The South Londoner - March 2026

SOUTH LONDonER

Herne Hill's original grand design

Our guide to south London run clubs

Peckham Palais is open for dancing

ROTHERHITHE

ROTHERHITHE

ROTHERHITHE

About us

We’ve been producing independent, balanced and community-focused journalism in south London since 1987. We are proud to be a London Living Wage employer.

Our flagship publication, the Southwark News launched in 1987 and is now London’s only independent, paid for newspaper.

We also publish the South London Weekly and Greenwich and Lewisham Weekender every week, as well as the quarterly Bermondsey Biscuit and Rotherhithe Docker

We use 100% recovered paper from the Ortviken papermill in Sweden, a green energy provider who use biofuel instead of oil and provide heat for 10,000 single family homes.

We're based in Bermondsey Square - we'd love to chat if you want to pop in for a cup of coffee and tell us about your business! www.southlondon.co.uk

Editor Kevin Quinn

Editorial Manager Katherine Johnston

Writers Evie Flynn, Michael Holland, Maya Sgaravato-Grant, Niall Holden

Design Dan Martin, Ann Gravesen

Marketing Clarry Frewin, Katie Boyd, Mandy Stong

Media Partnerships Anthony Phillips

Finance Emrah Zeki

Managing Directors Chris Mullany and Kevin Quinn

Contact us

Email hello@cm-media.co.uk

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Contents

5 HOME SECRETARYCamberwell's sun exhibition, Queer Score in Deptford, the Peckham Salvage Yard reopens, International Women's Day at Herne Hill Velodrome

7-13 WHAT'S ON -

Ben Oakley Gallery opens in East Dulwich, Deptford Literature Festival returns, Brockwell Hall's Georgian splendour, Urban Elephant Festival, and Brockwell Bark show

14-20 COMMUNITY -

Comics Fair in South Norwood, our guide to local run clubs and Peckham Palais reopens

21-25 HOME -

Eclectic vintage fair Midcentury Modern back in Dulwich, and Nimtim architects reveal their latest passion projects

26-32 FOOD & DRINKBanook Bagels in East Dulwich, Antro's tropical paradise in Brixton, Up Lates at Servesmiths, Kix Bar + Kitchen's bold flavours, Sourdough Sophia expands to Bermondsey and Bara, London's first Welsh cafe.

38 WELLBEINGInnervisions Alchemy in south Bermondsey

Self-storage, right round the corner

with Pocket.

• Flexible booking, no long-term tie-ins

• Access any time, day or night

• 5 mins from Bermondsey tube

homE sEcrETary:

What’s on

By Maya Sgaravato-Grant

‘The Sun at Night’, St Giles'

To mark the Spring Equinox, St Giles’ Church is hosting an immersive show exploring our relationship with the Sun. Created by artist David Henckel, ‘The Sun at Night’ consists of a 30-minute floating installation made using highdefinition NASA footage of the sun’s movements.  Accompanied by a bespoke programme of events, ranging from concerts to drawing workshops, the exhibition has been called ‘the perfect fusion of the holy trinity – science, art and religion.’

Date: Friday 20 - Sunday 22 March

Time: Various times

Price: Free / Pay what you feel

Location: St Giles’ Church, Camberwell Church St, London SE5 8RB liveatstgiles.com

Beauty and Destruction in Wartime Exhibition, Imperial War Museum

Gain new insight into the lives of Londoners during the Second World War by seeing the capital through the eyes of artists. With stirring images of burning buildings, rescue efforts, and the mass movement of people, the exhibition portrays moments of loss and as well as of human perseverance against the background of a changing city. Over 45 paintings and drawings will be on display alongside photographs, film, objects and oral histories.

Date: 20 March - 1 November

Time: 10am - 6pm

Price: Free

Location: Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HZ. iwm.org.uk

Queer Score, The Albany (and others)

A new festival centering LGBTQ+ artists will arrive on London’s music scene this April. ‘Queer Score’ will take place in venues across London, and feature a number of artists, DJs, and musicians putting on a variety of innovative, clever, and meaningful performances. From classical music to cabaret, head along for a festival like no other.

Date: Friday 10 April - Sunday 12 April

Time: Late afternoons through to late evenings

Price: Varies - see venue website for details

Location: Friday - The Albany, 2A Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG

Saturday - Hoxton Hall, 130 Hoxton St, London N1 6SH

Sunday - Space Talk, 18-20 St John St, Barbican, London EC1M 4AY

queerscore.co.uk

Peckham Salvage Yard Reopens South Londoners are in luck! The Peckham Salvage Yard is back and as good as ever.  Nestled in the district’s creative quarter, with over 70 traders dealing in 20th century furniture, vintage clothes, along with a number of other curiosities and collectibles, there is something for everyone.

Date: Sunday 29 March

Time: 10am-5pm

Price: £2 entry

Location: Unit 8, Copeland Park, London SE15 3SN hackneyfleamarket.com

Celebrate International Women’s Day with a day filled with activities at the Herne Hill Velodrome. Try out track or off-road racing, attend a cycling market, and connect with a strong community of female cyclists. All abilities are welcome, with events targeted towards women and non-binary people.

Date: Sunday 8 March

Time: Between 8.30am and 7pm

Price: Pay what you can

Location: Herne Hill Velodrome, 104 Burbage Rd, London SE24 9HE hernehillvelodrome.com

BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival

The British Film Institute’s LGBTQIA+ Film Festival is back for its 40th edition. Featuring films exploring community, romance, politics, transformation and more, alongside panel discussions, the festival will showcase the best of LGBTQIA+ cinema from around the world.

Date: Wednesday 18 - Sunday 29 March

Time: Various times

Price: Tickets start from £10, with £6 tickets available for those with a free BFI 25 and Under account

Location: BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 8XT. whatson.bfi.org.uk/flare

‘If I’d have it in my house, I’d have it in a gallery’

―

Ben Oakley Gallery’s founder on his East Dulwich art scene move

By Maya Sgaravato-Grant

Anew independent gallery is adding extra colour to the East Dulwich neighbourhood, celebrating emerging and celebrated artists alike.

The Ben Oakley Gallery soft launched on North Cross Road at the start of this year, where it found a new home after 15 years building a loyal following at Greenwich Market, gaining a reputation for showcasing contemporary works from often award-winning international and local artists.

Its founder, artist and entrepreneur Ben Oakley, told The South Londoner that he was originally inspired to establish the space after reflecting on his own experience of breaking into the art world.

“It’s quite a difficult door to open at the beginning of an artist’s career,” he said. “I wanted to create a platform for emerging artists.”

With this goal in mind, the gallery soon became a place where the ‘fresh ideas’ of emerging, young artists were celebrated, and given much needed exposure.

Gaining prominence, Oakley also began to be contacted by more established artists, who found that the nature of the gallery gave them more ‘freedom to experiment’.

Over the years, it has collaborated with celebrated artists such as ATM, a street artist painting birds threatened with extinction; photorealist artist John McCarthy; Giles Walker, a kinetic artist who focused on animatronics; and Asboluv, a prominent graffiti artist influenced by the UK’s anarcho-punk scene.

Like his Greenwich gallery, the East Dulwich venue will host a diverse selection of artists, ranging from oil painters to stencilers to spray paint artists.

“My thinking is, if I’d have it in my house I’d have it in a gallery”, Oakley said, explaining his curatorial decisions.

The establishment is currently gearing up for its inaugural exhibition, which will be held from the evening of 12 March and showcases the work of Ray Richardson, an artist with whom Ben Oakley has been working for a number of years.

