Brixton Bugle May 2019

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BRIXTON BUGLE YOUR FREE

No 72 | MAY 2019

Published monthly in and for Brixton

ISSN 2397-852X

COMMUNITY PAPER

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It’s time for the Brixton Bugle and Blog Summer ART SHOW – Details page 9

CITIZENS IN BRIXTON Lambeth mayor Christopher Wellbelove welcomes new British citizens to Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton

By Linda Quinn

As national politicians continued their efforts to implement or unravel Brexit, Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton hosted one of its regular ceremonies to welcome new citizens to Britain. Mayor Christopher Wellbelove told them: “Lambeth is renowned for welcoming new communities. It was the destination of choice of the Windrush generation and

REPORT: Page 2 more recently has welcomed Polish Portuguese and Somali peoples. “I’m very proud to be mayor of such a welcoming borough and now welcome you. “You bring new experiences and energy that will help shape a brighter future for us all. “Lambeth, the borough of which I am very proud to be Mayor’ is founded on shared values – freedom of speech, tolerance, respect of others, active participation in community life and commitment to equality of opportunity for all. AA Brexit jobs risk for Brixton: p11

WINE WON’T HELP YOU MOVE HOUSE.

VIVIEN FOR ENGLAND

Afewee fighter is going places 24

HOPPING AND SHOPPING Meet the London Beer Lab

HI-FIVE HELEN

Meet Helen McDonald

TAKE TEA AND TANGO … at a town hall tea dance

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2  NEWS brixtonblog.com 2019 MAY

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

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Jenny Shramenko 07811 878394 jenny@brixtonblog.com Circulation 12,500 copies Readership: circa 15,000 EDITOR Linda Quinn linda@brixtonblog.com NEWS EDITOR Anna McKie newsdesk@brixtonblog.com ARTS & FEATURES arts@brixtonblog.com MUSIC Dave Randall music@brixtonblog.com FOOD Nick Buglione food@brixtonblog.com SPORT Sandra Brobbey sport@brixtonblog.com ISSUE 72 Contributors Richard Allen Emma Bartley Pam Douglas Abby Jones Leslie Manasseh Jamila Omar Gemma Pashal Dave Randall Delores William Catherine Wiltshire Sub-editor: Jamila Omar Production: Alan Slingsby Distribution: Philip King A massive thank you to everybody involved in making this issue, and the Blog & Bugle project, a success If you would like to be a Bugle stockist please email distribution@brixtonblog.com

Brixton does what Brixton does best … welcoming new citizens Linda Quinn sits in on one of the regular Lambeth Town Hall ceremonies to welcome new citizens to Britain It’s a sunny Wednesday morning in Brixton and a momentous day for the 48 people who are about to be “conferred with the honour of British citizenship”. It’s a touching ceremony that combines the arcane with a thoroughly modern concept of citizenship. The new citizens are welcomed on behalf of the government of Queen Elizabeth II and Lambeth council and have to swear or affirm allegiance to the Queen “her heirs and successors according to the law”. For those present this is the final step to becoming a British citizen. Taking part were Europeans who have settled here but whose future is uncertain as a result of Brexit. They were joined by Africans, Asians, New Zealanders, Australians and Brazilians, One of those receiving citizenship told the mayor it was a relief, “I’m so happy now I’ve got that security.” They are as diverse a group as the Lambeth citizens they are about to join. Mayor Christopher Wellbelove has presided over citizenship ceremonies at a rate of one a week. That equates roughly to 2,500 new citizens. He welcomed the new citizens to a borough with a rich history. “Today you become part of that history. The fact that so many different people, cultures, languages and

views can live in one place is our greatest strength. In the modern world and challenges we face as individuals we must live together, supporting one another.” Wellbelove said Lambeth’s proud history included the Anti slavery campaign based here in the eighteenth century. Many well-known actors, writers poets, musicians and politicians have lived and worked in Lambeth. Charlie Chaplin, William Blake, John Major and David Bowie started from humble beginnings in our borough. “Lambeth is renowned for welcoming new communities. It was the destination of choice of the Windrush generation and more recently has welcomed Polish Portuguese and Somali peoples. “I’m very proud to be mayor of such a welcoming borough and now welcome you. You bring new experiences and energy that will help shape a brighter future for us all. “Lambeth, the borough of which I am very proud to be mayor, is founded on shared values – freedom of speech, tolerance, respect of others, active participation in community life and commitment to equality of opportunity for all. “Today it is my honour to welcome you officially to our borough and to the UK as formal and equal citizens. May you and your family flourish.” Wellbelove; who is about to stand down as mayor; says he has loved doing the citizenship ceremonies. It’s part of a tradition of welcoming people that he’s proud of. The other thing he is most proud of is the work he has been able to do during his year in office to support his chosen mental health charity, Mosaic, which is based in Brixton.

Labour’s majority in by election is 19 votes Labour scored a narrow win in the Thornton ward by election for Lambeth council in April. On a very low turnout of 25.5%, the party’s Nanda Manley-Browne (right), who grew up in Brixton, beat the Lib Dems’ Mathew Bryant into second place by 998 to 979 votes – a majority of just 19. Thirdplaced Green candidate Adrian Audley got 171 votes and Conservative Martin Read 166. The by election in the ward that contains much of the Clapham Park estate was caused by the resignation of former Lambeth council leader Lib Peck to take up an all-London role tacking youth violence. UKIP’s John Plum came last with 39 votes, below Leila Fazal of the locally based Women’s Equality Party with 53 votes.

Local Labour parties had recently urged members to drop other activity to campaign in the by election and local Greater London Authority member Florence Eshalomi also appealed for help to get the Labour vote out. “I have known Nanda for over 29 years as we both attended St Helen’s primary school and grew up in the same part of Brixton,” she said. “I have worked locally and nationally to ensure that more BAME (Black and minority ethnic) working-class women get involved in politics and, although we must never allow ourselves to become complacent, I am proud that we have a strong track record of supporting local working class BAME women in Lambeth.”

Tim Briggs (left) and Daniel Fitzgerald, chair of the Hurst & Meath Residents Association, listen to Lisa Mckenzie

Housing meeting attracts wide range of opponents of estate demolitions Organisers of meetings to oppose the demolition and rebuilding of Lambeth housing estates, including Cressingham Gardens in Tulse Hill, have brought forward their next one from September to June following a big turnout at the initial meeting in March. It saw Tim Briggs, Lambeth council’s only Conservative member, sharing a platform with campaigners, academics and activists as well as members of the Green and Liberal Democrat parties. Briggs told the meeting that Lambeth council would borrow £360 million via its housing “vehicle” Homes for

Lambeth when this was risky and unnecessary because the Conservative government had removed the cap on councils borrowing money for housing. Cressingham Gardens resident Andy Plant said that the planned new buildings on the estate would be higher than the existing ones and destroy the “out in the country” feel of Brockwell Park. Lisa Mckenzie, a London School of Economics research fellow said: “We all own council estates, even if we don’t live on them. It’s like the NHS. And we should be fighting for them like we fight for the NHS.”

MAY 2019 brixtonblog.com NEWS  3

LOCAL ACTIVISTS TO THE FORE IN XR PROTEST Lambeth and Brixton members of the Extinction Rebellion(XR) campaign took part in the recent protests in London that closed roads and led to dozens of arrests. They set up a road block (below) at Marble Arch. XR Lambeth were first on the scene at the start of the “international rebellion” on 15 April from 9:30am. With other London XR groups they stepped in front of traffic with banners to block the roads to Marble Arch and prevent access. Thousands

of people from other XR local groups from across the UK and London moved to block different city areas through the morning until sections of the city were shut to traffic. A number of members took the week off work and camped on the road, at risk of arrest, for as long as they could. RIGHT: primary school pupils, mostly from St Jude’s C of E primary, rallied in Windrush Square in March at an event organised by Lambeth for a Cool Planet.

Bravo’s four-year battle to open Brixton launderette By Alan Slingsby A Brixton trader famous for his dedication to the community he serves has been locked out of his Railton Road launderette by Lambeth council, costing him many thousands of pounds. Dorrell Bravo – known to one and all as Bravo – has suffered a succession of financial blows as a result of actions by the council. He is no ordinary trader, but a man whose Tumbles launderette was a community hub. Letters and articles in the Bugle dating back more than five years attest to his popularity and determination to, in his own words, “give back something to the community”. He may work from 7.30am to 9 or 10 at night, making sure that his customers, many of them elderly and frail, have clean clothes and bedding. He collects and delivers laundry from people unable or too busy to get to his launderette and continues to do so from another Tumbles in Camberwell. His troubles with the council began in early 2014 after Tumbles’ then premises were redeveloped for housing. The council agreed to lease Tumbles new premises on Railton Road. But they were it a bad state and, says Bravo, the agreement was that the council would grant planning permission for a launderette there if he sorted out the building. Then began a catalogue of confusion and blunders that is still continuing and which saw Bravo locked out of his business by bailiffs at 5am one morning. He got possession of the building in December 2014. Work on it took six months and cost £37,000. One of the changes that Bravo made was to build a small shed to house dry-cleaning machines. Permission for this was sought from the council and agreed by it in writing, he says. Only after the shed was built did the council tell him that one of his neighbours was a cancer sufferer and that the machines could not be used because of the effect their emissions might have on her. Requests for more information from Bravo, his architect and solicitor went unanswered. Instead, he says: “They have given us hurdles to jump for four years. Every time we think we are going to get through to opening again, we get knocked back. “Over the years it has cost me £260,000.” One hurdle was a letter Bravo received in

Bravo in his Camberwell premises 2017, telling him that he was being investigated by the council planning department for putting up the shed he had received written permission to erect from the council in 2015. Another was objections from the council to equipment set up by Bravo and his brother, a qualified engineer, to use recycled rainwater in the launderette. Tumbles would have cut its water bill from £300 to £80 a months. But the council objected and Bravo was another £2,800 out of pocket. Eventually a council inspector actually visited the premises and said the scheme was OK. But it was yet another six-month delay for Bravo’s dream – and all the time he was losing money by not being able to trade from the Railton Road premises. It was about this time that the council – through its agent Lambert Smith Hampton, a large property company, told Bravo to stop paying rent while he was being “investigated”. Bravo put aside money to cover his rent against the time that he might be allowed back. That day was 3 January this year – more than four years after he was first given possession of the building. But Bravo’s troubles were only to worsen. “By the end of January we were closed again,” he says. With no prior warning from the council, bailiffs arrived to evict Bravo. They told him it was because he owed rent to Lambeth council. A few days later the bailiffs were back at 5am, again without notice. They placed an external lock on the premises. Bravo could not get in to retrieve customers’ clothes and bedding and eventually had to pay them a total of £3,800 in compensation.

He was told that the council needed £14,000 immediately to allow Bravo back in. He had put aside £10,000, believing that this would cover all unpaid rent – even though he had not been able to use the building. Bravo says it took his solicitor – an experienced practitioner who is familiar with his case and used to dealing with local authorities – a full week to find someone at the council who knew anything about the case. The council then told Bravo that he would have to sign a new lease with his rent doubled. “We’re not making big money,” says Bravo. ”We provide a service for the community. We’re not doing anything wrong. The council should be supporting us instead of knocking us. The council should remember, he says, that “we were paying rent until you stopped us”. In April, Bravo took the council to court and was told that the council would lift the ban on him entering the premises – as long as he paid the £14,000. He has paid £7,000 and was looking for the rest by the end of the month. The court case has cost him about £10,000 in legal fees. As the Bugle was going to press, Bravo was due to set off to attend the funeral of an aunt in Jamaica. He hopes that on his return he will be able to start trading in Brixton and providing its community with the unique service that has made him such a loved and admired figure. It is a hope shared by his many customers and friends – some of whom supported him with loans during his troubles. A Lambeth council spokesman said: “The council, including local councillors, are working closely with Mr Bravo to help get his dry cleaning and laundrette business back up and running. “It is important that any fumes and smells emanating from business premises are properly managed so they don’t adversely affect neighbours and the wider neighbourhood. “We hope that once this issue, and others in relation to the property, are addressed we will be able to agree a new lease that will put this business on a firm footing for the future.”

The closed Tumbles premises on Railton Road

Council says it will increase parking fees based on emission ratings By Catherine Wiltshire Lambeth council says it is going to increase parking permit and on-street charges to reduce emissions and improve air quality. A policy document says the council wants to encourage a move away from vehicle use and ownership and to promote the use of public transport, cycling and walking as alternatives. Brixton Road regularly breaches EU pollution limits on nitrogen dioxide and is one of the most polluted areas in Europe. Cllr Claire Holland, cabinet member for environment and clean air, said: “Toxic air is a silent killer and we are committed to tackling this issue through a whole range of measures.” The council is planning “emissions-based parking charges” that were outlined in its Lambeth Air Quality Action Plan. As part of this plan, the council has installed more than 100 electric vehicle charging points in the last year alone, to encourage the use of electric vehicles. The changes in fees and charges will take effect on 1 June with the maximum increase for a 12-month residents permit at around £6. According to the council, although permit prices were increased in April 2018 on-street parking has not risen since 2011 and they will be raised to reflect inflation at a maximum increase of 60p an hour.

