Brixton news, rumours and general chat

[Gramsci]

By some opinions I noticed, nothing should ever change, everything should stay the same in Brixton. The ship has sailed tho. Life goes on, areas change and in those changes not all business owners are “bad guys” or people packed with money or a big corp. Owners of this particular salon are two modest individuals who are making ends meet & working very hard. Their shop deserves a chance without the banter around gentrification or scuffing, when nobody actually walked into the place or know the shop been here for a while already in Brixton Mall. The commentary on page 35 just rubbed me the wrong way because it feels that this forum is just about talking rubbish about anything new that opens or anything that “changes” some nostalgic idea of the area. It’s not healthy.

The actual comment was "Fully gentrified prices" back in post 1038

Another poster commented as this had been the Brixton Pound shop coldwaterswim

One of the few placs left locals who can't afford these prices could go.

"The ship has sailed" - this says it all of what you think.

Ive spent a lot of time trying to oppose the "ship sailing on" in one way or another.

Losing the Brixton Pound cafe was another small step in the further gentrification of Brixton.

 

[editor]

There’s a substantial vocal minority that hates change

Really. Who are they then?

 

[editor]

By some opinions I noticed, nothing should ever change, everything should stay the same in Brixton. The ship has sailed tho. Life goes on, areas change and in those changes not all business owners are “bad guys” or people packed with money or a big corp. Owners of this particular salon are two modest individuals who are making ends meet & working very hard. Their shop deserves a chance without the banter around gentrification or scuffing, when nobody actually walked into the place or know the shop been here for a while already in Brixton Mall. The commentary on page 35 just rubbed me the wrong way because it feels that this forum is just about talking rubbish about anything new that opens or anything that “changes” some nostalgic idea of the area. It’s not healthy.

It's not the new owner's fault at all, but having a community 'pay what you can afford' cafe replaced by an upmarket 'chic salon' is the very essence of gentrification. Again, it's not the fault of the salon - who I wish all the very best to (not that I'll ever use it) - but its existence marks one less place for people on low income to go. That is worthy of comment, no?

 

[xoxojelena]

It's not the new owner's fault at all, but having a community 'pay what you can afford' cafe replaced by an upmarket 'chic salon' is the very essence of gentrification. Again, it's not the fault of the salon - who I wish all the very best to (not that I'll ever use it) - but its existence marks one less place for people on low income to go. That is worthy of comment, no?

Not really as that spot was empty and they filled an empty property, salon didn’t make the previous tenant go - which were the blame was put on in the first comments and why I reacted. The blame is not on the current shop like you now mentionwd, but landlords and lambeth planning overall. People should direct frustration at the right source not small businesses. That’s just my observation as discussions here tend to place a blame on new businesses without even knowing who is in them, like it happened in this case.

And the fact that you call everything upmarket that has a bucket of paint on it and prices that are current with the times gentrified (coz people gotta live and feed themselves) is a signal you don’t know pricing and signals that in this context of “previous lost gems” nobody else should be able to feed themselves from their hard work after that. Their salon is actually on the affordable end of this spectrum, and if you see their rating you will see they have many customers stating that. I visited the salon in Brixton Mall as a customer and hate seeing hard work of the owner be rolled eyes on, with pictures etc when you don’t know even who is the business and what kind of challenges they overcame to have their business.

I didn’t appreciate the initial comments because I think they were deeply toxic and dismissive of people who are trying to just make their business happen as if it’s their fault. Like you said, it’s not - and would have been better if that context led the converation, not the typical banter. The energy put out was not ok.

 

[xoxojelena]

The actual comment was "Fully gentrified prices" back in post 1038

Another poster commented as this had been the Brixton Pound shop coldwaterswim

One of the few placs left locals who can't afford these prices could go.

"The ship has sailed" - this says it all of what you think.

Ive spent a lot of time trying to oppose the "ship sailing on" in one way or another.

Losing the Brixton Pound cafe was another small step in the further gentrification of Brixton.

