The
SOUND
A local musician who’s going places Page 17
Ten years of Hop Burns & Black Page 18 SAM’S
PECKHAM PECULIAR THE
FLYING HIGH
DEAR READER, WELCOME TO ISSUE 60 OF THE PECKHAM PECULIAR, A FREE NEWSPAPER FOR PECKHAM AND NUNHEAD.
The cover stars for this edition are the brilliant Jo and Jess Edun, AKA the Flygerians. They tell Lawrence Diamond about their new cookbook and their career to date on page 8.
The Flygerians are one of the headline acts at the inaugural SE London BookFest, which we’re proudly launching this November.
Many local people and businesses helped to crowdfund this new literary festival. We would like to say a massive thank you to the following: Heather MacFarlane, Yvette Rawle,
Mark Baxter, Sue Walker, Tristan West, Damion Viney and all at Co-Accounting, Dominic Walker, HTW, Tuts, Ellie Wood, Julia Mlambo, Guy Ware, Anne Coates.
Sanjit Chudha, Jill Cuthbert, Kim Smith, Julian Kenny, Rosemary Chapman, Guy Haslam, Hayley Farrant, Rebeka Russell and all at Manderley Press, Corinne BrowneMarke, James Wilson, Susan, Varun V Nair, Julia Silk, Elly Allen, Thomas Keenes, Hannah Moffatt.
Nora Thurkle, Clare Pollard, Emma Draude and all at ED Public Relations, Polly Rowena Atkin, Alan Old and all at So Last Century, Rose Aldred, Nina Mguni, Robert, Jo Lavender, Susan Mayne, Mallory Napolitano, Jane Martin, John Reiss, Chris Martin, Julia Hawkins, Yvonne Doolan.
Kenneth Whyte, Jez Burrows, Sean Doherty, Claire Fisher, Victoria Chiriga, Deborah Maclaren, David Passey, Donna, Marlowe, Random Tangent, Liz Hoggard, Shawn Clark, Jessica Horwill and The Creative Fund by Backer Kit.
South-east success in Paris
Paris 2024 proved a vintage Olympics for southeast London, with medals for local sportspeople Alex Yee, Daryll Neita, Imani-Lara Lansiquot and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, writes Luke G Williams
Leading the way with a stunning gold medal in the men’s individual triathlon – as well as a bronze in the mixed team relay event – was Yee from Lewisham.
The 26-year-old trailed New Zealander Hayden Wilde by 14 seconds as he entered the final 2.5km lap of the running section of the event, producing a staggering finish to overhaul his rival in the final 200 metres and claim the most dramatic of gold medals.
“I’m so grateful to everyone who’s been in my corner for the past three years, that was for them,” Yee told the BBC after the event. “At 5km [of the running leg] I was going through a really bad patch and, with 2.5km to go, I thought: ‘I’m going to give myself one last chance at this and not give up’, and here we are.”
Having also won individual silver and relay gold in the last Olympics in Tokyo, Yee is now the most successful triathlete in Olympic history.
Meanwhile, south London’s Team GB sprint duo of Neita and Lansiquot came close to winning gold in the women’s 4x100 metres relay, only to be denied by a mere seven-hundredths of a second by the United States team, anchored by the flamboyant Sha’Carri Richardson.
Neita and Lansiquot pronounced themselves satisfied with silver medals though, going one better than in Tokyo where they picked up a bronze in the same event.
“We wanted the gold so we were disappointed, but you can’t be unhappy with an Olympic silver medal,” Peckham-born Lansiquot said after the race. “We showed that we’re consistent, that we believe in ourselves and I’m so proud of us. I was really happy with my leg and what we did as a team.”
Neita, who grew up in Lee and Ladywell in Lewisham, added: “No frustrations at all. It’s a relay and anything can happen and in among all the chaos we remained professional, got the job done and got the baton round. We came in in a really strong
position and we left with a medal and I think we should be really proud of ourselves.”
In the individual sprint events Lansiquot reached the semi-finals of the 100 metres while Neita impressively reached the final of the 100 and 200 metres, finishing fourth and fifth in the two events respectively.
Meanwhile, the diver Spendolini-Sirieix won a bronze medal with her partner Lois Toulson in the 10-metre synchronised event. The 19-year-old Crystal Palace Diving Club star who went to primary school in Brockley and secondary school in Bermondsey also finished sixth in the final of the women’s 10-metre platform dive competition.
In an emotional interview after that competition, Spendolini-Sirieix said: “It’s the sport, it’s brutal, isn’t it? But I think that’s what is amazing and so beautiful about diving is that it can go either way.
“I’m so happy to be here, to be at the Olympic Games. It’s been a really long year. It doesn’t take away from my accomplishments this year. Just missing out on one medal doesn’t change who I am.”
Video footage of Spendolini-Sirieix’s proud father, Fred Sirieix – the renowned maitre d’ turned TV personality who is a local resident – consoling her after the individual event became something of a viral sensation.
Sirieix said of his daughter’s achievements: “She has had a super year... I am proud of my little girl. She has come here, she has come to Paris in the Olympics and she has got a medal.”
The next issue of the Peckham Peculiar will be the Christmas and New Year edition, which will be published in mid-November and available until early February.
If you’re a business or organisation who is interested in advertising in the paper, please drop us a line at peckhampeculiar@gmail.com for more details.
We hope you enjoy the issue!
Mark McGinlay and Kate White
THE PECKHAM PECULIAR
Editors Mark McGinlay, Kate White | Production Tammy Kerr | Photographers Lima Charlie, Julia Hawkins
Subeditor Jack Aston | Features editor Luke G Williams
Marketing and social media Mark McGinlay
For editorial and advertising enquiries, please email peckhampeculiar@gmail.com peckhampeculiar.tumblr.com | @peckhampeculiar | @peckhampeculiar | @peckhampeculiar
Imani-Lara Lansiquot
Alex Yee Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix
Greyhound back on track
The Greyhound pub is now serving delicious Caribbean food.
Clement Ogbonnaya, the founder and landlord of Prince of Peckham on Clayton Road, has teamed up with the rising chef Nathaniel Mortley to establish a Caribbean-themed residency at the Peckham High Street pub. It is Clement’s latest initiative under the umbrella of his pub group the Village People.
Peckham born and bred Nathaniel – who is known as Natty and is hugely popular in social media circles under the moniker Natty Can Cook – is a former inmate of Brixton prison. Now he is keen for the story of how he rejected crime and turned his full attention to cookery to serve as an inspiration for other young people from Peckham and other parts of south London.
Natty’s love of cooking was sparked through making Jamaican cakes with his mum and aunt and he started working in the world of fine dining. But a promising career at the likes of Oblix at the Shard and Jason Atherton’s Michelin-starred City Social at Tower 42 looked to be in ruins when he was sent to jail in 2019.
However, after serving his time and further honing his skills in Brixton prison’s inmate-run restaurant the Clink, Natty returned to the culinary world with a bang, quickly establishing himself as an in-demand events chef, as well as a hugely popular food content creator on social media.
“Before going to prison I’d lost my passion for cooking,” Natty said. “When I came out I wanted to turn my life around and decided to make food content. From day one it just clicked.”
With the support of Clement – who in addition to Prince of Peckham, runs Queen of the South in Tulse Hill – Natty is now ready to launch his mission to eventually become the first British-based chef specialising in Caribbean food to be awarded a Michelin star.
