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Town hall plans get £50 million go-ahead BY ANNA MCKIE Lambeth councillors have given unanimous approval to their £50m ‘Your New Town Hall’ project. The move will reduce the council’s main office buildings from 14 to two and save around £4.5 million a year, it is claimed. The plans will see part of Town Hall Parade replaced with a new civic centre. Lambeth Town Hall, a Grade II-listed building, will be renovated. Olive Morris House will be demolished to make way for a seven-storey block of 74 flats. Hambrook House will be replaced by a 14-storey block of flats. The project will cost £50m. The council says this will not be a burden on taxpayers because costs will be recouped. Paul McGlone, the council’s deputy leader, said the borough needed to cut running costs urgently but to continue to provide essential public services. The project is “bold and ambitious – and a good deal for Lambeth,” he said. “It will save us millions of pounds a year, and deliver new, affordable, homes as well as hundreds of jobs.”
The council says 194 homes will be created, 78 of them “affordable”. Muse Developments, the company running the project, submitted the application in April and work is likely to start before next year. But the cost has come under fire. Jonathan Bartley, work and pensions spokesperson for the Green Party, said the project encapsulated the double standards of Labour, which runs the council. “It’s destroying local homes and communities like Cressingham Gardens by claiming it has no money for repairs, but is spending tens of millions on its own lavish new building,” said Bartley. “It’s one rule for them and another for locals”.
VICTORIA LINE WORK COMPLETE
Brixtonites heading north will now be able to travel the full length of the Victoria line on all peak-time trains. Work on track improvement, that finished two days early on September 2, means that 36 trains an hour can run the full length of Britain’s highest frequency line. London underground capital programmes director David Waboso said: “The Victoria line now carries 200m passengers each year and, as on the rest of the Tube network, demand is rising”.
SUMMER OF LOVE: As the night’s draw in check out our sunny snaps of the Country Show and Splash PICTURES PAGE 12-13
McGlone rejected the criticisms. “We have consulted with our residents throughout this process. There have been meetings, redrafts and modifications of designs as we’ve listened and responded to people’s views, concerns and suggestions. “To give just a couple of examples – we have modified the design of buildings to improve quality and we are continuing to ask for views on how Olive Morris’s memory will be preserved. (Morris was a founding member of the Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent (OWAAD) in London and established the Brixton Black Women’s Group). McGlone added that the entire scheme had been subject to a “rigorous, independent and transparent” planning applications process. “The same rules have been applied to both Muse and the council as apply to every other scheme, regardless of the applicant,” he said. “The planning applications committee which granted consent is a crossparty committee, and their decision was unanimous.”
Artist’s impression of the view up Brixton Hill towards the refurbished Town Hall with new flats in the background
■■ Lambeth Register Office is moving from the town hall to to the Redfearn Centre. 329 Kennington Lane, Vauxhall, SE11 5QY on September 21.
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GIRL ON FILM: Local success story and film maker Denisha Anderson chats about her documentary made in an ever-changing Brixton Market FEATURE PAGE 11
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GROWING SUCCESS: Discover how much fruit and veg is grown by locals around Brixton and how you can get involved. FEATURE PAGE 10
TASTY TRIBUTE: New kid on the Herne Hill block Milkwood ticks the boxes for simply satisfying fare FOOD REVIEW PAGE 21
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Edition 35 | September 2015 | FREE
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2 NEWS THE BRIXTON BUGLE & BRIXTONBLOG.COM Proudly edited in Brixton Both the website and newspaper are published by a not-for-profit community organisation. It’s run by a committed team of people from Brixton. » Tel 020 3730 1312 » @brixtonblog » @brixton_bugle » www.brixtonblog.com ADVERTISING Jenny Shramenko 07811 878394 jenny@brixtonblog.com Circulation: 10,000 copies Readership: circa 15,000 EDITOR Linda Quinn DEPUTY EDITOR Lindsay Faller lindsay@brixtonblog.com NEWS EDITOR Anna McKie Sub-editor: Jamila Omar Designer: Agnes Graves NEWS newsdesk@brixtonblog.com ARTS & FEATURES Barney Evison Ruth Waters arts@brixtonblog.com FOOD Miss South food@brixtonblog.com SPORT Sandra Brobbey newsdesk@brixtonblog.com ISSUE 35 Writers: Nikki Griffiths, Susan Sheehan Cartoons / Illustrations: Kaylene Akler, Pam Williams Crossword: Josie Gardiner Columnists:, Alison Alexander, Frankie Holah A massive thank you to everybody involved in making this issue, and the Blog & Bugle project, a success
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September 2015
Council floats plan for new management of Brixton’s markets BY LINDA QUINN
Council officials are consulting market traders and the Brixton Business Improvement District (BID) on taking on the management of its iconic markets. Council officials stress that the plan is still at the planning stage and that more thinking has to be done. They believe a partnership of traders and BID would made sense as shops and street markets are seen as the same experience by shoppers and visitors. The London Assembly is conducting a health check on BIDs, and its regeneration committee visited Pop Brixton in early September to hear from Brixton BID, Lambeth council and The Market Traders Federation. Gareth Bacon AM, Chairman of the London Assembly Regeneration Committee, said: “We’re investigating the effectiveness of BIDs and we have some important questions to ask about what exactly they do and what impact they have. We want to know how important they are to the regeneration of an area and how accountable they are to local communities – particularly when they start to take on traditional council-led services. It was great to see what is happening at Brixton BID and to hear about future plans for the
Gareth Bacon: Asking the BID questions in Brixton area. It’s a vibrant place, where small businesses play a key role, but there are, of course, challenges, which our investigation will look into more broadly.” Government has put £500,000 of taxpayers money into BIDs. BID director Michael Smith told the committee that Brixton’s was elected by local businesses and 656 has signed up. 50 have already taken up the BID’s waste recycling scheme, he said. The BID team says it wants to make Brixton a “destination”. Its ambition is to be a collective voice for businesses; to reduce costs through joint procurement; and to offer free training and collective marketing of the area. Tom Bridgman of Lambeth
council’s regeneration team told the committee that the council was developing three significant projects: ●●The town hall scheme to save money to invest back into services and provide enterprise space; ●●300 new homes and a theatre in Somerleyton Road; and ●●Brixton Central (where the old Popes Road car park was) with space for 600 new jobs. “The BID is vital to the work on that,” he said. He stressed the council partnership with the BID is central to the High Street Award grant from the Greater London Authority. The council and the BID are working closely with Brixton’s Market Traders Federation. Free WiFi across the town centre, for instance, would allow the BID to support retailers and businesses. Gareth Bacon asked why Lambeth needed a BID. Lambeth Councillor Jack Hopkins, cabinet member for jobs and growth, said cuts meant that the council had had to think about how to deliver core services. The responsibilities of the town centre manager – a post that no longer exists – are now shared between the BID and the council. Cllr Hopkins said the BID consortium could speak to its members in a way the council could not.
Bus with a message for Brixton’s men A charity is coming to Lambeth on Sunday September 6 to raise awareness of the risk of prostate cancer. Black men have a particularly high risk of getting it, Prostate Cancer UK warns. Its double decker bus will be in Windrush Square from 10am. One in four black men in Britain will be diagnosed with it – double the risk faced by white men. There are more than 1,000 men living with prostate cancer in Lambeth. But research shows that only 8 per cent of black men are aware of the increased danger they face and 23 per cent even think they are at lower risk. Over the next six weeks, the “One In Four Tour” bus will be visiting cities across the country with its simple message: know your risk of prostate cancer and, if you’re aged 45 or over speak to your doctor.
Viv Anderson, former Arsenal and Manchester United defender and the first black footballer to start a match for England, will be touring with the charity. He said: “Every black guy needs to know that we face a considerable threat from prostate cancer. The statistics are startling and simply can’t be ignored. Gogglebox’s Sandra, from Brixton, said: “I’m not one to keep quiet and people need to know that one in four black men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Black men need to be made more aware of the increased risk they face and know where to get advice and support”. ■■Anyone with concerns about prostate cancer can contact Prostate Cancer UK’s specialist nurses in confidence on 0800 074 8383.
THE DUKE IS LISTED
The Duke of Edinburgh has been awarded Grade II listed status. The pub was built on Ferndale Road in 1936 by the Truman Brewery. Historic England recommended to the government that the Duke join the 20 pubs across England built between World War One and World War Two to be listed this year. The pub is described as “handsome and stylistically restrained, with extensive use of good-quality materials and careful, understated detailing, the building exemplifies the character of the inter-war ‘improved’ public house.”
LOUGHBOROUGH ROAD CLOSURES
Lambeth council has closed a number of roads around Loughborough Junction for six months. The experimental scheme began on August 29 and will cost around £28,000. Roads affected are: Loughborough Road, north of the junction with Ridgeway Road, Barrington Road, Calais Street, Padfield Road, Lilford Road and Garden Grove. The council says the closures will reduce the amount of vehicles and benefit businesses in the area.
WOMEN’S EQUALITY PARTY LAUNCHES
The Women’s Equality Party launched their Lambeth branch in August. More than 60 people came to their first event at Upstairs at the Ritzy. Eleanor Harding, a volunteer at the branch, said: “I thought it was fantastic to see so many people at the meeting and to get stuck in to debating and developing ideas around the Women’s Equality Party’s goals. For me, the best thing was the commitment from everyone in the room to working towards a Lambeth branch which represents the diversity of the borough.” The next event is September 23, 7pm, at The Effra Social.
£20K REWARD FOR INFORMATION
Jerrell Elie – man charged Police have charged a man with the murder of 17-year-old Jerrell Elie (above) in Brixton. The teenager from Camber well died from severe head injuries on Saturday August 8 in Flaxman Road SE5. Nathan Junior Bell, 29, from Portland Grove, Stockwell, has been charged and remanded in custody. after appearing at Croydon Magistrates’ Court.
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A £20,000 reward been offered for information on the murder of 56-yearold Terry Isaacs. On February 19 Isaacs was found near Bannister Close, Brixton, suffering from multiple head injuries. He died in hospital five days later. Isaacs’s holdall style bag, wallet with a flag of St George and blue border with the word England written on it, his two mobile phones – a black Samsung and a black Alcatel – a green metal tobacco tin with writing that says “tell your girlfriend I said thanks” are all missing. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the investigation team on 020 8721 4054 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
CANTERBURY ARMS CLOSES
The Canterbury Arms closes it doors for good on September 5. The pub on Canterbury Crescent will be demolished and become a nine-story private residential block. On the pub’s Facebook page Brian Fitzgerald, who has ran the pub for more than 20 years, said: “it is with extreme sorrow that we say goodbye to the pub that became home for me and my family over a very long period.”
September 2015
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NEWS 3
No more Brockwell Park fireworks BY ANNA MCKIE
Lambeth council have announced the end of the Brockwell Park fireworks. The council says that due to budget cuts it is no longer able to afford the annual display, despite the introduction of charging for entry last year. Lambeth’s funding has been cut in half by central government cuts and says it “must carefully prioritise how it spends its money.” However, the council says it will be keeping Lambeth Country Show going – and free. Cllr Jane Edbrooke, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “The Government have cut our budget by more than 50 per cent – forcing us to make more than £200m worth of cuts. “We simply can’t afford to fund everything in the way we once did and so we have
to prioritise the thing our residents care about most. “In terms of events, that is undoubtedly the Lambeth Country Show – one of the most popular events in the whole capital and a fixture in Lambeth’s calendar for over 40 years. “The Country Show will remain; it will be free and will continue to offer the very best in family entertainment. “Our commitment to the Country Show and the pressure on our budget means that we simply cannot afford to stage a fireworks event this year. Last year we had to charge people to attend the fireworks in Brockwell Park and still the event cost the council a significant amount of money. “We feel that the resources we do have should be directed to providing a free event in the summer, open to everyone.”
