The South Londoner - June 2023

About us

We’ve been based in the old Biscuit Factory in Bermondsey since 1994.

We are proud to be a London Living Wage employer.

Our flagship publication, the Southwark News launched in 1987 and is now London’s only independent, paid for newspaper.

We also publish the South London Weekly and greenwich and Lewisham Weekender every week.

We created the Bermondsey Biscuit and Rotherhithe Docker in 2018 with support from sponsors including Sellar, Grosvenor, British Land, and many more local businesses.

We use 100% recovered paper from the Ortviken papermill in Sweden, a green energy provider who use biofuel instead of oil and provide heat for 10,000 single family homes.

www.southlondon.co.uk

Editor Holly O'Mahony

Design Lizzy Tweedale, Dan Martin, Ann Gravesen

Marketing Clarry Frewin, Katie Boyd, Sophie Ali

Media partnerships Anthony Phillips

Finance Emrah Zeki

Managing Directors Chris Mullany and Kevin Quinn

5 home secRetaRy Rooftop film nights, outdoor karaoke, a photography festiva and a community-led café offering to fix your broken goods for free

8 a love letteR to south london Brian Danclair, founder and chef at Brixton’s Fish, Wings & Tings, on his favourite south London haunts

13-20 food & dRink A trip to new Sri Lankan restaurant Rambutan and the new openings in your ‘hood

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email hello@cm-media.co.uk

phone 020 7231 5258

twitteR @insouthlndn

instagRam thesouthlondoner website southlondon.co.uk

24-26 local faces Meet Catford’s twin sisters with a thriving house plant business

32 locally souRced Travel through scent with a Leila Ann Rose Candle

33-34 windRush 75 Photographer Jim Grover on documenting the Windrush generation for the 75th anniversary

37-38 wellness Author and Peckhamite Freya Bromley on her journey with wild swimming and new book The Tidal Year

the local line-up for your diary

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swAp concert hAlls For A cAr pArk with the multistory orchestrA

If your teens think orchestral music isn’t for them, The Multi-Story Orchestra is the ensemble to change their minds. Doing away with concert halls, the group performs in car parks and other unconventional spaces, and there’s often a theme of social justice to their work. Their latest show Verified is a large-scale, vibrant work composed by the orchestra’s co-founder Kate Whitley, and features soloists from the Borletti-Buitoni Trust. Don’t miss the chance to see a 100-strong choir and even bigger orchestra bring the music to life.

Bold Tendencies, 95A Rye Lane, Levels 7-10, London SE15 4ST. June 8 & 9, July 6 & 7, August 24 & 25, 7pm. Admission: £6. www.multi-story.org.uk/upcomingevents

Al Fresco movie

seAson returns

Catch a sky-high movie at Peckham’s Bussey Building this summer as Rooftop Film Club returns with another season of cheesy rom-roms, golden oldies and certified classics. Oscar-winner Everything Everywhere

All At Once, sing-along favourite A Star is Born and action-packed Top Gun: Maverick are just three of the many titles showing over the coming weeks. There’s pizza and popcorn for those who arrive peckish and a fully-stocked bar serving wine, beer and craft cocktails. Roof A, Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, London SE15 4ST. Regular screenings all summer, times vary. Admission: £16.95. www.rooftopfilmclub.com/london/venue/busseybuilding/

A celeBrAtion oF photogrAphy in peckhAm

South-east London’s festival of photography

Peckham 24 returns to the South London Gallery’s Fire Station with a collection of works centred around the slogan ‘My body, my choice’. Together, they explore the potential of the body as a personal and political canvas. Also running as part of the festival are two solo exhibitions, one by Marvel Harris, the other by Fion Hung Ching Yan, reflecting on the theme of body language.

South London Gallery, 65 Peckham Road, London SE5 8UH. Until June 11, TuesdaySunday, 11am - 6pm / 9pm Wednesday late opening. Admission: FREE. www.southlondongallery.org/ exhibitions/peckham-24-2023/

A kick-Ass story For coming-oF-Age teens

In this empowering show about two teens looking to find themselves, Priya and Lou head into the wild armed with a bag full of pop-tarts and ambitions to fight back against the climate crisis. Can the pair overcome their differences to work together and make their voices heard? Pitched as somewhere between hit movies Booksmart, Little Miss Sunshine and Themla & Louise, Sarah Middleton’s Shewolves found acclaim at Edinburgh Festival Fringe last year and now it’s coming to Southwark Playhouse Borough.

Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD.

June 21 - July 8, 8pm / 3:30pm Tuesday & Saturday. Admission: £20/£16 concessions. www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/ shewolves/

the curious cAse oF BenjAmin Button – on stAge

Some musicals require a huge cast and an even bigger off-stage band to project the magic of a story. But proving that isn’t always the case is Jethro Compton and Darren Clark's delightful musical production of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which uses just a handful of actor-musicians to perform the tale of the man travelling backwards through life with folk music and a scattering of hard-working props. Catch it close to home at SouthwarkPlayhouse Elephant.

Southwark Playhouse Elephant, 1 Dante Place, London SE11 4RX. May 22 - July 1, 7:45pm. Admission: £28/ £22.50 concessions.

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/

repAir cAFÉ opens in BriXton

At Lambeth’s new Repair Café, you can enjoy a coffee and a slice of cake while some hard-working volunteers fix your broken homewear. Part of a world-wide initiative (there’s an impressive 2,500 Repair Cafés internationally) aimed at supporting sustainability and reducing waste, the Brixton Road café will be open once a month to tend to your lamp that won’t turn on or your chair with the wobbly leg. Newly opened on June 3, the café is currently looking for volunteers, so if you’re able to lend a steady hand, why not join the team?

336 Brixton Road, London SW9 7AA. Open the first Saturday of the month, 10am - 1pm. Admission: FREE. www.repaircafe-lambeth.org/

BeArpit kArAoke returns For summer

Looking for somewhere to belt out the lyrics to your favourite song? You’re unlikely to stumble upon as friendly a mic and stage as that found at Bearpit Karaoke. The Berlin-born phenomenon returns to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens for the sixth year this summer, running once a month until September. Founded roughly a decade ago by Joe Hatchiban, Bearpit Karaoke has become a Sunday fixture of Berlin’s Mauerpark, reportedly attracting up to 2,000 spectators in any one session. The Vauxhall iteration is a more under-the-radar affair, but it runs on the same principle: to get strangers singing and having fun together – for free. Grab your favourite duet partner or your best backing singers and head on over for an inclusive sing-along on June 10, July 8, August 12 and September 9. Fire up the belly with some French-Caribbean street food from local kiosk Bokit’la, or ingest some Dutch courage, courtesy of a fully-stocked bar from craft beer specialists Mother Kelly’s.

