Brixton Bugle October 2018

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BRIXTON BUGLE YOUR FREE

No 67 | OCTOBER 2018

Published monthly in and for Brixton

ISSN 2397-852X

COUNCIL IS TOLD IT MUST ACT ON NOISE Ruling comes as public asked to comment on licensing policy review

SURPRISE FOR AFEWEE’S STEADMAN SCOTT Steadman Scott, founder of Brixton’s renowned Afewee Academy, got the surprise of his life last month. He thought he was recording a short film promoting the National Lottery. The Lottery was filming – but its intention was to reunite Steadman with his 92-year-old mother, Melita Daley, whom he had not seen for more than 20 years. The film of the meeting featured on prime-time TV when he was honoured by the Lottery in its “Big Surprise” spot on ITV. Steadman said: “There really was no greater present someone could have given me than to see my

mother again. The very last thing I expected on a Wednesday training evening at Afewee Boxing Club was a visit from my mum. “It’s been incredible to show her everything we have achieved here. My mother is all about sharing and helping her community. Perhaps it’s in our DNA that I want to do the same through Afewee. Afewee has received more than £26,000 in funding from The National Lottery, including a grant of £6,334 in 2011 that was used to help establish the Boxing Academy in the wake of the London-wide riots of that year.

A council consultation on its licensing policy for entertainment venues that ends this month could have a major impact on Brixton’s nighttime economy. It comes as an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has revealed that Lambeth council failed to consider 6,354 noise complaints in the borough after a change of policy in 2016. The change – introduced to tackle the funding shortfall caused by central government cuts – meant that, unless more than three people complained, noise nuisance would not be investigated. Campaigners against noise from late-night street buskers in central Brixton earlier his year won another ombudsman ruling against the council’s inadequate response to noise complaints. The ombudsman says its latest investigation, that looked into a woman’s complaint about how the council handled her concerns about noise from a neighbouring flat, has led to the council agreeing to review its policy. The ombudsman found that the council was not meeting its statutory obligations and recommended that its policy be changed so that it does.

The ombudsman said Lambeth council had accepted the recommendations that were published on 24 August. Recognising it would be hard for it to look at every noise complaint since 2016, the ombudsman recommended that the council “should publicise the policy change locally, to ensure those affected are made aware”. The council has until 31 March next year to investigate complaints it previously refused to look into if the noise is still happening. Noise is likely to be a major issue in the consultation on its licensing policy that closes on 24 October. The consultation is required by law. The current licensing policy expires in January. The consultation comes as complaints about noise in Brixton continue and as campaigners in Hackney are opposing a new licensing policy there that, they claim, will force new venues to close at 11pm on weekdays and midnight at weekends. Licensing policy sets guidelines for regulating any business that sells alcohol, offers entertainment or provides “late-night refreshments”. AA The consultation is online at bit.ly/Lambeth-licensing.

COMMUNITY PAPER

FOOD FOR REAL PEOPLE Inside Nour Cash and Carry

WINDRUSH PORTRAITS Coming back to Brixton

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8

THE TIME HAS COME …

Farewell to Stuart the watchman 17

MUSIC IN THE PARK

Young talent wows audience

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2  NEWS brixtonblog.com 2018 OCTOBER

Developer plans six-storey office block on Electric Avenue

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

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New mural for the Tube Art on the Underground unveiled its latest commission at Brixton Tube station last month. The work Remain, Thriving by Njideka Akunyili Crosby is part of a new programme that takes its inspiration from murals created in the area during the 1980s. The commission is from Art on the Underground’s 2018 programme of exclusively female artists, a part of #BehindEveryGreatCity– a Mayor of London campaign. Akunyili Crosby’s work explores her hybrid cultural identity, combining strong attachments to the

country of her birth, Nigeria, and her home in Los Angeles. To prepare for the work, she spent time talking to members of the local community as well as public historian Kelly Foster, the Black Cultural Archives, and the Lambeth Archives. Brixton locations – The Baron and Brixton Rec are visible – as are well-known people, including Jamaican-born poet Linton Kwesi Johnson and activist and community leader Olive Morris. Many of the locations in the transfers have not survived.

Another familiar piece of Brixton town centre is set to be knocked down to make way for a new development. The owners of 9-15 Electric Avenue – home to the foxes and cherries – are consulting on plans to redevelop this corner of the market. Pagecolt (Brixton) Ltd want to build office space with retail accommodation at street level. An exhibition of the plans was on display at Effra Space, Effra Parade on Thursday 20 and Monday 24 September between 4-8pm where residents were invited to fill in consultation feedback forms. Some felt the exhibition could have been better attended if it had been more central. According to the consultation brochure, the existing building, which was built on a bomb site is low quality and long overdue for replacement. “The proposals provide an opportunity to create an attractive new building, contributing to the vitality and character of the conservation area”. The proposed building would be six storeys plus a basement. One resident who attended the consultation felt the proposed building was too high for the site in question. David Williamson, partner at

The proposed new building and (below) the site as it is now

developer Hanover Cube LLP said: “We’re pleased our public exhibition sessions went successfully and we are delighted to be bringing forward these exciting proposals. Our scheme will re-establish the historical façade line of Electric Avenue whilst delivering a modern and sustainable building which will deliver at least 250 jobs. “These are exciting times for Brixton and we look forward to working with residents, businesses, and Lambeth council to redevelop this former WW2 bomb-site infill.” AA Electronic feedback forms are available from elecricavenue@ quatro-pr.co.uk. According to the company, a review of feedback will inform the planning application that will be submitted to Lambeth council.

Brixton arches up for rent as Network Rail prepares to sell The probabale new owners of thousands of railway arches, including those in Brixton and Herne Hill that are currently being controversially refurbished, have pledged to “remain particularly sensitive to the small businesses that have been long-term tenants of the Network Rail estate”.

Property companies Telereal Trilliumand Blackstone will spend nearly £1.5 billion on Network Rail’s property estate. Most of the 5,200 properties involved are railway arches. The sites are being sold leasehold, with Network Rail retaining access rights to operate railway tracks.

Opposition to the sale from tenants was said to have caused one buyer to drop out. Guardians of the Arches, that coordinated the protests, said: “There is a long way to go in the sale process, but if Blackstone and Telereal successfully purchase the estate, we trust they will follow up on

their stated intention to put ‘tenants first’. A starting point would be a full, transparent rent and lease audit.” Soon after the planned sale was announced, ten arches and eight kiosks on Atlantic Road were publicised as being for rent under the name “Brixton Pillars” at an

unspecified amount by commercial property specialists Grant Mills Wood. Publicity material for the offer says that 12 former tenants will return to the arches. Work on them is continuing and the interiors appear to have a long way to go before they are ready for occupation.

OCTOBER 2018 brixtonblog.com

Design trail banners to go on display across the borough

NEWS  3

Europhiles say it with Brixton beer

A group of passionate pro-Europeans has turned to Brixton’s Clarkshaws Brewery to create a beer that celebrates the principles of the European Single Market: the four freedoms of movement of goods, capital, services, and labour. Four Freedoms, they say, is a delicious, light and fresh pale ale, British and German hop blend. South Londoners who met during the referendum campaign formed two groups, Lambeth for Europe and Wandsworth & Merton European Movement. They decided to create something reflecting the values of some of London’s most pro-Remain boroughs. They realised they all really liked beer. “We wanted a beer that didn’t just have a cute name, but also represented the values of unity that we are in danger of losing,” they say. Four Freedoms Pale Ale will launch on 19 October – the eve of the next People’s Vote march – at Whirled Cinema in Loughborough Junction near Clarkshaws. Music will come from Larry Love of Brixton legends Alabama 3.

A Brixton Design Trail installathe Holy Spirit (Clapham) and of warm welcome in venues tion created by local residents and South London Liberal Synagogue. around Lambeth.” Refugees Welcome Lambeth volDiscussions with Lambeth council Brixton Design Trail director unteers will live on when banners about other sites are continuing. Binki Taylor said: “Lasting impact saying “welcome” in more is really important to the BRIXTON DESIGN TRAIL IN PICTURES: PAGE 7 than 30 languages spoken in Brixton Design Trail, so Lambeth languages go on display Barbara Wilson, co-chair of we’re delighted that these beautiful across the borough. Refugees Welcome Lambeth, said: banners, made by the community, They will be in participating “We were thrilled by the qualwill be returning to the commuchurches and organisations includity of the banners made for our nity to be enjoyed for many years ing All Saints (West Dulwich), Welcome to Brixton installation to come.” Corpus Christi (Brixton), Holy and are so happy that they’ll The display of banners and pomTrinity (Clapham), Church of continue to spread our message poms filled Trinity Gardens. Project co-ordinator Linnie Rawlinson (third from left) and volunteers

BLACK HISTORY MONTH DOCUMENTARY

A documentary, Leaving Home At Seven, by South London filmmaker Tamala Ceasar will be screened at Effra Space on Friday 5 October at 6.30pm. The showing is one of dozens of events that are part of Black History Month celebrations in Brixton. The film captures the breadth of experiences of Black people who came to the UK as children. The showing will be followed by a Q&A and discussion. See bit.ly/ES-LHAS BLACK HISTORY MONTH – Page 23

Welcome in Yoruba

Colour-by-numbers underpass mural breaks world record Herne Hill residents and primary school pupils have set a new world record for the most contributions to a colour-by-numbers painting. The result is a mural that will brighten up the long underpass next to Herne Hill station. Children from eight schools took part. Mark Rylance, movie star and local resident, pitched in too (right): “I regularly use this underpass – what was once a very unattractive space, will now be transformed. It’s great that this space can be celebrated and has been decorated, especially by the children,” he said. The Herne Hill Forum commissioned local artist Victor Szepessy to create the design for the 40-metre mural. Project manager Lucy Reynolds said: “We are so excited that we

believe we have broken the Guinness World Record. “The event has been a massive community-led project that has brought together everyone to transform our underpass into a space that is beautiful. Victor Szepessy said: “The mural is of its time, bringing together the fad for colouring in, street art, and using social media to get everyone involved. “I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who have pitched in to make this happen, from those that have painted, to the volunteers who have helped organise the event.” More than 6,000 colour-by-number sections were completed over two days. The mural has been created on parachute fabric that will be pasted into place once completed before being covered with anti-graffiti varnish.

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4  NEWS brixtonblog.com 2018 OCTOBER

SHORTS … Busking winner

Self-taught pianist Tony K is often to be found on the Herne Hill public piano – don’t miss him Six-year-old Hector played recorder like a pro – picture by official festival photographer, 12-year-old Marla

RPM thrash out Anarchy in the UK

This year’s remarkable weather saved one if its best days for a September Sunday to add to the magic of a Brockwell Park music festival with a difference. All the performers were young – some no older than five. But act after act won sincere and enthusiastic applause from an audience outside Brockwell Hall. The festival, featuring local youngsters who have taken part in Junior Open Mic sessions at Off the Cuff in Herne Hill, was organised by volunteers – from its professional-level sound to its smooth organisation.

New call for Brixton local heroes A new call for nominations for Brixton local heroes was made at a public meeting in Brixton Library during Brixton Design Trail Week organised by Friends of Tate Library Brixton and Friends of Windrush Square. Organisers Annick Alet and Marilyn Rogers said: “Brixton local heroes come from all parts of society: creative, cultural,

business, community, social and political. Their impact, for the good of society, goes beyond family and friends. Local heroes nominated last year included community volunteers, gardeners, adult educators, political activists, people like Sam King (Windrush generation), Pegasus Black Opera Choral initiator Lloyd Newton, Harry Jacobs, a local

photographer whose archives are held at Lambeth Archives, performers actors, musicians, scientists, and head teachers. The idea took seed three years ago and nominations for local heroes continue to come in.” Those celebrated this year include: Cherry Groce whose legacy is recognized by Cherry Tree Trust /Foundation, Claudia

Jones, editor of West Indian Gazette and political activist, architect David Marks, youth worker Derrick Accra, and graphic designer Jon Daniel. AA To nominate a local hero drop a postcard to c/o Friends of Tate Library Brixton, Tate Library, Brixton Oval, London SW2 1JQ, or email: foftlbrixton@gmail.com.

Angell Town’s job fair is back Some of the UK’s leading employers will be represented at Angell Town’s jobs fair for young people on 25 October from noon to 5pm at St Johns school (85 Angell Road, SW9 7HH). Thanks to the success of last year’s event, there will be more funding and more on offer. The Futures Festival fair will focus on keeping young people in training, activity and work experience/employment. The community-led event is welcoming contributing organisations that range from the grass roots to global. Each will offer employment, apprenticeships, training, or support. Young visitors will be guided through workshops showcasing six different industries designed to build career insight, provide work experience and develop transferable skills. Organisers are hoping for 300 young attendees and 50 participating organisations. Companies from construction and engineering, creative arts and media, health and social care, tourism and hospitality, business and finance, tech and IT have already signed up. AA To find out more or to register, contact emma@spiralskills.co.uk or joel@spiralskills. co.uk or register online at bit.ly/SJAT-Futures.

Herne Hill musician Laky was crowned the overall champion at Gigs, the Mayor of London’s busking competition. She will be offered a range of performance opportunities. Previous winners of the UK’s biggest busking competition include two-time youth category victor Natalie Shay who has since performed at London venues from The Roundhouse to Ronnie Scott’s and has won The Guardian’s Music Award.

Brixton top of the hops Brixton’s status as a key transport hub was confirmed when Transport for London announced that bus stop P, one of several near the Tube, is used for more of TfL’s “Hopper” journeys than any other in the capital. More than 220 million Hopper journeys have been made since the fare was launched two years ago. It allows passengers to make as many journeys as they like on the bus and tram network for £1.50 within an hour of starting the first. To coincide with the anniversary, TfL mapped the top 20 “hop spots” for Hopper journeys. Bus stop P topped the list with more than 7,800 journeys a week. Serving a total of ten routes – 45; 59; 109; 118; 133; 159; 250; 333; N109; and N133 – the stop had a head start over others serving fewer buses.