Labeled the ‘Martin Scorsese of Oil’, Richardson has built up a reputation for his cinematic paintings of gritty London life,

and has previously won a BP Portrait Award Commendation, as well as British Council Awards.

Entitled ‘London Diamond’, the star of the exhibition will be ‘Estuary English’, a painting which received the Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery London in 2024.

Over the course of the exhibition there will also be a Q&A session and an exclusive screen print day.

“The building we’re in used to be called Maison Dog, and Ray is famous for painting English Bull Terriers,” Oakley noted. “I like little connections like that.”

Following the exhibition, the space will be hosting monthly shows throughout the year.

The gallery has also had a yearly tradition of putting on charity events to raise money for St Christopher’s Hospice, only ever skipping last year’s iteration due to the lack of a venue. The next such event is scheduled for December.

The gallery is free to visit, and you might even leave with a beautiful new piece of contemporary art.

Address: 20 North Cross Road, East Dulwich, London SE22 9EU benoakleygallery.com

Write on: Lewisham’s literary dynamism

Deptford Literature Festival returns this March

By Niall Holden

The fifth Deptford Literature Festival will return to Deptford Lounge on 28 March, featuring more than 30 talks, workshops and performances celebrating established and emerging writers from Lewisham and across south-east London.

Produced by London Writers Centre (formerly Spread the Word), with creative director Tom MacAndrews returning for a second year, tickets cost just £3, with a host of online and free events taking place in the leadup to the festival.

Writer and broadcaster Natty Kasambala will host ‘Navigating Culture: Black Male Writers on Britain Today’, to discuss what it means to be a black male writer today and writer and critic April Yee will host ‘Mother Tongue: Poetry, Family + Inheritance’, exploring themes of matrilineage, identity and family in poetry. Meanwhile, authors Jarred McGinnis and

Joe Dunthorne will appear in a discussion of masculinity and care, drawing on their own writing, and CRIPtic Arts, an organisation dedicated to providing support for disabled artists, is hosting an online salon with poet and founder Jamie Hale and artist and writer Abi Palmer.

There is also a children's and young people’s programme, featuring interactive storytelling, drawing and practical writing sessions.

A raft of free events will held with Lewisham Libraries, including spoken word open mic sessions on 21 March, a conversation with award-winning translator and novelist Kate Briggs at Goldsmiths on March 25, and a poetry evening with Fathima Zahra and Jack Underwood at Lewisham Library on March 26.

londonwriterscentre.org.uk

Sourdough Sophia is moving to Spa Terminus

Five years ago, we started Sourdough Sophia in a tiny kitchen during lockdown. This April, we’re moving into Spa Terminus!

Two railway arches. A proper production bakery. The new home for every loaf we send out across London.

We’ll be baking alongside some of the best producers in the country, and honestly, we still can’t quite believe it. On Fridays and Saturdays, the doors will be open to the public… fresh bread, incredible coffee, and a chance to see where it all happens. Come say hello!

Arches 5 and 6, Voyager Business Park (Spa Terminus), SE16 4RP w: sourdoughsophia.co.uk

A19th century manor house in the heart of Brockwell Park has been brought back to life following a major transformation, reopening as a community and private events venue – complete with a cafe and exhibition space.

Built in 1813 by chandelier maker John Blades, Brockwell Hall reopened its doors in May 2025 after years of restoration work. Set in the rolling fields between Brixton, Tulse Hill and Herne Hill, the landmark stands proudly atop Brockwell Park’s tallest hill.

Just 18 months ago, the Grade II listed Regency mansion was a construction site wrapped in scaffolding. Now, the hall – once part of a sprawling rural estate in an area coined the ‘Belgravia of South London’ – has been brought into the 21st century. The hall is now a fully functioning community and private events venue with heating, lighting and air ventilation unimaginable in its heyday and it’s giving off serious Bridgerton vibes.

The restoration was made possible by a transformative £7.7 million investment from Lambeth Council, including £3.9 million funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and support of the Brockwell Park Community Partners.

Brockwell Hall now boasts an extensive programme of free and low-cost volunteering, cultural and wellbeing activities that are open to local Lambeth residents.

Outside the main hall, a newly-built community and private event space has been unveiled in the original Stables Yard. The elegant multi-functional event space can cater for private and community events or weddings, with a capacity of up to 200 people.

Lambeth Council, in partnership with Black Prince Trust, is currently offering residents over the age of 50 a chance to keep fit for free. The classes are suitable for all abilities and led by experienced local instructors, who will make you feel welcome and supported.

Weekly exercise classes include Tai Chi with Anna and ‘Band Together’ with local resident Charmaine, who uses her 30-year fitness career to lead a session using resistance bands and a single chair to strengthen muscles and improve mobility. There is also chair yoga led by Freddie, who also runs a mat-based class.

In the old reception rooms, the new multi-purpose Exhibition Space gallery inside the hall allows visitors to learn about Brockwell Park's rich history. The park has been the host of many iconic festivals over the years, including the famous 1978 Rock Against Racism festival featuring Aswad, Elvis Costello and Stiff Little Fingers.

There is an interactive element to the exhibition, where visitors can learn about the faces behind the park, including local residents and the gardening team.

Their new exhibition, which launched at the end of February, is celebrating 20 years of the St. Matthews Project, a Lambeth-based charity using football to mentor and provide opportunities for young people in the borough.

The reception rooms are also home to a new series of workshops and talks, thanks to the partnership with the National Lottery Fund. The free offering includes author-illustrator workshops for children called ‘Stepping into Stories’.

Other activities taking place at Brockwell Hall include free courses on Jewellery Making and Introduction to Volunteering, and a music session for under-5s and their

Herne Hill's original grand design

Brockwell Hall transformed back to its Georgian splendour

By Evie Flynn

carers every Thursday from 5th March.

Inside the hall, the grand Painted Room now hosts comfy sofas and seating for the new café. Restored murals and 1896 Henry Strachey wall hangings line the walls, while large doors open out onto the south-facing terrace and picnic area.

Following on from their success in other South London parks, Roots and Berries were chosen to manage the new eatery, The Glassmaker's Café. The space opened in September last year and boasts views that stretch across 125 acres of parkland.

There are fresh cakes and pastries on offer, with prices starting at £2.50. Light bites, including sausage rolls, are priced at £4.50 and sandwiches and quiches are £7.

After the transformation of the historic Brockwell Hall, the park is also getting upgraded in other areas, with new trees and a wildlife pond coming to the park thanks to the Friends of Brockwell Park.

Visit @brockwellhallcommunity on Instagram to stay updated on community events at Brockwell Hall.

Location: Brockwell Hall, Brockwell Park, SE24 9BJ

Cafe opening times: 8:30am - 4:30pm daily

Hall opening times: 8:00am - 4pm daily (with later opening times for private hire)

Tai Chi: Monday 10am – 10:45am

Band Together: Tuesday 1:30pm – 2:15pm

Chair yoga: Wednesdays 1:15pm – 2pm

Mat yoga: Wednesdays 2:15pm – 3pm.

To book a space on a class, visit: https://blackprincetrust.org.uk/

To enquire about private or community event hire please contact venues@lambeth.gov.uk or visit venue.lambeth.gov.uk

We are thrilled to be presenting our inaugural exhibition in the new Gallery space No 20 North Cross Road East Dulwich SE22 9EU and welcome you all to experience one of the country’s leading contemporary figurative oil painters, Ray Richardson, in his latest solo show ‘London Diamond’.