‘School street’ trial

Lambeth council is inviting responses to a consultation on a “school street” scheme around Jessop primary in Herne Hill. School streets are timed road closures around schools designed to reduce road danger and to encourage active travel. The deadline for responses to the consultation is 11pm on Tuesday 23 April. The plan is to close Lowden Road between its junctions with Milkwood Road and Heron Road, during term-time weekdays from 8am to 9am and 3pm to 4pm. Residents, emergency services and disabled badge holders will have access. The closure will be tested from 29 April to the end of the summer term in July when the trial will be reviewed. AA See http://bit.ly/Jessop-school-street

4  SOCIETY brixtonblog.com 2019 MAY

Sacked Ritzy worker wins key tribunal case We’ll be back, say Brixton fur activists Animal rights activists who demonstrated outside and inside the Flannels store in Pope’s Road Brixton are planning more protests there. Some of them disrupted the store by walking in and telling shoppers about the horrors of the fur industry. Outside, they used TV screens to show footage and handed out 800 leaflets to passers-by. Several members of the public joined in the protest. The demonstration was organised by an independent

anti-fur group whose members also campaign three times a week at the West End store of Canada Goose in Regent Street in support of the national anti-fur campaign, Stop Fur at Flannels. The campaigners said that fur farms were made illegal in the UK 19 years ago because of their barbarity. Leg traps that are used to catch wild animals have been illegal in the UK since the 1950s. They accused Flannels – part of the shopping empire of Mike Ashley, who has bought House of

WINDRUSH GRANTS

Lambeth is one of 50 community groups and local authorities to share £500,000 to host events to celebrate Windrush Day. The awards were announced last month by the communities minister Lord Bourne. Brixton’s Black Cultural Archives (below) will receive £24,846 for digitisation of its archive and will lead celebrations in

Lambeth with an exhibition and summer programme celebrating the legacy of those who stepped ashore at Tilbury docks more than 70 years ago.

Fraser and recently failed in a bid to take over Debenhams – of selling the fur of many different animals that have been farmed or trapped. The campaigners said: “There was plenty of positive, shocked public support against Flannels for selling fur. There will be more protests.” They are urging support for an online petition calling on Flannels to end its involvement in the fur trade and to reinstate a fur-free policy. AA http://bit.ly/CHNG-Flannels

Survey seeks residents’ opinions on the NHS By Catherine Wiltshire Healthwatch Lambeth is asking people for their ideas on how they can live healthier lives and what could be done to help people access health services quickly. In another survey, the organisation is also asking for views on support for a range of illnesses: cancer, mental health conditions, heart and lung diseases, long-term conditions such as diabetes and arthritis, learning disabilities, autism and dementia. The surveys, which will run until the end of April, are part of a national

survey to determine how local NHS services could be improved through the NHS Long Term Plan. As part of the plan, the government says it is investing in the NHS and local services have been asked to develop their own plans. Healthwatch Lambeth will create a report in June about what people have told it via the survey and this information will aid the local planning process for South London. AA The surveys are online at www.healthwatch.co.uk/ what-would-you-do or call 020 7274 8522 to do the survey over the phone or to request a paper copy (with a Freepost return address).

A former Brixton Ritzy cinema worker, sacked for her trade union activities in support of the Living Wage, has won a victory with legal implications for all union campaigners. Kelly Rogers, who now works for the Lambeth branch of the trade union Unison, won an employment tribunal case against the Ritzy owners Picturehouse, part of the giant international chain Cineworld that recently announced big profit increases. Three other sacked Ritzy union reps have also won tribunal cases against their employer. The latest tribunal ruled that Kelly Rogers was unlawfully sacked for her trade union activities and that the sacking breached her human rights of “freedom of assembly and association” under article 11 of European Convention on Human Rights. Kelly and Richard O’Keeffe, a lay representative from her union, United Voices of the World, were opposed by a top lawyer, Thomas Croxford QC. But they established that “cyber picketing”, as well as its promotion and refusing to give details of it to management, are all legitimate trade union activities under current regulations. Picturehouse had claimed that the

cyber picketing was a “cyber attack” and an unlawful conspiracy. The tribunal ruled that it was a legitimate trade union activity. Kelly Rogers said: “Our strike against Picturehouse cinemas was for the most basic demands: a wage good enough to live on, decent sick pay and adequate parental leave. “This ruling, which shows how I was sacked for undertaking trade union activities, points to the fact that my dismissal was a cynical attempt by Picturehouse to end our dispute and intimidate union members into not standing up for themselves.” Another tribunal case, in which three other Ritzy reps were supported by a different union, BECTU, ruled that the three were unfairly sacked and, in a rarely used move, ordered that they should be reinstated. UVW said that in Kelly Rogers’ case the tribunal also rejected the view that she was obliged to disclose the names of fellow trade union members who might also have been promoting cyber-picketing, noting that it was “unreasonable” and “oppressive” to expect her to do so because the discussions at union meetings are confidential, regardless of whether they may have related to potentially unlawful conduct, which in this case in any event “was not self-evident”.

It’s Easter slime time in Loughborough Junction Need A Solicitor? Call Today : 020 7737 9330 www.wainwrightcummins.co.uk

Slime Planet, the UK’s first slime venue has opened up in Loughborough Junction. It was set up by local parents, Nishi Bowan Saville and Chris Saville in 2018 after their children, Bibi and Dil, started experimenting with slime recipes at home. “The problem was YouTube slime recipes required ingredients such as borax and starch spray and, most of the time, these ingredients didn’t make great slime –plus they weren’t very child-friendly,” they say. So over six months the whole family tested recipes until the slime

was perfected. Slime planet was then born in Loughborough Junction when the family took the keys to Arch 494 on Rathgar Road, SW9 7EP. Slime Planet is open every weekend, offering a programme of workshops on Saturday and Sunday. They include Original Slime, Glow in the Dark Slime, and Slime of The Week, which change regularly. Slime Planet’s Slime Surprise Egg-stravaganza! is on until 21 April. It happens at 11am, 1pm and 4pm at £12.50 per child. Ages two and upwards. AA www.slimeplanet.co.uk

MAY 2019 brixtonblog.com COMMUNITY  5

Brixton album goes on sale An eight-track album created by young people in Brixton is now on sale and proceeds will go towards helping another group create a musical project. Brixton-based School Ground Sounds is behind the album. It works with schools and young people in lower income areas of London to provide additional music opportunities and to enhance their music education. The From Scratch project brought together ten 18–24-year-old artists from South London who wrote, performed and recorded eight original songs – from scratch – guided by Robin and Aaron from Finding Rhythms. The group came together once a week for 12 weeks at Brixton Community Base and were joined in the final weeks by Brixton Chamber Orchestra, who recorded strings for three of the tracks. The musicians involved included a range of vocalists, rappers and instrumentalists. The first single Moving Forward was released on Soundcloud in March. The album is on most major streaming platforms and there is a YouTube video: https://youtu.be/gLwEzG5BbfY. All revenue from the releases will go to fund the next project which School Ground Sounds aims to offer to young musicians who are at risk of becoming involved in crime.

Blooming Lambeth It’s time to think about the 2019 Blooming Lambeth Awards that honour local groups and individuals who make a difference by growing plants and communities. Anyone can be nominated – from community gardeners making it against the odds to entrepreneurs rethinking food in schools – and everyone else who is growing and gardening, whether in a back garden or a big project. To nominate or enter: Find a growing project, garden or gardener that’s inspired you (or it may be your own) then visit IEL’s website to nominate – it takes two minutes. The deadline for entries is 1 June. The award event in October will celebrate all the winners and nominees. AA Go to http://bit.ly/IEL-BLA19 for more details. AA The next IEL members’ event will be on Friday 3 May, collaborating with Brixton Pound Cafe and Transition Town Brixton to show the film Qu’est ce qu’on attend? (What are we waiting for). See www. incredibleediblelambeth.org/events. AA IEL is also recruiting new board members. Find out more on the website.

Local pupils to join crowdfund garden By Emma Bartley A Brixton gardener will be presenting her ideas to get more children outdoors at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show in July. Children from five South London schools, including Jubilee Primary School and Richard Atkins Primary School in Brixton will be attending workshops in the Believe in Tomorrow garden created by Seonaid Royall. Unusually for a garden at the prestigious RHS show, Believe in Tomorrow has been crowdfunded, with hundreds of small individual donations raising more than £10,000 so far. To support the project and find out more, visit crowdfunder.co.uk/believe-in-tomorrow Designed to reconnect the city’s children with nature, the garden will be part oasis and part classroom, featuring edible planting beds, a fire pit and pond, and secret pathways to explore. “The wider aim of the project is to give children the chance to get their hands dirty for once and be inspired to spend more time outdoors,” says Royall. After the show, parts of the garden will be relocated to schools and communities that helped to build it.

CHEF MICHAEL ROUX JR CHAMPIONS TEENAGERS South Londoner and celebrity chef Michael Roux Jr. will be a guest at a dinner to support young people at risk of social exclusion and youth violence at The Treehouse in Clapham on 16 May, writes Catherine Wiltshire. It is organised by the Lambeth-based charity BIGKID Foundation and the pub group Livelyhood. A cook-off will see some of the charity’s young clients prepare a three-course meal that will be judged by guests. The event starts at 6:30 pm with a drinks reception. Tickets cost £35 from http://bit.ly/BIGKID-Roux.

Village Kitchen winners The two winners of the Brixton Kitchen contest organised by Brixton Village are Ferdinand Montoya in the experienced category, whose Filipino supper club Sarapto will have its first stand-alone site in the village, and amateur Adejoké Bakare, whose West African concept Chishuru gets a weekend pop-up. They will be mentored by the co-founder and head chef of 1251 and Great Britsh Menu star James Cochran; chef and restaurateur Jackson Boxer; and Claire Ptak of Violet Cakes, who created the cake for Harry and

Meghan’s wedding. Workshops will be open to the public where possible. Runners-up include sandwich maker Ruben Dawnay of Ruben’s Reuben and William and Jack, of small plates pop-up Fallow. Brixton Village director Alistair Maddox said: “We aim to grow Brixton Kitchen into an umbrella resource through which the market can support culinary innovation, encourage homegrown talent and create invaluable experiences for both locals and visitors alike.”

HIV befriending for older people

New bookshop

Lambeth Age UK has launched Positive Connections, a befriending service for people over 55 living with the HIV virus. It links these older people with a volunteer befriender who is also HIV positive but has come to terms with the virus and is living their life as normal. “We are very excited about this new project, which we believe is addressing an under-considered issue in the borough with the highest rate of HIV diagnoses in the UK,” said Lambeth Age UK Leaflets are soon due to appear throughout Lambeth soon and anyone interested in making a referral or volunteering should get in touch. Complete confidentiality is guaranteed. AA Details at http://bit.ly/LAUK-PC

Grants for community groups A local environmental services company, Inoculand, is offering 12 grants of £120 to community groups for projects promoting social and educational spirit. Local groups Sixteenfeet Productions, Brixton Community Base, Stockwell Oasis Play, and Tulse Hill’s Childspace Cooperative Nursery have been awarded grants. Childspace parent Abby

Aldridge was delighted with the grant: “It’s an amazing nursery where the parents help to run aspects of the nursery, a truly local initiative. “We will use the money to fix some areas in the garden and get some fun outdoor equipment for the children.” Inoculand’s Daniel Neves said: “We are happy to help any projects that could be as

important as helping a family in need, a group of students funding a theatre project, or a local charity. This grant could even be received by a group of local children, as long as their project is endorsed by a well established organisation.” AA Go to the “contact us” section of Inoculand’s website. For further information see http://bit.ly/Inoculand-DC.

A shop selling inclusive books for children is to open in Brixton Village after raising nearly £50,00 with a crowdfunding campaign. Round Table Books’ permanent shop follows the success of a pop-up in Brixton last year. The campaign’s title, #ReadTheOnePercent, refers to research that found that, of more than 9,000 UK children’s books published in 2017, only 1% had a Black or minority ethnic main character. AA Round Table Books. 97 Brixton Village bookshop@roundtablebooks.co.uk

Brixton local Ryan J. Matthews-Robinson (above), better known as Ragz-CV, has released his first spoken word album Soul Lyrical that is on sale exclusively at the Black Cultural Archives’ shop. With vocalists, piano and saxophone, it touches on topics including mental health, youth violence and identity. Ragz-CV has previously raised over £10,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society and founded the charity Poetic Unity which has helped thousands of young people across the country. AA To get a copy, see www.RagzCV.com

TRINITY HOMES ALMSHOUSES 28 Acre Lane, Brixton Trinity Homes is a charitable foundation providing good quality low cost housing for the elderly in the heart of Brixton, close to the Town Hall, shops and transport links. It consists of eighteen flats arranged around a pleasant garden, with communal lounge and laundry facilities. There is a resident warden.

A VACANCY is soon to be available If you are over 60 with a strong local connection and would like to be considered then please apply to paul.daniel@trinityhomes.org.uk or write to The Secretary, Trinity Homes, 28 Acre Lane, Brixton London SW2 5SG

6  FEATURE brixtonblog.com MAY 2019 brixtonblog.com COMMUNITY  2019 MAY 6

COMMUNITY ROUND-UP Wake up to Tai Chi

Friends of Brixton Library has been awarded a London Community Foundation grant to run Wake Up to Tai Chi, a year-long series of free one-hour sessions in Windrush Square/Brixton Library starting by the end of May on Saturdays from 9.30-10.30am. Led by a professional tutor, the sessions will gently guide participants through Tai Chi’s beneficial exercise.

Junior Open Mic

Walk against loneliness Age UK Lambeth are asking local people to “Do The Lambeth Walk” and get sponsored to walk either 100, 155 or 200 miles in May to raise funds to help reduce loneliness in Lambeth. All money raised will go to the MYsocial service. Sign up at www.ageuk.org. uk/lambeth. Volunteers get a free fundraising pack. It might sound a lot, but 100 miles in a month is less than 7,000 steps a day. To get people started, the charity has organised three free walks in Brockwell Park. For more information and to book, visit mysocial.london.

Firebird workshops

Former Strictly judge Darcey Bussell, helped by 60 Lambeth primary school pupils, has selected Bittersuite, a company that explores music through multi-sensory experiences, as the winner of a four-month residency at the Imagination Lab, an experimental learning space in Lambeth for young people. Children and families will explore Stravinsky’s ballet The Firebird through workshops that examine how we can express emotion through non-traditional means like smells, tastes, textures and gestures. The project aims to boost the ability to understand the feelings of others by sharing and exploring different responses to the same musical stimulus. There will be two public events (18 and 19 May) and one set of schools workshops (7 and 8 May) for key stage 2 classes. There are a limited number of 50% discount tickets for Lambeth residents – use code LAMBETH50. Find out more at ioi.london/whats-on.

from 11am to 1pm. Course dates: Wednesdays 11am to 1pm from 1 May to 10 July. (Half-term 29 May). A City and Guilds Functional ICT qualification is available as part of the course. Confidence in Maths, in partnership with WEA adult learning: Starts Wednesday 24 April, 12.45 to 2.45pm for 10 weeks. This course helps people to feel more confident with basic math skills. Contact Sinead at s.obrien@mosaic-clubhouse.org.