Zac Efron in Brixton Zac Efron brought some Hollywood glamour – and some screaming fans – to Brixton last month. The Ritzy was the slightly unusual venue for the premiere of Efron’s latest film We Are Your Friends. He was joined in the rain by co-star Emily Ratajkowski (Gone Girl) and first-time feature film director Max Joseph (Catfish: the TV show). Efron stars as an aspiring electronic dance music DJ, with Ratajkowski as his love interest.
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Barber shop boys Fruit & veg voucher make a difference scheme to launch Kris & Ben Theophanous are launching a “traditional barber shop focused on supporting local community”, they tell the Bugle. “A barber shop has always been a key centrepiece of local communities. We want build on these traditional values and give something back,” says Ben. They aim to have 25 per cent of their workforce as apprentices, and offer a range of events, activities and exhibitions in the evenings. “We want to give local people the opportunity to develop professional skills and a potential career path, as well as get involved with activities and events
aimed at making a difference to the local community,” say the pair. This will be a barber shop with a difference. “We want to create a platform where local people and community figureheads can meet with council staff in a relaxed environment, to discuss local topics, issues and new ideas to support community growth,” say the two cousins. The shop also has plans to collaborate with the Lambeth College art department, to display local art, and work so people can view local art, and plan to host evening events like storytelling for children, open-mic sessions, and language classes.
Brixton Market Traders Federation has joined forces with the Alexander Rose Charities in a fruit and veg vouchers scheme that supports families on low incomes. The scheme officially launches later this month. The scheme is designed to enable families to buy a larger quantity of healthy food from somewhere they can easily get to and that has more choice. Stuart Horwood, CEO of Brixton Market Traders Federation says five fruit and veg stalls have already joined the scheme. People on lower incomes are one and a half times more likely to get diabetes than those on higher incomes and to have a lower life expectancy.
4 NEWS
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September 2015
Lambeth County Court faces closure BY WILLIAM TEMPLE
The government has begun consulting on plans to close Lambeth County Court. The moves comes as part of on-going reforms to the justice system which would see one in five courts across the UK closed in order to cut costs. Lambeth County Court currently serves the residents of Lambeth and Southwark and hears cases in relation to matters such as possession proceedings, disputes over debt, intestacy, mortgage repossession cases and personal injury claims. The new proposals would mean that residents would have travel to Wandsworth County Court to have their civil dispute heard. Another option presented is that parties are required to present their case over the phone or via the internet. Local lawyer, Dirghayu Patel of G T Stewart Solicitors, says he is concerned about the closure. “The Wandsworth County Court is
much smaller than Lambeth County Court and I cannot see how it will manage the workload. Local residents may not get a fair hearing,” he said. “Closing Lambeth County Court will certainly prejudice a large number of local cases that involve debt and disability, with or without unreliable technology.” However, The Ministry of Justice says Lambeth County Court is underused and is only utilising 39 per cent of its capacity as a court. Courts and tribunal minister Shailesh Vara said: “Access to justice is not just about attending court. As we bring in digital technology for better and more efficient access to justice, fewer people will need to physically be in a court.” Whether the proposals will go ahead will be determined by the consultation process which runs until October 8. Enquiries and responses can be sent by email to estatesconsultation@ hmcts.gsi.gov.uk or by post to HMCTS Consultation, Ministry of Justice, Post Point 1.13, 102 Petty France, SW1.
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No need for speed in Lambeth All roads in Lambeth are to be given a 20mph speed limit. From November, streets under the control of Lambeth council will be given the new speed limit, as well as two major Transport for London (TfL) routes. The council says the move is part of its aim to have “the safest and greenest streets in the capital.” Most of the roads in the borough are controlled by Lambeth but TfL are also piloting a 20mph limit in Brixton town centre (between St Matthew’s Road and Stockwell Park Walk) and Clapham High Street (between Clapham Park Road and Bedford Road), which forms part of Cycle Superhighway 7. The new speed limits will be marked with signs and road markings. Cllr Jennifer Brathwaite, cabinet member for environment and sustainability, said: “We want safer streets in Lambeth; streets where people enjoy living and working and where they feel safe to walk and cycle. “A 20mph limit will reduce the number, and severity, of accidents on the roads and improve air quality by encouraging more sustainable modes of transport. “Many of our roads are already 20mph – we have seen the benefits it brings and the majority of Lambeth residents want to see calmer traffic on their streets. “It’s about people acting responsibly to make the borough a better place for everybody – and motorists have a part to play in that just as
much as anybody else.” Jonathan Bartley from the Green Party told the Bugle: “The borough-wide limit is welcome and long overdue, and the council’s delay has undoubtedly cost lives. It is something we have been campaigning for since 2008. But while other local authorities have pushed ahead, Lambeth’s roads have steadily worsened so it is now London’s deadliest borough. “Transport for London have said that they were waiting on action from Lambeth before they could implement 20mph along Red Routes in the borough, so we will now be pressing TfL for similar limits right along some of the most dangerous stretches such as Streatham High Road.”
September 2015
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NEWS 5
Jumping for joy at Ebony Horse Club BY ANNA MCKIE
Sandwiched between tower blocks and a railway line is not the most likely place find horseriding stables, but then Ebony Horse Club in Brixton is not your usual pony club. Since it opened in 2011, Ebony has been teaching young people i n B r i x t o n ’s Coldharbour Ward, one of the most disadvantaged inner city neighbourhoods in the
country, to ride and take care of horses. This summer has been the club’s busiest: they erected a climbing wall and were visited by Olympic medallist Ben Maher, while also continuing with their regular lessons and holding summer riding competitions. Letty, the Engagement manager at Ebony, says they brought in the climbing wall so they could reach even more children. She says it is more than just “a place to learn to ride.” “We want to see progress from the children – and a commitment. It can take a few years but one day it just clicks, they really benefit from what riding and
No laughing gas matter Lambeth has become the first borough in London to ban laughing gas. The council has approved the introduction of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that essentially bans the legal high. Since August 17, anybody caught using or supplying legal highs, such as laughing gas, in public areas in the borough could face a maximum fine of £1,000. The Antisocial Behaviour Crime & Policing Act, introduced in 2014, means local authorities have the power to come up with their own laws to tackle antisocial behaviour through PSPOs. Lambeth says they started receiving complaints about laughing gas last summer
and there have been 57 reports by police regarding legal highs in the borough over the last year – with incidents including robbery, theft, anti-social behaviour and sexual assault. Cllr Jane Edbrooke, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “Legal highs are simply not safe – we saw that just days ago with the death of a teenager who had inhaled laughing gas. “It is our duty to keep our residents safe and this new order should deter people from supplying and using legal highs in the borough. “The litter and antisocial behaviour has also blighted areas like Vauxhall and Clapham and now we have the power to do something about it.”
its responsibilities can bring. Some of the children who come here have been brought up in a really difficult environment: from overcrowding at home to parents with drug and alcohol abuse problems. We want to give them a safe place to be but also something more: we want them to put their skills to use.” When the charity, which had been running for 19 years, arrived at Millbrook Road they had to excavate thousands of needles before it was safe to set up but now the atmosphere couldn’t be more different. Young people are not just taught how to ride horses but also how to care for them and to work in the stables. They often go on on residential trips, recently a group travelled to Gloucestershire. They are also given the opportunity to study for qualifications, such as a BTEC in Horse Management, and take British
Horse Society exams. Shanice, 19, has been involved with Ebony since she was eight, she currently works as a groom in the yard and is completing an Equine Studies Foundation degree at Plumpton College. Safia, 13, said: “There’s something about being around horses. It’s just really calming and when there’s stuff going on at home you know that people here will listen.” Letty says it’s a precarious time for the charity. It is in its fourth year and they are working hand to mouth. They receive donations from places like Sport England but funding is always precarious. Letty says it would be “devastating” for the community if Ebony was forced to close, as so many young people have come to rely on it. Laura, 14, explained: “Ebony Horse Club means a lot to me. There’s always someone to talk to and you know that you won’t be judged by anyone, including the horses!”
6 NEWS
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September 2015
Brixton Fund:
featured community group Every month the Brixton Bonus provides revenue for the Brixton Fund, our new microgrants scheme in Brixton for projects looking to create employment, challenge injustice and create com-munity benefit. The Indoamerican Refugee Migrant Organisation (IRMO), based in Brixton, is the sort of group that would be eligible to apply for funds. IRMO is a migrant-led organisation that has provided support to the Latin American community in London since 1985.
#BrixtonBonus Become a regular player and
earn yourself some goodies!
Brixton Bonus is a monthly prize draw with two winners: you, and Brixton. Get a chance to win B£1,000 while supporting Brixton via the Brixton Fund! To enter, go to brixtonpound.org/brixton-bonus If you’re a Brixton Pound member already, you can play-by -text! Simply text ‘pay bonus [amount between 1-10]’ to the regular Brixton Pound payment number (07754832867). Next draw: Friday 25th September - get in!
Its main aims are to combat poverty, to defend its community members’ human rights and to empower them to build a stable life in the UK.
Why don’t you become a... Brixton Backer at least 1 entry/month: receive a collectors’ Jeremy Deller B£5 note Brixton Builder a least 3 entries/month: receive a collectors’ Jeremy Deller B£5 note + a collectors’ David Bowie B£10 note Brixton Booster at least 5 entries/month: receive a much-admired B£ T-shirt worth over £20 Brixton Boss 10 entries/month - receive a beautiful B£ T-shirt worth over £20, plus we’ll take you out for lunch at a B£ business of your choosing!
#BrixtonBonus:
Winners’ Stories Here’s what some
So whenever you buy a Brixton Bonus ticket, you will be contributing to the Fund, which will then support groups like IRMO. One more reason to get involved!
other winners have said:
Deirdra, who won a gift bag from 20 Storey, Brixton’s acclaimed gift shop: “So excited to have won & so delighted with my prizes. 20 Storey is my favourite gift shopping store so a real treat to have presents for me! I’ve long been a user of the Brixton Pound as I feel it’s important to support the local community. I entered the draw in the spirit of support but I never expected to win.”
PS. If you’ve got a B£ account, you can donate to IRMO by texting ‘pay IRMO [amount]’ to the Brixton Pound payment number (07754832867).
Samantha was the lucky winner of the B£1000 top prize, which, as she said, “made her year!” She’s planning to treat friends in need of TLC to cocktails and dinner, though she’ll still have a fair bit spare to spend on herself after that!
