SW267

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WEEKENDER

May 2018 www.weekender.co.uk

inside:

Friends comes to Kennington

Pages 4-5

Ethiopian Dreams at the Underbelly

Page 14

Windrush: Portrait of a Generation at Oxo Gallery

Page 17

2 February 2018

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Cinema ● Theatre ● Comedy ● Arts ● Music ● Food & Drink

WEEKENDER

Photo by Andrey Petrov

southwark

May 2018 www.weekender.co.uk

Abyssinian dreams Ethiopian circus headlining at the Underbelly Festival

2 May 2018

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Pick of the

Month

Attenborough in Battersea, win VIP festival tickets, and stand-up in Dulwich

By Laura Burgoine

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH SPOTTING IN BATTERSEA TICKLED PINK

Keeping it local

London Eye is lighting up pink for breast cancer charity’s Walk the Walk’s 21st Moonwalk. At midnight on Saturday 12 May, thousands of women and men wearing brightly decorated bras will walk either a Half Moon (13.1 + 2 miles), or Full Moon (26.2 miles) through the streets of London, beginning and ending at Clapham Common, to raise money and awareness for Walk the Walk. www.walkthewalk.org

T

HE WEEKENDER is an independent newspaper, covering Lambeth, Southwark and Greenwich.

We cover all things arts, entertainment, culture and news.

The Weekender is owned and run

by Chris Mullany (left) and Kevin Quinn, who also publish London's only independent paid-for paper, the Southwark News.

A dedicated team work tirelessly to cover as much of what is going on as possible and strive to ensure that a community-led, independent newspaper can survive and excel in a market dominated by national and multinational media groups.

If you have a story, please get in touch.

TV presenter, naturalist and rare book collector Sir David Attenborough is opening the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association Fair, which is in Battersea Park for the first time on May 24 (12pm). Over160 British and international exhibitors are showcasing a wide range of rare books, manuscripts, maps, prints, ephemera and original artwork which will include Medieval museum quality manuscripts to modern day first editions such as Harry Potter.

Prices range from tens of pounds to hundreds of thousands of pounds. May 24-26 at. Battersea Evolution, SW11. Admission: free. www.rarebookfairlondon.com

GLOBE TROTTER

WIN VIP TICKETS Win two VIP tickets, worth £137.50 each, to 51st State festival. The fourth edition of the house music festival sees Groove Odyssey headlining, along with performances from Masters at Work, Body and Soul, Norman Jay, John Morales and many more.

Tickets: £27.50-£220. 51st State Festival returns to London’s Trent Park on Saturday 4 August.

To enter, email laura@weekender.co.uk with your name, email address and phone number and the subject line: 51st State Competition. Entries close May 25.

Shakespeare’s Globe tour guide Glenis Carlton’s new children’s book brings the Bard to life for youngsters. Available at the Globe bookshop, Portia and Bob at the Globe follows a cat and a fox who encounter the gods and myths of Shakespeare’s stories. The author, who divides her time between London and New Zealand, has written the book to introduce children to Shakespeare’s work. £7.99. www.shakespearesglobe.com

The Weekender is published by Southwark Newspaper Ltd - an independent newspaper publisher, based in Bermondsey, south London.

Managing Directors: Chris Mullany & Kevin Quinn Group Editor: Anthony Phillips

PRETTY IN PINK

Editor: Laura Burgoine

Tickets are on sale for the UK premiere of 1964 classic comedy the Pink Panther, with a live orchestra, at Royal Festival Hall. The film’s score – including the legendary saxophone solo in the titular theme – is being performed by the Senbla Concert Orchestra, conducted by Elliot Davies. Starring Peter Sellers as the bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau on the hunt to catch a notorious jewel thief, the film was also an introduction to the cartoon character of the same name, who is featured in the animated opening credits sequence.

Sunday 15 July. Tickets: £32.50-£75.

Reporters: Michael Holland; Chiara Giordano; Nicky Sweetland Advertising Manager: Tammy Jukes Advertising Team: Nancy Simpson; Katie Boyd Design Manager: Dan Martin Design Team: Ann Gravesen; Takako Laird Published every month at: Unit A302, Tower Bridge Business Complex, Clement’s Road, SE16 4DG. Printed by Newbury News Ltd. News:

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DESIGN MY WEEKEND

Brockwell Lido is hosting a free festival of 20th century design from May 5-6. The Modern Movement showcases a range of specially selected dealers and architects, including Retro Barn, Dad Design, GP Lights & More, Da Silva Interiors and ID for London, selling a range of classic vintage furniture, jewellery and object d’art, set against the back drop of the art deco Grade II listed Lido building.

10am-4:30pm. Admission: free. Dulwich Road, SE24 OPA.

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EXPLOSIVE LAUGHS It’s double the laughs at Plosive Comedy in Dulwich on Friday 4 May with Live at the Apollo and Mock the Week star Hal Cruttenden, and British Comedy Awardwinning ventriloquist Nina Conti, with support from The Mash Report star Rachel Parris.

Double Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominee Carl Donnelly is the MC for the night.

8pm (doors open at 7:15pm). The MCT at Alleyn’s, Alleyn’s School, Townley Road, SE22 8SU. Tickets: £16 (plus booking fee). www.plosive.co.uk

May 2018 3

SPOTLIGHT

By Laura Burgoine

The one where Friends comes to Kennington

A

chance to hang out on the sets from iconic sitcom Friends in Kennington Park? Could we be more excited?

Following a sell-out tour last year, Friendsfest returns to the UK this summer with the only London stop at Kennington Park. Grab a cup of joe at Central Perk, see if you can spy Ugly Naked Guy from Monica’s apartment window, or take in the “cheap knockoffs and dinosaur crap” at Ross’ apartment (formerly home to Ugly Naked Guy).

Presented by Luna Cinema, who host outdoor film screenings across

4 May 2018

London – including Brockwell Lido and Dulwich Park - Friends fans can book a tour slot, and step behind the scenes onto full size replica sets.

There’s an opportunity to recreate the famous “pivot” moment (where the gang helped Ross move his new couch up the tiny staircase of his apartment building), or hang out in the iconic corridor between Joey and Chandler, and Monica and Rachel’s apartments where many momentous events took place throughout the series.

The popular ‘Recreate the Titles’ experience is back, along with Ross and Rachel’s Vegas chapel of love

(where the couple got drunk and tied the knot in season six). Pose for a selfie in the ‘80s High School Prom photo area, and pick up your memorabilia and merchandise at the Friendsfest shop on site. At least year’s event, some of the memorabilia on offer included the giant white dog, Ross’ leather trousers and Phoebe’s risqué Buffay the Vampire Layer VHS. Instagrammers and the selfie conscious will be in heaven with provided umbrellas, sofa, and fountain, where you can attempt to recreate the cast’s original opening theme tune. Clap, clap, clap, clap.

Tickets are more sought after than an invitation to Joey’s annual Day of Our Lives roof party, so be sure to book your ticket early to avoid missing out.

Despite having been off air for almost 14 year, Friends Fever is still very much alive. When the event first came to the UK in 2016, it sold out in 13 minutes.

I’ll be there (for you).

Friendsfest is at Kennington Park, Kennington Park Road, SE11 4BE, from September 21-30.

Admission: £27.50. http://friendsfest.co.uk/

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May 2018 5

MUSIC

By Laura Burgoine

S

outh London dancer Kloe Dean is back at international hip hop festival Breakin’ Convention for the May bank holiday weekend.

Growing up in Dulwich and Sydenham, Kloe now lives in Catford and has danced at London’s International Hip Hop Dance Festival, the Hip Hop International Championships in Las Vegas, and NIKE and Sky One TV’s Got To Dance.

“I started dancing by watching Michael Jackson from a young age and trying to copy every video he ever did,” Kloe told the Weekender.

“My Mum and Dad both played a lot of music at home: my Dad liked

Break out star reggae, garage and jungle and my Mum liked soulful funk so that put a love of music into my which led to my dance when I realised what you could do to the music.”

