Come and watch a local group of older people from Dulwich Picture Gallery’s Good Times programme and Year 4 students from Bessemer Grange Primary School perform together on Wednesday 19 June at Dulwich Picture Gallery.

They have all been participating in a creative workshop decorating umbrellas as well as learning a dance based on the theme of ‘Shelter and Protection’.  You can see the results of this collaboration at 1.30pm in the grounds of Dulwich Picture Gallery tomorrow (19 June).

As part of this year’s Creativity and Wellbeing Week, Dulwich Picture Gallery is working with leading practitioner, dancer and Artistic Director of Chaturangan Indian Dance Company, Bisakha Sarker, on this intergenerational dance and art project.

The Gallery’s permanent collection is a starting point, with emphasis on paintings which deal with themes of ‘caring and protection’.

The participants will decorate umbrellas to symbolise reaching out and protecting a loved one. Choreographed movements will incorporate umbrellas to facilitate interaction between the generations, inviting each other to dance together under the shelter of their respective customised umbrellas.

Last year’s workshop

Dulwich Picture Gallery worked with Bisakha during last year’s ‘Ragamala Painting from India: Poetry, Passion, Song’ exhibition. Her series of Indian dance workshops with older people promotes healthy and active ageing. Some participants had dementia, arthritis and other age-related illnesses, and the sessions showed how dancing has a positive impact, both physically and mentally.

It should be an unusual spectacle!

Find out more about the inspirational Bisakha Sarker in her own words. 

For further information please contact Emily Christou, e.christou@dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk / 020 8299 8753

Recent adverts for digital readers – not always the Kindle, but ones much like it – have used a striking and easily decoded image. They show a bookcase, usually grand and imposing, contained within the e-reader itself. The message is clear (although the advert text often spells it out): ‘A digital reader can contain a whole bookcase worth of books, and it fits in your pocket.’

This message is – unless you have very small pockets – mostly accurate. The ability of digital readers to make bulk loads of literature portable is undeniable. So the concept is sound, but the adverts themselves are a little inaccurate.

The bookcases in the adverts are all rather impressive, full of big cloth-bound hardbacks and arty photo-books. None of these books are available on an e-reader, either because of their age or their size. But the main inaccuracy is the implication that the bookcase, huge and heavy and old-fashioned, is rendered redundant by new technology. This is something I’ve heard talked about a lot, especially in relation to hardback books. Books are now just too big. They take up too much space.

I’ve been a bookseller for a long time, and this problem feels like a new one. Until the advent of the digital age, the fact that books took up space was hardly mentioned. If you cease buying books that won’t fit in your pocket, what will you fill your bookcase with?

Bookcases have a primary purpose, true. But to say that the only point of a bookcase is to hold books is like saying the only point of a book is to hold pages. The bookcase is almost a strong a symbol as the book itself. It represents knowledge, but also memory, comfort, and an ascetic tradition that goes back millennia.

Book storage is obviously something that we think about a lot at Village Books. Our main problem is that there’s never enough of it. There are occasional mornings – as I slice open another box of bulky hardbacks and think, “Now where am I going to put this lot” – when I can certainly see the advantages of a Kindle. If I had my way the books would go right up the walls, customers scrambling around on ladders like pirates in the rigging. I’d hang them from the flippin’ ceiling if I could.

I have a similar problem at home. Most booksellers have extensive book collections, because we’re surrounded by temptation on a daily basis (the standard shop joke is that we don’t get paid our wages, we just borrow them). Trying to find space to put the blessed things involves much re-arranging and lending and the occasional teetering stack in the corner. They take up a lot of space but – and here’s the thing – I like that. That’s what they’re supposed to do.

If you live in a shoebox, then I can understand the need to downsize. If you spend a lot of time on the move, or on holiday, then portability is key. But I tend to see a lonely space in my house as an area crying out for a bookcase. Despite its storage capacity, putting my e-reader in that space just wouldn’t be the same (I could put it on a plinth of some sort, I suppose).
A bookcase provides an opportunity for design and customisation that is always unique. Regardless of your chosen method of organisation – alphabetically, by colour, size, genre – your bookcase won’t look like anyone else’s. My colleague Kate goes by size and genre, with her favourites all together. I find that any system I have falls apart in days, so I just chuck ‘em in any old way. The exact same books in the exact same case would nonetheless look entirely different.

This is not another article decrying e-books. They are wonderful, handy, liberating things. But it is a reminder that books are not just lines of words on paper. A book that’s read, even if it will never be read again, needn’t be a waste if space. Its presence is a reminder of a thing done, a representation of knowledge shared. Visually they have worth and beauty quite apart from the writing within. They fill up space, correct. But space is there to be filled. Books en masse fill up space and look nice doing it, which is not to be sneezed at.

And so to fill a bookcase seems like a noble endeavour. You can see the attempts of some of the Village Books staff in the photos accompanying this article (free handshakes if you can guess which belongs to whom).

Follow Village Books on Facebook: /villagebooksdulwich or Twitter: @bookshopdulwich

Art movements and artists like to sit on the edge of society, looking in, musing. So the label “coming of age” doesn’t sit as easily as it does with other movements more concerned with mass appeal. Whether or not south London is now an established part of the art scene is debatable, but it is certainly gaining recognition as a place to go for fresh and innovative art.

In 2009, the New York Times said of Deptford: “…with the unpolished location comes that most heady of urban ingredients: an edge.” In the same year, they also described Peckham as “… a countercultural challenge to the established North-of-the-river world of the Frieze art fair and the gentrified East End.”

They were right. Higher rents, partly induced by the credit crunch, have seen art communities moving south. The icon on the east London art scene, White Cube, closed up shop at the end of 2012, probably in the realisation that the best days are behind the Shoreditch and Hoxton creative hub. The renovation of parts of Hackney for the Olympics also impacted on the number of galleries in the area meaning that art galleries are now declining in number after showing steady increase for a decade or more.

LuckyPDF live at Frieze

All the good vibrations, it seems, are now being made south of the river. Peckham collective LuckyPDF are one notable group who have taken hold of the vibe of south London and are making noises outside of their constituency. Self-proclaimed “post-internet” artists, they exist both online and through events; LuckyPDF occupy the space between the ethereal and the material, possibly in response to the same pressures which brings means that the area that they operate in is now flourishing.

The evolution of this particular band of artists began with a successful collaboration with Auto Italia which saw the trendy space provided by the project transformed into something of a TV studio. Together they produced shows performed live over the internet and to studio audiences at the same time – a resounding success in Peckham and across London. The groups’ ultimate the aim is to subvert usual art relations and move art into an anti-elite sphere. LuckyPDF achieved this and appearances at the 2011 Frieze Art Fair followed as did residencies at Space Studios and Woodmill.

Sunday Painter is another gallery which has performance at the centre of its message. The Painter keeps its cool intact in not being a familiar name, although top grade artists past through their exhibition space. There is the same panache as Auto Italia but there’s less outreach.

Tucked in among the helter-skelter of Deptford’s fish markets is Bearspace, a gallery space which invites artists to respond to contemporary culture, with exhibitions often taking on a narrative framework. One-half of the space is a bookshop dedicated to exploring and highlighting symbolism which contrasts contemporary media. Gallop, another gallery in the vicinity is also split in two, one half a café where bohemians and urban explorers congregate and collaborate on projects. The splitting and double use of space is in keeping with the feeling of flux and improvisation which characterises the relatively small spaces which seem to be cropping up ad hoc.

The cluster of independent art galleries in both Peckham and Depford is explorable by foot. The surprise of stumbling into a small creative space can be as fulfilling as experiencing the space itself, however The South London Art Map is best if you are looking to plan ahead. Fast becoming London’s art bible, the site has up-to-date listings, reviews and, of course, a downloadable map to help you traverse and come into contact with as many art gems as possible.

The South London Art Map “pay what you can” tours can be found here: http://www.southlondonartmap.com/tours.

Art Licks tours can be found here: http://www.artlicks.com/events/1013/tours.

You can visit Ramis’s blog here http://triganome.wordpress.com.