Placemakers appeal Off the Cuff venue in Herne Hill is offering youngsters aged 7 to 12 the chance to use its sound and stage equipment for free at the 14th Junior Open Mic (JOM) event on 28 April organised by local parents. Organiser Andy Gray says: “We’re offering free pre-JOM performance slots for beginners where we clear the room of an audience so each child or children can experience performing on stage in privacy. Junior Open Mic is also appealing for a young amateur photographer to record the events and share images with parents and performers as mementos. Contact andyg.coms@gmail.com

Early years refurb

Work has started on a half-millionpound refurbishment of Lough­ borough Children’s Centre as part of Lambeth Early Action Partnership’s (LEAP) £4million redevelopment of 11 early years spaces in Lambeth. Mulberry Centre, Max Roach One O’clock Club and St Stephens Children’s Centre have already been refurbed. LEAP works in four Lambeth wards (Stockwell, Coldharbour, Vassall and Tulse Hill) and is part of the National Lottery funded A Better Start programme.

Mosaic courses

Mosaic Clubhouse on Effra Road has two new courses starting soon, both are open to all Lambeth residents and free to people receiving benefits. Introduction to Computer Skills, in partnership with Morley College: Meet the tutor and enrol on Wednesday 24 April,

Jacqueline Bleicher, founder of Global Urban Design, is calling creatives, community groups and placemakers to a scoping session for a Creative Community Placemakers Network on 30 April from 6 to 7pm at Lambeth Town Hall, Basement Level. For more information. visit globalurbandesign.org/network

Science fair

St Gabriel’s College hosted Year 5 pupils from eight local primary schools for the biggest and best Brixton Learning Collaborative ­science fair to date. They had worked for a term with science department staff at St Gabriels. Students from the college’s year 9 came up with scientific questions to investigate and present at the fair. All the presentations were of a very high standard. The judges, Kings College, London University medical ambassadors, chose a presentation on flight by Stockwell Primary School as the winner.

Marathon trek

Anne Manuel of Herne Hill is walking a marathon to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society. She aims to raise £350 by trekking 26 miles around London on 1 June, the same day as her 23rd birthday. She will be walking in memory of her father Francis Manuel, who was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s disease when Anne was just 12, A respected GP, he died ten years after being diagnosed with dementia at the age of 54. To support Anne visit justgiving. com/fundraising/annemanuel To join the fundraising trek yourself, go to http://bit.ly/ASoc-Trek26

LICENSING ACT 2003 APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE Guzzl UK Ltd has applied to the London Borough of Lambeth for the grant of a Premises Licence, in respect of the following premises: Guzzl, Unit 9, Granville Arcade, Coldharbour Lane London SW9 8PR Which would authorise the following licensable activities: Sale of alcohol, 10am - 7pm, 7 days. The record of this application may be inspected during normal office hours by an appointment at the Licensing Section, London Borough of Lambeth, 3rd Floor, Civic Centre, 6 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1EG, or via the licensing authority’s website, at www.lambeth.gov.uk/licensing A responsible authority or any other person may make representation to the licensing authority in respect of this application. Representations must be made in writing, either by post to the above address, or by email to licensing@lambeth.gov.uk and must be received no later than Thursday 16 May 2019. It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with a licensing application, and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for that offence shall not exceed level 5 on the standard scale (£5000).

BRIXTON LEGAL Each month, local solicitor Pam Douglas takes a common legal issue and explains it for readers

Like it or not, you have to send your kids to school We are all aware of the importance of a solid education for the future wellbeing of our children, but many parents are falling foul of the law and end up paying hefty fines or facing court action for failing to ensure that their children attend school. The Education Act 1996 makes it mandatory for parents to ensure that their children of compulsory school age receive full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude and Section 444 makes it clear that it is an offence if a child who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly. “Regularly” generally means that your child should not be absent or persistently late for school (after registration) eight or more times in a 10-week period without prior notification and agreement or other acceptable explanation, although rules vary. Such absences risk being deemed “unauthorised” and schools have a legal duty to investigate and take steps to ensure that the child resumes regular school attendance. Department for Education guidelines suggest that the following activities would normally be classified as unauthorised: ●● going on holiday ●● looking after the house ●● waiting in for deliveries or repairs ●● going shopping ●● attending a family celebration Some argue that parents should be able to decide for themselves whether their child will suffer by not attending school for short periods, but there is research that indicates poor attendance has a negative affect on later performance and life chances. Others justify taking their children out of school for trips during term time by pointing to the

high cost of air travel and package holidays during official school holidays as well as the educational value of visiting new places. However, when an attendance problem is identified, local authorities can ask the courts to issue a penalty notice under The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003. Currently, if unauthorised absence is established, the penalty is £60 per parent per child if the fine is paid within 21 days; but this rises to £120 per parent per child if you delay but pay within 28 days. There is no right of appeal. After 28 days, parents face a magistrates court summons, not in relation to non-payment of the fine, but to answer to the original charge of unauthorised absence. If found guilty at court, parents and guardians face fines of up to £2,500 and/or interventions such as parenting orders, community sentences or even imprisonment of up to three months. A guilty verdict will also result in a criminal record. A Freedom of Information request revealed that in 2016 Lambeth council issued 324 penalty notices and brought 20 court prosecutions. Of those parents taken to court, 94% pleaded guilty and of the 6% who pleaded not guilty, none were acquitted. Whatever your views on the rights and wrongs of the law, if you are a parent or guardian, you are advised to check the school’s policy and discuss all planned absences with the appropriate member of staff. If you are issued with a penalty notice, deal with it promptly so that it does not escalate into a court appearance. If you are issued with a court summons, I strongly advise you to seek advice from a solicitor specialising in criminal law immediately.

REFUGEE WELCOME CELEBRATION Herne Hill Welcomes Refugees and the Herne Hill Society are hosting a celebration on 8 May at Herne Hill Baptist Church to update the community on its work, writes Nick Jeyarajah. Organisers hope to attract new faces as well as those already familiar with the organisation’s work. “Now we have welcomed a family to Herne Hill, we want to share our story, thank our supporters, reiterate

the need for community sponsorship and encourage others to get involved. Please join us for this evening of presentations, music, and questions ans answers,” says the group. Food will be available at sunset to people who are fasting as the event will take place during Ramadan. Speakers will include HHWR members and Helen Hayes MP. AA Contact hhwelcomesrefugees@gmail.com.

MAY 2019 brixtonblog.com CREATIVE BRIXTON  7

MUSIC

Sistah of Spring Dave Randall celebrates the season with veterans, youngsters, local legends and visitors from North America

BRIXTON

Brixton Hi-Five … where we hi-five local musical movers and shakers. We ask five questions to get to know the people who play regularly or contribute in other ways to Brixton’s live music scene. This month it’s the turn of Helen McDonald

HI-FIVE

What do you do and where do you do it? I’m a musician and storyteller. I often tell stories at the Horniman Museum. I’ve played in Brixton and all over the place from Russia to Zanzibar, Ghana, Sudan, Guyana and Jamaica with bands and Theatre Companies. Yaaba Funk and Future Groove are the main bands I play with.

Favourite memories of playing in Brixton? I’ve had some great gigs in Brixton with Yaaba Funk at the Grosvenor and Mango Landin’, and more recently at The Hootananny and The Ritzy. Pop Brixton also has great vibes, great audiences, Brixton Vibes!

What are you listening to at the moment? All kinds of things … Thundercat, Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday … Old and new keeps me happy.

Favourite album of all time and why? Gil Scott Heron Piece of a Man. I was lucky enough to meet Gil and he told me to sing his song Lady Day and John Coltrane, so I recorded it! It’s on 7-inch vinyl – old skool! get it at Pure Vinyl Record Shop in Ferndale Road, Brixton!

Where can we hear you next? Playing with Yaaba Funk on 3 May at The Hootananny, 6 July Thamesmead Festival, and with Future Groove and the Jazz Migrations, on 25 June Upstairs at the Ritzy.

Spring has sprung and nature is popping with new life. So too is our fantastically dynamic music scene, but I want to take a moment to celebrate some of Brixton’s veterans. Pick of the Let me begin by sending belated month: congratulations to the SoFF (Sistah Tom of Fuller Figure) Music Jam which Brosseau celebrated its twentieth anniversary on 7 April. Back when Lauren Dalrymple started may it continue. the much loved Sunday evening session On Friday 19 April the Hootananny at the Effra Hall Tavern, the Hootananny hosts some other long standing local was still the Hobgoblin, JAMM was Bar legends, The Top Cats. Fronted by Lorca, Pop Brixton was a multi-story the inimitable Natty Bo, the ten-piece car park and people thought well of a ska and reggae band never fail to get youthful looking prime minister called the joint jumping and on this special Tony Blair. occasion they pay tribute to reggae’s How the world has changed in the “Voice Of The People” Prince Buster. intervening two decades. Thankfully the The same venue serves up a night SoFF Music Jam has only gone of Afro-funk on Friday 3 May, from strength to strength and headlined by Brixton’s own still takes place every week Yabba Funk. Support at the Effra Hall Tavern. comes from East London’s As Lauren says: “SoFF double drum kitted, provides a constant for duelling saxes and tuba the community. Every wielding five-piece Join Sunday night we’re The Din, and yet another here and we remind local musical maestro, people this isn’t just a DJ Blondezilla, keep the Lauren Dalrymple IRIS CORNELIS drinking hole, it’s a hub, a fires burning with her PHOTOGRAPHY community centre. infectious dance-floor-filling “It’s in the heart of Brixton, retro-Afro mix. but the global network is huge. People South London’s Wu-Lu is far too young who are into jazz come from all over the to have accrued veteran status, but he world to see it – I’m just trying to do my has been immersed in music all his life. bit to knit the global community.” Long He’s one of the sons of Soothsayers’

trumpeter Robin Hopcraft and, perhaps predictably for a South Londoner of his lineage, the sounds he creates confidently straddle disparate musical worlds. Catch his refreshing blend of hip-hop, lo-fi, psychedelia and electronics at The Windmill on Thursday 25 April. Finally, and breaking for a moment from the local legends theme, Brixton welcomes two acts from North America who are well worth a look. Vancouver’s Nov3l bring their politically charged, downcast and danceable new wave to The Windmill on Tuesday 7 May. The following night, Wednesday 8 May, the same venue hosts North Dakota’s finest troubadour and cowpoke Tom Brosseau. His songs, plaintive tenor voice and sweet guitar playing have a tenderness, playfulness, directness and depth that are quite sublime. Of the many excellent gigs on offer in our neighbourhood this month, Tom is my top pick. Dave Randall is a musician and author of Sound System: The Political Power of Music.

8  CREATIVE BRIXTON brixtonblog.com

ARTS How one tweet started the 14-year campaign for a statue of Mary Seacole As a new film on Mary Seacole gets ready for showing, Delores William talked to Trevor Sterling, chair of the Mary Seacole Trust and, below, recalls the story of the woman once voted the greatest Black Briton “I trust that England will not forget one who nursed her sick, who sought out her wounded to aid and succor them, and who performed the offices for some of her illustrious dead.” So wrote The Times’ war correspondent, Sir William H Russell of Mary Seacole in 1857. The first time I appreciated who Mary Seacole was and what she did began when I heard the first statue of a named Black woman in the UK was going to be unveiled in the forecourt of St Thomas’ Hospital in Lambeth. As I gazed around the large crowd that consisted of high profile celebrities, invited dignitaries, hospital workers, school children and tourists who had stumbled across the hospital after coming over Westminster Bridge. I heard the same two questions: What’s going on? Who’s Mary Seacole? Since the unveiling, funding has been raised for a major film that has now gone into production. Mary Seacole Trust chair Trevor Sterling, is concerned that it won’t be what he calls

“Hollywood”. He wants to make sure she is portrayed in an accurate and honest way. He describes her as a great wit, highly intelligent, colourful and worldly. There is no release date yet but the chatter is going on. I met up with the Trevor at his offices in Richmond in West London. I wanted to know a bit about him and where his interest in Mary has come from. He is a man used to waging long campaigns – and succeeding in them. He also wants people to be aware of how integral Black women are and have been to Britain’s social fabric. Trevor’s mother worked for BT in Brixton at Shakespeare Road – feeding their engineers for 15 years before she retired. Trevor remembers his mother going off to work at night. He would watch her walking off down the road and wish she could stay at home with him. Later, he realised that it was so she could be at home for him when he left for school and be there to feed him his tea before she set off

for work. She instilled in him an ethic of hard work and kindness. Trevor is a highly respected personal injury lawyer. Before joining the leading law firm Moore Blatch, he had, at the age of 28 become one of the youngest partners at another company. In his own words: “ I entered the legal profession by good fortune, having left school at 17. I began working as an “outdoor clerk” for Rowley Ashworth, a firm that dealt

The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole In Many Lands Mary Seacole was born a free woman in Jamaica more than 200 years ago to a Black mother and white father. She was raised in a boarding house which also doubled as a medical centre where her mother used traditional medicines to treat the ill and wounded, a lot of the patients were military men. Mary caught the bug for medicine and nursing and she followed in her mother’s footsteps of healing, beginning with healing her dolls and siblings. At 15, Mary came to London where she acquired further knowledge. After returning to

Jamaica, she rebuilt her mother’s boarding house, turning it into a hospital after it was destroyed in a fire. She was invited by the English authorities to treat members of the armed forces in England and so began her now famous career. When the Crimean war began in 1853 Mary was at least 50 years old. She approached the War Office and offered her services as a nurse, but was turned down, maybe because of racism, ageism or both. This did not stop Mary. An entrepreneur who had travelled extensively, she financed her own way over

to the Crimea. She stayed one night with Florence Nightingale but left the next day and founded a hospital very near to the front line. She called it the ‘British Hotel’. She not only treated the sick and dying of the allies but also enemy soldiers. It was a harsh, hostile enviroment where she was in the direct line of battle. So wonderful was her care for the soldiers that she became known as Mother Seacole a war hero. After the war ended soldiers wrote to the newspapers with stories of her kindness. When Mary returned to London