Clement told the Peckham Peculiar: “One of my mantras is: ‘You survive alone but you thrive together.’ Everything we do is about partnerships and collaborations. I’m very much about championing the younger generation and I could clearly see the passion Natty had, which is akin to the sort of passion I have for the industry.”
Natty added: “The opportunity to have a residency in Peckham, where I’m from, was perfect. We’re delighted to be here and now we’re trying to change the narrative. I want to give opportunities to people who come out of jail and want to better themselves.”
Natty’s residency at the Greyhound began on 24 August, and he will be there six days a week cooking his Caribbean dishes with a twist, with the flourish of his highly skilled French fine-dining techniques.
“As we’re based in a pub there will be a big sharing element,” Natty said. “The food will be light, friendly and Instagrammable.
“Among the dishes on my menu are my plantain velouté with plantain and carrot bhaji and avocado purée; grilled squash with cook-up pumpkin and a pumpkin crunch; and cheesy beef croquettes with spring onion emulsion.”
The Greyhound is described as a “music-led boozer” from the Cause. Natty’s kitchen residency is the pub’s first.
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Local literary line-up revealed
The SE London BookFest has recently announced the full list of authors appearing at the inaugural festival this November.
Events will have a strong focus on local writers and the diverse line-up includes Caleb Azumah Nelson, Shani Akilah, Onyi Nwabineli, Aliya AliAfzal and Jimi Famurewa.
Caleb was shortlisted for the BBC national short story award 2020 for his story Pray – which he then adapted as a short film that he directed for B-Side Production and BBC Films, with David Jonsson (of Industry fame) starring. It premiered at the 2023 Locarno film festival.
Additionally, he was selected by the Observer as one of the 10 best debut novelists of 2021, with his first novel, Open Water, also chosen by the Booksellers Association as its fiction book of the month for February 2021.
Open Water has since been longlisted for the Desmond Elliott prize and the Gordon Burn prize, shortlisted for the Waterstones book of the year 2021 and won the Costa first novel award. In 2022 it was selected as Waterstones paperback of the month and longlisted for the 2022 Dylan Thomas prize.
Caleb’s second novel, Small Worlds, has received high praise, with the writer Katie Kitamura calling his prose “unmatched in its musicality and sensitivity” and the author Candice CartyWilliams stating that it is “beautiful, unforgettable and all-consuming”.
Jimi Famurewa is a British-Nigerian author, broadcaster and journalist. He is the restaurant critic for the Evening Standard, a regular guest judge on the BBC One series MasterChef and was
also one of the lead judges on Channel 4’s The Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver.
His first book, Settlers: Journeys through the Food, Faith and Culture of Black African London, was published by Bloomsbury and was shortlisted for Foyles’ non-fiction book of the year.
The writers Shani Akilah, Onyi Nwabineli and Aliya Ali-Afzal will all be appearing at Morocco
a bookshop,
and bar a short walk from London Bridge
The festival founder, Mark McGinlay, said: “As well as some of our much-loved bookshops based here in south-east London, other venues that have signed up to get involved include St Giles’ Church in Camberwell and the legendary Peckhamplex cinema.
“We’ve currently raised around 50% of our expected running costs so we’re still looking for funding. Money that comes in will go to ensuring that every event will have free tickets available.”
To book tickets, please go to tiny.cc/seltickets. For further information about the festival, please email SELBookFest@gmail.com
Bound,
cafe, co-working space
station.
Jimi Famurewa
Caleb Azumah Nelson Shani Akilah
Vodafone Business and Steven Bartlett support South London fashion boutique
IN
THE THIRD EPISODE OF DIGITAL SOS FROM VODAFONE BUSINESS, ‘DIARY OF A CEO’ HOST STEVEN BARTLETT HELPS THE
FASHION BOUTIQUE BASED IN PECKHAM, TO GROW THEIR ONLINE SALES.
Vodafone Business has developed the documentary series to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) better embrace digital technology and supercharge their businesses, with the help of resources available on the Vodafone V-Hub.
Sisters Disha, Apee and Yukti are the owners of D.A.Y., a small fashion boutique based in Peckham, South East London, where they were excited to welcome Vodafone Business Ambassador, Steven Bartlett, to help them overcome some of the challenges they face online.
Founded in 2018, D.A.Y was developed from the siblings’ passion for independent retail, community and under-the-radar brands. The sisters, who each have a background in marketing and fashion, come from an entrepreneurial family, with their parents having run their own business for more than 40 years.
As SMEs adopt digital technology, a common challenge is navigating the e-commerce world and developing a steady drumbeat of sales online. UK consumers spend over £2bn a month online, but only
31% choose to shop with independent retailers online.
The Digital SOS documentary series has so far garnered 118m impressions and
has played a vital role in connecting Vodafone with small businesses, helping them address some of the key challenges they face online, whether looking to find
OWNERS
OF
D.A.Y,
A
SMALL
new customers, increase sales or protect themselves through smarter cybersecurity.
Apee Bhutani, Founder and Owner, D.A.Y Boutique, said:
“This experience has been so eye-opening to be a part of, and it has really made us think about the quick wins we can make to our website and social media channels. Due to the love of interacting with our customers and local community in store, we often neglect our online presence.
“But we’re aware of the need to keep focused on this, as we live in a digital world nowadays and don’t want to get left behind! Therefore, we’re really grateful for the work of Vodafone Business, alongside Steven, to help support small businesses – and all for free with V-Hub!”
The Vodafone Business V-Hub is a free online support service that provides expert guidance, knowledge, tools and training. SMEs can discover how to take the next step on their digital journeys by talking to a team of Vodafone Business V-Hub Business Advisers. Find out more and watch the latest episode in the series now.
Art trail returns
After a successful event last year, the Nunhead Art Trail is back on the weekend of 28-29 September.
Artists will open their homes and studios to visitors across Nunhead, showing paintings, sculpture, prints, photography, ceramics, jewellery, textiles and more.
Group shows will take place in the Salvation Army hall, Stuart Road allotments and at the Anglican Chapel in Nunhead Cemetery.
There will also be a special exhibition at the Hidden House Gallery, with an opening event on 27 September from 6-9pm – all are welcome.
A free evening of stage performances at the Ivy House, with comedy, sound and live music, will take place on 28 September from 7.30-11pm.
Community centres, local businesses, schools and a youth club are among the venues on this year’s trail. Shop windows will be transformed by local artists, turning the whole of Nunhead into a gallery.
Everyone is invited to explore Nunhead through the trail, whether you are a local resident or a visitor from beyond the bounds.
The organisers say there will be something for everyone across a weekend that celebrates local arts, crafts and creativity.
You can follow the Nunhead Art Trail on X and Instagram @nunheadarttrail or visit the website, nunheadarttrail.com
Right time for pub to reopen
The Clock House Tavern is reopening this September.
Located next to Peckham Rye, on the corner of Barry Road, the pub has been restored back to its finest splendour.
The revival of the former Clock House has been led by Parched, the independent pub group that is known for creating local pubs such as the Montpelier and the White Horse in Peckham, the Grove House Tavern in Camberwell and, most recently, the Earl of Derby in Telegraph Hill.
The Clock House Tavern’s restored interior will feature oak panelling, antique mirrors, leather banquette seating and a dart board. With areas across two floors and outside, it will be spacious, while retaining all the atmosphere of a proper local pub.
As well as the main bar, the pub will feature a snug area with a fireplace and a back area for food and parties.
