Issue 8 of The Camberwell Clarion

Welcome to issue 8 of The Camberwell Clarion

We recently reported on Jazu, the much-loved bar that was forced to close its successful pop-up in Camberwell last year due to spiralling rental costs.

Happily the owners of Market Peckham spotted the article in the Clarion and got in touch with Jazu to offer them a space in their building on Rye Lane.

“The guys who run Market Peckham saw the article in the Clarion and reached out to us just before Christmas with an idea of how they wanted to move forward with their ground floor space and make us a part of it,” Jazu co-owner Jimmy Hanmer said.

“It’s a massive thing for us because previously we’ve only really operated as a pop-up. It’s a huge step for us and very exciting.”

Fans of the bar – which is known for its heady mix of fantastic music and delicious cocktails – will be able to get their Jazu fix again from this summer.

South-east London is an area that is rich in community – but even so, there are myriad reasons why modern life can leave us feeling isolated and well, lonely.

It’s something that almost all of us have experienced at some point, either for a short time or for longer periods. As the late journalist

Deborah Orr once put it, “loneliness is an ailment of modernity”.

According to the Campaign to End Loneliness, 8% of Londoners experience severe loneliness, with 700,000 residents in the capital describing themselves as lonely “most” or “all” of the time.

It’s a startling statistic that has no doubt been exacerbated by the pandemic – as well as the stigma that continues to exist around talking about loneliness.

Aiming to combat this, the Marmalade Trust, a charity dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness and helping people make new friends, will be running its annual Loneliness Awareness Week from 12-18 June, with the strapline: “We all get lonely. It’s time to talk about it.”

And closer to home, Camberwellbased photographer Julia Hawkins is hoping to open up conversations around loneliness by inviting anyone who has ever felt lonely to get in touch for a new book she is creating on the subject.

She wants to remove the stigma around talking about loneliness by encouraging people to take part and share their experiences. To find out more, please turn to page four.

We hope you enjoy the issue!

Mark McGinlay and Kate White

THE CAMBERWELL CLARION

Editors

Mark McGinlay, Kate White

Designer

Mingo Mingo Studio

Photographer

Lima Charlie

Sub-editor

Jack Aston

Contributors

Julia Hawkins, Miranda Knox, Caitlin Otway, Luke G Williams

Marketing and social media

Mark McGinlay

For editorial and advertising enquiries, email camberwellclarion@gmail.com camberwellnews.tumblr.com @camberwellnews @camberwellnews @camberwellnews

Festival fever

The Camberwell Arts Festival is back for its 28th year this summer, with a weeklong programme of events for the whole community to enjoy, writes Jade van Zuydam. Kicking off on Camberwell Green on 10 June, the festival will celebrate art, local life and the spirit of summer.

This year’s theme, “It’s Showtime”, pays tribute to Camberwell’s longstanding tradition of arts and entertainment – mainly its rich legacy of music halls and cinema.

Artists, designers, makers and bakers will put on a show like no other, as the festival welcomes contemporary art responses to the neighbourhood’s performance history.

Today Camberwell is widely regarded as a hotbed of creativity, with an eclectic mix of artists, writers and musicians calling it home – including many students from the area’s renowned art college.

It was also once the rehearsal stomping ground of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel (of Laurel and Hardy), as well as the childhood home of celebrated actor Michael Caine and award-winning playwright and filmmaker Martin McDonagh.

However, less well-known is that the area was once famed throughout London for its vibrant theatres, cinemas and music halls.

The earliest form of advertised local entertainment was the Camberwell Fair of the Middle Ages, which was held annually to commemorate the feast of the area’s patron, Saint Giles.

Then came the lively music halls. Before the dawn of modern cinema – and with it TV, DVDs and Netflix – Victorian Londoners seeking to unwind and be entertained would gather in taverns and supper rooms to eat, drink and watch performers sing and dance.

Camberwell was the focal point of the south London music hall scene, most notably due to resident and impresario Fred Karno, the slapstick comedian credited with popularising the custard-pie-in-the-face gag.

By 1939 there were eight music halls and five cinemas all a short walk from the green. However, following the advent of modern film technology, the music halls and theatres fell into decline and later, the area’s cinemas were neglected and fell into disrepair too.

Today, neither cinema nor music hall remain, but the area does still boast four

noteworthy theatre venues: the Blue Elephant, Golden Goose Theatre, Theatre Peckham and Longfield Hall.

This summer’s festival offers a chance to enjoy the human connectivity of bygone eras and those golden days of live performances and bustling playhouses.

At the very heart of the festival is the Open Studios Weekend, which offers the chance to meet local artists face-to-face as they invite the public into their workshops. Artists will, for another year, open up their studios to showcase an extraordinary range of work to suit every budget and taste – from paintings and prints to jewellery, clothing and ceramics.

It’s a chance to meet creators in their own homes, as well as visit larger local studios, such as Coldharbour, Clockwork and Vanguard Court. The event runs from 17-18 June from midday to 5pm, and is free to attend.

The festival will also feature workshops and a music tent, while the dog show –which aims to find the neighbourhood’s best-looking and best-trained dogs – will be back by popular demand.

A festival spokesperson said: “There will also be a Marie Antoinette-themed afternoon tea, as we let you eat your cake and – the gods be willing – soak up the sun. So, step right up, fellow Camberwellians, for a week of artistic pleasures and delights.”

Camberwell call-out

Camberwell-based photographer Julia Hawkins – a regular contributor to this newspaper and our three sister titles – is asking for local people to participate in her new portrait photography book about loneliness.

Commissioned by educational organisation the School of Life, the book aims to make it easier for people to talk about loneliness.

Julia wants to hear from people of all ages who might be interested in being photographed and sharing their personal story for the book, which will be published in 2024.

“I’m particularly keen to include people who may sometimes feel lonely because of their caring responsibilities – either for parents, partners or children,” she said.

“And I want to hear from children and teenagers too, as this can be a particularly lonely time.

“Maybe you’ve just moved to the area and are finding it difficult to make new local friends – or perhaps your political or religious views are very different to those of your loved ones?

