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Brixton news, rumours and general chat - May 2013

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I've never been that keen on the Feds coffee either. Fortunately we have our own of which we drink almost as much as we sell, so we choose it for our own tastes. When our machine s down for servicing or whatever we sometimes get coffee from Federation and every time we do we wonder why people rave about them so much. I drink espresso and I find theirs bitter and over-roasted - it tastes burned to me - probably not so bad in a latte.

I think it would be quite instructive to organise a blind tasting comparison of all the various coffees in Brixton. I am sure it would yield some surprises.
 
fortyplus said:
I've never been that keen on the Feds coffee either. It would be quite instructive to organise a blind tasting comparison of all the various coffees in Brixton. I am sure it would yield some surprises.
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God I love blind tastings. And am useless at them.
 
simonSW2 said:
The large, derelict house on the junction of Christchurch Road and Palace Road, where author Dennis Wheatley grew up, is currently on fire. 3 engines in attendance.

It's a lovely old house, wrecked by years of neglect. I always hoped someone would save it, rather than burn it down.

http://landmark.lambeth.gov.uk/display_page.asp?section=landmark&id=10734
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At 6pm there were still 9 or 10 fire engines (some on Palace Rd, some on Christchurch), and a fire fighter on big crane ladder thing directing water into the smoking heart of the ruin. The guy I spoke to said they had found lots of sleeping bags in the building but no sign of anyone having been caught up in the blaze, thank goodness.
 
simonSW2 said:
The large, derelict house on the junction of Christchurch Road and Palace Road, where author Dennis Wheatley grew up, is currently on fire. 3 engines in attendance.

It's a lovely old house, wrecked by years of neglect. I always hoped someone would save it, rather than burn it down.

http://landmark.lambeth.gov.uk/display_page.asp?section=landmark&id=10734
Click to expand...

oh no!! That's an amazing house.. we always want to go in to look! I too had hoped it would be saved... preferably by me. ;):D what a terrible terrible shame. :( I noticed at around 6ish this evening that the S. Circular (Christchurch Road) was closed from the Tulse Hill gyratory heading West.. I guess that's why.
 
Something going on outside the town hall/next to the registry office entrance as I came back- police van, 2 police cars, paramedics and an ambulance haring that way down Tulse Hill as I went past. Anyone know what?
 
leanderman said:
Why on earth has it been derelict? I could never work that out
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Google tells me sold for demolition and redevelopment, delayed due to a series of appeals to English heritage etc. so suspiciously convenient it's burnt down, you might say. Were you much more cynical than I am
 
Frumious B. said:
I hate to say it, but I much prefer a Starbucks flat white to most of the Brixton alternatives. And the people watching in there is...different. Feels like you've gone to Croydon by mistake.
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I was over in Kensington a while back and ended up in Starbucks. As I wanted a coffee and it was only place near the tube. I am loath to go to Starbucks.

But must admit it was a good coffee. That surprised me as last time I used a Starbucks was ages ago. And the coffee was American style- weak and milky in cup to large.

So maybe Starbucks have changed there coffee making?
 
The thing about judging coffee at any particular establishment is that it can vary from day to day and during the day. I've had good cups at Fedration and others that are much worse - there was one that just tasted of detergent. I expect some staff just take more care than others.
 
Manter said:
Google tells me sold for demolition and redevelopment, delayed due to a series of appeals to English heritage etc. so suspiciously convenient it's burnt down, you might say. Were you much more cynical than I am
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Yes, I was talking to a local community officer last night when I passed - apparently the site was bought by a developer looking to build a block of flats. I suppose if a great building from the late 19th Century is standing in the way of the march of profit and progress, petrol and a match sorts it.
 
happyshopper said:
The thing about judging coffee at any particular establishment is that it can vary from day to day and during the day. I've had good cups at Fedration and others that are much worse - there was one that just tasted of detergent. I expect some staff just take more care than others.
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Yes this is certainly true. If the machine isn't cleaned regularly (daily if at all busy) you get a buildup of stale coffee oils in the heads, which makes for rank coffee.
In any foodservice operation, consistency is a challenge. It's relatively easy to make something that's great once or twice, it's much harder to make sure that it's always great and the chains are good at having the systems, training and controls to keep the product consistent. Small operations often go off the boil when their passionate founder-owners ease off a bit, leaving it to staff who go through the motions but don't always care that much.
 
simonSW2 said:
Yes, I was talking to a local community officer last night when I passed - apparently the site was bought by a developer looking to build a block of flats. I suppose if a great building from the late 19th Century is standing in the way of the march of profit and progress, petrol and a match sorts it.
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It works for old piers and developers!
 
A little BrixtonBuxzz piece on the Grab & Go cafe on Atlantic Road.

I often grab a coffee from them when I'm heading out on the tube, and it does the job just fine.

grab-and-go-cafe-brixton.jpg


http://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2013/05/...on-good-affordable-grub-for-busy-brixtonites/
 
simonSW2 said:
Yes, I was talking to a local community officer last night when I passed - apparently the site was bought by a developer looking to build a block of flats. I suppose if a great building from the late 19th Century is standing in the way of the march of profit and progress, petrol and a match sorts it.
Click to expand...

I'm right down by Tulse Hill station and can smell the burnt smell from here. Anyway, cycled past and chatted a bit to an old lady who was absolutely fascinating.. knew loads about the place - was telling me all about it right back to when it was occupied, the squatters after and what became of them - she has loads of books from inside when the owners moved out. She herself is a historian and writing about Queen Charlotte (Britain's black queen?). It was one of those conversations that reminded me how much I like living around here - you get some great conversation and gossip from neighbours. :D
 
There's another fucking massive queue at the Ferndale Road post office, complete with the usual one or two oddballs being weird.

I really miss the old Coldharbour Lane post office, but hey! This is progress, right?
 
Well I'm here now and getting a bus to post a parcel seems a bit much and would probably take even longer. I've got my phone and urban to entertain me.
 
happyshopper said:
The thing about judging coffee at any particular establishment is that it can vary from day to day and during the day. I've had good cups at Fedration and others that are much worse - there was one that just tasted of detergent. I expect some staff just take more care than others.
Click to expand...
Very true. In Rosie's I learned not to engage in small talk with one of the staff. She would always ruin my coffee if anyone distracted her.
 
editor said:
There's another fucking massive queue at the Ferndale Road post office, complete with the usual one or two oddballs being weird.

I really miss the old Coldharbour Lane post office, but hey! This is progress, right?
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I usually pop my head in and if there is a big queue go to stockwell, I've never found it busy there.

Now: wtf is a flat white?
 
wemakeyousoundb said:
I usually pop my head in and if there is a big queue go to stockwell, I've never found it busy there.

Now: wtf is a flat white?
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A flat white is a coffee beverage developed in Australia and New Zealand in the 1980s.[1][2] It is prepared by pouring microfoam (steamed milk from the bottom of a pitcher) over a single or double shot of ristretto espresso. It is similar to the latte and the café au lait although smaller in volume, having a higher proportion of coffee to milk, and more velvety in consistency.
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