The “elegant” upstairs bar will offer sweeping views of Peckham Rye, which the owners said would provide a great backdrop for social gatherings and private events, as well as a perfect spot for Sunday roasts.
Outside, there is a large beer garden that is adorned with mature wisteria, which will be a picturesque place in which to enjoy sunny afternoons.
Young, gifted and black
Theatre Peckham’s Young, Gifted & Black season is returning for its sixth year next month.
The theatrical series will feature five plays –alongside some yet-to-be-announced events – that will champion young black producers, spoken-word artists, new writing and community conversations centred around the young black experience.
Up first is south Londoner Corey Bovell’s 32 Peak Street. A fast-paced, witty comedy, it follows a millennial couple as they navigate the chaos of becoming homeowners.
Balancing a crumbling business, a cramped flat and the impending responsibilities of parenthood, they face the challenge of letting go of the past to build a brighter future for their family.
The next play is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, commissioned by Gyenyame for Performing Arts. This powerful play is a tribute to the young African-American woman who was the person behind the HeLa cell line, which played a pivotal role in curing polio and advancing research for leukaemia, Aids and Covid-19.
ties, urging the younger generation to engage with and reform the structures surrounding social care, criminal justice and education.
Pushing the boundaries of form, Alison Ray Dance Company’s Unknown Soldier is the fourth piece in the series. The production merges dance, music, text and visuals to reveal the untold stories of the young black women who contributed to the war efforts during the first and second world wars.
The innovative piece captivates and engages young audiences, encouraging them to reflect on these significant yet overlooked parts of history.
Last but not least, Cleopatra’s Antony will be the breathtaking finale of the Young, Gifted & Black season. The director Mo Korede leads an alumni of young actors and creatives from Theatre Peckham’s Young Peckham training programmes.
The dynamic retelling of Cleopatra’s story challenges traditional narratives, focusing on the decolonisation of her lover’s heart and mind through the lens of youthful ambition and empowerment.
The extensive drinks offering will have plenty of options to cater for everyone’s “usual”, with a focus on English cask ales, whiskeys, quality wines and cocktails.
Keeping things local to preserve the pub’s community feel, the Clock House Tavern will serve ales and beers from nearby London breweries.
On tap will be the likes of Gipsy Hill and Pillars Brewery, while other rotating beers will include Harvey’s Brewery, Timothy Taylor’s and Brockley Brewery.
Taking over the kitchen are the talented chef duo George Genn and Laurence Pengelly, also known as Gengelly’s.
Gengelly’s first Parched residency at the Earl of Derby opened to critical acclaim, and remains popular with diners.
Continuing this legacy, the menu at the Clock House Tavern will focus on “bold, unfussy and delicious” dishes. Expect options such as grilled fish and steaks, seasonal flatbreads and fresh pasta, as well as the duo’s classic Sunday roast.
Neil Watson, a co-founder of Parched, said: “We are beyond excited to be opening the Clock House Tavern right in our community. The pub is in such a fantastic location, right on Peckham Rye. It has great history and so much charm.”
The director Larry Coke brings Lacks’s story to life through the rich traditions of African storytelling, incorporating rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel and soul and inviting younger audiences to connect with her impactful journey.
Southwark’s Bridge the Gap Studios returns with None of the Clocks Work, a communityled production that emphasises collective responsibility for healing.
This educational play addresses the impact of societal systems on families and communi-
Cinema celebrates 30 years
Happy birthday to Peckhamplex, which celebrates its 30th birthday this September.
To mark three decades of cinema magic, the cinema has commissioned a short film that will showcase the rich history of Peckhamplex.
The film will feature messages from friends, regular patrons and the many actors, directors, authors and others who have shared memorable moments with the Peckham institution over the years.
Suzann McLean, the CEO and artistic director of Theatre Peckham, said: “This season is a celebration of the creators and performers who are amplifying the stories of our community. Their voices are essential, and we are committed to providing a platform for their brilliance.”
Young, Gifted & Black season will run from 6 October to 2 November. For more information and to book tickets, visit theatrepeckham.co.uk or contact boxoffice@theatrepeckham.co.uk
CATHERINE MACLEOD
Come fly with me
THE FLYGERIANS ARE MORE THAN FOOD STARS – they are forces of nature. We meet them
WORDS LAWRENCE DIAMOND
PHOTO CLARE WINFIELD
It is approaching 32C outside as I sit down to talk to Jess and Jo Edun – also known as Nigerian food queens the Flygerians – but the warmth and sunshine is not only emanating from the sky outside, but also from the two women in front of me.
Whether it’s discussing the amazing flavours contained within every dish of their new book, The Flygerians Cookbook, their pride at creating a welcoming space for all at their restaurant just off Rye Lane, or the wonder of keeping the legacy of their grandma Mama Mary’s incredible recipes alive, these sisters bring an energy that is irresistible.
And though even the most cursory read of The Flygerians Cookbook will show you there is plenty of heat in the spices they use in their dishes, it’s their infectious personalities and the tales of their lives as chefs, businesswomen and TV stars where the key to their success – and the warmth of the Flygerian welcome – are found.
With their bar and restaurant in the Palms business hub on Bournemouth Close already a staple of the Peckham food scene, and the aforementioned cookbook hitting the shelves this September, it seemed like the perfect time to sit down with the sisters and find out how this amazing journey began.
Both women immediately point to a day back in 2011, after the death of their beloved grandma, when they realised they had to do something to keep her joyous welcoming spirit and her incredible range of Nigerian dishes alive.
Despite established backgrounds in occupational therapy (Jo) and the legal world (Jess), they knew this was a call they had to heed. Or, as they like to say in the Edun household, they had to “chop life before it chops you”.
I ask them what it was like putting at risk those hard-earned careers to branch into streetfood stalls and pub pop-ups. As Jess says: “Our parents are modern Nigerians but still had traditional values of what our careers would look like. But for us, it was all about our grandma and the legacy she left us.
“We wanted to make sure that the next generation could share the love of her cooking and her joy. It took a little courage and a little luck to do it. But after that turning point of losing her, we realised that life is way too short and we had to follow our dreams and our passion. Otherwise we were going to live a life that was unfulfilled.”
What’s more, everyone was already coming round to their house for big family meals and taking away the leftovers in lots of Tupperware containers, so they figured they might as well get paid for it, adds Jo with a laugh.
Looking around, the sisters could not find any restaurants that were offering that true warm Nigerian welcome that combined an authentic palate with a “love all, serve all” ethos.
“We never found restaurants that had that ‘home’ feeling,” Jess explains. “Nigerian food in the UK is quite hidden. There are a lot of Nigerian restaurants. But the problem is I don’t
think they’re easily accessible to others. A lot of people may be intimidated by the menu, or not necessarily know what the foods are and are too afraid to ask.
“So we thought, let’s create a space where people can come and be at home, be a part of our family. A place that welcomes all and is socially inclusive: vegan we’ve got you, vegetarian we’ve got you, pescatarians, meat eaters... come and eat with us. For us, it’s all about social inclusion and making sure that every dietary requirement is covered.”
Spend five minutes sitting in their restaurant sipping on a cooling fresh orange margarita or Nigerian Guinness – or flicking through their vibrant but approachable cookbook at home – and you’ll see that Flygerian attitude in full effect. Their food and flavours are authentic and deep, but they’re delivered in a way that feels fresh and new, and welcoming to all.
