No. 01 The Bike Issue
Welcome Note Welcome to the very first issue of South East London Journal. A printed magazine, are we crazy? Well, maybe. But its only when we sat down to think about what and who we could feature in our first issue, did we really appreciate the amount that is happening in our unique part of town; these hundred or so pages don’t even scratch the surface. Our aim is to continue to showcase all the great things in South East London, delivering our findings to you, every other month. Each edition will have a loose theme and accompanying colour palette, as well as commissioned illustrations throughout; this being The Bike Issue. For this, we delve into the history of Herne Hill Velodrome, spotlight Wheels For Wellbeing, feature our Peckham BMX Club photo-story, have a brief history of the cycle jersey, an illustrated bike shop map, a curated bike-themed mixtape, as well as (happy accident) review new eatery, Pedler - all alongside our lesser themed content. If you write, take photos, know a thing or two about the area, own a local business, or even just want to tell us how we’re doing, get in touch. We’ve lived here for a while, but in printed terms, we’re new on the block, and we’re still learning, but with your help we’d like grow. We hope you enjoy.
April-May 2015 — The Bike Issue
Contributors
Sophie Mackey, SE22 East Dulwich resident and recent owner of her own Mexican food truck, Cafe Horchata, Sophie reviews Silk Road and Pedler for this issue, as well as offering some of her favourite recipes. cafehorchata.co.uk
Daniel Fletcher, SE23
Mark Shearwood, SE26
Sonja Farrell, SE3
A recent resident of Sydenham, Mark shot our Peckham BMX Club photostory; though you can normally find him behind the lens for the likes of Zara and Stella McCartney at his Bermondsey-based studio. markshearwood.tumblr.com
Creative Director of Cheshire & Wain, Sonja’s normal focus is on high quality cat collars, charms and toys; but for this issue, she talks to Bone and Rag, who also make high quality products, but for the canine world. cheshireandwain.com
Shauna Wyldeck-Estrada, SE13
James Balston, SE19
Emerging menswear designer, Daniel, gives us a brief history of the cycle jersey and goes for his first wet shave at The Groom Room in Dulwich Village. danielwfletcher.com
With 25 years experience, women, babies and children specialist Shauna gives us a brief introduction to homeopathy kingstonhomeopathy.co.uk
A former interior designer, James has worked as an Interior and Architectural Photographer since 2000. He also runs the vibrant Crystal Palace based blog, The Triangle SE19. jamesbalston.com
Editor polly@selondonjournal.co.uk
Issue 01 Illustrator Kirsten Houser
Creative Director jessica@selondonjournal.co.uk
Contributions info@selondonjournal.co.uk
Art Director benji@selondonjournal.co.uk
Advertising advertising@selondonjournal.co.uk
While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, South East London Journal does not accept liability for any errors or omissions within this issue. Reprinting of any article or original images from South East London Journal without express permission of the Editor is expressly forbidden. South East London Journal is published by Gaze Media Ltd ©South East London Journal 2015
SE LONDON JOURNAL — Issue 01
Contents
7 Food
Food Item Edit Ali Baba Juice Pedler Silk Road Recipes
47 History
Herne Hill Velodrome One Tree Hill Charity Spotlight: Wheels for Wellbeing
27 Culture
Calendar Felix White Duncan Wooldridge Kirsten Houser Book Review Mixtape
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April-May 2015 — The Bike Issue
95 Children & Families
What's On Children's Item Edit Peckham BMX Club South East Little Journal Homeopathy
59 Home
Homeware Edit Inside a Peckham Home Makers & Menders Sash Windows Best Blooms Bone & Rag
81 Garments & Grooming Garments & Grooming Edit Outpost Bags & Objects The Cycle Jersey A Wet Shave Health & Fitness Notes
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A Weekend Wander: Nunhead
Have brunch
Take a walk
At Café On The Rye, for views across the common. Here you can get the 'Rye Fry' which comes with homemade bubble and squeak, or pastries for the continentallyinclined. If you’re looking for a classic greasy spoon, head to the local favourite, Crossways Café.
To Nunhead Cemetery, one of South East London’s most historic and tranquil spots. This local nature reserve is one of ‘Magnificent Seven’ of London. With fiftytwo acres, it holds stunning views across to St Pauls, with the Victorian part being famous for its beautiful dereliction.
Grab a pint
Have a mooch around
At one of the many watering holes Nunhead has to offer; there’s The Ivy House, full of character and London’s first co-operatively owned pub; The Pyrotechnists Arms, a traditional Irish pub looking over the green; The Old Nun’s Head, a countryside-inspired local with plenty of food popups; The Telegraph At The Earl Of Derby, a tucked away gem located towards New Cross, and one of George Orwell’s favourite pubs.
Papa Bear for some great mid-century furniture, AG Flowers for a seasonal bouquet and Rat Race Cycles for all your cycling needs. For a sweet treat, head to Ayres The Bakers; or for something savoury visit Bambuni Deli. Get your week’s dinner from the fishmonger FC Soper and butcher HA Smith & Sons. Grab some craft beer at The Beer Shop, who offer a huge selection as well as cider and spirits
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Politics With the election looming and TV debates in full swing, we give you a breakdown of the four main(ish) candidates running for a seat this year. Sorry (not sorry) but we've left UKIP out.
Eltham
Lewisham & Deptford
Roughly the southern part of The Royal Borough Of Greenwich, Clive Efford the Shadow Minister for Sport, won for Labour in 1997. L Clive Efford MP C Spencer Drury LD Alex Cunliffe G James Parker
Taking in Brockley, New Cross, Crofton Park and the surrounding areas, it has only ever had two MPs since it’s creation in 1974 — both Labour. The incumbent MP Joan Ruddock is now standing down, with Vicky Foxcroft hoping to take the mantle for Labour. L Vicky Foxcroft LD Michael Bukola C Bim Afolami G John Coughlin
Camberwell & Peckham A seat created in 1997, it has been held by the Shadow Culture Secretary and Deputy Leader of Labour, Harriet Harman, ever since. L Harriet Harman LD Yahaya Kiyingi C Naomi Newstead G Amelia Womack
Lewisham West & Penge
Including Forest Hill, Crystal Palace and Sydenham, this seat was contested for the first time in 2010; Labour led with Lib Dems close behind and Conservatives with a tight third. Current MP Jim Dowd grew up in Lewisham, was educated in Forest Hill and Catford, and was previously MP for Lewisham West. L Jim Dowd LD Alex Feakes C Russell Jackson G Tom Chance
Bermondsey & Old Southwark Only technically existing since a minor boundary change in 2010, the almost identical seat has been held by Simon Hughes since 1983 since, who is also The Minister of State for Justice and Civil Liberties. LD Simon Hughes L Neil Coyle C Jean-Paul Floru G William Lavin
Lewisham East Taking in Blackheath, down to Catford and areas such as Hither Green, this seat received the 43rd largest Labour vote of all 650 consituencies in 2010. L Heidi Alexander LD Julia Fletcher C Peter Fortune G Storm Poorun
Greenwich and Woolwich A Labour safe-seat since World War II, it’s been held by Nick Raynsford since 1997, though he’s now standing down. L Matthew Pennycook LD Tom Holder C Matt Hartley G Abbey Akinoshun
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Beckenham A tory safe-seat since 1950, the only time they have ever come close to losing this was at the height of Tony Blair’s honeymoon period as PM. C Bob Stewart L Marina Ahmad G Ruth Fabricant LD Anuja Prashar
Dulwich & West Norwood This seat was also created in 1997 and has been held by Labour MP Dame Tessa Jowell — now standing down. L Helen Hayes LD James Barber C Resham Kotecha G Rashid Nix
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Food
Item Edit Ali Baba Juice Pedler Silk Road Recipes 7
SE LONDON JOURNAL 1.
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Food
Food Item Edit 1.
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WHAT: Guatamala San Pedro single origin coffee. With a soft and sweet structure, this clean coffee features citrus acidity with notes of apple, cherry and dried mango, from West Norwood’s very own Volcano Coffee Works WHERE: The Pigeon Hole, Camberwell; Peckham’s Cafe Viva; With Jam & Bread, SE21. HOW MUCH: £10/250g
WHAT: Established in 2001, England Preserves pride themselves on artisan traditions, and also use original patterns from artists of Curwen Press for their packaging. Owner, Sky, reckons that the Darling Damson With Stones is one of their best jams. We also like Blackcurrant Blighty, which has the lowest level of sugar in the range and packs a sour punch. WHERE: Dulwich Bakery; The White Cafe, SE11; Aga’s Little Deli in Forest Hill. HOW MUCH: £3.70
WHAT: Made within the arches of its namesake borough and designed to emulate the gins of the early 20th century, Jensen’s Bermondsey Dry is less juniper centric, allowing you to taste the full spectrum of classic gin botanicals. WHERE: Bars such The Orchard in Brockley and Peckham’s new opening, The Nines. Bottles from General Store, SE15. HOW MUCH: RRP around £30 a bottle.
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WHAT: Gipsy Hill Brewing Company specialise in making beers below 5% and are also a lovely bunch of guys. Tropical hop flavours makes the Beatnik Pale Ale cunningly light and crisp. Whispers of toffee, sharp citrus and lightly toasted malt feature in the Southpaw Amber Ale. WHERE: East Dulwich newcomers, Hop Burns & Black; Bob’s Wine in Crystal Palace; pubs such as Westow House; Brockley’s London Beer Dispensary; East Dulwich Tavern. HOW MUCH: Around £2.30 a bottle.
WHAT: Artisan chocolate, free from anything but the best ingredients and infused with unusual combinations that always, always work. Pictured we have milk chocolate with coriander and grapefruit; and dark chocolate with orange and chilli. WHERE: Peckham’s Melange Chocolate Shop & Cafe at 184 Bellenden Road, SE15. HOW MUCH: Around £5 per 100g
2. WHAT: A refreshing, pressed tomato cordial best served with cooled sparkling water. Stir well, add ice and dress with fresh herbs. WHERE: The Brockley Deli, SE4; Franklins on Lordship Lane, SE22 HOW MUCH: £3.95 3. WHAT: Sweet & tangy hibiscus flower seasoning with a touch of salt & chilli. Stick to the rim of a margarita glass or sprinkle on your morning fruit or jazz up your popcorn. Hibiscus, known as 'flor de Jamaica' in México, has a tart, cranberrylike flavour. WHERE: Borough Market, SE1 HOW MUCH: £3.50
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ali baba juice
WORDS: Polly Mackey PHOTO: Oskar Proctor
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Food
Having celebrated their first birthday back in February, Ali Baba Juice have achieved a lot in just over a year. What started as a weekend food project for longtime residents Chris and Sienna, their alleyway hangout quickly became a seven-day Peckham staple. With collaborations a-plenty and clients including i-D, New Balance, Royal Academy Of Art and Somerset House (the list really does go on), the duo are gaining national press in a very uncalculated way.
Concentrating on serving up combinations that aren’t available anywhere else — puna yam, banana, lime; beetroot, apple, wasabi; hibiscus, ginger, nashi pear — they also do their own take on lemonades, iced teas and cocktails, drawing inspiration from flavours found all over their neighbourhood, from Vietnamese supermarkets to Ghanian kitchens. With two major art and food based projects in development for this summer, we thought we should try to catch the impressive duo for a still second to find out some more …
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SE LONDON JOURNAL SE LONDON JOURNAL:
Why Peckham?
We’ve both lived here for a very long time and love our neighbourhood. One day, Sienna and I were like, ‘do you know what would be funny — if we started a juice bar’. We’ve been shopping at our local greengrocers Ali Baba for almost ten years, and they specialise in more exotic Caribbean fruits and vegetables — there’s always so many new things to try! But we were never ‘juice bar people’, and that’s like the last thing on earth we are still today, but we love new tastes and experiences. Juice is just such an easy way for people to experience that. Kids can drink it, everybody can drink it, no matter where someone’s from or what they do — that’s really important to us. CHRIS:
SIENNA: We get every kind of person; all the guys at the scaffolding yard behind us, art students, the yoga-mums, teenagers with McDonald’s in the other hand, traders from Rye Lane...
‘I feel like one day I’ll get arrested… “Excuse me, you’re not supposed to juice yams”.’ Things have changed a little bit as well, and that’s something we’ve certainly noticed. But there’s good and bad that comes with that. I feel like we’re at a point now in Peckham where you can do something, and if your heart is in the right place it will shine through, and that feels really nice. So I think that was kind of appealing, to have something in the wake of all this change and be a part of the community. C:
SELJ: There’s also the Ali Baba Bar, tell me more about that.
