vibrant, energetic modern markets are supported by increase dwell time and quality entertainment alongside good quality shopping opportunities in the market areas. Strong trading offers during this festival will be supported by regular and high quality family entertainment for the duration of the festival. Fresh, young traders will lead in the provision of new options for shoppers. Local markets are there for local shoppers. Our shops and markets stalls will continue to reflect of our local multicultural population providing the usual wide variety of choice to all. Our 2017 Love Your Local Market Festival will coincide with Lambeth’s schools’ half term to attract and encourage local families and residents to our local market fun and festivities. Our markets are still among the most vibrant in London and we anticipate many visitors from across London and beyond to join in our celebrations. Brixton BID will, for the first time, lead key partners in putting on this 2017 festival. We know that revitalising our markets will lead to revitalised high street trading which will, in turn, stimulate grown in our local economy. But our local markets are not just in May but all year round. The challenge from this event is to make our markets relevant to the next generation of traders and customers while still meeting the needs of existing shoppers and traders.
This year, we’re aiming to be Number 1 local market Brixton came third in the national Love Your Local Market competition last year. The BID and our partners want to make it to first place this year. During the six-day celebration there will be plenty of action for everyone, with stalls, celebrity breakfast, give-aways, face painting, clowns, stilt walkers, world music and walking tours. NatWest bank will host an advice session on the Tuesday where traders and small businesses can get advice on their internet presence. Visit the Brixton Historical Society stall on Saturday to find out more about the history of the market and sign up for a market walk. Walking tours will take place each day from 2.30 to 3.30pm. If you can’t make it during the day, sign up for the night walk on Tuesday at 7pm. If salsa and samba don’t do it for you, then there’s always the DJ or bagpipe sessions. T-shirts, love pins and goodie bags will be distributed throughout the week.
Pirate balloon art at last year’s Love Your Local Market event in Brixton
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY (Timings subject to confirmation) FRIDAY 26 MAY 8.30 am – Breakfast media launch 12pm – Samba performance 1pm – Tango dancers 2.30pm – Walking tour 3pm – Samba performance 4pm – Tango dancers 5pm – Brazilian festival performance 7 – 11pm DJ Session SATURDAY 27 MAY 11am – Shutter painting with young people 11 – 3.30 Face painting and magician 12.30pm – Bagpipes 2pm – Salsa dancing 2.30pm – Walking tour 3 pm bagpipes 4 pm Salsa dancing 7 – 11pm DJ Session
SUNDAY 28 MAY 8.30am – 6pm Farmers market 11.30am – Bagpipes 7 – 10.30pm DJ Session MONDAY 29 MAY Book signing at BCA (TBC) Book signing (TBC) 2.30pm Walking tour TUESDAY 20 MAY Natwest workshop 2.30pm Walking tour 7pm Night walking tour WEDNESDAY 31 MAY 2.30pm Walking tour 7 – 10pm Wrap party with live band
LOVE YOUR LOCAL MARKET 2017 Friday 26 May – Wednesday 31 May Brixton Markets are vital to our town centre and high street trading, offering much more than just a shopping experience. Our 2017 Love Your Local Market campaign in Brixton will, for the first time, celebrate the unique combined offers of our indoor and outdoor markets. Brixton has a rich history of markets and market trading not seen elsewhere in London. Often described as the heart and soul of Brixton’s retail offer, our markets; Brixton Village and Market Row, Electric Avenue, Popes Road, Brixton Station Road, Tunstall Road, and Reliance Arcade are normally a gauge of the vibrancy of our local retail offering. With the recent refurbishment of the Electric Avenue market, Love Your Local Market 2017 becomes the first opportunity to exhibit to the public the new Electric Avenue in all its glory. Brixton Village and Market Row will entice the public with its unusual shopping experiences and options. Brixton BID will this year join local key stakeholders and partners in celebrating European Launch of Love Your Local Market 2017: ■■Lambeth Council ■■Groupe Geraud ■■Brixton Pound ■■Brixton Market Traders Federation CIC ■■Lambeth Forest Network /Tree Shepherd. Markets are not just in May but all-yearround. Local shoppers are becoming wary of long supply chains and are once again turning to local butchers, bakers, and traders and other traditional outlets. Markets still hold a special place in the
I’m a proud Londoner and a proud Englishman who has grown up with traditional street markets. Markets are deeply woven into the tapestry of English culture and nowhere is that more true than here in London. They are far more than a place to do your shopping - they are places where people meet and talk. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan – who opened (above) the new Electric Avenue with Eddy Grant and Lambeth council leader Lib Peck
hearts of local people, offering a friendly place to shop and socialise. Last year’s Love Your Local Market activities included “our celebrity breakfast” and high quality entertainment throughout the week-long celebrations. This brought an increase in footfall to our market areas. This year, the focus is on delivering a week of events, attractions and entertainment with a greater focus on fun, increased trade, and increased footfall. Our festival is again scheduled to take advantage of this year’s school half-term in May, thereby encouraging children and families to visit and participate in our fun and festivities. We are encouraging market operators, traders and members of the public to join us for a week of activities! Our goals for this event include: ■■Increase footfall and generate business in our local markets ■■Re-ignite the vibrancy of the indoor and outdoor markets ■■Publicise the history of Brixton markets ■■Participate in a European Launch of Love Your Local Market 2017 ■■Opportunity for young traders.
