Joan Ruddock’s successor in Lewisham Deptford is Vicky Foxcroft

Lewisham Deptford’s constituency Labour Party has selected Vicky Foxcroft to succeed the veteran MP Joan Ruddock as the prospective parliamentary candidate in the next General Election expected to take place in 2015, according to a Labour Party activists’ website.

She was selected from a shortlist of six women on Saturday afternoon May 18 and the LabourList blog released the news at 3.08 pm.

The site describes itself as Labour’s “biggest independent grassroots e-network”  and expressed “congratulations to Vicky, and commiserations to the other shortlisted candidates” who were Janet Daby, Paula Hirst, Florence Nosegbe, Catherine McDonald and Mendora Ogbogbo.

The website indicates that the vote tally among the six candidates was “Foxcroft 169 McDonald 87 Nosegbe 40 Hirst 21 Daby 13 Ogbogbo 6.”

Joan Ruddock has been a constituency MP for the area since 1987. Vicky Foxcroft is described as having grown up “in the North West in a single parent household, and was the first person in her family to go to university.”

Vicky Foxcroft

Councillor Vicky Foxcroft represents high street bank workers for Unite the Union. She is a Local Councillor for Brockley Ward and Chair of the Labour Group. Before becoming a Councillor, she was Women’s Officer of the constituency, Trade Union Officer and Campaigns Officer.

Foxcroft has lived in the Lewisham Deptford constituency for the last 12 years and is actively involved with campaigns throughout the borough. The key local issues Foxcroft wants to address as a local MP is halting the reduction of services at Lewisham Hospital, and building more homes and schools to address shortages of affordable housing and a lack of primary school places within the borough.

“The reason why I’m standing is because I’m local, I’m passionate about the area, and …lots of local people asked me to stand, because they know that I’m not afraid to stand up for the needs of Lewisham Deptford.”

Before her selection she told East London Lines how she intends to tackle key issues facing the constituency, and her approach to the reduction of services at Lewisham A&E and maternity ward.

Satellite image of Coral Sea Resort in Sharm el-Sheikh. Pic: Google

An investigation has begun by the tour operator First Choice Holidays and local police after a child, 5,  from Forest Hill, Lewisham died in a pool while on holiday with her family in the Red Sea Egyptian resort of  Sharm el-Sheikh.

The Foreign Office say the local consulate is assisting the family.

She has been named as Chloe Johnson in an interview by her grandmother April on Sky News who has been critical of the situation at the Coral Sea Waterworld Hotel.

She said her family were angry about what they allege to have been a lack of help at the scene and that an ambulance took four hours to arrive.

Ms Johnson said: “She was a lovely lovely girl. She was intelligent for her age, she was starting to read. She was very polite.”

She says her son, Tony, is in a very bad way as his daughter “was his life.”

Chloe’s mother, Sarah Thompson, 32, has described to a national newspaper May 19 her state of devastation and despair about how her daughter died in the holiday wave pool, and the circumstances afterwards.

She also paid tribute to Chloe who had survived open heart surgery when only 2 days old.

The Foreign Office says: “We are aware of the death of a British national in Sharm el-Sheikh on 17 May. We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time.”

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First Choice Holidays have released a statement saying that it: “can sadly confirm that a child has died while staying at the Coral Sea Waterworld hotel in Egypt. The incident occurred in a pool in the hotel’s waterpark.  Our thoughts and condolences are with the family at this extremely difficult time. The British Consulate were immediately informed and they are now working with our dedicated resort team in Egypt, to offer every assistance possible to the family in resort.”

First Choice said: “In partnership with the hotelier, our resort team are working to understand how the incident occurred, and we will be carrying out a full and thorough investigation. At this time our priority is to provide support to the family.”

Coral Sea Waterworld Hotel in Sharm el-Sheikh. Pic: First Choice

The Press Association reports that Ashraf Khalil, the general manager of the Coral Sea Waterworld, says there is an official investigation by the Egyptian district attorney and Egyptian police.

He said: “We are also, in collaboration with First Choice, flying in investigators from the UK today.”

Six women were shortlisted to stand as Labour’s candidate for Lewisham Deptford.

On Saturday, May 18, Labour party members in the Lewisham Deptford constituency will select a candidate to stand for the area’s Parliamentary seat in 2015. The party released a shortlist of six women aspiring to succeed the retiring MP, Joan Ruddock, who has been in Parliament for the area since 1987.

