The South Londoner - November 2022

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Arts & entertainment

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Art

Food & Drink

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the local line-up for your diary

―

By Holly O'Mahony

A coming oF Age story WitH A DiFFerence

In her autobiographical one-woman show Things I Can Laugh About Now, theatre maker Shakira Newton tells a coming of age story with a difference. In it, she explores what it means to grow up as part of “every minority under the sun” through humour, honesty and fine-tuned storytelling. With strong language and themes of suicide, mental health and domestic abuse explored, this show comes with a trigger warning and is suitable for those aged 14+.

Brixton House, 385 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8GL. November 1 - 11, 7:45pm - 8:45pm.

Admission: £17+.

www.brixtonhouse.co.uk/shows/housematesreturn-things-i-can-laugh-about-now/

cArnivAL comes to Brixton

Who said the spirit of carnival belonged to summer? Or to Notting Hill for that matter? Brixton Winter Carnival returns to SW2 nightclub Electric Brixton, presented by BBC 1xtra DJs Shabba Party and Rampage Sound. Expect mega sound systems, live acts including grime artist D DOUBLE E, carnival dancers and plenty of feathery costumes – come wearing your own to fully embrace the spirit.

FoLkLore, tArot

AnD mytH expLoreD

Do you believe in the power of tarot cards to look into the future? Illustrator Sophy Hollington and author David Keenan (This Is Memorial Device) certainly do. The pair have combined their skills to create their own 30-card, linocut tarot deck and instruction booklet. The deck is in keeping with tarot’s folkloric roots, and inspired by David’s novella To Run Wild In It, but reimagines the cultural phenomenon as a ‘glam-punk portal into the now’. Curious? Hear the pair discuss their new deck in a talk at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Gallery Road, London SE21 7AD. November 24, 7pm - 8pm.

Admission: £15.

www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/ lectures-talks/2022/november/sophy-hollingtondavid-keenan-in-conversation-folklore-tarotand-myth/

nAture versus nurture

Months after his new show For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy played at the Royal Court Theatre, rising theatremaker Ryan Calais Cameron’s touring show

Human Nurture comes to Theatre Peckham. The urgent, moving play explores the different paths two best friends take when one is adopted from the care system and the other is left behind. Roger is black, Harry is white, but they share the same tastes in just about everything. When Roger is rehomed, the ‘brothers’ find themselves growing up at opposite ends of Britain’s social spectrum. How different will this make them? A reunion years later is a chance for them – and us – to find out. An exploration of race, class, allyship and male vulnerability.

Theatre Peckham, 221 Havil Street, London SE5 7SB. November 3 - 5, 2:30pm & 7:30pm.

Admission: £6 - £15. www.theatrepeckham.co.uk/

tomorroW’s tALent

See the stars of tomorrow perform today as The Level-Up Project takes over Pop Brixton. Singers, rappers, poets, dancers and musicians aged 5-18 will be taking to the stage, performing works they’ve been perfecting over the last six weeks as part of a training programme. Turn up and show your support for south-west London’s emerging talent.

Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, London SW9 8PQ. October 29, 1:30pm - 4:30pm.

Admission: FREE. www.popbrixton.org/event/level-up-live

Electric Brixton, Town Hall Parade London SW2 1RJ. November 4, 11:30pm - 5am.

Admission: £10.30. www.electricbrixton.uk.com/ events/brixton-winter-carnival-d-double-e-more/

tHe rest is History - Live!

If you’ve been completely enthralled listening to historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook raise the dead in their hit podcast The Rest is History, then take this opportunity to see them interrogate the past in the flesh as they record an episode live at Clapham Grand. On the agenda is the nature of ‘greatness’ itself, why the west no longer has civil wars and whether Richard Nixon was more of a Caligula or a Claudius.

The Clapham Grand, 21 - 25 St John's Hill, London SW11 1TT. November 13, 1:30pm. Admission: £33.80. www.claphamgrand.com/

 ©Chris Saunders

Welcome to Brixton Dreamland

BRIXTON BID

Follow Brixi, Bowie and Pumpkin on their Electric Adventures through Brixton Dreamland this year. The mischievous foxes have fallen through a portal and landed in a dreamscape where apples are as large as cars, flower clouds float through Brixton Village and the elves workshop has lots of gifts filling up the tables.

Filled with magical moments for the whole family to enjoy, head to Brixton to find the perfect festive gifts, enjoy delicious meals with family and friends as well as live performances. And make sure to visit the eye-catching Winter

Windows at local architects firm Squire and Partners, who work with school children to create fantastical window displays launching in November.

This festive season head down to Brixton House Theatre, where you can join Alice on a new adventure designed by multi-award-winning company Poltergeist. Weaving rap music together with the sights and sounds of Brixton into a hundred-mile-an-hour Christmas adventure, directed by Jack Bradfield this December.

Search for the perfect gifts at Morleys Department Store, Diverse and in our markets. Taste delicious global cuisines along Coldharbour

and Atlantic Road, or head for drinks at Pop, Three Eight Four, Satay Bar, The White Horse, and many more! While your in town, why not catch a gig at Hootananny, Electric Brixton and POW, you can even be immersed in the world of cabaret at The Courtesan.

Whatever you are looking for, Brixton is waiting for you. Stay up to date with events this season by following @brixtonbid.

Image Credits:

Main: Foxes from Brixton BID’s Electric Adventure illustrated by Jellyfish Pictures;

Bottom left: Image Designed by Guy J Sanders, Illustrated by Israel Kujore;

Bottom right: photograph by Gareth Gardner.

Family events

By Holly O'Mahony

HALLoWeen At tHe HornimAn

The Horniman Museum is embracing the gentler side of Halloween, hosting a family-friendly fair on October 29, with plenty of activities to engage and excite little minds. They can get their face painted like a gory ghoul or mystic witch, then steel themselves for a breathtaking ride on a giant inflatable slide. Look out for Nyko the Magician, who will make even the most eagle-eyed gasp with the tricks up his sleeve. Got a budding scientist in your care? Don’t miss Einstein’s Entertainers Halloween Science Spectacular, featuring vomiting pumpkins and bubbles of fire. If yours are more creative, enrol them in an arts & crafts session, where they can fashion something spooky to wear on the Halloween Parade set to drift through the museum’s gardens. Dress in your scariest costume and get practising your ‘boo!’.

Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, London SE23 3PQ. October 29, 10:30am - 4:30pm.

Admission: £5/FREE for under 16s.

www.horniman.ac.uk/event/halloween-fair/

imAginAtions At tHe reADy…

Got a 2-5 year old with a gaggle of invisible friends or their own world hidden away inside their imagination? Or maybe your tot needs a little help creating their own adventure? Regardless, they could probably do with some time sans screens. Imagine & Play is a series of interactive, multi-sensory drop-in sessions that use drama, music, movement, storytelling and art to unlock the endless potential for play. Led by theatre practitioner Amari Harris, sessions are held at Theatre Peckham and suitable for all children of all abilities.

Theatre Peckham, 221 Havil Street, London SE5 7SB. Thursdays, 11:45am - 12:30pm.

Admission: £5.

www.theatrepeckham.co.uk/show/imagine-play/



©Sophia Spring

Experience the magic of a dance-theatre spectacle through the eyes of your tiniest tot as Underwater comes to Wimbledon’s Polka Theatre. Suitable for babies aged 0-2, the multi-sensory show stuffed full of stimuli will take them into the depths of the ocean, where wavy blues, glossy bubbles and an octopus await. There’s a storyline involving a ballerina, but it doesn’t matter if this goes over their heads and they fall asleep listening to a twinkling soundtrack conjure sounds of the sea.

Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, London SW19 1SB. November 9 - 20, performances last 35-40 minutes and the start time varies. Admission: £9 www.polkatheatre.com/event/underwater/

storytime For unDer 5s

Calling all wrigglers: Brixton’s Tate Library hosts weekly storytelling sessions for little ones aged under five. Take your seats for a gripping story, broken up by songs and rhyme. Fidgeting is welcome and joining in is very much encouraged. Parents are welcome to take part too.

