Issue 26 oct 2014

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH- GET FIT WITH FRANKIE Win an exclusive print p10 New street fit column p26 Edition 26 FREE

£2.6m lotto jackpot for Electric Avenue

Electric Avenue, the Brixton street immortalised in song by Eddie Grant, has received a massive boost thanks to lottery funding.

The Victorian road, the first shopping area in London to enjoy electric lighting, has been awarded nearly £2million by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and Lambeth council will add an extra £650,000 to the restoration pot.

Lambeth says the cash will be spent on restoring the terraced buildings “to their former glory” and to support community heritage projects.

Cllr Jack Hopkins, Cabinet member for Jobs & Growth, said: “I’m delighted that we have been successful in our bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £1.95million.

“It would not have been possible without the support of the community, Brixton businesses and the hard work of the Brixton Heritage Regeneration Partnership.

“The backing of the Heritage Lottery Fund, combined with a

council cash commitment, will boost businesses, improve the look of the area and have knockon social benefits.”

Sue Bowers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund London, said: “This project makes possible the restoration of a number of buildings in the heart of Brixton town centre.

“This not only strengthens and enhances the historic character of the area but it also helps to reinvigorate the local economy by bringing buildings back into productive use.”

Victorian properties in the street will be restored and empty upper floor space will be brought back into use as new homes.

Grants of up to 85 per cent will be available to property and business owners in the area for relevant building work.

The scheme will also see £105,000 put towards community and training activities to broaden engagement with Brixton’s heritage

Inside...

STREET ART: Brixton is a hub for street artists, both local and international.

Features, p22

TIRED: Iconic Electric Avenue to get a facelift including children and young heritage walks. people’s workshops, a temporary For more on the plans go to Brixton Museum and guided futurebrixton.org

www.brixtonblog.com

It’s all about Brixton.

October 2014

@brixtonblog

COCKTAIL CRAZY: Our food team heads to new small plates bar Three Eight Four for dinner on a bus seat.

But is the latest trendy offering just too cool for school?

Review, p21

0207 274 3111 edenharper.com

Sales | Lettings | Property Management

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

News The Brixton Bugle & BrixtonBlog.com are edited in Brixton by Zoe Jewell and Tim Dickens.

www.brixtonblog.com

Developer fined

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.

Brixton Blog and Bugle The Piano Club 9 Brighton Terrace SW9 8DJ

Circulation: 10,000 copies Readership: circa 15,000 DEPUTY EDITORS Keith Lewis Lindsay Faller Sub-editor: Jamila Omar Designer: Agnes Graves NEWS newsdesk@brixtonblog.com FEATURES Katrin Magnussen features@brixtonblog.com ARTS Barney Evison Ruth Waters arts@brixtonblog.com MUSIC & LISTINGS Phoebe Robertson Phoebe@Brixtonblog.com FOOD Miss South food@brixtonblog.com SPORT Laura Dickinson newsdesk@brixtonblog.com

ISSUE 26

Writers: Nick Christian, Bobbie Lakhera, Kathryn Aedy Pictures: Owen Llewellyn, Jamie Rogers, Alexandra Waespi Cartoons / Illustrations: Kaylene Alder, Tim Bird Jon Daniels, Mike Rourke 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.

A film fundraiser in aid of Gaza will be held at the Whirled Cinema in Loughborough Junction this month. Two award-winning documentaries, ‘Gaza Calling’ and ‘5 Broken Cameras’ will be shown over two nights on October 13 and 14. The money raised will go to the Gaza Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Appeal which will help rebuild schools and hospitals and help those in need over the next two years. Find the event on Facebook under ‘Gaza Film Fundraiser, Brixton’.

Toilet trouble

» Tel 020 3730 1312 » @brixtonblog » @brixton_bugle » www.brixtonblog.com ADVERTISING Jenny Shramenko 07811 878394 jenny@brixtonblog.com

Gaza film

A multi-millionaire property developer with a substantial Brixton portfolio has been prosecuted under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Jerry Knight, director of Lexadon Property Group, was ordered to pay out more than £175,000 after renting out a building at 48 Trent Road, Brixton, as four flats without the proper planning permission.

Sentencing at Inner London Crown Court on Monday September 8, Mr Recorder K King said that Knight “flagrantly pressed ahead and flouted the regulations.”

Knight claims there were mitigating curcumstances in relation to the Trent Road property and that he already had planning permission for five flats but not four. He also says that an enforcement notice was sent to his old office - and that he never saw it.

He told The Brixton Bugle: “The confiscation order is the gross amount of rent received for the period that the property was unlawfully rented. No allowances are made for any expenses for the period.”

“This is the first and only enforcement case against our company. We do consider ourselves responsible landlords and all our tenants live in safe environments.

There are far more serious cases out there.”

Knight - listed in the Sunday Times Rich List as having an estimated wealth of £50million - began his career as a plumber before he began converting flats in Brixton and Clapham. He now has a huge property portfolio across the town centre. He acquired the formerly squatted Clifton Mansion, Coldharbour Lane, from Lambeth council as well as former shortlife mansion blocks in Rushcroft Road.

Lexadon also owns the Viaduct development and the former Angel pub, Coldharbour Lane, former Clapham Police Station, 435 Coldharbour Lane and dozens more properties.

Another recent acquisition

is the former Walton Laundry, next to Brixton Village.

Cllr Paul McGlone said income from developers like Jerry Knight was important for investment in “homes, schools, roads and pavements.”

He added: “When developers play by the rules, we’re happy to work with them for the good of the borough...

However, if developers press ahead without permission - as in this case - we will seek to take legal action against them.”

Angry Brixton residents have begun a petition calling for more toilets for the town centre. They say the growing night-time economy has led to an ‘apalling’ state around Tunstall Road as revellers reveal themselves on the street.

The online petition, currently with 132 supporters, will be presented to the leader of Lambeth council along with a paper version next month. The website says: “We want people to B on the streets of Brixton! NOT to have to P on the streets of Brixton!”

Street refresh

Neighbourly residents of Leander Road got together for a community green-up and clean-up last month. The event, which saw plants being planted, walls painted and new friends made, was supported by Lambeth council’s Freshview project.

Rugby minis

Kings College Hospital Rugby Club is starting up a new children’s division. The club trains at Dulwich College on Sunday mornings and is open to youngsters aged six to 10 years old. For more information email youth@kchrfc.co.uk. The club is also looking for those who can help coach the children.

Eric’s town hall debut

Brixton’s favourite sea creature was like a fish out of water last month, when he appeared on the side of a council building on Brixton Hill.

Brixton Bugle cartoon strip Eric the Fish, by artist and illustrator Pam Williams, was plastered over the side of Town Hall Parade as part of Brixton Design Week in September.

The artwork is expected to stay until mid-October. Williams said: “The councillors loved them and were fine with the odd derogatory or humourous comments.”

Send us your BRIXTON news www.brixtonblog.com @brixtonblog

Heli-boost

A new helipad at Kings College Hospital, Denmark Hill, came a step closer last week when it was awarded an extra £1million from the Helicopter Emergency Landing Pads (HELP)Appeal. The hospital is aiming to raise £3.5million for the new landing site within its grounds. Air ambulances for the major trauma centre currently have to land in nearby Ruskin Park, causing a crucial delay of up to 25 minutes in getting to treatment.

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

News Lambeth Talk

Lambeth council will press ahead with its monthly Lambeth Talk publication, despite being ordered not to by the Government.

Minister Kris Hopkins wrote to Lambeth in August warning them that the magazine, delivered to every household in the borough , was in breach of rules set down by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).

It has since emerged that the council has no intention of reducing the frequency of the publication, a move that opens it to further action from Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.

A council spokesman said: “Lambeth Talk plays an important role informing residents about council services and events.

A point we have been keen to emphasise in discussions with the DCLG.”

www.brixtonblog.com

End of an era for housing co-op

BY TIM DICKENS

Thirty years of Brixton’s creative history came to an abrupt end when Lambeth council evicted the last residents of the Carlton Mansions housing co-operative (CMHC).

Bailiffs arrived at the Coldharbour Lane mansion block at 9.45am on September 30, changing locks and securing the building. It marks the end of a long and exhausting battle between a strong community of residents and Lambeth council’s ‘Shortlife’ housing officers.

The council has claimed the building poses an unacceptable fire risk to occupants, and it is earmarked to be redeveloped as part of the Somerleyton Road regeneration.

Chair of the Carlton Mansions co-op, Matthew Clarke, told The Bugle he was angry with the way bailiffs took control of the building on September 30, despite him co-operating fully with the handover.

He said: “It was unnecessary and unpleasant. Typical of the way that Lambeth have pursued this from the start.

“It’s been unrelenting and aggressively pursued by Lambeth for the past year. They have the resources and power to grind residents down if they wish.”

Clarke continued: “I am sad to see the Mansions emptied out. It’s more than just a building to me. It is full of character and in a way has its own personality. The Mansions has seen the whole of Brixton’s history since the railway came.”

Lambeth cabinet member for housing, cllr Matthew Bennett, said: “The council made it a priority to find alternative homes for those occupants eligible for rehousing and we have been in constant communication with Carlton Mansions residents over many months.

“Carlton Mansions is a key element of the Somerleyton Road regeneration, which will bring hundreds of affordable homes, new work space and a theatre to the centre of Brixton.

“However, the building will need to be made safe before it can be used for this purpose. We have therefore commissioned a further building condition survey and a fire risk assessment, which will help us decide how we can use Carlton Mansions in the interests of the entire community in the future.”

Deborah Bestwick, director of the Ovalhouse Theatre which will move close to the site as part of the plans said she had been supporting residents of the co-op and welcomed their input into consulations

Night market row Police have objected to an application for a permanent licence for a Windrush Square food market.

Lambeth Council were due to decide the licensing application from Brixton Night Market on Wednesday (October 1) after the Bugle went to press.

Operator Tina Jennings wants the market to be able to provide entertainment until 9.30pm and alcohol until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Writing on behalf of the Brixton Society, Diana Linskey said: “Sales of alcohol at this public market will add to problems of public safety in what is already a difficult late night economy for the police to manage.

“Local residents are concerned that alcohol sales at this market will add to the amount of litter and urination which makes areas such as Rushcroft Road really unpleasant at weekends.”

Night Market operator Tina Jennings, says the market, which has been running monthly under a temporary license, aims to support local traders and that all music is monitered and kept to volume controls.

She added: “Our security officers are adept at politely moving on buskers wishing to sit on Windrush Square and play their bongo drums.”

Lambeth council’s events department have also applied for a license to provide entertainment and alcohol on a regular basis on Windrush Square.

EVICTED: The last of the residents of Carlton Mansions were evicted by bailiffs on September 30 over what will happen on the site in community, Clarke said: “We have looked after the Mansions for 30 the future.

CMHC started life 32 years ago years and handed it back to Counon a temporary agreement with cil in an orderly fashion. We have the council as short life housing. ended it with our dignity.

ANALYSIS, p. 9 Reflecting on his time with the

Send us your BRIXTON news www.brixtonblog.com @brixtonblog We offer

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Contact Tony Fab, 0207 724 7311/ 07956 221 545 House Of Bottles, 420 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LF

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

News

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Borough’s heroes recognised with awards Inspirational members of the Brixton and Lambeth community have been honoured at an awards ceremony given by Lambeth council.

The nominees and winners were commended for their dedication to making Lambeth a friendlier, cleaner, safer and healthier borough.

Lambeth’s Mayor, Cllr Adedamola Aminu hosted the awards evening at Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton, on September 11.

He said: “It’s a great honour to host the Lambeth Community Awards and recognise the amazing work done by residents of this borough, which enhances other people’s lives.

“Whether it’s helping young people get jobs, improving the environment or creating a sense of community, the work of these nominees really makes Lambeth a better place to be and we are all extremely grateful for that.

“I know they are an inspiration to me and I hope they inspire many others to do great things in their community.”

Award-winners included Mavis

Horscroft, who has used her love of gardening to transform the Edmunsbury Estate in Brixton, and Jay Cook, a young volunteer at the BIGKID Foundation.

The winner of the Making Lambeth Safer award was Edith Lewis, a street pastor who works with young people to help them out of a life of crime.