And that is not the fault of the salon, but what was indicated is that it is by using roll eye emojis in first comments and framing it as a negative addition. Shows the toxicity and misdirected energy in this sub. Not everything is gentrification despite Brixton being gentrified for years now - this energy needs to be directed at Lambeth and goverment, not local small businesses just living their life and making their places look “nice” to be current with the times.

 

[Gramsci]

And that is not the fault of the salon which was indicated by using roll eye emojis in first comments and framing it as a negative addition. Shows the toxicity and misdirected energy in this sub. Not everything is gentrification despite Brixton being gentrified for years now - this energy needs to be directed at Lambeth and goverment, not local small businesses just living their life and making their places look “nice” to be current with the times.

Ive done all the directing energy at Lambeth and government over the years and I have little to show for it. I still am doing it to lesser extent.

Your criticism would be ok if democratic avenues were open to deal with gentrification. They in practise aren't. I know from experience.

So I object to your comment about mis directed energy. Off the boards and on here Ive posted up over the years planning issues , how to object etc for example.

Hondo plans for Popes road being the latest. Opposition to the DJ milionaire plans for it have got a lot of opposition. I have lodged detailed objections. I know they are likely to not make much difference.

When people do try to direct their energy in the right channels they don't get anywhere. So Im not going to criticise people for the emojis they use in that case.

Also you appear to be saying "the ship moves on" and now be "current with the times" like this is inevitable process.

Its not.

 

[editor]

Not really as that spot was empty and they filled an empty property, salon didn’t make the previous tenant go - which were the blame was put on in the first comments and why I reacted. The blame is not on the current shop like you now mentionwd, but landlords and lambeth planning overall. People should direct frustration at the right source not small businesses. That’s just my observation as discussions here tend to place a blame on new businesses without even knowing who is in them, like it happened in this case.

And the fact that you call everything upmarket that has a bucket of paint on it and prices that are current with the times gentrified (coz people gotta live and feed themselves) is a signal you don’t know pricing and signals that in this context of “previous lost gems” nobody else should be able to feed themselves from their hard work after that. Their salon is actually on the affordable end of this spectrum, and if you see their rating you will see they have many customers stating that. I visited the salon in Brixton Mall as a customer and hate seeing hard work of the owner be rolled eyes on, with pictures etc when you don’t know even who is the business and what kind of challenges they overcame to have their business.

I didn’t appreciate the initial comments because I think they were deeply toxic and dismissive of people who are trying to just make their business happen as if it’s their fault. Like you said, it’s not - and would have been better if that context led the converation, not the typical banter. The energy put out was not ok.

People are very much at liberty to post up whether they are happy or unhappy with changes happening in their area, and they're equally free to complain about the process of gentrification removing affordable community options in their neighbourhood. You're beginning to sound like you want that discussion censored or discouraged.

 

[xoxojelena]

People are very much at liberty to post up whether they are happy or unhappy with changes happening in their area, and they're equally free to complain about the process of gentrification removing affordable community options in their neighbourhood. You're beginning to sound like you want that discussion censored or discouraged.

Posting works in both direction and I have the right to highlight the wrong info on this forum to urge posters to re-examine where their frustration should be directed to, and that sometimes they are not correct in their “eye rolling”, like in this case of a local business.

And please with all due respect, don’t try to frame my posts as asking for cenzorship. You are on purpose trying to add that context to paint me as an enemy here to allow others to attack. Not a cool move and I see what you are doing. It is toxic.

 

[xoxojelena]

Ive done all the directing energy at Lambeth and government over the years and I have little to show for it. I still am doing it to lesser extent.

Your criticism would be ok if democratic avenues were open to deal with gentrification. They in practise aren't. I know from experience.

So I object to your comment about mis directed energy. Off the boards and on here Ive posted up over the years planning issues , how to object etc for example.

Hondo plans for Popes road being the latest. Opposition to the DJ milionaire plans for it have got a lot of opposition. I have lodged detailed objections. I know they are likely to not make much difference.