HERITAGE WALKS Get under Brixton’s skin with a guided walk led by a member of the Brixton Society. The walk covers the street markets, covered arcades and high street, exploring their century-old heritage. On top of the usual Sunday walks, the Brixton Society is laying on one a day during Love your Market week and one in the evening. ■■To find out more: www.brixtonbid.co.uk/LYLMBrixton
OUR PARTNERS
Want to try your hand at trading? If you’e not a regular trader, but would like to take a stall during Love Your Market Week, Brixton Market Traders Federation is offering stalls on Brixton Station Road to non-food traders for just £10 a day from Monday to Thursday. If you are a maker, artist or designer, now’s your chance to show your work and join in the Love Your Local Market buzz. New young traders are especially welcome. Operations director John Gordon said: “We want to liven up the street and encourage people to shop there.” CONTACT: lydia@ treeshepherd.org.uk
MAY 2017
FOCUS 15
brixtonblog.com
Is this the answer to the housing crisis? As another major redevelopment in Brixton looks set to take off, Alan Slingsby asked the people behind it why they believe it will be different
Devon Thomas was drawn to Slowikowski believe that the project housing activism almost 50 years is not only unique, but could also be ago, he once told a meeting at a template for future housing develthe Stephen Lawrence Centre in opment as the old system of owner New Cross. occupiers and “social” housing “My family received a letter from provided by council and housing Lambeth council telling us they associations collapses. wanted to knock down our family All the 300 new homes the project home and replace it by a 55-storey is expected to create will be for council housing block that Lambeth rent and tenants will not be able to and the Greater London Council’s buy them. architects had dreamed up for us, The Brixton Green proposal is without having asked us about it. that tenants will pay rent based “The same thing was happening to on their household income rather black and working class communithan either market, “affordable” or ties around the country.” “social” rent. And there will be no Today Devon Thomas is a trustee ”poor doors” to keep social renters of Brixton Green, the community out of the sight of better-off tenants. organisation that has been Dinah Roake says all the flats – working for nine years to see that ranging from one to four bedrooms Somerleyton Road is redeveloped in – will be built to the same specificaan entirely different way. tions and lower-rent properties will The appointment last month of be distributed evenly around the a Transition development. Director, Mark is intended Residents, all of whom will be Itthat Slowikowski, at least members of the trust, will be to help 50 per cent of establish the the properrepresented at board level Somerleyton ties will be at Trust and “affordable” the start of tendering for the first rent levels. The final proporphase of the project including a new tion will depend on continuing Ovalhouse theatre, bring its realisafinancial planning. tion a step closer. Residents will have a say in the So how will it be different? management of the development Architect Dinah Roake, chair of because the Somerleyton Trust Brixton Green, has a long list of will be established on co-operative answers, but sums it up by saying principles and residents, all of that tenants of the new trust will be whom will be members of the trust, “paying rent to themselves”. will be represented at board level. She, Devon Thomas and Mark To pay for the development
associations north and south of the river. At Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association, he was Head of Housing and worked with a development consortium of 11 medium to small housing associations – the North River Alliance. He describes his new job as a “unique and wonderful opportunity”. When he saw the advertisement for the job, he says, “I thought: ‘This is something different’.” But when, after a first round of Thinking different (l-r) Dinah Roake, Devon Thomas and Mark Slowikowski interviews, he read the business plan for the Somerleyton Trust, he without involving private money, is not a “build and leave” project. thought: “This blows everything the Trust has been set up to lease “We’re trying to build new types of else out of the water”. The plan had from Lambeth council the land on communities. This is a template for “rewritten the rulebook about how which homes and business premises how new approaches to development to make housing work”. will be built. can work. “If we can make this work,” he The council will provide the “You’re not going to escape says, “this is the template for future money for construction through a market conditions, but you have to housing in London and elsewhere.” loan from the Public Works Loan try to bend them.” His one-year appointment is to Board – an official statutory body. The Trust’s tenants and other get the trust off the ground. Another When an individual buys a members of the local community key job, in his words, will be to leasehold flat they pay the whole are expected to be in charge and the “take all the ideas and translate price of the lease on purchase and plan is for an approach that involves them onto something tangible and then pay ground rent. a lot more than deciding on a stairsimple and understandable”. But the Somerleyton Trust will cleaning rota. Like any pay an agreed sum to the council Which is local venture, ‘You’re not going to escape over the full term of the lease – where people Brixton market conditions, but you providing a valuable income stream like Mark Green and the for the council once the loan has Slowikowski, a have to try to bend them’ Somerleyton been repaid. housing profesTrust have The repayments could be in the sional for more their critics. region of £4.5 million a year – a lot than 35 years come in. His appointDevon Thomas says that “some of money over a long period. ment and the development work campaigners think they are Dinah Roake says that this form for the creation of the Somerleyton defending a notional place, but have of financing will enable the Trust Trust will be paid for in the set-up no clear idea of how they would to increase the proportion of social phase through a grant for social bring an alternative into existence. rented homes in the scheme after businesses, from Power to Change, We’ve got too many people saying: ten years or so. funded by an endowment from the ‘I know what I don’t like and don’t She and her colleagues believe the Big Lottery Fund in 2015. want’, but who don’t have any council will get a better deal from A south Londoner – “Lewisham positive solutions. them than from any alternative. born and bred” – he has worked “Having a solution is what being Devon Thomas stresses that this for local authorities and housing an activist is all about.”
The words on the streets Simon Still was at the first meeting of Lambeth council’s new healthy streets forum … Tackling motor traffic congestion and bus flow on Brixton Road seem set to remain more important than pedestrian and cycle safety, Lambeth council’s first quarterly “healthy streets forum” heard last month. Brixton Road (the A23) and other red routes are the responsibility of Transport for London, not the council. Brixton Hill councillor Martin Tiedemann said a recent email from Val Shawcross, the London deputy mayor for transport, indicated congestion and bus flow on these roads remain more important than pedestrian and cycle safety. Despite high numbers of cyclists and the roads’ poor
safety record, cyclists will continue to be expected to share part-time bus lanes with motor traffic. Brixton Market Traders Federation CEO Stuart Horwood was recently put in hospital after being hit by a bus on the A23. Councillor Jennifer Brathwaite, cabinet member responsible for cycling, said the aim of the forum is to “get a more regular formal dialogue between the groups interested in walking and cycling in Lambeth”. The meeting was well attended with councillors from across the borough, the Police Safer Transport Team and community groups from Herne Hill, Clapham and Loughborough Junction. The London Cycling Campaign’s local group was out in force. The “Cycle Network Strategy” was the focus of the meeting. Simon Phillips, the council’s transport manager, said that it wanted
Graphic: Kaylene Alder “to be thinking about people who would consider using a bike for some of their journeys, if the conditions were improved, rather than obsessive cyclists”. He said a new TFL report identifies 8 million “potentially cyclable trips” each day in London. In Lambeth only 11% of these are currently
made by bike. Dutch consultant Angela van der Kloof said that in the Netherlands car-centric planning in the 1960s led to an increase in road deaths. Since then, parking and traffic have been removed and more of the street given over to pedestrians and cyclists. As a result of more active travel,
the Netherlands has far less of a problem with childhood obesity than the UK. The Dutch example was clearly the inspiration for the network analysis project presented by Mark Strong of Transport Initiatives. His team has ridden every Lambeth road to classify its suitability for cycling and
to assess the quality of links between areas bounded by railways or busy roads. This has revealed many areas that are poorly connected, particularly in the south of the borough. Strong noted that “improved crossings for people on bikes also have big benefits for walking”. Cllr Brathwaite stressed that she did not want “to be anti-car” but wanted “to get people out of their cars because it is made more attractive to do so”. She added that Lambeth is aiming to make our streets better places with “trees, greening, better street lighting and public art”. Charlie Holland of Lambeth Cyclists said: “We heard lots of positive words – now we need to see real change in our streets. “To make cycling more attractive Lambeth council needs to tackle rat runs, provide crossings for major roads and create greater links to schools, shops, workplaces and leisure facilities. “By themselves, no amount of trees and art will make our roads comfortable for 11-year-olds to cycle unaccompanied.”