Karla, who found out she’d won a massage from the Brixton Therapy Centre while on holiday in NYC: “I am so pleased to have taken part and won a prize in the Brixton Bonus! I can’t wait for my massage!” Patrik, who won a runner-up prize of B£20: “Great to win a Brixton Bonus prize. Purely a happy bonus because happy to support
local businesses and community but now I get to eat more tasty Brixton food!” Read more about the Brixton Bonus winners on brixtonpound.org/blog
September 2015
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NEWS 7
Burka-wearing robbers jailed BY ANNA MCKIE Two men who disguised themselves in burkas to rob a Brixton pawnbrokers were foiled when members of the public noticed “they did not walk like women.” The pair, who targeted a Harvey and Thompson pawnbrokers on Atlantic Road, have now been jailed for a total of 20 years. On May 27, Michael Lindo, 34, and Aaron Anthony Dumetz, 24, arrived at the shop at 9 am - both dressed in burkas. The robbers threatened two female staff members with an imitation firearm and forced them to open the
pawnbroker’s safe. The duo then got their hands on over £44,000 worth of jewellery and more than £10,000 in cash. However, members of the public had noticed the pair and became suspicious because “hey did not walk like women, Inner London Crown Court heard. They raised the alarm and unarmed officers confronted Lindo and Dumetz, chasing and catching them after the pair fled. The officers were praised for “remarkable bravery in tackling the armed robbers, especially as they had no way of knowing that the firearm was in fact an imitation weapon.”
Michael Lindo, jailed for 11 years
Aaron Anthony Dumetz, jailed for 9
Judge Nic Madge said the raid would have involved “reconnaissance and careful planning” to acquire the burkas and a fake firearm. The court heard that Lindo, a football coach, had an “appalling previous record”, with 19 previous convictions for robbery or attempted robbery, two involving firearms. He was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment and Dumetz, a trainee carpenter, received a custodial sentence of nine years. The judge added that it would have been difficult to identify the robbers because of their disguise if members of the public had not intervened. Investigating officer DS Gary Ferguson of The Flying Squad, East London Branch, said: “On behalf of the Met’s Flying Squad I would like to thank the local Lambeth Police officers, who bravely followed the two robbers from the scene and tackled them, despite not knowing at that time if the firearm used on the robbery was real or not. “It was these officers and members of the public, who reported the two robbers actions to police, that has secured the conviction of these two men and
Changes to Electric Avenue
the recovery of a substantial amount of stolen jewellery and cash. Lindo in particular is a career criminal and this timely intervention has averted a serious threat to public safety and commercial premises in particular.”
Some families have periods of instability due to life issues. Perhaps it is related to health; family breakdown; substance dependency or they are simply losing the struggle to cope. Support organisations do all they can to keep families together but there can come a point where children are at risk of being harmed and of having their most basic needs neglected.
Michael Lindo and Aaron Dumetz leave the pawnbrokers dressed in burkas
Could you be a foster carer in
Brixton?
At Children First we are looking for foster carers who can offer a home and encouragement to children who have not had a good start in life. We are a well established, independent fostering agency - inspected by Ofsted and a gold standard Investor in People. Children First works in close consultation with our foster carers, local authorities, our social workers, and most importantly, the children and young people we look after. Lambeth council’s “improvements” to Electric Avenue are scheduled to begin in October. The council has published its final draft detailing its proposals for Electric Avenue. The plans includes a revised layout for market stalls that maximises pedestrian space, the introduction of new LED street lighting, one way working (except cycles) in a southbound direction and the introduction of entrance features to the three market streets. According to the document the proposals are designed “to help both market traders, local businesses and local residents” because
“Electric Avenue in particular has a rundown and neglected feel”. The traders the Brixton Bugle spoke to were largely in favour of the proposals The total cost of these improvements are estimated at £935,000. The money is made up of £505,000 from the Mayor’s High Street Fund), £180,000 from the council’s Borough Roads Investment Programme and £250,000 from the council’s 2015/16 Local Implementation Plan programme.
As one of our foster carers you will receive expert training and the benefit of support groups in your area. A member of our team will always be on hand with help and advice, including out of hours assistance.
Could you make that difference to a child’s life? If you have ever thought about becoming a foster carer in Brixton, or would like to find out more, please take a look at our website www.cffa.co.uk or call Kim free on 0808 178 1144
8 YOUR BRIXTON
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September 2015
50 YEARS OF FRIENDLY ADVICE Brixton Advice Centre celebrates its 50th anniversary next year – who better to help mark the occasion than new director Patrick Torsney (right). Patrick, who joined the centre last month, has years of experience as an adviser and director and as one of the team behind social welfare site ilegal.org.uk. The Bugle went along for a chat. Our conversation started with the Save Brixton Arches campaign which sums up much of how Patrick feels about the importance of community. He believes in allowing people to speak for themselves and providing the amplification for them to be heard when they do. Brixton Advice Centre offers free, impartial advice to local residents on employment, housing and benefits issues. It tries to tailor its provision to what people in Brixton need with a mix of pre-booked appointments, drop-in clinics and short or long-term casework that considers the socio-economic and ethnic mix of the area. It also offers a way for people to access information, help and support to function in a local community within a changing global city. And, it has to do this without losing anyone’s trust or showing bias. The centre has a mix of experienced advisers, locally based trustees, council funding and a receptionist who knows the area so well there are few people she doesn’t know by name. Patrick has come on board when Brixton is changing rapidly and austerity is putting pressure on social welfare such as legal aid, employment rights, the welfare state and housing provision. Patrick is keen to emphasise that Brixton Advice Centre and Lambeth are continuing to provide advice services to Lambeth residents no matter what else in the borough is changing. He wants to make these more accessible and open to people in future, noting that once you’ve realised you need advice and are ready to ask for help it shouldn’t be a struggle to actually access it. There is a new website and a change to opening hours to help this along. The centre will focus on advice provision rather than campaigning. This allows people to function more easily – whether it’s advice on eviction, employment issues or benefits for a disabled child. His way of thinking is ‘do good things and do them together.’ Having managed to discuss all these points it turns out Brixton
>>>RECLAIM YOUR BODY Advice Centre needs some community interaction of its own. The building is in need of renovation inside and out if it is to achieve its aims. Bricks and mortar have taken a back seat for the past 15 years and a huge amount of work is needed, from new windows and external painting to fixing cracks and holes inside. The centre plans to launch fundraising in the community in the coming months to help this along. Patrick is keen to involve local people in other ways too – by adding new trustees and friends of the centre to keep it fresh, innovative and forward-thinking. He’d welcome the input from people with relevant skills – from financial, fundraising, social media, BAME or disability expertise or anything else that helps link its work back to the community it serves. Anyone interested in volunteering their time can use the contact form on the Centre’s website to get in touch. It’s clear Patrick wants to nurture the balance between the Centre and its community and concentrate on developing the social currency that has long since made Brixton the place it is. They say ‘good fences make good neighbours’ but if Patrick and his staff at the Centre have anything to do with it, it’ll be ‘good advice makes good community’ instead. Brixton Advice Centre, 167 Railton Road, is open 10am to 3pm, Monday to Thursday, for advice for Lambeth residents. Visit the website at brixtonadvice.org.uk
Ladies, it’s time to take our power back and reclaim our bodies. A new season is around the corner… let’s make it the season of the Warrior Woman! For too long we’ve been sold the wrong message about what female fitness is. The simple truth is, it’s about health, strength and dedication. Happiness, confidence and the body you deserve are just the great by-products. When it comes to fitness, there’s an athlete in all of us and it’s definitely time for her to shine. We need to train her well, feed her well and treat her well - the rest and recovery matters as much as the sweat and reps. It is so easy to be hyper-critical of bodies with so many Photoshopped and filtered images flying around, which makes it even more important to remember that we’re all unique in shape and size. Not only should we celebrate this, but our baseline objective should be to live healthfully and not for the next fitness fad or trend. Throughout my training journey, experience has shown me that I am happiest and healthiest both in mind and body, when my goal is not based on achieving a look, but running a faster time than last week or adding one more pull up than I thought possible. Nothing beats that feeling of achievement and when you are making progress and enjoying what you do, the rest just follows... So, whatever your fitness level and whatever your shape, train to suit what YOU want to achieve, with YOUR health and happiness at the heart and in a way that YOU enjoy. Train and eat well not because you hate your body but because you LOVE your body!!! Channel that inner Warrior Woman! Follow my fitness journey online @frankieholah and #jointhetribe at my Brixton Bootcamp in Brockwell Park. For more information and personal training enquiries you can get in touch on frankie@frankieholah.com - let’s build that all year-round body!
We are pleased to announce that MasterChef champion Tim Anderson’s Japanese soulfood adventure has found a permanent home in Brixton’s old eel and pie shop on Coldharbour Lane (until recently Gyoza). We are partially restoring it to it’s former glory (including eel on the menu) to make a combination izakaya (Japanese afterwork bar with drink friendly side dishes) and ramen shop. Expect Nanban’s modern take on traditional southern Japanese food that made our pop-ups so successful, as well as Brixton-influenced dishes created during our residency at Market House (just across the road). The amazing drinks list will be focused on beer and shochu, Japanese . . um, hard to describe . . stronger than sake and - well, come and find out!
opening LATE september
426 COLDHARBOUR LANE, BRIXTON SW9 8LF FOLLOW @NANBANLONDON ON TWITTER FOR INFORMATION AND UPDATES
a taste Kumamoto Ramen tonkotsu ramen with braised pork belly, fermented mustard greens, burnt garlic oil, garlic chips, tea-pickled egg, etc.
Curried Goat Tsukemen: dipping ramen with goat curry, tea-pickled egg, pickled Scotch bonnets, etc.