East London Lines has profiled the six women chosen to potentially lead Lewisham Deptford after the next General Election. We asked them why they thought they were right for the job and how they would solve important local issues.

Janet Daby

Councillor Janet Daby began her career as a Social Worker, before progressing to a management role. She is a Councillor for Whitefoot Ward in Lewisham, as well as a Cabinet Member for Community Safety and is the Black and Minority Ethnicity (BAME) Officer for Lewisham East.

Daby is from the Lewisham Deptford area and said she feels very much at home in the constituency. Her overall goal as a politician is to improve the quality of life for those living locally. The key local issues Daby wants to address as a local MP would be support for families and young people, welfare reform and the economy.

“I feel that due to my own background experiences, knowledge and involvement, …ability to move up in terms of management, and leadership qualities that I know about a lot of social issues and social problems that people in society maybe aren’t as aware of.”

Listen below to hear more about why Daby is standing for election, what sets her apart from the other nominees, how she will tackle key issues and her approach to the reduction of services at Lewisham A&E and maternity ward.

Vicky Foxcroft

Councillor Vicky Foxcroft represents high street bank workers for Unite the Union. She is a Local Councillor for Brockley Ward and Chair of the Labour Group. Before becoming a Councillor, she was Women’s Officer of the constituency, Trade Union Officer and Campaigns Officer.

Foxcroft has lived in the Lewisham Deptford constituency for the last 12 years and is actively involved with campaigns throughout the borough. The key local issues Foxcroft wants to address as a local MP would be halting the reduction of services at Lewisham Hospital, and building more homes and schools to address shortages of affordable housing and a lack of primary school places within the borough.

“The reason why I’m standing is because I’m local, I’m passionate about the area, and …lots of local people asked me to stand, because they know that I’m not afraid to stand up for the needs of Lewisham Deptford.”

Listen below to hear more about why Foxcroft is standing for election, what sets her apart from the other nominees, how she’ll tackle key issues and her approach to the reduction of services at Lewisham A&E and maternity ward.

Paula Hirst

Paula Hirst is currently the Director of Urban Development and Regeneration for Mazars. She has worked in the regeneration industry for nearly 15 years, but also has experience working with local and regional government, the voluntary sector as well as construction and engineering.

Hirst was born in London, and lived in the constituency for four years after finishing university. She is standing for election because she believes the area needs both an experienced and credible candidate to represent its interests in Parliament and a strong, respected local figure. Hirst noted three key issues she would address as the local MP: unemployment due to the economy, the quality of housing and private rented properties and tackling crime and the fear of crime.

“I’ve spent the last 15 years working to create change to deliver and make a difference on the ground. And I believe that that experience of delivery will both attract new voters to the Labour Party, will increasingly engage more people in politics and will help us get back into Government in 2015.”

Listen below to hear more about why Hirst is standing for election, what sets her apart from the other nominees, how she’ll tackle key issues and her approach to the reduction of services at Lewisham A&E and maternity ward.

Catherine McDonald

Councillor Catherine McDonald had experience working in business and politics before becoming local Councillor for Livesey in Southwark, where she is Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care. McDonald was also employed at the National Audit Office and worked in Westminster as an adviser.

As a Southwark councillor, McDonald’s ward borders the Lewisham Deptford constituency, and she says that the areas share many of the same issues she already works with. She also believes that her experience working in Westminster sets her apart from the other candidates. Key issues McDonald would address as a local MP are opportunities for young people, reform housing and private rented properties, stopping the closures and reduction of services at Lewisham Hospital and regeneration.

“I think that in life it’s so unfair that some people have to face all sorts of barriers to try and achieve the kind of thing that they want to do, whilst other people have it easy. And I want to break down those barriers.”

Listen below to hear more about why McDonald is standing for election, what sets her apart from the other nominees, how she’ll tackle key issues and her approach to the reduction of services at Lewisham A&E and maternity ward.

Florence Nosegbe

Florence Nosegbe is a Local Councillor in Brixton Hill Ward in Lambeth, as well as a Deputy Cabinet Representative for Tackling Violent Youth Crime.

Nosegbe said that the ward she represents in Lambeth shares many similar issues with the Lewisham Deptford constituency. She has also worked with young people in the area and has been part of the campaign to help fight cuts in services at Lewisham Hospital. As a local MP, Nosegbe said key issues for her to act on would be creating jobs to stimulate the economy, bringing in investment to develop affordable housing and better regulating of the private rental sector.

