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I was stood in a bar the other night and thinking “I wonder who these people are, how they live, where they’ve come from, where they’re going…”. I thought it would be interesting to see a census for a particular area on one busy night. Or just one place. Never gonna happen but it would be interesting.
 
I do remember a great time around 2013/4 when Brixton was probably going through a gentrifying phase but it was being lead by those who had been living there for many years previous and where passionate about wanting better things for everyone who lives here. Having young children probably helped ,cause most folks wanted and was willing to fight for all the good things. Library's, The Arches and the market on Station Road which was really taking off due to the investment that was available and the folks that where so very passionate about making it happen. The work of the Brixton pound and all of their encouragement on artists/ makers/ creatives made a huge impact. It was defiantly a time when everything felt very positive and central Brixton was buzzing.
 
story said:
I was stood in a bar the other night and thinking “I wonder who these people are, how they live, where they’ve come from, where they’re going…”. I thought it would be interesting to see a census for a particular area on one busy night. Or just one place. Never gonna happen but it would be interesting.
Click to expand...
I used to think exactly the same thing. Sounds like it's not far off being possible. I read an article a couple of weeks ago and some techies did a demo with the next Google glasses to demonstrate security issues. In real time they did background searches on people they were walking past in the street and then used that information to start conversations with them and pretend to be old friends "Hey - didn't you go to XX school. I was in the year below you. How's your Dad - Barry isn't it? Congratulations on the promotion ..." etc...
 
madolesance said:
I do remember a great time around 2013/4 when Brixton was probably going through a gentrifying phase but it was being lead by those who had been living there for many years previous and where passionate about wanting better things for everyone who lives here. Having young children probably helped ,cause most folks wanted and was willing to fight for all the good things. Library's, The Arches and the market on Station Road which was really taking off due to the investment that was available and the folks that where so very passionate about making it happen. The work of the Brixton pound and all of their encouragement on artists/ makers/ creatives made a huge impact. It was defiantly a time when everything felt very positive and central Brixton was buzzing.
Click to expand...
I agree that was a really positive time. I still have not got my head around the Brixton Pound - does it still exist? I had all mine stuck with a magnet to a pin board and they seem to have disappeared ...
 
Rushy said:
I agree that was a really positive time. I still have not got my head around the Brixton Pound - does it still exist? I had all mine stuck with a magnet to a pin board and they seem to have disappeared ...
Click to expand...
There was the Brixton pound and Space Makers trying to inject life, creativity, and entrepreneurialism into Granville Arcade. And the idea that Brixton could become a 'Transition Town'. Oh and the 'Brixton Green' folks who where basically property developers who tried to con the folks of Brixton that by buying some 2 bit shares for pennies then you would have a say in their money making enterprise. 'Brixton Green'! What a bunch of........chancers!
 
madolesance said:
There was the Brixton pound and Space Makers trying to inject life, creativity, and entrepreneurialism into Granville Arcade. And the idea that Brixton could become a 'Transition Town'. Oh and the 'Brixton Green' folks who where basically property developers who tried to con the folks of Brixton that by buying some 2 bit shares for pennies then you would have a say in their money making enterprise. 'Brixton Green'! What a bunch of........chancers!
Click to expand...
Spacemakers got a lot of flack at the time too, as I recall.
 
editor said:
They got a lot of flack after they left too.
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'Spacermakers' as I recall encouraged people to buy into the community by becoming involved, where as 'Brixton Green' encouraged people to buy the community for 1£ a share. Apparently that share would give the holder a voice about how Somerleyton Rd got developed.
 
madolesance said:
'Spacermakers' as I recall encouraged people to buy into the community by becoming involved, where as 'Brixton Green' encouraged people to buy the community for 1£ a share. Apparently that share would give the holder a voice about how Somerleyton Rd got developed.
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Brixton Green were just a bunch of uber capitalist developers chancing their arm by applying liberal doses of communitywash.

Many locals felt that Spacemakers were a kickstarter for gentrification, and I don't think many people can argue that the regeneration of the Village wasn't one of the main factors driving Brixton's gentrification.

