Brixton news, rumours and general chat: Summer 2019

[SpamMisery]

Never really given much credence to this "newly arrived" concept, because this argument has been going on for years and it's the same group of people complaining about the same other group of people; some of whom have been in Brixton for 20 years. When do they stop being called "newly arrived"? This argument is mirrored in shops; we have right sort of shop which we call "established" and then the wrong kind of shop which attracts any combination of the following: newly arrived, incomer, monied, trust funded etc. Any actual insight on the organisation's financial circumstances are welcomed but seemingly not necessarily a prerequisite for making these judgements. Much like our briefcase carrying gentlemen in the picture; who knows if they are privileged, professionals or newly arrived. I don't. As an aside, I saw a homeless guy in bowler hat recently; despite the headgear, I'm fairly sure he wasn't a toff.

 

[lev]

Just renewed a lease, and the estate agents (Beresford) tried to charge their normal renewal fees. They dropped it pretty quickly when we pointed out they are now illegal as of 1 June. But I'm sure agents are trying it on with renewals across the board. Just wanted to warn any other renters, as they can use some scary-sounding legalese when trying to charge illegal fees. Also if you've paid fees since June I think there's a process to get them back. Shelter should have the details.

 

[editor]

Just renewed a lease, and the estate agents (Beresford) tried to charge their normal renewal fees. They dropped it pretty quickly when we pointed out they are now illegal as of 1 June. But I'm sure agents are trying it on with renewals across the board. Just wanted to warn any other renters, as they can use some scary-sounding legalese when trying to charge illegal fees. Also if you've paid fees since June I think there's a process to get them back. Shelter should have the details.

Estate agents = scum. Well done for putting the fuckers straight

 

[Rushy]

Just renewed a lease, and the estate agents (Beresford) tried to charge their normal renewal fees. They dropped it pretty quickly when we pointed out they are now illegal as of 1 June. But I'm sure agents are trying it on with renewals across the board. Just wanted to warn any other renters, as they can use some scary-sounding legalese when trying to charge illegal fees. Also if you've paid fees since June I think there's a process to get them back. Shelter should have the details.

Ouch. The penalties are potentially enormous even for a first time offence (civil offence up to £5,000). A second time offence in 5 yrs can be a criminal offence and up to £30K fine. Seems a bit nuts to risk either. (I think they are allowed to charge up to £50 to a renew or revise a contract.)

How much is your deposit? Maximum is now 5 weeks in most cases.

 

[Jimbeau]

For the fourth time of asking, could you explain why the presence of well dressed, privileged white males walking around a seriously deprived neighbourhood might inspire anyone from that area to suddenly think that such jobs and opportunities were now within their grasp?

At what points of contact do you think the mainly ethnic minority youths in the locality might identify with these men and and start seeing exciting new possibilities for their own futures?

And some useful background:

Bloody hell. This really gets my goat. Since when does a picture of someone on a main road in the town centre become ‘walking around a seriously deprived neighbourhood’? I go down that stretch of CHL every day en route to my office near the Elephant. Usually on an old bike in crumpled shirt and jeans, but around twice a month in a suit when I catch the P5 bus. I’ve lived here nearly 20 years and am just a poor schmuck with an office job in the third sector. Yet that pic might have been taken of me on a ‘smart day’ and I’d be royally fucked off were that the case.

If I’ve noticed any major shift in the kinds of workers I see around Brixton during the day, it is the sheer number of freelancers/outworkers hogging the Wifi and eking out a latte in the coffee shops. Neither they nor the venues were seen much even ten years ago. Or maybe it’s just that those kinds of jobs have become more accessible in deprived areas.

 

[editor]

Bloody hell. This really gets my goat. Since when does a picture of someone on a main road in the town centre become ‘walking around a seriously deprived neighbourhood’?

Er, the Coldharbour ward is a seriously deprived neighbourhood. It's one of the worst 10% in England. But, again, the image was symbolic of the changes and the growing poor/wealth gap around Brixton. I see people like this all the time on Coldharbour Lane and they certainly weren't around in such numbers a decade ago. There's more upmarket estate agents here than ever before. More expensive restaurants. More cocktail bars. More exclusive members only bars.

