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BRIXTON BUGLE YOUR FREE
No 47 | OCTOBER 2016
Published monthly in and for Brixton
BRIXTON DESIGN TRAIL
Reports and pictures: pages 12–14
ISSN 2397-852X
COMMUNITY PAPER
NEW NAME FOR BRIXTON SPLASH!
Brixton Wave | Great Brixton | Brixton Ting See page 2 for how to have your say
I AM YOUR AMPLIFIER Meet Lambeth’s Youth MP
WE’RE LISTENING
Council’s Lib Peck tells us
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YOU’RE WELCOME By Alan Slingsby
Four Syrian refugee families have been welcomed to Lambeth at a celebration in St Gabriel’s College in Myatt’s Fields. Representatives of Christian, Muslim, Jewish and secular groups joined Lambeth mayor Saleha Jaffer, deputy council leader Paul McGlone and Donatus Anyanwu, the council’s lead member for community relations, at the party. One speaker, Rabbi Janet Darley, told how, two years ago, she and mayor Jaffer, a Muslim, had been at a 50-strong gathering in Brixton’s Windrush Square to celebrate the Jewish festival of Succot and to launch the campaign to welcome refugees to Lambeth.
Lambeth mayor and Saleha Jaffer deputy council leader Paul McGlone listen as Rabbi Janet Darley explains how the campaign to welcome refugees to Lambeth began. Right: Rev David Musgrave of Brixton Hill Methodist church
Lambeth has so far welcomed four of the 20 Syrian refugee families that the council has
agreed to accommodate – making it the borough that has agreed to do most to help Syrian refugees.
Rev. David Musgrave, of the Lambeth circuit of the Methodist church, told the celebration: “So much has been done, so much needs to be done.” The minister-in-charge of Brixton Hill and Mostyn Road Methodist churches said that when he visited the Calais refugee camp: “The image frozen in my brain was of a nine-year-old-boy saying simply that all he wanted was a safe house and a bed to sleep in.” The Citizens UK charity has been at the forefront of the campaign, as have students from St Gabriel’s. One of them, Nora Serrieh, opened proceedings. “Our idea was that our school could be a place continued over page
RITZY STRIKE’S BACK New campaign for fair pay
BLACKPOOL SAID NO
But Thatcher art is in Brixton
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2 NEWS
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HOW YOU CAN VOTE FOR A NEW NAME FOR SPLASH
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Ros Griffiths, one of the original organisers of Brixton Splash – cancelled this year because of problems with the 2015 event – is working with Lambeth council and others to create a replacement to start next year. “This will be a festival for people of all ages and musical tastes,” she told the Bugle. A new event needs a new name and there are three on offer. You can vote for your preferred choice in a Brixton Blog poll organised with Ros. Your choices are:
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Both website and newspaper are published by a not-for-profit community organisation run by a committed team of people from Brixton » 020 3730 1312 » @brixtonblog » @brixton_bugle » brixtonblog.com ADVERTISING Jenny Shramenko 07811 878394 jenny@brixtonblog.com Circulation 10,000 copies Readership: circa 15,000 EDITOR Linda Quinn linda@brixtonblog.com MANAGING EDITOR Simon Still simon@brixtonblog.com NEWS EDITOR Anna McKie newsdesk@brixtonblog.com ARTS & FEATURES arts@brixtonblog.com FOOD Miss South food@brixtonblog.com
Heritage of London trustee Kit Kemp, left, with chair Dudley Fishburn and director Nicola Stacey
Brixton barrows reborn
Traders and supporters of Brixton Market gathered last month to celebrate the refurbishment of four of the market’s remaining traditional barrows. Only about half a dozen of what was once a fleet of 80 barrows remain, but they are being treated like the honoured veterans they are. Cutting the ribbon were Heritage of London Trust chair Dudley Fishburn and director Nicola Stacey. The completion of work on the barrows coincides with improvements to the Electric Avenue section of the market. And there’s to be a public celebration of the completion of the improvements on 20 October. A little bird tells us that the guest of honour may have a musical connection. So choose that day to rock down to Electric Avenue.
●● Brixton Ting ■■ Go to the Brixton Blog and Bugle Twitter feed @BrixtonBlog to vote. The poll closes at midnight on Thursday 6 October.
Mari Reijnders who carried out the restoration in a Brixton Station Road arch workshop with daughter Stella
ISSUE 47 Writers:
Sub-editor: Jamila Omar Production: Alan Slingsby Distribution: Philip King
Four speakers welcomed the refugee families, from left: Lianna Etkind from the local Jewish community; Sheikh Jaffer Ladak of the Hyderi Islamic Centre in Streatham; Rachel Borrell gave a secular address; and Mother Ellen Eames, chaplain of St Gabriel’s, gave a Christian welcome
YOU’RE WELCOME from front page
Crossword: Josie Gardiner A massive thank you to everybody involved in making this issue, and the Blog & Bugle project, a success If you would like to be a Bugle stockist please email distribution@brixtonblog.com
where refugees could be welcome so that we could do our bit to tackle the refugee crisis,” she said. “That’s why we’re so excited to be hosting this welcome dinner.
●● Brixton Wave ●● Great Brixton
SPORT Sandra Brobbey sport@brixtonblog.com
Nick Buglione Frankie Holah Gemma Sinclair Nikki Griffiths Mary Salmon Lilly Blanchard Dirk Bischof David Child Susan Sheehan
2016 OCTOBER
It’s so inspiring to see our diverse community coming together.” Her address, like many others, was translated into Arabic for the families whose thanks were, in turn translated into English. All speakers stressed how much still needs to be done to aid refugees,
especially in a borough with an acute housing shortage. ■■ Citizens UK and its south London section have produced briefings on how Lambeth residents, especially private landlords, can help. They are available online at bit.ly/house-refugees and bit.ly/CUK-homes.
Help It’s Your Local Market with its birthday honours list
It’s Your Local Market, which created a community market for Angell Town, is celebrating its first anniversary with a garden party banquet on Saturday 8 October in Max Roach Park. And IYLM is asking readers to nominate women who have made an outstanding contribution to their local community. They are looking for five women who have made a difference by either volunteering, organising events, working with community projects, supporting local people, young people and diversity in the community. Send your nominations, with a brief explanation of why they deserve to be recognised, to info@ityourlocalmarket.co.uk Nominations will be announced at the Garden Party on Saturday 8 October. Andrea Brown, founder of It’s Your Local Market, was awarded funds from the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund just over a year ago to create a community market in Angell Town Estate, Brixton. The stallholders provided “Lambeth Made” products sourced and made by local people. The market also hosted events and markets around Lambeth including Max Roach Park, Wyck Gardens, Rush Common, Loughborough Junction and Windrush Square.
OCTOBER 2016
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NEWS 3
Pink protest over council’s attitude Groups from across Lambeth have called a demonstration to protest at what they say is Lambeth council’s “high-handed, ill-informed decisions and its refusal to consider viable alternatives”. The demonstration “Stand Up to Lambeth Council” on 8 October is organised by a coalition that includes trade
Ritzy staff strike again for fair pay Ritzy cinema workers marked the first strike in their new campaign for fair pay on 24 September with a stirring rendition of the Star Wars theme and a chorus of “Fair pay. When do we want it? Now”. They were joined in Windrush Square by supporters anxiously consulting their mobiles for news of the Labour Party leadership election. The members of the trade union BECTU dismissed claims by their management that they are in a minority and are breaking an agreement reached after strikes in 2014. Branch secretary Nia Hughes said the 2014 agreement had set only a minimum wage and included plans for more negotiations this year, which managers had reneged on. As for the strikers being in a minority, she said that 80% of Ritzy workers are members of BECTU and 93% of these had voted for action. In 2014 Ritzy staff staged 13 strikes as part of a long running campaign for the London Living Wage which received nationwide attention. They have been boosted by the decision of staff employed by Ritzy owner Picturehouse in Hackney to campaign for the same objectives. The employers had agreed at ACAS (the official conciliation service) to start negotiations
on this year’s pay in June. But, when talks were convened three months ago, the company refused to negotiate or to attend ACAS. “We reject the notion that Cineworld Cinemas (Picturehouse owners) can get away with the economic irresponsibility it displays towards its workers at Picturehouses and Cineworld any longer,” said a statement by the staff. “A company with £83.8 million in post-tax profit from 2015 can afford to meet our needs. “We are forced into taking strike action by the unwillingness of the company to negotiate on our 2016 BECTU claim at ACAS.” Cineworld Group is the second largest cinema operator in Europe with 2,049 screens in 221 sites in nine countries. It had revenues of £705.5m last year – up on 2014’s £619.4m. In the first half of this year its revenues in the UK and Ireland grew by 3% and admissions were up by 2.7%. Cineworld chief executive Mooky Greidinger told shareholders: “We have achieved growth in admissions, box office revenue, and retail sales … Our solid performance has resulted in constant currency revenue growth of 6.8%.” The company announced an increased interim dividend for shareholders.
Broadcaster Clare Balding reads from her new children’s book, The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop, to members of Brixton’s Ebony Horse Club. The club was the perfect place for the launch of a book which, as well as the racehorse, features a horse-mad 10-yearold and a naughty pony Clare Balding was joined by BBC presenter Lauren Laverne who interviewed her about the book.
Greidinger said: “I would like to express my thanks to the whole Cineworld team for all their continued hard work, for without them I would not have been able to receive the global achievement award in exhibition at Cinemacon 2016. Teamwork remains the key to our future.”
unions, community organisations and groups campaigning against the Arches business closures, library closures, and housing demolitions. Library campaigner Laura Swaffield said: “This is to be a peaceful event – making the point that ordinary people, families and businesses are seeing the destruction of services, homes, jobs and the rights of residents. Participants are asked to wear PINK to signify good humour and fun – but the purpose is serious. Demonstrators will assemble at Windrush Square at noon and march to Clapham Common.
■■ Council leader Lib Peck interview: p8
4 NEWS
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Windmill in line for £360,000 to fund new education centre
Could you be a community connector in Brixton? By Mary Salmon Lambeth council’s health and wellbeing team is looking for volunteer Community Connectors in Brixton’s Vassall and Coldharbour Wards. The role involves linking people with activities and organisations that can help improve their lives. The first 14 connectors were recruited earlier this year. Four days of training provides knowledge of local community groups, social groups and other organisations that volunteers can direct people to. It also covers the social skills needed to talk to people about their health and wellbeing. Community Connectors are a link between other wellbeing programmes and organisations including primary care navigators, community health champions, street champions, money champions and befrienders. ■■ Training is from 9.30am to 2.30pm on 17 October, 25–26 October and 23 November 2016. For more information contact Fraser Serle on f.serle@nhs.net. 07720 601048.
2016 OCTOBER
Brixton Windmill has more to celebrate in its 200th anniversary year after being granted £360,000 for the construction of a purpose built education centre by Lambeth council. The Friends of Windmill Garden (FoWG) run a successful education programme for children at local primary schools, but the building they use is shared and unsuitable for plans to expand the education programme into secondary schools. They share the old One o’Clock Club building with Holmwood Nursery that also need to expand to remain viable. The money will mean FoWG will have a new building designed as an education centre that will allow for community activities as well as
running the education programme. However, the grant and proposed building are subject to planning permission and a consultation process before being finally signed off. Cllr Jack Hopkins, council cabinet member for regeneration, business and culture, said: “We believe this new project has the potential to build on the huge success of Brixton Windmill, and further benefit the borough. “This is part of our strategy for investing money into community projects that will create an income stream for community activity into the future. “We have identified funding for construction, although the scheme is still subject to consultation and planning permission.”
Top award for Black Cultural Archives Brixton’s Black Cultural Archives has won this year’s National Diversity Award for the Community Organisation for Race, Faith and Religion. This award ceremony in Liverpool celebrated the achievements of organisations, communities and people from across the country. BCA’s award recognises its “dedication to tackling issues in today’s society, and commitment to championing diversity”. For more than 30 years the archive has collected and preserved Black history and heritage material. It also provides resources for everyone to learn about the contributions of Black people to Britain
LICENSING ACT 2003
APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE Trelawny and Tapp Ltd has applied to the London Borough of Lambeth for the grant of a Premises Licence, in respect of the following premises: Unit B38 Eurolink Business Centre, 49 Effra Road, Brixton, London. SW2 1BZ. Which would authorise the following licensable activities: The supply of alcohol off the premises from the hours of 09.00-20.00 Monday – Saturday and 09.00-18.00 Sunday The record of this application may be inspected during normal office hours at the Licensing Section, London Borough of Lambeth, 5th Floor, Blue Star House, 234-244 Stockwell Road, London, SW9 9SP, 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 11/10/2016. 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 (£5,000).
throughout history. Some materials date back to the second century. The collection includes personal papers, organisational records, rare books, photographs and small objects. Since the BCA opened its heritage centre in Brixton in 2014 it has had more than 45,000 visitors. Major exhibitions there have included Re-imagine: Black Women in Britain; and Staying Power: Photographs of Black British Experience, 1950s–1990s. Black Georgians revealed the everyday lives of Black people from 1714 to 1830, while the current Rastafari in Motion is the first full-feature exhibition to tell the story of the
presence of Emperor Haile Selassie I and the emergence of the Rastafari movement in Britain. Barrister Miranda Brawn, vice-chair of the BCA, said: “Black Cultural Archives have been working tirelessly to help increase diversity, equality and inclusion, especially regarding race, within the UK for the past 30 years.” Dawn Hill, Chair of the BCA, said the award recognised the tremendous work the organisation is doing in championing the inclusion of Caribbean and African communities, and of their historic importance for the UK.” BCA education resources are available for all levels of education.
