The Brixton Week Ahead (plus the weekend)

Tuesday 20: This one is for the film buffs only – it’s film quiz night at The Ritzy Upstairs bar. Tickets are on sale from 6pm. Competition is tough.

Thursday 22: Herne Hill’s live jazz bar, the Poet Bar on Railton Rd, plays host to the Collective Jazz Jam – listen along with a cocktail in hand and try to pretend the summer’s still here.

Friday 23: The Magic Tombolinos are playing live at The Hootananny. It’ll be a classic Hootananny night – gypsy, ska and Balkan music. And keep an eye out for Pete Doherty (though not in the Hootananny…), playing at the Brixton Academy tonight.

Saturday 24: The legendary Fridge closed earlier this year and today Electric Brixton opens in its place. For £15 with advance tickets, you can attend the Grand Opening and dance all night to music from Felix Da Housecat and Hannah Holland.

The Brixton Week Ahead

Tuesday 17: The Lambeth Readers’ and Writers’ Festival is taking place this week. At tonight’s event, Ian Smith talks about his new biography of Edward Whymper, a mountaineering hero who completed the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865, aged just 25. Shadow of the Matterhorn: The lIfe of Edward Whymper with Ian Smith, 7pm, Minet Library.

Thursday 19: Photofusion is hosting its first ever ‘Slideshow Slam!’ – an evening event for members and the interested public. There’ll be slideshows of work by Photofusion members such as Robert Hackman and Krystina Stimakovits plus music and a cheap bar. For photographers and photography fans alike.

Friday 20: It’s the Readers’ and Writers’ festival again –  Lambeth Libraries have put together a Women Writers’ Panel with authors Chris Manby, Lotte Daley, Gillian Hudson and Helen Smith. They’ll discuss chick lit and more. Women writers’ panel, 7pm, Brixton Library.

And the weekly Bump! night at Plan b features Xploder and Kiss FM DJ, DJ Swerve. But will it live up to David Rodigan’s fantastic Bump! appearance last week?

Saturday 21: As part of their campaign to stop cuts to public services, Lambeth Save Our Services has called a ‘People’s Assembly’ at the Town Hall from 12-4pm – ‘a festival of resistance and an organising centre to…plan for action’. There will be workshops, music and speeches. Speakers include Ted Knight (the former Lambeth Council leader), UK Uncut, and John McDonnell MP.

Sunday 22: Try out Kizomba dancing – an Angolan dance genre –  at the beginners class at El Penol club on Brixton Rd from 6pm. You’re encouraged to stay on at the club night afterwards to practice your moves.6pm-6.45pm at El Penol, 382-384 Brixton Rd. 

Christmas and New Year – the weeks ahead in Brixton

Yo-ho-ho and all that. Here are some tips to help you recover from a mountain of work parties or carry on the fun into 2011. Brixton style.

To be updated as the week goes on…

Tuesday 21: It’s the end-of-the-year film quiz at The Ritzy Upstairs – if you think you might have the answers to their notoriously hard questions, then go along for a 7.30pm start.

Wednesday 22: Feeling fat on mince pies and thin on culture? The new Viewfinder gallery invited Brixtonites to submit their photos for an exhibition, the Brixton Salon, and it has just opened at 52 Granville Arcade.

Thursday 23: There’s the Christmas Spectacular party at the Prince Albert on Coldharbour Lane (recommended by @memespring) – a charity fundraiser for Hill Mead Primary School. After that, you can head over to Plan b’s ‘Plan A Xmas Party’ to see the brilliant Illersapiens perform.

New Year’s Eve: For once, there’s a NYE offering that’s not ridicouloulsy expensive – the Sambalanca Three Pound Disco at The Rest Is Noise. See what you think with this taster first.

The Brixton week ahead

Sunday: Bring your drum along to The Ritzy at 6.45pm tonight for a drumming workshop with djembe master Afla Sackey. And then stay on in the upstairs bar for the Sunday Blues night featuring Errol Linton.

Tuesday: The Brixton £ Group is holding its first fundraising dinner at Olley’s fish ‘n’ chips restaurant in Herne Hill. The fish and chips at Olley’s aren’t what they used to be and it’s slightly odd that a B£ event is happening in Herne Hill, but we can forgive all that for a good cause and comedy from south London comedian Trevor Lock.

Wednesday: You can actually do this any day, but why not on a Wednesday? Make some postcard-sized artwork for the ‘Send Me a Postcard Darling‘ exhibition at Red Gate gallery in October. Postcard-size is 6″ x 4″, by the way.

Thursday: Go down to Mango Landin with your four favourite records for Open Deck Night and, just a few minutes away,  it’s the monthly Reggae Train with David Rodigan at Hootananny.