When people due try to direct their energy in the right channels they don't get anywhere. So Im not going to criticise people for the emojis they use in that case.

Also you appear to be saying "the ship moves on" and now be "current with the times" like this is inevitable process.

Its not.

It is an invetiable process. And Hondo has nothing to do with a local hair dresser who is local and should’t get eyerolls simply for existing. You do you, but you guys are in the wrong here with this one.

 

[editor]

Posting works in both direction and I have the right to highlight the wrong info on this forum to urge posters to re-examine where their frustration should be directed to, and that sometimes they are not correct in their “eye rolling”, like in this case of a local business.

Again, you are free to post up your support and love for a local business, just as people are free to express any less-than-enthusiastic responses or criticisms they may have about the changes happening in their neighbourhoods. That doesn't mean they are 'against' the business in question. I've already clearly stated I wish them well.

And please with all due respect, don’t try to frame my posts as asking for cenzorship. You are on purpose trying to add that context to paint me as an enemy here to allow others to attack. Not a cool move and I see what you are doing. It is toxic.

That's one hell of a strawman you've just built there and it's really a bit silly. You've been free to criticise and attack posters here, and seem to have got ridiculously worked up over an 'eyeroll' emoji.

 

[xoxojelena]

Again, you are free to post up your support and love for a local business, just as people are free to express any less-than-enthusiastic responses or criticisms they may have about the changes happening in their neighbourhoods.

That's one hell of a strawman you've just built there and it's really a bit silly. You've been free to criticise and attack posters here, and seem to have got ridiculously worked up over an 'eyeroll' emoji.

No it is not silly. Don’t gaslight.
I am worked up because this forum is often a pool of negativity around businesses and while some efforts are directed at the right places, with this one you missed the mark by a mile and can cause additional damage to a person who is just trying to do their job, after months of lockdown, where they had no income streams while still paying rent, a local person, a local business.

 

[editor]

No it is not silly. Don’t gaslight.
I am worked up because this forum is often a pool of negativity around businesses and while some efforts are directed at the right places, with this one you missed the mark by a mile and can cause additional damage to a person who is just trying to do their job, after months of lockdown, where they had no income streams while still paying rent, a local person, a local business.

Exactly what do you think I've said that is so terribly damaging to this business?

 

[Gramsci]

It is an invetiable process. And Hondo has nothing to do with a local hair dresser who is local and should’t get eyerolls simply for existing. You do you, but you guys are in the wrong here with this one.

This shows where you are coming from. 'its an inevitable process".

Its you doing the "gaslighting" .

Despite me explaining in reasonable terms what I have done over the years.

 

[xoxojelena]

This shows where you are coming from. 'its an inevitable process".

Its you doing the "gaslighting" .

Despite me explaining in reasonable terms what I have done over the years.

What do you have to do anything with the story now? We are not here discussing your efforts, while valid, they can’t stop “time”, something that will crush us all. That is my opinion. Places change, and in those changes not all businesses are bad, that is also my opinion.

 

[Gramsci]

What do you have to do anything with the story now? We are not here discussing your efforts, while valid, they can’t stop “time”, something that will crush us all. That is my opinion. Places change, and in those changes not all businesses are bad, that is also my opinion.

So what you are saying is that I should just go away. That is how i read this post.

You criticised the "guys" on this forum for not directing energy at right targets. I posted , as one of those "guys", who is a regular long time poster that this is not accurate.

BTW who is "we"?

 

[xoxojelena]

Exactly what do you think I've said that is so terribly damaging to this business?

The damage is made by setting the tone of the shop as a “gentrifier” on a community forum that has a heavy negative focus on gentrification, when this business in itself is actually not that - pricing wise or anything else. The negative attitude and framing can hurt the business as there is an audience here that reads this forum and can spread that sentiment further based on lack of information about the business itself.

 

[xoxojelena]

So what you are saying is that I should just go away. That is how i read this post.

What are you even on mate?