Evelyn Grace hosts music awards launch Laura Mvula, former music teacher and Mercury Prize nominee, launched Classic FM’s Music Teacher of the Year awards at Evelyn Grace Academy in Brixton (below) last month. She has a relationship with the school through her work with Crea8ing Vision so she selected it to launch sponsor Casio’s Action in Music initiative. “The academy has a phenomenal music department so it was a natural choice for her,” said the organisers. The award showcases outstanding music education and the importance of music in schools. Laura Mvula said that learning to play the piano with her music teacher from the age of eight played a huge part in developing her musical style.” The awards will honour teachers who have made a difference to the music lives of young people. ■■ To find out more about how to nominate your music teacher, visit classicfm.com/ concerts-events/music-teacher-year.
Dawn Hill (left) and Miranda Brawn at the awards ceremony
Brixton Hill college aims to boost British engineering By David Child
South Bank Engineering University Technical College (UTC) on Brixton Hill has opened its doors to 100 young engineering hopefuls. The new school opened last month and intends to challenge the traditional model of education. Its first 100 students are split across year 10 and year 12 intakes, covering ages from 14 to 16. The college is focused on providing young people with the practical skills and experience necessary to secure careers in the engineering industry. Principal Dan Cundy said “It’s refreshing to be able to create something from scratch here. We know there is an engineering skills gap in the UK and we are working to fill this, pushing these students as high as they can go in their own careers within the industry”. The school is operating out of temporary accommodation next to the site it will call home from the 2017 academic year onwards. Using space previously occupied by Lambeth College buildings, the UTC will share an entirely new building with both Trinity Academy and Lambeth College. Each will have individual space to suit their
own teaching needs, sharing only central facilities. UTC will reach its full capacity of 600 students five years after the relocation. It has been able to attract support from high profile industry and educational sponsors. South Bank University is the main sponsor, with Skanska, the fifth largest construction company in the world, and two NHS Foundation Trusts in partnering the school. There are also links with industry partners which will provide projects and opportunities for the students throughout the year, including Fujitsu, Cisco, Bamboo Bicycle Club and the British Army. Lewis, a year 12 student, told the Bugle: “Here I am, taught as an equal, not simply as a student. “The UTC teachers know exactly what we have to learn and do to be successful in the engineering industry, and they put in all the extra time needed to make sure we are able to achieve this”. ■■ Find out more about UTC at southbank-utc.co.uk. You can meet the principal, students and staff of UTC every Thursday morning from 9.30am at the entrance on Horsford Road, SW2 1QS.
OCTOBER 2016
COMMUNITY 5
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Lambeth over-55s ready to celebrate their age Lambeth Age UK’s Celebrating Age Festival this month has over 70 events for residents over 55. The festival starts on the United Nations International Day of Older Persons on 1 October. The programme ranges from a celebration of Black History Month to a trip on the Emirates cable car
across the Thames and includes films, concerts, dances, trips and exhibitions, many in Brixton. The festival will launch with a party at Montgomery Hall at the Oval with refreshments, fun and dancing to the sounds of the 50s and 60s. Highlights throughout the
month include performances by the Beautiful Mess Theatre Company; a free concert by the London Symphony Orchestra; trips to the Victoria & Albert Museum, including one to see Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear; a silent comedy festival at the Cinema Museum; and the annual
Information Day at Gracefield Gardens Health & Social Care Centre in Streatham. ■■ The Celebrating Age Festival brochure is available from community venues including libraries and can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/LAUK-2016. For more information call 020 7346 6800.
Wellbeing grants on offer By Mary Salmon
Harriers prepare for charity run Herne Hill Harriers are limbering up to take part in the fundraising Emer Casey Memorial London 10k in Brockwell Park on 30 October. The run is in memory of Emer, the daughter of Brendan and Juliette Casey, who died of ovarian/uterine cancer at 28 in 2006. Her family and friends vowed to keep her memory alive and set up a foundation dedicated to support research and improve the lives of women diagnosed with the disease. It raises funds through organising runs across the globe. Brockwell Park run organiser James Ward (above with Brendan and Juliette) said it was an honour and privilege for the club to be asked to stage the event. “It is a genuine community event and we are proud to cater for runners of all abilities. Everybody is welcome!” ■■ More information at www.emercaseyfoundation.com or email emercaseylondon10k@gmail.com.
Grants of up to £5,000 are available for projects that could improve the health and wellbeing of people living in Lambeth. The London Community Foundation specialises in funding small community groups. To qualify, your idea must support residents in managing their own health and wellbeing, or help alert people to relevant services. A project may also qualify if it simply helps people feel they are part of a community. Activities and help
which reach the most isolated people are particularly welcome. The money can be used for any good ideas – for example, mentoring young people, helping the homeless, the unemployed, supporting victims of domestic violence or just a socialising idea to help isolated people to foster social connections. ■■ Deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 21 October. For more information contact Donna Yay at the London Community Foundation. Email: donna.yay@londoncf.org.uk. Tel: 020 7582 5117.
This print by Dasha Selyanova was one of the works to be sold at the fundraiser
HIV advice cuts confirmed
Baytree Centre raises £1,500 at Brixton East
Local health commissioners in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham have confirmed plans to cut specialist advice and counselling services for people with HIV. A final decision from Lambeth council and from Southwark and Lewisham clinical commissioning groups has been confirmed despite many months of local campaigning by users and the Terrence Higgins Trust
The Baytree Centre on Brixton Road celebrated its 25th birthday with an anniversary fundraiser and an art auction at Brixton East. The auction raised £1,562 that will be ploughed back into Baytree’s work in the community. The centre provides mentoring, support and training in a safe environment to women and girls from different backgrounds who have experienced personal or social difficulties.
charity which ran the service. Ian Green, chief executive of the trust, said: “We are incredibly grateful to all those who fought against the proposed cuts to the HIV support services.” People living with HIV will now be offered counselling and advice through mainstream services. ■■ Anyone concerned about HIV can call THT direct on 0808 802 1221.
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We have exciting opportunities throughout October and November 2016 for you to get involved! To get in touch/find out more contact us at: leapadmin@ncb.co.uk 020 7582 4182 www.leaplambeth.org.uk
Or send us a message on Twitter or Facebook!
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Lambeth Early Action Partnership
Brixton has its fair share of pleasant virtual offices and meeting places in the form of the independent coffee shop. We even have our own coffee roasting house ...
VOLCANO COFFEE WORKS
Brixton BID is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening Brixton’s diverse business culture. We represent over 650 levy‑paying businesses in the local area and work to develop new and exciting opportunities for Brixton.
Volcano, a small-batch, coffee roastery operating in south London since 2010, is moving to what was Brixton’s first fire station where you will find co‑founder and head roaster Kurt with Joe Mac and Katelyn. Volcano is a labour of love for New Zealand friends Kurt and Olaf who reunited in London when Kurt was working as a chef and Olaf as a war photographer. Today 20 people work to support a growing range of independent cafés and restaurants. Volcano’s expertise is not only the subtleties of roasting but also the quality of beans and the craft of blending. All of its coffees are sourced ethically from farmers they visit personally. In Brixton it offers a full service to restaurants, cafes, bars and other hospitality businesses, as well as barista training, technical services, equipment, advice and support. Brindisa, French and Grace, Article, Brockwell Blend and the Blues Kitchen are just some of the places in Brixton where you can try Volcano coffee. Volcano has its own cafe at in West Norwood’s Parkhall Business Centre at 40 Martell Road, SE21 8EN. You can also buy online at volcanocoffeeworks.com
BID Annual General Meeting
STIR COFFEE
Brixton BID has been operating for two and a half years and has brought about many improvements including additional street cleaning, extra policing, reduced business costs with joint procurement initiatives and highlighted Brixton’s creative talent by funding the Brixton Design Trail. Our 2016 AGM which will take place on 4 October from 5 to 7pm at Mosaic Clubhouse, 65 Effra Road, SW2 5BZ. It will be an opportunity for all levy payers to raise questions with the BID board and staff, but only those who have formally joined the BID as members can vote. Members seeking nomination to the BID Board, please email admin@brixtonbid. co.uk before 4 October. Before AGM proceedings, there will be a presentation of Lambeth council’s new Brixton Masterplan. Light refreshments will be available. NIGHT TIME ECONOMY: meeting will be at Blues Kitchen on 5 October, from 1 to 3pm. BID POLICING: The BID’s Section-92 police officers will this month be focusing on aggressive beggars and shoplifters and continue to work in collaboration with local businesses. CLEANING: Our additional cleaning is now not just on Saturdays, but every other Sunday. It is a responsive service: if you would like a specific street or area to be cleaned, call 020 3417 7373 or email admin@brixtonbid.co.uk.
Anton Taratine and business partner Sam Reed began two years ago doing markets, pop-ups and private events. Anton had been in the industry for 10plus years and Sam is an actor but they share two passions: a love of great coffee and craft beer. So they decided to put the two together and open Stir Coffee at 111 Brixton Hill. SW2 1AA. “We met a lot of great producers while doing market stalls,” says Anton. “The majority of what we serve is sourced from small independent suppliers with our offerings changing on a weekly basis. The same goes for coffee. We source the best beans we can find for the guest espresso by personally visiting different roasters. At the moment we have a single origin Brazil from La Cabra roastery in Denmark. We work closely with London’s own Mission Coffee Works, and their Bells Blend 50/50 Peru/Brazil has been our house blend since we started. Our cakes are from three different independent bakers, and include vegan and gluten-free options As for the beer … Stir Coffee is only an off-licence for the time being, but has a huge selection. Anton and Sam plan to open a tap room next year. In November, they will once again partner London Beer Factory and Brixton’s of Made of Dough pizza for a night of good tunes, pizza and beer. stircoffee.co.uk | @stir_coffee
F.MONDAYS
The Brixton BID team arranged a lunch last month with local MP Helen Hayes, Dulwich and West Norwood, (above with Stafford Geohagen, owner of Healthy Eaters in Electric Avenue and a Director of Brixton BID). The lunch was hosted by Franzina Trattoria in Pop Brixton. It was an opportunity to discuss with Helen the work that Brixton BID has been doing, while she had the chance to discuss the issues that Brixton faces with local business owners and stakeholders.
020 3417 7373 admin@brixtonbid.co.uk
Disillusioned with product design and office life not being at one with his love of the outdoors, Ken Nally saw an opportunity in a disused property on Brixton Hill. “F.Mondays is all about delicious,” Ken told BID. “We cater for all diets and all preferences, with the underlying commonality being that no matter the product or the ingredient, it has to be delicious. “We have worked hard to find excellent produce and producers. It worth mentioning our collaboration with gardener Marc O’Neill, who has helped us transform our grotty, unloved back garden in to a urban oasis. “It is a unique space. He has also lent his aesthetic to the inside of the building where he handpicked a variation of other plants and cacti for us. “We always offer special items from our supplier. Highlights include miso pork belly, homemade wagon wheels and vegan choc chip cookies. We also have a special project in the works but details will have to remain secret for now!’ F.Mondays, 2a Brixton Hill, SW2 1AH. Open Monday to Friday 7am - 4pm. Sat & Sunday, 8am - 5pm. Instagram = @fmondayscoffee
@BrixtonBID brixtonbid.co.uk
OCTOBER 2016
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Could our big enterprise bus ring a bell for you? Hatch Enterprise CEO Dirk Bischof invites local entrepreneurs to get on board the enterprise bus in Brixton Starting a business can change your life and the lives around you. So when the bright double-decker bus rolls into Brixton’s Windrush Square on 10 October, be sure to be there. It might just be the break you have been looking for. Hatch Enterprise is hosting the bus – part of a nationwide campaign run by StartUp Britain – with the aim of helping passionate local entrepreneurs. StartUp Britain director, Matt Smith said: “By connecting aspiring entrepreneurs with
those a few steps ahead of them, as well as supportive local organisations, we want to give people the confidence to turn their ideas into reality”. We recognise the many challenges one may come across when starting a business. From a lack of finance to not being able to access the necessary networks, start-ups are tough if you do not have the correct tools. On the day, business coaches, provided by
Hatch and StartUp Britain, will be there to provide you with information and support about the next steps for your business idea. Through activities and talks by entrepreneurs, the day will provide a host of opportunities to be inspired and to test your business ideas, as well as gain advice. Since the campaign started, more than 480,000 start-ups already launched this year, the next successful business could be your idea. We’re proud to partner with NatWest and StartUp Britain to help more entrepreneurs get their business ideas off the ground. This is an excellent opportunity to start the journey. ■■ The StartUp Britain Bus will be at Windrush Square on 10 October between 10am to 4pm. To find out more online: hatchenterprise.org or startupbritain.org/bus.