Kloe took the traditional route into dance, studying jazz and ballet, and taking tap classes in a church hall with a piano and an “old lady teacher.” “We didn’t have a lot of money for classes so my Mum took me to a lot of free stuff,” Kloe said.

“I didn’t have as much consistency as other children with dance training. I was lucky my primary school teacher used to make us do talent shows every week and we were really on it,” she said. “From then I wanted to choreograph; I was the one telling

Rock Steady Teddy

E

ntering the Vaults theatre at Waterloo for the first time, I was unsure if the bombedout rubble strewn space was a symptom of Arts underfunding or deliberate.

It was in fact designed to immerse the audience in the post war 1950s’ London, which was home to the Teds.

We were played to our seats by Johnny Valentine and the Broken Hearts who then went on to play a core role in the show. Two rebellious teenagers, Josie and

6 May 2018

Teddy, are getting ready for a big night out. What they lack in cash they make up for with attitude.

They arrive with their respective ‘gangs’ of Teds and Judies and meet in a crowd of newly minted teenagers hanging out in a bomb-damaged church. They spar for a while until they bond over a mutual love of the Johnny Valentine and his band. Hearing that he is playing a secret gig, they launch a desperate plan to find the money to get in. When Teddy remembers the old german gun that is hidden in his Mum’s house, things can only end badly.

everyone what to do.”

Kloe learned break dancing at Second Wave Youth Arts in Deptford. “My friend and I were a bit naughty; we were 11 and said we were 13 so we could join,” she said.

“When I started breakin’ I was like ‘this is my thing.’ We started meeting other dancers, auditioning for other groups, there was an underground street scene, big competitions. Flawless was born,” Kloe said.

Kloe started Myself UK Dance Company because she felt there weren’t enough platforms for females in hip hop. “I was joining in crews, competitions, battles, and there were so many guys.

I thought ‘where are the girls?’

Girls, if they were involved, were sexualised rather than getting down and doing technique,” she said. “That was pretty frustrating. I wanted to create a group and give an opportunity to show yourself, which is hard, and it’s still hard.

There’s still an expectation of how we should look.”

“Even when we auditioned for Got to Dance, one judge commented ‘we thought you would come out and shake your bums and wear shorts.’”

Within Myself UK, there’s a pool of 30 dancers; ten are coming to Breakin’ Convention, which is also the company’s ten year anniversary.

Combining lyrical street dance and spoken word with social

The play is written in verse which is handled beautifully by the two lead characters. Molly Chesworth is wonderfully sharp as Josie. There is more than a bit of girl power in this production as Freya Parks is equally tough as bassist Jenny O’Malley; at one point quipping to the drummer, “Do you want to feel my feminine touch across your jaws?”

There is not a weak performance in this highly energetic show. The choreography and dancing is great. The audience is younger than average and there was a real sense of fun in the venue from the start. The older generation were not shy when

the invitation was issued at the end to get onto the dancefloor, during the gig of rock and roll classics which finished the night.

I recommend you get your Brothel Creepers on and get

commentary, the group prides itself on pushing boundaries. “It’s not what you expect an all-female crew would do,” Kloe said. “We play with masculine and feminine movements. We like to be respected for the movement.”

“I’m doing a duet as well on Sunday with Jared Harringon. It’s an intimate performance that looks at mental and physical abuse within relationships.”

Breakin’ Convention is at Sadler’s Wells, EC1R, from May 5-7 at 6pm (doors open at 4pm and 4:30pm on the Monday). Admission: £15 standing, £24 seats, £17 concession.

Phone: 020 7863 8000. www.sadlerswells.com

down to the Vaults prepared for theatre and dancing.

Teddy is on at The Vaults Theatre, Launcelot Street, SE1 7AD until June 3. Admission: £25 - £35. www.thevaults.london

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May 2018 7

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Brixton Buzz

Tuesday 1st May, SE17

Groin at Corsica Studios 5 Farrell Court, Elephant & Castle, SE17 1LB, 10pm-3am, £4 The intriguingly-entitled Groin promises a “new weekly structure within Corsica Studios,” with the night providing a physical platform for artists and DJs who can “see the club transformed in a very tangible way.” Each week will feature new work by visual artists, presented in an interactive manner with DJs playing “every genre up and down the country.”

The Groiners add: “The construction of a groin vault can be understood most simply by visualising an arrangement of arches, usually forming a ceiling or roof, suspended by 4 pillars.” Err, OK. Thanks for that.

Gig guide

Cinco De Mayo at Pop Brixton

Sat

49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ, 3pm-midnight, Free

5th May

St. Matthew’s Church, Effra Road, SW2 1JF, 9pm, Free Unspecified DJs accompanied by a real, living saxophonist spin Housey /Latin House music in this tapas restaurant/ bar lurking in the crypt of St Matthew’s Church, a short saunter from the centre of Brixton.

Friday 11th May, SW9

Belly Box Cabaret at Cafe Cairo 88 Landor Road, SW9 9PE, 8pm-2am, £8

Wednesday 2nd May, SW9

Wicked Wednesdays at Club 414 414 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LF, 10pm-3am, Free Now firmly established as the best late night out in Brixton on a Wednesday, this lively jam session has proved a smash with music-loving night owls, packing out the legendary 414 Club with a friendly and diverse crowd. Hosted by Aurora Dawn (Alabama 3) and Laura Ibáñez (Brixton Gypsy Jam), expect to hear a mix of jazz, soul, reggae, folk, Afrobeat, funk and dance. It’s very much a locals affair, with many familiar faces on the stage and in the crowd - anyone who remembers the formidable Reggae Wednesdays at the Queens Head in Stockwell will feel right at home.

Friday 4th May, SW9

Beat Club Bowie at Cafe Cairo 88 Landor Road, SW9 9PE, 8pm-2am, £5 New bi-monthly dancing event in the splendid Cafe Cairo, with hosts Tom WhiskeyKitten and DJ Codename Sparrow rustling up four-to-the-floor soul, Bowie, indie nuggets, party bangers and psych. Featured guest is top-notch London-based Bowie tribute act, Cats From Japan, playing live with screwed up eyes and screwed down hairdos.

Pop Brixton celebrates Cinco De Mayo with a mix of international live music, DJs, female Mariachis, traditional dance, food and decor with a Mexican twist. Playing live and fusing hip hop breaks with brass band fire is Borchi y Su Doble Redoble, direct from the Coyoacán district of Mexico City. Also on stage is hypnotic cumbia vendors Malphino, and the all-female Mariachi Las Adelitas, reimagining pop songs in their unique mariachi style. There’ll be traditional Mexican dance on display, courtesy of the Mestizo Folklore Group plus historic Aztec booty oscillating from Atlachinolli Aztec. On the decks till close will be DJs Coco Maria, Borchi and Cal Jader (Movimientos).

One of the most provocative and funny cabaret nights in London, the long running Duckie club mixes and mashes burlesque and random acts in front of a packed gay/mixed crowd. This week’s offbeat live entertainment serves up fish-licking performance artist Lucia Pazzini and the ‘world’s oldest working comedienne,’ the sharp-witted Lynn Ruth Miller. Keeping the party swinging will be The Readers’ Wives, whisking up a wonderful mix of retro indie, new wave and classic floorfillers.

Friday 4th May, SE15

Beta Nights at Four Quarters 187 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4TP, 10pm1am, Free DJs and live performance with Autre Half, Blue Bendy, Hotel Lux and Seth Evans in this friendly retro arcade game bar.

Friday 4th May, SE27

Stick it On at Book & Record Exchange 20 Norwood High St, SE27 9NR, 8pm-1am, Free An indie record shop and bookstore by day, the vinyl racks are manfully tussled asunder when the sun comes down to create a dancefloor for music nights twice a month. Tonight, the Stick It On crew invite you - the great unwashed - to bring in three monster tunes of your choice on magical vinyl and get spinning.

