Stop us becoming a backwater
Published by Peter | Filed under Transport
Network Rail want to reduce the number of services from Denmark Hill — again. This time, however, they’re looking to cut the direct service to London Bridge. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you how this will affect an already poorly-served area.
More details on the proposals at the blog of Councillor Fiona Colley, and news of a petition on the site of Councillor Peter John. Send your views to southlondon.rus@networkrail.co.uk by October 26th.
Update: You can sign an online petition in support of this campaign. Further methods of action in the comments.
October 9th, 2007
Linked the ED forum in to this. A lot of people there use this service even though there is also and ED LB service.
Equally I expect those that use the East Dulwich — London Bridge Line feel it’s already crowded enough.
On line petition has been set up — please sign…
http://tinyurl.com/2g2hbh
Its worth also writing to Lambeth and Southwark GLA member Valerie Shawcross — whenever I have spoken to her she has expressed concern about the transport needs of the area and will therefore want to defend DH especially given plans for possible future integration of the overground lines with TfL. She is also close to Ken and whatsmore Lambeth and Southwark is a marginal constituency so both she and Ken will have their eyes on the 1 May 2008 London elections.
It may also be worth contacting the Lambeth and Southwark Lib Dem GLA candidate — I’m not sure who the constituency candidate is but Caroline Pidgeon who lives in Camberwell and is a current Southwark Councillor is on their top up list of GLA candidates so she is likely to be interested in the issue.
You can get in contact with your councillors, MP & Assembly members via:
http://www.writetothem.com/
Great action by Alan, and excellent political analysis from Mumu. I will certainly sign, and we could use the same method for other issues.
This impressive mobilisation leads me to reflect how the “right to commute during rush hour” is the last of Camberwell’s sacred cows — the only really red line for those whose politics goes beyond voting. But sometimes, even these can’t be protected, as in Llanpumsaint earlier this year.
Always worth keeping the odd spare sacred cow as a buffer for those things you really want to protect.
Don’t put any faith in Livingstone supporting this, he’s the man who thought it would be mad to get rid of Routemasters and then … got rid off them and brought in fare-dodging friendly bendy buses to South London. Much better to concentrate on lobbying Val Shawcross, much more voter friendly.
Anyone tried the new Tapas bar yet?
The one that’s replaced Willow…
Hey Alan Dale
I had a peer through the window last Saturday. I don’t think it’s tapas as such, I think the menu said it was African and Portuguese inspired. Interesting. Can’t remember what was on the menu now, but it looked very reasonably priced.
Interesting. Will look again..
African & Portuguese inspired? Like, Angolan?
I went past it on my bike last week. Doesn’t it have a big picture of a cock in the window? I love the english language.
Drew
maybe its another fried chicken peri peri type place? theres no end to how many of those we need in Cwell
yes, it seems sweetly Camberwellian — the habit of one shopkeeper deciding we need a widget shop and then like magic overnight we suddenly have 5 identical ones appear.
Think of pound shops, off licenses, dry cleaners — it’s like we have only 10 types of shops but multiple of them.
Love it or leave it.
It’s as Mel R said; a joint African-Portuguese venture. Took a look at the menu there, it was interesting but a little limited; steak, rice & beans; tasty basics.
I think it will appeal to people from either community, but probably not break through to mass consumption. I’ll go there soon for some rice & beans and let you know.
doomed
haahaahahaaa!
Why write them off prematurely?
Give them a chance and it could be the next big thing.
People were quick to prophecise doom and gloom for the Dark Horse. That seems pretty well established now. Might have happened sooner without the negativity.
Drew — yes, there’s a big cock in the window. And a stuffed one on a shelf above the bar.
The menu looked basic and cheap. Which suits me. I’ll give it a try and wish them well.
East Dulwich Forum are having drinks tonight in the Canning.
Second foray into SE5 after similar activity at the Ivanhoe.
I’m not around this weekend but if I was I’d be in the Hermit’s Cave. I love it in there. Good pint of Shrimpers.
That’s a shame Alan — I was at the EDF’s first birthday party, and was very popular indeed when I showed them my “just who is Alan Dale?” portfolio.
I’ll be in the GC tonight about 9ish, if I can get some of my postponed voluntary work done [sorry Mel!]