Jeanette Pritchard, winner of the Helping People Into Jobs and Training award as a founder of a group of businesses offering full-time employment, said: “This has been a great event and it’s so important to recognise everyone who is doing good work in Lambeth.”

Joy of Sound won the Voluntary or Community Organisation of the Year award for its work promoting social inclusion through music and the creative arts.

Lambeth’s Mayor, senior councillors, Borough Commander Ch Supt Richard Wood, Rev Ben Goodyear from St Paul’s, Brixton and Lambeth Council Chief Executive Derrick Anderson presented the awards.

Green Party top brass in town

BY NICK CHRISTIAN The leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, Natalie Bennett, was in Brixton to visit Cressingham Gardens, the Brockwell Park housing estate which Lambeth council has marked for “regeneration”.

Joined by Cllr Scott Ainslie (St Leonard’s Ward) and Jonathan Bartley, Green Party candidate for Streatham, she spoke with residents campaigning to protect the estate against demolition.

At the meeting at her home on Bodley Manor Way, Gerlinde Gniewosz, co-chair of the Tenants and Residents Association, called for closer scrutiny of the financial calculations which have led Lambeth council to favour rebuilding, rather than repair:

“We generate £1.2million a year in council rents from the three hundred homes here.

Only about £200,000 is going into maintenance. Double that is going into administration and management and we don’t know where the rest is.”

Ms Bennett expressed her party’s full support for the locals’ efforts to save their homes. “I think it’s very clear that there’s a real community of people here and buildings that are basically utterly sound and very well-designed,” she said.

She a ls o c r it i c i z e d Lambeth, and councils in general, for “becoming like property developers, getting pound signs in their eyes and thinking about their housing stock as a financial asset, a

resource that they’re able to draw on.”

On the subject of wider housing policy Ms Bennett commented: “The Green Party calls for the abolition of “right to buy”. We need a great deal more council housing.

We also need controls on private landlords so that their tenants can have security of tenure and controls over rent increases. We need to turn the housing market around so it works for people, not for the financial sector.”

The final decision regarding the future of Cressingham Gardens is due to be made in December.

Read one Cressingham Gardens resident’s battle against the spectre of regeneration on page 9.

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

News

www.brixtonblog.com

College welcomes new governors Three new governors with strong links to the Brixton community have been welcomed to Lambeth College this month.

Black Cultural Archives (BCA) director Paul Reid; communications expert Dean Ricketts and company director Michael Smith all joined the board at the start of term to help secure a healthy long-term future for the institution.

The three join an impressive board of governors, including Jan Lloyd, the chief executive officer of Covent Garden Market Authority.

Paul Reid, who this year celebrated the launch of a £7million new home for the BCA in Windrush Square, said he wanted to give back to the college where he was once a student.

He said: “I lived for all of my formative years, from child into adulthood, in Lambeth. I went to primary school, secondary school and to college in Lambeth.

“I continue to work in Lambeth. It therefore makes perfect sense to me, to offer my skills to Lambeth College, Michael Smith said he found the vision of the college exciting. He added: “The ongoing regeneration and the development of the campuses at Brixton, Clapham and Vauxhall will serve to enhance the learning experience of all students.

“The development of new state of the art facilities at these campuses matches the regeneration, growth and economic development taking place at the same time in other areas.”

THE GOVERNORS: From left, Michael Smith, Dean Ricketts and Paul Reid

Send us your BRIXTON news www.brixtonblog.com @brixtonblog

Estate open house The much-celebrated Cressingham Gardens Estate, Tulse Hill, was among dozens of Lambeth spaces that opened their doors for the annual Open House event.

Dozens of people came for

a tour of the modernist estate, which is currently under threat of redevelopment by Lambeth council.

For more on the current plsight of Cressingham Gardens please turn to page 9.

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

Feature

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Wahaca: the chain’s reaction

BY LUKE MASSEY

You can see the marketisation of Brixton without taking one step out of the tube station. Before you get to the top of the stairs you’re presented with the polished wood and impeccable glass face of an investment opportunity: Starbucks is gazing at you through the wall of the station.

It’s looking at you. You gaze back at the window and see your own reflection.

You are the investment opportunity.

The inexorable rise of Brixton as a social and cultural hub makes it no surprise that it has become an attractive proposition for property developers, estate agents, coffee chains and high street fashion outlets.

And the backlash against some of the more abrasive of these new entrants has been telling.

When Foxtons estate agents opened up a typically lurid outlet on Brixton Road in the old Speedy Noodle site, it was met with all the fanfare of a family funeral.

With the voracious property market in Brixton causing local concern over accelerating gentrification, it wasn’t long before the minimalist sterility of Foxtons’ shop-front was disrupted by a message of greeting from a Brixton resident: ‘Yuppies out’.

It made me wonder if it was ever possible for business chains to come into communities and do it right. Can a big business be a good neighbour? And what would that look like?

Mark Selby, co-founder of Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca, which opens on Atlantic Road this month, is no stranger to the debate going on in Brixton.

When I asked him if he was more wary about setting up this branch than any other, his answer was straight up: ‘Yes. Definitely.’

‘If I am being honest I have always been a bit scared of “the gentrification argument”. We’ve read a lot about the recent new openings and new concepts that people living in the area don’t feel fit with Brixton’s vibe or community. So we have been very conscious of this and wanted to avoid a debate on arrogant big brands entering a community.’

But while others have avoided the debate by simply ignoring it – often at their peril – Mark and co-founder Tommi Miers have been drawing up a menu of community engagement that they hope will set them apart.

From poetry nights for local Latin American poets group SLAP, to working with local artists and architects, to fundraising for community groups, as well a whopping investment in restoring the old Railway Hotel/Brady’s Bar site to its ‘former glory’, I sense that there really is some meat to Wahaca’s claims to local integration. They’re even developing a new beer with Brixton Brewery called Lupulo.

Once the site had been sold off by Lambeth council, all hopes of creating a community centre there were dashed, and once in the hands of a private developer the rental rates soon meant that the only viable tenant would be a business which could afford it. Enter Wahaca.

Of course Mark readily admits that they’re a chain restaurant, as much as they don’t feel like it, he tells me, but ‘we are not a big bad corporate beast, we’re a company that has grown, granted, but has grown organically and carefully without ever changing the principles it was started with.’

Those principles have included an awardwinning commitment to environmental sustainability. The site on Electric Avenue will be one of the most sustainably built restaurants in London, Mark says, with all wood used in

the refurbishment being reused, recycled or sustainably sourced; with no water boilers, where the heat generated from walk-in fridges and freezers will heat water going into the toilets and kitchen; and with industry-leading energy efficient air-conditioning and extraction systems from the kitchen.

‘We are restoring a loved building with an incredible history. We are restoring it properly and sustainably and will open up the space to local poetry groups, community groups and schools to use, enjoy and learn in.’ Mark set the architects researching the history of the building, and were amazed to find images of the ‘Swiss Garden’ from the turn of the century, where Brixton’s well-to-do would sip their drinks in a floral open-air space. Mark insisted upon designs for the refurbishment recreating elements of this historic feature.

But creation of the space is one thing, and how it’s used is another. Current plans involve ‘social projects and events including co-hosting a very exciting Brixton Day of the Dead event in November at Number 6 Somerleyton Road, where all of our profits will go to the local Brixton community.’

Mark and Tommi had their work cut out in persuading the board at Wahaca that coming to Brixton was the right thing to do: ‘The board were sceptical I guess because of all the negativity around bigger businesses opening in Brixton. But Tommi and I tried tirelessly over a year to persuade them that long-term we believed we could and would be accepted because of everything we’re doing.’

Given that Mark knows as well as I do the kind of reception which chains can face when coming to Brixton, I was intrigued about what made them push for it – especially when he

tells me that, after all the money they’ve put into it, he doesn’t expect the site to break even for some time.

‘A lot of our team live in and around Brixton.

Our architect lives in Brixton, our General Manager has worked and lived here for many years and various suppliers we have worked with over a long period of time live here. Tommi and myself have spent lots of time in Brixton and have always loved the idea of having a Wahaca here. Internally and externally people are always saying to me it has the most vibrant and ethical feel… “Wahaca would be great there”.’

Ultimately, Mark says, ‘Wahaca is not a onemodel business. We design our business to suit the local area and not the other way around and this is the key to why we believed Wahaca and Brixton could work and it’s why we are now really excited about what we are doing.’

Time will tell how Wahaca is received in Brixton. But I think that it’s a credit to the strength of community in Brixton that companies are increasingly seeing the need to integrate, work with, and give something back to the community here.

People are often quite rightly sceptical about “corporate social responsibility”, but I would like to think that embedding such principles in a genuine way into everything a business does really can bring positive results.

Perhaps Mark’s ultimate goal is that, one day soon when you’re wandering down Atlantic Road you will walk past Wahaca’s window, you’ll see the hybrid reflection of yourself and the people inside, and you won’t see an investment opportunity, you’ll see a community.

Maybe it’s aiming high, but if all businesses had that vision it would be a step in the right direction.

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

Feature

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WAHACA COMES TO TOWN: Opposite page below, Jez from Brixton Brewery is developing a new beer for Wahaca. This page, above left, bright new murals bring Wahaca into the 21st-century. Above right, Wahaca co-founders Tommi Miers and Mark Selby are determined to engage with the Brixton community

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Your view

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YOUR TWEETS

Some of your #Brixton tweets:

My Brixton Top Five

@Craigmelcher: #coffeemorning has chocolate mousse, how bout yours? @macmillancancer Brixton Ritzy @BrixtonBlog @O2academyBrix: For those holidaying in Uganda, don’t forget to catch a show at our sister venue... (c/o @holliepricee)

Join the conversation in #Brixton by Tweeting us @BrixtonBlog or @Brixton_Bugle

Trudi Veremu is Founder of local Artist Development and Management company, Element 79. She shares her Brixton hotspots.

YOUR PICTURES: Sunday morning by Owen Llewellyn Keep them coming to our Flickr group www.flickr.com/groups/brixtonblog

HOW DO YOU READ YOURS? Tweet us pics of your Bugle in odd places for a chance to win a Brixton Blog bag

Below left: A still from the new film South of the River.

Below: Brett Atwell and Ryan Brown take a break from trekking the Swiss Alps to enjoy a bit of Bugle. At 2,000m above sea level!

1. Kaff Bar - There is something about this place that makes me think it’s a modern day Juke Joint.

Everything is recycled (and looks cool). And there’s a piano in the corner that anyone can jump on. I love their music events (which include great causes like Oxjam) and the fact they are very supportive of community artists.

Plus, they have graffiti from local (and internationally known) artists. Not to mention the Creole food - if you do nothing else in Brixton, go and have their Creole Pancake Sauce.

2. Brockwell Park - I’m a Mum and I moved to Brixton when my children were one and three. So the Park and I are well acquainted.

Now the girls are seven and nine I sit at the sidelines and read quietly and enjoy the greenery while the kids play.

3. The Florence - As a Mum, this place is my Friday after-school support - the play room, equipped with toys and a TV is great. And when I was first setting up my company I would go there, plug my computer up, lock into WiFi, order food and work (with a glass of wine, of course).

@brixtonblog

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info@brixtonblog.com

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by numbers

30 years since recently evicted housing co-operative Carlton Mansions was set up NINE mystery Black Brixtonites need to be indentified in order to win a fabulous original artwork 300 homes under the threat of redevelopment on the Cressingham Estate SIX London Film Festival films in our list of top picks at the Ritzy 50 acts in the line-up for this year’s Brixton Oxjam 54 the number of press ups in a minute by our new fitness columnist Frankie Holah three new governors at Lambeth College

4. Agile Rabbit - I am a dreamer and I like to fantasise that I live a life of leisure, travelling to exotic places with bustling markets and wafting smells of delicious food.

So when I go to Brixton Village I spend the first 40 minutes just trying to decide which restaurant to go to. But if I had to choose, then Agile Rabbit is my favourite.

5. Fujiyama - My loves are 1.

Children 2. Music, 3. Sushi, and 4. Pancakes (not necessarily in that order!) - I love me some sushi though, and these folks make it delicious (plus they often deliver to my house).

