A little bit of Brixton magic

Hello my dear friends,

I haven't posted about Brixton in a while and feel like I've been neglecting my duties :-)

I've been living in Brixton for over 15 years now and still find it fascinating and the most exciting part of London. The eclectic mix of people, cultures, food, shops, restaurants and  market stalls, make it a wonderfully thrilling place to be in. Lately, I have been going down almost every day after work for a coffeee and to read my book. I love Rosie's (will write about that place another time in more detail), but the best coffee you will have in London is at the Federation. It is worth making a trip down South just for a taste. Two young guys opened a small shop 2 x 4 meters big, and very soon they acquired such a following, they had people queuing for a cup of coffee. They moved next door into a much bigger place as the demand for their coffee was getting quite big. Here is their website to wet your appetite. 

http://federationcoffee.com/ 

Just around the corner from Federation is this Afro Caribbean shop that sells such random things, I always have a chuckle and a good browse (although I never buy anything as I wouldn't know how to cook the food). Last time I passed by, they were selling huge snails. They looked dry, but I also think I saw them moving, I can't decide. Here is one of the many pictures I took:

And just to illustrate my point of how mixed this place is, here are the posters on their wall:

And on the other side of the shop, a little bit of street art:

 

And to finish, here is one of my favourite shops in the world. It is a second hand book shop, owned by a cool American guy, who usually plays country music (not my taste, but I strangely enjoy it while I am browsing for books) and has a dog sleeping in front of a counter. A LOT of the books on my book shlef come from that shop. In fact, I was addicted to this place some years ago. I'd go in at least once a week and buy at least one book from him. This went on for months and months. I was broke at the end of this adventure, may I just say.


The other day, I remembered that I still haven't read Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, and went to Brixton for grocery shopping and to go to the library. But before that, I made a stop at the Book Mongers, just to see what's in. And what do you know, In Cold Blood was staring at me from the shelf. Although I love libraries and use them all the time, I just had to buy the book. Only £3 and a new copy too. Win win.
You can find all sorts of stuff in there. Some books are old and used and some are perfectly new. I guess he gets them from the publishing houses or bookshops that can't sell them anymore. More often than not, you will find a newest Booker Prize List book sitting next to an old classic. And there is a great variety too. From philosophy and poetry, to comics, science fiction, travel, novels, LGBT writing,... Come and see it for yourself. But until then, here is the picture of how it looks from the outside:

So that's it for today's tour of Brixton. Come and visit this wonderful place when you get some spare time. The best day is Saturday. It is full of people, and the place is buzzing with activity.

Let me know what your favourite shops are. Where do you buy your books? Where do you go for a coffee and a quiet read?

See you all soon.

Lilly xx