Saturday 5th May, SE11

Duckie at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern 372 Kennington Lane, SE11 5HY, 9pm-2am, £6

Saturday 5th May, SW9

A night of trouser-flappin’, DM-stompin’ ska and punk awaits in this well stocked old school boozer at the far end of Coldharbour Lane. Saaaarf East London hardcore crew, The Pisdicables showcase their beefy skanking sound, while Cambridge’s very own Intercity Crazy Train turn their amps up to 125 and blast out a mix of ska punk guitar, bass, ukulele and organ. Bringing the brass to the ska party is the sixteenlegged skanking machine and logistical nightmare, Just Say Nay, with TwoBob’s indie disco keeping the bears going till 1am.

Cohesion at Club 414 414 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LF, 10pm-8am, £5/£10 More psychedelic than a rainbow unicorn charging through a forest of glow sticks on an acid-powered scootstick, the Cohesion gang are shimmying back in town with a bubbling box of psytrance acts to turn your mind into a swirling, throbbing mass of repetitive beats.

Running till 8am and hosted in the unique 414, the line-up includes Shane Gobi, Thallom, Octave Shifter, C.K and Miss Kiff.

Sunday 6th May, SW9

Saturday 5th May, SE5

Bank Holiday Sunday at Gigalum 8 Cavendish Road, Clapham Common, SW4 9DW, 4pm-1am, Free No less than nine hours of relentless house, deep house and tech house

Live Ska/Punk at The Joiners Arms 35 Denmark Hill, Camberwell, SE5 8RS, 8pm, Free

Live Ska/Punk at The Joiners Arms

Norman Jay at the Prince of Wales 469 Brixton Rd, SW9 8HH, 2pm-4am, £20 Warehouse DJ legend His Royal Highness Norman Jay ascends to the Prince of Wales’s swishy roof terrace with his Soul II Soul pal Jazzie B for a bank holiday special. Also tussling with the decks and making the woofers go all a-quiver is DJs Colin Dale, Noble & Heath, Stanley Hood and Rob Alldritt.

Sunday 6th May, SW4

music is in store at this lively bar by the Common. DJs include Phil Reynolds, Travers Beaton, Sergio Batista, Hilton Caswell, Byrone D, Jason Fly and Jus U.

Sunday 6th May, SW4

Intimate at Fu Manchu 15 Lendal Terrace, Clapham, SW4 7UX, 10pm-4am, £10 Bizarrely billing itself as a “Grown and Mature over 25’s only event” this Clapham North bar/restaurant promises an evening of ‘Old School House classics, Deep house and a slice of Tech.” They’re not only sizeist and ageist but shoe-ist too, demanding that no one wearing “scruffy trainers” can be admitted.

Monday 7th May, SE5

Open Mic at The Junction 171 Coldharbour Lane, SE5 9PA, 8pm11pm, Free Now offering live music every night of the week, the Junction is a great addition to a pub-starved neighbourhood. On Mondays there’s a splendidly laid back open mic night, where folks are invited to strut on stage and see if their talent impresses or depresses.

Wednesday 9th May, SW4

Open Mic at Bread & Roses 68 Clapham Manor Street, SW4 6DZ, 8pm11pm, Free Owned by the Battersea and Wandsworth Trades Union Council, this is a great place for Tory-free boozing and socialising. Test out your talents in front of a friendly crowd at this regular open mic night. All musicians and spoken word artists welcome, but don’t be surprised if your lovelorn sonnet to Maggie Thatcher gets a chilly response.

Friday 11th May, SW2

House Night at Gremio de Brixton

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The Belly Box cabaret returns to Cafe Cairo with a mixture of classic and modern cabaret, with drag kings & queens, street magic, alternative burlesque, performance art and live music including ventriloquist Tom Baker and American escapologist/comedian Claire Lenahan.

Saturday 12th May, SE15

Dusty Groove at Canavan’s Peckham Pool Club 188 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4NF, 8pm4am, £8 Musician and DJ Tenderlonious teams up with Dennis Ayler for a night of high energy platter spinning in this wonderfully down to earth pool hall-cumvenue. The booze is cheap, the vibes friendly, with the only downside being the new insistence of producing ID to get in.

Saturday 12th May, SW2

Reggaeoke at Upstairs at the Ritzy Brixton Oval, Brixton, SW2 1JG, 8pm-1m, £10 This singalong fest invites wabblers to ‘channel their inner Beenie Man, Beres Hammond or Dawn Penn’ and to ‘come feel the riddim and enjoy the vibes.’

Expect to get an earful of the best reggae, dancehall and soca karaoke tunes, enhanced - or perhaps destroyed - by mic-hogging vocalists. Karaoke kicks off at 9pm.

Sunday 13th May, SW2

No Frills Sunday Session at The Windmill 22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton SW2 5BZ, 7pm, Free Hosted by Brixton’s No Frills Band, this jaunty, round-the-table drinking, strumming and singing session invites musicians of all abilities to join in with new and traditional songs.

Tuesday 15th May, SW2

Live Jazz at the Effra Hall Tavern Kellett Road, Brixton, SW2, 8.30pm11.30pm, Free One of the few traditional pubs left anywhere in the area, this locals’ boozer has regular live music nights throughout the week. On Tuesdays, it’s Afrobeat/ reggae local stars The Soothsayers, with guest musicians.

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Brixton Buzz

Gig guide

Thursday 17th May, SE15

Octavian at The Bussey Building 133 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4ST, 8pm, £tbc

Fri

Beans On Toast at Clapham Grand

18th May

21-25 St John’s Hill, Clapham, SW11 1TT, 6.30pm-7pm, £20

The Rampage Sound Old School Reunion offers 7 hours of raving, 4 Arenas, 10 tunnels & one of the UK’s best sound-systems headlined by Rampage Sound. It’s going to be an awesome, all-night mash up!

Sunday 27th May, SW9

Kornel Kovacs & Project Pablo at Phonox 418 Brixton Rd, Brixton, SW9 7AY, 9.30pm4am, £15 A founding member of Sweden’s Studio Barnhaus alongside Axel Bowman, Kornel Kovacs knows how to whisk up breezy, party-ready club music, taking in techno to bargain bin 80s synth pop.

Sunday 27th May, SW16

Soulful All Day Party at White Lion 234 Streatham High Road, SW16 1BB, 1pm-1am, Free Record fair, food and no less than 12 DJs at an all-dayer in this friendly community boozer.

French-born, south east London-raised rapper Octavian broke through with the release of his first official single, the Drake-approved ‘Party Here’.

Showcasing Octavian’s distinctive flow and featuring production and an accompanying video from within his close-knit Essie Gang crew, it served as an excellent introduction to a compelling new voice in underground UK music.

Monday 28th May, SW9,

Open Mic at Queens Head 144 Stockwell Rd, SW9 9TQ, 8-10pm, Free The revamped Queens Head is growing into a worthy alternative independent boozer and their Open Mic nights offer ale and cider at just £3 a pint all night.

Result!

Friday 18th May, SW2

South London Scum at Hand In Hand 61 New Park Road, Streatham Hill, SW2 4LA, 8pm-midnight, £5

Tuesday 29th May, SW9 The festival-documenting troubadour brings his heartwarming tales of drug-infused liaisons, love and protest to the Grand for an early show. Beans On Toast (aka Essex-born Jay McAllister) has been a fixture on the festival circuit for years, notching up no less than eight albums full of shambolic charm, humour and persuasive insights.

Best seen in a muddy field as a shedload of monster mind-meld kicks in, close your eyes and enjoy Jay’s hilarious adventures. Recommended.

Sunday 20th May, SW9 There’s going to be a right royal racket all night as Polish grindcore kings Herida Profunda head up a bill that includes the Art of Burning Water, Harrowed, the wonderfully named Satanic Malfunctions and Boyed.

Saturday 19th May, SW16

Terri Walker at Hideaway 2 Empire Mews, Streatham, SW16 2BF, 9pm, £17.50

Grass Roots Live Music at Club 414 414 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LF, 10pm-3am, Free/donations Hosted by UB40 trumpet-player Patrick Anthony, backed by a talented house band, you can expect a night of uplifting blues, reggae and ska in front of a busy, old school mixed Brixton crowd. It’s open till late and a big hit with locals.

