Brixton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Brixton | |
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| Location | |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference: | TQ315755 |
| Latitude: | 51.46312649408672° |
| Longitude: | -0.10608447390369324° |
| Administration | |
| London borough: | Lambeth |
| County level: | Greater London |
| Region: | London |
| Constituent country: | England |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom |
| Other | |
| Ceremonial county: | Greater London |
| Historic county: | Surrey (1889) |
| Services | |
| Police force: | Metropolitan Police |
| Fire brigade: | London Fire Brigade |
| Ambulance service: | London Ambulance |
| Post office and telephone | |
| Post town: | LONDON |
| Postal district: | SW2, SW9 |
| Dialling code: | 020 |
| Politics | |
| UK Parliament: | Streatham, Vauxhall |
| London Assembly: | Lambeth and Southwark |
| European Parliament: | London |
| London | List of places in London | |
Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is bordered by Stockwell, Kennington, Camberwell, Tulse Hill and Herne Hill.
Contents |
[edit] History
First recorded as Brixistane in 1067 (which means 'at the stone of Brihtsige'), 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.
[edit] Brixton today
Brixton is a vibrant inner London suburb 3.3 miles (5.3 km) south of Charing Cross and is the unofficial "capital" of the Jamaican 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. It is in these six estates that a significant proportion of Brixton's population lives.
People come from miles around to shop in the busy Brixton market. On Sunday mornings the last of Saturday night's ravers rub shoulders with the first of the church-goers. An influx of trendy middle-class people into Brixton over the last 20 years has resulted in the rapid gentrification of the area: sushi and noodle bars now abound.
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[edit] Entertainment
There is a significant clubbing and live music scene. Large venues include the Carling Academy (changed from Brixton Academy in 2004), The Fridge and Mass. A range of smaller venues such as the Windmill, Jamm, The Telegraph, Plan B, the 414 and the Effra Tavern are a major part of London's live music scene, drawing performers with international reputations.
[edit] Brixton riots
Brixton was the scene of anti-police riots in April 1981 and September 1985. In both cases the riots saw young Black British men (who were joined by White British youths) reacting to concerns over discriminatory and heavy-handed police "stop-and-search" policies under the notorious 'sus law'. Following the 1981 riots, the Government appointed Lord Scarman to report. 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 (1981), Brixton riot (1985) and Brixton riot (1995)
[edit] Brixton in song
References to Brixton in song started with the release in August 1975 of 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 "goin' to Barbados" with Coconut Airways to escape the rain in London.
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, possibly Pink - the protagonist of the concept album - 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 anti-racist riots of 1981.
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.
[edit] 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".
[edit] 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.
[edit] Brixton bombing
In 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 two others areas of London.
[edit] Brixton market
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 (come out of the tube, turn left then left again), 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.
[edit] Transport
[edit] 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.
[edit] Rail and Underground
Trains operate from Brixton railway station between London Victoria and Kent. Tube services are available to Central London on the Victoria line.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Trams
Transport for London has proposed building the Cross River Tram from Camden Town to Brixton via central London.
[edit] 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 <ref>http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.001002006005/chooseLetter/V</ref>
- Havelock Ellis pioneer sexologist lived at Dover Mansions on Canterbury Crescent<ref>http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.001002006005/chooseLetter/E</ref>
- CLR James the writer and black political activist lived in Railton Road.<ref>http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.001002006005/chooseLetter/J</ref>
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.
- 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
[edit] See also
- Urban75 - an independent UK e-zine based in Brixton
[edit] External links
- Urban 75 e-zine feature articles, reviews, contemporary photography and "Brixton then and now" photos
- 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
[edit] Footnotes
<references/>eo:Brixton fr:Brixton nl:Brixton no:Brixton pl:Brixton simple:Brixton sv:Brixton zh:布里克斯顿