MAY 2019

with claims by trade unions on behalf of their members. In 2008 – after a nine-year struggle – he won a change in the way that claims after a suicide must be dealt with, taking the case all the way to the House of Lords. Law students now study the case of Corr V IBC Vehicles. But it was a bittersweet victory. Thomas Corr, whom Trevor was representing, was with him the day before he committed suicide. Trevor was the co-lead lawyer representing 60 victims on the Jimmy Savile case and has worked and is working on many other headline-grabbing cases. Not content with this, he reads the papers with Vanessa Feltz on BBC Radio London. So how did he become involved with the Mary Seacole Trust? Sitting one day with his then young son watching an episode of Horrible Histories all about Mary Seacole, he put out a tweet saying wouldn’t it be good to have a statue erected in her memory? To his surprise it was retweeted by the Mary Seacole Trust which he was not involved with at that time. They had been campaigning for many years for a statue. Some 14 years later it became a reality. The statue is magnificent. Mary Seacole stands facing the Houses of Parliament with a huge disc behind her. The disc contains a digital imprint of the Crimean landscape where her hospital was based. Martin Jennings the sculptor visited the site of the hospital in the Crimea and found pieces of bottles which he gathered and has used fragments which are embedded into the disc. AABritish actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars in the film, Seacole directed by Charlie Stratton from his own screenplay.

she became something of a celebrity, a poor celebrity, mind. One who had become bankrupt because the war ended very abruptly, leaving her owing money to medical suppliers. A fundraising gala lasting four days, which more than 80,000 people were reported to have attended, including members of the Royal family, raised a vast amount of money. Mary went on to write her bestselling book. Mary Seacole melted away into the mists of time and was forgotten for nearly 100 years until some nurses from the

Caribbean visited her grave and, at last, her name and memory were resurrected. There began the campaign after a vote in 2004 that named her the Greatest Black Briton which led to the unveiling of her statue in 2016. Why her name and memory fadeds away is a mystery but at last it’s out there, it’s on the school curriculum, there is a statue, you can go to the Florence Nightingale Museum at St Thomas’ hospital and, hopefully, the film in the making will ensure her name never, ever disappears again.

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MAY 2019 brixtonblog.com CREATIVE BRIXTON  9

ARTS

ENTER THE BRIXTON SUMMER ART SHOW

TRACING MOVEMENT HAEGUE YANG SOUTH LONDON GALLERY

Abstract and everyday, static and mobile By Leslie Manasseh Step off the 345 bus, enter the main gallery of the SLG on Peckham Road and you are greeted with a variety of sights and sounds. This is the setting for a series of works by the celebrated artist, Haegue Yang, entitled Tracing Movement. Birdsong is the first thing you will hear. But this is not just any birdsong. It was recorded in April 2018 while the leaders of North and South Korea were conversing in private away from the media at the historic summit between the two – hoping for a breakthrough in their tense relationship. You are also likely to trigger a voice from the gallery floor itself intoning “the source of art is in the life of the people”. This was the inscription on a marquetry panel, now hidden, but designed by Walter Crane in 1891 as part of the original floor. Sounds and voices play an important part in Yang’s work as a form of “aural writing”.

Tracing Movement reflects her interest in geometric designs, recycled materials and visual puzzles. The show consists of collages which bring together everyday household and industrial materials and large, mobile sculptures. Trustworthies is a set of collages – bold and bright intersecting shapes which take the eye on an exploration of multi-layered forms. Hardware Store Collages use much finer detail from scraps of graph paper, labels, gold foil and product catalogues to create complex patterns and designs which chart emerging technologies and products as a comment on the world we inhabit. Other works incorporate and recycle the materials used to create the collages. For example the blades used to cut out the shapes have been made into their own series of Blade Notations – and have a life all of their own. These works deliberately juxtapose materials to make one think about identity and diversity. They reflect Yang’s interest in

and personal experience of migration – the notion of being together but from separate places. They also embody sense of time and change, dislocation and cohesion, as discarded items reappear in different forms Away from the walls sit two large wheeled sculptures – created especially for this exhibition and inspired by the space itself. Aluminium frames dressed with venetian blinds and ropes of nickel-plated bells, are periodically moved around the space. They are at once both abstract and everyday, static but mobile. Haegue Yang was born in South Korea and lives and works in Berlin and Seoul. Her work has been shown internationally and is included in such major collections as Tate Modern, The Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. AAThe exhibition is free and runs until 26 May in the South London Gallery, 65-67 Peckham Road, SE5 8UH. For more information go to southlondongallery.org

Complex, disturbing and fascinating

Tony Benn was born into privilege as Viscount Stansgate but devoted his life to democracy, socialism and equality. He was a Labour MP – and sometime cabinet minister – for 47 years between 1950 and 2001. This one-person, one-act play written by Andy Barrett, directed by Giles Croft and performed by Philip Bretherton, is a journey along the highways and byways

that extensive knowledge is not necessary. Partly because it is very funny. Tony Benn was a witty, clever man – good at self-parody and one-liners. But it’s his warmth and humanity which shine through and stand in sharp contrast to the cynicism and opportunism which disfigure so much of politics today. The script is an amalgam of fact drawn from Tony Benn’s diaries and totally believable fiction. It has more than enough energy to overcome the dramatic limitations of a monologue

Winners and all shortlisted works will be featured on the Brixton Blog and in the Brixton Bugle. We are also planning to exhibit them in a local venue over the summer. Because of space constraints, we can only consider works which are no more than one metre square and can be easily and safely hung on walls . We cannot consider free-standing sculptures, films or videos.

THE CULT OF K*NZO BATTERSEA ARTS CENTRE

Passionately radical – and very funny of his life. Meandering hither and thither, it is held together by the thread of his passionate radicalism, and belief that the world should be run by and for ordinary people. A storming performance and fine script give the audience a glimpse into his life, humour and wisdom as he recalls the events and people that figured in over 50 years of political activism and engagement. While it helps to know a little about post-war political history and the language of the left, the play is so intensely personal

CATEGORY TWO artists who have not been formally trained or are still at college

Please give your name, mobile number, address * and your chosen category. We will also need the dimensions of the work and a brief description of it. Please send all images in .jpg format; the longest side shoud be a minimum of 500 pixels and a maximum of 2,000. The selection committee will shortlist works and invite the selected artists to bring their work to a viewing. Winners will be announced in the June/July issue of the Bugle. The decisions of the selection committee will be final. * We need your address to confirm that you live in or around (within a short bus ride) Brixton.

image has been recast to reveal how the British presence in India was a brutal exercise in self interest. “Eve of Apocalypses” is I think the most complex piece of work. It interweaves western religious iconography, images of colonial destruction, eroticism and death. The forbidden fruit which tempted Eve is not an apple but a pomegranate which has variously been a symbol of prosperity, ambition, fertility and death. TextaQueen’s work has been shown across the world. Richly rendered, it is also complex, disturbing and fascinating. AAThe exhibition is free and runs until 26 April in 198 Contemporary Arts & Learning, 198 Railton Road, SE24 0JT. The gallery is open 11am – 5pm Monday to Friday.

TONY’S LAST TAPE OMNIBUS THEATRE

If you can, catch the last few performances of this play, says Leslie Manasseh

CATEGORY ONE artists who have completed formal training

Please send photographs to arts@brixtonblog.com by FRIDAY 17 MAY

THE EMPIRE’S NEW CLOTHES 198 CONTEMPORARY ARTS & LEARNING

Colonial violence, domination and eroticism are the themes which run through TextaQueen’s work in this solo exhibition. Using felt-tip markers, the artist has taken well known images and painstakingly recast them. The result is a series of shocking but poignant comments on race, gender, sexuality, and power. The artist is of Goan Indian heritage and the work reflects elements of the Indian artistic tradition. It is, however, of a different scale and focusses on how Britain exploited the jewel in the crown of her empire. “The Empire’s New Clothes” which gives the title to the exhibition, is based on a 1902 photograph of Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward VII and empress of India. But the

Are you an artist living in or around Brixton? Do you want to show your work to the local community? The Brixton Bugle and Blog are planning a summer exhibition to showcase the work of local artists. All you need to do to take part is to submit digital photos of your work. You can submit up to two pieces of work and up to three photos of each one. To enter you must be at least 16 years of age. There are two categories:-

delivered by an elderly man shuffling around his cluttered basement. Moreover, Philip Bretherton is a master of timing and delivers a very composed and confident performance. All in all a very entertaining and quite moving 90 minutes of theatre. Go and see it if you can. Tony’s Last Tape runs until 20 April in the Omnibus Theatre,1 Clapham Common Northside, SW4 0LH. Tickets £16, £13 Concessions AAFor more information call 020 7498 0544 or visit www.omnibusclapham.org/tonys-last-tape

Consumer culture “An original, visually spectacular, endearing and accessible examination of consumer culture through the lens of high fashion”. This is the promise from visual artist, Paula Varjack, the show’s writer and performer. Incorporating storytelling, videography, sound design and choreography it looks at how high-end designer brands create desire, and the tension between inclusion and exclusion. The Cult of K*NZO is directed by Martin Bengtsson and produced by Daisy Dockrill. AASaturday 27 April, 8.30pm. £12.50/£10 London Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN 020 7223 2223 www.bac.org.uk

10  PEOPLE brixtonblog.com 2019 MAY Jack Hopkins, standing, speaks at a meeting in Lambeth after the Marcus Lipton club murder with (l-r) Helen Hayes, MP for Dulwich and West Norwood; Abdul-Karim Abdullah, chair, of the Lambeth Safer Neighbourhood Board; Peter Shorinwa, chair of Loughborough Estate Management Board; and Metropolitan police Superintendent Ian Howells

Looking at what actually works fraction of a what a council, housing association or private tenant has to. People would not contribute if the money went straight into the council, but if it was to be used only for a youth opportunity fund designed to regenerate itself … The fund was a promise made by his two immediate predecessors. “Now that’s definitely going to happen,” he says. Brave words from any politician, but Hopkins will know what is needed to fulfil the promise. He worked for Lambeth council for five years before his election to the council as a Labour party candidate in 2010. That was the election that launched the No-one knows what local councils do until it is Conservative party’s policy of austerity that taken away, says the new leader of Lambeth’s has seen councils up and down the country council, Jack Hopkins. struggling to keep their heads above water. But, like anyone with a new role, he wants Conservative-run Northamptonshire council to make changes to the way things are done in last year twice had to stop all “non-essential” our borough. In his case it is creating a youth spending, Hopkins points out. “We’re not opportunity fund. going bankrupt like that,” he says. “We ain’t The need is obvious – we about to fall over.” are speaking soon after the He says opponents murder in Marcus Lipton of the council’s plans Hopkins worked for Lambeth youth club – but the source council for five years before his to reorganise its of funds may surprise some. children’s services election as a Labour candidate because of cuts in Hopkins wants to take money from development, central government a hot topic in the borough funding – including and Brixton in particular. some local Labour party branches – are His politician’s mind is also speculating running “very targeted political campaigns” about the idea of voluntary council tax that do not reflect what the general public as a funding mechanism. Probably not a are saying. Rather than “politicise” issues, bad idea in a borough where people with he says, the council needs to look at “what multi-million-pound houses pay, as a proporactually works”. tion of their income or property value, a tiny He has a similar response to many

Linda Quinn meets Jack Hopkins, new leader of Lambeth council, who is looking for change but not necessarily in the direction critics want

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opponents of the council’s controversial plans And the big issue of the moment is youth to demolish the Cressingham Gardens estate violence. Hopkins felt that there was “a sense that overlooks Brockwell Park from the top of of inevitability” of an event like the murder at Tulse Hill. Marcus Lipton youth club. “Bloody hell,” he The demolition plan will go ahead and exclaims. “We shouldn’t accept that.” Hopkins says that many of its opponents on So, as well as the long-term plans for a the estate are people who have bought council youth opportunity fund, “We have to do someproperties there, while people who still live thing different.” One idea that he believes there as tenants tend to favour the idea of a could make a big difference is the council warm modern home replacing one that the moving towards a “neighbourhood working” council cannot afford to repair. approach – “Streatham, Gipsy Hill, Stockwell He accepts that people view the council as – whatever”. a “bogeyman”, but insists that it has been Health workers, police officers, housing, ”really clear” that it is proceeding with its children’s and social workers, all of whom plans “because we want to provide decent, may have clients or deal with groups on the warm houses for tenants”. same patch, may never have met each other – The only way the council can do that, he even though many of them work for the same says, it is “to knock down houses that are not organisation, the council. decent and build new ones that are environImprovements can come from such people mentally friendly”. understanding what the others are doing at a “Plenty of tenants want to do that,” he says. local level, Hopkins says. “I understand that people are suspicious,” He would also like to see people advocating he goes on. “Private council action on what developers are making they think is important. money hand over fist.” Do local residents who How can we respond to But comparing a local work for the council what the community needs? authority with private have insights here, We’ve not been good at it developers creates a he wonders. “wilful correlation” As an example of the that does not exist. need for advocacy and Lambeth council’s plan is not designed to integration, he explains the importance of make profits and “any we do make go back adventure playgrounds – he lives near one of into the system”. the first in the country. Hopkins’ elevation to leader coincides with “It’s not just about getting kids off the a major restructuring of the top management streets, but Mum or Dad having a break. of the council that was planned before he That’s important. So they can go to the Job took over. He sees it as an opportunity for the Centre, job club or community centre – do a council to focus more strongly on the economy CV class and get skills because the adventure of Lambeth and on good jobs with decent pay playground is looking after their kids.” and prospects. It’s about investing in stronger communiHe is pleased that the former council ties, he says. And he accepts that the council office building of International House behind has not been good at connecting with commuBrixton police station – now a centre for nities in the past. voluntary bodies, charities, creative industries “How can we respond to what the commu(and the Brixton Blog and Bugle) is the “first nity needs. What’s the structure that helps us living wage building” – made possible because respond to that? We’ve not been good at it. We the council is the landlord. empowered the empowered.” Hopkins is well aware that the borough Lambeth, Hopkins says, is fundamentally has big social problems. And it is not just an a very rich place. “It has all the resources we academic awareness. He grew up with a single need – skill, time, work experience, expertise, parent, his mother, in a council estate. advocacy. We’ve got tons and tons of powerful He recalls taking a group of local Black community groups doing great work. We just young people to Brixton Market several years don’t connect up the dots.” ago and them thinking that, already, this was He says there are going to be a lot of asks not something for them, but for white middleof the public: “What can you do for Lambeth? class people. How can we bring Lambeth together.” “We go on about Lambeth being the most And what about his spare time? “I watch diverse place on the planet,” he says. “But, Arsenal. I’m a big Arsenal fan.” And for Jack if we’re brutally honest, it’s different people Hopkins, he’s not supporting a North London living together, cheek by jowl, in the same club but, as someone one who grew up in place. We need to get a hold of each others’ nearby Greenwich, it’s the original Woolwich issues to understand.” Arsenal who moved north in 1913.