The Bigger Picture is screening DIVA (1981) on 20 June at the EDT in East Dulwich.    Directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix this wonderfully stylish thriller was largely responsible for the renaissance of foreign language film in the UK in the early 80′s and remains impressive viewing today.  

The story of Jules, an opera-obsessed courier whose bootleg recording of a rare concert by American diva Cynthia Hawkins is believed to be a tape connecting the chief of police with a Parisian vice ring, precipitates a frantic search for its whereabouts by two murderous thugs.

Beineix’s debut – from the impressively taut novel by Delacorta – is not only stunningly composed (director of photography, Philippe Rousselot imbues the film with a seductive neon hue), peppered with thrills like the moped chase on the Metro, it also fairly bristles with a sadistic, Dystopian tension in which heroes and villains are readily interchangeable.

A hybrid of genres: noir, new-wave, and farytale romance – Diva has the lot, yet still manages to wear its composite nature with distinct daring and élan.

FREE RAFFLE PRIZES  kindly donated by Rye Books  and Push Studios
FILM NOTES
DVD SALES

Details
DIVA  (1981)   113 mins    cert 12
Directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix with Frederic Andrei, Roland Bertin, Richard Bohringer
French with subtitles 
Thursday 20 June 2013
7pm: music/bar with drinks and themed snacks
7.50: introduction to film
8pm: film

Tickets £7 online from WeGotTickets
Or in person from:
Push Studios, 7-19 Blackwater Street SE22
Rye Books, 45 Upland Road SE22
Locale Restaurant, 58-60 East Dulwich Road SE22
East Dulwich Tavern, 1 Lordship Lane SE22
or on the door.

Upstairs at the East Dulwich Tavern,  1 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, SE22

For more details and future films visit The Bigger Picture Website

Fancy a ‘lid off the box’ dining experience? Once a month we transform our business premises in East Dulwich into a pop up restaurant. You get to see what goes on behind the scenes in a professional kitchen as our chefs create sensational dishes before your very eyes!

Our evenings are often further enhanced by live music provided by local musicians who make full use of the kitchen acoustics, adding to the already buzzing atmosphere.

We recommend that you arrive hungry to ensure you fully appreciate the delicious feast ahead. The evening kicks off with canapés and cocktails before moving onto a specially designed bespoke 3 course menu which includes all the best seasonal organic produce from local suppliers. The evening concludes with contented diners chatting about their favorite dish while sipping fair trade coffee and trying to find room for a few sneaky petit fours!

We can accommodate up to 36 guests and welcome everyone, from those flying solo, to couples, groups and even wedding parties! To top it off it’s BYO, so whatever your choice of tipple bring it along and corkage is free. For a more exclusive event, why not book an evening at the chef’s table for your own select list of guests!

We love hearing from and working with local independent companies, so if you fancy joining forces and showcasing your business then drop us a line. So far we have collaborated with an array of local businesses including a wine company offering tastings on the night, a cake company offering booty bags of delicious cupcakes to take home, and a fantastic Jazz trio! Not only is great exposure for your business but we also offer two seats at that evening’s Supper Club in return.

Supper Club is run as a not for profit event that allows us to raise funds for the Suzanne James Food Foundation, a project we are developing in local schools. To cover costs we ask for a suggested donation of £30 per person.

Dates are usually released 2 to 3 weeks before each event and fill up very quickly. Supper Club members are given 24 hour advance notice of each date before it goes on general release.

To sign up for your free of charge membership email us.

*Images: thanks to Suzanne James

There are not many places in London which boast breathtaking views alongside exceptional exhibitions.

One such a place is the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill first opened by Frederick John Horniman in the Victorian era in order to display his house, the grounds and his collections of anthropological importance, musical instruments, as well as an acclaimed aquarium and natural history collection.

I had meant to visit the Horniman Museum for a long time, having spotted a number of alluring posters on my train commute each day and having grown up the child of history loving parents I have spent many an hour in museums and now as an adult enjoy furthering my horizons across many topics (not just the ever present gift shop favoured in my younger days!). The Easter weekend this year gave me the perfect chance to get out and explore this amazing institution.

Meeting up with 2 friends in the morning of a lovely sunny day my husband and I first enjoyed a stroll around the extensive grounds – the museum boasts 16-acre of fantastic gardens with the most fantastic view across London. Additionally we spotted lovely flora, a children’s play section (musical instruments made up from day-to-day materials such as pipes – you can see one of my friends having a play in the photos below!) They are currently adding an animal section to the gardens for additional engagement, at the time of our visit there were some chickens and cute little goats in situ.

There are over 350,000 objects amongst the collections at this Museum with many important and notable items. We loved the engaging installations in the musical instrument room which allowed us to select certain weird and wonderful instruments and hear their various melodies or beats. Being a flautist myself and having dedicated a large chunk of my childhood to music this was a fascinating display of global music and the traditions surrounding tunes.

Whilst my husband and friends enjoyed the vast number of taxidermy specimens from around the globe I preferred the aquarium.  We purchased tickets to access the great variety of water-creatures from frogs and starfish to seahorses and crabs in the aquarium stashed in the basement. This was my favourite area of the museum. I have a bit of a soft spot for aquariums and despite its compact size the aquarium at the Horniman was a fantastic experience. I enjoyed watching the stunning jellyfish gracefully flit about their tank with child-like excitement.

The second paid for exhibition we chose to visit was the Amazon Adventure exhibit - the collection I had seen advertised on the trains. If you have ever wondered what it’s like to experience the Amazon this is the place for you – showing the incredible diversity of landscape, exotic flora and fauna and of course, the culture of the region. On offer were exciting interaction education displays for kids (and grown up kids) such as peeking inside the tummy of a giant catfish, feeling the simulated zap of an electric eel and live fishes on display where you can get up close and personal with stingrays and tank of tetras.

We all had a fantastic day out at the Horniman Museum, I really do recommend a visit whether on you own, with friends or with family – catering for all ages, there is something for everyone in this lovely south east London museum and garden.

With a background in museum and gallery retailing I have spent years visiting and assessing museum shops, it is a passion of mine.

South London Gallery

Museum and gallery shops are always a source of the unexpected and unusual, their retail buyers are forced to look in the strangest places to find goods which support the institution’s collections and exhibitions. Forget the unimaginative chain stores and check out your local museum shop, where not only are you bound to find the curious and the clever, your purchase will also help support the work of the parent museum.

In our part of South London we are lucky to have three internationally renowned and exemplary museums right on our doorsteps and each with a very fine shop attached. Remember with any museum, whether it charges an entrance fee or not, you can always ask to visit just the shop.

In the South London Gallery’s free current installation; Too Much Night Again, Los Angeles artist Pae White explores a period of her own prolonged insomnia. Taunt black and red threads criss-cross the gallery space, like a 3D version of the nail and silk pictures from the 1970′s. As you pass beneath, looming over you changing abstract patterns weave across the room, strung-out strands striking the walls and becoming tangible words.

The shop at the South London Gallery is packed with beautiful contemporary art books, browsers are bound to buy, tempted by the well curated collection. It is a great resource for art magazines. I spotted locally born, Turner prize-winner and this year’s British representative at the Venice Biennale, Jeremy Deller, gracing the cover of the current Fantastic Man Magazine. Pick up a copy and enjoy it over a coffee in the SLG’s wonderful café, NO67. Where, by the way, the dinner menu is sensational.

The SLG Shop has a selection of out of the ordinary and stylish gifts. With an insatiable appetite for the quirky I was drawn towards a sublimely silly, but adorable, reproduction of an 18th French Paper Doll Set. Coiffures Au Choix (£3.50) has a mannequin bust complete with 12 wigs. But why should the mannequin have all the fun? I predict much mirth and merriment with a bottle of \Merlot and some friends’ photos.

I love the limited edition of 500 Woodpecker Accordion Book Kits (£10) by artist John Dilnot, and an equally fun find is a facsimile reprint from 1910, the Slant Book (£10.99) by David Newell.

At the cash register I could not resist adding a bar of extremely pretty Dolfin Pink Peppercorn Belgium Chocolate (£2.70) to my David Austen, Kiss Me Stupid, Bag (£10).

If you are decorating, treat yourself to a limited edition print by one of the artists who has shown at the SLG.

