Life in SE5 and its environs
I live near the railway line and often see a number of foxes (three together, one night) running around the streets. There have been a number of cat disappearances in my area recently. These two facts may not be entirely unrelated.
I like to see the foxes (even though they may be killing cats). I like to see squirrels, magpies, crows, robins and wood pigeons. I like to see ladybirds and even the occasional spider.
I am not quite so happy to see a mouse in my kitchen.
Blog regular TommyD has started a project about the east of Camberwell, the Southampton Way area, which is looking at the area’s history and development. He says:
Last autumn, someone slipped a photcopied newspaper article through our letter box — a story about a group in our neighbourhood deputised to look at regeneration of our ‘forgotten’ corner. I tried to get in touch and did speak to one lady (finally) who seemed to suggest they had run out of time and steam. Odd…they’d not even started. Then, Labour sent a ‘survey’ thorough before the local election asking vague questions again about our little ‘forgotten corner’. They weren’t serious survey questions, clearly intended to look like they were doing something. Maybe so.
I filled out the short survey and attached four pages! Since, my efforts to find out about the results and what they intend to do have gone cold — perhaps they will pick it up post-swearing in.
In the meantime, I decided to find out the answers of what was happening, etc. for myself. I’ve now decided to put them on a blog and produce a more robust survey. Eventually, I’m hoping to leaflet the neighbourhood with the blog web address and see if I can stir up some passion.
You can read more about his project at forgotten-camberwell.blogspot.com. If you live in the area, you can take a survey to give him more information.
A bit gruesome this, but when I was in the Cadeleigh Arms last night I was told a story about one of the regulars. This man — by all accounts, not the most pleasant or well-liked of men, barred from the pub on occasion — hadn’t been seen for a while. It appeared he’d just dropped off the face of the Earth. The police had been informed and had asked questions of the regulars but had no luck in tracing him. Five months or so since he’d last been seen, neighbours began to complain of the smell coming from his flat. I think you can guess what happened next…
Finally, the police decided to break down his door and see if their suspicions were correct; they were. They found his body in the flat, five months dead. Suicide appeared to be the cause.
What a terrible life, to have no-one sufficiently worried about you that your disappearance is noted. Five months he lay dead, and he was barely missed. This happened right across the road from me.
I don’t usually do plugs here, but I’ve been asked nicely to let everyone know that there will be a performance of the play The Bogus Woman at the St Giles Centre, Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8RB, on Monday, June 19 at 7.30pm. The play, by Kay Adshead, is a one-woman show about refugees’ experience in the UK. It has good reviews from leading newspapers and won a fringe award at Edinburgh. Call 07863127050 or 020 7277 4400 for tickets.
Just got back from a weekend in Lisbon for my beautiful and talented wife’s birthday, and I’m a healthy burning red colour. Because of preparations and workload there were a few things that passed without my comment last week; thankfully, my diligent and industrious readership kept the ball rolling with another mammoth comments session. I shall miss you all when you move onto the new SE5Forum.org (coming soon).
Chief among the topics I meant to post about last week was the first public SE5 Forum meeting on Thursday. I couldn’t make it myself, unfortunately, but many did, and the verdict seems to be more hope than conviction at the moment; but then, hope’s better than despair, right? I’m sure there will be a full report on the new SE5Forum.org (coming soon).
To repeat a question that got somewhat lost in the comments, does anyone know when the Dark Horse is going to open, or what the delay is? It was due to open at the end of March, so it’s coming up to two months late, and nothing seems to have happened there at all. Can any gossip (or booze) hounds give us an update?
In the news: New Green councillor Jenny Jones hopes to use her voting power to form coalitions and comedienne Jo Brand has a few stories about working as a psychiatric nurse in Camberwell in the 80s (scroll down).