MAY 2019 brixtonblog.com OPINION  11 The Brixton Business Improvement District’s Brexit-referencing publicity campaign stresses our dayand-night attractions – but government policies could threaten its workforce

BRIXTON BUGLE

COMMENT

Our strength is in our difference We can all be proud that Brixton hosts the ceremonies that welcome new citizens to Lambeth and London. We can also agree with Mayor Wellbelove, as we report in this issue, that the greatest strength of our locality is the very diversity of people, cultures, languages and views. And we all know that Lambeth council leader Jack Hopkins is right when he points out that our diversity can be just a lot of different people living next to each other. However, most of the time, we make it work and Brixton is a better place because of it. But the threat posed by Brexit and the “hostile environment” for immigrants created by the current Westminster government are set out in detail on this page. Only Gibraltar voted more strongly than Lambeth for “remain” in the Brexit referendum and we are beginning to see how right we were. Not only can we see in considerable detail exactly how Brexit and the laws that go with it pose a major threat to one of the things that make Brixton unique – its night-time economy – we are also aware of how the referendum let loose a wave of prejudice that shows no sign of abating. Brixton continues to prove that, however flawed or problematic our community may be, it represents a future to fight for against people and politicians who want to drag us back towards a society that only ever existed in their narrow and ignorant minds. If you have a complaint about the Brixton Bugle, see bit.ly/BBB_complaints for how to pursue it Regulated by IMPRESS: The independent monitor for the press 16–18 New Bridge Street EC4V 6AG 020 3325 4288 complaints@impress.press www.impress.press

WHY-FI ME A poem by Brixton resident Terence Martindale Icy cold and dripping wet

Brixton and the £30,000 salary immigration threshold Jack Gevertz, a writer for the Immigration Advice Service, an organisation of UK immigration lawyers that provides legal support for those looking to migrate to the UK or to hire overseas workers, on why Brexit could be bad for Brixton

move to. Many of these then take up work in Brixton’s retail sector. The propensity for London retailers to hire EU nationals is clear: one in 10 of the city’s retail workforce comes from the EU. Many of these people are not even paid the London Living Wage, so clearly would not come close to the £30,000 threshold. In total, around a fifth of people in Lambeth do not earn the London Living Wage, currently £10.55 an hour, and the basic wage deemed necessary to live a standard life. Many EU nationals benefit from higher wages here Britain is still on course to leave the European Union. than they would get back home. Others may have While it remains unclear exactly how the government come to join their family or start one of their own. If expects to extricate the UK from the EU, some these people leave it will have a detrimental impact on domestic policies in relation to EU law and how they the area. affect the UK are clear. As a way of resolving this, many businesses may One of the key planks of the leave campaign was that look to the domestic market, and young people in immigration to the UK was too high. And, crucially, particular. The average wage in London for an 18 to that it was being fuelled by low-skilled migrants from 20-year-old is just £7.49 an hour, according to the Office the EU. In response to this, the government announced for National Statistics. a crackdown on people wishing to come to the UK from This rises to £10.48 for 21 to 24-year-olds, and further the EU. Some of its proposals in an immigration White to £16.77 an hour for those over 25. Paper included an extension of the “minimum salary Many businesses may like the fact they can hire threshold” of £30,000. younger people from the UK because they are keen This means that any EU migrant wishing to come to work and they do not have to worry about any to the UK will have to prove that they are taking immigration rules. a job that will pay them at least that when they But there may not be enough young people willing to apply for a “tier 2” visa. This rule already applies to take up the work or many may want jobs closer in the non-EU citizens. city. So businesses may need extra talent from abroad Such a change would remove flexibility and wider to plug this gap. access to a large pool of labour. Many businesses in It would be very difficult to do this because any London rely on lower-paid EU migrants to fill job worker from abroad would have to meet the £30,000 shortages when they cannot find the talent locally. threshold; employers would have to raise their wages This includes Brixton. According to Lambeth council, or hire older and more qualified people to justify the 15% of the borough’s population extra costs. Consequently, is from the EU. young migrants might have A lot of Brixton people take to leave or those who want All EU citizens living in the UK will have jobs outside the area, but some to come may be stopped from to apply for “settled status” to be able to choose to remain. When they doing so. This could lead to remain in the UK if Britain exits the EU. do, they often take roles in a growth in age inequality Stockwell Partnership, the East European Resource Centre and Lambeth Early Action hospitality and accommodation. in Brixton. Partnership (LEAP), in partnership with But 80% of roles in this sector In addition, there could Lambeth libraries, are organising an event in London do not pay £30,000 also be a worsening of gender on the issue, including a question and a year. inequality in the area. Across answer session, on SATURDAY 27 APRIL, This means that, for EU all London boroughs, the from 3 to 5pm at Tate South Library, 180 nationals currently filling disparity of pay between men South Lambeth Road, SW8 1QP. For vacancies in Brixton, most and women last year was more information on Lambeth council’s will not be able to do so after almost 14 per cent. Female preparations for Brexit and links to useful Brexit. This is problematic given full-time earners took home resources, visit lambeth.gov.uk/brexit that Brixton is known for its £17.28 per hour, compared with particularly strong night time economy that provides men on £20.02 per hour. It is therefore likely that more more than 1,000 jobs for locals and EU nationals alike. women would be offered roles which do not meet the One third of roles in drinking and eating venues proposed threshold as opposed to men.. in London are filled by EU nationals, so any political A better idea would be to have no threshold so the changes which affect their ability to do those jobs area’s thriving industries can benefit from migrant would have a catastrophic impact on Brixton and labour and supply the talent it needs where it needs it. its character. If this does not happen, the proposed threshold will But it is not only the hospitality industry in Brixton damage Brixton. The district’s important retail and that will suffer. The retail sector would also lose out. hospitality sectors will suffer in particular, while age Brixton is home to more than 1,700 retail jobs and 165 and gender disparities will worsen. retail businesses. It is important, therefore, that the area is The population of the area is expected to grow prepared for the introduction of such a threshold, by 10% over the next six years. Brixton is a hub in so the disastrous impact can be mitigated as much Lambeth for working-age international migrants to as possible.

SETTLED STATUS

The English weather reigns I’m turning pages of regret With all my aches and pains Old age is something that you get When life dilutes your frame And London makes you so upset You die for sunny Spain. I’m sitting in my buy-to-let Surrounded by my gains My worthless past and losing bets My love-lives charred remains The weather-cock my only pet Grey clouds spell out my name The road ahead leads straight to death Rehearsed by diesel flames. My memories still make the trek Not so my swollen veins My younger days break into sweat And curse my walking-cane The door outside is closed and set The doorknob still complains The stairs look like Mount Everest Those heights I can’t reclaim. Brixton and broken parapets No rivers left to tame My pension and my aching neck My only claim to fame My last days urging me to fret And ask life why I came Thank God I found the internet My brand new window- pane. © Shake spear November 2017

Brixton BID is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening Brixton’s diverse business culture. We represent more than 650 levy‑paying businesses in the local area and work to develop new and exciting opportunities for Brixton. Local business voted in November 2018 for the BID to continue its work for another five years.

Spring – and we need action Eat Them To Defeat Them

This fantastic campaign rolled into Brixton with song and dance and a ton of vegetables. There were lots of happy children and adults celebrating a wonderful campaign supported by a number of local Michael shopkeepers and Smith, indoor and outdoor Director, market traders. Music and “life size” Brixton vegetables added an air Business of festivity to Brixton. The only regret is that Improvement the Eat Them To Defeat District Campaign did not grow roots into the half term holidays, providing more fun, music and educational activities for a significant number of adults and children coming into Brixton during this period. Spring has arrived in Brixton and already footfall in the area is up 10% on the corresponding period in 2018. Increase in footfall in the area is one thing. This footfall must reflect and translate into increase spend on the High Street, in retail and in our coffee houses, pubs and clubs. Business rate payers are still looking to local government for support to help to level the playing field against online non-rate-paying businesses that are constantly and consistently chipping away at the retail market. High rental values are another major burden for business. Some are predicting the national chains that swarmed into Brixton on a tide of high rents will soon begin to ebb away, cutting their losses rather than facing “business suicide”. Local businesses will, however, have

no option but to remain and struggle with these high rental values. New developments are taking place all over Brixton. Electric Avenue and Electric Lane have not escaped them. The facades are up around the Reliance Arcade suggesting that

the long-planned facelift for this historical arcade is now under way. Planning permission has been sought for developments on 9-15 Electric Avenue – home of the foxes and cherries installations. The appearance of empty shopfronts in Brixton, too costly to attract new businesses, is worrying. The horse-trading among landlords vying to lure new businesses into Brixton

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fuelled the high rental value. Night time economy businesses are now sharing some of the same concerns of our retail sector – falling sales and slowing footfall. A buzzing night time economy means everything to Brixton. The appearance of here-today-gonetomorrow “pop-up” shops is also worrying as they provide no commitment to continuity in an already struggling local economy. There is also a noticeable absence of new market traders in our outdoor (and indoor) markets. This is impacting on the trading mix in our markets. Are outgoing fruit and veg traders being replaced by incoming fruit and veg traders? A lot is expected of Lambeth council and its new “market team”. It is also time for the Brixton Market Traders Federation to account for its curation and development of the Brixton Station Road Market. Short, dark cold days are almost behind us now, but market traders are still expecting that a market called “Electric Avenue Market” will be suitably electrified, as it was at the turn of the last century. On a positive note, the first market trader equipped for and trading cashlessly in fruits and vegetables is now on Electric Avenue. Our markets traders should be prepared to be cashless, just as they expect to be electrified. Businesses in the area have been subject to a recent space of robberies. The Section 92 Police Officers paid for by the Brixton BID have been quick off the mark in addressing this problem leading to the apprehension and jailing of a cat burglar who had been plaguing local businesses. A review of and an increase in the cost of this Section 92 service is worrying and could even put into question the future affordability of this additional policing service dedicated to businesses. Businesses returning to the “arches” on Brixton Station Road/Atlantic Road are now receiving their keys, leading to the occupation of these refurbished premises. The re-occupation of these premises should have an immensely positive impact on the area. There will be some old and some new challenges with the re-opening. But there can be no further delays. Any empty retail space in Brixton is a cause for concern.

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YOU WANT A VEGAN CREAM EGG? THAT’S NO PROBLEM IN BRIXTON Market Row legend Ms. Cupcake is baking up some cracking treats for everyone this Easter! Across the bank holiday, the vegan bakery will have a range of delicious themed

cupcakes to buy in store. They include an Easter Chick, Bunny Ears and Easter Basket. On top of that, they’ll be shifting hundreds of handmade vegan cream

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Turtle Bay Caribbean restaurant and bar has free kite-making kits for kids and an exclusive new cocktail that will tickle your taste buds and blow any diet out of the water. A popular Caribbean tradition over the Easter period is to gather as a family and fly kites together. To celebrate this and so that everyone can get involved in the fun pastime, children* will receive a free kite-making kit so they can put their creative skills to the test. But hurry – once the kits have gone, they’re gone!