The artist will be present on the opening night. Plus, two further dates during the show 20th March for a Q&A with the artist and a public engagement screen-printing day hosted by Ben Oakley & the fantastic Carolyn Nicoll Thames-Side Print Studio on Saturday 28th March 12:30 -4:00pm.

Opening Drinks Reception Thursday 12th March 7- 9:30pm Sponsored by Local brewery Three Hounds Beer Co.

RSVP info@benoakleygallery.com Exhibition continues until the 5th April. W:

Please sign up for our monthly Newsletter and be the first to hear who’s next in the gallery.

We are taking part in this year’s Dulwich Festival Artists Open House 8-17th May.

We look forward to creating a new vibrant art loving community together.

21 MAR – 10 MAY

For ages 7+

TICKETS FROM £10

URBAN ELEPHANT FESTIVAL

Elephant and Castle’s Festival of culture, food and dance is back and as big as ever.

The free street event will take place in Walworth Square, Sayer Street and Castle Square - with a pop-up in the new Belfield Clarke Square - over the course of an afternoon, and will host artists and street performers from all corners of the globe. Don’t miss out!

Date: Saturday 21 March

Time: 12pm-6pm

Price: Free

Target Audience: All ages

Location: Walworth Square, Sayer Street and Castle Square, SE17. urbanelephant.co.uk

YOUR TOYS, UNICORN THEATRE

Bring along a toy and watch it come to life!

Slot Machine Theatre is hosting a unique play, developed in workshops with children, which sees the toys of the audience come together in a wild adventure. The spectacle promises a unique day out for the little ones.

Date: Sunday 22 March – Sunday 12 April

Time: Most days at 10.30am and 1pm

Price: £15.50

Target Audience: Children aged 5-9

Location: Unicorn Theatre (Clore), 147 Tooley St, London SE1 2HZ. unicorntheatre.com

Family events ―

By Maya Sgaravato-Grant

YOUNG TRADERS MARKET

Know an aspiring young trader?

The Young Traders Market at The Blue Market in Bermondsey town centre will give keen young entrepreneurs, aged 16-30, a unique platform to showcase their goods and talent.

Traders selected by Big Local Works, in partnership with the National Market Traders' Federation, will receive a pitch, table, and gazebo for free. The winners of each event will be able to participate in the 2026 regional final for London and the South East.

Date: Saturday 7 March, 11 April, 9 May, 6 June and 4 July.

Time: 10am-4pm

Price: N/A

Target Audience: 16-30 year-olds

Location: The Blue Market, Bermondsey, SE16 3UQ

BROCKWELL BARK DOG SHOW

The dog show is returning to Brockwell Park on Bank Holiday Monday.

‘Brockwell Bark’ will feature games and prizes as dogs compete in categories such as Best Pawformance, Village Veterans, and Sit Happens, a musical round to find the dogs who’ll sit to a beat.

Enter your dog and have a blast.

Date: Monday 4 May

Time: 2pm-5pm

Price: Attendance is free; a small donation is requested to enter your dog into a category

Target Audience: All ages

Location: Brockwell Park, Norwood Road, London SE24 9BJ

TINY PLANET, THE ALBANY

Discover the magic of puppetry with Half a String’s new show Tiny Planet.

Watch a tiny wanderer explore a world no bigger than a house in the centre of a galaxy. Live camera projection brings the collision of asteroids and the evolution of new creatures to life.

With echoes of The Little Prince, Half a String call the spectacle ‘a journey to explore how we all can sometimes feel impossibly small and infinitely gigantic’.

Date: Thursday 2 April

Time: 2.30pm

Price: £9.50

Target Audience: Children aged 5-11

Location: The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, SE8 4AG thealbany.org.uk

Boom! Zap! Wow!

THE

COMICS FAIR MADE FOR KIDS BY KIDS

By Evie Flynn

Yo Comics!, a free-entry comics fair designed for young people aged seven to fourteen, is returning to Stanley Arts in South Norwood on Sunday 22 March.

Launched in 2025, the fair offers a platform for everyone from professional comic creators to budding young artists to showcase and sell their work. Alongside the market stalls, visitors can enjoy creative workshops led by leading names in comics, as well as a free reading room for a quieter moment.

Professional creators will be selling comics and graphic novels from just a few pounds, signing copies and chatting to young people about their creative process. Guests include favourites like Gary Northfield, Tor Freeman and many more.

The fair is organised by Helen Jones and co-founder Hannah Lee Miller. Helen is currently completing a PhD on children’s comic-making at Goldsmiths, runs an afterschool comics club and has co-written a book on comics in education. Hannah has worked in children’s television production on shows including Peppa Pig and Hey Duggee, alongside creating and selling her own comics.

Helen said: “We started Yo Comics! because we wanted to create a comics event for all ages, but particularly for seven to fourteen-year-olds. We felt this age group had a real love of comics but no events specifically aimed at them.

“Other comics fairs might sometimes include material that is not suitable for younger readers, so we wanted to create a safe space for all young comics readers and makers.”

There will be six workshops running throughout the day, all for just £3 each. Character design fans can team up with Marc Jackson (the Beano, The Phoenix, GOOF) to invent unforgettable characters, while master storyteller Woodrow Phoenix (Donny Digits) will share his comic building blocks to help budding writers form brilliant plots.

Aspiring publishers can join Comics Youth for an introduction to micro-publishing, where participants create, print and even distribute their own mini-comic or zine. Gary Northfield (The Phoenix, Bog Eyed Books) will guide children in crafting Mighty Mega Pets adventures, and Tanya

Scott (Wizkit) will help conjure up medieval monsters. There’s also a dynamic manga and zine-making session with manga brand Mayamada.

There will be a number of free activities on offer too. Head to the Chill Out Comics Library, where you can pick up a free copy of the Phoenix and the Beano and sink into a bean bag for some relaxed reading. In the Megaphone Zone, visitors can help create a giant collaborative comic and 3D mega mural.

The organisers created the fair to give young people a platform to share their work. Inspired by the joy children take in running their own playground comic fairs, they now offer schools and youth groups the opportunity to exhibit and sell their creations alongside professional makers.

This year, over twelve youth groups and young creators will be taking part in the fair, ranging in age from six to fourteen.

When: Sunday 22 March, 11am – 5pm

Where: Stanley Arts, 12 South Norwood Hill, SE25 6AB Price: Free entry, workshops are £3

To book a place on a workshop, visit: yocomicsfair.co.uk

Just keep on running...

FROM POST-RUN PINTS TO HILLY INTERVALS, SOUTH LONDON IS HOME TO PLENTY OF SOCIAL, BEGINNER-FRIENDLY AND FREE RUN CLUBSPERFECT FOR BUILDING FITNESS AND MEETING LIKE-MINDED LOCALS.

By Evie Flynn

Tom’s Run Club (Walworth, SE5)

Started by two friends, Tom’s Run Club began as a way for Tom Payne to get his flatmate, Shubho Hassan, out of bed in the morning.

Now, three years on, the pair have kept the tradition going. Meeting in Burgess Park for a chilled 5km run each morning, the group welcomes new faces every day.

When: 7am every day

Where: Burgess Park, SE5 0AL (meet at the entrance to the park opposite Thurlow Street)

Distance: 30 minutes of running (around 5km) Pace: Around 6min/km @tomsrunclub on Instagram

Peckham Pacers (Peckham, SE15)

On Wednesdays, Peckham Pacers enjoy a beer at Eko Brewery after a 7km loop around SE15. Alternatively, swap the beer for coffee on Saturday with a more challenging 10km route finishing at Crank Gym. All abilities are welcome.