Electric Eel: lightly breaded, Dead Ringer deep-fried eel with Chanpon: pork, lime-ginger sauce chicken, and seafood and sanshō pepper broth ramen with stirMojiko Yakifried shellfish and Curry: vegetable vegetables, seafood curry on rice with sawdust, salted duck melted cheese, egg, etc onsen egg, and pickles
Horumon-Yaki: twice cooked pig tripe with garlic chives, bean sprouts, spicy miso sauce, and yuzu-pickled radish Ackee & Salt Saltfish Korokke: Japanese-style potato croquettes with ackee and flaked salt cod
September 2015
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Brixton illustrated PAPA’S PARK
EDITORIAL 9
This month’s Brixton Illustrated suggestion comes from @Katyric. She tweets ‘The little vegetable garden in Papa’s Park on Pulross Road. Next to the playground. They grow lovely cabbage there.’ Tweet or email your suggestions for Brixton’s best green spaces to @kpictures or info@kaylenealder.com and win a free print
COMMENT Autumn is here without the p ro m i s e d s u n s h i n e f o r t h e summer. The only bright spots were the Lambeth Country Show and Splash - and they were hot! The sun shone, plenty of good music and lots for everyone to do. We feature some of the highlights in pictures on pages 12 to 13. Maybe we’ll get lucky with weather this month. It’s not just the weather that’s changing. Brixton continues its cycle of change. Not everyone a g r e e s i t ’s a g o o d t h i n g . Gentrification, yuppification and trustafarianism are some of the nicer words you will hear to describe how Brixton is changing. Regeneration, civil pride, entrepreneurial spirit equally describe what’s going on - and it isn’t just council speak. Brixton has never stopped changing. In the seventies the area had already changed from its 19th century heyday. Once home to the affluent and the artistic, it was now home to a mixture of nationalities attracted by cheap rents and a degree of tolerance not found in other parts of London. Market Row and Brixton Village are attracting huge numbers of young people. Any fears that it would end up like Borough Market, or the central market in Barcelona where large numbers of tourists with cameras outnumber those there to buy produce, leading to a loss of trade, have yet to materialise. But there is a need for vigilance. Network Rail is now negotiating with the businesses under the Arches in a way that it didn’t do before the public outcry. Pop Brixton is thriving and is 85 per cent local entrepreneurs. The plans for the new Town Hall have just gone through. The council and Brixton Bid and the Market Traders Federation all have ambitious plans to support regeneration through strengthening business partnerships, improving the market and the local environment. But all of this is happening against a 50 per cent cut to the council budget. Where once the council took responsibility, that burden will now be shared. But it has to be done with the agreement and support of the community. Local traders, shop owners, startups, as well as those who live, work, play and shop all have a view on how Brixton will shape up for the next decade and the next generation. Only time will tell if that generation reflects the diversity that makes Brixton the great place it is to live and work. If you have stories to share please get in touch: news@brixtonblog.com
Advice for the ethical gentrifier BY TEMI OGUNYE
Living an ethically blemish-free life is near impossible in the world as it is. But we should be careful to distinguish between processes we don’t like and the people caught up in them. We may hate the way gentrification rips apart long-standing communities, but should feel differently about those involved in the process. This doesn’t mean that the actions of gentrifiers are immune from criticism. Gentrifiers can’t be blamed simply for being involved in the process; that would be like saying many people should never move from their place of origin (whatever that means). But there are ways to be a more or less ethical gentrifier. I’ve come up with four: 1. Remember: there was something here before you arrived. One of the features of gentrification is the sense it transforms once vibrant and diverse areas into sanitised, homogenous versions of their former selves. Sometimes this is expressed as ‘social cleansing’ which seems to me inappropriate, or is
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quaintly expressed as loss of ‘character’ or ‘colour’. The point is that gentrification involves making socially or ethnically diverse areas whiter, more generic and more middle class. Those engaged in the process should educate themselves about what the area was like before they arrived. This is simple manners. Just as it would be rude to travel to a different country without any knowledge or interest in its culture or history, so the same is true of moving to a new area. Curiosity about a place’s past is also a good tactic when it comes to getting to know locals, who may be wary of your presence. 2. Befriend long-standing residents. People fear change, but change is constant. The question is do those affected feel they have a stake? Many people affected by gentrification do not engage with the process, not least because it forces many to move. Long-standing residents who remain are witnessing a place they have known transform before their eyes. This can be a disorientating experience. One way to deal with this is to have conversations and build relationships. This is a two-way street: long-standing residents should reach out to newcomers as well as the other way around. But given the disruption and dislocation gentrification brings, the onus is on the ethical gentrifier. 3. Support the local economy. We are regularly told that we should reject big chain stores and shop at independent retailers. Often this is just a way for middle-class people to elevate their expensive tastes on a platform of moral superiority. A big Tesco has co-existed
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alongside a traditional market in Brixton for many years. Both serve the needs of local people efficiently and affordably, while allowing the community to express its character. The question is not whether an enterprise is ‘independent’ (from whom?) but whether it plays a positive role in the local economy and community. What we want are businesses that recognise and fulfil their duty to enrich the communities they serve, by training and employing local people, or actively championing local culture and innovation. The recent Pop Brixton initiative is a good example, despite its trendy exterior. Ethical gentrifiers should support businesses that support the local economy and community, not those that simply leech off it. 4. Volunteer. Volunteering is good for everyone involved. It benefits the direct recipient – the vulnerable child mentored, the homeless person fed – but also the volunteer themselves, who gain in skills and confidence, or improved health and well-being. It also helps people to build a stake in their local community. This is important where there’s erosion of the shared history and experience that binds local people to each other and their area. Volunteering enables ethical gentrifiers to help individuals, help themselves, and help rebuild the communities that gentrification often erodes. What’s not to like? This is the advice gentrifiers should follow if they want to be ethical. I’ll end with a tip for governments concerned with the social impact of gentrification as a process: build more bloody homes, and make them affordable while you’re at it.
t: 020 3730 1312
10 FEATURES
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September 2015
GROWING GREEN IN ST MATTHEW’S The Bugle is curious to see how much food is grown around Brixton in pots, containers, balconies and beds by local communities. This month we feature Green Fingers on the St Matthew’s Estate.
St Matthew’s Estate community like to get their hands dirty from an early age. The young Green Fingers group, including locals Tiayana, Rushawa, Adriel and Bidi were busy digging up potatoes to take home for the pot when The Bugle arrived. Ewa Neal, from the Tenants and Residents Association (TRA) and Green Fingers co-ordinator Ruth Arnott, a community gardener from Edible Living, were there to meet us. This was Ruth’s fourth session with the children. She is joined once a month by 15 to 20 of them to tend the beds, plant and grow vegetables. There are apple trees, tomatoes outside the community hall, potatoes and chard. A £300 grant from Capital Growth paid for
the tools. The Green Fingers project began after the council made money available for landscaping from the sale of land to a housing association. Tenants used it to enhance their space, build a playground and put the raised beds in where the children play. Ivor Picardo, manager of the Edible Living project, helps provide food-growing space on Lambeth Housing land, builds raised beds and organises gardening workshops via Ruth Arnott. Current projects include cooking and food-growing training for Lambeth residents – look out for more information in The Bugle. The St Matthews TRA organises ‘Big Soup’, which happens in October as part of Black History
INCREDIBLE EDIBLE -
Month. The kids help harvest the vegetables that go into the soup pot and the community sups together. Green-fingered grown-ups also have plots at the Springett House plot where they grow gherkins, carnations, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, dill and sweetcorn. Squirrels and birds that helped themselves have lost out to a mesh roof cover paid by a Love Lambeth grant. Ewa has been involved right from the start four years ago and says people get involved “for the fun of it and the peace of mind while you’re gardening”. The TRA meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm in St Matthew’s Tenants Hall. Anyone interested in Green Fingers can register an interest and leave contact details.
FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS . . .
BY SUSAN SHEEHAN
Incredible Edible has grown from small beginnings in 2007 in Yorkshire’s Todmorden to over 100 groups in the UK, including Incredible Edible Lambeth, which works with food activists in Brixton and the rest of the borough. In Lambeth it began as a way to link up community food-growing, cooking and eating projects and small ethical food businesses that were starting up, so that they could support one another and feel part of something bigger that would increase the availability of healthy and sustainable food. Incredible Edible Lambeth (IEL) has its roots in Transition Town Brixton. One of the best ways of moving to a low-energy future is to rethink food – growing some, but also buying more local and sustainable produce. IEL began in 2010, set up with funding from Capital Growth, the London mayor’s initiative to encourage food-growing in the city. It regularly brings together food activists in the borough. Recent successes include helping to set up the Lambeth Food Partnership, which aims to shape and influence local food policy. Funding from Esmee Fairburn Foundation supports food growing through the creation of ‘hubs‘ - in Myatt’s Field Park, Brockwell Park Greenhouses, Streatham Common, Rosendale Allotments and now Clapham Common. The group is seeking more funding for new developments and is working on an Incredible Edible route in Clapham with the founder of the Incredible Edible Network, Pam Warhurst. Susan and Ewa with some of St Matthew’s young green fingers.
A little green thumb equals a greener plate Children who get hands-on with vegetables are more likely to eat them. They are five times more likely to eat vegetables they grow themselves and the number who eat salad increases too. People in Lambeth spend half a billion pounds a year on food. But more than 95 per cent of that goes to large chain supermarkets. Incredible Edible wants Lambeth to help local businesses gain a larger share of that spend. Money spent in local businesses is re-spent locally in other ones, meaning more local economic activity. Incredible Edible Lambeth is making a list of resources for local cooks – from learning to cook to starting your own business. Get in touch at www.incredibleediblelambeth.org
September 2015
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FEATURES 11
N O T IX E
L P O PE
BR
HA DENIS
ANDE
FILM RSON,
MAKER
DENISHA’S TAKE ON BRIXTON
Local success story and film maker Denisha Anderson revisits Brixton Market to see what’s changed in four years INTERVIEW BY LINDA QUINN Brixton-born film maker Denisha Anderson has lived in New York, South Africa, France and is now residing in Amsterdam. But her heart’s in Brixton where she grew up. Her family still live here, including grandparents who haven’t left since they arrived back in 1956. Her two short films about Brixton Market capture many of the issues that face long-time residents and newcomers to the community. After her degree in film production in 2011, Denisha, 26, decided to put her skills to use there. “I began a piece on a particular market trader in Brixton who, I later found out, had been working there for 58 years! Still loving every minute of his job, despite the early hours and long days. “Four years later I thought I’d go back and see how the stall was doing. The hanging cloud of gentrification plaguing Brixton has already led to sad goodbyes from the community to much-loved establishments like Kaff Bar, Plan B and Electric Social. “What I discovered this time round is the reality, from those who know it best. I feel it is important to make as many people as possible aware of the effect it has on locals and tradesmen who have contributed to the warmth and vibrancy that is Brixton. “It seems to be fading out at dramatic speed, replaced by overpriced eateries and restaurants that don’t cater to families.”
Denisha became interested in film after one of her courses at the Arts University in Bournemouth was cancelled. She opted for film studies instead and graduated with an honours degree in film production. “It came to me, rather than me seeking it out,” she says. Although interested in the theory of film, it was the craft of hands-on story telling and the desire to pick up a camera that motivated her. “I freelanced on a variety of film sets – commercials, music videos and short films working alongside great directors and directors of photography such as Lucy Mulloy, Spike Lee, Stuart Bentley and Lol Crawley. Independently, I began making my own short fiction and documentary films. “I try to document stories I discover through photography or film, such as Standing Our Ground, an observational piece in New York I did during the Trayvon Martin trial after the acquittal of George Zimmerman. (In 2012 in Sanford, Florida, Zimmerman, then 28, shot dead the unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin after an apparent altercation. His acquittal caused widespread outrage).
“My curiosity resides in the unknown,” says Denisha. “The observation and intrigue of those with varied backgrounds, cultures and interests trying to uncover their truth.” This led to The Ballad of Rye Lane, a documentary made with friend and fellow artist Amy Garcia-Brooks, set in Peckham and released in January of this year. Denisha’s most recent film, Monday Market Revisited, is a follow-up to one she made four years ago about Brixton Market trader Terry Beeke (left). She says: “In Christmas 2010 I approached a butcher, a f i s h m o n g e r, a n d fruit and veg traders in Brixton Market – pre Brixton Village. This particular stall had an energy, a vibrancy, that I wanted to know more about. So at the beginning of 2011 I released a short film focusing on this one stall.” Her next project is The Forum LDN, an event celebrating short films from around the UK and overseas, with talks and live music in Peckham Rye Wax on September 9. Denisha has other documentary projects on the go, one based in London and the other in Amsterdam where she is living. “I can’t say what yet, I don’t want to jinx it”.
“If Brixton didn’t have the market it would be like losing the heart of it,” says Ellie Marie, who works with markettrader Terry Beeke (left) and appears in Denisha’s second documentary about the market. Terry was 68 when she filmed him in 2011 in her first documentary about the stall on which he had then worked for 58 years — he started helping his dad aged 10 — along with fellow workers Ellie and Richard Jack. Then, he told Denisha: “I’m going to carry on and on and on”. Today Terry does, as Denisha observes, look even younger. But the changes in Brixton are affecting the market. More and more of its visitors, says Terry, are “lookers, not shoppers”. But he remains positive. Ellie and Richard are not so sure. Richard fears the council is “pushing everyone out — it’s all to do with money”. Ellie says a lot of yuppies come to the market but don’t spend money there and the traders are having to compete with Lidl as well as each other. Terry can count 40 stalls selling products like his own in the area.