Brixton Oval, London SW2 1JQ. Tuesdays, 10am - 11am. Admission: FREE. www.beta.lambeth.gov.uk/events/under-5sstorytime-wriggle-rhyme-sessions.

over tHe moon

The Moon Hares is pitched as an opera for families, but wait.. before you go ‘pfft, that’ll never interest my kids!’, hear us out: it’s full of energy and there’s a LOT going on, with over 100 performers on stage including the hard-working musicians of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment supporting the show. Set in a mysterious village where inhabitants are bound by strict rules and regulations, it takes the arrival of a new teacher to shake things up, letting her children explore nature at nighttime and live like wild animals. As for what happens next, you’ll have to see the show to find out…

Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. November 2, 7pm.

Admission: £10 - £82.

www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/classicalmusic/moon-hares?eventId=905587

DAncing in tHe Deep BLue seA

We opened in 2012 with reception students and have grown by a year group each year

By growing slowly but steadily, we are able to give every one of our 330 children a great deal of personal attention. We have a superb team of teachers and support staff, all of whom are experts in primary education.

As well as focusing on helping our pupils become confident readers, writers and mathematicians, we also ensure that, as our pupils progress through the school there are a range of music, drama and sporting opportunities for them to experience. Our vision and values are fully described and shared on the link page in this section and I would urge you to read this.

We are proud to be part of a vibrant and supportive international community and are keen that parents and families play an active part in our school life.

Our building is smart and modern, and we are fortunate enough to have a lovely playground and excellent equipment and facilities.

In April 2017, Ofsted judged our academy to be Good, reflecting the commitment that everyone in our community has to ensure that every child fulfills their potential.

We have developed a set of Values and 'Habits of the Mind' which are embedded in all aspects of our school culture.

We believe that our values must become habitual if children are to be effective citizens and workers in 21st Century. They must be able to communicate, to collaborate in teams, to continuously learn and to function in a data-rich society.

We aim to develop a school community who can:

• Build healthy relationships by becoming respectful individuals.

• Succeed living in the wider world be becoming responsible citizens.

• Experience positive physical health & wellbeing by becoming resilient learners.

We will do this by integrating our Habits of the Mind throughout our school culture.

We will learn how to be:

Respectful individual

Listen & Understand, Collaborate & Think Responsible Citizen Question & Reason, Support & Challenge Resilient learner

Focus & Sustain, Review & Repeat

This will provide a roadmap for individuals, for classrooms and throughout our curriculum, pedagogy and professional development.

our vision, values and aims

At Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park we have high aspirations and ambitions for our children and there is a driving determination to ensure that all pupils and adults reach their full potential. Our core purpose is to provide all pupils with high quality learning experiences that lead to high levels of progress and attainment.

Our aims and values underpin all our policy and practice. We consider, revisit and reflect upon these in our day to day work with the pupils and wider community. Through continued and sustained improvement, and a shared understanding of learning, teaching, assessment and curriculum, our Academy aims to:

• Ensure that we inspire in all pupils, a love of learning and the desire to continue to learn;

• Ensure that all pupils have an equal opportunity to take part in the life and work of the Academy and the wider community;

• Provide a safe, welcoming and stimulating environment where children enjoy learning and playing;

• Provide a rich, balanced and varied curriculum;

• Provide high standards of teaching to develop knowledge, skills and understanding in all subjects;

• Equip all pupils with the learning habits and self-confidence necessary to constructively influence their own lives;

• Enable pupils to learn from each other through

a collaborative, enquiry based approach to learning;

• Promote creativity and independence so that they are more able to explore and discover things for themselves;

• Develop learning skills by encouraging a sense of curiosity, open-mindedness, perseverance, objectivity, reflection and critical thinking;

• Nurture pupil diversity emphasising individual talents in a wide range of fields, including academic, music, sport, art and drama;

• Develop values and opinions within the context of mutual respect and understanding of differing belief systems and cultures within our community;

• Be a place that every child remembers with affection.

We highly value:

• The way in which all children are unique, and our curriculum promotes respect for the views of each individual, as well as for people of all cultures.

• A working partnership with parents and families to support each pupil’s learning, progress and well-being.

• The spiritual and moral development of each pupil, as well as their intellectual and physical growth.

• The importance of each person in our community. We organise our curriculum so that we promote co-operation and understanding between all members of our community.

• Our environment and we aim, through our curriculum, to teach respect for our world, and how we should care for it.

Learning to love the natural world

―St Dunstan’s College Junior School inspires a love of learning about nature right from the very start. Here, St Dunstan’s Head of Junior School, Laura Whitwood, explains how the school’s woodland classroom connects children to the natural world.

There is no doubt that we have all become acutely aware of both the physical and mental benefits of time spent outdoors. This was particularly evident given the impact of the last two years when our sense of freedom to explore, travel and enjoy the wonder of nature was so significantly compromised. Here at St Dunstan’s, our initial return to school for a few year groups, when covid numbers were still very high coincided, to our advantage, with not just our move to a new state-of-the-art building, but also the creation of our beautifully serene woodland classroom. This hidden treasure is nestled at the rear of the College site in a secluded tree-lined area. This is where our returning pupils spent many hours making up for lost time in the outdoors. From this point onwards, our eyes were truly open to the great many learning opportunities that come from time spent enjoying the beauty of nature.

With our Forest School trained woodland classroom coordinator taking the lead, the space has evolved rapidly, largely due to a need to respond to the evergrowing habitats of our minibeast and animal friends, who were eager to see what all the excitement was about. Our Nursery and Reception pupils spend at least one full day every week in wellies and rainsuits in the Woodland Classroom, come rain or shine, with pupils from Years 1 to 6 using the space when it complements their focus topics. The truth is, as adults we continue to tune in to David Attenborough documentaries with a sense of awe and amazement, but this wonder and natural curiosity about the world around us begins from the very earliest stages of

life. Attenborough states that, “The whole of life is coming to terms with yourself and the natural world. Why are you here? How do you fit in? What’s it all about?” Learning about the natural world gives us a sense of perspective and gratitude throughout our lives, supporting our health in every sense. Generally speaking, we all feel better when we spend time in the fresh air, exploring green spaces.

We are all fully aware of the sad truth about the global environmental picture and how both the smaller and larger-scale decisions we make can have a significant impact upon our environment. The statistics are alarming, frightening and can leave us feeling a little helpless. What better way to enact positive change than by educating our young people today about how valuable, breathtaking and inspiring the natural world is, not least because of the food, water and air it provides for all living things? Our very being is dependent on looking after it and this positive outlook of nurturing natural curiosity is the best possible starting point for encouraging future generations to look after the planet better than those before them have done in the past.

Our woodland classroom sessions enable pupils to take educational risks, but in a safe, nurturing and supportive learning environment. Pupils develop meaningful connections with the world around them, instilling a sense of belonging to an

interconnected world.

We see the space as simply a classroom without walls, which enables open-ended, critical thinking skills, where children are learning that they can lead their own learning, which does not begin and end in school, but continues through to adulthood. This engenders teamwork and problem-solving skills as pupils interact with nature and better understand how it adapts to the changing of the seasons.

We often see children, who we know very well in the supportive, trusting environment that we create, show a different side to their character. This, we believe, is demonstrative of a response to being physically freer in this setting and often pupils are more engaged and active outdoors, developing rapid social communication skills. The adults who work with them also become co-learners and collaborators, creating a real sense of community and camaraderie when learning and teaching in this way. Seeing the adults around them learn and respond positively to nature shows the teachers behaving as role models to the pupils, engaging in mature and sophisticated dialogue to ask questions, respond in the moment to what they see and not be frightened of challenging their learning in order to find out more. This true love of learning must be nurtured and supported from the very earliest stages in education.

Pupils are able to independently forge links between the learning they are encountering in the classroom and what they are able to put into practice outside, with the introduction of natural materials, storytelling and physical experiences. We often see children who may be shy or quiet in a classroom environment become animated story tellers and explorers once outside, often showing strength in leadership skills that we would not have necessarily been able to harness in the same way in the indoor classroom setting. Pupils are introduced to forest skills such as fire making, whittling and den building from Nursery onwards.

Their resilience and confidence are fostered by trying activities that they might not have encountered previously or by engaging in what they perceive as 'adult' or more 'risky' activities. The excitement that this instils is palpable and we see that it is our duty to inspire pupils to enter a journey of self-discovery in the setting we create for them. We aim here at St Dunstan’s to create a balance of confident city children, alongside resilient countryside adventurers, and seize any opportunity for our pupils to see the natural fun that can be had whilst learning about a world where they will one day become proactive global citizens.