Looking back at my list, I’ve just realised how much I love to eat in Brixton!

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

Comment & Analysis

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Brixton illustrated The Brixton Blog and Bugle Est. 2012

Brixton Windmill/Ashby Mill

This month’s suggestion for a brilliant Brixton building comes from Stephen Lawlor who says ‘Next up for the Bugle has got to be Brixton Windmill. Last month it began grinding flour again, first time since 1934.’ Stephen will soon be receiving a free print of the illo and you could be next! Tweet your suggestions of Brixton buildings to @kpictures or email info@kaylenealder.com.

Late on a Friday night on Coldharbour Lane these days, it’s not uncommon to stumble over twentysomethings puking on the pavement outside the market or to be shoved by leery lads on their way to the next cocktail bar up the road. But there, opposite the Granville Arcade, is a building whose rooms now shut up and empty - hold a deep and wonderful Brixton history. It is the building which hosts the ‘Nuclear Dawn’ mural on its exterior wall. And there, for three decades, have lived professional artists, activists, and even community leaders in a housing co-operative that has now tragically come to an end.

It is with a heavy heart that we saw the eviction of Carlton Mansions Housing Co-op at the end of last month. When we interviewed residents for the Bugle last year we were struck by how they have impacted Brixton in unquantifiable ways over the past three decades. They were well known at community meetings, even protected Brixton’s murals and were an integral part of what now ‘sells’ Brixton to restaurant chains like Wahaca and property developers like Lexadon, who all appear on these pages today. The Co-op contributed to Brixton’s diversity, its artistic streak, its political history.

There was the artist whose flat was filled with beautifully-coloured glass chandeliers, made from reclaimed materials, which refracted the afternoon light from Coldharbour Lane outside. She arrived in London aged just 18 in the 1970s, was fascinated by punk and remembers bumping into Damien Hirst when he lived in the Barrier Block just up the road. There was the brilliant young mother who still campaigns for the restoration of Brixton’s – and London’s – murals. And an artist whose video documentary of his flat at Carlton won him a fellowship to the Jerwood artspace. And there was the man who unfailingly strives to keep the council to account at public meetings, asks all the tricky questions of his local politicians and has proved invaluable to our own journalism countless times these past four years. All these people will – we hope – still continue to be part of Brixton life.

But they no longer have a space to hold them. As rents rise, creative communities like Carlton are increasingly rare. Soon the building may become a sort of ‘cultural hub’ as part of the big redevelopment on Somerleyton Road. We truly hope that it does its history justice.

Cressingham: a resident’s view

In December this year, Lambeth council estate to be a great privilege. It’s painful don’t withstand scrutiny. They say they want is due to make a decision on the future to watch councils across London ruining to build more social housing, but they could of Cressingham Gardens, a popular low- them, inviting approaches from developers. even cut the provision. They’d fund the new rise estate of some 300 homes, bordering If valued for the life-enhancing qualities homes by selling some on the inflated open Brockwell Park. Join resident Jo Parkes they can offer their inhabitants, such as with market at £400k or more. With an average on a journey through regeneration, for village life, our estates would instead be local wage of £32k, you’ll need at least a an insight into a contentious treated with the TLC they deserve. £250k deposit to bag one. This suggests a trend which is changing “Estates have You can see on Cressingham new development could make the crisis even the lives of thousands of the socialist, quality-for-all ethos worse. We have more than 20,000 people challenges but that in the 1960’s inspired chief waiting for council homes in Lambeth, yet Londoners.

Ask the average Brit to Lambeth architect Ted Hollamby on Cressingham a row of six have been kept they’re a small to build it. It’s still working empty for at least 16 years. describe a council estate, and they’ll probably paint you a today, in spite of the disrespect There are echoes here of the screwednegative picture. It will likely part of the reality” it receives from today’s so-called up thinking of another Labour stronghold be a dystopian cityscape of run‘cooperative’ council. council, Newham, which has down, graffiti-scrawled high-rises. They’ll This Labour authority would like “don’t replace our emptied 600 homes on Stratford’s maybe give a shrug of resignation about to replace our community with a Carpenters estate. But the people these living conditions, suggesting the less maximum density monster that community with a can only be pushed so far, as fortunate can’t expect to inhabit beautiful greater serves its lost soul than shown by the Focus E15 occupy maximum density campaign. publicly-funded housing that serves them real residents. well.

When we opened our doors In Scotland, 1.6m people monster I admit that before I moved to Cressingham for Open House London in voted ‘yes’, and while fear meant Gardens ten-and-a-half years ago, similar September, up to 300 visitors saw this wasn’t a winning number, anti-council-estate rhetoric had clouded for themselves how successful Cressingham perhaps these movements are the start of a my outlook a little. Of course, estates have is, and were shocked to learn what the stronger series of revolts against the service their challenges, but they’re a small part council is up to. of a privileged few, who are holding us to of the reality, and I regard living on an Lambeth’s stated reasons for regenerating ransom. ​​

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

Black History Month

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Bold play ‘lifts a lid’ on British slave trade A new play about British involvement in the transatlantic slave trade has its debut this month at Holy Trinity Church in Clapham as part of Black History Month. Muscovado, written by emerging disabled writer Matilda Ibini, portrays the lives of the Fairbranch family and their slaves on a nineteenth-century Barbados sugar plantation.

Brought to stage with the support of Brixton slave expert Steve Martin, this ambitious play explores slavery in a nuanced way that ‘lifts a lid’ on British involvement in the Caribbean slave trade. “The play shines a light on enormities committed entirely legally,” says Steve, who got involved as a historical adviser to inform the actors’ use of language and explain the different roles which people on plantations played.

The play is set in 1808, one year after the Abolition of Slave Trade Act but 25 years before the abolition

of slavery. It’s a poignant period; the slaves and their owners knew freedom for the black workers was coming, but was still some way off.

For the slaves, it was the first step towards regaining their autonomy and for many plantation-owners it signalled the end of their way of life (and a huge payout, adds Steve).

Many of the slaves at this time didn’t live to experience the final moment of liberty. “The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in 1807 felt like a hollow promise to slaves,” says writer Matilda, “as the passing of the act and its intention didn’t have immediate impact. The play explores the tragedy of knowing freedom but never experiencing it.”

The play is staged at Holy Trinity Clapham, the church where politician William Wilberforce established the Clapham Sect, a group of reformers who campaigned for the abolition of slavery. “Wilberforce and his

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Clapham Sect were part of the same social group as many of those with huge interests in the buying and selling of people, and they went to the same church, Holy Trinity” explains Steve, “as did the young black children at the African Academy down the road.”

The show is put on by emerging young company BurntOut Theatre with Arts Council funding. BurntOut Theatre was formed by brother-sister duo James Reynolds, who composed an original score for Muscovado, and the play’s director Clemmie Reynolds.

Clemmie commissioned Muscovado after she discovered family archives from Barbados.

Muscovado is running until October 10. Tickets are £5-£10.

&

BLACK MYSTERY MONTH Win an exclusive framed Black History Month artwork

by Brixton designer Jon Daniels.

As part of Black History Month we’ve teamed up with Jon, the Black Cultural Archives and Colourful Radio to give you the chance to win this fantastic artwork - called the Brixton Nine.

To be in with a chance, simply name all the nine mystery black Brixtonites pictures right and drop this form into the Black Cultural Archives, Windrush Square, before November 1.

NAME EMAIL/PHONE ANSWERS 1.

5.

2.

6.

3.

7.

4.

8.

9.

To see all performance dates and book tickets, head to www.burntouttheatre. co.uk.

For more Black History Month events in Brixton, turn to page 18

>>

Future Brixton September saw both grow:brixton and the heritage project get off the ground. We also enjoyed the inaugural Brixton Design Week and you can still see Pam Williams’ display on the windows of Town Hall Parade. You can keep up to date and stay involved through the emailing list, futurebrixton.org and @futurebrixton.

Grow:Brixton gets the green light Lambeth Council’s Planning Committee gave the go-ahead for grow:brixton on Tuesday 16 September. Work has now started at the Pope’s Road site to use shipping containers to create a space where people can work, grow and meet.

Mak Gilchrist, from The Edible Bus Stop and part of the grow:brixton said: “We’re itching to get started. We’re getting really positive feedback from locals and traders and there’s a feeling of excitement of what might be in the air. We’re ready to grow!”

With opportunities for training and work space, keep checking growbrixton.co.uk for updates.

Your New Town Hall Film Launch

A £2.6 million boost to Brixton’s heritage The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a grant of £1.95 million to the Brixton Townscape Heritage Initiative. Combined with the £650,000 committed by Lambeth Council, this funding will help to restore the iconic Electric Avenue, revitalising businesses and bringing vacant first floor spaces back into use.

A pot of £105,000 will fund a range of community activities to get people thinking

about and experiencing Brixton’s heritage.

These include ‘Brixton Voices’ – oral histories heard as hidden soundtracks around the town centre; a month long pop-up museum; and a heritage walks guide.

This bid wouldn’t have been possible without the Brixton Heritage Regeneration Partnership so we’d like to thank them all for their hard work. Read more about it at futurebrixton.org

Brixton Central Masterplan update Hundreds of people have fed back ideas on proposals for developing the Brixton Central area, which includes the station, Brixton Station Road, Atlantic Road and the land between the viaducts.

This has helped to clarify the key priorities for any development and whether people like the idea of extending the markets or

concentrating more on providing work space for new enterprise.

The workshop, market stalls and events with local young people have led to lively discussions and we want to keep people talking. A report about what we’ve done so far will be posted on the website by the end of September and we’ll be back to discuss the next stage of the work in November.

PhotoFusion worked with young people on a short film called ‘Your New Town Hall’ which was premiered last month as part of Photofusion’s Still/ Moving Film Festival.

The film is a contribution from the young people to the Community Design stage of the Your New Town Hall project and is their response to meeting the architects and touring the grade II listed building. The film is now available to watch at stillmovingfilm. org. More information about Your New Town Hall is on FutureBrixton.org.

visit futurebrixton.org • follow @futurebrixton LBL Brixton Bugle October v2.indd 1

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

FEATURES

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the faces of

BRIXTON PART III: Danny, las americas

BY KATHRYN AEDY PICTURES BY ALEX WAESPY Las Americas cafeteria is a family-owned business established in Brixton over 10 years ago. With the exception of two Brazilians, all of the staff members have a Colombian background, and though they’re not necessarily related, Danny is proud to say that everyone is like family.

Danny’s father opened shop after having co-owned El Rancho De Lalo and Santafereno, both restaurants in Brixton Village, as well as the Carniceria Loas Andes butcher’s. When his father retired to Colombia, Danny took responsibility for Las Americas, which features both a restaurant and butchery, and which also hosts an outdoor juice stand and a Ria currency exchange in the back. Customers continually flow through to pick up traditional pastries and prime cuts of imported meat while others sit longer to enjoy the company of whoever is around. Many won’t leave without first enjoying the highly popular empanada with fresh salsa.

A number of customers even travel all the way from North London for the taste of a handmade arepa. From early morning until late afternoon, four chefs – including Danny’s mother – grind and boil the maize before turning it into the dough that becomes Las Americas’ infamous grilled flatbread.

Having grown up in London, Danny’s noticed a recent positive change in outside attitudes towards Brixton. “Four to five years ago, people wouldn’t even come into Brixton at night.

Almost everything in the Village closed by 7 pm, and at 3pm on Wednesdays and weekends.”

Today, longer business hours means more time for Brixton’s oldest residents and newcomers alike to experience what the market has to offer.

For instance, Las Americas’ serves a Saturdayexclusive specialty called lechona. That’s crispy pork belly, slow cooked for several hours and stuffed with savoury rice and peas. There’s also more time for the simpler joys that the work day brings: friendly chatter between co-workers and family and friend reunions. Danny laughs as he explains how sometimes people will try to pass by without stopping, but their kids can’t help but to run into Las Americas just to gaze at the massive goldfish swimming around their tank.

Regardless of the occasion, Danny’s pleased in knowing that the restaurant continues to be a sort of central meeting hub for locals, and a place where the servers treat customers as if they’re old friends.