Horniman Museum and Gardens is quite literally a jewel in our crown, perched where it is high up on a hill with fabulous views across London. It is a fantastic family day out, there is so much to explore. The museum has fascinated me since I was a child, when I was taken on regular school trips, in fact I drew the walrus so many times I now think of him as a family member.

The shop has changed from back in the day when wardens sold a few postcards and leather bookmarks, now a carefully considered collection of desirable products seek to inspire as much as the wonderful artefacts and the diverse and varied, natural world which surrounds them. There are items for the home and garden as well as a great selection of activities for children, which reflect the museum’s work and collections.

I was hooked by a superb Fish Soap On A Rope (£10) and made a bee-line for the splendid Bee Kitchen Textile Range by Sophie Allport, particularly an ever-hard-to-find Tea Cosy (£12) and all important double Oven Mitts (£15). The shop also sells Sophie Allport bee ceramics, including some rather fine mugs (£12), which I can perfectly imagine on a pitch pine kitchen table with the Sunday papers.

As you would imagine with the surrounding gardens, the shop caters well for gardeners with lots of practical gifts including handy folding Pocket Secateurs (£13.50) and some wonderfully retro dotty Gardening Gloves complete with Hand Cream (£10).

The shop truly is a great resource for gifts for children, important to remember with the endless cycle of children’s parties. I bought a gorgeous ‘Lets Go Fly A Kite’, Kite Kit (£4.25) for my young neighbours, Bea and Charlotte, to fly on the Rye this weekend.

A trip to Dulwich Picture Gallery, Britain’s oldest public gallery (‘the most beautiful small art gallery in the word’ – the Telegraph) has always been an almost otherworldly experience for me, despite the hundreds of visits I have made, each time I enter my breath is taken away, I can scarcely believe this remarkable place exists.

I still stand in surprised silence in the sanctity and sanctuary of architect Soane’s central mausoleum, contemplating the juxtaposition of the peacefully interred benefactors – Bourgeois and Desenfans – and the crowds of visitors who wonder at the collection they helped form.

Hurry if you want to see the Murillo & Justino de Neve exhibition which closes on 19th May.

The shop at Dulwich Picture Gallery houses a collection of products worthy of this prestigious and prominent building.

I absolutely love the facsimile reprint from 1873; Beauty; What It Is And How To Retain It, with the spectacular by-line of ‘by A Lady’ (£7.95). In a similar vein the Collector’s Library edition of The Pickwick Papers (£9.99) would make a handsome, and significant addition, to any bookcase; the eponymous protagonist of Dickens’ work retired to Dulwich ‘one of the most pleasant spots near London.’

A purchase of any one of the striking Peckham-based Just Trade Jewellery creations will not only help the Dulwich Picture Gallery, it will also help the women of a fair-trade project in Lima, Peru. I was particularly enamoured with a Cristabel Glass Bauble Bracelet (£60). A perfect accessory for a summer soirée There is also a range of handmade jewellery from Carrie Elspeth in bright summery colours and a fantastic floral, and very reasonable, ceramic range from Stockwell ceramics.

I bought some delightful Book Plates (£4.99) by wonderful design company Mac and Ninny, whose graphic style I fell in love with, and deliciously presented Rare Tea Company Jasmine Silver Tip Tea (£7.50). A map of The Remarkable Trees Of Dulwich (£3.95), which will make interesting study, and a Rabitos Royale Chocolate Fig (£1) for which I will going back today to buy more as it was possibly one of the tastiest things I have tasted. The gallery, of course, has a superb collection of Postcards, which I buy in bulk and keep in the desk drawer as ‘Thank Yous’ or ‘RSVPs’.

Lawrence’s monthly shopping column appears in the SE Magazines group of magazines, this month there is a round up of the best local museum products for kids.

Growing like Topsy!

When the Herne Hill Music Festival was just a gleam in the eye 2 and a half years ago, it consisted of a sketchy plan for a few of concerts and musical events in Herne Hill during one week early in the Autumn. Now, after two successful Festivals, the 2013 event is leading to more music-making outside the week of the Festival itself.

The Festival runs from 11th-19th October this year, and there will be information on the music planned on this site later. Plans include an opera, folk and gypsy-jazz nights, family concerts, and a composition competition. But these plans have led to four sets of events in the run up to the festival, beginning later this month.

Jazz-Factor

One of our members, band-leader Rupert Ingham has been running JazzJam sessions open to any jazz performer to turn up and play. He suggested that we could run a competition, and so Jazz-Factor was born. We are inviting any jazz performers over 18 – soloists, duos and trios, bands – to compete to win the competition. There will be First Rounds in June and July, Semi-finals in September, and a Final during the Festival week.

The concept of Jazz-Factor is bring local talent together in a spirit of appreciation and friendly competition … to give local talent a platform to perform and share, to give more than just one turn at an open-mic session.

The the first round will be in June and July. We hope to organise 4 nights of music and competition if there are enough entrants. The semi-finals are September 23rd and 30th, and the final is on October 18th. All these dates are at 8pm at The Half Moon in Herne Hill.

Competitors will play a few songs in the 1st round, and then longer stands in the Semi-finals and Final. Decisions will be made from the votes of a panel of experts plus votes by the audience. The Ingham Swing Ensemble will act as a backing band.

Anyone interested should email: JazzFactor@hernehillfestival.org

Young Jazz-Factor

For under-18s, there will be a similar competition. The 1st round will be on July 13th, and competitors will perform just one song or number. The Semi-finals will be on September 14th and 28th, and the Final will be on October 12th.

All these events take pace from 3-5pm at St Saviour’s Hall, Herne Hill Road. The Ingham Swing Ensemble will be the backing band again, and decisions will be made by a panel of judges plus the audience.

Again, anyone interested should email: JazzFactor@hernehillfestival.org

The prizes – the glory, and a certificate. Finalists will all be presented with a certificate.

A Bandstand at the Market

The Ingham Swing Ensemble, 9th Sept 2012

Last September, on the wonderfully sunny Sunday 9th, we organised a great day of bandstand music at the Herne Hill Sunday Market. Weather permitting, we will have a another glorious day of music and sunshine on Sunday 8th September this year, and on September 1^st as well if we can raise the funding.

On 8^th, there will be two bands, taking turns. Lambeth Wind Orchestra will perform a range of traditional and fun bandstand music with their inimitable panache. The MAC Band will perform jazz, and fronted by a range of great soloists from the Brixton area.

The music starts at 11am and goes on to 3pm. There hope that we can put on a similar range on music on September 1st.

The London Saxophone Choir, 9th Sept 2012

Joining an Opera Chorus

Opera At Home perform Mozart’s La Finta Semplice

A highlight of the Festival this year will be a performance of Mozart’s The abduction from the Seraglio, by Opera at Home. Thanks to a grant from Dulwich Community Council, there will be an opportunity for local people to take part as members of the chorus.

The opera will be performed on the evening of Saturday October 12th, from 8pm at The Half Moon, will a dress rehearsal in the afternoon at the same venue. There will be two training sessions for people who would like to be in the chorus. These will be on September 28th and October 5th. The training sessions will be at The Methodist Hall, Half Moon Lane, from 3-5pm.

Anyone who would like to sing in the chorus should email: MusicalDirector@hernehillfestival.org

Details of the opera and the chance, to take part, and all the events of the Festival, are on our web site at: www.hernehillfestival.org.

A

Inspired by the London Olympics and thinking of dusting off your athletics spikes or perhaps just getting a bit fitter? If so, you are in luck as the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre has both indoor and outdoor athletics facilities and is round the corner from Dulwich. Friendly South London Harriers use the main track as their training ground and welcome new members. Otherwise Dulwich College Sports Club also have a 300m athletics track, but it is usually reserved for club members only.

Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

B

Badminton

Surprisingly badminton is one of the fastest racquet sports in the world and Badminton England have recently introduced a friendly ‘No strings’ format allowing anyone to get involved. In Dulwich sessions take place on Tuesday nights and Sunday mornings at Dulwich College Sports Club. You just need to bring a fiver, equipment is supplied. Non-members can also get involved in their Monday evening Badminton Club Night (£8).