Find out more about St Dunstan’s College Junior School at www.stdunstans.org.uk

London’s burning: the best firework displays south of the river

By Holly O’Mahony

Remember, remember the 5th of November. Wrap up warm and prepare to see south London ablaze this Bonfire Night, as fireworks fizz, crackle and explode across the night sky. These public fireworks displays taking place south of the river promise to make this Guy Fawkes Night a memorable one.

BAtterseA pArk FireWorks

It’s a biggie, attracting crowds of around 50,000 across the two nights, but it's popular for a reason. Run by Wandsworth Council, the annual fireworks display at Battersea Park always goes off with a bang. Arrive early to warm up by the bonfire before the show itself, or head to the bar and cluster of street food stalls for warming drinks, hot dogs and the like. Saturday is a more grown-up affair, with the park's indoor venue Evolution London being transformed into a German Bierkeller complete with a live band, bumper cars and plenty of space to sip from giant steins. The show itself kicks off at 8pm, with an afterparty carrying child-free night owls through until midnight. Got the kiddos in tow? Sunday is a family-friendly event, with the spectacle kicking off a little earlier at 7pm. On top of the glittering explosions themselves, visitors of all ages will be dazzled by a seven-metre light installation.

When: November 5 at 8pm (doors open, 6pm) | November 6 at 7pm (doors open, 5pm)

Where: Battersea Park, London SW11 4NJ

Admission: £7.30 - £11.50

Book tickets: www.batterseaparkfireworks.com/

HALLoWeen FireWorks At tHe Herne HiLL veLoDrome

Herne Hill is going it early this year, holding a Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night mash-up at the Velodrome on October 29. Come dressed in your best spooky outfit. There will be a bonfire to warm even the creepiest ghouls, and plenty of food and drink.

When: October 29, 5pm - 9pm

Where: Herne Hill Velodrome, 104 Burbage Road, London SE24 9HE

Admission: £10

Book tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fireworksat-the-herne-hill-velodrome-tickets

The London Borough of Merton is holding fireworks displays in two separate locations. On Friday November 4, there will be two displays in Wimbledon Park – both set to music. First, there’s a family display suitable for the littlest ones – less bang, more colour – set to start at 5:15pm. This is followed by a larger themed display at 7:15pm. As well as music and fireworks, make the most of fairground rides and an array of stalls serving warm food and drink. The site stays open until 10pm.

When: November 4, 5:15pm family show / 7:15pm general fireworks show

Where: Wimbledon Park, Home Park Road, London SW19 8AU

Admission: £10.70/£8 under 16s/£0 under 5s Book tickets: www.merton.gov.uk/communitiesand-neighbourhoods/events/fireworks-displays

London Borough of Merton’s second set of fireworks displays are being held in Morden Park. Again, they’re being set to music, with a family display at 5:15pm followed by a larger one at 7:15pm. There will be a fairground here too and plenty of warming street food to tuck into. The site stays open until 10pm.

When: November 5, 5:15pm family show / 7:15pm general fireworks show

Where: Morden Park, Lower Morden Lane, Morden SM4

Admission: £10.70/£8 under 16s/£0 under 5s Book tickets: www.merton.gov.uk/communitiesand-neighbourhoods/events/fireworks-displays

DuLWicH FireWorks DispLAy

Powered by the aptly named ‘Brilliant Fireworks’ company, the annual fireworks display at Dulwich Sports Club is great for families and this year, its new layout is hoping to make it safer than ever.

Last year, the event went green, staging a projected bonfire rather than lighting a real one. At the time of writing, details of this year’s fire are yet to emerge. Regardless, you can look forward to the bangs and colourful flashes of fireworks plus stalls serving mulled wine, beer, pizza and more to help you warm up and refuel. The best bit? Kids can see the fireworks for just £1 when accompanied by an adult.

When: November 5, 5pm - 7:30pm

Where: Dulwich Sports Club, Giant Arches Road, London SE24 9HP

Admission: £1 - £10

Book tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dulwichfirework-display-2022-kids-for-a-quid-tickets

musicAL FireWorks DispLAy in WimBLeDon pArk

musicAL FireWorks DispLAy in morDen pArk

We are a small school with a big heart

Here at Comber Grove we value empathy and happiness as instruments for building an exceptional Curriculum through bright, inspiring teaching and learning.

We are proud of our diverse community: our past, our present and our future. Our vision is to equip our pupils for a successful future academically, creatively and emotionally.

We have a new leadership team this year and our main focus has been on working with our community, connecting again after the last couple of years of covid restrictions.

We offer music to all pupils and consider this a strength of our school.

We are also able to offer specialist support for children with Dyslexia.

We are a small school with a big heart in a quiet, tree lined road.

We take children from the age of 3 to join our nursery and are currently welcoming families to apply for a reception place in 2023.

We also currently have spaces across the other year groups of the school and children can still make in year applications if they want to move schools.

meet the founders

― Ourhood Community, a digital marketplace for Black-owned fashion and lifestyle brands

By Holly O'Mahony

The summer of 2020 was a turbulent time for friends-since-childhood Mike Thomas and Michael Taylor, who work in advertising and fashion respectively. On the one hand, the Peckham locals were excited to have just become fathers. But the Covid-19 pandemic and recent barbaric murder of George Floyd had left them uncertain about the sort of world they were bringing their children into. They decided to pool their skills and professional experience to launch a digital marketplace for Black-owned brands. In particular, those with an eye for design and a focus on producing consciously.

Two years on and Ourhood Community is a onestop-shop for premium, Black-owned labels, including gorgeous children’s brand Petite Ganache and ethical, gender-neutral clothing label Bad Habits. Mike and Michael are running pop-ups in Brixton and Peckham, and have recently launched a retail site for those unable to shop the collection in person.

The South Londoner spoke to co-founders Mike and Michael about the inspiration behind, and ambitions for, their business…

Holly O’Mahony: Firstly, tell us a bit about yourselves. How did you meet and what were you doing prior to founding Ourhood Community?

Mike Thomas: I work in advertising by day. Having spent a number of years working agency side across a number of different media channels, I moved over to the ad sales side of things and I am now working in podcasting at Acast. Michael and I met at secondary school (which feels like 100 years ago!) and instantly became friends. The fact that we shared the same first name probably had something to do with it at that age, but genuinely we've always had this innate synergy, which is why it's been a relatively easy transition into running a business together.

Michael Taylor: I'm currently the Head of Menswear Buying at Urban Outfitters Europe. I have worked in

various buying roles across the last 15 years, which has given me great insight into a wide range of consumer preferences and the industry at large. As Mike said, we've been friends since meeting at school when we were 11. He's been someone that I've looked up to forever. We’ve always had a close connection and a similar appetite to challenge the status quo.

HOM: You launched Ourhood Community last summer. How has it been received so far?

Michael: The response has been overwhelmingly positive and there's been a real feeling of encouragement from customers, creatives and other businesses. I think that in terms of timing, this is a moment where there is a growing sense of wanting to support causes with a meaning that you can relate to, and this has really spurred us on to explore what we can achieve.

Mike: The reception of Ourhood has been incredible and humbling. It's great to know we're on the right track with what we're doing.

HOM: There are other websites that showcase exclusively black-run businesses, but what makes Ourhood Community different?

Mike: The thing that we hang our hat on is that

Ourhood Community is a carefully curated edit of brands that we work closely with to ensure our values align. These brands are not only Black-owned, but also premium and conscious brands.

Michael: We’re also not just an e-commerce business, selling clothes on a website. We’re working to create a community amongst our brand partners that creates a support network for Black creatives to work together and inspire one another.

HOM: You also run pop-up shops where customers can browse your collection ‘in the flesh’. When and where will readers next be able to find you?

Mike: Our next event is a pop-up at pub and cultural hub Prince of Peckham on Sunday December 4. We will be showcasing new products and new brands alongside some of our established favourites, and it will be a great opportunity to see a variety of aesthetics together in one space. In the evening, we’ll also have a DJ on hand adding some good vibes.

HOM: What are some of your hopes for the business over the next five years?