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SE LONDON JOURNAL
OPEN FOR DINNER WEDNESDAY TO SATURDAY
www.thelidocafe.co.uk 14
SE LONDON JOURNAL
S: So we got a few more orders from Central London for
S:
our bottled juices, and the demand has been growing pretty quickly. We’d spend all this time preparing and juicing, and then three hours after we’d delivered, a stockist would call us and be like ‘hey, we’ve ran out! Can we get double for this afternoon?’
We enjoy using juice as a vehicle to do other creative things and it brings amazing opportunities to work with people we admire, like Heresy, Sipsmith, Wieden + Kennedy, the Royal Academy of Art… SELJ: Who
C: We were desperately looking for a place to make this a bit
else should we be taking note of in Peckham?
We’re lucky to be part of an amazing neighbourhood of people who work incredibly hard who I kinda hope are freaking out like us! S:
more of ‘an operation’. There didn’t seem to be anything nearby to the Peckham produce, but in Copeland Park there was this weird old cafe that had been sitting there forever, it had everything we needed. After bottling, we thought it would be cool to open it on weekends, and serve the drinks we had been making elswhere.
Lerryns, Seabass Cycles, Yam Records, the amazing Vietnamese supermarket who do the best pork buns ever for like a pound on Peckham High St. The guys at SlowBounce.
C:
Our decisions are always impulsive and this is probably why it can be crazy stressful. It would have been a lot easier if we sat down and made a strategy, ‘how to do a juice bar in Peckham’, but it just happened! I feel like one day I’ll get arrested… ‘Excuse me, you’re not supposed to juice yams’. S:
S: Or Jason at Zionly Arts in Rye Market where we get our
baobab from. And then Sister P, who sells whole Camomile flowers and voodoo candles, and Suya Express for late night food. C:
That’s not going to happen, she’s just saying that. Everything’s great.
S: Our photographer Oskar Proctor and of course Heresy.
C:
We’re featuring one of their items in our Garments & Grooming Edit. SELJ:
Haha. We’re the happiest people in the world really, and the bar is loads of fun and we have the best customers ever. S:
S: They’re
amazing.
SELJ: So, your bottled juice — what’s the difference with
C: All of South East London has always had that younger
‘cold press’?
artist diaspora. And everybody you meet, in every place. Daily Good there’s illustrators like Joshua Checkley, who works there. Lingua Franca, who are doing something a little different in the ‘DJ galaxy’, they’re great, and one of the dudes in it — Josh Wiley — works at Rye Wax and designs some pretty killer posters.
At the juice bar, it’s not cold pressed, it’s all fresh. It’s just the bottled juice we cold press. We cold press our juice purely because of taste - it extracts every note in anything and lasts a little bit longer, which helps the bars and cafes we supply! People get really excited about cold press for various health reasons, but that’s not us, and never was! Of course we love being healthy and making drinks that are ‘healthy’ but our main objective has always been about flavour, and exploring cool tastes. We’re aiming at providing fresh juice daily, to go hand-in-hand with menus of shops and restaurants we admire. C:
S: But
we do worry that lots of people are leaving London.
SELJ: There
seems to be a whole exodus of people moving
to Berlin. C: Everybody’s
moving to Berlin, it’s crazy.
S: We do worry that there will be no one left with a creative
You make juice, yet you collaborate with Camberwell students, ad agencies, clothing labels, the list goes on. Is that something you decided to be heavy on from the very start?
skillset.
SELJ:
SELJ: It’s the age-old thing of London slowly crawling from
the centre and claiming all these places…
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THE P E R RY VA L E A new bistro & bar opening Spring 2015 in Forest Hill.
31 Perryvale Road, Forest Hill perryvale . com
SE LONDON JOURNAL
‘People have always said, “Peckham’s the new Dalston”, I’m like, “it’s not, it’s too weird”.’ Left: Sienna & Chris
Well let’s be honest, we’ll probably have to move at some point anyway. All of a sudden, things are getting a little bit whack. But Peckham’s still somewhat untouched, it’s still feels like it’s own community.
not, because it’s too weird’. Rye Lane is the weirdest place in the world and that’s why it’s great. And now this is the first time I’m like ‘oh yeah, that is going’. And it’s not even a thing, it’s not like we’re these gentrification warriors, people talk about this all the time, I don’t care, as long as the community is still intact.
C:
S: It
still feels genuine.
We then discussed the exciting, yet-to-beannounced projects that Ali Baba - and Chris and Sienna respectively – are currently working on, ready for fruition this summer. Keep tabs at @alibaba for more juicy info.
Does it scare you that it could go the same way as East London? SELJ:
You know, all the years I’ve lived here, people have always said, ‘Peckham’s the new Dalston’, I’m like, ‘it’s C:
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REVIEW: PEDLER, SE15
Food
eckham Rye’s newest all-day eatery, Unlike other small-plate restaurants, the staff at Pedler, is yet another welcome addition Pedler ensure you have a steady stream of dishes, to the area’s burgeoning restaurant rather than everything thrown on the table all at and bar scene. Set away from the once. Great care is taken to make sure you’re not felt typical foodie enclave of Bellenden Road, Pedler has rushed, nor are you left waiting for too long between taken over the Delta Tavern premises at 58 Peckham each dish. Rye and is bringing local neighbourhood eating to a Braised oxtail pie with cheddar and horseradish mash — new level. half a hollowed-out baked potato, filled with tender Owned and staffed by Peckham residents, Pedler has ox tail in a rich sauce, topped with the scooped-out a staunch approach to sourcing its food locally, which potato and flavoured with horseradish — had a enables the small plate food to sing with the punchy wonderfully deep flavour. The griddled squid, spicy flavours of Rye Lane. As the sister restaurant to the spuds and olives showcased Mediterranean cooking small batch gin distillery also based in Peckham, at its best, together with those local influences. Little Bird London Dry Gin, even the main star of Perfectly griddled squid rings sat atop a mound of the cocktail menu is sourced from but a few hundred soft, cubed potatoes, which were brought together metres away. And it’s not only the food and drink that with a fresh and zesty tomato sauce and a fruity has a local feel; the space is homely and welcoming, scotch bonnet kick. with its mismatched cutlery and tableware, vintage The star of the show, the stalwart dish on Pedler’s glassware and old-style furnishings. menu of daily changing plates, is the frizzle chicken, We stopped by for dinner, which involves small plates with polenta, parmesan and ‘attitude sauce’. They brine that are roughly set out into bar snacks, starters, the chicken before deep-frying, meaning it is soft mains and desserts. Whilst debating over the and moist on the inside, yet addictively crispy on the menu, we sampled some of the Little Bird cocktails, outside. The crispy square of polenta pairs perfectly choosing a peck’ham martini and the perfect g&t. with the chicken, and the attitude sauce — a deep The former was refreshingly tart, consisting of orange sauce consisting of scotch bonnet, jalapeno aperol, cinzano, pink grapefruit and, of course, the and birds eye chillies — brings it all together, a restaurant’s own gin. The latter, a mix of Fever perfect combination of texture and spice. Tree Mediterranean tonic, Little Bird Gin and a To finish, a chocolate triple-whammy of ganachethick slice of pink grapefruit, was clean-tasting and glazed dark chocolate mousse, with local Bermondsey complete with botanical, herbal flavour. chocolate ice cream. We were offered some complimentary olives and Everything it should be, a true chocolate lover’s heaven. ordered some lard-y-dahs We’ll certainly be back and crab blinis (both under to sample brunch, what £2) from the snacks menu. with the fantastic sounding Lard-y-dahs — shards of Flock & Herd gin breakfast salty, crispy chicken skin and sausages, and probably the pork scratchings – came in Sunday dinner too. Not a sweet shop-style bag and many places manage to were moreish with a hint pull off all-day dining with of naughtiness about them. such quality and value, The blinis were topped with whilst offering a homely sweet and freshly picked atmosphere. Pedler is a white crab meat and were reason in its own right to visit the perfect appetiser to get Peckham, but you’d better stomachs rumbling. For book, as the rest of London mains, we picked a number might just beat you to it. of dishes, ranging from £2.50 - £10, delivered to Dinner for two with drinks, WORDS: Sophie Mackey us in various order. around £60. PHOTO: Pedler
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REVIEW: SILK ROAD, SE14
Food
I
n the time since my ten-day trip to China around two years ago, I’ve been somewhat of a one-woman champion of genuine, rustic Chinese food. What we all may generally know as Chinese food in the UK is, for want of a more candid word, ‘uninspiring’. Why does our country find Chinese authenticity so difficult? Why do so many restaurants load-up their dishes with MSG? South London hardly has difficulty with other regional food done well; authentic Thai restaurants such as KaoSarn in Brixton village, Peckham’s Begging Bowl and fantastic South-Indian restaurant, Ganapati. It is with great joy that since my revelation in discovering the cult favourite Silk Road, that I can now get some of the best Chinese food eaten outside of China right here in Camberwell. The already-popular Szechuan and Xinjiang corner of Church Street will most certainly become a regular haunt for those yet to try it. For start, a dish they’re well loved for: chilli and cumin spiced lamb shish. Small chunks of perfectly spiced lamb and fat, grilled on hot metal skewers until glistening with a deliciously intense umami flavour. At a minimum serving of five skewers, one might feel overwhelmed when they arrive but you’ll soon be fighting over the last piece. Our pescetarian friends opted for the spiced grilled fish, which also held a salty, warming spice with a slight barbeque undertone. The dumplings were both delicious and fantastic value for such a large portion, freshly handmade by a small cohort of the family in the back room of the restaurant. The shrimp, egg and leek variety possessed a perfectly bouncy texture with a succulent filling, that even the meat eaters wouldn’t be disappointed in. The mains consisted of a Szechuan favourite, twice cooked belly pork. Bountiful slices of pig belly doused in a sweet yet fiery sauce, with soft slivers of leek and onion. You can’t leave Silk Road without trying some of their homemade noodles. The wide belt noodles had an almost al dente texture, delivered and dunked into the heady star anise infused broth of the medium chicken dish by the friendly waitress. The vegetable noodle stir-fry was also a triumph, with thinner, lighter noodles lightly fried with perfectly cooked veg in yet another addictive sauce. Most people associate Chinese food with meat - it’s a nation renowned for its nose-to-tail eating, and it’s said the only thing they won’t eat with four legs is a table. However, when done properly, their vegetable dishes
WORDS: Sophie Mackey PHOTO: Brenden Gatens
can only be described as a thing of beauty and will leave most carnivorous beings wondering what they’ve been missing out on. A great example of this here is the home-style cabbage and home-style aubergine, which were quickly demolished before all other mains. The cabbage dish was cooked with numbing Szechuan peppercorns and dressed in a salty and sweet sauce - just like I experienced in China and haven’t been able to find anywhere else since. The aubergine was soft and silky, soaking up its delicious tangy sauce loaded with tomatoes. And so, after all of the noodles had been slurped, our skewers cleaned and every single last leaf of cabbage devoured, we were left with four very full and happy diners, a very messy table, and my faith in authentic Chinese food now fully restored. Dinner for four with soft drinks, £58.
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ROAST SQUASH, KALE & CHORIZO QUESADILLAS There’s nothing better than ringing in springtime than with the fresh and zesty flavours of Mexico. Go online to find recipes for pico de gallo salsa, guacamole and Limoncello margaritas to accompany a batch of these delicious quesadillas. Serves 4
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas mark 4 and placed the cubed butternut squash and garlic cloves onto a roasting tray in one layer. Drizzle with 2 tbsp oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring occasionally, until tender throughout and lightly browned, 30 to 45 minutes. 2. Remove the squash and garlic from the oven and place in a bowl. Remove the skins from the garlic then add in 2 tbsp of smoked paprika alongside the leaves from the sprigs of thyme. Mash until smooth and check for seasoning. Leave to one side. 3. Remove any large stalks from the kale and put into a large pan with a splash of water. Cover and let steam for around 2 minutes until tender. Season with a touch of salt and pepper and combine with the squash mixture, mixing until it’s evenly distributed.