Sleep out with Big Issue The Big Issue Foundation is asking Bugle readers to “spend a night under the stars” in solidarity with Big Issue vendors. Its Big Sleep Out is on Friday 16 November at The Kia Oval in Kennington. Registration costs £25 or £20 per person for a team of five or more and a fundraising target of £350 will go towards enabling Big Issue vendors to have more opportunities to take positive steps away from poverty and exclusion. Visit bigissue.org.uk/sleep for more information and to sign up. For questions, you can email events@bigissue.com or call 020 7526 3456. The Big Issue has sold over 200 million copies through more than 100,000 vulnerable people since its launch in 1991.

20 years of celebration Age UK Lambeth is putting on its 20th Celebrating Age Festival in October. The festival kicks off with a launch party on Monday 1 October at The Hideaway in Streatham and closes with a Halloween Party on 31 October. Activities throughout the month will include walks and outings, flamenco dancing and soul nights, a magical mystery tour and meet the bikers with the chance to sit on a Harley Davidson. Ageless Day on 25 October at Pop Brixton will see celebration, learning and engagement. AA For more festival details or to book events visit www.mysocial.london.

Lottery enables Brixton charity to aid jailed women The Brixton-based housing association and charity Housing for Women has relaunched its ReUnite project thanks to a £420,000 funding boost from the Big Lottery Fund. The project provides housing and support to help reunite women released

from prison with their children. Upon release from prison, a woman is usually unable to get her children back from social care or family arrangements unless she has somewhere suitable to live. But she is often not entitled to suitable housing unless her children are

living with her. Chief Executive Zaiba Qureshi said the funding would support initiatives to address this unjust and under-reported issue. About 17,700 children a year are separated from their mother by imprisonment.

OCTOBER 2018 brixtonblog.com COMMUNITY  NEWS  5

BRIXTON LEGAL Pam Douglas is a solicitor with local firm Wainwright and Cummins. Each month, her column takes a common legal issue and explains it for readers

Inheritance and wills – don’t jump to conclusions We quite often receive enquiries costs incurred in the distribution. from people who believe that they If you were named as a residuary are beneficiaries under a will and beneficiary (someone who is entitled that they have somehow been to a share of the remainder of an short-changed and not received the estate after taxes, funeral expenses, inheritance they are entitled to. cash gifts etc., have been dealt with), Given that many of the people or if you are the parent or guardian involved in the administration of a of a minor beneficiary, then you are deceased person’s estate might still entitled to receive a copy, once the be grieving the loss themselves, this distribution has been finalised. kind of issue can be particularly Wills are usually written using tricky to get to the bottom of and quite archaic language and many needs to be approached sensitively, non-lawyers find it difficult to make dispassionately and logically. sense of them. It’s a good idea to take some time It’s therefore often a good idea to to do your homework thoroughly get the opinion of an experienced before making any allegations of practitioner to confirm that your wrongdoing or error. understanding of the will is correct. First, you need to obtain a copy of If you fall into one of the “entitled” the will so that you can determine categories but the estate accounts what was left and to whom. are being withheld from you or Next, you need to be sure that are incomplete, you can apply to probate has already been granted the relevant Probate Registry for because the estate cannot be an “inventory and account order” distributed without it. You can to force the executors to comply, check online and purchase a copy disclose the relevant paperwork and of the will and the clarify any issues. It’s often a good idea grant of probate for If your application £10. See www.gov.uk/ is approved, a date to get the opinion search-will-probate. for a hearing will be of an experienced The will sets out who set and the executor the executors are and will be issued with a practitioner to how the estate is to court summons. confirm that your be distributed. It will In many cases, usually list any specific understanding of receiving a court cash (pecuniary) summons will be the will is correct gifts first and then sufficient to nudge a deal with the gifts of residue – the “difficult” executor into doing the remainder of the estate, which will right thing and providing you with often include property, shares and the requested information. other investments. In one recent case, a beneficiary The executors’ job is to gather in believed he had been deprived to and distribute the assets according the tune of about £5,000. I was to the will, while keeping a able to demonstrate to him that he proper record. was entitled to significantly more If the will says that you are a and, following a court summons, beneficiary and your gift includes the executors eventually agreed property in England and Wales, you to give him a sizeable share of a should also check the Land Registry valuable property. to confirm who the property is There is no court fee for the currently registered to. A copy of the application itself but, please be title will cost £6.00. aware that, if you are unable or If it is clear from the will that unwilling to represent yourself at you were supposed to receive a the hearing, you will need to instruct pecuniary gift that you have not had, a lawyer. you should contact the executors to It is also possible that, if your case make enquiries. is deemed spurious, you could have It could be that the distribution costs awarded against you. of the deceased’s estate is ongoing It is therefore important to and your concern is premature. Or it a) be sure that your concerns are might even be that they were unable valid and that you have taken the to trace you. It’s best not to jump correct steps; and to conclusions. b) consider whether the value of Certain individuals are entitled your lost inheritance warrants by law to be provided with a copy taking legal action in the first place. of the estate accounts, which are a AA As usual, this is general guidance complete financial record, prepared and many cases are more complex, by the executors, of how the estate so do get in touch if there’s anything has been distributed, including any I can help with.

The party to celebrate the opening of Brixton Brewery’s new and larger premises on Milkwood Road in Herne Hill was packed

Advice centre and foodbank team up Brixton Advice Centre has secured a £150,000 grant from the City of London’s City Bridge Trust to provide advice services at Lambeth foodbanks for three years. The services will be delivered in partnership with the West Norwood based advice and counselling service Centre 70 and the Norwood and Brixton Foodbank. Brixton Advice Centre (BAC) chief executive Patrick Torsney said: “We are very fortunate in Lambeth that Norwood and Brixton Foodbank is doing so much to address the increasing numbers of people going hungry. “With the support of City Bridge Trust, BAC and Centre 70 will be putting trained advisers in every foodbank session, as well as helping tackle the problems that are bringing people there in the first place.” The new funding will ensure

that advice services – which have been provided before – are fully supported and that new services can be developed. These will include training for foodbank volunteers in advice skills through placements at Centre 70 and BAC. “It’s an opportunity, but it is a struggle,” says Torsney. “City Bridge Trust has given us the ability to provide legal advice to the people who need it the most. We are working to create something that will survive even after the funding runs out.” After years of slowly reducing funding for advice services across the borough, Lambeth council is now considering cutting them altogether from April. “It’s critical we work through this kind of short-sightedness,” said Torsney. “The need for free and accessible legal advice in Lambeth is more acute now than it has

ever been. We need to prevent people needing foodbanks, not allowing the kind of conditions to develop that send them there.” BAC also recently received £10,000 from Big Lottery Fund to continue its work with Lambeth Larder, the community food resource set up by Virginia Nimarkoh and based at the centre’s offices on Railton Road and the only one of its kind in the UK. Torsney said: “There is a lot of talk about ‘food poverty’ but what we need is more ‘food action’. These two initiatives are part of Brixton Advice Centre’s small contribution to making Lambeth the kind of borough we want to be proud of. “A place that includes, not excludes, and somewhere people can get support when they need support, especially when in crisis.”

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OCTOBER 2018 brixtonblog.com BRIXTON DESIGN TRAIL  7

Artist Abe Odedina, a long-time Brixton resident, began proceedings with the private view of his stunning True Love exhibition downstairs at the Department Store (below)

Kindred Spirits: Reflections by South London design collective AWMA – Life-size human silhouettes designed to provoke thoughts on belonging and identity

BRIXTON – BELONGING BY DESIGN

Kofi Arts’ ‘Rooted’ installations were developed as part of the Windrush 70 celebrations. This one was in the library, others appeared in the town hall and Black Cultural Archives

Henrietta and Wilfred Roeder at the exhibition on Pop Fields of Motherworks photographs by women’s collective Mothers of Invention. Henrietta, a fine artist, and Susan Tomlinson, a psychotherapist, created ‘The Shed’ at Pop Fields – a space to write and share stories – from the everyday to the extraordinary

This year’s Brixton Design Trail – theme, We Belong – explored what it means to live in the heart of Europe’s most diverse city. It showcased some the best creative work south of the river in a week-long takeover of public spaces, restaurants, shops and bars including debates and other live events. The week had its highs – wind threatened the installation in Electric Avenue. And its lows – the Tangle Teezer thief. Whatever your interest there was something for you. From creative industries, typography, gender equality, herbalism, make your own Brixton chocolate bar, stitch your own sampler. Michael Smith, director of the Brixton Business Improvement District (BID), a sponsor of the BDT and instrumental in getting it off the ground at the beginning, said local businesses had come together again to support and participate in another successful Brixton Design Trail. “Businesses led by the Brixton BID will continue to invest in Brixton’s rich creative community, celebrating our famous cultural diversity and promoting Brixton as a distinctive destination,” he said.

People were intrigued by an installation created from hair brushes by Tangle Teezer – the multi-million company born and based in Brixton and, with the Brixton Business Improvement District, a sponsor of BDT. Late-night vandals nearly destroyed it (left). Tangle Teezer founder Shaun Pulfrey (below, left) joined BDT and BID representatives for its reappearance

Linnie Rawlinson of Refugees Welcome Lambeth putting up some of the many banners reading ‘Welcome’ in a variety of languages in Trinity Gardens

8  CREATIVE BRIXTON brixtonblog.com

2018 OCTOBER

ARTS Leslie Manasseh rounds up highlights of the local arts scene for October

Discover local talent Lambeth Open is a fantastic event. Over the weekend of 6 and 7 October, artists and crafts people across the borough will be opening their doors to the public. Visitors can wander at will from professional studios to private homes to see an enormous variety of work. You will find well established artists like Martin Grover (inset) and new talent; traditional techniques alongside

experimental ones. Of course the quality can be variable, but you will find artworks to suit all tastes and budgets. You can learn about different techniques, chat directly to the artists and find much to please, amuse and engage. AAVisit www. lambethopen.com for a list of artists, their addresses and examples of their work plus an interactive map that you can use to plan your visits.

Where’s my Tense spare face? subject Opening on 12 October in Brixton’s Block336, Spare Face is the first solo presentation of work in the UK by Tamsin Snow. The exhibition will feature an installation and a new CGI animation. Drawing from science fiction’s visual history, the video explores what it means to push the boundaries of human mortality. “Exploring the tensions between imagined and real world medical innovation, Snow is interested in questions about trans-human bodies, death, loss, the material and digital worlds and the realities, ethics and logistics of scanning technologies and cryonics”. Sounds interesting! AAThe exhibition runs until 10 November in Block336 (open Thursday to Saturday 12–6pm) 336 Brixton Road, SW9 7AA

When artist Richard Woods googled the term “Build it Up” after spotting it on a poster next to a building site, the top two results were “Build it Up, Tear it Down” and “Build it Up, Sell it Off”. The first was a 1998 Fat Boy Slim club anthem and the second was a government white paper on social housing. This triggered a series of works which form part of a two-person show in the ASC gallery in Walworth. Together with pieces by Michael Iverson, it is a wry commentary on urban regeneration. Bold architectural geometrics sit next to pale, delicate screen prints creating an interesting tension about a tense subject. The ASC Gallery is in a housing estate and aims to engage new audiences and promote art to a wider public. AAThe exhibition runs until 2 November in ASC Gallery, The Chaplin Centre, Taplow House, Thurlow Street, SE17 2DG. If you find yourself in the area, pop in.

Windrush images coming home Leading church figures in South London have joined forces to bring Windrush: Portrait of a Generation – the exhibition of photographs that received widespread acclaim earlier this year – back to Clapham and Brixton to be re-exhibited. The Reverend Canon Dr Rosemarie Mallett and Reverend Kit Gunasekera

of St John’s Angell Town, Brixton and St James, Clapham, are hosting Jim Grover’s photographs and accompanying narrative in their respective churches during October and November, to coincide with Black History Month. This extraordinary exhibition portrays the current lives and traditions of the

first generation of Caribbean migrants, who settled in Brixton and Clapham. AAThe exhibition is free, open daily, and runs from 15 to 28 October in St. James’s Church, Park Hill, Clapham, SW4 9PB, and from 1 to 15 November in St. John’s Angell Town, 49 Wiltshire Road, Brixton, London, SW9 7NE

Berlin blues in the library Monument Theatre Company are staging Windrush Square at Camberwell’s Blue Elephant Theatre from 3 to 5 October. It is a story about racial tensions and love in 1980s Brixton developed from interviews with Brixton residents and the company’s own families, many of whom came to Britain on the Empire Windrush. Much of the content may be

sobering, particularly references to the New Cross Fire and the 1985 Brixton riots, but the company’s exuberant style gives the piece an upbeat optimism. AA Blue Elephant Theatre, 59a Bethwin Rd, Camberwell, SE5 0XT, Wednesday 3 – Friday 5 October, 8pm. Tickets: £12.00, £10.00 concs. Book at blueelephanttheatre.co.uk/ windrush-square

Friends of Brixton Library and The Brixton Society will host an evening of poetry, cabaret and music in the library to celebrate the work of Beata Duncan on National Poetry Day, Thursday 4 October. Composed and sung by Andreas Demetriou with musician friends, the 7pm event will include an introduction and performance by the Duncan family. Duncan, who died in 2015, was twice a prize winner in the National Poetry Competition and gave regular readings across London. AABerlin Blues by Beata Duncan (Green Bottle Press)

Brixton Chamber Orchestra for St Michael’s Arts Festival By Grace Waters The second annual St Michael’s Arts Festival in Stockwell will be a celebration for local people by local artists who will perform in the church over 11 days, starting on Wednesday 3 October. The festival will raise funds for The Friends of St Michael’s charity, set up to safeguard

the fabric of the Grade II listed church that is largely unchanged since it was built in 1841. The programme ranges through music, poetry and art exhibitions. The Brixton Chamber Orchestra (BCO) and Medici Choir will perform the Brahms Requiem and Elgar Cello Concerto on Saturday 6 October. BCO is a versatile group of

classically trained musicians, with young professionals and talented amateurs playing side by side. Led by conductor Matthew O’Keeffe, it specialises in classical but also plays music of all types, including gospel and grime. They like to play in non-traditional places like Electric Avenue and the rotunda at Cressingham Gardens.