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12 PICTURES
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September 2015
LOVE WAS IN The sun came out for Show and Splash this year and love was in the air – newlyweds Lauren and Denis (above right) came straight from their wedding and people queued to get their pictures taken in front of the giant Lambeth heart. Crafts at the Country Show ranged from woollen toys to a vegetable unicorn. At Splash (far right) huge crowds celebrated a day almost as hot as the jerk.
September 2015
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THE AIR
PICTURES 13
We are a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening Brixton’s diverse business culture. We represent 656 levy-paying businesses in the local area and work to develop new and exciting opportunities for Brixton.
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS All businesses are invited to attend the upcoming meetings, which happen once every six weeks and are a forum for businesses to decide on how their BID levy budget is spent. Please contact us or come along to have your say. Marketing and Partnerships 11:30am Tuesday 8 September 2015 – Pop Brixton upstairs meeting space, Popes Road Brixton Design Trail 19-27 September 2015 - see www.brixtondesigntrail. com for details of specific events Environment forum 10:30am Friday 16 October 2015 – The Courtesan, Atlantic Road We will soon be organising a workshop for Night Time economy businesses on licensing guidelines. If you run an NTE business and are interested in attending please email us admin@brixtonbid.co.uk or send us a tweet @BrixtonBID 020 3417 7373 admin@brixtonbid.co.uk @BrixtonBID brixtonbid.co.uk
BRIXTON DESIGN TRAIL For the second year Brixton is taking part with the Brixton Design Trail. The London Design Festival is a one the most prestigious events in the global design calendar. Brixton Businesses – do you want to be part of the Brixton Design Trail? It’s FREE to take part. What can you do? Put on an ‘event’ for BDT. This can be… • a special drink or meal offer • a collaboration with a local designer to redo your window • a workshop, display or exhibition – something to draw people on the Brixton Design Trail to your business How will they know? There will be a brixtondesigntrail.com web site with a map setting out all the locations involved in the Trail. Also @BrixtonDT will be tweeting about events. What next? Email: Leila at local design studio 2MZ leila@2mz.co.uk with: 1. The name of your business 2. The name of your event 3. 50 words about your event 4. The address, opening hours and dates of your event 5. Your social media contact details 6. A high quality 300 dpi photo 7. Costs to visitors of your event – if it is free please say so Why should you take part in Brixton Design Trail (BDT)? This a chance to increase revenue for your business. BUT also this is about showing Brixton off to the outside world – celebrating our creativity and diversity. From a purely business point of view the Festival audiences are significant with an estimated directed audience of over 350,000 people, with 640,000 visits from over 75 countries.
CALLING BRIXTON’S SMALL INDEPENDENT RETAILERS! BRIXTON GETS A STEAM CLEAN During August the Brixton BID commissioned a deep ‘steam clean’ of the town centre on behalf of local businesses. The service is to restore pavement surfaces to their original colour and remove years of chewing gum. The last time a deep clean of Brixton’s pavements took place was over ten years ago. We are pleased to announce that the cleaning is now complete, we are keen to know what local businesses and people think of the results, let us know by leaving comments on our news section www.brixtonbid.co.uk or email admin@brixtonbid.co.uk
Applications will soon be open for Pivot Brixton (www. pivotbrixton.com), a new business support service for Brixton’s independent retailers to get on the right growth track and sharpen their competitive edge in an increasingly complex local retail environment. The programme, designed to support the survival and growth of small, local retail businesses in the area will be run with support from Lambeth Council and the Brixton BID. It will offer free access to business experts, training and events designed to boost retail performance and build a solid local retail collective. Fifteen retail owners will benefit from ongoing business support across finance, HR, marketing, PR, visual branding, and more. For more info and to register your interest visit www.pivotbrixton.com
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Try the delectable dishes created by LadyChef Fengjuan Xue that touch the hearts of Brixton adventurers Weekday Lunch 20% Discount 69 Atlantic RoadBrixton, London SW9 8PU
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16 FEATURES
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September 2015
FORGOTTEN HEROES OF WW1 BY ROBERT FLEMING, NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM The National Army Museum is marking the centenary of WW1 by reminding the British public that men volunteered for war service from across the Caribbean, as well as Southern Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The Museum visited the Lambeth Country Show with its touring exhibition, featuring a colourful map and flags of all of the nations that were part of the British Empire during the war. It was a great opportunity to remind the public about the significant contribution to the First World War from men from across all parts of the former British Empire. In total, roughly 3.5 million men came to fight for Britain joining five million British soldiers, and their efforts to stop German aggression should not be forgotten. We had some amazing conversations with many people who had connections to the Caribbean, but were unaware that so many men
from places like Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, the Bahamas, British Honduras (Belize), British Guiana, Grenada and Saint Lucia, St Vincent, and the Leeward and Windward Islands had volunteered to fight for Britain. Before the war, there was already a regiment called the West India Regiment, but because so many additional volunteers came forward, a second regiment (called the British West Indies Regiment) was also raised. They fought in Europe, in East and West Africa, in Palestine and even in Italy. In Africa, they fought alongside Indian soldiers, and the locally raised West Africa Frontier Force, comprising men from Nigeria, Gold Coast (Ghana), Gambia and Sierra Leone, and the King’s African Rifles which was made up of men from Nyasaland (Malawi), British East Africa (Kenya), Uganda, Sudan, British Somaliland, and Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania). Most people told us they didn’t know that West Indian and African soldiers had fought together for Britain, but were really proud and pleased that we were raising awareness of their important contributions.
A youngster tries on a gas mask when the National Army Museum visited the Lambeth Country Show
Learn how to trace your Caribbean ancestors involved in the First World War. The National Army Museum is collaborating with Black Cultural Archives in Windrush Square. Tues October 27, 11am-12.30pm Adult family history workshops Thurs October 28, 2-4pm Family activity day Fri October 29, 2-9pm Archive call-out day with a celebration of music and film from both National Army Museum and Black Cultural Archives collections. If you would like to find out more about the exhibition the details are ■ on the website www.nam.ac.uk or contact Robert Fleming at rfleming@nam.ac.uk.
September 2015
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FEATURES 17
LOTS OF LAUGHS AT THE REC
Laughter rules at the Rec’s Over 55s club. Brixton Rec is hosting an open day for seniors (55+) on Monday October 5 between 10am and 2pm. You can try your hand at badminton, table tennis, dominoes, swim, learn how to stay fit and healthy, meet the friendly staff and enjoy free complimentary refreshments - and it’s all free. The Bugle went along to the weekly Friday session (10 - 12pm) to talk to staff and regulars about the many benefits. Rosemary Meikle and Lucille Hansen run the badminton/racket ball sessions on Fridays from 10 to 12pm. Rosemary says: “I love bringing people together to get fit, socialise and enjoy themselves.” Lucille adds: “We introduce them to the basics of badminton. It’s a social group and they enjoy it. Here laughter rules.” There are about 15 regulars at any one session. Regular Anne Lawrence says of Lucille, “She’s the reason we are here. She understands our aches and pains. If someone isn’t here for a few weeks, we’ve all got phone lists and we check them out.” Saida Sebadukd says: “I’ve been
coming for four years. We find friends here and we go on days out. It makes a difference to so many lonely people.” Dorothy Harrison: “Coming here has given me a social outlet and my health improves. I look forward to coming every week. We are a family and we keep in touch by phone, especially with those who live alone.” Another regular has written to her MP to say she thinks provision should be free as healthy elders are less likely to be a burden on the NHS:“If we are healthy and fit, we don’t go to hospital’. It’s never too late to discover your sporting talent. Check it out. You can pick up a leaflet with all the activities at the Brixton Recreation Centre reception, 27 Brixton Station Road, London, SW9. Nearby buses: 2, 3, 35, 45, 109, 118, 133, 250, 333, 345, 432. If you would like to find out more information please email Rosemary at rosemary.meikle@gll. org or call 0207 095 5100. You can also visit the website: http://www.better.org.uk/leisure/ brixton-recreation-centre/page/289
Rosemary Meikle with regular Dorothy Harrison
FREE Over 55s Taster session Brixton Recreation Centre, Monday October 5, 10am til 2pm
Lucille Hansen
ALL DIVE IN AT THE BROCKWELL LIDO
Dance through autumn at Brockwell Lido as Dsantos Dance UK opens its doors at our local swimming spot. Brixton Bugle chats to director Richard Voogt. Dsantos Dance UK teaches and performs African and Latin dance all over the world and for the next six months Brockwell Lido will play host to the company. Director Richard Voogt founded Dsantos after returning from America, where he trained with Canadian dancer and choreographer Manuel Dos Santos. South African-born Richard traded in an academic career as a biochemist for his dancing shoes. “Dancing is all about having fun, socialising and working off the stress of a tough work day. It’s really energising to be able to have a laugh, let loose and meet new people,” says Richard. “It’s really important to engage kids in dance; it’s
amazing to see how they come out of their shell and into their own when you get good music on. Teaching African and Latin dance styles is also very exciting for them as they get to learn about different cultures and how dance brings a community together”. Intro to Salsa and Intro to Kizomba (a dance from Angola) programmes will be held every Tuesday and Wednesday at the Lido. Richard says he’s looking forward to expanding into schools and is working with local charities to provide sessions for youth with autism. The Lido is the ideal venue, says Richard. “It has a strong community users’ body that is actively engaged in reaching out to the public. This, along with the fantastic facilities it has,
provides the perfect environment for people to come and enjoy the benefits of dance and meet new people. “Dance is fun, social, challenging, culturally insightful, uplifting and a workout all in one. Once the music is playing you forget you’re exercising because you’re too busy laughing with the people in the room. Group and partner dances, like Salsa and Kizomba, are fantastic social activities that form an integral part of peoples’ daily lives in many cultures a ro u n d t h e w o r l d and something that people often remark they couldn’t imagine not having once they’ve given it a try.” Find out more at www.dsantosdance. co.uk or by emailing dsantosdance@gmail.com
DANCE AT THE LIDO
Intro to Salsa every Tuesday @ 8:15-9:15pm // Intro to Kizomba every Wednesday @ 7:15-8:15pm Social atmosphere and fun teaching style - come ready to laugh Designed to introduce brand new people to dance No partners and no experience needed or necessary! Pulsating African and Latin rhythms will have you hooked in no time! Classes are £8/class - 5 classes for £32 (which is 20 per cent off) - First class FREE if you quote ‘Brixton Bugle’
18 ARTS & CULTURE
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September 2015
ART
FOLLOW THE BRIXTON DESIGN TRAIL
After the success of Brixton Design Week in 2014, local artists, designers and creative businesses are back with Brixton’s first design trail, running from September 19 to 27 as part of the London Design Festival. Arts Co-Editor Ruth Waters reports. The Design Trail will showcase the wealth of design talent in Brixton with a series of free
events and installations held in key locations including the high street, Reliance Arcade, Pop Brixton and the Black Cultural Archives. At the heart of the Brixton Design Trail is an enormous street gallery, where the works by local artists will be displayed on ten large-scale canvases on the walls of the former Bon Marche, curated by architectural practice Squire and Partners. Eley Kishimoto,
a fashion and print duo who have lived and worked in the area for over 27 years, will be designing a bespoke Brixton print to appear in the street gallery. One of the other artists being exhibited in the street gallery, illustrator Kaylene Alder, described the pride she’ll take in being shown on Brixton’s high street: “I’m thrilled to be taking part in the street gallery. It’s a great opportunity to work a lot bigger than I usually do and to add a splash of colour to the streets. As an illustrator and printmaker, I am usually a bit more confined to printable sizes so this is an exciting challenge - using different materials and going large!” The trail will also include the transformed
courtyard in front of the Black Cultural Archives, turned into a Georgian pleasure garden using the current exhibition about black Georgians, for inspiration. The trail will also see events, exhibitions and pop-ups springing up at Pop Brixton, Reliance Arcade, Brixi in Brixton Village and Phoenix Cafe. Relative newcomers to the area, the Pengelly Studio, who moved to Brixton from Wandsworth seven months ago, will also be participating in the Brixton Design Trail, launching a new chair series. Simon Pengelly, a designer at the studio, said the trail will “offer a genuine insight into the work of all the participants, designing for all types of people and environments around the world”. Visit brixtondesigntrail.com for more information and follow @BrixtonDT, use #BrixtonDT and #LDF15.