Tuesday 22nd May, SW2

Birdstriking at The Windmill 22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton, SW2 5BZ, 8pm, £8

Thursday 24th May, SW2

ARKIVE at White Horse 94 Brixton Hill, Brixton, SW2 1QN, 9pmmidnight, Free BRXTNFNK and their DJ chums will be frantically rummaging through their record collections like crack-addled squirrels looking for a long-buried fix.

Friday 25th May, SW9

Beyonce to Britpop at Upstairs at Market House 443 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LN, 10pm-3am, £5 Brixton’s famous Offline Club brings the noise to the upstairs room at the Market House, throwing down a swaggering, sweaty, fun packed mix of fist-in-the air party bangers. Now one of the biggest nights in this legendary Brixton venue, expect your nether regions to vacillate wildly to a sonic feast of dance monsters, cheeky pop thumpers, drum’n’bass floorshakers and bootyquivering anthems, with Dolly and Cyndi guaranteed.

Friday 25th May, SE11

One of the UK’s leading soul artists, multi MOBO-nominated Terri hit the spotlight with her critically acclaimed debut album in 2003 which featured a collaboration with Mos Def. With her fifth album in the pipeline, expect a dynamite live performance.

Sunday 20th May, SW2

Sunday Jam at the Hand In Hand 61 New Park Road, Streatham Hill, SW2 4LA, 7.30pm, Free Great new regular jam session hosted by local musician Ese sees some great musicians take to the stage in this affordable venue.

10 May 2018

A rare UK appearance for Chinese indie-rockers Birdstriking, with support from legendary NME C86 stars The Wolfhounds and DJ Rosco from Spaceman 3, makes this a must-see show in a delightfully shambolic and down to earth rock and roll venue.

Tuesday 22nd May, SW9

Brooke Candy at JAMM 261 Brixton Road, Brixton, SW9 6LH, 7pm9.30pm, £20 LA born rapper, singer, ex-stripper and bra-eschewing icon Brooke Candy takes in the south London sights of Jamm as part of her debut headline UK and Irish tour.

DJ night at the Brown Derby 336 Kennington Park Road, Oval SE11 4PP, 9pm-midnight, Free

Brookl Candy at JAMM

Taking its name and style cues from a chain of LA diners from the 1920s, the Brown Derby is a welcoming retro bar right next to Oval tube station with DJs spinning selections of ska, northern soul and rock and roll.

Saturday 26th May, SW16

Polar Bears Can Dance at Pratts & Payne 103 Streatham High Road, SW16 1HJ, 9pm-2am, Free DJs every Saturday night, serving up soul, disco, funk and reggae

Sunday 27th May, SW2

Live Jazz at the Cable Bar & Café 8 Brixton Road, Oval, SW9 6BU, 8pm, Free It remains a mystery what band will be filling the stage at this intimate cafe/ bar by the Oval, but we’re sure the jazzy sounds are going to be skillfully dispensed in ample qualities. Grab yourself a beer and enjoy the good vibes.

Wednesday 30th May, SW2

Beth Ditto at Electric Brixton Town Hall Parade, Brixton, SW2 1RJ, 7pm11pm, £23 American singer-songwriter Beth Ditto, famed for her work with the indie rock band Gossip, returns to the UK to promote her southern licks and funk rock beat-stuffed debut solo record ‘Fake Sugar.’

Thursday 31st May, SW2

Imar Shepherd at Hootananny 95 Effra Road, Brixton, SW2 1DF, 9pm-2am. £3

Marvin Gaye Special at Blues Kitchen 40 Acre Lane, Brixton, SW2 5SP, 9pm-2am, £7 The Blues Kitchen chain brings a celebration of the mighty Marvin Gaye to their Brixton branch, with their house band rifling through the Prince Of Soul’s illustrious back catalogue. At 1am, the Atlantic Soul Orchestra strut their stuff on stage with DJs playing vintage tunes betwixt the bands.

Sunday 27th May, SE1

Rampage Old School Reunion at Fire Arch 39 - 43 Parry Street, Vauxhall, SW8 1RT, 10pm-5am, £15 With a voice that has been described as smooth, soulful and enchanting, Imar Shephard brings hs brand of Rhythm & Blues, Roots Rock Reggae and Lover’s Rock to the Hoot.

Thursday 31st May, SE27

Brits School Sessions at Railway Tavern 7 Station Rise, Tulse Hill, SE27 9BW, 7.30pm-midnight, Free This new monthly session sees upcoming wannabe stars from the famous Brit School take to the stage at the Railway. There’s loads of beers on offers, the staff are lovely and it’s free all night, so it’s got to be worth a punt.

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Theatre

Photo by Andy Coxon

I

t’s 2011 and feisty mixed race East ender Chelsea’s future is bright. She has a new man and there’s a new progressive Prime Minister to light the days ahead.

The media can stick their obsession with the identity of Prince Albert - the secret royal who’s been in hiding for 20 years. However, Bertie has something big to tell Chelsea, writes Michael Holland...

Crowning Tori

He’s down on one knee, but it’s not a ring he has in store... it’s a crown. And Chelsea will soon discover that travelling from Barking to Buckingham Palace takes more than a topped-up Oyster Card. Tori Allen-Martin plays the soon-to-be-princess in H.R. Haitch, a comedy musical set in the Dog and Duck.

As a young girl growing up in Kingston (Surrey, not Jamaica), Tori was drawn towards women like herself. “When I first saw Rent and saw MiMi, I thought ‘hang on, she’s brown too!’ I felt like maybe acting was something I could actually do,” Tori said. “It’s impossible to dream as big as you deserve to as a child if you don’t see people who represent you doing it already - that’s why I’m so behind better representation of diversity within the industry.”

Not having a dad around meant it was Mum who made Tori’s dreams a reality. “I was determined to make something of myself and to not let the feelings of rejection that [my Dad] taught me at an early age win,” Tori said. “The bonus is hoping that eventually I can repay my mum and look after her the way she deserves to have been taken care of for all these years.”

Tori set out to learn “on the job”, bypassing drama school. “I really am the poster girl for just getting out there and doing it: get involved, create your own work, take risks,” Tori said.

“Life lessons have been just as important as performance skills,” she continued. “I had to find out who I was first before I could bare my soul on a stage. Even up until a couple of years ago I’d worry what I looked like or what people might think, but I’ve grown up and been dealt some rough cards and some great ones - and now I realise you’ve just got to do you : it’s the only thing no-one else can beat you at. Now I’m kind of fearless on stage. But life had to teach me that.”

Tori fell in love with the character of Chelsea instantly, describing her as a “millennial mistress of her own destiny.” “She’s a real twenty first century heroine and a complete contradiction and that’s the beauty of her,” Tori said. “The play is refreshing and fun and it’s complete escapism, like a laugh out loud, silly, sweet comedy – but it manages to be a true reflection of the times we live in too.”

The actor is currently filming Pure for Channel 4, plus something for ITV, and working on something she has written herself. “It’s been a struggle till now,” she said. “I keep pinching myself at what a wonderful start I’ve had to the year.

I’m very, very grateful.”

H. R. Haitch is at the Union Theatre, 204 Union Street, SE1 0LX from 9 May - June 2. Admission: £22.50 / £15 concession. Phone: 0207 261 9876. www.uniontheatre.biz

Timberlina escapes the city

J

oin bearded drag queen Timberlina at the Underbelly for a drag act that’s all about actually giving a s**t, writes Laura Burgoine...

Based on Tim Redfern’s true story of escaping the city to embrace a stoic life of subsistence in an attempt to save the world, FFS!! Is all about eco-woe, with joyously profane songs for a vexed generation.

“It’s framed around nine songs, written in my state of self imposed isolation,” Tim told the Weekender. “It reflects my exasperation with being compassionate.”

Tim, who has been hosting the Royal Vauxhall Tavern’s Big Bingo every Monday night for the past decade, moved to Rye to escape the rat race of London. “I got very tired

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of London’s sense of selfimportance that one maybe imposes on oneself, and I wanted to escape the constant feeling of competition,” he said.

“I was craving a more provincial life, where I could get engaged with gardening and find a rural sense of community as a queer individual.”

