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Done and done. My partner is bringing a class from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to London in June and plans to visit a few Britxton sites (and a few others).
Just a few memories when I was a kid: nicking apples and oranges from the market stalls along electric avenue, always great fun. Watching the eels being cooked at the back of Woolworths and going to the Pie & Mash shop for double pie and mash. Hopping the Wag from school and spending the day at Brockwell Park. The Ritzy was called The Pullman in my day and KFC was once an estate agents. Opposite Tulse Hill School grounds was land that once had grand three story Victorian Villas built on it. They were abandoned during the war and later demolished. We called this waste ground The Chinese Tower. Also further down from there was land we called Bird's Paradise - a great place for scrumping thanks to all manner of fruit trees in abundance. There are well established Council Estates on both areas of land now. Brixton was a great place to grow up. We were poor but never felt as though we went without anything. Summer holidays were spent outdoors from 8am till it was time for tea. We made our own fun, making go-carts from old pram wheels and scraps of wood, selling old newspapers to "The Black Prince" scrap yard and collecting old lemonade bottles to get the threepence deposit back on the bottles. Urchins we were, of that there is no doubt, and Brixton treated us unfairly at times; but overall those days were full of sunshine, roller skating rink, Saturday Morning Minors club, and a clip round the ear from the local bobby now and then, and another one from our parents for luck. I hope the generation growing up there today get as much joy from it as I and my family did.
Well done Joolz. I’m second generation British Jamaican. My grandparents and parents were part of the Windrush generation and I was born and grew up in Brixton. Happy memories. Thank you for highlighting old and new Brixton
I grew up here from 1943 -1969, when I married and moved away. My memories are vivid, but many of the places I loved as a child are just not there anymore. I went to Effra Parade infant and Junior school, then on to Santley Street until Tulse Hill School was built and I moved there. I became Cinema Projectionist, working at the Regal Streatham for a good few years as well as other cinemas both on the ABC circuit and Odeon circuit. They were great days. I'm 76 now and still remember those days as though they were yesterday. Long live Brixton.
oldproji - Thanks for the memories, mate! I was born in Wandsworth but grew up and went to school in Brixton. I attended Stockwell Primary and Stockwell Manor Secondary. Growing up in Brixton, I felt the area was a bit rough and deprived. But there were some cultural treasures which I enjoyed visiting as a kid: the Ritzy Cinema on Brixton Hill, the Tate Library nearby, the Tate Gallery over on Millbank across Lambeth Bridge, and the market. I especially loved the Tate Library as they had a great literature collection. As a child, I knew and was proud of famous names associated with the area - William Blake and John Ruskin. It was only later that I learned of Robert Browning and Muriel Spark. Of course, as someone who became an immediate David Bowie fan after he appeared on Top of the Pops in 1973, I was delighted to find out he was born in Brixton. I moved abroad years ago, but every time I return to Britain I try to make a stop in Brixton - one of the most distinctive districts in all of London.
Oldproji . I also went to Santley Street and then Tulse Hill, i was there the same time as you. Maybe we know each other ?? the world is a very different place now. 😎
Joolz, I started watching your videos during Covid lock-down in South Africa, and subsequently bought your book. I recently had the pleasure of following my first walk from the book; and, as I was in the area for a day, I chose the one in Brixton. I found it thoroughly enjoyable, and your guidebook really enhanced the experience. Now I've come across this particular video, which I hadn't seen before, and I've been able to relive my enjoyable day in Brixton all over again. (If anything, I'd say that Brixton looks lightly smarter and neater than it did 3 years ago. It's nice to see that not everything goes to seed.) Thanks again.
I've visited London a dozen or so times, I'd class myself as a tourist, but with every new JoolZ guide I want to go again, there's just so many reasons to be there! The nostalgia is just, amazing!
My parents moved to Brixton from Ireland in the early 60's and still live here, in the same house my brothers and I were raised in. This was a fascinating video.
It's utterly beyond me how anyone could ever give these guides a thumb down. Very informative and highly amusing. I guess there's no accounting for some folk 🤷 🤔 🤦♀️
I was born and raised in Brixton, just before the '81 riots. Myatts field, then moved to Tulse hill estate and cressingham gardens estate. I loved those years. I moved from South to Hackney when I was 18.
