Kylie Minogue at the Rivoli

Kylie's Secret Night, shown on Channel 4 over Christmas 2019, showed everyone's favourite Aussie pop star staging a surprize night for fans, hosted by Alan Carr. And where better to do it than the Rivoli Ballroom in Crofton Park, where so many others have trod - Rihanna, Lana del Ray, Elton John, Tina Turner, Oasis, Florence and the Machine, er the Brockley Ukelele Group and all the rest (check out previous posts for details).

'your discovery was my land, my discovery is your borders'

'Freedom of Movement II' is a poster-based work by Glasgow-based Iranian artist Iman Tajik, recently displayed in the window of the new building on the corner of Borough High Street and Marshalsea Road SE1. Referencing the 1951 UN convention on refugees it proclaims 'your discovery was my land, my discovery is your borders'.  According to the artist the work explores the ‘right to travel as a human rights concept, encompassing the right of individuals to travel from place to place within the territory of a country, and to leave the country and return to it’. The bird featured, an avocet, knows no borders as it migrates between Europe, Africa and Asia.

I wonder whether the artist was aware that this building at 180 Borough High Street - which now houses Fora workspace - occupies what was until recently the site of the Overseas Visitors Records Office where 'foreign nationals' registered with the police, and that in a building on the site before that Marcus Garvey once rented a room.

The work featured in the Better Bankside 'From the other side' of exhibition displayed in local windows during October 2019.

Villages Brewery birthday

Villages brewery in Deptford is three years old and celebrating this weekend with a party. Must admit my visit to the Villages taproom in Resolution Way last weekend was my first. The brewery/bar is in one of the railway arches there, and as well as serving their own brews they are hosting music sessions, quiz nights etc.

I was there for the visit of the Fowlers Molly Dancers who were touring Deptford drinking establishments - they have been practicing at Villages.

Music Monday: High Flying Birds video in Crofton Park & Lordship Lane

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds' 'Wandering Star' single has a Christmas-themed video that sees a Santa coming to the aid of a desperate shoplifter.  The shop used in the video is actually Jay's Budgens in Crofton Park (400 Brockley Road SE4, by the Brockley Jack pub).

In the video Santa and the shoplifter are chased by a security guard and escape on to a nearby housing estate. There isn't actually such an estate next to Budgens, this scene was filmed a couple of miles away on Southwark's Lordship Lane Estate. Norman Court, which is opposite the estate on Lordship Lane SE22, can be seen as Santa runs down the alley

Budgens, December 2019 - the shop front isn't actually shown in the video