'Brixton' is an area of
South London,
England, part of the
London Borough of Lambeth. It is bordered by
Stockwell,
Clapham Common,
Streatham,
Camberwell,
Tulse Hill and
Herne Hill.
History
Brixton appears in
Domesday Book as ''Brixiestan''. Brixton was a
hundred (these are not marked on the
Surrey map, which shows only Domesday
manors) , an administrative area, where local leaders met about once a month. Brixistan meant 'at the stone of Brihtsige'.
[1]
Brixton remained mostly waste land until the beginning of the 19th century, the main settlements being near
Stockwell,
Brixton Hill and
Coldharbour Lane. With the opening of
Vauxhall Bridge in 1816, improved access to Central
London led to a process of suburban development. The largest single development, and one of the last in suburban character, was
Angell Town, laid out in the 1850s on the east side of
Brixton Road, and so named after a family which owned land in
Lambeth from the late 17th century until well into the 20th. It was part of
Surrey until the creation of the
County of London in 1889.
Brixton today
Brixton is an inner London suburb 3.3 miles (5.3 km) south of
Charing Cross and is the unofficial capital of the
Jamaican,
British African and
Caribbean community of London. Windrush Square between Lambeth Town Hall and the Tate Library was created to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of the modern
Afro-Caribbean community on the
Empire Windrush.
Modern day Brixton is home to six big housing estates: Myatts Field off Vassall Road; Angell Town off Brixton Road on the boundary with Camberwell; Loughborough in the centre of Brixton; Moorlands Estate, situated off Coldharbour Lane; St Matthew's, located in the fork between Brixton Hill and Effra Road; Tulse Hill a little further South of St. Matthews.
People come from miles around to shop in the busy Brixton market, which features Halal meats and fresh West-Indian vegetables and fruits. Brixton's "connectivity" has made it an attraction for middle-class families and 'City' commuters alike. Brixton's central location, good transport links (i.e. the Victoria Line and multiple bus and rail connections), and attractive Victorian houses have been contributing factors in the gentrification of the area. However, despite the influx of "City" and "Media" commuters, the gentrification is partial, and Brixton remains a diverse community; a mixture of different classes, cultures, and fruits (e.g. apple to mango).
Brixton is the heart of one of the most deprived boroughs in the U.K.(Lambeth) along with other areas of London such as Hackney and Southwark (to which Peckham belongs). Brixton is host to one of Europe's great social experiments, the Loughborough Estate (home to more than 3000 families). The Estate is a mixture of 1940s low-rise buildings and 1960's-70's tower blocks and houses. The West Indian, British, Latin American and African population of the Estate makes for an enriching daily existence.
 Lambeth Town Hall |
 Tate Library with statue of Henry Tate in front |
|
|
 The Fridge |
 The Ritzy |
Entertainment
There is a significant
clubbing and live music scene. Large venues include the Carling Brixton Academy (changed from
Brixton Academy in 2004),
The Fridge and
Mass. A range of smaller venues such as
The Prince Albert,
the Windmill, The Dogstar,
Jamm,
The Telegraph,
Plan B,
the 414,
the Effra Tavern, and
the Grosvenor are a major part of London's live music scene, drawing performers with international reputations.
Brixton riots
Brixton was the scene of disorder in
April 1981 and
September 1985. The context for the 1981 uprising was the "stop-and-search" policies under the notorious '
sus law'. Following the 1981 uprising, the Government appointed
Lord Scarman to report
[1]. The 1985 uprising followed a police shooting of a black woman. Although the Brixton area subsequently saw pioneering
community policing initiatives, the continued death of young black men in police custody (and in one case the death of a man holding a gun-shaped cigarette lighter) coupled with general distrust of the police led to smaller scale protests through the 1990s (see
Brixton riot (1995))
Brixton in song
References to Brixton in song started with the release of 'Whoppi King' by Laurel Aitken in 1968 and 'Brixton Cat' by Dice the Boss in 1969. This was followed in August 1975 by a song written and sung by Geraint Hughes and Jeff Calvert (who billed themselves as "Typically Tropical"): two white men who told the story of a Brixton bus-driver "going' to Barbados" with Coconut Airways to escape the rain in London.
