Brixton news, rumour and general chat - July 2014

[friendofdorothy]

I just went past (5 pm) and no Police and no people either.
Not sure if there is anyone in. Maybe you ring the bell and wait to be admitted like a 1970s nightclub? I'm gonna try and find some relevant twitter feed in case there's more info.
They were supposed to be showing videos about militant gay squats in East Berlin, Philadelphia and a factory in South London. I fancied that.

Wednesday 2nd July BAKING & ENTERING [2pm – midnight]

2pm Unwanted household goods donation event! Bring us yr spare plates, cutlery, cups, cooking equipment, bedding, food for dinner, etc.

7pm Squatting workshop – Squatters Legal Network share practical skills and legal knowledge, essential for all squatters & wannabe-squatters.

9.30pm Dinner & short films

Sass Squat (Sasha Wortzel, 2009) A portrait of an all-queer squat in West Philadelphia. This piece examines the significance of reclaiming underutilized space through the exploration of a unique living space and the people who call it home

Battle of Tutenhaus (Juliet Bashore, 1991) Tutenhaus, the “House of Queers”, a squat in 1980s East Berlin, survived attacks from neo-nazis but was violently evicted by the West German police after reunification.

Colorama 2 (Kahm Fiaa Enck, 2013) a group of strangers inhabit an empty photo printing lab in South London. part of an unwinding spiral of explorations within spaces thought abandoned, their journey together is one of stuttered re-awakenings and collective desires amidst the discards of a dying world

Sounds great.

 

[thatguyhex]

I'm there now, a workshop on squatting is about to start. This place is great.

 

[colacubes]

This is relevant to my interests and, I suspect, those of many other regulars here

Fucking wankers rocking up here and trying to supercede my cats of Brixton calendar

 

[thatguyhex]

That was really really good. General legal advice and discussion of the state of affairs for squatters and squatting in the UK.

Interesting news about the police here:
- one of the excuses the police were trying to use yesterday to stop people coming in was to "prevent a breach of the peace"
- apparently there's some kind of special command in the Met established for dealing with parties since that kid died at the rave in Croydon, and this space was on their radar before anything even happened

Unhappy news: at 10:30 this morning the police stopped and searched one of the squat crew between the space and the Tube and arrested him for "going equipped" because he had a spanner and an allen key (or something about on that grade) in his bag. The group (House of Brag, by the way) are asking for solidarity help with that, like calling the police station to ask if he's okay - if I heard it right his name is Zak Pankhurst - or joining a gathering outside. I can't be there now but if anyone reading this wants to join I'm sure it would be appreciated.

 

[friendofdorothy]

Fucking wankers rocking up here and trying to supercede my cats of Brixton calendar

nothing could supercede your lovely calendar! and I don't do apps anyway

 

[friendofdorothy]

That was really really good. General legal advice and discussion of the state of affairs for squatters and squatting in the UK.

Interesting news about the police here:
- one of the excuses the police were trying to use yesterday to stop people coming in was to "prevent a breach of the peace"
- apparently there's some kind of special command in the Met established for dealing with parties since that kid died at the rave in Croydon, and this space was on their radar before anything even happened

Unhappy news: at 10:30 this morning the police stopped and searched one of the squat crew between the space and the Tube and arrested him for "going equipped" because he had a spanner and an allen key (or something about on that grade) in his bag. The group (House of Brag, by the way) are asking for solidarity help with that, like calling the police station to ask if he's okay - if I heard it right his name is Zak Pankhurst - or joining a gathering outside. I can't be there now but if anyone reading this wants to join I'm sure it would be appreciated.

That sounds like the old days, breach of the peace could mean always anything they wanted. Why did the police think there would be a rave here?
Sorry I didn't make it tonight, but hope too soon.
Hope the social thing this evening went ok

 

[se5]

Article on the Guardian website in which Councillor Edward Davie reassures us that everything will be alright without any opposition councillors to scrutinise the council:

In Lambeth's one-party state, who will hold Labour councillors to account?
http://www.theguardian.com/local-go...arty-state-labour-councillors-hold-to-account

 

[CH1]

Article on the Guardian website in which Councillor Edward Davie reassures us that everything will be alright without any opposition councillors to scrutinise the council:

In Lambeth's one-party state, who will hold Labour councillors to account?
http://www.theguardian.com/local-go...arty-state-labour-councillors-hold-to-account

Did I read him right? They are scrapping scrutiny sub-committees to improve the level of scrutiny.