HISTORY
LAMBETH’S LOST RIVER MAKES A SPLASH
A new exhibition, Water Lambeth, celebrates all things wet in the borough, including the lost River Effra which once ran through Brixton. Local archivist Jon Newman tells us what’s in store.
Lambeth is defined by water. The Thames, running from Nine Elms to Broad Wall, provides its northern boundary while Lambeth’s ‘other’ river, the Effra, flows the length of the borough from the heights of Norwood to the Thames at Vauxhall like a secret watery spine. Once a sparkling stream, it has long since declined through polluted ditch via culverted sewer to become the hidden water course of choice of the psycho-geographer and a source of
highly dubious urban myth (Did Queen Elizabeth I once sail up it to visit Sir Walter Raleigh in Brixton?). Taking the two rivers as its frame, this exhibition sets paintings, photographs, museum objects and maps from the collections of Lambeth Archives alongside the work of contemporary photographers to document the vanished medieval village of ‘Water Lambeth’, demolished to make way for the Albert Embankment in the 1860s, and Doulton’s pottery works that departed in the 1950s. The exhibition then maps the hidden line of the Effra from Vauxhall through Brixton and Herne Hill to the hills of Norwood. A second linked theme illustrates the battle for the supply of clean drinking
water. Lambeth had one of the highest death rates from cholera in the 1840s epidemic - and the different sources of supply used by two of its water companies helped reveal how the disease spread. This section charts the early growth of the water industry in Lambeth, from wells at Clapham and waterworks at Vauxhall to the hilltop reservoirs and pumping stations of Streatham and Brixton. Water Lambeth runs at Morley Gallery, Westminster Bridge from September 3 to October 23 as part of the third Lambeth Heritage Festival. Read our top picks for Brixtonites for this year’s Lambeth Heritage Festival at www.brixtonblog.com
• Eerily, the River Effra ran like a backbone under the length of the borough, disgorging into the Thames at Vauxhall. • The Effra ran under the Kennington gallows near the toll gate on the site of the later St Mark’s Church. • The river’s curving shape formed the southern boundary of what became the Oval, long before any thoughts of cricket.
MUSIC
September 2015
MEET MISTY MILLER
Rising star Misty Miller has been championed by BBC Radio One and has supported Jake Bugg at Alexandra Palace, yet the 21-yearold local singer-songwriter still finds time to play her home turf. Arts Co-Editor Barney Evison interviewed her before her latest gig at Windmill Brixton.
Sporting lip and nose-piercings, numerous tattoos and dyed-black hair, Misty Miller is as much a poster-girl for south London’s thriving post-punk scene as the likes of Fat White Family or The Severed Limb. She’s one of the reasons Windmill Brixton remains at the heart of it - despite increasing gentrification just down the road (or perhaps because of it). Touted as the next Laura Marling at the release of her ukulele-fuelled folky debut album back in 2011, Misty first tasted success at the tender age of 16. Now older, more cynical perhaps, she’s still getting attention from mainstream media but for a sound that’s darker, grungier and earning her comparisons to Patti Smith, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop. Cutting through the guitar fuzz of her newer sound is that consistently rich voice - strong, soulful and incredibly versatile. Her songs are emotionally appealing and often touchingly raw. They’re personal, and her bittersweet lyrics are frank: “I’m so scared / of losing my best friend” she laments in ‘Best Friend’, about a break-up. Misty seemed a bit anxious when
MUSIC
ARTS & CULTURE 19
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I spoke to her outside the Windmill hours before her gig: she’d just been offered a slot at Reading and Leeds Festival but one of her band couldn’t make it. “Know any drummers?” she asked as soon as I arrived. Despite her increasing fame, we’re speaking without the usual accompaniment of PRs or promoters. It’s part of her appeal - you might hear her on BBC Radio One or catch her at a major festival, yet she’s keen to take it slow, enjoy herself and remain an active part of south London’s tight rock community. She counts the Fat Whites - “a big influence” - and Childhood among local friends, and claims the Windmill as her “second home”. “The Windmill is my favourite venue,” she tells me, “It’s got a certain magic to it.” For Misty, and the numerous other musicians that pass through this intimate space, the Windmill promises the comfort of a supportive crowd: “whenever I come to the Windmill I’ll always bump into someone I know.” We’re two streets away from her rehearsal space at Brixton Hill Studios - just around the corner from her new favourite coffee spot Cafe Katakata - where she’s working on her long-awaited second album, due out February next year. It’s a combination of different material, she says, including new tracks and older songs she wrote as a teenager. Like many passionate young musicians, playing live is what Misty really enjoys - “all the other
things I find quite difficult” she says. “I think my label want more success that I do. Obviously success would be great, but I want to keep my love for music strong, and sometimes the industry can kill that.” The summer residency at the Windmill has been an opportunity to do something completely separate, on her own - with help from the venue’s band booker Tim. Despite her caution about the industry, however, she’s happy with her current musical style, and seems keen to distance herself from her older folkier sound, which she admits she “wasn’t very proud of”. It’s telling that the first album isn’t available on Spotify. Now she’s happy to exchange tweets with fans about her music: “you’ve got to value the people who give a shit. And I really do.” She used to get worried about turnout at her gigs, she says, but that’s changed now: “All I want is just to enjoy it. I’ve played big gigs in front of a lot of people and not enjoyed it, then I’ve played smaller gigs in places like the Windmill and it’s been much better.” It’s why she has a lot in common with other south London bands like the Fat White Family; she’s doing her own thing and she’s having fun while she does it. Watch out for Misty’s new single ‘Next to You’, out in September. You can see her live at her next gig at Windmill Brixton with The Severed Limb on September 24.
THE FUN OF PHONOX: A NEW NIGHTCLUB
New nightclub Phonox is to open in the location of former Plan B, following the latter club’s buyout by the Colombo Group. The club’s doors will open for the first time on Friday September 4, followed by an official launch party on Saturday 5.
24-year-old Glaswegian Jasper James (right) has been announced as Phonox’s new resident DJ - he’ll be there every Saturday night for the foreseeable future. “There’s no end date to his residency, and though there’ll be guests, they’ll never be announced – Jasper has the reins,” says the Colombo Group. A relative unknown on the club scene, James was the youngest DJ to ever play at the Sub Club in Glasgow. “We’ve deliberately chosen someone who isn’t the biggest name, but is an incredibly special DJ,” says Andy Peyton, director of Phonox. Alongside the resident, they’ve also revealed forthcoming Friday all-night sets with Gilles Peterson,
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and DJ Sneak, and a Friday night launch on September 4 with Bristolian House DJ Julio Bashmore. “We want smiles on the dancefloor,” says Andy, “staff will be briefed to be welcoming and openminded.” Downstairs has been converted into a seating area, with the aim that people can take a break from the intensity of the dancefloor and chat with friends and strangers alike. Andy and his team hope Phonox will “grow into a community of like-minded clubbers sharing in an experience week in, week out”. What this means in practice is a relaxed membership, cheap(ish) entry at £5 advance, £10 o n t h e d o o r, a n d unannounced special guests on Saturday nights. “We’ve got some quite big names coming along, but they’ll never be announced. We don’t want to put on someone that’s too big for the club,” says Andy. The
team are evidently keen for Phonox to develop a good reputation without having to build it on the shoulders of others. “Without giving too much away, we are putting on some nights that reference Brixton’s heritage,” says Andy, “we’re courting some very prominent acts who live in Brixton.” Who could he mean? Answers on a postcard please. On Wednesday nights punters can expect more ‘experimental’ bookings, while Thursdays will see Brixton Disco Club. Friday nights are reserved for DJs who have the stamina to deliver killer all-night sets. The launch of Phonox highlights an increased focus on Brixton by the Colombo Group, who also own the famous XOYO in east London. In April they bought out Electric Social to turn it into another Blues Kitchen. I asked Andy why they were so interested in our area. “We had a desire to go south London,” he says, “[Brixton] is a perfect area to be opening. It’s bustling.”
20 FOOD & DRINK
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September 2015
MISS SOUTH
RECIPE BRAZILIAN BREAD ROLLS INGREDIENTS (MAKES APPROX 20)
milk is just starting to bubble round the edges. Take off the heat and add in the cassava flour, beating well with a wooden spoon until you can’t see any uncombined flour. This will be pretty hard work as the dough will look strangely grey and gelatinous. Don’t panic and just keep beating it. It will suddenly look crumbly and yellow and much more appetising. Squeeze the dough together a little with your hands and then beat in the eggs half at a time. This is much easier with an electric hand whisk, but a bit of elbow grease with a wooden spoon will work fine. The dough will become glossy and springy. Add the parmesan and nutritional yeast and mix in well. Use a dessert spoon dipped in warm water to scoop out a ball of the dough onto the lined baking tray. I made roughly 20 rough balls and went back when they’d cooled a bit to roll them in my hands to make them look nice and smooth (and photo ready). Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top. They are best warm straight from the oven when the middle is still slightly soft and the texture is chewy. Excellent for breakfast, they do keep fresh for up to two days in a sealed container. I doubt you will have many left as they are so popular.
250ml milk (dairy free ones work fine) 60ml vegetable oil generous pinch sea salt 200g cassava or tapioca flour 2 eggs, beaten 100g finely grated parmesan 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast More authentically known as pão de queijo in Brazil, these wheat and gluten-free breads use cassava flour to create their delicious chewy texture. I made a batch and ate the first few warm from the oven in the sun with a cold beer to hand, but with Brixton weather being less predictable than that of Brazil, the rest were eaten with a bowl of soup. Cassava flour (also known as manioc or tapioca flour) is easy to find in Brixton. Either the Nour Cash and Carry or any African grocer will stock it. The only issue is getting a small enough bag since most places favour bulk in Brixton. Luckily the breads are so easy they only take 30 minutes from start to finish and you could whip them up any time to use up a big bag. I used parmesan to make mine but if you’re veggie, use Sainsbury’s Basics hard cheese which doesn’t have animal rennet. I also used some nutritional yeast to add a rich cheesy flavour to complement the salty cheese. Double it to subsitute the cheese and go lactose-free. I got mine in Brixton Wholefoods under the Marigold Engevita brand. Preheat the oven to 175℃and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper. Pour the milk into a large saucepan and add the vegetable oil and sea salt and heat until the
Job opportunities at We are currently recruiting experienced bar and wait staff with a love of great food and cocktails. If you are interested in applying, please get in touch via
elly.foster@sataybar.co.uk
FOOD NEWS
As usual there’s plenty of news around food and drink in Brixton:
Boqueria on Acre Lane won London Restaurant of the Year as awarded by the Good Food Guide. This is the second time it has won the award for its food and value and for bringing a little bit of Spain to Acre Lane.
