Urban Fox - November 2019

TA L E S F R O M S O U T H L O N D O N November 2019

Issue 4

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WHERE LONDON ENJOYS LEARNING Higher Education and Advanced Learning

OPEN DAY 6 November 4–6pm

“The College makes a valuable contribution to culture and the arts in the region”

WHERE LONDON ENJOYS LEARNING

HIGHER EDUCATION AND ADVANCED LEARNING

OPEN DAY Wednesday 6 November 2019, 4–6pm

Morley offers a variety of Access to Higher Education (HE) Diplomas and year-long qualifications that all start September 2020 to help you progress to university or your desired profession.

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At our open evening learn more about our courses from our academic team and tour our facilities including fashion, textiles, and music and science studios.

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November 2019

Issue 4

TA L E S F R O M S O U T H L O N D O N

BUNCH

OF ROSA’S Restaurateur Saiphin Moore set her sights on Clapham

D D D

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY 7th December

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

FEAST CHRISTMAS LIGHTS Sunday 8th December 4–7pm

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g n g i n i k k cc

6-8: Meet the woman behind Rosa’s Thai Cafe

17-35: Our hand-picked guide to Christmas south of the river

Editor’s Letter Laura Burgoine

W

elcome to the November edition of the Urban Fox, our monthly love letter to south London.

Locals Chris Mullany and Kevin Quinn have

been at the helm of London’s last paid-for independent local paper, the Southwark News, since 2002. The Fox is their latest creation.

In this issue, Cara Cummings talks to Rosa’s Thai Café founder Saiphin Moore, ahead of the opening of her newest Clapham outpost. We prepare for Bonfire night displays and countdown to Christmas with a roundup of the festive markets, theatre offerings, and local shopping in your neighbourhood. And, as always, we go out on the town with Brixton Buzz’s Mike Urban, into the kitchen with chef Philip Coulter, into the garden with Jackie Power, and into the deep recesses of

45: Where to watch the fireworks this Guy Fawkes night

our minds with life coach Carrie Brooks.

5 Home Secretary: Our curated pick of the month

Follow the Fox as we bring you all the latest stories and

7 Local Faces: There’s something about Saiphin

goings on around town.

About us Editor Writers

Marketing

Laura Burgoine Cara Cummings, Katherine Johnston, Michael Holland Tammy Jukes, Clarry Frewin, Lorraine Wood, Katie Boyd, Samantha Ratcliffe

Media Partnerships Anthony Phillips Design Aurelio Medina, Ann Gravesen Finance Emrah Zeki Managing Directors Chris Mullany, Kevin Quinn Contact us Email enquiries@urbanfox.london Phone 020 7231 5258 Printed by Iliffe Print Published by Southwark Newspaper Ltd

10 South London Sounds: Your local gig guide

17 Countdown to Christmas: Your festive season in the south

36 South London Larder: Food news and the sausage queen of Spa Terminus

40 Wellbeing: Playing the victim card

42 History: Dulwich in reel-time

43 South London Hemisphere: Greenwich astronomer looks at the sun

44 Home Turf: Jackie Power prepares the garden for winter

45 Family: Bonfire night

49 Homeward bound: Property Our next issue hits the streets in December. Contact us to get involved: enquiries@urbanfox.london or 0207 232 1639

Printmaking Classes Start printmaking, explore your creativity and boost your knowledge.

There is always something new to learn!

Relief Print from Recycled Materials Sunday 3 November, 11.00 am – 4.00 pm Printmaking Course: Etching 7, 14, 21 & 28 November, 6.00 – 9.00 pm Woodcut Taster Saturday 9 November, 1.30 – 4.30 pm Collagraph and Drypoint Sunday 10 & 17 November, 10.00 – 4.00 pm Make a Christmas Card Saturday 7 December, 1.30 – 5.00 pm For more information about our courses and how to book please see our website

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Vincent’s Yard 23 Alphabet Mews London SW9 0FN

P R I NT STU D I O

LCC POSTGRADUATE SHOW 1 — MEDIA 14 – 16 November Launch Night: Wed 13 Nov, 6-9pm SHOW 2 — DESIGN AND SCREEN 5 – 7 December Launch Night: Wed 4 Dec, 6-9pm

SHOWS 2019

FREE AND OPEN TO ALL Find opening times or book tickets for Launch Nights at arts.ac.uk/lcc

Home Secretary

The local line-up for your diary GET THE BEEKEEPING BUZZ

It’s been 20 years since The London Honey Company set up its first hive on a Tower Bridge rooftop. Today, the capital is positively buzzing, with hives across the city and atop some of its smartest rafters, including Fortnum and Mason, the V&A and the Tate galleries. Keen to give urban beekeeping a try yourself? Explore the basics at a ‘Beekeeping for Beginners’ taster session, run by the honey renegades in their Bermondsey warehouse.

9 November, £45. Tickets available via www.thelondonhoneycompany.co.uk

TAPROOM TAKEOVER

Battersea craft brewery Mondo are throwing open their taproom doors for a harvest hoedown on Saturday 9 November, with beer, bluegrass and a chilli con carne contest on the menu.

Good Harvest 2019 promises international brews, chilli from Dishoom, 10 Greek Street and Prairie Fire BBQ and live music all day. See you there, cowboys.

DRAG BINGO

Fight winter blues with a shot of sheer RuPaulworthy fabulousness, courtesy of Drag Bingo at The Old Nun’s Head, Host Cynthia Seaward presides over ‘out of this world buffoonery’ in a deliciously rude twist on the classic game, with plays from just £1. And there’s a cash jackpot on the cards. Sashay away to Nunhead Green, stat.

9 November, doors 3pm. 86 Stewart’s Road, Nine Elms, SW8 4UG. Tickets £26.

Tuesday 19 November, 8pm. The Old Nun’s Head, 15 Nunhead Green, SE15 3QQ

‘GHOST’ STORIES COME TO LIFE

When was the last time you shared a good story - with a stranger? ‘Storytelling club’ Spark invites anyone with a great yarn to stand up and tell their tale: in front of an audience.

This month’s theme is Ghosts, so if you’ve got an anecdote about the undead or just want to get that memory of your ex off your chest, head to the Ritzy and wow the crowd with your words.

18 November, 7.30pm, Brixton Ritzy, £5.

MEET THE MAKERS

An Open Studios weekend at The Tate Modern this month will showcase the wares of local makers and crafters - perfect for (whisper it) early Christmas shopping.

Browse handmade jewellery, ceramics, homeware, and textiles, meet the artisans themselves and take part in live demonstrations and talks across the weekend.

30 November-1 December, 11am to 4pm. Tate Modern Clore Studio, Level 0, Bankside, SE1 9TG

Making headlines BOROUGH MARKET TO YOUR DOOR

Borough Market fans, rejoice - you’ll be able to have produce from the iconic market delivered straight to your door next year, thanks to a newly announced partnership with logistics firm Good Sixty. In the meantime, hungry hordes who don’t fancy hanging around can use a new click-and-collect service to preorder whatever their hearts desire, via a dedicated ordering platform available at boroughmarket.org.uk/online.

BANKSIDE’S HOT UNDER THE COLLAR

An erotic exhibition has been raising eyebrows on the South Bank. The second annual Erotic Art London showcased racy pieces from more than 150 artists at the Bargehouse in OXO Tower Wharf - with a ‘bondage for beginner’ workshop on offer for particularly daring attendees…

URBAN FOX 7

Local Faces

There’s something about Saiphin On the eve of her new Clapham restaurant opening, the founder of Rosa’s Thai Cafe shares the inside story of how she built her empire - and why you’ll still find her in the kitchens...

By Cara Cummings It takes me three attempts to get hold of Saiphin Moore, who’s in Thailand on the day we’re set to speak, visiting her network of rural suppliers. The first time I call, she apologises for the delay in picking up: her mobile was in her apron as she’s in the middle of working up a new curry paste with her producer.

Could we possibly rearrange for tomorrow? The second, she’s just landed from Bangkok at the rural rice mill that stocks her restaurants - would I mind calling back once she’s had a chance to ask the owner how his family are?

It’s a perfect introduction to the down-to-earth soul behind Rosa’s Thai Cafes. Saiphin might have built a 16-strong restaurant empire across the capital, but her dedication to authentic Thai food remains undimmed - and she’s got the airmiles to prove it.

Saiphin’s vision of transforming Thai restaurants from corny “they used to be an imaging of Thailand 100 years ago, everyone wearing traditional dress and full of Buddha statues or pictures of floating markets; that’s not my idea of Thailand” - to cool started

8 URBAN FOX

with a single Spitalfields market stall. Now, there’s a Rosa’s in every corner of London, with outposts in Leeds and Liverpool too.

“Sometimes I have to pinch myself and think: is this the Rosa’s that I’ve built from the beginning?” the humble restaurateur admits. “I am so proud of my little brand; to see it grow makes me feel so honoured.”

But Saiphin’s story starts long before that Spitalfields stall.

Her meteoric rise began in the verdant hills of northern Thailand, on the family farm her parents still maintain - and where Saiphin’s entrepreneurial streak shone from a young age.

“My parents got a TV when I was about 8 or 9, but we didn’t have electricity so we used a tractor to power it,” she recalls. “I used to charge my friends for every watch! Half a penny at a time, can you believe it. That was my first taste of being a businesswoman.”

By 12, Saiphin had her own moneymaking vegetable patch; by 14, she was running a noodle shop from her parents’ house and selling neighbours their lunches.

Continues on page 8

years

1939-2019 Southwark Remembers • 2019 REMEMBER TOGETHER

The Worshipful Mayor of Southwark, Southwark Council and The Royal British Legion invite you to attend the borough’s

RemembRANCe SeRViCe on Sunday 10 November 2019 at The Southwark Memorial, Walworth Square SE17.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them

This service will be led by The Venerable Dr Jane Steen, Archdeacon of Southwark, assisted by the Clergy of the district.

Please gather at 10:45am.

RemembRance SeRviceS will also be held at West Lane War Memorial, SE16 (off Jamaica Road), on Sunday 10 November 2019 Please gather at 10.45am This Service is being led by The Revd Tony Lucas contact: gary.maygold@btinternet.com at Old Jamaica Road, SE16 at 9:30am contact: peterswanson1066@yahoo.co.uk Other services will be taking place at Southwark Cathedral, Kennington Lane, the Dulwich Memorial and the Camberwell Memorial.

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

ARmiSTiCe DAy The mayor will be attending the borough’s service for armistice Day 2019 at West Lane War Memorial off Jamaica Road, SE16, on monday 11 November 2019 at 10.45am. it will be led by Canon Gary Jenkins, assisted by clergy of the district.

Guests are asked to assemble by 10.30am and the service will be followed by light refreshments in millpond T&Ra Hall off Jamaica Road.

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

Remembrance Sunday is the day traditionally put aside to remember all those who have given their lives of the peace and freedom we enjoy today.

On this day, people across the nation pause to reflect on the sacrifices made by our brave service men and women.

The act of observing a two minute silence began in 1919, following the Armistice at 11am on 11 November 1918 at the end of the First World War. In 1921, the year The Royal British Legion was formed, ‘Armistice Day’ was formally adopted as the national day of remembrance. The two minute silence is held at 11am on 11 November, when the nation pauses to honour those who gave their lives in conflicts past and present.

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 Mayor of Southwark, Councillor Sandra Rhule, 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.

Local Faces

But a chance radio broadcast changed the savvy schoolgirl’s life forever. “It was about a nannying job in Hong Kong,” Saiphin remembers.

“The next day I told my parents I wasn’t going to school because I was applying for it. My dad said, ‘Ok, but where is Hong Kong?’ “‘I have no idea,” I said, ‘but I’m still going to do it.’”

Saiphin laughs when I ask if bravery is her middle name. “No - I was terrified! I’d never been on a plane. I’d never ever seen the sea. It was amazing, looking back on it. Such an adventure.”

The budding chef was soon juggling catering jobs, another noodle store and her nannying duties. “It was 6am until 10pm, seven days a week. I loved it,” she smiles. And Hong Kong had another surprise in store - in 2001, Saiphin met her future husband and business partner Alex on a night out. “The first thing he said to me was: would you marry me?” she giggles.

“And I said, do you know how serious that is?

You can’t use that word to ask someone out!

After that night though, the rest is history.”

When the couple moved to England in 2006, Saiphin immediately spotted her gap in the market. “I’d go to a Thai restaurant and think, ‘this food isn’t real’. That’s the most important thing for me: authenticity. From day one, I wanted to give people real Thai cooking. And happiness - my culture is all about happiness, and I wanted to share that with everyone.”

The Spitalfields stall rapidly followed. Soon, Saiphin was ready for a permanent restaurant

10 URBAN FOX

- but found herself up against 20 other chefs, all competing for the keys to a certain ‘Rosa’s Cafe’ near Brick Lane. “The landlord said to everyone: ‘Impress me with your food’. So I made him fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce.