Bearpit Karaoke, 139 Vauxhall Walk, Lambeth, Londo SE11 5HL. June 10, July 8, August 12 and September 9, 3pm - 7pm. Admission: FREE. www.bit.ly/3B4BWEg

live jAZZ with B.d lenZ

Hopping across the pond to give us Londoners a one-night-only taste of New York’s jazz scene is guitarist B.D. Lenz. With echoes of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Duke Ellington in their music, the B.D. Lenz Jazz Trio are performing a mix of jazz standards, original jams and pop classics, joined by a very special guest: the BAFTA and EMMY-winning composer John Altman.

The Paxton Centre, 52 Anerley Hill, London SE19 2AE. July 1, 7pm - 11pm. Admission: FREE. www.thepaxtoncentre.co.uk/whats-on/2023/7/1/bdlenz-and-friends-jazz-trio

 ©Pamela Raith Photography

Brixton is like nowhere else. EXHIBITIONS

This June, Brixton will be an official destination for London Festival of Architecture 2023. Hosting an exciting programme with over 40 events ranging from talks to workshops, screenings to installations.

Visit the commissioned design Views on the Atlantic by winning design team Brixton Community Cinema with Bamidele Awoyemi, Farouk Agoro and Livia Wang across Atlantic Road and Windrush Square.

Join us as we explore the LFA 2023 theme In Common throughout June.

21ST - 23RDJUNE

REIMAGINING BRIXTON

19THJUNE

UN ÉTÉ À LA GOULETTE

7:30pm

A Summer in La Goulette is a 1996 film by Tunisian director Férid Boughedir. It is a narrative of how intercommunal relations deteriorated in cosmopolitan La Goulette after the end of French rule, especially MuslimJewish relations affected by the Six-Day War and the rising impact of Islam on Tunisian society.

Book your free ticket.

15TH JUNE -11TH AUGUST

YOUTH DON’T CARE? YOUNG CARERS IN URBAN HOUSING

This exhibition creates a rare opportunity for Dialogues by Youth on Urban Housing. Borne of a collaboration between EXCAVATING DIVERSITY SOCIAL HOUSING NETWORK, Creative Darren Appiagyei, Youth Organisations and Social Housing Networks, aimed at initiating and showcasing unprecedented Youth-led community discussions, on Housing and the future of the urban environment.

YOUTH DON’T CARE? builds upon the previous Exhibition MODERNIST GEM: The Battle for Leigham Court Sheltered Housing Scheme, part of LFA2022 and goes even further to challenge the narrative on Social Housing.

Africa Bantu, Supplementary School Saint Martins Community Centre, SW2 3QB

1ST - 30THJUNE

HOLDING THE FLAME

Holding the Flame is an AR-Statue* that breaths & speaks, featuring living civil rights campaigner Marcia Rigg.

An initiative designed to question & stimulate discussion about the state of race relations, 40 years on from the 1981 Brixton Uprisings.

Scan the QR code for more details.

Canterbury Square, outside Brixton Police Station, SW9 7DE

Join BoonBrown to celebrate Brixton’s cultural heritage and vibrancy, re-imagined as Common Land. We’ll investigate an alternative Brixton, exploring the possibilities through visualisations and the re-elevation of our studio building.

FREE

Tunstall Hall, BoonBrown, SW9 8DF

Book your free ticket.

SCREENINGS

Brixton Community Cinema’s LFA screenings will take place in the Views of the Atlantic installation, located next to bus stop L on Atlantic Road.

14THJUNE

RIGHT TO ROAM & WHERE ARE THE WOMEN?

5:45pm - 7:30

Join us for a screening of two films which explore ideas of of access and ownership over our city, through stories of activism and artistic expression

Part one will be a viewing of Right to Roam documentary, directed by Charlotte Bill.

The second part Where are the Women? is a short documentary which celebrates the murals and street art painted by women’s art collectives : WOM (2019 to present day) and London Wall (1982 - 1992)

Book your free ticket.

29THJUNE

KOKOMO CITY

7:30pm

Kokomo City is an 2023 American documentary film, directed, produced, and edited by D. Smith.

A raw depiction of the lives of four black trans sex workers as they confront the dichotomy between the black community and themselves.

Book your free ticket.

TALKS

15TH JUNE

HERITAGE ROUNDTABLE: LEGACIES OF COLONIALISM IN OUR PUBLIC REALM

6:30pm - 8pm

The Brixton Project is hosting a Heritage Roundtable examining legacies of Colonialism in our public realm with leaders in the discourse.

An opportunity for communities in Lambeth and Southwark, hospital users and staff to influence the reinterpretation work around the statues of Guy and Clayton.

Book your free ticket.

Downstairs at The Department Store, SW9 8FR

18TH JUNE

MONEY, COMMUNITY & ME

2pm - 6pm

An interactive community discussion that invites participants to explore the idea of an “economy of place” in Brixton. Bringing together local residents, businesses, and community groups to explore and envision what economic empowerment means for Brixton.

Book your free ticket.

Upstairs at the Ritzy, SW2 1JG

20TH JUNE

REIMAGINING BRIXTON - OPENING

5pm - 9pm

Join us for an evening to celebrate Brixton’s cultural heritage and vibrancy, re-imagined as Common Land, through our exhibition and installation. We’ll investigate an alternative Brixton, exploring the possibilities through visualisations and the re-elevation of our studio building.

Book your free ticket.

Tunstall Hall, BoonBrown, SW9 8DF

TOURS

17TH JUNE

LONDON’S WOMEN MURAL ARTISTS

2pm - 3:30pm

This guided walk will take people around the Brixton murals including looking specifically at the work by Women’s Art collectives : London Wall (1980s) and WOM (2020s).

Book your free ticket.

Ritzy Cinema, Coldharbour Lane, SW2 1JG

19TH JUNE

WINDRUSH 75: A LAMBETH STORY

11am - 12:30pm

22nd June 2023 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Windrush Generation from the docking of S.S Empire Windrush at the port of Tilbury in 1948 with 1027 passengers on board. Many settled in Brixton creating the community we have today. Come and learn about the milestones of this journey represented in this wonderful Square and locality.

Book your free ticket.

Windrush Square, Effra Road, SW2 1JQ

25TH JUNE

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH

12pm - 1pm

During this one hour tour, animator and experimental filmmaker, Mary Martins will take you on a journey that explores the interior and exterior of the Brixton Recreation Centre revealing the discoveries and findings from her research that focuses on the intersections of architecture with urban landscapes and how this forms a sense community.

Book your free ticket.

