The South end

Brixton Market

Brixton market is undoubtedly one of the hidden gems of South London. The market covers a wide area behind the tube station, with open market stalls and shops down Electric Avenue (the first street in London to have electric lights), Atlantic Road and Pope’s Avenue, where you can buy a wide range of goods, from food to clothing to household goods. The Portuguese deli on the corner of Atlantic Road, is a definite must see, selling a full range of Portuguese and English produce, and some of the tastiest tomatoes in London.

The covered markets, are a true delight, with fantastic fish stalls, with fish so fresh they occasionally try and jump out of barrels, and one of the best, friendliest and cheapest pizzerias in London, Franco Manca on Market Row. If you only fancy a coffee, then one of the best deals can be found at Take Two on the edge of the covered market near the exit onto Cold Harbour Lane.

Shopping in the market, is generally cheaper, and definitely more enjoyable than struggling through a supermarket, as it is incredibly lively, with good music provided by the record shops throughout, which occasionally results in some impromptu dance offs. If you want to discover the market on a particularly lively day then there are events, street festivals and parties organised by The Friends of Brixton Market, where there can be anything from bands playing to arts events happening around you.

The Council have currently been working with a range of organisations, including the Empty Shops Network, to open up some of the closed stands in the covered market to new businesses and arts groups, offering them the spaces at reduced rates for three months, so expect the covered markets to get even more lively soon.

Green Vision

The Enigin blog is forever changing but, unlike most companies who use this aesthetic novelty to distract you from what’s really going on—i.e. to divert your brain from realising the company is trying to siphon money from you while you smile and marvel—you get the feeling that Enigin do it because they actually care about the world we live in.

The following post is a perfect example of what Enigin PLC are all about:

I have to admit, I wasn’t blown away by this post to begin with—the subject matter seemed a little too on-the-ball to be honest and the device spoken of somehow too good to be true. But as I read on (and scanned about the blog for other similar things) I discovered something: this wouldn’t be the first time that the company have pushed the energy-saving angle, and with success. It turns out that Enigin have been doing it for quite some time; not only are they experts in bringing you energy-saving information and advice, they really do have the history and expertise to make it more than just unlikely futurism.

What I also found intriguing was the way Enigin talk about their products; with a blog such as this at his disposal, any businessman could easily use it as razor-sharp advertising tool--yet this company choose not to, instead favouring easy-to-get language which doesn’t feel pushy at all. The result is that the reader actually enjoys visiting the Enigin blog. That’s something you can’t buy with any amount of persuasive marketing.

Brixton

Ah, Brixton. I wander down Atlantic Road, home to one of the entrances to Brixton Market where you can buy anything from yams to rizla papers and a dazzling array of African fabrics. All human life is here and it’s worth a trip for the street theatre alone. Usually there’s a backdrop of sirens, not all of them police, many of them ambulances on their way to Kings College Hospital. This is the front-line, home to the start of the Brixton riots over twenty years ago, a legacy that still hangs heavy despite the recent attempts at gentrifying the area.

I hang a left, past the Dogstar, onto Cold Harbour Lane. A train rattles on the bridge overhead. Take some time to visit the second hand bookshop, possibly the best one in the world with something for everyone at decent prices. This is also known locally as the Brixton Catwalk. Visit on a Friday or Saturday night when the hairdressers and nailbars are like a club night in themselves as people get dressed up to get down.

Up to the High Road with its manic street preachers, telling me through a mega-phone that I’m doomed unless I let God into my life. Is this a mental illness, I wonder? Standing on a corner shouting out your belief?

To my left is the Ritzy cinema, showing great films, with fantastic live entertainment on a rolling programme. You could have a night out here and not see a film but you would still have a great time.

Swerving the usual high street shops, a little way up is Brixton Academy quite possibly the best venue in the world. Big enough to get the big names in, small enough to have a great view. (And from what I hear they are really into energy savings, for more info check out this enigin PLC site).

The bars are too numerous to mention, as are the places to eat. What nationality do you want to experience today? Bamboula serves fantastic African food, Fujiama is the place if you want Japanese (so much better than Wagamama).

There is never a shortage of things to do here from having a coffee to having a big night out and there is nowhere like it on earth.