16 CREATIVE BRIXTON
brixtonblog.com
2017 MAY
Don’t stop now – Brixton based book is a bestseller By Olivia Cheves Born in Canada, raised in Ireland, and now splitting her time between London and Cyprus, author Colleen Coleman is spoilt for choice when it comes to finding a striking backdrop for her stories. But pastoral Irish climes and ragged Cypriot hills aside, it was her home in Brixton, where she has lived on-and-off for the past 12 years, that provided the setting for Colleen’s debut novel, Don’t Stop Me Now. “It’s my favourite place to live,” she says. “There’s just more energy in the streets. I met my husband and had my kids here. I got married in Brixton Town Hall and then went over and had the reception at the Ritzy.” Her book, Don’t Stop Me Now, details the escapades of Poppy Bloom, lifelong scholar, whose stepfather is a Brixton Tube station flower seller – a character Colleen researched with help from one of the real Brixton flower sellers. At 29, Poppy is flung back into the real world after being rejected for an academic post at her university. The book follows her as she moves back in with her parents in Brixton and adjusts to a new life and a new career in once-familiar territory. For local readers, the landscape of Don’t Stop Me Now will be vivid and familiar, with
candid, colourful, and completely spot-on descriptions of Brixton Village and other landmarks. But for readers worldwide, the novel’s focus on career and relationship expectations has resonated deeply, and it shows. Despite being released only last month, Don’t Stop Me Now has already topped Amazon’s bestsellers list. For Colleen, the response to the book, has been overwhelming. “I didn’t expect so many people to read it, or for it to strike such a chord. I have these incredible messages coming in from everywhere. There are loads from people who live around south London but also, even this morning, from as far away as Pakistan.” Colleen is now working on her second book, due out in the summer, but hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a sequel to Don’t Stop Me Now at some point in the future. “There’s been loads of interest in a Poppy follow-up so we’ll see what happens,” she says. “I truthfully enjoyed writing it, and it was so nice to bring those streets to life. Maybe if Poppy gets married she’ll have her reception at the Ritzy.” ■■ Don’t Stop Me Now by Colleen Coleman is out now via Bookouture. You can find it on Amazon, Kobo, iBookstore and Google Play.
Local podcaster is up for a national award
Could it be time for our own stock exchange? The Brixton Pound café will tomorrow host a happening that combines the seemingly disparate worlds of art and finance, writes Olivia Cheves. Beyond the Brixton£, a “flux event” on April 29, is the brainchild of London-born artist Rupert James Baker (pictured). It will feature a talk on cryptocurrency from a finance professional, with responses from poets and dancers. Baker, who worked for Barclays Capital Markets during Margaret Thatcher’s governments, discovered crossovers between his interest in cryptocurrencies
– online currencies that operate independently of central banks – and local currencies like the B£. “We’re looking at what more we could do with the Brixton pound but within an art context, and trying to get local artists and experts involved,” explains Baker. “We want to ask: Is there anything else we could be doing here? Could we look at things like a localised Brixton stock exchange?” The happening is part of his exhibition, Securitize Me II – a mixed-media show that examines the personal pressures and
James (left) and Dan
feelings of entrapment in the financial sector through video installation and canvases pasted with Evo-Stik – once famous for its psychotropic rather than its adhesive qualities. “It might plant some more seeds or create some debate on what Brixton as a community can do to enhance its residency or protect itself from external threats,” says Baker.
James Barr from Brixton and his podcast partner Dan Hudson have been nominated for a British Podcast Award. A Gay and A NonGay has been nominated for best entertainment podcast at the inaugural awards. It began 18 months ago and is self-produced by Hudson, Barr and Talia Kraines. A Gay and a NonGay aims to “break down taboos and talk about the real struggles of a 20-30 something in 2017 life” – visit www.gaynongay.com. Hudson and Barr say: “In
a time filled with a rhetoric of hate from the people in power A Gay and a NonGay challenges differences head on and shows that “no matter who you are, or what you’re into (Bruce Springsteen or Britney), love is love and gay and nongays can be friends”. The Podcasts Awards celebrate work done by creators across the UK. Industry experts, including Radiotopia’s Julie Shapiro, Panoply UK’s Ryan Dilley and comedian and podcast presenter Josie Long make up the panel which selects
New releases …
Further afield …
South London two-piece Bad Parents – the collaboration of Misty Miller and Tom Shelton (right) – will be celebrating at the Windmill on Tuesday 9 May –not only their launch of their EP, but also Misty Miller’s birthday. They will be supported by the Honey Hahs and Karmacoma.
Battersea Arts Centre’s live music series Borderless will feature Sam Lee’s Singing With Nightingales – a duet between a live-streamed soundtrack of nightingales in a Sussex wood and folk singer Lee and friends. Borderless will celebrate homegrown talent as well as global artists, with music from grime to classical. BAC’s claim that the duet is a unique event may be a little wide of the mark. The BBC’s first ever outside broadcast in 1924 was famously of Beatrice Harrison, the greatest cellist of her day, accompanying nightingales in her Surrey garden. But some have been cruel enough
Brixton Hillbilly release their second double A-side disk this month, following the success of last year’s Hot Sauce Pony and Gaygirl release. HSP were recording a long way from Brixton Hill at
Chicago’s Electrical Audio studios earlier this year. Brixton Hillbilly says it is “A record label built out of need, out of love and out of pocket, to bring you the sounds of the town we love, bankrolled by the good people of Brixton Hill.” Feel It/We Can Be Friends by Hurtling and Creepy Neighbour releases on 1 May through Genepool/ RDJ Recordings. Anyone willing to travel North can hear Hurtling at a Loud Women night on 26 May at Surya in Islington.
nominations and winners. James and Dan said: “We’re so happy to be part of the British Podcast Awards and recognised in the best entertainment category, particularly as an independent production. “Our podcast gives a fun but important voice to many important issues around sexuality and friendship that are not represented elsewhere in the mainstream media – which makes it even more rewarding to be nominated. “It goes to show that you being you is the best you …”
to suggest that she was accompanying a skilled birdsong impersonator – the installation of the large and weighty live broadcast equipment of the time having scared off the nightingales. So maybe BAC is right after all … ■■ Tuesday 16 May 8pm – midnight. £30. www.bac.org.uk/samlee. Broadcaster and journalist Kate Adie headlines the volunteer-run Clapham Book Festival on 6 May which will also feature several local authors. Five events throughout the day at the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham Old Town will cover different genres of writing and introduce new writers, opening at 2pm.
MAY 2017
CREATIVE BRIXTON 17
brixtonblog.com
Celebrate with Sunshine Arts Sunshine Arts are celebrating 10 years on the road at Notting Hill Carnival this year and production (right) has already started at their C.A.F.E (Carnival Arts for Everyone) headquarters at Loughborough Junction. The Mas Band are feathering up with a “love” theme. Love … exit stage left … death of carnival. Intrigued? You can find out more and join the celebrations at the official launch on Saturday 6 May when there’s a special “meet the designer” session (12 – 3pm) at 209a Coldharbour Lane.
There’s also a tea and cake celebration on 3 May – C.A.F.E’s fifth birthday – all welcome 12 – 3pm. Organisers say: “It has been quite a journey bringing these railway arch spaces to life and we have our local and carnival community to thank. It has been five years of colourful Mas Camps, creative endeavours, community events and much laughter.” Sunshine Arts is one of the leading artistic, educational and carnival production companies in the UK. It develops local arts events and cultural projects in community.