Brixton Recreation Centre, Brixton Station Road, SW2 1JQ

WORKSHOPS

14TH JUNE

SILLY TOWERS OPENS TO THE PUBLIC

5pm - 8pm

The Bureau Of Silly Ideas, a renowned outdoor arts company located in the iconic railway arches just behind Brixton station, is opening its workshop and performance spaces to the

Scan the QR code and visit the LFA website to see the full programme of Brixton events.

public.

Join for a wander through the Bureau and see 20 years of outdoor arts history on display throughout the site. Peer into the workshop and watch our engineers as they work on this summer’s incredible festival activations, and meet the artists that bring these works of art to the streets. You’ll even get the chance to get hands-on and drive one of our robots!

Book your free ticket.

Silly Towers, Club Silly, Arch 555, Valentia Place, SW9 8PJ

17TH JUNE

INTRODUCTION TO FOREST GARDENS & THE BRIXTON ORCHARD

11am - 12:30pm

To celebrate National Clean Air Day week, join this talk and tour of our much loved Brixton Orchard. The orchard sits on common land and was created by and for the local community. We will discuss some key concepts about forest gardens, a growing system that mimics the structure of a natural forest. You will also be invited to make a seed bomb to take away with you

Book your free ticket.

Brixton Orchard, Brixton Hill, SW2 5RW

24TH JUNE

BRIXTON CREATIVE ENERGY CLUB

1pm - 4pm

This Club aimed at Brixton residents will explore how its history of activism and power (Electric Avenue was the very first street in London lit by electricity) can inspire the future of community energy in the area.

Book your free ticket.

The Remakery, 51 Lilford Road, SE5 9HY

A love letter to south london

As told to Holly O'Mahony

Brian Danclair opened his first Caribbean restaurant, Fish, Wings & Tings, in Brixton Village Market with the help of his wife in 2012. The chef and restaurateur shares his top tips for making the most of Brixton – from must-see murals to must-try bites – and the neighbouring restaurants which inspired him.

How long has Fish Wings & Tings been open in Brixton Village Market? What made you decide to set it up?

Fish, Wings and Tings has been open for 13 years now. At the time, I felt there was a lack of Caribbean representation among London’s leading and well-known restaurants, and I wanted to plug that gap.

What do you love most about running a restaurant in Brixton Village Market?

I love the energy, the people working there, the community that supports the many businesses there, and the fact it’s completely international. I can get fruit and vegetables from just about anywhere in the market.

What does a typical day in south London involve for you?

The day starts with me taking my daughter to school, then I go to the market and prepare for the day. I actually

have two restaurants in Brixton Village Market – Fish, Wings & Tings, and Danclair’s Kitchen – so I work between them, and usually don’t leave the market until midnight.

What are your favourite south London eateries?

My favourite restaurants in Brixton are dim sum restaurant The Courtesan, handroll bar Temaki, Indian restaurant Kricket, and, I have to say it, Danclair's Kitchen, which I opened in August 2021, and where I serve sharing plates from the Caribbean, Europe and the Americas.

Where do you shop for clothes and homeware in south London?

For clothes, I’m a fan of men’s clothing store Article. on Atlantic Road and TK Maxx.

And your favourite south London landmark?

My favourite landmarks are the David Bowie mural opposite Brixton tube station, the mural to UK hip-hop artist Ty, who passed away in 2020 due to Covid complications, and the Nuclear Dawn mural on Coldharbour Lane, which was unveiled in 2021. Have any fellow local businesses been a help or inspiration to your vision for Fish, Wings & Tings?

I’ve always felt inspired by Honest Burger, which began with one branch in Brixton Village and now has over 40 sites across the UK. Okan Japanese restaurant is another inspiration: the people who run it are so hard working, focused and diligent in what they do. We talk and share ideas sometimes.

What’s the one place, thing or activity south of the river that everyone should try at least once?

Everyone should visit Brixton Village Market at least once, and while you’re there, be sure to order a plate of codfish fritters from Fish, Wings & Tings.

Fish, Wings & Tings, Granville Arcade, Unit 3, Brixton Village, Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PR. Tuesday - Sunday, 12:30pm - 10:30pm. www.fishwingsandtings.com/

Bankside locals, commuters and visitors are invited to enjoy a free weekend of music, performance, talks, creative workshops for adults and children and street food, all taking place within a 1600 sq ft, 3D immersive installation. This unique new installation, the result of a collaboration between internationally-renowned artist Jo Peel and developer JTRE London, marks the completion of Triptych Bankside, an award-winning, mixed-use development opposite Tate Modern. Drawing on the creative spirit of London's Bankside and the layers of architecture that typify this historic and vibrant area, SHAPE ART WEEKEND BANKSIDE (7-9 July) offers a wildly creative response to the question of how to open a building?

Featuring the artist’s trademark murals of cityscapes, contrasted with model houses and a glasshouse with a giant tree growing out from it, art will imitate life with a 3D re-creation of a traditional neighbourhood cafe rendered in Peel’s distinctive ‘2D’ drawing style, complete with formica tables, ketchup bottles and a fridge which doubles as a hidden entrance to a secret projection room.

“From the ‘Banksyde’ of the 16th Century, an illicit world of theatres and houses of disrepute beyond the city walls, to the warehouses and railway architecture of the Victorian era to the glass towers of the early 21st Century, Bankside's layers of architecture tell a fascinating story. Exploring the area I found an 18th-century almshouse nestled against a backdrop of soaring towers and neighbourhood cafes surviving still amidst a fast-changing landscape. It’s these kinds of juxtapositions that speak to what is so exciting about cities, and serve as the inspiration for this new work that launches the three towers of Triptych, the latest addition to the riverbank.” — Jo

Peel

Known for fostering art and music partnerships in central Europe, SHAPE ART WEEKEND BANKSIDE continues JTRE London’s long-term commitment to sustainable regeneration and culture. The Open Universityaccredited art school Art Academy London is set to take up residence in the 14,000 sq. ft. cultural space of Triptych Bankside later this year.

“Inspired by its incredible location, adjacent to one of the most famous art museums in the world, and drawing on the cultural partnerships forged by our parent company in central Europe, we knew we couldn’t simply launch our first UK development with a typical event. The architecture itself is inspired by art and sculptural forms, so when we considered how to mark the opening of the building, we knew we had to commission an artist. With a track-record for creating dynamic, imaginative works inspired by shifting skylines, Jo Peel is the ideal fit for this commission and we’re so excited to launch Triptych Bankside with her wonderful installation.”

— Nigel Fleming, Managing Director, JTRE London

Further information on the events programme for Shape Art Weekend Bankside can be found on the Triptych Bankside website https://triptychbankside.com/shape/

celebrate the latest addition to the Bankside skyline with a three-day celebration of london’s evolving urban landscape.

AT IN A FIELD BY A BRIDGE

Are you a PASSIONATE COOK?

