Lizzie Summerskill is the Marketing Manager at JAGS Sports Club and Dulwich Festival. An avid fan of art and community, she volunteers at Dulwich Picture Gallery, has run youth groups for Southwark Woodcraft Folk, chaired the PTA at Bessemer Grange and set up Play Out on her road.
How long have you lived in the area?
I moved to the area from Portsmouth with a group of friends and my boyfriend (now husband) in 2002, hoping for better things! I didn’t ever expect to still be here 22 years later, with a 15- and 11-year-old, but feel so deeply rooted, I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
What’s the one thing you couldn’t do without?
One of the main reasons I could never leave London is that I’m an art addict and love food from all over the world.
Do you know your neighbours?
Yes! We have a road WhatsApp, which sprung up just before Covid and is always being used for recommendations, lending and borrowing. My neighbours are my extended pantry!
What is your favourite place to eat?
I absolutely love Forza Win in Peckham. Best views of London, relaxed atmosphere and extremely delicious food.
Coffee or tea?
I’m slightly biased but I’d always opt for an oat flat white at Copper Beech Café next to JAGS Sports Club…
Where’s your favourite place to walk?
I have two dogs so I walk a lot in this area. I absolutely love Dulwich Park – the best days are when it’s pouring with rain and the only other people you’ll see are dog walkers and runners. I also think Nunhead Cemetery is such a gem. There’s some speculation about whether Jack the Ripper could be buried there, and I recently found the grave in question…
When I want to relax…At JAGS, I have access to brilliant classes and facilities and have found exercise to be the best antidote to my busy mind. During the Covid period, my brother and I started exploring London by bike on Sunday mornings, before most people get up. We found so many brilliant bike trails and have loved early morning visits to Brick Lane, Hyde Park, Richmond Park, Regents Park, Regents Canal and several outdoor swimming spots across London, including London Fields, Charlton Lido and Beckenham Place Park. I’m not sure you can beat Brockwell Lido for outside swimming, though, (and JAGS, of course, has the best indoor pool!).
The book I’m reading at the moment..This year at Dulwich Festival, I saw so many interesting talks with authors. Since then, I’ve really enjoyed reading Calub Azumah Nelson’s book ‘Small Worlds’ and Will Gompertz ‘See what you’re missing’. I recently finished an MA in History of Art and was very excited to read Kay Hessels ‘The Story of Art Without Men’, a long-overdue perspective!
My perfect holiday..We were lucky enough to experience our perfect holiday this year when we visited Japan. We travelled to Hakone, Tokyo, Osaka, Naoshima and Kyoto and it was just the most wonderful experience, which I’ll cherish forever more. Last year, we travelled by train up to Scotland on the Caledonian Sleeper and visited an island called Eilean Shona. We were completely off grid for a week, and it was the most refreshing holiday I’ve ever had!