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☆ How UK prison gangs actually work, according to a former member
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Nazar Risafi | Kyle Desiderio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Leroy Smith was a member of the African Crew prison gang in the UK during the early 2000s. Smith became a hit man and a drug dealer for the African Crew during his time as a category A inmate in the Full Sutton, Frankland, Long Lartin, and Whitemoor high-security prisons. He speaks about serving 20 years in prison for the shooting of two Metropolitan Police constables in Brixton, South London, during the early 1990s. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.

Persons: Leroy Smith, Smith, Frankland, Long Organizations: Crew, Metropolitan Police, Business Locations: Sutton, Brixton , South London

☆ What it’s like inside The Black Dog, the London pub made famous by Taylor Swift
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

A local London pub that’s been thrust into an unexpected spotlight and onto the tourist map, thanks to musician Taylor Swift. Unexpected fameThe Black Dog pub is in an unassuming residential area of Vauxhall in south London. Taylor Swift fans Jenna Spackey and Maddie Essig came to check out The Black Dog pub after listening to the song. The Black Dog pub says the past few days have been "immense." Hageman compares “The Black Dog” song to a “fable” – it’s probably not based entirely in reality.

Persons: CNN — It’s, that’s, Taylor Swift, Francesca Street, Swift, Joe Alwyn, –, Matty Healy, ” Taylor Swift, Lionel Hahn, Swifties, Maddie Essig, “ Joe, Taylor, ”, “, Essig, Jenna Spackey, they’ve, Spackey, ” –, Alwyn – Swift, Toby Melville, There’s, Lily Bottomley, ” Bottomley, Bottomley, “ We’re, ” There’s, Bottomley – it’s, “ We’ve, Healy, Bottomley won’t, she’s “, there’s, ” Swift, Strasburg, Katie Hageman, ’ ”, she’s, Hageman, it’s Organizations: CNN, Poets Department, Golden Globe, CNN Travel, Vauxhall, Department, Reuters, Brentford –, SC Soho, Wembley, London Locations: Vauxhall, London, British, Baltimore , Maryland, Houston , Texas, Brixton, Shoreditch, Highgate, Brentford, Cork, Ireland, Blanc, “, Florida, Strasburg, Avangeline Strasburg, Hageman

☆ How Do You Become the U.K.’s Hottest New Band? The Old-Fashioned Way.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Alex Marshall | Ellie Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

One drunken evening in 2019, Abigail Morris and Georgia Davies rushed into a discount store in Brixton, south London, and bought a cheap notepad to write down their band’s manifesto. At that point, the rock group, then called the Dinner Party, only had three members, and had never actually rehearsed any songs. But Morris and Davies — the singer and bassist — knew exactly how they wanted to look and sound: “Gothic,” “Indulgent” and “Decadence” were at the top of their list. Later in the evening, Morris accidentally cut herself on a broken glass, and dripped blood onto the notepad. The splatters emphasized the pair’s vision for a band teetering between the beautiful and the grotesque.

Persons: Abigail Morris, Georgia Davies, Morris, Davies, —, “, ” Davies Organizations: Party Locations: Brixton, London

☆ The chef at London's Chishuru just won her first Michelin star. She started with a competition to open a pop-up restaurant.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on an interview with the founder and chef of Chishuru, Joké Bakare, about pursuing her dream to open a restaurant. A year later, some friends spotted a competition run by Brixton Village in south London — they were offering the winner a three-month pop-up restaurant. In some ways, the Brixton restaurant was straightforward — it was a small site with just 18 covers inside and 14 outside. Harriet LangfordThe restaurant's success continued and in April 2022, Time Out named Chishuru as London's best restaurant. It's the food that my grandmother might have cooked, but with a London restaurant spin.

Persons: —, Joké, Covid, Jay Rayner, Matt Paice, Bakare, Harriet Langford, they'd, I've, We've, Cook, Chishuru Harriet Langford, It's Organizations: Service, Ahmadu Bello University, Business, Brixton, The Observer, Michelin, uda Locations: Kaduna, Nigeria, London —, Brixton, London, Matt, Chishuru

☆ Forget the Ritz. I dined at a restaurant inside a London prison, and it's the best place to eat in the city.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Eibhlis Gale-Coleman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewI've lived in London for nearly two years and have been visiting the capital city for even longer. The food scene is pretty diverse, and London has a reputation for having chain restaurants and upscale dining experiences, like the Ritz and after-the-theater restaurants around Covent Garden. But recently, I dined at quite the hidden gem: The Clink Restaurant inside Brixton Prison. Entering the prison reminded me of going through airport securityWe had to go through security before entering the restaurant. The restaurant is located in the center of the prison courtyardThe Clink is housed in a converted governor's house that dates back to 1819.