Step up and help our youngsters, urges app entrepreneur Brixton resident Claudine Adeyemi is calling on professionals and business people to step up and help young people with career advice using Career Ear, an instant messaging app she has created. Claudine said: “Career Ear is a novel and techie way to address
GOLD Joe Laurence
some of the issues we have come across with young people not having professionals in their families or wider networks to turn to for advice and lacking quality careers services at their colleges and universities. “I want professionals and companies to step up and take
responsibility for helping to develop our young people, some of who have such amazing potential but just lack the access to or knowledge of various opportunities.” Claudine, 26, founded The Student Development Co in January 2014, a non-profit organisation which she runs on a
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GOLD Tufael Chris Joe Laurence Chowdhury Waweru
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voluntary basis with a team of young volunteers. Last year’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Precious Awards, she is on the shortlist for this year’s Black British Business Awards. ■■ You can download the app from Google Play Store and the App Store.
COMMUNITY 7
Brixton teacher invents device to keep students safe Brixton-based teacher Marc Lewis (below) has created an app-based device called ICE to help keep students safe on their way to and from school and college. ICE is a personal security device that lets users send a distress signal to friends, family and emergency services at the touch of a button. Lewis is the founder of the St Matthew’s based London School of Communication Arts in Brixton. He was concerned for the well-being of his students – many of whom walk home at night. He worked with some of his students and the country’s top design, marketing, PR and engineering agencies, to produce a stylish, robust device. Marc says: “We wanted to design something that is OS agnostic, works with almost every mobile and is affordable for all, without sacrificing design. “We’re thrilled to have got this far, and are confident ICE will flourish when it launches on Indiegogo in October.” ■■ To register interest, sign up for the beta or find out more visit ice-security.co.uk.
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8 NEWS 2016 OCTOBER
2016PEOPLE OCTOBER 8
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Is the council listening? Leader Lib Peck says it is Future Lambeth is an ambitious five-year plan for the borough. Bugle editor Linda Quinn asked council leader Lib Peck how she plans to square budget cuts with the ambition of building strong communities and reducing inequality “When we were elected in 2014, we were elected on ambition and fairness and these are the two guiding principles of the administration,” says Lib Peck. These two principles, she says, are at the heart of the Future Lambeth: Our Borough plan. It sets out the council’s vision for the next five years and identifies three priorities: inclusive growth; reducing inequality; and strong and sustainable neighbourhoods. “It’s a fascinating borough. I love its diversity, but we have to recognise that, at one level, some very rich people sit alongside some very poor people – there’s a huge diversity.” Peck says the council will use proceeds from regeneration to tackle inequality which is, in some ways, its most difficult problem. A Lambeth Equality Commission is being set up to examine the problem. Its remit will include education, employment, leadership and participation, and justice. “We are trying to put the plan into practice at a time local government finances are being devastated Our priorities are about getting money into the borough but making sure we are very focused as a borough.” Huge cuts in government payments and a resulting reduction in staffing of about half by 2020 mean the council will need to work with all stakeholders in the community to use the combined assets in the borough, she says.
Cooperative council
But not everyone recognises Lambeth’s claim to be a cooperative, consultative council. Cressingham Gardens tenants and the owners of Club 414, to name but two of the many critics featured recently in the Bugle, have won high court judgements against the council on development related issues. Library campaigners simply do not believe the pledge to keep all libraries open. “Our intention,” says Peck, “is very much to work with people to enable communities to participate and help shape our decision making. We launched the cooperative council to try and do just that. “Although the practice is usually
established itself as a positive force in the community. Peck is also proud of the borough’s commitment to refugees. “Fairness drives us as Labour politicians. When you see pictures of refugees you can’t help but be moved. We are proud to be one of the boroughs leading the response to refugees. We are working alongside Lambeth Citizens to make sure we are able to rehouse refugees. We are a very welcoming open borough. That’s what people like about Lambeth. People enjoy the different experiences and diversity.” She admits that “It’s fair to say that Labour Party politics isn’t in the best state at the moment. I hope having had the leadership election the party can pull together and looks at who the real people are we should be challenging – and that is the government.”
Cleaner buses
a lot harder and we have to be realistic about that. “For me one of the regrets over the last year would be our communications around libraries. What we were trying to do with libraries was completely lost. What you had instead was a situation where people think we are closing libraries. Lambeth is blessed with 10 libraries all of which we have said we are keeping open in the long term.” The focus on inward investment to replace funding cuts is understandable, but does the council recognise that some communities and local businesses fear they will be ignored? “Absolutely. I do recognise that fear. Change is hard for people to deal with. Lambeth is incredibly dynamic with people moving in and out all the time.” So is the council cavalier in its approach to planning and regulation? “Absolutely not. Our values mean listening to the people who live and work here. We want to do that.
And you can see how we exercised that in Brixton.” Examples she gives are Pop Brixton where the council ensured over 75% of tenants are local businesses; opening up access to the community in the redeveloped town hall; support with improvements to Windrush Square; and gifting a building to the Black Cultural Archives.
Change will happen
“Change is going to happen. We want to make sure, where we can, that we inject the values we think are important to communities in Lambeth and Brixton.” But she points out that there are limits to the council’s powers in licensing and planning. Responding to whether the council could have done more for the Network Rail Arches traders, she says: “We as a council have tried to use the powers we have to influence Network Rail to have
better conversations with their tenants and to make sure that there were alternative premises for them during renovation; and that they are offering them a fair deal. Ultimately we aren’t the landlord and can only use our power to try and influence.” She acknowledges that feelings were running high at the recent planning meeting where the Arches were discussed, but condemns the behaviour of a minority that resulted in the police being called. But she wants to keep meetings open. “Our approach is to be as open and transparent as possible.” “I’m very proud that over last year we have seen greatest rise in start-up business compared to the rest of London,” Peck says. “The work of the council has helped to sustain more of those businesses than ever before.” She notes that Lambeth is the borough with the biggest number of business improvement districts and thinks Brixton BID has
When the subject turns to the London mayor Sadiq Khan, she’s much more optimistic about what the council can achieve in partnership. “In his first 100 days, Sadiq has proved to be a fantastic mayor. One of his issues is air quality. I know that he is an asthma sufferer and has prioritised air quality as a campaign issue.” Lambeth is to become the second Low Emission Zone in London, which means new, cleaner buses on Brixton Road. Emissions from older buses are one of the biggest contributors to air pollution. The council is also keen to promote cycling. “We have the highest number of cycling storage provision. I know this sound geeky, but lack of storage is the major barrier to cycling.” Asked how the council would enforce the “Twenty’s Plenty” speed limit, Peck says the council is looking at speed guns and letting communities use them. “But it’s cultural as much as anything else. It’s nudge behaviour. It’s the sensible thing to be doing it and has the knock-on effect of less fatal accidents and improvements for pedestrians.” We end on a positive note. Lib Peck is pleased with the results of the annual survey of residents. “Despite the incredibly challenging circumstances we find ourselves in, we had the best results. Seven out of 10 residents say they are satisfied with the way the borough is run. That’s the right direction and very positive.” “I love my job. I love leading Lambeth. It’s a fascinating, exciting, vibrant challenging borough. It gives me more grey hairs than I’d like, but more pleasure than I can imagine.”
OCTOBER 2016
OPINION 9
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BRIXTON BUGLE
Krystelle-Jade Edward-Stedford made a big impression when she addressed a full meeting of Lambeth council earlier this year. You can watch her speech on YouTube: youtu.be/SA4VX5kg5B0
COMMENT Landlords: it’s time to give as well as take It was hard not to be moved at the party to welcome four Syrian refugee families to Lambeth. Moved to pride because the council’s work makes our borough the one that has done most for Syrian refugees in the current crisis and moved to outrage that it can achieve that honour by welcoming just four families with another 16 in the pipeline. As one speaker pointed out at the event, the UK has said it would accept 200 unaccompanied child refugees, yet not one has yet arrived. Another said that some local authorities have made it clear that they want nothing to do with refugees. In a borough where robust disagreement about almost everything politicians do and say is a long and valuable tradition, it was good for a couple of hours to see the unity that makes places like Brixton so special. The organisations that have made possible the arrival of the refugees are clear that what they need most is private rented accommodation for them. If there are any private landlords out there sitting on the huge capital gains that Lambeth, and especially Brixton, property owners have made in recent years, they might like to consider how they could help. The Bugle, usually, doesn’t do religion, but speeches from Muslims, Jews, Christians and humanists in a C of E school got us thinking. Sell all you have and give it to the poor may be too much to ask. But, as Margaret Thatcher reminded us, the Good Samaritan had to have made money to be in a position to help and not to pass by on the other side of the road. So come on landlords and property owners, as the Bible says: What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
I am your amplifier
As Black History Month begins, Krystelle-Jade Edward-Stedford, Lambeth member of the Youth Parliament, asks what it actually means to be Black and urges young people to make their voices heard
‘I am not Black …’ Prince Ea 2015 Yes, I am a 17-year-old African-Caribbean female. But what does it actually mean to be “Black”? Isn’t Black just a term or label to separate you from me, or possibly join us together and segregate others unlike ourselves. Society runs on these labels to limit minorities from achieving what they want to because of what’s skin deep. Instead, we should be uplifted and encouraged for the person we potentially could be, rather than something that is unchangeable and what makes you … You.
And in this society those little differences deter us away from what actually matters and what we can actually do as a collective. Remember that together we are stronger because, together, there is no minority. In this day and age youths are pushed aside, (especially within politics) because we are not of value or important or we are not wise enough. And that’s a lie. We are significant and we are powerful, and we can impact the world. We are youths as a collective, not youths as an individual. That’s why I say I am not Black, I am a person who wants to be a representative of all, and so all voices are heard regardless of what is “skin deep”. You are important! Why? Because you have the capacity to shape the future. My job is to help and encourage you to be the change you want to see in the world. I am the Member of Youth Parliament for Lambeth (MYP) and I have been trained to represent this borough in the House of Commons; and my main aim is to get YOUR voices heard. Whether it be in school, in Lambeth or on a national scale, I am here
support you on your journey to greatness. Recently, I made a speech at the Lambeth council meeting which was posted on YouTube and I began to explain my role in the Youth Council and that my main motivation, is the young people of Lambeth. On 11 November MYPs from across the nation will sit in the House of Commons with the Speaker in the chair and debate topics chosen by young people. This year I want to encourage as many young people to vote on what will impact your life as a youth. All you need to do is vote online at futuremi-event.info/event/ makeyourmark. The vote closes at 10am on 5 October. There are opportunities for young people aged 11–18 to become a part of the Youth Council or Youth Parliament. Anyone interested can go to the Lambeth Youth Council Website (lambethyouthcouncil.org) or contact me by email Krystelle@lambethyouthcouncil.org if you have any enquiries, needs or support. Please feel free to follow me on twitter @krystellejayde I am Your Amplifier.
Dulwich Hamlet help us remember those who died for democracy Around 80 years ago, three Brixton men left their homes here to travel to Spain. Alex McGregor, Laurence Doyle and Moses Stang went to fight in support of the elected republican government of the country that was facing overthrow by a section of its army, unhappy at its plans to feed and educate ordinary people. Alex McGregor never came back. He died in January 1938 at the battle of Teruel, fighting with the International Brigades composed of volunteers from all over the world. Dozens of people from all
over south London went to join the International Brigade. There were eight from Stockwell, six from Streatham and four from Camberwell. Four of the nine men from Clapham who went to fight in Spain died there. Brixton has other connections with the conflict. Sam Lesser, who
was wounded twice fighting for the Republic in Spain, and who become the foreign correspondent of the Communist Party’s Daily Worker newspaper, lived out the last of his days off Brixton Hill. And, in the London blitz, some of the German planes that flew over London still carried the Spanish insignia that they had used when attacking Spanish democrats. These received no support from the democracies of the west like Britain and France, but General Franco’s insurgents were backed with troops, guns and planes
by fellow fascists Hitler and Mussolini. The International Brigades Memorial Trust keeps alive the memories of the men and woman who went to Spain to defend democracy and freedom and uses their example to promote the values that many of them died for. Dulwich Hamlet will be raising money for the trust at their home match with Bognor Regis Town on Saturday 8 October. The club is urging trade unionists to bring their banners to the match and admission will be just £4 if you can produce a union membership card.
10 INCREDIBLE EDIBLE
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2016 OCTOBER
FOODBANKS NEED DONATIONS All local food banks are short of food. You can donate via the boxes at Tesco’s Acre Lane and Sainsbury’s in Brixton Water Lane.