Now nearly a year old, BCO works with music charities and local schools to bring new audiences to classical music and encourage more people to take up an instrument. Matthew O’Keeffe is director of music at St Thomas of Canterbury Church in Fulham. Other highlights at this year’s St Michael’s Arts Festival will

include Poetry and Prosecco with Sarah De Nordwall on 4 October, Sunday Festival Eucharist with the Gallery Singers on 7 October and acclaimed actor Simon Russell Beale with his “Desert Island Hits” on the 12 October. AA St Michael’s Church, Stockwell Park Road, SW9 0DA. AA For more information and tickets see www.stmaf.org.

OCTOBER 2018 brixtonblog.com   CREATIVE BRIXTON  9

MUSIC

Roots reggae Dave Randall introduces vegan campaigner Macka B who will be playing in Brixton this month In this season of harvest festivals it feels fitting to join reggae legend and internet sensation Macka B for an Ital musical feast. For more than 30 years the conscious lyrical chef has served up dancehall delights and uplifted minds. Born in Wolverhampton, he became a rising star of the Birmingham scene after starting the Exodus sound system and performing with Wasifa Sound. His first album Sign of the Times came out on Mad Professor’s Ariwa label in 1986 and he has continued to comment on social, political and spiritual issues ever since. In 1990 he declared his “Pride In Mandela” and performed for the pro-democracy workers’ movement Solidarity in Poland. He has spoken about gentrification, the importance of community and the tragedy of

lives lost to gang violence. But it is his advocacy of natural, plant-based food that has really taken root and delivered a bumper crop of new fans. As a long-time Rastafarian it’s no surprise that Macka B chooses Ital food. What did surprise many was what happened after his children encouraged him to use a series of online videos called “Medical Monday” to persuade others to do the same. In one that would become an internet smash, he stands in his kitchen, smiling warmly at the camera and holding a cucumber. After welcoming his online audience to the series, he begins his flow: Cucumba, Cucumba… Vitamins, minerals very high number,

Silica – hair and nails get longer, Other vitamins make your bones dem stronger, Anti wrinkle – make you look younger, 95% water, Kidney cleanser, great hydrater, Detox, fibre, good regulator, Give your body good things don’t be a traitor. Get the cucumba, cut it inna slice, Put it inna jug of water overnight, You know what you get for a fraction of the price,

Energy drink full of electrolytes. Raw inna salad is one of the use, Or as a base for your vegetable juice. Another surprise put a slice on your eyes, Take away the dryness – revitalize. Oh yes, one thing I have left… Cucumba can also help with bad breath, Wash away the bacteria that cause the odour, Cucumba water instead of soda. Macka B Medical Monday. CUCUMBA!

The video started to show up on influential websites and was shared by bloggers including Naomi Campbell, Diana Ross’ daughter and Beyoncé’s mum. It soon clocked up an astonishing 100 million views. Other videos in the series rhapsodise Avocado, Tomato, Lime, Gooseberry, Dandelion, Scallion, Fennel and there is even a Cure for the Common Cold – very useful at this time of the year. Among those who were quick to recognise Macka B’s reach was The Vegan Society who made him a patron in 2012. His Brixton show takes place at JAMM ON THURSDAY 18 OCTOBER and falls in the middle of a tour that kicks off at the Los Angeles Reggae Vegan festival. He’ll be performing tracks from his latest album Health Is Wealth, which he describes as “nutritional, social, cultural and conscious”. In a recent interview Macka B outlined the scope of his musical mission: “Music is such a powerful medium. You can use it to change the world. And that we really wanna do – to uplift the youth and to change the world for the better.” All power to him. AADave Randall is a musician and author of Sound System: The Political Power of Music.

A5 Flyer Portrait

210mm x 14 8m m Remember to delete or hid this laye r.

BRIXTON

T: 01702 460047

HI-FIVE Each month we ask a Brixton community member to choose five records and tell us why … Ted Dave moved to Brixton in 1987 and works as a web designer and photographer. His is the creator of a photographic love letter to a changing Brixton, which can be found at brixtonmarket.com. 1. BIRD IN HAND BY LEE PERRY / SAM CARTY The genius of Perry to take a 1950 Hindi movie love song and coax a devotional dub from Carty’s performance. A real tear-jerker that whispers of the ineffable.

2. PEPPER BY SPEEDY J So many nights out in Brixton over the years: arches; squats; clubs; gardens ... this feels like the one song that captures something of those lost times, the whole night in one perfect tune.

3. EL AMOR BY ANTONIO PRIETO A recent discovery down the interweb rabbit hole and the inspiration for the Walker Brothers/ Nancy Sinatra In My Room. I do love me some Iberian passion. My karaoke selection!

4. OLE BY PHAROAH SANDERS For me an early exposure to the expression of spiritual belief in modern jazz, and again that flamenco influence. Sublime every time.

5. STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN BY DOLLY PARTON It amazes me that I’ll still gleefully sing along to this rock standard, but then to find Dolly adding “the great almighty dollar will leave you lonely lost and hollow”. Pure class.

e

10pm – 3am

Entry £3 Bleed Area remember to extend any colouring or images into this 3mm bleed area to avoid white lines appearing during th print finishing stages.

e

Trim Your job will be cut on the solid black line, any images or text placed in incorrectly .

Safe Are a Keep all your information inside the white area. Remember to use hig h resolution images (300dpi) for the best results.

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

THE BRIXTON POUND IS:

A pay-what-you-can COMMUNITY CAFÉ using surplus vegetarian and vegan ingredients.

The original urban LOCAL CURRENCY with the world’s best-looking money!

Low-cost High-impact Community -focused Space for hire Need a room?

Café

What’s On: October Pay-what-you-can reiki every Monday 10:00 – 13:00

In our Hands free film night Wednesday 3 October, 19:00

Life drawing every Monday at 19:00

Yoga with Lauren every Wednesday 19:00 – 21:00

We Can Sing community choir each Monday night at 19:00

Evening yoga, relaxation and meditation every Thursday at 18:30

Pay-what-you-can community yoga every Tuesday at 11:15

Emma’s sound healing Thursday 18 October at 20:30

Life with full attention/Mindful emotion every Tuesday at 18:45

Pay-what-you-can osteopathy every Friday 9:00 – 13:30

Fermentation Workshop Tuesday 9 October, 19:00

Pindrop sessions Friday 19 October at 19:30

Social drop-in (Disability Advice Service) every Wednesday at 14:00

Kids Kreate every Saturday at 10:30

Need a space to hire for your party, exhibition, class or workshop - or simply a cosy place to chat and share? Every week our hirers benefit from our low rates, our buzzing community feel and our committed Pound network. In addition to giving you a fantastic low-cost space, we can help promote your event to our audiences and you’ll be in the very heart of Brixton community life. Email thomas@brixtonpound.org to discuss renting either our cafe floor or our studio space.

The amazing BRIXTON FUND supporting grassroots projects and charities.

We have retired the ability to pay by text in Brixton Pounds as we explore other innovative ways of paying with local currency. The paper Brixton Pounds remain a great way of boosting our local economy and strengthening our community. If you are a business or individual who opened a pay-by-text account in the past, we wanted to say a huge thank you for your support. We have sent emails to everyone with an account to let them know next steps. Please email madeleine@ brixtonpound.org if you’d like us to send it again. You can use our paper currency in many shops and restaurants in and around Brixton, including the Brixton Pound Cafe. We know it encourages local trade, maintains the diversity of the high street and sustains pride in Brixton.

Café and basement space available for hire daytime and evenings at very reasonable rates. Open for radical thinking, delicious food and excellent coffee from 08:30 Monday – Friday 09:00 Saturday

Brixton Pound Café 77 Atlantic Road SW9 8PU 020 3581 2850 brixtonpound.org

OCTOBER 2018 OPINION  11

BRIXTON BUGLE

COMMENT

People and money

As we get out and about in Brixton, we often see at first hand the extreme differences of wealth and opportunity that have come to blight the whole of the United Kingdom and not only inner city London. This issue of the Bugle covers volunteer organisations like the Brixton Advice Centre, Norwood and Brixton Foodbank, Afewee and Dwaynamics who strive to make a difference for people the consumer society has left behind. We also document the enormous sums being spent on property in Brixton – no doubt with a view to taking out even greater profits. The contrast is shocking. Vast sums are showered on inanimate objects while humans suffer for want of a few pounds a week. Those altruistic, brave and dedicated enough to give their time and energy for nothing to help others must rely on charity to fund their activities. They can see what is going on around them and are impelled to try to help. The people buying Brixton for their own profit or those of their shareholders may be in New York or they may be living amongst us but hiding behind a proxy company in the Isle of Man. All they see is a balance sheet and the opportunity to boost it, no matter what the human cost. Brixton is a tiny speck in the global economy but, as the recent Design Trail demonstrated, it has links to the rest of the world that are unrivalled. Communities all over the world face problems like those of Brixton. Can we help to find a way to be part of a global resistance rather than an isolated victim? Regulated by IMPRESS: The independent monitor for the press 16–18 New Bridge Street EC4V 6AG 020 3325 4288 complaints@impress.press www.impress.press

Saddened to see what should be a proud skill practised in a lazy and selfish manner Barnyvelo swapped working at Brixton Cycles to become a cycle instructor and does not like what he is seeing on London roads I’m watching rush hour traffic from my vantage point on the north side of Chelsea bridge. It’s 6pm and I’m working for a local authority as a Dr Bike. You may have seen us, offering services by the side of the road, showing a little ankle and soliciting. The council wants to encourage cycling, educate bicyclists on the merits of well-maintained vehicles and advertise the free bike training available. Tonight I’m spinning spanners, tweaking and diagnosing commuters bikes and, if I’m honest, screaming internally at the idiocy of many cyclists. This is one of many jobs I juggle. In term time I’m in schools, primarily in Lambeth and Westminster. I love my job(s). Alongside an army of cycle instructors we deliver a modern take on the cycle proficiency test for 8 –11-yearolds. My little traffic calmers! After judging their ability to handle the joys of London traffic we take them out on their local streets, cycling on their roads, offering them the keys to their town. On a weekend you’ll find me with a very different demographic. Any haulage company that wants to bid for a juicy contract in London needs to have their drivers take the Safer Urban Driver course or SUD. For three and a half hours these drivers have the pleasure of my company and a wee bike ride. It’s very enlightening for all of us. Unsurprisingly, there often isn’t any love lost initially between professional drivers and London cycle commuters or suburban club riders. As a bicyclist and motorist myself I have a

lot of sympathy with their plight. With a little empathy and lot of patience this does change. But more of that later. This evening I’m between bikes and can straighten my back for a few minutes before the next job. The density of bikes on the Embankment increases to biblical proportions. At this point of the rush hour I sometimes have to stand with my back to the mob. If I don’t I may not be able to stop myself from approaching the throng and plead with them to stop listening to their headphones

or consulting their on-board computers long enough to realise they’re pushing and bullying their way on the left side of a left turning lorry. With one foot on the pavement cyclists are scootering into the blind spot of a vehicle that weighs 32 tons, that has the turning circle of a ferry, a vehicle festooned with warnings, mirrors, cameras, yet controlled by an individual with only one pair of eyes!

Yes, the driver has seven mirrors and four camera screens, so does see the sea of unnecessary Spandex and misses the spider men and women, but also misses the sequence of the traffic lights and has to wait for green again as he or she is again surrounded by mostly oblivious cyclists. Later on, an Addison Lee or Uber will refuse to be so courteous and will beep their way left causing consternation amongst the cyclists who are heading straight on yet seem to be ideologically wed to filtering left no matter what the circumstance. You may at this point view me as a grumpy old anti-cyclist, corrupted by the views of the enemy camp. You’d be right about the old bit. I started working as a bike mechanic on Coldharbour lane in 1986. Going even further back in time, I discovered the utter joy of cycling as a young and naive hippy on an early mountain bike in mid Wales. I started cycling on roads as a primary school boy in the 70s through an uncluttered Balham. So, no. I’m not anti-cyclist. Imagine a driving instructor witnessing a boy racer driving like a prize tool. That’s how I feel! Saddened that what should be a proud skill is practised in a lazy, selfish manner. I feel tainted by the Thatcherite callowness of zebra crossing jumpers, the arrogant mostly affluent cycle commuters whose uninterrupted journey is so much more important than others’ feelings of safety. Yes – statistically the boot is definitely on the other foot. Just 0.8% of a person is killed by a cyclist as opposed to 1,790 killed annually by motors. This doesn’t have to mean callous cyclists should be forgiven. I used to ride like an entitled fool, believing my safety was someone else’s concern. I thought cycle lanes were the equivalent of the Gaza Strip, a mere slice of the lands of my cycling forefathers. I got trained and learnt a little empathy … white van man is as exploited as the cycle courier.

12  COMMUNITY brixtonblog.com 2018 OCTOBER

Peace, quiet and rhubarb curry A therapeutic gardening project in Brockwell Park is a growing success, says Emily Prescott

Whole lot of growing going on Nearly 100 entries for this year’s Blooming Lambeth Awards show the high local level of interest, says Sue Sheehan The Blooming Lambeth Awards ceremony will take place at the Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, on 22 October. Its ten categories are designed to showcase work to green up the borough, bring people together and improve wellbeing. Winning gardens will each receive £100. There are amazing people in Lambeth who are changing how we think about our food, our environment and how we can come together to make a change. Good, fresh, local (and organic) food should be for everyone, and Incredible Edible Lambeth supporting the people making this happen across our borough. We had 99 entries for the awards this year, which shows you just how much growing is going on. Join us to celebrate and support all the amazing people who are making a difference to our community by producing or cooking good quality food made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. There will be food, drinks and plenty of like-minded people to chat to. We look forward to seeing you there! The event will also be Incredible Edible Lambeth’s annual general meeting – a great way to find out how to join in with food growing projects across Lambeth. AAIf you have any questions, or want to chat to Incredible Edible Lambeth about anything else, you can email us at ​ incrediblelambeth@gmail.com​.