3 tbsp olive oil Two medium size butternut squash, cubed 3 whole cloves of garlic, skin on Half a ring of chorizo sliced into half-moons 200g kale 4 flour or corn tortillas 2 sprigs of thyme 2 tbsp smoked paprika Handful grated cheddar Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4. Fry the chopped chorizo in a dry frying pan (the oils from the chorizo will help lubricate the pan) for around two minutes. Add in the squash and kale mixture to the pan and mix around until all of the delicious red oil has combined with the mash and it’s thoroughly heated through. Remove from pan and set to one side. 5. Add in 1 tbsp of olive oil to a frying pan and once warm, add in a tortilla. Cook for 1 min on a medium heat. Take a spoonful of the squash and kale mixture and spread across one half of the tortilla. You want the mixture to be about 1cm in depth. Cover the mixture with plenty of grated cheddar and fold over the other half of the tortilla, so you get a half moon. Carefully flip the quesadilla and cook for another two minutes or until golden brown on both sides. 6. Place on a heat-proof plate and put in a low oven to keep warm. Repeat the process with the rest of the tortillas and mixture until it’s all been used – you can add in more oil to the pan if necessary. Once every quesadilla has been made, cut each one into three wedges and serve with guacamole and salsa.
Michelin recommended and critically acclaimed we have the perfect private dining space available for all occasions all year round. If you choose us you’ll have your own room, private bar, your own music and of course one of our team members dedicated to looking after your party. All of this with no additional room hire charges. Please email jen@thecrookedwell.com for more details 16 Grove Lane, Camberwell, London 020 7252 7798
Food
HOMESTYLE CHINESE CABBAGE From first trying it in Shanghai, to then devouring Silk Road’s own, it’s one I always crave. Here’s my version, with an added seasonal touch of Spring Lamb. Serves 4 4 tbsp flavorless oil (such as groundnut) Leg of lamb, 2 large fillets cut into thin slices 1 whole head of white cabbage, stalk removed and chopped into squares 3 cloves of garlic, grated 1 thumb size piece of ginger, grated 1 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns, crushed in a mortar and pestle to a powder 4 whole dried chillies, broken into chunks (you could use 2 tsp chilli flakes) 1 tbsp sugar 3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine 4 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sesame oil
1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok / large frying pan and heat until smoking. Add in the lamb and stir fry for 2 mins until a deep golden brown then remove and set to one side. 2. Add in remaining oil to the pan, followed by the ginger and garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds, making sure it doesn’t burn. Add in the crushed dried chillies followed by the cabbage. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Make sure the mixture doesn’t catch by adding in splashes of water when necessary. Add in the crushed szechuan peppercorns and stir.
3. Put the lamb back into the pan and add the Shaoxing rice wine to the mixture and let bubble for 30 seconds on a high heat. Then add in the soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil and continue to stir fry for another 2 minutes until the cabbage is tender and lamb reheated. You should have a light sauce coating the mixture, and you can always add a few splashes of water to help loosen it. 4. Serve with steamed basmati rice or some egg noodles coated in sesame oil and soy sauce.
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Our June-July edition is The Swimming Pool Issue Want to contribute?
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Culture
Calendar Felix White Duncan Wooldridge Kirsten Houser Book Review Mixtape 27
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culture
Fashion On The Ration: 1940s Street Style 05 MARCH
Taxidermy in Fashion with Polly Morgan 09 APRIL
Jon Hopkins 24 APRIL
Elephant And Castle’s Imperial War Museum plays host a major new exhibition, exploring how fashion survived and even flourished during wartime. To coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Second World War, Fashion On The Ration showcases the amazing adaptability and ingenuity the men and women of the time, who adopted more casual styles by renovating, recycling and creating their own clothes. Runs until 31 August.
Currently at the forefront of the recent taxidermy renaissance, artist Polly Morgan gives a unique insight into her work. Since 2004, she has been dismantling taxidermy traditions, creating eerily beautiful still lifes. Polly’s work is on display as part of the new exhibits in the Natural History Gallery.
Bringing his audio-visual set to Brixton (a few hundred yards out of SE, we know), this is the biggest show to date for the Mercury nominee and long-time Eno collaborator. Hopkin’s latest record, Immunity was delivered with a desire to create dancefloorfocused music that was a step up from the slower ambience of his previous albums, so plan for a late one. Support from the fantastic East India Youth.
Horniman Museum and Gardens, SE23
O2 Brixton Academy, SW9
IWM London, SE1
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Culture
calendar Want to suggest calendar entries for future issues? Get in touch: info@selondonjournal.co.uk
Made In China: A Doug Fishbone Project 28 APRIL
Peckham Independent Label Fair III 09 MAY
London Craft Week: Spring Open Studio 15-17 MAY
Visitors to Dulwich Picture Gallery are currently set with the task of identifying a fake amongst the collection. A project conceived by Doug Fishbone — who has temporarily removed one of the gallery’s paintings and replaced it with a replica produced in China — explores the nature of importance of the original versus the copy and the role of art as commodity. The counterfeit work will be revealed on 28 April. Runs until 26 July.
The third instalment of the St John Sessions curated record fair where you’ll find some of the finest independent record labels showcasing the best of their black. Keep an eye out for the homegrown YAM Records and Rhythm Section International, as well as big hitters such as Burial’s Hyperdub Records and James Blake’s Hessle Audio.
The award winning social enterprise and creative-business incubator, Cockpit Arts, supports 170 of the UK’s finest designer-makers. They open their doors twice a year, inviting you behind the scenes and able to buy beautifully crafted work directly from the designer.
The Peckham Pelican, SE15
Dulwich Picture Gallery, SE21
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18-22 Creekside, Deptford, SE8
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MIXTAPE: THE BIKE ISSUE Bicycle, Flutes and You Ghost Ride the Bike (Pull Up, Hop Out) Rush Hour Traffic Stolen Bikes Bike Rider (Prince Fatty Remix) Bicycle Skank Lady On A Bicycle Last Cloud Home Bicycle Bicycles Bicycle Man M-Bike Cops On Bikes You Never Give Me Your Money Bicycle Bicycle Lights Out, Words Gone (Todd Terje Remix) Cycles Ulrik’s Bicycle Bicycle Riders (Popeii 76 A.D.) Blue Bicycle Bicyclette Bicycle Part 2 Cycle Bicycles Zen Bicycle Broken Bicycles Bike Ride La Bicyclette
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
There’s a certain liberating beauty in giving your-self a firm topic for a mixtape. Self-imposed restrain can sometimes allow refreshing freedom, letting you to dive deep into one musical pond, rather than standing on the edge of an overwhelming ocean, returning again and again to the safe shore of the playlist you made in 2011 for a DJ set your friend roped you into, because you like the way it ‘flows’.
Up, Bustle & Out Samiyam The Cool Kids Sam Lachow feat. Ariana Deboo Mungo’s Hi Fi feat. Pupajim Jah Thomas Kippington Lodge Orange Bicycle Unknown Mortal Orchestra The Maccabees Black Mountain PJ Harvey Facing New York Orange Bicycle St Vincent Ezio Bombay Bicycle Club Gorgon City WeAreCastor Edgar Rothermich Hauschka Stéphane Grappelli Nitin Sawhney, BBC National Orchestra Beck Janek Gwizadala Zen Bicycle Band Tom Waits Dark Dark Dark Laurent Voulzy
Fleetwood Mac when friends come over. You often find yourself sitting in front of Spotify, fingers hovered above the keyboard, mind blank, trying to resist the patronising pre-conceived playlists they offer you. You don’t know me! You don’t know that I love reggae in the morning! So, welcome to our mixtape, themed in conjunction with The Bike Issue. Inevitably limited by what is available on said streaming service, but wide in musical breadth nonethe-less. It moves smoothly — and not so smoothly — through almost two hours of bike themed music, spanning from reggae to house to jazz to film score and more. Enjoy.
Fortunately for us, the combination of the internet and this self-given-theme allows us quick access to tracks that would at no point in life ever grace our ears. Without this oddly liberating restrain, it’s sometimes difficult to remember that your vinyl collection offers more that just Rumours by
Visit http://bit.ly/thebikeissuemixtape to listen
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felix white BY THE TIME THEIR FOURTH ALBUM COMES OUT LATER THIS YEAR, IT WILL BE ALMOST A DECADE SINCE THE MACCABEES RELEASED THEIR FIRST SINGLE. FROM THEIR UNASSUMING BEGINNINGS TO THEIR FIRST IVOR NOVELLO, THE SOUTH LONDON OUTFIT HAVE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT. THE MACCABEES ARE WELL-RESPECTED AND HIGHLY ACCLAIMED, EXPANDING THEIR SOUND WITH EACH ALBUM. WE TALK TO GUITARIST felix white ABOUT WORKING IN THEIR SOUTH EAST LONDON STUDIO.
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Culture
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SE LONDON JOURNAL: You’ve just finished recording your
new album in Elephant & Castle. Is it liberating now you have your own studio?
Are you the type of musician to take in your surroundings? SELJ:
I think everyone is whether you are aware of it or not. We absolutely tried to take that in this time. There’s a film that’s been made about the area whilst we have been making the album. It’s a particularly transient time for Elephant so it’s been impossible not to notice it. F:
It was very liberating at first. Being able to turn up whenever you want and treat somewhere like a home without the constant ‘turn-up, set-up, makeit-sound-ok, play, pack-down’ routine every day, it’s a privilege really. Problem this time has been, with it being our studio and producing it ourselves, there has been no limit on time, which can leave things open ended where we were previously forced to make decisions much quicker. It’s the first album we’ve made that really sounds like a place though, if that makes sense, and that is totally owing to it being our own. FELIX:
You’re probably getting to personally know every single takeout place on Walworth Road, which is your favourite? SELJ:
F: Hugo said the other day that he can’t drink coffee unless
it’s from Amore anymore. I think it might be more a sign of cabin fever, than coffee appreciation though. Sometimes I cross to the other side of the road from Castle Kebab, so the owner doesn’t see me and feel disheartened that I’ve got take away from somewhere else. That’s how much time we’ve spent here. That’s more of an insight into the insignificant things that I spend time worrying about though. If I had to pick one, I’d say Mama Thai. You can’t beat the deep fried spicy beef.
What was it like growing up and going to school in South East London? SELJ:
F: Well, it’s very different now. I went
to meet a friend at the Tulse Hill Hotel the other day and I couldn’t believe a place like that existed in Tulse Hill. I really loved living in Peckham despite a lot of friends assuming that ‘oh, isn’t that the cool place to be at the moment?’. No doubt there has been an influx of coffee bars and the like, but it has such a cross-over of culture there at the moment, it feels a unique and exciting place to be when you are embedded in it. For your side project, Cosmo, was it nice to be able to work with old school friends? SELJ:
How has the process and approach changed, now that your four albums in? It’s quite a formative decade of life, since your first record. SELJ:
Yes, it was. It was a great time for me, really. Johnny Bramwell from I Am Kloot sung on a song, who is one of my favourite songwriters ever. So that was a joy too. F:
The last ten years feel so surreal that it’s hard to even remember how we did things the first time round. We’ve tried to approach every record in a different way to the last. We used to spend a lot of time in rehearsal rooms playing fast, chipping away at songs, really focusing on dynamics. I suppose since then the process has adapted to try and help accommodate different styles of songwriting, as the music we aspire to make now is quite different to the first album. It’s still just trying and trying and hoping and when something comes off it’s always, well, kind of relief. F:
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Culture
“ being able to turn
up whenever you want and treat somewhere like a home without the constant ‘turn-up, set-up, make-itsound-ok, play, pack-down’ routine every day, it’s a privilege really ”
SELJ: What
are you reading right now?
I spent the last two years quite religiously reading Murakami. He does that to you. It’s like Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk, once you get into it, everything else seems bland. Having said that, I am reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tart at the moment, and am so into it, I’ve just ended up highlighting the whole thing in pencil. I read Hanif Kureishi’s Intimacy recently too, though if you want to read anything by him I’d recommend The Black Album, which is one of my favourite things. F:
Are you managing to listen to anything else whilst recording? SELJ:
Yeah, I think Gaz Coombes’ new record is wonderful. I just got into Band of Skulls by accident really because they were on a video director’s website. They have a song called Fires, which has a melody even My Morning Jacket would be proud of. I listened to Roedelius’ Jardin Au Fou a lot recently. I always end up listening to British Sea Power, Hank Williams and PJ Harvey on long journeys, they are quite re-assuring to me. F:
Where are your favourite places in South East London? SELJ:
Oh, Castle Kebab, Walworth Road. Just in case he’s reading. F:
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Cockpit Yard, Northington St London, WC1N 2NP
DEPTFORD 5- 17 MAY 18-22 Creekside London, SE8 3DZ
Opening Times: Fri 6pm-9pm, Sat - Sun 11am-6pm www.cockpitarts.com • 020 7419 1959 FREE ENTRY - Donations Welcome Reg charity no. 1029643
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Kirsten Houser
For each issue of South East London Journal, we invite an artist to illustrate throughout.Setting the bar high for our first edition is Kirsten Houser. She graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2013 and currently lives in Peckham.
right first time. Other days I'll spend hours over a composition, working and reworking until it sits well. I'm very strict with myself, when I don't like something it goes straight in the bin — I don't know how healthy a creative process that is!