“I think it’s really important that we have politicians that are representative and reflective of the community… But equally, I know that [with] some of the work that I’ve led on and my track record, I’ll be able to hit the ground running in Lewisham.”

Listen below to hear more about why Nosegbe is standing for election, what sets her apart from the other nominees, how she’ll tackle key issues and her approach to the reduction of services at Lewisham A&E and maternity ward.

Mendora Ogbogbo

Mendora Ogbogbo is currently the Managing Director of Parli-training Ltd, where she trains others how to campaign on a range of national issues, amend legislation and develop policy. She said her work in this area has given her extensive knowledge of Parliament.

As the local MP, Ogbogbo would look for ways to develop a creative industrial strategy to encourage small scale enterprise to thrive, and create jobs to spur the economy. She also would encourage new housing development in the constituency, to offer more affordable and quality homes for residents.

Ogbogbo was unable to comment for East London Lines, but she provided our reporters with her background information.

For more about Mendora Ogbogbo’ plans as MP for Lewisham Deptford, visit her website, or download this PDF for further information

Reporting by Dennis Funk and Victoria Galvin

Pic: The Newspaper Society

The South London Press, one of the famous titles in London’s print media, is supporting Local Newspaper Week, by emphasizing the role of local papers as “being essential to democracy.”

The paper has had a turnaround in fortunes and is bucking the trend in local paper closures and rationalization after being taken over by the Tindle group in 2007.

It fully backs a national initiative running from Monday May 13 until Sunday May 19 organised by the Newspaper Society while a political battle rages over a Royal Charter to regulate newspaper and online content.

The NS theme this year is press freedom and the Society is stressing the importance of the local newspapers’ power to “scrutinize authority and hold the powerful to account.”

The society has published a report this week on the findings of a survey of local newspaper editors looking at press freedom issues including the effect of the Leveson Inquiry on the industry, but this has been condemned by Hacked Off as “Unscientific and Misleading.”

The Society’s survey reports that “Nearly half of all local newspaper editors believe the Leveson Inquiry has negatively affected their titles’ relationship with readers.”

It has been reported that Hacked Off’s executive director Brian Cathcart has written to local and regional newspaper editors arguing “The Royal Charter approved by all parties in Parliament in March is good for working journalists, good for the regional and local press – and good for the public.”

The Newspaper Society supports a rival majority industry proposed Royal Charter and their intervention persuaded the Prime Minister to put the all-party Hacked Off backed Royal Charter on hold.

Lobbying group attacking Newspaper Society survey of local editors.

Press Freedom Week campaign and events

The week’s events  include today’s Newspaper Society’s Annual General Meeting and the Society of Editors Regional Press Awards at Savoy Place.

The awards ceremony, run in conjunction with the Society of Editors and Journalists’ Charity, will be hosted by LBC presenter Nick Ferrari, and will celebrate regional and local journalism.

There are currently 1,100 local newspapers in the UK and 1,600 associated websites. According to the British Market Research Bureau, 30.9 million people read a local newspaper every week, making it the most widely read print medium in Britain.

The campaign has been backed by a number of high profile supporters, including Lorraine Kelly, Lord Hunt and the retiring Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Lord Igor Judge.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said “the way we ingest news is changing fast but I truly believe there remains an important place for well-informed, local journalism that speaks about the issues and concerns of the local community.”

Supporters of the Local Newspaper Week
Individual Pics: The NS
Graphics: Hannah Newton

Campaigning by the South London Press

The South London Press is one of the newspaper groups supporting the campaign. Founded in 1848, the newspaper provides weekly publications for the boroughs of Lewisham, Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth, Merton and Greenwich.  The newspaper, originally a Trinity Mirror publication, was taken over by the independent, family owned group Tindle Newspapers in 2007.

The South London Press will be backing the Local Newspaper Week, by interviewing local people and covering it editorially. They are also broadcasting an interview with the group’s founder, Sir Ray Tindle, about press freedom and the importance of the local press.

East London Lines spoke to the South London Press Managing Director, Peter Edwards who said “Press Freedom is something we as a nation should be proud of” and that we should “strive always to protect that.”

It is clear that this year’s campaign theme, Press Freedom, is in response to the Leveson Inquiry and the prospects of press regulation. Lord Justice Leveson, in his report, recommended that local newspapers be considered and that they should not face the same treatment as the national press.

