Brixton Murals Ride 30/07/2011 - Ride Report

A small but mighty band of 4 set off from Southwark Needle shortly after 10am for the 25-minute ride down CS7 to Stockwell. We were joined at our first mural stop (at the Stockwell War Memorial) by Brian, Hugh and Hugh's delightful 2-year-old daughter, and then also by Hugh's wife (on foot) for a few of the murals in Brixton town centre.

From the local-history-collage mural at the Stockwell War Memorial, we then had a look at the enormous "Children at Play" mural on the back of the old Brixton Academy. Several of us felt the artist failed to depict, as per the spec, a group of happy children of many races playing together. Instead, it rather looks like a group of angry adults shouting?! That said, the scope is impressive. This 30+ year old mural is wearing well and recently benefited from some judicious repairs/freshening up.

We then had a quick look at the two murals in Bellefields Road. Both include rather abstract images symbolising, in turn, local features of Brixton and a seaside scene including a winged dog. 

The next mural on our route is the wonderfully romantic "Big Splash" mural on the end of a terrace in Glenelg Road. From there, it is just a few streets to the largest mural on view today, down the side of the old Toburg brewery stables/factory complex in Mauleverer Road. This features 4 distinct scenes requested by local residents, including one of a bandstand the other side of which is a Caribbean beach!

We then peered at the Brixton Windmill mural, now very sadly faded and water-damaged. I learned after our ride that there is a good chance this mural will soon receive some much-needed TLC and repairs. Very good news. We took the opportunity then to visit the windmill depicted in this mural, nestled in the Windmill Gardens housing estate. This has recently been restored to full working order and is expected to be opened to the public within the next few months.

A quick whiz back to Brixton town centre revealed what is possibly the most "important" mural in the area: "Nuclear Dawn", at the back of Carlton Mansions in Coldharbour Lane. This is a brutal depiction of London undergoing a nuclear apocalypse - complete with scenes of devastation, a mushroom cloud and "privileged" politicians of the day hunkering down in an underground bunker while Death stalks the city. This mural is the most "endangered" one in Brixton, suffering from fading, water damage and access now blocked by a wall, trees and a very overgrown car park. In fact, its entire existence may be at risk, as Carlton Mansions is slated for demolition in order for re-development of the site.

The two murals inside Brixton Rail Station rounded off our half-day tour. One is titled "Clutter" and the other "Food". They were both painted in the 1980s and show the variety of goods that one could readily find in Brixton Market in those days. Indeed, the "Food" mural could well be a snapshot of today's offerings.

Our eyes and minds now full from the sumptuous visual feast of the morning, it was time to fill our stomachs! We bid adieu to Colin, Brian and Hugh at the station, and then Peter, David and myself enjoyed paninis and Italian coffees on the sunny sidewalk patio outside San Marino cafe on the London-Brighton Road.

Photos from the day can be seen at https://picasaweb.google.com/103168273616542448494/BrixtonMurals?authuser=0&feat\
=directlink&gsessionid=BUzdnOlPf7OVv-y7steQrA#, thanks to Peter Kidd.

Feedback afterwards indicates this was a highly successful inaugural Murals Ride, so I hope to run it again before winter sets in. Meanwhile, I am also liaising with the London Murals Preservation Society with a view to running another murals ride, this time round the murals of Rotherhide / Surrey Quays / Deptford / Greenwich. Watch this space!

Many thanks to everyone who came along on this one - and to Alaina and Ruth for helping me plan the route.



Rebecca Olds
Rides Co-ordinator, Southwark Cyclists
07905 797585