When: 7pm Wednesday or 10am Saturday

Where: Eko Brewery in Copeland Park on Wednesday or Crank Gym in Copeland Park on Saturday (SE15 3SN)

Distance: 7km on Wednesday, 10km on Saturday

Pace: Three pace groups available with run leaders at front and back www.peckhampacers.com

Melbourne Grovers (Dulwich, SE22)

Melbourne Grovers lead a sociable 5km run starting and ending at Nido Cafe on Melbourne Grove.

The group finishes with a post-run coffee at Nido, and a bag drop is available at the café for commuters.

When: 7am Wednesday

Where: Start and end at Nido Cafe (11 Melbourne Grove, London SE22 8RG)

Distance: 4-5km

Pace: All paces welcome @melbournegrovers on Instagram

Bermondsey Street Runners (Bermondsey, SE1)

Bermondsey Street Runners is a communityled club with a team of leaders, pacers and volunteers.

The group regularly collaborates with local businesses and also offers non-running activities, such as yoga. The pace is described as a ‘social jog’, giving residents and visitors the chance to explore SE1 on foot.

When: 7pm Wednesday, 7:30am Friday and 8:30am Sunday

Where: Chapter 72 on Friday and Sunday (72 Bermondsey St, London SE1 3UD), Crol and Co on Wednesday (66 A Newcomen St, SE1 1YT) Distance: 5km on Wednesday and Friday, 10-20km long run on Sunday

Pace: Ranging from 5:30 to 7:30min/km www.bermondseystreetrunners.com

London City Runners (Bermondsey,

SE1)

London City Runners, founded in 2010 by Tim Navin-Jones, is tucked into the Bermondsey arches and equipped with its own café and bar venue, making it the only running-themed pub in the world.

The club has witnessed 27 marriages between runners and has remained free since it began in Tim’s flat more than fifteen years ago.

When: 6:15pm Tuesday, 6:30pm Thursday, or 10:15am Sunday

Where: London City Runners HQ, 130 Druid St, London SE1 2HH

Distance: 6.5km, 8km or 11km on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 6.5km, 10km or 18km on Sundays.

Pace: All paces welcome, newcomers will be paired with a similar pace at the start www.londoncityrunners.com

Stride Run Club (Canada Water, SE16):

Whether you’re a seasoned runner or lacing up for the first time, Stride Run Club is relaxed and welcoming.

Meet at Corner Corner to warm up before heading out on a 5km loop around Canada Water at a social pace, finishing with 50 per cent off beers (nonalcoholic options available).

A bag drop is available.

When: 6pm Tuesday

Where: Maritime Street, Canada Water, SE16 7LL

Distance: 5km

Pace: Various ‘conversational’ paces www.cornercorner.com/event/stride-run-club/

Brixton Run Club (Brixton, SW9)

Brixton Run Club, also known as BRX!, was founded by James Battershill and Benji Miller last summer. The group meets for a 5km community run, finishing at the Duke of Edinburgh pub for a postrun pint. They have also partnered with local charity Building Young Brixton to raise money for vital youth services in the area.

When: 7pm Tuesday

Where: Meet at Stockwell Skate Park (Stockwell Rd, London SW9 0XZ) and finish at The Duke of Edinburgh Pub ( 204 Ferndale Road, SW9 8AG)

Distance: 5km

Pace: 6min/km www.brixtonrunclub.co.uk

Telegraph Hill Run Club (Telegraph Hill, SE14)

Founded in 2015 by a group of local runners, Telegraph Hill Run Club is ideal for those looking to improve their overall fitness. Sessions vary each week, but most focus on hilly intervals, making it best suited to runners seeking a physically demanding workout.

When: 7:15pm Tuesday

Where: Meet at the bottom of Telegraph Hill Park on the corner of Arbuthnot and Erlanger Roads (SE14)

Distance: 5k

Pace: Best suited for anyone who can comfortably run a 5k in under 30 minutes www.telegraphhillrunninggroup.com

Park Run

Every Saturday at 9am, there are numerous volunteerrun Park Runs across South London, providing a no-pressure 5km loop around a local park. Visit their website to see a full list of participating areas.

Southwark: Peckham Rye, Southwark Park, Burgess Park, Dulwich Common

Lambeth: Brockwell Park

Wandsworth: Clapham Common, Battersea Park, Tooting Common

Greenwich: Greenwich Peninsula, Thames Path Woolwich, Charlton Park, Avery Hill Park

Lewisham: Hilly Fields, Mountsfield Park www.parkrun.org.uk

TEMPO (Peckham, SE15)

Established in 2018 by Radio 1 DJ Martha, who grew up in Peckham, TEMPO is a female-

focused group combining fitness and music. The club began as a way for fellow DJs and ravers to exercise and has blossomed into a monthly meet up at The Carpet Shop nightclub near Rye Lane. The unique morning combines a short and chilled run with a two hour DJ workshop.

When: One Saturday per month. Next sessions are 28th March and 18th April at 10am

Where: The Carpet Shop, Arch 164, 115 Rye Ln, SE15 4ST

Distance: 3k

Pace 8min/km

Queer Running Club (Peckham, SE15)

Peckham and Nunhead's Queer Running Club caters for trans and non-binary beginner runners on Monday evenings and all running abilities and queer identifying folk on Tuesdays.

The club has roots in Hackney, starting back in 2019, and expanded to Peckham eighteen months ago. Their Monday night sessions are supported by MisFits and Not A Phase. They pride themselves on being an inclusive running club for all abilities

When: 7pm Monday and Tuesday

Where: Monday at The Old Nun's Head, 15 Nunhead Green, London SE15 3QQ. Tuesday at John the Unicorn, 157-159 Rye Lane, SE15 4TL.

Distance: They don't do longer runs, choosing to stay in the park and focus on the 'skill of running'

Pace: Best suited for anyone who can comfortably run a 5k in under 30 minutes https://queerrunningclub.com/

Let’s Dance: Peckham’s Palais reopens after 11-year hiatus

―

The 500-capacity nightclub has a 6am licence and a new cocktail bar

By Niall Holden

Palais has staged a stunning return this February, bringing the beating heart of Peckham’s ‘golden mile’ back to life.

The revitalised iconic landmark joins established Peckham nightlife venues Jumbi, The Carpet Shop, and The CLF Art Lounge.

Palais is the first venture south of the river for Night Group – the team behind East London’s Night Tales and Netil 360.

The basement venue boasts an 11,000 square foot dance floor and a Funktion-One five-way sound system, promising audiophiles unparalleled depth and clarity: ‘No phones, no distractions — just sound, movement, and shared experience.’

On the first floor, Night Group has opened Ballroom, a new cocktail and listening bar. It will be a space for conversation and connection, before DJs take over to lead dancers into the night.

Originally built in 1867, the Jones and Higgins Department Store building was once considered South London’s answer to Oxford Street.

Designed by Southwark architects Henry Jarvis & Sons, the building was based on Venice’s Piazza San Marco. During its heyday, the store included a delicatessen, haberdashery, carpet shop, and furniture store. By the 1960s, it was even hosting fashion shows and Santa’s grottos.

But following the UK’s post-war economic slump and rising local unemployment, in 1980 the Jones and Higgins Department Store closed its doors.

What remained after part of the building was demolished to make way for the Aylesham Centre, became Peckham Palais: a nightclub centred around house, techno, dubstep, and bass.

Since 2011, the building lay dormant. For nearly 15 years many feared for the building’s survival.