“It’s also very important that the book reflects the full diversity of people’s experiences in the UK, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’re from an underrepresented group.”

For anyone who decides to participate in the book, their portrait will be accompanied by their own written thoughts and observations.

They will get free portrait photos, a copy of the book and final approval of the

text. Particularly sensitive stories can be anonymised – for example, by photographing a silhouette.

Speaking of the inspiration behind the book, Julia said: “Most of us have felt lonely at different points in our lives – lockdown especially was a particularly lonely time for

many of us. And yet many of us find it hard to talk to others about it. I’m hoping the book will help with this, even in a small way.”

If you are interested in participating in the book, please email Julia in confidence at julia@juliahawkins.com

Sceaux good: new signs celebrate local life

The Sceaux Gardens Estate is now resplendent with four striking new signs after the completion of a project initiated by the ever-active Tenants and Residents Association (T&RA).

Funded by a cleaner, safer, greener grant, the signs draw attention to the range of community groups and activities that exist across the estate.

“For some time we’ve been talking about introducing a new visual identity for the Tenants and Residents Association,” said Mike Edge, chair of the T&RA, who has lived on the estate for 38 years.

“We wanted something that would pull together all of the community-focused projects on our estate.”

The signs were designed by local resident and artist James Jessiman, who moved to Sceaux Gardens in 2019 and also works as a lecturer at the nearby Camberwell College of Arts.

“I think it’s quite unique what we have here in Sceaux Gardens,” James explained to the Camberwell Clarion.

“Everyone brings different skills to the estate – that’s how it works being part of a T&RA.

“I designed the signs as a way to visually draw together the four parts of the estate.

“I wanted to make the type and design of the logos and signs quite minimalist and modernist in order to reflect the 1960s-style architecture of the estate – the Corbusierinspired tower blocks and so on.

“We needed a fresh look and a new logo for the T&RA, which is the backbone of our estate.

“The second sign is for our very strong community garden, which includes our shared allotment space for growers on the estate.

“Then there’s a sign for our community bike hub, which opens most Saturdays and is volunteer-led. They fix bikes for residents, repair flat tyres and so on – it’s an amazing service.

“Finally, there’s also a sign for our community makerspace workshop.

“The process was all about creating cohesion and an identity and letting people know these things are here under the alcoves of these tower block buildings.”

James said he loves living in Sceaux Gardens, and that seeing his signs grace the estate is something that he “takes great pride in”.

“I love the design of this estate and that’s why I moved here,” he said. “The T&RA puts a huge amount of effort into life on the estate and it really works.”

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Fun at the Fringe

Theatre Peckham is bringing back Peckham Fringe for its second year next month, hosting 18 exciting productions that will take over the main theatre and studio space for five weeks.

The festival opens on 5 May with I Love Acting, But F**k This Industry, a hilarious yet truthful play about Manny, Ade and Zion –three south Londoners trying to navigate their way through the post-pandemic acting industry in 2023. Both their group dynamic and mental health are put to the test along the way.

Another highlight is Cell Outs, a dark comedy that uses verbatim interviews, multi-roling and songs to expose the harsh realities, humanity and nuance of life working behind bars. It is written and performed by two ex-prison officers.

That’s Your Friend lays the blueprint of the black girl survival guide for university and life beyond; while Budgie is a nostalgic coming-of-age story about the see-saw of responsibility and freedom.

Live It Down, from Lewisham Youth Theatre, explores the pressures of reputation, expectation, peers and how hard it is to make the right choice when you’re 16 and figuring it all out.

Audiences are invited to interact with the art in creative art history workshop Ribbon Around a Bomb, which shares autistic joy and the incredible life of artist Frida Kahlo; while bring-your-own-roller-skates event Skate of Mind Live will combine dance, creativity, skating and mental wellbeing while highlighting the lack of suitable spaces for skaters in south London.

Poetry Foyer, Theatre Peckham’s monthly poetry event, returns for a special Fringe edition, with open mic slots available on the door.

Families will enjoy the farmyard musical Pigs Might Fly, based on the book by Michael Morpurgo, exploring the joy of unlikely friendships.

The festival will end with the Young Producers Showcase – the culmination of 10 weeks young people have spent learning to devise, develop and produce some of the most outstanding arts events.

Suzann McLean, artistic director and CEO of Theatre Peckham, said: “At Theatre Peckham, audiences are at the heart of all our decision-making.

“This commitment is the driving force of our programming; ensuring we have balance across our work and that we bring in new

Shhh! Local author publishes new book

Award-winning Camberwell author Anna Mazzola has brought out a “deliciously sinister” new novel this month.

The House of Whispers is set in 1930s Italy, where as the world teeters on the brink of war, a talented young pianist – Eva – enters the house of a widower to become his new wife.

On the outside, the forces of fascism are accelerating, but in her new home, Eva fears that something else is at work, whispering in the walls and leaving mysterious marks on her new husband’s troubled young daughter.

Soon she starts to wonder whether the house itself is trying to give up the secrets of its mysterious past – secrets that the widower seems determined to keep hidden. However, Eva must also conceal the truth of her own identity, for if she is discovered,

she will face a danger even greater than whatever lurks behind the walls.

Anna is the award-winning author of three other gothic, historical crime novels and started writing fiction in 2011 with local writing school Literary Kitchen, run by Andrea Mason.

Her debut novel, The Unseeing, won an Edgar Allan Poe award and her third book, The Clockwork Girl, set in 18th-century Paris, reached number 11 in the Sunday Times chart and was a Sunday Times historical fiction pick for 2022.

Her first legal thriller will be published in 2024 under the name Anna Sharpe.

Anna is also a writing coach at the Novelry and a human rights and criminal justice solicitor who provides training to other advocates.

voices, new work and new artists across a range of art forms. Peckham Fringe 2023 is a first of its kind festival, selected by the local people of Peckham – Theatre Peckham’s team of ambassadors.

“They have curated a diverse, ambitious and inclusive programme that speaks directly

Baby bank seeks volunteers

A baby bank run by Camberwell Salvation Army is calling for volunteers to help support its vital work.