BLOOMING LAMBETH AWARDS 6.30pm – 9pm, Monday 22 October The Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, S ​ E1 7LB To register visit bit.ly/IEL-BLA18

In the Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses

On Friday mornings in Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses, adults who live with poor mental health can take part in a group where they nurture a garden and themselves. Lambeth Community Foundation funds these “Better Fridays” sessions. They start at 10.30am and finish with a home-grown meal around 1pm. Cat Stevens, a psychotherapist, and Cathy Graham, an education assistant, set up Better Fridays after feeling the therapeutic benefits of gardening. Cathy says: “There have been times in our lives when we have felt a bit low but then just doing a bit of pottering around outside, doing the odd bit of weeding, picking a bit of salad and fruit (and then eating it) made both of us feel so much better.” Lily is in her 40s and lives in South London and struggles with mental health difficulties including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. “When you have depression you fall out of the world and out of your own life,” she says. “so having the opportunity to connect with others in a safe space has been really helpful.” The peaceful garden has two greenhouses, a pond, an orchard, herb gardens and a wildflower meadow. Many people suffering from poor mental health know that leaving the house can be a

struggle but the sessions are not overly structured and are non-compulsory. People who take part are either experiencing or are carers for people with poor mental health. “Although the topic of mental health is not explicitly talked about, everyone knows why they are there and you feel a sense of community and camaraderie,” says Lily. At the end of the sessions the gardeners sit together to eat the produce. They cook with their home-grown tomatoes, potatoes, salad, courgettes and raspberries, and have even tried a rhubarb curry. “Being in that garden and forgetting about worries, smelling the soil, is such a rare thing in the city,” says Lily. “Having depression makes you feel numb and Better Fridays make you focus on growth. When you’re tending plants you become aware of constant progress, it’s very hopeful.” The current Better Fridays sessions will end in late October and the founders are seeking funding to be able to re-start in March 2019. During this break, Better Fridays participants will be welcome to join in with all other activities at Brockwell Park Community Gardens. On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 5pm there is, of course, gardening but also cooking, music, drawing and general socialising.

The Harbour recovery and aftercare drug and alcohol support service based at 245 Coldharbour Lane is holding a client art open day with tea and cakes on Tuesday 23 October from 3 to 5pm to promote the service. All are welcome to visit and find what the Harbour does.

Big grant for Brixton mental health charity ‘will change lives’ Mosaic Clubhouse, the mental health charity based on Effra Road, has won a Big Lottery Fund grant of more than £250,000 over three years to support its work. The charity’s new Young Adults Programme will now be able to offer intensive one-to-one support for 16–30-yearolds with an existing mental health condition or at risk of developing one. The programme will help young people with the transition into adulthood and transferring from child and adolescent mental health services to adult services or into the community. Part of the grant will fund two recovery support workers. Existing programmes that support people in education, training and work

will also benefit from the funding. Maresa Ness, Mosaic Clubhouse’s CEO said: “Our aim is to increase the quality of life, confidence, self-esteem and employment prospects of people in our area who suffer from mental ill health. “We’re absolutely delighted that the Big Lottery Fund has given so many Lambeth residents the opportunity to improve their wellbeing and achieve their dreams. This money will change lives.” More than 500 clubhouse members – who all live with mental illness – run the centre on Effra Road alongside 24 staff. Services include support in finding education and employment – as well as a café and evening sanctuary.

OCTOBER 2018

A MESSAGE FROM THE NIGHT CZAR … 00

LONDON E23

E T VO S E Y

1 October Voting opens t 2018

enewal Ballo

R Brixton BID

lope unless it

this enve Do NOT open to you is addressed

On 1 October your ballot papers for the five-year renewal of the Brixton Business Improvement District (BID) will be posted directly to your business address. Please look out for the ballot envelope, cast your vote and then post it in one of the four ballot boxes listed on the right or use the prepaid FREEPOST envelope provided. You have until 31 October 2018 to vote. But don’t leave it too late for your voice to be heard.

You will receive voting papers from the London Borough of Lambeth You can vote using one of four BID ballot boxes in: San Marino Diverse Impact Hub and The Town Hall OR Post using the FREEPOST envelope supplied with the ballot paper

31 October Voting closes

1 November

ONE VOICE FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL #FORBRIXTON1

You can download the BID’s renewal ballot document at bit.ly/BBID-booklet

Brixton BID

Unit S32, Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ 020 3417 7373 | admin@brixtonbid.co.uk www.brixtonbid.co.uk | @BrixtonBID

Results announced

1 January 2019 to 31 December 2023 If the majority of businesses vote in favour, Brixton BID will continue to work for you

EVERY VOTE, ESPECIALLY YOURS, IS IMPORTANT BID Managing Director Michael Smith Looking at the source of the 512 votes that can be cast in the ballot to renew the Brixton BID for five years is an interesting exercise. One organisation, Lambeth council, will have 20 votes because it has 20 properties in the BID area with a rateable value of more than £12,000. Its votes, together with those of other statutory organisations, account for 8.5% of the votes that can be cast. The small to medium size businesses that make up 77% of the membership of the Brixton BID have, in the main, one vote each. Some 74 votes will come from national or multi-national high street businesses. That’s just under 15% of all possible votes – but those businesses contribute a third of the BID’s total levy income. Some of these businesses may choose either to abstain from voting or to vote negatively because of company-wide policy set somewhere a long way away from the areas in which their actual stores operate and the BIDs in which they operate are found. Happily, some of these larger companies now appear to be moderating their positions on voting for BIDs. Fewer are choosing to decide centrally and at a distance how their votes will be cast. Many of these large businesses are, at least, now consulting or canvassing the views of local managers before coming to a decision on how to vote. Proxy voters who are often agents employed by the company may simply vote on what they see or do not see from a distance on the website of a BID. With this approach, the day to day local work and impact of a BID might be overlooked. Business Improvement Districts are local in outlook and in function. They are much more local, for instance, than borough councils that have responsibility for much larger geographical areas and for more people and more functions.

The impact of BIDs on local business planning, public realm improvement and development is a relatively new development for local government. But local authorities are now realising that BIDs are important partners and strategic local stakeholders. However, BIDs cannot retreat into serving only locally based business. BIDs are, of course, committed to providing services to local small businesses, but they are equally committed to larger and multinational businesses. Pitching services to large, complex, multi-faceted organisations is often difficult for a BID in its first term when its priorities tend to be providing “cleaning, greening and safety” – janitorial-type services. Second-term BIDs can be more expansive. Their reach and influence is often greater. They will have developed much more local influence on planning and strategic issues. Their impact on debates and policies affecting public realm and cultural provision will be more pronounced. They will have become more skilled in the promotion of their area as a distinctive destination.

#FOR BRIXTON Second-term BIDs are likely to have a greater influence on local employment, a wider range of services and even more influence on the business-to-business interface, as well as on the consumerto-business interface. The basic first-term tasks of cleaning, greening and safety will be delivered more skilfully, paying greater attention to baseline provision from local authorities. The Brixton BID will be looking to achieve all these things given an endorsement for a second term. When all is said and done, about 450 of the 512 voters who can vote in the renewal ballot remain in Brixton. Small, medium or multi-national, these businesses must vote and vote YES to endorse the Brixton BID, making it a truly effective second-term BID. Every vote counts. Your YES VOTE is important to us.

Together for Brixton Michael Smith

WHY BIDS MATTER Andrew Cooper, chief executive of Leeds Business Improvement District and chair of The BID Foundation, spells out why BIDs are so important for businesses in a fast-changing world that is full of challenges and opportunities There are currently more than 300 Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in the UK and Ireland with over 60 in London alone including Camden, London Bridge, Croydon, Stratford, and Wimbledon. Twenty new BIDs are formed annually across the United Kingdom. Since their introduction in the UK in 2004, BIDs have proved to be a successful vehicle to deliver area and business benefits. BIDs have been around since the 1970s when they were introduced in Canada and the United States. Since then, most of the English-speaking world has adopted BIDs – including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Jamaica. Countries like Serbia, Albania, Germany and the Netherlands have also followed suit. At the onset, BIDs were about three key pillars: “Green, Clean, Safe”. Due to ever-changing economic, political and financial circumstances worldwide, BIDs have risen to become key stakeholders in shaping the present and future direction of places and have gone beyond the original three pillars. Most BIDs have been successful in raising the standards of a town or city centre and now give a powerful voice to the business community by

championing and lobbying for local change and development. In many cases, BIDs set the vision for place-making programmes, leverage external investment and deliver longterm development. With enormous challenges ahead for high street businesses, including Brexit, rising rents and business rates, changing shopping patterns and an inadequate business rate system, BIDs are there to deliver against business priorities that are set locally. They cannot do this alone. This is why several BIDs came together to set up The BID Foundation. This foundation not only represents the sector at various levels but is driving up industry standards. Even more importantly, The BID Foundation is lobbying local and central Government and influencing policies. As one of the founding members of the foundation, the Brixton BID is making the case locally on “why BIDs matter”. Brixton BID was one of the key players in establishing The BID Foundation, recognising the importance of ensuring that the great work BIDs do is widely understood and supported both locally and nationally. We have really appreciated the input and support they have provided.

The BID Foundation is the new industry-led body for Business Improvement Districts created following wide-scale consultation. It is an alliance of more than 60 BIDs and industry professionals determined to lead the sector to new levels of achievement. ■www.bidfoundation.co.uk ■

FOOTFALL, BRIXTON TOWN CENTRE SUMMER 2018 1,691,913

1,725,479

June

July

1,556,828

1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000 0

August

Stuart Horwood, CEO of the Brixton Market Traders Federation and a board member of the BID, is to leave his pitch on Pope’s Road after 34 years as a licensed market trader. Stuart, who was knocked off his bike by a bus last year, is still having treatment for a smashed arm. He has been touched by the hundreds of people who have stopped to wish him well. “It’s been very grounding. People have been very good to me,” he said.

Amy Lamé (red scarf) joined celebrations of the granting of ‘asset of community value’ status to Coldharbour Lane’s embattled 414 Club earlier this year. With her were (l-r) local councillor Donatus Anyanwu, the BID’s Reece Simwogerere, 414 proprietors Louise Barron and Tony Pommell, and councillor Mohammed Seedat

London Night Czar Amy Lamé says: “Business Improvement Districts play a crucial role in making sure an exciting night-time offer in a local area works for everyone. Investment in arts and culture after dark can regenerate a local area, boost growth and create a vibrant hub. Brixton has a rich and diverse life at night, and Brixton BID strengthens the partnership between businesses, local authorities and residents.”

HOW BRIXTON BID’S WINNING FORMULA HELPED US TO DEVELOP OUR NATIONAL POLICY

MEET THE BRIXTON BID TEAM Clockwise from top left: Co-chair Laverne Walker (Sackville Travel), Co-chair Elly Foster (Satay Bar, Market House, Nanban), Managing Director Michael Smith, operations manager Gianluca Rizzo, marketing and communications lead Ingrid Wright, and project assistant Reece Simwogerere. Centre: savings consultant Susana Crespo

Alan D Miller, chairman of The Night Time Industries Association, explains how Brixton BID played a key role in the formation and policies of the national body for night-time industries Soon after our formation as an association to represent bars, clubs, festivals and members of the night-time industries across Britain, we met Michael Smith at Brixton BID. It was immediately apparent that he and his team, including Reece Simwogerere, had a strong vision and passionate commitment to ensuring that business, culture and intelligent place-making would be consistently pursued, for the improvement and betterment of Brixton and all that work, visit and live there. I have been continually impressed by the dedication that Brixton BID has shown to tirelessly advocating smart solutions to the unique and special place that Brixton is. I met Superintendent Roy Smith while speaking at a Brixton BID event at POP Brixton. It became very clear that the strategy employed for partnership and collaboration here was a winning formula – with Brixton BID representing business interests while also understanding the nuances of public spaces and private enterprise, all the while ensuring clear dialogue with the police, councillors and other key stakeholders to create the best kind of environment possible to cement Brixton’s successful future. More recently, we at The Night Time Industries Association, have taken the positive

experiences from meetings and collaboration with Brixton BID – and applied them to our nationwide strategy of bringing all stakeholders together to secure the best possible options for our cities up and down the country. We have done this in several of our major cities and achieved some really important wins for everyone through doing this. Michael always speaks so eloquently when considering the implications and impacts upon businesses of misguided regulation, as well as being a clear champion for the businesses that are members of the organisation. At the event we co-hosted at The Blues Kitchen, attendees from across the UK were highly impressed by the myriad of exciting activities that epitomise what Brixton has become today. We now, as a matter of course, work with BIDs in different regions alongside local councils, police and all stakeholders. It was the excellent and productive experience of working with Brixton BID that helped forge that approach. Brixton BID has done so much to improve the area and has been a shining beacon for investment, entrepreneurial endeavour and community cohesion. www.ntia.co.uk | @wearthentia

A high-profile part of the BID’s work are Brixton’s Section 92 funded police constables Ricky Haruna (left) and Jonathan Luckett

TRAINING DATES Food Hygiene (Level3) Day One

8 October

Food Hygiene (Level3) Day Two

15 October

First Aid (Level3) Day One

22 October

First Aid (Level3) Day Two

29 October

All training takes place at the Brixton Hill campus of Lambeth College and starts at 10am with a 5pm finish. These training sessions are fully-accredited courses, free of charge to BID levy payers and are available strictly on a first-come, first served basis. Email admin@brixtonbid.co.uk to reserve your space.

BID RENEWAL BALLOT – WE SAY … JONNY RUSHTON, seven and three eight four

SPYROS PARISSIS, Parissi

ENZA, MARIO & FAMILY, San Marino

We have two businesses operating in Brixton, seven and three eight four, and have found the introduction of the BID a very welcome initiative. We have used its contacts at Meercat Associates to renegotiate all of our energy and leasing contracts which has lead to lowered costs. We have also attended a number of the group meetings which have increased the sense of community amongst local business as well as being a great forum for idea sharing. Free training on licensing, first aid and health and safety have also been a great help in developing our teams. Long may the BID continue!