●● ●● ●● ●●
Most needed are: Tinned/packets soup Tinned meat (not pork) Tinned rice pudding UHT custard
●● UHT sponge puddings Fresh food can be donated, but only on mornings that the banks are open as they are not able to store fresh food.
Norwood and Brixton Foodbank is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10am at St Paul’s Church, 184-188 Ferndale Road, SW9 8AH.
Three top tips for growing your community garden
Kate Sebag, chair of Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses, in a big group conversation
A surplus food hub for Brixton By Susan Sheehan An enormous amount of food is wasted in this country – not just in Brixton – while, at the same time, people go hungry or are malnourished. When Incredible Edible Lambeth, along with Brixton Pound, hosted a conversation on the subject recently at the Pound’s café more than 30 people packed the space. Some were already developing solutions. A food preserve business is using surplus fruit and veg from the market to raise money for a local charity. The Brixton Pound’s pay-whatyou-feel-like café uses surplus food. Another group promotes awareness of the difference between “best before” and “use by” dates. Others are looking for surplus food to use – like the young people’s charity needing to feed children attending sessions because they are turning up hungry. Brixton Food Bank said that food banks across the country are currently very short of food. And there were even some businesses looking for places to redistribute their surplus food. We were able to make lots of matches on the night through our “Wants” and “Offers” noticeboard and lots of one-to-one networking. But there was a clear desire for some more strategic solutions. So, if you are looking for surplus
Paula from City Harvest offers to help distribute surplus food food for a community project, or a one-off event, for example, your first call should be Brixton Pound. They won’t always have the solution to your problem, but they have offered to act as an information
Toast beer – made from surplus bread
hub – connecting businesses that have surplus food with those that need it. It’s not going to be easy. The biggest problem is distribution and organisation. Nour Cash & Carry is eager to donate surplus food, but can’t deal with lots of organisations coming to them directly at different times of day – they are keen to work strategically. Similarly there are lots of organisations like City Harvest and the new Felix Project, that are able to take food when it becomes available and distribute it to those that need it. We are going to see if we can set up some kind of a “hub” in Brixton. If you would like to be involved or
can offer some volunteer time, get in touch at www.facebook.com/groups/ brixtonfoodsurplusnetwork. Incredible Edible Lambeth will be working on this too, but Brixton Pound will act as the information exchange. Lastly, and this is a slightly personal plea, we will all make the connections we can, when we can. Introducing someone with a few spare cabbages to someone who can regularly use them is setting up a sustainable relationship. If we have lots of small direct relationships in place then maybe the demand on organisational structures and logistics will not be so great. We also agreed that, while there is little we can do to influence the supermarkets, we are pleased that the Evening Standard is taking the supermarkets on and exposing the amount of food they throw away from their stores. We are happy to work with them at a local level to prevent food waste but, equally, we would like to see a system that does not permit such levels of waste in the first place. ■■ If you want to find out more about preventing food waste or directly influence the local food system in Lambeth, join Lambeth Food Partnership on Tuesday 11 October for its AGM, Disruptive Food, at the new Health Foundry opposite St Thomas’s Hospital in Waterloo, from 6.30 to 9pm. More details at disruptivefood.eventbrite.com.
This year’s Lambeth Council Community Pride Awards featured community gardens and gardening activities very prominently. They have clearly become a symbol of good community activity. They are great at bringing people together from a variety of backgrounds. Incredible Edible Lambeth helped judge the awards and made some recommendations to Lambeth about the areas that community gardens should focus on to be as successful as the winning gardens. Our top 3 recommendations are: COMPOST, compost, compost – the soil is
terrible. But we can’t just buy it in – we have to make it. Ebony Riding club and our city farms give away free manure. Add that to your compostable food and garden waste and your veg will double in size SIGNS – if you are a community garden you need good signs to invite people to take part and inspire others to get growing WATER – we had a very dry summer. Veg needs lots of water. As a community we need to do more to make it easier for gardens to access mains water or, preferably, to harvest rainwater.
Ark Evelyn Grace Academy Ark Evelyn Grace Academy is part of the Ark Group of schools and is a caring and progressive secondary school, with a broad and balanced curriculum to enrich and shape the futures of students, preparing them for university and work.
OPEN OPEN DAYS
DAYS9am – 10.45am Saturday 1 October: Thursday 6 October: 5 – 7pm Tuesday 11 October: 9am – 10:45am Evelyn Grace Academy Principal, Devon Hanson 255 Shakespeare Road, London SE24 0QN Tel: 020 7737 9520 Email: info@evelyngraceacademy.org Website: evelyngraceacademy.org Twitter: @ARKEvelynGrace
The Academy is housed in a state of the art building and has excellent academic and sporting facilities with a 3G sports pitch. At Ark Evelyn Grace Academy, we teach character building qualities such as: Resilience, Confidence, Responsibility, Integrity, Curiosity and Eloquence and we are driven by three core values: Excellence, Endeavour and Self Discipline. Students flourish in a number of disciplines including, The Arts, Sports and Academia and we provide a range of support focusing on personal and social development both in school and in the wider community.
12 BRIXTON DESIGN TRAIL
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2016 OCTOBER
FLYING THE FL FOR BRIXTON
If Brixton’s Design Trail didn’t grab you nothing will. A week of riotous colour, with over 50 different activities to engage with – from large installations, walks and talks, open studios, animations, fashion show and exhibitions and the very best of arts and crafts on display. Even if you are not an arty type, you couldn’t fail to be engaged by the new Eley Kishimoto zig zags that popped up on the road outside the Dogstar, or to enjoy the giant skulls and paper chandeliers at Brixton Village. Past and present influences were present. Brixton Museum celebrated storytelling through objects at St Matthews and black heroes were honoured in the brilliant installation outside the BCA. Some of you got stuck in and contributed to the people’s art project on Ferndale Road, while others just enjoyed looking at it. For those who prefer talking and debate there were plenty of opportunities to engage in hot topics – like the vision for a new economy at Brixtopia. Design Unboxed explored design from fashion
and furniture to graphics and architecture. If crafts and hands-on workshops were more your things there was plenty to do. Old and young it didn’t matter, you could join in. Revival, hosted in Diverse gift shop on Coldharbour Lane, celebrated the Black British experience since the 50s through music, memorabilia and its very own “trail” highlighting black business through the Brixton decades. Young people from BlingYaBike created perfumes and Bowie memorabilia. Children made their own chocolate bars at the Chocolate Museum, What’s My Future explored what it feels like to be young and want a future through film, music and the spoken word. For those of you asleep, or hankering to relive the buzz of Brixton Design Trail, here are some of the highlights that Bugle reporters and photographers captured as they made their way round the Trail. It may be over for this year, but hopefully some of the optimism, creativity, participation and the Trail’s “Rebel, Rebel” catchphrase will stay with us until next year.
Brixtopian ideas
Celebrating Brixtopia
Eley Kishimoto crossings
OCTOBER 2016
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BRIXTON DESIGN TRAIL 13
LAG Brixton Street Gallery with local artist Azarra Amoy
Pajaki ‘spiders of straw’ workshop
Len Garrison’s poem Where are Our Monuments? inspired 2MZ’s project We Stand As Living Monuments at the Black Cultural Archives. The spinning geometric sculptures are dedicated to black heroes including Olive Morris, a Black activist in Brixton during the 1970s; Sam King, Southwark’s first black mayor; Len Garrison, co-founder of the Black Cultural Archives; and Mary Seacole, best known for setting up her own hotel for wounded veterans during the Crimean War. The BCA said the scupltures redress the historical imbalance of representation of black people in Britain.
Jones&Taylor
Eley Kishimoto sailcloths on Brixton Windmill
Fashion at Pop Brixton
14 BRIXTON DESIGN TRAIL
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2016 OCTOBER
Now Brixton has its own manifesto By Lilly Blanchard Brixtopia, in St Matthew’s Peace Garden, was the Friday finale of the Trail and saw the launch of a manifesto for Brixton. The evening included music from Guy Davies and Devon Thomas, performances from Ovalhouse Theatre, and speakers including Nigel Dodd from the London School of Economics. Organiser Charlie Waterhouse kicked off the event describing Brixtopia as “a place to imagine ... create ... and meet other people that desire social change”. “Brixton is proof that we are all improved by diversity,” he said in a talk that covered Brexit and immigration. Devon Thomas, a founder of the Brixton Neighbourhood Forum,
Celebrating Brixton Revival in Diverse gift shop on Coldharbour Lane
Young people at the Brixton Community Base in Talma Road show off the products they made as part of the Design Trail. Bike art and original spray-paint designs, perfume, mugs, T-shirts and a surprise design tribute to David Bowie, Prince and Muhammad Ali. If you missed it check them out at blingyabike.com BlingYaBike is a youth project that encourages young people to become involved in bike mechanics, art and design. Lamonte Johnson, founder, said “We teach spray-painting, and bike design. We are a youth-led project, and we also offer fashion, design and clothes up-cycling workshops. This is an opportunity to be trained in putting on a design exhibition, and training to create original products. We prepare young people for employment and help with CV and college applications.
spoke about his long family connection with Brixton, describing it as a “place of settlement, change, and turnover”. Brixtopia also featured art from the Procreate Project and other temporary creations. Gaby Sahhar explained these were designed to represent the socio-economic changes taking place in Brixton. Nigel Dodd discussed the unique nature of the Brixton Pound, describing how, after the financial crash of 2008, “money was the enemy of the people” but, in Brixton. it had been “taken on and reformed”. The launch of the 18-point Brixton manifesto was followed by poetry from Paul Point of the Chocolate Poetry Club and live music. Revellers at the late night afterparty at the Brixton Pound café (above) celebrated Brixtopia and the start of “a better future in Brixton”.
Katy Beinart brought the Brixton Museum out into the sunshine as part of the Design Trail. The museum is a display space based on street traders’ barrows with a roof designed from original scale drawings of the arcades that once stood on Electric Avenue. The objects displayed are porcelain copies of items given that represent a connection to Brixton. The first collection is based on objects brought by participants In the film Brixton Conversations. They were recreated by Katy in porcelain to reflect Lambeth’s heritage as ceramic centre. The models are a quirky mix – a pork pie hat, a tea pot, photos, a shopping trolley and a voodoo statue! The project was made possible with funding from Arts Council England, Lambeth council, Heritage Lottery Fund and the University College London public engagement unit. ■■Check out where you can find the Museum as it tours Brixton at anchorandmagnet.org.
Brixton Design Trail returned for a third year in 2016 as London Design Festival’s newest Design District. Founded in 2014 with a mission to shine a positive light on Brixton’s home-grown creative talent, the Trail gained significant attention by using the town centre as a canvas for public art, with the intention that design should be inspiring and accessible, for the whole community to enjoy. This year Brixton Design Trail was partnered by Brixton BID and Squire and Partners architects, with support from Lambeth council.
Elli Popp wallpaper at Arches Brixton Creatives
OCTOBER 2016
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HISTORY 15
MARK CHARNOCK/ALAMY
Teenagers outside the Brixton Wimpy in April 1981
Shabbily splendid Nick Buglione begins a journey through time with his recollections of Brixton in the Eighties Nowadays it’s easy, marvellous Mark Zuckerberg can remember it for you wholesale. Real memories are so last century. My journey back to 1980s Brixton predates Tim Berners-Lee and Facebook, so I have to delve into old shoe boxes of photos, concert tickets and, that most analogue of tools, the human brain. Nick Buglione’s excellent adventure. To a kid growing up in leafy white middle class Dulwich, Brixton was a scary, exciting, crazy home to most of the kids I went to school with. For I was sent to the long gone and not too fondly remembered Tulse Hill School, an eight-storey glass and brick comprehensive monolith with, in its heyday, almost 2,000 boys, an unhealthy slice of racial tension and one of London’s worst disciplinary records. Thankfully I wasn’t there for the running street battles with the also now demolished Dick Shepppard and the mass pupil walkouts. Still, it boasted Red Ken (more or less my political hero warts and all) among my predecessor alumni. I think I survived by having decent trainers and being in the football team which gave me a degree of protective cachet. So Brixton’s infamous 1981 riots and Lord
Scarman passed my innocent 11-year-old schoolboy more or less by, and my introduction to the place where I now live was the end of term treat where I was given a couple of pound (notes!) to wander down the hill with my footie teammates to go for a Wimpy. I remember getting lost in Brixton Market and having to go into the police station to tearfully beg 10p for the bus home. Fast forward a few years and Brixton had become a kind of voyeuristic playground to dip, and eventually immerse myself into. The Dogstar was but a twinkle in Lawrence Merritt’s eye and was a dubious pub called The Atlantic. The Fridge wasn’t yet embedded in the old Ace Cinema (Electric Brixton to the new arrivals) but was a bijoux club down towards the Wimpy over the Electricty Board showroom – hence the name – where we bopped unconvincingly to Frankie Goes to Hollywood holding cans of Red Stripe. Legend has it that Joe Strummer bankrolled Andrew Czezowski and Susan Carrington’s move to the “big” Fridge with a bag of contraband tenners. Little did I know that one day I would work for them. In between, it, along with The Wag (RIP Vaughn Toulouse), became a weekly home from home, for Launderette with Andy & Ben Boilerhouse and, most wonderfully, every Friday night for Soul II Soul. The Friday after Back to Life went to number one was amazing
and Jazzie B and Nellee Hooper introduced me to Run DMC, EPMD, Eric B & Rakim and Public Enemy. They, along with The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, Red Guitars, Human League, OMD, The Clash and Teardrop Explodes were purchased at the excellent Red Records, in its earlier vinyl persona (and of course occasionally Woolworths – remember Woolies (now H&M) – for the chartier stuff). And so was kickstarted a lifelong expensive devotion to vinyl (with a dispiriting forced 1990s detour down the compact disc cul-de-sac). And, of course, everyone played the magnificently scuzzy Academy. It was there I saw the Smiths twice (out of four times, the others being Glastonbury and the glorious Save the GLC fest at County Hall), The Clash circa Combat Rock (from which I returned with a Red Brigades T-shirt?), Siouxsie & The Banshees, the Bunnymen and, in the era of the warehouse party, those epic Westworld extravaganzas. Back then we drank at the gothy-tinged Prince Albert (still there, but just “refurbished”) and the gloriously unruly George Canning (now Hootananny) which, in the era of 11pm pub shutdown, for some reason stayed open till 1am. Perhaps the most obvious paradigm of old school Brixton and today’s regenerated, gentrified and some would say ethnically cleansed version was the Tube.