Do you have a SIGNATURE DISH that is a real winner at home? Interested in developing NEW SKILLS in the kitchen?

If so, Feast in a Field could be the perfect opportunity for you to share your dish with the wider community, all whilst learning professional kitchen and business skills.

Feast in a Field is part of In a Field by A Bridge, a brandnew celebratory summer event this July in Potters Fields Park and St. John’s Churchyard.

Be part of this epic professional upskilling journey with social enterprise, Beyond Food and Brigade Bar+Kitchen on Tooley Street - working with renowned chefs Simon Boyle and Leon Aarts

In a Field by a Bridge takes place on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd of July, and will showcase the best sustainable food practices alongside arts, crafts and festival fun all curated by the team at HemingwayDesign and Team London Bridge and supported by Potters Fields Park Management Trust.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

• We are looking for 10-15 cooks

• Bring along your signature dish, introduce yourself and share your food with the team

• Meet the rest of the cohort and local businesses and try each others dishes

• Get partnered up with local business leaders & chefs

• Attend 5 x evening workshops to include recipe refinement, upscaling, marketing, H&S, field events, public consumption, and business among other skills

• Dry run / feedback event

• Event delivery 22nd & 23rd July 2023

If this sounds like you, for more information and to register your interest by the 5th June, please get in touch with jo@beyondfood.org.uk or inafieldbyabridge@hemingwaydesign.co.uk

We look forward to hearing from you!

Local brewery's new campaign invites people to travel south of the river ―

Alocal brewery has launched a 'cheeky' campaign of posters on the underground that invite people to continue their tube journey south to get more people to Brixton.

Brixton Brewery is urging people to come and 'Get a Taste of Brixton' this summer with their new campaign.

Featuring a range of bold and eye-catching posters on the walls of the underground, the campaign was inspired by vintage travel ads.

Riders will see the brewery take "good-natured aim at other, arguably less distinctive, parts of London" with captions like ‘Life’s way too short for Oxford Circus’ and ‘Seriously, who gets off at Warren Street?’ inviting people to continue their tube journey south and, in its words, ‘Get a Taste of Brixton’.

“We’re bringing that special Brixton mix of what

we call the grit and the glitter to this campaign,” says brewery Co-Founder and Managing Director, Jez Galaun.

“There’s so much buzz and joy in bringing diverse groups together, as you see in Brixton, and we always want to give people a flavour of that, wherever they are or wherever they’re from.

"We want to celebrate all the things that we love about where we are, not just the typical shiny tourist-friendly bits. What makes Brixton so special is the way everything and everyone comes together to create something greater than the sum of all those diverse parts.

"With all due respect to Oxford Circus, you’ll

Disappearing Dining Club opens in SE1

Eliza Frost

never regret staying on the Victoria Line until you get to Brixton," he added.

It was created by Otherway London in collaboration with Brixton Brewery.

Brixton Brewery Taproom, Arch 548 Brixton Station Road, Brixton, SW9 8PF.

the Tanner with their kitchen when they re-opened the pub in 2010, and Disappearing Dining Club has been keeping an eye on the place ever since.

“We talk about our pubs being ‘Local Pubs for London’. We want them to be the kind of place every Londoner might want at the end of their street, but that is also worth travelling to if you don’t live in the neighbourhood. Our guests can expect laid-back vibes and a real focus on quality at a fair price. Good service, great ingredients, tasty drinks and carefully selected background sounds.”

Simon the Tanner’s menu, designed by Fred (who is also Disappearing Dining Club’s head chef), features a selection of large and small plates. Highlights include crispy cod cheeks; a twist on an old-school Swedish classic, beef Lindström; and grilled bavette.

Disappearing Dining Club, one of London's original pop-up restaurants, has been feeding people in hardto-find locations in London (and beyond) since 2010 – and has now set up shop in the heart of Bermondsey at Simon the Tanner.

Founded by Stuart Langley and Fred Bolin, we asked what brought the dining club to SE1: “We decided on this location for our second site because we love Bermondsey! Stuart lived in Bermondsey for over 10 years and Fred helped the previous owners of Simon

And for those who enjoy the crackle of vinyl, the warmth of Hi-Fi and the sound of other people’s record collections, there’s a record deck on the bar, and guests are free to select something to play from the pub’s growing record collection.

www.disappearingdiningclub.co.uk/simon-the-tanner

Monday to Thursday: 4pm to 11pm, Friday: 12pm to 12am, Saturday: 12pm to 12am, Sunday: 12pm to 9pm

231 Long Lane, SE1 4PR

By Isabel Ramirez

Camberwell Lodge Care Home

Luxury residential, dementia and respite care

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

• Roof terrace and landscaped gardens

Hair and pamper salon Tailored meaningful activities

If you would like to learn more about life at Camberwell Lodge our friendly Customer Relations Manager Jessica O’Connell is more than happy to have a chat.

Please call Jessica on 07939 296 992 or email jessica.oconnell@countrycourtcare.com.

020 4579 2199

Picton Street, Camberwell, London, SE5 7QH

www.countrycourtcare.com

Bitesize

―

By Holly O'Mahony

down it in nine elms’ new

dive BAr

Listen up, lads: if you like your booze by the gallon with no airs and graces, head to the newest branch of American dive bar chain Passyunk Avenue, which is opening at Nine Elms. It’s right by the US Embassy, and should be a balm for homesick Yanks with its menu of Philly cheesesteaks, wings and ‘tater tots’, all of which can be washed down with beers, cocktails and, for the brave, a ‘Passyunk Pickleback’ (a shot of whisky chased with a shot of pickle juice).

Passyunk, Unit 6, Embassy Gardens, New Union Square, Nine Elms, London SW11 7DN. Opened May. www.passyunkavenue.com/battersea/

two Big BirthdAys

BAtterseA gets A Bite oF noci

kudu’s little siBling opens in peckhAm

rAising the rooFtops

Posse, sunnies and your best Instagram filters at the ready: London’s rooftop bars have reopened for the summer season, and if you live south of the river, this means it's obligatory to book in a session at Frank’s Bar, the Bussey Rooftop Bar, Skylight, Forza Wine – or all of the above. Fancy cocktails, panoramic views and blushing sunsets await.