Basketball

There are several options for Dulwich Basketball with free concrete outdoor courts at Dulwich Park and just next to West Dulwich station. Alternatively you can play indoors at some of the local Dulwich schools as at Alleyn’s School, Dulwich College Sports Club and the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, subject to availability.

Francis Drake Bowls Club

Bowls

Contrary to popular belief you do not need to be over 65, called Maureen and have dentures to play bowls. Furthermore Bowls England are keen to promote their sport to a younger audience and in Dulwich there are two main options. Dulwich Park has a private members bowling green towards the centre of the park (call 020 7525 2000). Slightly further away in Hilly Fields (Brockley) is the very sociable Francis Drake Bowls Club which is always looking for new members.

C

Cricket Nets

Dulwich is inundated with cricket pitches and naturally cricket nets often accompany them. Your first port of call should be Dulwich Sports ground which has three cricket nets available on a pay and play basis throughout the summer months. Dulwich Park also offers two crickets to the public for free which gets popular during summer evenings. Finally Dulwich College, Alleyn’s School, Lloyds Cricket Ground and Streatham & Marlborough Cricket Club also offer good cricket nets but you will need to enquire about availability.

Cricket Pitches

Dulwich not only has cricket pitches, it has exceptionally good cricket pitches. You really are spoilt for choice. The main picks are Dulwich Sports Ground (four pitches), Streatham & Marlborough Cricket Club (two pitches) and Dulwich Cricket Club which are the best quality Dulwich cricket pitches. Alternatively Dulwich Park (two pitches), and Belair Park (two pitches) offers pitches for lower budgets, the only sacrifice is the quality.

Croquet

Often combined with Pimms and cucumber sandwiches, croquet is a relatively rare sport in London. This is why Dulwich is lucky as Dulwich Croquet Club and Sydenham Tennis and Croquet Club have excellent croquet greens. You will need to become a member of either of these clubs or butter up a friend who is a member. The alternative is to buy a simple set from Dulwich Sports Shop and grab some grass in either Dulwich or Belair Park.

Dulwich Croquet Club

D

Darts

Unlike any other sport, a decent pot-belly and regular sessions in pubs are highly encouraged and will serve you well. Darts in Dulwich can be played at several of the pubs such as The Castle, The Ember and Crown and Greyhound.

E

Equestrian

Dulwich Riding Centre is the place for all your riding needs with an excellent selection of lessons available to all members of the public. Hourly Horse Riding Lessons are on offer for adults and children whether you are a complete beginner or highly experienced. Excursions around nearby Dulwich Park are a particular attraction.

F

Football

One of the best football initiatives in Dulwich is ‘Freedom Football’ run by Dulwich College Sports Club every Monday and Wednesday evenings. No commitment is needed and you can simply turn up and play for a fiver (or pay monthly for £17.50). Otherwise grass 11-a-side football pitches are available at Dulwich Sports Ground, Belair Park and Dulwich Park. Indoor sports halls are available at Alleyn’s School, Dulwich College Sports Club, JAGS Sports Club and all these venues offer Astroturf football pitches too.

G

Golf

Dulwich and Sydenham Golf Course is certainly the signature golf course in Dulwich with stunning views over London from the clubhouse. The only bad news is that is strictly members only and the high quality course justifies its premium. But do not despair as pay and play golf is available at Beckenham Place Park, only 15 minutes’ drive from Dulwich. A round at Beckenham Place Park is inexpensive, the quality is perfectly reasonable you can often just turn up and play too. If you just want to smash some balls, head to World of Golf Croydon which is the nearest Golf Driving range to Dulwich.

Dulwich Leisure Centre

Gym

If you are looking to pump some iron you have several options. Pay and play gyms are available at Hamlets Health Club, Dulwich Leisure Centre and Crystal Palace National Sports Centre with all the cardio and weight equipment you could possible need. Others options available to members only include Dulwich College Sports Club, JAGS Sports Club and La Fitness Sydenham. These all require a monthly fee.

H

Hockey

If you are looking to play regularly then look no further than Tulse Hill & Dulwich Hockey Club who consider themselves to be South London’s ‘Friendliest Hockey Club’. Dulwich also has an extensive selection of Astroturf pitches available which are often used for hockey such as at Dulwich College Sports Club, Alleyn’s School, JAGS Sports Club and Kingsdale Foundation School. It is worth contacting these specific venues to see if there are any open community groups playing such as Rush Hockey which is a shorter format of the game promoted by England Hockey.

I

Indoor Cricket

Indoor Cricket is a growing sport, mainly because the English weather is so miserable. Cricket nets are available for hire at Alleyn’s School, Dulwich College Sports Club and Dulwich Prep London. These sports halls can also be used for Indoor Cricket which is typically played with two teams of eight players and is currently being widely promoted by the English Cricket Board.

Indoor Football

Dulwich College Sports Club offers drop-in Freedom Football every Wednesday from 9pm to 10pm in their sports hall for only £5 per session if you are time-strapped and want to avoid committing to a team. Otherwise you can hire indoor sports halls at Alleyn’s School, Dulwich College Sports Club, JAGS Sports Club and Dulwich Prep London.

J

Jogging

Dulwich is an excellent area for running given its inherently leafy and open area and abundance of parks. However motivating oneself is difficult which is where Parkrun in Dulwich Park is ideal. Well organised, timed 5km runs start at 9am every Saturday throughout the year. However if you don’t need the motivation then Dulwich Park is a fantastic jogging location either way and has an open air gym too.

Judo and Ju-Jitsu

If you want a combination of self-discipline, exercise and focus then head to Dulwich Leisure Centre every Friday from 4pm to 6pm for their judo class. Ju-Jitsu is also on offer which is slightly more physical and takes place every Saturdays from 1.15pm – 2.15pm.

K

Karate

Karate is a striking martial art which uses punches, kicks, knee strikes and elbow strikes, making it ideal for helping you get on the train in the morning.  It was made famous by Wesley Snipes and the Karate Kid and Saizen Kai have a variety of classes at the Trevor Bailey Sports Ground every weekend.

L

Lacrosse

The English Lacrosse Association has a useful Lacrosse Club Finder and a good example of a friendly lacrosse club is Blackheath Lacrosse Club.

Blackheath Lacrosse

M

Muay Thai

Dynamite Gym have a variety of Muay Thai classes (main form of Kick-Boxing) available throughout the week at venues such as Dulwich Constitutional Hall and the Goose Green in Dulwich. Furthermore they offer a free trial for their first lesson.

Article continued…

Sam is the founder of a local Dulwich startup - www.openplay.co.uk. He is bringing some of the Dulwich sports facilities online to allow locals to book them such as the Rosendale Playing Fields, Dulwich Sports Ground and Alleyn’s School.

N

Netball

Thanks to Netball England’s aptly named ‘Back to Netball’ initiative Netball has seen an explosion in popularity as it essentially for women what 5 a side football is for men. The Rosendale Playing Fields have two excellent and seldom used netball courts. Alleyns School and JAGS Sports Club also have excellent courts available outside of school hours. You should also check out local clubs such as the King Griffen Netball Club.

O

OAP Exercise Classes

We’ve always been told to respect the elderly, especially if there is a chance of inheriting something. Seated exercise sessions for the elderly take place relatively near to Dulwich every Tuesday from 12:15 to 1pm in the Ackroyd Community Centre Main Hall, SE23 1DL.

P

Pilates

Pilates is incredibly good for your posture and involves body weight exercises using specialist machinery. Push Studios in East Dulwich offers Pilates classes to suit all abilities. Whilst predominately popular amongst women, increasingly men are beginning to forget social stigma amongst their peers and reap the benefits and Dulwich Leisure Centre is another good Pilates venue.

Q

Quad Roller Skating

Considered fairly ‘old-school’ and very 1980s, the best place in Dulwich for quad roller skating is Dulwich Park which has a suitable network of concrete paths and provides a picturesque visual backdrop too.