Drew
Had a very high quality Camberwell experience this morning in an unexpected place. After a week of toothache a colleague recommended Camberwell Dental Surgery … so I went along and not only were they very pleasant, they explained everything really carefully and they’re NHS too. The first time I have ever walked out of a dentist thinking … ‘wow that was nice’
I see the new Italian cafe in Church Street is to be called Caravaggio. I hope that means we can look forward to a dramatic range of food in shadowy surroundings, illuminated only by a dazzling shaft of light.
@dickdotcom: I use CDS, and I agree they are excellent.
Caravaggio was alledgedly a bit of a dodgy character with a taste for young boys, as well as being a murderer!!
He was of course the best artist of the era — lets hope his other proclivities
don’t run off on the cafe!
“dodgy character with a taste for young boys, as well as being a murderer!! He was of course the best artist of the era.”
In some weird way all very appropriate for Camberwell.
Proclivities Declivities Schmilivities.
Scmecklivities more like
Schmecklivities even
anyone know what’s becoming of the old redstar pub???
:sg funny that. I made a posting this morning about redstar but managed to switch the computer off at the socket by mistake and it all got lost…
The original owners — the ones who had Dog Star, Living Mass and various other further away venues, the ones who changed it from Father Red Cap and missed a HUGE opportunity to make an iconic contemporary gay venue with long legs that could have had national recognition and a good income but were too short sighted and only after treating punters like cattle, still own redstar. It’s being redecked by them to market — I didn’t get detail, like they should not be subletting because those tied leases (Punch from recollection) don’t allow it. Perhaps they intend to sell properly and do an ‘assignment’. It’s being done in magnolia so it’s easy for someone, someone stupid enough to take it on, to visualise doing their own scheme on top of bland.
The rents on the rooms above are all that keep it from not being boarded up.
If anyone fancies the idea of being a part owner of a pub and would like to own The Sun and Doves and be involved in a Social Enterprise limited company — get in touch, NOW!
Hi all, not been on here for a long time. I just wondered if anyone knew what the deal is with parking on Camberwell Grove? We’ve just bought our first car and will be needing somewhere to park soon near the top end. It seems like I have to pay to park outside my flat. I guess it’s just a case of the nearest st.
You can park for free in Ivanhoe Road, Malfort Road, Grove Hill Road and on the Dog Kennel Hill Estate.
They’re all pretty close to the top of Camberwell Grove. don’t know when it reopens.
Drew — not sure about your ‘who is’ portfolio but if you are stalking me you aren’t doing a very good job. I was sitting in the Doves with you last night…
Willow has become a tapas bar according to the new window frosting. I do concede that its’ not obvious from the menu though.
It’s not a tapas bar; they sell petiscos, which are basically small side portions, but also have larger main courses as well — unlike tapas. You wouldn’t find steak or feijoada (pork, rice & beans) in a tapas bar. It’s not quite a full restaurant, but more than a cafe.
I agree that the menu is out of sync with the window signage.
Have you seen what is says on the window? It says tapas.
What do you make of that? Mistake or prophecy…
Thanks Alan.
Just spoke to a really unhelpful person about it at the council who told me I need a permit to park pretty much anywhere in Southwark. I presume that doesn’t apply on these streets.
If you really must have free parking come over the border into Lambeth — roads around Ruskin Park have no parking restrictions (although check as there have been proposals to include it in the controlled parking zone) and roads such as Paulet Road, Knatchbull Road (the lambeth part) and Calais Street do not have parking restrictions currently (much as we Lambeth residents may actually want them).
Otherwise the simple solution is to get a parking permit!
The cost is small compared to the running costs of a car — not more than two full tanks of petrol a year.
http://lbstest.hosting-it.net/YourServices/transport/parking/Permits/Resident.html
As a matter of fact, it’s about a 98% subsidy on the market rate for on-street parking.
Whisper it, though — they’re supposed to be discouraging the use of the motor car.
Ye Buk it’s free in those streets and there is no need for any permit.
I saw on the planning appo for the Ivanhoe flats that a CPZ is being tabled but for now you can fly tip as many cars as you want in those streets.
buk some of the streets mentioned do already have a problem with bus drivers driving in to work [flippin irony!] and leaving their cars there all day.
please do avoid calais street too as it is very narrow, and still has the P5 service running ‘temporarliy’ along it. the resulting nose to nose standoffs between busses and cars is causing a gret deal of distress to residents.
and its likely to get a lot worse when the park development starts — woe betide anyone who parks their car on a corner frequented by the lorries.
alan — i’m really hoping that wasn’t you I sat next to [although if it was you might have said] so i reckon you were behind me somewhere; i’ll look out for you next week. you could always introduce yourself!
chin chin
Drew
Local access roads and retirement home car parks:
When the CPZs come, you will be the capital of parking overflow and fridge, carpet and sofa disposal.