Las Americas is located at 26 Pope’s Road and accepts the Brixton Pound.

Spotlight on... GEDD’S The Brixton BID was voted in by local businesses, for local business, and its work is funded by your BID levy bills.

This is why it is important for you to get involved and have your say, to help shape the future of your local economy. We warmly invite you to our upcoming meetings in October.

For more details see below.

These meetings are not a place for simply talking – we have a budget and plans to make Brixton an even better place to do business, and we want you to help.

To register your attendance or find out how you can get involved contact us: info@thebrixtonbid.co.uk

security radios & Intranet for your business The Lambeth Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) is now making new radios available to businesses in Brixton town centre. These connect you to the police, to the CCTV control centre and to other businesses. There is also a secure intranet system that allows users to upload pictures of suspected

troublemakers. The charge to businesses is £10 per week. Please contact James Barrett on 07795 109233 or james.barrett@saferlondon.co.uk if you would like to participate. This scheme is due to come into effect ‘in the very near future’ so please look out for more information.

Tell us about your business exciting changes which are happening.

GEDD’S has been running since 2001 The area has grown and developed as a hair & beauso much over the ty salon. We are years. The cultures located at 191 have made the Stockwell Road. area so diverse and During these it seems like it is “It’s fantastic to be in 13 years we have continuing to grow. seen the Brixton Brixton offers the mix of all the area grow in great opportunipopularity whilst ties for business exciting changes which becoming a safer and customers and are happening” environment for I’m glad that I can both business contribute to being and customers. a part of this.

This has had a really positive impact with our business What do you offer as a business in and our customer clientele.

Brixton?

We offer a variety of treatments and Why did you decide to base your services for all our customers. Here business in Brixton? are a few of our most popular services.

I decided to set up my business in Brixton because of the diverse consumer Eye Lashes, Eyebrows Wax & Tint market available. For example, we’ve £21 a growing number of clients from the South American & Europe regions. Our Full Body Wax starting business has grown due to the increase from £40 of migration from European and SouthAmerican clientele and we have been 20% OFF Hair Colour on able to offer a high quality service which Tuesday & Wednesday has helped us develop a stronger customer focus.

Free Hair Cut when Colouring or Highlights during Weekdays What do you love about the area?

I just love Brixton. I have seen Brixton Wash, Cut and Blow-dry grow and change over the years. It’s £20 fantastic to be in the mix of all the

WASTE MANAGEMENT Our partner First Mile can reduce your waste and recycling costs by 40% via its pre-paid sack service. 29 businesses have already signed up with others waiting until their contracts end. Please contact First Mile customer service on 0800 612 9894 or by email to customers@thefirstmile. co.uk if you would like more information.

TRAINING FOR BUSINESSES The Brixton BID have teamed up with Lambeth College to help offer some amazing free training opportunities for businesses in Brixton.

Fancy some FREE training?

Several Brixton businesses have now successfully signed up and completed the free training courses that are being organized by the BID in partnership with Lambeth College and we are now in the position to offer more companies this great opportunity.

These training courses are funded by the EU and are available to all local businesses. The training helps staff to develop their skills and knowledge whilst improving elements of your business operation. Courses are currently available in Health & Safety, First Aid and Customer Service and prepare candidates with basic training from which they can then progress towards a formal qualification.

heritage buildings to get a lift The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a grant of £1,950,000 to the Brixton Townscape Heritage Initiative. Along with the £650,000 committed by Lambeth Council, this funding will help to deliver a restored historic environment, revitalised businesses and the reuse of vacant residential space in the area around Electric Avenue, whilst broadening community engagement with Brixton’s heritage. Watch out for more news!

The BID is also launching new fully-funded training programmes, events and seminars specifically designed for Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) involved in the hospitality and catering industry. This will include business management and marketing support as well as British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) training courses.

There will also be bite-size training in English and Maths available from October 2014. This will also be funded by the EU. If you are a BID levy payer and interested in free training for your staff, please contact the BID office admin@brixtonbid.co.uk

Please contact us if you want more information at: Brixton BID 30a Acre Lane, London, SW2 5QS Office: 0203 417 7373 E-mail: admin@brixtonbid.co.uk Website: www.brixtonbid.co.uk

16

Art & Culture

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Post-war architecture book launched This month sees the launch of a new book Lambeth Architecture: A Brave New World 1945-65. Local author Edmund Bird has created an easy-to-read, visually rich account of our borough in a different era. Arts coeditor Ruth Waters caught up with Edmund to find out more.

The book has been a personal and professional ‘voyage of discovery’ for Edmund who, in his previous capacity as Lambeth’s Conservation Officer, didn’t have much to do with post-war buildings and specialises in the Edwardian period - the ‘20s and ‘30ss. Putting the book together has not been without its trials as it involved “a lot of primary research, as not a lot had already been written about the area”.

But the end result is something he is proud of.

So, what’s interesting about Lambeth’s architecture between 1945 and 1965? A period of seismic social and political change, the buildings of the era echo the changing shifts in ideology, the style changing from the decorus status-laden to stripped-back utilitarian. “There was an aspiration for a simpler life. Servants were a thing of the past and people wanted to close the door on the political and social inequalities of the pre-war era... There was the first Labour government with a majority which set the political social agenda of public housing, new schools, new hospitals.”

The Festival of Britain, held in Lambeth in

1951, was incredibly influential, Edmund tells me. “It really showcased the latest styles of modern architecture and, within a few years, architecture changed quite dramatically. People had seen these great glass and steel pavilions and that’s what they wanted for their homes and their schools.” It was an event hosted in our borough which influenced buildings and design more generally, all over the country.

The buildings of the era weren’t just shaped by a shift in ideologies and aspirations, but also by shortages and limitations in materials and labour. “There weren’t enough builders, there wasn’t enough steel, a shortage which lasted for years [after the war], so in the mean time cheap, brick buildings were put up in a simple style, without expensive embellishment.” The style of the buildings came to be known as Scandinavian Modern, which was guided by clean lines and simplicity.

This book provides the reader with a great opportunity to find out about our local history.

The speed at which buildings have been put up and taken down over the last 70 years is astounding. With more changes on their way at an ever increasing rate, it’s a great moment to look back over the incredible architectural changes in Lambeth.

Lambeth Architecture: A Brave New World 1945-65 is available to borrow and to buy at all Lambeth libraries.

Brixton-made film praised at London Film Festival Honeytrap is a hard-hitting film from an upcoming local director being shown at the Ritzy as part of London Film Festival. It’s set in Brixton and portrays the disastrous consequences of a teenage girl’s struggle for acceptance.

The film was made on a shoestring budget

by Brixton-based director Rebecca Johnson.

It’s her first feature-length piece. Her short film

Top Girl gained international recognition in 2010, winning several awards including Best Screenplay at the BFI Black Filmmakers Festival.

She was consequently awarded development funding by the BFI to write a new film, which became Honeytrap.

The film centres around 15-year-old Layla, played by Jessica Sula, who has moved to Brixton from Trinidad to live with her estranged mother.

As she struggles to adjust to the new social hierarchy, she falls for local gang leader Troy.

In a bid for his acceptance she agrees to lure a lovestruck admirer into a trap so Troy can murder him. Based on the infamous ‘honeytrap’ killing of Shakilus Townsend in 2008 in Thornton Heath, Honeytrap explores the hypermasculine gang world from a girl’s perspective.

I asked Rebecca why she wanted to make this film. “Top Girl was about girls in a man’s world,” she said, “I wanted to expand on that theme, and I started thinking about the role of girls in gang culture.” Having worked with young people in London for the last 12 years, Rebecca understands that those involved in gang violence are just as vulnerable and confused as any other adolescents.

“Even if it’s not necessarily easy to empathise with young people who are doing bad things, if we don’t try to understand nothing’s going to change,” says Rebecca, “I think telling stories is a good way of drawing people into understanding without preaching - which this film is certainly not doing trying to do.”

Rebecca is also concerned that girls are generally underrepresented in film culture.

Honeytrap is very much focused on Layla’s experience, and she appears in every single scene. “The ‘honeytrap girl’ is a trope that you see often in films, not just urban films,” she says, “but I’ve never seen a story told from her perspective.”

Initially planning to shoot a factual account of the 2008 ‘honeytrap’ murder, she quickly chose to create her own story to give her more freedom to explore the different characters involved.

“I wanted to humanise everybody,” explains

Rebecca, “these kids are not psychopaths, they are salvageable. It’s about understanding how someone you can actually relate to very strongly can become involved in an act of horrific violence.”

Honeytrap looks at London gang culture through fresh eyes, attempting to break down assumptions and stereotypes. Rebecca wants to take her audience on a journey into Layla’s world. Why did she choose such a compromised character as her protagonist? “I wanted to make a film where it’s hard to identify with the lead character, someone you might find despicable, but which ultimately succeeded in making you identify with her,” she explains.

The film was made on a very tight budget, with Rebecca and her team using whatever resources they had to get it finished. As well as relying on the support of local businesses and cafes during shooting, Honeytrap was partially crowd-funded through the site Indiegogo.

“People went out of their way to help us, and for that I’m very grateful,” says Rebecca.

In addition to having Honeytrap selected for the London Film Festival and shown at the Ritzy, Rebecca has been nominated for Best British Newcomer by the BFI. She’s delighted, and tells me proudly that Honeytrap was made for less than half the budget of any film by her fellow nominees. “It’s the only independent film too - we’re the little underdog, punching above our weight!”

Tickets for the Film Festival screening at the Ritzy sold out in half a day, so readers will have to wait until the film’s release early next year. Go to www.facebook.com/honeytrapfilm.

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

Art & Culture

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Our London Film Festival top picks

The Ritzy Cinema is hosting part of the London Film Festival, screening 30 acclaimed films for new and established directors throughout October. Here’s our list of top picks - from hiphop doc to classic horror, Nas: Time is Illmatic - (pictured above) find out more about the man behind one of the seminal hip-hop records of the ‘90s in this stylish documentary. Listening to Nas’ debut Illmatic is described as “like living a hustler’s life through poetry.” This film examines the social context and genesis of the album, from the hard-knock life of the notorious Queensbridge projects in New York where a young Nas started out, to his current status as visionary MC.

Dukhtar - tense escape thriller set in Pakistan’s northern mountains. When a 10-year-old girl is promised as a wife to an aged tribal leader by her father, her mother takes the dangerous decision to flee down the mountainside with her. Against a beautifully photographed rural backdrop, the two women run from a group of violent men bent on vengeance in a film that explores the plight of child brides.

the horror genre, paving the way for hordes of subsequent ‘slasher’ flicks.

edge of your seat throughout as it races from one action set-piece to another.

Honeytrap - set in Brixton, directed by a local resident, Honeytrap tells the story of Layla, a 15-year-old Trinidadian who seeks acceptance by leading a boy to his murder at the hands of her jealous lover. Read our interview with the director opposite to find out more.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre - say hello to Leatherface again! Relive the horror on the 40th anniversary of this ‘70s cult classic. Digitally remastered to capture every last bone fragment and blood spatter, fans can bask in the full gory glory of a film which not only terrified audiences but also subverted and refreshed

Second Coming - (pictured above) leftfield family drama set in London starring Idris Elba and Lambethan Nadine Marshall. Jackie is pregnant, much to the surprise of her husband and son, but insists that she hasn’t slept with anyone. The film follows the family as they try to come to terms with an unexplained pregnancy in this critically-acclaimed directorial debut from Debbie Tucker Green.

Hard to Get - sexy, brutal action thriller set in the sweaty knife-edge world of Johannesburg’s criminal underworld. Handsome gigolo TK tries to keep pace with femme fatale Skiets as Book yourself in by calling the London Film she leads him on an adventure into a dangerous Festival booking line on 020 7928 3232 or by world of gangsters and crooks.

With film-noir AWBrixtonAd.pdf 1 25/09/2014 16:30 visiting www.bfi.org.uk/lff. overtones, this promises to have you on the

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Teka keeps it raw The Brixton Bugle catches up with upcoming young rapper Teka Akpod, who has recorded at Brixton’s Raw Material studio.

When and why did you start rapping?