Work is going slowly on Masterchef winner (pictured below) Tim Anderson’s Japanese restaurant Nanban which is taking over from Gyoza on Coldharbour Lane. It is however, due to open in late September.
Bringing a little bit of Britain to Acre Lane is new fish and chip restaurant Brixton’s Rock who do a gluten-free Tuesday.
We’re awaiting a new Caribbean joint in Brixton Village, in the shape of Lime who promise to combine some West Indian flavours with British tastes. It should be open by mid-September.
Also in Brixton Village, Foccaccia has relaunched with a new lunchtime sandwich menu and a wider variety of dishes for the evening. Perfect for bread lovers. We’re still mourning the loss of Kaff Bar on Atlantic Road which closed in July and wondering what will replace the much-loved popular venue.
Blues on Brixton Road by the Crown and Anchor pub has had a facelift from a bar into a ‘Fusion Steakhouse’ and seems much busier than before. There’s also a new Ecuadorian cafe in the next block down.
September 2015
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FOOD & DRINK 21
REVIEW HERNE HILL NEWBIE MILKWOOD’S TASTY TRIUMPH BY NIKKI GRIFFITHS
I’ve always loved Herne Hill and found, for its size, it to have a healthy number of good standard hangouts to head out for a bite. Milkwood, situated in the premises of the former Escape Bar, is the latest newbie complying with that expectation. The bonus is that it’s got a cracking cocktail list to boot, which I’ll be heading back to try on a non-school night. It’s in prime real estate, in direct line of sight from the train station and has a small outdoor area to keep the smokers and al fresco evening chasers happy. It looks inviting. Unfortunately, that feeling was squashed when I walked in. It
was just a bit lifeless. The decor is dark and woody and I can see what they’ve tried to do in going for a simplistic look to match their ‘simple’ menu, website and logo, but I think it’s lacking something in the atmosphere department. I have heard it’s much busier at the weekend, but being only three months old I expected more energy. I’m happy to say the food is another story. There aren’t many local places which are brave enough to pride themselves on offering ‘simple classics’, but that’s just what Milkwood does, and it does it rather well. To start, we ate burrata with parma ham and grilled peach. The plating was elegantly elementary, allowing the three components to shine all by themselves. The ham was very good, the other two better. The peach was perfectly grilled, giving it a slightly more sound structure and making it the perfect Yang to the Yin of the soft and creamy burrata. The subtle drizzle of olive oil, dusting of rock salt and flashes of basil rounded it off perfectly and we were gutted we’d shared it. Not to fear, mains were almost here. My sea bass arrived amongst purple potatoes, chorizo, several delightfully different coloured heirloom tomatoes, an avocado purée and aioli. Their presentation was faultless - it’s the kind of thing you see on Masterchef and try to recreate at home, only to end up
with what looks like an off-shore garbage dump. But the chefs at Milkwood have nailed it. I’ve only ever tried purple potatoes in European countries in crisp form and I’m always happy to be able to sample something new. Milkwood’s fresh version, I’m glad to say, was much better. They’re slightly more vegetable-tasting and much lighter than regular potatoes. This dainty dish was exceptionally well balanced – with just enough of everything. The chorizo added a depth of flavour which was cut through by the freshness of the tomatoes and avocado (which, by the way, was perfectly pureed and as silky and creamy as a fine Italian gelato).
The crisp of the sea bass skin was extremely satisfying and delicious when dipped into the dreamy aioli. I have to say I was a little jealous of the size of my friend’s choice as it arrived, though by the end we were both definitely satisfied. Confit duck leg with samphire, lentils and lardons was warm, hearty and homely. The golden duck leg was simple but charming. The crispy rendered fat against the succulent duck meat makes my mouth water just thinking about it and the gravy engulfing the lentils was rich and full of umami flavour. Rounding the whole thing off were the lovely luscious lardons, which served a dual purpose of seasoning the dish. If I were to be picky, the flavour of the samphire got a bit lost. The biggest surprise about this place is that it has, lurking in its basement, a cinema with seats for 20 people which shows modern and classic films daily. At just £5 a month for you and a guest, it seems like a great deal – especially if you order in one of their cheeseburgers. Would I go back to Milkwood? Absolutely, but I’d probably wait until Thursdays onwards when I expect there’s more of a buzz. I’m really willing this place to succeed as the menu is excellent and the food really is very good. Dinner for two including drinks: £60.
Management opportunity If you have two to three years experience in Hospitality Management and a passion for great food and cocktails, please send your CV and cover letter to
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22 WHAT’S ON
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BRIXTON MUSIC MUSIC NEWSNEWS
Arts Co-Editor Barney Evison rounds up the latest music news from our corner of south London. MISTY MILLER SMASHES HER WINDMILL SUMMER RESIDENCY Brixton music fans have been treated to local singer-songwriter Misty Miller’s summer residency at the Windmill. From July Misty has been curating monthly gigs at her favourite south London venue - don’t miss her final gig on September 24. Check out our interview with her on page 19.
PHONOX NIGHTCLUB LAUNCHES IN PREMISES OF FORMER PLAN B New nightclub Phonox opens this month. They’ve announced a new resident DJ and stonking lineup of events; Glasgow newbie Jasper James is on board to play every Saturday night, and the first few Friday night acts include Gilles Peterson, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and DJ Sneak. More on page 19.
The group is made of brothers Raf and Greg and vocalist Ana, and they’ve worked with the likes of Jessie J, Rihanna and Chris Brown.
September 2015 SAT 5 @ PHONOX
New nightclub, at the former site of Plan B, is holding its launch party. Tickets are £15. Turn to page 19 to read more on Brixton’s brand new club.
SUN 6 @ BROCKWELL PARK
For the Brockwell’s Soul Train local favourites Soul Intent and Friends bring you an afternoon of free soul, funk, disco and mellow jazz. The show starts at 2pm at the Performance Space by Brockwell Hall and closes at 5pm. The band advises that you bring a picnic – and your dancing shoes.
MON 7 @ BLACK CULTURAL ARCHIVES
LOCAL ARTIST MAX CYRUS RELEASES DEBUT SINGLE Brixton artist Max Cyrus has released his first single ‘Break Up’. Best described as R&B with a hip-hop edge, the track features vocals from Shereen Shabana. Max is currently working on his debut album ‘Control Alt Delete’.
DEATH OF ROOF DOG Windmill Brixton’s iconic mascot and loyal guardian Roof Dog sadly passed away in July. People took to Twitter to celebrate this much-loved local pup, including indie band The Vaccines, who started out at the venue. NOISE GALLERI RECORD GETTING AIR TIME A new local band called Noise Galleri has released a nice summery house track ‘Spin Me High’, which is getting played on Kiss FM and Capital Xtra.
JAMES BAY SELLS OUT THREE SHOWS AT BRIXTON ACADEMY James Bay has sold out three shows at the Brixton Academy! The singer-songwriter is touring to promote his debut album The Chaos and the Calm, which hit number one in the UK. COFFEEPOT DRIVE RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM AND HIT SINGLE Local ‘dirty Motown’ band CoffeePot Drive have released their debut album, and a single which reached number one in the iTunes Blues chart the day it came out. Head to www.brixtonblog. com for our interview with the band.
The BCA have delved into their archive collection to explore 1981, a pivotal year in British history. Through a broad selection of materials Voices of 1981 explores beyond the media coverage of the Uprisings in Brixton, Birmingham, Leeds and Liverpool. The display includes the work of activists, race relations campaigners, and the community leaders who were spearheading education initiatives. Until September 29, Tues to Sat, 10am to 6pm, free.
THURS 10 @ PHOTOFUSION
Photofusion’s new exhibition The Abyss Gazes Into You by
Spencer Murphy opens. The series of images present a poignant statement about the relationship we have to time and, particularly for Murphy, the influence of his upbringing in an isolated corner of the Kentish countryside with only his imagination and surrounding woodland for company. The exhibition runs from September 10 until October 9.
THURS 10 @ VIDA WALSH CENTRE, SW2
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Brixton Society. Join them for an evening which includes an illustrated talk and an exhibition on the history of the society. There will be free light refreshments from 7 pm to 9 pm.
FRI 11 @ LAMBETH TOWN HALL.
As part of Lambeth’s Heritage Festival, join archivist Len Reilly for a walk marking Lambeth’s Golden Jubilee. The borough was established 50 years ago and the walk will explore key sites over the last 50 years of Lambeth’s municipal past. Meet at the front steps of Lambeth Town Hall at 2 pm. Booking essential, email archives@lambeth.gov.uk or phone 020 7926 6076.
September 2015
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SAT 12 @ JAMM
RITZY ROUND-UP
Gin & Juice have been throwing wild parties across the country all summer long. For its finale its Brixton Jamm’s turn now, so its time to get that terrace BBQ fired up. Some like it hot, some like ice-cream, either way, both will be on offer as you soak up the last of the summer sun (fingers crossed) on the patio.
D o n ’t b e a g a r d e n t o o l - g r a b a c h i n a p l a t e a n d t a k e a w a l n u t w h i p t o t h e d o l l y m i x t u re s . F i l m c o n t r i b u t o r Adam Marshall gives you a Cockney rhyming slang-free guide to the best of the Ritzy this September. snow storm in EVEREST (from 18th September). Based on real accounts of one of the deadliest ever days on the world’s tallest peak, Gyllenhaal leads this action adventure expedition among a starry cast that includes Josh Brolin, Robin Wright and, alas, Keira Knightley.
SAT 12 @ BRIXTON WINDMILL
Led by a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide, come and see some of Brixton Hill’s oldest surviving houses, the site of another windmill, glimpse the Lambeth Waterworks Company’s 1834 reservoir and discover some surprising celebrity inmates of Brixton prison. Meet at 1 pm. Price £5 per adult/£3 concession/ children free. All proceeds to the maintenance of the windmill.
SAT 12 @ LITTLE CAT CAFE, MYATT’S FIELDS
On the second Saturday of every month, the Little Cat Cafe host and Italian apertivo evening from 5 pm to 9 pm.
SUN 13 @ SECRET GARDEN
Take a secluded urban green space, sow and grow a host of vegetables, herbs and flowers, fire up the wood-burning stove or two, open a bottle of something special… Welcome to Cornercopia’s secret garden supperclub. This month Brixton meet Crete: sample flame scorched octopus, skordalia, wild greens, tzatziki and lamb cooked with aromatic herbs. Ticket holders will be sent directions, 1.30 pm, £29.
MON 14 @UPSTAIRS AT THE RITZY
Hart Work is an exhibition of images and text created by a group of women who are homeless in Brixton. Over the last year Street Talk has run art sessions to engage the women creatively, enabling them to share stories about their lives, as well as to reflect on their identity and their relationship within their community. The exhibition runs until October 5 and is free, go check it out.
WHAT’S ON 23
Question: What’s better than a film starring Tom Hardy? That’s right…a film starring two Tom Hardys. For stylish Kray Twins biopic LEGEND (from 9th September) Hardy presumably gets the ultimate payday by taking on both Reggie AND Ronnie K. Proving that claret is thicker than water, the film charts the rise and fall of the identical brothers’ gangster empire. So if, like me, you assume that the 60s East End was a litany of jellied eels, cockney barrow boys and everybody calling each other ‘slaaaaaaag’ then prepare to have your romantic notions either validated or confounded. Jake Gyllenhaal really has foul luck when it comes to weather. First there was the dawning of the new ice age in The Day After Tomorrow. Now 11 years on he has to tackle a Himalayan
TUES 15 @ FOODBANK
Head down to St Paul’s Church to donate food such as tinned meat, instant coffee, tinned veg and tinned rice pudding, to the Brixton Foodbank. Its open every Tuesday from 10am to 1pm and you can also drop off food at Brixton Tesco.