If I was a pensioner, I’d get in my rickshaw and set an example to all septuagenarians and upwards. A leisurely 15mph to the market every day down the New Road, slowing down the traffic.
And what a way to go, holding up some hipster-with-80 decibels-worth-of-drum-n-bass. A final noble act.
Cheers for the advice. I have no problem with getting a permit as I’ve never had a car or need for one but the times they are a-changin.
Man hit with hammer during siege
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7047055.stm
Bukowski — or you could pay my landlord £10,000 for the private parking space we don’t need cos we don’t have a car!!
I say we need a new tax on private car parking spaces — anything concrete or solid that could accommodate a car whether used or not. This would hearken back to the windows tax and warm historical cockles.
At the same time, owners of garden areas certified as contributing to the local ecosystem should be granted a tax rebate.
What say the commuters of Camberwell?
brilliant! i’d love our useless car park to become a garden — it might then stop our horrible neighbours from dmping their rubbish in it as well.
Daft.
Conservative Party Policy.
(I’m hoping for a Google search from Alistair Darling, so he stumbles upon this.)
I believe the locally-owned car is the ultimate embodiment of our ghettoist culture in Camberwell, and want to see more interaction between local communities of the type Bevant describes, in order that we can have less killings and more local prosperity and community.
I understand Alan’s observation that there may be logistical difficulties with implementation, but the Registry are doing wonders with e-categorisation and analysis of land these days.
Fewer, I mean.
It’s not going to happen. Even if there were no cars on the road, do you really think that Londoners would get along better? Everyone sits in silence on the tube and avoids eye contact. We inhabit our own private worlds regardless of whether we drive or not. As a cyclist, tube or bus user I feel no more of a part of a community than sitting in a car.
Bukowski — it’s about the cars on the pavements, in the cyclist only areas, and in private drives, as well as cars left parked on the road, which inhibit a local community.
No-one’s suggesting a village micro-community is going to spring up in every postcode. But things would improve.
However, it sounds as if you don’t have faith in any kind of initiative to improve interaction between existing communities. As I’ve said elsewhere, the belief that Camberwell should be styled a completely commuter-community, with attendant walls and social barriers, is a point of view.
But not one I share…
Regeneguru — I know that the last thing London or Camberwell needs is another car. I’ve managed without one for 30 odd years and now it’s time to get one. I’d like to be able to leave London to visit family and friends whenever I want, rather than having to book ahead to buy an overpriced ticket and then getting screwed over because the seat reservations are not available. Or maybe drive to visit friends in Zone 4 rather than having a complete nightmare on public transport. I was only inquiring about parking as I’ve never had a car and know it’s a hassle to park here. You’re right about the lack of faith thing. I’ve been here about 5 years. I like Camberwell but it’s not going change too much and I’m here temporarily. Take a look around. London is a cold, anonymous city peopled by mostly strangers. That’s the reason I love it. Camberwell isn’t going to change too much.
Bukowski — I agree on the anonymity of London life, which appeals to me also. It is every Londoner’s privilege to live a completely anonymous life. But what of those — such as traders and other community figures — who have a real stake in the local community?
There’s a difference between NEW Camberwell (North East West) which includes my area, and the South and the Green, where I think you live. Sogree Camberwell is less challenged by cars, because what retail activity is in the side streets has already been killed off by them, such as the bookshops.
NEW Camberwell is car hell, with pavement parking, hassling of cyclists in cycle-only zones of the road, blazing stereos and intimidation of pedestrians and lawful traders, illegally. Denmark Road, Southampton Way, Wyndham Road, John Ruskin Street — all full of ugly shop conversions and a monotony of business types. NEW Camberwell.
There is no doubt in my mind that if the law were brought down on these motorist marauders, more community life would thrive and there would be fewer killings. This is such a no-brainer that the Council and indeed TfL are very probably in clear breach of their obligations under the Race Relations Act to promote race relations in an area with such a palpable lack of proper inter-ethnic community interaction, whether or not principally based on coincidence of income.
Imagine if it were possible to rent a car for the journeys you describe, and there were, say, 8 such rent-a-cars at the disposal of the Grove, £5 odd per hour. That, I suggest, would suffice and car ownership would no longer be necessary. Such schemes are flourishing.