“One of the biggest issues is the constant battle for quality of life and substance and compassion and charity as opposed to aspirational ideas,” Tim said. “It’s all very well subsisting and not having much money, but we don’t have a system to allow people to live that way, like a minimalist, unless they have money in the first place.”

FFS!! is an hour of Timberlina’s reflections and meandering thoughts, for the first time

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at Underbelly on the South bank. “It’s just me and my guitar in the Spiegel tent,” Tim said. “I won’t be picking on people –Timberlina is a nonconfrontational drag queen. She can be acerbic but she’s more compassionate, gentle and philosophical.”

There’s an opportunity to singalong. “It’s not a conventional drag act; there’s so many of these ideas we have, but people are so busy with day to day lives. It’s about public empathy, reaching out to people and saying: we need more compassion.”

Timberlina presents FFS!! at the Underbelly Festival (next to Southbank Centre), 30 The Queen’s Walk, SE1 8XX, on May 17 at 9:30pm. Admission: £12.50. www.underbellyfestival.com

May 2018 13

Theatre

By Laura Burgoine

Bibi and Bichu’s circus dreams A

s teenagers, brothers Bibi and Bichu ran away to join the circus. Since then, they’ve come a long way from juggling with sticks in their home country of Ethiopia.

This summer, their circus company Circus Abyssinia is headlining the Underbelly festival with a new show: Ethiopian Dreams.

eleven years, the brothers ventured off on their own. “Everyone thought we were crazy,” Bibi said. Circus Dreams was born from there.

“There’s 16 of us altogether. It’s a 55 minute show with juggling, comedy, and a lot of adrenaline,” he said. “The kids love performing. It’s like a big family.”

Written by Cal McCrystal, Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams is a joyful mix of stunts, circus skills and adventure with human juggling, hand-vaulting, contortion, cloth spinning, clowning and the astonishing eight strong double Chinese Pole act.

Bibi and Bichu are based in England now. Last year they joined the cast of Big Ears, Tim Burton’s live action remake of Dumbo, in which they’ll feature heavily in the circus scenes.

“We filmed at Pinewood studios for six months; we’re in the traveling circus. It was a crazy experience.

Being on set with Tim Burton is like magic. He’s like a magician. He’s a crazy person who inspires you to do more.”

Using the money from their film gig, the brothers put on their first Edinburgh Fringe show in 2017. “It was make or break, but we were lucky again. We just keep going.”

Bibi said.

Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams is at the Underbelly festival from April 6-May 20.

Admission: £19.50. www.underbellyfestival.com

Photo by Andrey Petrov

In line with the 250th anniversary of circus, and ten years of Underbelly, the timing couldn’t be better for these avant garde performers to take the main stage.

Circus Abyssinia brings Ethiopian acrobats to the UK to perform. “We grew up juggling from a very young age back in Ethiopia where there was no circus scene,” Bibi told the Weekender.

“We used to perform out the front of our house using sticks,” the 36-yearold said. “One of our teachers was from Canada and had connections to Cirque du Soleil. He knew we loved performing and pushed us to the limit. We didn’t have juggling materials so we’d cut socks and fill them with anything; we got in trouble from our mum for that.”

While circus was an acceptable hobby, it wasn’t considered a career.

“You go to school, university or college and you have to be a teacher or a doctor,” Bibi said. “We were the first ones to start the circus. At that time TV only had one channel, no satellite, so we started our own group. We believed in ourselves.”

When Bibi was 16, the brothers

began touring their show around Ethiopia. “Everyone liked it because it was something different. We thought maybe we should do a tour in Europe because we were doing something unique,” Bibi said. “We sent out our videos to promoters.

We went to South Africa first and got a good reception and then came to Europe and performed at the Brighton festival. We’d never been out of the country or on an aeroplane. We saw every single show every day.”

The brothers specialise in acrobatics, and unicycle but their main thing is juggling. “Our juggling style is very fast because we had to make our pins ourselves out of wood, and if they hit you they hurt.

We came to England and found the pins here really easy,” he said. “We were the only black guys. We didn’t speak any English so while we were working we went to college and learnt English.”

Bibi and Bichu trained at the National Centre for Circus Arts, where they met Sean Gandini, director of Gandini Juggling, who cast them in the Millennium Dome celebrations. “We were very lucky,” he said. They were also resident jugglers at Giffords Circus from 2002-2016, touring for 11 seasons throughout the south of England.

“We brought half of the cast to join us at Giffords –from a school back in Ethiopia- and that’s how Circus Abyssinia started,” Bibi said.

After

14 May 2018

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May 2018 15

World Cycling Revival Festival

By Laura Burgoine

Germain Burton

Jon Mould

Ed Clancy

Dominic Suozzi

Revival of the fittest

S

tep back in time, to 1940, at the Herne Hill velodrome with vintage fashion, hot air balloon rides, craft beer and cocktails, and bicycles of every variety at the World Cycling Revival Festival.

Running across three days in June, the festival celebrates 200 years since the bicycle was first patented in 1818, and 70 years since the Herne Hill Velodrome hosted the Olympics in 1948.

“You don’t need to be a cycling fanatic to come and have a brilliant day out,” founder John Postlethwaite told the Weekender.

16 May 2018

Festival goers can witness the R. White’s one-hour world record attempt, watch the world’s best riders compete for the Japanese Keirin Trophy, watch England compete with the rest of the world in Cycling Polo and see Flying Scotsman Graeme Obree. “One of the most exciting things is Graeme Obree,” John said.

“He’s not trying to break a record at the event, but he’ll be showing off, with a lot of pace, a new bike he’s built to celebrate the 25 year anniversary of breaking the world one hour record in 1993.”

“He’s rebuilt a bike called the Old Faithful out of an old washing

machine and is launching it for the first time to the public,” he continued.

Long distance cyclist Mark Beaumont, who holds the record for cycling around the world, is attempting to break the one hour penny-farthing world record on the Friday. “R White’s lemonade is the sponsor of this attempt; they’re the oldest lemonade brand in the UK and their first ever factory was half a mile away in Camberwell, in 1845,” John said. “And the last time the record was broken was 1893 in Herne Hill.”

On the Saturday, the two oldest university cycling clubs, Oxford and Cambridge, go head to head.

Azizul Awang

Francois Pervis

“They’ve never had a track varsity match; they’re always on the road,” John said. “And they’ve never had a varsity match in any sport that combined men and women’s points for a joint trophy.”

As part of the Brompton Prize Race, hosted by cyclist David Millar, competitors are fighting it out for a whopping £10,000 prize. “All the competitors will be standing on the outside of track, dressed up in vintage dress, and their bikes are on the inside of the track folded up and you have to run across, unfold the bike and that’s how the race starts,” John said. “It should be hilarious to watch.”

Along with all the cycle-related events, there’s also six of the country’s best jazz and swing bands playing, and a hot air balloon (tethered ride) giving people the chance to go up and down a couple of hundred feet. “You can go up, have a look over London and get a unique view of the venue,” John said.

Drinks will be flowing in the Pommery Champagne Bar, and

Mathew Gibson

Fuller’s craft ale tent. There’ll also be a mixologist on hand teaching people how to make 1940s cocktails, while Fuller’s has a master brewer leading a session. Herne Hill institution the Half Moon pub is also doing a guest ale.

There’s over 25 bicycles from the National Cycle Museum on display.

“Some of them are 200 years old.

There’ll be curators talking about bikes and a beautiful photographic exhibition,” John said.

Organisers are encouraging people to dress up for the event. “Dress up in 1940s gear, or anything vintage. It doesn’t need to be formal. We’ll have old fashioned car mechanics, people from the armed forces, anything that looks old fashioned: bloomers, cycling shirts,” John said. “We hope that when people step inside, and hear the music and see everyone dressed up it’ll make everyone feel like they’ve gone back in time, back to the 1940s.”