There was also a song titled " Rumble in Brixton " written by "Brian Setzer" and fellow "Stray Cats" band member "Slim Jim Phantom". The song was written by the two with the inspiration from a news paper aticle about a riot between the Skin heads and the Rockabillys. It is a wonderful song and gives a good idea of life in Brixton in the 1980's
The 1979 song "
The Guns of Brixton" by
The Clash deals with law enforcement violence in Brixton. Written by
Paul Simonon, who grew up in Brixton, it had a reggae influence and showed the reggae roots of both Brixton and Paul Simonon's musical background.
Before a 'Jamm' gig, well-known punk band
The Misfits were involved in a fight and thrown into Brixton Prison, which led them to write their famous song 'London Dungeon'.
Ian Hunter's 1981 album 'Short Back 'n' Sides' contains a track called 'Theatre of the Absurd' which refers to the Brixton law enforcement problem. "Play me some, play me some, play me Brixton power," is the chorus line, and the issue of race is opened with the first lines, "My tea turns seven shades darker as I sit and write these words. And London's gettin' paler, in my Theatre of the Absurd." The production of the record was overseen by
Mick Jones of
the Clash.
Eddy Grant's 1982 album 'Killer on the Rampage' contains the smash "
Electric Avenue", a reference to a shopping street in central Brixton, one of the first in the UK to have electric street lighting installed (when Brixton's character was very different). The song evokes images of poverty, violence and misery while also celebrating the vibe of the area.
The song "
Waiting for the Worms" from
Pink Floyd's "
The Wall" has a rally leader speaking into a megaphone to a racist rally mob, which acts as some of the lyrics to separate verses of the song. The very first lyrics heard from the megaphone are, "We have been ordered to convene outside Brixton town hall..." The album was released in 1979, two years before the start of the
riots of 1981.
In 1999 the U.S. Bombs album "The World" was released with the song entitled "Joe's Tune", which referenced Brixton and the plight of the poor.
The town also featured in the underground UK grime smash 'Southside' By Various Artists and in the song "Has It Come To This?" by UK rapper
The Streets.
Amy Winehouse references Brixton in the song "Me and Mr. Jones" off her 2006 album ''Back to Black''. The song is about a tumultuous relationship with a man that is nevertheless indestructible: "Rulers one thing, / But come Brixton / Nobody stand in between me and my man / Cuz it's me and Mr. Jones (me and Mr. Jones."
Brixton in film
Director
Richard Parry shot a film here (released in 2001) called ''
South West Nine'' (SW9), referring to the postcode covering much of central Brixton. Confusingly, this postcode is officially that of
Stockwell - although the northern part of Brixton falls within the boundary - whereas
SW2 (the Brixton Hill sorting office) also covers
Tulse Hill A204 Road,
Streatham Hill and
Brixton Hill.
'Reg Llama of Brixton' was mentioned in the (farcical) opening credits of the seminal 1975 comedy film
Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Brixton was also mentioned in the film "V for Vendetta" as being the location where the first riots against Chancellor
Adam Sutler's authoritarian British government broke out, which resulted in Sutler calling out the army to try and stop growing public support for "V".
The film ''
Johnny Was'', with the exception of a number of flashback sequences, is set entirely in Brixton.
Ross Kemp filmed in Brixton on two occasions for his programme "Ross Kemp on Gangs"
The Prince and the Showgirl
In the 1957 film '
The Prince and the Showgirl' starring
Laurence Olivier and
Marilyn Monroe, Olivier's character ( Charles, the
Prince Regent ) asks Elsie Marina (played by Monroe) where she lives, to which Monroe replies "Brixton Water Lane".
Nelson Mandela
Brixton's symbolic role as the "soul of Black Britain" led to a 1996 visit by
Nelson Mandela. This included a brief visit to Mandela Street, part of a modern housing development constructed in the mid 80s and named after the former South African president. Mr. Mandela also visited the Brixton Recreation Centre during his visit.
Brixton bombing
On
17 April 1999 neo-nazi bomber
David Copeland planted a nail
bomb in
Electric Avenue, which exploded on market day by the Iceland
supermarket at the junction with Brixton High Street. Around 50 people were injured, including a toddler, who had a nail driven through his skull. Copeland was sentenced to six life sentences in June 2000 after also bombing
Brick Lane, the heart of East London's
Bangladeshi community, and a gay pub in
Soho.