Rum Rabbit Rum will be hopping its way onto the cocktail menu for the Easter period until 22 April. Its delicious combination of Caribbean flavours includes Pussers (rum),

#EATTHEMTODEFEATTHEM! Brixton BID, Lambeth council and VegPower teamed up to bring a full day of family fun to Windrush Square earlier in April. For loads of delicious veg recipes head to www.vegpower.org and make sure to shop locally!

eggs – which taste very similar to the original. Watch out Cadbury’s! Get down to the bakery to treat yourself or your loved ones this Easter.

white cacao and coconut milk as well as a scoop of chocolate ice cream. It is topped off with a piece of brownie and a Caribbean dumpling dipped in rum caramel sauce. Even the rim of the glass is dipped in rum caramel. ✽✽ The Easter kite-making kit is suitable for children aged four and over and only provided when a meal is purchased from the Little Turtles menu. 382-384, Brixton Rd, SW9 7AW www.turtlebay.co.uk/ locations/brixton

We still want to change the world. Can you help us? The Brixton Pound started in 2009, in the wake of the financial crisis. Part of the Transition movement, our focus was on how a local currency could help manage the transition to a post-peak oil society. The promotion of local trade, keeping money circulating where it was spent (and not flowing immediately to faceless shareholders) and community resilience were at our core. In the intervening ten years we’ve witnessed Austerity, Brexit, coalition government and a hung parliament; tax avoidance on a mind-boggling scale, and the mainstream high street suffering an existential crisis. Closer to home, Brixton has changed faster than any time since the Windrush. And as for peak oil? When even David Attenborough is talking environmental catastrophe, community resilience is a few notches more serious. But you know what. We’re still here, plugging away. Still wanting to change the world, one cup of tea at a time. While the world’s gone nuts we’ve pioneered pay-by-text, instigated a local lottery and micro-grant-giving fund. We’ve opened a shop that turned into a payas-you-feel café that now saves over three tonnes of food from landfill a year. And we still have the world’s first inner city local currency. As we turn ten, it’s time for the Brixton Pound experiment to change gear. We’ve got big plans that will see us take the lead once more in the local currency space; big plans for the Brixton community. And we’re looking for help – and not just in the café! If you can spare a few hours a week to join our growing band of Brixton Pound volunteers, we’d love to hear from you. Drop in to the café at 77 Atlantic Road, or drop thomas@brixtonpound.org a line.

brixtonpound.org

MAY 2019 brixtonblog.com FOOD & DRINK  15

FOOD & DRINK REVIEW: BODEANS

Sticky fingers Nick Buglione is loving the ribs at Bodeans

Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore While London has embraced the flavours and techniques of the southern American BBQ belt, from upscale Mayfair joints like Temper through to kerbside smokin’ trucks and boxpark pop-ups, since more or less the Millennium, Kansas City-inspired Bodeans has been … being Bodeans. For the Bugliones, it’s a family affair. As part of my unofficial editorial thread of good places to take the kids, Bodeans is our go to BBQ-pit indulgence. Of course, your cosmo kids are probably happy having gorengs, smashed avo and vegan halloumi. Mine like burgers. But I am essentially a selfish man. Not for me happily sitting in “child-friendly restaurants”, settling for pokey dining just because they have crayons and baby seats (err … hello Giraffe). Bodeans gives me the best of both worlds and my dinner isn’t the victim of parental convenience. The Guardian’s Grace Dent gave the Soho branch a surprisingly right proper mugging a while back. Bodeans Clapham version has never let us down. And they do damn good ribs. For newbies, Bodeans is your (now) standard “BBQ sports-ish joint” with a menu cuddling up to the Deep South Delta. Book a booth if you can. I’m sure they do rowdy Super Bowl nights where guys with skinny chinos

and no socks blast shots till dawn, otherwise it’s all perfectly civilised. They used to do free kids’ meals, which meant when the kids were younger, I could hoover up their meals, doggy bag mine and walk out a winner, but they are onto me – the kids meals are now a three-course mini-menu and drink for less than a fiver. The menu is a blockbuster pile-up of steaks, ribs, chicken, Texan sausage, dogs, surf ’n’turf, pulled pork, burnt ends, brisket, mac’n’cheese, burgers, wings, salads and an unexplored but decent looking vegan menu. Kids get a mini version of the grown ups’. Of course, the supposed secrets of the rubs remain locked in a vault somewhere, but its clear due diligence has taken place – there is a special place in hell for those that just “paint” a BBQ flavour on at the pass. Like a seasoned con in a Tennessee correctional facility, these meats have served their time in solitary marinade. I’m having the baby back slab – more or less falling off the bone finger-licking good. Honourable mention also goes to the KC Brisket sandwich – steaming slow cooked brisket, cheese, onion ring in a big toasty bun – naked so you can make the most of Bodeans’ rack of sauces. Chipotle all the way for me. And they do impressive sharing combo platters if you and the gang want a bit of everything. Washed down with a chilled Samuel Adams. Happy days. Dukes of Hazzard and their Daisies could go for the Boss Hogg platter (and possibly survive to tell the tale). Fries and coleslaw come with everything. There are seven Bodeans scattered across London. I make no claims for the other outposts, but I suspect that in a world of new wave BBQ trending, bar hitting the Deep South or half term holidays in Kansas, I am sticking with the guys that have been around the block. Where’s the beef Mondale? Just a walk up Acre Lane.

169 Clapham High Street, SW4 7SS | 020 7622 4248 | bodeansbbq.com/clapham | @BodeansBBQ

16  FOOD & DRINK brixtonblog.com

2019 MAY

INTERVIEW: LONDON BEER LAB

Something’s brewing Abby Jones meets the brew dogs at London Beer Lab It feels like the beginning of Spring and that’s beer weather. I popped in to the London Beer Lab for a Brixton pint with the chief brewer, Bruno Alajouanine, to get the lowdown on all things homebrewing. Bruno started the London Beer Lab in 2013 with co-founder Karl Durand O’Connor. Both had been working in the City and were thirsty for a workshop to upskill their homebrewing, but there was no such thing to be found. Bruno marvelled at there having been a homebrew school in Lyon (his home town), but not in London. They took a space in late 2012, tucked in the Brixton arches just off Nursery Road. Beginning with just a few homebrew kits, this unassuming spot started as a passion project, but has developed into a London hub for would-be brewers. When I arrive to meet Bruno, two of the team are setting up for the evening, with 14 shiny beer

taps being readied for Friday night, tasting kits prepped for the evening’s tasting session, fridges neatly stocked with beautiful cans and bottles and, the most enticing part of the space, the shelves of hops and grain. From their homebrew shop, you can procure everything you will need for your brew. They’ll ask you questions to understand your goals, and within minutes, you have yourself a recipe to measure out the grain and hops you need. Cast yourself back to being a child in a sweet shop: London Beer Lab is like a hoppy pick’n’mix. Bruno talks about the challenges of setting up the lab. Despite the obvious (time, cost and commitment) this place was heavily reliant on people’s desire to learn. As it turns out, he didn’t need to worry. It seems there’s a real appetite for learning, buoyed by London’s taste for quality craft beer. While pubs have been struggling and commercial breweries are being bought out by the week, the appetite for homebrewing has proven sustainable.

There seems to be much more to homebrewing than the broader craft beer trend. People come to the London Beer Lab and have a unique experience that they are then able to replicate at home. There’s a real sense of pride in giving someone a bottle of your homebrew and saying, “I made that”. Advising those with an interest, but lacking the know-how, Bruno suggests starting small-scale. He recommends trying first with just the things in your kitchen. You can make a five-litre batch of beer on your kitchen hob. If your appetite is sufficiently whetted, I can personally recommend a beermaking workshop with these guys. It’s a really fun and interesting day and you learn properly how to brew at home on your own. You can go alone or in a group. The London Beer Lab is evolving and growing. For more info, check their website, sign up to the newsletter, or follow social media for updates on workshops, tasting sessions, the homebrew shop and tap room. You may also see their beers around London, on tap or in a bottle, brewed in their commercial brewery down the road. Cheers!

Bruno Alajouanine (left) and Karl Durand O’Connor

Arch 41, Nursery Road, SW9 8BP | 020 8396 6517 | londonbeerlab.com | @LondonBeerLab

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MAY 2019 brixtonblog.com FOOD & DRINK  17 RECIPE: HOMEBREW

REVIEW: FRANZINA TRATTORIA

Why not get brewing, says homebrewing enthusiast Abby Jones

Home cooking

If you are thinking about homebrewing, you need a few things to get started, but not as many as you think and some of it is already in your kitchen. You need basic equipment, a recipe, ingredients and a vague understanding of the science and the terminology. To start off, you will need some equipment, (or approximations).

EQUIPMENT

¡¡ 10 litre pot ¡¡ Straining bag to hold the grain ¡¡ Measuring jug ¡¡ Kitchen scales ¡¡ Cooking thermo­ meter ¡¡ Mixing paddle (or big spoon) ¡¡ Steriliser/sterilised bottles or containers ¡¡ Fermentation tub/ container (airtight) ¡¡ Ingredients ¡¡ Water ¡¡ Grain/malt ¡¡ Hops ¡¡ Yeast

There are six basic steps to making beer. 1. The mash: This is where you mix and heat up grain and water, breaking down the grain’s starch into sugars. 2. Sparging: This is where you pull out the grain and give it a good rinse down to get out all the good stuff. This leaves a sugary liquid, called wort. 3. The boil: This is where the wort is boiled. This kills any bacteria. It is also the time where you add hops, depending on the flavour you want from the beer. 4. Fermentation: You will then put your brew into a fermenting vessel with a bit of yeast, which changes the sugars into alcohol. 5. After about two weeks, you can bottle your beer, adding just a little extra sugar for the final stage of development in the bottles. 6. After about three or four weeks, drink! Once you have all the above, go online and find a recipe which will tell you timings and measurements or pop into the London Beer Lab to get a recipe and ingredients. Happy brewing!

Richard Allen discovers Sicilian dining at Trattoria Franzina Let’s face it: there aren’t many good Italian restaurants in London. According to my wife. Who is Italian. The reason, I’m told, is that, apparently after not too long, the chefs get to think that the Brits don’t really understand good food and stop bothering. So it was a “Man from Del Monte”* moment as my wife bit into her first mouthful at Franzina; she looked at me, smiled and nodded. I knew we were going to be OK. Franzina specialises in traditional Sicilian home cooking and “street” food. Like a lot of Italian cuisine, its origins lie in the less-welloff turning simple ingredients – fresh fish, the cheaper cuts of meat, readily available vegetables – into light, fresh and finely tuned dishes. To start, we chose the Schiticchio sharing plate (£11.50) which included sort-of focaccia pizzas, chickpea fritters, potato croquettes, caponata (chopped aubergine and capers) and olives. This gave us a chance to sample several of the individual starters in one go – a lot of “Hey, have you tried this?”

But being greedy gobble gannets, we also went for the Arancina (£6.50): a big rice ball filled with beef ragout and cheese; this was the thing that my wife first gave the nod to. And I had heard of Sicily’s love affair with the octopus, so I could not resist diving in to discover that mysterious mollusc. Having ordered the Polpo (£11), I expected chunks of white flesh with perhaps a crunchy yellow coating, something like fried calamari. What I was in fact presented with was the whole animal deconstructed, reassembled and spread-eagled across a plate – purple, suckered. Sicilians like this simple and shared – dressed purely with lemon and salt. I had been warned that it could be a bit robust for British tastes but actually it was tender and great tasting – a real blueplanet experience. Then the key test: the pasta. Only fresh-made tagliatelle on the menu. My wife went with the ammuttunata (stuffed baby aubergines smoked in garlic, minty

tomato sauce – £8.75) whereas I maintained the seafood theme with the nero di seppia (black squid ink and calamari – £11). As it was placed on the table by Toto, father of owner Stefania Taormina, he announced: “An hour ago this was flour.” That’s how fresh the pasta was. And it was cooked to perfection. But what of the sauces? Black squid ink is a risky business; in its raw state it’s terribly bitter and salty – you have to add tiny amounts to the onion and tomato until you get the balance just right. Chef Pietro Franz is clearly a brave man. But fortune favours the brave, and he nailed it. So, as we tucked into our shared Cannolo Siciliano (£5) for dessert (dreamy ricotta cream in a fried pastry tube), was there anything we, or more precisely my wife, could fault? “Not enough napkins?” I ventured. “Don’t you dare!, It was perfect.” But could it go the way of those other Italian restaurants in London? Well, no – because it was absolutely stuffed with Italians (my wife made friends with most of them). *Younger readers may wish to know that the Man from Del Monte appeared in a 20th century TV advert in which “He say ‘Yes’.”

395 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 7LQ | 07802 473444 | franzinatrattoria.com | @franzinatrattoria

18  WHAT’S ON brixtonblog.com

2019 MAY

WHAT’S ON The HERNE HILL FREE FILM FESTIVAL takes place throughout the area between 29 April and 1 June. The annual festival is now in its seventh year and is run entirely by volunteers. Programme at freefilmfestivals. org/filmfestival/herne-hill

Premier for Brixton composer’s new opera Brixton-based classical composer Robert Hugill’s new opera, The Gardeners, will be premiered at London’s Conway Hall on 18 June, and the hall’s long-running Sunday Concert Series is having a Robert Hugill in Focus event on Sunday 5 May. Hugill (right) has lived in Brixton for more than 30 years, and runs the classical music blog Planet Hugill (planethugill.com), he is also the membership secretary for the Garden Museum in Lambeth. The Gardeners will be his fourth opera. At the event on Sunday 5 May there will be a chance

to hear the music from his CD Quickening, issued by Navona Records in September 2017 following a successful

crowd-funding campaign. The music will be performed live at Conway Hall by mezzo-soprano Anna Huntley, Ferrier Award-winning baritone James Newby, viola player Rosalind Ventris and pianist William Vann. Quickening sets poems by Christina Rosetti to music. Winter Journey does the same for poems by Rowan Williams (the former Archbishop of Canterbury). Robert Hugill will give a pre-concert talk at 5.30pm, and after the concert he will be participating in a question and answer session. AA Book at conwayhall.org.uk/ event/robert-hugill-in-focus

Windmill festival will be bigger, better and beerier The Brixton Windmill Beer and Bread Festival is back on 6 May – Bank Holiday Monday – from 1 to 5pm for a May Day celebration of local producers. Organisers Friends of Windmill Gardens in partnership with Brixton Brewery promise more food, entertainment and local breweries than ever before, including Herne Hill’s Canopy Brewery, the London Beer Lab, who brew in Loughborough Junction, and – making a festival debut – Bullfinch Brewery, from Rosendale Road. The Old Post Office Bakery returns, and Moji Coker will offer a selection of breads, bakes and pastries, along with F. Mondays café, who will serve toasties, teas, coffees and juices. Entertainment includes live music from salsa band Los Domingos, R&B band B2B, and Brixton’s famous steel pan soloist De Kat in De

Hat, plus a performance by Tatterjacks Morris. The children’s area will be extended this year, with craft workshops and activities to keep kids entertained. Visitors can also go inside the windmill to meet volunteer millers, who will be grinding flour that will be available to buy on the day. Jean Kerrigan, chair of the Friends of Windmill Gardens, said: “The Beer and Bread Festival is one of our most popular events that is well supported by the local community. “2019 is a very exciting year for Brixton Windmill as we will be opening our new education centre. This will allow us to extend our programme of school workshops as well as offering baking and nutrition classes and space to hire for the local community to use for events.” AA More information about the Beer and Bread Festival at www.brixtonwindmill.org