BOWIE, BIKES AND BRIXTON Brixton artist Lamonte Johnson is creating bicycle art, taking the musical life of David Bowie. as his theme. Johnson, director of the Bling Ya Bike young entrepreneur charity, sees the artist on a journey, like riding a bicycle, and so arrived at the idea of a BowieBikes exhibition. “The life cycle ride is
©BowieBikes 2017
sometimes paved with smooth roads, sometimes bumpy roads with zigzags, hills or horizontal lines,” he says. “These differences direct the rider to his or her destination. But how many people take the time to read the road signs of life? Not many. But David Bowie did! “Art opened my eyes to the world around me and
the world within me. Art and fashion have given me an avenue to express my inner feelings. “Design I see as a window to self-expression that can teach and encourage growth in children, families and our communities.” ■■ For further information: lamontejohnson @blingyabike.com
Brockwell Art Services Quality Picture Framing 232-234 Railton Road, Herne Hill SE24 0JT Telephone 020 7274 7046 Open Monday to Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday 10am - 6pm Drop in and browse our large selection of frames and mounts and for any framing advice you may need. We also stock a large selection of contemporary work by local artists, including paintings, limited edition prints, giclées and greeting cards.
www.brockwellart.co.uk 38 Years in Herne Hill
The beach is back … Right now chilling is not necessarily something you’d want to do in a cool spot on a Brixton rooftop. But summer is on its way, they say, so get ready for some open-air action. The Prince of Wales is already shouting from the … er … rooftops about what it can
offer to outdoor types and Brixton Rooftop (above) on Popes Road will open for the season on Thursday 25 May. The theme is Cuba and rum punch will be the drink. And while Pop Brixton may not be a rooftop, it’s certainly open air.
This year Jim Davidson of Brockwell Art Services and Andrew Baker are tackling the 300 mile bike ride from London to Paris to help raise much needed funds for St Christopher’s Hospice. Jim would very much welcome your support at
www.justgiving.com/J–Davidson1
18 FOOD & DRINK
brixtonblog.com
2017 MAY DIY KITCHEN: RED PEA SOUP
One-pot comfort cooking at its best Local resident and owner of Treats & Ting, Emma-Louise Stewart shares her favourite healthy recipes Being of Jamaican descent, we grew up eating soup every Saturday and there was always some sort of pot on the stove. Red pea soup is one-pot comfort food at its best, perfect to eat all year round. If you want to lighten it up, then just remove the dumplings. All the ingredients can be found on our doorstep.
INGREDIENTS ¡¡ ¡¡ ¡¡ ¡¡ ¡¡
London: The Cookbook by Cara Frost-Sharratt, published by Frances Lincoln, an imprint of The Quarto Group
DIY KITCHEN: JAMAICAN PATTIES
INGREDIENTS
Street food by the book
Makes 10-12
Brixton favourite featured in London: The Cookbook
Invitation
Monday 8th May 7pm
Franzina in association with COS, is presenting a tasting of their delicious biodynamic and natural wines. There are only 16 places so DO get in touch! £20 per person
TRATTORIA FRANZINA, POP BRIXTON, 49 BRIXTON STATION ROAD SW9 8PQ. PHONE 07802 473 444 @POP BRIXTON INFO@FRANZINATRATTORIA.CO.UK
This month is
REAL W INE MONT H 201 Stefania & P 7
to discover thieetro invite you natural wines o biodynamic exciting winery f COS, an corner of Sicilyin the southeast SPECIAL PR . We will have ICE wines throughSouon COS t MAY SUPERB NATURAL WINES FROM VITTORIA
COS began life when three school friends from Vittoria - Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti and Pinuccia Strano - decided to start playing with grapes from their parents’ vineyards in 1980. Things grew, and after an ill-advised flirtation with new bariques, they realized that their terroirs were giving them something special, and that the grapes needed to be handled naturally in the cellar. As well as using mainly older barrels, they are also famous for the fact that they use 400 litre clay amphorae, sunk into the ground, for some of their red and white wine fermentations. They make a range of wines, and pretty much everything here is of interest.’
– wineanorak.com
LUNCH - DINNER - APERITIVO - TAKEAWAY - CATERING
¡¡ 400g plain flour ¡¡ 1 tsp salt, plus extra to season ¡¡ 50 ml cooking oil ¡¡ ½ tsp ground cumin ¡¡ 1 small onion, finely chopped ¡¡ ½ tsp red chilli powder ¡¡ ¼ tsp turmeric ¡¡ 3 medium potatoes, boiled and finely diced ¡¡ 75g frozen peas, thawed ¡¡ 2 tbsp chopped coriander ¡¡ beaten egg, to glaze
¡¡ ¡¡ ¡¡ ¡¡ ¡¡
600g potato 300g sweet potato 300g pumpkin 300g yam (all vegetables chopped to roughly 3cm² cubes) 200g chunkily chopped onion 2 tbsp rapeseed oil 2 tbsp all-purpose seasoning 1 tsp black pepper 1 tbsp mixed herbs
¡¡ 1 tbsp salt ¡¡ 1 can, undrained kidney beans (with salt) ¡¡ 1 can, coconut milk ¡¡ 1 litre water ¡¡ Fresh thyme to taste ¡¡ Dumpling ¡¡ 200g plain flour (gluten free optional) ¡¡ 100ml water ¡¡ 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning ¡¡ 1 tsp mixed herbs
METHOD METHOD Mix the flour with the salt and 2 tsp of the oil. Knead with water to form a smooth, soft dough. Divide the dough into golfball-sized balls, cover with a damp towel and set aside for 15–20 minutes. Heat the remaining oil, add the cumin and the onion and fry until it softens. Stir in chilli powder, turmeric, potatoes, peas, mix well and season with salt. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the coriander and set aside to cool to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 200°C (Gas mark 7). Lightly flour the work surface and roll out the dough to form flat circles about 5mm (¼-inch) thick. Place a heaped spoon of the filling onto each circle, leaving a border. Brush the beaten egg around the edge then fold over the patties, sealing well around the edges. Place the patties spaced apart on one or two large, greased baking trays. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown.
Heat 2 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large saucepan Add onion, cook for 2–3 minutes, then add all-purpose seasoning, salt, mixed herbs, black pepper Add the water and bring to the boil Add all the remaining vegetables and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes Add fresh thyme to taste and cook for a further 10 minutes Add kidney beans and simmer
for 10 minutes while you make the dumplings Mix flour, herbs and a pinch of all-purpose seasoning in a bowl and slowly add water Knead together until mix forms a dough, then roll into small dumplings (about the size of your thumb) Add dumplings to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes Add coconut milk and simmer for five minutes.