Unlike today’s shiny middle class multiplex, the Ritzy back then was a glorious single-screen fleapit palace, home to carrot cake and tea all-nighters
A late night Tube journey home to Brixton was an exercise in increasing solitude as no-one came here. We often were the only ones left in the carriage by Brixton. And getting a black cab to take you home from town was almost impossible. Compare and contrast with today. The Ritzy was massively important, not just for the discovery of amazing films, but back then it denoted the borderline between “do go” and “don’t go” Brixton. Coldharbour Lane was decidedly murky after sundown and our forays down there, and occasionally along the famous “Frontline” (daytime only) were only ever in search of herbal contraband. We usually got the Schwartz variety. Having alluded to “don’t go” areas, despite the reputation, we remained unmugged, unrobbed, unscathed and more often than not, unstoned. Unlike today’s shiny middle class multiplex, the Ritzy back then was a glorious singlescreen fleapit palace, home to Pat Foster and Claire Binns’ carrot cake and tea all-nighters and even gigs (Billy Bragg, the Sid Presley Experience). We would go to squat parties in Bonham Road, dodgy bits of Stockwell or the sprawling arty mega squat Cool Tan building and pitch up at the Ritzy at ungodly hours to catch Bladerunner, Alien, Body Heat, Subway, The Shining, Blue Velvet et al. Where everyone knows your name and you were almost guaranteed to find mates already nestled down for the night, having popped down Coldharbour Lane. Shabbily splendid. Much like 1980s Brixton.
16 ARTS & CULTURE
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2016 OCTOBER
It’s like being in EastEnders – you don’t know when it will kick off Alex Kiffin from Brixton has landed a leading role in the London premiere of a Tennessee Williams play opposite Holby City star Rob Ostlere (Arthur Digby). Alex, who attended the Guildford School of Acting, will appear with Ostlere in Confessional at the Southwark Playhouse as Tony, the law enforcer in a pub full of reprobates. He started his acting career later in life at 25, but he has made up for lost time. Since graduating in 2012, he has done several theatre productions including critically acclaimed Streets, which was nominated for two Offies
awards. Alex has also appeared in Javeon McCarthy and Skepta music videos. “I always enjoyed acting at secondary school, and I didn’t realise you had to train to be an actor,” said Alex. “So what really made me want to become an actor was when I used to do extra work on EastEnders, I saw what the main actors were doing on set and thought ‘I can do this’. “So I decided to take acting lessons and got into drama school – and the rest is history” Confessional is set in a run-down
Alex Kiffin as Tony in Confessional
seaside bar in Southend. The actors use British accents and mingle with the audience. “You will literally be sat in the bar drinking, while the action kicks off around you,” says director Jack Silver. “You get to join the bar’s regulars over the course of one furious and fun evening, as a pair of strangers enters their world – and all hell breaks loose. It’s like an episode of EastEnders that you get to sit in.” Confessional was written by US playwright and screenwriter Tennessee Williams, who rose to fame in the 1950s with a string of hits including A Streetcar named Desire with Marlon Brando, Sweet Bird of Youth with Paul Newman, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Glass Menagerie. Confessional, Williams’ first play to feature an openly gay character, gets its London professional premiere in a four-week season at Southwark Playhouse, 77-85 Newington Causeway, SE1 from 5 to 29 October. It had a critically acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Fringe last year. Silver says: “You don’t know till the very end which of your fellow drinkers/ audience members has a speaking part. I want the audience to feel unsafe, I want them to have a physical reaction to the play which means something in their instinct compels them to watch. “When you sit on the Tube and there’s a sketchy guy on your carriage, you have to watch him, even out of the corner of your eye. Because something deep within you says that if you don’t watch out, you might not be safe. I’m trying to recreate that instinct, to compel you to watch.” Lizzie Stanton reprises her critically acclaimed role as Leona and the cast also includes Waymar Royce (Game of Thrones).
Brixton Village by Pam Williams
Missing the Design Trail already? Here’s something else for you If you’ve been on the Brixton Design Trail, it’s not the end of the road, art lovers. Keep your walking boots on for a trip round artists’ studios during Lambeth Open Studios week. Check it out here: lambethopen.com On the first weekend of October artists and craftspeople across the borough of Lambeth will be opening their studio and work spaces to the public. Doors open from 10am to 6pm, 1 and 2 October and admission is free. Lambeth Open showcases the creative talent tucked away in the borough and is a great way to discover the various art spaces too often hidden in your neighbourhoods. The Bugle’s very own Pam Williams (creator of Eric the Fish) is at 31 Nealden Street, SW9 9RA.
Herne Hill festival set to serve up another musical feast Flamenco, steel pans, opera, blues, early music, jazz, classical and so much more – all at reasonable prices. What else could it be but the Herne Hill Music Festival? This year’s proceedings begin at 7pm on Friday 7 October with a semi-staged performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni by the Dulwich Opera Company at Herne Hill School (127 Herne Hill SE24 9LY). There is too much for us to list in full, so check the festival website (hernehillfestival.org/ programme#content) for all there is to see. The Bugle will be hoping to catch some of these events:
Camilla George Quartet
8pm, 7 October, Off The Cuff, 301 Railton Road SE24 0JW. £12, concessions £8. Formed in 2014, CGQ has a modern edge but pays homage to the jazz tradition. Their debut album, Isang – due out early next year – is a celebration of jazz from its African roots through to its modern day forms. Isang is an Efik/Ibibio word which means journey. Efik is the
language of south-eastern Nigeria where Camilla was born.
Coffee morning music
11am, 8 October, Herne Hill United Church, Red Post Hill SE24 9PW. Free. Calton String Quartet, who performed twice at the Carnegie Library, will play classical pieces. There will be a presentation from CalAid, a charity working to help refugees stranded in Calais, and a fund-raising collection.
Music in Brockwell Park
1.30pm, 9 October, Brockwell Park
concessions £8. Acclaimed as a singer/songwriter since the 1960s, Leon Rosselson’s songs are loved for their wit, politics and insight. With Joe Wilkes.
Fiddling the Night Away
Family Concert
8pm, 11 October, Canopy Beer, Arch 1127 Bath Factory Estate, 41 Norwood Road SE24 9AJ. £12, concessions £8. Dave Arthur with Rattle on the Stovepipe will perform English and Appalachian old time songs, ballads, and instrumental music on banjo, guitar, melodeon, and whistle.
Young Musical Talent In our Community
3pm, 8 October, St Saviour’s Hall, Herne Hill Road, SE24 0AY. £5. The St Jude’s C of E Steel Pan Band is composed of children from years 4, 5 and 6 and has a wide repertoire, ranging from calypso to modern day tracks. The Charter School Orchestra performed Guys and Dolls last year, and played in The Peasant’s Opera in last year’s Festival. Plus young soloists.
3.30 Greenhouse Blues in the greenhouses – Fran McGillivray and Mike Burke (left). £5, concessions £3. Brockwell Park Community partners have helped to fund the costs of this day of music.
Early Music comes to Herne Hill
This year’s event will include: 1.30 Indian Classical Music in Brockwell Hall – Mehboob Nadeem. £8, concessions £5. 2.30 Bandstand Music outside the Hall – Norwood Wind Ensemble
7:30pm, 12 October, Herne Hill School, 127 Herne Hill SE24 9LY. £10, concessions £7. The Chelys Consort of Viols’ programme is All the Kings’ Men with music from the courts of Charles I and II, by composers including William Lawes, John Jenkins, Henry Purcell.
The World Turned Upside Down 8pm, 14 October, Off The Cuff, 301 Railton Road SE24 0JW. £12,
3:00pm, 15 October, Methodist Hall, 155 Half Moon Lane SE24 9HU, £8, concessions £5. La Morenita Flamenca (Michelle Carrier) is a professional flamenco dancer based in London. The Herne Wind Quintet places an emphasis on having fun and specialise in concerts for young people where participation is encouraged.
Chamber Orchestra Concert
3:45pm, 16 October. St Faith’s Church, Red Post Hill, SE24 9JQ. £12, concessions £8. The Southwark Sinfonietta will play Haydn’s Symphony No. 44 in E minor (the “Trauer”); Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K453; and Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K 550.
OCTOBER 2016
ARTS & CULTURE 17
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Brixton welcomes work banned by Blackpool Block 336 plays host this month to Jennet Thomas’s The Unspeakable Freedom Device – a surreal multimedia exploration of a primitive future world populated by a cast of strange and yet familiar characters. It runs until 21 October. The work was originally commissioned by Blackpool’s Grundy Art Gallery in 2015 and immediately ran into a political storm that saw it banned until after the general election. Politicians baulked at the portrayal of Margaret Thatcher (right) as the spectral protagonist. She appears as an all-pervasive image burnt into the collective memory of a culture that is both sinister and psychedelic. The main characters, Glenda and Mary, wander through a red, green and blue broken landscape. Signposts have collapsed and they must decide which route to take. All roads seem to lead to Bluepool. The artist, Jennet Thomas, is senior lecturer in fine art at Wimbledon College of Art and follows in the tradition of
experimental narrative video. She says that the idea formed after seeing the funeral procession for Thatcher which she found quite bizarre. Blackpool seemed a fitting setting given that the Winter Gardens played host to many of her major speeches to the Tory Party conference. The central device is the idea of a pilgrimage, a journey that involves playing with colours. Red, green and blue are political party colours as well as the components of digital screens. Thomas plays with this and our relationship with our technology and devices in the film. “It’s complicated and quite troubling, it knows about us. I was interested in playing with that – particularly virtual reality.” Thomas added: “The work got banned because the Grundy Gallery runs along the fault line that is the boundary of two constituencies. The gallery was accused of political bias and delayed the opening until after the general election.” The other piece in the exhibition
Jennet Thomas at the opening of The Unspeakable Freedom Device by Thomas, Animal Condensed> Animal Expanded, according to the programme, “is the first of a trilogy that explores the meaning of animals in a post-digital and anthropological world”. Enough said, best you see it for yourself. Opening hours are Thursday to
Catch the pick of festival films on your doorstep The London Film Festival takes place from 5 to 16 October and Brixton is host to some of the festival’s must-see films. Festival films highlight themes including government corruption, economic exploitation, the plight of migrants, grassroots uprisings and the power of music to take us on a journey of race, politics and struggle. For full details and descriptions visit: bfi.org.uk/lff. The festival moves from the global to the hyperlocal with a film that looks at gentrification in one place. Moving Image, directed by Shola Amo, is all about Brixton, local people and change. It is due to screen on Friday 14 October at 6.30pm in the Ritzy’s Screen 2. Amo’s debut feature examines the invasion/gentrification of Brixton through the return of an artist who is moved to investigate changes in the area and finds herself wondering whether she is part of the “bourgie elite” destroying it. Amo speaks to real residents affected by gentrification. Also at the Ritzy: GOLDSTONE, director Ivan Sen, Saturday 15 October, 12:30. Corruption and
Aboriginal exploitation are rife in an Outback town, led by reptilian mayor Jacki Weaver, in Ivan Sen’s new thriller. JEWEL’S CATCH ONE, director C. Fitz, Sunday 9 October, 6.15pm. A documentary about LA’s first black LGBT disco, defiantly opened in 1973. The idea that an openly gay black woman could be a business owner was near unthinkable at the time. HISSEIN HABRÉ, A CHADIAN TRAGEDY, director MahamatSaleh Haroun, Sunday 9 October, 9pm. A chilling documentary portrait of Hissein Habré, the former president of Chad. I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER, director Billy O’Brien, Wednesday 12 October, 9pm. A teenage sociopath comes face to face with an evil force in this chilling and darkly humorous adaptation of Dan Wells’ acclaimed cult novel. THE REVOLUTION WON’T BE TELEVISED, director Rama Thiaw, Monday 10 October, 6.15pm. This film taps into grassroots political action in Senegal with a rousing rap soundtrack. THOSE WHO JUMP, directed by Moritz Siebert, Estephan Wagner; co-director Abou Bakar Sidibé, Sunday 16
October, 4pm. Malian refugee Abou Bakar Sidibé is camped with fellow migrants on the top of Mount Gurugu, which overlooks Melilla, the Spanish enclave on Africa’s Mediterranean coast. Given a camera, he documents the daily life of the refugees. FONKO, directed by Lamin Daniel Jadama, Lars Lovén and Göran Hugo Olsson, Saturday 8 October, 6.30pm. A journey through the electronic urban musical underground of Africa with live performance footage. APPRENTICE, director Boo Junfeng, Sunday 9 October, 3.45pm. A prison guard finds himself drawn to the gallows when the hangman needs a new apprentice. PSYCHONAUTS, THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN, directors Pedro Rivero and Alberto Vázquez, Tuesday 11 October, 9pm. Birdboy and his animal friends plan their escape from an ecologically devastated island in this surreal, animated fantasy. SOUND AND VISION, directors Charlotte Scott-Wilson, Robert Valley, Ainslie Henderson, Alex Wu and Mikey Hill, Friday 7 October, 6.30pm. Five diverse short films and animations that focus on music.