R

Rock-Climbing

Again you are spoilt for choice as Dulwich has two places to go. First there is an indoor climbing wall at the JAGS Sports Club and secondly the even more impressive Crystal Palace National Sports Centre which has an excellent indoor climbing centre. Both are  open to anyone with beginner sessions available. All equipment is available to hire too and experienced instructors will show the ropes…

JAGS climbing wall panorama

Roller Skating/Blading

This is an edgier version of quad roller skating and Dulwich Park again should be your port of call due to its extensive network of paths combined with tranquil, pleasant scenery. Otherwise you should head to Belair Park where there is a Skate Park with a range of ramps and rails. However space is fairly limited so a final suggestion is Crystal Palace Park slightly further afield.

Rowing

Yes, it is Dulwich Park again. Boats can be rented during the summer months on the fantastic Dulwich Park Boating Lake. It is worth combining with a bottle of wine and a picnic and boats are usually hired for half an hour to an hour at a time.

S

Sailing

Believe it or not this actually possible but you will need to head to relatively nearby South Norwood lakes and grounds. This is where you will find Croydon Sailing Club who make use of the boating lake throughout the year (predominately in summer). Member fees are very low and racing takes place every Sunday throughout the year.

Squash

Squash is incredibly good for your fitness and is weather proof. However pay and play courts are rare and in general you will need to become a member of a squash club in order to book. Examples of Dulwich Squash Courts include Hamlets Health Club, Dulwich College Sports Club and Dulwich Squash Club.

Swimming

Swimming is one of the only sports which gives you a full body workout and can make you look seriously good with your clothes off. Public swimming pools are available at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre and Dulwich Leisure Centre. The Crystal Place pool is Olympic size (50m) and also offers diving boards. For members only swimming head to Dulwich College Sports Club.

T

Table Tennis

Outdoor table tennis courts are available for free in Dulwich Park, just bring your own bats and balls. You can also use the JAGS Sports Club Sports Hall for Table Tennis and if you are a member the tables and equipment are included.

Taekwondo

This modern martial art focuses on self-defence and has become increasingly popular on the back of a GB silver medal in London 2012. Mazuki offers classes to children of all ages and adults at Goodrich Community Primary School every Tuesday evening.

Tennis

With summer finally here (famous last words), tennis is one of the most sociable and fun sports to get into. Furthermore Dulwich has plenty of public and club tennis courts available. Examples of Dulwich tennis courts include Rosendale Playing Fields, Belair Park, Dulwich Park and Sunray Gardens. Members only clubs on offer include Camber LTC, Dulwich LTC and Old College Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.

Trampolining

The question is how can you not like trampolining? It is Invigorating and makes you feel like a child again. It is available at Dulwich College Sports Club every Wednesday from approximately 7:30pm to 9pm and is around £8 for non-members.

U

Unfound. We have to hold our hands up and say we genuinely couldn’t find a U, nothing, nada. Unicycling, unihockey and underwater hockey proved fruitless sadly. Unless you own a unicycle in which case you should head to Dulwich Park…

V

Velodrome – Herne Hill is home to one of London’s only Cycling Velodromes and has seen an increase in popularity on the back of Sir Chris Hoy and his team mates’ success at the Olympic Games. It is open to all ages with various sessions available for beginners. Further information is available here.

Volleyball – This was made popular by the Olympics, particularly the bikini-clad Brazilians in the beach volleyball. Furthermore Crystal Palace National Sports Centre has two beach volleyball courts available. Indoor options are also available at Alleyn’s School and Dulwich College Sports Club, however surely beach volleyball is far more exciting?

W

Walking – The answer is hands down Dulwich Park. With its winding paths, boating lake and pleasant grounds, Dulwich Park is the best place for a Dulwich walk. Otherwise Belair Park in West Dulwich provides a short stroll around the mansion, but difference between the two venues is the same as comparing steak to hamburgers. Get Walking can also help you find suitable routes around Dulwich.

X

X-training – Certainly a tricky letter so cross-training is clutching at straws somewhat. However Dulwich College Sports Club, JAGS Sports Club and La Fitness Sydenham all provide cross-training machines in their gyms which are available for members only. Pay and play gyms in Dulwich with x-training machines include Hamlets Health Club, Dulwich Leisure Centre and Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

Y

Yoga

Popularised by Ryan Giggs who is still playing Premiership football aged 57, Yoga is surprisingly challenging and incredibly good for you. Types of Yoga vary enormously from Hatha, Iynegar to sweaty Bikram Yoga so it is worth familiarising yourself with this Yoga Guide. Yoga classes are available at Push Studios, Dulwich Leisure , and Dulwich College Sports Centre and most are pay and play.

Z

Zumba

This is an increasingly popular Brazilian sport providing both the happy and sweaty factor. Dulwich Sports Club offers drop-in Zumba Classes throughout the week with no membership or commitment needed. Shake That Zumba have classes at the Charter School in North Dulwich every Wednesday from 7:45pm and 8:45pm and Brixton at various other times during the week.

Sam is the founder of a local Dulwich startup - www.openplay.co.uk. He is bringing some of the Dulwich sports facilities online to allow locals to book them such as the Rosendale Playing Fields, Dulwich Sports Ground and Alleyn’s School.

Continuing the series of the inspiration behind the recent murals created as part of Baroque the Streets: Dulwich Street Art Festival, where a group of internationally renowned street artists were asked to interpret paintings from Dulwich Picture Gallery‘s permanent Baroque collection on walls around Dulwich.

DULWICH PARK

Thierry Noir, famous for painting the Berlin Wall during the 1980s, chose to interpret Giambattista Tiepolo’s Joseph Receiving Pharaoh’s Ring.  He incorporated all the figures, pulling them apart in order to fit the long wall.  

Thierry talked about his choice on the BBC news item made about the project, click here and see 1.55 minutes in.

Last year Stik began this interpretation project with 6 murals based on paintings from Dulwich Picture Gallery.  For the one on the smaller wall of the bowling building in Dulwich Park, he chose Bartolome Esteban Murillo’s Three Boys.  This painting worked very well for him as his paintings are all about relationships between people.

BELAIR PARK

MadC, the only woman artists in the project, chose to interpret Van Huysum, Still Life with Flowers in a Stone Vase 1731-2  on the back of the tennis practice wall in Belair Park.  This wall is easily missed, but is an extraordinary gem of a mural.  It is next to the path from West Dulwich Station into Belair Park and its really worth stopping and looking at it carefully, in particular the details in the same way as its worth spending time in front of the original in Dulwich Picture Gallery.  MadC has taken elements of the painting and arranged them on a portrait wall, incorporating them in her signature tag – MADC.  DOV interview with her here.

SadlyxDulwich Picture Gallery is closed at the moment, but it opens on 12 June, at which time you can see the originals.

Here is a map of all the other murals that are part of the Dulwich Outdoor Gallery.

There’s a jewel hidden in Brixton’s crown where you can lose yourself in a maze of vibrant colours, tantalising smells, quirky shops and an amazing array of food. It’s Brixton Village Market, and it is wonderful. Brixton Village is located in what was formerly the Granville Arcade, a tired, empty space which has since been given a new lease of life by those clever, creative folk at Space Makers who have completely transformed it into a culinary and creative haven.

I would suggest heading there via the original Brixton Market on Electric Avenue (immortalised by that brilliant Eddy Grant hit from 1982). Full of interesting characters, tropical foods and a laid back vibe, this is a proper street market with a reggae soundtrack, selling everything from plantains and chicken feet, to suitcases and incense sticks. Then when you hit Atlantic Road, you’ll see one of various entrances to Brixton Village. Step inside…

Amongst all the shops and stalls inside Brixton Village, you’ll find around a dozen fantastic restaurants and cafes. Nothing posh or fancy, but all of them oozing character, charm and selling damn good grub. In fact, I reckon with such a concentration of global cuisine under one roof, you could almost eat your way around the world in here – street food at its best! Thai noodles, Caribbean jerk chicken, salt fish patties, Indian samosas, pakoras, Italian pizza, Chinese dumplings, Mexican burritos, juicy burgers, homemade brownies and a full English breakfast, all living together in perfect harmony. It’s worth noting that a lot of the places offer BYO (some charge corkage) which makes this a great place to grab a bottle, grab a friend and grab a table for lunch or dinner with a difference. Be aware that most places take cash only, and not many take bookings, so get there early and go via a cashpoint.

