Things everyone from Brixton is tired of hearing

With the recent launch of Nike's 2018 "Nothing Beats a Londoner" campaign, it's easy to see why so many people who have lived and grown up in London feel proud to call it home. From Big Shaq to school kids, it seems that everyone with access to a tube line is singing the ad's praises, but I can't help slightly cringing at Nike's perception of Peckham, and more specifically, South London. And since Brixton is famously known for being the heart of SW life, here are a few misconceptions that people from Brixton like myself are tired of hearing:

"It's scary"

The fact of the matter is, within any area of a big city like London there's bound to be certain parts that seem unsafe or scary to be in, so to single out Brixton for it is just plain ridiculous. If we're so bad, how come thousands of people from all over Europe flock to our clubs and venues every week for our unbeatable nightlife?

You see Graffiti, I see a community of people mourning the tragic loss of innocent friends and family.

"People from Brixton are so rude, everyone acts like a gangster"

Damn, so Pat from Iceland? A rude boy, who knew? Aside from how crazy that image sounds, what people commonly forget is that within every area the people you will often find there have a blend of different accents, nationalities and postcodes. What you're more likely hearing is the general slang of London rather than Brixton. Although you can find rude people anywhere, I've found the people of Brixton to be friendly and welcoming.

"Brixton's so weird, don't you have your own currency?

Ah yes the Brixton Pound. The concept was created in 2009 to support local shops and restaurants, as every Brixton pound spent goes directly towards maintaining Brixton businesses. What's more, since over 250 businesses in Brixton currently accept it as a valid form of currency, this means that the money will go directly to the families and independent businesses who need it. Now if only could use some of that to pay off my overdraft…

Brixton Village, home to many of Brixton's most loved underground restaurants, is a big distributor of the popular currency.

"Brixton's such a rough area, it really needs a change"

If you're hoping for a sudden wave of coffee shops , craft beer, and organic food restaurants, this 'change' has certainly arrived in the last few years. Beginning with the launch of Brixton's very own answer to Box Park, AKA 'Pop Brixton', the district has has seen the launch of a number of independent startup businesses, who often bring with them delicious spices, fabrics and foods from all over the world. While you can argue against the gentrification that seems to be on the rise, you can't deny the temptation of our 24 hour McDonalds. Come on.

"Why do you have a Windmill in the middle of a park? Does it work?"

Look. Most of us don't really know either. From what I understand it was originally used to make bread back in the day, but nowadays acts a tourist trap in spring for budding historians and sticky kids who love to climb. It was converted to electric power a few years ago. Only in Brixton could I say that I have a windmill in my back garden that's also ten minutes from my local spoons.

"But I heard it has such a bad reputation, didn't it used to be really violent?"

The key words here are 'used to be'. In fact, any bad reputation about violence in Brixton is most likely a reference to the 1980s, when a civil war riot broke out in the streets over how black communities were being racially discriminated against by the police. Nowadays, Brixton paints a much different picture , and is renowned for its amazing nightlife and rich diverse history as well as being the home and inspiration to some of pop culture's greatest icons, such as David Bowie or Bob Marley. Plus, didn't you hear? We're "up and coming" and basically the new Shoreditch.

No matter how far he went, Bowie was always a South London boy at heart (R.I.P)

"Brixton is full of hipsters"

There's not much I can say here. Except yes, and they're everywhere.

Suffice to say, Brixton is a place that never fails to be interesting. So whether you're sampling hipster cuisine at Pop Brixton, listening to your favourite band at the O2, or just taking a country walk to your local windmill, when it comes to life in SW2 there's simply no place I'd rather be.