I have a facsimile edition of Orwell's 1984 upstairs. Newspeak is alive and well in Lambeth!

 

[editor]

This looks a decent scheme:
Lambeth commits to free & subsidised cycle training for anyone who lives, works or studies in the borough

 

[editor]

Lambeth Council launches questionnaire on regenerating ten Brixton streets over ten years - details of another Lambeth consultation about the 'public realm,' focussed on these streets: Atlantic Road, Coldharbour Lane, Electric Avenue, Pope’s Road, Brixton Station Road, Front of Police Station, Acre Lane (East), Brighton Terrace, St. Matthew’s Churchyard and Somerleyton Passage.

 

[editor]

Coming up next week in Southwyck House - Who Policies The Police – Brixton film screening, 8th July

It's being put on by the South London Revolutionary Communist Group. I had no idea they still existed!

 

[CH1]

Lambeth Council launches questionnaire on regenerating ten Brixton streets over ten years - details of another Lambeth consultation about the 'public realm,' focussed on these streets: Atlantic Road, Coldharbour Lane, Electric Avenue, Pope’s Road, Brixton Station Road, Front of Police Station, Acre Lane (East), Brighton Terrace, St. Matthew’s Churchyard and Somerleyton Passage.

Unfortunately this does not include the "Coldharbour Open Space". Rachel Heywood, Matt Parr, Thomsz Compton (Fluid Consultants) and Tom Bridgman (Lambeth Regeneration) seem committed to playing pass-the-parcel on that.

If they wait long enough Coldharbour Lane Properties (owner of the car-wash site) will come up with some ghastly tower block proposal.

Where is the commitment to public realm we used to have?

 

[editor]

Here's a piece about the (ahem) 'Truth' agency:
The horrible Truth is coming to Brixton Market, a multinational marketing agency dressed up as the ‘concerned’ Tea Exchange

 

[editor]

More Brixton/Lambeth news:
Lambeth Council secures funding to test out co-op parks (not sure I'm bowled over by this concept)
and
Lambeth teachers to take industrial action on 10th July as part of national pay dispute

Teachers’ pay has been slashed in real terms by 15% over the course of this government. A recently appointed teacher is over £2,500 worse off, a teacher with six years’ experience is over £3,500 worse off and more experienced teachers are nearly £4,500 worse off.

 

[CH1]

Here's a piece about the (ahem) 'Truth' agency:
The horrible Truth is coming to Brixton Market, a multinational marketing agency dressed up as the ‘concerned’ Tea Exchange

 

[editor]

Anyone know where I can get a cheap American flag or two in Brixton for tonight's Independence Day Albert party?

 

[Badgers]

Anyone know where I can get a cheap American flag or two in Brixton for tonight's Independence Day Albert party?

By Shahida Stores at 55 Loughborough Rd has loads in all sorts of sizes.
The bearded chap who sells the jerk pan bbqs in the road there is your man.

ETA: they might be able to tell you what they have over the phone - 020 7733 9613

 

[gaijingirl]

By Shahida Stores at 55 Loughborough Rd has loads in all sorts of sizes.
The bearded chap who sells the jerk pan bbqs in the road there is your man.

do they only sell American flags or do they have others too?

 

[Badgers]

do they only sell American flags or do they have others too?

The whole world is covered, about three different sizes

 

[gaijingirl]

The whole world is covered, about three different sizes

oh that's very useful. Thanks.

 

[Badgers]

This was his 'over the road' display prior to England going out

 

[T & P]

Parties in honour of the imperialist capitalist pigs? The gentrification of Brixton continues apace.

 

[friendofdorothy]

Parties in honour of the imperialist capitalist pigs? The gentrification of Brixton continues apace.

I thought it was just an excuse to celebrate my birthday with fireworks ...

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Is editor setting off fireworks in the Albert then?

 

[twistedAM]

Parties in honour of the imperialist capitalist pigs? The gentrification of Brixton continues apace.

Got to celebrate the genocidical fathers.

 

[editor]

Don't know about you, but I'll celebrating the music and the musicians, and maybe the football team too, just a little bit.

 

[T & P]

Don't know about you, but I'll celebrating the music and the musicians, and maybe the football team too, just a little bit.

And the hot dogs. I'd celebrate their hot dogs any day of the year.

 

[editor]

And the hot dogs. I'd celebrate their hot dogs any day of the year.

And NASA. I'd like to celebrate that.

 

[cuppa tee]

And NASA. I'd like to celebrate that.

Playing this.......



.....might be a good way to do that

 

[editor]