 

[Gramsci]

What are you even on mate?

Just insults now.

I can't be bothered with any more of your gaslighting today.

 

[xoxojelena]

Just insults now.

I can't be bothered with any more of your gaslighting today.

You edited your comment after I responded to you. To answer to your edited comment: I think the energy is directed at the wrong subject in the case of loss of pound cafe. It should be the landlord or lambeth, not the salon.
I wrote above why.

 

[editor]

The damage is made by setting the tone of the shop as a “gentrifier” on a community forum that has a heavy negative focus on gentrification, when this business in itself is actually not that - pricing wise or anything else. The negative attitude and framing can hurt the business as there is an audience here that reads this forum and can spread that sentiment further based on lack of information about the business itself.

That's is a load of hysterical, hyperbolic nonsense. The 'tone' is not decided by me, but the posters who choose to contribute to the forum and if posters here use the salon and have a very positive experience, they're more than welcome to post here and say so. That's how forums work.

I've already stated - several times - that I wish the business well and a single 'rolleyes' emoji is not going to make the slightest difference to their fortunes. However, I'm not entirely sure they'd appreciate your aggressive and insulting 'defence' of their business here, which seems to be doing more harm than good, IMO.

 

[CH1]

By some opinions I noticed, nothing should ever change, everything should stay the same in Brixton. The ship has sailed tho. Life goes on, areas change and in those changes not all business owners are “bad guys” or people packed with money or a big corp. Owners of this particular salon are two modest individuals who are making ends meet & working very hard. Their shop deserves a chance without the banter around gentrification or scuffing, when nobody actually walked into the place or know the shop been here for a while already in Brixton Mall. The commentary on page 35 just rubbed me the wrong way because it feels that this forum is just about talking rubbish about anything new that opens or anything that “changes” some nostalgic idea of the area. It’s not healthy.

All information is subject to interpretation. No opinion is necessarily true.

Regarding this hairdresser at 77 Atlantic Road surely the issue is that a locally loved vegetarian community cafe which provided free meeting space for local groups was forced out by landlord greed - ie jacking up the rent when the lease expired. The property then stood vacant for a short while until a new tenant was signed up who could afford the rent.

It has been deemed in recent years that this is gentrification. In the sixties it was called Rackmanism. Indeed I believe Rackman did rent out properties in Somerleyton Road prior to their demolition.

In the case of your hairdresser what are they or you worried about?
I can remember maybe four or five years ago a big backlash on here about the Internet sandwich bar called Caya in Coldharbour Lane.
In that case the property had been a shop - South London HiFi - a family chain of HiFi/DJ equipment shops - they had another on Brixton Hill. And black owned to boot.
Unfortunately business declined - it appears those who built it up had moved on and the shops were sold off.

The Caya lady could hardly be expected to offer fifteen inch woofers - provided she could be induced out of the pub.
Rather Caya made an effort to engage with passing trade who could support their business model.
They got the same strictures on here about being gentrifying - but it seems, prior to Covid at least - they had managed to build a viable customer base, none of whom had been permanently deterred by the wrtitings on Urban.

Personally I would love it if the Brixton Pound Cafe could have carried on, and indeed if South London HiFi had carried on.
I am not likely to use the hairdressers - I want a barber who is cheap as possible.
Neither am I likely to go into Caya, when I live only a few yards away.

But I don't begrudge Caya its customers, or the new hairdressers for that matter.
But I was a satisfied customer of the Brixton Pound shop for several tears and I regret their closure.

 

[Gramsci]

You edited your comment after I responded to you. To answer to your edited comment: I think the energy is directed at the wrong subject in the case of loss of pound cafe. It should be the landlord or lambeth, not the salon.
I wrote above why.

Not what you said. You went on about this forum in general.

I explained I had been doing that on this forum and off this forum.

 

[xoxojelena]

That's is a load of hysterical, hyperbolic nonsense. The 'tone' is not decided by me, but the posters who choose to contribute to the forum and if posters here use the salon and have a very positive experience, they're more than welcome to post here and say so. That's how forums work.