 

[DietCokeGirl]

Hopefully that link works...His family just want to hear he's safe and okay.

 

[Jimbeau]

Er, the Coldharbour ward is a seriously deprived neighbourhood. It's one of the worst 10% in England. But, again, the image was symbolic of the changes and the growing poor/wealth gap around Brixton. I see people like this all the time on Coldharbour Lane and they certainly weren't around in such numbers a decade ago. There's more upmarket estate agents here than ever before. More expensive restaurants. More cocktail bars. More exclusive members only bars.

Er nothing. I don’t dispute the deprivation. Only your characterisation of the individuals and their activities and motives based on appearances alone. The ward covers the whole town centre so by the same logic anyone using the tube station, markets, Rec, etc is walking around it.

The phrase ‘people like this’ rarely sounds good, btw.

 

[editor]

Er nothing. I don’t dispute the deprivation. Only your characterisation of the individuals and their activities and motives based on appearances alone. The ward covers the whole town centre so by the same logic anyone using the tube station, markets, Rec, etc is walking around it.

The phrase ‘people like this’ rarely sounds good, btw.

Again: it was a symbolic photo. The kind of thing that a photo editor might quite reasonably use for an article entitled 'The Gentrification Of Brixton.'

You really can't see that?

 

[Jimbeau]

Again: it was a symbolic photo. The kind of thing that a photo editor might quite reasonably use for an article entitled 'The Gentrification Of Brixton.'

You really can't see that?

I can see it. I don’t like it.

 

[Rushy]

I bought my first home in central Brixton from a 50 something year old criminal barrister who every day strolled to the tube in a three piece pin stripe suit, a bowler hat and carrying a furled umbrella. That was in 1997.

Fuck-me, that place was a death trap.

 

[editor]

I can see it. I don’t like it.

I don't like what I see either. I don't like seeing the people on my estate, friends and local businesses being excluded, priced out and forced out.

 

[Jimbeau]

I don't like what I see either. I don't like seeing the people on my estate, friends and local businesses being excluded, priced out and forced out.

I don’t like that either. But that’s not what we’re talking about. I’ve no appetite for whataboutery. Goodnight.

 

[CH1]

I bought my first home in central Brixton from a 50 something year old criminal barrister who every day strolled to the tube in a three piece pin stripe suit, a bowler hat and carrying a furled umbrella. That was in 1997.

Fuck-me, that place was a death trap.

Not speaking Bluntly here are you?

 

[lev]

Ouch. The penalties are potentially enormous even for a first time offence (civil offence up to £5,000). A second time offence in 5 yrs can be a criminal offence and up to £30K fine. Seems a bit nuts to risk either. (I think they are allowed to charge up to £50 to a renew or revise a contract.)

How much is your deposit? Maximum is now 5 weeks in most cases.

Wow didn't know that about the penalties. They were charging a lot more than £50. No wonder they dropped it so quickly when I suggested the council might like to hear about it.

They did reduce the deposit in line with the new regs but as that's in a protection scheme maybe there's less profit in ignoring that law (although I know agents also love to steal deposits).

I was ticked off about it because last year they'd tried to get the renewal fee put in the tenancy agreement itself. I fought tooth and nail to get it taken out as I knew they'd do something shady like claim we had a contractual obligation to pay despite the new law this year. They promised that wasn't the case, but I eventually got it taken out. Then they try to charge us anyway! I expect to be fleeced, but not to have my intelligence insulted.

 

[editor]

Really sad news

Brixton to lose another live venue as the Hand In Hand’s lease runs out in mid-August 2019

 

[CH1]

I don't think it's been reported here so far, but I hear the Brixton Pound Shop is closing at the end of this month (landlord demanded major rent hike apparently).

 

[editor]

I don't think it's been reported here so far, but I hear the Brixton Pound Shop is closing at the end of this month (landlord demanded major rent hike apparently).
View attachment 176264

Yeah, I mentioned in post #208
I'm doing an article about it later this week.