treatsandting.com
MAY 2017
FOOD & DRINK 19
brixtonblog.com REVIEW: ROSA’S THAI CAFÉ
Coming up Rosa’s
NEW IN TOWN: MIKOS
Greece is the word Mikos brings classic Souvlaki to town
Nowadays, the path from food truck entrepreneur to restaurant owner is less off-piste entry level, more a required rite of passage. Hugo Yoshida of Mikos fits the “trucker” bill. Former Edinburgh food truck host – “It was a drunken dare while at university, but it took off”, decamps to Melbourne, and becomes an evangelist for souvlaki. “I didn’t want to go into finance, I wanted to try something a bit more difficult, something more worthwhile.” In a world of street food inventions, souvlaki is one that doesn’t need inventing. It’s proper street food, from the street. For those, like me, who meandered (on a budget) around Paros, Naxos, Ios and Santorini, you were only a street corner away from your next souvlaki Apparently the first evidence of skewered meats, excavated in Santorini, dates back to before that Jesus guy. Marinated charcoal grilled meat (usually pork), wrapped in hot fresh pitta with tzatziki, onion and paprika. On every street corner. The only surprise is how long it has taken for a souvlaki bar to hit Brixton and how generally, Greek cuisine is so under-repped in London. With seats (funky orange retro French café stools) for about 15, in a stylish rendition of the retro formica café culture, Mikos is as much about pit-stop
refuels, takeaway grabs and deliveries. Take the roof off and it could be a street corner stall and tables. As we speak, the team is prepping the meats – dry rub, olive oil, lemon, oregano and fresh parsley and taking delivery from their Greek baker. The Mikos menu is so simple, so minimalist it makes a sea container pop-up menu seem like the entire works of Dostoyevsky. For now, choose from pork belly, BBQ chicken, halloumi and Portobello mushroom, oregano salted fries and Greek salad. That’s it. “The menu is super basic. We wanted to make sure we can get things absolutely right before branching out, but we’ll be rolling out lamb, beef, seafood and even swordfish.” The key is the charcoal grill for that authentic streety charred smokiness. With Hugo himself at the grill, we tried the pork belly and the chicken. £6 a pop. Super tender marinated meats, hint of char, fluffy hot pitta (not the lifeless supermarket ones), zingy yoghurt dressing, herbs, onion and a few oregano fries. The pork took us right back to Cycladian street corners while the chicken was arguably even better. One would be the perfect lunch size. “I think it’s a real social food,” says Hugo “and that’s the kind of place I’d like it this to be. I like the idea I can chat to people while cooking.” If you don’t pass Mikos on your daily Brixton, pop along Acre Lane for the world’s oldest street food, and Brixton’s latest.
128 Acre Lane, SW2 5RJ | 07398 535116 mikossouvlaki.co.uk | @mikossouvlaki
Nick Buglione takes the spice road to Rosa’s Thai cafe
I like the fact that I can just dive into Brixton and see what unfolds. These days, that’s despite living in a world where even a quick refuel requires scheduling and baby sitters. Tonight we start with happy hour at Market House (cocktails on a budget) before hitting the streets to see what happens next. I think master planners call this a “non-specific visitor destination”. We are all here, we may not have a plan but we are going to see where the evening takes us. This evening, it takes us to Rosa’s Thai Cafe. I am hoping for some classic Thai dining, but happy if there are a few surprises thrown in. Turns out that’s exactly what Saiphan Moore’s kitchen is all about. Trad family recipes and some interesting sideways detours. I know every meal out is supposed to be a riot of innovative dazzling gastronomy and Instagram food porn, but sometimes I don’t want to be challenged by innovation. I want to be cosily cuddled by comfort food. Take our starters, accompanied as they should be, by chilly beers. As well as old favourite Chang, Rosa’s also has local brews Atlantic APA and Electric IPA. Peek tai tod – spicy chicken wings with pandan leaves and a sweet chilli sauce were unsurprisingly good while Sai oua was a northern Thai grilled aromatic sausage with not a little kick of deep, dark spice. Interesting. The graffiti-clad room (courtesy of Brixton street artists Id-iom) is the latest in Rosa’s journey from East End street stall to metropolitan micro-chain. It’s all hustle, all bustle. The menu is infused with traditional pad thais, sizzling satay, curries, and I presume Saiphan and the team regularly raid Brixton market for raw materials. They are a chopstick’s length from the beating heart of the food market. We tried Pal lii suan, something of a Rosa’s signature dish. A whole baked fish immersed in lemongrass, ginger, galangal, cashews and chilli with
sturdy flavour flowing through the meaty fish. Nuar yang maintained the heat – chargrilled sirloin marinated in spice and chilli alongside steamed vegetables and drunken noodles – spicy flat noodles with “holy” basil
sauce and Thai herbs. Highlight of our evening was the fish, the one dish we ordered that took us out of a traditional Thai comfort zone. Rosa’s is not setting out to confound and surprise your run-of-the-mill diner.
Everything you would expect on a Thai menu is here, and any innovation or culinary modernity is subtle. There is definitely room in our dining kaleidoscope for good, affordable classic Asian dining. Instagram optional.
36 Atlantic Road, SW9 8JW | 020 3393 8562 | rosasthaicafe.com/brixton | @RosasThaiCafe
Here at Healthy Eaters we combine great tasting food with quick and friendly customer service. Every meal is as healthy as can be thanks to our low fat cooking techniques which lock in our uniquely succulent flavours. So drop in for take-away or stay to eat in. We are open lunchtime through the afternoon.
Healthy eaters
OR come back in the evening to enjoy our cocktails and Jamaican rum until 11pm, served with authentic jerk chicken to the sounds of sweet reggae music. Mmm . . . mmmm
17 Electric Avenue Brixton SW9 8JP Tel. 020 7274 4521
www.healthyeaters.co.uk
20 WHAT’S ON
brixtonblog.com
2017 MAY
Jamila Omar rounds up a May selection of what’s on in Brixton and nearby FRI 28 @ HAND IN HAND
Bringing you the very best in MOD, ska, soul, R&B and 60s beats at this friendly New Park Road pub. DJs Boy About Town, Liam Curtin, Sean Bright and Nanker Phlege at the controls. 8pm – 2am. Free.
SAT 29 @ DOGSTAR
AudioSushi is one of Brixton’s longest running Saturday nights spinning deep house, bass bangers, classics and shouts from the floor – a non stop full on HANDS IN THE AIR PARTY mix. 9pm to 3am. Free before 10, £5 after.
Julian Barratt looks for a serial killer
RITZY ROUNDUP
SUN 30 @ BROCKWELL LIDO
May is upon us and the taste of summer movies is coming round the bend. writes Nicola Jones
Leading the charge this month is British comedy MINDHORN (from 5 May). Julian Barratt of Mighty Boosh fame stars as a has-been actor, formerly the lead of a detective series. When a real serial killer will work only with him, he must bring his old character back to life and face his low-level life status. Filled with cameos, this is a great laugh to start the summer. Not to be out shone, Ridley Scott’s ALIEN: COVENANT arrives (from
12 May). Full to the brim with a nameheavy cast, the buzz around the followup to his Alien prequel film Prometheus is quite palpable. Time will tell as the fans begin dissecting his every frame. Also out from 12 May is British independent film THE LEVELLING and UK boxing drama JAWBONE. Next to arrive is Guy Ritchie’s KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD
(from 19 May) starring Charlie Hunnam as the routinely resurrected and recycled knight. My hopes are low for this one as there is simply nothing new to say about this story except to make it louder and more modern, which Ritchie apparently has done. A better use of time would be COLOSSAL (from 19 May) starring Anne Hathaway, which is getting tremendous reviews. In writer and director Nacho Vigalondo’s film Hathaway plays a woman who connects catastrophic events to her own mental breakdown. Alongside this watch British film SPACESHIP (from 19 May) about a faked teenage alien abduction and see what you think. Shiver my timbers it is another one. The fifth instalment of Disney’s moneymaker arrives this month with PIRATES
A festival celebrating 20th century design – MODERN MOVEMENT. A range of specially selected dealers and architects including Retro Barn, Dad Design, GP Lights & More, Da Silva Interiors and ID for London will be selling a variety of classic vintage furniture, jewellery and objets d’art, set against the backdrop of the Art Deco Grade II-listed Lido building. 10am – 4.30pm. Free.