Brixton BID has been a great platform where businesses can meet and unite in bringing together increased awareness in standards. This ranges from providing extra policing safety all the way to free training for team members. Brixton is a very creative and versatile part of London that has an electricity like no other. Brixton BID is an integral part of our business community and therefore an important part of the future development of Brixton in unifying the new with the old. We really hope that it stays with us along the way.

Brixton BID has been amazing for San Marino. No job has been too big or too small. If we have a question to ask and we don’t know who to go to, we ask GianLuca, Reece or Michael. Before the BID was in place we couldn’t get any answers from anyone and we would waste hours/days and sometimes weeks trying to track the right people down in Lambeth. But Brixton BID know exactly who we need to speak to. They have also organised to jet wash outside our business and other businesses in Brixton and have put us in touch with several people with regards to ­recycling etc. We have noticed more policing in the area and I have attended courses which have been free of charge, that would normally cost too much for a small family run business. We are so pleased with the Brixton Bid and we will definitely be voting a big fat YES!

ANITA THORPE, Diverse I think it’s very important for local business to vote ‘Yes’ in the BID ballot. The BID provides a much-needed focal point for business interests in the area. It’s great to have a point of contact if there are businessrelated issues that traders are finding difficult to deal with – such as safety or street cleaning or anti-social behaviour. It’s also good to have a significant body that can represent our interests to decision-makers, such as the council or the government. It means we’re not so easy to ignore. The training provided (free!) by the BID has been extremely helpful and the marketing initiatives have had a positive impact on my business. I’ve also made some influential and useful contacts through BID meetings.

BRIXTON ON TOURIST TRAIL Thanks to a BID initiative, Brixton features in a three-page article in the September London issue of Where – the world’s largest visitor magazine. Where London provides information direct to tourists on the best things to see, do and eat in the city and is distributed to rooms and concierge desks in more than 270 four and five star hotels as well as to 27 specialist outlets and 18 private clubs. Special distribution points include embassies, the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and corporate reception areas. The Where brand is also affiliated to the website wheretraveler.com, which presents up-to-theminute information on events around the globe.

STEPHANIE GAMAUF, Impact Hub Brixton The Brixton BID is integral to connecting and supporting local businesses. It supports Brixton culture and arts, ensures the safety and security of entrepreneurs and traders, and brings the business community together to collectively tackle challenges and find solutions. It is a much needed part of the Brixton business fabric.

Before the BID was in place we couldn’t get any answers from anyone and we would waste hours/ days and sometimes weeks trying to track the right people down in Lambeth. But Brixton BID know exactly who we need to speak to.

OCTOBER 2018 brixtonblog.com

PEOPLE  17

Dwaynamics expand in Brixton and beyond Dwaynamics, run by Angell Town minister Lorraine Jones, is expanding its work. The organisation combines boxing and fitness training with training for employment and social development. The vision for Dwaynamics came from the late Dwayne Simpson who was stabbed to death in central Brixton in 2014. His work with deprived young people has been continued by his mother Lorraine. Dwaynamics is now a community interest company with Minister Jones as its CEO. It has launched Dwaynamics AFC, a football club for young people, in Gambia in West Africa. The idea came after Minister Jones visited the country and saw the energy of young people there. She wanted to help make them see

a bright future at home in Gambia, rather than looking to Europe and the often fatal sea journeys that may result. The club mirrors the work Dwaynamics does with young people in Lambeth – showing young people that they can use their personality and character to build their own future, career and destiny. In another development, Dwaynamics is planning to help some of its amateur boxers turn professional in the coming year. More than 15 vulnerable young men have shown an amazing sense of dedication and know-how when it comes to the sport, overcoming the daily challenges in the community, the club says. “They remain positive, focused and determined to succeed in their sport.”

Minister Lorraine Jones with young people in Gambia

Market must say farewell to watchman Stuart By Linda Quinn Brixton Market’s Stuart Horwood, aka the watchman, is leaving his pitch on Pope’s Road after 34 years as a licensed market trader. Stuart, who was knocked off his bike by a bus last year, is still having treatment for a smashed arm. He has been touched by the hundreds of people who have stopped to wish him well. “It’s been very grounding. People have been very good to me,” he says. “I pitched up in 1984 with a paste table and a bag full of watches and haven’t been able to escape since”.

He has seen a lot of changes to the character of the market. “When I started there were no empty pitches and it took me two years to get my pitch on Pope’s Road. Now there are 20 empty pitches on this road.” “All the shops are now selling food where there used to be Radio Rentals, Currys and travel agents.” Stuart says this has affected stall holders and they are now regulated more heavily and have restricted hours. The closure on 23 December 2009 of the multi-storey Pope’s Road car park where Pop Brixton now stands was catastrophic for the

market, he says. People started to do their shopping elsewhere. Stuart is proud of the role he played in setting up the community market in Brixton Station Road. He is due to stop trading at the end of September, but he hopes to build on his legacy in setting up the community market in Brixton Station Road. Stuart is also the CEO of the Brixton Market Traders Federation. Like any Brixton street trader, he has seen and heard strange things, but the only time Stuart was left speechless was when a man came to the stall and asked if he sold chickens!

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UTC students’ racing ahead! September 2018 saw the launch of the UTC's innovative new BTEC Level 2 engineering qualification 'Performing Manufacturing Operations', based on producing an electric car (like the one pictured). When David Bell, Assistant Vice Principal/Director of Engineering was planning the curriculum for 2018, he thought about how he could enhance the Level 2 qualifications on offer at the UTC to include as much project based learning as possible. He told us "this course really mimics the real world of work and provides so many opportunities for students to learn in the workshop. I really wanted to broaden the horizons of our students, beyond our main specialisms of engineering for the construction and medical sectors." Open to a very limited number of students entering Year 12, and portfolio based, the course is one year in duration and facilitates the design, construct, testing and racing of a Formula 24+ electric car. Students must think about the sustainability element of how the vehicle is powered, and complete modules in: manufacturing operations; teamwork; producing moulded products; CNC manufacture; inspection and testing. Hugely oversubscribed for 2018, the UTC will be extending the course to include two cohorts in September 2019.

UTC posts its first results!

As the UTC continues to grow, and we expand on our innovative curriculum, this course, in conjunction with Greenpower, offers an exciting option for students studying in Sixth Form at Level 2. I look forward to seeing the success of our Formula 24+ car team when they participate in the Greenpower race next year. Dan Cundy, Principal

(Picture: Ben Amissah, Distinction* in BTEC Engineering).

South Bank UTC posted its first set of results this summer, with great successes to be reported. Grades achieved by Sixth Formers ensured all students who applied for university secured places, notably at top universities on STEM related courses including architecture, computer engineering, aerospace engineering, clinical sciences and forensic science. A number of students also secured apprenticeships with the UTC's sponsors and partners, and other organisations such as TfL. Not to be outdone, Year 11 students posted a fantastic set of results, with the vast majority electing to stay on at the UTC to study Level 3 Engineering, and A-levels in Maths, English, Sciences and Computer Science. Well done to all of the students.

design. engineer. innovate. www.southbank-utc.co.uk

020 7738 6115

info@southbank-utc.co.uk

@SouthBankUTC

Southbankutc

Southbank_utc

19  brixtonblog.com 2018 OCTOBER

FOOD & DRINK REVIEW: KNIFE

SMALL PLATES

A cut above the rest

Five years of The Wine Parlour

Nick Buglione takes the family to Knife When the law finally catches up with me for crimes (against gastro journalism) and it’s my last day in San Quentin, a classic Sunday lunch will be my death row meal. There is something beautifully fulfilling (and filling) about a kingly meaty banquet, and in an age of fractured, juggled lives, smartphones and Snapchat, spending decent time with Mrs B and the three junior Bs. Knife, as previously stated, is one of my favourite locals so, belatedly, time to check out their Sunday service. It’s busy (Knife usually is so booking is more or less essential) and bustling, especially if you get the table by the kitchen (where you also get a window onto the backstage operation). Knife, if you have been taking any notice does “serious steaks and Sunday roasts” and not a lot more – it’s a simple, mainly beefy, concept done well. Simples. They have just scooped a “Best Steaks” gong at Harden’s London Restaurant Awards so don’t just take my word for it. Their Sunday offering is reassuringly traditional – beef, lamb, pork

and chicken, with a mushroom wellington for those who have wandered into the wrong place. Knife lives or dies on the quality of the meat and how they cook it, so its rare roast belted Galloway beef rump, Herdwick lamb, slow cooked Saddleback pork belly and Cumbrian chicken that has had a good runaround. All sourced from Lake District Farmers. Accompanied, for all, with Rosemary and Thyme roasted spuds, a kaleidoscope of heritage carrots, honeyed parsnips, Stinking Bishop cauliflower cheese, buttered kale and Yorkshire puddings. Preceded by artisan breads with bone marrow butter and a preview platter of Yorkshires and gravy. Reminding this descendent from “God’s own country” that traditionally Yorkshire Pudding goes before the main course (and replaces dessert). It was a way of filling up on cheaper ingredients when meat was a strain on budgets. I’m only “technically” a Yorkshireman but it’s in the blood all right. My Auntie Joan, up in Leeds, would approve of these billowing renditions, and she takes some pleasing. Call me old-fashioned, but a Sunday lunch should make you want/need to have a recuperative lie down (with the Sunday papers) and Knife is only a couple of minutes away from my sofa. So good. Kids go more or less half price and still get a whopping portion, just with slightly less meat.

I had the beef, Mrs B the lamb, chicken for the kids, although they were casting the occasionally envious eye at our neighbours’ pork belly. The

chicken reminds you that a good bird has a depth of flavour gone missing from your average supermarket factory version, the beef is pretty much perfect, served medium rare to rare, and the lamb (leg and shoulder) much the same. The variety of carrots (a rainbow coalition of yellow, orange and purple carrotology) brought their own individual flavours, roasties were good, gravy all deep, dark and sticky, yorkies crisp on the outside, warm, fluffy and snuggly inside, kale indulgently buttered – and I don’t do parsnips. Or dessert. So Knife on a Sunday replicates their successful weekly menu. There are minimal bells and whistles, no over-indulgent on-trend cheffy swirls, twirls, foraged this and reinvented that. This is a Sunday lunch grandma would recognise, and approve of. The art is in the expert cooking, and understanding of quality meats. You can get cheaper Sunday roasts – grown-ups weigh in at £14-18, kids £7.50 a pop, but I suspect you’d have to go some to find better. And no washing up (even in San Quentin).

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The Wine Parlour on Atlantic Road is celebrating five years since it opened with a wine festival on Saturday 6 October from midday until late. Activities will include tastings at £10-£15 per person, free talks by Parlour staff, taster courses at £10 per person, and a free wine quiz with prizes. The more ambitious can go for cheese and wine tastings at £40 a head with half a dozen wines and artisanal cheeses. Founder and CEO Chix will be in conversation with Christine Hayes, editor-inchief of BBC Good Food, about how she changed career and moved into the wine industry.

20  FOOD & DRINK brixtonblog.com

2018 OCTOBER

REVIEW: GREMIO

Going underground Carina Murphy goes all tapas at Gremio de Brixton It’s fitting that for my last Bugle review as a bona fide London resident before emigrating “up north”, I’m checking out Gremio de Brixton in the crypt of St Matthew’s church. Those of us old enough to remember the days before Brixton had its own “village” and gentrified property prices to match, may well have spent some time down here. When upstairs was Mass, downstairs was long gone restaurant Bah Humbug and, more latterly, Babalou, back in the distant nineties. As a cub journalist, I certainly spent many a weekend evening throwing off the rigours of the working week and slumming it “down south”. These walls can tell a tale or two … I’m pleased to say Gremio de Brixton (or GdeB as their signage would have it) is upholding the basement tradition of entertaining South Londoners, with relaxed grace. Opened in 2015, the beautiful, original church structure with its low slung arches, is perfectly suited to a laid-back tapas bar. Although vast and cavernous, the original brickwork naturally compartmentalises the space making it an intimate, dare I say it, romantic, place to dine. They clearly do lively as well. We could

have gone for Flamenco night – the first Wednesday of every month – but opted instead for a Saturday, when DJs and a live sax player take to the bar from 10pm until closing time at 3am. Our first hint that this wasn’t going to be the trendy tapas that’s, erm, fashionable these days was when we scoured the menu for sherry, because you know, that’s what we drink with tapas these days, right? “We do have sherry, but most people order wine,” our charming waiter tells us. So we plump for very reasonable and quaffable glasses of Rioja and deep Spanish rose and, as is always the case with tapas, set

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DIY COCKTAIL: GREMIO DE BRIXTON’S SEVILLA As well as frilly frocked flamenco and tapas, Gremio de Brixton has a nice sideways take on the classic gin and tonic combo. Try this for a fruitified version with cucumber.

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about over-ordering. It’s a traditional showcase of classic tapas, from charcuterie to tortilla to Spanish cheeses, gambas, patatas, more substantial Basque meat dishes and, of course, seafood, from marinated anchovies to octopus. From the table-groaning selection, the classics were, no question, the most successful. Tortilla de patatas, patatas bravas and padron peppers were textbook nibble-able. Pan-fried hake with a Spanish ratatouille was nicely cooked while salted cod with olives, broad beans and (unadvertised) peppers confounded us by being served cold. Other dishes were tales of two halves – for example chuletas cordero a lovely lamb cutlet sat atop a somewhat underwhelming aubergine puree. My standout favourites were a simple octopus (pulpo) with potatoes and sweet paprika and an ill-needed pud of almond cake was delicious. Not wanting to be party poopers, we headed to the candlelit bar for another glass of wine and were gratified (while being slightly mortified to be the oldest in there by some way) to see how vibrant and buzzy the bar still was some 20 years on. You can get more refined or more experimental tapas elsewhere (Seven at Brixton, for example or Boqueria), but I defy you not to have a good time at Gremio de Brixton (whether you flamenco or not) and while it clearly can host groups and parties, the food cuts the mustard on its own. For those of us who get a bit nostalgic now and then, it’s a fine place to enjoy some unreconstructed tapas and maybe even to show Generation X how we had fun back in the day.