Cycling Revival is at the Herne Hill Velodrome, Dulwich Village, SE24 9HE, from June 14-16. Admission: £39-£59. www.cyclingrevival.com

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ARTS &

ENTERTAINMENTS

By Laura Burgoine Photo by Jim Grover

Documenting the Windrush generation C

lapham photographer Jim Grover has spent almost a year uncovering stories of the Caribbean community in south London. His new exhibition for the Oxo Gallery, Windrush: Portrait of a Generation, comes at an opportune time, with June 22 marking the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks.

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“The Stockwell Good Neighbours have been meeting for 44 years.

You have to be 60 to join and the oldest member is 103. They meet every Monday, do a bit of Tai Chi, eat Jamaican food, and chat. And there’s always music. Everyone likes to dance.”

Funerals are also distinctive.

“They’re very different; they’re celebratory,” Jim said. “There’s specific traditions like pouring rum into the grave.”

A staple of the Jamaican home is a front room, which is kept locked with lots of glass cabinets. “It was almost impossible to find a home with one,” Jim said. “People were initially very wary of a stranger into their tight knit community but after ten months of doing it, doors began flying open.”

“I was determined to find a front room, and a Windrusher, and I did.”

Jim has a 92-year-old Windrush

survivor, from Leeds, attending the opening of his exhibition. “He’s going to be my guest of honour,” Jim said. “My images are a celebration of this community. I so respect them.”

Windrush: Portrait of a Generation is at Gallery Oxo , Oxo Tower wharf, Bargehouse Street, SE1 9PH, from May 23-June 10.

Admission: free. www.jimgroverphotography.com Photo by Jim Grover

The set of around 60 photographs portray the current lives and traditions of this first generation of Caribbean migrants, who settled in south London and are part of its vibrant community.

“I’ve been having a fantastic time,” Jim told the Weekender.

“My photography passion is telling stories about people in my local community, about things that people haven’t seen or aren’t aware of.”

One of Jim’s fellow churchgoers, from St James, is captain of the domino team in Clapham Manor Street. “I wandered into this club on a June evening, enthralled by it. There were lots of West Indian people, mostly men, mostly in their 60s to 80s, quietly enjoying each other’s company until midnight or 1am,” he said. “They have reggae music playing in background, a little bar, and they either drink rum or Red Stripe, or J20 or Lucozade. It’s

a beautiful community.”

While documenting the domino scene, Jim started picking up on aspects of the Caribbean culture. “Nine night is a type of funeral or wake where you go to the home and pay your respects on the ninth night after someone passing,” Jim said.

“The more I searched, the more I thought there’s a whole lot of traditions being held onto by the first generation of migrant in south London. They’re keeping them alive, and that’s fantastic and beautiful and precious.”

In Clapham and Brixton Jamaicans predominate because when the Windrush arrived in 1948, Jamaican men were housed in a wartime air-raid shelter in Clapham south. If you were from Trinidad or Barbados you were sent to Notting Hill. “It’s really important to document their lives because when this generation passes away, a lot of the things may start to disappear,” Jim said.

The exhibition tells “the complete story, if you’re from the Caribbean, in south London, right now,” Jim said. “Men play dominoes, which they learn to play in Jamaica, and it’s very competitive. Women are very strong in their faith, they go to church and make sure their children and grandchildren start out life going to church,” he said.

May 2018 17

family

By Anthony Phillips

Bird song

Early birds can catch the, erm, bird song on a special dawn chorus walk at the Horniman Museum.

Ornithologist David DarrellLambert will help identify birds as you hear them. A hot drink and pastry is included. The tour, from 5am to 7am on Saturday, May 5, is suitable for those aged 10 and over. Tickets cost: child £5 and adults £8.

Other May half term events include family art fun, pond dipping, a minibeast safari and taking part in The Great British Bee Count.

For more information, go to www.horniman.ac.uk

Image: Disney

Cat’s eye view The epic true story of the voyage of Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance to the Antarctic 100 years ago will be told through the eyes of the explorer’s cat at Canada Water Theatre.

With an ingenious set, maps and images from the expedition, and interactive songs, Shackleton’s Cat is on at 1pm and 3pm on Saturday, May 19.

Tickets cost £7 or £24 for a family ticket. It is suitable for children aged 7 and over. www.canadwatertheatre.org.uk

Fantasia experience Mickey Mouse fans are set for a treat at The Vaults in Waterloo, which has announced a new immersive experience, Sounds and Sorcery celebrating Disney Fantasia.

Visitors will explore the venue’s maze of tunnels wearing headphones, through which an orchestra will guide them on an interactive

journey. A 96 piece orchestra has created a new recording especially for the experience featuring the 8 classical pieces from the 1940 classic.

Tickets are on sale now for the experience, which runs from July to September. www.soundsandsorcery.com

May fete at Greenhouses Enjoy English folk dancing, traditional games, crafts, food and music at the Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses May fete on Saturday, May 12.

You can book a ticket to the event, which will be from midday to 5pm, although some tickets will be available on the gate.

Youngsters can also enjoy nature in Garden Explorers on Tuesday, May 29, from 10.30am to 12pm and 1.30pm to 3pm. Places can also be booked online. www.brockwellgreenhouses. org.uk/events/

Bridge pass

Hunt the Snark Join a journey into the imagination of Alice in Wonderland creator Lewis Carroll in The Hunting of the Snark at the Southbank Centre.

A bunch of explorers are on a quest to find the mythical Snark but make a far more valuable discovery in

18 May 2018

Carroll’s poem.

The show is on at Queen Elizabeth Hall from May 26 to 28.

Tickets cost £16 for an adult and £8 for a child. www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/122319-hunting-snark-2018

The Tower Bridge Exhibition has launched a new family activity pass, giving extra access to ticket buyers.

If you buy a ticket to Tower Bridge on a family activity day you’ll be given a complimentary Family Activity Pass which gives free access to any activity day over the next 6 months.

The days give families the chance to get inside the bridge to see the glass floor, exhibitions and the Victorian engine rooms.

Family tickets usually start at £15.30. www.towerbridge.org.uk/ learning

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Clapham's glorious heritage

I

n the hustle and bustle of modern Clapham, it is easy to forget the area’s incredible heritage, writes Daniel Keane...

Clapham’s blue plaques are a testament to this with a variety of famous and influential names calling Clapham their home in past centuries.

First of all, Clapham has culture.

Graham Greene, one of England’s major twentieth century novelists, is commemorated in Clapham Common North Side, featuring in his famous novel The End of the Affair.

Meanwhile, popular Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg stayed just a few doors down while performing in London at the end of the 19th century.

Vincent Van Gogh, the iconic Dutch painter, also spent a year in Clapham on Hackford Road.

Clapham’s residents have also helped shape British history.

William Wilberforce was one of the most prominent members of the Clapham Sect, who campaigned in favour of social reform and an end to slavery. He is remembered by a plaque next to Holy Trinity Church on Clapham Common.

Sir Charles Barry, the architect

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who played an instrumental role in the rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament during the mid-19th century, is remembered by a blue plaque next to Grafton Square.

Famous musical hall singer Marie Kendall was also given a plaque on her former residence in Okeover Manor on Clapham Common North Side.

Japanese novelist Natsume Soseki stayed in Clapham at the beginning of the 20th century, and is commemorated on The Chase street.

A full listing of Clapham’s Blue Plaques plus events and profiles

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of businesses can be found on the website produced by area’s Business Improvement District website: www.thisisclapham.co.uk

Clockwose From left; Edvard Grieg, John Francis Bentley, Graham Greene and Natsume Soseki

May 2018 19

books

on real life people? Friends?

Family?

Frankie McGowan on her new novel F

rankie McGowan is a journalist and former magazine editor. She has written short stories for a variety of magazines, including Women’s Own and The Lady, as well as longer novels for Endeavour Media. Her latest novel, A Single Journey, is out now in eBook, and available in paperback in May. She lives in London.

Female authors often still find their work labelled as ‘women’s fiction’, which seems like a pretty vague umbrella term. Do you find this label limiting when it’s used to describe your own work, or do you embrace it? Do you think it’s a trend that’s set to change

20 May 2018

When the phrase is used in a dismissive way, or hear men imply that women fiction writers can’t deliver the level of important insights in fiction as male writers do, I most certainly do not embrace it. God no. But while I don’t have any problem with my books being seen as ‘women’s fiction,’ I do have difficulty, in trying to understand the logic behind segregating it in such a way, while there are shelves full of sci-Fi and crime, dominated by brilliant women writers all of which are bought by men without, as far as I’m aware, any incidence reported of any one of them going into a decline as a result of not being told a woman was involved in its creation?