The baby bank was a huge support to local families throughout the pandemic but demand has risen due to the present cost of living crisis.

As well as receiving buggies, cots and other essentials, families who come to the baby bank have the opportunity to choose the items they want for their baby from a wide range of clothes, toys and books.

Volunteers will be asked to organise and allocate donated items and talk to families about the resources they need. Spanish and Arabic volunteers would be especially welcome owing to the number of families in the area whose first language is not English.

Katy Weston, the baby bank coordinator at Camberwell Salvation Army, said: “Our baby bank helps families choose the items they need that are best suited to their baby or toddler.

“It’s a place where parents can visit with dignity and a way for the Salvation Army to build relationships and support the community in a practical and loving way.

“Even during the pandemic lockdown, we delivered packages to expectant families when they weren’t able to come in person.”

She added: “Some of the referrals to the baby bank come from Parents

to our hyperlocal community, which will undoubtedly appeal to new audiences as well as regular theatregoers. Collectively they have chosen something for everyone – it’s even better than Netflix!”

For tickets visit theatrepeckham.co.uk

and Communities Together and other organisations, but any parent who has a need for help can pop in. This takes away a barrier that people often face in getting the help that they need.”

In the face of rising living costs Camberwell Salvation Army said it is extremely grateful to the local community – and to partnering charities and organisations – for their continued, generous donations.

“It’s so great to have received so many donations,” said Katy. “Now we just need more volunteers to help with organising donations and making sure the families who come to us get the resources they need.”

The baby bank is open at Camberwell Salvation Army, 105 Lomond Grove, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am to 12pm. Anyone who is interested in volunteering can contact Katy via katherine.weston@salvationarmy.org.uk

South London storyteller

Inspired by his love of London legend and folklore and the city’s rich history, tour guide and author Chris Roberts is brimming with fascinating tales of the capital, from Camberwell and beyond

BY MIRANDA KNOX

Inspiration isn’t necessarily the first thing you’d expect to find when jumping on the bus in south London –but that’s exactly where Chris Roberts found the idea for his most recent collection of fictional short stories.

While not all set on a bus, each story featured in his book, Bus Travel in South London: Stories From the City Over the Water is in some way associated with a route in and around Camberwell.

It’s where Chris lives with his fiancée Julie, and the place he’s called home for the last 25 years.

Explaining more about the book and what inspired him, Chris, 57, says: “I had these short stories set around south London and was trying to think

of a way to link them, and buses seemed to be the thing.

“They kind of hold south London [together] in the way north London is held by the Tube.

“They’re not all set on the bus, but the buses frame the collection. They all take place on bus routes.”

The stories are inspired by the area, but also Chris’s love of old myths and tales. He says: “I’m really interested in London folklore and spent a lot of time studying it.

“I was really interested in telling old stories as if they were happening in the modern day.

“For example, there’s a story of the Queen Rat, and I recreated that story for one of the bus routes.

“She was a London legend of the people who used to scavenge the

sewers, the toshers, and they believed there was a giant rat down there who would look after them.

“They believed the Queen Rat could transform herself into a brunette seductress, and if they spent the night with her and she was satisfied, the sewer scavenger would have tremendous good fortune and would have a huge family, the first of which would be a girl with one eye grey, the other eye blue.

“I also do alternative histories too. So for example, there was a zoo in Walworth [in the 1800s] that closed.

“One of the stories creates a parallel London, where that zoo stayed and the north London zoo closed instead.

“Walworth is this incredibly fashionable, rich area and Primrose Hill has these huge estates, and it’s about a man who gets on a magic night bus and travels there.

“Another story focuses on the idea there was a paranormal games taking place alongside the actual Olympics, with ghosts travelling here from all over the world, and there was a seance on the route of the P4, and one of the venues was Ruskin Park.

“The 35 features, and the P5 too, which is one of my favourite buses because it kind of goes nowhere – but takes ages to go nowhere!”

Digital teacher, writer and tour guide Chris was born in Liverpool, and grew up in Wrexham – a once

little-known town which is now the focus of Disney Plus documentary Welcome to Wrexham, centring around Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney taking over the local football team.

He says: “It’s easy to explain where it is now, because nobody knew where it was at one point!

“When I’ve gone to America before I’ve just never mentioned Wrexham because everyone’s heard of Liverpool, but now when I say I was brought up in Wrexham, straight away everyone just knows of it.”

He moved to London and Brixton initially in his late 20s for work, after studying social history and living abroad for a few years in New York and Berlin.

He says: “London is the city you want to work in really – I wanted to be in the city, and it’s exciting and a huge place.

“As a kid I’d always visited and there was always stuff going on.

“Liverpool would have one really good record shop while London would have loads. It just felt like the place I wanted to be.”

Chris’s love of London and history led him to start putting on his own walking tours in 1999, which eventually became London Street Tours – bringing together storytellers and actors to create innovative and interesting ways of telling the stories of the city.

He says: “I got laid off at work, and I’d previously been working near London Bridge, so I covered that area and central.

“The most popular tour is around Bankside up towards Monument, and there was a time when I did a lot of Chelsea tours.

“You curate a route, and it’s all about storytelling.

“What’s nice about it is there’s an element of standup to it too. I very often get as much from the audience as I give to them.

“They think they’re learning but I’m also picking up things as well.”

While central London tours always proved the most popular, Chris’s personal interest was in the area he lived.

He says: “Both Camberwell and Walworth have such a depth of history.

“It’s well-known now, but at the time it felt it was so central but also sort of ignored, so it was great and it had all this stuff going on.

“There’s a Camberwell tour –although admittedly it’s not that popular!

“There’s a really nice loop if you go from the green, past the church and then up Camberwell Grove and cut through Love Lane and back down again.

“You had all the theatres in Camberwell and there’s the history of Camberwell and how it moved from being a village to a connected part of London, particularly with the building of Vauxhall Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge coming up through Walworth.”

Chris has also written several non-fiction books on the history

I was really interested in telling old stories as if they were happening in modern day – like the Queen Rat, a London legend of the people who used to scavenge the sewers

Above and right: Chris Roberts

PHOTOS BY JULIA HAWKINS

of London’s bridges and the river Thames, as well as the history of nursery rhymes.