Michael: We're hoping to continue our support of Black creatives and continue adding new partners to our community. It has been a pleasure to partner with cult

venues like the Prince of Peckham and Brixton Studio where we’ve held events this year, and we're looking forward to more pop-up events in these spaces as well as in new locations in the UK and abroad. Through new partnerships and collaborations, we want to showcase talent and create a belief that there is space for underrepresented groups to be seen.

HOM: What's been a highlight since you launched Ourhood Community?

Mike: Our first "Yes" moment was probably having a meeting with Wale Adeyemi MBE and explaining the idea of Ourhood, and him being super supportive and encouraging. We grew up wearing his brand B-Side, so it was a surreal and inspiring moment.

HOM: Have there been any hurdles along the way that you perhaps didn't anticipate before launching the business?

Michael: We had some great advice from a close friend when we were first starting out to keep costs low. It’s a self-funded project, so we've had to think really carefully about which investments are worth making and which are non-essential. There are so many hidden and unexpected costs that you don't initially consider.

Michael left, Mike right

“i think everyone wins when people support independent brands"

Mike: With it just being the two of us at the helm, at times the workload around Ourhood can be pretty intense. So it's been a learning curve in terms of balancing everything.

HOM: There’s a growing awareness around the benefits of supporting independent clothing labels and an increasing desire to do so in resistance to the environmentally toxic world of fast fashion. What are your thoughts on this?

Mike: I think everyone wins when people support independent brands. People find it much more rewarding when they discover a new brand or find a unique piece that they absolutely fall in love with, knowing the design and craftsmanship that has gone into creating a cultural artefact.

Michael: Independent clothing and lifestyle brands bring a unique and honest perspective to design. By supporting them we can support real people who are putting their life and soul into the products they create. This rewards real talent and innovation, and creates opportunities by inspiring others.

Follow @OurhoodCommunity on Instagram or visit www.ourhoodcommunity.com/ for updates and the latest products and events.

Where to get cosy in the run up to christmas

By Holly O’Mahony

With the temperature plummeting and the energy crisis looming, thoughts of how to transform our homes into naturally cosy nests, and where to get warm when we’re out and about, are starting to fill our minds.

Tackling the former then the latter, the South Londoner spoke first to Anna McGregor and Lotte Martin, co-founders of Peckham-based homeware store Lamp LDN, for their tips on making the home comfortable for the cold, dark months…

South Londoner: With winter on its way, what should we be doing to capture that cosy feeling?

Lamp LDN: Keep a basket of blankets in the sitting room next to the sofa to wrap yourself in on cold mornings and make long evenings cosy. A good heavy throw or old fashioned eiderdown on your bed makes bedtime much more snug too. Invest in good quality, lined curtains or blinds for your windows – but don’t forget the doors too. A curtain over your front or back door makes the house feel cocooned and keeps the drafts out.

SL: Hacks for keeping out drafts are especially welcome this year, when we’re up against an energy crisis. Have you got any more of those?

LL: Make sure you choose energy efficient bulbs with a warm light. Soft warm lighting will trick you into feeling warmer, so turn off or dim the main ceiling lights and turn on some lamps. Light a candle; as well as actually giving off heat, they look so pretty. A mixture of cone and tapered candles on your mantelpiece and a heady scented candle always feels right at this time of year. We always have one in the hallway and one in the living room, so that the whole house is filled with a comforting and seasonal scent.

SL: What are some interiors trends we're likely to see this autumn / winter season?

LL: Well, according to our current products, we’re currently embracing joyful and confident interiors with palettes of mustard yellow and moss greens with accents of coral and raspberry pink. We’re also stocking lampshades in botanical patterns alongside the never-out-of-fashion stripe. Beyond our own catalogue, the farmhouse style will continue to be popular, with its layering of fabrics, patterns and textures.

SL: How can we go about transforming dull corners to reflect the new season?

LL: Any of the following should do it: mantle vases filled with conkers, vases of cut hydrangeas left to dry as the winter approaches, oversized platters holding piles of quinces and apples, coloured candles on the table each evening and scented candles everywhere.

SL: Is there one stand-out Lamp LDN product readers should know about this season?

LL: Our limited edition candles made with UK artists and designers, which are hand-poured in Wiltshire by home fragrance company True Grace. There are just a few left from our collaboration with the super talented artist Willemien Bardawil, so keep your eyes peeled for the next run which is launching late November. Not only do these smell divine, but the pots are designed to be kept forever. A beautiful keepsake in themselves, they can be used for flowers, plants, pens or make up brushes – or just to look pretty on a shelf

SL: Lastly, where can readers find you beyond your shop? Before the pandemic, you were running events…

We are busy again with events and for private parties as well as commercial and residential design projects. We focus on creating joyful celebrations and beautiful interiors in a mindful way. You can keep up to date with our work via our website and our Instagram handle: @lamp_london.

Lamp LDN, 20b Maxted Road, London, SE15 4LF. Tuesday - Friday, 10am - 5:30pm; Saturday 10am - 6pm; Sunday 11am - 5pm. www.lamplondonhome.com/

see tHe spirit(s) oF cHristmAs on stAge

The Old Vic Theatre’s production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has become an annual highlight of the London festive calendar. Adapted by the brilliant Jack Thorne and directed by the theatre’s own Matthew Marchus, it sees a different actor step into the miserly boots of Scrooge each year, and this winter it’s Game of Thrones star Owen Teale who will be shouting ‘bah humbug!’. Sat in near darkness around the stage, you’ll be fully enveloped in the tale of repentance – with plenty of merriment, music and mince pies along the way.

Old Vic Theatre, The Cut, London SE1 8NB. November 12 - January 7, 7:30pm with additional 2:30pm matinees. Admission: £12+. www.oldvictheatre.com/stage/event/a-christmascarol-1

Where to get cosy in south London this winter

get rosy-cHeekeD AnD merry over A crAcking gooD roAst

There’s nothing like a hearty roast dinner to see off winter’s chill (or Saturday’s hangover), is there? While most good pubs rustle up some gravy-drizzled roasties on a Sunday, when it comes to contenders for The Best Roast in South London, you can’t beat Stockwell gastropub the Canton Arms. Kick things off with a seasonal apéritif, and whatever else you try, leave plenty of room for the main event: sharing plates of pies, fresh fish and slow-cooked meats. If you’ve a group of four in tow, how could you resist a bubbling pot of seven-hour cooked lamb shoulder with potato and olive oil gratin? These days, they take bookings too, so hop online and secure your table.

Canton Arms, 177 S Lambeth Road, London SW8 1XP. Tuesday - Saturday, 11am - 11pm; Sunday 11am - 4pm. www.cantonarms.com/

WAtcH A movie in WAnDsWortH’s snuggLy Winter WonDerLAnD

Backyard Cinema is once again immersing cinephiles in a snowy, cosy kingdom of nostalgia this winter, offering rides on an Arctic Express train set for the North Pole before depositing visitors on plump bean bags to watch their film of choice. Grab some popcorn, mulled wine or the venue’s signature ‘Gingerbreadtini’ cocktail, and nestle down for a family favourite. From rom-coms like Love Actually and The Holiday, to kids’ favourites The Grinch and The Polar Express, and golden oldies Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life, there are festive flicks for all tastes.

Backyard Cinema London, Armoury Way, London SW18 1SH. Screenings at various dates and times until January 3. www.backyardcinema.co.uk/shows/ london-christmas/?filter=2022-11

mArkets AnD more on tHe soutH BAnk

Let the warm, glowing bulbs of Southbank Centre’s Winter Market lure you away from the icy, blue-lit trees lining the river beyond. Here, you’ll find alpine lodges standing shoulder to shoulder, sheltering visitors from the harsher elements and serving up all things comforting and warm, from gourmet cheese toasties to truffle burgers, hot chocolate to mulled wine. Once you’re sated, pay a visit to neighbouring installation ‘Dichroic Sphere’ by Danish light artist Jakob Kvist and gaze in wonder at its multicoloured hues. Finally, head on over to another light installation, American artist Fred Tschida’s ‘Sphere’, a spinning, fiery orb the colour of a setting sun. It’ll warm cold fingers and toes (at least mentally).