Woww man, I arrived in Brixton 1 week before lockdown, but my first visit was in Warwick, Leamington Spa and Birmingham, Streat Upon Avon I'm from Brazil. Do yoy believe? Yes it's. So, I didn't know that Mr David Bowie was lived all his life in Brixton. Firstly, I was walking in the center, because my friend lives in Lilford Road. And he was received me in his house. I really appreciate Brixton, because when I started to walking on the streets, I was talking with the people, it's so lovely. There's a church all the parts, what a pit for cenary w ed are living today, you know? So, it's incredible Brixton because, that a say for my parents, my friends and everyone Brixton smells Music, Brixton smells Food from all the World. It's unbelievable. Simply I love Brixton, I love David Bowie and its incredible to live in the place that him lived and makes his carrier here. Its a wonderful and pleasure to live here. I'm delivery Driver and I had to ordered a lot of orders to the customers and I had to talk everyone, so it's a lovely people. I'm grateful to God allow me to arrive here and I'm so grateful and happy. Thank you very much your video and your lovely time my dear friend. God bless you!!! Muito obrigado Brixton!!! Thank you very much Brixton!!!! 🇬🇧🇧🇷🇬🇧🇧🇷
I’m a Croydon gal that now lives in Perth Western Australia. Thanks for this video. I have very vivid memories of Brixton that I will always cherish. 🤗
The Brixton Academy was a cinema called the Brixton Astoria in the 60s. I used to go there every Saturday for 'Saturday Morning Pictures' with loads of other kids. When I first went back there, a few years ago for a concert, I was amazed at how little it had changed!
The Ritzy has something called the Big scream which is when the special days kids are allowed in the cinema and because of the amount of kids making noise its called the big screen
You all are in my age range and the references you make to songs and things from the 80’s warms the cockles of my heart ❤️ God bless you for the little spark of joy you bring to this cold Nebraskans heart. 😘
@@patrickclark7974 facts! I’m 23 and live in Brixton and constantly meet people in my age group who’ve moved to Brixton and other parts of south London because they think it’s “edgy” and they are usually awful to the locals who’ve lived here forever😩🤦🏿♀️
My dad, born and bred in Peckham/Brixton area and now 75. He remembers it before the Windrush generation. He said the only non-English apart from a few Irish were the Italians who run most of the hairdressers/barbers there. Unless you got permission you weren't allowed to open such an establishment. Something dodgy going on I think? Joolz, you need to do more south of the river, just make sure your jabs are up-to-date!
@@SkepticalSteve01 Not quite right are you, what about the 18th, 17th, 16th centuries you fail to miss. Need I go further back in history or have you got it now?
@@trancehi Read up on the history of London and you'll find that Stephen Ballantyne is substantially correct . Ever since the Roman times, London has always been a city of immigrants, some coming from within these shores but just as many from beyond them. That includes the 18th, 17th and 18th centuries, trancehi. Mind you, I'm sure there were plenty of bigoted arseholes then as well. Luckily, they've usually been in the minority. London has gained strength and vigour from its immigrants and long may that process of continuous revitalisation continue! (Thanks for the vid, Jools.)
@@Trish-ql9kz Me neither, I now reside in the Netherlands so will probably pop my clogs here, excuse the pun. I visit Brixton on the odd occasion when I'm in London, trips down memory lane and all that. Planning a visit in August with my granddaughters to show them where grandad was brought up although it ain't what it used to be. Most of the pubs are gone and the Granville arcade given over to upper middle class 'ladies that lunch' and pretensious boutiques selling over priced tacky tat. Still, it's worth a visit for old time's sake.
As a first gen black brixtonian watching this in Argentina it brings back lots of fond memories as a kid in the 70s -90s before i moved to clapham...it was a well rounded tour...no mention of the mystics or the lido but you covered alot
I used to live at Balham and work at Brixton Prison doing construction in 2000/2001 .We actually removed the old shingled and replaced them with the steel rooves seen in the film. Absolutely loved my time living in south London. Dan from Australia
Tourists from abroad visit London and know more about it than I do, I’ve only been to London twice. There is so much that you would never know without a guide like Jools.
The history of that boat before it was renamed ‘Windrush’ is very interesting. And the companies that owned it and who owned the company is also very interesting.
Carl Wilson Another racist barking up the wrong tree? Actually, the Empire Windrush was built by Blohm & Voss - you may know them for a little boat they built called Bismarck; heard of it? - which the Nazis used as a troop ship called Monte Rosa for a few years. After they got their arses properly and deservedly kicked, Britain confiscated the boat and used it to transport loyal British Commonwealth citizens to the mother country, where they were promised useful work (mostly with London Transport) that would help Britain at a time of manpower shortages. The racism, not to mention ingratitude, wasn’t expected by anybody at the time.
@@SkepticalSteve01 Carl Wilson know the truth, you only know bits and pieces. Boat was owned by small hats from NZ. There's a whole lot more to the Windrush story than people are told. People of colour being used as pawns.
