Maria was super welcoming. Although I was a bit lost and arrived quite late, she was so kind and not at all upset. My wife and I were fairly busy during our two days, so we did not have time to converse. But I am sure that Maria would have been lots of fun to talk to.
Brixton is really part of London, but outside of the $$ congestion charge zone for cars. So if you are renting a car, do keep that in mind.