In 2003 he self-published his first non-fiction book, titled Heavy Words Lightly Thrown, which told the quirky stories behind some of our favourite nursery rhymes.

The following year the book was republished by Granta and Gotham Books, after a news article written by journalist Sophie Walker thrust the tome into the national spotlight.

Chris says: “It was an art project on nursery rhymes and the real stories behind them – Baa Baa Black Sheep is about taxation, for example.

“I wanted to put something together and it didn’t sell that many copies initially, but at the launch Sophie who worked for Reuters was there and she wrote a piece on it. It got picked up and I started to get calls from the BBC and Sky News, and the Guardian, and it became a global media phenomenon. It was bonkers!”

This led to a two-book deal, so a book on London bridges, titled Cross River Traffic followed a year later, telling the history of the current crossings and their predecessors.

It looks at “why and how they were built, as well as incidents that have occurred on them, from ghost stories to terrorist plots, sexual antics to suicides”.

Chris says: “It’s interesting how the city was stitched together by the

bridges – how bridges drove trade and the structure of the cities.

“You’ve got that straight line from Vauxhall, through Camberwell going on to Peckham and then towards Greenwich – you’ve got a line of communication from that bridge and also the line from Blackfriars running through Walworth too.

“You’ve got the first literary commuter, Wemmick who lives on the Walworth and Camberwell border, who’s my favourite Dickens character.

“He commutes and walks across the old Blackfriars Bridge to Walworth. He shrugs off his city persona as he walks further south.

“It’s that notion of walking towards Camberwell and getting more happy and more relaxed, and then when he’s walking back to work it’s like he’s putting his armour on again – it’s a great description for the modern commuter!

“Had Blackfriars Bridge not been there he wouldn’t have been able to live that far out.”

Now, Chris is writing a new collection of short fiction stories that are centred around south London parks, including a story about mermaids in Brockwell Park and a tale revolving around Latin American folklore set in Burgess Park.

Chris adds: “Like everyone else, we spent a lot of time in parks during lockdown, and it’s another way to hang different stories together.”

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Both Camberwell and Walworth have such a depth of history. It’s well-known now, but back then it felt so central but also sort of ignored, so it was great and it had all this stuff going on

Camberwell crawl

PHOTOS BY JULIA HAWKINS

Like most areas, Camberwell has sadly lost many pubs over the years, from the British Queen to the Ivanhoe to name but two.

Some readers may recall the Grosvenor Arms, which closed in 1998. Unusually it was accessible from two parallel streets, with an entrance on Grosvenor Terrace and a back door on John Ruskin Street. According to closedpubs.co.uk, people would sometimes get out of a taxi at the pub, tell the driver they were going to get change and then disappear out the back never to be seen again.

While many Camberwell boozers have called last orders, thankfully there are still plenty of taverns to suit every taste.

Our photographer recently captured some local favourites on camera, including Stormbird, the Hermits Cave, the Nag’s Head, the Sun and the Camberwell Arms. Here are the results...

CAMBERWELL BUSINESS EVENT

Wednesday 3 May 6-7.30pm Room 3, Camberwell Library, 48 Camberwell Green, SE5 7AL

Southwark Council is organising an event for Camberwell businesses. Come and find out what help is on offer and give feedback on what your businesses needs. At the event, you will find out:

• What help and support Southwark Council can offer your business

• How to access the council’s Southwark Pioneers Fund

You will also be able to:

• Put your questions to Councillor Martin Seaton, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Business and Town Centres

• How to benefit from the Thriving High Streets Fund

• What is planned for Camberwell town centre

• How you can use the council’s free graffiti removal service

• Give your feedback and input into future plans for Camberwell

Book a place on eventbrite at: bit.ly/3Ud1vvv or scan the QR code

LOVE LOCAL is a campaign to encourage shoppers to stay local and spend their money with independent businesses like yours in Camberwell

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Marvellous Marnie

The Apprentice winner shows us round her new boxing gym on Vicarage Grove

BY LUKE G WILLIAMS

Marnie Swindells is at the centre of a whirlwind of media attention and activity.

It comes with the territory when you’ve just beaten 17 rival candidates to be crowned the winner of the latest series of The Apprentice.

Nevertheless, although she’s had a few days for it to sink in that Lord Sugar chose her to be his new business partner in the 17th series of the BBC’s smash-hit show, the south London-based entrepreneur still can’t quite believe it.

“It’s very surreal,” the 28-yearold tells The Camberwell Clarion in a follow-up phone call a few days after she has welcomed us to her impressive – and huge – Bronx boxing gym premises on Vicarage Grove in Camberwell.

“I was convinced I’d lost,” she admits. “In fact I would have put money on it, so when Lord Sugar announced I had won I was in complete and absolute shock.

“It still hasn’t sunk in. It’s been such a whirlwind of things happening. I’ve been really focused on getting the business and its name out there so I haven’t had a moment yet to stop, breathe and come to terms with the fact I’m Lord Sugar’s business partner.”

Despite her modesty, one can immediately see why Lord Sugar was willing to throw his £250,000 investment behind Marnie. Not only does she possess an authentic warmth, passion and levelheadedness, but she is clearly teak-tough with a savvy business mind.

Such personal qualities were bred out of adversity – much of Oldhamborn Marnie’s childhood was spent living in a modest caravan and she was largely brought up by her singleparent mum after her father died when she was just eight.

“It’s just been me and my mum for the majority of my life,” she explains. “She was very tough. It was a very

working-class background. Boxing is a great metaphor for my life really –anything I wanted I’ve had to work hard and fight for, and that was the example my mum set for me too.”

Marnie is a passionate advocate for the transformational effect that boxing can have on youngsters – or indeed people of any age – in need of direction, discipline and an outlet for frustration or aggression. “Boxing is different to other sports,” she argues. “Everybody innately has some aggression or something inside of them that they need to let out and boxing allows them to do that. There isn’t a soul in the world that wouldn’t benefit from boxing.”