Frank’s Bar Bold Tendencies, 7th-10th Floor Multi Storey Car Park, 95A Rye Ln, London SE15 4ST. www.boldtendencies.com/franks-cafe/

Bussey Rooftop Bar, Roof B, Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, London SE15 4ST. www.busseyrooftopbar.com/

Skylight Peckham, Theatre Walk, 120 Peckham Hill Street, London SE15 5JT. www.skylightbars.com/peckham/

Forza Wine, The Rooftop, 133A Rye Lane, London SE15 4BQ. www.forzawine.com/

Two Clapham institutions are celebrating big anniversaries this month. Three Cheers Pub Co, which owns The Avalon in Clapham, The Bedford in Balham and The Bolingbroke in Battersea is celebrating 20 years of pouring pints (and more!) for the community. They’ll be holding 20 one-hour micro parties, where drinks prices will be slashed to what they cost back in 2003. Wondering what impact that’ll have on your wallet? You’ll be sipping on a glass of wine or prosecco for £3, draught beer for £3.50 a pint and cocktails for just £5. They’re also handing out £20 vouchers for locals – check out their website for more.

www.threecheers.co.uk/twenty/

Elsewhere, renowned cheesemonger and deli MacFarlanes turns 25 this year. If you’re yet to pay a visit, what better opportunity to stick your nose in, have a browse and inevitably spend too much money on cheese, fizz and perhaps a sweet treat or two? Allow them to open up your palate to gourmet fare.

MacFarlanes, 48 Abbeville Road, London SW4 9NF. Monday - Friday, 9am - 7pm; Saturday 9am - 6pm; Sunday 9am - 5pm. www.macfarlanesdeli.co.uk/

A new branch of pasta parlour Noci is set to open at Battersea Power Station this month. The restaurant comes from chef Louis Korovilas, whose CV also boasts stints at renowned Italians Bancone and Tavolino, and if the Islington original is anything to go by, diners can look forward to a stylish open kitchen, showing off thick strands of Bucatini being muddled with brown butter and black pepper, or herbed lamb shoulder being pocketed inside bite-size parcels of ravioli. Drinks, meanwhile, include a refreshing selection of seasonal spritzes. Cin cin!

Battersea Power Station, London SW11 8BN. Opened mid May. Check the website for hours. www.nocirestaurant.co.uk/battersea/

It’s been a busy year for Peckham’s superlative South African restaurant Kudu and its various offshoots. The Michelin Guide restaurant relocated its partnering cocktail bar Smokey Kudu to the flagship store of boutique clothing brand RIXO in Chelsea. Now, a tapas spin-off to the restaurant proper named Little Kudu is taking over the archway Smokey Kudu used to occupy, and here you can look forward to menu highlights including: smoked peri-peri mussels; a South African grilled cheese sandwich (known as braaibroodjie); and ham hock terrine with biltong scratchings. As for drinks, look forward to a short wine list, naturally boasting a bias towards South African varieties.

Little Kudu, 133 Queen’s Road, London SE15 2ND. Opens June 2023. www.kuducollective.com/

Review: rambutan: culinary perfection on stoney street ―

By Holly O'Mahony

“It’s got the feel of a New York restaurant,” comments my pal when we sit down to dinner at Rambutan, a recently opened Sri Lankan restaurant on Stoney Street by Borough Market. She’s just returned from a foodie jaunt around NYC and, having spent some time there myself, I see what she means. It’s the buzz, I think. It’s got to be. We’re among the lucky ones, sat around the counter where a tumble of woks and skewers balanced precariously over fired-up coals are churning up the restaurant’s latest menu of specials. Beyond us, every table of the dining room and downstairs bar is taken, and the atmosphere inside Rambutan’s terracotta walls is excitable, infectious, electric.

Chef and cookbook author Cynthia Shanmugalingam first teased her offering at Rambutan (named after the tropical, spiky fruit) last summer. Already in charge of the Stoney Street premises, she served takeaway soft serve ice creams in unusual, eastern flavours while the restaurant was under construction – and a rotation of said ices now forms the dessert portion of the restaurant’s menu.

Rambutan specialises in dishes from the northern Tamil region of Sri Lanka, where the Coventry-bornand-raised chef’s family hail from. Every summer, Cynthia would visit her family in the Jaffna province, where the village’s women taught her how to cook. Eventually, she knew she had to share these flavours with foodies back home, and so she released a recipe book, also called Rambutan, in 2022 before opening the restaurant this year. 

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The counter is the place to sit if you’re dining in a pair or alone. Not only are these front-row seats a chance to watch Rambutan’s live-fire cooking in action, but if you haven’t already pored over the restaurant’s Instagram page and arrived knowing your order by heart, you’ll find inspiration in the bowls of colourful curries and impossibly fluffy rounds of roti being slung over the counter.

There was momentary disappointment when our waiter informed us that the ‘pandarita’ (a Sri Lankan twist on a mezcal margarita, essentially) was off the menu because of a missing mezcal and tequila delivery. We had to take a minute, so sure were we that this cocktail would be an absolute banger, but eventually we pulled ourselves together and made do with a banana negroni – a sweeter cousin of the traditional serve – which proved tasty.

Of course it was, because there were no duds on Rambutan’s small plate-led menu. A ‘short eat’ of buttermilk fried chicken offered a fiery start. Served with traditional Sri Lankan sambol and fried bread, it was a clever fusion of eastern and western concepts – a nod to bread smothered in pâté, if you like. If it’s available on your visit, the sticky pineapple curry is not to be missed, regardless of which side of the ‘pineapple in savoury dishes’ debate you typically fall on. It’s tangy, sour and original. A dry curry of pork had the sort of slow-cooked smokiness you’d more typically associate with proper Texan barbecue, but a rub of spices sung of its eastern heritage. A gentle curry of Devon ray wing cooked in mustard and turmeric was another subtle highlight, as was the coconut, lemongrass and pandan dal – wholly deserving of its own section on the menu. Heavy on the curry leaves, it's transportative, shuttling our taste buds to its origin country with every bite.

Here, roti is not just a carb to soak up your curry but a dish in its own right: buttery, flaky and hot off the griddle. From the steaming mouth of a giant cauldron came a steady flow of rice, too.

Each dish came prettily presented, with deep green shoots providing a carpet for drier dishes and stoney, traditional-looking bowls housing curries. Six plates in, we were stuffed. Fortunately, this moment coincided with our 1.5-hour booking being up, and even though we could have happily lingered over a soft serve or a second cocktail, with a queue of expectant diners snaking from the door, it was time to go.

So we left with plenty to come back for, but by the time we do, Cynthia will likely have a new menu on the go, presenting more agonising choices over which dishes we can bear to miss. A look online three short days after our visit confirms change is already afoot in the kitchen. There’s a sense you’ll never be able to complete Rambutan, no matter how regularly you go. But neither can you have a bad meal there, because what Cynthia and her team are serving, through their Tamil flavours, is culinary perfection.