The Winter Market and light installations can be found at the Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Market November 3 - December 26, 11am - 11pm; installations November 4/8 - January 8. Admission: FREE. www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on

tAke your tAsteBuDs to tHe countrysiDe

How can we get some of that rustic, farm-to-fork fare without, you know, going to a farm? Bringing a slice of Sussex countryside to Britain’s busy capital are restaurateurs the Gladwin Brothers, who have several rural-themed eateries around the city, including Nutbourne in Battersea, named after the family’s vineyard. Hunker down amid its woody interiors and tuck into some nose-to-tail dining, paired with one of their own English wines. And if you’re really craving some time in a field? We imagine Vauxhall City Farm’s fluffy animals would be grateful of some petting during these chilly months.

Nutbourne, Ransomes Dock Business Centre, 35-37 Parkgate Road, 29 Ransomes Dock, London SW11 4NP. www.nutbourne-restaurant.com/

ALps-on-tHAmes

Prefer the cosiness of apres ski to the risky business of gliding Bambi-style down a mountain? Then save yourself the flight and curl up instead in an alpine-themed ski lodge, courtesy of pop-up entrepreneur Jimmy Garcia. The lodge plus its cluster of neighbouring snow globes are back with a theme of ‘Fire and Fromage’, inviting diners to cuddle up around fire pits, chewing on hunks of bread layered with raclette and toasting their own s’mores. Your cockles will be warmed through in no time – and did we mention there’s mulled wine on arrival?

Jimmy’s Lodge, The Queen's Walk, London SE1 8XX. November 5 - January 15, Monday - Saturday, 12pm - 10pm; Sunday 12pm - 9pm. www.jimmyspopup.com/fire-and-fromage

©Manuel-Harlan

Southwark Remembers

The Worshipful Mayor of Southwark, Southwark Council and the Royal British Legion, invite you to attend the borough’s Remembrance Service on Sunday 13 November 2022 at St Saviour’s War Memorial, Borough High Street, SE1.

This service will be led by the Very Reverend Andrew Nunn, Dean of Southwark. Please gather by 10:45am.

Contact mayors.office@southwark.gov.uk for further details of the borough events.

The official borough service is traditionally attended by the First Citizen of the borough, past Mayors, Free Citizens, Honorary Aldermen, Southwark’s three MPs, the Leader of the Council and opposition parties, Southwark’s London Assembly Member, representatives from The Royal

An Armistice Service and a Remembrance Sunday Service will be held will be held at West Lane War Memorial, SE16 (off Jamaica Road), on Friday 11 November 2022. Please gather at 10.45am. Please contact either mayors.office@southwark.gov.uk or Gary Magold. gary.magold@btinternet.com for more information.

Other services are being held on Remembrance Sunday, November 13 at: Southwark Cathedral, Braganza Street/Kennington Park, St George’s Cathedral, Surrey Regiment, Old Jamaica Rd (at 10am), Lordship Lane, Wells Way, West Lane, Camberwell Green, St Stephen’s Church, St Peter’s Church, St Giles Church, Precious Blood Church, London Bridge Station, and Goose Green. Please check online for more details.

Members of the public are most welcome to attend these services.

British Legion, members of HM Armed Forces, members of the Emergency Services and the Deputy Lieutenant.

The Royal British Legion is the national custodian of remembrance, a role which ensures that those

who gave their lives for peace and freedom are duly remembered. With this in mind, The Worshipful the Mayor of Southwark, Councillor Sunil Chopra urges the citizens of Southwark to buy a poppy and wear it in support of the continued good work being carried out by the Royal British Legion.

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pick up a David shrigley or tracey emin at Woolwich contemporary print Fair

By Holly O'Mahony

David Shrigley, Tracey Emin, The Connor Brothers and Harland Miller are among the celebrated artists with works for sale at this year’s Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair. Now in its seventh year, the Fair runs over four days at Woolwich Works, welcoming 500 artists and 1,000 original artworks. There’s also an online equivalent, open until November 20, for those who can’t make it or who want to take a second look. The Fair is run by husband and wife duo Jack Bullen and Lizzie Glendinning, an artist and curator respectively, and is proudly the UK’s largest fair devoted entirely to contemporary prints. The South Londoner speaks to co-founder Jack Bullen to find out more…

Holly O’Mahony: What can visitors expect from the seventh annual Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair? What's new for this year's event?

Jack Bullen: More galleries, new international artists, more famous names. Bonhams Auction House will have a prints showroom on site for an upcoming auction; Mirabeau are back with their delicious rosé as well as their own space to showcase the artists they are supporting within the Fair. We have family activities on Saturday and Sunday, and new releases from David Shrigley, Grayson Perry and many more.

HOM: You've got some big names selling prints at this year's festival. Can you give us a hint of what they’ll be showing?

JB: I couldn't possibly. But I can say it's very pertinent! Jealous Gallery generously launches a Shrigley at the Fair each year. Look out for it on Thursday morning. We’ll be using a tier pricing system, where works are launched at a lower price point, then once they sell, the next price is released and so on. Tracey Emin is coming through Bonhams auctioneers as one of an exceptional line up for their upcoming auction. Beyond these big names, though, there are pieces for all tastes and budgets.

HOM: Is it really for all budgets though? Original art is notoriously expensive…

JB: Works start at £100, which is very reasonable by industry standards. We also operate an ‘Own Art’ payment scheme, part of a national initiative that

makes buying contemporary art and craft affordable by providing interest-free credit for the purchase of original work.

HOM: There’s also an events programme as part of the Fair, including workshops and demonstrations. What can visitors expect from these?

JB: We’re running panel discussions and daily printing press takeovers for visiting studios on both the etching and screen printing presses. These will be a mix of demonstrations and workshops giving visitors the chance to have a go themselves. Incidentally, one of our exhibitors was first introduced to printmaking via one of these workshops back in 2017, so hopefully this will inspire others to take up a squeegee. Exhibiting galleries are also hosting their own events including signings and woodblock demonstrations. We’re also running children's workshops on the weekend.

HOM: You created the virtual Fair in 2020 when the pandemic meant you couldn’t run it in person. It was such a success that you launched it again for 2021. What can virtual visitors expect from the online offering this year?

JB: We have our online viewing rooms with online art marketplace Artsy and are bringing back our interactive 'walk-through' exhibition which reflects how the work is hung at the physical event. It means people from all over the globe can be part of our event, join our online programme, and get a taste of the scale of the works. We had over 250,000 visitors to our online edition last year – fingers crossed we’ll see similar numbers again.

Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair is on at Woolwich Works, 11 No 1 Street, Royal Arsenal, London SE18 6HD.

Physical fair runs from November 3 - 6, 12pm, 2pm & 4pm. Online fair November 3 - 20.

Admission: £10.50/£8.50 concessions.

www.woolwich.works/events/woolwichcontemporary-print-fair-edition-7

Dress to distress: local fright nights, spooky screenings and Halloween parties

By Holly O'Mahony

HALLoWeen FAncy Dress

speciAL At peckHAm LeveLs

At 500-capacity Peckham Levels, a Halloween rave is operating a ‘no fancy dress, no entry’ policy. Fortunately, there’s a theme to help get your costume going and it's running on three Ms: Movies, Music and Memes. Still can’t think of what to wear? Then, er, just turn up in yellow according to the website. Local DJs will be spinning the decks into the early hours, with R&B, Hip Hop, Dancehall and Afrobeats the genres of the night. Peckham Levels, 95A Rye Lane, London SE15 4ST. October 29, 10pm - 3am. Admission: £10. www.peckhamlevels.org/event/rilla-8thbirthday-halloween-fancy-dress-special/

rivoLi pop up cinemA

Cover your eyes or brave the full-frontal horror at a pop-up cinema in the historic Rivoli Ballroom. Its three-day Fright Night Cinema series includes the chance to see: Bettlejuice, The Shining, Ghostbusters, Carrie, Hocus Pocus and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Famed for its plush furnishings and fittings, the space has appeared in several films itself.

Rivoli Ballroom, 350 Brockley Road, London SE4 2BY. Fright Night screenings from October 26 - 28, screening times vary. Admission: £10+. www.rivoliballroom.com/halloween

tHe cAnterviLLe gHost At soutHWArk pLAyHouse

Searching for some more passive entertainment? Settle down for an old-school ghost story, courtesy of theatre company Tall Stories. Their vaudeville production of Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost, about a family who move into a castle haunted by a murderous nobleman, is showing at Southwark Playhouse over spooky season.