Two and half years ago, I started to take rapping seriously at the age of 16. I started off by singing, then by writing poetry, then I got into rapping. I rap and write about my life, love and the people around me.

Describe your music.

The music that I usually make has an old-school hip-hop flavour. I admire artists such as Suli, Nego True and Lauryn Hill.

Tell us what you’re up to at the moment.

I’m working on a new EP which should be out

early next year. I’m also studying at college!

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How did you find Raw Material?

I enjoyed recording there - their studio is fantastic, plus the producer was really friendly.

Do you hope you go into music full time?

What is your dream?

Hopefully, I will be able to go into music full time - if it’s meant to be it will happen. My dream is to make a positive change in the lives of people around me, hopefully have my own charity one day and help people who are less fortunate than me.

Where can we find out more about you?

You can look for me on Soundcloud or Facebook.

BRINDISA

I N B R I X TO N

For those who love Spanish food and wine visit our Food Rooms cafe and shop.

Join us for our Ham School evenings with our Master Carvers. Next dates: Tuesday 30th September 19:00 - 21:00 Tuesday 28th October 19:00 - 21:00 Tuesday 25th November 19:00 - 21:00 D A O L 8J 34 IC 9 5 T 06 5 N SW 3 86 A 3 L N : 7 95 T OM T U A TO 0 7 0 O A.C 3 7 2 A X S -4 RI : 0 20 U IS IS 41 B OP : 0 K ND ND I E EC R RI H B B SH AF C W. @ C R

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

What’s On

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Editor’s Pick:

Black History Month at the BCA Treasures of the archive: 15 minutes talk followed by discussion and Q&A Join friends of the Black Cultural Archives for these short talks and discussions as they reveal and discuss treasured items from our collection.

Free Thursday 2 October, 1pm BCA chair Dawn Hill, Elisabeth Anionwu and Nina Patel discuss the remarkable life and legacy of Mary Seacole.

Thursday 16 October, 1pm Historian S.I. Martin brings to light the incredible lives of the Edwardian Barbour James family.

Thursday 6 November, 1pm BCA programme manager Janet Browne gives us a fascinating insight into our beautiful Sowo masks.

Thursday 20 November, 1pm Stephen Bourne shares personal memories of performers Adelaide Hall and Elisabeth Welch, and memorabilia from his private collection.

Women in Activism - OWAAD at 35 Sunday 7 November, 12-6pm OWAAD was one of the first organised women’s group set up to campaign for social justice and equal rights. Unpack the past and examine the active role of OWAAD, the lives of Black women during the 1970s and 1980s, their stories of heroism and their legacy for women’s activism today. Tickets: £55/£40 concessions Len Garrison Memorial Lecture Thursday 16 October, 7pm – 9.30pm In memory of our co-founding member Len Garrison, this annual lecture celebrates the life of an extraordinary advocate for children’s education. Tickets: £20/£15 concessions, includes light refreshments.

Re-imagine exhibition tour Tuesday 14 October, 1pm Guided by our exhibition curator learn more about the pioneering narratives of women featured in Re-imagine: Black Women in Britain.

Tickets: £5/£3 concessions Lunchtime talks Fridays 17 and 24 October, 1pm A series of lunchtime talks from inspirational women discussing the legacy and contributions of Black women in Britain. Tickets: £5/£3 concessions.

The Brixton Neighbourhood Walking Tour Saturday 11 October, 2pm – 3.30pm Take this fascinating walking tour through the streets of Brixton and learn more about the local history and its Georgian architectural past such

as our grade II-listed building previously known as Raleigh Hall. Tickets: £8/£6 concessions.

Silver Diamonds: Elders Takeover Thursday 23 October, 1.30pm – 4pm Elders are invited to share their stories and experiences reflecting on earlier times of social change and activism, and as a response create a group calypso with Alexander D. Great. This workshop will explore the lives of revolutionary women such as Olive Morris spotlighted in the current exhibition, Re-imagine: Black Women in Britain. Tickets: £7.

World Audio-Visual Heritage Community Day Sunday 26 October, 12pm – 6pm World Audio-Visual Heritage Day raises the awareness of the significance of preserving audiovisual documentation, such as films, video recordings, oral histories, radio and television programmes and photographs. Join us for a series of workshops with our experts and learn how to record, film and photograph others, preserve your personal memories, and view rare film footage, and listen to recordings held within our archive. Tickets: £25/£20 concessions.

Open Mind, Open Lives Thursday 30 October, 1.30pm – 4pm Explore the lives of three women from the 15th and 16th centuries, who were almost written out of history. In a creative workshop, devise a group monologue of a re-imagined woman today. This workshop is especially for mental health users and carers. Tickets: £7.

For more details and to book tickets visit www.bcaheritage.org.uk

THURS 2 @ O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON After exploding onto the underground music scene in 2010 SBTRKT has gathered a wide following for his strong musical style that combines original vocalists such as Jessie Ware and Roses Gabor. His captivating and ever-changing live show will celebrate the release of new album ‘Wonder Where We Land’. £19.68. Ages 14+ FRI 3 @ RITZY UPSTAIRS Chyna Productions & Soul Liberation Funk present south London’s hottest live music, showcase & open mic event. Soul Liberation Funk (formerly of UK Soul Jam @ Jazz Cafe & UK Soul Lounge) will be providing the Soulful live music while the featured acts & open mic will do the rest! Singers/ rappers/poets/comedians/dancers.

FRI 3 @ CANTERBURY ARMS If you love hard rock and punk the Canterbury Arms is right up your alley. Playing original punk, post punk, riot grrrl, proto punk, garage rock, pop punk, and more... Think The Ramones, Buzzcocks, Bikini Kill, Huggy Bear, Tullycraft, Martha, and so on. We won’t be playing any nonsense like Blink 182 so don’t get the wrong idea. 9pm-2.30am £6.

FRI 3 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON Immortalised by Blondie, feted by the hip-hop cognoscenti, Grandmaster Flash is the man who turned the humble record deck into an instrument as potent as the piano or guitar. He was the first DJ to put out a rap record and in ‘Adventures On The Wheels Of Steel,’ he created an aural template that let the world at large into the secrets of the New York ghettos.

He’s the decknician with magic in his fingers. The DJ who put the hip in hop. Flash is fast. Flash is cool.

Lambeth Open arts and crafts showcase

BY BOBBIE LAKHERA At a time when people complain they don’t know their neighbours, here’s an opportunity to not only say hello but snap up some of their original, innovative and exquisite artwork too.

On October 4 and 5 local artists and crafts people will open up their workshops, studios and homes to showcase their work and invite visitors to get a unique insight into their individual creative processes. Taking part in the Lambeth Open, a fantastic range of arts and crafts will be on display including paintings, sculptures, photography, textiles, jewellery and prints.

Organiser and artist Tim Sutton, who also runs the hugely popular Urban Art fair in Josephine Avenue, said: “This is an affordable way for artists in the borough to show their work and a very accessible way for visitors to see art and craft work, and meet the people who created them.

“Lambeth has a rich resource of creative people and we really should be showing this off to the rest of London.”

This is your chance to discover the wealth of talent hidden away in the borough and visit arts and exhibition venues local to you. sDoors will be open from 10am to 6pm each day and admission to all venues is fantastically free. For a list of where to go, visit www.lambethopen.com.

Antonia Myatt 67 Acre Lane Ayse Hassan

39 Vining Street

Brixton East Gallery

(showcasing multiple artists) 100 Barrington Road

Hunted and Stuffed 5b Stewarts Place

Izzy Ramsey

20 Arodene Road

John Bateson

25 Pulross Road

Kate Newington 30 Saltoun Road

Matt Crump

70a Strathleven Road

Pam Wealden

31 Nealden Street

Sarah Lovett 2 Elm Park

Painting by Tim Sutton

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

What's On SAT 4 @ THE WHITE HORSE Funkalicious is known for playing heavy, heavy funk and sweet, sweet soul. From the classics of the 60s and 70s to the hot new releases of today’s healthy worldwide funk scene, it’s always a dance party. Expect to hear classic James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding next to the brand new sounds of Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Breakestra and the New Mastersounds.

SAT 4 @ BROCKWELL PARK Saturday Morning Nature Explorers.

Club for young people aged 7-12 years and their carers. New members always welcome. This month you’ll be taking a closer look at all matters seedy! 10am-12pm, £2 donation welcome. Meeting point: Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses.

SAT 4 & SUN 5 @ DOGSTAR The Crafty Fox Market is back.

A hand-picked selection of 50 different traders will be setting up shop each day, selling a unique range of handmade and locally designed wares. Spread over three floors, guests can shop with a beer in hand or visit the tea-room for a cake and cuppa.

Drop-in workshops include jewellery making with Lucie Ellen and screenprinting with Mr Wingate. Entry is free and children are welcome. Visit www.craftyfoxmarket.co.uk for trader listings. 11am-5pm.

SAT 4 & SUN 5 @ BRIXTON EAST Lambeth Open Artistic Showcase.

This former nineteenth-century furniture warehouse is 10 minutes walk from Brixton tube. You are also invited to a Private View on Friday October 3, 6pm to 9pm including music and drink. A great way to kick start your creative weekend. FREE SUN 5 @ RITZY Director Skip Kite presents his documentary on the politician Tony Benn. Benn’s name was synonymous with political integrity and whether you agreed or disagreed with him, most had the upmost respect for this Labour peer. After the screening there will be a panel discussion, with guests including John Sergeant, Baroness Corston, and Lindsey German,

www.brixtonblog.com head of the Stop the War Campaign.

4:30pm, £12.

TUES 7 @ RITZY UPSTAIRS Maxine Bulloch explores the people and landscapes that make up the beautiful country of Myanmar in her photography exhibition. Despite its poverty and delicate political situation, the people of Myanmar are overwhelmingly friendly, kind, and ready to welcome everyone with a warm smile. 8-11pm, FREE. WEDS 8 @ WINDMILL BRIXTON Eamon McGrath performs live.

McGrath’s music bridges gaps between his country, prairie roots, and the spirit of punk rock that fills both his lungs and his words. Think Blue Rodeo-meets-Black Flag and you’re getting close. 8pm £5.

THURS 9 @ EFFRA HALL TAVERN Weekly live jazz for those who want a little bit more from their Thursday evening. FREE FRI 10 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON Vagabondz presents Chicago-born Roy Davis Jr who will be bringing his authentic, original house music to South London. UK garage stalwart Wookie will be supporting, alongside Swamp 81 boys Paleman and Benton and more. 10pm-6am. Tickets start from £8 18+ FRI 10 @ CAFE CAIRO Shama Rahman plays her new material from her debut album ‘Fable:Time’. Rahman’s folk-jazz style of music uses percussion, guitar and sitar and will perfectly match Cafe Cairo’s vibe. £5.

SAT 11 @ BROCKWELL PARK Herne Hill Music Festival returns this year and brings the community together with jazz, classical, blues and folk music. It’s a chance to take the family along and experience a wide range of music whilst supporting local artists. Tickets start at £5.

SUN 12 @ CLAPHAM Oxjam are taking over Clapham, with musical festivities in six venues with more than 50 artists. Archway 365, The Library, The Railway, The

Picturehouse and more will host live music and DJ’s all in aid of the charity Oxfam. Ticket prices vary.

World team. Refreshments provided and copies of the book available. 6pm, FREE.

SUN 12 @ RITZY UPSTAIRS C.R.A.T.E.S returns for its monthly special with pure vinyl DJs spinning jazz, soul, hip-hop, rare groove and reggae. Kick back to the crackling sound of needle to groove, or bring your own to play. 5:30pm till close, FREE.

WEDS 22 @ HOOTANANNY A night of Blue Ridge Mountain music. The Absentees are a traditional Appalachian blue grass band, while Stax Dempsey play the songs of country folk and blues legend Raleigh Rye. 9-12am, FREE 18+

SUN 12 @ WHIRLED CINEMA Kick back and relax in the inviting small, cosy and intimate Whirled Cinema for a diverse programme of the best of current world and art house cinema. Check out ‘Night Moves’ a story of three radical environmentalists coming together to execute the most intense protest of their lives: the explosion of a hydroelectric dam.