Peter Edwards, of SLP, said that “The Leveson Report specifically mentioned local papers as not being complicit in what went wrong.”

He said that Lord Justice Leveson acknowledged that they served an important role in their communities and that factors such as the recession have meant that the local press have had a hard time in recent years.

Edwards said that the government and all party Royal Charter campaigned for by Hacked Off have been “a broad brush that don’t serve our needs or the needs of our readers.”

The Newspaper Society calls the government’s royal charter “state-sponsored” regulation. Peter Edwards said that the newspapers’ alternative charter differentiates much more clearly between the serial offenders and the local papers who “just have the best interests of their communities at heart.”

However, the campaigning organisation Hacked Off has attacked the Newspaper Society’s position alleging it: “has, unfortunately, consistently failed to give a fair representation of the findings of the Leveson inquiry to the public and to its members. It has consistently misunderstood and misrepresented the effect of his recommendations on the local press.”

Edwards says “power to scrutinize authority and hold the powerful to account” is not the sole objective of a local newspaper.

He highlighted the unique and privileged position of the South London Press, saying that they are “not only a voice for the community, but they also celebrate with the community and they also mourn with the community.”

He stressed that the role is also commercial, as the local press is an essential part of the local economy: “they rely on and support the high street.”

According to the NS, 62 million unique users visit local news websites each month.

With local people blogging and tweeting stories as soon as they break, some newspapers may be concerned about the demand for publications. But SLP’s Peter Edwards said that the new media is a channel they embrace, through their own websites and social networks, as well as feeding online material into their printed publications.

However, he is also confident that this new source of information “doesn’t in any way lessen the importance of the printed word”, quoting that families will always want to buy “first day at school pictures” in print.

The Horniman walrus being hoisted from his ice floe
Pic: Alex Braun/Horniman Museum and Gardens

The walrus at the Horniman Museum has not moved from his artificial ice floe for more than 100 years, but this week he is leaving his long-time home and making a trip to the Kent coast for the summer.

He is going to be one of the star exhibits at the Turner Contemporary for their new show of novel and strange objects, called Curiosity: Art and the Pleasures of Knowing.

The walrus being cleaned before his trip
Pic: acapmedia/Horniman Museum and Gardens

Getting the walrus packed up and ready to go has been a sizeable operation, involving a team of about 20 people. First of all, he was cleaned last week by a specialist taxidermist. This happens annually, but he’s had an extra-special brush down this year as it is the first time he has been removed from his artificial ice floe for so long.

He has also had an X-ray, to find out what exactly is inside him. He weighs in at about a tonne, and measures roughly 2 metres long. Due to his size and weight, scaffolding had to be built within the natural history room at the Horniman to hoist him out. He was then wrapped up tight to prevent him being damaged on the journey.

The walrus is something of a unique character. He was acquired by Frederick Horniman in the 1890s from a hunter who exhibited the specimen in South Kensington.

The walrus is tucked in tight ready for the journey
Pic: Horniman Museum and Gardens

Jo Hatton is the keeper of natural history at the Horniman Museum. She says that, at the time, it was all the rage to bring exotic and interesting animals from around the world back to Britain to be displayed in museums. Frederick Horniman, Victorian tea trader and philanthropist, wanted to show off the world to the people of London.

As an exotic animal, there may have been few accurate pictorial documents of a walrus in the late Victorian period. It is thought that the taxidermist did not really know what one looked like, which is why the Horniman’s specimen has been over-stuffed.

Hatton explained that the walrus is something of a mascot for the museum, and that visitors hold him dear to their hearts.

“People do come back and see him over and over again,” Hatton said, “And people remember him and reminisce about him quite fondly.”

The Horniman have kept a blog of the progress of moving their walrus, with sketches to explain the logistics.

The natural history exhibit at the museum will re-open on Thursday, and there will be a replacement sculpture to fill the empty space.

The walrus will return in September, well-rested.

Justeena Everest from Lewisham missing from home. Pic: Met Police

The Metropolitan Police are asking for the public’s help in tracing Justeena Everest, 14, from Lewisham.

Justeena was last seen at her home address in Bourneside Gardens, SE6 one week ago at 11.30 in the morning on May 8.

She is described as “mixed race, 5ft 1ins tall, of slim build with dark shoulder length hair.” She was last seen wearing white jeans, a fitted black top, and carrying a white bag.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Lewisham Police on 0208 284 8455, the police non-emergency line on 101, or Missing People 116 000.