Persons: —, Eibhlis Gale, Coleman, I've, JUSTIN TALLIS, Granny Smith, I'd, frazzled Organizations: Service, Ritz, Business, Getty Locations: London, Covent, Brixton, It's, Yorkshire

☆ Chishuru: Nigerian chef Adejoké Bakare makes history with Michelin star for her London restaurant
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Callum Sutherland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Growing up in Nigeria as the oldest sibling, Adejoké “Joké” Bakare was usually the one cooking for the family. Now, her restaurant Chishuru has been awarded a Michelin star, making Bakare the first Black female chef in the UK to earn the accolade. In the West African language of Hausa, Chishuru means “the silence that descends on the table when the food arrives,” according to Bakare. She explained that she’s never looked to create an “authentic” restaurant for West African cuisine, but instead fuse different styles together and create new recipes. They just didn’t have the vision to see a West African restaurant in their premises.”Chishuru found its new home on Great Titchfield Street in the heart of London, and nearby West African restaurant Akoko was also awarded a Michelin star on February 5.

Persons: Bakare, ”, “, Harriet Langford, ” Bakare, she’s, Harriet Langford “, Chishuru, Jay Rayner, ” Chishuru, “ There’s Organizations: London CNN, CNN, Observer, Michelin Locations: Nigeria, Brixton, South London, London, West Africa, African, West African, West, Chishuru

☆ The Cure’s Lol Tolhurst lovingly reflects on the goth subculture in his new book
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Goth is for everyone, Tolhurst writes, and it’s not a “phase” one has to outgrow. “My life in Goth served as a kind of communal reverse meditation,” Tolhurst writes. Part of what appealed to Tolhurst in goth, and why he continues to consider himself goth, is its “inclusive philosophy,” he said. As long as they could pay cover and were old enough to enter, they were welcomed, Tolhurst writes, whether they were dressed in a blazer or black leather. Tolhurst writes about the crushing death of Ian Curtis of Joy Division in "Goth: A History."

Persons: he’s, Lol Tolhurst, Tolhurst, Jacknife Lee, ”, it’s, Goth, ” Tolhurst, Dave Hogan, — Tolhurst, don’t “, ” Goth, Robert Smith, Michael Dempsey, Nick Cave’s, Joe Strummer, Ian Curtis, Curtis ’, Rob Verhorst, “, Siouxsie Sioux, Gus Stewart, Redferns, Nico, Julianne Reagan, Gitane, Death, Smith, nodded, —, ‘, Fryderyk Gabowicz, Eilish ”, Sioux, Tracy Fahey, they’re, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, Hulton, Getty, The, Bauhaus, Party, Siouxsie, Joy, dynamos, Roll Hall of Fame Locations: Soho , London, England, Brixton, London, Sioux, Siouxsie

☆ Eddy Grant explained his song 'Electric Avenue' to Donald Trump's lawyers in a deposition. It did not go well.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In 2020, singer Eddy Grant sued Donald Trump for using "Electric Avenue" in a campaign tweet. Trump's lawyers asked him to "explain" the song, a newly-public deposition transcript shows. Grant asked. Grant noted that "Electric Avenue," a common street name worldwide, is also the name of a street in the south London district. Like "heaven" and "hell," he explained, Electric Avenue is more of a concept than a location on a map.

Persons: Eddy Grant, Donald Trump, Grant, Donald Trump's, bristled, you've, SDNY, Trump, Joe Biden, Biden puttering, Darren Saunders, Saunders, David Bowie, I've, You've, Dan Scavino, Scavino, Grant — Organizations: Service, Trump Locations: Wall, Silicon, Barbados, London, Brixton , London, Brixton

☆ Britain celebrates 75th anniversary of 'Windrush' arrivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Britain's Queen Camilla poses Linda Haye and her family with during a reception to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush to British shores, at Buckingham Palace on June 14, 2023 in London, Britain. During the reception to celebrate the Windrush Generation, ten portraits... Read moreLONDON, June 22 (Reuters) - Prince William said Britain was a better place thanks to the "Windrush generation", as the nation on Thursday celebrated the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the first post-World War Two Caribbean migrants. Many of the events will also acknowledge the prejudices the Windrush arrivals and their descendents have had to overcome. In 2018, Britain apologised for its "appalling" handling of the Windrush generation, after a tightening of immigration policy meant thousands were denied basic rights despite having lived in Britain for decades, and dozens were wrongly deported. His father has commissioned 10 portraits of 10 members of the Windrush generation as part of the celebrations.

Persons: Camilla, Linda Haye, Windrush, Prince William, King Charles ', William, Sarah Young, Michael Holden, Muvija, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Buckingham Palace, National Health Service, Southwark Cathedral, Thomson Locations: Buckingham, London, Britain, Tilbury, Essex, German, Clapham, British, Brixton, Southwark, Windsor

☆ Crypto is dead: long live crypto!
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Felix Martin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

The end of near-zero interest rates, quantitative easing and pandemic-era fiscal stimulus has sent prices crashing back to earth. Rising real interest rates have proved to be kryptonite for crypto, as for so many other speculative assets. The normalisation of interest rates may have done for crypto in its most recent incarnation as a get-rich-quick scheme. The proposition that the circulation of private currencies might be economically beneficial has also been around for a while. Nevertheless, history shows that for privately issued currencies to attain critical mass it has typically required more than just the availability of viable alternatives.