TUES 14 @ HOOTANANNY Swill whisky and sing some songs, after all Scotland is still part of the United Kingdom and Hootananny is the place to do it. Roberta Banana will be strumming her guitar and if you don’t like whisky then there is plenty of other choice in terms of drink. 9pm-Midnight, FREE. WEDS @ RITZY UPSTAIRS A personal tribute to remember iconic DJ John Peel, ten years since his passing. Ken Kokkinos resurrects his own vinyl collection, mainly inspired

by John Peel, to replay some of the sounds and bands that featured on the great man’s Radio 1 programmes during the late seventies and early eighties. 2pm, FREE. FRI 17 @ 198 CONTEMPORARY ARTS & LEARNING Celebrate the launch of ‘The Roles We Play: Recognising the Contribution of People in Poverty’ - a new fullcolour publication from ATD Fourth World and artist and photographer Eva Sajovic, which accompanies a photographic exhibition of the same name. Interactive video and photo booths will give you the opportunity to be part of the project, with popup talks from Eva Sajovic, project participants and the ATD Fourth

Talking about Oxjam A chat with with Faye Rodwell, one of the team behind this year’s Brixton Oxjam, which takes place on Saturday October 18.

What’s the line-up this year and where can we see them?

We’ve got almost 50 acts across five Brixton venues: Upstairs @ the Ritzy, Kaff bar, Market House, The Windmill and POW. Musicians include Frank Tope, Blonde Ambition, Howson’s Groove, Love Tempo, The Golden Boys, Ray Jones, Sophia Amato, Dressmaker, The Come on People, Johnny Lucas, HNTR and Georgia Buchanan.

How have acts been selected?

Local advertising in the bars that are participating in the takeover as well as a piece with Brixton Buzz and social media campaigns. The main headline

DJs were approached by us and kindly agreed to play for free but the majority of acts have applied to perform.

Are they local? Any newcomers?

All local, up and coming artists. This is a great chance to discover new acts across many different genres.

Obviously there are Oxjams all over London - what’s special about Brixton?

It has such a vibrant music scene and diverse venues, allowing us to host a really eclectic mix of music.

This, partnered with the amazing restaurant scene, makes for an

amazing day/evening. Delicious food and amazing music!

Anything out of the ordinary we can expect at this year’s festival?

We’re being supported by the Brixton Brewery, who will be hosting an open day throughout the afternoon for people to have a tour around the brewery. They’ll also be photobooths, face-painting and glowsticks galore.

Last year’s event raised £16,000 for Oxfam, and this year’s team are hoping to raise £10,000. Find out more and book your ticket at oxjambrixton2014.tumblr.com

THURS 23 @ RITZY UPSTAIRS Hip, upbeat quartet Alice in Grooveland bring their ‘sizzling mix’ of jazz, funk and world grooves to Upstairs at the Ritzy. Regulars on the Brixton jazz scene for a few years now, the band are heading into the studio to record their first album of original material. Expect anything from the classic hard bop sound to 70s space funk and beyond! 8PM, FREE.

What’s On is edited by Phoebe Robertson.

If you’d like to join the What’s On team, either to review, preview or interview, please contact: Phoebe@ brixtonblog.com

FRI 24 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON House heavyweights Booka Shade are in Brixton to perform live and bring their distinctive German flavour to the Electric. For fans of Booka Shade or anyone with a slight passing fancy for serious underground house and techno this event is not to be missed.

10pm-6am, £20, 18+

WEDS 29 @ 02 ACADEMY BRIXTON Clean Bandit came from nowhere with their number one hit ‘Rather Be’ and have exploded on to the music scene with a bang. These Cambridge natives will be taking to the the stage with their delightful and soulful electronic music. 7pm - 11pm, £19.12 + BF

FRI 24 @ 02 ACADEMY BRIXTON John Newman has seen his star rise since his 2013 breakthrough from his collaboration with Rudimental. He has been nominated for three Brit Awards in the Best British Male Solo Artist, Best British Single and Best Video categories. £24.75.

THURS 30 @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON Jess Glynne is most known for her collaboration with Clean Bandit ‘Rather Be’ which stayed at number 1 in the UK singles chart for four weeks. Catch her Brixton debut at Electric Brixton. 7pm-11pm, £13.50 + BF

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Food

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Recipe: Tasty corn tortilla soup Corn Tortilla Soup (serves 4)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, finely diced 1 yellow pepper, finely diced 1 carrot, finely diced 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 bunch coriander stalks, finely chopped 150g hominy (see the pulse aisle at the Nour Cash and Carry) 3 ears fresh corn, kernels removed and cobs reserved 1 whole scotch bonnet 1 litre water or stock salt and pepper 2 corn or wheat tortillas, shredded 1 large avocado, sliced 1 bunch coriander leaves, shredded 2 limes, juiced hot sauce or chopped red chilli to serve

BY MISS SOUTH The end of summer, when the sun grows softer and the nights longer, does bring one perk. The stalls in the market are full of fresh corn on the cob. Wrapped in their papery green husks, the perfect yellow kernels cry out to be dipped in butter and eaten simply. But at least 3 for £1 and sometimes 5 for £1, you can eat a lot of corn in late September and you need to shake it up a bit too.

I’ve combined buttery yellow fresh corn with dried white hominy corn to add a little bulk and heft to a soup when the nights start to chill.

Hominy is corn that’s been dried with an alkaline to preserve it and when cooked, it becomes chewy and delicious. Mixing the two kinds of corn adds texture and flavour to a simple soup. Top it with corn tortillas, fresh coriander, lime juice and a slice or two of avocado for a perfect vegan autumn meal in just over 30 minutes.

This is a simple and economical soup that needs very little effort. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a deep heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the onion and allow to cook on a medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until starting to soften and colour. Add the garlic, yellow pepper and the carrot. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Scatter in the ground cumin and the coriander stalks. These are literally the stalks of the bunch you bought for the leaves. Sweat it all down for another 5 minutes.

Cut the kernels off the corn cobs by running a sharp knife down them.

Keep the cobs you’ve stripped clean.

Add the fresh corn and the hominy to the pan of sweated vegetables and stir well to coat. Put the whole corn cobs into the pan as well, laying them on their sides. Pour the stock or water over it all, making sure the cobs are covered. Adding these infuses the stock with extra corn fresh flavour.

Bob the scotch bonnet in it for a little kick.

Simmer the soup on a medium heat for 30 minutes. The hominy will soften and swell which thickens the soup. You may need to add more stock if you like the soup less thick. Once it

is cooked, remove from the heat and take two good-sized ladlefuls out and put in a bowl. Fish the large cobs out as you don’t want to puree those. Blitz to smooth consistency with a hand blender and add back to the rest of

the soup to create a mix of smooth and chunky textures. Don’t worry if you don’t have a hand blender, this isn’t essential.

Stir the shredded tortillas into the soup and serve it all in shallow

bowls. Adding tortillas to soup is very common in Mexican cooking and it’s a great excuse to pop to Casa Morita for their gluten free corn tortillas. Top the soup with the avocado, coriander, lime juice and hot sauce and eat!

Foodie news

As we all know, Brixton is ever-changing but each month we bring you a round up of what’s happening to keep you in the loop: It’s really not easy to run a business in the market and the good people at Cornercopia in Granville Arcade know that only too well. They have learned a lot along the way, all of which they are sharing in free workshops for women who want to start up a food business. The project is supported

by Westminster Enterprise Centre with seminars on becoming self-employed, marketing, branding and the financial aspects of running a food business. Seminars are on November 5,12,19 and 26 in Brixton Village market. Email brixtoncornercopia@ gmail.com for information.

Several Brixton joints appeared in the press this month, from Time Out’s review of new cocktail bar Shrub & Shutter to the Metro recommending Salon Brixton and Alain Ducasse bigging up Fish, Wings n Tings.

We have to say to Shrub & Shutter though – turn your music down!

And Wahaca is about to open in the former Brady’s pub on Atlantic Road…but what is that rather garish frontage about?!

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

Food

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Review: It’s all gone a bit

ping-pong at Three Eight Four

BY LINDSEY FALLER

PICTURES BY STEFAN JOHNSON Nothing can change the face of a neighbourhood quite like food, for better or for worse. In recent years it is clear that Market Row and Brixton Village have been the places to be for food businesses. But our little gastro-coup is expanding. Atlantic Road saw the arrival of Brindisa and will shortly be welcoming Wahaca, and Coldharbour Lane is now the home of Three Eight Four, a self-described “small plates and cocktail bar.”

Sandwiched between a printers and a chicken shop, Three Eight Four is the latest venture from Jonny Rushton and Liam Brown, the gents behind Seven at Brixton. It is also the newest, coolest thing to hit Brixton. In the full spirit of this column, I wholly acknowledge that I made assumptions prior to going. I assumed it was going to be buzzing. I assumed it was going to loud. I assumed it was going to be übercool. I assumed I was going to hate it.

I scored a reservation and a babysitter for a Friday night, throwing my husband and I deep into a world so often frequented by childless wonders all over this city. Three Eight Four was indeed loud and buzzing – the excitement for the weekend was intoxicating. A nice waitress showed us to the end of a line of matchboxsized tables, where we sat down on reclaimed bus seats, trying to avoid bumping elbows with the couple to our left. The menu was typed out on lined paper inside a pastel A5 folder that looked like it should have held my homework in 1987. One side was small plates, the other cocktails. We ordered a rather rude-sounding cocktail, Four in the Pink, and another called Tart’n Tide and decided to eat a Reuben slider, ‘nduja, ricotta and quail’s egg, salt and pepper squid, a burrata and heirloom tomato salad, a rosemary baguette and some sweet potato fries.

On (lined) paper, it sounded amazing.

Water was brought in a carafe, with glasses no larger than shot glasses, a small jar of chipotle mayonnaise (“This goes well with most of our food”), and odd little napkin and cutlery wallets, stamped with ‘384’ just in case we had forgotten where we were. Drinks arrived: the Tart’n Tide was delicious.

Smoky Auchentoshen whiskey mixed with citrus and sweet from the lemon and honey was served with a hunk of ice wrapped in seaweed. What can only be described as a cocktail for a Barbie doll, Four in the Pink was cloyingly disappointing. I had hoped for a little more bitter ness with its addition of Campari, lemon and

peach bitters, promising contrast from the sweet Amaretto and Cointreau. Served with a girly Loveheart on top, the drink was frothy and cheeksuckingly sweet. I could almost hear it giggle.

Food began to arrive, and we played a constant game of crockery chess on our tiny table to make room for everything.

The rosemary bread, served (literally and metaphorically) on a ping-pong mallet lacked any real flavour; the burrata and heirloom tomato salad was equally bland, despite the beautifully creamy burrata and the fresh tomatoes – the dish would have shone if it had been seasoned

properly. The ‘nduja, ricotta and quail’s egg was served on toasted bread, the egg fried nice and wobbly, the ricotta mixed with a hint of honey.

It was a decent stab at a happy combination of tastes and textures, though I thought the honey unnecessary. The salt and pepper squid was underwhelming, under seasoned and a few pieces were worryingly undercooked. The Reuben slider was fantastic. Meaty pastrami was beautifully paired with a rich Dijon mustard, nutty Emmenthal, and sauerkraut thick with the taste of juniper. The sweet potato fries were excellent dippers for the equally excellent chipotle mayonnaise.

The thing is, Three Eight Four seems to be caught in a huge identity crisis. It is trying very, very hard to be cool. The interior is a pastiche of hipster bars and restaurants from Soho to Shoreditch from the last four years with its exposed brickwork, industrial lighting, reclaimed furniture, and its ridiculous serving apparatuses and miniature glassware; the exterior desperately wants to be Spuntino, and this schizophrenic atmosphere leaves the visitor constantly distracted by the next gimmick to arrive at his table. I don’t want my food served on a ping-pong mallet; a small plate would do just fine.

Dinner for two with cocktails and service £43

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Feature

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Getting down with

BY MAX MACBRIDE A magnet for alternative culture and self-expression over the years, Brixton is a natural home for street art. These last few years in particular have seen an explosion of weird and wonderful creations peppering our streets.