Two of my favourite places are Corner Copia and French & Grace. Corner Copia was one of the first restaurants to be established in Brixton Village, and ticks all my boxes – it serves great food, the staff are friendly, the flowers are bright, the shelves are stacked with homemade jams, vintage bottles & cookery books, and the atmosphere is nostalgic. They are really big into promoting local produce and as they have a licence, they even sell English wine, plus cider and beer made by a micro-brewery in SE1. Nice.

Meanwhile, French & Grace has a similar appeal and is run by two ladies who started off doing a supper club in their home, but have done so well, they’ve now escalated to running their own restaurant and even have a cookbook coming out. I enjoyed one of their lamb merguez sausage & halloumi wraps with butter bean & rosemary humous and carrot & beetroot slaw. As with many of the restaurants, their premises can be booked to cater for private parties.

I’ve yet to try one, but for a knock-out burger, I’ve heard Honest Burgers is the place to go, and as their meat is provided by The Ginger Pig, you just know it’s going to be good. Other great places to note are  Elephant Cafe for Pakistani street food, Rosie’s Deli for homemade treats, Federation Coffee for perfect coffee, and Take Two for proper smoked Jerk chicken. And if you love bread, then Breads Etcetera provide Dualit toasters on each table, so you can sit back with a pot of tea, a choice of preserves and get busy making your own toast with their incredible artisan bread. And finally, for the ice creamists among you, a visit to LAB G for their amazing homemade ice cream is a must. Especially the best selling salted caramel flavour which apparently is food critic, Jay Rayner’s fave. In fact, I saw him wandering around with one. No, really, I did!

Aside from all the great places to eat, there are also great places to shop. Brixton Village is full of boutiques selling fashion, homeware, crafts, art, and record shops offering world music. I particularly like Circus which is clad in cardboard tubes and sells all sorts of homemade bits including jewellery, pottery and unusual organic gifts. Brixi’s is also excellent, selling curious objects, retro homeware and giant lightbulbs!

I love the hustle, bustle and unique style of Brixton Village, so full of charm, colour and positivity. A place where creative souls and dreamers can realise their aspirations. In true village and market style, it has a real sense of community with everyone being neighbourly, friendly and helping each other out. And despite adding a cosmopolitan flair and attracting newcomers, it’s improving the area without detracting from the gritty character and urban edginess that gives Brixton its wonderful heart and soul.

Brixton Village Market
Atlantic Road, London SW9
Open 7 days a week 8am – 6pm (Sun 5pm)
Late nights Thur – Sat til 11pm
Short walk from Brixton tube & rail

Thanks to Imogen for this lovely article. You can visit her blog here: www.missimmyslondon.com.

The Horniman Museum and Gardens waved off its walrus on 15 May, on his first trip for more than 100 years!

Bye bye Mr. Walrus, enjoy your summer in Margate

The walrus – famously overstuffed by his Victorian taxidermist and weighing around a ton – is on his way to the Turner Contemporary in Margate where he’ll spend the summer taking pride of place in a new exhibition, Curiosity: Art and the Pleasures of Knowing, 25 May – 15 September 2013.

The walrus – probably a young male – was bought by Museum founder Frederick Horniman in the early 1890’s and has moved no more than 25 feet since the Horniman opened in 1901. But his trip to Turner Contemporary has given curators a chance to find out more about him, as well as to give visitors to the Margate gallery the chance to enjoy the walrus in a new context.

(the above video is a fantastic timelapse film documenting the Walrus leaving the Natural History Gallery for the first time since 1901).

Jo Hatton, Keeper of Natural History at the Horniman, says: ‘The walrus is very dear to us and to our visitors, so while we were keen to loan him to this exhibition, we’ve also been careful to make sure he can travel safely without getting damaged. And of course we wanted him to be in tip-top condition to meet his new audiences – so he’s been cleaned and x-rayed to find out exactly what he’s made of, and packed carefully in his crate for the journey.’

Jo says, ‘He’s missing his walrus-wrinkles because at the time he was mounted very few people had seen a live walrus. This appearance is not untypical of large scale taxidermy at the time – and is of course part of his charm.’

Horniman staff travelled with the walrus to see him safely into his summer residence in Margate, as well as making plans for his return in September. Fans can keep up to date with his trip on the Horniman Museum’s Twitter account @hornimanmuseum and website www.horniman.ac.uk and can follow the walrus @hornimanwalrus.

This summer The Big Noise Festival is set to take place at the Bussey Building/CLF Arts Cafe in Peckham on Saturday 8th June 2013.

It is the first ever arts and music festival which has been produced in aid of The Big Issue Foundation and will explore the issue of homelessness, which is increasingly rife in today’s society.

This 14 hour one-day event will feature a wide variety of art forms including live music, DJs, theatre groups, spoken word artists, comedy, live art, installations, dance and circus acts.

Swing Patrol share what they think are the most joyful and wonderful dances in the world

Artists include live music and DJ performances from over 30 acts including Gabby Young & Other Animals, Reeps One, Nãnci and Phoebe and Gentle Mystics.

Gentle Mystics

There will be live theatre and spoken word performances from Ice and Fire, Rob Auton and Deanna Rodger as well as short films from BFI, Cardboard Citizens, Streetwise Opera and the Peckham Free Film Festival.

Streetwise Opera will be screening the film “An Answer To Everything”

The project is also partnered with organisations including Camberwell Arts festival, Peckham and Nunhead Free Film Festival, Cardboard Citizens and Southwark Arts Forum.

Talia Randall performs somewhere between poetry and theatre

The project has been set up by an emerging social enterprise; the majority of participants are volunteering their time, skills and energy to the event and the festival is in aid of The Big Issue Foundation.

Entry prices

Minimum age: 18
Entry price (public): £8/£10/£12
Doors open: 2:00pm til 4:00am
Last entry: 1:00am
Date: 8th June 2013

www.thebignoisefestival.com
www.twitter.com/thebignoisefest
www.facebook.com/thebignoisefest

Patrick Caulfield (1936-2005) and Gary Hulme (b. 1962) are two British painters whose work shares many stylistic affinities.

Patrick Caulfield, After Lunch, 1975, Tate

Their frequent use of solid outlines and large expanses of flat, bright paint display an absolute purity of line and colour, the essence of the medium of painting. This summer there is the opportunity to compare their work in exhibitions at Tate Britain (5th June – 1st September). On Thursday 27th June, Tate guide Alan Read will be speaking about the artists, their work and influences at a lecture at the Dulwich Picture Gallery.

Caulfield studied at the Chelsea School of Art and then the Royal College of Art (1959-63) where his contemporaries included David Hockney, Derek Boshier and R.B. Kitaj. From these artists emerged the British Pop art movement, a label often and easily applied to Caulfield’s work though such an identification is problematic. Certainly it is a categorisation he resisted and his work can more fruitfully be seen as the continuation of a tradition of still life painting the importance of which re-emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century.

In the 1970s Caulfield began juxtaposing solid line and flat colour with trompe l’oeil paintings which mischievously question the nature of artifice in painting and the ever-present tension between illusion and reality: ‘Ceci n’est pas un pipe’ as Rene Magritte had observed.

Gary Hume, Water Painting, 1999, Tate

By the late 1980s Caulfield’s style became more simplified, the black outlines disappeared and the backgrounds were flooded with colour. Many see an increasing sense of melancholy creeping into Caulfield’s later paintings. Despite a superficial similarity with the work of Roy Lichtenstein Caulfield displayed an intensity of feeling which makes him quite distinct from joie de vivre of the American painter, recently the subject of a major retrospective at Tate Modern.

Gary Hume graduated from Goldsmith’s College in 1988, a member of the generation which was to become identified as the ‘Young British Artists’ and widely seen as revitalising the status and international importance of art in this country.  Hume’s work was included in the seminal Freeze exhibition in 1988 but, unlike some of his more infamous conceptual colleagues, Hume has always engaged with the medium of paint.

The unlikely sources of inspiration for his early paintings were the swing doors of institutions such as hospitals – large rectangular paintings of solid colours which recalled American Colour Field Painting or Hard Edged Abstraction. Raising the banal and quotidian to the status of high art is something of a feature of Hume’s work and can, like Caulfield, be seen as perpetuating the spirit of Pop art, a concern with popular culture and notions of taste.