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FOOD & DRINK  21

OCTOBER 2018 brixtonblog.com SHOPPING: NOUR

Food for real people you can stock up on huge vats of yoghurt, every tea imaginable, industrial-sized cans of extra virgin Sacha olive oil and row upon row of exotic Harrison spices. It’s Wholefoods without meets the the eye watering prices, for real people. An Aladdin’s cave but with family at Nour Cash and Carry genie-like staff who can effortlessly locate the pink Himalayan salt – second row, bottom shelf, “Guess how much?” I say, grinning underneath the gungo peas to and holding up a jar of honey, a be precise. whole honeycomb bobbing around “Coconut oil, who knew?” Saja in the oozing gold liquid. says. “Before it was coconut creams, Husband looks deflated. “Fifteen but it’s massive now, so we’ve had quid? Why do you insist on sending to adapt.” us broke?” He’s wrong. It was £2.49. Saja refers to those specialist I hate to make him squirm but it’s ingredients found in Ottolenghi my favourite game. recipes like rose petal water, za’atar Apparently, it’s one of Saja and barberries (her favourite). Shaheen’s favourite games too. They’re essential to Middle Though as an integral Eastern cooking but member of the family hard to find and infuriYou can’t just business, Nour Cash & atingly expensive. wander into Carry, she is far more While shops in the of a dab hand than I at Tesco for a bunch West End price orange spotting a bargain. blossom water at £7 of coriander and or so, Nour sell it for Nour, a labyrinthine treasure trove of £1.79. I also spy ghee end up talking middle eastern foods used in most of the for half an hour is a retail Tardis, Hemsley and Hemsley sitting in Market Row recipes. It’s £7.99 for a with another entrance on Electric tub the size of my head. Avenue, a deceptively unassuming Nour opened about 18 years ago gateway to a smug-worthy lexicon and is run by the Shaheen family of everyday and out of the ordinary who were kicked out of Saddam’s pantry fodder. Stacked high. Iraq – Saja who studied history and Aside from fresh fruit and veg politics at Goldsmiths, her sister (minus the unnecessary plastic), Nour, who went to law school, her

Saja Shaheen: You can go anywhere in the world to buy good food, but the feeling in Brixton is unique mother and father, and her younger sister, Sam who also worked at Nour. At Christmas, their family ritual involves clearing their schedule and working until the wee hours stocking and working the tills. But I sense that they love it. Nour sees a huge amount of trade, from supplying Brixton’s restaurants in the morning to catering to the post-work clientele in the early evening. Brixton foodies and local chefs love it.

When I ask Saja why Brixton is so special, she answers: “It’s all about community. You can go anywhere in the world to buy good food, but the feeling in Brixton is unique. Customers just come in, so we know lots of people.” As she says this, she waves at a friendly looking man entering the shop. “I’m 31 now and they’ve known me since I was that high.” She points to her knee which I can assume means a very young age.

“Sometimes they come in just to have a chat. You can’t just wander into Tesco for a bunch of coriander and end up talking for half an hour.” For those who don’t have time to chat for half an hour, Nour is open from 7am to 7pm so it’s an easy dash in and out if you work nine-to-five. But it’s best enjoyed when you have time to peruse the shelves – much more fun than absentmindedly clicking Ocado or slumming the queues at Sainsbury’s.

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OCTOBER 2018 brixtonblog.com

23

WHAT’S ON

Black History Month in Brixton

archives for an afternoon of memories, history and archives. Tickets £25, include Sunday lunch buffet. Booking info@bcaheritage.org.uk

Black History Month runs

throughout October. These are

Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging with Afua Hirsch Saturday 3 November, 7pm. Brixton Library

some of the highlight events in Brixton organised by Lambeth Libraries with the Black Cultural Archives and local organisations Slay in your Lane: The Black Girl Bible with Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené Wednesday 3, 7pm. Brixton Library The Black Girl Bible explores the ways being Black and female affect all aspects of young women’s lives and offers advice and encouragement on how to navigate them. Illustrated with stories from their own lives and using interviews with successful black women in Britain, Slay In Your Lane is essential reading for a generation of Black women inspired to find success in every area of their lives. Free, but booking essential.

Black History Market Saturday 6, 11am – 5pm. Impact Hub Brixton, Pop Brixton Entrepreneurs from across the African and Caribbean diaspora will be displaying high quality products including food, clothing, stationary, books, jewellery, hair and beauty at a market celebrating and showcasing Black businesses. Free. For details call 020 7926 3032.

Jamaica, Britain and the Maroon Wars Wednesday 10, 7pm. Impact Hub Brixton, Pop Brixton Author and genealogist Paul Crooks on the hidden Black and British history of Jamaica’s Akan-speaking Maroons. Focusing on the Maroons’ wars with Britain, he draws attention to the impact of Maroon activities on the early years of the industrial revolution. Tickets £5. For details email info@paulcrooksuk.com

Colour of Madness: Exploring BAME mental health in the UK Thursday 11, 6pm. Brixton Library The Colour Of Madness is a BAME-led and curated anthology of poetry, fiction, essays, memoirs and art by BAME writers, academics, mental health workers and artists that explores the BAME mental health experience in the UK.

Black Cultural Archives Friends Heritage Tour Thursday 11, 4–5pm and 6p–7pm. BCA Go behind the scenes and discover the inner workings of the UK’s heritage centre dedicated to the histories of Black people in Britain. Join one of the heritage centre tours and learn about the history of the archives and visit the archive vault. Free, but booking is essential. Details: info@bcaheritage.org.uk.

How Europe Underdeveloped Africa – Brixton Radical Reads book group special Friday 12, 7pm. Brixton Library Join the reading group to discuss How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, the landmark work on exploitation of the African continent by Walter Rodney. This book, first published in 1972, remains an essential introduction to understanding the dynamics of Africa’s contemporary relations with the West and is the powerful legacy of a committed activist and thinker. For a copy of the book, contact the library on 020 7926 1056.

out from Solomon how to get a business up and off the ground as well as the best ways to market it.

Feast in the Archives Sunday 28, 3pm to 6pm. BCA Family Ties is an exhibition telling the story of an East London family and its discovery of a remarkable family history dating back over centuries. Share memories over home-cooked food – jerk chicken and mutton, roti, suya, waakye and jollof rice. Enjoy the blend of cuisines that has been carried over into Black British communities and delve deeper into the

Brixton Still Walking Tour with Michael Groce Saturday 13, 2pm.

You’re British. Your parents are British. You were raised in Britain. Your partner, your children and most of your friends are British. So why do people keep asking you where you are from? Brit(ish) is about a search for identity. It is about the everyday racism that plagues British society. In this personal investigation, writer, broadcaster and former barrister Afua Hirsch makes an urgent call for change. Join her in discussion.

Children’s samba reggae drumming workshop Wednesday 24, 2.30 – 3.30pm. Brixton Library Learn, enjoy and perform the Afro-Brazilian rhythms of the Blocos Afro from Bahia, Brazil, at a drumming workshop with Trevor Kentish, a professional percussionist and band leader for Sonido Bossa Nova who runs regular drumming classes. Ages five years and above. www.unityinspiration.co.uk

FREE DRAMA WORKSHOPS

Meet at Brixton Library for a walk of about one hour with Michael Groce, an awardwinning BBC Windrush Poet and community leader. His relationship with Brixton reaches back 50 years and he is known for his connection to struggles for social and racial equality. The tour will show a side of Brixton that remains unknown to many, uncovering hidden treasures, meeting local people and experiencing important cultural elements. For further information and to book, contact: projects@independentfilmtrust.org

Just Rhyme: Black History Month Special Thursday 18, 7pm. Brixton Library Enter Just Rhyme’s special Black History Month competition to win the chance to headline the fifth Just Rhyme event on 27 October alongside well-known spoken word artists and poets. All you need to do is a write a poem about positive contributions in history from influential Black figures, and then share it at Just Rhyme’s Black History Month special. Participants must be 16 and over and the poem must not exceed five minutes when recited.

Celebrate Windrush with Pegasus Opera Saturday 20, 7pm. Brixton Library Join Pegasus Opera for an evening of splendid singing. The Caribbean-inspired programme includes opera and musical theatre as a tribute to the Windrush generation.

The Solomon Success Story Monday 29, 7pm. Brixton Library Meet Solomon Smith, founder of the Brixton Soup Kitchen charity, that provides hot food, drinks and clothes for the homeless. The charity has featured on BBC, Sky and ITV. Solomon shares the secrets his success in a debut book The Solomon Success Story. Find

BRIXTON YOUTH THEATRE

If you are 13-21 and want to take part in performances, attend masterclasses led by directors, actors and experienced theatre professionals, then join us Every Friday 6-8pm To join email: info@brixtonyouththeatre.com For more information check out our website www.brixtonyouththeatre.com

Brixton Community Base Talma Road SW2 1AS 020 7274 1190

24  WHAT’S ON brixtonblog.com 2018 OCTOBER

Jamila Omar rounds up an October selection of gigs and more in Brixton and nearby FRI 28 @ BREAD AND ROSES Time Tunnel makes its debut at this hidden gem in the heart of Clapham, bringing their usual mix of the very best mod, ska, soul, R&B and 60s BEAT MUSIC. With DJs Boy About Town, Sean Bright, Liam Curtin and Nanker Phelge. 8pm-midnight. Free.

SAT 29 @ 02 BRIXTON ACADEMY Star Shaped Festival is back and bigger than ever, with a line-up that celebrates some of the best in BRITPOP & INDIE. Includes Ocean Colour Scene, Black Grape, Echobelly, The Supernaturals, My Life Story, The Real People, My Drug Hell. From 1.45pm. £45.

SUN 30 @ CLUB 414 Grassroots Live Music. A weekly Sunday night that looks set to encourage and inspire LOCAL GRASSROOTS talent. UB40 trumpeter Patrick Anthony leads the experienced house band, with resident DJs and Caribbean food available too. 10pm-3am. Free.

MON 1 OCT @ HOOTANANNY Brixton BOOKJAM returns featuring Stefan Clarke, Stevie Russell, Billy Ryan, Martin Millar, Anna Mazzola, Vicky Grut, Antony Johnston, Marianne Kavanagh, Yolanda Christian, Tamsin Grey and Sarah Perry. It’s a mix of readings, and talks, chatting and socialising, with the chance to buy signed editions on the night. From people who love to read through to A-list authors, ghost writers, erudite editors, self-effacing selfpublishers and literary lexophiles, everyone is welcome. 8pm-midnight. Free.

TUE 2 OCT @ BRIXTON LIBRARY

The adult fiction reading group meets from 6.30 to 8pm on Tuesdays to discuss interesting books, meet fellow book lovers and make friends. Free.

WED 3 OCT @ QUEEN’S HEAD

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

THUR 4 OCT @ PRINCE OF WALES

MUSICAL BINGO is back! Instead of shouting out numbers the MC plays songs. Each round takes on a different theme based on either a decade, genre or just a quirky random topic. 7-11pm. £13.

FRI 5 OCT @ PORTICO GALLERY

Back after a long, hot summer and bringing some Colombian heat comes MAMBISTA with Dorance Lorza and Sexteto Cafe Plus! DJ Gerry Lyseight spins his superior selection of Latin, African and jazz. 8pm – midnight. £8 adv, £10 OTD.

SAT 6 OCT @ GREMIO DE BRIXTON

In the majestic crypt of St. Matthews Church, this authentic Spanish tapas restaurant/ bar oozes style and seduction. DJs play COMMERCIAL HOUSE on rotation from 10pm at weekends, with a live saxophonist from 11pm. Open until 3am. Free.

SUN 7 OCT @ 02 BRIXTON ACADEMY

Following the release of Outside, AFROFUSION singer Burna Boy is back in to London for an electric performance. Having collaborated with the likes of Fall Out Boy, Lily Allen, Rita Ora, he’s now set to showcase his versatile style of music to his UK fans. 7pm. From £40.

MON 8 OCT @ EFFRA SOCIAL

Comedy improvisation show Duck Duck Goose host their IMPROV JAM plus guests in the Effra Social’s Churchill Lounge every Monday. You can watch or join in! 7.3011pm. Free.

TUE 9 OCT @ CLUB 414

THUR 11 OCT @ DOGSTAR

A night of RnB, early 00s pop and DANCEHALL bangers, Dogstar Thursdays features the likes of Kevin Lyttle, Sean Paul, Akon and Destinys Child. 9am-2am. Free before 10pm, £5 after.

FRI 12 OCT @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON

Join one of the world’s greatest DJs, the one and only DJ JAZZY JEFF, as he steps up and hosts his very own house party. Known for his role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the West Philly hip hop pioneer has three Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, two NAACP Awards, two Soul Train Music Awards and an MTV Music Award. 11pm-5am. £10-£20.

SAT 13 OCT @ BUSSEY BUILDING

Pop over to Peckham as The South London Soul Train’s JAZZHEADCHRONIC welcomes special guest DJ AJ Kwame and one of the USA’s filthiest, funkiest 21st century R&B live groups, the simply outstanding Bad Rabbits. 10pm-5am. £5-£13. £15 OTD.

The Bukky Leo Quartet, an organ-led trio, host a Tuesday night JAZZ special at the 414 with a jam session following the first set. Competent instrumentalists and vocalists can join them to play tunes of their choice in an orderly fashion so every artist gets a chance to bare their soul. 9pm–2am. £5 before 10, more after.

SUN 14 OCT @ BLUES KITCHEN

WED 10 OCT @ POP BRIXTON

Burn Cottage, the winery whose Pinot Noir took first place at the recent Pinot Pundit evening is now doing a victory lap as they invite their in-house wine (drinking) expert Andy Crozier to lead a FREE WINE TASTING for this fantastic range. From 6pm. Free.

Paul Crooks (author and trailblazing genealogist) speaks at the Impact Hub on the hidden Black and British history of Jamaica’s AKAN-SPEAKING MAROONS. 7-9pm. £3/£5.