Books such as the huge international bestseller Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine are highlighting the modern epidemic of loneliness in our society. This is something that you highlight through

I don’t, but some people think I do. Oddly usually it’s asked by someone noted for drinking. But then most of my friends are writers or journalists, so plenty of choice there. \nyway, I wouldn’t because a) I’ve never met a real person who met all the criteria I was looking for in a character and b) I don’t fancy the fall out if the character was nasty. I’ve never subscribed to the belief of some writers who think everyone is fair game if you’re a writer. They’re not.

Friends and family most of all.

the character of Elena, who although fabulous and larger-than-life in her old age, has been somewhat forgotten by her family and community, despite the extraordinary things she’s been through. Is this an issue that concerns you?

It should concern everyone. But it’s not always easy to help. In A Single Journey, Elena treasures her independence, and her pride stops her from coming straight out with it, that she needs a bit of support. Personally, I think it should be compulsory for schools to start telling kids that along with how to combat bullying and the perils of sexting, loneliness is far more likely to afflict them at some point in their life and start telling them how to deal with it.

Location plays a key role in the book. What made you choose London and Berlin as the central cities of the novel?

Having been born, brought up,

educated and always worked in London, I didn’t have to research that bit which is always a huge incentive for any project, but Berlin was pure chance. I was visiting my husband working on location there and sitting in a cafe in Hackeshe Hofe while someone was telling me how so many Berliners after WW2, had to live in bombed buildings, just scrawling their names in chalk on whatever bit of doorway they could find, so anyone trying to find them could. I sort of used that as a starting point. Sorry, wish it was more exciting. No old Russian woman sitting at next table, telling me her life story. If only.

Do you base your characters

Endeavour Press is a leading independent digital publisher, specialising in Crime/ Thrillers, Romance, Historical Fiction and History.

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May 2018 21

22 May 2018

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FOOD & drink

By Michael Holland

Serious about Sunday Roasts B

rixton on a Sunday is like any other day in Brixton - buzzing. You can listen to all kinds of music and eat foods from anywhere on the planet, but this Sunday I wanted a traditional Sunday dinner.

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Market House

in life but was straight back on it as soon as the chef had left: ‘So, Micky,

by April…’

Each roast comes with Rosemary and Thyme Roasted Potatoes, Slow Roasted Carrots and Red Onions, Honeyed Parsnip, Stinking Bishop Cauliflower Cheese, Roast Beetroot, Kale and a Yorkshire Pudding, plus the opportunity to have more if you need them. Well, I judge a roast dinner by the potatoes and these ones were wonderfully crisp; just perfect. I wasn’t sure about the beetroot because it’s not something I would ever have with a roast at home, but I ate it anyway. Same with the cauliflower cheese. In my eyes that’s the veggie option if you’re not having meat but, again, I didn’t say no because it was so nice.

Gibbo had been chattering continually while I enjoyed my dinner and was now up to last Christmas with her tales of woe. Whenever my eyes glazed over she gave me a little kick in the shins to realign my attention, without missing a syllable, but while she was telling me about some rum and reggae thing I finished off all the extra roasties. Delicious.

We didn’t go for a dessert. One because I was now quite full, and, two, because my earholes needed a break.

The Market House has wings and

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the damage

burgers for the rest of the week, and if they are anywhere near as good as the Knife’s roasts, then I suggest you get yourself down there.

Herdwick Lamb Leg & Shoulder.

£17.00 Rare Roast Belted Galloway Beef Rump £18.00 Lagunitas IPA x 2 £11.80 Coca Cola £1.50 TOTAL

£48.30

Lane, 443 Coldharbour SW9 8LN 020 7095 9443 o.uk .c www.market-house

Food (1-5) 0 0 0 0 Ambience (1-5) 0 0 0 0 0 Value (1-5) 0 0 0 0 0 Disabled access yes Disabled toilet YES Booking no

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I met up with Gibbo, dressmaker to the stars (of Streatham), in the Market House, an old boozer that has been taken over by people who know the area, and not some incoming talent intent on gentrifying the gaff. We had a chat with Ord, one of the guv’nors, and someone who I would call ‘one of your own’. He brought us up to speed on how he got to where he is, and the plans for the pub’s future.

Over a beer Ord told us that he has given Sundays over to Knife Restaurant, a local crew who intend to do to Market House what they’ve done to their own place and fill it out with Serious Sunday Roast People.

It was that news that prompted us to find ourselves a table before the stampede.

We eschewed a starter but set about choosing one of the four roast options.

You would think that would be easy but Gibbo has a sideline in non-stop talking, so this task took much longer than normal. Eventually I got to order the Rare Roast Belted Galloway Beef Rump. I checked out this prize herd of cattle before when a waitress told me they wore belts! Of course they don’t, but they are rather special. Gibbo, without breaking the rhythm of her natter, ordered the Herdwick Lamb Leg and Shoulder.

Before long one of the chefs arrived at the table with a platter that he described as Rosemary Bread and Caper Bread with Marrowbone Butter, which was rather nice as we hadn’t ordered anything. The bread was hot and the butter melted nicely into it, although by the time Gibbo got round to eating any it was cold.

It’s been about 18 months since I last saw my companion and I was apparently getting a day by day update on that hiatus. By the time another starter platter of small Yorkshire Puddings and gravy arrived the one-way conversation had just reached Xmas 2016 and continued with, “so you ain’t gonna believe what happened to me in 2017, Micky!” I took a long drink of my IPA and tried to look interested.

The bar was filling up quickly now with the area’s beautiful young things.

The team in the kitchen had picked up the pace and were delivering the dinners to the tables and talking each diner around the plate, which I thought was a good thing. When ours arrived I liked hearing about the Lake District farms where the cows had spent some quality time. Gibbo just saw it as an interruption to her role

May 2018 23

The National Health Service is turning 70 this year

Be prepared for Bank Holidays The Bank Holiday weekend is not far away!

Remember that your GP surgery will be closed on Bank Holidays, so it’s wise to make sure you have your health needs covered.

T

he National Health Service is turning 70 on 5 July 2018.

It’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate the achievements of one of the nation’s most loved institutions, to appreciate the vital role the service plays in our lives, and to recognise and thank the extraordinary NHS staff – the everyday heroes – who are there to guide, support and care for us, day in, day out.

Here are just some of the ways you can help us celebrate this year: Sharing your stories Did you work for the NHS? Did you come overseas to work for the NHS? Or have you been treated by the NHS and want to share your story?

A team of volunteers is working hard to gather and collect stories from patients, workers and the public.

If you’ve got a story you’d like to share, please get in touch with the team via nhs70@manchester.ac.uk or call 0161 275 0560 to get involved.

Volunteering Volunteers from all walks of life have made a huge contribution to the NHS, so why not join them and volunteer for a local NHS service this year?

Volunteering in health and care is a rewarding way to use your spare time. As well as helping the NHS to enhance the experience patients receive, you can gain new skills, make new friends and improve your

own health and wellbeing.

To learn about volunteering opportunities in your local NHS, as well as other health and care organisations that support the NHS, visit www.do-it.org. Alternatively, you can contact your local NHS trust.

More information If you’d like to find out more about how you can get involved with the NHS 70 celebrations, please visit www.nhs70.nhs.uk.

Get in touch We’d love to hear your stories and how you are celebrating this year! Follow us on Twitter @ NHSSouthwarkCCG or email souccg. southwark-ccg@nhs.net and let us know what you’ve been doing.

If you take prescribed medication regularly, make sure you have enough supplies to last over the holiday time and get requests for repeat prescriptions into your GP as soon as possible.

It’s also a good idea to check your medicine cabinet to make sure it is well stocked and buy anything you need before the holiday period.