And while worries about the building’s safety can finally be put to bed, Palais’ dancers will be doing just the opposite, partying well into the early hours.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• March 6: Anish Kumar - AK Cuts: UK Tour

• March 7: K-Lone b2b Facta (All Night Long)

• March 8: Aba Shanti-I & Charlie Dark

• March 13: x Tectonic Sound: Beatrice M., Pinch, Roska, SGT Pokes & Mantra [140 Set]

• March 14: JAEL & Friends

• March 15: Traumer (Open to Close) nightgroup.com

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A thoroughly modern market

Eclectic vintage fair

Midcentury Modern returns to Dulwich

By Maya Sgaravato-Grant

For two days each year, were you to step inside the halls of Dulwich College, you’d have the sensation of stepping back in time.

On Sunday 22 March this will be true once again, with the iconic biannual ‘Midcentury Modern’ fair set to celebrate the best of vintage - and some more modernfurniture from the UK and beyond.

Held in a 1960s addition to the famous 17th century school complex, the fair will feature pieces from 85 vintage dealers and modern designers.

For Lucy Ryder Richardson and Petra Curtisfounders of ‘Modern Shows’, which organised the fair - their motivation for creating the shows came from personal demand.

“We both lived in midcentury houses in Dulwich. I was in Great Brownings and Petra in Lymer Avenueboth on the Dulwich Estate,” Ryder Richardson said.

“There was nowhere to shop for what we wanted for our houses within a reasonable distance, so we created our ‘perfect shopping experience'.”

They certainly achieved that. Since holding a one-off open house event in 2002, the pair have expanded their horizons, going on to organise a number of regular shows, source furniture for prominent companies and businesses, stage properties for The Modern House and Inigo, and even appear on television - Ryder Richardson is a regular on BBC One's The Bidding Room.

They have organised pop-ups at such events such as designjunction, one of London’s leading interior design shows, and were chosen by Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway in collaboration with The South Bank to be the furniture and homeware curator for Vintage Festival 2011.

Their events have also been graced by famous faces, ranging from actors Olivia Colman, Andrew Garfield and Jason Statham to writers Dominic Bradbury, Claudia Baillie and Dominic Lutyens, as well as James Bond set designers.

As Ryder Richardson highlighted, considerable effort goes into putting every show together, with preparations for the next show beginning the week after the previous one.

“Petra curates the midcentury part of the show and tries to make it as eclectic as possible, covering all the kinds of pieces you might want in your home from the UK’s top midcentury modern and vintage dealers,” she

said.

“Tanya, the marketplace manager, curates the contemporary section sourcing designers all over the country.”

However, for Ryder Richardson, the favourite part of the events is watching ‘dealers and designers do really well’.

The upcoming fair will contain pieces from design greats such as Cherner, the Eameses, and Hans Wegner, alongside a number from emerging British talents, which visitors can purchase commission free.

Visitors will be able to chat to furniture dealers and designers over the course of the day, while also having the chance to savour freshly made sourdough pizzas and peruse a selection of jewellery, fabrics, ceramics, glass, metals, knitwear, and more.

For those who are not around on the 22nd, there will be another opportunity to browse Modern Shows’ varied and impressive collection at a new pop up in Westbourne Park’s Mason & Fifth hotel in June.

Time: 10am - 4pm; last entry 3.30pm

Date: Sunday 22 March 2026

Price: £12 on the door, with discounted tickets available at modernshows.com.

Children under 12 go free.

Address: Dulwich College, London SE21 7LD

Spring at the Southbank Centre

Throughout 2026, we’re celebrating 75 years of the Southbank Centre with a vibrant, inclusive programme that looks to the future, exploring how we can make a difference to the lives of artists, audiences and communities.

Spring into our 75th celebrations with a packed programme, including plenty of free events.

For fans of Latin and ballroom, get stuck into Mix & Move - our monthly programme of free dance workshops. Jackie Logan will show you the steps that form the foundations of popular ballroom and Latin dance styles, ranging from quickstep, waltz and jive to rumba and cha cha (20 Mar).

2026 also marks around 50 years since London skateboarders fi rst adopted the concrete space under the Queen Elizabeth Hall as their own. Skate 50 (30 Apr – 21 Jun) is an exhibition telling the story of London’s original skate space over the past half century. If you’re a skater, bring a board and we’ll let you in for free.

Southbank Centre Tours are back too (until 26 Jun). Join our expert guides for an exclusive-access journey through the iconic, and at times divisive, architecture of our buildings, and uncover accounts from the people who brought them to life.

Enjoy Spring Family Fun too! Find super shows, musical adventures, amazing puppetry and lots of free fun in the Easter break and May half-term with our events for families. See The Boy at the Back of the Class (7 Apr – 12 Apr), a heartfelt and hilarious smash-hit play about friendship, kindness and compassion.

Or go on a wild, poetic and gentle journey with FLIP Fabrique’s Blizzard (27 May – 31 May), an acrobatic performance that invites you to lose yourself in a moment of wonder.

Children can also explore a limitless world of play in REPLAY, a playground and installation built entirely out of repurposed waste materials by The Herd Theatre (until 12 April).

At the Hayward Gallery, experience a thrilling double bill of immersive art exhibitions. At Chiharu Shiota: Th reads of Life, marvel at the artist’s immense and intricate web-like installations, while at Yin Xiuzhen: Heart to Heart, see the familiar in new ways, as overlooked objects reveal personal and

collective stories (until 3 May). Make it a hat-trick and duck into the Hayward Gallery’s HENI Project Space for a free photography exhibition, Samuel Laurence Cunnane: Blue Road (until 3 May).

Live music fans can catch the legendary Southbank Centre x Montreux Jazz Festival Residency (Fri 13 - Sun 15 Mar) which explores the influence, impact and sound of jazz today through artists reshaping the genre. Catch festival headliner Th eo Croker (Fri 13 Mar) celebrating 100 years of Miles Davis with a liveshow that’s packed with era-defi ning tunes and special guests.

Hungry? Our popular Southbank

Centre Food Market (open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) is a must-visit, offering a huge choice of riverside food and drink and international cuisine all-year round. For the best seat in the house, head up to our Seventy5th Balcony Bar and soak up panoramic views of the central London skyline.

Find out more at www. southbankcentre.co.uk and check out future events coming up throughout our 75th year celebrations.

Personality meets purpose

―

Nimtim architects unveil their latest passion projectsfrom carbon homes to a house for blancmange factory workers

By Evie Flynn

East Dulwich based architects and interior designers Nimtim share their unique approach to creating homes that are full of personality and purpose.

Literally named after the founders Nimi and Tim, the pair launched the practice back in 2014. Nimi was born and bred in South London, brought up in Herne Hill, and brings an innate love for the area into her design choices. She’s also a qualified garden and landscape designer, which adds an extra layer of texture to their projects.

One standout recent project, Easi-House, transformed a Victorian terrace house into a carbon family home. The project involved a side and rear extension, as well as a new loft and garden room.

The house also has sustainability at its core, with minimal waste and all material was reused where it could be. Demolished bricks were used to create new walls and the structural work used engineered timber rather than steel where possible.

“The completed project is everything that was set out from the start: practical and robust but also unexpected, playful and warm,” said the team at Nimtim.

“When we see it, we see a reflection of the values and personalities of the family that live there and that is ultimately what gives us the most satisfaction.”

Nimi has fond memories of South London hotspots like Brixton Market, which she loved visiting as a child.

“The vibrancy, colours, noise, people and energy was something I found so exciting,” she said. “We both love the sense of community you get in each area, with access to all the benefits of a globally significant metropolis.”

Alongside the core architectural services, they also offer interior design, kitchen design and joinery.