Come and nurse your soul with this Sunday ritual of BBQ AND BOOZE. Wind down the weekend as James Riley provides a soothing soundtrack of blues and country. 8pmmidnight. Free.

MON 15 OCT @ POP BRIXTON

Serving every Sunday from 1pm at The Prince of Wales, Brixton. Please call 0207 095 1978 or email info@pow-london.com to book your table All of our fryers use groundnut oil if you have any allergy concerns please ask a member of staff

WHAT’S ON  25

brixtonblog.com

OCTOBER 2018

Jamila Omar rounds TUE 16 OCT @ PRINCE OF WALES

Join this entertaining and bang up to date BIG FAT QUIZ night every Tuesday. Each quizmaster is a performer in their own right, from trained actors to professional stand-up comedians, so the stuff in between is every bit as good as the questions. 8pm. £2 per person.

WED 17 OCT @ HOOTANANNY

The Floor Rippers’ Element Jam hosts its monthly showcase giving a glimpse into the HIP HOP culture with music, dance and wordplay. This is a chance for already distinguished as well as budding artists to hone their skill and talent to gain the confidence to capture the attention of a real audience. 9pm-midnight. Free.

THUR 18 OCT @ EFFRA HALL TAVERN A great weekly LIVE JAZZ session at this

WED 24 OCT @ CLUB 414

Weekly event Brixton LATE NIGHT JAM, hosted by Be Atwell and Reverend D Wayne Love of Alabama 3, invites local musicians to come on down to play in front of a live audience in order to gain that vital experience needed before moving on to bigger and better things.10pm-3am. Free with flyer before 12 or £3 before 12, £5 after.

THUR 25 OCT @ PRINCE OF WALES

Thursday nights at the Prince of Wales are dedicated to late night LIVE JAZZ and have been running weekly for four years, making it something of an institution. Expect to see special guest musicians/vocalists dropping by for a jam with house band The Banger Factory and industry heads popping by for a late night tipple. 11pm-3am. Free.

FRI 26 OCT @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON

Travelling collective Cirque Du Soul bring their blend of colour, magic and dance and transform The Electric into a twisted circus of misfits and freaks for a HALLOWEEN special. The air will be soaked with the freshest collection of house, disco funk and soul this side of Chicago. 10pm-5am. £10-£20. much-loved classic Brixton boozer every Thursday night. From 9pm. Free.

SAT 27 OCT @ BRIXTON JAMM

A Hip-Hop x UKG x DANCEHALL special for Part 8 of the Brixton Link-Up. 10pm-5am. £6£8, more OTD.

Experience a Halloween funk and soul extravaganza. Halloween doesn’t have to always be about gruesome tales, so instead celebrate the good times as RIOT JAZZ bring their unique flair to proceedings. 1pm-5am. £6-£15, more OTD.

SAT 20 OCT @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON

SUN 28 OCT @ POP BRIXTON

FRI 19 OCT @ BRIXTON JAMM

Songlines and Soundcrash announce the inaugural SONGLINES MUSIC AWARDS ceremony hosted by Cerys Matthews, with performances by Black String, Mokoomba, Warsaw Village Band/Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa, Vieux Farka Toure, Maya Youssef and more. 7-11pm. £19.50-£25.

SUN 21 OCT @ CLUB 414

Grassroots Live Music. A weekly Sunday night that looks set to encourage and inspire LOCAL GRASSROOTS talent. UB40 trumpeter Patrick Anthony leads the experienced house band, with resident DJs and Caribbean food available too. 10pm-3am. Free.

MON 22 OCT @ POP BRIXTON

Gurpreet from Brixton YOGA teaches Vinyasa Flow, a shared, fun, community experience set to an eclectic and modern soundtrack. With a strong focus on the flow of breath, Gurpreet’s classes work you hard in the early stages, slowing down into a gorgeous movement meditation to close. 6.20-7.40pm. £7.

TUE 23 OCT @ TRINITY ARMS

Test your knowledge to win a £25 bar tab at this weekly PUB QUIZ, held every Tuesday. 8-10pm. Free.

Generation Wealth Thursday 4 | 8pm Lauren Greenfield’s documenatry is a portrait of the USA’s materialistic, image-obsessed culture, bearing witness to the global boom-bust, the corrupted American Dream, and the human cost of capitalism, narcissism and greed. Hereditary Monday 8 – Wednesday 10 | 8pm Sunday 14 | 6pm A family starts to unravel following the death of their reclusive grandmother, who continues to cast a dark shadow – especially over her loner teenage granddaughter Charlie. The Endless Monday 15 – Wednesday 17 | 8pm Sunday 21 | 6pm Among the most exciting voices in current genre cinema, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead in

The Endless play brothers, former members of a UFO death cult, who are invited by old associates to attend an event. Things soon turn strange … My Friend Dahmer Monday 22 – Wednesday 24 | 8pm Sunday 28 | 6pm Before a spate of gruesome murders serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was a teenage loner conducting grisly experiments in a makeshift lab and invisible to most – until his increasingly outlandish behaviour unexpectedly attracted friends. Writerdirector Marc Meyers’ film was shot on location and in Dahmer’s childhood home. It reveals a troubled family life, increasingly bizarre attempts to make friends and fascination with the macabre. Based on a graphic novel by Dahmer’s classmate Derf Backderf. Walking India Thursday 1 November | 8pm To learn the story of its Independence, Olie Hunter Smart walked the 4,500 kilometre length of India over seven months seeking out stories of independence and partition. Invited in by many people, he records shocking first-hand accounts of the struggle for freedom gained 70 years earlier. He had never made a film before and this documentary is the result of almost two years of hard work, self-filming, writing, editing and producing, with support and music by Austin Vince.

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

Skills & Career Progression Programmes in Brixton

MON 29 OCT @ BLUES KITCHEN

Sexy BLUES tunes paired with a side of succulent and saucy ribs. Each and every Monday night. 8pm-midnight. Free.

ESOL

12 November

The Prince Regent PUB QUIZ is held every Tuesday. Big cash prizes, free drinks questions and a rollover jackpot question that grows each week. Come down early because it’s first come first served. 8pm.

Functional skills - English ( Level 1 & 2)

1 November

Functional Skills - Maths (Entry Level)

10 October

Functional skills - Maths (Level 1 & 2)

9 October

WED 31 OCT @ HOOTANANNY

Customer Service/ Business Administration

8 October

Early Years Devt (Entry Level, Levels 2 & 3)

18 October

Work in Adult Social care (Levels 2 & 3)

18 October

TUE 30 OCT @ PRINCE REGENT

Nova presents The River, one of the hottest new INDIE ROCK bands around and buzzing with energy. Expect to hear rousing choruses inspired by bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Peace and Wolf Alice. Supported by Ste Forshaw. 9pm-midnight. Free.

Three gigs in the wonderful Brockwell Park Greenhouses

SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER 5-8PM The Idumea Quartet blend tradition and

Lek and the Dogs Monday 1 – Wednesday 3 | 8pm Sunday 7 | 6pm Andrew Kötting’s ground-breaking crossover between narrative film and contemporary art is based on an award-winning play by Hattie Naylor and inspired by the story of Ivan Mishukov, who spent two years as a young child living on city streets where he was adopted by feral dogs. Lek, played by Xavier Tchili (inset), is a man close to the edge, buried under the weight of his own existential terror.

I Like It Like That presents a Sunday dance, food and chill-out afternoon of the finest SALSA on vinyl, with salsa dura, guaguanco, son montuno, cha-cha, descargas, guaracha y pachangas played by a diverse and talented group of DJs and record collectorsy. 5-10pm. Free.

AUTUMN IN THE GREENHOUSE … SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER 4-5PM (ARRIVE 3.45) Part of the Herne Hill Music Festival – South London based Chebeto Jazz, a quartet led by saxophonist Jose “Chebeto” Requena, and featuring Nick McCarthy on guitar, Michael Giaquinto on bass and Steve Butcher on drums and percussion. Their music is a mixture of standards and original compositions, influenced by the sounds and rhythms of Chebeto’s native Venezuela. £8. £5 concessions. Book at bit.ly/HHMF-CJ

What’s on at Whirled

innovation, deconstructing and reconstituting Appalachian folk music, drawing strong influences from minimalism and experimental music. £10. £7 concessions. Book at bit.ly/BPG-Idumea FRIDAY 19 OCTOBER 7-10PM Folk musicians Rachel Sermanni and Courtney Hartmann. Mojo magazine says that Rachel is “Minimal, Murky, Magnificent”. Acoustic Guitar magazine says that Courtney is a “distinctive guitar stylist … and a songwriter who delights and disturbs.” £12. £9 concessions. Book at bit.ly/BPG-RS-CH

Ask about our courses starting in 2019 ICT, Functional English, Maths, ESOL , Adult Social Care, Teaching Assistant, Business Administration & Customer Service Programme Duration 4 weeks and 12 weeks Class times : Day 9.30am–3.00pm | Evening 6pm–8:30pm | Saturday 9:30–12:30pm Levels Beginner to Advanced

These courses are accredited and FREE* for learners who are either unemployed or earning less than £15,736 per annum. For conditions and further details email info@micomputsolutions.co.uk or call 020 7501 6450. Courses take place at :

MI Computsolutions Skills Development Centre, Brixton Centre The Queen, 47A Bellefields Road, Brixton, London SW9 9UH

26  WHAT’S ON EXTRA

COLUMNS

MAMBISTA IS BACK

GARDENING GEMMA PASHA

As nights turn cold, Mambista returns from its summer break on Friday 5 October to West Norwood’s Portico Gallery to warm us up with hot live Latin licks from Dorance Lorza and Sexteto Café, fresh from the release of their latest album: Tributo … Desde Londres a Cali - winner of 2018’s Latin-UK Awards for album of the year. Colombia-born Dorance formed Sexteto Café in 1996 and they have pioneered the worldwide “salsa con vibes” revival ever since. DJ Gerry Lyseight spins his usual immaculate sounds between and after sets. November 2 will be Mambista’s fourth birthday party Felabration … with Bukky Leo’s Black Egypt channelling the music of Fela Kuti himself. Doors: 8–late. £8 advance from www.porticogallery.org.uk. £10 OTD.

PYROTECHNICS

Not long now until Guy Fawkes Night. The commercial firework show in Brockwell Park on Saturday 3 November is adding a funfair, food from more than 30 traders and a movie soundtrack to the usual flashes, bangs and whistles. An early display is billed as a “spectacular, family friendly extravaganza”. The main event – The Time Tunnel – is at 8pm. Spectators are promised “an incredible show of high octane pyrotechnics” choreographed to “anthems” from Whitney Houston, Oasis, Blur, Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran. The entrance fee – prices are not clear thanks to an “early bird” system – covers both displays. The latest round of pricing ends on 4 October and is more than £9 for an adult and £26.20 for a family (two adults, two children aged 3–15). Numbers will be restricted to 30,000. Gates open from runs from 5pm. First display at 6.45pm. Tickets: bit.ly/Lambeth-fireworks-18

CAFÉ CHRONICLES

Most social media aficionados in South London will have come across Daniel Ruiz Tizon. His podcast series The Café Chronicles – daily missives from a South London Portuguese café – is now available in full (10 x five episodes) from Apple podcasts. For Daniel’s take on the gentrification of Vauxhall and Nine Elms – observed from a world of tobacco, discarded chicken bones, faded denim, easily slighted personalities, exaggerated Mediterranean gesticulations and coffee – go to goo.gl/3tGjyC

HALLELUJAH!

Is nothing sacred? Gospeloke at the Prince of Wales would tend to indicate that nothing is. Whatever – you can let rip your inner Mahalia Jackson in front of a 15-strong, live gospel choir or let them back you in classics like Bon Jovi’s Livin on a Prayer. The Prince will be hosting the choir on Thursdays 11 October, 18 October, and 6 December. Hallelujah! 7-11pm. Tickets £13 or £300 for a VIP table of 20 if you have been blessed with good fortune recently.

Make Do and Mend

www.mdam.co.uk follow us @makedoandmenduk

2018 OCTOBER

The glory of autum

YOU’VE GOT TO HAND IT

Always something new in Brixton, they say. And Kitty Newman, just arrived here from Lewisham, has the latest – she is running free handstand workshops every Thursday at the Effra Social. All you need is a yoga mat. From 7 to 8pm the workshops are for to all abilities. From 8 until 9, for more advanced handstanders.

UNPLUGGED AT THE POUND

Pindrop Sessions at the Brixton Pound café are unplugged sessions designed to create an intimate space to enjoy top quality vocalists and musicians. Two of three nights are still to come: On Friday 19 October guitar-vocal duo Sylvia Schmidt and James Kitchman from London’s improvised jazz scene who are spreading out into Anglo-American folk ballads. On Friday 23 November singer-songwriters The Magic Lantern (Jamie Doe) and InMiriam (Ellie Rose Rusbridge) will create an intimate and special performance. Ticket prices are £5 or £10 – in true Brixton Pound style, the choice is yours. To reserve email: pindropsessions@gmail.com

Autumn is arguably the most beautiful of the seasons and by no means time to hunker down and rule out enjoying the garden – or the outdoors in general. In late September gardens were still full of life with the late-flowering perennials such as dahlias, salvias and the ever faithful boules mauve. Lengthen the flowering life of these plants by dead heading them. This month I wanted to recommend some places to venture out of your gardens, to experience the full glory of Autumn before we descend into the bleak Winter months.

Richmond Park The largest of London's eight Royal Parks, Richmond lies within London Transport Zone 4 so is easily reachable for a quick escape from the capital. More than 600 deer roam the parkland, so this is the perfect place to get close (but not too close) to Great British wildlife in the rutting season.

Windsor Great Park Just over an hour's drive away is Windsor Great Park. Its 4,800 acres have beautiful autumnal walks through woodland, a deer park, gardens and around lakes. The tree-lined “Long Walk”, perfect for taking in the autumn scenery, runs from Snow Hill to the gates of Windsor Castle.

