Lambeth Country Show 2011

The rain and heavy clouds couldn’t keep the crowds away from the Lambeth Country Show this weekend. Here’s a photographic tour of the music, jerk chicken, animals, Best In Show winners and – of course – the vegetable sculptures:

The main stage:

(Photo: Kaye Wiggins)

…threatening rain clouds:

(Photo: Kaye Wiggins)

Food food food:

Enjoying the sun while it lasted:

(Photo: Kaye Wiggins)

Best in Show (look at those horns!):

(Photo: Kaye Wiggins)

There were some very lovely owls:

And some inspired vegetable sculptures:

Wills and Kate:

Jeremy Clarkson:

(Photo: Emma Hasler)

New Year’s Day fun

Lost for how to fill the first day of the year? Here are some Brixton-based ideas:

– The Ritzy is screening ‘The Hangover’ at 2pm especially for New Year’s Day . This is actually a good film.

– FOOD. If the Market’s open, get to Nour Cash and Carry and buy the goods to cook up a feast. Or just grab some plantain, jerk chicken and curry from Take Two.

– A walk in Brockwell Park. Or a swim at the Brixton Rec, in preparation for Brockwell Lido’s outdoor swim (brrr) on 8 January.

– For those who saved themselves for partying on New Years’ Day (gah), Plan B is hosting the afterparty for the Together 10th anniversary, with two rooms of electro-bass, breaks and house including the Stanton Warriors and Jurassik. And Brixton Jamm is hosting an all-day event – the Kerfuffle New Years Day/Wiggle After Party.

Ode to the Brixton Summer

There have been some wonderful May-like days this week, but it’s September, it’s now freezing cold and it’s getting darker earlier every night – yes, the summer is truly over, so here are some photos in memory of it:

The summer starts with flights grounded because of the volcanic ash and Brixton got perfect, plane-less blue skies:

(Photo: Laura Morgan)

Then came the end of Labour and the beginning of Con-Lib…

The Lido went from being empty…

(Photo: Jason Cobb)

to being very full…

Some poor people had exams in the Recreation Centre:

Granville Arcade opened up on Thursday evenings:

(Photo: Damon Hope)

(Photo: Jason Cobb)

The best lasagne in Brixton at Bellantoni's Italian

England put on some poor performances at The Ritzy:

There were street parties – this one’s on Endymion Rd:

And we got to give our opinion on the co-op council by putting plastic balls in red buckets:

Flowers, and especially roses, bloomed all over Brixton:

(Photo: Jason Cobb)

And the foxes came out to play:

(Photo: Jon Biles)

We had what has been named by some “the best Lambeth Country Show ever”:

(Photo: Laura Morgan)

(Photo: Laura Morgan)

(Photo: Jason Cobb)

(Photo: Mike Smith)

(Photo: Laura Morgan)

There was a jerk chicken cook-off:

One photographer, Charlie Abbiss, took photos of Brixton Market:

And the star of the summer was…Brockwell Park:

Jerk Cook-Off

Jerk Goat

Brockwell Park hosted the annual Jerk Chicken Cook Off competition today, moved from its usual venue at The Horniman. Caribbean Chefs competed against each other for the best jerk chicken, goat [see above] and fish. And there was plenty corn-on-the-cob, plantain, callaloo and coconut water too. YUM.

Last year's winners, Tasty Jerk from South Norwood, attracted massive queues for their barbecued jerk fish, chicken and more

Jerk Chicken, Rice 'n' Peas and Plantain