We asked the team how the finishing worksdo Nimtim or the client choose how the home is ultimately styled?

“One of the key attributes of working with homeowners is to be flexible,” Nimi explained.

"The completed project is everything that was set out from the start: practical and robust but also unexpected, playful and warm,”

“Some of our clients love choosing finishes and fittings, others are happy to let us get on with it.”

Viewing South London through an architectural lens reveals a treasure trove of hidden gems. Nimi explained how they often find unexpected historical quirks and discoveries, which in turn reinvents their design response and influences their craftsmanship.

“We worked on a house that has access to a private woodland shared by only a few homes,” she said. “We’re also working on a house originally built for workers at a nearby blancmange factory. You can never quite predict what you’re going to find.”

They moved into a new office in East Dulwich in 2024 which was previously a Victorian launderette. The couple now live in Forest Hill surrounded by the rich mix of architectural styles that inspires them. “It includes such a variety of housing typologies from almost all of London’s significant building periods - Victorian terraces, 1960s estates, Georgian villas, 1930s semis…”

Alongside the build and decoration, they also offer home buyer consultations for people looking to purchase a new property. Their initial consultation (£125 + vat) can be held online or at their SE22 studio, where you can receive high level advice, sketches, designs and whatever else you want to run through.

Nimtim architects, Unit 1, 17-19 Blackwater Street, London, SE22 8SD nimtim.co.uk

Bitesize

―

By Evie Flynn

BANOOK BAGELS, EAST DULWICH

Banook started in 2023 to offer a staple food missing south of the river: bagels. Beginning life in an industrial warehouse on Latona Road in Peckham, founders Ashley and Dave are now moving their bagel operation to East Dulwich Road in East Dulwich.

The move marks an exciting step in their plans to grow the business and increase footfall, with more seating space and an expanded menu in the works. Their menu features plain bagels, sesame bagels, and their most popular option, the “everything bagel.” Opening spring 2026.

East Dulwich Road

(exact location to be confirmed) banookbagels.com

THE PRINCE REGENT, HERNE HILL

Recently renovated and under new ownership, The Prince Regent in Herne Hill is now ready to re-open its doors. Urban Pubs and Bars have taken over the space after their success at The Sun in Camberwell and Brixton’s Canova Hall.

After reopening on 19 February, the pub is bringing Sunday roasts, crafted cocktails and local brews back to the neighbourhood.

69 Dulwich Rd, London, SE24 0NJ

ANTRO, BRIXTON

A South American inspired bar and restaurant has opened on Brixton’s Acre Lane.

The family-run spot has transformed the old Barrio location into a tropical paradise, offering cocktails, DJ sets and casual dining.

They are open until 2:30am on Friday and Saturday nights, providing a new and inclusive late night spot.

30 Acre Lane, Brixton, SW2 5SG antrobars.com

CATERED BY CLINK, BRIXTON

The Clink Charity, who run HMP Brixton’s restaurant, have launched a nationwide catering and bakery service. The charity supports the rehabilitation and training of inmates at HMP Brixton in and young people at risk of offending.

The Catered by Clink catering menu spans breakfast, lunch and canapé boxes, with ready-to-serve pastry platters, finger sandwiches and canapé selections. A lunch spread, serving 10 - 12 people is £265, or a bakery box with an eight inch cake is £55.

theclinkcharity.org

UP LATES AT SERVESMITHS, LEWISHAM

Servesmiths Coffee in Catford are bringing back their much-loved vinyl pop-up bar after their initial launch from October to December last year.

It’s now being reintroduced as a monthly affair on the last Friday of each month, featuring a rotation of vinyl-only sets from local DJs. For drinks, there will be a range of cocktails using Catford Gin, beers from Deptford’s Villages Brewery and a selection of natural wines.

7pm on the last Friday of each month

28 Rushey Green, SE6 4JF Free entry servesmiths.com

RUTH’S, PUTNEY

Putney has just gained a new neighbourhood bistro in a collaboration between two big names on the London food scene.

Callum Ross, who was general manager at The Camberwell Arms and Forza Wine at the National Theatre, has teamed up with Ed Baillieu, who was most recently executive chef at The Hero in London. Their new venture, Ruth’s, is centered around British ingredients, with snacks like oysters, cocktail sausages and fried pickles on offer.

94 Lower Richmond Road, London SW15 1LL ruths-london.com

TACOS + BAO COCKTAILS

LIVE MUSIC

Mexican & Asian Fusion | Private Dining & Events Hire

BOLD FLAVOURS

Inside Lordship Lane’s Kix Bar + Kitchen

By Evie Flynn

If you head down the leafy streets of East Dulwich, you’ll soon stumble across Kix Bar + Kitchen, an independently run late-night spot with live music, vibrant flavours and spicy cocktails.

Tucked among the independent shops and cafés of Lordship Lane, Kix offers something bolder than its village-like surroundings might suggest. Step inside and you are met with low lighting, sounds of live jazz, and a sharing menu diverse enough for everyone’s tastes. The space feels both intimate and sophisticated –equally suited to date night or a lively table of friends.

Founded by Matthew Preedy, who has lived in the area since 2009, Kix moved from North Cross Road to the larger site on Lordship Lane last year. Drawing on his wealth of hospitality experience, Matthew has refined the concept of Kix over the past three years into today’s offering.

The food is a confident fusion of bold Mexican and Asian influences, where tacos and bao buns sit alongside larger sharing plates of nachos and sticky Korean corn ribs. From miso cod cheek and Pekingglazed duck to tempura shiso leaves, each dish has been carefully curated by the Kix team.

Standout dishes include Korean chicken tacos –fried gochujang chicken topped with celeriac slaw, spring onions and lemon herb sour cream – delivering crunch, spice and sharpness in equal measure.

Then there are the beef short rib carnitas – served in two crusted tacos, slow braised short rib beef, wasabi napa slaw, pickled red onions and jalapeño sauce.

Vegetarian diners can also tuck into aubergine tempura bao or shiitake mushroom carnita tacos, complete with plenty of picante sauce and pico de gallo for a strong Mexican influence.

For a sweet finale, Kix delivers a standout pairing of coconut ice cream in a soft, sweet bao bun, topped with chopped pineapple steeped in a rum coulis. The flavours beautifully mirror a piña colada and one bun is more than enough to share between two, with its creamy sweetness perfectly balancing the sharpness of the mains.

Matthew explains how Kix has evolved over recent years in a move to place the food firmly centre stage.

“It’s a constant refining process and the food now mirrors the ambience of the venue. I think the move to Lordship Lane gave me the confidence to take a more hands-on approach to the menu and lean further into the fusion element, without losing the spirit of a night at Kix.”

Fiery cocktails bolster the food offering, with all drinks made by the experienced bar staff. Margaritas take centre stage with nine variations of the Mexican classic to choose from, with dashings of chilli for those brave enough. Alternatively, opt for one of their ‘Kix

twists’, featuring citrus flavours, or a stirred (not shaken) drink for a stronger, old-fashioned option.

As you soak up the atmosphere and flavours, a roaming saxophonist weaves between tables on a Saturday night and friendly bar staff are on hand to answer any questions or to suggest complementary cocktail and food pairings.

The enthusiasm of the team is apparent – from founder Matthew to the two young chefs leading the kitchen, as well as the waiting and bar staff - everyone has fully bought into the Kix fusion vision.

After working in some of the capital’s most prestigious members’ clubs, Matthew began craving the intimacy and creative agency that comes with running an independent venue. He launched a mobile cocktail bar and catering pop-up during the pandemic, laying the groundwork for what Kix would become before opening his own restaurant in East Dulwich.

