Your only free community newspaper THE REC IN FOCUS VALENTINE’S SPECIAL Leisure centre saved p4-5 Brixton’s finest flowersp14 Edition 7 FREE February 2013 Green light for youth INSIDE... theatre and housing Drama centre is part of ‘key vision’ for town centre By Tim Dickens Riots on record A pioneering youth arts organisa- We bring you the action from the tion could be moving to a new the- launch of a pioneering Becoming atre in the heart of Brixton. Brixton project, with a series of The Ovalhouse theatre, celebrat- short films and a website about the ing its 50th anniversary, will work 1980s riots in Brixton. Page 13 with Lambeth on the plans to de- velop a purpose built performance venue on Somerleyton Road. The council has also announced that it will be working with the Brixton Green group, an organi- sation with more than 1,000 local shareholders, that hopes to develop a rundown stretch of land on the west side of the street. Ovalhouse director Deborah Bestwick said the theatre has been looking for a Brixton base for a number of years and she is “very excited” about the plans. Ritzy film guide “Many of the young people we From Denzel to Die Hard, resident work with come from Brixton and film buff Ashley Clark looks at we have outgrown our current the best, and worst, on offer at the building in Kennington. With a Ritzy cinema this month. Page 12 new, larger building we can work with more people.” She added: “If we can create an CREATIVE: Dancers from Ovalhouse Theatre at an event in Windrush Square last summer extra benefit it’s because there’s a synergy of community and creative people in Brixton. We can do so and a foyer space that “brings the as next year. The new venue could much work equipping young peo- streetlife of Brixton in and lets the then open in 2016. ple and supporting them to look creativity of the theatre out.” “We are contributing to some- towards further education and em- Bestwick said she wants to work thing live and vital that can go be- ployment.” closely with the community in yond the exciting things that hap- Deborah The plan includes two flexible planning the centre, and if funding pen at Ovalhouse Theatre.” Bestwick is theatre spaces, seven studio spaces is secured work could start as early Continued on Page 5 delighted Thameslink win Latest in Brady’s pub saga Commuters rejoice after Brixton Community Trust is to Atlantic Road, as a community cross-London train services are refer Lambeth council to the Local venue, is unhappy that private de- saved. Streatham Hill MP Chuka Government Ombusman over the velopers could use up to £700,000 Umunna, though, says the govern- sale of a much-loved Brixton pub. of lottery cash to turn the building ment must go further and provide The group, which had planned to into private flats. more carriages. Page 4 get funding to restore Brady’s, in Full story, Page 3. 2 Brixton Bugle February 2013 NEWS www.brixtonblog.com The Brixton Blog and Brixton Bugle Butcher fined are edited in Brixton by Zoe Jewell Labour take A butcher and supermarket owner and Tim Dickens. has been fined £8,500 for a series of hygiene failings. Brixton Hill Inspectors from Lambeth Both the website and newsaper are Council found rat droppings published by a not-for-profit by-election throughout Brixton Supermarket, community organisation. Run by Electric Avenue, during a number a committed team of people from Labour’s Martin Tiedemann of visits to the store. They also Brixton. has been elected as the new found build-up of blood in cold councillor for Brixton Hill ward rooms, mud on the floor and no Brixton Blog and Bugle with a majority of 62 per cent. running hot water to clean it. The Brix at St Matthews, Tiedemann took the seat in Owner Ghulam Rasool was or- Brixton Hill, Brixton January after a by-election trig- dered to pay a fine £8,515, and le- SW2 1JF gered by the resignation of for- gal costs of £5,500 at Tower Bridge mer council leader Steve Reed. Magistrates’ Court in December. In second place was An- » Tel 020 7737 5417 drew Child from the Green » @brixtonblog Party, with 344 votes. Lib Dem » @brixton_bugle Liz Maffei came third with 274 LABOUR OF LOVE: Colleagues congratulate Tiedemann Toilet fire rescue » www.brixtonblog.com votes. Only 22.8 per cent of voters in Brixton Hill turned out to residents and listened to their the result just after midnight on Circulation: 9,500 copies vote, meaning 2,552 people vot- concerns. Now I’ll continue to January 18. It followed a good Readership: circa 16,000 ed out of a possible 11,206. work with the local community natured election contest and Speaking after