“That dish won me our first site and became the first thing on our menu. Peanut sauce is why it’s so special - the tamarind I use comes from my hometown, which is famous for it.”

Flash forward 11 years and you’ll still find Saiphin cooking in a Rosa’s kitchen at least twice a week. “You can expand to 100 restaurants if you want,” when I ask why, “but if you don’t keep the quality of your food stable then you’ll fail. I don’t want Rosa’s going in that direction. That’s why I’m still here.”

The hands-on kitchen queen can’t wait to open her next south-of-the-river space in Clapham’s Northcote Road this month. “I love south London!” she exclaims. “Especially Brixton. I used to go shopping at the market and pack my old lady trolley with everything I couldn’t find in supermarkets - chicken liver, pigs ears... I still love it.

“We’ve been looking for a site in Clapham for a couple of years. It’s so trendy; we’re planning something really special for the space.”

With our interview coming to an end regrettably, as you could happily chat to Saiphin for days - I ask her how she hopes to one day be remembered. A brief silence on the line, then: “As someone who loved cooking to make people happy. Happiness; yes, that’s it.”

““

Sometimes I have to pinch myself and think: is this the Rosa’s that I’ve built from the beginning?

I’m so proud of my little brand; to see it grow makes me feel so honoured.

5 # LO GO

BLM048

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Book a visit and meet our team hello@littlebearsnursery.co.uk or call us on 020 7358 7860

Read more at brixtonbuzz.com

SOUTH LONDON SOUNDS DJ, Brixton Buzz/Urban75 founder, drummer and Dulwich Hamlet die-hard Mike Urban shares his selection of south London sounds Fri 1st Nov, SW9 Dub Rhythms and Bass at Prince Albert 418 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LF, 10pm-2am, free Hailing from the land of Alan Partridge, Imanzi hurls an onslaught of dub, DnB and Jungle from the Albert’s fortress-like DJ booth, with cohorts Buster and Stereopathy cranking up the dance rhythms in this splendid community boozer.

Fri 1st Nov, SW2 Halloween Pop Special at the Effra Social 89 Effra Road, Brixton, SW2 1DF, 9pm-1am, Free With an interior unchanged since the dark days of milk-snatching Thatcherism, flammable clothing, Ceefax and Angel

Imogen, dubsteppin’ Benton and rave royalty Phil Hartnoll from Orbital.

All profits from this event will go towards legal aid for those awaiting court appearances and prosecution.

Sat 2nd Nov, SW4 Radical Black Sounds Silent Disco at Clapham Library 91 Clapham High Street, SW4 7DB, 8pm-midnight, £8 It’s not how we’d like to listen to radical black sounds, but this unusual event sees Clapham Library teaming up with BMT for a ‘silent disco experience’ celebrating the very best of radical, revolutionary, rebel and protest music by black musicians.

SW16 1BB, 6pm-1am, free Lindsay Wesker, Stevie Dundee and Tony Rodriguez look to get limbs gyrating, rugs cut and many moves busted at the bustling Streatham Soul Club.

Sun 3rd Nov, SW2 Catch A Fire at Upstairs At The Ritzy Brixton Oval, SW2 1JG, 8pm-midnight, free This Macmillan Cancer fundraiser sees a panicle of DJs ascending the Ritzy staircase, including Andrew Sloley, D-Van Jones and Dennis Pinnock. Allison Mason is your hostess with the mostess, with The Powers Band doing their thang on stage and DJ Zinc Fence and DJ Lady Blessed Gee spinning the tunes. All artists are playing for free so be sure to slop some dosh in the donation bucket.

Sunday 3rd Nov, SE1 Folk Music at the Spit and Sawdust 21 Bartholomew St, London SE1 4A, 8pm-11pm, free Every Sunday is Folk Sunday at this extremely well-stocked, on-trend craft beer pub.

Tues 5th Nov, SE1 Yungen at Ministry of Sound 103 Gaunt Street, Elephant & Castle, SE1 6DP, 10.20pm-3.30am, £7+ Billed as London’s Biggest Midweek Rave, south London boy Yungen - he of the 130 million Spotify streams -

lined up for your aural delectation, including quirky German-born singersongwriter Ena Fay - who has drawn comparisons with Bjork and the mighty Kate Bush - blues rocker Dee Rock and theatrical alt-popster, Declan Bennett.

Weds 6th Nov, SW9 Big Indie Sessions at Pop Brixton 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ, 7pm-11pm, free Big Indie Records return to Pop Brixton for a free show headlined by singer-songwriter Eliza Shaddad, who cites an eclectic mix of influences including Nina Simone and Billy Bragg. Support from Prima Queen.

Thurs 7th Nov, SE24 Classic Rock at Off The Cuff 301-303 Railton Road, Herne Hill, SE24 0JN, 6pm-10pm, £5 Strap on your studded wristband and get ready to displace dandruff in a fist-shaking frenzy to a thunderous onslaught of classic rock covers from Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Bad Company, Guns ‘n Roses, The Cult and Bad Company.

Thurs 7th Nov, SW9 And What? Rise of the MC at Chip Shop Brixton 378 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LF, 8pm-midnight, free It may be a teensy-weensy venue but

Extinction Rebellion

Kicking Mukes

Yungen Ministry

Indie Pop

Delight, the Effra Social has become something of a retro cult classic, and this Halloween Special looks set to draw another jam-packed crowd. The music will be straight down the line paaarty, with the floor bouncing to a relentless salvo of bone shaking pop classics, tomb-rattling indie bangers and ectoplasm-arousing dance anthems, backed by curious visuals.

Sat 2nd Nov, SE11 Club 414 Road Show at Union

headlines the main room. Scattered across three rooms will be an agglomeration of slider-bothering DJs including Martin 2 Smoove, Andy Purnell and James Bluck, whisking up a winning froth of House, EDM and Bass.

Chip Shop Brixton already has a well earned reputation for putting on some Brobdingnagian events. Tonight, MCs and vocalists are invited to step up to the mic at this free grime/hip-hop gig hosted by Absent Minded Poetics, with Calaida & Joel Deep administering deck duties. Holly Flo Lightly and Minx will be mixing vocals and beats, joined by Fattima Mahdi aka Fatz.

Fri 1st Nov, SE17 Extinction Rebellion Rebel Rave at Corsica Studios 5 Farrell Court, Elephant & Castle, SE17 1LB, 10pm-6am, £17 Extinction Rebellion’s ‘Rebel Rave’ party looks to support the 1,000+ protesters arrested for showcasing the global climate emergency on the streets of London. The industrious line up includes techno maestro

12 URBAN FOX

66 Godling Street, Vauxhall, SE11 5AW, 11pm-7am, £10-£20 While they’re still looking for a permanent venue after being wickedly gentrified out of their Brixton home of over thirty years by vile property developers, the legendary Club 414 is keeping the spirit alive with a series of ‘roadshows’ around London.

The Cohesion crew host the night - a DJ posse more psychedelic than a swirly multi-coloured miasma hovering above a unicorn in rainbow hot pants - so expect a jollification of repetitive beats till dawn.

Sat 2nd Nov, SW16 Move On Up at White Lion 234 Streatham High Road,

Tues 5th Nov, SW2 Kicking Mules at Effra Hall Tavern 38 Kellett Road, Brixton, SW2 1EB, 9pm - 11pm, free Fronted by Sarah King, the Kicking Mules introduce their classic jazz standards and soul & blues set to the warm and friendly mob at the Effra Hall Tavern.

Tues 5th Nov, SW12 Live Music at The Bedford in Balham 77 Bedford Hill, SW12 9HD, 7.30pm, free No less than five acts have been

Fri 8th Nov, SW4 Punky Reggae Party at Bread & Roses 68 Clapham Manor Street, Clapham, SW4 6DZ, 8pm-midnight, Free Covers band banging out a lively mix of no-nonsense, pogoing classics from the likes of the Damned, Jam, Clash, Stranglers, 999 and SLF, with a bit of ska and reggae righteously thrown into the mix.

South London Sounds

Read more at brixtonbuzz.com

And What?

Greentea Hootananny

Maurice Fulton

Fri 8th Nov, SW2 Greentea Peng EP launch at Hootananny

and 00s classics from resident riffchurners, the Thunder Go-Gos.

95 Effra Road, Brixton, SW2 1DF, 9pm-3am, £8 Rising psychedelic soul songstress Greentea Peng brings her ‘woozy, broken beat soul’ to the Hoot, backed by electronic hip hop practitioner Simmy Testas Rossa, global bass dispenser P Honey, and jungle explorer Olly Rant.

Headed up by the hard drinking No Frills Band, this jaunty, round-thetable, low light candle-lit session invites musicians of all abilities to join in with new and traditional songs. Like a musical Whicker’s World without the airfare or cavity searches, feel free to clatter your tumbler along to traditional tunes sourced from all around the world.

Fri 8th Nov, SE27 Salsa at the Portico Gallery

Sun 10th Nov, SW9 Sugar Shack at Market House

23A Knight’s Hill, West Norwood, SE27 0HS, 7.30pm-midnight, £5/£10 An evening of salsa is going down West Norwood way, with a dance class kicking off at 7.30 before the salsa onslaught takes over the dance floor till midnight.

443 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LN, 6pm-11pm, free This new weekly shindig encourages you to wrap up your week with a salvo of Electronic RnB, Rolling Hip-Hop, Neo Soul and Afrobeats, courtesy of Afrochick and Dj Chillz on the decks.

Sat 9th Nov, SW9 Under Pressure Reggae at Cafe Cairo

Mon 11th Nov, SE5 Folk Jam at The Old Dispensary

88 Landor Road, Clapham, SW9 9PE, 7pm-2am, £5 Combining all styles of reggae music, DJs Mr Chris and Bill Reaction bring an eclectic selection of original vinyl to this cracking venue which combines the laid back atmosphere of a Middle Eastern lounge with the DIY ethic of a brilliant 1990s Brixton squat.

325 Camberwell New Road, SE5 0TF, 8pm-1am, Free This traditional Irish boozer is the perfect setting for a spirited but laid back folk jam where anyone can join in with the band and sing, strum, rattle or parp to their heart’s content. Popular with students who appreciate live music (and the cheap bar prices, natch), the vibes are always welcoming - we love this place.

Sat 9th Nov, SE19 Live Music at the Great Southern 79 Gipsy Hill, Upper Norwood, SE19 1QH, 8pm-1am, free Live music night at this recently refurbished pub formerly known as the Gypsy Hill Tavern. Now part of the same group who run the Great North Wood in West Norwood, the swishy boozer offers a bigger menu, a decent selection of grog and a blooming massive back garden.

Sat 9th Nov, SE1 Dark Matter at Union Club 66 Albert Embankment, Vauxhall, SE1 7TP , 11pm-8am, £17.50 Jerome Isma-Aebrings his bulging bag of progressive house bangers to this Vauxhall two-room all-nighter, cutting loose with an extended 3-hour set.

Sun 10th Nov, SW2 No Frills Sunday Session at The Windmill 22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton SW2 5BZ, 7pm, Free

Weds 13th Nov, SE15 Karaoke at Canavan’s Peckham Pool Club 188 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4NF, 8pm-4am, £3 Delightfully rough around the edges and unpretentious, Canavan’s has the homespun charm of the much missed Club 414, and the down to earth vibe of an old Brixton speakeasy before gentrification ripped the soul out of town. Every Wednesday night is karaoke night with Danny Borges manning the decks. Sing yourself stupid, dance yourself daft or just get busy in the pool hall.

Thurs 14th Nov, SW4 Hollaback at Venn Street Records 78 Venn Street, Clapham, SW4 0BD, 8pnm-midnight, free It’s time to throw your hands in the air like you just don’t care with two sets of throwback 90s

Thurs 14th Nov, SE11 Live Music at Brown Derby 336 Kennington Park Road, Oval SE11 4PP, 8pm, Free Unspecified ‘live jazz and blues artists’ bring the music to this unpretentious, 1920s-themed boozer right next to Oval tube station.

Fri 15th Nov, SW9 Disco Deviant at Prince of Wales 469 Brixton Rd, SW9 8HH, 9pm-4am, £7 House and Disco DJ/Producer Maurice Fulton is the special guest, while The Emperor Machine (aka Andrew Meecham) bangs out stripped-back, dubbed-out disco jams with his dual MPCs. Resident selector Pablo Contraband keeps the vintage house, funk and disco quivering till close.

Fri 15th Nov, SW8 I Love Garage at Fire Arch 39-43 Parry Street, Vauxhall, SW8 1RT, 10pm-6am, £8 Relentless onslaught of garage headlined by London duo Luck & Neat at this all night dance special.

Fri 15th Nov, SW2 Brixton Buzz party night at the Effra Social 89 Effra Road, Brixton, SW2 1DF, 9pm-1am, Free It’s a no-holds celebration of arm-flapping, beers aloft, roaralong pop at this popular night.

Expect anything from The Cure to Katy Perry to Green Day.

