Lewisham Loop - Issue 27 ✨

September has arrived, but South East London clearly has no intention of easing into it quietly. This weekend has gardening in Deptford, a dangerously tempting plant fair in Forest Hill, shadow puppets, garage royalty, late-night jungle and a Sunday hardcore finish. A fairly efficient three days, really.

If Friday morning could do with less screen and more green, The Albany’s weekly gardening club is back in its hidden Deptford garden. Learn how to grow veg, pick up a few gardening skills and help look after the space and its wildlife. No experience needed, all tools are provided, and it’s free — just book a ticket so they can keep an eye on numbers.

More details can be found here.

Friday night gets considerably louder at the Fox & Firkin as DJ Dymond brings Xpression to the High Street. Expect jungle and drum & bass from Dymond, Leks, Vektah and DJ Tendai, with the emphasis firmly on deep bass and energetic sets. Tickets are £8 early bird or £10 general admission, plus booking fee. It’s 18+, for fairly obvious 2am-related reasons.

Lineup details and tickets can be found here for £8 - £10.

The Horniman Gardens are filling up with specialist independent nurseries for a Saturday of plants, plants and the inevitable purchase of another plant. There’ll be everything from cottage-garden favourites and shade-lovers to alpines, shrubs and succulents, with growers on hand for advice.

Adult tickets are £12, children £3, and under-3s and carers go free. Children are welcome, though the fair is aimed at adults and there are no dedicated kids’ activities. More details on which plant specialists will be present, as well as directions and tickets can be found at this link.

_{Note: No event parking at the Horniman or on Horniman Drive, apart from limited Blue Badge spaces.}

Basilitrix takes over Lewisham Polish Centre for an afternoon inspired by Warsaw legends, mixing musical theatre, live music and shadow puppetry. The family and youth sessions run from 2pm, with puppet-making, songs from the show and a group singalong, followed by a separate 18+ shadow-puppetry workshop at 5pm. Everything is in English, with Polish-language support available, and materials are included.

Single tickets are £15, with family and group tickets available too, from Eventbrite here. Children aged 6–11 need to take part with an adult, while the afternoon programme also has a 12+ group.

The London Arts charity SET kicks off its 10th anniversary with art showcases, as well as viewings of work in progress, complete with free refreshments. A great chance to meet artists and discuss their works, both locations will be open for curious viewers. Venues only are a short bus ride apart, so feel free to check out both on the day!

Entry at both venues is completely free, with no booking required. View more details and directions for the opening event here, and more about the charity here!

The Fox & Firkin is leaning fully into nostalgia on Saturday, with original Sugababes member Mutya Buena live on the Garden Stage, UK garage favourites Sweet Female Attitude bringing a DJ set and live PA, plus Heartbreakers Club joining the bill. Basically, if Flowers still causes an immediate reaction in your nervous system, you already know what to do.

Tickets currently start at £15, including entry-before-4pm and U18 options, and can be found at the Fox & Firkin’s website here.

If your preferred Sunday reset involves considerably more noise, Last Wishes are at New Cross Inn to bring the weekend to a suitably heavy close. It’s a South London grassroots hardcore option for anyone not quite ready to go quietly into Monday.

General admission tickets are £14.30 and can be found here along with links to the performers.

🎮 Esports Youth Club - Friday 4 September, 4:30pm–6:30pm. Free gaming at Downham Library for ages 11–18, with consoles, gaming PCs, open play and tournaments. Spaces are limited.

🎭 Kids Vogue Starts – Performing Arts School - Friday 4 September, 4:45pm–7:45pm. Singing, drama and dance at Corbett Community Library for children aged 5+, with a free trial available to book.

🎨 Come Painting With Ms Carry! - Saturday 5 September, 11am–12:30pm. Bring a project or try something new with local artist Carry Hornby at Sydenham Community Library. Free, relaxed and open to all ages.

📖 Kamishibai – Japanese Paper Theatre Storytelling - Saturday 5 September, 11:30am–12pm. Aya Nakamura brings traditional Japanese tales to Downham Library using illustrated cards and paper theatre. Free and made for children and families.

🔔 Sound Bath Meditation - Sunday 6 September, 8pm–9pm. Finish the weekend horizontally, quietly and surrounded by gongs, singing bowls, flutes and other soothing sounds at Manor House Community Library. £20, booking required.

See you next week ~