Sanford is the oldest purpose-built housing co-operative in London Pics: Sean Mullervy

A Deptford housing cooperative now accommodating 120 people continues to thrive in “a crisis” London housing market described as desperately short of affordable private renting and home ownership.

In the last fortnight renters across London have staged protests against disproportionate fees and rents charged by letting agents. At a speech in Worcester on April 25, Ed Miliband laid out propositions for housing reform, and proposed a landlord’s register to go some way to regulating the private rental housing market and protecting tenants. The coalition government is offering subsidised mortgages to try to help first-time buyers onto the housing ladder. Politicians are acknowledging that there is a problem with housing provisions in the UK.

However, at Sanford Housing Co-operative in Deptford, some 120 people are managing to avoid the pitfalls of the traditional housing market. For around 40 years, Sanford Walk has been nestled in the nook of a branching train line in suburban south London. It’s a peaceful, private street with verdant gardens, a pond full of frogs and fish and an impressive bike shed built from old railway sleepers. It was set up by student activists in the 1970s to provide affordable accommodation for single people priced out of the London housing market.

The rent is very reasonable — the residents at Sanford pay £250 a month, including all bills and council tax, which is almost unheard of for a location just a few minutes from central London by train. The reason the rent can be kept so low is that there is no landlord. The tenants of a co-operative own the site collectively, and the money they pay in rent all goes back into the site. Each resident has a responsibility to contribute to the running and maintenance of the site.

Mark Langford is a support officer who helps with the administration of Sanford. He said that a co-operative is a housing model which provides a stable, affordable home in a strong community. Members have control over their own housing and there is no profit motive. There are occasionally problems with conflict between members, but Mark says  the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

“You have to acknowledge that it’s not a perfect system, but it’s pretty good,” Langford said. “Everyone has a right to have a democratic say in how the place is run, which has got to be a good thing in the end.”

The members have a lot of interest from other groups who want to set up their own co-operatives. They come to Sanford as a pioneer of its kind to find out how to progress but, Langford said, “unless you’ve got money, it’s very difficult to set co-ops up in London and the South-East, because things are just so expensive here”.

If a co-operative housing model can succeed on a larger scale, the government would have to do more to encourage it.

On the evening of April 29, a documentary entitled Living In The Future was screened at Sanford. It was part of the Deptford and New Cross Free Film Festival which had been taking place at venues in the area last week.

The subject of the film is the establishment of Lammas, a low-impact eco-village in Pembrokeshire in South Wales. It is about people who are seeking an alternative kind of housing, and how that alternative model can fit into mainstream society.

The event was organised by Maura Framrose. She’s been living at Sanford for about six months, and has organised several events at the co-op for the film festival. Her aim is to educate and explain to people alternative housing models. The private rental market, she says, is a system that benefits nobody. “I don’t blame landlords. I blame the system that we’ve created whereby a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, great, house prices are rising, let’s buy up, let’s buy to make money.’ No. You need somewhere to live. That’s basic.”

One reason people are turning to co-operative models is because house prices are unaffordable, especially for single people. Alternative housing models are being sought not because they are radical, but because they are practical. While a place like Sanford may lie somewhat outside of the mainstream, Framrose said they are inundated with applications from people wanting to live there.

But is co-operative housing a viable large-scale solution to Britain’s housing problems?

Both Langford and Framrose pointed out that, while people of all ages live there, co-operative housing as it’s manifested at Sanford is most suited to young people. Couples and families are not allowed.

Dr Tom Moore is an assistant researcher at the Centre for Housing Research at the University of St Andrews. His field of expertise is community land trusts, which are similar to co-ops. Community groups purchase land and hold it in trust so it can’t be sold on the market. In England, most of these trusts have the aim of providing affordable housing. There’s one in Tower Hamlets — the East London Community Land Trust — and like Sanford, members pay £1 for a share and can then vote on issues affecting the organisation.

Co-operatives and community land trusts can provide a solution, but at the moment it’s only on a small scale. Dr Moore said, “In an era when government policy is very much favouring home ownership and it doesn’t seem very keen to invest in social housing or other forms of affordable accommodation, these communities are the ones who are doing that in their local area.”

As well as financial investment from the government, there would also need to be infrastructure and supportive organisations. The Localism Act (2011) has placed a certain amount of power into the hands of community groups should they choose to exploit it, but Dr Moore said it’s too early to assess what impact this will have.