Explaining how she came to be involved with the sport, she says: “I started boxing when I was at school and picked up a leaflet for what it described as a ‘boxing club for boys’. I didn’t have any sporting background or interest in sport, but something about boxing grabbed me.

“So I took myself down to the gym – they were a bit shocked to see a girl there at first, but I put in the same work that everyone else did and gained respect in the gym. I trained consistently, gave it my all and fell in love with the sport.”

Later, Marnie boxed successfully as an amateur, competing three times in the renowned Haringey Box Cup, displaying the grit that undoubtedly defines her character. “The first year I only got a silver medal and I was devastated,” she admits. “I didn’t get out of bed for about two weeks. The next year was my redemption year – I came back and got gold. And the year after that was my point-proving year –I got gold for a second time!”

If that’s a story that speaks to Marnie’s determination, then here’s another: when she arrived in London aged 18 she had just £40 in her bank account, but managed to forge a successful legal career, qualifying as a barrister, while also coaching at the Double Jab boxing gym in New Cross. All the while, she was nursing a dream

of owning and running her own chain of boxing gyms.

At this point, fate stepped in. Marnie’s neighbour, a builder, alerted her to a huge derelict council premises on Vicarage Grove in Camberwell, and – although it was at the time caked in raw sewage – Marnie could see the potential for conversion and restoration.

Four years later and Bronx is now a reality, having opened its doors last month – before Marnie even knew she had been crowned the winner of The Apprentice.

“It felt like fate that this site was available,” she tells me as we walk through the huge and beautifully restored brick interior, now lined with punch bags. “It was heartbreaking to see such a big building being neglected and abandoned.

“I want this to be different to every other gym. I want to be the future of boxing gyms. They are amazing spaces with so much heart and passion but are often under-funded, not always run correctly and they often don’t have much awareness about business and how to grow, how to scale.

“I want to combine what I’ve learned in the corporate world with my heart and passion for boxing and bring those two worlds together. I want us to be a real asset to the local Camberwell community. Yes, we’re a business and a limited company

but we want to give back and we’re here for everybody: young, old, men, women and everyone in between.”

Authenticity is a quality Marnie prizes, and she emphasises that Bronx is not about boxercise, but real boxing. “I’m really passionate about being a gym which retains the authenticity of the sport,” she says.

“I don’t like the dilution of the sport with things like boxercise. Even if you don’t have any interest in getting in the ring and having a fight it’s important you learn the proper skills. It’s especially important for women, from a self-defence point of view. Boxercise won’t help you learn how to protect yourself but boxing will.”

Inclusivity is also core to the Bronx mission. “Boxing gyms have a reputation for being intimidating but we have to make sure that we are welcoming and approachable,” Marnie says. “If we do that we will reach a lot more people and impact a lot more people’s lives by helping them discover just how magic boxing is.

“Eventually, I’d love to have another branch of Bronx but right now my immediate priority is to make sure this Camberwell one is a success by bringing as many people through the doors as possible. We’re especially trying to reach the young people of Camberwell and want them to know that we are here and your first session at Bronx is free!”

Boxing is a great metaphor for my life really – anything I wanted I’ve had to work hard and fight for, and that was the example my mum set for me too

Above: Marnie Swindells

Left: the Bronx boxing gym in Camberwell

The power of pop

Eurovision expert and Camberwell resident William Lee Adams tells us how the song contest changed his life

BY CAITLIN OTWAY

When I arrive at Lumberjack cafe to meet Camberwell-based journalist and broadcaster William Lee Adams, I am surprised to see he has already arrived and has almost finished his coffee. It might be early on a Saturday, but the award-winning writer is already hard at work.

This is because William, who describes himself as an “air traffic controller”, manages a team of 60 correspondents all over the world for Wiwibloggs, the world’s mostfollowed independent Eurovision Song Contest blog.

As well as the blog founded by William in 2009, there’s the Wiwibloggs YouTube channel, social media accounts, a podcast, news appearances and a day job at the BBC to manage. “I should be in Warsaw today and Tel Aviv on Monday,” he tells me. “There’s a lot going on.”

On top of this, Camberwell’s busiest writer has just written a new book.

Wild Dances: My Queer and Curious Journey to Eurovision is an uplifting and surprising memoir about William’s journey to the glitz and glamour of Eurovision and how growing up biracial and queer in America’s deep south led him there.

The son of a Vietnamese mother and an American Vietnam War veteran, the new book addresses hard-hitting subjects including racism, grief and intergenerational trauma. During his childhood, William looked after his quadriplegic brother, while dealing with racism from his father and trying to manage his mother’s undiagnosed mental health problems.  He tells me that if he didn’t write about the big themes in his life, he would be lying. “As a writer, you’re restrained by the truth. I had no choice.”

It’s an emotional read and reveals intimate details of a complex and unusual childhood as well as the enduring resilience of queer children. Despite the abuse, he tells me that he still loves his parents. “Good people in difficult situations can do bad things. They weren’t bad people, they were in a horrible situation. I wanted people to sympathise with them and not view them cruelly.”

As an escape as a child, William began studying maps and reading encyclopedias. Years later and working as a journalist in London, he discovered Eurovision and began writing a blog that would catapult him into the limelight.

Before long he was jetting across Europe to appear on judging panels, at prize-giving ceremonies and Eurovision parties as the world’s leading Eurovision expert. And the Eurovision community welcomed him with open arms.

“As a kid, I would read encyclopedias in my room and all these countries on the other side of the world jumped from the page. Now being so involved with the competition, these countries have jumped from the page to the stage.”

William explains that drawing together the different strands of his unusual life was “a challenge and an opportunity”. The book is deeply emotive but equally entertaining and acts as a sort of love letter to the Eurovision community. “The childhood trauma spurred me on to embrace the glitz and glamour of Eurovision and a sense of found family. Everything that was lacking growing up, all of the hurt, is what prepared me to embrace the love later on.”

He tells me that writing the book also allowed him to find an important connection between his family’s roots in the Vietnam War and the glamorous world of Eurovision. When his parents met, they struggled to communicate. “They didn’t share a common language, but music was the gateway to them getting to know each other, to falling in love.” They listened to Elvis Presley and Fats Domino together and his mother chose Johnny Cash to be played at his father’s funeral.