SOUTH EAST LONDON JOURNAL: How do you choose
SELJ:
your subject matter?
I sketch a lot when I'm out and about, whenever I can. If I'm feeling a bit stuck I grab a selection of random objects and set up a sort of still life arrangement. That tends to give me some starting points to work from. I draw from buildings a lot, and interiors too. I've drawn a lot of people's living spaces; it really interests me how we gather items around us and that these places reflect us as we age. KIRSTEN:
SELJ: Talk
us through your creative process.
It's pretty erratic to be honest, sometimes I'll do a single drawing in a day and it just feels K:
What are your favourite materials to use?
I use a very thin rotring pen to draw with, I love how scratchy it is, and I've never found an ink I like more than theirs. I also use thick gloopy black acrylic paint and fat brushes. I keep meaning to have a go with oil paints. My dream this summer is to be commissioned to do a mural. K:
SELJ:
Favourite South East London places?
Nunhead Cemetery for a walk, Ali Baba Bar for a drink in the evening (and the day) — and Peckham Plex, the best cinema in the world. K:
kirstenhouser.com
Free contemporary art gallery, bookshop and No67 café restaurant. NOW SHOWING: KAPWANI KIWANGA 15 APRIL - 14 JUNE, MAIN GALLERY DORINE VAN MEEL 15 APRIL - 14 JUNE, FIRST FLOOR GALLERIES
Open Tuesday – Sunday 11am to 6pm and until 9pm on Wednesdays and last Friday of the month. 65 Peckham Road, London, SE5 8UH www.southlondongallery.org Twitter : @SLG_artupdates • Instagram : @southlondongallery Facebook : SouthLondonGallery
Culture
Duncan Wooldridge Duncan Wooldridge is an artist, art critic and curator alongside his appointment as Course Leader of the BA(Hons) Photography course at the prestigious Camberwell Collage of Arts. His own artworks explore themes of possession, authorship, mechanical reproduction and interruption. In between all this he managed to find time to answer some question for us.
What does an average day as course director of fine art photography at Camberwell consist of? SOUTH EAST LONDON JOURNAL:
I teach three days out of five, with one main day for adminstration, and another for my own work and research. On a teaching day, I’m teaching in the main part of the day — that means I might be running a reading seminar, leading a crit, having a one-to-one tutorial, or having a meeting with students about shows, projects, or unit briefings. Outside of that, it’s pretty varied, though probably more full-on and bureaucratic than I’d like to admit or than people might expect! First thing and last thing in any given day I’m probably working through admin about everything from room bookings, to working with our international office about exchanges and projects, ordering stationery, managing open days or interviews for new students. However much that might take up my time, I see my main purpose somewhere else: developing new possibilities DUNCAN WOOLDRIDGE:
and opportunities for students who are on and have been on the course. Alumni come back to us and get teaching experience running crits and workshops; we’ve set up a project space which is run and curated by second years; we run short workshops with artists, and we’re just coming to the end of a process of commissioning a book from a course graduate (from a juried competition), it will cost them nothing, but gives them exposure and develops an audience for them. SELJ:
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Are the photography students at Camberwell still involved with analogue photography and developing? Do you think it is important to preserve dark room facilities? It is important to preserve facilities, and we see a lot of students making work with analogue facilities. We have black and white and colour darkrooms, and we’re specialising more and more in experimental and alternative print process: we’re aiming to become a cert for it in London. A lot of understanding about how photography works DW:
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comes from learning through the analogue, though I’m not nostalgic about it, just as I’m not an unblinking technophile! We encourage students to develop their work through their interests, concerns, processes and conceptual anchors — students choose the subject matter from the very beginning — and there’s usually a technical decision that becomes somewhat inevitable once the purpose of the work is understood. How do you manage to balance working on your own works with such a demanding position?
than for employability) when I was a student, and I’m not sure my position has changed — it has probably been reinforced, as most students we meet have the need for jobs drilled into them from 16 to 19, and we try and unpick that mindset as being the thing that determines the decisions you make. Being a lecturer allows me to make work without the compromise of whether I’m working with an idea that I can sell or not.
SELJ:
DW: It’s
not easy, but I realise I’m pretty lucky to have the role that I have. I get to see interesting ideas as they develop, and research and knowledge isn’t just a one-way street. I get a research day — in which I might be writing an essay, planning a show, or making my own work, or I might go out and see shows and read. Alongside that, I can apply for research leave — if I’m working on a big public project — which the University supports (which works because staff research directly contributes to the University’s income through what is known as ‘REF’). I use the time in my evenings and weekends too. It helps to be a bit obsessive.
What qualities do you look for when interviewing potential Camberwell students? SELJ:
An openness to experimentation is the key thing. Because we’re a fine art photography course, we’re looking for artists who might want to think about photography as a starting point without falling into the default idea that the final result has to be a photograph - it might be an image, but it might also be a sculpture, a happening, an aroma! I think we’re pretty unusual in that respect. We get some great applicants who are clearly looking around and proactively going to good exhibitions and reading, and that is a huge plus. DW:
Alongside your current post at Camberwell you have been a visiting professor at Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts in China. Were there any marked differences between the student’s creative approach and process, in comparison to that of the students at Camberwell? SELJ:
SELJ: Has
working full time in arts education changed how you approach your own practice/works? DW: If
I’m honest, I’m not sure that it has. I believed in education for its own sake (for knowledge rather
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The way that education works is different, naturally enough. In some instances, there is a real deference to lecturers in China, whereas we encourage students not to think of us as tutors, so much as working artists, writers and curators. That said, Xi’an and Camberwell are both pretty similar in their feel — the atmosphere is friendly rather than oppressive, especially in that students are engaged, friendly and not at all pretentious — the students I’ve worked with in China have been playful and willing to take creative risks. The Chinese social and economic context is particularly interesting and its not surprising that great work gets made there when there is a lot socially and creatively at stake. DW:
Do you think the area has changed creatively in recent years? Do you have any thoughts on the current trend of London’s young creatives choosing to set up in Berlin instead? SELJ:
DW: I
think the migration of artists from London to other spaces is something of a disaster — I have a salaried job and find it difficult to live here, so sticking your neck out to develop your practice without a regular income is really tough. Berlin has long been a place to move to, because the space is much cheaper, even if work is pretty hard to find. I think we’ll see more movement out to other centres however. I think Glasgow will get bigger, and wouldn’t be surprised to see Liverpool,
Manchester and Bristol really take off as bigger artists communities in the years to come. I’d prefer it if the scenesters moved away and artists stayed in London, but it’s more likely that the artists committed to making work at any cost will do it instead. What are your favourite art spaces in south East London and any upcoming exhibitions you are looking forward to? SELJ:
News of the World has an interesting programme, as does Peter Von Kant. Greengrassi and CorviMora have really outstanding artists and they are local to me, so I go to a lot of their shows. I’m looking forward to the next show at Jupiter Woods, as something to look forward to, and wanted to mention the Eva Stenram show, which has been at Siobhan Davies Dance Studio, which was excellent. DW:
Notes UNTIL 25 APRIL: Kristin Oppenheim: White Rabbit Green Grassi, SE11 UNTIL 25 APRIL: Sophie Wiltshire: Encounters Corvi Mora, SE11 01 MAY UNTIL 31 JULY: Tamsin Van Essen: Time and Transition: curated by Clare Twomey Sionbhan Davis Dance, SE1 UNTIL 2 MAY: Jon Pilkington Peter Von Kant, SE8
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REVIEW: BOOKS
Culture
Roland Bates, owner of Kirkdale Bookshop in Sydenham curates this issue’s book selection. You can find Kirkdale Bookshop at 272 Kirkdale, SE26. www.kirkdalebookshop.com
MY BRILLIANT FRIEND Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein This is the first in a sequence of four dazzling novels that has taken Europe by storm. It begins in the brutal poverty of a 1950s Naples slum where two girls, Elena and Lila, form a friendship which will last fifty years. As all the novels progress, Elena’s character emerges and changes with the times, but in this first book we are presented with her and Lila’s background: a post-war Italy struggling to enter the modern world, where old Catholic certainties are challenged by extreme politics of the left and right. Most critically, this is a time and place where women’s lives are circumscribed and cheap. The reader is immediately drawn in by the sheer violence and physicality of Ferrante’s language. More than anything, the book’s most powerful presence is Lila herself, the brilliant friend whose volatile nature is both her best and her worst asset. DANCING IN THE DARK Karl Ove Knausgaard, translated by Don Bartlett ‘Young, Dumb and Full of Conflict’ might be a more accurate title for this, the fourth volume in Knausgaard’s epic autobiographical novel. Here we see Knausgaard at perhaps his most vulnerable yet: aged eighteen, no longer a child but still rather less than an adult, he leaves home and goes to teach for a year in the far north of Norway. This, he hopes, is where he will begin to forge his destiny as a writer. But the project turns out to be every bit as difficult as this young man’s other, more basic goal, which is chronicled in a succession of erotic humiliations and acts of self-sabotage. Mindboggling quantities of alcohol take their predictable toll here, while contributing to a weirdly dreamlike atmosphere. The book is unflinchingly honest. And hilarious, in the way that only an overearnest teenager can be. Bring on the fifth volume! THE LISTENER Tove Jansson, translated by Thomas Teal This was Tove Jansson’s first collection of short stories, published in 1971. A year previously, Jansson had published the last of the Moomin books, a sequence which had become unexpectedly reflective and sad towards the end. That is very much the tone of this collection too. The listener of the title story gradually loses her connections with the world, tries to restore them artificially, but ends by rejecting the effort. Elsewhere in the collection, characters are always at a tantalising remove from reality, nearly apprehending it but never quite getting it, and yet creating something useful from that perceived failure. This finds its fullest expression in the final and best story; here a writer on a remote island loses a battle of wits with an unwanted house-guest - a squirrel but, perversely, finds this encounter to be the spur for her next work. both her best and her worst asset.
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Polly Morgan Taxidermy is Dead (Long Live Taxidermy!) 12 March – 7 June • Free Discover our historic Natural History Gallery’s new displays
horniman.ac.uk
Forest Hill
With thanks to the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund
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History
Herne Hill Velodrome One Tree Hill Charity Spotlight: Wheels For Wellbeing 47
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herne
WORDS: Louise Achilles PHOTO: Wally Happy
velo— 48
History
hill Sat between Herne Hill and Dulwich, about halfway down Burbage Road, there is a small path that quietly leads to 124 years of history; Herne Hill Velodrome is a local landmark, steeped in a tumultuous but courageous past, and more historical milestones than most might be aware of. Home to both the 1908 and 1948 Olympics, it has seen periods of glory as well as times of disrepair. Championed by Sir Bradley Wiggins, who himself has trained here since the age of twelve, the elliptical track also boasts racers such as Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott; but despite this rich history, Herne Hill Velodrome has been competing in more of a political trial of late.
I
t was founded by amateur racer, George Hillier in 1891 along with the support of local cycling clubs — including the still existing Dulwich Paragon. With cycling at the peak of its popularity in this country, the twenties and thirties were thriving decades for the track, the highlight of each year being the famous ‘Good Friday Meet’ with the opportunity of seeing world champions drawing crowds of over ten thousand. During WWI, Crystal Palace FC was relocated here due to their own ground being used for military training. A less fortunate use was bestowed during WWII, becoming almost derelict after being used as a barrage balloon site. A.P Chamberlain, secretary of the NCU noted that, “The crevices between the
concrete slabs of the track are covered with all kinds of growth… In the back straight a luxurious grape vine has assumed interesting proportions”. Work began that year to restore the track to its previous glory, as soon the world’s eyes would be upon it. The 1948 Olympics is perhaps the most illustrious pin on Herne Hill Velodrome’s historical map. Britain’s hopes were resting on the four-times world sprint champion, Reg Harris as he raced Italian, Mario Ghella. A huge redevelopment took place; twelve telephone boxes were installed for the use of the press, roads were reconstructed and a new surface lay, which itself lasted until the eighties. We had the pleasure of meeting with local hero and champion racing cyclist, Wally Happy to talk some more about the history.