One of the most refreshing aspects of Kix is its sharing-plates concept, which gives diners complete control over both portion size and variety. Plus, despite its upmarket surroundings, the prices remain reasonable, with most cocktails priced at £13.50 and sharing dishes

around £14.

If you're in the area on a Sunday, Kix Bar + Kitchen offers their very own traditional Sunday roasts, with a roast beef sirloin cut and trimmings (£25), miso-glazed chicken supreme (£23) and a vegan option, changing weekly. Definitely one to try soon. By the time the saxophonist finishes his set and the last margaritas are poured, it’s clear KIX bar + Kitchen has found its place on Lordship Lane, bringing a flash of bold flavour to one of South London’s most charming high streets.

Location: Kix Bar + Kitchen, 57 Lordship Ln, SE22 8EP

Opening times: Tuesday - Thursday: 6pm – 11pm Friday: 5pm – 12am

Saturday: 1pm – 12am

Sunday: 1pm – 6pm

Live music: Saturday, 8pm - 10pm kixbarkitchen.co.uk

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Sourdough Sophia ―

THE POPULAR LOCKDOWN BAKERY IS EXPANDING TO BERMONDSEY

By Evie Flynn

Starting in Sophia and Jesse’s dining room in 2020, Sourdough Sophia grew from a lockdown hobby into a north London staple with multiple locations. This spring, the cult bakery is heading south and bringing its central production kitchen to Spa Terminus in Bermondsey.

Founded by Sophia Handschuh and her partner Jesse Sutton Jones, Sourdough Sophia began life as a microbakery during the early months of the first lockdown.

Confined to their Crouch End flat, Sophia baked with their baby daughter balanced on her hip, whilst Jesse took to his bike, hand-delivering baked goods around their local neighbourhood.

Six years later, the pair now oversee three bakeries across north London, boast 266,000 Instagram followers and are preparing to open a 7,000 sq ft production site and wholesale hub under the railway arches in Bermondsey.

Known for their clean-ingredient sourdough loaves –made with just flour, water and salt – and favourites like Cinnamon Cruffins (a muffin meets croissant hybrid), the pair have built a loyal following for Sourdough Sophia, from the original supporters in Crouch End to newer fans.

Outgrowing the small kitchens in their existing stores, the new space marks a major milestone for the community bakery, opening up new areas of London and transforming how they bake and supply goods.

Once the team are set up in Bermondsey, there will also be a chance for local customers to buy goods directly from the arches, as many producers at Spa Terminus open their shutters to the public on Friday and Saturday.

Sophia and Jesse originally met at the University of Bristol in 2011 before moving to North London together, where they both entered full-time marketing roles.

“We were both hitting our limit in an office environment,” Jesse explains. “Both Sophia’s parents are entrepreneurs and she’s incredibly creative – she needs to do her own thing.”

Growing up in Germany, Sophia began baking with her father, himself a baker, at the age of five and continued baking for friends and family during her adult life.

With Jesse’s support, she eventually left her marketing job to pursue her dream of running a baking business full time, writing a blog, running sourdough workshops from home and online, and selling baked goods and bakeware.

When lockdown hit, they had just welcomed their daughter, Hermione, but their business quickly ground to a halt when shipping stopped.

“We had a bread oven from the workshops that could take twelve loaves at a time,” Jesse says. “We didn’t have anything else to do, so I suggested we drop bread to people in the local community and, if they liked it, they could buy their next loaf.”

Fortunately, Jesse says the loaves went “viral” in the community and they received hundreds of WhatsApp orders. The pair hastily built an online shop, shared their journey on social media and soon found themselves running a mini bakery from their dining room.

By the summer, socially distanced queues stretched down the street from their flat, with customers clamouring not just for sourdough, but cheesecakes, brownies and pastries too.

“Eventually we decided to take what we had learnt and open a high street bakery,” Jesse said. Although, they couldn’t get business loans, so decided to go back to the local community for help.

They launched a Kickstarter campaign and got over 600 backers, raising around £36,000. Combined with their own savings, they opened their first bakery in Crouch End in December 2020.

“We had queues down the street for six months straight,” Jesse says. “I think people loved that we were a lockdown success story - it brought life back to a high street that had been silent for so long.”

However, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Jesse is quick to point out that this was their first time launching a business of this scale, so mistakes were inevitable. Laughing, he recalls how they “messed everything up” on the opening day of their first bakery.

“It was a disaster,” he says. “No usable dough was made - we had to message everyone and delay the launch until the following day.”

As the team continues to grow rapidly, Sophia and Jesse now host a monthly “founder breakfast” to welcome new starters. With Sophia increasingly walking into sites and no longer knowing everyone by name, the sessions create space to talk through the brand, the story and the values with those who have joined in the past month.

Now, they’re keen to expand into new areas of London and reach more communities. Huge ovens will be installed under the Bermondsey arches, with all bread baked on site before being delivered locally to homes and to their bakeries.

Jesse describes the new site as “huge” with headroom for up to twenty sites. They will also have head office space there, as well as selling directly to customers on Fridays and Saturdays.

Spa Terminus is an amalgamation of ex-Borough Market wholesalers who have set up permanent spaces where they can work and sell. Jesse describes the “wonderful warm welcome” from the like-minded producers there.

The pair have also signed leases in Primrose Hill and on South Molton Street, with further South London and central locations planned. Wimbledon and Richmond are high on the list.

Their space in Spa Terminus will be open at the beginning of April.

Voyager Estate, Dockley Rd, London SE16 4RP https://sourdoughsophia.co.uk/

Bread of Heaven

LONDON’S

By Evie Flynn

Tucked between Rye Lane and Bellenden Road lies Bara, the capital’s first Welsh cafe and the newest addition to Peckham’s bustling food scene. Bara (the Welsh word for bread) takes inspiration from the richness of Welsh produce, offering a Swansea Breakfast, Caerphilly Cheesesteak and better-known classics like the Welsh Rarebit.

The cafe was founded by Masterchef: The Professionals quarter-finalist, Cissy Dalladay, and former head chef of Pique Cafe in Clapham, Zoe Heimann. It draws on the influence of both founders' upbringings with Cissy’s childhood in South Wales fuelling Bara’s culinary inspiration and Zoe’s in South London, inspiring the location.

The idea blossomed when Cissy stumbled across her grandmother’s 1950s Welsh Gas board cookbook, titled "Croeso Cymreig - a Welsh Welcome". When reading the recipes, she found old notes from her grandma inside – which she took as a sign to go do something Welsh. The two women combined their mutual love of bread and their high-flying goal of opening up their own space to create Bara.

Bara takes a modern approach to staple Welsh ingredients. The Caerphilly Cheesesteak takes inspiration from the staple American sandwich – the Philly Cheesesteak – consisting of thinly sliced steak and melted cheese. The Bara twist on the classic uses eighthour smoked Welsh beef brisket, Caerphilly cheese, and Blas Y Tir leeks.

“I feel like as a nation Wales is underrepresented in the food scene in London,” Cecily said. “I’m excited to showcase these exceptional suppliers. Our food and coffee tastes better, because the ingredients and suppliers that create them do so with care and attention.”

Their “hearty” Swansea Breakfast features smoked bacon, leeks, cockles on toasted focaccia, alongside laverbread – a traditional Welsh delicacy made from seaweed.

Bara’s own focaccia is a big part of their offering, with fillings including slow-cooked Welsh lamb shoulder in Lamiri harissa, or saffron coronation chicken with mango and scotch bonnet salsa.