Sat 16th Nov, SW2 Pharoahe Monch at Electric Brixton Town Hall Parade, Brixton, SW2 1RJ, 7pm-10.15pm, £22 Fast-rising hip-hop/soul star Pharoahe Monch unleashes fresh lyrical land mines as he tackles the downbeat themes of gun violence, heartbreak and redemption.

Sat 16th Nov, SE27 Soul Night at Book & Record Exchange 20 Norwood High St, SE27 9NR, 8pm-2am, £4 A night of soul, funk and boogie at

Bambridge & Co

this record shop-cum-venue, with DJs Michael Johnson and special guest Amadeus Martin taking command of the needle/vinyl interface.

Sat 16th, SW9 Bambridge & Co at JAMM 261 Brixton Road, Brixton, SW9 6LH, 7pm-11pm, £10 Fresh-faced teenage indie sprinkled with hip-hop, jazz and ska shuffles into Jamm, courtesy of local musicians Bambridge & Co.

Sun 17th Nov, SW2 Ghostface Killah at Electric Brixton Town Hall Parade, Brixton, SW2 1RJ, 7pm-11pm, £20 Hip-hop titan Ghostface Killah rose to fame with seminal NYC rap ensemble the Wu-Tang Clan, with subsequent hardcore hip-hop solo releases earning him plaudits from MTV, who praised him as one of the Greatest MCs of All Time.

Mon 18th Nov, SW16 Jam Session and Jazz Workshop at Hideaway 2 Empire Mews, Streatham, SW16 2BF, 7.30pm, £tbc This new weekly Jazz Workshop invites musicians of all abilities to get involved, building towards an ‘end of term’ performance. The night kicks off with a jam session, with full backline provided.

Weds 20th Nov, SW2 Stephen Evens at The Windmill 22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton, SW2 5BZ, 8pm, £5 Launch party for indie tunesmith Stephen Evens’ new album, “Employee of the Month,” supported by multiinstrumentalist and songwriter Jemma Freeman backed by the Cosmic Something, plus mellotron-guided angular popsters Vonhorn and Sgt Duke.

Weds 20th Nov, SE5 Jazz Jam at The Junction 171 Coldharbour Lane, SE5 9PA, 8pm-11pm, free Bass playing whizz and bar manager Luke hand picks some of the best musicians in London for an explosive night of hard bop and perplexing time signatures.

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HIDEAWAY

THE SOUL OF LIVE MUSIC IN THE HEART OF SOUTH LONDON

DE LATA plus

DJ PATRICK FORGE A High-octane blend of bossa and samba beats from Brazil mixed with a London soul and jazz vibe for this London Jazz Festival show marking the release of their fourth album, ‘Birds’.

OMAR

Patrick Forge, Da Lata founding member, original DJ from Dingwalls’ seminal Sunday Jazz Sessions and the Cosmic Jam will be raiding his crates to bring the best jazz dance and Latin beats to this big Hideaway party.

The UK King of Neo-Soul returns for one night - it's always a roadblock when Omar plays so get on this one fast!

FRIDAY 15th NOVEMBER

SUNDAY 17th NOVEMBER

DARIEN DEAN SAT 30th NOVEMBER

HIL ST SOUL FRI 10th & SAT 11th JANUARY

FOR OUR FULL EVENT LISTINGS, TICKET BOOKINGS AND OUR GREAT OPTIONS FOR HOSTING PRIVATE EVENTS AND PARTIES, PLEASE VISIT:

BRITFUNK ASSOCIATION FRI 17th & SAT 18th JANUARY

www.hideawaylive.co.uk 020 8835 7070 Hideaway, 2 Empire Mews, Streatham, London SW16 2BF

South London Sounds

Read more at brixtonbuzz.com

Pharoahe Electric

Ghostface Electric

Burlesque Courtesan

Thurs 21st Nov, SE15 Open Mic Night at The Joiners Arms

Sun 24th Nov, SW8 Soot Sprite at The Cavendish Arms

Thurs 28th Nov, SE11 Jake Vegas at Brown Derby

35 Denmark Hill, Camberwell, SE5 8RS, 7pm-midnight, free Sign up from 7.30pm for this open mic night in a splendid, two-room traditional boozer with affordable (i.e. non-Brixton) bar prices. £1 entry free with free sweets and booze promised.

128 Hartington Road, SW8 2HJ, 7pm-11pm, £5 There’s a triple bill of indie pop on offer at this fun venue, with Exeter’s Soot Sprite supplying the sad-gaze, Panic Pocket offering brutal and beautiful insights into modern living while Common Or Garden muse over scrappy synth pop tracks.

336 Kennington Park Road, Oval, SE11 4PP, 8pm-midnight, free Soho dwelling Jake Vegas and his cohorts the Black Diamonds bring the jump blues and 50s RnB to this stylish and unpretentious retro bar.

Thurs 21st Nov, SE27 Awalé Jam at Railway Tavern 7 Station Rise, Tulse Hill, SE27 9BW, 9pm-11pm, Free London Senegalese soul band members of Awalé host an Afro Funk and soul jam session at this lovely Tulse Hill boozer.

Fri 22nd Nov, SW9 Burlesque at Courtesan 69-73 Atlantic Road, Brixton SW9 8PU, 10pm, Free Tucked away in Atlantic Road, Courtesan’s striking interior recalls a backstreet Shanghai bar from the 1920s. Serving as a dim sum restaurant during the day, the venue transforms into an artistic speakeasy at night, hosting cabaret, live music, and a club night, with Vicky Butterfly your exotic entertainer for the night.

Sat 23rd Nov, SE15 South London Soul Train at The Bussey Building 133 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4ST, 10pm-5am, £13 Like a well-fired 4-6-0 Castle Class loco, the South London Soul Train looks to build up a powerful head of steam and get people puffing to a syncopated rhythm. Headline act APX shunt the funk from across the pond, while a double header of Perry Louis and Andy Lewis supply soul and funk on Level 2. Lurking in the basement is Keith Lawrence, dropping 70’s & 80’s Soul, Funk & Disco.

Soot Sprite

Sun 24th Nov, SW2 Marcos Aganju at Hootananny 95 Effra Road, Brixton, SW2 1DF, 9pm-midnight, free Mashing up Brazilian, Haitian and Western Africa influences with electronica and hip-hop, Marcos Aganju presents his brand-new album Plantation Sons, accompanied by visuals from Dally Schwarz. In his latest work, Marcos retraces and sets to music the Afro-American diaspora, recalling its images and words with provocative spoken word poetry and ‘far-out sounds.’

Tues 26th Nov, SW2 The Soothsayers at Effra Hall Tavern Kellett Road, Brixton, SW2, 9pm-11.30pm, Free Glug down a Guinness in this oldschool Brixton boozer and enjoy splendid original Afrobeat and reggae-influenced grooves from local legends, The Soothsayers.

Weds 27th Nov, SW9 Triple Jam Sandwich at Prince of Wales 469 Brixton Rd, SW9 8HH, 10pm-3am, £5 Still the only late night live music hang out in Brixton on a Wednesday night, Triple Jam Sandwich delivers an evening of three rotating sets of jazz, ska/reggae and funk from the talented versatile house band.

Marcos Aganju

Thurs 28th Nov, SW2 ARKIVE at White Horse 94 Brixton Hill, Brixton, SW2 1QN, 9pm-midnight, free BRXTNFNK and their chums frantically rummage through their record boxes like crack-addled squirrels looking for a long-buried fix.

Thurs 28th Nov, SE27 Open Stage at at Knowles of Norwood 294 Norwood Road, SE27 9AF, 8pm-midnight, free Get involved with the open stage night at Knowles on the last Thursday of every month. ‘Performers of all varieties’ welcome.

Fri 29th Nov, SE15 Interlude at Four Quarters 187 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4TP, 8pm-1.30am, free Producer Mark Dinimal headlines Interlude’s 10th birthday celebration, with Dan Hartley, and Synkronized’s Convex and MC Alex Peas corralling a rampaging herd of dance bass and tech beats.

Fri 29th Nov, SW16 Vinyl DJ at the Rebel Inn 78A Streatham High Rd, London SW16 1BS, 9pm-midnight, Free Come down and shake a body part to old school funk, reggae, hip-hop and more at this old school boozer.

Sat 30th Nov, SW9 Audio Sushi at the Dogstar 389 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton

South London Soul Train SW9 8LQ, 10pm-4am, £5 A night of party bangers delivered

by Audio Sushi DJs, slicing’n’dicing a crowd pleasing selection of reggae, dubstep, Hip Hop and club classics.

Sat 30th Nov, SW9 Cheshire Cat’s House Party at Prince of Wales 467-469 Brixton Road, SW9 8HH, 10pm-6am, £12 For over a decade, Wonderland have been running brilliant events around London and further afield to raise money for communities in the Gambia. Their parties at the Prince of Wales are always a highlight, with volunteers transforming the venue into an Alice in Wonderland fantasy world.

Sat 30th Nov, SE11 Cabaret and DJs at Duckie Royal Vauxhall Tavern, 372 Kennington Lane, SE11 5HY, 9pm-4am, £8 Hosted by the effervescent Amy Lamé, this packed night mashes up indie/pop dance with weird and wonderful cabaret acts. Taking to the stage tonight is Monsur Mansoor and Momo plus The Nightbus.

Sat 30th Nov, SW9 South London Punk Collective at Queens Head 144 Stockwell Rd, Stockwell, SW9 9TQ, 8pm-11.20pm. Free After being unceremoniously hoofed out of their former base at the Hand In Hand, the South London Punk Collective have regrouped at the Queens Head.

This four band line up guarantees bucketfuls of righteous bass-beat angst, oodles of punk ggrrrrr and vast dollops of hardcore energy, with the stage rocking to 51st State, Haest, Circle None and Werecats.

Cheshire Cat’s House Party

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Volunteers needed for Christmas collection

Leading charities the Trussell Trust and FareShare are calling on people in Southwark to volunteer to help in the UK’s biggest food collection for people in need.

From November 21-23 the two charities will be collecting food in Tesco stores across the UK and are looking for local volunteers to encourage shoppers to donate.

Last year, 3.5 million meals were collected, and since its launch in 2012, more than 50 million meals have been donated to the two charities by generous Tesco customers.

To volunteer, sign up at: www.fareshare/tescofoodcollection

Follow the fox... urbanfox.london

Advertorial re you passionate about animal welfare, positive pet policies and the environment? If the answer is yes then PAAW (Pets Are Always Welcome) House might just be the place for you. We will be opening our virtual doors on November 15th and we invite you to join our Pet Revolution!

PAAW House is a club with a purpose! Our manifesto is simple: We believe every pet has the right to a loving home and every human deserves the right to love a pet.

We aim to create a community of like-minded people who value the importance of pets in our lives and society, create a platform to campaign for legalisation to recognise the importance of emotional support and companion animals and to make responsible pet ownership a human right. There will be lots of fun stuff too!

We will be supporting a number of animal charities, in particular our charity partners The Wild at Heart Foundation and StreetVet. Our PetsNet forum aims to create a powerful online community, a driven resource offering a safe place to chat, meet other members and share information with discussion boards, advice and tips on everything pet related. Our magazine will be full of topical and fun features and, with your help, we aim to take our One Voice Campaign to Parliament.

To celebrate the launch of our Online Magazine and PetsNet Forum and kick off our campaign we are having a PARTY on Sunday 17th November from 2pm – 5pm. Our friends at London City Runners, Bermondsey, have offered to host our event in aid of the wonderful Wild at Heart Foundation. If you love nothing more than a live D(OG)J, photo ops, games, posh dog snacks, bad dog dancing and meeting new friends on a Sunday afternoon why not register for your free ticket https://paaw.house/paawparty using code IAMAVIPPUP. It is a ticketed event as places are numbered, sadly we will not be able to sneak you in unless you are on our guest list. Rules apply!

To register/sign up for free membership to our club go to www.paaw.house/b and check out our four legged social media gurus; @paaw_vinnie, @paaw_pablo, @paaw_barry and @paaw_bibi

To join our campaign and register for updates on our next steps search for PAAW HOUSE at Change.org

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FURTHER INFO

Countdown to

Christmas

Countdown to

Our curated pick of stocking fillers this festive season Yule be delighted with our pick of pantos, theatre, local gifts, food and drink offerings, and markets in your neighbourhood

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Countdown to

Christmas

Winter Wardrobe

A whole new world of Aladdin Alongside Christopher Biggins who will play the role of Widow Twankey, Rikki Jay and Max Fulham will also be in the cast of Aladdin, plus Yazdan Qafouri, who will play Wishee Washee.

A mainstay of entertainment for a number of decades, Christopher Biggins made his pantomime debut aged just 17 in his home town of Salisbury, before forging a highly successful career in show business. Best known for his numerous television appearances, Biggins appeared opposite the late Ronnie Barker in the iconic BBC sitcom Porridge, held roles in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, alongside Michael Crawford in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em and played Nero in the critically acclaimed dramatisation of I, Claudius.