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Born in 1932, Wally has been cycling at Herne Hill Velodrome since the age of fifteen, and still does to this day. Equipped with an endless bounty of knowledge and memories, Wally transported us through the vibrant decades of the fourties and fifties at the club. Part of the Norwood Paragon CC, infamously regarded as the toughest all-male cycling club in South London, he won the ‘Most Improved Track Rider’ trophy in his first year. Among many others, he also won the twenty-five miles Tandem Paced Championship at Herne Hill Velodrome in 1953 to crowds of thousands. The next year however, he was enlisted in the RAF and stationed at Compton Bassett. Defiant to defend his title, he crept under the wire at camp, hitchhiked to Hammersmith, got a train to South Kensington where he lived at the time, grabbed his bike and cycled to Herne Hill, jumped on his track bike from the club cabin and came third in the race – only to hitchhike back to camp through the night. Other anecdotes include the coincidental trend in names of his contemporary riders: Ken Joy, Joe Merry, Brian Jolly and Jack Gay to name a few. After a couple of decades in the army – where he was, of course, captain of the road and track racing teams – and a stint in Normandy, he is now an active member of Velo Club de Londres, and often campaigns to keep Herne Hill Track in use for cyclists of all persuasions. Vehement campaigning is something that, unfortunately, many of the riders have had to take part in for the sake of Herne Hill Velodrome. In 2003, after again, falling into a state of disrepair, the gates were closed and the future looked uncertain. VC Londres and British Cycling secured a series of short leases from landowner Dulwich Estates, which helped grapple some control, but after the old wooden pavilion was declared unsafe and the lease drew to a close, something bigger was required. In 2011, the Herne Hill Velodrome Trust was established, and with the Save The Velodrome campaign at full speed, the club was gaining national press and highprofile support. Launched by local residents, parents of young riders and the established cycling community, the campaign garnered the attention of local MP Tessa Jowell and Olympic boss Lord Coe, helping the trust raise over £40,000 and enabled them to confidently negotiate with Dulwich Estate. With
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momentum now accelerating and a new lease secured, British Cycling was able to finance a resurface. Southwark’s Olympic Legacy program then followed, and in 2013, further improvements were made including a new junior track, multi-use gaming area and floodlighting allowing for use during the winter months. The successstory doesn’t slow there; stage three of the regeneration is now under way, with plans for the brand new pavilion now submitted and waiting for approval, thanks to funding from Sport England and London Marathon Trust. Herne Hill Velodrome Trust is also an official charity of the London Cycle Sportive, which takes place on Sunday May 10th. The ride will begin in the picturesque Dulwich Park, where two thousand cyclists will follow the route all the way out to the Surrey Hills and finishing with a victory lap at Herne Hill Velodrome. For other events, HHV have recently announced their energetic Summer Schedule, which includes general track training for a whole host of different ages, levels and riding styles, as well as an inclusive calendar of events running until October. Head over to their website for the full program and details about how to get involved. hernehillvelodrome.com
History
Previous: Wally recieving one of his many trophies Below: Cuttings and photographs collected during Wally’s time at the velodrome
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here are always two ways the conversation by St Augustine’s. I always try to imagine what it must have can go when I ask my friends whether they’ve been like on the day of The Agitation in 1897, when around seen the view from One Tree Hill yet. Either one hundred thousand people rioted due to a local golf club the next few minutes are spent pretending to suddenly fencing the hill off, keeping the public out. Apparently enthusiastically laugh along at their surprise at its name, as they the protestors pulled down part of the fence and sang Rule yet again reference the popular nineties TV show. Britannia. It was retrieved as a public recreation ground on Bank Or, the other is being able to share the wisdom of knowing Holiday Monday 1905 when Camberwell Council acquired a view so close to home that can rival Telegraph Hill and the hill for the cost of £6,100. One Tree Hill was also once part Nunhead Reservoir. I walk over One Tree of the Great North Wood, stretching along Hill almost everyday, yet I’ll never get jaded a high ridge of land from Croydon to New of climbing the crooked steps up through Cross. It’s one of the highest points of South the blackberry bushes, towards the grassy London, standing at 90m above sea level. From clearing at the summit and ambling out onto the Norman Conquest to the reign of Queen the expanse. There you’ll see nature’s picture Victoria, the wood from the hill provided frame holding a polished-looking London oak for shipbuilding, hazel for fence making, through the scoop of trees. My choice hour bark for tanning, and charcoal for blacksmiths. to stand here is just before dusk, when the It’s pretty overgrown now, since the formal sun hasn’t quite set, but all the tiny lights of woodland management ended in the 1960s, the city start glowing. If you look directly up, but with forty different species of tree and then follow the blue sky down to the tip of fifty different species of bird, it’s now a thriving the Shard, an orangey strip of smog begins to nature reserve. Common Lizards, despite the streak across the city. It makes you feel both name suggests, are quite rare in South London, a little thankful to be up in the clean air of understandably; yet they can be seen sunning Honor Oak Park, yet at the same time, filling you with an themselves in summer and early autumn. An endangered stag intoxicating desire to get over there, breathe the dirt in and beetle can also be found emerging from the old dead trees settle into an evening at the heart of it. In moments like this, in June. There’s a fabulous group of people, who’s aim it is to I quietly wish there was a zip-wire from where I’m standing, keep and improve the wildlife habitats here. With the help all the way down to the hot concrete ahead. of Southwark Council, The Friends Of One Tree Hill plant If you step up onto the big octagonal structure behind you woodland bulbs, clear bramble from the glades, and look after — which I used to think was a bandstand — the bird boxes. you can crane your neck to see across to Perhaps the most famous thing on the hill “I always try to the west of town, Vauxhall and beyond. that they endeavor to preserve is the Oak imagine what it Though, what you’re actually standing on is as Of Honor. Planted to commemorate the equally interesting as the view; this concrete must have been like re-opening of the hill to the public in 1905, on the day of The construction, which now also moonlights as it’s purpose is to perpetuate the original oak Agitation in 1897, an illegal fire-pit for the local night-dwellers, tree that stood on this spot, under which when around one once had a more serious purpose, as a gunQueen Elizabeth is said to have picnicked with hundred thousand placement in World War One. You can still a companion on Mayday, 1602. One Tree Hill people rioted due see the bolts where the gun was attached isn’t very big; it’s not as famous as perhaps to a local golf club in 1916, used by the Royal Naval Air Force some other local view-spots; and despite its suddenly fencing for firing down the German Zeppelins and regal history, I feel like it stands quite humble the hill off, keeping – all of which I think add to its charm. Its Gotha biplanes that floated above London. the public out.” Rumour has it that the shots fired from this one of those places that reminds you how spot may have accidentally caused huge nice it is to live in South East London, with damage to tramlines near Peckham Rye its equal measure of dense history and wide Common too. Whenever I come up here, open spaces. We should be thankful to the it’s generally quite quiet. Sundays are a little protesters of yesteryear and The Friends Of busier as the churchgoers have a stroll; the local kids might One Tree Hill today for working to keep such a great place be doing an Easter-egg hunt, or having a picnic organised flourishing for us all to enjoy.
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WHEELS FOR WELLBEING As we arrived at Herne Hill Velodrome to chat to Wally Happy for our history piece, there was a session kicking off on the track. We wandered over to take a look, immediately inspired and moved by such a brilliant, yet simple idea. Wheels For Wellbeing is a charity, working hard to get people back doing something they love. Many people with impairments, long term injury or illness face barriers to taking part in any physical activity. It doesn’t occur to most that cycling could be for them. Last year they helped more than a thousand people enjoy new skills, freedom and independence regardless of disability, health condition or age. They have a fleet of two, three and four wheeled cycles and run inclusive cycling sessions in South London for adults and children. We wanted those taking part to share how Wheels For Wellbeing has helped them‌
NEIL & JULIA We have been cycling together for the last thirty years. Mostly mountain biking, but we also tried our hand at cycle touring in France once! It seemed that we always had our bikes on the back or top of our car, and we were always heading off to meet family and friends for a ride. As a family we cycled with babies on the back of our bikes, with toddlers on the front, and then children along side us. Somewhere in the middle the men and the teenagers bonded on their bikes and the Surrey Hills were a regular weekend haunt. In May 2012 Neil suffered a life changing subarachnoid haemorrhage (haemorrhagic stroke) and over the next five months in hospital, he worked hard to recover from brain surgery; learning to walk again, regaining the strength in his left
side and beginning to adjust to life as partially sighted. During this time, cycling was far from our minds; but when the discharge from hospital was looming, we set up a turbo trainer at home. This static set up enables you to use your own bike whilst you pedal, and that of course when you cycle is a big bonus. Worry, anxiety and fear can often prevent you from returning to the things you used to enjoy. We have always been optimistic about returning in some way to the hobbies we enjoyed together. Timing and finding the right support is key to this. A chance conversation with the Croydon visually impaired team was the introduction to accessible cycling. We found Wheels for Wellbeing and in December 2014 arranged to come and try out a Tandem. We arrived on a cold but sunny Friday and were warmly welcomed by the enthusiastic staff and volunteer helpers. Neil teamed with his brother-in-law, and with instructions from the staff, they set off like pros on the tandem! Three laps later, on the safety of the track, the long held worry about balance was soon behind them. Confidence high and with the staff’s encouragement, Neil got back on the bike.
We can’t believe we have found such a fabulous opportunity to cycle in safety. We have encouraged our family to join us just like the old days. Our son who continues to cycle at university has done what he thought he would never do again, he has set off to cycle with his dad. How we have laughed together again as we cycle, joined some weeks by my parents, sister and niece. We have tried the brilliant selection of side-by-side bikes, hand cycles and recumbent bikes; and as physiotherapy goes you can’t beat that feeling of being able to do what you really love in the great outdoors. We are so pleased that Wheels for Wellbeing is working hard to raise the profile of accessible cycling and can provide weekly accessible cycling sessions. We have been spreading the word to encourage others to try or to return to cycling. On a personal level we are back to cycling together again, and there is no way in those early weeks and months we could have thought this would be possible. With this newfound confidence we have ventured out to Bushy Park, and with our wits about us we completed a lap. We are looking forward to a summer of cycling.
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LINDA I first heard about Wheels For Wellbeing from a fellow ‘get fitter’ at my chair-based exercise class. I began in June 2014. I had just been told I was pre-diabetic and was keen to both lose weight and increase my exercise routines. Once I found out that there were all sorts of bicycles including trikes, I was keen to give it a go! I had only ever cycled once before, on holiday in Sark, CI. Because I have a very dodgy sense of balance, I am unable to ride a normal bicycle — I couldn't stay on it or upright long enough to get anywhere! This was my chance to ride a tricycle, off road and without too much stress in avoiding traffic! The chance to exercise in fresh air and to go at some speed round the track makes me feel good - knackered but good! It doesn't matter what the temperature is, I’m currently riding around in three degrees. My favourite bike at Wheels For Wellbeing is a certain type of tricycle with a broad seat! Being a bit on the cuddly side, I need a bit more support underneath my rear end and one of the bikes there fits me perfectly. I also have a session on the hand-cycles — I'm trying to improve my upper arms and shoulder strength and this seems to be helping. Cycling with Wheels For Wellbeing has had such a positive impact on me. Not only do I enjoy it, but I actually look forward to going there each week. I get quite annoyed if the weather is too bad, but am now toying with the idea of getting a bicycle cape or waterproofs. I have osteoarthritis in various bits of me and I find that regular exercise helps. The day after the very first session I attended, I had a heart attack (nothing to do with cycling, I hasten to add) that ended up with me having an angioplasty. The Cardiac Rehab team at King's College Hospital were positively encouraging me to go back to cycling to help maintain my fitness levels with regard to my heart condition.
