A Brill Afternoon

Have camera, will stroll. I just picked up my new compact camera in time for a job yesterday, and find myself with a day off today. Perfect.

The sun is up in a chill blue November sky, so it seems right to mosey down toward the steams, tureens and far ranging aromas of Exmouth Market, where the most incredible array of hot food stalls compete for custom from the meeja majora swarming out on lunchies.

I love breathing in those first exhilarating gasps each day when stepping out into winter air, dressed against the cold, but enough bare skin to feel the tingle and connect with the season. Clear the film from my eyes and dawn’s soft sepia fens from my lungs.

The lunch rush seems to be over early today, or perhaps all the creatives came, saw, and took away, to get back to their Christmas copy toil. Seems a bit depleted, and nothing really inspiring to whip my compact out for, so I head for Brill for coffee and pastries.

I’ve mentioned Brill before, and keep meaning to do a ‘proper job’ on it. But I wonder, am I making a rod for my own back? Some places I know I’m going to just the once, either because they’re several thousand miles off my beaten track, or because they’re bloody awful. It makes sense to document them fully and move on. But Brill is my beaten track. It’s where I go when picking up photographic supplies, or on my way to Chapel Market for food shopping; it’s the other direction when I want a change from Bloomsbury; it’s the waymeet with Clerkenwell.

So I’m here often enough. Why not just write a little at a time? This is Flaneur, not Cafepedia.

It’s warm, thank goodness. And I’m just near enough to the door to get frequent blasts of fresh air as people come and go. It’s only a little place, but it’s busy. And there’s plenty to look at, too, both inside and out. Exmouth market is stacked to overflowing with interesting boutiques, stalls and people, and a window onto the scene is well worth the price of a coffee. I haven’t got the hang of this new camera yet, but I’ll come back here soon and prove to you what a window on the world Brill’s gallery seats are.

Plenty to see on the inside, too. I last mentioned Brill when writing about Jam Records in Falmouth, which has a similar concept but a different feel. Both are café/record shop crossovers. Jeremy’s been written up in God knows how many Time Out style magazines now for the stunningly successful turnaround of his business when the record industry dropped its pants. Mind you, having half the media writers in London as your clientele can’t have harmed matters any.

Basically, when CDs stopped selling, he cleared the space in the middle and installed a coffee machine. This photo is probably the worst illustration of this, however, as the winning combination of music, coffee and congenial atmosphere means that Brill's usually packed to the gills. But here's what it would look like if all his customers were invisible. (Ridiculous, isn't it? A couple of weeks back, I was laying on my back shooting two girls in ninja makeup and flimsy lingerie wrestling directly above me, but I'm too inhibited to take pictures of people drinking coffee in my local cafe.)

Anyway, Jeremy now sells a considered, eclectic mix of music, perfectly suited to his customers’ tastes, and they now have the relaxation time for that music to infiltrate their conversations, get under their skin and demand to be taken home with them. I love it. The only CDs I bought this year I bought here.

He’s an enthusiast, too, which is infectious. He’s not a music snob, and he wants to share. I usually come across something new each time I come in, and sometimes find a lasting gem. The last that springs to mind was a No Man CD in his bargain bin that has been a constant on my late night playlist ever since. And good music mags too; always something to read and explore. The magazines and papers here are far from decorative in function – they get well read.

The coffee’s good. It would have to be, round here. (There must be nearly twenty cafes, pubs and restaurants in this one short street, including Moro for goodness sake.) And Brill don’t make a song and dance about it either, like some places. But then those places don’t have any other reason for you to go there and hang out; coffee’s all they’ve got.

But, look! How self deprecatingly gorgeous is this latte? It’s not dolled up, just one of those mass produced French glasses like you used to have at school for your water (Durex? Duralex?) and a plain white saucer. But despite all the staff here disappearing off when their bands get signed or directing their screenplays they all knock out a mean cup of coffee. Miranda’s on form today with this beauty. Hot enough milk, but not burned, good strength, no bitterness, and beautiful, yet unfussy presentation. Went down a treat, and so did the next.

I’ll be back soon, and hopefully I’ll be able to share a little of the Exmouth Market environment. Until then, here’s that crown of creation!

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