Southwark Playhouse, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD. October 11November 5, 7:30pm - 9:10pm.

Admission: £14 - £24.

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/the-large/thecanterville-ghost/

tHe LonDon HALLoWeen BALL

Staking a claim to be the London Halloween Ball is SW2 nightclub Electric Brixton. Stage shows, scare actors, a treat station and a murder mystery-themed photobooth are all part of the late-night offering here. Put on your spookiest, most gruesome outfit and rave to raise the dead. One for rebels looking to party on a school night, the ball is being held on All Hallows’ Eve itself – aka a Monday, aka yikes. The Halloween Ball has sold out four years running, so be sure to bag your ticket in advance.

Electric Brixton, Town Hall Parade, Brixton Hill, London SW2 1RJ. October 31, 10:30pm - 4am.

Admission: £10 - £20.

www.electricbrixton.uk.com/events/the-londonhalloween-ball/

HALLoWeen spooktAcuLAr At cAstLe squAre

Yes, there’s club nights and fright nights to entertain us grown-ups, but let’s be honest: the thrills of Halloween are most vivid when you’re small, wandering around with a painted face and clasping a bucket for your sweets. Hoping to conjure the best bits of spooky season for kids this year is Castle Square, which is being decked out with cobwebs and carved pumpkins to offer a full, free day of creepy entertainment. Highlights include the Upside Down Dance Academy re-enacting a live performance of ‘Thriller’, Halloween-inspired arts and crafts workshops, and the chance to play trick or treat. Adults are not forgotten though: sneak on up to the Cherry Tiger terrace for a Mexican Day of the Dead-themed cocktail.

Castle Square, Elephant and Castle, SE17 1EQ. Admission: FREE. www.castlesquarelondon.com/

50 BerkeLey squAre At tHe LonDon Dungeon

A visit to macabre tourist attraction The London Dungeon is going to give you goosebumps regardless of what time of year you visit, but it ups the chill factor for Halloween. This year, it has launched a brand new show with a limited run, 50 Berkeley Square, inviting the brave to step inside the attic of one of the most haunted houses in England. Here, a story of madness, mystery and murder will unfold – with little you can do other than look on in horror.

London Dungeon, The Queen's Walk, London SE1 7PB. October 15 - 31, 10am - 4pm. www.thedungeons.com/london/

miDnigHt ApotHecAry HALLoWeen spectAcuLAr

Midnight Apothecary returns to the Brunel Museum with another classy Halloween special. Amid a sea of carved pumpkin lanterns, huddle by a fire pit eating s'mores and sipping on your choice of Halloween potion concocted by the team of resident mixologists. There's no food this year (R.I.P 2021's pizza offering) but guests are invited to order takeaways to the bar. Those who dare can also opt to take an actor-led 'spooky' tour down into the underground chambers below the museum.

Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe, London SE16 4LF. October 28 & 29, 5pm7:15pm / 7:30pm - 10pm.

www.midnightapothecary.designmynight.com/

HALLoWeen At cLApHAm grAnD

Introverts, extroverts, party lovers and cinephiles are being catered for at former Victorian music hall Clapham Grand this Halloween. There’s a dress-up, sing-along Rocky Horror Picture Show movie night on October 29, followed by a Halloween Party taking ravers into the wee hours with DJs TeTe Band and Lady Lloyd pumping out the tunes. Drag stars Juno Birch, Cheddar Gorgeous and Elektra Fence are performing live and there will be prizes for the best dressed partygoers. Then on October 31, return to the venue for a screening of Halloween classic Hocus Pocus, featuring cauldron cocktails, a skeleton dance off and prizes for the best dressed witch.

The Clapham Grand, 21 - 25 St John's Hill, London SW11 1TT. October 29, screening 5:30pm - 9pm/ party 9:30pm - 3am. October 31, 6:30pm - 10pm. Admission: £12 - £15. www.claphamgrand.com/event/thegrandhalloween/

HALLoWeen HeLLHoLe ALL DAyer At Brixton WinDmiLL

How about a Halloween concert? Or a series of concerts, really. Hidden gem Brixton Windmill is platforming underground bands from 5pm until midnight on October 29, from those with a hint of macabre about them to the downright gothic. Names on the billing include Wednesdays Child, Body Horror, Forrest Flowers, Children of the Pope and Pigeonhole. Haven’t heard of them? Us neither. But if you’re chasing a more alternative, music-led Halloween experience, why not check them out?

Brixton Windmill, 22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton Hill, London SW2 5BZ. October 29, 5pm - 1am. Admission: £8

www.windmillbrixton.co.uk/events/2022-10-29halloween-hellhole-all-dayer-the-windmill

Bitesize

―

By Holly O'Mahony

DorotHy AnD mArsHALL

Big, tasty things are putting Bromley Town Hall firmly on the foodie map this autumn. A fittingly British menu will be served in the dining room of the Grade II-listed building, which was once the old courthouse. Local chef Ralph Jones is in charge of the kitchen, cooking up a menu promising treacle for both mains and pud (yes, really!). We’re talking a steaming dish of braised beef short rib with Guinness and black treacle, followed by a dessert of Golden Tate and Lyle treacle tart with raspberries topped with whipped almond clotted cream.

Dorothy and Marshall, 4 Court Street, Bromley BR1 1AN.

Opening in November, hours TBD.

www.dorothyandmarshall.co.uk/

rAmButAn

It’s not usual to serve dessert before mains, but then chef, restaurateur and author Cynthia Shanmugalingam is not striving for normality. Okay, she won’t really be serving pudding before mains, but she did tease her latest Sri Lankan restaurant with a soft serve pop-up this summer, with flavours including Nestlé product Milo, banana and toasted rice. The restaurant proper is due to open on Borough’s prestigious Stoney Street this autumn, with menu highlights including aged mutton rolls, Jaffna crab fried rice with bitter greens, and bone marrow curry.

Rambutan, 10 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AD. Opening date and hours TBD. www.instagram.com/rambutan_ldn/

JoiA

It’s all happening at Battersea Power Station. Following a 10-year development, the Grade II listed site opened to the public earlier this month with shops, restaurants, offices and more. Firing up the stoves is two Michelin-starred Portuguese chef Henrique Sa Pessoa, with his debut London restaurant Joia, housed inside the first London branch of luxe lifestyle hotel art’otel. Spread across three floors, the restaurant boasts a rooftop and a separate bar specialising in vermouths, and Spanish and Portuguese wines. Highlights from the upmarket, Iberian-themed menu include salted cod crudo with pickled onions, tomatoes and olive oil caviar.

Joia, 14th Floor, 1 Electric Boulevard, Nine Elms, London SW11 8BJ.

Opening date and hours TBD.

www.artotellondonbattersea.com/joia

Drop Dulwich –quality wines to stay or go in se22

By Holly O'Mahony

Approximately 30 minutes into my visit to new neighbourhood wine bar and shop Drop Dulwich there’s a problem. I’m here to sample a selection of the wines, of which there are 200 in total, but I’ve fallen head over heels in love with my first glass: a deep, dreamy chenin blanc from the Carinus family vineyards in Swartland, South Africa. It exudes a heavenly whiff of a smoky, oaky scent each time I go to take a sip. It’s complex and multilayered, but not hard work – like a good date, really. But I’m here to speed-date some of the main players on owner Hayley Try Carreira’s carefully curated list, not find a quiet corner in which to spend the night canoodling with option one.

“You’ll like plenty of the others,” she promises, before taking me through the 15-strong list of suitors on her wine-by-the-glass menu, and eventually introducing me to a full-bodied, fruity riesling from the Peter Jakob Kühn estate in Rheingau, Germany. She’s right, it’s tasty. My companion’s mineral “laissez faire” fiano from Larry Cherubino’s vines in Western Australia is even tastier. But neither are quite as good a match for my palate as that chenin blanc.

Drop Dulwich is the latest franchise to open as part of the Drop umbrella brand. Founded by friends Ian Campbell and Will Palmer in 2016 – the duo behind wine bar 10 Cases and Parsons seafood restaurant – its mission was to deliver quality wines to Londoners at the click of a button, within the hour. It’s since launched a series of Drop bars across the city – including in Covent Garden, Clapham and Kensington – which also provide a more local delivery service.