Stephen Ballantyne. You need to dig a bit deeper than Wikipedia before you start with the insults mate. The boat was owned by the New Zealand Shipping Company LTD, whose main shareholders were the Isaacs family.
Tone WHUFC Actually the Empire Windrush was operated on behalf of the British Government by the New Zealand Shipping Company and was never listed on the NZSC’s roster of ships. It only made one trip to the West Indies, coming back with somewhere between 490 and 800 (!) West Indians. I have a soft spot for the NZSC, because I travelled with my mother from Auckland to Southampton in 1954 aboard the Rangitoto. It didn’t seem particularly Jewish to me, but it’s s possible I was too young to notice what no doubt would have been important signs, had you been there to spot them.
The green door centre-screen from 12:09-12:17 was my front door when I lived in London. It also acted as a convenient, discreet pissoire for homeward bound concertgoers after a night at the Academy. Or any other night for that matter.
I'm so excited to see this video. I'm planning a trip to London, and I've had my heart set on staying in the Brixton neighborhood. This is absolutely made for me. Thank you!! ❤
do it..my daughter lives there and i visited for the first time in November and LOVED it. Im in Australia, and I felt so safe there. Walked from her flat next to the prison to the markets or tube each night and never once felt at risk. Lots to see and do, and of course eat
I so enjoyed this video. I have never seen Brixton before, after this I want to go there, especially the market. It was great to see the two Canadians in this!!🙋♀️🇨🇦.
A big thankyou for giving us this bit of local history, coming from brixton myself . one person who worked at the bon marche was violet szabo, they made a film about her heroics during the second world war named carve her name with pride, just a shame they have priced us out of our manor. Tim Roth went to dick Shepard school ,Muhammad Ali visited tulse hill school. So glad I was brought up there.
I live in Australia and this was my first Joolz Guide video, recommended by my English cousin. As a child I lived at 1 Tregothnan Road, less than 10 minutes walk from David Bowie's home. I realise now that we must have been at Stockwell Primary School at the same time. Loved the video! I've subscribed.
Joolz I've been I've been a subscriber for a while now, all your videos are brilliant but I gotta say this one is amungst my favorites. Keep them coming sir.
Brixton has at times quite a 'ruff' reputation, but I explored it a little bit last year (more on the list to visit this year) and found some fascinating spots - And this is one of your best videos for ages Joolz, love the guides where you wander around an area gathering people as you go! I'm doing a bit of work in Barking/East Ham at the moment; I've sussed out a few points of vague interest but wouldn't mind seeing what you'd see and do in that rather build up and industrial area. :)
Great vlog. I haven't been to Brixton for ages, even though I don't live too far away. Lovely to see Morleys is still going strong, I must jump on the bus soon and pay a visit.
My grandparents lived in Blenheim Gardens, my Aunts and Uncles lived around the corner we lived in Dunbarton Rd. it was a lovely area growing up. in the 50's and 60's
You f*** Legend! I lived one year in London and I never went to Brixton. Yeah, my bad. Every time I watch your videos, I feel myself walking those streets. Cheers, mate. Happy Sunday to all! Greetings from Argentina.
More Beatles in London , from the movie Help to A Hard Day's Night , Apple, where The Beatles lived to their hangouts , also The Rolling Stones , The Dave Clark Five location of the photo shoot with the famous Jaguar and so many more please.
Joolz your videos have been quite entertaining and I've learned a lot of insights to some of the places I will visit on my 1st trip to London very soon. To show my appreciation I donated to your channel because we need more Joolz. Thank you.
Thank you Joolz. Very interesting, as always, and the music's always good. Have you ever thought of doing a guide about the railway stations? When Paddington Station was built, trains left the platform ends into open country and everyone thought the GWR was mad for building a station so far out of London. Just as they thought Selfridge was a bit nutty for building his department store at the wrong end on Oxford Street. So, please, keep up the good work. Oh, and if you'd like to do a guide to Leipzig, the wonderful town where I live, it would be a pleasure to help you. German history is incredibly fascinating.
Electric Avenue built in the 1880s, was the first market street to be lit by electric light but Mosley Street in Newcastle-upon-Tyne was the first street in world to be lit by electric light in 1879 and Thomas Edison attended the event.
Good video! This my hometown! My stomping ground in my youth days! My mum still lives in Brixton! This is my home from home! Really appreciated this history and tour of Brixton!
Brixton looks like an awesome place to wander around and get lost in for n afternoon. If I ever get back to London I'll be sure to set aside some time for it.
My Grandmother lived in Trinity Homes for many years. RIP Nan X Please do Peckham next, My grandparents where market traders there for over 50 year and I worked there for over 20 years. Theres alot of history there.