Rikki Jay regularly performs at major venues around Britain, including shows in the West End at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the London Palladium and the Café Royal. Over Christmas Rikki has played the principle comedian in a variety of family pantomimes across the UK. Max Fulham’s love of entertaining was sparked by performing made up shows to anyone who

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would stand still for long enough - family, friends and even neighbours! Since then he has been hooked on all things comedy, magic and ventriloquism. His bright, fresh approach and passion for what he does has endeared him to many pantomime audiences as Wishee Washee in Aladdin in 2017.

Chris Glover, Theatre Director, added: “We are delighted to have such an incredible and hugely talented cast for our pantomime this year, with Christopher Biggins leading the helm as Widow Twankey.

“Aladdin has proved to be hugely popular with our audiences, with 20,000 tickets already sold and some performances already selling out.

We’re looking forward to welcoming lots of families through our doors for what is set to be an incredible pantomime this Christmas.”

Churchill Theatre, High Street, Bromley, BR1 1HA from Sat 7 December 2019 – Sun 5 January 2020. Times: check website. Admission: £20 - £43. Phone: 0203 285 6000 churchilltheatre.co.uk

Based on the novel by C. S. Lewis and directed by Sally Cookson, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will have its first performance on 9 November 2019 at the Bridge Theatre.

Step through the wardrobe this winter into the magical kingdom of Narnia for the most mystical of adventures in a faraway land. Join Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter as they wave goodbye to war-time Britain and say hello to a talking Faun, an unforgettable Lion and the coldest, cruellest White Witch.

This critically acclaimed production reunites director Sally Cookson with designer Rae Smith, writer in the room Adam Peck, movement director Dan Canham, lighting designer Bruno Poet, sound designer Ian Dickinson and music

by Benji Bower - all of whom originally brought the show to life in 2017, breaking box office records at Leeds Playhouse.

Written by C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the first book published in The Chronicles of Narnia in 1950 and went on to become one of the most popular children’s books of all time; still regularly topping reader votes on the best books nearly 70 years later, including last month being voted the UK’s favourite book.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is on at Bridge Theatre, 3 Potters Fields Park, London, SE1 2SG from November 9th - February 2nd.

Times: 7.30pm. Matinees 3pm. Admission: £15 £95. Phone: 0333 320 0051 www.bridgetheatre.co.uk Twitter: @_bridgetheatre

FESTIVE FAMILY SHOWS AT THE UNICORN THEATRE Ages 7 and over

A Unicorn Production

OSCAR WILDE’S THE

CANTERVILLE

GHOST Adapted by Anthony Weigh Directed by Justin Audibert

Ages 3 – 7

Ages 6 – 18 months

A Unicorn and New Perspectives Production

A Unicorn Production in association with Sarah Argent

THE WOLF, THE DUCK

AND THE MOUSE

By Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen Adapted by Jack McNamara

SCRUNCH Created by Sarah Argent and Kevin Lewis

Countdown to

Christmas

Superstar casts shadow over little sister

Nicola knew from very early on that if she wanted her four siblings’ approval then she would need to impress them, so she set out to become a superstar.

But what happens when one of her siblings genuinely does become a superstar? With Chris Martin of Coldplay fame as her older brother, how long can she fight to stay out of his shadow? How can she to prove to her siblings, the world and, eventually, herself, that she is enough in her own right?

Fresh from a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019, Superstar is the heart-warming, hilarious and honest story of Nicola Wren’s desperate attempt to stand out in a family of big characters.

A true story and joyful celebration of coming to terms with you are.

Nicola’s work as a writer and performer includes Replay, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017 to critical acclaim and later transferred to New York’s Brits Off Broadway festival (59E59 Theaters) and London’s Soho Theatre in 2018. It was published by Methuen.

Her first play 501 Things I Do In My Bedroom debuted at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2015 and transferred to the King’s Head Theatre.

Written and performed by Nicola Wren. Directed by Sadie Spencer.

Superstar is on at Southwark Playhouse, 77-85 Newington Causeway, SE1 6BD from 26th Nov 21st Dec. Times: Tuesday to Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 6.30pm; Tuesday and Saturday matinees at 3.30pm. Admission: £10 - £18.

Phone: 0207 497 0234. www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

It’s a shoe-in Grace Chapman as Cinderella and James Bisp playing Prince Charming will join Ore Oduba, Tim Vine and Cat Sandion in Cinderella – a truly innovative new family pantomime from Imagine Theatre and Fairfield Halls.

Will the evil Ugly Sisters thwart the path of true love for Cinderella and her Prince Charming or will her Fairy Godmother help save the day? Bring the whole family along to the Fairfield Halls this Christmas to find out, you’ll have a ball!

Cinderella is one of the highlights of an eclectic Autumn/Winter season at the newly re-launched Croydon Fairfield Halls, which officially opened on Monday 16 September 2019.

Croydon Fairfield Hall, Park Lane, CR9 1DG from 10th December - 5th January. Times: various see website. Admission: £15 - £55.75.

Phone: 0203 292 0002 www.fairfield.co.uk/whats-on/cinderella

When there’s something strange in the neighbourhood Since its remarkable success in 2010 at the Lyric Hammersmith, Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s thrilling Ghost Stories has been making its mark on tour, on film and now back in the West End – just in time for Halloween, writes Rosie O’Connell.

Despite opening nine years ago, the show is packed full with spine-tingling surprises that make it very easy to see why this play has had such enduring successes.

Our host for the evening is the rational Professor Goodman – with Simon Lipkin fluently taking over proceedings from show co-creator Andy Nyman – who ushers the audience through his lecture on his experiences with the paranormal, three incidents in particular of which he has found to be unexplainable. Lipkin is well supported

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throughout by Gary Cooper, Preston Nyman and Richard Sutton as they regale the audience with their scintillating, sinister tales of the supernatural, scaring the living daylights out of the auditorium with sophisticated style.

Of course none of this can be achieved without the talent of the creative team. With hazard tapes and flickering lights draped around the theatre as soon as you enter, these stories are brought to life by the imaginative design from Jon Bausor. The tension is built terrifically with James Farncomb’s clever lighting design and the eerie, unsettling sound effects from Nick Manning. Scott Penrose’s special effects are the icing on the cake as the characters (and audience) are taken to meet their darkest fears.

With warnings to keep the secret, I certainly

won’t be sharing any plot spoilers and I would be remiss to anyway. That is the whole fun of it, the unknown – they are daring you to book tickets without knowing every trick and turn of the production. Sure Ghost Stories may not be for those with a nervous disposition or the faint hearted, but its clever balance between humour and horror is awfully impressive, even if you do spend the whole 80 minute runtime on the edge of your seat, eyes covered and clinging to the person next to you.

Ambassadors Theatre West St, London, WC2H 9ND until 4th January. Times: Monday - Thursday: 7.30pm, Friday: 7.00pm & 9.30pm, Saturday: 7.00pm & 9.30pm.

Admission: From £18.25. Phone: 020 7395 5405 www.ghoststorieslive.co.uk @ghoststoriesUK

50th ANNIVERSARY SPECTACULAR

LISTED IN CULTURE WHISPER’S ‘BEST CHRISTMAS PANTOS’ 2019

GREENWICH THEATRE PROUDLY PRESENTS

“Greenwich… still one of the best in the business” BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE

Written by and starring ANDREW POLLARD Musical Director STEVE MARKWICK

“Has an A-list dame in the magnificently upholstered Andrew Pollard” THE SUNDAY TIMES

FRI 22 NOVEMBER 2019 - SUN 12 JANUARY 2020

BOX OFFICE 020 8858 7755 www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

AL CHILDRL E TICKETSN’S

HAL PRICEF!

Countdown to

Christmas ©©Patch Dolan

Triple festive fun

Vaults Cinderella

The Unicorn features three shows across the three spaces for all ages this festive season Justin Audibert directs Anthony Weigh’s new version of Oscar Wilde’s comic novella, The Canterville Ghost - in a riotously spooky production for all the family, using magic and spectacular illusion to bring this classic and much- loved ghost story to life.

Sunday 10 November 2019 – Sunday 5 January 2020, for everyone aged 7 and over.

Duration: Approx 2 hrs.

Under 18s £12 - £22 / Adults £18 – £28

Jack McNamara directs his adaptation of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen’s brilliantly subversive best-selling picture book, The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse. One day Mouse is gobbled up by a wolf. ‘Oh Woe’ says the Mouse, who fears this must be the end. But then we discover Duck who was, until Mouse arrived, taking a nap.

Friday 15 November 2019 – Sunday 5 January 2020, Age guide: 3 – 7 Duration: Approx 50 mins.

Under 18s £12 - £22 / Adults £18 - £22 Award-winning director Sarah Argent returns to the Unicorn with hugely successful show Scrunch, a beautifully intimate, sensory show for audience members aged six to eighteen months (and their guardians).

Wednesday 27 November – Sunday 22 December.

For ages 6 – 18 months. Duration: 40 mins, including 15 mins play time. Combined tickets £12 £14 (baby + 1 adult) Additional adult places £5 www.unicorntheatre.com The Canterville Ghost

Panto and a pint for the Working Class After many millennia, and in just 90 minutes, God (award-winning comedian Zoe Lyons), assisted by her devoted angels Gabriel and Michael, will answer some of the deepest questions that have plagued mankind since creation.

In this very alternative Christmas message, An Act of God sees a dissatisfied deity, weary of the original Ten Commandments, delivering a new version: a fresh set of rules for the modern world. This sinfully funny comedy delivers a new meaning to divine intervention as The “One” gives the first and last word on everything mankind has wrought on the planet.

An Act of God, written by David Javerbaum, was twice a smash hit on Broadway. For this European premiere, Javerbaum has rewritten the play to feature bespoke material for Zoe Lyons and a British audience. He also continues to run the controversial Twitter account @TheTweetOfGod, through which God shares his thoughts on world events with over six million followers.

The Vaults Theatre, from 27 November¬ - 12 January.

Admission: £20 - £35. www.actofgodlondon.com

The Vaults, Launcelot Street, London SE1 7AD from 22 Nov 2019 – 12 Jan 2020, Tuesday to Sunday 7.30pm plus matinees at 3.30pm (varies over Christmas – see website) Admission: £20 - £35. Phone: 0844 815 7141 www.CinderellaLondon.com

A traditional Christmas Carol This festive season European Arts Company returns following a highly successful 2018 run of A Christmas Carol.

Inspired by Dickens’s own charitable work, the 2019 tour is in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital, reflecting the heart-warming message of Scrooge’s philanthropic transformation in this perfect Christmas story.

Audiences will be thrilled to experience A Christmas Carol as Dickens himself performed it over 150 years ago. He was the first writer to publicly act out his own work and, in doing so, invented a new genre of performance.

Working with the script Dickens used, actor John O’Connor plays over 20 characters, skilfully drawing the audience into this Victorian ghost story about the power of

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Taking the term ‘pub theatre’ literally, Cinderella is an outrageous site-specific show that takes all the best of traditional British panto and tops it off with a pint. Penned by Luke Barnes (All We Ever Wanted Was Everything), this knees up of a night out brings all the characters you know, love and hate, to pull your mates, spill your pints and pour their hearts out on the karaoke. Crammed with live music, bingo, and a touch of midnight magic, Cinderella will have audiences dancing in the aisles and laughing their bloody baubles off. Think The Royle Family crossed with Elf... all set in a local boozer where the audience buy their drinks from the on-stage bar. Grab a pint. Take a seat. And get a load of this unique festive experience.

compassion and generosity to transform lives.

John O’Connor says: ‘In these times of austerity and uncertainty, this beautiful story is as relevant now as it was in 1843. It’s fascinating to see how Dickens communicated it so directly to his audiences in public performances. He made them laugh and cry in equal measure, taking them on a magical journey and imparting the true spirit of Christmas. The show is a chance for audiences to feel what that was like. It’s a joy to do and we will have some fun along the way.’

Greenwich Theatre Studio, Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8ES on 9th & 23rd December. Times: 7.30pm (2.30pm matinee on 23rd). Admission: £17, £14.50.

Phone: 0208 858 7755 www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/christmas-carol

Countdown to

Joseph and his amazing housecoat This Christmas, Paterson Joseph leads the Old Vic’s production of A Christmas Carol as iconic miser Ebenezer Scrooge.

BY L aura Burgoine

love it. I haven’t seen it lately. I will see it, probably when I finish this. Michael Caine doesn’t really register with me as much –I probably remember the Muppets more.

This production is a machine. It’s one of those jobs where I feel like, this could be one of the easiest, most fun jobs of my life. Because what you’re not doing –you’re not in rehearsals asking if this works, what the pace should be. There’s no nervousness whether the actual part, the dialogue, the way it’s structured, works. We all know it does. It’s really just a matter of me not getting gin the way of what they’ve choreographed. And then having some of my own fun within it. And I am having a lot of fun.