Brixton Gun Crime and Street Gangs
Brixton is notorious for its gun crime, which is linked largely to local gangs and its growing crack problem. A number of shootings were reported in Brixton last year, including the shooting of two teenagers in the local McDonalds, in front of many innocent bystanders. The main shooting hotspots are found around Coldharbour Lane, with Angell Town, Loughborough Junction, Tulse Hill and Myatts Fields being among the worst affected. The Metropolitan Police's "Operation Trident" has made some attempt to decrease the amount of gun crime in the area, with armed police and riot van response units now patrolling areas of Brixton, after a number of fatal shootings occurred in South London over the recent months. Lambeth holds the highest percentage of homicides and gun enabled crime in London, which is largely focused around Brixton, with 15 deaths and 239 shootings in 2006 alone. The last few years has seen problems escalating amongst some youths from Brixton and nearby Peckham in the adjacent borough. This is the result of a long-lasting feud between the two areas (the predominating reason behind the various shootings and murders in Brixton and Peckham). Many Gang members in PDC [1](Poverty Driven Children) and The Muslim Boys are located in the Brixton area as well as various other gangs including some members from the Stockwell crew. [2] Brixton is home to many of the main operating gangs in the UK all of which have particular hotspots in which they inhabit and also carry social status symbols such as specific-colored bandanas to express their allegiance to their gang. PDC (Poverty Driven Children) is said to be the largest gang in the UK and is based in and around the Angell Town area of Brixton, and also in some of the estates in Stockwell. PDC have many sub-gangs inside it which all work under "PDC" but carry different names such as the gang Roadside g's who are mainly responsible for the high level of drive-by shootings in and around Brixton, and Pif-Pif who are also another sub-group of PDC. They are all seen to wear purple bandanas. Bloodset & Cripset are two other large gangs operating mainly in the centre of Brixton. Cripset is in collaboration with a smaller, local gang called MZ (Murder Zone). These gangs are seen to wear red/blue bandanas based on the bloods and crips of America. OTray is a gang that inhabits the areas connecting Loughborough Estate to Angell Town,they are also linked to a stockwell gang called "g-street" who wear red bandanas and inhabit the Lansdowne way, gaskwel street and Wandsworth road area. O.C. (Organised Criminals) are a gang that often works in collaboration with PDC, operating in the Myatts field estate of Brixton and also in some of the estate blocks in Kennington, a neighbouring area. They are infamous in South London for their apparent "uncaring" attitude. They are seen to sport green bandanas. L.S. (Loughborough Soldiers) are a large gang that inhabit the whole of the Loughborough estates and Coldharbour Lane next to Loughborough Junction railway station. This gang is seen to wear brown bandanas. A.L.C. (Acre Lane Campaign), as the name suggests, is based in Acre Lane in Brixton and is another gang that seems to have a strong allegiance to Cripset also known as Acre Lane Crips and A Lifetime Commitment.
Brixton market
One of the covered arcades
The heart of Brixton is the
Market, open every day selling produce from all over the world. The song "
Electric Avenue", written and sung by
Eddy Grant in 1982, refers to part of the market so named because it was the first streets in Britain to be lit with electric lamps, in 1888 (Brixton itself is mentioned in the lyrics at the very end of the song). The market sells a huge range of Afro-Caribbean products as well as reflecting the many other communities in the local area with Indian and Vietnamese supermarkets and South American butchers amongst the shops and stalls.
Brixton is also home to a 1970s purpose built
skatepark, named
Stockwell Skatepark.
Brixton also has a
windmill built in 1816, and surrounded by houses built soon after, as London expanded. The Windmill pub (see above) is named after it.
Transport
Roads
Brixton sits on several main roads. The
A23 London to
Brighton road runs North-South through the area. There is also the
A203 which links to
Vauxhall Bridge along with the
A204 and
A2217. Brixton was due to be a major interchange of the
South Cross Route, part of the
London Ringways plan, which was cancelled in the 1970s.
Rail and Underground
Trains operate from
Brixton railway station between
London Victoria and
Kent.
