Peckham legend Mickey Smith, owner of the CLF Art Cafe and Rye Wax and creator of the hugely successful club night South London Soul Train, was cover star of issue six in December 2014.

The following year the CLF came under threat from plans to build 11 flats next to the Bussey Building. When we reported that the developer had backed down after a heartfelt community campaign led by Mickey and Peckham Vision, it became the biggest story ever on our blog, achieving almost 12,000 hits.

Fast-forward to 2019 and the inspirational entrepreneur is on the brink of launching two more exciting venues. The first, the CLF Art Lounge above Jenny’s Cafe in Peckham Rye Station arcade, will open this spring.

“It will be music, cabaret and food,” Mickey says, “a place where people can go and embrace being an adult, have real conversations at a table, listen to really good music, have 10 bourbons to choose from at the bar, different champagnes and cognacs. So it’s the finer things in life, but keeping it real simple as well.”

He’s also transforming the Brookdale, a rundown former working men’s club in Catford, into a music venue, recording studios, bar, theatre and cultural destination. Artists will be invited to take up residence, play shows and work with young people. Peckham architect Benedict O’Looney is working on the renovations of the club, which is set to open this summer.

Longer term, Mickey is exploring projects surrounding education. “Peckham’s problem is going to be that people will be priced out of the area and they’re going to have to leave,” he says. “The only way to resolve that is to give people the opportunity to be part of the wave and be empowered to be here.”

He wants to help youngsters explore creativity, culture, marketing and business skills, so that by the time they’re 14, 15 or 16, “they’re already rolling and empowered enough to set up their own businesses in the local community. It’s about educating a whole layer of youth to understand they can do anything they want, but empowering them so they can really see it.”