Alan Read

Hume was one of the artists shown in the notorious Sensation exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1997 though it cannot be said that his work courted controversy. Indeed it has been said that his paintings are ‘remarkably easy to enjoy yet very difficult to intellectualise about.’ Hume himself has said, ‘If the Sublime is the moment of rest, then painting a picture that puts you at rest is extremely gorgeous.’

In their choice of subject matter both artists show a playfulness or whimsy which nevertheless avoids parody or satire. Sharing a simplicity and precision of approach to their work this lecture will offer a fascinating insight into two major British artists.

Patrick Caulfield and Gary Hume
Thursday 27 June
£10, £8 Friends – Includes a glass of wine

Tickets can be booked online: www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
By phone 020 8299 8750 Mon-Fri 10am – 4pm (Please leave a message outside these hours)
In person: visit the Friends Desk in the Gallery

David Rowlands belongs to a select group of artists, those that portray war, not from the comfort of their studios but from the actual war zone.

David Rowlands

He has won many commissions from the British Army and there are few war zones involving the British Army he has not covered since his first commission in 1985, when he was chosen by the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers to paint a scene in South Armagh, Northern Ireland, during “the Troubles”.

Before that he had received several commissions to paint famous battles: The Royal Fusiliers also asked David to paint the battle of Mons, which took place early in World War I. Since his first commission David has won accolades for his in-depth research, his interviews with veterans or other experts to get every detail right in uniforms, equipment and the landscape, often travelling to the actual battlefields.

It really started at school. ‘ I drew sketches of famous battles, especially from the Napoleonic Wars, in my exercise books and knew early on what I wanted to do,’ says David in his studio in Bristol. After having left university David joined the staff of the Reading Room at the National Army Museum. He began working as a fulltime professional artist in 1977.

Artists have depicted the horrors of war, since time began. Yet, it is only in the last hundred years that war artists have been invited by regiments or the government to depict the war or famous battles. During the First World War it was part of the propaganda battle; the role of the appointed war artists was to inspire those at home of the valiant fight of the soldiers on the front. The first to be commissioned was Muirhead Bone, who left for France in May 1916. Others followed soon after. Among those were the famous artist Paul Nash, one of the artists featured in the present exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery. He later complained about the interference from the government. ‘I am an artist who will bring back word from the men who are fighting to those who want the war to go on.’

In the Second World War things changed and Kenneth Clark, the then Director of the National Gallery saw it as the remit of the official war artists to record ‘what the camera cannot interpret.’ That is just what David Rowlands does. “I’ve been out with the foot patrols, in uniform, in many theatres of war and this is vital in order to feel first hand the atmosphere and tension I want to capture of these events.’ In 1991 David was the only professional artist who was in the theatre of war in the Gulf at the invitation of the British Army. Since then he has worked in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and now also Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan he was stationed in Camp Bastion, where he accompanied frontline soldiers in Chinook helicopters to different battle zones in the Helmand valley. Wherever David went he was taking endless photographs and making quick sketches, which were later used for preliminary drawings before he took to his paint. By now David has produced more than 200 oil paintings and many of his paintings can be seen in regimental messes. A couple of paintings are also in the Royal Collection.

Clear the way. RE widening Route TRIANGLE.

The Queen first sat for David in 1987, a commission from one of the Highland regiments. Some more portraits of the Royal Family have followed. And in 2002 one of his paintings was given to the Queen, in his presence, on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee.

David is not only a painter, he also has had his war diary from Bosnia dramatised for BBC Radio 4 under the title A Desolate Bravery. Few outsiders have seen war at such close quarters and in so many places as David Rowlands. As part of the InSight Lecture Series David will talk about his own career in the context of war artists’ practice over the last 300 years. ‘I am looking forward to my visit to Dulwich and to see the exhibition A Crisis of Brilliance, which features the most famous artists of the First World War era like Paul Nash and David Bomberg’.

WAR ARTISTS
An InSight Lecture Series of three

Series of three £25,£20 Friends
Single Lecture £10, £8 Friends
Coffee afterwards
10.30 –11.30 Linbury Room
Dulwich Picture Gallery

Rex Whistler, Artist and Tank Commander
Wednesday 5 June
Jenny Spencer-Smith, Collections Content Manager,
National Army Museum

David Rowlands – a contemporary war artist
Wednesday 19 June

Goya and War
Wednesday 3 July
Xavier Bray, Chief Curator, Dulwich Picture Gallery

A Crisis of Brilliance 1908 – 1922
Nash, Nevinson,Spencer, Gertler, Carrington Bomberg
Exhibition 12 June – 22 September

Booking details

Online: dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
Phone: 020 8299 8750 Mon – Fri 10am- 4pm
In person: Friends Desk in the Gallery
Booking enquiries: friendsticketing@dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

Baroque the Streets festival is over.  But the wonderful murals will remain.

In May 2013 sixteen of the biggest names in international street artists were invited to Dulwich to create murals based on the 17th century Baroque paintings in Dulwich Picture Gallery’s permanent collection. The creation of a group of carefully curated murals by different artists but with a common theme has never happened before in the history of street art. Together they comprise the registered Dulwich Outdoor Gallery and it is anticipated that they will be permanent.

We have so many people to thank for this.  The wall owners, Southwark Council, Dulwich Festival, the HUGE coverage in the press and by individuals on the web, and of course the artists who painted for free.

In particular the Capital Pub company who offered us walls on The Paxton, The Victoria Inn and The Florence (yet to be painted).  They also offered free accommodation for the artists and financed the painting of their walls.

THE PAXTON
The woman’s face on the wall of the Paxton is by Australian street artist Reka. His is art a paradox between sharp design and graffiti and can be seen on both street and gallery walls from Melbourne’s inner suburbs to high-rises in Japan. Reka’s paintings have recently been acquired by the National Gallery of Australia for their permanent collection, cementing his place as one of Australia’s most respected contemporary street artists.

Reka chose to base his mural on the head of Europa in ‘Europa and the Bull’ by Guido Reni 

Europa was the daughter of Agenor, King of Tyre. Zeus fell in love with her and transformed himself into a docile bull in order to abduct her from the shore where she was playing. She climbed on his back and they swam away to Crete. She bore him three sons, Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon.

The myth, with its dark erotic undertones, was one of the most popular classical subjects for 17th-century paintings. Europa is shown at the moment when her disquiet at being abducted begins to turn to love.

THE VICTORIA INN
The dog on the wall of the Victoria Inn is by the Belgian street artist ROA. He is well known nationally and internationally for his black and white animals which can be found on in city streets from New York to Berlin and Warsaw to Paris, and of course many in London.

ROA chose to base his composition on a combination of 2 dogs in paintings by 17th century Flemish artists, ‘ Landscape with Sportsmen and Game’ by Adam Pynacker c.1665 and ‘Halt of a Hunting Party’ by Philips Wouwerman (early 1660s)
SPOT THE DOGS IN THE IMAGES BELOW.

‘Landscape with Sportsmen and Game’ by Adam Pynacker

‘Pynacker spent three years in Italy in the 1640s and on his return to Amsterdam became one of the leading Italianate painters in the Netherlands. This picture has cool tonality, sharp definition, and an almost surreal focus on the foreground group of birches to the left, rendered with illusionistic detail. The blue leaves are the result of a chemical change over time, presumably the result of the fading of the yellow pigment originally mixed with blue to make green. This painting is regarded as one of Pynacker’s outstanding achievements.’     Quote from DPG website

‘Halt of a Hunting Party’ by Philips Wouwerman

‘This is an altogether polite affair: aristocratic couples out hunting with hawks, dogs and a retinue of servants in an airy panoramic landscape. Wouwermans uses colour to focus our eyes on the resting couple on the left – white horse, red cloak green dress, yellow jacket, orange dog. Gesture plays its part too, and Wouwermans has orchestrated a genteel ballet of movement and counter-movement across the frieze of figures. The scene is bracketed by a repeated gesture – the doffing of a hat. In one case, it signifies mere manners, part of the exaggerated fluff of courtship; in the other grim reality – an old beggar asks for alms. The beggar, with – directly below him – the defecating dog, forms a typically Dutch punctuation mark to undercut what could only be described as an access of too much French-ness.’     Quote from DPG website

ROA’s most recent work in London (May 2013) can be seen on Queen Elizabeth Hall, in the Southbank Centre.