Brixton tube station is the southern terminus of the
Victoria line of the
London Underground, which has trains operating to
Central London.
Buses
Brixton is a main meeting point for many
London buses routes:
2,
3,
35,
37,
45,
59,
109,
118,
133,
159,
196,
250,
322,
333,
345,
355,
432,
P4 and
P5.
Trams
Transport for London has proposed building the
Cross River Tram from
Camden Town to Brixton via central London.
Famous people from Brixton
Three people who have lived in Brixton have
blue plaques marking their former homes:
★
Vincent van Gogh lived in a boarding house in Hackford Road, Brixton, London
[2]
★
Havelock Ellis pioneer sexologist lived at Dover Mansions on Canterbury Crescent
[3]
★
CLR James the writer and black political activist lived in Railton Road.
[4]
Other notable people with Brixton connections include:
★ Current London Mayor
Ken Livingstone grew up and lived for many years in Brixton
★ Former British Prime Minister
Harold Macmillan was born in Brixton.
★ Former British Prime Minister
John Major spent part of his childhood in a two-room flat off Coldharbour Lane, and started his political career as a Lambeth Councillor while still living in the area.
★
Freddie Davies the comedian and actor was born in Brixton in 1937.
★
David Bowie was born in Stansfield Road, Brixton.
★
Danny Williams, heavyweight boxer, was born in Brixton
★
Paul Simonon the bass player for
The Clash is from Brixton.
★
Mick Jones the guitar player for
The Clash is from Brixton.
★
Drum and bass producer
Dillinja is from Brixton.
★ The band
Alabama 3 (A3 in the USA) who recorded the theme tune to
The Sopranos were formed in Brixton and hang out here.
★
Linton Kwesi Johnson is a long time Brixton resident
★
House music duo
Basement Jaxx formed in Brixton.
★
Fruitbat of power-pop punk band
Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine is a life-long Brixton resident.
★
Sharon Osbourne, wife of Ozzy Osbourne, was born in Brixton.
★ Mike Skinner of the band "
The Streets" moved to Brixton c.
2000 to pursue his recording career. Some of his songs deal with living in Brixton.
★
Skin, former singer of the band
Skunk Anansie, grew up in Brixton
★
Stereo MC's, acid jazz/club dance group, was formed and is still based in Brixton
★ Cult novelist
Martin Millar lived here, and most of his novels are set in and around Brixton.
★ Environmentalist
James Lovelock, famous for proposing the
Gaia hypothesis, was born and spent his childhood in Brixton.
[5]
★
Frank Reginald Carey,
Second World War Fighter Ace was born in Brixton.
★ Arctic and Antarctic explorer Dr Mike Stroud used to live on Concanon Road in Brixton.
★
Iwan Thomas Actor
Mythology
★ Sir
Walter Raleigh is said to have had a house in Brixton and been visited there by
Queen Elizabeth I, who traveled by barge up the (now underground) Effra River to meet him. However, the name of Raleigh Hall appears to have no links to Sir Walter, and the Effra is not known to have been navigable south of Kennington.
★ A brief mention of Brixton is made in the
Sherlock Holmes adventure
The Adventure of the Three Garridebs (1924).
See also
★
Urban75 - an independent UK e-zine based in Brixton
External links
★
Brixton Society - local history and environment group
★
Huge resource of Brixton information, features, articles, contemporary photography and "Brixton then and now" comparisons
★
An article on where to shop for food in Brixton
★
Friends of Windmill Gardens - a site giving more information on the Brixton Windmill.
★
Voice Online - Online version of
''The Voice'' newspaper based in Brixton.
★
Brixton Doubles - London photography blog with features from Brixton.
★
CPCG for Lambeth - Community led forum for consultation and engagement with the police
★
Herne Hill Message Board - Community message board for residents of Herne Hill
★
Brixton Overcoat - Contemporary writing about the phenomenon of the Brixton Overcoat
Footnotes
1. Surrey Domesday Book
2. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.001002006005/chooseLetter/V
3. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.001002006005/chooseLetter/E
4. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.001002006005/chooseLetter/J
5. http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/scienceandnature/story/0,,1675518,00.html
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