Sky Garden Not ready to brave the cold for the sake of some autumn scenery? Try the Sky Garden in the City for your indoor autumn fix. The year-round greenery has been planted in

colours to complement the light from the surrounding windows. Book an evening visit to catch sunset over the city.

Greenwich Park Greenwich Park offers the best of indoor and outdoor. Wander through its open spaces and take in spectacular views (inset), or visit the Queen's Orchard and discover a variety of seasonal produce. If it rains, head to the Observatory and discover “The Sky Tonight” planetarium show.

Kyoto Garden Autumn is the best time to see this Japanese garden. Just ten minutes' walk away from High Street Kensington, this oasis of tranquillity is the perfect place to settle down with a book or take a stroll to the waterfall, which runs into a pond inhabited by resident koi carp.

Hampstead Heath One of London's largest green spaces, in autumn Hampstead Heath’s blend of wooded areas and open land showcases the colours, sights and smells of the season. Be sure to seek out the pergola. Built in 1904, it is a beautiful example of faded grandeur. øø While you are out enjoying yourself, there is no need to let your garden maintenance suffer. Contact Gemma, The Gardening Girl on 07826 551353 for any gardening needs.

GRITTY AND MESMERISING

Merseyside performance poet Laura Taylor will include South London in a whistle-stop tour of her second poetry collection, Fault Lines, in October. Described as “one of the country’s finest poets, both on the page and on the stage,” by none less than Attila the Stockbroker, she brings her gritty and mesmerising poetry to The Bread and Roses in Clapham on Friday 5 October (7-9pm) and Bar48 at 48 Brixton Road, SW9 6BT on Saturday 6 October (7-9pm).Entry is free, with payment on a pay-as-you-feel basis. Laura will be supported by “The Mouth of the South” Cherry Scott and Gerry Clarkson (aka Guerrilla Lips) on Friday and by Marxist motormouth, writer, poet, activist and original ranter Janine Booth on Saturday.

Vintage & Retro Boutiqu Rework e ed vinta g e , fashion & acces sories fr om 1960’s 1990’s Pop Brix ton - Br ixton St ation Ro Open 7 ad days a w eek

POSY BERNSTEIN’S DATING DIARY

Measuring up Today I cried at my mother’s kitchen table about being single. She said: “Have you tried any of those weird tinder things?” “Noooo” I cried (a lie! Of course I have mum. How else do you think Jess and I used to get lifts when you dragged us on weird country holidays). “Look,” I said. “It’s just not going to happen for me. I know it isn’t.” “That’s ridiculous!” mum exclaimed, “you’re beautiful!” “Yes, but I’m fat.” I said, “and also, I just think men don’t like girls that talk, or, like, shout, or talk.” “That’s ridiculous!” mum exclaimed. “No, I don’t think it is,” I said, thinking of that scene from Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging in which Jas tells Georgia – “boys don’t like girls for funniness.” “All my skinny quiet friends have boyfriends (and girlfriends - it’s 2018 for goodness sake). And NO men ever talk to me or fancy me, and I just think, look even your friends, all the single women are the ones who are really witty and smart and curvy …” “What about Dan and Martha?” “What about them?” “Well Martha’s quite loud. And she’s not skinny.” Typical. Mum is absolutely obsessed with

Martha’s husband, Dan. God knows why – he’s a little pale man with a strawberry blonde receding hairline and no eyebrows. I wanted to say: “Dan is obviously a Sub and Martha is his Domme”. But it didn’t seem appropriate while crying at her kitchen table, so I just said: “Dan is quite short”. “That’s ridiculous!” Mum exclaimed. “He’s not short!” “He is a bit short,” I replied. “How tall is he?” “Who do you think you are? You’re saying men don’t like you because you’re fat and now you’re saying you don’t like them just because they’re not towering giants or something?” She had a point, I mean, obviously I would never, ever fancy Dan, but maybe it’s unhealthy to be on that tinder thing given the most information you receive about a man is their height. FYI boys, “6ft, 4 inches – that’s two measurements” perhaps deserved the slightest chuckle on the first profile I saw it on, 17,192 swipes in, it results in an eye roll/phone thrown across room. Change your bios*. Love, Posy øø If any man wants a flawless and original bio ghostwritten by me, I will charge you 25p per character – £3.50 for true love! posybernstein@gmail.com

OCTOBER 2018

Hill Mead HERALD OUR OWN WINDRUSH JOURNEY Hill Mead is immersing itself in the story of the Windrush to celebrate the 70th anniversary and Black History Month in October. Each year group is finding out about the Windrush Story and then

Three weeks on a ship By Eve and David E (Year 6) An actor from a company called Big Foot Theatre ran a workshop for Year 6 and Year 5. She portrayed a lady from the Windrush. She showed us how stressful it must have been for the people going on the Windrush, having to prepare for a threeweek journey. We had to use our imagination and think of what it would be like if we were from Jamaica and going to England. We found out that many Windrush passengers brought their food with them, such as mangoes, green bananas and sauces, because they thought English food was too plain. We played “Who am I” to find out

Carnival and life in the Caribbean

researching a specific aspect.

By Hind (Year 4) and Linton (Year 3)

So all our Hill Mead Herald

Visitors to school did a workshop with us all about the Windrush. We learnt about life in the Caribbean and how some people travelled from there to England in 1948 and why they did this. We found out that there were adverts telling people to come to England and that, when they got on the ship, it took over three weeks to get to England. In the workshop, we made posters and adverts with pictures of

articles from now until December will be about our journey of learning about this significant event. Year 1 are exploring Jamaican heritage around Brixton; Year 2 are exploring the journey, Years 3 and 4 are finding out about the cultural impact of the Windrush Generation; Year 5 are researching the economic contribution and Year 6 are focusing on the recent scandal

about the different jobs on the ship. I (Eve) guessed that Cassius was a cleaner on the boat. The actor’s performance was good because she was very convincing as a passenger on the boat, pretending that she had a child with her and was going to London to see her husband. She made sure everyone was involved in the Jamaican games and asked us to think about how she should prepare for the journey. Facts we found out: a ticket on the Windrush to London cost 28 pounds and 8 shillings. At today’s prices, that would be more than £600. We want to find out about the life of Windrush passengers in England and how they overcame the brutal ways they were treated.

houses, schools, jobs and money to show people why they should leave the Caribbean for England. We imagined we were in the Caribbean and acted out finding these adverts and deciding to go to England. Then we recreated a carnival when we were in England through dancing and sound effects. Our favourite parts of the workshop were when we got to be in a carnival and come up with an action or rhythm to represent the carnival. We also loved it when we

got to be actors pretending we were in Jamaica and seeing the advertisements telling us to come to England. We are excited to learn more about the Windrush and want to learn how big the Empire Windrush ship was, how many people travelled to England, if there were any stowaways and what people’s life was like in England after they arrived. We also want to know if the Empire Windrush is still around and if people travel on the ship now.

Where people go … and why Year 2 are learning about journeys before finding out about the Windrush. Below is Ayoub’s account of their recent school trip We went on an exciting trip to Victoria Station. First we went to the toilet and then we got out of school and walked to the bus stop.

The journey was so long, but luckily we all had a seat. The bus was very busy. When we arrived we wrote about people and where were they were going and why. I saw a girl with two suitcases. She must have been going on a long journey to Africa or America or Turkey. There were people talking to us, asking what we were doing sitting in the middle of the station. Then we walked to the park to have lunch and saw a cricket. We sat on our coats then opened our bags and had lunch. After that we had to get to the bus stop to get on a bus to Brixton. We had to wait for so long. My favourite bit was when we saw different types of people in Victoria station. We saw so many coaches and one was going to Margate!

Hill Mead pupils want to hear first-hand the experience of the Windrush families. If you are part of the Windrush generation and would be happy visit the school and talk to the children about your experience, please contact deputy head teacher Becky Lawrence on admin@hillmead.org

BRIXTON

Bugle SPORT

BMX: UNBEATEN JASON LEWIS IS TOP VETERAN

Ten riders rode for Brixton BMX against others who were representing clubs from all over London and the South of England in September at the South of England regional meeting at the Merton BMX track in Mitcham Highlight of the day for Brixton was Jason Lewis (left) triumphing in the veterans’ final after winning all his three qualifying races to remain unbeaten all day. Ignacy Lorek from Norbury achieved a well-­deserved and famous victory on his local track by winning the final of the mixed 6 year olds and under age group after very good results in each of his three qualifying races riding for the host club, Merton Saints. Alex Taylor from East Dulwich came third in the final of the 12 year old boys age group after he also got great results in his three qualifying races, coming second in the semi final.

RESULTS MIXED 6 YEAR OLDS AND UNDER EXPERTS Ignacy Lorek (Norbury)

Race 1 Race 2 Race 3

1st

4th

2nd

Quarter Final

n/a

Semi Final

n/a

Final

1st

BOYS 11 YEAR OLDS EXPERTS Leon Bickelmann (Loughborough 5th 2nd 2nd 3rd 3rd 6th Junction) Lukah McKenzie (Tulse Hill) 1st 8th 1st 2nd 5th DNQ # Lukah McKenzie came 2nd in the B Final BOYS 12 YEAR OLDS EXPERTS Tien Albert (Streatham Hill) 5th 4th 6th Max Allfrey (Brixton) 3rd 2nd 3rd Kieran Beneochrist (Clapham) 6th 5th 5th Alex Taylor (East Dulwich) 1st 1st 2nd

n/a n/a n/a n/a

7th 4th 8th 2nd

DNQ 7th DNQ 3rd

MENS 17 TO 29 YEAR OLDS EXPERTS Nathaniel Martin (Peckham) 6th 7th 7th n/a DNQ DNQ # Nathaniel Martin finished 5th in the C Final Jason Lewis Mike Woof (Brixton Hill)

VETERANS 1st 1st

1st

REGIONAL OPEN CRUISERS 4th 7th 7th

n/a

n/a

1st

n/a

DNQ

DNQ

# Mike Woof finished 7th in the C Final MASTERS

A. D. Martin

Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4

4th

3rd

3rd

5th

IMMORTALS STILL TOP

Brixton Immortals were still top of the Anglo Caribbean Domino League as the Bugle went to press. Both they and second place Clapham Eagles have 21 points, but the Immortals have played two

fewer matches. Their next match, on 6 October, is away to United Friendly who have just nine points from eight games. On 20 October they are away again to bottom club Wolverhampton Wolves.

DAY OF MAGIC AS DULWICH SNATCH VICTORY AT LORD’S CROSS ARROWS 313-9 (50) lost to DULWICH 314-9 (49.5) by 1 wicket

Fresh from winning four of their last five league games, Dulwich Cricket Club travelled to the Mecca of the sport to play the Cross Arrows on the nursery ground at Lord’s. Dulwich faced a daunting total of 313, but a remarkable unbeaten partnership of 87 for the last wicket saw them secure a famous victory by one wicket off the penultimate ball. The home side had first use of a good batting pitch with a short boundary on one side. The openers had put 50 on the board in nine overs against Jon Lodwick and Kamran Munawar when skipper James Overy fell to a good running catch on the boundary by Patrick George. George soon joined the attack and he and Sunil Isaac put a brake on the scoring, with George taking 2-19 off seven overs and Isaac 1-30 off eight to reduce Cross Arrows to 137-4 after 27.3 overs. George gave way to 14-year-old leg spinner Ahmed Khan who produced a mixture of loose and challenging

deliveries, and was unlucky not to take a wicket. Salaar Waqar came on at the other end and struck in his first over when Kira Chathli held on to a blinder at mid-off, her second catch of the innings. Three more wickets for Waqar saw the score decline to 228-8 in the 42nd over. But this brought in left hander Clint McCabe, who peppered the short leg side boundary. He was particularly severe on George, who came back at the wrong end to concede 39 off two overs. McCabe fell to Sam Ellison in the 49th over with the score on 304, having made 59 off just 30 balls. The last pair lifted the score to 313-9, with number four bat Phil Wise remaining unbeaten with 87, having faced 100 balls. Waqar, with 4-44, was the most successful bowler. Khan then opened the batting with Matt Balch, and made the early running before falling to Luke Sharp for 24 with the score on 42 in the 11th over. Skipper Ed Stolle was lbw in Sharp’s next over. Tight bowling kept Balch and Chathli down to 24 runs in eight overs before Chathli was bowled for 10. At 72-3 after 21 overs, Dulwich were well behind the rate, but Waqar changed that with a commanding innings of 69 off just 35 balls.

He added exactly 100 for the fourth wicket with Balch in 11.4 overs before being caught on the boundary off McCabe. Balch fell one run later, having held the innings together with a patient 54 off 99 balls. Ellison, who had earlier retired with blurred vision after just one ball, recovered to smash 37 off 20 balls in a stand of 46 in five overs for the sixth wicket with Assan Crawford-Khan. Ellison’s dismissal to McCabe in the 39th over was followed by the run out of Crawford-Khan in the 40th and the wickets of both Munawar and George to McCabe in the 41st. Dulwich had lost four wickets for eight runs as they declined to 227-9 after 41 overs. With 87 runs needed off nine overs the match seemed as good as over. But Lodwick, who had amassed just four singles at this point, now treated McCabe with due respect while launching an assault at the other end, taking full advantage of the short off side boundary. He was given vital support by Isaac, who gave him the strike when he could and defended resolutely when he had to. Sharp, who had taken 2-26 in his first seven overs, was recalled to try and finish it off but was hit for 35 in three overs. Dominic Evans conceded 15 off the 48th to leave 20 required off the last two. But McCabe gave away just four runs off the 49th to leave 16 needed off Evans in the final over. Isaac took a single off the first ball, Lodwick hit the next two for six, and followed up with a two and a single to reach the target with one ball to spare. He had scored 78 out of the last wicket stand of 87, and finished with 82 not out off just 40 balls, with six fours and seven sixes. This remarkable victory capped a magical day. The match was originally scheduled for last season as part of the club’s 150th anniversary celebrations, but was scuppered by the weather. Dulwich expressed their gratitude to their hosts for rearranging it for this season. The match left a lasting memory with the players and officials, and the increasingly vociferous supporters who came along to watch it.

REPORT: John Lewis