Despite his difficult childhood, William says he can relate to this part of his parents’ relationship. “Eurovision also acts as a common language. Performers and fans don’t speak the same language and sometimes don’t understand the lyrics to the songs they’re listening to, but they still enjoy

it. Eurovision is more than just one night – it’s a way to understand other cultures, each other and yourself.”

I ask William about his motivations to publish the book in the UK given Eurovision’s difficult reputation here. Despite being a global powerhouse of pop music, the UK regularly sends entries to Eurovision which end up with “nil points” at the bottom of the pile.

He tells me that he hopes to show the UK that there’s a lot more to the song contest than glitter and sequins. “I wanted to write this book for Eurovision fans so that they can see their community reflected in a positive way. But also to show the UK that their poor voting record is not always about politics.”

William has a strong grasp of the political context of the competition, despite his American upbringing, and he’s adamant that the UK’s poor scores have little to do with politics or Brexit.

“Look at Adele, look at Dua Lipa, look at the Beatles. It’s nonsense, Europeans don’t hate the UK. Eurovision voters are getting younger every year and they’re not thinking about the ins and outs of European politics, they’re not thinking about Brexit. It’s about the music, the performance. It’s much simpler than people make it out to be.”

William tells me that past coverage of Eurovision didn’t allow the UK to embrace Eurovision in the same way as other countries. “If you look back at past commentary, it’s borderline racist and xenophobic. The media taught the

UK not to take Eurovision seriously. But people express their culture and feelings in different ways and that should be encouraged.”

But, he tells me that the narrative in the UK is already changing in a positive way and the news that Liverpool will host Eurovision this year on behalf of Kyiv should help the competition’s reputation here.

In fact, Liverpool has already announced that businesses will be given free resources to ensure that every visitor receives “the warm, inclusive welcome Liverpool is known for’’. And the package of support will help to train front-of-house-staff to welcome Eurovision’s long-held fanbase from the LGBTQ+ community and support customers with visible and non-visible disabilities.

As I finish my coffee, I ask William about his life here in Camberwell. “This is my community,” he says, smiling. “Working on the book, I spent so much time at the Camberwell College of Arts library and the Arc Club on Camberwell Green. I have this bond with the place, an emotional connection.”

He tells me that the library acted as a type of therapist’s office as he dealt with loss and grief while writing the book. “These places were my refuge. When someone dies, the circuit board in your brain starts smoking and the memories start firing. It was out of control for me. So every day I went to the library to work on the book.”  And the end result is uplifting and illuminating. William’s memoir paints a vivid picture of a song competition that is about more than just one night. It is a way to understand and appreciate other cultures and yourself. It is a love letter to those who have endured trauma and for William himself, who now seems at peace speaking about his past and excited about his present.

Wild Dances: My Queer and Curious Journey to Eurovision will be published by Astra House on 9 May

Eurovision is more than just one night – it’s a way to understand other cultures, each other and yourself

Above and right: William Lee Adams

Featuring

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Skylight

The Ultimate Summer Rooftop: BBQ, Bottomless Brunch & DJs at Skylight Peckham

This Summer Skylight Peckham is the ultimate place to be for weekend get togethers, bottomless brunches with friends, live music and delicious BBQ’s. Set against the best views of London’s skyline from Canary Wharf to The London Eye, Skylight has curated a number of ongoing rooftop events to usher in the Summer months! From fabulous rooftop Bottomless Drag Parties to rooftop Hip Hop Brunches, Skylight ensures top notch day to evening entertainment.

Hosted by the fabulous Beverly Monét from Mountview Academy, Skylight’s Rooftop Bottomless Drag Brunch is filled with exciting performances, sharp wit and wigs galore.

Alongside the entertainment, the brunch features delectable dishes and a bountiful cocktail menu, including summer favourites like Tropical Rumble with Havana Spiced Rum, South London Iced Tea and more! If hip hop is more your style, Skylight Peckham hosts unmissable rooftop Hip Hop Brunches on the first Saturday of every month in partnership with Hennessy cognac.

The brunch is set to the soundtrack of nostalgic hip hop favourites, Afrobeats and R&B, guaranteeing to kick off any weekend in style.

Skylight Peckham has every weeknight covered with weekly programming, events and deals. Every Monday students can expect quiz nights, bingo, DJs & an amazing selection of £3.90 pints of Stella Artois, 2 for 1 select cocktails and £4.50 Gin & Tonics. On Tuesdays, the talented Chef Karan delivers 3 for 2 Chef Favorites where guests can dive into delicious dishes including Smoked Aubergine, Spiced Labneh £11.50, Roasted Chicken Breast, Madeira Jus £12 and Nduja Mussels, Black Garlic Croute £12.50. What’s more, on Wednesdays, a selection of signature wines for just £6 are on offer including crisp Picpoul, classic South of France rosé, organic Sicilian red, classic Malbec and more! Thursdays call for Skylight Sessions welcoming global and local talent to play live music, the perfect occasion for postwork celebratory £3.90 bottles of Corona and sundowner sessions. On a Friday, their team will be shaking up

2 for 1 select cocktails, while the DJs keep the dance floor busy late into the night.

Chef Karan has also curated a delectable small plates menu featuring freshly made Crab & Chilli Tagliatelle, Cauliflower Bhaji and their brand new Onglet Steak served with Chimmichuri sauce. Perfect for midweek dinners with friends or a romantic date night. The ultimate spot for alfresco dining, Skylight’s spacious bar and restaurant space opens seamlessly onto the beautiful terrace with stunning, panoramic views across London’s skyline. Just a few steps out onto the terrace, the Moët Hennessy Bar serves delicious Hennessy cocktails and Moët and Chandon bubbles. Alongside these refreshing summer tipples, Skylight’s Summer BBQ menu is a must-try, featuring PeriPeri Chicken or Peri-Peri Tenderstem Broccoli with Spicy Rice, Green Salad and Garlic Bread, and the ‘Jamaican’ with Jerk Chicken or Jerk Cauliflower with Rice & Peas, and Coleslaw. The BBQ menu is available on Sundays and can be requested for special events that Skylight hosts including the

Young Author Award, Bafta Winner afterparties and more!