The Bank Holiday is a busy time of year for local GP practices and hospitals. To ensure everyone can receive the care and treatment they need, it is important to remember there are a number of ways to get advice and support from the NHS locally.

• Visit your local pharmacy - If you need help with a short term illness or complaint over the Bank Holiday, your local pharmacy can help. Some pharmacies will be open on Bank Holidays, but please

check opening hours before you go.

• Evening and weekend appointments - Extra GP and nurse appointments are available from 8am to 8pm seven days week at two locations in Southwark; Lister Health Centre in Peckham and Spa Medical Centre in Bermondsey. To book an appointment call your GP surgery, or call the GP outof-hours service on 020 8693 9066 if your surgery is closed.

• Unsure which local health service to use? - When it’s not an emergency, call the free NHS 111 service to receive medical attention urgently. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It’s recently been enhanced and can now offer clinical advice, assessment and direction to the most appropriate healthcare service.

• Dial 999 – If there is a medical emergency or someone you know is in a life-threatening situation (e.g chest pains, difficulty breathing) dial 999 or visit A&E. Remember, A&E services are likely to be very busy so should only be used in emergency situations.

Southwark GPs urge parents to bin sugary snacks for children Local doctors are calling on parents to ‘look for 100 calorie snacks, and only two a day max’ to continue the battle to reduce childhood obesity in the borough.

In support of the national Change 4 Life campaign, parents in Southwark are being urged to switch to healthier snacks as a good way to reduce the amount of sugar their children consume.

According to Public Health England, children eat nearly three times more than the recommended amount of

sugar, putting their health at risk.

The campaign to switch to healthier snacks focuses attention on the fact that half the sugar that children consume comes from snacks and sugary drinks.

Rates of childhood obesity in Southwark remain high and there are particularly worrying increases in the number of obese children in school year 6 – 44% of children in this year group were classed as obese or overweight at the end of 2016-17. In school year R (Reception), 26% were obese or overweight.

Support for managing type 2 diabetes

It’s estimated that over 15,000 people are living with diabetes in Southwark.

Type 2 diabetes can be linked to lifestyle, which means it is important to

24 May 2018

maintain a healthy lifestyle by keeping active and eating healthily. If left untreated, type 2 diabetes can lead to serious medical complications, such as stroke and heart disease.

Dr Yvonneke Roe, Clinical Lead for Early Action at NHS Southwark CCG, said: “In Southwark, still too many children are starting school overweight or obese and we have to change that.

Excess weight can have a significant effect on a child’s happiness and quality of life, and it can lead to long term and serious health conditions in adulthood, such as type 2 diabetes, circulatory disease and cancer.

“Therefore, I would urge all parents to think before offering their child a sugary snack and make a healthy swap, so we can make healthy If you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes the amount of information that you need to understand and the impact of diabetes on your life can be quite overwhelming. Your GP can support you with this. In Southwark, people living with type 2 diabetes can access a

snacks a habit for life.”

At any time, parents and carers can also visit the Southwark public health website: http://www.southwark.gov. uk/health-and-wellbeing/public-health/ self-management training programme to better understand diabetes and help manage their condition effectively. This is informal and interactive, and is run by trainers for groups of between 10 and 15 people and you will have the opportunity to meet other people in the

for-the-public for information on how to get started with exercise and other healthier lifestyle changes, as well as how to access weight control services available in the borough. same situation as yourself. You can speak to your GP if you would like to attend.

If you’re worried about your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, speak to your GP or Practice Nurse who will be able to offer advice and support.

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LAMBETH NORTH

St Georges Road, SE1

£1,650,000

• Period House • • Period House • 3/4 • • Bedrooms 3/4 Bedrooms • Grade II Grade Listed II Listed • • • EPC Rating D • • EPC– Rating –D

Meadow Place, SW8

OIEO £900,000

• Four Bedrooms • • Four Bedrooms • Through Through Reception • • Reception • Roof Terrace • • Roof Terrace • EPC Rating D • • EPC– Rating –D

WALWORTH

KENNINGTON

Newburn Street, SE11

KENNINGTON

VAUXHALL

£550,000

• Two Bedrooms • Four Double Bedrooms • Balcony • Eat in Kitchen • Private Development • 1000 SQFT B • EPC Rating – C

Boyson Road, SE17

£540,000

• Two • One Bedrooms Bedroom Flat • Modern Development • Period Conversion • Balcony • Ideal For First Time Buyers • EPC • EPC Rating Rating –– D C

BETWEEN THE BRIDGES

Lollard Street, SE11 SE11 £630,000

LAMBETH NORTH

£630,000

Cooper Close, SE1

• ThreeBedroom Double Bedrooms • Two Flat • Split Level • Balcony • Rear Garden • Views D • EPC Rating – C

Double Bedrooms • Two Bedroom Flat • Gated Development • Balcony • LocatedDevelopment Close to Waterloo • Private • EPC Rating – C

LAMBETH NORTH

LAMBETH NORTH

Morley Street, SE1

£525,000

Frazier Street, SE1

ELEPHANT & CASTLE

oVAL

LAMBETH NORTH

Bowling Green Street, SW8 SE11

£650 £700pw pw

A stunning two bedroom apartment set within this prestigious Set within the iconicalong Grade II Listed Bath House development located Albert Embankment.

The Lofts development this stunning first floor apartment apartment is onisthe river side of the development offering which boasts high ceilings, brand new kitchen direct views of the Houses of Parliament, Bigluxury Ben and the and Riverbathroom, Thames. feature flooring, large double bedroom with en suite shower room, a second double bedroom The property comprises: reception with views overlooking the and overlooking reception. river,mezzanine balcony, twostudy doublearea bedrooms and twothe bathrooms.

The development from a 24hr and the London The propertybenefits also benefits fromconcierge excellent storage and Eye, Royal Festival Hall and London Aquarium are all only a amenities including porter and Sainsbury’s next door. short stroll away. EPC RATING B.

St. Georges Road SE1

Southwark Bridge Road SE1 £531 PW • Two Bedrooms Bedroom Flat • Period Conversion • 22nd Floor • EPC Rating –C • Awaiting EPC

WATERLOO

£625 PW £519 PW

£525,000

• Three Bedrooms • One Bedroom Flat • PopularGlazing Development • Double Throughout • Close to Station • Balcony • Awaiting EPC • EPC Rating –D

• Two Double Bedrooms • Four BedroomFlat • Good Condition Throughout • Double Glazing Throughout • Balcony • Lift • EPC Rating – D

• Four Double Bedrooms • Oval Tube • Double Glazing • EPC Rating – C

Albert Embankment SE1 Old Town Hall SE16

£585,000

WATERLOO

£461 PW

Westminster Bridge Road SE1 £ a519PW This fabulous two bedroomed garden flat set within period An extremely generous of oversubstantial 800 sq terrace house benefits fromapartment delightful interiors, ft, upgraded with hardwood quality living space and own charming flooring, patio. Thehigh property comprises furnishings and with secure parking The Perspective spacious reception room, modern kitcheninwith access to patio, bright and This airy master bedroom, additional bedroom and a Building. apartment comprises a sizeable sleek bathroom.

St Georges is conveniently reception with kitchen, twoRoad double bedroomslocated (master moments from vibrant Borough and the River Thames with en suite) separate guestMarket bathroom, comfort with easy access to Waterloo and central London.

Transport cooling, a 24hr concierge service and a location within links Lambeth North Underground Station (Bakerloo a fewinclude minutes walk of Waterloo and Westminster.

EPC Line) and reliable bus routes into central London and the West Rating - B. End. EPC RATING D.

Blackfriars Road SE1 • One Bedrooms Bedroom Apartment • Two • Modern • Close ToDevelopment Waterloo Station C • EPC Rating – E

£350 PW

Frazier Street SE1 • One Double Bedroom • Two Bedrooms to Station • Close To Borough Station • EPC Rating – C

£325 PW

Waterloo Branch, 42 Kennington Road, Waterloo, London, SE1 7BL T: 020 7928 2406 E: kennington@reedsrains.co.uk

28 May 2018

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4 February 2018

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