As such it’s no surprise that others on the UK food scene are keen to bring that Flygerian spirit to a larger audience – with invitations often arriving through Instagram or TikTok. That is how the sisters found themselves on Channel 4’s weekend TV staple Sunday Brunch on Nigerian Independence Day last year.
As ever it was an experience that the pair took in their stride. As Jo notes: “We’re self-taught chefs and everyone else there had a culinary training background – you know, we just love food. And here we are on TV, teaching them all about how you can cook this great food in your home and share it with the family.”
For the Flygerians each step has always come at the right time, and in an organic way that has
meant the growth of their dream has always felt fun and natural and never overwhelming. Jess says: “On one hand it’s strap in, buckle up and go with the flow – but also we know where we want to be, in terms of... we want world domination!”
Though they’re both laughing as they say it, I think there is a lot of truth in their motto of “Flygerians to the world”. Their plan includes the cookbook, an established place at the heart of the south London foodie scene and eventually bottled sauces on supermarket shelves.
But for now it’s the more prosaic job of figuring out how to balance being a Flygerian with full-time work (Jo is still holding down a job with the NHS, while Jess has stepped in to a full-time role running the restaurant), being black female business owners in challenging economic times, and keeping their Mama Mary’s flame alive.
They shout out the Palms, which has provided them with a welcoming home that allows them to make concrete this dream they had around their kitchen table some 13 years ago.
And though there are inevitably the less exciting bits to running a restaurant – such as building rotas and paying suppliers while sorting out food hygiene certificates – the fact these are part of their lives shows how far they’ve come.
Again it all comes back to Mama Mary’s ethos.
As the sisters say: “She always taught us, don’t look for a seat at the table, create your own table where there isn’t one. And that’s always been our attitude. We just throw ourselves in at the deep end. There is no challenge we won’t rise to.”
It’s hard to imagine Peckham without the Flygerians’ restaurant as a place to get your
quality jollof rice or your ogbono soup, but the women pay tribute to those who have come before, and those around them who make their little corner of Nigerian culinary heaven in Peckham possible.
“No woman is an island,” Jess says. “We are all built by what’s around us.” And for the women that includes their brilliant local suppliers, such as K&A butchers on Rye Lane, which has provided all their meat from day one. Or Bims African Food Store – also based on the lane –where they buy all the spices and vegetables they need to make their dishes. They even get their supply of Nigerian-inspired beer from Eko brewery in Copeland Park.
Indeed, Peckham – and specifically Rye Lane – runs right through the Flygerians story. As Jo says: “The high street is not just our starting point, but it’s actually our home. So it means everything to us. You know, without that street, without the culture, without the diversity, we wouldn’t be here.
“Though the narrative of Peckham is changing, we’re showing that it’s still a place you can come to chop life. And now we’re an established part of that community, we can be part of changing that narrative in a positive way. We can be part of the community, growing and improving it for all.” And if you can help to nurture a community while also serving the best Nigerian street food this side of Lagos, then everyone is going to be happy to be part of that trip.
The Flygerians will be appearing at the SE London BookFest in November. To book, visit tiny.cc/ seltickets
In the swim of things
AFTER HER BROTHER DIED, FREYA BROMLEY FOCUSED ON SWIMMING TO HELP HER heal, embarking on an epic mission to swim every tidal pool in Britain
Freya Bromley is fiercely loyal to her adoptive south-east London home. So much so that she convinced her east London partner to move south of the river. “It’s a modern-day Romeo and Juliet love story,” she laughs. “We’re star-crossed lovers, but I’ve finally converted him.”
Freya lives near Peckham Rye but much of her life revolves around Herne Hill, where she regularly swims at Brockwell Lido – the popular pool that she describes as “the epicentre” of her world.
In fact, it was swimming that really cemented Freya’s commitment to south-east London. “When I started swimming at Brockwell Lido, my radius for where I wanted to live suddenly became very small,” she says.
Freya first went cold-water swimming when a friend invited her to the new year’s swim at Hampstead Heath’s ladies’ pond. Since then, “swimming has become a way for me to find my own community”, she says.
“Even if you’re not talking to everyone, people nod, they say hi, and it feels like they’re just looking out for you. That has been hugely important in these past years.”
It was swimming that helped Freya to cope with the tragic loss of her brother, Tom, seven years ago, and it was swimming that led her on a painful and transformative journey towards healing.
“The pain was awful,” she says. “I felt like I needed the pain to stop. I didn’t think I’d ever move past how painful it was. Lots of us are used to compartmentalising things and shutting things away deep inside ourselves, but suddenly there was this grief that touched everything.”
As well as her devotion to swimming, Freya’s passion for writing helped her after Tom died, as a way of keeping herself busy. “The pain was unbearable and I felt like I had to find something to fill every minute,” she says.
Freya tries to write little and often. “In a world where we have so little control over anything, I can take control and dedicate even a small amount of time every day to creativity and something that is purely for me.”
In the aftermath of Tom’s death, not having the space to talk about her loss became painfully isolating. “No one really acknowledged what had happened to me,” she says. “I felt like I had to live alone with these big, repressed feelings. And it made me into quite an angry person.”
Despite writing every day, Freya didn’t feel she had the confidence to write stories people would want to read. “I’d actually written a whole novel about grief. But it didn’t feel like it was working. I was hiding my own feelings from the page.”
Around this time, Freya decided to address her grief head on, by harnessing her other great passion: swimming.
She made it her mission to swim in every tidal pool in Britain in a year with her friend Miri. It would become a journey that would take them from tiny fishing villages to coastal quarry lagoons, meeting many kind strangers along the way.
Tidal pools are a unique combination of natural formations and man-made elements, including metal steps or cement boundary walls that fill with seawater as the tide comes in. The sea can be dangerous and unpredictable with its rip tides and powerful waves, but a walled tidal pool protects swimmers from the full force of nature.
Freya travelled to pools such as Margate’s Walpole Bay, which has man-made and natural elements, and others such as Dancing Ledge in Dorset, which was built using dynamite.
The adventure gave her the space she needed to dip into her grief and write more honestly about her loss. “Going to all these tidal pools suddenly gave me an excuse to write about myself and my pain,” she says.
“I didn’t have any confidence before, but the swimming became this avenue for me to write
about grief. It gave me a push to finally do it. And having the structure of swimming all of these tidal pools in a year gave me great scaffolding to overlay a complex emotional story.”
The resulting book, The Tidal Year, is an immersive story about the healing power of wild swimming, and the space that swimming and nature can create for personal reflection and hope.
Writing the book has allowed Freya to explore the loss of her brother and what it means to be a sister. It is sad and honest but also funny and uplifting.
By presenting her own story of loss in such an open way, the book also encourages readers to address their own grief, and it has allowed Freya to make connections with people she would never otherwise have met.
“I meet lots of strangers who have read the book, and within minutes, there is this great connection because they feel like they know and understand me from reading it,” she says.
“Most people are living life without the opportunity to talk about their grief or the big things they’re going through. We all want to
smooth things over; that’s such a British way of dealing with things. But being able to just talk openly about the grief we are living with is so powerful. And writing this book has allowed me to do that.”
Seven years on, Tom’s death is beginning to feel “quite far away”, she tells me. “When Tom died, people would tell me that I’d never forget him and that even though my brother isn’t around any more, I’ll always have my memories of him.”
But as time went on, Freya found it harder to imagine her brother’s face clearly or remember specific details about him. “Memory is finite and you do forget. So, writing this book became an exercise for me in trying to travel back and remember him.”