A versatile space in a bustling and vibrant area, Skylight Peckham is perfectly placed for all kinds of get-togethers, from lavish brunch dates with friends, sipping on thirst quenching cocktails on a summer’s afternoon, or a bank holiday party set to the soundtrack of a DJ playing the ultimate beats. Skylight Peckham is the best place to be, supplying day to night entertainment in a rooftop oasis.

This Summer, Skylight Peckham is the ultimate place to be

Camberwell Lodge Care Home

Luxury residential and dementia care home

Our care is the kind we’d all want our loved ones to receive. Camberwell Lodge Care Home provides the highest standards of family-led residential and dementia care. Our state-of-the-art home is luxurious and beautifully furnished, whilst retaining a warm family atmosphere that makes Camberwell Lodge feel extra special.

• 98 Spacious en-suite bedrooms

• Bistro café and themed pub

• Sociable lounge and dining areas

• Daily fine dining and hospitality suite

To find out more about life at Camberwell Lodge Care & Nursing Home contact Senior Customer Relations Manager Nina Rogers on 07549 035 654 or email nina.rogers@countrycourtcare.com.

A man of principle

A look at the life of Wilfred Wood, the Church of England’s first black bishop

BY LUKE G WILLIAMS

Outspoken, principled and a tireless campaigner for social and racial justice, former local resident Wilfred Wood was the Church of England’s first ever black bishop and rightly deserves to be remembered as one of the most influential and significant religious figures of our time.

Wood was born to Wilfred Coward and Elsie Elmira Wood in Proute, Barbados on 15 June 1936. After school he targeted a political career but due to his deep religious convictions he decided to enter the priesthood instead.

After studying at Codrington College, an Anglican theological college in Barbados, Wood was ordained as a deacon in 1962 and then travelled to England. His original intention was to stay in the UK for just a few years, but in the end he would remain for four decades, battling the everyday and institutional injustices that he observed so frequently.

The Reverend Azariah FranceWilliams, an Anglican priest much influenced by Wood, described the social context that his hero encountered during his early years in England. “He noticed black youths being treated poorly and at times criminally by law enforcement,” Rev France-Williams noted.

“He noticed bright young black people systemically and systematically prevented from mounting the first rung of the career ladder due to the bias. He witnessed the multiple barriers to housing for black families as they put up with abysmal living conditions and had little support from officials to fight their corner. The list goes on…”

During the 1960s Wood worked as a curate at the Church of St Stephen and St Thomas in Shepherd’s Bush and was then appointed vicar of St Laurence in Catford in 1974. It was clear from the outset that he was no ordinary priest, but rather one driven by an unusually clear sense of moral purpose and social activism.

His outspoken nature on issues of race and race relations soon brought his work to wider attention. In 1968 he co-authored the book Vicious Circle, which coherently and persuasively argued that the Church of England needed to urgently engage in a process of anti-racist activism.

As well as challenging racism in the UK, Wood also fought tirelessly to draw attention to international injustices by serving as moderator of the World Council of Churches Programme to Combat Racism. His daughter Gil, now a lecturer in journalism, recalls that her father once spent Christmas Day protesting

against apartheid outside South Africa House in central London, before travelling to Wormwood Scrubs prison to offer counsel to lonely convicts.

Such acts of activism and compassion were typical of Wood’s desire to create lasting societal change. He played a key role in initiatives on a national level – such as encouraging the establishment of an independent prosecuting service (later known as the Crown Prosecution Service) – and locally, like the employment training scheme for black men and women that he set up in south London.

Although Wood moved through the ranks of the Church of England fairly steadily during the 1970s and early 80s, many believed the pace of his rise was not commensurate with his ability, arguing that his unflinching criticisms of the church had perhaps harmed his prospects of promotion.

Often Wood had to work outside the structure and strictures of the church to effect and inspire change.

As Rev France-Williams said: “He set up a fund to support black families in need, established a credit union to create sustainable ongoing income, opened Saturday schools to supplement education, formed a successful job club and established a housing agency which is still going, and more.

“It was all funded independently and so kept its sense of agency and power to effect change and work with a culturally appropriate world view. Statutory funding had strings attached, was top-down, bureaucratic and in many cases demeaning. He, on the other hand, always began with the dignity of the person or persons in need.”

In 1977 Wood became dean of East Lewisham and an honorary canon of Southwark Cathedral. While serving in this capacity, he played a key role in the aftermath of the tragic New Cross fire in 1981, in which 13 black people lost their lives. The incident precipitated a Black People’s Day of Action that saw 20,000 people march through London.

Wood spoke eloquently and powerfully to those on the march at Fordham Park, New Cross, telling them: “Whatever the racists may think, God made us black people as we are, to be as we are, and we are not going to commit mass suicide, or withdraw to some overseas reservations simply to indulge those who want an all-white Britain.”

A year later Wood was appointed archdeacon of Southwark, by which time he and his wife Ina – as well as their five children – were living on the border of Camberwell and East Dulwich at 1a Dog Kennel Hill.

In 1985 Wood finally ascended to the position of bishop and was consecrated as bishop of Croydon by the then archbishop of Canterbury Dr Robert Runcie at St Paul’s Cathedral. Speaking to Thames News straight after the service, Wood admitted: “I’m now getting used to the idea that I’m a bishop. This is just the beginning, it will take a little while to get used to the idea. There’s a sense of rejoicing, some trepidation as well, but we will see what happens.”

Reflecting years later, Wood recalled the day of his consecration with affection and pride. “At the service at St Paul’s Cathedral, which holds 2,900, there was not enough room, as people had come from all over the world – mostly black [people] were in attendance – and there are 49 bishops who took part in the service... When my appointment was announced, I received 703 letters of congratulations and well wishes. It was a great day.”