being sworn to address those issues and pro- the first ever hustings held by For advertising enquiries contact: in at Lambeth Town Hall, cllr tect Lambeth services. Brixton Blog at Corpus Christi “The result is a real vote of church hall on January 10. [email protected] Tidemann said: “We cam- paigned on the issues that mat- confidence in Lambeth Labour About 90 residents attended Charley@brixtonblog,com ter to people in Brixton Hill, and our campaign.” the event to quiz candidates on bread and butter local issues. Lambeth chief executive housing, employment and traf- NEWS We spoke to thousands of local Derrick Anderson announced fic on Brixton Hill. »[email protected] FEATURES Luke Massey Results in full »[email protected] M Tiedemann Lab 1593 63% A Child Green 344 14% A woman in Camberwell had a CULTURE L Maffei LD 274 11% lucky escape after a candle caught Barney Evison and Ruth Waters T Briggs Cons 164 6% fire to the cistern in her toilet. »[email protected] S Nally TUSC 72 3% The blaze broke out at a flat in E Jones UKIP 63 2% Comber Grove, Camberwell on January 21. The woman was taken SPORT D Lambert Soc 34 1% to hospital, but was not badly hurt. »[email protected] The by-election hustings, hosted by Brixton Blog Both the Blog and the Bugle are produced by a committed team of volunteers with a wide range of skills. Blog celebrates birthday with 500,000 hits Cllr in hot water for This month marks the first anni- To celebrate its birthday, the A massive thank you to everybody versary of the relaunched Brixton Blog team is throwing a party at involved in making this issue, and the party political email Blog as a comprehensive online Kaff Bar, Atlantic Road on Febru- Blog & Bugle project, a success. newspaper. ary 7 at 9pm, all welcome. Residents, library users and He told The Bugle: “I will be In its first year, the site has The project’s editors, Zoe Jew- ROLL OF HONOUR opposition councillors have re- calling for cllr Prentice to re- racked up more than half a mil- ell and Tim Dickens, would like acted angrily to an email from sign. She has completely lost lion page impressions and at- to thank volunteers for their help, Miss South a senior Lambeth council mem- the confidence of the people in tracted 350,000 unique visits. businesses for their backing and Ashley Clark ber which appears to snub com- friends groups locally.” The project also spawned The all our readers for their support Jeannine Mansell munity groups not “It is completely out- Bugle in June 2012 to further and encouragement throughout Ruth Miller run by the Labour rageous and it is an in- serve the community in Brixton. 2012. Here’s to ten more years! Juliana Lucas Party. sult to all the people who Kaylene Alder Cabinet mem- are already in friends Brendan Zecevic ber for culture and groups. What this says Lindsay Harrison leisure, Sally Pren- about the co-op coun- Fiona Law tice, was writing cil is that it’s just about to Labour party filling these groups with Luke Massey Cllr Sally Prentice Charley Harrison members ahead of Labour cronies and yes Ruth Waters a meeting in Lambeth Town p e op l e .” Barney Evison Hall about setting up so-called Alistair Crabtree, of the Luke Massey “Friends” groups to control Friends of Streatham Library Rahima Fitzwilliam-Hall parks and libraries. These inde- (FoSL), wrote an open letter to Julian Kripps pendently-run groups are a key council leader Lib Peck saying Kaye Wiggins part of Lambeth’s “cooperative he was “disappointed” with the Michelle Banville council” plans. comments. David Carr The message said those who Cllr Prentice apologised for Laura Addis were friends of Labour party any offence caused by her email. Bob Groves supporters could attend the She said: ”I’ve worked closely event, but should be “broad- with the friends groups in the ly sympathetic” to the party’s past and will continue to do so cause. She went on to say: “In in the future. I know what a vi- the past many of the Friends tal role they continue to play in JOIN THE TEAM groups have been run by peo- the success of Lambeth’s librar- On the Blog: Chris Steele-Perkins, photographer ple who are our political oppo- ies and parks. In the latest in our Brixton People series on Brixton Blog, We need writers, reviewers, nents!”. “This meeting was intended snappers, scribblers, In response to the email, to encourage more people to Brendan Zevenic speaks to Brixton-based photographer editors, web pros, leaked last month, Liberal get involved in their parks and Chris Steele-Perkins about his latest book Fading Light, distributors, sellers & more Democrat councillor Jeremy libraries.