With the passage of time, Freya has begun to feel better again. “Most days I feel pretty good. And in some ways, that’s quite sad. Feeling better can make you feel further from the person who you’re missing,” she says.
“It does get easier but that’s the hardest advice to believe. Knowing it’s going to get easier when you’re in the throes of grief seems impossible.”
WORDS CAITLIN OTWAY
The voice of Peckham
This portrait project focuses on people who own businesses in Peckham, people who work in the area and people whose futures depend on the incredible diversity here. Without their everyday contribution, Peckham wouldn’t be such a vibrant and cool place to live, work, visit and socialise.
I started this series of portraits, called The Voice of Peckham, to highlight the importance of the existing local community after Berkeley shared its proposals to redevelop the Aylesham shopping centre on Rye Lane. A planning application was submitted to Southwark Council last month.
It is crucial to protect Peckham’s fragile community and local businesses, because these are the people who are the core of Peckham. They must be included in all future plans for the area.
These independent businesses should be supported instead of being slowly replaced by soulless high street brands. This will preserve Peckham and its incredible diversity that is loved by so many of us.
WORDS AND PHOTOS VLADIMIR STUDENIC
Every door is open to our girls: we empower them to explore their future through our unique Futures Programme, Wollstonecraft Speaker Series and extensive career placements scheme.
Our girls can explore possibilities that are simply out of this world, like studying GCSE Astronomy at the Royal Observatory.
A Rose-y Future for Dulwich’s leading prep school.
ROSEMEAD LOOKS AHEAD AFTER A TRIUMPHANT YEAR WHICH INCLUDED GLOWING INSPECTION REPORT, GOOD SCHOOLS GUIDE REVIEW AND AWARD SUCCESS
Rosemead Preparatory School and Nursery, Dulwich, south London, is celebrating after a triumphant year, which included a brilliant report from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) and a Good Schools Guide review, which commended the school as the ‘one to watch’.
The ISI inspection praised Rosemead’s ambitious approach to learning, pastoral care and the support of individual pupil progress, as a consequence of the positive influence brought to bear by the school’s values, vision and leadership.
‘A highly customised approach to every pupil’s academic progress is a significant strength of the school,’ the report explained. ‘A customised learning programme in mathematics, English and reasoning caters for pupils in Year 4 and above. This, supported by an extensive enrichment programme and much support for individuals, impacts on all groups of pupils, enabling them to make good and often rapid progress over time.’
Speaking about the report, Head of Rosemead, Graeme McCafferty explained: ‘I am absolutely thrilled with our outstanding recent inspection report’ ‘One standout strength that truly shines through is our highly customised approach to every child’s academic progress. The report highlighted our dedication to tailoring personal learning programs for each child, particularly in Maths, English, VR, and NVR.’
Graeme added: ‘What’s more, our extensive learning support programme ensures that every individual in our school community not only succeeds but thrives. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to providing the best possible
education for every child at Rosemead, and I couldn’t be prouder of our school’s achievement.’
Rosemead’s early years’ provision was also praised in the summary findings. ‘Leaders in the early years effectively ensure staff have high expectations of the behaviour and achievement of children,’ the report found. ‘The positive relationships between adults and children in the early years help children settle in quickly and feel safe and happy.’
It added: ‘Children in the early years achieve well from their varied starting points. Adults engage with the children
effectively and use appropriate questioning to develop children’s vocabulary and understanding. Children from an early age become confident speakers and develop their reading skills well.’
The report comes at an exciting time for Rosemead. Last year, the school announced a merger with St Dunstan’s College joining St Dunstan’s Education Group.
Head of the group, Nick Hewlett, said: ‘The whole community is delighted with the ISI inspection for Rosemead. The report rightly recognises the outstanding education Rosemead is offering as one
of south London’s leading prep schools. Bringing our schools together has been a wonderful opportunity, allowing our staff and students to work closer together, learning from one another and enhancing the educational journey of our pupils.
Rosemead is also celebrating after a visit from the Good Schools Guide which praised the school’s leadership and its future direction.
‘With a head and staff who are emotionally engaged with, and academically ambitious for, their pupils, there is no doubt that children here are happy and make excellent progress,’ the review explained. ‘They (pupils) are attentive, polite and delightfully entertaining.’
The review adds: ‘A parent told us, ‘At the age of four, it is impossible to know who your child will be or where his or her interests and strengths will lie at 11.’ Here, the school, parents and children go on that journey of discovery together, so that when the time comes the right choices are made.
‘We think Rosemead is definitely ‘one to watch’ as it carves out a specific niche in this corner of London.’
In June, the school was also delighted to receive an award at the prestigious Education Choices Award, winning for best Improvements in EDIB (Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging).
Speaking about the news, Head Graeme said: ‘The whole school is thrilled to receive this award. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to providing the best possible education for every child at Rosemead’
‘My heartfelt thanks go to the staff, pupils and parents who have been on this journey with us across the last year.’
Sam’s the man
WITH A RAW, ECLECTIC SOUND THAT GRIPS YOU, it’s no wonder that Peckham’s Sam Akpro is a star on the rise
You can always trust Peckham to produce exceptional people, and Sam Akpro doesn’t break that trust. His innovative sound, an atmospheric blend of alt-rock, post-punk and myriad less identifiable genres, makes him one of the most remarkable artists emerging on the music scene right now.
Sam grew up on the Clifton estate in central Peckham. “When I was younger, my life was very family-orientated,” he says. “Everyone I chilled with was my cousins or my other cousins from my mum’s side, who lived by Peckham Library.
“Whenever we would get picked up from school, we would go to each other’s houses, waiting for my mum to finish work. My church was next to my primary school as well. It was very tight-knit growing up; it was fun.”
Though his Gambian and Ivorian heritage contributed, there was no one thing that led Sam into music. Every turn you make, every smile you see in Peckham leaves an impression.
“None of it was a direct influence; it was more that when you’re younger, things happen in your life and you kind of absorb the experiences –like going to church,” Sam says. “There’s a choir there, people playing drums and keys, you know; you see that every day, or someday you want to play the piano, and I kind of dabbled in trying to learn those kinds of things.”
It was as Sam grew older that he was able to properly appreciate the effect that Peckham’s rich culture had on him and his artistry. His father is from the Ivory Coast and the church the family attended was French-speaking, with the music there reflecting that. A lot of Ghanaian highlife was played, too.
“Even just the people around are from different cultures. My neighbours in the block that I used to live in were a Rastafarian man and an English woman who lived together. My mum and dad were very good friends with them, so they would be giving them reggae tapes. So then my mum was listening to that stuff as well. You hear all that mix of things.”
Sam’s eclectic and experimental sound was informed by all of this. “Nothing has to be one way. It can all be a mesh of things to create something, you know?”
In 2021 he brought out the EP Drift, his debut release that showcased his ability to merge all his influences into something of his own. It’s introspective and emotionally charged, with a haunting ambience that grips you from start to finish. It resembles Peckham in its amalgamation of disjointed cultures and subcultures.
The rawness of Sam’s music partly comes from his DIY approach to creating it. Prior to Drift, he had made the EP Nights Away, which contained jazz elements, trip-hop-esque beats and moody synths. It was a great offering that could have easily been mistaken for Massive Attack or Thievery Corporation. It “was all me, just on my computer, my guitar and stuff”, he says.