Rambutan, 10 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AD. Tuesday, 5pm - 10pm; Wednesday - Friday, 12pm - 3pm & 5pm - 10pm; Saturday 12pm - 10pm. www.rambutanlondon.com/

THE DAMAgE (FOR 2)

Buttermilk fried chicken and pol sambol pan £7.20

Red pineapple curry with mustard seeds £11.60

Devon ray wing, mustard & turmeric curry 14.2

Dingley dell black pork dry curry £15.5

Coconut, lemongrass and pandan dal £7.80

Samba rice £3.50

Roti £4

Banana negroni x 2 £19.80

TOTAL: £83.60

Food & Drink: «««««

Ambience: «««««

Value: «««««

Disabled access: YES

Disabled toilet: NO

Booking: YES

“there's a sense you'll never be able to complete rambutan, no matter how regularly you go”

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planet summer at the southbank centre

Find care, hope, connection and activism in a season teeming with talks, performances, music and family events responding to the climate emergency at the Southbank Centre, from Wednesday 21 June –Sunday 3 September.

The Southbank Centre’s Planet Summer season of climate care, hope and activism takes its inspiration from the pioneering Hayward Gallery exhibition, Dear Earth: Art and Hope in a Time of Crisis, a group show itself inspired by artist Otobong Nkanga’s suggestion that ‘caring is a form of resistance’. Planet Summer inspires a call for action that all of us, making change together, can address the challenges of the climate crisis.

Planet Summer draws together a powerful group of perspectives on the climate crisis, hosting talks with Greta Thunberg, Mikaela Loach, Dominique Palmer, Rebecca

Solnit, Thelma Young Lutunatabua, Mark Carney, Tori Tsui and Cerys Matthews.

But Planet Summer also delivers a season of artistic and communal responses. Theatre pioneers Ontroerend Goed bring a boundary-pushing new show about the future of humanity, Are we not drawn onward to new erA, Plot 17 throws a hip-hop garden block party on the Riverside Terrace, and we welcome back our Poetry International festival. Africa in Fashion events, co-curated by Creative Resilience International, bring together artists and industry experts for panel discussions, upcycling and recycling and a unique fashion show. Musical contributions in the season include Earth Makes No Sound’s fusion of choral singing, movement and body percussion, and MELTWATER, a haunting composition focusing on the melting of a polar

ice cap.

And because young people hold the key to the future of our climate, there’s plenty of ways for families to get involved, too. Children and their grown-ups are invited to play side by side at REPLAY: A Limitless Recycled Playground which runs throughout the summer. Families will also love Bird Rave’s

colourful interactive performance, The SpongeBob Musical, The Marvellous Myth Hunter Ceilidh, a hip-hop party with ZooNation Youth Company and Just Vibez and the return of Jeppe Hein’s ever-popular Appearing Rooms fountain. At the end of the summer, families are invited to hurtle into a time-travelling adventure exploring themes of friendship and the environment at Zoe’s Peculiar Journey Through Time. Free events on the Riverside Terrace also include Pedal Power

parties with DJs BORN N BREAD, Guava Jamz and Heart n Soul and a free night of cabaret performed by Bi-curious George and guests.

Experience the powerful response of 80 emerging Black artists to climate change, in an audiovisual installation that combines film, photography, music and sound design at Reframe: The Residency Exhibition. Reframe is supported by Apple and produced by the Southbank Centre with Factory International in Manchester and STEAMhouse and Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) in Birmingham. Planet Summer also sees free outdoor artworks pop up across the site.

Book tickets now at www.southbankcentre.co.uk/ summer

 Dear Earth: Art and Hope in a Time of Crisis Image credit: Richard Mosse, Oil Spill on Kichwa Territory III Block 192, Rio Tigre, Loreto, 2023. Digital C print © Richard Mosse, 2023. Courtesy of the artist, Jack Shainman Gallery and carlier gebauer.

 Greta Thunberg, The Climate Conversation

Photo by: Kim Jakobsen To

 The Spongebob Musical

Photo by: Mark Senior

By Holly O'Mahony

person basis but now operates as a permanent online marketplace, too.

Green Rooms co-founders Annie and Jemma are about as close as business partners can be. Identical twins, they’ve moved in tandem throughout their lives, from their upbringing in rural Sussex to studying at Nottingham University and moving to south London to pursue their careers. They even managed to start their own families at the same time, and it was while on maternity leave in 2018 that the sisters, now based in Catford, came up with the idea for Green Rooms: a marketplace for houseplants, which originally ran on a pop-up, in-

Bringing plant shops from all over London under one roof, the markets are a chance to shop for new greenery (as well as pots, plant care and accessories), pick up tips for caring for your existing ones and meet fellow plant enthusiasts. They’ve been held in Peckham Levels, Brixton Village, Gipsy Hill Brewery, Dulwich Picture Gallery and several other locations over the years, and while the sisters are currently focusing their attention on their online marketplace, it’s worth keeping an eye on their website for future market dates.

The South Londoner spoke to Annie and Jemma about how Green Rooms began and how it’s going…

What was your relationship with plants before setting up your business?

Growing up to self-employed garden designer parents, we spent our childhoods alongside our parents as they

worked, visiting clients’ gardens with them and going to plant nurseries. From a very young age, a love of nature and plants had been instilled within us.

What inspired you to set up a business bringing plant shops together?

While on maternity leave, we were yearning for more plants in our lives and a closer relationship with nature again. South east London had lots of great plant shops and garden centres (Forest, London Terrariums, Alleyn Park Garden Centre and The Nunhead Gardener among them), but we realised there was a gap in the market for a contemporary pop-up houseplant market that could bring these great indie businesses together for fun shopping events.

Are you big plant collectors yourselves?

Jemma’s home is full of houseplants whereas Annie

favours outdoor plants and has created a lovely urban garden within her small Catford space.

What were you doing before setting up Green Rooms? Do your professional backgrounds feed into your work for Green Rooms?

I, Jemma, was working as a homeware buyer for highstreet retailers, and Annie as a project manager. My background in retail head offices has really helped me understand the retail journey as a whole – from product design and development to visual merchandising, shipping, logistics and ecommerce. Annie’s project management skills have been vital in getting the online marketplace launched, and her online advertising knowledge has been used throughout the business.

How have you found going into business together as sisters? Has it been difficult mixing the familial with the professional? 

green rooms: meet the founders of catford’s thriving houseplant community

― Catford twins Annie and Jemma started families at the same time, then came up with their business on maternity leave.

©Hannah Jones Photo

We are very lucky that we are identical twins. Our brains work in very similar ways, so we rarely disagree, but when we do, we talk it through and come to a rational agreement. I don’t think there are many other people that either of us could work with so closely or seamlessly. There is definitely an intuition between us that helps. We don’t really have set roles; we have a much more ad-hoc approach to who does what, when they can.

What are the benefits for customers of shopping at a plant market rather than an individual store?