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Once I got the all clear to come back to WFW sessions, I've been practically every week since. It's helping me, and the old ticker, and I enjoy it. To those people who say they're too old to start cycling — rubbish! I'm pushing sixty myself (eeek!) and it's the best thing I've done in a long while. You get the exercise; you can go at your own pace; you get help and advice from the volunteers there, not to mention the odd cuppa in between the odd lap around the track; there's a variety of bikes to try and find out which one suits you best and you get plenty of fresh air as well. You also get to meet a variety of people who go for whatever reason and we're all different ages, shapes and sizes. In other words, you're not too old, too young, too short or tall, too large or too small — there's a bike there for everyone. I would say to anyone who might be thinking about it — just give it a go. wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk
Yellow floor lamp – £135.00
Blue linen chair – £195.00
Ceramic pineapple jar – £12.95
Pink wire stool – £24.95
Purple colourful mat – £21.95
the dulwich trader 9–11 Croxted Road, London, SE21 8SZ Tel: 020 8761 3457
tomlinsons
89 Dulwich Village, London, SE21 7BJ Tel: 020 8299 1260
three eclectic stores, one unique experience
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41 North Cross Road, London, SE22 9ET Tel: 020 8299 6938
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Home
Homeware Edit Inside A Peckham Home Makers & Menders Sash Windows Best Blooms Bone & Rag 59
Inside A Peckham Home
PHOTO: James Balston
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RACHEL & HENRY CAUSER SOUTH EAST LONDON JOURNAL:
lived in your home? RACHAEL CAUSER:
How long have you
It’ll be nineteen years this summer.
Have you consciously balanced the need for practicality and everyday life with aesthetic choices?
Were there any aesthetic design choices that happened organically? Like the dramatic inky blue wall colour, and the collections of objects for example? SELJ:
SELJ:
Yes, I guess we have. The house has changed an enormous amount in the time we have lived here. Most of the changes we’ve made have been led by practicality as we’ve had three children, but we also both have a fairly good idea of what we like aesthetically. Luckily we pretty much agree on that. R:
SELJ: Did
you design each space as an entity, or have they evolved a lot over time? They have evolved tremendously, the bedrooms have changed many times. When we bought it, it was just us rattling around in a four bedroom house, so we used one bedroom as a studio, one for a lodger, one for us and one to store a fast-growing ‘boot fair habit’. We’ve probably slept in all the rooms at some point, and having three daughters means we have experimented with different ways of dividing bedrooms as they’ve grown bigger. Building separate ‘pods’ — a kind of bed/shelf arrangements into corners — and then more permanently splitting a room into two smallish spaces with stud walls and doors. Also, as the family has grown, we’ve more stuff; the house has a number of handy alcoves that we’ve built storage into using re-claimed doors so that they look and feel like they’ve always been there. Both of us quite like the look of beaten up, painted wood so we’ve used re-claimed doors, tongue and groove and old floorboards a lot. The kitchen was designed in one go about seven or eight years ago, and apart from repainting and the odd shelf it’s stayed the same. The bathroom has been moved upstairs and then shaved down a few years later to build a linen/drying cupboard. There are real advantages to living somewhere for a long time and not having enough money to do many things in one go. R:
R: We are both real hoarders of stuff, and
have a number of ‘collections’ — a very loose term, we can’t resist poking around charity shops, second hand places and skips etc. However we have been much stricter with ourselves in the past few years. We both really like old things that have a history, and on the whole, much prefer acquiring things in this way. I have a lot of old mirrors that I have bought or found and I like the quality of ageing glass. I also love old china, particularly from the fifties and sixties and have been picking up bits and pieces since I was in my early twenties. I’ve had a thing for small things since I was a kid — I love dolls house furniture, lead figures, old packaging — particularly from haberdashery items, metal letters, dolls shoes... so people give me things and I’m always looking out for more. Henry collects art books, so capacious shelves have always been an important part of any design decision. The dark, inky blue colour in the sitting room happened fairly organically, moving from a series of light tones and gradually getting darker as we realised that it needed to be really dark to work; we only really use that room in the winter evenings, when we light the fire and watch more telly! How did your feelings towards your home change when you had children? SELJ:
R: We
moved from an entirely open plan downstairs to wanting more contained spaces, walls were put back in again to make the sitting room cosy.
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Our garden is pretty small, but just big enough for the girls to play outside in when they were little — you could just about fit a tiny paddling pool jammed into the space that you virtually stepped straight into from the back door! But it was big enough so they could muck around outside and grow a few things. As they got older, we’d used up every corner of space inside for bedrooms and cupboards, so we decided to build a studio for Henry and I in the garden. It’s an awkward space that ends in a point, but we got builders to construct a posh shed that fitted the dimensions and maximised the space inside. It meant the already-quite-small-garden was made really tiny — just a courtyard really, which the girls weren’t very happy about at the time, but you do have to make choices and use the space you have wisely, and now I don’t think anyone regrets it. Do you have a good relationship with your neighbours? Do you feel part of a community? SELJ:
Yes, we’ve been extremely fortunate in having excellent relationships with neighbours on both sides who, coincidentally, moved in at roughly the same time as we did. We have an old gate between our garden and next-door; the kids have taken great advantage of popping backwards and forwards, as have we. It’s really nice to be able to nip round to one another’s kitchens. When we first moved in we were pleasantly surprised by the really strong community ethos on the road and were made to feel extremely welcome. The area has an excellent residents association (Astbury Road Area Resident's Association, ARARA) who regularly organise lots of community events including front garden competitions and street parties, as well as campaigning for improvements to the area, including planting trees in the road. Despite the significant changes over the past two decades, in particular the recent gentrification, the community has remained relatively unchanged and feels like a genuine reflection of the multi-faceted nature of this part of South East London. R:
What are your favourite South East London spots for homeware and otherwise? SELJ:
R: We are big fans of architectural salvage yards and
junk shops, but the absolute gem in this part of town is Deptford Market on a Wednesday and Friday.
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Homeware Edit 1. WHAT: Large Nordic Bowl WHERE: The Dulwich Trader 9-11 Croxted Road, SE11 HOW MUCH: £26.95 2. WHAT: Paddywax Soy Candles WHERE: The Fresh Flower Company 39 North Cross Road, SE22 HOW MUCH: £19.50 3. WHAT: Concrete Pots WHERE: Conpot Made In Peckham, www.conpot.co.uk HOW MUCH: S: £18, M: £29 4. WHAT: Blankets WHERE: The Fresh Flower Company 39 North Cross Road, SE22 HOW MUCH: £125 5. WHAT: Contrast Button Cotton Tub Chair WHERE: Oliver Bonas 26 Lordship Lane, SE22 HOW MUCH: £395
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Matteo Bianchi Studio 33 - 35 Brayards Road London SE15 3RF
Bold & Stylish Interior Design
www.matteobianchi.co.uk • info@matteobianchi.co.uk
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Sydenham’s talented Robert Price of Munro Upholstery transformed this rather down-and-out 1950s armchair into an elegant piece of living room furniture. We find out more‌
Makers & Menders
SE LONDON JOURNAL SOUTH EAST LONDON JOURNAL: How
Upholstery been established?
long has Munro
ROBERT PRICE: I am now the second generation of my family to be an upholsterer in the local area. My mother started the original company in the 1980s. SELJ: How
did you learn the skill?
R: I was taught cutting and sewing skills by my mother, then went on to do an apprenticeship at That Rare Touch Upholsterers in Forest Hill. SELJ: How R: I
long have you live in the area?
have lived in Sydenham all my life.
SELJ: What are the stages of the process with a chair like this? R: The first stage is to strip the chair back to the frame, then we check for any frame damage and repair as necessary. The next stage is to replace the webbing, hessian and foam back to the original specification. We then cut out the fabric for the chair carcass and cushion covers making templates where applicable. The chair is then covered, new cushions are made and the legs are then polished. The piece is now ready for the customer. SELJ: How
much would this project normally cost?
R: We would charge between ÂŁ280 to ÂŁ320 for this type of chair, excluding fabric. SELJ: What
has been your favourite project so far?
R: My favourite project so far has been reinstating the interior of a 1953 Bristol Motors sports coupe. SELJ: And R: As
your biggest challenge?
above.
SELJ: What are your favourite places in South East London? R: My favourite local places are Millwall Stadium, The All In One Pub in Forest Hill, Horniman Museum, the local parks where I walk my dog and Borough Market.
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Lewisham Way
South East London Sash Windows
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Brockley Station
Illustrations by Kirsten Houser
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Valletta Encaustic Tiles
showrooms nationwide • 0845 366 0400 • firedear th.com
SE LONDON JOURNAL A: Thank you! We keep in mind that we all love what we produce. For example, our dogs love our dog beds for jumping into after a long muddy walk and snoozing and sleeping. And that we humans love them too, because we like to see our dogs happy and healthy, we appreciate things that look good, that are practical and easy to clean and to care for. Things need to stand the test of time, the rough and tumble of life. Basically, we like to make tails wag and people smile.
Bone & Rag WORDS: Sonja Farrell Designed and made in England, Bone & Rag make beautifully crafted products for discerning dogs and their style-conscious owners. Canine intervention might’ve started the company eight years ago, but it’s the relationship and understanding that co-founders, Alex Sullivan and Jeremy Cooper have for their own dogs (Twig, Tank, Red, Percy and Timber) that’s allowed the business to go from strength to strength. We spoke to Alex to find out more and to get his top tips for South East London dog owners. SOUTH EAST LONDON JOURNAL: How long have you lived
in South East London and what has kept you here?
ALEX: About twenty-five years now — way over half my life! Always within a stone’s throw from Brockwell Park. I love the creativity, mix and diversity of South London, I love the open spaces too — green and full of friendly faces! SELJ: What would you say was the main source of inspiration for setting up Bone & Rag? A: Eight years ago when we got our first dogs, Red and Percy, we found it impossible to find exactly the right dog beds. We wanted them to be comfy, to look good, but also be durable and practical. Frustrated, I got the sewing machine out and made a couple of dog beds. They loved them. Then I made a couple more for family and friends from the park. They loved them too. So, encouraged, we researched materials, fabrics and different stuffings and established Bone & Rag in 2010. And five years later we’re still going strong. SELJ: You design practical and durable dog products with a considered and elegant aesthetic. How much does your lifestyle dictate your ideas?
SELJ: Do you have a design philosophy? A: Our stuff is crafted, practical, considered and simple. As well as making and selling tough but comfy dog beds, we make smart but sturdy dog collars and leads, and bowls that look good in the kitchen corner. Our ethic — handmade in the UK and as eco as possible — is important to us. We will keep production in the UK, it’s good for us to have close control over the manufacturing process, and know the provenance of what we sell. SELJ: How do you make having five dogs work? A: It’s remarkably easy! And fun! We start the day at dawn with a lovely long walk in the park, followed by breakfast — a bone from our friends at the butchers. By 9.30am the dogs are all fast asleep snoozing on their beds and stay snoozing until about 5pm when they are ready for their next play session. They do get up during the day to help greet couriers and manage deliveries! They are all friendly, obedient and loving running round the park together. It helps that we have space and that there is always someone working from home. We never really leave them alone, who needs a holiday from such an idyllic life?! SELJ: What are your top dog-friendly recommendations in the area? A: Both The Florence and the Prince Regent pubs on Dulwich Road are good for half a cider after a walk in the park, or the Lido Café. Both William Rose and Jones The Butcher are helpful, friendly butchers of good quality meat. Ellie and Kat at Norwood Road Veterinary too, and Herne Hill Market on a Sunday is good for interesting smells. I also thoroughly recommend this great book for top tips on having a dog in the city, Dog About Town by Louise Glazebrook. boneandrag.com
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Best
‘Sweet April showers do spring May flowers.’ — Thomas Tusser
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Blooms
Spring bouquets gathered from — This Page: The Fresh Flower Company, SE22 Opposite: Pesh Flower Shop, SE5 Chapter Page: Bartleys Flowers, SE21
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Herne Hill 291 Railton Road, SE24 OJP 020 7207 2865
Brixton 425 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LH 020 3818 0068
East Dulwich 65 North Cross Road, SE22 9ET 020 8299 4742
We have been part of the south London community for six years. Our original salon opened in Herne Hill, followed by East Dulwich and Brixton. Our salons are contemporary and relaxed our award winning team of friendly stylists and assistants will help to look after your hair and create a style that works for you.
www.mylaanddavis.co.uk bookings@mylaanddavis.co.uk @mylaanddavis
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Garments & Grooming
Garments & Grooming Edit Outpost Bags & Objects The Cycle Jersey A Wet Shave Health & Fitness Notes 81
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Garments & Grooming Edit
WHAT: Floris Santal Eau De Toilette WHERE: Roullier White, SE22 HOW MUCH: £75
2. WHAT: Sentinel Beanie WHERE: Heresy, SE15 HOW MUCH: £25
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3. WHAT: Petit Bateau Heavy Jersey Mariniere WHERE: Lowie, SE24 HOW MUCH: £58
4. WHAT: Penfield PAC JAC Jacket WHERE: Ed, SE22 HOW MUCH: £105
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8. 9. 5. WHAT: Le Coq Sportif Eclat Glow In The Dark WHERE: Ed, SE22 HOW MUCH: £75
6. WHAT: WESC Polka 5 Panel Baseball Cap WHERE: Ed, SE22 HOW MUCH: £30
7. WHAT: Lyra Ikat Skirt WHERE: Ed, SE22 HOW MUCH: £70
8. WHAT: Cashmere Mix Handmade Cardigan WHERE: Lowie, SE24 HOW MUCH: £128
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9. WHAT: Laboratorio Olfattivo Cozumel Eau De Parfum WHERE: Roullier White, SE22 HOW MUCH: £90
The
Peckham Yesterday you said tomorrow www.crossfitpeckham.com
Garments & Grooming
Outpost Bags & Objects e’re in an age where things are becoming more and more mass-produced. The cost of some items so low, it’s difficult to comprehend how it’s even possible, before remembering the upsetting facts surrounding that reason.
