Jamie Milton

In a nutshell…It’s a crowdfunded, community-run venue and members club for creatives, buzz bands and indie kids. Where is it?You might need Citymapper for this one. The tiny venue is located less than a mile away from Queens Road Peckham’s increasing number of fancy bars and pizzerias, but it’s buried in an industrial estate: try not to take a wrong turn or you’ll end up in a random warehouse. What’s the vibe?Don’t expect stockbrokers on a night out or electro-heads seeking escape. The maximum audience size is 265, many of whom will typically be south London artists and musicians looking to scrape rent by seeking gigs on the cheap. DIY Space is big on community and accessibility, funded by volunteers with a membership fee of £2 per year. That’s one half pint or a couple of Twixes – it’s a no-brainer. What makes it a great venue?Beyond being home to ace, intimate gigs, it’s also a social space for young creatives being priced out of the city. There’s a record shop (Tome Records), a ‘plant-based’ café, a printing press and office facilities. Beyond gigs, DIY Space hosts screenings and talks on subjects like ‘Why can’t we afford to live in our homes?’ You could spend every waking day there if you fancied, though the volunteer staff might start giving you funny looks. What’s the booze situation?DIY Space started out with a BYOB policy, but don’t try and sneak in those tinnies any more. Instead, visit the bar for an espresso martini or a craft beer from one of Bermondsey’s local b

Home to the city’s fast-rising grime stars, a new proliferation of upmarket flats and a rapidly increasing number of young families, Brockley is an area in flux. Nowhere is that more embodied than on the central stretch of this south-east London jewel: Brockley Road. A stone’s throw from New Cross and a ten-minute train ride to London Bridge (depending on what kind of mood the trains are in), it’s a street that’s noticeably going through some kind of phase. But for every symbol of gentrification you spot here, there’s a much-loved, long-running local favourite too. Another thing: if you think about it hard and swap the palm trees for night buses, Brockley Road is south-east London’s answer to LA’s Sunset Boulevard. Famous faces past and present have called this place home: Kate Bush used to live round the corner; a skint Chris Tarrant slept in his car between shifts teaching at a local school; and soul singer Gabrielle’s (property) dreams came true when she invested here. The jaw-dropping Rivoli Ballroom is a magnet for Hollywood film shoots: Scarlett Johansson was recently spotted there, filming a scene for the next instalment of the ‘Avengers’ franchise. Yep, Brockley isn’t just the subject of steaming hot vegetable puns. But like all healthy greens, this fun and culturally thriving patch south of the river is undoubtedly good for you. Eat this   A photo posted by Annabel (@annadorabel) on Jan 14, 2017 at 1:06pm PST The signature pulled pork bap at London Beer Dispensa