A hospitality worker with years of experience working in some of London’s most prestigious restaurants, including The Ledbury and José Pizarro Group, Aussie sommelier Hayley has long been passionate about quality wine. She was a regular user of the Drop Wine app too, before she approached Ian and Will with a bid to run her own Drop bar.

As a franchise, rather than a bar with several branches, each Drop venue looks entirely different and is the vision of its owner-manager. Hayley tells me that French sommelier Victor Guyonnet has decked out his bar Drop on the Common with dark blue interiors and pop art prints. Hers, on the other hand, marries warming, terracotta-washed walls with space age gold lighting. It’s slick and minimalist with a few showy accents, and it’s a space in which you want to dwell.

Next door to the bar is the wine library, where 200 bottles arranged by colour and flavour profile line the walls, with a wooden ladder transporting curious hands to higher shelves. Regardless of whether you plan to take a bottle home, it’s worth a snoop.

Despite only opening a few short days before our visit, the 20-cover bar has already shaken off any ‘bestkept-secret’ status, filling up by 7:30pm. By this point, I’m sipping on a deliciously light red beaujolais from the Domaine de Buis-Rond vineyard in France, while my companion is tackling a tropical orange, the Hermit Ram Zealandia sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, which we joke is so juicy it’s a bit like the soft drink Rio but for grown-ups. I would happily sip in the company of each glass again.

Keeping the room upright, meanwhile, is a short, deli-style bar menu, from which we opt for some sensible hunks of sourdough, a cheese board and a wedge of fennel sausage. When the new Drop app launches at the end of November, you’ll be able to order any one of the 200 wines plus a selection of transportable nibbles to your door, any time before 10pm. You can have your bottle chilled or gift-wrapped too, at no extra cost, Hayley proudly tells me.

As we shrug on our coats, readying ourselves to face the dark, dank air on the other side of the steamed up windows, I find I’m still thinking about my first glass of chenin blanc, like it was the one that got away. So, like a hopeful lover dashing to the airport gates to confess their feelings, I hurtle back into the wine library and voilà! There it is for £19.50 a bottle. We leave together, the bottle nestled under my arm as I thank Hayley for introducing us.

Give Hayley and Drop Dulwich a try – this matchmaker knows her vines.

Drop Dulwich, 1-3 Melbourne Terrace, Melbourne Grove, East Dulwich, London SE22 8RE.

Tuesday & Wednesday 12pm - 9:30pm; Thursday & Friday 12pm - 10:30pm; Saturday 11am - 10:30pm; Sunday 11am - 5:30pm.

www.instagram.com/dropdulwich/

southbank centre’s Winter Festival returns

Joyous sHoWs

Travel to east Tennessee in an all-new musical twist on the classic Dickens tale from the Queen of Country at Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol. Or join in the family fun with Duggee and the Squirrels in Hey Duggee: The Live Theatre Show.

Winter mArket & pop ups

Stroll along the Thames under twinkling lights and sample indulgent drinks and scrumptious street food at the Winter Market. Or enjoy the seasonal food and drink pop-ups and take part in alpine-themed curling at The Curling Club.

Art & exHiBitions

Take a walk near the Southbank Centre after dusk and you’ll be met by the neon glow of Winter Light, a free outdoor exhibition. Plus, there’s more dazzling art to see inside at the Hayward Gallery’s Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art and the free, Ai Weiwei curated Koestler Arts: Freedom.

neW yeAr’s eve spectAcuLAr

Party through the decades as the Royal Festival Hall is decked out in all its glory and enjoy breathtaking views of the UK’s largest annual fireworks display.

Can’t stay out til midnight with the kids? Start your family’s New Year revels early with the free Kids’ Countdown with Ida Barr.

A truLy cLAssicAL cHristmAs

Join a procession of festive classical music performances suitable for audiences of all ages: Handel’s Messiah, Christmas at the Movies, Christmas Carol Singalong, A Dickensian Christmas and Christmas with the Philharmonia Cellos.

very merry comeDy AnD cABAret

The campest, queerest and most hilarious guests London can offer, join The Guilty Feminist Presents Camp as Christmas, or go to the edge and have your preconceptions rattled as collective Not Your Circus Dog presents an evening of shameless, sexy punk-crip cabaret.

Free Festive Fun

There’s plenty of free musical events to raise your spirits. Go in heavy on the harmonies with an incredible line up of choirs singing classic winter numbers with Choral Winter Warmers. Need some heat? Transport yourself somewhere warmer with Just Vibez Caribbean Winter Carnival. Or if you fancy, step onto the stage at the open mic event ShezAr and The Soul Sirens Sessions.

community spirit

Looking for a cosy spot this Winter season? Read your book, play a game, meet new friends or just take a moment with your thoughts in The Lounge, a free community space, open to everyone.

MORE

*Please

 Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol, Photo by Jesse Faatza

Boagey

 Jakob Kvist's Dichroic Sphere, part of Winter Light

Photo © Christoffer Askman

LOCALLY SOURCED

LAMP/LDN

Hundreds of sausage dogs are coming to Bermondsey in November. A pop-up dog café that attracts thousands of dachshunds a year is coming to Bermondsey for a one-off Christmas-themed event.

Pup Up Café, founded by Marcus Ackford, based in Exeter, travels the UK bringing breed specific dog communities together. Their latest tour - the ‘Dashing Dachshund Christmas Tour 2022’- is coming to Bermondsey on 19th November – and tickets are nearly sold out!

Marcus decided to start the dog café events back in 2019 because there was nothing of its kind. “I saw a need for these events because there wasn’t anything in between the high-end shows like Crufts, and just a walk in the park,” he said.

“In 2019 we did our first event in Exeter, and about 200 dachshunds turned up! So we knew we did something right.

“We do other events for other breeds – but this Christmas tour is just for dachshunds!”

The last Christmas tour attracted more than 2000 dachshunds in total - and they expect around 300 to come to Bermondsey in November.

Pups will get a christmas-themed present on entry, as well as unlimited treats and puppiccinos [whipped cream with a treat on top which “they love!”] all day.

There will also be local dog businesses in attendance, with all their goods specifically catered to the breed.

dachs the spirit!

Isabel Ramirez

There’s a best-dressed competition, where the prizes include dog wine and dog beer – Marcus assured us: “no alcohol, just a fun dog-themed drink that’s totally safe for them!”

In terms of activities for the dogs, there will be tunnels, ball pits and lots more for them to get stuck into.

“For the owners, they will have the bar to hand whilst enjoying the dogs roaming free.” Marcus said that the area will all be safe and secure – “we haven’t lost a dog the whole time we’ve been doing this.

And if you fancy seeing some dachshunds but are “sausage-less”, he said you can still attend.

You can grab your tickets online at www.fatsoma.com/ pup-up-cafe

It’s taking place at Fourpure Brewing Co. 25, Bermondsey Trading Estate on Rotherhithe New Rd, SE16 3LL, November 19, 10am-1:30pm.

sausaGe doGs descend on Bermondsey

Protect your child from polio

The NHS is offering all 1-9 year olds in London a polio booster vaccination. For some children, this may be an extra dose of polio vaccine on top of their routine vaccinations. In other children, it will bring them up to date with their polio vaccination. Boosting immunity in children should help protect them and reduce the risk of the virus spreading.

This booster vaccination is being offered following the detection of polio virus in sewage samples taken from north and east London.

Polio is an infection caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. It can cause permanent paralysis of muscles. You can read more about polio at https://bit.ly/polio-leaflets-for-parents

Where do I get my child’s vaccine?

If your child is registered with a GP, you would have already been contacted by the NHS to book an appointment locally, usually at your GP surgery or at one of Southwark’s Extended Primary Care Service (EPCS) that provide Southwark patients with additional GP and nurse appointments. More information is available at https://bit.ly/SEL-polio-vaccination-sites

What polio vaccinations does my child need?

Dr Küchemann said: “The polio vaccine is safe and effective and is the best way to prevent polio. All parents and carers will be contacted by the NHS to make an appointment and I would urge them to take up the offer as soon as possible.

Dr Küchemann added: “Please can I also encourage those who don’t have a GP to register at a local surgery.