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Art from Peckham to Dulwich By Leslie Manasseh Dulwich Festival, an annual celebration of art, music, theatre and literature, takes place this year from 10 to 19 May. One of the most popular elements is the “Artists’ Open House”, taking place across both festival weekends. More than 200 artists invite visitors to their homes and studios. From Brixton and Herne Hill to Dulwich and Peckham and beyond, you can wander in and out and talk to them about their work. Paintings, prints, etchings, drawings, photography, sculpture, ceramics, glassware, textiles and more, are on show and for sale. Established artists and amateurs take part in what has always been an enjoyable spring event. Of course it’s a mixed bag. But you will almost certainly see work you like and might wish to buy. The works and artists

you find most interesting can be selected from the catalogue which is widely available on the day and enables you to plan a route. The festival also has musical, literary and theatrical events hosted in notable buildings including the Dulwich Picture Gallery, Bell House, Dulwich College and Christ’s Chapel. Talks, walks, and events especially for children and families, are also part of the varied programme. Highlights include: ●● The Harlem Meer Cats recreate music from the Cotton Club, playing the hits of Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway among others ●● The festival ceilidh featuring the Festival of Choirs ●● Adam Norsworthy, an acclaimed blues singersongwriter, will be playing a first set with violinist Tom Norris and then a full band set with his group The Mustangs ●● A concert of chamber and organ music and a

performance by Onyx Brass in the 400-year-old Christ’s Chapel. A photographic exhibition and panel discussion – including two of the 10,000 children who came to Britain 80 years ago on the “Kindertransport” as unaccompanied refugees to escape Nazi Europe – will explore how the children adapted to life in Britain and dealt with being separated from families and their homes. To celebrate the 400th anniversary of the death of Burbage Road’s namesake, Richard Burbage, local artist Lionel Stanhope will create a mural of the actor, artist and co-founder of the Globe Theatre. The Handlebards are cycling actors who perform chaotic and environmentally sustainable Shakespeare plays across the globe. Join them for the original take on Much Ado About Nothing. AA For full details of events go to dulwichfestival.co.uk

MAY 2019 brixtonblog.com WHAT’S ON  19

WHAT’S ON GET DISCOUNTED TICKETS FOR MANDELA THE OFFICIAL EXHIBITION WITH THE BRIXTON BUGLE

Mandela in a new light

There are two more Lambeth tea dances at the town hall in Brixton for the 2019 season – on Tuesday 14 May and Tuesday 11 June. Doors open at 1pm. Enjoy an afternoon of tea, coffee and cake and three hours of ballroom, Latin and sequence dancing led by Mr Wonderful. £5 tickets include unlimited tea and coffee. Cakes from Age UK Lambeth will also be on sale. Tickets must be pre-booked: Phone 0871 220 0260. Calls cost 13p a minute plus network extras. A small number of tickets are available to buy at Brixton library. AAThe Assembly Hall, Lambeth town hall, Acre Lane SW2 1RW.

Black Lives Matter founder at Brixton library Five years ago, DeRay McKesson left his job as a teacher, moved to Ferguson, Missouri, and spent the next 400 days on the streets, helping to bring the Black Lives Matter movement into being. In his distinctive blue vest, McKesson became a TV regular and a spokesperson for a new generation of activists.

In his first book, On The Other Side of Freedom, he sets out the intellectual, pragmatic, and political framework for a growing liberation movement. You can join him at Brixton library in conversation at 7pm on Monday 29 April. AA Seats are limited, so free booking is essential. Go to http://bit.ly/Brixton-McKesson

Mandela The Official Exhibition is an immersive experience exploring how each stage of Nelson Mandela’s life shaped his journey to become the globally recognised face of the anti-apartheid struggle and South Africa’s first Black president. His journey is explored in new, personal and revealing ways. With exclusive stories from Madiba himself, his family and those that knew him best, visitors will

see Nelson Mandela in a new light. Brixton Bugle readers can buy discounted tickets (at £12.50, reduced from £15). Go to www. mandelaexhibition.com and use the code BCA1250. Each ticket purchased with this code gives a £1 donation to the exhibition’s partner, The Black Cultural Archives. AA Mandela: The Official Exhibition, Leake Street Gallery, Waterloo. Enter via 7 Addington Street, SE1 7RY.

A Black Cultural Archives exhibition, Radiating Greatness, Stories of Black Leadership (Part 1) tells the stories of five Black women who hold the highest positions in their respective fields. It captures their challenges and triumphs, telling their stories through the eyes of the awardwinning artist and leader

of the Black British Art Movement in the 1980s, Franklyn Rodgers. The five are politician and diplomat Baroness Valerie Amos, businesswoman Karen Blackett OBE, management consultant Dame Vivian Hunt, lawyer Dr Sandie Okoro and surgeon Samantha Tross. AA Until 31 May, £3. BCA, Windrush Square, SW2 1EF

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REGGAE AT POP BRIXTON The London-based all-female Sisters of Reggae DJ collective – playing 100% vinyl – will entertain Pop Brixton with one of their monthly residencies from 7pm to midnight on Friday 17 May. Expect three selectors to play ska, rocksteady, revival, roots, rockers and early digital. The collectors and selectors Lucky Cat, Debbie Golt, Miss Feelgood, Naoko The

Rock and Sweetie are all DJs in their own right. Passionate about empowering other women to get involved in playing reggae music, the Sisters hold regular female DJ relays with promoter Outerglobe, which gives women a chance to play out in a supportive atmosphere. The Sisters are also planning bi-monthly appearances Upstairs at The Ritzy.

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

20  WHAT’S ON brixtonblog.com

2019 MAY

Jamila Omar rounds up a selection of gigs and more in Brixton and nearby THUR 18 @ HOOTANANNY

Britain’s Got REGGAE (BGR) and Cecil Reuben present the second heat of their third series. BGR is a competition that promotes the wealth of reggae talent in the UK. You’ll hear fantastic unearthed grass-roots performers. 9pm-2am £3.

FRI 19 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON

On Good Friday INNOVATION will again return to the Electric, scene of their New Year’s Eve event that totally sold out. The line-up includes Hazard with Eksman & Herbie; DJ Guv with Trigga & IC3; Logan D with Harry Shotta & Shabba and Majistrate with Dreps & Kombo. 11pm-7am. £10-£22.

SAT 20 @ HOOTANANNY

Lose yourself in FUNKY BASS DISCO, with sax-fuelled hip-hop from Skunkadelic and Mr Woodnote; party funk maestro X-Ray Ted; eight-piece live funk and soul band Smith and the Honey Badgers, as well as Fizzy Gillespie and The Bard. Free before 10pm, £7 after. 9pm-3am.

SUN 21 @ PRINCE OF WALES

Norman Jay joins this, the first of his four summer parties, Up On The Roof, along with the legendary JAZZIE B of Soul II Soul, and Glitterbox’s Melvo Baptiste. 2pm-4am. £15.

MON 22 @ EFFRA SOCIAL

Comedy improvisation show Duck Duck Goose host their IMPROV JAM plus guests in the Effra Social’s Churchill Lounge every Monday. You can watch or join in. 7.30pm. Free.

TUE 23 @ THE WINDMILL

Final night of a four-gig residency at The Windmill by THE REBEL, AKA the Country Teasers’ Ben Wallers. The Rebel dates from the end of the 80s with songs too madcap to fit into even the Teasers’ William-Burroughsby-way-of-The-Residents take on country. The Rebel has had a big influence on many South London bands. His first of a now annual residency at The Windmill was in 2017. With Great Dad and Naima Block. 8pm £6.

WED 24 @ BLUES KITCHEN

This weekly BLUES JAM offers a night of exciting live music and cheap cocktails as scores of musicians take to the stage. Guests can sign up between 6.30pm and 8.30pm upstairs in the clubroom and hone their skills alongside the house band, with live music from 8.30pm. Open until midnight. Free.

THUR 25 @ DOGSTAR

Each and every Thursday, resident DJ Afrochick and guests play all your FAVOURITES throughout the night at the Afterschool Club, to an up-for-it party crowd. One of the best free nights in Brixton. 10pm2am. Free.

FRI 26 @ HOOTANANNY

Son Yambu, a band of Cuban musicians, present a modern take on the sound of authentic CUBAN SON, and let it sit firmly in the 21st century. The live set is an experience not to be missed. Malavita and Makala & Jimmy Bidaurreta will be getting the party started, melding Latin influences with funk and bass. 9pm-3am. Free before 10pm. £5 after.

SAT 27 @ VARIOUS VENUES

After the first and sold out BRIXTON DISCO FESTIVAL last year, it’s back with live music, DJs, screenings, talks, record fair, food amd drink – in venues surrounding Windrush Square – Electric Brixton, Prince of Wales Rooftop and Club, Ritzy and Black Cultural Archives, plus roller disco in the square itself! See brixtondiscofestival.com

SUN 28 @ JAMM

Soundbox returns with 10 finalists. EMERGING ARTISTS bring their sounds of all genres and styles to the stage. The winner receives £500 cash and three mastered songs with a top UK producer. 5pm-11pm. £7.

MON 29 @ THE WINDMILL

Three live bands – Benin City, Suitman Jungle and Worstworldproblems – play a fundraiser for Fightback, the fundraising arm of the UK charity MUSIC VENUE TRUST (musicvenuetrust.com) which acts to protect, secure and improve music venues. Also the London launch party for Fightback Lager. A proportion of lager sales income will help to defend venues from closure. Doors 8pm. £8.

TUE 30 @ PRINCE REGENT

The long-running Prince Regent PUB QUIZ starts at 8pm sharp, each and every Tuesday. Big cash prizes, free drinks questions and a rollover jackpot question that grows each week. Come down early because it’s first come, first served and tables get filled quickly. 6-10pm.

WED 1 MAY @ OFF THE CUFF

Herne Hill’s Off The Cuff Bar presents a night of live music from LOCAL SINGERS and songwriters each and every Wednesday. Well worth a look. 8pm. Free.

THUR 2 @ THE WINDMILL

Sonic Tonic proudly presents Jemma Freeman and South London band COSMIC SOMETHING, the joint mission of multiinstrumentalist and songwriter Jemma Freeman, bass player and producer Mark Estall and drummer Hamid Mantu (Furniture, Transglobal Underground). 8pm. £4 adv/£5 door.

FRI 3 @ BRIXTON JAMM

So Fresh So Clean looks back to classic HIPHOP and RnB jams from the 90s and doubleohs. Bringing old skool flavours from the USA to the LDN and everything in between. 10pm-5am. £5-£10, more OTD.

SAT 4 @ PHONOX

Saturday night resident ESA ushers in a new era as he makes this Brixton Road club his home. Originally from Cape Town, his DJ sets are a fusion of sound that marries his South African heritage with HIGH ENERGY house, disco and world music, ready-made for the dance floor. 9pm-4am.

SUN 5 @ BLUES KITCHEN

Come nurse your souls with Sunday of BBQ & BOOZE. Wind down the weekend as James Riley provides the soundtrack with a mixture of soothing blues and country. 8pmmidnight. Free.

MON 6 @ HOOTANANNY

Brixton BOOKJAM returns and you’ll be hearing from Joshua Idehen, Jim Bob, Greg Chivers, Naomi Foyle, Ian Maleney, Hanna Jameson and Maximilian Hawker. It’s a mix of readings, and talks, chatting and socialising. From people who love to read through to A-list authors, ghost writers, erudite editors, self-effacing self-publishers and literary lexophiles, everyone is welcome! 7pm-midnight. Free.

TUE 7 @ PRINCE OF WALES

Come and join the relaxed, entertaining and bang up to date BIG FAT QUIZ every Tuesday, where the main ingredient is Fun. Each quizmaster is a successful performer in their own right, so the stuff in between is as good as the questions. £2 per person. 8-11pm.

WED 8 @ CLUB 414

A weekly JAM SESSION that provides some of Brixton’s best established and upcoming artists and musicians with the chance to play in front of a live audience to gain that vital experience needed before moving on to bigger and better things. Rev. Be. Atwell and Rev D Wayne Love (both of Alabama 3) take care of the night’s proceedings. 10pm-3am. Free with flyer b412 £3 b412 £5 after.

THUR 9 @ PRINCE OF WALES

Thursday nights at the POW are dedicated to LIVE JAZZ. Jazz nights have been running weekly here for four years now, making this a South London institution for late night live music. The Banger Factory House Band are often joined by industry professionals. 11pm3am. Free.

FRI 10 @ EFFRA SOCIAL

A spontaneous, fast-moving, genre-leaping mix of fun, dancefloor-filling POP THUMPERS and anthems from the likes of Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson, Eminem, The Cure, Kelis, Sean Paul, Nirvana, David Bowie and more, hosted by Brixton Buzz. 9pm-1am. Free.

SAT 11 @ BROCKWELL GREENHOUSES It’s the Greenhouses’ annual May FETE, with a whole host of great treats for you to celebrate, from maypole dancing to traditional games like tug of war, dress the scarecrows, splat the rat, fruit bobbing, human fruit machine, nature trail, obstacle race and more, plus crafts such as making ribbon. 1pm-5pm. £2.50-£8.

SUN 12 @ CLUB 414

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 13 @ POP BRIXTON

Each Monday, Neville from Wu Style TAI CHI CHUAN runs a free class in Brixton. This traditional Chinese martial art has many potential health benefits. Open to all and suitable for all ages and abilities. 12.301.30pm. Free.

TUE 14 @ TAMESIS DOCK

Formed in late 2017 out of the Brixton-based Muddy Yard Collective, WOOZE are the Korean/British duo of Theo Spark and Jamie She. They play the Tamesis Dock floating pub on Lambeth’s Albert Embankment (SE1 7TP) with special guests. Doors 8pm. Starts 11pm. £9.35.

WED 15 @ QUEENS HEAD

Musicians from all over London play a mixture of genres on stage at WICKED WEDNESDAY JAM. Join Aurora Dawn Aka (Alabama 3), Laura Ibáñez (Brixton Gypsy Jam) and James Lawrence (Ronnie Scott’s Ruby Sings Jam) in this weekly event calling all musicians, singers, MCs, the local musical community and beyond. 10pm-3am. £3.

THUR 16 @ EFFRA HALL TAVERN

This long-running JAZZ JAM SESSION is still going strong at this much-loved Brixton boozer after many years. 9pm-midnight. Free

MAY 2019 brixtonblog.com WHAT’S ON  21

What’s on at Whirled The House By The Sea Sunday 21 April | 6pm In Robert Guédiguian’s film three children have gathered by their father’s side for his last days in a Mediterranean villa near Marseilles. It’s time for them to weigh up what they have inherited of their father’s ideals and the community spirit he created in a magical place. The arrival, at a nearby cove, of a group of boat people will throw moments of reflection into turmoil.