A lot of blokes are to blame for Scrooge’s condition. A lot of men messed him around, like his dad, and didn’t accept him as he was and needed him to change. It’s a very bloke-y story. Everybody can relate to it. It’s very black and white. There’s only a certain way of living your life and if you don’t tick that box, you’re a failure. I don’t think that’s too far away from our modern story.

who I couldn’t get my head around why they’re so uptight about money and one of them told me when they were 14-years-old their Dad got into serious debt. If you haven’t experienced it, you can’t understand what it does to you to not have money. I’ve always made sure I earned money. We didn’t have a lot of money when I was a kid but I don’t have that attitude to money. That fear isn’t there. So your sympathy with Scrooge is not forced.

That story of second chances, that’s the part of the play that it very difficult not to be really emotional within. If I could have another go would I be able to fix this? It’s such a powerful question. The effort is so great. There’s darkness to this story, there’s a lot of death but there’s a juxtaposition of death with life. What do you choose? Do you choose to focus on the darkness and ending and the past and things that are cruel and hard? Or do you choose to say, out of that I can choose the light, and be a person who’s generous, who has gratitude, and all those things we seek in our best mood.

You get taught how to be an actor but you very rarely get taught how to come out of character. I’ve written

to spear fish, some of us were trained as I was to make huts out of bamboo and willow strands.

It couldn’t have been a better job. Then my next job was on a roof in Croydon in a student film in a loin cloth and angels wings with one tiny light shining on me. It rained, the light went out, and I thought, yeah you’re definitely back to earth.

I like things like Scrooge just starting a sentence with ‘what is Christmas time?’ And you just know what he’s going to say. It’s going to be so horrible. ‘A time for paying bills without money. A time to realise that you’re a year older and not an hour richer.’

I think we’ve come to a time when we are cynical about charity and about festivals. And we’ve got that way because we’ve been over-commercialised.

There’s something about doing a show like A Christmas Carol that is about the story of the truth behind the need for Christmas. And the need to stop, check out how other people are living and if you can help, to help. It’s about human kindness and generosity of spirit.

Paterson Joseph stars in A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic, the Cut, SE1 8NB, from November 23. Phone: 0344 871 7628. Tickets: £12-£67.50. www.oldvictheatre.com

this book Julius Caesar and Me about the RSC version of Julius Caesar I was in and I talk about debriefing in it because it’s such a powerful thing and I demonstrate what it can do to you if you don’t. You do it in a very simple way. It’s what counsellors do when they do their role play. After you’ve finished, you say to the rest of the group that’s watching ‘sorry, my name’s not Peter, my name’s John and I don’t have a father who abused me and I’m not an alcoholic who beats his wife.’ It’s very prosaic, but it just reminds you of who you are and separates you from who that person is. And it’s really important. In acting, the skill is in the craft. Not in the being. I don’t think actors are meant to be dysfunctional human beings. Most actors I know are absolutely sane. There’s a mythology we’re meant to bury ourselves somehow in our work.

©©Robert Day

I grew up with the Alastair Sim film of A Christmas Carol. That’s the version in my head and I just

Scrooge says: you do not understand debt until you’ve been in debt. I know people in modern times

Christmas

In Danny Boyle’s film the Beach (2000), I’m the only black guy in it. It was the best shooting that film.

It was four months in Thailand with the most beautiful people in the world and a great director, Danny, who I’ve worked with several times. Leo was just a great joy. He was having fun. He really enjoyed being away from all the Hollywood schmoozing, and Tilda (Swinton) and I became very good friends in that brief time. We spent loads of time together playing cards. We were on Koh Phi Phi and there was no one else on it but us because the mafia made sure of that –I’m not even joking. And the beach had been swept clean of all debris and there was tonnes of it: syringes and condoms and fag packets, bottles. They cleaned it and suspended these palm trees all along, they CGI-ed some cliffs on the horizon. It was very beautifully done. And it was paradise. I’ve never been fitter. We did exercise in the morning in the heat, and just after lunch in the heat. We were looking like people who lived off rice, vegetables and fish. And we did. Some of us were trained

URBAN FOX 25

Etsy

MADE LOCAL UK

Organised by a group of Etsy sellers

This is the annual Etsy Made Local Christmas Market. At our market you will find local Etsy sellers bringing their fantastic handmade, upcycled and vintage items, plus handmade workshops to the public. You will find all your Christmas presents in one place... plus food stalls and drinks. Come along and make a day of it.

Saturday 30 November 12pm-6pm Sunday 1 December 11am-5pm Bussey Building Peckham coPeland gallery

HOW TO FIND US Come out of Peckham Rye station and walk straight on to Rye Lane.

Turn right, then cross over the road at the zebra crossing.

BUSES from Central London: 12, 63, 78, N63 from London Bridge: 343, N343 from South London: 197, 363

TUBE London Overground to Peckham Rye Station

TRAIN National Rail services to Peckham Rye Station

Countdown to

Christmas

SHOP LOCAL

The homemade, the handmade and the artisan, south of the river

Blenheim Forge Oyster knife: £180.

Available at the Christmas Open Studios at The Arches in Peckham on December 2-3 and December 9-10 at The Arches Studios, 48-50 Blenheim Grove, SE15 4QL.

Debbie Randall cups: £16,50 each. Arch 226, Blenheim Arches.

Charlotte Grinling tableware, from £20-£50. Available at The Kiln Rooms Christmas Sale on November 29-December 1.

SLAUGHTERHAUS Print Studio’s final open weekend is on November 30 and December 1 from 1pm-6pm with framed prints, Christmas cards and a range of affordable work on sale. www.slaughterhaus.net

Bermondsey tea-towel: £9.95 from Lovely and British, 132a, Bermondsey St, Bermondsey, SE1 3TX

Peckham artist Lorraine Rutt’s Land and Sea with Natural English Oak Pocket Case: £575.

TheLittleGlobeCo.com

Fourpure 9% Maple Imperial Stout, Lost at Sea from £2. www.fourpure.com

Matthew Calvin Earrings, Lovely and British, 132a, Bermondsey St, SE1 3TX

Glacier Baubles by Peter Layton: £90 each. 62-66 Bermondsey St, SE1 3UD. londonglassblowing.co.uk

Animal Mask from Surrey Docks Farm shop: £1.

Rotherhithe Street, SE16 5ET.

Trinity25, available at spiritofbermondsey.com

Bermondsey Street vowel-free tote bag: £15. www.neoposition.bigcartel.com/

©©Ian Skelton

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Countdown to

Christmas

Sail away on a Christmas sleigh

Kids can meet Santa on the River Thames this festive season. With City Cruise’s Sail with Santa, children receive a present, along with a soft drink and a cookie, while grownups get a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie.

Departing from Tower Pier for one hour, four times a day on Saturdays and Sundays on December7, 8, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22.

Prices begin from £28 per person for adults and £16 for children.

Under ones free. www.citycruises.com

Hit the road, Jack

Olivier-nominated and awardwinning playwright Paul Sirett captures one of the most treasured and classic children’s fairytales Jack And The Beanstalk in this updated production at Theatre Peckham.

Directed by Suzann McLean, this festive pantomime is a wonderful coming of age tale where Jack learns to make up for the mistakes

he has made and strives to do good for his family. Set in innercity London, this play channels influences from the electric ‘80s and takes inspiration from the teen adventure movies of the era. The cast includes a mix of students from Theatre Peckham’s Academy as well as professional actors. Michael Bertenshaw (THE MINIATURIST, THE CROWN) who was cast in the 2012 version of the

play at Theatre Royal Stratford East, reprises his role as the Dame.

Meet new character, Shot the Poet, a local spoken word artist and enter a world where adults learn from the much wiser child characters.

December 4-22. Theatre Peckham, 221 Havil Street, SE5 7SD. Adults £15, Child£12, Conc £12/Family £40. If you live in Southwark, prices are: Child £9/Adult £12/Concession £9. Phone: 0207 708 5401. www.theatrepeckham.co.uk

Farm fair

Get in the festive spirit at the Farm with carol singing, donkey rides, children's activities, craft stalls, mulled wine, Santa’s grotto and more! The popular wreath-making workshop returns and you can buy beautiful real Christmas trees throughout the day.

Surrey Docks Farm’s Christmas Fair is on December 7 from 11am-4pm. www.surreydocksfarm.org.uk

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YOUR NEW VILLAGE BUTCHER IS HERE! We would like to thank everyone for their support so far it’s great getting to know you all. We are your fully free range butchery stocking meat and poultry from sustainable farms across the country along with some fantastic cheeses, fresh bread, a range of condiments and kitchen cupboard essentials. We use whole carcass animals and are committed to the highest quality. All of our award winning sausages are hand made and gluten free and we aim to keep all of our products as natural as possible.

Ceramics, jewellery, art and more Street food and hot drinks

The Arches sTudios 48-50 Blenheim Grove Peckham, SE15 4QL Three mins walk from Peckham Rye station thearchesstudios.co.uk

Fri 6 Dec 6-9pm Sat 7 Dec 11am-6pm Sun 8 Dec 11am-5pm

thearchespeckham

You can find us at 86 Dulwich Village on the zebra crossing.

Keep up to date via our website : proudsow. co .uk

@proudsow

We look forward to serving you !

Oliver ~ Butcher and Owner

CASTLE COMMUN D N A T N IT Y H A H P UB ISTMAS PAR E LE

CHR

TY

WEDNESDAY 11TH DECEMBER 3PM - 6PM An afternoon party with FREE activities for all the family including dance performances, arts & crafts, music and delicious festive treats!

GES ALL A ME O WELC

# FollowTheElephant Located on the Upper Floor of the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre, opposite Jenny’s Burgers, SE1 6TE www.elephantandcastle.org.uk/communityhub @whatsonatelephant

Countdown to

Christmas

The Tower of London’s magical ice rink returns for eight magical weeks from November 16.

As you glide around the spacious rink, take in the ambience of the fortress beside the Thames. The rink gets an extra helping of spectacular in the evenings when the lights, set against the fortress wall, add to the dramatic jaw dropping views.

Admission: £15 adults. £10.50 children. toweroflondonicerink.co.uk

And keep an eye out for an ice rink popping up on the North Lawns of the Queen’s House and the National Maritime Museum this festive season from November 27-January 12 from 10am-9pm.

Pride & Prejudice – the Gay Panto Can’t believe this has never been done before!

Amazingly there has never been a gay panto of Pride & Prejudice, until now.

The White Bear Theatre in Kennington is playing host to this latest adaption of Jane Austen’s most famous novel.

Perhaps best remembered is the 1995 BBC adaption that kick-started Colin Firth’s career as he played the lead Mr Darcy, then we had the 2004 Bollywood version Bride and Prejudice and three years ago Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

For writer Kevin Quinn it was a no brainer – the 1813 novel is he says packed solid with innuendo and characters that can so easily be adapted for a gay audience that he did not have to divert from the original text.

The blurb on the White Bear’s website says it all: think slapstick, think cock fights, cross dressing sisters and a hunk in trunks!

Gay Panto is now the mainstay for the festive period, but this is perhaps the only one that moves away from the likes of Cinderella and Mother Goose to the word of literary classics.

However, do not be fooled into expecting a high-brow night of theatre - this offering from the 43-year-old Bermondsey born newspaper editor promises bawdy scenes, classic gay

anthems and wait for massive cocks.

Obviously written for an adult audience, the night promises to be great fun in this little but well established theatre above the now trendy White Bear pub on Kennington Park Road, opposite the tube station.

Produced by Bermondsey-based theatre company Waste Not, the 80-minute production is being directed by Johny Cheriyam, who comes with west-end credentials and the audience is actively encouraged to have a pint during the interval.

Running for eleven nights between December 19 and January 4 people are advised to book early as the theatre has a small capacity and it is definitely an evening that would be enjoyed with friends.

‘Pride & Prejudice – the Gay Panto’ Thurs 19 Dec – Mon 23 Dec / Sat 28 Dec – Mon 30 Dec / Thurs 2 Jan – Sat 4 Jan 7.30pm £15 / £12 consessions Box Office: 0333 012 9463 www.whitebeartheatre.co.uk

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Countdown to

Christmas

A very crafty Christmas

This Christmas uncover something new at the Crafty Fox's markets. In Elephant and Castle and Brixton, the markets bring together the best artisanal, sustainable and small-batch makers, all with a collective passion for creating purposeful design-led products.

November 2-3, from 11am – 5pm: Mercato Metropolitano, 42 Newington Causeway, SE1 6DR Be inspired by an eclectic collection of 40 indie makers including Illustrated luxury stationary from Jemin K, and Seek Prints abstract colourful prints on beautiful homeware pieces. You can also learn to make your own marbled Christmas bauble with Pup Tart.

November 23-24, from 11am-5pm: The Department Store, 248 Ferndale Road, SW9 8FR Downstairs you can meet a hand-picked selection of talented traders with makers and workshops including: Alphablots playful prints and gifts for kids and grown ups, Kate Gwilliam embroidered sparkly joy, and a workshop of stamp block Christmas card making with Martin Le Lapin.

