My name is Ben Brown, I run Ben’s Bicycles – a mobile bicycle repair business. I use a yellow Bullit cargo bicycle with a box full of tools to go out and service bicycles all over SE London.
How long have you lived in the area?
I’ve lived here all my life, I grew up in Gipsy Hill and my parents are still there. I went to school at Haberdashers in Telegraph Hill then lived in Deptford and now Brockley Rise with my beautiful wife Lydia and our 20 month old daughter Nancy.
What has changed most during that time?
I’m getting mugged a lot less, Brockley was bad in the 80s, it was probably largely due to me being a skinny little blond kid, who wasn’t too street smart. It got better. I guess the main change is the Gingerline and the migration of North Londoners down here. It has improved the coffee – Two Spoons on Honor Oak Park has good coffee and Rise cafe on Brockley Rise is good too. In Deptford – Mouse Tail Coffee.
What do you most value about the area/street you live in?
We are incredibly lucky to have a woods right behind our house that is enclosed by houses. It is very special, there are bug hotels, the undergrowth and trees are managed well and kept mainly wild. Our neighbours have lots of bird feeders and we see Nuthatches and Gold finches, sometimes long tail tits.
Do you belong to any groups?
Before I had a child I volunteered for Deptford Folk fixing bikes in the Childer St Scout hut on the second Sunday of the month. Deptford Folk do great work highlighting local housing development issues in Deptford and working with the council to try and improve public spaces and play areas. Planting trees with them felt really good.
Where are you likely to be found on a Saturday?
This could come under best kept secret but if I have time Christie’s Auction House in Piccadilly is an incredible place. Every time I stroll in there seems to be an Egon Schiele, Picasso, Francis Bacon, Kandinsky or Matisse. You never know what you’ll find. It’s usually much less busy than a gallery and changes constantly. There might even be free cake.
What is your favourite place to eat?
The Canton Arms in Stockwell is always good, always consistent on return after years of not going. I’ve never been disappointed.
What’s your favourite place to go for a drink?
I’d have to say the Ivy House, I like the atmosphere and the general community spirit.
The best kept secret…
There’s one blackberry bush in Camberwell New Cemetery that has such a good position it gets the biggest juiciest berries, and you can fill a whole box in one place.
bensbicycles.co.uk