Mickey in the video by Chiara Ambrosio

The strain of modern living The Brixton DIY art music collective, Bones and the Aft, has a new book and album out. The official launch of Mickey will be on 7 June at Tate Britain, during Late at the Tate, a free event for 18–25-year-olds on the first Friday of each month. Mickey is a book and CD of thematically linked songs relating to the life and times of the mythical One Shoe Mickey, a former refugee now living in London. Mickey sets out every day from his cardboard home in search of the One True Glove, reputed to be lost somewhere in the ancient and mythical city of London. Ten songs tell of his daily trudges, searching for

his lost family. “Mickey gets things all mixed up, the front is back, the taking’s giving. His brain can’t take the stress, can’t take the strain of modern living …” Bones and the Aft are the performance wing of Liver & Lights publishing that was begun in 1984 by poet John Bently and currently features Ian Mckean on guitars and keyboards; Admiral Lord Biscuit on drums; and Arthur Bently on alto sax. AA You can see a Mickey video by Chiara Ambrosio at vimeo.com/268938724 AA You can buy Mickey at bonesandtheaft.bandcamp.com/album/mickey

Just two more MAMBISTA nights at West Norwood’s Portico Gallery before their summer break. On 3 May, it’s Hammond organ specialist Gary Baldwin’s quartet featuring Roger Beaujolais on vibraphone. Get 7 June in your diary now for a double bill of reggae, dub, jazz and Afrobeat with Brixton favourites Soothsayers and Youthsayers! DJ Gerry Lyseight on the decks. AA Portico Galley, 23a Knight’s Hill, SE27 0HS, 8pm. £8 advance porticogallery.org.uk, £10 otd.

back where we started. Before the screening, the audience will be invited to answer a series of questions. Using an algorithm, they will be used to create a cut of the films that will be representative of the room's overall worldview, perceptions, personality and feeling on that day. Tickets are £8.50 from http://bit.ly/Whirled-process Free Solo Thursday 2 May | 8pm

The Wild Pear Tree Monday 22 – Wednesday 24 April | 8pm Sunday 28 April | 6pm Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s latest film premiered in Cannes 2018 to huge acclaim. In it, Sinan returns from his studies in a city to his parents’ home in a small rural town. He hopes to publish a book of essays and short stories. But his teacher father Idris is an addictive gambler who has ruined the family. Sinan, worrying that he will have to teach in a remote town, visits his grandparents and encounters old friends, all the while looking for funding for his book. Paddington 2 Saturday 27 April | 11am Paddington 2 honours its star's rich legacy with a sequel whose adorable visuals are matched by a story balanced between heartwarming family fare and purely enjoyable all-ages adventure. The Process Trilogy by ChewBoy Productions Sunday 28 April | 12pm, doors 11.30am Three experimental short films exploring audience manipulation and how our perceptions play into how we view art. The pieces centre around bittersweet comedy, bleak surrealism and experimental filmmaking and mark the third creative project from ChewBoy Productions. They deal with the fact that we may never find happiness in our lives or work, and that we always end up

From award-winning documentary filmmaker E. Chai Vasarhelyi and world-renowned photographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin, the directors of Meru comes Free Solo, a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares to climb, without a rope, the face of the world’s most famous rock the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite national park. Celebrated as one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind, Honnold’s climb set the ultimate standard: perfection or death.

Whirled Cinema | 259 Hardess Street, SE24 0HN | 020 7737 6153 | www.whirledcinema.com

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RAYKO & DJ NICK THE RECORD 467- 469 Brixton Rd, Brixton, London SW9 8HH

22  WHAT’S ON EXTRA

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2019 MAY

GARDENING GEMMA PASHA

Winter interest Summer may be around the corner, but a gardener needs to think ahead – to winter

Gigs at the Brockwell Greenhouses DOOLALLY TAP Sunday 28 April 5 -7.30pm

Performing a jazz mix of rags, swinging blues and melodies from the 1920s, Doolally Tap’s infectious energy and outstanding musicianship continues to win fans wherever they play. Led by ace trombonist David Lalljee and early jazz expert/sousaphone player Tom Briers (above), their exuberant live performances recreate the original energy of prohibition era New Orleans.

May Fete on Saturday 11 May 1-5pm

This is the third year the greenhouses will run its popular May Fete. It promises to be another fabulous day full of seasonal crafts, maypole dancing, traditional games, cob oven pizzas and live music and morris dance from the Brixton Tatterjacks. AA For tickets and details of all other events at the Greenhouses up to October, visit www.brockwellgreenhouses.org.uk.

FIND OUT ABOUT FROGS

Discover frogs, toads and newts at a workshop on Saturday 27 April from 12 to 3pm in the Myatt’s Fields nature garden, followed by some practical work in the garden with charity Froglife. Or join the Friday morning volunteers for five weeks from 26 April to help build new habitats and learn about all things froggy.

Through my business, I am lucky enough to work with many clients with gardens, and gardening requirements, of all shapes and sizes. I am often invited along to a “blank canvas” garden and asked to plan the planting for the client. With bare and empty beds, the mind quickly pictures a full and vibrant summer garden with lots of height, colours and different textures. I have flashbacks to gardens I have visited, and planting schemes I have admired. All the client wants really is for me to understand them, their style, their gardening ability and willingness to bring the vision to life. The easy job is to find loads of plants and plant them into a bed and make it look wicked for the time being. The tough challenge is to ensure that the bed continues to change over the course

of the year and always has something interesting going on. So, the secret to a full and lush looking bed is to ensure you have plenty of winter interest which will provide the backbone and structure. Lots of evergreen – shrubs and herbaceous perennials. camellia, skimmia, rhododendron, daylily, clematis armandii, ferns, hellebores. The list goes on … Once you have this base established and chosen your colour preferences then the easy part is adding plants and flowers that will give interest year around. BUT, what you won’t have is a garden that completely dies back and looks bare and bleak over winter. 66 I love helping clients with their planting design and schemes, and if you think your garden is in a need of a refresh or some planting inspiration, then please feel free to call me, The Gardening Girl on 07826 551353.

MAY 2019

Hill Mead HERALD Guess what I saw … By Kaiden and Maia. Year 2

Extract from Kaiden’s writing (retelling of the story)

‘This is serious’ – writing to engage readers By Ana, Year 6 The National Theatre production of The Winter’s Tale performed at Hill Mead, inspired Year 6 to re-create a scene in the play. The focus of our writing task was to show characters’ emotions through actions that would engage the interest of readers. Below is my scene It was New Year’s Eve and all of the members of King Leontes and Queen Hermione’s party were joyous and celebratory.

Sipping from their crystal champagne flutes, the guests danced excitedly and their joyful laughter could be heard from miles around. The reflections of the women’s diamonds shone on the marble floor and velvet curtains. Everyone was happy except for the most important person in the party, King Leontes. He stared out from a corner and asked Camila – who is Leontes’ advisor – to meet him in a room. As Camila heard this she rushed through the corridors to the meeting place. She peered left and right and took a soft step

into the room. “What is the problem, my lord?” Camila asked. “Camila!” Leontes cried. “Yes?” “This is serious, my best friend and my wife are have an affair!” Leontes replied, his rigid body trembling. “Oh, my Lord, how can that be?” asked Camila. ■■ Ana’s teacher said: “Ana, this is an incredible piece of writing … it creates an image of the scene in the reader’s head”.

Ay up! Like my new creps? – now translate By Vinnie and Wesley, Year 5 Recently we have been comparing a school in Nottinghamshire called St Peters with Hill Mead. The Year 5 teacher from the Nottingham school (Mrs Marsten) heard about Hill Mead when she visited her daughter in Brixton and read the Brixton Bugle. We have been imagining what it is like in Nottinghamshire. The differences are amazing. St Peters is a small village school in East Bridgeford, whereas we are in Brixton, in a multicultural city, with places such as Windrush Square and the giant Brockwell Park. Oh, and I forgot, we have made our own slang dictionary, so St Peters Year 5 know how we speak to each other. We are wondering if they will find

these phrases strange, and will they be able to guess what they mean – “My guy’s buzzing” “I’m buying some creps”. Do you know what they mean? An interesting fact about St Peters is that it is a small school and so they have a mix of Years 4, 5 and 6. At the beginning of our topic, they sent us a booklet they had made called “How to speak Nottingham”. Our favourite phrases are “Ay up mi ducks” (Hello my friend) and “It meks ya tabs laff” (That’s rather sour). We are going to visit St Peters in the summer, and they are coming to see us. We have been making maps of Brixton and they are great for guiding people who new to Brixton. The maps are 3D and use modelling dough, clay, and straws to upcycle the other materials such as bottle tops, fabric and plastic bottle tops.

When I slowly jumped out of the water I shook off the freezing ice. I saw something bright and amazing that left me speechless I needed to get it or it will go somewhere else. I was amazed by its colours. Can you guess what I saw? It was a rainbow in the North Pole, from the story The Rainbow Bear by Michael Morpurgo. In year 2, we have become polar explorers. I (Kaiden) loved finding out about polar facts. Did you know that polar bears have two layers of fur so they can keep warm. Polar bears can smell from far distances … seals are their food. Polar bears are really good swimmers.

Bears lost and in the city Extract from Maia’s writing (retelling of the story) The bear was dreaming about arctic foxes and arctic owls and seals. Then he saw a dazzling rainbow. It was sparkling. Then he forgot all about hunting animal from his dream. He forgot he was starving. He galloped at the rainbow. He was one leap away until it was his, but when he pounced on the iceberg it vanished with the wind.” My favourite lesson was thinking about the story. What surprised me was that there was a boy who saved the polar bear in the story. What confused me is when the bear was in the rainbow turning into the rainbow. It reminded me of the story of Leaf because he was lost in the forest and Rainbow Bear was lost. It reminded me of the story of the Bear and the Piano because he was in the city and Rainbow Bear was in the city.

Parents took part in a polar bear workshop

BRIXTON

Bugle SPORT

Brixton Immortals domino club will host a UK vs USA match and welcome party to launch an international domino series in May. The USA team will be at the club’s venue on Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8RP on 23 May. The 23 and 24 May games will be played at the Phoenix Community Centre SE19 3AF. AA More information: Jermaine Wright 07984 693831.

Brixton BMX’s Milo unbeaten

Brixton BMX’s Milo Enweani from Stockwell won the final of the 6-year-old-and-under boys novices age group and was unbeaten in all his three qualifying races at round 1 of the London series of racing at the Cyclopark BMX track in Gravesend. Another highlight was Stephan Koehler from West Dulwich winning the 17+ mens novices final. Ezra Thompson from Brixton won the 13-to-14year-old boys experts B Final. The club had 18 riders from all over South London racing on the day. Earlier, 14 Brixton BMX riders competed in the South of England regional race meeting at the Merton track. Alex Taylor from East Dulwich won the final of the 13-year-old boys experts and was also unbeaten all day. John Peck from Brixton Hill won the B final of the 40+ cruisers.

Back in the swim Disability Advice Service Lambeth (DASL) is leading the way with supported swimming for blind and visually impaired people. Two blind men, Mark and Mujahid, have both re-discovered swimming thanks to DASL, and gone from length to length. Mark had not swum since 1992, but found out about DASL’s Supported Swimming Group and now swims twice a week, once with the group and once with DASL Intosport mentor Ruth. Mujahid lost his sight as a child and through DASL has re-discovered ice skating as well as swimming. Working with two DASL mentors, he has gone from swimming 10 to 70 lengths a session since November. DASL wants to recruit more volunteers to support disabled people to swim. AA See disabilitylambeth.org.uk/dasl/sport

Vivien Parsons wins in her semi-final at the junior national championships. Below in action, left, in the same bout on 28 March

Afewee junior Vivien Parsons on England boxing talent programme Brixton amateur boxer Vivien Parsons, 15, from the Afewee club was scouted by England coaches during her impressive performances at the recent England Boxing junior national championships in Rotherham. She becomes the second Afewee boxer to be invited onto the England talent programme in the four seasons they have been running. Everyone at the club are super proud and this is definitely well deserved, said head coach Bobby Miltiadous (pictured). “Vivien is one of our most dedicated

young boxers and this comes after months of hard work and preparation. “Her consistency, work ethic and willingness to listen are an example to the rest of the club and community that, as long as you are prepared to stick to something and put the effort in, you will reap the rewards.” Afewee boxing club caters for all ages starting from five years and above. You can find the club in the Brixton Recreation Centre on level 1. AAFor more information visit www.afewee.org or contact Bobby on 07983151082.

A chance to join Stacey as a snow sport instructor A national charity is looking for youth organisations to help it give 150 young Londoners the chance to experience snow sport. Snow-Camp is the UK’s only registered charity to combine snow sports, life skills sessions, qualifications and vocational opportunities to support inner city young people, who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to try snow sport. It has been awarded a three-year grant of £100,000 from BBC Children in Need. This will enable more young Londoners to participate in Snow-Camp’s three-step programme,

where young people can experience snow sport for the first time right through to becoming a Level 1 Snowsport England instructor. This year’s SnowCamp’s programmes

start in the summer. They begin with a two-day introduction to skiing and snowboarding. For every hour on the slopes, the young people will spend the

Stacey Pender instructing in Austria

same amount of time in the classroom, taking part in life skills sessions and working towards qualifications. Snow-Camp works directly with youth projects and youth service providers to recruit young people on their programmes and is now looking for local youth organisations to get involved with the first stage of their three-step programme, First Tracks. It will take place in the school summer holidays at the Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead. Stacey Pender from Brixton is one of the people who have completed the

Snow-Camp course and is now a qualified snow sport instructor. “Growing up in Brixton I never imagined I would have a career in snow sports,” she told the Bugle in 2016. “Where I’m from you just don’t think it’s even an option. Snow–Camp has made that happen for me. “It’s great that more inner-city youth will have the opportunity to get a career in snow sports.” AA For more information contact London SnowSport programme manager Lucy Chadburn: lucy@snow-camp.org.uk 01273 241383.