In terms of our in-person markets, they really are a joyous way to spend the day, browsing and shopping from up to 30 independent businesses all under one roof. We curate our markets, turning them into indoor

jungles and ensuring that we have an engaging mix of businesses and products for our customers. We put on workshops, talks, demonstrations and free potting services from industry experts, so they really are a well-rounded day out. Our online marketplace is also highly curated. Customers shopping for plants and plant care items generally have to hop from

one website to another to purchase everything they want, so shopgreenrooms.com aims to negate this by bringing great independent retailers all together on one website.

Take us through a market day for you. What needs to be organised and what is there for visitors to enjoy besides from the plants?

Prior to the markets, we work through recruiting stall holders, arranging the finer details with the venues, press and marketing, and ensuring a curated layout and flow to the market stalls. The day goes by in a whirl of chatting to customers and traders; workshops, talks and demonstrations taking place; and taking photos and video along the way. The venues we work with always have a food and drink

offering, and many customers love to make a day of it.

Lastly, as south London locals, what do you like about living and working this side of the river?

Both our partners are born and bred south Londoners, so it is definitely home for us. We love having lots of local parks within walking distance and the friendly communities around us. A typical weekend for us (when we don’t have a market) would be spending time with both our families together, going to a park and café, or seeing local friends and spending time in our little gardens when the weather allows.

For more information about Green Rooms, visit www.shopgreenrooms.com/

“the day goes by in a whirl of chatting to customers and traders, workshops, talks and demonstrations”

©Peach Photo

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5 July - 29 October 2023

Free Exhibition

South London Gallery

Abdulrazaq Awofeso, Seyi Adelekun, Chiizii, Ndidi Dike, Victor Ehikhamenor, Onyeka Igwe, Lagos Studio Archives, Adeyemi Michael, Christopher Obuh, Emeka Ogboh, Temitayo Ogunbiyi, Temitayo Shonibare, Yinka Shonibare.

Exhibition co-curated by Folakunle Oshun and the SLG

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Leila Ann Rose is the passion project of Interior Architectural Designer Tashana Rose, who exhibited at Brixton’s Black Culture Market in June. Born and Raised in Jamaica, she moved to England when she was 10, and remains passionate about culture and travel. Lelia Ann Rose scented candles are inspired by her memories of travels. Scents range from deep woody tones to lighter floral fragrances. They use 100% soy wax for an eco-friendly, clean burn and lead-free cotton wicks. The candles are petroleumfree, cruelty-free and 100% vegan. Each candle is wicked, poured, and labelled by hand in the brand’s London studio.

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With June 22 marking 75 years since Empire Windrush arrived in the UK, commemorative events are happening all over London and beyond. Close to home, ‘social documentary photographer’ Jim Grover, who has been photodocumenting the community since 2016, has a new, free exhibition Windrush: A Voyage through the Generations running all summer at Clapham Library.

The South Londoner spoke to Jim about his inspiration and intentions for the exhibition, which features 70 colour photos, loosely based around the theme of preserving and passing down Caribbean traditions…

What originally inspired you to photo-document members of the Windrush generation living in south London?

I have huge respect and admiration for the ‘Windrush Generation’, many of whom I got to know well through my local church, St James’ in

photography exhibition marking 75th anniversary of windrush opens in clapham ―

Clapham. Their contribution to this country has been immense and an inspiration. They also brought a distinctive culture to these shores, along with strong family values, new foods and flavours, unique styles of music, domino clubs, and traditions such as the Jamaican funeral rites of ‘Nine Night’.

My 70th anniversary exhibition in 2018, Windrush: A Portrait of a Generation attracted visitors from all backgrounds – but 63% of the 13,000 who came to see it over the three-week run were of Caribbean heritage, so I felt I had to do something to mark 75 years.

The challenge was to find a new story to tell.

My 2023 exhibition Windrush: A Voyage through the Generations focuses on the generations that have followed those who arrived on Empire Windrush. (We are now on the cusp of a 5th generation, with some great, great grandchildren!) I was keen to explore what the culture and traditions of the first generation mean to the subsequent generations. It also shines a light on inspiring individuals, mostly

women, who are seeking to keep the culture and traditions alive for subsequent generations.

It's been a turbulent five years for the Windrush generation since your 2018 exhibition. The scandal over missing immigration papers that could have led to people being forcibly removed from the country became a leading news story. Has there been a noticeable shift in the community in the last five years?

The ‘Windrush scandal’ has clearly had a devastating impact on the lives of those affected by it. It’s also raised the general awareness of the immense and invaluable contribution to this country by those early migrants and, as a result, has given the community a deserved sense of pride. The huge number of public events around the country to mark the 75th anniversary speaks volumes, I feel, for the strong desire to publicly and loudly celebrate this remarkable community and its story.

Tell us about some of the people you've captured in the exhibition. Are there any familiar faces from your 2018 show?

There are over 70 photographs in my new exhibition, accompanied by compelling narratives. Visitors will see photos and hear stories about 10 inspiring individuals who are doing so much to pass down their culture, traditions and memories.

Highlights include Brixton’s remembrance ceremonies at the African Caribbean War Memorial, a moving reminder of the communities’ contribution to the war effort and ‘The Mother Country’; The Diamonds, an all-female dominoes team in action in south London; and the Brixton Immortals Domino Club, introducing the game to young children in a collaboration with Lambeth Libraries.

Additionally, the exhibition features 12 portraits, comprising both photo and personal stories, of inspiring individuals who are, in one way or another, holding on to their Caribbean culture, safeguarding 

them for current and future generations.

Alford Gardner, 97, is one of just two known remaining adult passengers from that landmark 1948 voyage and his photo story led my 2018 exhibition. I took a new portrait of Alford at his home in Leeds especially for this exhibition. Just like last time his updated story will open the exhibition.

The passing down of Caribbean traditions through generations is something you’re especially keen to capture with your work. Can you tell us more about the types of activities you were hoping to document?

There are many examples of family traditions which are portrayed in the exhibition, be it through food, gathering, ritual and activities. For example there is a wonderful moment with a grandmother crocheting with her granddaughter. Ingrid Munroe, who arrived in Britain from Guyana in 1972, is second generation; she has four daughters, including Stacey, six grandchildren, including Carlicia, and four 'greats'.

Another shows Anne Daley, who is first generation. Born in the parish of St Catherine in Jamaica, Anne arrived in London in 1960. She has taught her grandchildren and 'great grands' how to cook traditional Jamaican food. I visited Anne in her flat in Brixton and watched her cook an evening meal with her grandson Nathan, 23 (3rd generation),

and great granddaughter Melika, 18 (4th generation). Nathan cooked ackee and saltfish, the Jamaican national dish, whilst Melika made from scratch fried dumplings and plantain.

Why was it important to you to have the younger generations involved in this exhibition?