For Sam, that’s where the magic begins: his guitar, his laptop, figuring out what sounds good. “Maybe looping it, seeing what else goes well
with that,” he says. “But, like, a lot of times, it starts with a sample, because samples already have context to them, they have meaning, so you can make a lot.
“You can make something more out of that meaning, and I kind of just go along with it. See what happens, try not to think about things too much. Let things be what they’re gonna be. Let it go where it goes and then put some lyrics over it.
See if I like it the next day, or in six months, and then hopefully I can go and work on it further with someone else, expand it more and do the song justice.”
For the past five years he has worked with the London-based producer Finn Billingham. “Me and him made Drift together, and [the song] Juno, stuff like that.”
In spring 2023 Sam released his sophomore EP, Arrival. The four-track EP included the singles Trace and the title track, Arrival. This was followed by the gritty post-punk single Death By Entertainment in November, the riff-driven anthem Disposition last spring and his most recent release, Chicago Town, two months ago.
The artwork that accompanies Sam’s releases blends perfectly with the EPs themselves. “A lot of the artwork that I’ve had, it all happened by accident,” he says. “Like the Drift EP artwork
was just a piece of some sort of material that my friend found outside the train station, and he scanned it, and it looked cool.”
The covers for Death By Entertainment and Disposition were created by the Peckham artist and musician Toby Cato. “I think the artwork just really matches the music,” Sam says. “It’s good to have him on board. I think the artwork is very important, you know, because it’s there for everyone. You attach that to the music. It can become almost like a branding thing.”
Though music remains Sam’s focus, skating and graffiti art have been big passions of his since he was young. “I was skating until [I was] 19,” he says. “That’s how I found a lot of other music, it was just through skating. Graffiti as well: I did a lot of graffiti for years before I started doing music; I still dabble a little bit.
“Those are the two things I was as passionate about as much as music, because it helps me with the creative process. Like, painting something definitely has a very similar feeling to when you’re making music. But I think for now, I’ll probably be focusing on music.”
A full-length album is now in the works. “I’ve been working on an extended amount of songs,” he says. “I don’t really want to say anything yet because we’re still working on it. But I’ve been
doing that for, like, the last month and a half, just finishing it up.”
Having played festivals such as London Calling in the Netherlands and Brighten the Corners in Ipswich, Sam has a few more shows yet to play, including a headline performance at Corsica Studios in Elephant and Castle on 3 October.
“I’ll be using that to play all the new music that I’ve got coming, which I’m really excited to do,” he says. “It’ll be a different live show as well – changing the energy of it a bit, bringing more elements of the songs into the live show.”
Sam has learned a lot in his life, both personally and professionally. Some lessons have been harder than others. One of the biggest things he stands by is the need to have a vision.
“No one is going to make something for you; no one else is gonna help you make your thing for you,” he says. “You have to really have a vision of yourself, otherwise it will go into the hands of people who don’t maybe have your best interests [at heart], or they want to see you in one kind of way.
“It takes time to know what you want from it and then be like, OK, this is what I want to do. There’s nothing wrong with just having to learn that the easy way or the hard way, you know – I mean, hopefully not the hard way.”
WORDS ROSARIO BLUE
A lot of bottle
BRILLIANT LOCAL BUSINESS
HOP BURNS & BLACK TURNS
10 THIS YEAR. Its owners tell us how beer, hot sauce and vinyl proved a recipe for success
Boasting one of London’s best selections of beer, natural wine and hot sauce, there are few places better equipped to host a Peckham party than local bottle shop Hop Burns & Black – which is convenient because this November marks its 10th anniversary.
Local couple and co-founders Jen Ferguson and Glenn Williams set up their shop on East Dulwich Road in November 2014, after moving to the area the year before and falling in love with the neighbourhood.
In the decade since, the business has gone from strength to strength, with an online store set up in 2016 and a second walk-in shop established in Deptford in 2018.
Speaking about reaching such an impressive milestone, Jen says: “We’ve been celebrating all year long because we like a good party. For our 10th anniversary we’re doing 10 collabs. We kicked it off at the start of the year with a couple of beer collaborations – one with a brewery called Elusive, another with a brewery called Two Flints.
“We’ve also just released a new hot sauce – our first ever brown breakfast sauce made with beer. We’ve got a wine for the first time, too.
“We’ll have 10 in total and will top it off with a trio of collaborations we tend to do every year around the hop, the burns and the black – so a hoppy beer, a hot sauce and a dark beer. We’re quite excited about who we’re doing those with, which will be revealed in due course. There’ll be a big party for that.”
The business, which is run by a core team of seven staff including Jen and Glenn, is essentially a tribute to their own personal passions, or as they put it, “a celebration of the world’s three greatest obsessions”: craft beer (the hop), hot sauce (the burns) and vinyl records (the black), though the last element has now been replaced with coffee.
It was a novel and relatively unusual mix at the time the shop opened – but it has worked very well. Jen says: “We never set out to be a ‘cool shop’ – we just did what we really liked. When we first opened everyone just knew us as the beer shop and would come in for beer and be surprised that we had a big wine section, and would then be perplexed by the massive wall of hot sauce.
“A lot of people share these obsessions. People can get quite nerdy about things like really good coffee, and Glenn and I are just a couple of geeks.”
To mark their 10th birthday, the pair, who are both from New Zealand originally, have also found a way to incorporate one of their other great loves into the celebrations: their cat.
Jen says: “All of the collaborations this year are also centred around our cat, Neko. He is the joy of our lives, so it’s all cat themed. The first beer was called Cat To The Future [a west coast pale ale by Elusive], the second was Mr Fluff [A Two Flints hazy IPA], and we’ve got another one coming out called Have You Seen This Cat?”
If you told Jen and Glenn this is what they would be doing 15 years or so ago, they may have been pleasantly surprised. Neither of them have a retail background by trade – but their love and passion for the area and what they do has proved the secret to their success.
Jen says: “Glenn might have once had a holiday job working in a plant shop as a teenager, but that was about it! Before, I was working in public relations and Glenn had been a radio host in New Zealand, and when we came over in 2012 he segued into online video.
“Neither of us were particularly loving what we were doing and so we started thinking about what we did love. The answer was craft beer, hot sauce and vinyl records.
“We’d just moved to Peckham at the beginning of 2013 and we loved living in this area. It was around the same time that the Peckham Peculiar started too, and we just realised it was a great community to be part of. We thought, how could we become part of it even more? We were really lucky to have some really great mentors to help with all the basic stuff.”
The biggest challenge initially was finding the perfect location. Jen says: “That took a bit of time, and when we found the spot on East Dulwich Road it was being renovated so we needed to wait before we could move in.
“For us it’s great because it’s in between two parks. You’ve got Goose Green at one end and you’ve got Peckham Rye at the other, so there’s always lots of dog walkers, people coming back from work. It’s not Lordship Lane, but we’re ridiculously lucky that we’ve got a forecourt area you can do things with. It’s a really beautiful parade of shops.
“When Papa Johns left earlier this year there was an incredible ghost sign of the shop next
door and it made me really interested in what had been on the street before. I think our shop directly before was a launderette and in the past it has been all sorts of things – piano lessons were held here and it was a stationer at one point, too. The whole parade has a history of independent shops coming and going.”
While they were initially predominantly known for their craft beer selection (they boast up to 350 at any one time), the hot sauce market has also seen a boom, with programmes such as Hot Ones (“the show with hot questions and even hotter wings” hosted by Sean Evans) bringing sauce into the mainstream.