There's been a fair bit of discussion and criticism about them on this forum.
 
editor said:
Brixton Green were just a bunch of uber capitalist developers chancing their arm by applying liberal doses of communitywash.

Many locals felt that Spacemakers were a kickstarter for gentrification, and I don't think many people can argue that the regeneration of the Village wasn't one of the main factors driving Brixton's gentrification.

There's been a fair bit of discussion and criticism about them on this forum.
Click to expand...
My favourite Spacemaker/ kickstarter was the Afghan family who applied for a unit in Brixton Village. They got accepted and started selling soup and salads. Spacemakers supported them with business plans. They left after the initial 3 free months. Hopefully they went on to somewhere else and where able to use all the advice and business skills that they got from the Brixton start-up to thrive else where.
 
story said:
I was stood in a bar the other night and thinking “I wonder who these people are, how they live, where they’ve come from, where they’re going…”. I thought it would be interesting to see a census for a particular area on one busy night. Or just one place. Never gonna happen but it would be interesting.
Click to expand...

Presumably a lot of this could be done via people's cell phone data, whether they use Google maps or not. So somewhere there is a dataset that shows how long and where, roughly someone is. Even if it isn't linked to identity and demographic data.

Isn't this sort of how Google ad sales work?
 
The Swan's been on that site for hundreds of years. Used to go there when it was one of the few places staying open after hours (possibly due to the loophole of serving a portion of chips). Only place I've had my coat nicked.
boroughphotos.org

THE SWAN PUBLIC HOUSE, CLAPHAM ROAD, STOCKWELL - Landmark

The old Swan Inn, Stockwell, at the junction of the Clapham Road with the Stockwell Road. First recorded in deeds of 1781 (although probably earlier), the Swan has been rebuilt several times, most recently in the 1930s.Watercolour by unknown artist, c.1780.Ref: SP15/608/SWA.3
boroughphotos.org boroughphotos.org
 
Outside Brixton Prison now (15:15)

No idea what's going on here. I asked a couple of people but they were just looking, like me.


Irish tricolour and Palestine flags.

Protests need some kind of placard so passers by can know wha'gwan.

IMG20241027151350.jpg
 
You can't really see but in addition to these two people taking snaps, the bloke behind them in the blue jeans and hat is a photographerIMG_20241027_154455.jpg
 
Are you sure?
His death day is Oct 25.
And apart from people generally showing support for Palestine, is there a specific connection with Palestine?
 
I mean, I’m not saying you’re wrong. But you don’t give any information so I’m kinda stuck here trying to fill in gaps.


I know he died in Brixton Prison following a hunger strike. I know there’s a blue plaque on the wall there.


And I know about the long standing solidarity between the Black community and the Irish Republicans.
 
Okay. I’ve now found this report, which was posted an hour ago.

brixtonblog.com

Brixton prison hunger striker remembered

MP John McDonnell addressed the event outside Brixton prison The annual commemoration of an Irish patriot who died in Brixton prison after a hunger strike heard today (27 October) how hundreds of Black people chanted “Victory to the IRA” outside the prison in 1981. Many people arrested during
brixtonblog.com brixtonblog.com
 
madolesance said:
I do remember a great time around 2013/4 when Brixton was ..[snip]....It was defiantly a time when everything felt very positive and central Brixton was buzzing.
Click to expand...

I feel fairly confident that taking a look at Brixton threads on here, around that time, would not reveal an impression of great positivity at all. Instead I feel that around then was when it felt like peak friction around the changes. Of course, what's going on on u75 doesn't necessarily reflect most of the "real world" but I'm kind of surprised by the idea that there was a perception of lots of good things happening at that time.
 
BusLanes said:
Presumably a lot of this could be done via people's cell phone data, whether they use Google maps or not. So somewhere there is a dataset that shows how long and where, roughly someone is. Even if it isn't linked to identity and demographic data.

Isn't this sort of how Google ad sales work?
Click to expand...
Brixton Bid used to provide this data based on phones and card transactions so u could see footfall etc. They stopped as businesses weren't using the service but I think it informed the numbers they used in the campaign/licensing representation in favour of reopening the Academy.
 
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