MON 1 @ BRIXTON JAMM
A rare chance via an extra show to catch the legendary PETE DOCHERTY – Libertine, Babyshambler, musician, writer, poet and artist, and one of the most iconic UK artists of recent years. Doors 5pm. Curfew 8.30pm. £27.50.
TUE 2 @ PRINCE REGENT
The Prince Regent PUB QUIZ is held every Tuesday. Big cash prizes, free drinks questions and a rollover jackpot question that grows each week. Come down early because it’s first come, first served. 8pm.
WED 3 @ ILLUSIONEER THEATRE
Watch London’s most exciting crew of up and coming MAGICIANS at Herne Hill’s Illusioneer Theatre, “possibly the most enchanting place in south London” (Time Out). This intimate monthly show has begun to attract some attention recently due to its eclectic mix of cabaret, stand-up, and close-up magic. BYO. 8pm. £15.
THUR 4 @ KENNINGTON PARK CENTRE
OF THE CARRIBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES (from 26 May). Conversely Oscar nominated animated film THE RED TURTLE (from 26 May) offers a quieter look at island life. There is no dialogue in the film, so be prepared.
Kennington Park and Stockwell Community Centres are threatened with closure. Both are at the heart of their communities, hosting many activities, and are the only space where local people can come together for weddings, children’s parties, social events and tenants’ meetings. Come and show your support at a FREE FILM SHOW of Ken Loache’s I, Daniel Blake. Bucket collection and refreshments. 7-9pm. Free.
A Nicola Jones is a freelance writer whose website asophisticatednoise.com covers film reviews, trailers, and industry news. She can be found tweeting @MzJones © LEE COGSWELL/PAPER CAROUSEL
FRI 5 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON
A huge one-off gig celebrating five years of legendary London club night SYSTEM. Founder V.I.V.E.K. built his own sound system in response to a lack of intimate clubs to experience the full heft of his music. With special guests D Bridge, Alix Perez and Iration Steppas. 10pm to 6am. £9.50 to £22.50.
SAT 6 @ MARKET HOUSE
Rob Davy and Dylan Barnes, purveyors of the finest quality dance music, have been making music together as MUTINY for the past 11 years. They take over the decks at Market House to spin a floor-filling mix of funk, disco, hip-hop, grooves and house. 10pm til late. Free before 10, £5 after.
SUN 7 @ EFFRA HALL TAVERN Johnny Harris and Michael Smiley in Jawbone
Do The Right Thing … Ritzy staff and others employed by the giant Cineworld corporation are calling for a boycott of the Ritzy, East Dulwich Picturehouse and other cinemas in the Picturehouse chain that do not pay the London Living Wage – see page 5
A great weekly LIVE JAZZ SESSION at this welcoming, intimate local Brixton pub, which has retained its original friendly vibe and genuine atmosphere for many a year. 8 to 11pm. Free.
MON 8 @ POP BRIXTON
Daddy, Mummy & Me TODDLER YOGA. Focusing on the children with the encouragement of parents. Includes breathing games, yoga postures, singing, stories, yoga games and music. Suitable for parents/ guardians and children. 11-11.45 am. Free.
TUE 9 @ EFFRA SOCIAL
Tuesdays mean nothing other than PUB QUIZ. Tommy McArdle hosts one of the busiest quizzes in Brixton, with a cash prize for first place and boobie prizes for second and second to last place. Starts at 8pm, £2 per person.
WED 10 @ BLUES KITCHEN
Swing Night and Double Down. Jump, JIVE and Wail your night away. 8pm til midnight. Free.
THUR 11 @ MARKET HOUSE
House of Idiot is an ALTERNATIVE COMEDY show held upstairs at Market House every Wednesday. It’s a night for the weird and wonderful, with sketch, character, musical comedy, clown, cabaret and more. 8pm. Free.
FRI 12 @ PRINCE OF WALES
HIP-HOP VS RNB in East London claims to be the most popular night in the capital. Now it’s at The Prince with DJ Semtex, CJ Beatz, DJ Cable and Janeen Beanz. 10pm – 4am. £4 early bird, £6 advance, £10 door.
SAT 13 @ BRIXTON POUND CAFE
Let’s Laugh is a COMEDY ACT in the heart of Brixton. The line-ups feature a mixture of newer up and coming acts alongside more established ones working on new material. It’s free to get in and you can bring your own booze. What’s not to love? Doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start. Free.
SUN 14 @ BAR 414
Grassroots Live Music. A weekly Sunday night that looks set to encourage and inspire local GRASSROOTS TALENT. UB40 trumpeter Patrick Anthony leads the experienced house band, with resident DJs and Caribbean food available too. 10pm 3am. Free.
MON 15 @ EFFRA SOCIAL
Comedy improvisation show Duck Duck Goose host their IMPROV JAM plus guests in the Effra Social’s Churchill Lounge each and every Monday. You can watch or join in! From 7.30pm. Free.
TUE 16 @ POP BRIXTON
Each Tuesday, take the “work” out of workout, by mixing low-intensity and high intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning dance fitness party, otherwise known as ZUMBA. 6.15 - 8.25pm. £10.
WED 17 @ HOOTANANNY
The Floor Rippers’s Element Jam Monthly offers a glimpse into the Hip Hop culture with music, dance and wordplay. Musicians, dancers, MCs and fans get together, BATTLE AND JAM in a melting-pot of talent and culture. 9pm to midnight. Free.
THUR 18 @ WHIRLED CINEMA
In this modern cinematic take on the Hollywood musical from Damien Chazelle (the Academy Award-nominated writer and director of Whiplash), LA LA LAND stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as Sebastian and Mia who are drawn together by their common desire to do what they love. 8pm.
FRI 19 @ THE PORTICO GALLERY
Folk Of The Wood’s HOEDOWN CEILIDH stars banjo step dancing powerhouse Stompin’ Dave Allen who The Telegraph called “A master of all kinds of American roots” plus hosts Ceilidh Tree (“London’s finest ceilidh band” – Evening Standard) who will be getting jiggy with Appalachian fiddle, bluegrass accordion grooves and boot scoopin’ U.S inspired dance sets with a caller to show you the moves – all abilities welcome! 7pm to 11pm. £7 to £12.
SAT 20 @ GIDA COLLECTIVE
Join Artist Dionne Ible at this Loughborough Road venue for a drop-in MOSAIC TASTER CLASS and learn how to create your own piece of art. Adults and children over 12 welcome. 1pm to 3pm. £5. ☛☛ continued page 22
22 WHAT’S ON
brixtonblog.com BROCKWELL GREENHOUSES May Fete Saturday 6 May
☛☛ from page 20
1- 5pm. Celebrate the start of May with Maypole dancing, folk music, cob oven pizzas, home-made cakes and biscuits, traditional games and crafts.
SUN 21 @ BRIXTON JAMM
Productive Garden Workshops
MON 22 @ POP BRIXTON
Outdoor learning and play for children
This week Sunday Jamm hosts the legendary bass-heavy CHANNEL ONE SOUNDSYSTEM. This is the ultimate Brixton “Sunday Funday” spot for those who want to chill out with pals or shake off any remaining weekend energy. Great pizzas, jerk chicken, meal and drinks deals. 2pm to midnight. Free before 5pm, £5-£7 after.