Dulwich Outdoor Gallery is based on the street art festival ‘Baroque the Streets’ which was organised by Ingrid Beazley from Dulwich Picture Gallery and Richard Howard-Griffin from Street Art London.

There will be future posts on the relationships between the Dulwich Outdoor Gallery murals and their inspiration from Dulwich Picture Gallery paintings.   

It was not until Ran, Emma and I met GAIL (founder of Baker & Spice) that we realised there was truly great artisan bread in London – and we were all desperate for it.

Tom Molnar – one of the two business brains behind the Gail’s Bakery chain

She was making world-class breads and cakes and had drivers delivering it to the top restaurants and hotels in London but we wanted to take this wonderful artisan bakery to the high street and make it more widely available. That’s why GAIL’s Artisan bakery was born – an authentic artisan bakery opened to anyone, not just amazing chefs.

Food has always been an essential part of my life; my Sicilian grandfather and his brothers built a  group of 40+ food-focused and service-friendly food stores in and around Philadelphia called Genuardi’s Family Markets. I would spend all of my holidays with him working with seasonal fruits and some of the area’s best bakers. We would then have dinner at his mother’s house and feast on homemade bread and butter while we were waiting for the meal. Life was simply all about food, good homemade food, and lots of smiles. These days I am spoiled with choice. London has a fantastic food scene, I spend most of my days in the bakery and my Italian wife and I love to shower our home with lots of fresh simple dishes.

The first GAIL’s opened in 2005 in Hampstead –  we now have 14 bakeries across London – the lastest was opened recently in Dulwich Village, one of the prettiest parts of London. We also recently opened a restaurant called GAIL’s Kitchen in Bloomsbury that has received several great reviews and has a lovely following of central London’s foodies. Both our bakeries and restaurant make – delicious straightforward food handmade and from scratch every day, using traditional methods to maintain excellence in quality and taste. The bakers are dedicated to honest bread-making, using only natural ingredients. As a diverse group of people with widely different backgrounds, we are internationally inspired, creating recipes influenced from across the globe, bringing them to our bakeries to serve local communities, so we can break bread together. In today’s digital world, it’s a privilege to be involved in the craft of artisan bread-making and represent the work of such skilled craftspeople

We’re delighted to be bringing our bread to Dulwich. We fell in love with the village and knew we wanted to be a part of it. To me, Dulwich has always seemed such a creative and discerning area (among other things, I love seeing the signs to the Picture Gallery on the way to the bakery). I believe that GAIL’s shares this creative ethos, the team is keen to become part of the community, and offer its residents truly good bread, nice warm croissants and lovely cakes– each of our loaves/pastries/cakes are handmade, fresh, every day to GAIL’s own special recipe. We couldn’t be happier to be opening our bakery here.

We’ll be open for breakfast, lunch and tea, and will be offering our signature breads, freshly baked pastries and cakes, as well as sausage rolls, cinnamon buns and a selection of sandwiches and salads. Our Head Baker, Roy Levy, learnt his trade being particularly inspired by Parisian bakeries & patisseries, and you’ll taste this in your morning pastries and cakes!

We’ve embraced the spirit of both GAIL’s and the Dulwich area in designing the bakery – it is a clean and modern space with warm, classic elements such as natural leather furnishings and aged brass cage lamps, which hang above tables made with reclaimed schoolroom Iroko lab tops, a nod to the history of well-respected schools in the area.

Our aim has always been to bake delicious, top-quality bread, and deliver it fresh to local people daily. We’re excited to be a part of the Village.

GAIL’s Artisan Bakery
91 Dulwich Village
London
SE21 7BJ

Telephone: 020 8693 1787
www.gailsbread.co.uk

As one of the co-founders of the Brixton Pound I’ve been involved in the project for the last 5 years. Over the last year, I’ve been working part-time engaging businesses with the scheme, a role which I left at the end of March 2013.

Susan Steed

As I take a step back from the project (although of course I’ll still be involved as a volunteer and keen advocate) it’s a good time to reflect on what we’ve achieved and also what we’ve learnt.

I got involved with the B£ because I wanted to make money work differently. There are so many problems with current economic power, from the way banks work to the exploitation involved in global supply chains, and we wanted to create an alternative. The B£ aims to make money accountable to the local community and ask questions about where the stuff that we buy comes form – asking if it could be produced closer to home.

Have we achieved our aims? Well, there is lots to be proud of. You can now spend Brixton Pounds on your mobile, council staff can be part-paid in Brixton Pounds, there are over 250 businesses signed up to the scheme and you can even pay some local taxes in the currency.

Of course we would like it if B£s was better known and more widely used within Brixton. Many of the other changes are much more long-term. Shifting our economy so we produce more in Brixton isn’t going to happen overnight. In many cases the role of the Brixton Pound is to ask what businesses would like to buy locally, and what people who live in Brixton would like to be able to make.

And once you start looking there is so much potential in Brixton in terms of the skills and experiences that people have. I’ve met so many fantastic people – from the people who have ideas and family recipes that they are looking to trade – through to projects such as the Lambeth Poly growing salad leaves on the Tulse Hill estate and Brixton Energy who are generating solar on the Loughborough Estate.

It’s also been fantastic to get to know so many of the amazing local businesses that are keen to find more ways to support the local economy. We’ve been lucky to work with special local organisations such as the Market Traders Federation, numerous fantastic local charities, as well as Brixton Blog,Makerhood and many more. As there are more and more problems with the national economy and austerity continues we must continue to work together to create an economy that uses the talent Brixton has rather than pricing it out.

Although I’ll be less involved in the Brixton Pound it’s really just the beginning. The Brixton Pound is proud to be working with Lambeth council on a much bigger project looking at developing a Lambeth wide currency.

So, if you’ve not yet opened your Brixton Pound account or want to get involved as a volunteer or sign up as a business then do get in touch with either Jamey or Mehul on 07840 497544 or email info@brixtonpound.org.

Was it the same everywhere? Earlier this month, round here, it felt like all of the trees came out in blossom at the same time.

I wrote this post back in March about doing a London based version of the ancient Japanese ‘hanami’ tradition; how I wanted to sit by the cherry trees which had blossomed at the end of my road with a picnic and a beer. Of course I did not get to do the hanami as on some days the dropping blossom was in fact snow; furthermore, back then in the dark days it was grey skies and still winter and the photos I took did not do the beautiful trees justice. I feel this keenly just now as that post from March is yielding all sorts of visitors who are looking for good places to view cherry blossom in London. I would imagine it is putting them all off South London – the exact opposite effect to the one intended.

Those trees in Drakefell Road have lost their blossom now, and their leaves are all dark and coppery. Meanwhile elsewhere, trees, bushes and shrubs have gone absolutely mad. I heard a rumour that this was because of the persistent cold weather, and that the late arrival of spring means that everything is coming out at once. I’m not sure if this is true or just common sense – at least I did find Alan Titchmarsh saying something similar here in the Guardian this Wednesday.

Anyhow, my drive home from work keeps taking me ages, when I am not in a rush to get home that is. Without the kids to stop me (“Mum, you’re not stopping to take pictures again”), I must admit to stopping a few times last week to park on the road, get out and wander about, to not lose the gorgeous evenings at that time of day. Better that than the time I almost swerved into another car when my mind was on a fantastic magnolia tree by the side of the road.

What’s more, unlike the artifically created weather domes in Singapore which I admired so recently (read more in a recent post here), all of these photos show English nature in its varied and most colourful forms. And I don’t even live in the countryside.

How about you, have you seen some lovely natural sights this week? Taken any pictures of blossom or trees?

Photos all taken in Dulwich, Brenchley Gardens and Brockley. Click onto the image to see the full photo, and enjoy.

You can visit my blog here: http://hattydaze.wordpress.com/.