THURS 17 @ BLACK CULTURAL ARCHIVES
Jamaican manservant Francis Barber lived in London from 1752, and served Dr Samuel Johnson until his death. Celine Luppo McDaid, Donald Hyde curator at Dr Johnson House, will draw upon original material from the Black Cultural Archives’ Antique newspaper
CRITIC’S CHOICE
WEDS 23 @ EFFRA SOCIAL
The women’s equality party lambeth branch are holding their second meeting at 7pm at the effra social. Come along if you want to get stuck in to debating and developing ideas for the party and help work towards a lambeth branch which represents the diversity of the borough. If you want to know more email wep.Lambeth@ gmail.Com.
As long as the words ‘offbeat’, ‘indie’ and ‘comedy’ don’t give you an immediate impulse to run as quickly as possible in the opposite direction of your nearest cineplex, then ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL (from 4th September) could be the offbeat indie comedy for you. Having charmed the crowds at the Sundance Film Festival (obvs), it tells the story of the budding relationship between a teenage slacker and his terminally-ill classmate. As per the likes of Juno, 50/50 and the offbeat indie comedy prototype Harold and Maude, it delicately combines an aridly witty script with poignant sentiment - not an easy tightrope to walk. Just imagine for a moment - if it weren’t for N.W.A. we may never have born witness to such colossal musical talents as Vanilla Ice, Pitbull or disgraced MP Jonathan Aitken’s daughter Victoria. I know…terrifying, right? From East End gangsters to Californian gangster rap, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (from 28th August) pays homage to the hip-hop innovators, depicting Dr. Dre, Eazy-E and Ice Cube’s escape from LA’s mid-80s mean streets to becoming
collection for this lunchtime talk. She will discuss the friendship between Dr Samuel Johnson and Francis Barber, which resulted in Dr Johnson bequeathing his estate to Francis Barber. Starts 1 pm.
SAT 19 @ HOOTANANNY
Movimientos are back at the Hootananny with Afro-caribbean, latin and gypsy rhythms. They have Son Pikkante from Brighton with heavy Afro-caribbean rhythms. Joining them are guests Afrocodigos with Afro-Venezuelan drums from Caracas. Performing their farewell show are local favourites Los Pelos Rizos with gypsy funk and hip-shaking latin grooves. Expect big vibes and do not miss out! Free before 10pm, £4 after (with membership), £6 (without).
SAT 19 @ KIA OVAL
Lambeth Metropolitan Police are holding a community cricket match. It is a family family event and everyone is welcome. Gates open at 10am and the match, which will see the community take on the police team, starts at 1pm.
MON 21 @ BON MARCH DEPT STORE
As part of the Brixton Design Trail, architects Squire and Partners are creating a street gallery at the former Bon Marche deptartment store, with ten canvases created for the Brixton community by local designers. The Gallery will launch a bespoke Brixton print by Eley Kishimoto, “The Patron Saints of Print”, adorning the façade and pavement.
some of the most influential and best selling rappers of all time. There will be bling. There will be lyrical spitting. And there will be throngs of middle class white South Londoners trying desperately not to constantly utter the group’s titular N word after seeing it. Looking for something completely different? Then there’s Mexican crime documentary CARTEL LAND (4th September), DOPE (4th September) which can be recommended for its superb tagline alone: ‘It’s hard out here for a geek’, and a restoration of classic Spanish drama CRIA CUERVOS for the Ritzy’s weekly Discover Tuesdays strand (15th September).
TUES 22 @ BRUNSWICK HOUSE
Klangkarussell headline Electric Brixton’s end of season session. Since its release in 2012, Klangkarussell’s anthemic jam ‘Sonnentanz’ has enjoyed constant dance floor attention. The track was followed by their debut album Netzwerk, a record which confirmed their talent for infectious house hooks and brought them to a global audience.
TUES 22 @ BRIXTON EAST
SAT 26 @ CLAPHAM YOUTH CENTRE
J o n N e w m a n f ro m L a m b e t h Archives uncovers the sorry story of the River Effra, once a sparkling stream running the length of Lambeth but long since downgraded to underground storm relief sewer, as he maps its course from the high ground of Norwood through Herne Hill and Brixton to the Thames at Vauxhall. 7 pm. Brixi will be laying on an art car bootsale at Brixton East 1871. A boot fair with a difference, this one-off evening extravaganza promises Brixton’s finest art shenanigans - no muddy fields or early starts. For more info visit www.brixi.co.uk.
WEDS 23 @ BRIXTON REC
For getting fit, you can’t do much better than the Afewee boxing sessions every Wednesday from 7-8.30pm, with boxing training, circuits, cardio and more. Its knackering, very and the coaches are lovely. £5 per session, first session free.
FRI 25 @ BRIXTON RECREATION CENTRE
Are you aged 55 or over? Want to take some first steps towards being more active, but not sure where or how to start? Brixton Senior Club Activities could be just what you’re looking for. On Fridays from 12 pm to 2 pm get involved with some ballroom dancing!
SAT 26 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON
After a series of sell out shows, Sunfall returns for one last party of the summer. Austrian duo
The centre is celebrating 50 years of working with the youth and community of Brixton. Anyone who has been a member of the youth club or been involved in any of the community activities that have taken place in the area is welcome to attend the centre to celebrate.
SUN 27 @ WINDMILL BRIXTON
The Windmill Brixton is hosting a “Punk Rock BBQ”, their final summer barbeque from 3 pm. Advance tickets are £6 and for that you’ll get music from The Merry Gang, The Voodoo Binmen, Street Drugs, Matilda’s Scoundrels, LACK, Drop This and Demon Smiles.
TUES 29 @ UPSTAIRS AT THE RITZY
Hail a Taxi Driver and get Up to the Godfather of all quizzes. Bringing you (Inter)stellar questions from the world of film,everyone is welcome: whether you have A Beautiful Mind or you’re a Raging Bull. There’s no limits on team size either, from the Odd Couple or if there’s Se7en of you. For A Few Dollars More you can enjoy nice food and drink too! Doors 6 pm, quiz 7.30 pm £5 per person.
24 SPORT
www.brixtonblog.com
September 2015
A mother’s determination creates hope from tragedy BY SANDRA BROBBEY
Former Lambeth College student Dwayne Simpson was a few months short of his 21st birthday when he was fatally stabbed in Brixton last year when coming to the aid of a friend being chased. The brutal attack on a man who had established a boxing club for children on the Angell Town Estate shocked family, friends and community. Lorraine Jones, his mother and a respected church minister, was determined to honour her son’s memory. She teamed up with Lambeth police to launch a new Brixton-based boxing scheme backed by many of the area’s top boxing coaches. Dwaynamics helps young people to develop life skills through boxing. A gym in a Loughborough Junction railway arch opened in June and Brixton’s rising stars, including cruiserweight sensation Isaac Chamberlain, popped in. Some are helping to teach non-contact boxing to eager students (left). Brixton Bugle paid a visit to see Dwaynamics in action. We met friends of Dwayne and coaches from the famous Brixton-based boxing gym Miguel’s. Two teenage boys practised jabs and crosses under the watchful eye of trainer Mark, a 19-year-old light welterweight prospect on London’s amateur boxing scene. He took up the sport after the death of his friend last year. “When my best friend died it was a difficult time. I kept getting into arguments. Then I thought: Let me turn this around and do something positive. That’s when I decided to get in the ring and start training. I started boxing when I was 17. I’ve won a few awards since then. I want to turn professional when I’m 21 or 22.” Mark is a protégé of Don Davis (inset), a top coach
at Miguel’s which is renowned for honing the skills of British fighters including WBC heavyweight title contender Dillian Whyte. Miguel’s has joined up with Dwaynamics and Brixton police to run training sessions for young people. Backed by the GB Boxing Awards creator ‘Q’ Shillingford, the classes attract more than 50 children and young adults each week. Many are trained by Richard Davis, a Dwaynamics director and Miguel’s coach. He sees boxing as a good way of helping young people who have gone off the rails. “I know all about gangs,” he says.” Some young people end up falling in with them because they’ve made the wrong choices. My view is that you have just got to stay on the right path and sports can help with this. “It would be great to get more young people to come down here”, he says. “Some of the kids here are so young – what we do here is non-contact boxing. It’s a good way of helping them to learn the basics. We have had support with this from ‘Q’ who has led some of our sessions. Shanice Shield-Mills, a friend of Dwayne’s, says the project was his dream. We are all in awe of what Minister Lorraine Jones is doing in his memory and the fact she cares so much about the community. I would love to see Dwaynamics live on for many years to come and have a lasting impact. “The idea is for everyone who lives locally to share their views and have an input on what needs to be provided here”, says Superintendent Rob Applegarth. “Network Rail gave us the use of this arch and we want local people to take the lead and tell us what they wish to see here. We want this to become a hub for all sorts of things in the community. This includes help with employment training and life skills coaching”.
Dulwich Crabs ready for promotion push Erskine brace helps Hamlet Southern Sunday League football kicks off to victory over Kingstonian this month. Bugle contributor David Gibson previews the season ahead and promotion hopes for East Dulwich Sporting Crabs
It’s been a mixed summer for Crabs boss John Martin. The 33-year-old player-manager worked his charm in securing a sponsorship with East Dulwich gastropub The Actress – providing the team with a brand new Puma kit as part of the deal. The strip itself is a throwback to the first ever Crabs kit inspired by the famous Dutch ‘Oranje’. Martin managed to secure the signing of Ian
Armstrong, Dom Curtis and Matty Jenkins. But the summer was not plain sailing. A two-game pre-season went without a victory, leaving a few questions for Martin. He would have been pleased to see his side claw back a two-goal deficit to draw 3-3 with Streatham Stanley, but their two-nil loss to Westminster left both manager and players scratching their heads over why they couldn’t find the net, even with all three of their registered strikers on the pitch. Crabs dominated possession but failed to show why some Southern
Sunday League fans are tipping them for promotion. Sidelined vice-captain James Coventry believes players simply ‘weren’t up for it’ and perhaps they did miss Coventry’s never say die attitude. He is set to return for selection in time for the new season. Last season saw Crabs finish fourth – a respectable position given their injury woes and lack of goalkeeping options. ■■Crabs’ season starts on Sunday September 6 with a match against Sporting Club Balham.
Dulwich Hamlet returned to winning ways with a 3-0 away victory over Kingstonian at the Bank Holiday. It saw the Pink and Blues move to ninth, six points off the top of the Ryman Premier. The outcome was a boost for Gavin Rose’s team following their disappointing 1-1 draw against Grays Athletic the previous Saturday. Despite early pressure from the Ks, with the home side dominating possession for spells in both halves
of the match, Dulwich were clinical in the final third. A brace from new striker Jacob Erskine, and a thumping shot from Ethan Pinnock were enough for Hamlet. Eighteenth-placed Billericay Town will be next up for Dulwich at Champion Hill on Saturday September 5. The south London side will be seeking their first home win since August 11.
■■Bugle Man of the Match: Ethan Pinnock
Hamlet’s Osei Sankofa (left) in action against Grays Athletic’s Joao Carlos