The YouTube show has featured a slew of celebrities, including Paul Rudd, Jennifer Lawrence and Gordon Ramsay, answering questions while sampling 10 different sauces, going up the scoville scale of spice.
It’s so popular that Hop Burns & Black even does a Hot Ones mega mix pack, including the infamous Da Bomb, which is known for bringing down even the toughest chilli fans.
Jen says: “Hot Ones has been so huge for hot sauce generally and massive for our business. It’s the biggest side of our online business. Our web shop sells more hot sauce than anything else, over 50%.
“Hot sauce 10 years ago was heavy metal branding and ‘how hard are you! How hot can you go!’ but people have come round to [the fact that] it’s actually much more about flavour. It’s not just about blowing your taste buds, it’s about exploring all these interesting flavours.
“It feels a little bit like how the craft beer scene did in its infancy. You’ve got these people getting really excited, setting up their sauce operations in their kitchens and sheds, which is great. The local hot sauce scene is really exciting.
“Da Bomb is an interesting one because it’s not the hottest one technically, but it is absolutely the sauce that destroys everyone. People always take it as a dare, thinking it can’t be that bad – but it is!” What has remained steadfast is the duo’s commitment to supporting independent brewers. “We’ve made choices that probably haven’t been the smartest in a purely financial sense, but we’ve always been passionate about championing independent breweries,” Jen says. “If we had to close down tomorrow I don’t think there’s anything we don’t feel really proud about.”
Discussing the location of their Deptford store, which turned six in June, Jen says: “Glenn and I went walking when we first moved to Peckham –we did this massive early spring walk and went all round the Thames. We ended up at the Dog and Bell, and thought, where the hell are we?
“That was the first time we discovered Deptford. We kept returning over the years and thought it would be a really great spot. It’s again just one of those places that has a fantastic community.”
As for the next 10 years, Jen says: “The outlets are still growing every year, especially online. If the right place came up we might do another outlet, so we’re always kind of on the hunt, but we’re also really happy with the way things are.
“When I went back and looked at our original business idea this morning, [it showed how] we wanted to create a community hub. We wanted –to quote The League of Gentlemen – a local shop for local people, and we did it.
“One of the things we hoped we’d get from running a business in the local community would be to be embedded within that. It feels really old-fashioned and nice to walk down the street and know people by name. It doesn’t happen that often and I don’t think I’ve ever had it before moving here.”
WORDS MIRANDA KNOX PHOTO JULIA HAWKINS
St Dunstan’s College celebrates best results in school’s history
ST
DUNSTAN’S COLLEGE IS DELIGHTED TO REVEAL YEAR 13 STUDENTS HAVE ACHIEVED THE BEST A LEVEL RESULTS IN THE SCHOOL’S 136-YEAR HISTORY.
This year, 88% of all grades achieved were A*- B with an outstanding 61% being AA* and 27% being A*. It is expected that these grades will position St Dunstan’s once again within the best performing schools in the country, based on academic outcomes.
Speaking about the record-breaking results, Head of St Dunstan’s, Nick Hewlett said: ‘The whole St Dunstan’s community is absolutely delighted for our Year 13 students. The outcomes mark the school’s best-ever A Level results on record, and for a second year in a row, outside of the Covid period, and speak to a school culture that has been turbo-charged in recent years, showcasing that it is perfectly possible to obtain outstanding academic results within the framework of a liberal, progressive and Renaissance curriculum.’
Head of Senior School, Jade McLellan, said: ‘The students have worked tremendously hard over the last two years, receiving relentless support from their A Level teachers and their families. We are so proud that their efforts have been rewarded with these historic outcomes. This year has also seen our highest number of Oxbridge and medicine places gained and five students are joining an elite course at a conservatoire, art foundation course or a drama school. More than two thirds of the students will be joining a Russell Group university and Times World Rankings Top 20 university.
‘The whole community wishes the students the very best as they begin the next chapter of their educational journeys, and we look forward to welcoming them back as Dunstonians in the future.’
Speaking about her results, Natasha, who will read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford, said: ‘I’m so pleased with my results today
and feel extremely happy. I will miss the community spirit at St Dunstan’s and how the teachers and staff focus on every individual to help them succeed.’
Ayano, who will read Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, said: ‘I’m feeling really happy today, I wasn’t quite expecting it but I’m glad we have them now. I’m really excited for this next step at Cambridge. The teachers have been so helpful, right from the start they’ve been there all the way supporting and encouraging you to do well.’
Rio, Year 13’s outgoing Head of School, who will be reading Law at the University of Warwick, said: I’m so happy with my results, I’m really going to miss it here at St Dunstan’s. Even over the holidays I’ve missed seeing everyone each day.’
Dita, who will read English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford, said: ‘I feel very relieved today but so happy to finally have the results. We all worked so hard over the last two years. I’m really going to miss St Dunstan’s, seeing my friends each day and the community and supportive atmosphere.’
Following the historic results, 97% of the cohort will be heading to their chosen destination, which includes 100% success for students holding an offer for Oxbridge, medicine, music conservatoires, art foundation or drama school.
Reflecting on the Year 13’s result, Head of Sixth Form, Alex Brewer, explained:
‘The success of our students today and the diversity of their future destinations is testament to everything that we strive for at St Dunstan’s. Our sixth form experience is a choice driven, forward-thinking and ambitious programme of education that is designed to help our young leaders
transition successfully and thrive into adulthood.’
He added: ‘We truly are an independent school like no other.’
The A Level results come at an exciting time for St Dunstan’s College. Earlier this year, the College was named Most Progressive School in south-east England at the Private Education Awards 2024 and was named Independent Senior School of the Year at the Tes School Awards 2022, which are known as the Oscars of education. Judge David James, who has
worked in independent schools for over 20 years, said: ‘There’s a very clear and coherent vision of what they want to do, both with the curriculum and the local community.
‘The head is asking interesting questions of the sector, including areas like privilege and responsibility, which go beyond the usual platitudes. It’s a really interesting school in a tough market, trying to not just survive but actually make something different for the children and families they’re working with.’
Find out more about St Dunstan’s College at their upcoming open day on Saturday 21 September 2024 or sixth form open evening on Wednesday 2 October 2024. Book at www.stdunstans.org.uk
To the manor born
CHRIS EUBANK
DISCUSSES HIS PECKHAM CHILDHOOD and how he became one of the greatest British boxers of all time
WORDS LUKE G WILLIAMS
Enigma. Maverick. Showman. Whatever epithet you apply to Christopher Livingstone Eubank inevitably falls short in the task of adequately describing the most unique British sportsman of his – or perhaps any – generation.
I grew up idolising the Dulwich-born and Peckham-raised pugilist, so when my phone rang this summer and the unmistakably sibilant voice on the line informed me: “Good afternoon, this is Chris Eubank,” it was as thrilling a moment as any I’ve experienced in my journalistic career.
Eubank’s eccentricity, his studious insistence on remaining true to himself and his capacity to become embroiled in unrelenting ring wars captured my imagination and love of a rebel when I was a boxing-mad youngster.
But Eubank – who has just turned 58 –was never a conventional maverick, as he emphasises to me at one point during an hourlong interview that encompasses topics as varied as Peckham, poetry and philosophy.
“I have a different hold, a different way [about me],” he says. “I was never ill-mannered, I was never rude. I didn’t break any social laws. I was always charming, I was always straight.