December 7-8, from 11am-5pm: Mercato Metropolitano, 42 Newington Causeway, SE1 6DR Check out Charlotte Filshie illustrated dinosaur products and gift wrapping, two separate workshops with Little Dot Loves - pom pom wreaths and holiday card making and Made by Swimmer whimsical handmade toys and gifts.

For more information visit: www.craftyfoxmarket.co.uk

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Countdown to

Christmas ©©Tavi Ionescu

Maltby Street after dark

The gourmet street food market at Maltby Street is holding its first run of seasonal afterdark markets at Ropewalk.

From November, 30, and then each Friday until Christmas, marketgoers can sample the gastronomic delights of winter feasts and flavours under the Dickensian setting and twinkling lights of London's most picturesque railway arches.

Do a spot of Christmas shopping in the modern salvage mecca that is LASSCO, pre-order an exclusive Maltby Street Christmas hamper packed to the brim with eclectic foodie treats, and cosy down in one of the enclave bars Tozino and Little Bird Gin. All this will be accompanied by the magical sounds of carollers from local primary school Snowfields, responsibly sourced Christmas trees to take home and adorn, and the smell of hot mulled wine wafting through the crisp night air.

November 30, December 7, 14, and 21 from 4pm-9pm. www.maltby.st

Makers’ market in Greenwich

Find one-of-a-kind gifts and sample the wares of Greenwich artisans at artist hub, the Conservatoire.

Championing the works of local artists, makers and craftspeople.

The market is on November 24 from 11am-3pm.

Admission: free.

19-21 Lee Road, SE3 9RQ. www.conservatoire.org.uk

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Countdown to

We wish you a meze Christmas

Christmas

I

n a hands-on cookery class in Borough Market, learn to whip up festive meze, courtesy of the chefs at Arabica. Located in the Cookhouse in the heart of Borough Market, the morning session starts with warm pastries and single origin Workshop coffee at Arabica Bar and Kitchen, while the afternoon session kicks off at the cookhouse with some baklava and mint tea.

You’ll produce an array of seasonal meze dishes featuring some of Arabica's herbs, spices and larder essentials like Freeke, preserved lemons, wild sumac, pomegranate molasses and Za'atar. The sessions conclude with an informal meal, enjoying the food you’ve cooked, served with Lebanese wine.

December 7 from 9:30am-1:30pm or 2:30pm-5:15pm.

Meet at the Cookhouse located above Three Crown Square, next door to the Borough Market reception.

Price: £100 per person. shop.arabicalondon.com

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Free events for the whole community Mondays

Thursdays

TAI CHI

POP FARM URBAN GARDENING

Community class open to all ages and abilities

12:30pm - 1:30pm

IMPACT BRIXTON:

OPEN PROJECT NIGHT Learn and trade new skills for your project or business

6:30pm - 9:30pm

Weekly free workshops, where members of the community can come along to care for the plants

10:00am - 11:30am

TECH MATES An introduction to computers, smartphones and IT for our older neighbours

10:00am - 11:00am

KUNDALINI YOGA & GONG BATH Designed to inspire and give you the tools to transform your life

7:00pm - 8:30pm

Tuesdays

KARATE KIDS Join Ming from Koi Ramen as he provides an intro to this ancient martial art

4:30pm - 5:30pm

Saturdays

KRAFTY KIDS Bring the little ones down to learn new skills and make their own mini terrariums, kites, sculptures and more

11:00am - 12:30pm

Monthly

LET'S DANCE Friendly freestyle dance for a mixed crowd of all abilities

1:45pm - 3:00pm Dates vary

Visit popbrixton.org for more information

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South London Larder

FOOD NEWS Babber

Just served

Charcoal-cooking afficiendos Babber have set up in Peckham pub The White Horse. You can try their handcrafted kebabs - chicken with harissa mayo and apricot relish; pork neck with n’duja and pickled turnips; lamb kofte with marinated courgettes and tahini sauce and a new ‘vegan doner’ with aubergine, yoghurt and bhajis - with 50% until 8 November.

20-22 Peckham Rye, SE15 4JR.

Legendary woodfired pizza makers Pizzeria Pappagone have landed in Elephant & Castle, after expanding for the first time ever from their iconic Finsbury Park HQ. Queues were so long when the original branch opened that founders Marco and Marco - yep - bought the bar next door. See whether the magic has made it across the river at Pizzeria Pappagone sud.

By cara cummings

Watch out Brixton Village - there’s a swanky new neighbour next door. All-day bistro and wine shop The Laundry opens on Coldharbour Lane on Friday 1 November, in former Edwardian wash spot Walton Lodge. Fully renovated, of course. The brainchild of New Zealand Wine Cellar founder Melanie Brown promises classic British dishes with an antipodean flair, plus a sensational 50-strong wine list that includes Melanie’s first collection New Press, launching exclusively at the venue.

374 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8PL. thelaundrybrixton.com

Infamous late-night dining party Blood Shot Supper Club returns to Clapham favourite The Dairy on Saturday, 2 November - and this time, it’s personal. The Dairy’s own chef Jamil Hussein takes over the kitchen to celebrate how cooking can turn lives around: once an inmate at HM Prison Liverpool, he’s now a rising chef star.

With a menu including crispy beef terrine with sauce gribiche, ox cheek pithivier, truffle and parmesan chips and toasted marshmallow ice cream, it’s not hard to see why.

November 2 from 12.30am. Tickets £70. the-dairy.co.uk/events

Elephant Road, SE17 1LB.

Black Bear

On the boil: November openings and beyond

Peckham Cellars , a neighbourhood wine bar and kitchen (top), serving European-style small plates opens this month. With a focus firmly on wine, though - there’s a shop on-site too expect to be spending a lot of mellow moments at 125 Queen’s Road for the foreseeable.

Love cheese? Of course you do. Love beer? Of COURSE you do. So hurrah for Dulwich dairy mecca Mons Cheesemongers , who’ve teamed up with Kernel Brewery for an evening dedicated to pairing the two.

Naifs, a laidback-meets-luxe vegan and vegetarian bistro has opened in Peckham. Ex-Vanilla Black chef Tom Hale, his partner and his two brothers are serving up dishes like koji roasted celeriac, potato rosti with smoked apple, mustard and cheese, and plum pavlova alongside local beers, natural wines and even a speciality tea menu.

56 Goldsmith Road, SE15 5TN.

Looking for craft beer, cocktails and somewhere to shimmy near Elephant & Castle station?

Pineapple, an all-day eatery, drinking den and late-night DJ cave has opened underneath Draper House. Hipsters assemble!

16 Draper House, SE1 6TH.

Koi Ramen have brought their ‘outstanding’ Japanese tonkotsu noodles to Elephant Park.

Check out their first permanent restaurant at 19 Sayer Street, SE17 1FY.

Thursday 21 November, 7.45pm-9.45pm. Tickets £50

Missing Mimosa? Never fear, Herne Hillers - new cafe/bistro Peachy Goat is taking over the site and will offer an entirely plantbased, ethically sourced menu.

Opening soon at 16 Half Moon Lane.

Burger fans, rejoice: patty mavericks Black Bear Burger are opening their first permanent Blood Shot Supper Club

38 URBAN FOX

restaurant in Brixton Market later this month. Go for the grass-fed, dry-aged beef and skin-on chips; stay for the ‘shot skis’. (Google it and brace yourself…)

Naifs

South London Larder

Kitchen comforts Camberwell chef Philip Coulter on warming up this winter

cold and will keep for four days in the fridge.

Simple salad dressing 3 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard 3 teaspoons red/white wine vinegar 1 cup sunflower/groundnut/olive oil Pinch salt and pepper Blend all in a mixer. Add a splash of hot water if it’s too thick. This recipe is for much more than you will need for potato salad but will keep in the fridge for weeks.

s the mornings gets crisper and colder and the evenings wetter and darker, I hunger for stodge. Not a word you hear much anymore but you know what I mean, starch laden heavy foods that fill us up: pasta, breads, etc.

Here are three healthy, easy ideas to help keep you fuelled as we move into winter. The best potato salad and baked potato, a no nonsense sausage casserole, and a classic rice pudding.

I like to cook a lot of one pot recipes this time of year, normally all done in the oven or slow cooker. There’s something special about taking something out of a hot oven on a cold night; the kitchen steamy and warmer than anywhere else in the home.

There are three main temperatures to consider when using the oven.

200-220 ºC high temp: usually for roasts and breads 180-200 ºC med temp: for cooking larger roasts, casseroles and pastry 150-180 ºC low/med: slow braises/roasts, casseroles and reheating

Vivaldi or Melody Any large, firm potato will do the job but for a serious baked potato, it is worth sourcing the right spud for the job. Sante, Vivaldi and Melody are three varieties that are best but a standard King Edward will do the trick.

First, clean and dry the potatoes, next prick the skin all over with a toothpick or skewer, then rub with cooking oil and season with salt.

Place on the rack of a preheated hot oven at 200 ºC for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Use a skewer to check they are cooked.

You can top with whatever you fancy: baked beans or sour cream and chives, etc. However, what I do is scoop out the warm fluffy potato and make potato salad, and put the skins back in the oven for 5 mins till they get crispier.

The secret to the potato salad is mixing a little bit of simple salad dressing with the warm potato, along with a handful of chopped spring onions or chives. Delicious hot or

Sausage, pumpkin and butterbean casserole 2 tablespoons cooking oil 8 good quality sausages (veggie sausages will work) 1 cup sliced onion 3 garlic cloves crushed 2/3 cups of peeled, seeded and chopped pumpkin or other squash 1 can chopped tomatoes 1 can butterbeans/ any tinned bean, drained and rinsed 2 cups of stock 1 teaspoon sugar/honey 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage/rosemary/thyme or dried mixed herbs Preheat oven to 180 ºC. Heat the oil in a large casserole over a medium heat, fry the sausages till they start to colour (if using veggie sausages, add later), then soften the sliced onion for a few minutes, add the garlic, herbs and pumpkin, stirring well. Next add the tomatoes ,sugar, butterbeans (veggie sausages ) and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then transfer to the oven for 1 hour, or until sausages are cooked through and the pumpkin tender.

Rice pudding: Simple, nutritious and delicious at any time.

1/2 cup risotto or pudding rice 1 cup water 2 cups milk, (soya, almond and coconut milk work) 3 tablespoon sugar 1 vanilla pod scraped, vanilla paste or essence 1 tablespoon butter (smooth almond butter if vegan) Optional spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, saffron, cardamom pod Preheat oven to 150 ºC. Put all the ingredients into oven-proof pan, slowly bring to the boil on the stove then transfer to the oven. Bake covered for 1 ½ hours, stirring halfway. It may seem like a lot of liquid to begin with, but once the rice is cooked it will soak up the liquid. This can of course be cooked with a low heat on the stove, but will need a lot of stirring and maybe a little more milk.

When ready, let cool slightly and serve with jams or fruit compotes. If you want to make it a little different try adding some grated apple and cinnamon or rosewater, pistachio and pomegranate.

URBAN FOX 39

South London Larder

Her Royal Hamness

S

BY cARA CUMMINGS

Cara Cummings meets the sausage queen of Spa Terminus to talk bangers, bacon and building a 21st century meat business with recipes from the past 40 URBAN FOX

pot quiz: name a British icon.

Shakespeare? The Queen? ...Sausages?

If you pipped for the latter, you’ll have a lot in common with the Canadian visionary and ‘Pork Whisperer’ behind artisanal cured meat company Crown & Queue.

From a bustling HQ deep in Bermondsey’s craft food mecca, Adrienne Eiser Treedy is bringing long lost traditional recipes back to life - one heritage-inspired, locally sourced and all-British sausage at a time.

The straight-talking meat magician takes inspiration from culinary history books - “the 1600s to the 1900s is my wheelhouse” - and gives them a twenty-first century twist with ingredients like anchovy oil, fruit beer and English chardonnay from fellow London producers. Inspired as much by British folklore as food, Adrienne’s creations honour everything from hedgerows to Medieval harvest celebrations, and even a Lanashire tower where the mythic knighting of ‘Sir Loin’ may or may not have taken place. Just don’t call them ‘British charcuterie’.

“I detest when people use that term,” she says, during my visit to her Spa Terminus hub. “That’s the French art of curing meat. And yes, ok, if you look it up in the dictionary it doesn’t say it’s French per se; it says the etymology is French.

But honestly, when you hear the term do you hear how hard it is to claim this as something we have a rich history of doing ourselves?

“Salting, brining, hanging, smoking: they’re all part of our cultural heritage. We just have this real inferiority complex about our own cuisine in this country. I try to buck that with what I’m doing.”

Buck it Adrienne has - and then some. From rough-and-ready beginnings in 2014 with nothing but an abandoned shopping trolley and a second hand fridge, her products are now served in London’s hottest food destinations, from Honest Burger to Padella and even Fortnums. So after five years of mining the UK’s meat archives, has Adrienne’s curiosity for all-things cured slowed down?