Sat, 2 to 6pm, until 21 October. There’s a performance evening on 7 October, 6.30–8.30pm, when Block 336 will stage I Am Your Error Message, a live-video performance by Jennet Thomas and Red and Blue by the musician Leo Chadburn. You can join Jennet Thomas
in conversation with Simon O’Sullivan and George Vasey on 12 October from 6.30 to 8.30pm. Simon O’Sullivan is professor of art theory and practice at Goldsmiths College. George Vasey is a writer and curator at Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland.
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18 FOOD & DRINK
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RECIPE: CARAMELISED PUMPKIN DAL
An autumn treat inspired and sourced in Brixton It’s the time for pumpkins and squashes – and they make a good dal, says Miss South
extra virgin ones at reasonable prices. You can also pick up all the other ingredients there too for literal one-stop shopping that the supermarket will struggle to beat.
We may not be able to admire the sight of the big pale green-skinned pumpkins stacked up outside the A&C Deli on Atlantic Road all year round anymore thanks to the meddling of Network Rail but, luckily, autumn brings us pumpkins and squash from elsewhere. I love their soft orange flesh with buttery lentils, sweet onions and just a hint of acidity from tomatoes, so it surprised me that I’d never made a dal with those ingredients before. This version is inspired by Imran’s fantastic dal at Elephant in Brixton Village but with a slightly harvest festival feel. You could sub coconut oil for the butter if you’d like the meal to be dairy free. The Nour Cash and Carry do a great range of
Here at Healthy Eaters we combine great tasting food with quick and friendly customer service. Every meal is as healthy as can be thanks to our low fat cooking techniques which lock in our uniquely succulent flavours.
Drop in for take-away or eat in. We are open lunchtime until early evening.
17 Electric Avenue Brixton SW9 8JP Tel. 020 7274 4521
www.healthyeaters.co.uk
Start by chopping your onions in half moons and caramelising them in half the butter or coconut oil over a low heat in a pan big enough to make the dal in. While they slowly turn golden brown, peel and chop the wedge of pumpkin or butternut squash and cut it into 3cm cubes. After about 20 minutes, add the pumpkin to the onions along with the rest of the butter and turn the heat up a little so the butter bubbles without burning and sauté the pumpkin until the edges start to colour. While this is happening, cut a cross in the top and bottom of each tomato and place in a bowl. Pour boiling water over them and leave for a few seconds before lifting out with a spoon. Allow to cool slightly and then peel the now wrinkled skin off. Roughly chop the tomatoes as well the garlic. Peel the ginger with the back of a teaspoon and finely chop it too. Add the tomato, garlic and ginger to the pumpkin after about 10 minutes and cook it all out for about 2 minutes. Add the spices except the garam masala at this point along with the lentils and split peas and add the water. Stir well and season generously. Lentils need a good hand with the salt. Bring it all the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer so the whole thing blips gently as it cooks. Leave it to its own devices for 20 minutes while the lentils soften and the pumpkin becomes tender and it all thickens slightly. Add more water if you want it soup style like in my photo. Otherwise sprinkle it with the garam masala as you take it off the heat and serve with rotis or flatbreads or rice. Some fresh coriander is excellent here.
CARAMELISED PUMPKIN DAL (serves 4 with leftovers if less greedy than me) ¡¡ 300g pumpkin or butternut squash, cubed ¡¡ 2 medium onions ¡¡ 50g butter or extra virgin coconut oil ¡¡ 250g masoor dal or red lentils ¡¡ 2 large fresh tomatoes ¡¡ 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped ¡¡ 1 teaspoon fenugreek ¡¡ 1 teaspoon chilli powder ¡¡ 1 teaspoon turmeric ¡¡ 1 teaspoon paprika ¡¡ 1.5 inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped finely ¡¡ 1.5 teaspoons garam masala ¡¡ 1 litre boiling water ¡¡ salt and pepper to taste
2016 OCTOBER
FOOD NEWS
Peckham and Camberwell muscle in We fear another loss for Brixton’s ever-changing food scene … but there’s still hope
NNRumour reaches us that Rosie
Lovell’s Rosie’s Deli in Brixton is to close. A stalwart in the food scene here, Rosie’s predated the gentrification boom and promoted local businesses here enthusiastically. If you’re pining for her sandwiches, her Peckham branch is still open and we wish her luck!
NNAnother familiar face in Brixton is The Duck Egg cafe, who are now doing a regional Thai dinner menu at the Prince of Wales pub on Sunday and Monday nights. The owner’s wife is Thai and cooks proper Thai food which isn’t of the green curry school. So try the fresh and chilli flavours instead of ordering a generic takeaway to start the week.
NNAnd not quite Brixton, Camberwell goes the same way as us and gets its own local cookbook launching this week. Copies are available at numerous local businesses so keep a look out and grab yourself a copy!
NNOlley’s in Herne Hill backed the Marine Stewardship Council’s 10-day Turn the Tide campaign which ends on Monday October 3. The fish shop and restaurant displayed promotional material to push the message that one way to end overfishing is by always choosing MSC certified fish. Owner Harry Niazi said: “Sustainability is not a choice anymore, it’s a requirement and I genuinely believe it has a big influence on where people choose to eat.”
NNThe new Market House Diner launches this month. It will specialise in hot dogs, wings and devilish American sides. There will also be a daily deal of any hot dog, fries and a Brewdog beer for just £10. Each Monday will have a buy-oneget-one-free deal on dogs.
OCTOBER 2016
FOOD & DRINK 19
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REVIEW: BOOMA
Unique take on a Friday night beer and Indian Nikki Griffiths visits the new Brixton restaurant that pairs beer with Indian cuisine in a more sophisticated way than it has been in the past
made by curdling milk with lemon juice) with Indian spices. Booma’s is perfection with lovely tandoor-singed crispy corners and a warm, squidgy centre. My advice is to eat it quickly as it definitely starts to lose its charm quickly when it cools down. Every Fridays. They’re made for relaxing One dish which really caught my eye was and unwinding, sharing tales of the week the malai tikka – chicken cooked with cream, with friends and celebrating successes with cheese and rosemary. Rosemary isn’t a herb a well earned drink. And what goes best with which is usually associated with Indian all that? Yep, Indian food. So, last Friday, I cooking and you’d normally be more likely headed out to try Booma, the new partner in to see this combination on a blackboard of crime and neighbour of the Crown & Anchor a French bistro. But the tender, juicy and pub on Brixton Road. perfectly cooked pieces of chicken which Booma serves northern Indian small plates arrived, fresh from the tandoor, made this and craft beer. The concept is to pair specific seem totally normal. dishes with their suggested beer. Quite The disappointment of the night was cleverly, in order to allow you to do that the tulsi seekh kebab which was weak and without getting shish faced, they sell their over-minced. I also find it a huge cop-out beers in one and two thirds of pints. The menu when a restaurant uses the same dressing uses colour coded dots to show you which beer for multiple dishes and in this case, the to order with your bhajis. same mint sauce was on three The space is simple and bright out of five. It’s much more with an open-facing kitchen, satisfying to think that wafting all those lovely each dressing has been smells from the smokey carefully crafted for the tandoor oven into the dish it is accompanying dining area. Enormous so I’d urge the heads windows onto Brixton behind Booma to Road and across to rethink this small but the Crown & Anchor important detail. invite the evening It’s not really a in and punters can Friday-night Indian choose to sit at the bar without a garlic naan seats by the window and luckily at Booma, and watch the night it comes wrapped around go by. some mouth-watering FIT FOR TARZAN: Now, before we start pulled duck and spiced plum Chettinaad pork on the food, let me just tell chutney. The duck kathi roll ribs you about the Hush Heath cider is an absolute must and I think (ABV 4.8%). According to the menu it is Booma should seriously look into selling “made by celebrated winemakers” and has a this at lunchtimes through the week as it champagne-style secondary fermentation in a would make the perfect brown-paper-wrapped, keg. I don’t know much about the chemistry of grab-and-go sandwich alternative for workers. cider-making but I can translate that formula They are open from 12pm on weekends so for you – marvellous. Ignorance aside, it really there’s potential for a Saturday lunchtime did have the taste of a delicious and crisp hangover cure or a lazy Sunday alternative. white wine. I ordered one third, then another All the dishes we’d received so far were and I will leave you to guess at what happened delicate and dainty. So imagine our surprise next. Needless to say I didn’t get very far in when a mountain of giant chettinaad (south the suggested method of trying lots of different Indian spiced) pork ribs was placed on the beers from the list. But I did have a plus one table. This was seriously gnarly and looked who can vouch for the Booma Lager (ABV like something Tarzan would order. And 4.5%) and the Oakham Green Devil IPA (ABV Tarzan would have been happy. We were 6.0%), but not the Rodenbach Grand Cru happy. These ribs are brilliant. The slow (ABV 6/0%) as apparently that one tasted like cooked meat is succulent and falls right off the balsamic vinegar mixed with maple syrup. bone and what’s more, these ribs also had a Every table is welcomed with a plate of great heat to them. poppadom crisps, covered with lashings of Prices range from £4.50 to £10 per dish three different sauces (perhaps intentionally and five plates between two of us did the job continuing their theme of trying more than nicely. I think Booma would particularly one, in all situations?). Out of the three, the come into its own if there was a group of tamarind was the one which we fought over four, at which point you could legitimately for the final mouthful. ask for one of everything from the 14-item The suggested dish to accompany my menu. Sure, there are things they could work aforementioned cider is the achari paneer on, but Booma has something unique to offer tikka. Oh, go on then. I love the combination and really does make for a great Friday night of paneer (a fresh, unsalted white cheese with friends. HOURS Monday: closed. Tue-Fri: 5pm – 11pm. Sat: 12pm – 11pm. Sun: 12pm – 6pm 244 Brixton Road (opposite Loughborough Road)
AN ABSOLUTE MUST: Duck kathi roll
EYE CATCHING: Chicken tikka malai
electrifying Electric Avenue
from 8th October and into the night . . . HEAltHy EAtErS will now be opening
11.00pm
until in the evenings and from 8th October you will be able to enjoy Jamaican rum, cocktails, and authentic jerk chicken to the sounds of sweet reggae music.
So, come on and rock down to
17 Electric Avenue Brixton SW9 8JP and let the fun begin!
020 7274 4521 www.healthyeaters.co.uk
20 WHAT’S ON
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SAT 1 @ HERNE HILL SQUARE
TUES 11 @ DOGSTAR
Free afternoon music event to celebrate the changeover of the old HERNE HILL PIANO after its world record four years as a public piano. Your chance to be in a film about the piano.
“Green Drinks” is a regular event on the second Tuesday of each month. Organiser Simon Nash says it is for networking, making new friends and learning about different GREEN companies, issues and causes. Each event has three speakers for 10 minutes. Starts 6.30.
SUN 2 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON
Head in the past? Go see cult eighties figure GARY NUMAN plus support. 7–11pm. £32.50+BF.
WED 12 @ WE ARE 336
No Place for Hate – the main event in Lambeth to mark National Hate Crime Awareness Week – is for anyone who wants to help end HATE CRIME against disabled people in Lambeth. All disabled people, carers and anyone working with, or supporting, disabled people or who has an interest in the work of Disability Hate Crime Partnership Lambeth welcome. Also launch of Hate Crime Reporting Centre at 336 Brixton Road. 10am–2pm.