Held every Monday, a fun, challenging and exhilarating CAPOEIRA inspired bodyweight conditioning class called i.flo (i.feelove) – filled with efficient exercise routines and techniques, designed to aid beginners into the art of Capoeira. Led by Baris. 7.45 – 9.15pm. £10.
TUE 23 @ BLUES KITCHEN
Calling all pickers and pluckers, BLUEGRASS NIGHT is here. Open until midnight. Free.
WED 24 @ BRIXTON ACADEMY
Two of the biggest names in HIP HOP will be taking over the Brixton Academy as Migos and Lil Yachty perform their respective hit singles and many other hits, including Lil Yatchy’s Minnesota and 1 Night. Doors 7pm. £46.25.
THUR 25 @ HOOTANANNY Roots Rock REGGAE Special. Live from Jamaica comes Sparky Rugged, plus Ibis Lawrence, backed by the Artist Band. 9pm – 3am. £3.
FRI 26 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON
ESG began life when the mother of the SCROGGINS SISTERS, afraid of the life of crime that awaited them on the streets of The Bronx, presented her daughters with some basic instruments and encouraged them to make music together. Their unique sound immediately spread right across Europe, with Tony Wilson’s Factory records releasing their debut EP in 1981. This exclusive UK show from ESG will mark their only scheduled appearance for 2017. 7pm to 10.30pm. £24.
Last two Sunday mornings of the month from 10am to midday Sunday 21 May Container gardening. Learn how to make your own planters including vertical planters for greening walls. Take any spare leaky Wellington boots with you. Sunday 28 May Learn how to create attractive willow and hazel screens and supports for your plants. Saturday 20 May 10.30am–12.30pm, get up close and personal with creatures that creep, crawl, slither and slide. Children of all ages welcome. Tuesday 30 May 10.30am – 12.30pm, Sensory Explorers, engage all your senses to take in the sights, sounds, textures, tastes and smells of the gardens. Children of all ages welcome. Wednesday 31 May 10.30am – 12.30pm, Help to mark London Tree Week. There will be blindfolded tree-hugging, a mirror walk, folklore trail, and nature crafts. Aimed at children five and above, but younger siblings welcome.
MON 29 @ THE COMMERCIAL
This friendly Herne Hill pub hosts a weekly QUIZ every Monday evening with cash prizes and wine up for grabs. 8 – 11pm. £2.
TUE 30 @ UPSTAIRS AT RITZY
Film collective TAPE curates screenings for some of the best movies from the film festival and cult cinema scene and this month presents an intimate look into the formative years of one of football’s greatest ever players – Swedish talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the film Becoming Zlatan. Film 7.30pm. DJ from 9pm. £8.
WED 31 @ HOOTANANNY
Celebrate one year of SPAGHETTI NIGHT, hosted by DJ Cienfuegos, guests include Dub Experience, Sinisa Eskapone, Rah Stars Project, Rastacla MC and Manlio Calafrocampano. 9pm to 2am. Free.
CRESSINGHAM GARDENS No apologies for publishing another of the great photographs that will celebrate the lives of residents of the Cressingham Gardens estate – which is due to be demolished and rebuilt by Lambeth council. They will be exhibited on large PVC sheets outside buildings there in an exhibition opening on 1 June. Funded by Arts Council England and the London Festival of Architecture, Sanctum Ephemeral is the work of local resident and artist Mark Aitken. BENEATH THE SURFACE at Animali Domestici, 1b Saltoun Road, is an exhibition by local fashion designer Isabel Fletcher who uses recycled carpet underlay in her garments. She has teamed up with dancers to launch her collection with evening shows on Thursday 11 and Saturday 13 May from 7 to 9pm and a static exhibition on Friday 12 and Sunday 14 May from 11am to 7pm. “The underlay is made by mixing recycled wool and jute fibres which is good for us and for the planet,” she says. The collection also includes jewellery made from vintage bed springs. Isabel is gathering ideas for her next project and looking to meet other creative individuals, from any industry, who are open to collaboration.
Screen printing workshops for adults Friday 26 May 11am – 1pm and Thursday 22 June 6.30pm – 8.30pm. Screen printing workshops with local artist Nicole Line.
Sunday pizzas
Sunday 21 May Baking pizzas in the greenhouses’ cob oven. Organisers are appealing for hardwood, if anyone has any to spare, to warm up the oven.
Stall in Herne Hill Market
Sunday 30 April, Sunday 21 May and Sunday 11 June The stall will be in Brockwell Passage opposite Herne Hill Books which runs between Railton and Dulwich Roads. AA Plus more fun family sessions coming up over the summer. Check www.brockwellgreenhouses.org.uk/event/ for details.
RUSKIN PARK
HOUSE OF BOTTLES The best off-licence in the heart of Brixton (opposite Market House between Brixton Road and Atlantic Road)
420 Coldharbour Lane BRIXTON SW9 8LF
Tony says drop by and say hello! We are open all hours and you are very welcome.
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SUN 28 @ CAFE CAIRO
Every Sunday evening you can catch a FREE MOVIE at the fantastically quirky Café Cairo. Check their Facebook page for which films they have in store each week. 7.30 to 11pm. Free.
2017 MAY
SNAP INTO IT
As if you needed an excuse to visit Ruskin Park – but here’s a good one. Entries for the fifth Friends of Ruskin Park photography competition need to be in by 6pm on 31 May. The theme of the competition is “What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare”. First prize is a year’s membership of Tate galleries with £50 and £25 going to runners-up. There is an under-16 section with the theme “Colour in Ruskin Park” with a £75 Amazon voucher prize. Camberwell library will host an exhibition of winning works from 4 June to 2 July. AA Details at bit.ly/FoRP_photo17. ABOVE: The 2014 overall and under-16 winning image on the theme “Portraits” by Jess Griffiths
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FREE local delivery within 2 miles for orders over £60
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MAY 2017
COLUMNS 23
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GEMMA PASHA
FRANKIE HOLAH
An ‘ever’ green garden
Mum’s the word
I have to admit it is my very favourite time of year – spring! So full of hope and life – and it is so nice to sit back and marvel at the beauty of nature. A walk outside meant snowdrops, then daffodils and now bluebells … and, as the garden bursts into life, it is hard not to think that the beauty is all too fleeting. I was often sad as the last petal of blossom fell from the cherry tree, as it was over for another year. Then I decided to try and create a garden space where there was always something going on, all year round, not just in spring and summer. There are plants that thrive in the colder wintery months and I now realise that flowers are not exclusive to the warmer weather. The first step is to choose to plant mainly evergreen plants. They don’t lose their leaves in winter so the garden never has that depressing bare look to it. When you are planting your bulbs, plants ones that flower at different times of the year. For example, daffodils come in early spring, followed by tulips. But if you plant cosmos or anemones they won’t come up until July or August. When choosing shrubs, look for evergreen and perhaps winter flowering … something like a fuji cherry or a jasmine. If you have a rose bush, make sure you dead head the roses regularly and this will
Earlier this year, alongside a great friend of mine, I co-founded MumPowered – an already growing community for amazing mums with a mission to inform and inspire. Alongside our blog (MumPowered.com) I run a weekly postnatal bootcamp in Brockwell Park, to improve strength and fitness post bubba, using bodyweight training. Our outdoor sessions provide a supportive and fun environment whatever your fitness level, and, to top it off, you’re surrounded by other fabulous mummas. Babies are obviously welcome and I am always on hand for cuddles and feeding duty if required. We want you to make the most of your session with us, so slip on your kit and join us in the park … At MumPowered we believe not in trying to get back the old body, but building a stronger and more athletic version of a body which is,
encourage the plant to produce flowers for probably nine or 10 months of the year. Here is how an evergreen garden might look …
JAN/FEB – camillia, snowdrops, viburnum MARCH/APRIL – magnolia, daffodils and tulips, wisteria
MAY/JUNE – hydrangea, roses, cosmos
JULY/AUGUST – hibiscus, salvia
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER – passionflower, anemone
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER –
jasmine, hellebores.