“The opposite!” she laughs. “I’m endlessly looking for recipes from the past. It’s such an exciting visceral connection when

you taste something that someone else tasted hundreds of years ago; a bond to somebody whom you never knew.”

She’s got short shrift for whoever romanticised ‘the great British banger’, however. “Do you know why they’re called bangers? Because they were so full of rusk and filler and water that they would explode when cooked. That’s what we point to as representative of our culinary identity?

“Things like that give meats this reputation of: ‘you don’t want to know what’s in them.’ I hate that. I want people to be able to say, ‘I can be confident that what’s in my purchase is something I can feel good about.”

For whilst Crown & Queue is built on Adrienne’s passion for the past, her products are made with modern sensibilities firmly in mind. Sustainability and transparency are fundamentals of the business - and Adrienne will only work with farmers whose animal welfare practices she can personally guarantee.

“I would never work with an animal that died in pain,” she says. “But if you think that animals that live on farms are living in pain, then I genuinely think you need to visit more farms.

I’m not saying that that doesn’t exist in some places, because it does and it’s shameful and it should be stopped - but it should be stopped by us removing business from them, and giving it to people who are making the right choices.

“As a business, it’s an ethical choice for us to work with those kinds of farmers. People often ask why I don’t have my own farm and that’s why: because it’s more powerful for me to offer that to people already doing what’s right.

“The future of meat is in question, there’s no doubt about it,” she continues. “If we’re going to keep eating it, we need to be aware of how all the pieces fit together. I just want to make good food, and it’s a no-brainer for me to do it with these elements involved. I want to make something great, that lets me sleep at night. I can’t separate those things.”

The future of meat, it seems, is in safe hands.

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Wellbeing

Carrie on… playing the victim card and why it’s never my fault

Greenwich life coach Carrie Brooks shares her tips elcome to my article where I discuss the sticky subject of victim mentality and blame culture. Sounds heavy doesn’t it? However this is a behaviour that we can easily slip into and it has such a negative impact on our lives, that it’s best to be aware of it. You may well ask ‘who me?’

And the answer is yes, all of us resort to this behaviour at least some of the time and it’s a really good idea to recognise it so you can always have a choice about how you want to behave.

Playing the victim card is a very comfortable place to be. As a victim you can blame everyone and everything for where you are in your life right now and not bear any of the responsibility yourself. Now be honest here, how many times have you blamed someone else for the circumstances in which you find yourself? We need to be truthful here as it’s a trap we can easily fall into and it can develop into our go to, default reaction. What I mean here by the term default reaction is something that we do automatically without giving it a second

42 URBAN FOX

thought. While working with my clients I always highlight when they are reverting to victim mode, explaining that when are playing the victim and blaming other people, we are in fact powerless to affect any change. The opposite here is to step into our own personal power by taking full responsibility for precisely where we find ourselves in our life right now. This is the mindset where we have the power to change what we don’t like or want and move towards positive life enhancing solutions.

Many times we are not even aware that we are giving our own personal power away by playing the victim in a scenario and passing all the blame onto another person. We may feel righteous justification in the beginning, however this will inevitability leave us feeling vulnerable and disempowered in the end. It is so much more courageous and life enhancing to take full responsibility for the events in your life. Yes, my boss may well be a tyrant and a bully but I cannot blame him for me choosing to remain in the job. And yes, my partner may be unfeeling and selfish but where do I fit into this scenario? If I continue to blame my partner for the state of our relationship, nothing will ever be resolved and doesn’t it take two to tango?

It is a powerful decision to choose to resist adopting the safety cloak of a victim mentality, and once you become aware of this behaviour in yourself and others, you will feel very uncomfortable conforming to it. It’s like Neo in the Matrix being offered the choice of the blue or red pill and once he took the red pill there was no going back! By making this positive choice you can properly take control of your life and sit firmly in the driving seat, instead of just being the passive passenger. We all need to take moments out where we honestly confront ourselves and ask the question ‘what is really

going on with me here?’ This ability to step back and take stock and challenge any default behaviour will always stand us in good stead.

Another aspect of adopting a victim mentality is that you are powerless to change any situation you find yourself in and therefore risk things not working out. This brings us neatly on to the concept of failure. When I coach people I introduce the concept of replacing the word failure with re-direction instead. The idea being that you try something and on reflection you can see that it hasn’t quite turned out as you wanted. Now this gives you the perfect opportunity to consider what has worked and what you would do differently next time. This becomes a powerful redirection and as we all know success in both our personal and professional lives does not happen in straight lines but more along the curves of a zig zag. If we can face our challenges and see them as a process for developing our lives in the direction we want, we are onto a positive win-win scenario. Also it is far less scary to see any endeavour as a process, a fine tuning leading to promising results, rather than seeing it as failure and a dead end, sabotaging all the best plans and inspired ideas. This positive way of thinking is very evident in how athletes use a losing performance as an opportunity to get back to the drawing board and hone in to how they can improve next time, thereby improving their overall game. Re-direction in its essence.

So let’s become more aware of our behaviour, whether we are having the tendency to blame others for where we are in our lives right now, or are using this mindset to hold us back from making positive changes. Let’s take responsibility and step into our personal power because this is when life gets really interesting!

ADVERTORIAL

flu vaccine The besT proTecTion againsT unpredicTable illness

It’s that time of the year again. the long, warm summer days already seem a distant memory as we dig out our big coats and umbrellas ready for winter.

And with winter comes ‘seasonal flu’ – an unpleasant virus that is highly infectious and can spread rapidly through coughs and sneezes.

Flu can be

particularly nasty, causing high body temperatures, body aches and generally leaving you feeling pretty exhausted and unwell.

For most people who catch it, you should start to feel better within a week or so. Just stay at home, drink plenty of water and rest until you’re better. Your pharmacist can advise on treatments and remedies to reduce the effects, and if you feel really ill, call NHS 111.

However, some people are more susceptible to the effects of flu, with the virus increasing the risk of developing more serious illnesses, which could result in hospitalisation, permanent disability or even death.

Last winter, more than five thousand people were hospitalised because of flu and the virus kills

an average of eight thousand people annually.

That’s why the NHS offers free vaccinations for those at particular risk of flu. This includes: • People with existing health conditions: for example, things like heart problems, breathing conditions, liver or kidney diseases, or neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy. Flu on top of these conditions increases your chances of serious health compilations.

• Adults aged 65 and over: this group may suffer more than most if catching flu, so it’s important to get vaccinated.

• Pregnant women: pregnancy weakens the body’s immune system, which means you’re less able to fight off infections. Catching flu can cause

Last chance to enter our NHS antibiotic awareness poster competition

PrImary school pupils in southwark still have an opportunity to enter our Nhs antibiotic awareness poster competition – and to help us beat the bugs!

We’re asking children aged 7 – 11 years old (schools Years 3 – 6) to help us promote the safe use of antibiotics and how we need to keep these wonderful medicines working for future generations.

The competition closes at 5pm on Friday 8 November, so if you want to enter or know someone who may be interested, please don’t delay.

By entering, children will help us share the message about how precious antibiotics are and why the medicines

must be protected, so they work when we need them.

It’s free to enter and the winning design will be displayed around Southwark to help raise awareness of antibiotics. Last year’s winning poster is currently being used on London buses.

To enter, please send your poster by post to: Antibiotic poster competition, Medicines Optimisation Team, 1st Floor, Hub 5, PO Box 64529, London, SE1P 5LX. Or via email with the subject line ‘Antibiotic poster competition’ to SOUCCG.Medicines-Optimisation@nhs. net Please include your name, age, school and school year.

What should your poster look like?

Please be as creative and imaginative as you like. To help, we suggest that your poster could be about: • "Antibiotic resistance" – how by using antibiotics when we shouldn't, it might stop the medicine working when we really need it.

• Antibiotics not working for all infections.

• The difference between a bacterial infection (antibiotics may be needed) and a viral infection (no antibiotics needed).

• Good versus bad bacteria.

• How people stop germs spreading by washing their hands regularly and covering their mouth when sneezing or coughing.

serious complications for women and their babies, and the flu jab is the safety way to protect yourselves.

• Children: flu can be particularly nasty for children, who also tend to be superspreaders – infecting other vulnerable family members. The flu vaccine can help protect your children and reduce the chances of them spreading it to others. For most children, the vaccine is a quick and easy nasal spray, rather than an injection. Children aged 2 and 3 (on 31 August 2019) receive the vaccine through their GP and all primary school aged children receive it in school.

The flu vaccine is the best protection we have against this unpredictable virus.

That’s why it’s free – because groups who are most at risk really need it.

And you need to have the vaccination every year; even if you had one last year, you need to be vaccinated again to help protect yourself against new, different strains of flu.

If you are eligible for the flu vaccine, contact your GP, pharmacist or midwife to make sure you have it at the earliest opportunity – the sooner the better.

For more information visit www.nhs.uk/fluvaccine

Extra GP and nurse appointments available in Southwark PeoPle IN southwark access to extra GP and appointments from to 8pm, seven days a including bank holidays.

have nurse 8am week,

Extra appointments in the evenings and at weekends offer greater access and more convenience for patients.

The service, called the Extended Primary Care Service, covers most of the things you’d normally see your GP or nurse about.

The extra appointments are provided at two locations in the borough:

• Lister Health Centre in Peckham • Spa Medical Centre in Bermondsey.

To book an appointment, please contact your GP surgery as normal.

This is not a walk-in service; you need to book an appointment to be seen.

If you’re not sure whether the service is appropriate for you, just ask your surgery, which will ensure you are seen in the right place.

For more information, visit our website: www.southwarkccg.nhs.uk/8to8

History

The African Queen

Andy Morahan

Shobu Kapoor, Boogie Man

Michael Ondaatje

44 URBAN FOX

Dulwich in reel-time

By K atherine Johnston hat do The Long Goodbye, Mrs Miniver and The English Patient have in common? They’re all part of Dulwich’s rich cinematic history. It could be said the movement started with Dulwich College founder Edward ‘Ned’ Alleyn, arch rival to actor Richard Burbage.

Born in 1566, Alleyn became famous as Christopher Marlowe’s leading man. After retiring from the stage during Elizabeth I’s reign, the actor bought an estate in Dulwich for £5,000 and founded a school for poor children that would become one of the country’s top performing independent boys’ schools. 400 years later, many other thespians, writers and directors have followed in Alleyn’s footsteps.

Arthur Wimperis stands out as the only Old Alleynian (so far) to win an Academy award.

The accolade came for Best Screenplay for the score 1942’s Mrs Miniver. Based on Jan Struther’s novel of the same name, the romantic drama follows a middle class housewife during the Second World War and netted six Academy Awards in total - including Best Director, and Best Actress for Greer Garson.

Two years later, A Matter of Life and Death was released, starring David Niven as a World War Two fighter pilot who returns from a near-fatal mission in Germany.

Ranked by the BFI as the 20th best British film ever made, it was directed by Old Alleynian Michael Powell, who was a student at the school from 1918-1921.

In 1951, another classic from the golden age of Hollywood came to our screens courtesy of an Old Alleynian. John Huston’s The African Queen bagged co-stars Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn Oscars apiece for the epic, set in German East Africa in 1914. The film was adapted from the 1935 novel by former Dulwich student C.S. Forrester. Forrester had

brief and unsuccessful attempts as a medical student at Guy’s and as an army recruit before eventually moving to the US and finding fame as a writer, with his other successful works including the Hornblower series.

Other authors educated at the school whose work went on to grace the silver screen include giants of 20th century literature Raymond Chandler and Michael Ondaatje. Chicagoborn Chandler may be the quintessential American ‘pulp fiction’ author but he also spent part of his childhood living in Upper Norwood and held British citizenship. His seminal detective novel The Long Goodbye was adapted by Robert Altman in 1973 and remains a classic of film-noir, starring Elliot Gould.

Ondaatje’s Booker Prize-winning The English Patient (1996), told the story of the doomed, illicit love affair between an English woman and Hungarian explorer who meet making maps in North Africa at the outbreak of the Second World War. The epic heartbreaker swept up nine Oscars and cemented the careers of its two leads, Kristen Scott-Thomas and Ralph Fiennes.

But perhaps the most famous former student and contemporary actor is Chiwetel Ejiofor, CBE, a pupil from 1990-1995.

Ejiofor, who grew up in Forest Gate, had his first stage role at the prep school as the gravedigger in Hamlet. He went on to win a BAFTA and was Oscar-nominated for his portrayal of Solomon Northrup, an African-American kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841 in 2013’s 12 Years a Slave.

Other Old Alleynians include Boogie Man director Andrew Morahan, and Nick Gottschalk, the supervising art director for 2017’s The Darkest Hour featuring another south London legend, Gary Oldman, as Winston Churchill. Gottschalk’s other credits include the live-action remake of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

But centuries after the college was founded, there is also the enduring appeal of Ned Alleyn himself, played by Ben Affleck in 1998’s Shakespeare in Love.