“Simply introducing legislation alone isn’t the answer,” Moore said. “There needs to be a simultaneous injection of resources as well.

“There are viable housing alternatives for many communities and they can make a significant contribution to the housing sector, but it’s not a cost-free solution for the government. It’s not a cheap option. It still requires resourcing, it requires support and there’s a significant role for

infrastructure organisations to help support communities to fulfil their objectives.”

Housing co-ops like Sandford could be a viable solution to rising housing costs. Pic: Sean Mullervy

Michelle Smith is the London lead manager at the National Housing Federation. She said the most pressing problem for housing in London was the short supply of homes:

“Housing co-operatives can be a great solution for local people looking for more affordable and secure rental options. As a country, however, we need to address the real root of the housing crisis: we’re simply not building enough homes.

“As London’s population increases, demand for housing is rising but supply isn’t keeping pace with demand. This means prices are on the up, waiting lists for social housing are getting longer, and renters are not in a strong position to negotiate with letting agents and landlords.

“The only long-term solution is to build more homes of all kinds to ease the London housing crisis.”

At this stage, it seems unlikely that co-ops will provide a large-scale solution to housing problems in London, unless there is significant investment and support. As Langford and Framrose both pointed out, it’s up to individuals — and collectives — to take matters into their own hands and seek out an alternative.

Thierry Christian-Gnanakumar

A 33-year old from New Malden is the eighth man to be charged with the murder Thierry Christian-Gnanakumar in Lewisham.

Jeyasuthan Theiventhrampillai appeared in Bromley Magistrates Court on May 10 via virtual court, and was accused of murdering of 22-year old Thierry Christian-Gnanakumar on Lewisham High Street last November.

On Friday 10 May a 33year old man was charged with the murder of Thierry Christian-Gnanakumar in Lewisham on 10 November 2012.

— Lewisham MPS (@MPSLewisham) May 13, 2013

Police suspected that Christian-Gnanakumar was attacked by a group of men near Lewisham Library on the evening of November 10. He died in hospital in the early hours of the following day.

A post-mortem gave the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head and face.

Between 19 November 2012 and 12 January 2013, six other suspects were charged with the murder. They appeared at the Old Bailey on February 22 of this year, and were remanded into custody to appear for trial on July 22.

A seventh man wan was later charged and appeared at the Old Bailey on February 27.

Theiventhrampillai will appear at the Old Bailey on May 14.

Pic: Lewisham MPS twitter

The Lewisham Police’s Borough Commander is holding a live question and answer session on Twitter.

Chief Superintendent, Russel Nyman, is inviting people to submit questions about policing in the borough using #AskLewisham on the social networking site.

Lewisham Borough Commander Russell Nyman will be taking your questions on policing in 10 mins time, submit Qs using hashtag #AskLewisham

— Lewisham MPS (@MPSLewisham) May 13, 2013

The annual crime figures were released at the end of April and saw a 9.3% fall in overall crime in Lewisham over the last year with 2,537 fewer crimes in the borough.

The live Question and Answer will take place for one hour between 1 and 2pm.

Goldsmiths celebrated student music at Pure Gold Pic: © Brett Ashley Bridges / Eleven|5

The South Bank Centre resonated with the music of emerging artists on the evening of Thursday, May 9, for the double-launch of Pure Gold and NX Records. Final year undergraduates and alumni from the Department of Music at Goldsmiths, University of London took to the stage across three venues to showcase their talent.

The Front Room of the Queen Elizabeth Hall featured acts from NX Records and the Popular Music programme at Goldsmiths, whilst the Purcell Room was host to a range of classical musicians and vocalists. Artists from the Electronic Music Studios in the department took over the darkened main Queen Elizabeth Hall for an evening of experimental electronic music and sonic art.

NX Records was launched in collaboration with Accidental Records.  They released an online mixtape as part of the launch. Matthew Herbert, founder of Accidental, spoke at the event. He said he was excited about collaborating with Goldsmiths:

“The impetus maybe is to make great things rather than to make great money. Not that the two are inseparable, of course.

“The exciting thing for me really is thinking about… giving the artists creative control, but also helping them to own their own music, to make informed business decisions about themselves.

“I’m just very happy to be part of the next generation and to be able to support exciting new music.”

The Pure Gold festival of music is taking place in Deptford and New Cross over the next six weeks.

Watch a slideshow featuring music and interviews with artists performing at the event below:

Reporting by Dennis Funk & Sean Mullervy