SUN 2 @ DOGSTAR
Brixton Autumn VEGAN Festival: 20 stalls take over the events rooms including street food, gluten-free crepes, cakes, raw treats, low-cost cooking classes, charities, cards, T-shirts and more. Noon to 7pm. Free entry.
MON 3 @ HOOTANANNY
Brixton BOOK JAM – with an eclectic mix of authors including Chrissie Gittins, Anna Parijskaia, Stevan Alcock, Irenosen Okojie, Dave McGowan, Carla Valentine and Jo Clayton. 7.30–11pm.
TUES 4 @ KNIGHT WEBB GALLERY
New exhibition Breakfast features paintings by Berlin artist Juliane Hundertmark who depicts the family unit at BREAKFAST – “in its many outlandish and surreal forms”. Until 29 October.
THURS 6 @ WINDMILL
South London female four-piece GOAT GIRL play a special single launch before they go an on extensive UK tour. Doors 7pm. £3.
2016 OCTOBER
THURS 13 @ BRIXTON STATION OOLIGAN ALLEY AT THE BURNING MAN: Electric Brixton on the 8th
SAT 8 @ BROCKWELL GREENHOUSES
FRI 14 @ JAMM
Build your own TERRARIUM with Jar and Fern. These are plant arrangements inside sealed glass containers that create an ecosystem needing little or no watering. They were a feature of Victorian homes and are ideal for people with limited mobility. All necessary equipment and guidance supplied. Tickets £35 from billetto.co.uk/jarandfern. 11am – 12.30pm
Stop your messing around and get along to hear RUDE BOY Neville Staples (formerly of The Specials and writer of A Message to You, Rudy, Too Much Too Young and Ghost Town) in the only London date of his Judge Roughneck Tour. 6pm–11pm. £15.
FRI 14 @ PRINCE OF WALES
It’s the Oxjam Brixton launch party celebrating 10 years since the launch of the OXJAM Music Festival raising money to tackle global poverty and highlighting talent from across the musical spectrum in the process. This year’s Oxjam Brixton is a one-day, one-wristband festival featuring 30-plus artists programmed across some of south London’s best venues. The Prince of Wales takeover will be a 10-hour party line-up of London electronic music allstars. 6pm – 4am
Brockwell Art Services Quality Picture Framing 232-234 Railton Road, Herne Hill SE24 0JT Telephone 020 7274 7046 OPEN Monday to Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday 10am - 6pm
SAT 8 @ POP BRIXTON
CLOTHES EXCHANGE in aid of the Baytree Women’s Centre. Cake stall too! 12-5pm. £3 entry.
SAT 8 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON
Afterburn is a spectacular “specially programmed to take you on a journey through time and space” from one of the Nevada desert BURNING MAN festival’s leading sound-camps – Ooligan Alley. It will feature a line-up of house, techno, progressive, glitch, funk, world music and more. Circus performers, magicians, and aerial daredevils will also be performing. 10pm – 7am. £23 – £28.
SUN 9 @ HOOTANANNY
www.brockwellart.co.uk 35 Years in Herne Hill We also stock a large selection of contemporary work by local artists, including paintings, limited edition prints, giclées and greeting cards
Meet at the Tube for a tour with ART ON THE UNDERGROUND curators Kiera Blakey and Jessica Vaughan to discover commissions from the series Underline: Art and Music for the Victoria Line. 2–3.30pm.
Baraka – musicians from Ghana, Senegal, Germany, Dominica, Trinidad and Ireland – play edgy, EXPERIMENTAL and innovative music with a heady mix of global beats, intricate rhythms and soaring melodies. 8pm – midnight. Free.
MON 10 @ WINDRUSH SQUARE
Hatch Enterprise hosts an event to help local ENTREPRENEURS in partnership with NatWest and StartUp Britain. Business coaches will provide information and support about the next steps for business ideas. Also talks by entrepreneurs. 10am to 4pm.
SUN 16 @ BAR 414
Already a big hit with locals, this new regular night looks to encourage and inspire GRASSROOTS TALENT, with an experienced house band led by UB40 trumpeter Patrick Anthony, hosting an open stage for new acts. Free. 6pm – 1am
MON 17 @ UPSTAIRS AT RITZY
The 20th anniversary season of the FLAMENCO EXPRESS floating festival is set to be as fresh and exciting as the first. Presenting two artists of uncompromising power and grace – international sensation Alejandro Molinero with guardian of gitano heritage, Antonio El Pola. 8pm. £12/ £10 concs.
TUE 18 @ PRINCE REGENT
The Prince Regent QUIZ starts at 8pm sharp every Tuesday. Big cash prizes, free drinks questions and a rollover jackpot question that grows each week.
WED 19 @ THE CAMBRIA
Camberwell Life Drawing is a group for anyone who wants to spend an evening creating some art in a relaxed, friendly and bohemian atmosphere. These untutored LIFE DRAWING classes are held every Wednesday evening in Loughborough Junction at The Cambria (off Herne Hill Road) from 7pm to 9pm. £10 per session (student concession £6!)
OCTOBER 2016
WHAT’S ON 21
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH
BRIXTON COME TOGETHER WINDRUSH SQUARE SATURDAY 1 OCTOBER, 12-8pm
Lambeth libraries have teamed up with the South Bank Centre, Age UK Lambeth and the Black Cultural Archives, along with many individual artists and writers, to provide a fantastic Black History Month in Brixton. Download full listings from lambeth.gov.uk/ bhm2016.
Brixton Come Together returns for a fifth year. A great community get-together, the highlight is an outdoor all-dayer in Windrush Square. It boasts a full programme of incredible live music, DJs, enriching workshops, fascinating talks, films, healing, carnival and a great variety of Latin America street food brought to you by Comida Fest. This independent festival also features community stalls that aim to connect, promote and support local issues and campaigns; most notably the rapid gentrification of Brixton community. This year’s line-up includes Family Atlantica, Prince Fatty, Joan Garriga & Madjid Fahem, MC Brother Culture Horseman, Earl Sixteen, Maverick & Malachi, Sandunguera Santa Semeli and the Monks, Chimango and more … ■■ AFTER PARTY – 414 CLUB from 11pm
THURS 20 @ HOOTANANNY
GO WEST YOUNG WOMAN: Sasha Lane in American Honey
RITZY ROUNDUP
As ghouls prepare to prowl, Nicola Jones previews what, strikes allowing, the Ritzy’s seasonal programme has to offer
SCENE FROM A TRAIN
CROSS COUNTRY HONEY
Friday Throwdown with DJ Leslie Love, best known for one of Brixton’s best ever nights, SIMPLY BOOGIE, is back spinning soul, funk, boogie, house, disco, reggae & hip-hop. 9pm to 4am, Free before 10pm, £5 after.
The most anticipated release of the month will surely be the adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ novel, The Girl On A Train (from 7 October with previews from 5 Oct). Directed by Tate Taylor (2011’s The Help), the film stars Emily Blunt (inset) as the alcoholic Rachel Watson. Rachel’s imaginings of the couple she sees from the train leads her down a dark path of self-discovery and murder. The film is relocated to New York City and is working off the success of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl.
SAT 22 @ POP BRIXTON
■■ Nicola Jones is a freelance writer whose website asophisticatednoise.com covers film reviews, trailers, and industry news. She can be found tweeting @MzJones.
Tommy Kaub presents Superjam (France, Germany, Brasilia) with an amazing “ROOT-PACK” line-up. Featuring Ras Abraham (Jamaica), Mystic Man, (France/ Senegal) and special guest Mouth (UK). £3. 9pm to 2am.
THURS 20 @ POP BRIXTON
Protest and Struggle is an hour of words and song reflecting on the ongoing changes to the community and identity of the AFRICAN DIASPORA – with NitroVoX, an acapella group of actors who sing and singers who act who tell stories about the diaspora through spoken word and song. 7.30–8.30pm.
FRI 21 @ MARKET HOUSE
Held every Saturday for kids aged 5 to 12, Kids Kreate is run by volunteer artists to encourage kids to enjoy creating and making things, because feeling good, gaining skills and taking art home makes everyone happy. Bring your kids along and have an hour or two off yourself. 9.30 to 11.30am. Free.
SUN 23 @ HOOTANANNY
Pining for the Warm South? Melange blend music from North Africa, the Middle East and Mediterranean, incorporating jazz. Formed by cellist Shirley Smart, after 10 years in Jerusalem studying and playing the music of the region, Melange also has musicians from Greece, Spain and Morocco. 9pm–midnight. Free.
MON 24 @ IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM
You can stay in Lambeth and South of the River to see SPY DRONES AND PAKISTANI FOLK ART – an exhibition by Mahwish Chishty that highlights the way in which foreign drones over her country have become a familiar feature of the skies and so started to influence the physical, psychological and cultural environment. To 19 March 2017. IWM Lambeth Road SE1 6HZ. 10 am–6pm daily.
Also out this month is Andrea Arnold’s much buzzed about new feature and Cannes Jury Prize winner American Honey (from 14 October). The film will also feature at the BFI’s London Film Festival earlier in the month. Starring Sasha Lane and Shia LaBeouf, the film follows Lane’s Star as she crosses the American Midwest with misfit adventures afoot.
happening on 29 October. Relive the best that was of Joss Whedon’s seminal television series along with other fans of the series. Tickets are already scarce, so you might have to say: “If the apocalypse comes, beep me!”
HALLOWEEN PARTY UPSTAIRS
Don’t have Halloween plans yet? Get yourself to the Upstairs at the Ritzy for the annual Buffy The Vampire Slayer Bronze Party
TUE 25 @ BLUES KITCHEN
YeeHA!! It’s the regular BLUEGRASS night. Music starts at 9.15pm. Free entry. Book for dinner.
WED 26 @ HOOTANANNAY
Spaghetti Brixton presents live hip hop, garage, urban bass fusion and Manlio Calafrocampano, London-based ITALIAN ARTIST who collaborated with the likes of 99 Posse, Radici nel Cemento, Villa Ada and other artists from the Italian hip hop and reggae scene. 9pm–midnight. Free.
THUR 27 @ MARKET HOUSE
Pig&Rig and Welcome launch Vintage Sessions, a new monthly event showcasing the finest in JAMAICAN VINTAGE MUSIc including ska, rocksteady and early reggae. They are joined by Eddie Oxman, an institution in the London reggae revival scene. Strictly vinyl all night. 8pm to 12am. £2.
THUR 27 @ BRIXTON REC
Paraiso School of SAMBA dance class for all levels. 8 – 9.00pm. £8.
THE SEQUELS HAVE LANDED
October will also house the releases of Inferno (from 14 Oct) that will, hopefully, conclude the Dan Brown adaptations starring a Ron Howard-directed Tom Hanks. Jack Reach: Never Go Back (from 21 Oct) also joins the October sequels. Tom Cruise emerges again as an adaptation Lee Child’s novels central character. This time he is joined by The Avengers’ Colbie Smulders.
FRI 28 @ BRIXTON JAMM
Jamm’s Halloween special includes Artful Dodger, DJ Luck & MC Neat, Oxide & Neutrino and more who will play OLD SKOOL favourites to take you back through the last two decades with the biggest names in Garage history in South London’s Garage Halloween Rave Day of the Dead. 10pm–5am. £15.
SAT 29 @ PRINCE OF WALES
Gin & Juice club Halloween event with classic HOP HOP. 10pm–4am. £12.50
SUN 30 @ BRIXTON WINDMILL
Storytelling and other suitable spooky Halloween activities for KIDS at the Windmill. Noon.
MON 31 @ EFFRA SOCIAL
Good digestion? More Halloween-themed spookery challenges you to enjoy your DINNER in the Social’s restaurant that will have been transformed into “something a little bit spooky, filled with the bizarre, grotesque and damn right weird”. Enjoy! Set menu only, 6–10pm.