I've already stated - several times - that I wish the business well and a single 'rolleyes' emoji is not going to make the slightest difference to their fortunes. However, I'm not entirely sure they'd appreciate your aggressive and insulting 'defence' of their business here, which seems to be doing more harm than good, IMO.

I think what is indicative of this forum is that instead of saying “thanks for the added info on this business” after my first fair post about the business, the gentrification talk got doubled down, only to later say it’s not the fault of the business. If you don’t see this dismissal of fair commentary to add context to a wrong info I think it’s fair to say we have nothing else to talk about. I am disappointed by this forum which gave me a lot of joy up until now, but you showed where your “community care” actually ends.

 

[editor]

I think what is indicative of this forum is that instead of saying “thanks for the added info on this business” after my first fair post about the business, the gentrification talk got doubled down, only to later say it’s not the fault of the business. If you don’t see this dismissal of fair commentary to add context to a wrong info I think it’s fair to say we have nothing else to talk about.

Why should I be thanking you personally for a contribution to the forum?

I am disappointed by this forum which gave me a lot of joy up until now, but you showed where your “community care” actually ends.

Yeah I do nothing for the area. Nothing at all.

 

[xoxojelena]

All information is subject to interpretation. No opinion is necessarily true.

Regarding this hairdresser at 77 Atlantic Road surely the issue is that a locally loved vegetarian community cafe which provided free meeting space for local groups was forced out by landlord greed - ie jacking up the rent when the lease expired. The property then stood vacant for a short while until a new tenant was signed up who could afford the rent.

It has been deemed in recent years that this is gentrification. In the sixties it was called Rackmanism. Indeed I believe Rackman did rent out properties in Somerleyton Road prior to their demolition.

In the case of your hairdresser what are they or you worried about?
I can remember maybe four or five years ago a big backlash on here about the Internet sandwich bar called Caya in Coldharbour Lane.
In that case the property had been a shop - South London HiFi - a family chain of HiFi/DJ equipment shops - they had another on Brixton Hill. And black owned to boot.
Unfortunately business declined - it appears those who built it up had moved on and the shops were sold off.

The Caya lady could hardly be expected to offer fifteen inch woofers - provided she could be induced out of the pub.
Rather Caya made an effort to engage with passing trade who could support their business model.
They got the same strictures on here about being gentrifying - but it seems, prior to Covid at least - they had managed to build a viable customer base, none of whom had been permanently deterred by the wrtitings on Urban.

Personally I would love it if the Brixton Pound Cafe could have carried on, and indeed if South London HiFi had carried on.
I am not likely to use the hairdressers - I want a barber who is cheap as possible.
Neither am I likely to go into Caya, when I live only a few yards away.

But I don't begrudge Caya its customers, or the new hairdressers for that matter.
But I was a satisfied customer of the Brixton Pound shop for several tears and I regret their closure.

Thank you for this write up. I see your sentiments and agree with many points. I think in this case the business is not a gentrifier, but a business that moved up from one local spot (Brixton Mall - where I attended them) to a new spot. It didn’t come from the outside, from a corporate space or a whole new incomer. I think the first comments on this forum were skewed to paint it as just another “bad thing” in the community. That rubbed me the wrong way since it lacked info of their history.

 

[xoxojelena]

Why should I be thanking you personally for a contribution to the forum?
Yeah I do nothing for the area. Nothing at all.

Why not thank anyone for adding more context or info to a topic that lacks full context? It was done here before for various cases. It’s about the sentiment of the space.

And nobody said that you don’t do anything. But doing doesn’t equal caring for all. In this care I think we could have came early to conclusion that it is not the fault of the business, instead of taking the unecessary back and forth.

 

[Big Bertha]

All information is subject to interpretation. No opinion is necessarily true.

Regarding this hairdresser at 77 Atlantic Road surely the issue is that a locally loved vegetarian community cafe which provided free meeting space for local groups was forced out by landlord greed - ie jacking up the rent when the lease expired. The property then stood vacant for a short while until a new tenant was signed up who could afford the rent.