W
Throughout history, with waves of popularisation, there becomes an equal and opposite reaction. We tend to yearn for the things that are the antithesis of what has become the norm. In this case, it’s brought about the huge appetite for artisan items; slow, considered and skilled.
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Whether it’s coffee, food, furniture or clothing, we’re happier paying more for something we know has been cared for and created by an accomplished enthusiast. Based on the border of East Dulwich and Peckham, Michael Douglas is the founder and creator of Outpost Bags and Objects. All items are made to order and handcrafted with traditional hand tools and a vintage 1954 Singer sewing machine. He epitomises this new wave of craftsmanship that is becoming ever-more popular.
SE LONDON JOURNAL
SOUTH EAST LONDON JOURNAL: What
inspired you to set
up Outpost Bags and Objects? MICHAEL: I’ve always been into textiles, it’s always played a part in my work, been a source of inspiration for my other projects, and just something I’d get a lot of pleasure from. But working with fabrics had never been the focus. I remember, I needed a bag last minute for a flight, realised there was nothing out there, so I just made one. It was a reminder of how much I enjoyed sewing and working with fabrics and it made me want to experiment with different designs and materials. It was during this process that the idea for Outpost came about. And not just ideas for products but this idea for a brand that would be known for honest, functional pieces and that could allow me to continue exploring these materials and techniques, and to refine my craft. SELJ: How
and where did you learn your craft?
M: I come from a production design background. I’ve worked on film sets and in the theatre. I’ve had to deliver exhibits to commission, from sculptures in paper to sound installations. Making has always been a part of what I do. Materials, the feel of things, physical engagement with materials, and just the process of making: these have all informed what I now do with Outpost. I’ve always had an intuition for materials and enjoyed trying new things and being proactive with that. Working with leather, for example, has been a learning curve and completely self-taught. It’s all been a process of constant refinement with all of the pieces in the collection. SELJ: How does living in South East London influence your designs? M: I love the low-key vibe here, it’s really informed the aesthetic of not just the bags but the brand too. I love all the space there is around here: open spaces like Hilly Fields Park and One Tree Hill, but also just the mind space to be creative. There’s a lot of creative talent and great things being made in South East London and it’s nice to feel a part of it. I also like going to Brockley Market on Saturday mornings and I notice what people are wearing, what kind of bags they’re carrying, it’s a real source of inspiration.
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Garments & Grooming
SELJ: Can you tell us about the materials you have sourced, and your bold decision to use a 1954 Singer sewing machine? M: My aim with Outpost was to work with tactile, hardworking fabrics, often in small batches and one-off quantities. This first collection uses an 18oz cotton twill which comes from a heritage textile mill on the east coast of Scotland. I work mostly with natural vegetable-tanned leather, just because I love the way it ages. The copper rivets are something I knew I wanted to use from the very beginning. They’re labourintensive - each one has to be set, cut, and rounded individually by hand but it’s such an authentic thing and I think adds an interesting detail. With the 1954 Singer, well it’s just a really beautiful machine to use and has a character all of its own, even down to the sound it makes while sewing. I love that. I feel like it adds something to the process. I also just find these old machines to be more reliable. SELJ: Can
you talk us through the process of making the tote bag featured in our item edit? M: First I cut the fabric, four pieces in total. For this particular bag, I use a 15oz dyed cotton for the outer and a 12oz for the lining. I wax the outer piece with my own blend of beeswax and paraffin wax — I find this gives the cotton a nice, tactile quality as well as a level of water resistance. The wax is melted, applied to the fabric, and then more heat is applied to ensure the wax is fully absorbed into the grain of the fabric.
I then construct the lining: the zip pocket is sewn in, followed by the patch pocket and the embossed leather label. The inner and outer components are fitted one inside the other and sewn together around the rim. I cut strips of leather for the handles and, to finish them, I dye and burnish the edges and apply a protective finish. The final stage is the copper rivets, which are used to attach the handles and to reinforce the bag and complete its look. SELJ: What
is your favourite Outpost piece?
M: I’ve always liked the utilitarian look of the tote, particularly the slate grey twill with the natural leather. It’s the one I use most often. I’ve also started making some key lanyards, saddlestitched by hand, which is just a really nice process. SELJ: What
is on the horizon for Outpost?
M: I’m in the process of sourcing some new fabrics — I’m particularly excited about this indigo selvedge denim I just found - which I think will work great with the natural leather and copper rivets. I’m also working on some new backpack designs: I’ve been wanting to make some streamlined versions for a while and it just feels like the right time to expand the collection in that direction. Furniture is also something I’ve always loved and I can really see that being a part of what I do with Outpost in the future. OUTPOSTBAGSANDOBJECTS.COM
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Peckham Pulse
Healthy Living Centre is a family-friendly centre right at the heart of your local community. A vibrant and energetic centre, Peckham Pulse offers the perfect place to tone up, get fit and have fun with: • a state of the art gym • 25m swimming pool • hydrotherapy pool • group exercise studios • indoor cycle studio • soft play area • crèche • and much more… Whether you are looking for a high energy, calorie burning work out, a relaxing session to soothe the mind as well as body or a fun and social group routine, there is something to suit you. Our
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access to all the facilities and classes on offer at Peckham, as well as our six other Southwark leisure centres. So why not make your local centre your first choice when you want to get active?
A BRIEF HISTORY: THE CYCLE JERSEY WORDS: Daniel Fletcher When it comes to sporting attire, there are some garments that score higher for function than they do for style — case in point: the codpiece. Here at South East London Journal however, we award top marks to the trusty cycling jersey, an item that is often overshadowed by its crotch-enhancing counterpart. With back pockets to prevent spilling, added zip length which can be opened for ventilation and elongated back to accommodate the required sitting position, the cycling jersey ticks all the boxes for a comfortable ride. Its other attributes include a snug fit to reduce air resistance and moisture wicking fabric for keeping cool. This is was not always the case, with early examples being made from wool. Not ideal for riding up Denmark Hill in the hot summer sun! However, in the 1940s, an Italian tailor called Armando Castelli turned his hand to cycling, manufacturing silken jerseys in order to provide a
lighter, cooler option. Besides its practical qualities, the silk he used also absorbed ink far better than their woolen predecessor. This in itself began an important progression for professional cycling, as brands could now turn racing cyclists into moving billboards. The 1940s could be called somewhat of a breakthrough decade for the development of cycling jerseys, as in 1941, British chemists JT Dickson and Rex Whinfield patented a little thing called PET, also known as Polyester. This spawned a revolution of synthetic fabric, and by the 1980s, pretty much the whole cycling world had finally said goodbye to wool and donned this next-generation of fabric that was light like silk, wicked like wool and could carry the most vivid design. Today, cycling jerseys are the epitome of functional fashion. Cycle Jersey from Seabass Cycles in Camberwell, made by The 5th Floor.
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A Wet Shave WORDS: Daniel Fletcher Going for a wet-shave is not really something I've ever considered before, possibly because it's only been a handful of years since I’ve actually needed to shave. My good friend Aaron was taunted for his attempts at the charitable Movember last year, a harsh reminder of the fact that not everyone is blessed with evenly distributed facial hair. So when it was suggested I try out one of our local salons for the first issue of South East London Journal, and my first time under the cut-throat razor, I was initially a little nervous; would I be met by men with full faces of designer stubble suppressing a smirk at my juvenile attempt at a five o’clock shadow? Well just in case, I didn't shave all week. Needless to say, this was not the case. I was warmly welcomed into The Groom Room in Dulwich Village, where I was booked in for a traditional Turkish hot shave. I was greeted by owner, Bora Esen, who seemed to have a great relationship with his clients and encouraged a light hearted, positive atmosphere in this typical gentleman's barbershop. My experience begins with having my face 'steamed', a technique that Bora explains he introduced from his native Istanbul, and is unusual in London. It’s surprisingly calming and I am allowed to relax into the traditional barbers chair whilst the first of numerous creams are applied, before my entire face is wrapped in a warm towel. The idea behind this process is to open up my pores in order to get a super close shave. To achieve a similar effect at home, always try to shave after showering; the steam from your shower will cause pores to relax and skin to soften which will help to minimise irritation, allowing the blade to glide seamlessly across your face.
After another cream is applied and the towel wrapping process is repeated, my face is massaged in order to ensure my pores are fully open and my skin is ready for the main event. Understandably, having a complete stranger take a sharp blade to your face may make a lot of people quite nervous. However by this point in my experience at The Groom Room, I felt so at ease that I hardly felt a thing. I'm not sure what I expected in the first place really, I can’t quite imagine the sequel of Sweeney Todd set in picturesque Dulwich Village. One thing I did notice during my shave was that very short strokes were used rather than the meandering cheek-to-neck ones that I am used to performing on myself. Apparently this is a common mistake - using shorter strokes means there is less pressure on the razor handle, which results in a more precise shave with less cuts and increased closeness. After the shaving is complete, my face is applied with more products in a rigorous post-shave routine. One particularly memorable point was the use of an alum block, a crystal-like stone that serves to soothe irritation and close up any nicks or cuts by contracting the tissue surrounding the wound. When I say memorable, what I really mean is slightly uncomfortable. Reassuringly, the alum block has antiseptic properties, which act as a balm to cool and refresh the skin, though despite this, I'm not sure it's something I will use in my everyday routine. Overall my first Turkish shave experience was excellent; the brief moments of post-shave discomfort couldn't detract from what was a surprisingly relaxing excursion. Who would have thought shaving could be so enjoyable? Or effective; afterwards my face felt like a teenager’s. It is definitely something I would try again, and I will be sure to go back to The Groom Room to try nother of their extensive range of treatments. I would also recommend it as a gift for any deserving gentleman in your life, or even as a pre-wedding groomsman activity. Maybe I'll even treat Aaron on his next birthday.
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Garments & Grooming
WHAT: Mitchell’s Wool Fat Shaving Soap WHERE: Roullier White, SE22 HOW MUCH: £7.50
WHAT: Edwin Jagger Handmade Razor WHERE: The Groom Room, SE21 HOW MUCH: £50
WHAT: Mrs White Absolute Barrier Cream WHERE: Roullier White, SE22 HOW MUCH: £25
WHAT: Arko Turkish Shaving Soap WHERE: Roullier White, SE22 HOW MUCH: £4
WHAT: Kent Luxury Shaving Soap, (lid inc.) WHERE: The Groom Room, SE21 HOW MUCH: £18.50
WHAT: Kent Shaving Brush WHERE: The Groom Room, SE21 HOW MUCH: £50
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the honor oak
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chiropractor yoga other therapies For appointments call 0208 314 5535 honoroakwellnessrooms.com
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Health & Fitness Notes
A Spring Refresh WORDS: Anna James As the ground shakes off winter, the spring bulbs begin to bloom and we start to feel the warmth of the sun on our skin again, spring becomes the giver of new energy and hope, making it synonymous with both cleansing and making changes in our homes and lives. Whilst spring encourages this period of reflection leading to the setting of new positive intent for the rest of the year, it can be incredibly beneficial to give a thought to how we deal with stress in our daily lives, particularly in one the of the world’s most demanding cities. If we don’t have or develop effective ways of dealing with stress, allowing it to release from our bodies, then the ramifications can be more negative than we might think. Chronic stress impacts nearly every system in the body, which can lead to very physical health concerns. In responding to stress, the body saves energy by supressing the digestive and immune systems, which, in turn increases the risks of getting colds, flu and sickness bugs as well as digestive complaints. Finding a way that personally works to release stress can be an enjoyable experience, the effects of which can filter through into many aspects of life.