Rights of Passage – A Century of People Power runs throughout the month and until December at the BCA. A new archive display that looks at resistance and change from 1900 up to post-Brexit Britain, it’s a fascinating insight into the past and its impact on the present day. SATURDAY 1 OCTOBER From Kenya to Lambeth – Singing Children of Africa. Kicking off Black History Month, the choir of 22 children aged 9-14 have returned to the UK on national tour. Money raised from the tour will be used to build a new classroom in their local community in Kenya. 1-5pm Jubilee Hall Tulse Hill Estate, London SW2 2LY. Adults £5, children and concessions £3. WEDNESDAY 5 OCTOBER The African Fight. The hidden history of WW1. Five-week course runs Wednesdays until 2 November. 6-8pm BCA Windrush Square FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER Hip Hop What it means to me. An evening of debate looking at hip hop as advocacy in the Black community. 7pm Brixton Library SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER Resistance or Defence? Legacies of the 1985 uprisings. Black Cultural Archives, 6.30pm to 9pm SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER Join poet and author Kei Miller whose latest novel Augustown is based on the events in August Town, Kingston, Jamaica in the 1920s. 7pm Brixton Library WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER Ponomundo Part 2 of the documentary that explores the history of the steelpan and its global influence. 7pm Lambeth Library THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER Popular Television and Film with Stephen Bourne on the history of Black people in popular broadcasting. £3 book online with Eventbright. 1pm BCA FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER The Black Jacobins – Brixton Radical Reads book group special. 6.30pm Brixton Library WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER Bob Marley: Roots, Reggae & Revolution with Brian Richardson. 7pm Brixton Library MONDAY 24 OCTOBER A Historical Adventure of Mary Seacole’s Life. Children’s event. Freshwater Theatre bring to life her journey to the Crimea. 2.30-3.30pm Brixton Library FRIDAY 28 OCTOBER #BlackWordsMatter takes a look at the Black Lives Matter movement through poetry and performance. 7.30pm Brixton Library FRIDAY 4 NOVEMBER Land of My Fathers – Liberian author Vamba Sherif draws a portrait of colonialism, slavery and immigration. 7pm Brixton Library
22 COLUMNS
brixtonblog.com
GEMMA SINCLAIR
FRANKIE HOLAH
Before you put the garden to bed …
Start now and you won’t regret it
After a record-breaking hot, humid and muggy September, the weather has finally turned and it is time to start thinking about preparing the garden for winter. Yes, that’s right, “winter is coming”, whether we like it or not and, for us and our gardens, we need to start preparing. While it’s a bit early to completely put the “garden to bed”, there are plenty of jobs to get on with, including weeding, deadheading and mowing. We have had a fair bit of rain now and the ground will be a lot easier to dig over, so it is a perfect time to give the beds a good weed, removing the roots where possible. Don’t be scared to dig fallen leaves into the soil. They provide great nutrients for tired soil once they’re broken down. There will be a lot of dead heading to do … and this will encourage late flowering plants like roses or dahlias to continue flowering as long as possible. With the temperature dropping over the next few weeks, combined with the shorter days, we need to make the most of whatever daylight we have. So, tend to the garden with your layers on. The trees and deciduous shrubs will be losing their leaves and making a right mess of your garden and patio. And it is important to pay special attention to getting the leaves off the lawn. If leaves are left to rot on the
Moving into a new season, especially autumn, is a transition which isn’t always an easy one. The days are getting shorter and darker, the temperature is dropping and motivation levels can be low. But it’s also a great time of year to reflect on where you are on your fitness journey, even if you’re only just starting out. Where would you like to be in your training when the daffodils start popping up and there’s blossom on the trees? Believe me, if you start now and work through the colder months you won’t regret it come spring. With some tips to help you through, let’s fight the urge to curl up every evening on the sofa, or snooze the alarm in the morning. Getting out from under your duvet when it’s cold is a struggle, but the rosy-cheeked achievement of being badass and completing your workout makes it all worthwhile.
lawn they can kill the grass underneath, so don’t be shy, pull out the rake and work your arm muscles. It is also a good idea to keep the lawn mowed as much as possible before it gets damp and wet. A neatly trimmed lawn will flourish in the spring if mowed regularly, so continuing with lawn maintenance will be worth it. On a boring and practical note: it really pays to look after your tools. Don’t leave them to rust in the rain and cold. Keep them clean and somewhere dry. While gardening in the colder weather can seem a lot like hard work, you will really benefit from a good pair of gloves and decent footwear. In short, we need to step up the work in the garden after a relaxing summer to make sure we prepare the garden for another decent summer next year! Good luck. 66 If you require any assistance and advice please call Gemma, The Gardening Girl on 07826 551 353.
Tips for an Active Autumn Shake up the routine – If you’ve been meaning to try that dance class or fancy a bit of Animal Flow, find a session and give it a go. Alongside your training programme, shaking up the routine could be the perfect way to stay motivated throughout autumn and you might just find something you really love. Don’t be afraid to try something new, just move, play and enjoy! Workout wear – The right training gear is key and a great excuse to buy some gorgeous kit for the new season. All motivation is good! I would recommend bagging yourself a thicker pair of leggings (you too, boys), some
2016 OCTOBER
thicker or longer trainer socks and layers for your top half. As you get sweaty you’ll probably want to peel off, but post workout it’s really important to be warm! Group workout sessions – Training with a group is great motivation at any time of year, but if you need that extra push during the colder season and the buzz of other people getting their sweat on alongside you, it’s the perfect time to find a group. I am running female-only bodyweight training and calisthenics classes at Studio B on Brixton Hill. You can find all the information @ frankieholah online or contact frankie@ frankieholah.com to register – #JoinTheTribe. Stay hydrated – Even when it’s cold you still need to stay hydrated, especially if you’re training! Our bodies are approximately 60 per cent water, so stay topped up. Herbal teas are a great option if you can’t always face cold water. Fresh ginger tea is really warming and as well as being super tasty, it’s also great for boosting your immune system and aiding muscle recovery after a workout. Hit up Nour Cash and Carry on Electric Avenue for ginger joy and much more yummy goodness!
OCTOBER 2016
Hill Mead HERALD We love music at Hill Mead By Sapphire B, Marvin and Tiara-Leshae
Hill Mead has excellent musical talent. From Year 1 to Year 6, we get the opportunity to have a variety of music lessons, which makes us a very artistic group of children. We are lucky to have an extremely enthusiastic music teacher called Mr Jordan. He starts the day off on the right “note” with an energetic and inspiring music assembly where he makes sure everyone can join in. In Year 6, we are fortunate to have another music session with Mr Jordan where we will soon begin to get ready for our Year 6 production. Over the past few years, children have sung their way through Bugsy Malone, The Lion King and Oliver! We can’t wait to be the next to perform with the help of Mr Jordan. Not only singing goes on at Hill Mead. We also get to try various instruments such as xylophone, piano, guitar, drums, flute and clarinet. Some of these instruments are
taught by very gifted musicians. They make the lessons technical and they always give us the chance to perform in front of an audience. One pupil said: “Our teachers make sure our playing is very precise and may have the highest of standards. “I really, really enjoy it and I am inspired by all the young children,” said a music teacher. Each year we take our performance one step further when we perform at the Lambeth Music Festival where we showcase our achievements. This really inspires all our musicians and encourages them to pursue their dreams. The festival also allows children to conquer any fear of performing in front of a big audience. One Hill Mead pupil who performed last year said the experience was, “amazing because everyone was allowed to join in and it was a lot of fun.” Another said: “The experience was daunting, but incredible.” Music is a big part of the Hill
Brake time with Dr Bike By Emily and Nathaniel
Mead curriculum. We love it and enjoy it so much. Keylin, Year 6, said: “Music is fun and it makes me feel free.” Shadwayna, Year 6 said: “Everyone should believe in music. Music makes you feel alive and awake.”
Mr Jordan said: “Music is amazing. Year 2 xylophones are fantastic because they have learnt 12 bar blues.” We love music and we hope that it will continue to impress the teachers and our families.
Dr Bike came to Hill Mead last month to service and fix any bike problems. More children are coming to school on their bikes than ever before because of the bike events that have been happening. We had an assembly to tell us all about Dr Bike and to remind us to bring our bikes to school the next day. We brought our bikes to school and left them along the gate ready for Beth and Rob to have a look at them. If there was a small problem with the bike, they would fix it for us free of charge! If it was a bigger problem such as a puncture in the tyre they were not able to fix that. Nathaniel in 5 Blue was one of the children who
Now here is the 2 o’cluck news By Lara Rezvan and Gavin Evans
We have some new members of our school community at Hill Mead: two chickens! Children surrounded the chicken coop excited to see them. We learned that there is a lot of responsibility in looking after a chicken! The company that we bought the chickens from is called Hens For Hire. This is a company that hires out chickens to schools and care homes. It has been going for 13 years. One of the workers, Mrs Peach, came to our school to bring the chickens. She also told us lots of information about how to look after them. Mrs Peach brought two chickens to the school: a Bluebell Hybrid and a Rhode Rock Hybrid. The Bluebell is black and grey and the Rhode Rock is brown, orange and black. Hill Mead children will be in charge of looking after them. We will have to feed the chickens pellets but they will also eat cheddar cheese, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce and many other vegetables. Every month we have to top up the woodchips and every month we will have to refill the food. They will lay eggs most days but they need 16 hours of daylight to lay an egg. We have to be careful to take them away so that the chickens do not eat them. We have the chickens at the school so that the children at the school will learn more about animal life. We can’t wait to learn more about the chickens during our playtimes! Year 2 has been reading: The Eagle That Could Not Fly, by J.E.K. Aggrey, as part of the Black History Month School topic that we are doing. ■■More about Hens for Hire at www.hensforhire.co.uk.
luckily had their bike mended. Here’s what he had to say. Emily asked him: “What was wrong with your bike?” He said: “My brakes were not working.” “How did you feel about your bike being fixed free?” Nathaniel: “I was glad that I did not have to pay for it and it was easy just to bring my bike to school. I was very grateful.” “Do you know how they fixed your bike?” Nathaniel: “When I picked my bike up there was a letter saying what they had done. They had given me a new brake cable.” “What bike do you have?” “I have a BMX. I hope it’ll last me a long time.”
BRIXTON
Bugle SPORT
Wheels on Fire: Brixton Ballers ready for the new season
Since London 2012, wheelchair basketball has seen a surge in the number of players taking up the sport in the UK. The UK is currently home to the largest junior and women’s wheelchair leagues in the world and 197 wheelchair basketball teams, including our very own Brixton Ballers. “The Olympics had a massive impact on our team,” says Percy Hutchful who was a torchbearer (below) at London 2012 and is the Brixton Ballers’ assistant coach. “We saw more people coming through door and most of them youngsters and a few able-bodied people as well.”
The Ballers are due to commence their new season in Division Three of the National Wheelchair Basketball League with an away game against local rivals London Titans on 10 October. Their first home match of the season (against the Hampshire Hornets) will be at the Brixton Rec on 22 October. Look out for our full preview feature on the Brixton Ballers on the Brixton Blog this Saturday.
Dulwich Hamlet will be raising money for the International Brigade Memorial Trust at their home match with Bognor Regis Town on Saturday 8 October STORY: page 9
Lambeth Tigers coach Riccardo Smith with club sponsor and Zino Removals owner Dami Sofekun
Tigers on the hunt for a bigger training ground Lambeth Tigers are on the hunt for new training space to cater for an influx of new players who have joined the grassroots team over the past year. The club, founded on the Loughborough Estate and featured in the Evening Standard’s ‘Estate We’re In’ campaign, have more than 150 players aged six to 16. The Tigers, who took part in the World Youth Cup in Sweden in the summer and the ESF Football Festival (the UK’s largest football festival), celebrated 12 tournament wins last season. They
currently use cage pitches in Myatt’s Field Park. As well Myatt’s Fields, staff are looking at options for bigger training facilities in Lambeth and Southwark and hope to create partnerships with two or more south London schools with suitable facilities. “The club is growing rapidly and we need to have space to accommodate all the young people who train with us”, says Riccardo Smith, Lambeth Tigers’ development leader. “The pitch we use at Myatt’s Fields is quite tight. So we are
Training in Myatt’s Fields
QUICK CROSSWORD Across 1. Tusked sea mammal (6) 4. Nun (6) 8. Latin dance (6) 9. Destroyed at sea (7) 10. More alcoholic (7) 11. Dating app (5) 12. Vital (9) 17. Wading bird (5) 19. Submerge (7) 21. The Scottish Play (7) 22. Sound off (5) 23. Pixie (6) 24. Witch doctor (6)
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trying to get the most out of what we are doing by getting a bigger space. “This is so we can train all our young members over one or two days at once as opposed to stretching coaching out over a whole week. “Myatt’s Fields is our home so we want to deliver some of our training there, but we also want somewhere larger where we can train three teams at once.” Smith’s coaching colleague Jamahl Jarrett, who oversaw off-the-pitch operational activities for the club last season, says Lambeth Tigers will be exploring opportunities for establishing training sessions
in and outside Lambeth. The search and potential move to a new space is part of a wider revamp of activities at the club, which includes the development of a new coaching system. “We want a system in place that is development-focused and best suits the needs of our players. We want to establish a new philosophy for training our coaches and developing our players”, says Jarrett. “We have more than 150 players this year so some age groups are going to have two teams. Last year we only had one team per age group. “The only things we’re missing to take this forward properly is a bigger training facility and partnership with a school. Once we have that we expect to help more players develop. “Getting a facility will dictate how we can take this forward. We’ve been looking around for four 11-a-side 3G pitches. That way, we would have all our players training in one place. “We would like to be fully based in Lambeth but there aren’t enough full-sized 4G or 3G pitches in the borough. “You have to go to Southwark or further out. Southwark has quite a few large 3G pitches, but schools are using these facilities so we’re looking to establish partnerships with schools. “We hope to establish links with Harris Academy in Bermondsey.”