It's a real shame. Another affordable piece of Brixton's character wiped out, no doubt to be replaced by some bland shit show for the well heeled.

 

[CH1]

Yeah, I mentioned in post #208
I'm doing an article about it later this week.

It's a real shame. Another affordable piece of Brixton's character wiped out, no doubt to be replaced by some bland shit show for the well heeled.

Quite. A pleasant alternative non-commercial informal meeting place with ancillary functions such as the book share shelves and with cellar meeting room for local community groups.

Apparently local landlords (whoever they are) are determined to make the pips squeak and get all the blood before everything goes tits up.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

Really sad news

Brixton to lose another live venue as the Hand In Hand’s lease runs out in mid-August 2019

Sad.

It was a difficult place to get people along too. They had huge noise restrictions due to it being so residential. We did some nights there that were great.

We did one night where we pulled the plug because there was literally one person there.

They were not very good at promoting the venue. The locals could be hostile to people who were attending the music nights.

There's always lots of reasons why pubs fail and close.

I've had some good times in there and it was a good hiding place if I wanted to get away from people who knew me.

 

[theboris]

I've just seen an old boy careening his mobility scooter like it's a dodgem car round Windrush Sq whilst waving a live snake in his hand

 

[editor]

I've just seen an old boy careening his mobility scooter like it's a dodgem car round Windrush Sq whilst waving a live snake in his hand

I remember that guy that used to walk around Brixton with a huge snake over his shoulders. Must have been 20 years ago or so.

 

[CH1]

I remember that guy that used to walk around Brixton with a huge snake over his shoulders. Must have been 20 years ago or so.

There was a 2006 thread about such a guy Have you seen a man with a snake on his head?

But I thought I read in the paper (SLP) years ago he had his snakes confiscated and was given some sort of asbo to stop a recurrence?

 

[theboris]

I remember that guy that used to walk around Brixton with a huge snake over his shoulders. Must have been 20 years ago or so.

He's on the Exile on Coldharbour Lane cover artwork, IIRC

 

[theboris]

He's on the Exile on Coldharbour Lane cover artwork, IIRC

as linerider said THIRTEEN years ago in the thread CH1 linked to

 

[editor]

Here he is. Album came out in 1997.

 

[theboris]

View attachment 176273

Here he is. Album came out in 1997.

don't make me feel any older that I am!

That reminds me, I lent my CD of EoCHL to one of the (ex) members of the Alabamas and he still hasn't returned it...

 

[MissL]

I remember he let me touch his snake (ahem) at Lambeth Country Fair. I was feeling err braver than usual.

I wonder if you could get away with taking a live snake in these days. Is it on the list of banned items?

 

[editor]

I hope it's not related to Saturday's murder but about 6 cops just escorted a guy I know on my block into his flat. Outside there were three unmarked police cars plus a van which seems an awful lot and suggests something very serious is afoot.

Edit: I saw him sitting outside an hour later but didn't get chance to talk to him.

 

[Gramsci]

Never really given much credence to this "newly arrived" concept, because this argument has been going on for years and it's the same group of people complaining about the same other group of people; some of whom have been in Brixton for 20 years. When do they stop being called "newly arrived"? This argument is mirrored in shops; we have right sort of shop which we call "established" and then the wrong kind of shop which attracts any combination of the following: newly arrived, incomer, monied, trust funded etc. Any actual insight on the organisation's financial circumstances are welcomed but seemingly not necessarily a prerequisite for making these judgements. Much like our briefcase carrying gentlemen in the picture; who knows if they are privileged, professionals or newly arrived. I don't. As an aside, I saw a homeless guy in bowler hat recently; despite the headgear, I'm fairly sure he wasn't a toff.

Leaving the Ed out of this I find its often the Afro Carribbean resident complaining the new demographic. Specifically about the new monied white demographic. Who they feel are ultimately going to replace them in the Brixton area.

The Afro Carribbean community here being mainly black working class.