Massage One of the body’s reactions to stress is to causes muscles to tense up; when stress is prolonged the muscles remain in this tense state, which can lead to aches, pains and headaches but also to chronic back and neck pain. Circulation is increased to the heart, muscles and lungs too. Massage is a powerful stress-reducing tool and directly addresses muscle tension and can help restore normal circulation; it allows your body and in-turn your mind to relax. I went to try out the Holistic Back Massage combined with Anti-Stress Facial at Neroli in Honor Oak Park, which was a fiftyminute treatment using organic products. My appointment was with Charlotte, who’s knowledge and confident manner made me feel at ease. She used long firm strokes and spent time working on particularly tense areas; I hadn’t realised how much tension I carry in my lower back and shoulders,
along with the muscles I use for frowning! I started to notice that in the latter stages of the treatment my body just felt less ridged and tense and therefore a bit more comfortable. I was also breathing deeper and slower than usual. This is something I have found useful since the massage, taking time to stop and spend a few minutes breathing in this considered way upon feeling stress creeping up. Charlotte also gave tips about how to replicate some of the techniques used in the treatments at home, to help relieve tension during stressful periods. The massage made me more mindful of my body when I do feel stressed, which can only be a good thing. NOTES: Neroli, SE23 1DZ, neroli-skincare.co.uk
Yoga Yoga is another incredible stress busting tool, and it can also lower blood pressure, improving heart function; almost anybody of any age or ability can do it. It brings together physical and mental disciplines to create peacefulness of both the mind and the body, which helps you holistically relax and manage stress more skilfully going forward. The core components are poses, designed to increase strength and flexibility allowing you to learn and to control breathing. There are many different styles and approaches to Yoga and it may take a few goes to find the one that suits you; though Hatha Yoga is a good place to start, as it is a slower pace and more simple positions. There are also great classes tailored to pre and post pregnancy as well as for children. South East London has a fantastic array of classes to try, from your local leisure center to small independent yoga studios with different specialties. NOTES: Gaia Studio, SE15 4LF; Peckham Pulse,
SE15 5QN; Dulwich Leisure Centre, SE22 9HB; Brockwell Lido, SE24 0PA; Push Studios, SE22 8SD; Practice Yoga, SE13 5BH Visit selondonjournal.co.uk for more tips.
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What makes us different is the difference we make... Our strong academic record is just the starting point: from scientific exploration to personal discovery, our outstanding education goes way beyond exams. Find out more at our Spring & Summer open events Junior: Wednesday 6 May 9.30 - 11am Senior:
Thursday 7 May 9.30 - 11am Wednesday 24 June 6.30 - 8pm (including our D’Art Exhibition)
020 8557 7004 admissions@syd.gdst.net www.sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net 15 & 19 Westwood Hill, London, SE26 6BL
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Children & Families
A detail of a photograph by Olivia Bertie from Sydenham High School, winner of the National Geographic’s Kids Award!
What’s On Item Edit Peckham BMX Club South East Little Journal Homeopathy 95
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What’s
Against Captain’s Orders: a Journey into the Uncharted 28 MARCH
Indiepop Tots Hosted By Nimble Arts 12 APRIL
Super Hero Cape Workshop 09 MAY
‘Prepare to explore. You are the crew of HMS Adventure. Together we will set sail into the unchartered.’ Hosted by Punchdrunk, famous for their cult immersive theatre projects, this is a groundbreaking new show for 6-12 year olds where the museum really comes to life. Don a lifejacket and step into the heart of the action. Runs until 31 August.
Have you always dreamt of passing on your vinyl collection to your child as you grow old? But also dread the day when they start asking what the specific lyrics in Walk On The Wild Side are really about? Well, fear not, begin their musical eduction now. Indiepop Tots is a disco in Peckham for your little ones and of course yourself to dance to an eclectic and upbeat selection of tracks; the likes of Belle & Sebastian, New Order, The Velvet Underground, The Ronettes and more.
Design your very own Super Hero Cape with the wonderful costume designer Tamsin Thorne. The Workshop is for 5+, and your little one will be given a cotton cape to be tasked with transforming it into their very own customised crusaders cape.
National Maritime Museum, SE10
The Nines, SE15
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Ottie and the Bea, SE3
Children & Families
On Want to suggest calendar entries for future issues? Get in touch: info@selondonjournal.co.uk
The Journey Home 10 MAY
Henry V 17-35 MAY
Big Wednesdays: Sheep and Wool 27 MAY
Join Polar Bear as he sets off in search of a new home when the ice starts melting. This acclaimed children’s book by award winning author Frann Preston-Gannon is brought to life through puppetry, lyrical music and transformative design in this new production by Little Angel Theatre.
Following critical acclaim when it premiered in 2013, Shakespeare’s Henry the Fifth is back at Unicorn Theatre for two weeks only. Described as ‘a clever and engaging show’ by the Guardian and ‘probing’ and ‘playful’ by the Telegraph, this modern, fun and inventive take on a classic play is an absolute must-see.
Summer is coming and the sheep at the Horniman need a haircut! With a day of activities inspired by our woolly friends, you can also watch the sheep being sheared and have your little ones hear about why this is important for them. At the end, everyone can make their own felt pom-poms.
The Albany, SE8
Unicorn Theatre, SE1
Horniman Museum & Gardens, SE23
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A modern children's shop Stockist of Djeco, Rice dk, Maileg, Flensted, Corby Tindersticks, Thames and Hudson, Abrams and Chronicle Opening Times: 9.30am - 5.30pm, Monday - Saturday www.ottieandthebea.com | 020 8465 5318 12 Old Dover Road, Blackheath Ro ya l Standard, London, SE3 7BT
SE LONDON JOURNAL
Children’s Edit
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1. Small Blossom Elephant (£16, Just William, SE22), Baby Bunny Night Light (£3.99, Cissy Wears, SE13), Bashful Blue Bunny (£17, Just William, SE22), Silver Bunny (£11, Cissy Wears, SE13), Think Pink Owl Tea Set (£18, Just William, SE22);
2. Tootsa MacGinty Safari Trousers & T-shirt (£27 & £23, Gently Elephant) both on Down To The Woods Hangers (£6.99, Cissy Wears, SE13);
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3. Casa Cabana Cardboard House (£30, Ottie and the Bea, SE3); 4. Maileg Mouse In A Box (£14, Gently Elephant, SE4)
Peckham BMX Club PHOTOS: Mark Shearwood WITH THANKS TO: CK Flash, Burgess Park BMX Track & Southwark Council www.peckhambmx.co.uk
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There’s a cheeky whippet called Captain, Who lives in Honor Oak Park
And lets out one
Everyday he climbs the hill,
big
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The rest of the time
he can never be heard.
Not a growl or even a grumble. Where did he go? Did he chase a bird?
No he has his head in the crumble!
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COMING UP AT THE UNICORN THEATRE... 28 Mar - 26 Apr For ages 4+
16 Apr - 3 May For ages 14+
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‘A CROSS BETWEEN BIG BROTHER AND AN ITALIAN GENERAL ELECTION’ Independent
147 TOOLEY STREET, SE1 2HZ
17 - 31 May For ages 8+
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TICKETS FROM £10
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Colouring Page
We'd love to see your colouring! #selondonjournal
Spot The Diff Spot the There are 6 to spot!
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Spot The Diff Difference! Also look out for Captain and Norrie the dogs and Lizzie the cat!
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Spring Craft:
Daffodil Garland
When daffodils pop up in gardens and parks they shout out the beginning of spring, this fun garland is a great way to celebrate the arrival of the season!
Go exploring to see if you can find some daffodils to find out what they look like in real life. How many petals do they have? What colour are they?
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You will need‌ Some sticky tape Glue A Pen or pencil String or ribbon A large egg box Coloured Card (or paint some plain card yellow before you start)
Fold the cut out shapes in half between the petals, and then unfold. Repeat two more times between the other petals.
Ask an adult to help cut off the pointy parts from the middle of the egg box; this part is a little bit tricky.
Put a blob of glue in the middle of the daffodil petals to stick the bottom of the trumpet to.
Leave them to dry completely.
Draw out five star shapes for the outside petals on your card.
Tear the straight cut edge of to give the daffodil trumpets a more realistic look. You will also need to paint the trumpets orange inside and out if your egg box is a different colour.
Carefully cut out the star shapes, you might need to ask an adult to help with this.
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Use small pieces of sticky tape to attach the daffodils to a piece of string or ribbon. Finally find a special spot to hang them in your home!
10% of * f for South East London Journa l reader s!
*10% off valid in store on presentation of this ad and online using code SELJ in the coupon code at checkout. Valid on full price items only. Offer expires May 31st 2015.
Children & Families
Homeopathy Homeopath Shauna Wyldeck-Estrada popped by to give us an introduction to homeopathy.
S: Can you use homeopathic remedies alongside conventional medicine?
SOUTH EAST LONDON JOURNAL: What is the basic
Yes definitely. It is not for me to interfere with prescribed medication, but the remedies can also be used as a support against side effects from conventional treatments, particularly for someone undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
principle behind homeopathy?
SHAUNA: It is a system of alternative medicine based on the principle of “like cures like”. In simple words, it means that any substance, which can produce symptoms in a healthy person, can cure similar symptoms in a sick person. An example of this is Allium Cepa, the homeopathic remedy of onion. Onions are well known to make your eyes water, nose burn and sneeze. If you have an attack of hay fever with watering eyes and a burning nose and lots of sneezing, a remedy made from onion can relieve it.
S: What remedies would you recommend we keep close to hand at home?
SELJ: What was your route into homeopathy? S: My eldest daughter was always ill when she was a toddler and I have always been interested in alternative ways of living. I went into my local pharmacy and explained that I needed something for my daughter that was gentle on her system. He suggested Homeopathy, I had never heard of it. He told me to buy this little book on homeopathic remedies, I did just that and found that the remedy Pulsatilla suited her symptoms well; within a few days she was so much better. It was tremendously empowering for me to know that I was able to help my child when she was sick without having to go the GP every time. I then embarked on a four-year course to be a homeopath; from then on I didn’t treat my children with anything else. They are now grown up and I have three grandchildren and my daughters continue to follow the homeopathic way of treating illness. SELJ: What makes it a good approach to family health and is it safe to use throughout pregnancy? S: It is a wonderful form of medicine especially when there are children, as they are often falling over, having accidents or can be anxious about different things. Homeopathic remedies are completely non-toxic and can be given at any age, from newborn babies through to the elderly. Also yes, it is great throughout pregnancy; it can help the mother as well as the unborn child. Particularly around birth and the postnatal period, it comes into its own due to it being a non-toxic and an energy based form of medicine; it cannot harm the mother or the baby.
SELJ: If you only ever buy one homeopathic remedy it has to be Arnica. It is a fantastic remedy for all kinds of ailments and situations, from the minor like bruising, to the major like a heart attack. Arnica is a well-documented and researched homeopathic remedy. It works on the circulatory system, which makes it also a very good remedy for jet lag. Good remedies to have in a household first aid kit are Nux Vomica, for digestive problems or hangovers! Chamomilla for teething and Pulsatilla for children not wanting to go to school. Another great option is pre-made kit, which you can buy from Helios or Ainsworth Pharmacy. I ask all my patients to invest in one. In an acute situation they can ring me and I know there will be a remedy there that will help. As a caveat, a qualified homeopathic practitioner should always prescribe you remedies. S: What should somebody who is new to homeopathy expect from a first consultation? SELJ: A first consultation generally lasts an hour and a half. A full history of the patient is taken. Questions about family, friends and school, any trauma physical, mental or emotional at any time during the patient’s life will be an important part of the case taking. A full medical history going back to grandparents is also important to see if there is a pattern of illness or conditions within the family. All this information will be used to find the appropriate remedies. Generally a follow up is needed a month later to assess the changes that have occurred and if any other remedies are needed.
Shauna, based in Hither Green, has been a homeopath for over 25 years. She specialises in the treatment of women, babies and children. kingstonhomeopathy.co.uk
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A Selection of Independent Bike Shops in South East London
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