From 7:30am every weekday, Bara will be running a breakfast counter, from Bara Brith (meaning ‘speckled bread’), leek bubble and squeak or egg and cheese focaccia.

For drinks, Bara will be serving up coffee from Coaltown Roasters, a Welsh producer based in Ammanford, a former mining town in Carmarthenshire.

Cissy said: “We’re working with companies that are doing things differently and who share our values; from Câr-y-Môr, Wales’ first regenerative seaweed and shellfish farm, to Coaltown Coffee, a B-Corp with firm roots in the community, our suppliers embody our ethos of ‘Bread, Opportunity, Community’”.

Their opening weekend did not disappoint and the reception from the local community was described by the founders as “crazy”. Bara opened its doors to Peckham on Valentine’s Day after a soft launch on February 12, with queues stretching down the street.

Zoe told us how the vision for Bara is to create a community space that goes far beyond the food. “A café can do more than just sell coffee…We want to be really intentional about building a space for the Peckham community, where people can come together, break bread, and connect,” she explained.

In the evening, Bara plans to showcase local culinary talent through a chefs-in-residency programme. The space will also be available to hire at a discounted rate for local non-profit groups to meet.

Once established, Bara plans to launch an entry to work scheme, supporting marginalised groups like asylum seekers who face unfair barriers to jobs. They will also look to partner with local food banks, distributing surplus food, and offering vouchers to make the café accessible to everyone in the community.

Bara, 44-46 Choumert Road, SE15 4SE

Opening hours:

Wednesday - Friday 07.30 - 16.30

Saturday 08.30 - 17.00

Sunday 08.30 - 16.00

Follow @baracafelondon on Instagram

We’re speeding up bus journeys in Lambeth

Tell us about your experience of bus journey’s on Acre Lane and Norwood Road

Engagement open 19 January to 15 February

We're working with Transport for London to make bus journeys faster, safer, and more reliable on Acre Lane (A2217) and Norwood Road (A215). They’re two of eight bus priority corridors across Lambeth.

OUR ETHOS & VALUES

Our ethos is one of being uncompromising yet caring in everything that we do. This is how we have created a happy and safe learning environment, with firm but fair discipline. Our community is built on three core values that guide everything we do:

AMBITION

Ready to learn: we bring all the books and equipment we need, and our homework is complete.

We arrive at school and lessons on time, wearing the correct uniform.

We persevere: we always try our best, even when it’s challenging. We never give up.

COMPASSION RESPECT

We show kindness to everyone. We include others and make them feel valued and important.

We always look out for each other and speak up for what’s right. We do not tolerate bullying, discrimination or harassment of any kind.

We move around the school calmly and sensibly.

We show good manners to all. We speak to and about others in ways that are kind and dignifying. We follow all routines and instructions.

The quality and presentation of our work are exceptional. As a community, we respect others’ rights to learn.

We take care of our environment.

Barbora Patková has transformed what she described as a “dirty old yard” in South Bermondsey into a wellness haven, complete with saunas, cold plunge baths and a workshop space hosting yoga, sound baths and meditation.

Just a short walk from South Bermondsey station, Innervisions Alchemy appears from the outside to be a fenced-off, nondescript piece of land. Step inside, however, and it feels as though you’ve been transported straight to Finland.

The space features three large wooden saunas and three icy water baths - a wellness practice known as contrast therapy, which involves rapidly alternating between extreme heat and extreme cold.

With community at its centre, the sauna and cold plunge launched in November last year, offering accessible prices of just £9.50 for a 90-minute session during off-peak hours and £15 at peak times.

They also offer 60-minute off-peak sessions for £8, with discounted rates of £5 for students, Blue Light card holders, people with disabilities, those over 66, or anyone on a low income.

“Once you come through the gates, you could be anywhere,” explained Barbora, the founder of Innervisions Alchemy. “Having a sauna in the middle of London is so unusual, we had a full moon the other day and it felt like you were in the middle of nowhere.”

Each 90-minute session includes access to all three saunas, which vary in size and temperature, as well as hot tea, showers, changing rooms and three icy plunges. Two of the cold baths are kept between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius, while the coldest sits at just 1 degree.

The saunas themselves are wood-fired and tended by a member of staff throughout the day. One is designated as a quiet sauna, offering an uninterrupted escape from the outside world.

“People are really needing something like this,” Barbora says. “We’ve lost touch with being outside and being in the elements. There’s a real fire, fed by a person, with the intention to keep it going under the open sky, in fresh air and water.

“It taps into something we’re deeply seeking, even if we’re not always aware of it. It’s social, it’s different, and it brings people back into their bodies.”

Alongside the sauna space, Barbora built a twostorey workshop area and wellness lounge inside the main building. Open since 2024, it hosts massage, yoga, breathwork, sound healing and meditation sessions.

The spacious studio space is available to book for individuals or organisations and the treatment rooms are home to a trusted group of practitioners specialising in a range of holistic therapies.

Originating from Finland, contrast therapy offers numerous physiological and mental benefits. With a degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, Barbora is particularly interested in how the psyche and physical body are connected.

“It decreases your risk of heart disease, reduces mortality, detoxifies the skin, improves circulation and relaxes the nervous system,” she explains.

Beyond the physical effects, Barbora highlights the mental health benefits as well. “It’s been shown to reduce anxiety, depression and addiction. It has a real capacity to break you out of bad habits. We live in such a busy world, and it’s often hard for us to process emotions - our bodies are constantly in fight-or-flight mode.

Innervisions Alchemy

By Evie Flynn

INSIDE THE HIDDEN SOUTH BERMONDSEY SAUNA

SANCTUARY - WITH COLD PLUNGES FOR UNDER £10

“I think contrast therapy has an invincible element to it,” she continues. “When you do something challenging in extreme conditions, you build not only physiological but also mental resilience.

‘Having a sauna in the middle of London is so unusual, we had a full moon the other day and it felt like you were in the middle of nowhere.’

“A morning session sets you up for the day, invigorating you by lowering cortisol levels. At night, contrast therapy can support sleep, and when you immerse yourself up to your neck in the cold water, it activates your vagus nerve, which helps calm the nervous system.”

Contrast therapy can seem daunting if you’ve never plunged before. However, Innervisions Alchemy is welcoming to all - Barbora insists that once people try it, they usually want to keep doing it.

Barbora has had a successful career as a musician and also runs a music studio business just down the road from the sauna. For the past ten years, she has been working with breath, sound, and meditation alongside her music, hosting workshops from her home. She wanted, however, to take her practice to the next level.

Looking ahead, Barbora hopes to introduce half-day music and wellness retreats, welcoming like-minded people to experience saunas, massages, and sound and breathwork sessions. Music from across the world would be streamed across the entire site, including inside the saunas, creating a fully immersive experience.

She also plans to host outdoor film nights as the weather warms up. “I can imagine people lounging around after a sauna and cold plunge on Moroccan furnishings, showing films that not only entertain but also educate,” she says.

Ultimately, Barbora wants to link her two passions, music and wellness, more closely. She is exploring ways to connect her music studios with the sauna site, developing high-end production opportunities for bands, and applying for funding to run the first accredited course in south-east London focused on music and wellness. Her goal is to make it accessible to women, queer people, and a diverse range of participants.

Location: Unit 1, Ilderton Wharf, Rollins St, SE15 1EP Prices: 90 minutes peak: £15, 90 minutes off-peak: £9.50 60 minute off-peak: £8 (£5 concessions) https://www.innervisionsalchemy.co.uk

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