No longer the enfant terrible of the art world, street art has been ushered in from the cold by the mainstream, fuelled by the well-documented popularity of artists like Banksy. It’s been a divisive transformation, creating opportunity for some but also crowding the market and introducing a new and not-altogetherwelcome commercial hierarchy into the community. Sound familiar?

Street art grew out of the early 1980s graffiti boom, and a desire to take art out of the stuffy confines of traditional galleries.

Since then, it has become a broad church, and now encompasses most imaginable types of (generally unsanctioned) art created in public spaces, including stencil and freehand graffiti, poster art, street installations and more recently things like video projection and yarn bombing. Like most umbrella names given to artistic movements, the term ‘street art’ can raise artists’ hackles. Some reject both the label and its connotations. Still, the scene is

thriving like never before.

Brixton and street art go back some way. During the ‘80s, the council took a progressive stance toward commissioning and encouraging the many murals which still adorn Brixton’s walls, in the hope of brightening up the area in troubled times.

Sadly they didn’t plan for the maintenance of these urban treasures, something which the London Mural Preservation Society are happily doing a great job of putting right.

That legacy is now being preserved and added to by a new generation of artists. As well as the plethora of new works popping up around Brixton, there are other focal points, notably the legendary ‘Stockwell Hall of Fame’. A run-down ball court in the Stockwell Park Estate, it attracts artists from far and wide - beginners and big names alike - who come to hone their craft legally and without the usual time pressures. Works down there change all the time, and the skilled graffiti writers have created a remarkable revolving door of explosively vivid designs.

Here we get to know just a few of the works lighting up the streets at the moment: Max MacBride,Twitter @MaximilianMM

Invader, Coldharbour Lane Invader is a well-known French street artist, although his actual identity remains a mystery. He has gained global attention for his Space Invader-themed work, which recreates the pixel-based glory of 1970s 8-bit games using ceramic tiles. Living up to his moniker, he has launched invasions in more than 60 cities across 30 countries since 1998, always placing his distinctive alien creations in high-profile places.

He’s taken on London many times through the years, with Brixton coming under attack in 2011. As well this one opposite the Dogstar, a couple more of his cohorts are lurking elsewhere in Brixton. You’ll have to find those for yourself though.

Photoshop studio, RAILTON Road This piece is the handiwork of Paintshop Studio, a local creative studio that mixes design and graffiti art for a wide range of projects. Here’s founder and artist Rick Walker: MM: What was the idea for the piece on Mayall Road?

RW: It was a collaboration between me, Dep, and Tizer who at the time worked with me at Paintshop Studio and lived just a few doors down the road from the piece. This was just painted for fun, we are always on the look out for new painting spots and after a quick chat with the owners of the warehouse we got permission. I loved the vintage typography on the top half of the shutters but the bottom half had been repainted and looked really tatty, so we wanted to try and find a way to work with what was there and still create something cool for all the residents who will see it everyday.

MM: Does it have a particular message?

RW: It’s based on climate change and is just a lighthearted look at a serious topic; i.e. what happens when London is underwater? It was part of a theme we had been doing around the time which was also featured as an animated screensaver commissioned by PlayStation called ‘Peckhamon-Sea’. This piece featured a couple of fictitious locals as the water level rises. It worked nicely as we were able to keep the original character of the shutter and blend it with our design.

Cept, Solon Road This vibrant piece on Solon Road is by Mike Ballard, perhaps better known to followers of street art by his alter-ego Cept. Mike/Cept has developed a reputation as one of the UK’s most intriguing artists, with a varied output that includes oil paintings, video art, conceptual installations and of course street art.

I put some questions to Mike about his work: MM: We love this piece - what was the inspiration?

MB: It was inspired by the silver age of comics. I had drawn the characters a while back and was looking for a good place to paint them, alongside my name Cept.

I like that it’s a couple together, looking forward to the future, but also looking quite retro. My whole vibe is future primitive. I love painting letters and characters on the street, always freehand, never stenciled.

MM: Could you give us an idea of how long it took

MM: How long did this one take?

RW: The Railton Road piece took a day to actually paint once we had the idea and had worked-up rough sketches. Once you have a plan then it’s a fairly loose process to bring it to life. You start by sketching the design on the wall with spray paint and working out what goes where. You then try and get the balance and interaction right between the characters, and then it’s a case of filling in the background and working in the details. The details are quite time consuming, as to get the nice colour blends and details it involves a lot of layering and ‘cutting back’ over the top to keep it tidy and sharp. I was painting a lot with Tizer at this time, so we were very used to how we each worked and the whole process was very fluid.

MM: What’s your view of Brixton as a place to create your work?

RW: I have a lot of love for Brixton and spend a lot of time around the area. Brixton has always been a key place for London graffiti and the hip-hop scene in general. Just down Stockwell Road is the Stockwell graffiti Hall of Fame which has been a mecca for graffiti artists for decades and has seen some of the most famous artists coming from all round the world to paint there. It’s truly an amazing place and one of my favourites to paint in.

Find out more about Paintshop Studio at www.paintshopstudio.com.

and your process?

MB: The piece took me about two hours. I had a sketch, marked it out and my friend Kev helped me fill it in. I like the black fill in and lilac outline. I’ve painted over 2000 pieces in my 25 years painting graffiti, and I like to paint fast and capture the energy of the moment MM: What appeals to you about painting in Brixton?

MB: I’ve always had mates who live in Brixton, so I visit a lot. It’s got a great feel and atmosphere.

MM: What role do you think street art has to play in local communities?

MB: I think the art on the street brightens the communities it is in, and makes the place more lively and colourful. It shows the city has some energy.

Find out more about Mike’s work at www.spradio.com and on @Ceptronix on Instagram.

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Feature

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the street artists

Tizer ID, Brixton Hill This new piece on Brixton Hill is the work of Mr Cenz and Tizer ID, two local artists. Apparently, it depicts ‘the local community and elderly people as giants’ - a message I think we can all get behind!

Louis Masai, DUKE OF EDINBURGH and Saltoun Road This intriguing depiction of a bee has an important message at its heart. The bee population has been in decline since the late 1990s, which is a problem because they pollinate crops and are key to food production. The threat to the bees is also therefore a problem for us humans. I spoke to the artist Louis Masai, who is also the man behind the giant rhino in the Duke of Edinburgh’s beer garden: MM: Does your work usually have an environmental focus? What was the spark for this one?

LM: For the last year I’ve been painting endangered animals. I felt like there needed to be a bit more of a message behind what I was doing. It came from a trip I made to South Africa, where I was part of a campaign to save the rhino. After working on that and doing smaller bits with bees, I thought it would be cool to do a bigger campaign.

MM: How is the campaign going generally?

LM: It’s going really well. It’s nice seeing people give a shit. I hope people actually are engaging,

rather than just jumping on a bandwagon. I hope it makes people think about the reason why bees are disappearing.

MM: What made you choose bees in particular?

LM: The biggest chance to make an impact was with bees. We’re very selfish as a race, and if you tell people they’re going to die as a result of bees becoming extinct, they suddenly give a shit.

MM: Do you think more street art should be socially conscious?

LM: I don’t know. I think if you have too much of something, people become passive, they stop looking and they stop acknowledging.

Ultimately, painting on streets does two things - either raises an issue or just beautifies a space, or it can be both.

MM: Why choose to paint in Brixton?

LM: Brixton is nice and something of an exception. If I’m doing work for my own enjoyment, I’ll go down to Brixton. There are less people doing it, therefore there’s more acceptance and appreciation of what other people are doing too and more respect generally.

More on Louis’s work: www.louismasai.com

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

Family

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Reading for fun

BY ZELDA RHIANDO AND EMMA PICKARD When we launched the Brixton BookJam in July 2012 with 16 authors, we had no idea that it would still be running two years later. Over nine events, the BookJam has hosted over 100 authors, and even come to the notice of Radio 4’s Open Book.

The BookJam was inspired by one-too-many dry author readings in which maybe a dozen people politely applauded, warm white wine in hand. What if you brought some rock and roll to the world of reading, giving a broad range of authors, both celebrated and unpublished, a stage? The great leveller of course is that even if you’re famous, you only get five minutes. And both the authors and the audience love it.

We’ve done BookJams in various formats, and all kinds of places – including a twoday residence at the Lambeth Country Show that featured dog burlesque by the everwonderful Dame Amanda Rogers. Also at the Country Show, we started to engage with children. Sarah Rogers, a Tate artist, ran a ‘how to draw’ workshop for kids, and throughout the whole weekend we had an ‘endless story’ on a roll of paper, written by anyone wandering by... which led to Ermintrude getting drunk on Chucklehead cider , but that’s another tale... The long and the

short of it was that people began to ask us to put on a Kids’ BookJam – with the same principles of openness, short readings, unpredictability and irreverence that powered the adult version. And thus the Brixton Kids’ BookJam was born.

The first event will be held at Number 6 Brixton – a wonderful community space on Somerleyton Road in the heart of Brixton. Being smack bang in the centre of one of Lambeth’s most deprived wards, and we think that we can bring something special into the lives of the children that live in the estates around, as well as the broader population of Brixton.

We will be working closely with local schools to ensure that everyone knows it’s happening, and like all of the other BookJams so far, it will be absolutely free. We would love to be there at the moment a child falls in love with reading... that would make it all worthwhile.

The following authors and illustrators have confirmed they will be appearing: Piers Torday (author of ‘The Last Wild’, left), Emer Stamp, Andrew Weale, Margaret BatesonHill, Sam Gayton, Gabby Dawnay and Alex Barrow. See right for details.

KIDS’ BOOKJAM

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Brixton Bugle October 2014

HILL MEAD Herald How five-year olds learn

Sporting for girls

BY HANNY Year 6 I started playing girl’s football in Year 5 and loved it. Last year we played in a tournament at Crystal Palace, where we represented Lambeth. There were many teams from different boroughs involved and we came an impressive third place. We also played in the Lambeth summer league for six weeks and won the league. I was very proud of my gold medal. Now, I’m looking forward to my final year in the team and hope we continue to do well.

BY LABIBA & KHALEED, Year 5 On a sunny day last summer, Year 4 took part in the Lambeth football tournament. We played hard and only conceded two goals in the whole tournament and finished undefeated.

At the end of the tournament we were awarded a trophy, which was presented to us at school. All the other teams came to our assembly to cheer as we were handed our trophies.

It was the best feeling as there were a hundred people clapping us and we

Blogging on is fun

BY AMIRA, Year 4 In Year 3 we had an excellent blog which we enjoyed visiting as often as possible. I use my computer at home to blog two or three times a week. Blogging has really helped my learning in school, as some posts are displayed before our lessons, allowing us to find out information about our next topics. Some posts are created afterwards, this allows us to think about what we have learnt.

We had a class mascot called Macey, who came home with some of us and visited different places, such as a supermarket where she used maths to work out the change and a grandma’s house where she looked at bus times.

She also travelled on planes to other places around the world including Barcelona in Spain. She came on school trips to watch the penguins at Penguin Beach in London Zoo, and to

investigate the remains at Fishbourne Roman Palace.

We were also allowed to comment on each other’s posts throughout the year. We were able to quickly see other children’s work, which isn’t as easy in class and use their thoughts to help us create our own.

We were given a number of word problems which included using images of food to find out fractions. Using shape shadows, we had to identify the correct 2D or 3D shape shown. Our Maths problems were always linked to our topic and included characters from the books we had been reading After all of our exciting trips we would find the photographs had been made into a fun video, which allowed our parents to see where we had been on our trips and what we had been up to. So blogging is not only educational, but also fun!

BY ABDALLAH Year 6 I went to spend time with Year 1 to discover how they learn. The answers are insightful, unexpected and at times even a little unusual! They are linking their learning in maths to the Ritzy Cinema in lots of exciting ways, measure is one of them. I ask the children how far it was to the Ritzy and was informed they had walked ‘hundreds and hundreds of miles’ to get there. Well, I’m sure it must feel that way when you’re only five and you’ve got little legs. Once back at school, their brilliant teachers took them outside into the playground to measure parts of the cinema that had been drawn in chalk on the ground.