Persons: cryptocurrencies, Gary Gensler, noncompliance, Balaji Srinivasan, marc ”, Paul Krugman, Friedrich Hayek’s, Money ”, James Steuart, ”, Crypto, Long, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Coinbase, SEC, State, Brixton, counterparties, Central Bank of, Thomson Locations: Ithaca, Scottish, United States, Central Bank of Argentina

☆ Early-stage investor Black Seed wants to help create the Black Silicon Valley. It just raised $6.25 million to do just that.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

London-based Black Seed has raised $6.25 million to back early-stage Black founders. The fund wants to create a "Black Silicon Valley" in London by investing in seed-stage startups. Black Seed, a VC fund dedicated to backing Black founders in the UK, has raised $6.25 million to invest in early-stage tech. Based out of Brixton, south London, Black Seed is the brainchild of Cyril Lutterodt and Karl Lokko. Black Seed has indicated that intends to raise the full amount.

Persons: Cyril Lutterodt, Karl Lokko, Lutterodt, We've, Lokko, hasn't, Black, haven't Organizations: Molten Ventures, Ventures, University of Texas, WestRiver Locations: London, Brixton, Manchester, Europe, Atomico, Black, Soho, Mayfair

☆ ‘Ted Lasso’ Taught Phil Dunster How to Play Nice
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Calum Marsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

But his take on the character, informed by his deep soccer fandom, came to dictate much of how the character was written, he explained, right down to jokes that hinge on Dunster’s twanging accent. (One of the most memorable lines in Season 3 revolves around his singular pronunciation of a colloquial term for excrement.) “I don’t want to put it down solely to my performance as Oliver in a Year 3 production at school, but that laid the foundation of me being a show-off,” he said. “I flocked, man — I had someone who was looking after me, and I still managed to screw everything up,” he said. On the bus ride home, he was dismayed: “I remember thinking, ‘What am I doing?

Persons: Sudeikis, Dunster, ” Dunster, Oliver, ”, —, dryly, “, you’ve, ’ ” Organizations: Bristol Old Vic Theater School Locations: Reading, England, Brixton

☆ A Black teen’s murder sparked a crisis over racism in British policing. Thirty years on, little has changed
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Katie Polglase Sarah El Sirgany Ivana Kottasová Martin Bourke Oscar Featherstone | Katie Polglase | Sarah El Sirgany | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

His killing and the subsequent failure of the London Metropolitan Police Service to properly investigate the crime sparked a national outcry. Within days of his killing at a bus stop in southeast London, five White teens were identified as being involved. It took years of campaigning by the Lawrence family — and public support from the likes of Nelson Mandela and the national press — to get the investigation moving. While an initial investigation by then-police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission cleared the police of any wrongdoing, the Rigg family kept fighting. Matthew Brealey/CNNFinding peaceAs the Lawrence family and their supporters mark the 30th anniversary of Stephen’s killing, they are still fighting for his killers to face justice.

☆ Faithless singer Maxi Jazz dies aged 65
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Maxi Jazz, the lead vocalist of British electronic music band Faithless and known as the voice in trance hits such as "God Is a DJ" and "Insomnia", has died aged 65, the band said on Saturday. He gave proper meaning and message to our music," the other two core members of Faithless, Rollo and Sister Bliss, said in a statement on Facebook. The band said on Twitter that Jazz had died peacefully in his sleep. He helped form Faithless in 1995, which then grew into one of the most popular dance bands in Britain and round the world. His words and performances touched so many of us," British DJ MistaJam wrote of Jazz on Twitter.

☆ Woman injured in London concert crowd crush dies in hospital
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — A woman injured in a crush outside a London concert venue has died, police said Saturday. The Metropolitan Police force said she died on Saturday morning. “My sincerest condolences to her loved ones at this time. The police force said emergency services were called after “a large crowd attempted to gain entry without tickets” and they found people suffering from crush injuries. It’s vital that the investigation into what happened concludes as soon as possible.”The Brixton Academy in south London is one of the city’s most famous music venues.

☆ 4 people in critical condition after crush at London concert
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Leila Sackur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — Eight people have been injured, with four in critical condition, after a suspected crush during a concert in London on Thursday night. Other footage appeared to show people who made it inside the venue running and pushing their way from the front entrance toward the concert hall. A large number of people were attempting to force entry during a performance by Nigerian Afrobeats singer-songwriter Asake. Met Police Gold Commander Ade Adelekan described the incident as “extremely upsetting.”The concert was cancelled just ten minutes after Asake appeared to perform. Police said they would also investigate how officers treated the crowd, which was predominantly made up of Black British attendees.

☆ The co-founder of Europe's first Black VC Fund on how he transformed his life, and his plan to help Black founders "build the impossible"
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Fahiemah Al-Ali | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe co-founder of Europe's first Black VC Fund on how he transformed his life, and his plan to help Black founders "build the impossible"Black Seed's Karl Lokko, the co-founder and chairman of Europe's first Black-led for Black-founders venture capital fund, says he's on a mission to find South London's next Black unicorn. The UK native opens up to CNBC in a candid conversation about his transformational journey from gang leader to climbing Mont Blanc with Sir Richard Branson, how mastering the art of 'code-switching' led to access within the tapestry of London society, and why Brixton could become the "Black Silicon Valley."

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