Look after your plants and they will look after you. Keep your plants well trimmed and dead-headed; give your compost a boost each year with either topsoil or manure, and you can enjoy an evergreen garden! 66If you need help with choosing plants or maintaining your garden, then please call The Gardening Girl on 07826 551353. Reliable and Reasonable!
to be honest, already bad ass … you grew a human! Encouraging women to look after and love their bodies has been a passion since I started coaching. If you would like to come along, we meet outside Brockwell Lido every Wednesday and Friday at 10:30am – Sessions are 45 minutes and include a thorough warm up and cool down before and after the workout – £10 per person. Book online at MumPowered.co.uk You can follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @MumPowered as well as contact us by email: info@mumpowered.com if you have any questions
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BRIXTON
Bugle SPORT Intrepid charity riders tackle Cobble Monster and South London Alps By Simon Still After taking a year off, The London Classic bike ride was back for 2017 as the CobbleMonster. Organised by Brixton Cycles Club, it raises cash for Evelina London Children’s Hospital and pitches itself as London’s original “Urbosportive”. CobbleMonster is named in honour of the Paris-Roubaix bike race, which takes place on the same day. Over its 56km length it covers 28 sections of cobbles (or pavé) that the organisers have tracked down in the less travelled streets of London. The 8am start was fairly notional with a slow and social atmosphere over registration at the Gypsy Hill Tavern reinforcing that this was in no way a race. That was also evident from the wide variety of bikes on display – as well as expensive looking carbon and a stunning steel road bike in metallic red, gold and green there were some fat-tyres and a very heavy looking cargo bike complete with sound
system. To widen the range of entrants further Gwyn the spaniel completed the route in her owner’s front basket. Riders meandered through the back streets of the City and east-end (with a near-mandatory stop at the Look Mum No Hands cycle cafe) enjoying the sun and unseasonal warmth before coming back through Wapping to cross Tower Bridge. Further sections of cobbles were found on the way to Greenwich before tired legs tackled the “South London Alps” – the steepest roads of South London – on the return to Gypsy Hill. Back at the Gypsy Hill tavern the Paris-Roubaix race was showing on the big screen and both barbeque and bar were busy. The raffle, with prizes donated by Brixton Cycles, put more money in the charity pot. Greg Van Avermaat may have claimed his first victory in the fastest ever Paris-Roubaix but everyone here seemed happy with their own result at London’s friendliest cycle event.
‘I used to live just over there …’ Levi Roots talking to young footballers in Brockwell Park
Brixton project launches national holiday ‘Fit and Fed’ programme Reggae Reggae Sauce entrepreneur Levi Roots and local MP Helen Hayes (Labour, Dulwich and West Norwood) were on hand last month to help Brixton’s St. Matthews Project launch a national food and fitness programme through its Easter football tournament. Levi Roots grew up in the Tulse Hill Estate across the road from Brockwell Park where the launch took place. He took the time to talk to each of the groups training in the park, telling them to keep their focus and, above all, to be themselves. The St. Matthews Project, which has been running for 12 years, each week offers activities, development opportunities and support to 160 young
people on and off the pitch. It has been organising food and activity sessions for the past couple of years. The charity StreetGames is helping other projects to follow
St Matthew’s example with its national programme Fit and Fed which will tackle holiday hunger, isolation and inactivity by providing free activity sessions with food. The campaign said that the poorest families are hit hard in the school holidays, when their food bill can increase by £30 or £40. The programme is due to launch in time for the summer holidays in July this year, helping 7,500 children in 250 disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The 78 young people who took part not only played football but, as part of the programme, also got lunch provided by EAT and FareShare and prepared by mums from the St Matthew’s Project.
International football in Dulwich (but not the Hamlet) International football comes to Peckham Town Football Club on Saturday 6 May (3pm KO) when Somaliland will be at the Menace Arena to play an end-of-season charity friendly. Entry will be by donation and all proceeds raised on the day will be split between the Disasters Emergency Committee East Africa Crisis Appeal and
Somaliland Lifemakers, a youth organisation that encourages young people to volunteer and participate in humanitarian projects in the country. Peckham Town chair Bryan Hall said: “It’s an honour to host international football at the Menace Arena. “I hope that many in the local community, fans of other clubs and Somalis
from near and far turn out to support both teams. “I am confident we can raise a good sum of funds that will help saves lives in this really difficult time for Somalis and other countries in east Africa.” Menace Arena, is at the south end of Dulwich Common just off the South Circular Road. The nearest train station is West Dulwich, P4 & P13 buses
stop outside the ground and buses 3, 176, 185, 197 and 201 stop nearby. Somaliland, a small self-declared republic in East Africa, is not a member of a big football body like FIFA. All players in its team are of Somaliland origin and will be coming from amateur teams from all over the UK, including Coventry, Bristol and Cardiff.
At least two Brixton runners completed the London Marathon to raise funds for charity. David Rushton (right), 47 – who has epilepsy – completed his first London Marathon to raise £1,800 with his 5 hours 43 minutes run which will go to Epilepsy Action which supports the
600,000 people with epilepsy in the UK. Nick Rymer (left), a 29-year-old social worker raised more than £4,000 for the Children’s Society in 4 hour 21 minutes. ■■ See justgiving.com/ fundraising/NickRymer. ■■ See epilepsy.org.uk/ events.
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 eg Robin, Samwise Gamgee and Dr Watson (8) 7 Flying (8) 8 1 down consecutive days (4) 9 A brightening star (4) 10 Marvels (7) 12 Song from The Graduate (3,8) 14 A arch of 1 down colours (7) 16 Leave out (4) 19 1 down minus 3 (4) 20 Neither flats nor sharps (8) 21 1 down traditional Christian vices (7,4)
DOWN 1 The fourth prime number (5) 2 Snow White’s 1 down 1 across (7) 3 Knot wool on needles (4) 4 Central African river (5) 5 Stitched (5) 6 A nerve cell (6) 11 Swaddled (8) 12 Pasture (6) 13 Japanese warrior (7) 15 Pluck (5) 17 Stories (5) 18 Stop (4)
Solution will be published on the Brixton Blog on 20 May