“Look at other people, look at their social media; if you adopt the ways of society in terms of establishing yourself, you will do what the herd does, which is use bad language and be inconsiderate. I have been successful without being foul in terms of my behaviour.”
It’s a point well made; when we talk of mavericks in sport, names such as George Best, Paul Gascoigne and Tyson Fury immediately spring to mind, figures whose unconventionality is – in a sense – quite conventional, adhering to the cliche of hard drinking and hard living, being mistrustful of authority and outrageous in terms of behaviour.
Eubank is that rarity – a genuinely unconventional spirit, rather than someone who is merely conventionally unconventional. As such, large swathes of the British public have often not known how to receive him, opting instead to ridicule or denigrate him.
It is worth remembering that Eubank’s sporting achievements were considerable – in a 13-year professional boxing career he was undefeated for 10 years, a world champion for more than five and participated in contests against the likes of Nigel Benn and Michael Watson that are written into fistic folklore.
For Eubank, however, the question of legacy is inextricably linked to personal integrity, rather than ephemeral sporting glory or statistics. “All of the accolades merely allow the individual to show if they are righteous or not,” he stresses.
“The [boxing] belts bring a spotlight – if you’re wearing a belt people are entitled to ask: he’s wearing the belt, what is his behaviour? Behaviour shows if someone is a real champion.”
Born in East Dulwich on 8 August 1966 to Jamaican immigrant parents, Eubank’s initial prospects in life were not bright. His family were poor and his youth was characterised by wayward and criminal behaviour, as well as repeated suspensions from school.
Aged eight his mother and father split up, with his mother moving to the US, leaving Eubank and his older brothers David, Simon and Peter in England.
After attending Bellenden Junior School, Eubank later moved on to Thomas Calton Secondary School on Adys Road. “It’s well documented,” he says of this portion of his youth in Peckham. “I was suspended [from Thomas Calton] 18 times in one year. I was a rebel, a Rasta and looking to find my way.
“The shoplifting, all the adolescent wayward behaviour – Peckham was a stomping ground through which I learned how to do things with style and creativity.”
After moving to Peckham Manor Secondary School, from which he was expelled after a
month, Eubank was taken into care and spent spells in a number of children’s homes, including Karib in Nunhead and Davy’s Street in Peckham.
After a period of homelessness, when he survived by shoplifting and spent “many a happy night napping on car seats in Peckham, Camberwell and the Elephant and Castle”, the 16-year-old Eubank moved to the Bronx to join his mother.
Boxing and the Bible arguably saved him from becoming a bleak statistic of juvenile delinquency. After winning the Spanish Golden Gloves as an amateur, he turned professional in 1985, fighting five times in the US before returning to the UK and basing himself in Brighton.
Eubank says: “It dawned on me that breaking the law was stupid, backwards and counterproductive because you can’t beat that system. I knew I had to do something legal.
“At that time I was in high school in New York and I was training to be a secretary. At the same time I was an amateur boxer. I realised I could
always go back to being a secretary, so I put my mind, my concentration, my sinews and my prayers into one basket and I chose boxing as that basket.
“I came to an understanding that if I used the principles that my mother brought me up by, which was the metaphysics of Biblical verse, then I could do it.
“What the Bible – Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth – teaches you is how to get what you want before you have it in your hands. I applied metaphysics to boxing to establish my style, my movement, my understanding of the art and craft of boxing. The book directed me.”
Initially, few took Eubank seriously –boxing scribes found his refusal to conform to the usual cliche-ridden rhetoric of the conventional sportsperson mystifying, and his pronouncements that he would ascend to world class were treated with disdain.
However, on the unforgettable night of 18 November 1990 at the NEC in Birmingham, Eubank proved all the doubters wrong by wresting the WBO world middleweight title from the fearsome Nigel Benn.
From then on, Eubank became a phenomenon, with his rematch with Benn just under three years later – which ended in a draw – attracting a worldwide audience that was estimated at 500 million.
Decades later, looking back through the prism of all he has achieved, I am keen to discover how Eubank feels on the occasions when he once again walks the south London streets where he grew up.
“I still go to Peckham and Brixton all the time,” he admits, before rejecting any notion of sentimentality when he reflects on the youngster he once was.
“It’s not about places or postcodes. You live where you sit, you live where you lie, where you walk. It’s about now. Yesterday is not coming back and tomorrow may never come. You have to live in the moment.”
As well as a man with a clear and consistent world-view, Eubank is also keen that his ideas should help and inspire others. He sees poetry – specifically three poems he refers to as “scriptures” – as particularly essential in instilling good morals and a positive mindset in young people.
The first of these poems – If by Rudyard Kipling – he quoted in the ring after suffering his first professional defeat in 1995 against Steve Collins. He recites passages from If – as well as his other two favourites, Desiderata by Max Ehrmann and The Man in the Glass by Peter Dale Wimbrow Sr – to me with fluency and feeling.
“If these poems are committed to memory by young people, they put a compass inside them that ensures it is almost impossible for them to stray from a sure and good track,” he concludes.
“Learning these three poems is powerful beyond measure. If you want to be fulfilled you have to learn these poems. Words are law. But they have to be written on your template, your heart, your mind.”
Soon after speaking these words Eubank is gone and, having spent an hour in his enlightening and inspiring company, I am left feeling that perhaps the most apt description of this complex and compassionate character would be that of “philosopher”. Somehow, I think it’s a sobriquet he would approve of.
Corn on the cob with scotch bonnet butter
SWEETCORN SEASON IN THE UK IS ALMOST OVER, SO MAKE this delicious sharing dish while you still can
INGREDIENTS
250g
4
2
1
sweet smoked paprika Salt and black pepper
To finish
1 corn on the cob per person, husks removed
1-2 limes, sliced (optional)
I don’t understand why some people don’t like sweetcorn. It’s f***ing delicious. The majesty of a good corn cob is not to be sniffed at. Super sweet, but also pleasingly rich and savoury, it’s best eaten as fresh as possible.
Obviously any kind of butter is nice with sweetcorn, but in this case I’m suggesting the addition of scotch bonnets. The slow, intense heat they contain, and their almost tropicalfruit pepperiness, is perfect when paired with the natural sweetness of the corn.
In the UK, the cut-off for fresh sweetcorn is usually around the end of September, so bear that in mind. I wouldn’t recommend buying the cobs out of season, they will have travelled far and, quite aside from the
environmental and ethical quandaries that presents, the sweetcorn will be nowhere near as nice.
METHOD
PUT ALL of the ingredients for the scotch bonnet butter in a pan and cook over a low heat until the garlic and chilli have completely softened. Allow to cool (if it’s still warm, that’s fine) and blend until the butter is as smooth as your blender will allow. Taste the butter and add a little salt and black pepper if needed. Vegan butter is often quite salty so bear this in mind when seasoning. Put the flavoured butter in a container with a lid and allow to cool completely before use. Stored in the fridge, it will keep for up to 5 days.
BRING A LARGE PAN of water to a rolling boil. I personally don’t season the water when boiling corn because I like it just as it is. Simmer the corn until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Put the cobs in a mixing bowl and dress with plenty of your scotch bonnet butter. It might be nice to add lime juice and/or zest, but there are so many things you could add, and I know this will be delicious as written. Serve immediately with plenty of napkins, encouraging the use of fingers.
This recipe is from Cooking for People by Mike Davies, chef and owner of the Camberwell Arms, which was published by Pavilion last month. Mike will be appearing at the SE London BookFest in November. To book, visit tiny.cc/seltickets