David Thomson, a film critic and former Dulwich College student, said Alleyn’s legacy lives on in the school’s ethos. It was important the Dulwich College was “not founded by a great general after war, not by a crucial mathematician or an infinite philanthropist,” he said. “The school was established by an actor – a pretender, a make-believer, the man who created the role of Faustus in 1593.”

“God and glory are all very well in running a good school - but never forget the need for magic and theatre.”

South London Hemisphere

Here comes the sun

How did the Sun form? How old is it?

Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer Anna Ross answers your most burning questions

The Sun formed around 4.6 billion years ago from a massive cloud of gas and dust called a nebula.

This cloud was mostly made from hydrogen and helium. Eventually, the nebula collapsed in on itself, under the strength of its own gravity and began to spin. The collapse caused the density of the cloud to increase, increasing the pressure and temperature too. The rotation caused the nebula to form a flat disc shape with the majority of the mass gathered at the centre. The cloud continued to get denser, spin faster, and heat up until the hydrogen at the centre of the cloud was squashed together and started to fuse into helium. The helium also began to fuse into progressively higher elements, a process called nuclear fusion which powers all stars. Once this fusion had begun, the star was able to start producing heat and light, and our Sun was born!

What about the rest of our Solar System?

Although the Sun used up around 99.86% of the mass of the nebula, there was still some gas and dust leftover within that spinning disc.

Gravity caused this material to begin sticking together until the pieces became planets, moons, asteroids, and the rest of the Solar System.

How hot is the Sun?

At its core, the Sun can reach over 15 million degrees Celsius, but at its surface, it is only around 5500°C. The Sun is a pretty average temperature

for a star, with cooler stars being more red in colour and hotter stars more blue – the opposite way around to what you might expect.

What will happen to the Sun when it dies?

When will this happen?

When the Sun has fused all its hydrogen and helium, it will have run out of fuel and so, begin to die. This is expected to happen in around 5.4 billion years (so nothing to worry about just yet!).

First, the star will expand and cool to form a red giant star. Eventually, it will grow so big that the star’s core can no longer hold onto its outer layers, and they will drift out into space. These layers will become a planetary nebula, and will leave just the Sun’s core exposed, now called a white dwarf star. White dwarfs do not create their own energy, instead using up any leftovers from the star’s life. The white dwarf will radiate out any remaining heat over the course of trillions of years. When all the energy is gone it becomes a black dwarf star.

What will happen to Earth and the other planets when the Sun dies?

When the Sun expands to become a red giant, it is expected to completely engulf Mercury and Venus, meaning that the Earth will become the new closest planet to the Sun. This closer proximity will make the planet far too hot to be habitable anymore - hopefully we will have found a new home by then!

URBAN FOX 45

Home Turf ©©All pictures: Christian Fisher

A woman for all seasons he weather during September was mostly fine and dry with low rainfall; however towards the end of the month a pattern of wet and breezy conditions set in. October brought cooler temperatures and more unsettled weather consistent with the onset of autumn. Occasionally a warm spell occurs mid-month when it can be unseasonably hot.

There are no signs of a late heat wave this year!

Leaf colour has been slow to develop and in turn seasonal leaf fall is delayed. The stunning deep red and golden shades are usually produced if temperatures stay warm into October.

Summer plants remain in flower – Fuchsia, Geraniums, Rudbeckia, Roses and Salvias as autumn favourites Dahlia, Alstroemeria and Sedum take over the borders. If there are no sharp frosts roses will often continue flowering through to December.

Window box/container displays can be refreshed; choose a mix of dwarf evergreens, bulbs and seasonal annuals to provide variety and interest through the winter months. Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ tolerates shade, produces scented flowers and looks good year-round.

Lemon scented or garden Thymes are compact and make a good backdrop to Violas, Pansies and Cyclamen. Thyme can stay when plants are

46 URBAN FOX

Jackie Power is a horticulturalist and herbalist who lives in Southwark changed in springtime. Hebe pagei has attractive neat evergreen foliage (delicate white flowers in summer) and will happily live in containers for several seasons. A perfect plant for window boxes is trailing Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’); it is slow growing, the fragrant evergreen stems cascade down, and masses of tiny blue flowers appear several times a year (which bees happily visit). Tuck in miniature bulbs - Tulips, Narcissus, Crocus and Snowdrops; all flower at different times and will be a welcome sight when there are few flowers in bloom.

If not done last month there is still time to take cuttings to increase plant stocks, specifically the herbs Lavender, Rosemary and Sage.

Take four inch lengths of this year’s growth, remove lower leaves, dip stem in rooting compound (follow instructions on label). Place cuttings in a mix of sand and potting compost.

Water well and protect from the cold.

Before the weather turns lightly dig over the vegetable patch once harvest is completed.

Tidy flower beds removing faded annuals and dead growth from perennials. October to March are the months for planting shrubs and deciduous trees; and so it’s time to start looking through nursery catalogues and the specialist on-line growers for next year’s inspiration.

Family

Remember, remember

It’s that time of year again - bonfire night is back with a bang! Get set to watch the south London skyline light up with our guide to this year’s best familyfriendly fireworks events.

CRYSTAL PALACE

Want a little something more from this year’s celebrations? Head down to Crystal Palace, where live DJs, streetfood and a fairground will accompany the fireworks.

Oh, and Arcadia’s Lords of Lightning - better known as the guys behind Glastonbury’s giant fire-breathing spider - will be firing multi-million-volt electricity bolts from their bodies, in an explosive live show that includes playing an electric symphony with ‘musical lightning’. Just like Guy Fawkes imagined, then…

2 November, from 5pm, Crystal Palace. Adults £10, children £8.50 and under-10s £2.

BERMONDSEY

DULWICH

Tuesday 5 November, 5pm-8pm (last entry 6.30pm), Southwark Park.

Advance tickets only via southwark.gov.uk

2 November, Dulwich Sports Club, Giant Arches Road, SE24 9HP. Adults £10, under-10s free.

Advance tickets ONLY.

Now on its sixteenth outing, Southwark Park’s annual display is free for residents of the borough. (£8.50 for adults and £2.50 for children over four from elsewhere.) Always hugely popular, get there early to make the most of the funfair and kids’ entertainment before the skyhigh whizz-banging begins.

Dulwich Sports Club’s Bonfire & Fireworks Night returns for another year - and this time, there’ll be more food and drink stalls than ever, serving up everything from pizza to BBQ to fuel your hungry little revellers. (Plus mulled wine and real ale for parents, phew.) Doors open at 5pm.

BATTERSEA

BLACKHEATH

2 November, Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ. Adults £10, under-10s free. Afterparty: £20.

Advance tickets ONLY via Eventbrite.

2 November, from midday. Blackheath, SE3 0TY.

Battersea have always laid on one of London’s biggest fireworks displays for 50,000 merrymakers at a time - and they’re going a step further for 2019.

Pre-show entertainment, food and drink, a massive bonfire and twenty two minutes of firework fandango are still on the cards; and this year, there’s an over-18s afterparty until 1am at Evolution, an events space in the middle of the park.

Lewisham’s much-loved annual fireworks event on Blackheath - and one of the capital’s rare free displays - takes place once again this year, despite a rocky ride in the run-up. Faced with the threat of ‘financial cuts’, the council launched a crowdfunding campaign to keep the event from going under. Show your support by making the most of the all-day festivities on the heath, including a full funfair, then head into the village for a minicarnival atmosphere in the evening.

URBAN FOX 47

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24/10/2019 10:42:29

Property

Homeward Bound

New builds, luxury flats, affordable housing and what’s up your street

Your chance to Bond with New Cross

Crest Nicholson’s Bond House is a stylish collection of one, two and threebedroom apartments located in London’s property hotspot of New Cross.

Perfect for young professionals working in the city, the development has proved to be popular with those looking to take their first step onto the property ladder in London with the London Help to Buy scheme.

New Cross is an up-and-coming destination with plenty to offer residents, from a thriving community spirit to various green parks in the surrounding areas, perfect for a Sunday stroll with friends and family. Bond House benefits from being positioned within easy reach of South East London’s most eclectic urban villages, including Peckham, Lewisham and Deptford, ideal destinations for outdoor adventures.

Bond House offers excellent transport connections, making it an ideal destination for anyone looking to access central London and the City with ease. Nearby New Cross Gate tube station is only a six-minute tube journey to London Bridge.

Future government plans are also being discussed to extend the Bakerloo line to Lewisham and create a new station at New Cross Gate, which will improve the area’s overall connectivity and local services.

Prices for a one bed apartment start at £429,950.

www.crestnicholson.com/developments/bond-house/

URBAN FOX 51

Handcrafted by us, perfection for you

For sash & casement windows For French, front & bifolding doors For plantation shutters & much more Contact the experts in bespoke joinery Showrooms in Brockley & Lower Sydenham

020 7924 7303

info@sashwindows.london • www.sashwindows.london

Independent London AVOID FINES, GET A TAX BREAK, AND PREPARE FOR THE NEW LANDLORD LAWS WITH THIS BERMONDSEY ESTATE AGENCY

I

f you’re a landlord you need an informed and cost effective agency. Independent London set up a Central London office in 2008 to try to bridge the gap between High Street agents and Internet advertising options. Since then they’ve established themselves as a landlord friendly, knowledgeable and reliable Estate Agency using a fair fee structure and the latest technology to enhance the landlord’s experience. They stay on the edge of technology and were using online signing back then in 2008 when nobody else was.

As of June 1st the Government is banning all fees to tenants. This means that your estate agent will no longer be allowed to charge administration fees to tenants moving into a property. They cannot charge for references or a check in or a check out.

Do you know exactly what the Tenant Fee Ban means to you? Is your letting agent passing on the fees to you?

Has the Government relabelled Tenants Fees and called

them Landlord Fees? Independent London is taking a pragmatic approach to the Fee ban. If you are confused by what your agent is telling you then call Independent London now for free advice and information regarding the ban.

Does your property need an additional House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence? Southwark council requires a licence for a property with three unrelated tenants. Even a couple and a single person living in a two-bedroom property would require an additional HMO licence.

Are you legal? Is your tenancy legal? Ask the experts at Independent London and you could avoid a large fine.

The agency is also experienced in winding down HMOs and finding families to rent larger properties, thus avoiding the requirement for an HMO Licence.

Do you know how to set up a Special Purchase Vehicle to buy your investment property with a Limited Company so you can claim mortgage interest back in your tax return? Could you qualify and incorporate your property portfolio? This could save a landlord with five properties or more thousands in tax and stamp duty.

Giving landlords expert advice is what Independent prides itself on. There are plenty of low fee charging run of the mill agencies out there taking fees for with little or no experience in the industry.

Independent London backs up their experience with: · A legal mentor · Cast iron contracts · Up to the minute paperwork backed by software

providers Goodlord and Painsmith Solicitors.

This provides peace of mind for the agency and its clients. Everything is done online to save time and money.

Tenants are given all legal documents at the start of the tenancy including the gas certificate, Energy Performance Certificate, the Deposit Scheme Prescribed Information, all of which they’re required to sign as part of their Tenancy Agreement.

Independent London currently has no rent arrears on their whole managed portfolio. They provide an online log in portal for landlords at no extra cost, which means landlords have access to their accounts and paperwork at the touch of a button. No need to call or chase for a missing invoice. Independent London can also provide an end of year tax roundup for your accountant.

The agency understands the challenges facing landlords in the modern lettings industry because they are landlords.

Their objective is to save landlords money at every turn while guarding them always against punitive aggressive litigation from current or former tenants.

If you feel like you are not being properly advised or that you are paying too much tax or you simply don’t understand recent legislation or how it will affect your property or your income then give Independent London a call.

Independent London charges 5 percent for a letonly service and an additional 5 percent monthly for management service.

Independent London is at Studio 1, 197 Long Lane, SE1 4PD. Phone: 0207 940 7303 Or email: info@independentlondon.net

WHERE LONDON ENJOYS LEARNING

MORLEY WINTER FAIR Sunday 1 December 2019, 11am–3pm Celebrate the festive season at the annual Morley Winter Fair.

Pick up unique handcrafted gifts for Christmas at our craft fair with over 40 stalls

including clothing, sweets, jewellery, crafts and pottery on offer.

Enjoy live performances from Morley’s staff and students including Kathak, Flamenco, Salsa and Cuban dance, piano, string, wind and recorder concerts and festive singing from the Morley Folk Choir… plus more!

We will also be running taster sessions throughout the day. Interested in trying something for the New Year, why not try millinery, German, Cuban dance, piano, Japanese card making and folk singing.

Please visit the website to book your place on any of the tasters — all £5. www.morleycollege.ac.uk | 020 7450 1889 | enquiries@morleycollege.ac.uk | @morleycollege

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

FREE MORLEY ENTRY COLLEGE LONDON

WINTER FAIR CRAFTS MARKET & FOOD STALLS

2019

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MUSIC AND DANCE PERFORMANCES

Sunday 1 December 2019, 11am–3pm Browse our crafts market and food stalls, watch live performances, and take part in creative tasters at our FREE Winter Fair!

61 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7HT

www.morleycollege.ac.uk