Out and About: Bill's and the BCA

Sometimes weekends just mean brunch and a bit of culture. Can you believe I'd never been to Bill's before? They seem to be everywhere and were top of the list for reliability when I asked my cousin for a reccommendation for brunch in Wimbledon. I didn't think to book a tabel (doh!) but luckily they found us a table in about 10 minutes. While we waited I was free to peruse the own brand wares Bill's sells, from jams and marmalades to their own pink lemonade. A nice touch!

I cheated on my usual cuppa with a strawberry and bananna smoothie...it wasn't mind blowing but it was alright.

I went for scrambled egg on bloomer toast with a side of avacado. When a place gets eggs just right you should cheer! Way more filling than anticipated too.

The meat eaters went for scrambled egg on toast with bacon and smoked streaky bacon served on a toasted brioche roll...

...or the full on Bill's Breakfast: Cumberland sausage, fried free range egg, tomatoes, mushrooms, smoked streaky bacon and toast.

I had drink envy over this chocolate brownie milkshake...

After eating we headed down to Brixton, which looked beautiful in the sun.

It was my first time visiting the BCA, the black cultural archives site, situated in Windrush Square in the heart or Brixton. The BCA's mission 'is to collect, preserve and celebrate the history of Black people in Britain', and since their inception in 1981 they have amassed a collection of photographs, personal papers, records and other artefacts that catalogue this experience. The bulk of the archive is drawn from the 20th Century up until today and the site is the first purpose built heritage collection for the Black British experience. It's of huge cultural relevance to a generation who can feel alienated in the country their parents or grandparents emigrated to; my own father and paternal grandparents came to London in the 1960's from Jamaica and my maternal grandmother from Guyana.
The Staying Power exhibition currently showing is a collection of photographs pulled from the V&A's collection.

The photographs, including some by photographer Charlie Phillips who was profiled in Time Out magazine this week, capture a lot of the pain that came from being Black in Britain in the 1970's and 80's but also the style, the vibrancy and community spirit in places like Notting Hill. Just look at the Afro pics and hair grease from back in the day!

The BCA is open from 10-6 Tuesday to Saturday and is free entry. They have numerous events and exhibitions throughout the year, so plenty excuse to keep going back....I also wanna try the cafe. I have high expectations, it being Brixton and all.