Later in 1985, Wood was one of the authors of the highly influential Faith in the City report produced by the archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission on Urban Priority Areas. The report drew attention to various social issues, notably relating to urban poverty, and became a source of fierce

ILLUSTRATION BY JESSICA KENDREW

ideological debate, with one unnamed Conservative cabinet minister labelling it “pure Marxist theology”. However, others recognised in the report’s work a damning and necessary critique of the worst excesses of Thatcherism. After serving with distinction as the bishop of Croydon, maintaining throughout his fierce commitment and devotion to the issues that had always been dear to his heart, in 2000 Wood was made a knight of St Andrew by the Queen in recognition of “his contribution to race relations in the United Kingdom and general contribution to the welfare of Barbadians living here”. The wording was barely adequate for a man whose contribution to the social fabric of London, the UK and international race relations was truly mighty.

Wood finally stepped down as bishop of Croydon in 2002 and returned with his wife to Barbados to enjoy his retirement. Two years later, he finished as runner-up to Mary Seacole in a public vote to determine 100 great black Britons.

Although he succumbed to blindness in 2004, Wood still worships regularly at St Lawrence Church in Barbados and his legacy as one of the great leaders of the Church of England is assured.

His contribution to the social fabric of London, the UK and international race relations was truly mighty

Above: Wilfred Wood

The Camberwell crossword

SALADE NIÇOISE WITH TONNATO SAUCE

While this take on a niçoise retains all the simplicity of the original, it injects extra flashiness with the preposterously delicious tonnato sauce. Drape some extra anchovies over this if you’re one of those anchovy types.

Serves 4

SALAD INGREDIENTS

4 small eggs

300g small new potatoes, halved 300g green beans, topped 1 batch tonnato sauce

300g cherry tomatoes, halved or 3 ripe medium tomatoes, cut into chunks

1 small cucumber, halved lengthways, deseeded and cut into chunks

60g black olives, pitted Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Salt and pepper

METHOD

a big tomato slice. The Italians eat it with cold roast veal or pork, which I’d also enthusiastically recommend.

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

4 anchovy fillets

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

1½ tbsp capers, soaked if salted

2 egg yolks

7 Across was a famous resident of Camberwell.

ACROSS

7 RHINOSJUNK (anagram) (4, 6)

9 Senior (5)

10 Civil servant, pen-pusher (10)

12 Sprite (3)

13 Representative (5)

14 Nimbleness, athleticism (7)

16 Hospital resident (7)

17 Unlucky (7)

19 Pirate’s sword (7)

20 Happen again and again (5)

21 Hair preparation (3)

22 Privately, closely (10)

24 The Derby horse-race venue (5)

25 Tendency, inclination (10)

DOWN

1 Dossier, file (8)

2 Savings vehicle (10)

3 Ballerina’s skirt (4)

4 Brief battles (10)

5 Tangle (4)

6 Mixture of songs (6)

8 University teachers (10)

11 Activist (10)

14 Appeal, allure (10)

15 Essential, vital (10)

18 Accelerate, grow (8)

19 Wardrobe (6)

22 Demons (4)

23 Flour-making factory (4)

ACROSS: 7 John Ruskin, 9 Older, 10 Bureaucrat, 12 Elf, 13 Agent, 14 Agility, 16 Patient, 17 Hapless, 19 Cutlass, 20 Recur, 21 Gel, 22 Intimately, 24 Epsom, 25 Proclivity. DOWN: 1 Document, 2 Investment, 3 Tutu, 4 Skirmishes, 5 Knot, 6 Medley, 8 Professors, 11 Campaigner, 14 Attraction, 15 Imperative, 18 Escalate, 19 Closet, 22 Imps, 23 Mill.

SOLUTION

A Camberwell curiosity

The New Grand Hall, located at the southern end of Camberwell New Road, was originally built as a function hall and was also used as a roller-skating rink.

It then reopened as the New Grand Hall Cinema Theatre in 1909, with FW Purcell as managing director. Noted theatre architect Frank Matcham was involved in the conversion of the building.

By 1946, it was operated by the SM Super Cinemas chain, which was owned by Southan Morris. In 1949 it became the Grand Cinema and was later taken

over by the Essoldo cinemas group in 1954. It retained the Grand Cinema name as the company had already renamed the nearby Rex Cinema the Essoldo Cinema.

The Grand Cinema closed on 14 January 1968, following a screening of Kings of the Sun starring Yul Brynner and Paratroop Command with Richard Bakalyan.

It was then converted into a bingo hall and in 1983 became a snooker club, later known as Jono’s Snooker Club. The building was demolished in late April 2014.

Bring a deep pan of salted water to the boil and add the eggs and potatoes. Put the lid on so you get a nice rapid boil and cook for 8 minutes, adding the beans after 4 minutes. Everything should be tender by then (and the eggs cooked) – have a check. Drain into a sieve and cool under cold running water, paying extra attention to cooling the eggs, but don’t leave everything too long under the water, as the potatoes can easily get soggy. Drain and set to one side.

Next, make the tonnato sauce. Spread the sauce out on a large platter or divide between plates. Scatter over the potatoes, beans, tomatoes and cucumber. Peel the eggs, cut into halves and sit on top. Scatter over the olives, season with a little salt and pepper and drizzle with a little oil before serving with some hunks of bread.

TONNATO SAUCE

This is the ultimate refined yet versatile lunchtime sauce. I like to serve it with a quick salade niçoise or spread it in a sandwich with leftover roast chicken and

1½ tsp Dijon mustard

Juice of ½ lemon

1½ tbsp red wine vinegar

220g good-quality tuna in oil (150g drained weight)

125ml olive oil (or a mix of olive and vegetable oil)

Salt and pepper

Put the anchovy fillets, garlic and capers in a food processor or blender (or use a hand blender) and blitz until everything is finely chopped (I’m looking at you, garlic), then add the rest of the ingredients except half the tuna and the oil. Whizz until fine. Pulse-blitzing, add the oil, little by little, then blend until smooth. It should be the consistency of single cream. Fold in the remaining tuna, taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking – you may want to add more lemon or vinegar too.

The sauce will keep for at least a week in an airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe extracted from Let’s Do Lunch: Quick and Easy Recipes to Brighten Up Your Week by local resident Georgia Levy (£16.99, Pavilion Books)