The Windrush story is as much about the generations who have followed and I really wanted to find a way to get their voices into my story. Collaborating with schools in Brixton, Clapham and Croydon, I invited children of Caribbean heritage to choose an artefact that is important to their family history and to photograph it with a mobile phone, telling me the story that goes with it. These images and stories form part of the exhibition.

What do you hope visitors take away from seeing your 75th anniversary exhibition?

I hope visitors enjoy it, feel moved by some of the inspiring stories, and discover more about the Caribbean community, which now totals 1.1 million people in this country. I also hope that it triggers some conversations around topics like how we understand our family’s past, and what we want to keep alive and why. What is important to us and what do we want to tell our children? These are universal concerns and relevant to us all.

Windrush: A Voyage through the Generations is showing at Clapham Library, Mary Seacole Centre, 91 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7DB. June 1 - September 2, opening times on website.

www.windrushvoyagethroughthegenerations.com

“the windrush story is as much about the generations who have followed”

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Freya Bromley on documenting her journey with wild swimming

―

By Holly O'Mahony

Summer is finally with us, but if you need a bit of encouragement before dipping a toe in Brockwell Lido, let local swimmer, author and podcaster Freya Bromley be your guide. She discovered the healing powers of wild swimming after losing her brother in 2016. Together with a friend, she embarked on a mission to swim in every tidal pool (sheltered pools of seawater, surrounded by rocks, on the sea’s edge) in Britain – within a year – and has written a book about her experience.

Published last month, The Tidal Year takes readers from Freya’s local haunts including Brixton Market and Brockwell Lido to far-flung pools hidden beneath cliffs and a quarry lagoon in rural Wales.

The South Londoner spoke to Freya about The Tidal Year and her journey with wild swimming.

Where did your journey with wild swimming begin?

My first wild swim as an adult was on January 1 2021. I was meeting my friend Rohanna at Hampstead Heath Ladies Pond for the New Year swim. We’d met at a bereavement retreat the year before and bonded after sharing our experiences of sibling loss. Rohanna said she started each year with a dip. I thought that sounded like something a woman in a film would do, so I agreed to go with her. At that time, I was feeling a lot of grief and despair. Then I climbed down the metal ladder into the amber-coloured pond and the shock of cold water melted everything away. Since then, I’ve been totally hooked.

It sounds like you threw yourself in at the deep end, literally, but how would you generally advise people adjust to swimming in cooler temperatures?

When people ask me about trying wild swimming, I usually suggest starting in summer and keeping going through the colder months. I did the opposite but loved it all the same! People often ask me if I wear a wetsuit in cold water, but I personally don’t like the hassle. Instead, I wear a swimming costume and a woolly hat. Neoprene socks are also good for keeping your toes warm. Some people wear gloves too, but I like to touch my thumb and index finger together while I’m in the water. If they’re cramping then I know it’s time to get out. If you’re not sure how long to stay in the water, a good guide is a minute for every degree. So if it’s 5 degrees, don’t stay in longer than that.

In your book you talk about the healing powers of wild swimming, which you discovered from your experience of coping with grief. Can you tell us a bit more about your journey with it?

My brother died in 2016 and I felt so lost and misunderstood at that time. I was very young and felt like my friends and colleagues didn’t know how to talk to me about grief. I shoved all those feelings down as far as they would go and avoided acknowledging them. After a few years my loss felt so overwhelming. Quite like the sea, really. Tidal pools became a metaphor for diving into something that seemed unbounded, in a protected way. 

I love the post-swim glow. The way my skin feels ablaze, and my body rushes with endorphins. Swimming teaches you how to have control over stress responses, which is something that’s incredibly helpful for the trauma of grief.

What made you decide to venture further afield, testing the waters of other tidal pools?

The first tidal pool I swam in was Walpole Bay in Margate. I’d never been in a tidal pool before and didn’t even know they existed! Ever since I’ve been so interested in learning more about them and discovering different ones around Britain. They’re the perfect architectural harnessing of nature. They fill with seawater on an ebbing tide and are a unique combination of being naturally formed with man-made elements such as metal steps or a cement boundary. Margate’s Walpole Bay has both while some – like Dancing Ledge in Dorset – were built using dynamite to create a lozenge-shaped pool on a rocky platform.

Were some of them tricky to reach or access? What lengths did you have to go to in order to complete the list?

Our road trip on the east coast of Scotland was amazing. It's so rugged there and lots of the coastline is unswimmable because of strong currents and colossal crashing waves. Swimming in The Trinkie in Wick was an amazing experience. Waves thrashed against the cliffs but we were sheltered in the tidal pool.

Wild swimming has its risks. Have you had any hairy moments on your journey with it?

On that same swim in The Trinkie, the excitement of the trip and the stunning surroundings led me to staying in the water a moment longer than I should have. I’d been swimming regularly in London at that time so didn’t think twice about the cold water. but being so much further north of course the temperature was very different and I had my first brush with hypothermia. It reminded me why I always swim with a friend. She was able to quickly wrap me up warm and get me some sugar when she realised I wasn’t responding to her talking to me.

The same friend joined you on your whole swimming journey. Who is this brave soul who took the plunge with you?

My friend Miri went on the adventure with me. I like to joke that when I met Miri, on a swimming holiday in Cornwall, it was love at first sight. After all, friendship is love; it’s transformative, honest and unconditional. Much of The Tidal Year is about the power of female friendship. I wanted to elevate the story of two women to the levels that we read in romcoms.

Having now swum in every tidal pool in Britain, do you have a favourite?

My favourite has got to be Trevone Bay, which is also known as rocky beach because it’s set amongst these sloping stones. You have to grip the rocks around you as you climb to the tidal pool, really getting hands-on with the landscape. When I looked out to sea from this

point on Cornwall’s coast it was as though I could see the widening of the world. It’s a truly magical place. For anyone reading this who might want to go on their own journey with wild swimming, what advice would you give?

Go with a friend to stay safe! If your friends aren’t keen to try cold water swimming, it’s a great way to make new connections. You can find local swimming groups on Facebook or via the Mental Health Swims website. Our local, Brockwell Lido, has a great community too.

And for those who need a little more encouragement getting in the water?

Swimming is about the little joys, so prepare postswim treats for yourself. I find a hot water bottle, cake and a flask filled with a warm drink are always welcome and a great way to turn a stranger into a friend. Or if you’re at Brockwell Lido, my favourite post swim snacks are the pizza from onsite restaurant 400 Rabbits or arancini from The Sicilian Delicatessen in Herne Hill.

e Tidal Year is published by Hodder Books and is available to purchase in bookshops and online. RRP: £16.99. Author Freya Bromley is doing a book signing at Rye Books on Saturday July 15. For more, visit: www.freyabromley.com/