Next I asked them what they were doing in their literacy work and I found out they were writing about

the age and history of the cinema, by looking at the sort of materials it was built with and the age of the bricks and glass and so on. They went to sketch the outside of the cinema. They all had a go at drawing a replica of the building and were taking rubbings of the brick work, using crayons when a few overexcited students accidentally got carried away and left their own piece of history on the walls – leaving brightly coloured crayon marks on the brickwork of the 103-year-old building, much to the amusement of the poor security guard.

felt like celebrities.

Last year we took part in the Lambeth girls cricket tournament, which involved all the girls teams in borough. We played four games and only lost one. We came second overall, which was a big accomplishment.

One of our teammates got chosen to go and trial with Surrey County Cricket Club. We all felt very proud of her. I had a fantastic day and really enjoyed batting and hitting the ball for four.

Parliament visit

BY CHRISTABEL, Year 6 Year 6 were all so excited to hear that our maths topic this term was the Houses of Parliament, and even more excited that we were going to visit it As we stepped into Westminster Hall our mouths dropped open and an audible gasp could be heard among us due to its history and splendour.

Our tour guide told us that there were 1,100 rooms, it had cost just £2 million to build and had taken over 30 years to complete. We began our tour as if the Queen herself, travelling the journey she takes during the State Opening of Parliament. First

into her dressing chamber and then through into the House of Lords to view the Queen’s golden throne. We discovered that the only person who is allowed to sit on the throne is the Queen and we weren’t even allowed to touch it.

As we continued our tour we saw lots of statues of prime ministers from the past and learned you need to be retired from politics for ten years before you got a statue or bust made. Baroness Thatcher was the only prime minister to get her statue while she was still in power. Even more amazing was that, to date, she

is the only female PM. we have ever had! It was fascinating to find out that The Houses of Parliament caught on fire in 1834. This fire destroyed the building and only a few rooms survived, such as Westminster Hall.

During World War II part of the building was bombed. So Churchill had the arch reconstructed with the rubble of the original building as a reminder to all that passed through it of the terrible atrocities of WWII. There were lots of interesting facts that we found out during our visit, it was just a shame that we never got to see David Cameron in action.

26

Brixton Bugle October 2014

Columns

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GREEN FINGERS

BY ALISON ALEXANDER, BROCKWELL COMMUNITY GREENHOUSES

Considering October the start of a new year may be unorthodox but for gardeners it makes sense. This month we’ll start clearing spent crops and preparing the soil for a productive growing season next spring and summer.

Just as the trees and perennial plants pull nutrients back from their leaves to gather resources for next year, so we’ll compost vast quantities of plant material to feed our future crops.

The pang of sadness over plants curling up their leaves around us is short-lived as the seed catalogues hit the doormat or the inbox, bringing with them the excitement of planning next year’s display. Greenhouses’ volunteers are all encouraged to get involved in choosing what to grow in different parts of the garden each year.

It will take us time to build up the collection so we need to start straight from seed straight away and salvage what we can from this year’s ornamental displays. By begging some favours from other friendly gardeners, we can also speed the process up by taking cuttings.

Our wildflower meadow clearance work always happens slightly later than normal for aesthetic rather than scientific reasons.

It is a focal point of the garden, visible from the entrance. Although the show was over much earlier this year than last – early September instead of mid-October - the pretty, scrambling purple common vetch has given us an excuse to delay the cut. When we have finished we’ll sow yellow rattle. Being hemi-parasitic, this attractive plant helps to reduce the vigour of grasses like the dreaded couch.

Elsewhere we have completely the opposite aim: increasing soil fertility for vegetable production. On beds with free-draining soil, we’ll either sow overwintering green manures – hardy field beans or common vetch – or heap on a thick layer of mushroom compost mixed with our own composted

garden waste.

Even at this late stage in the season, there are crops to be sown. Outside, garlic sown now will give bigger, earlier bulbs than varieties sown in spring. Broad beans sown now tend to have a lower incidence of blackfly than those sown in spring .

Under glass, we’ll sow a range of vegetables for cropping throughout the winter. Some of these will stay in the greenhouse and would work just as well on your window ledge: endive, mibuna, ‘Winter Gem’, ‘Reine de Glace’ and ‘Winter Marvel’ lettuces, ‘Nero di Toscano’ kale (for baby leaves), mustard and rocket. The Real Seed Catalogue is also offering ‘Pe Tsai’ Chinese cabbage and Mispoona which we haven’t grown before.

Other seeds can be sown outside or started inside and planted out later. Corn salad or ‘lamb’s lettuce’ is my favourite salad leaf.

Komatsuna is an alternative oriental leaf to try outside. ‘Arctic King’ lettuce can grow outside but will need some fleece in very cold weather.

We’ll be finding time for plenty of fun this month too – join us on Sunday October 12 for jazz in the greenhouse. Tickets on the door.

Clearing the wildflower meadow

Call to fitness

BY FRANKIE HOLAH, PERSONAL TRAINER, AMBASSADOR AND BRIXTONITE What does fitness mean to you in three words?

Have a think and while you’re doing that I’ll tell you a little bit about what it means to me…

Fitness to me is about being Functional (Exercises and movement which will benefit me every day), Flexible (I don’t always have hours to train, so what can I fit into 30 mins?) and above all it’s about having FUN (why would I want to be bored while keeping fit).

So, if your three words are positive ones, then you’re on the right track and hopefully my new column will help you add some cool new things to your current workout. If your three words were slightly less positive, then hopefully I can help improve that mindset a little…

Here are a few facts about me, so that we’re a little better acquainted: I am a freelance personal trainer.

I recently represented the UK in the first ever Female Street Workout World Championships and placed eighth in the world (chuffed).

I am not a member of a corporate gym.

I am not on a diet.

I love training using my own bodyweight.

I have a serious addiction to funky leggings and kit.

I love coffee (I spend a lot of time in Rosie’s).

I can do 54 press ups in a minute.

Being a Brixton resident, a favourite place

to train is Brockwell Park – my green gym… (fully air conditioned in every season), as well as the park near my house and sometimes literally the streets of Brixton – It really is amazing what you can do by using what’s around you for free – Bike rack rows anyone?

Which brings me nicely on to my challenge for you lovely readers – I want you to take a look around you and see what you can use in Brixton, your home, office or your local park as a training space. It could be something as simple as tricep dips at the bus stop, walking up the escalator, or step ups on a low wall (all done safely of course). It’s the small changes which can make a huge difference to fitness levels and it also keeps things interesting… I am a nightmare on the Tube…when I see the bars I just want to swing from them…

Be imaginative! I want to see what you come up with! Send in your pictures and the reader with the best exercise will win a 45 minute training session with me.

In next month’s column I want to answer your questions about keeping fit, exercises, kit, technique… are you confused about what you should be putting in your training schedule?

– Here’s to a super active month!! Let’s get moving… Send your questions and pictures in to frankie@frankieholah.com

TRANSITION TOWN BRIXTON IS BACK

BY SIBYLLE MANSOUR

Exciting news!The revival of Transition Town Brixton – TTB Transition Town Brixton – does that ring a bell? TTB is the mother of a range of remarkable projects and organisations: The Brixton £, which celebrated its fifth anniversary in September; Community Draught Busters, who incorporated in 2010; The Remakery, which started in 2011; Brixton Energy, who launched schemes in 2012, 2013 and 2014; and last but not least the ongoing work of REconomy - Re-thinking the future of the local economy.

If you are thrilled by what these

projects have got going and love to think up ways to shape the future of urban living come and join the buzz!

We all know how important bottom-up social movements are to address 21st-century problems.

But not everyone wants to become an activist. Transition nurtures community-led, small-scale solutions for people to develop alternatives around everyday challenges.

Transition proposes and pioneers a future where cheap fossil fuel energy no longer dominates the way we meet our daily needs. Transition is about alternative solutions to

provide food, energy and transport through connecting, empowering and reskilling the people.

It is also about bringing people together who are change-makers, pioneers and explorers in the process of shifting the values that are really going to matter over the course of the 21st century. And truly we are cutting edge! In 2009 TTB was part of the regeneration project set up by the Spacemakers agency in Brixton Village. We ran a Community Shop at 6 Granville Arcade (now the ice cream parlour LabGs). It was during that time that we engaged with

Brixton people on a daily basis; and at that time the market was mainly visited by the people who actually live here, clearly before the era of fancy, cheesy wine and dine.

Upstairs where now ‘gelato alchemy’ takes place, was TTB’s think-tank. Those were the days when the Brixton £, The Remakery, Community Draught Busters and Brixton Energy got their first start-up funding, drawing up project plans for the future. In our visioning meetings we engaged in heated discussions, pioneering horizontal decisionmaking. Listening to everybody’s

ideas was the key element in that time and in that space.

We feel it is time to move from startup thinking to consider ourselves part of the local establishment.

Over the coming months our goal is to revive the think-tank era. If you want to shift values and pioneer ways that will shape the future and develop systems that support our environmental, social and economic needs, GET INVOLVED NOW! Watch this space for monthly updates on where we are. In the meantime feel free to contact us at ttbreskilling@gmail.com

27

Brixton Bugle October 2014

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Sport

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Topcats are ready to pounce

Tony Benest from Brixton Wholefoods crosses the line at the annual Brixton Bolt race which was held on on September 14.

See www.brixtonbolt.com for full list of results.

Picture by Jamie Rogers, jamierogersphotography.co.uk

Picture courtesy of brixtontopcats.org

BY LAURA DICKINSON To mark the start of the season, the Topcats are offering free tickets to their opening games on Sunday October 12 at the Brixton Rec. The men’s, ladies and junior teams will all be in action. The Bugle spoke to Lady Topcats coach Steve Vear and player Milly Watkins about the season ahead.

What are your ambitions for the new season?

Milly: We’ve got high expectations despite the fact that we’re a newly promoted team. We see ourselves as being in the top echelon of the league, among the top four teams. Obviously we’d love to win a title.

Steve: Last year we won league championship and were promoted to the Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL), the top league in England.

Milly: It’s all part of a drive to professionalise the women’s game.

&

All the teams are making a lot of effort to raise standards. There’s going to be a lot of quality basketball.

What was the magic formula that saw the Lady Topcats promoted?

Steve: A mixture of dedication and talent. We had a really good bunch of players and we all wanted to get promoted. That was the plan right from the beginning and we knew we could do it. This season is going to be a lot harder. In our first game we play the reigning champions, Leicester Riders!

What’s it going to take to keep you in the division this season?

Steve: We’ve brought in some new players and from last year’s squad we’ve kept four. We could definitely have competed with the team we had last year, I just don’t feel like we would have been at the top. We’re not going in to

the Women’s BBL to be at the bottom.

Milly: The players from last season, combined with several new players who’ve been through the American college system, makes for a good combination of experience and talent.

The key thing for success is that we all gel and start to play well as a team.

Steve: We have three players who come from Barking Abbey and who have all been in America for four years. They’re new, they’re intelligent and they understand the game.

They’re good people, have played at a high level and they’re definitely setting the standard in practice.

With so many new faces, will it take a while to gel?

Steve: It will take time. I’m under no illusion. But by Christmas we should be getting used to what we’re doing.

Then we’ll have four months to try and win something.

Milly: We’ve just had our first few friendlies. I was actually surprised by how well we played together. We also benefit from the fact that a number of the players have played together previously too.

What lured you to play for Brixton Topcats?

Milly: Brixton has a real heritage of basketball and produced loads of great players. It’s been a few years since they’ve had that representation in the top flight so it’s really exciting that there’s going to be a top level women’s team back in Brixton.

Who are the players to watch?

You play an exciting brand of basketball. Will that stick this year?

Steve: We’re definitely going to be Brixton brand basketball: defence, up and down, high tempo. exciting

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Milly: Brixton have a reputation for being pretty intense. One of our aims, especially defensively, is to make teams uncomfortable so we’re really going to put pressure on them.

What would you say to Brixton locals who’ve never been to a Topcats game?

Steve: If we’re going to do well in the top division we’ve got to have a good home crowd. We want people to come to Brixton and feel uncomfortable to play here.

Milly: The Rec always has a pretty special atmosphere. I can remember coming here as an opposing player as a kid and it was always an intimidating place to play. It’s pretty special to have top-flight women’s basketball on your doorstep.

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