It has been deemed in recent years that this is gentrification. In the sixties it was called Rackmanism. Indeed I believe Rackman did rent out properties in Somerleyton Road prior to their demolition.

In the case of your hairdresser what are they or you worried about?
I can remember maybe four or five years ago a big backlash on here about the Internet sandwich bar called Caya in Coldharbour Lane.
In that case the property had been a shop - South London HiFi - a family chain of HiFi/DJ equipment shops - they had another on Brixton Hill. And black owned to boot.
Unfortunately business declined - it appears those who built it up had moved on and the shops were sold off.

The Caya lady could hardly be expected to offer fifteen inch woofers - provided she could be induced out of the pub.
Rather Caya made an effort to engage with passing trade who could support their business model.
They got the same strictures on here about being gentrifying - but it seems, prior to Covid at least - they had managed to build a viable customer base, none of whom had been permanently deterred by the wrtitings on Urban.

Personally I would love it if the Brixton Pound Cafe could have carried on, and indeed if South London HiFi had carried on.
I am not likely to use the hairdressers - I want a barber who is cheap as possible.
Neither am I likely to go into Caya, when I live only a few yards away.

But I don't begrudge Caya its customers, or the new hairdressers for that matter.
But I was a satisfied customer of the Brixton Pound shop for several tears and I regret their closure.

You mean Rachman. And as I understand it Rachmanism was the illegal exploitation and intimidation of tenants.


Not waiting for a lease to run out and then getting a market rent for it.

 

[CH1]

You mean Rachman. And as I understand it Rachmanism was the illegal exploitation and intimidation of tenants.
Not waiting for a lease to run out and then getting a market rent for it.

As you understand it.

 

[madolesance]

All information is subject to interpretation. No opinion is necessarily true.

Regarding this hairdresser at 77 Atlantic Road surely the issue is that a locally loved vegetarian community cafe which provided free meeting space for local groups was forced out by landlord greed - ie jacking up the rent when the lease expired. The property then stood vacant for a short while until a new tenant was signed up who could afford the rent.

It has been deemed in recent years that this is gentrification. In the sixties it was called Rackmanism. Indeed I believe Rackman did rent out properties in Somerleyton Road prior to their demolition.

In the case of your hairdresser what are they or you worried about?
I can remember maybe four or five years ago a big backlash on here about the Internet sandwich bar called Caya in Coldharbour Lane.
In that case the property had been a shop - South London HiFi - a family chain of HiFi/DJ equipment shops - they had another on Brixton Hill. And black owned to boot.
Unfortunately business declined - it appears those who built it up had moved on and the shops were sold off.

The Caya lady could hardly be expected to offer fifteen inch woofers - provided she could be induced out of the pub.
Rather Caya made an effort to engage with passing trade who could support their business model.
They got the same strictures on here about being gentrifying - but it seems, prior to Covid at least - they had managed to build a viable customer base, none of whom had been permanently deterred by the wrtitings on Urban.

Personally I would love it if the Brixton Pound Cafe could have carried on, and indeed if South London HiFi had carried on.
I am not likely to use the hairdressers - I want a barber who is cheap as possible.
Neither am I likely to go into Caya, when I live only a few yards away.

But I don't begrudge Caya its customers, or the new hairdressers for that matter.
But I was a satisfied customer of the Brixton Pound shop for several tears and I regret their closure.

Doesn’t the Brixton Pound cafe now operate in properly in Loughborough Junction?

 

[editor]

Doesn’t the Brixton Pound cafe now operate in properly in Loughborough Junction?

Just two days a week for a few hours. Their Atlantic Road cafe is much missed.

Brixton Pound cafe moves to The Platform at Loughborough Junction

After they were forced to leave their home in Atlantic Road, the Brixton Pound cafe are back in action at The Junction, in Loughborough Junction.

www.brixtonbuzz.com