GPs treat all common medical conditions and provide immunisations to adults and children”.

The polio vaccine is free and given as part of combined jabs to babies, toddlers and teenagers as part of the NHS routine childhood vaccination schedule.

It is given when a child is:

• 8, 12 and 16 weeks old as part of the 6-in-1 vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB)

• 3 years and 4 months old as part of the 4-in-1 (DTaP/IPV) pre-school booster

• 14 years old as part of the 3-in-1 (Td/IPV) teenage booster

Your child needs to have all these vaccinations to be fully vaccinated against polio. You can check your child’s red book, the NHS App (https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/) or contact your GP surgery if you are unsure if your child has been vaccinated.

Sangeeta Leahy, Director of Public Health, Southwark said: “There are signs the polio virus may be spreading in London and the number of children vaccinated is lower than it should be. Boosting your child’s immunity should help protect them and reduce the risk of the virus continuing to spread. It is essential your child has all their childhood immunisations to give them the very best protection”.

Dr Nancy Küchemann, GP and Co-Chair Partnership Southwark, urges all parents and carers to boost their child’s protection against polio.

ABermondsey garage that has hosted gigs for major stars in the music industry will now open its doors to local kids, with a free after-school club, where they will be treated to top quality cuisine by a chef to the stars.

ForeverGood started in 2021 as an agency for musicians and events and rapidly made a name for themselves as a creative brand. Based in a garage at the heart of Druid Street, it has hosted gigs for major names including R&B superstar Chris Brown and Jamaican rapper Sean Paul.

Up until now 54 Druid Street has mostly been for creatives and artists, but with the cost of living soaring and times getting tougher, ForeverGood founder and CEO Sebastian Downing decided to swap the decks for dishes and give back to the community.

He said “We’re launching an after-school free meal club on Tuesdays, where Bermondsey kids can play, create and eat food cooked by a chef to the stars, Savannah John.

“With parents all across the country struggling to put food on the table, something like this is needed now more than ever. We’re in a position to be able to do it and what better way to start with people right here on our doorstep.”

Savannah John runs a catering business and has cooked for stars including actor Idris Elba and music sensation Ne-Yo. She also recently catered for British

free afterschool cluB for Bermondsey kids catered By chef to the stars

Sebastian added that this is just the start and now that the doors are open, they’re not going to close anytime soon. “This is not a one-off moment,” he said.

“It’s also an invitation for people to come to us with ideas if they want to do stuff for the local community. We’ve got the space and the resources: we want to use our contacts to provide workshops for local young people.

“We’ve had kids in here before for workshops, but it was never community-led and I want to change that.

“We have a great relationship with the whole street - so we really want to give back to them.”

Downside Youth Club, that caters for 9-21 year olds, is just across the road from ForeverGood.

rapper duo, Krept and Konan. “Sav was looking to start her own restaurant, so we’re giving her this space for free,” Sebastian said.

“She does soul food and she’ll be the one cooking and providing the free meals for kids at the afterschool club.

“From Monday to Wednesday this space is not in use – so we want to use it for doing good for locals.”

Miles Anthony, head of production at ForeverGood, said: “Although we have always been open to anyone, because of the artists and brands we’ve worked with, ForeverGood might have been seen as exclusive up until now. But we want people to know that we are expanding and our doors are open.”

“They’re the obvious first port of call for the afterschool club,” Sebastian said.

Alfie Millward, youth worker at Downside Youth Club, was delighted with the offer: “We all think it’s a great idea,” he said. “In this area something like this is definitely needed. Local kids will definitely be into it.”

The after-school club will open on Tuesday 8th November at 4pm, so Bermondsey young people are invited to come along. Anyone who wants to attend can fill in a form on their website - forevergood.co.uk They’re launching the soul food restaurant the week before, on the 29th.

To check out Sav’s instagram: @savjojntz

Isabel Ramirez

THIS IS LGBT+ OLDER LIVING

internet star yung Filly talks football, growing up in south London and the secret to his success

By Isabel Ramirez

ASouth London boy who came to the UK as a refugee kicked football to the side and became one of the biggest names on our screens.

Born Andres Felipé Barrientos, 27-year-old Yung Filly has fast become one of the UK’s most popular YouTubers. Now he’s a musician, presenter, and all-round media personality, known for being a loud and vibrant character on-screen.

“When I first started doing videos, I was genuinely just in that mood, and then everyone liked it,” Filly explained. “So, it wasn’t hard to work out how I need to be on camera.

Filly moved to the UK from Colombia as a two-year old refugee with his mum and his sister. He said they moved around a lot but stayed in south-east London, living mainly in Deptford, New Cross and Ladywell. His aunt still owns a restaurant in Elephant and Castle, called Coco Loco.

Filly speaks highly of his childhood and although he said there were money struggles, he has good memories of it.

“Growing up in London was good for me personally - there's a lot of danger and crime, but I stayed out of trouble. The worst thing I ever

did was play a game of ‘knock down ginger’ on the estate. But other than that, I played football mostly.

“At one point, I actually wanted to be a footballer.”

He explained that at the end of year 11, he moved back to Colombia for a short period and signed for a team in Barranquilla.

“I played there as a scholar for two years. But it got to the point where it was becoming my job and I had to sit there and ask myself, ‘Do I want to do this with my life?’ and the answer was no. So, I made the decision to stop.”

It was then that he began filming funny videos and uploading them to social media. Now, Filly has over a million subscribers and regularly features on some of the biggest channels on the platform. You only have to google his name to see his achievements, but something he said he’s most proud of has come as a result of his success.

“I took my mum off benefits four years ago,” he said. “But I’m no different to anyone else. So, if I can, so can you.

“I always say, excuses or results: you can’t have both, so pick one.”

His hard work is testament to how he’s got to where he is, but he said in the past it wouldn’t have been possible.

“Back in the day I wouldn’t have been working with certain shows and brands - it wouldn’t have been as easy for a black person.

“But now we’re everywhere – you can’t not notice us. From sports, acting, music - there’s a lot of black powerful people now and we’re being respected. And genuinely, some of us are just too big and too good not to see.”

His latest venture is a campaign for Peperami,

by Peperami

Go a bit Peperami, which is all about pushing people out of their comfort zones.

This included taking friend and designer Danny D'Trois synchronised swimming: “The guy can’t swim, and we got him to stay up in the water - it was wicked.”

Catch Yung Filly's latest track 'Day to Day' featuring Chip on all major streaming platforms.

Kingsdale Foundation School

First Class and Top of the Class

Applications for Sixth Form courses are now being accepted

Take advantage of the chance to visit Kingsdale Foundation School and see for yourself how we bring the best out of our students. A tour of Kingsdale Foundation School enables you to realise why we receive such glowing reports. In the Autumn term 2022 you will have just that opportunity as we will be holding Sixth Form Open Days for entry in September 2023. Scholarships in Mathematics and the Creative & Expressive Arts are on offer for gifted and talented candidates who meet our entry requirements. Scholars receive free individual or small group tuition provided by expert professionals to the value of £1,000 per annum.

Harnessing talent!

Kingsdale is a dynamic, exceptionally popular and progressive school that has invested £30m to develop an award-winning educational learning environment. In our specialist academic Sixth Form Campus, students study a combination of respected traditional, performing arts and creative A Levels in addition to alternative high value Level 3 courses. Our average class sizes have been as low as ten in the Sixth Form. We also pride ourselves on our excellent links to the best higher education institutions in the world. Residential trips to places such as Harvard and Yale in the USA are being organised once again subject to interest.

Prospective students are invited to come along to our Open Days or join our virtual tours to explore the fantastic opportunities and inspiring state-of-the-art facilities in our dedicated Sixth Form Centre. As Ofsted noted: ‘The range of subjects taught is imaginative, well constructed and contributes well to students’ achievement and their outstanding spiritual, cultural and moral development.’

‘This popular school is a harmonious environment where pupils learn how to be successful in modern Britain’ OFSTED 2017

Amelia, Jacob & Alex’s 8A*s & 2A Grades at A Level have enabled them to study English at Cambridge, Engineering at Sheffield and English at Cambridge respectively!

Matteo has taken advantage of achieving 4A* Grades at A Level to study Computer Science at Cambridge University!