July is doing that thing where every nice plan lands at once. This week brings experimental sounds in Telegraph Hill, Black-owned makers in Lewisham Shopping Centre, young creatives taking over Goldsmiths, jazz in the Fox garden, and enough library bits to make you feel faintly organised.
In this week’s Loop:
Library art, teen classes and a Tuesday book group
Mercury over maps at The Hill Station
A Saturday market-and-festival double in Lewisham and New Cross
Sunday jazz at The Fox, plus a New Cross Inn finisher
🗓️ Our picks for 6th May - 12th July
Mercury over maps 27
Three duos, plenty of left turns, and a very good reason to go uphill
If your ears like a bit of adventure, head to The Hill Station for the next Mercury over maps. This one brings together Phil Durrant and Mark Hewins, Ratdanger, and Yoni Silver with Bill Thompson for an evening of experimental, improvised sounds featuring a variety of different genres. Low-key venue, high-curiosity music, and probably not the week’s most predictable Tuesday.
Details and backgrounds on each performer can be found here. Tickets are £10, or £5 for students, with booking via Skiddle available here.
Tuesday 7th July @ 19:30 - 23:00 (performance starts at 19:30)
Hill Station Cafe and Bar @ Telegraph Hill Community Centre, SE14 5TY
African & Caribbean Market
Saturday shopping with flavour, colour, and no sensible reason to leave empty-handed
Wakuda’s African & Caribbean Market returns to Lewisham Shopping Centre, bringing African and Caribbean Black-owned brands into the middle of town. It’s free entry and runs from late morning into early evening.
Further details can be found here. A good one for gifts, browsing and supporting local makers without needing to cross the river.
Saturday 11 July @ 11:00 - 18:00
Lewisham Shopping Centre @ Lewisham town centre, SE13 7EP
Alchemy Festival
Young artists, big ideas, and Goldsmiths doing something properly local
Goldsmiths’ first Alchemy Festival lands in New Cross for a full day of live music, performance, film, discussion and community-led creativity. The focus is on the imagination, leadership and talent of young people in the Alchemy community, which sounds like exactly the sort of Saturday that deserves a bit of room in the diary.
All details can be found here. Entry is free, but booking is needed.
Saturday 11 July @ 13:00 - 21:00
Goldsmiths, University of London @ Lewisham Way, SE14 6NW
New Regency Orchestra at The Fox & Firkin Summer Jazz Series
The Fox & Firkin’s Jazz series part 2!
The Fox & Firkin’s Summer Jazz Series continues with New Regency Orchestra, Mansilla, Joe Bristow and Son Solero in the garden. Expect a laid-back summer set-up with music, food, drinks and the kind of Lewisham Sunday plan that does most of the work for you.
Book and check details here. Tickets are listed at £30 and grant entry to the remaining 3 shows in the series on July 12th, August 9th, and September 27th.
Families are welcome, and the series supports Lewisham Donation Hub too. Very wholesome. Very garden-friendly.
Sunday 12 July @ 13:00 - 23:00
The Fox & Firkin @ 316 Lewisham High Street, SE13 6JZ
I Am The Avalanche at New Cross Inn
Sunday night punk music for anyone not quite ready to go to sleep
New Cross Inn has I Am The Avalanche in for a Sunday evening show, with support from Cold Years and Lucky Hit. It is loud, late-weekend, and nicely positioned for anyone who thinks Sunday should end with guitars rather than inbox dread.
Further details and tickets here. Tickets are listed at £22 including fees, and this is a 14+ show, with under-16s needing to be accompanied.
A good closer for the week if you still have some battery left.
Sunday 12 July @ 18:00 - 22:00
New Cross Inn @ 323 New Cross Road, SE14 6AS
Pick n’ Mix ✨
Small useful things for art kids, book people and anyone avoiding another blank week
🎨 Art Club - Monday 6 July, 15:30 - 16:30, Downham Library. After-school making for children and families, helping build Downham’s rotating display. Good for small artists with big ideas.
🖌️ Secondary Art Classes with Anna Arianova - Monday 6 July, 17:00pm - 18:00pm, Sydenham Community Library. Free term-time art for secondary students, with materials provided and booking needed. Properly useful if portfolios are looming.
📚 Sydenham Book Group - Tuesday 7 July, 17:00 - 18:00, Sydenham Community Library. A monthly first-Tuesday group for discovering and discussing books. Low drama, high page-count potential.
📚 Homework Club - Thursday 9th July, 15:30 - 17:00, Corbett Community Library. A free drop-in homework club for students. Involves numerical work or spelling/language activities.
See you next week ~