Imagine if a referendum were circulated offering London a 20mph limit across zones 1–2. Would you sign it? I would.
Can we just agree to give it a rest on this? I’m increasingly annoyed and now irritated that you somehow trace every issue back to evil cars. It’s insulting to flat out say the murders in our area have been caused by car owners. I can details every murder in NEW over the last four years and hey were all about people, not cars. In fact cars weren’t anywhere to be found.
Is this why this Forum doesn’t ever do anything? Do you push your views on the silly notion we’ll somehow ban all cars so we never get around to anything actually achievable. People now just ignore you.
Can we talk about the real world more now? I’m sick of hearing about evil cars killing people. Stephen King ought to meet you.
Actually, Fedup, the Forum doesn’t take a line on cars at all. That’s just me. I am as frustrated as you about the lack of obvious action in the Forum. By no means take my views as synonymous with it. But if you were concerned for it to be effective, you would attend meetings and hold it accountable.
And I never said “cars kill people”. Although they do on the roads all the time with nothing but a driver improvement courses handed out for dangerous driving offences, oft times. Yet those deaths are less interesting, less exotic, less sexy, than a good ol’ traditional London shoot-up. “Evil cars killing people” is just a lazy attempt to reduce the argument ad absurdum in the hope of disguising the innate selfishness of owning a car in an inner city area within zone 2.
Cars are harmful to communities in the circumstances I describe. Weaker, less integrated communities are more vulnerable to crime, leastwise in NEW Camberwell.
Looks like you’re saying pavement parking, shop front blocking, speeding, aggressive and dangerous driving, and cycle-only zone occupancy by vans is OK. Guess we disagree, then.
Shame you couldn’t debate this with your usual pseudonym, though.
However, you’re right, let’s talk about the real world. Where did everyone go out to drink last night?
More energy should be spent campaining for better public transport and less railing against the car. Both go hand in hand, but in my opinion, good public transport should come first and car reduction strategies subsequently.
“Imagine if a referendum were circulated offering London a 20mph limit across zones 1–2. Would you sign it? I would.”
No, it would be retarded. London moves slowly enough as it is.
Cars killed off bookshops…hmmm.
What about Amazon and ebay?
North Camberwell — is a shit hole. I pass through it on the way to work and that’s it.
Bukowski — The average motor vehicle speed in London is 12mph. There’s evidence to suggest that could actually increase with a 20mph speed limit in built up areas. Realistically people would be travelling at a consistent 20-25mph, instead of the stop-start 0-60mph they do now, and there’d be fewer unnecessary car journeys made.
I do agree that NEW Camberwell is a shit hole. Amen.
I wish everyone was as frank as you –it’d be great for funding. Still, presumably you don’t want things to deteriorate to the extent that NEW C teenage gangs regularly throw bricks at commuters for laughs (more a Croxted Road speciality), and retain an interest to that extent.
hey Buk
I know a barrell about the high street book trade. Ebay, and to an extent abebooks, shut down the secondhand trade, but has had no effect on high street trade. Amazon supply a market they created for themselves, a prime example of Says law of economics IIRC. The high street bookshop was killed off by rising rents, driven by the mutual masturbation of landlords and commercial agents; and also by out of town supermarkets selling the top paperbacks as loss leaders.
The last reason, of course, is driven by car culture.
Drew
Is anyone else pissed off with these dickheads driving around with the Fog lights blazing on their cars?
It doesn’t look cool, can blind other drivers and is an motoring offence too.
The average offender is well past his 30’s and drives a tasty Merc. Should know better — you’d expect it from teen boy racers, but i guess they don’t have much need for fog lamps in Lagos or Accra?
Not me– haven’t noticed this phenomenon.
Anyone tried the restaurant formerly known as Willow yet?
I’m just pissed off.
Not tried Willow yet
It’s called O Galo Restaurante & Petiscos
Peter Gasston made some comments about this on another thread.
Has anyone noticed the increasingly popular sport of attacking cyclist, by kid’s with eggs / fire extinguishers / can’s of coke / whatever’s at hand. Seems that the cycle route along Portland Street is the main scene of this new sport for the braindead ‘yoot’ around these parts. If you use the route, keep a careful eye out.
http://www.driversjonas.com/uk.aspx?doc=24046
Great news about Windsor Walk!
The trains between London Bridge/Victoria via Denmark Hill are hospital trains providing a vital service for staff (patients and visitors).
Denmark Hill is the only station near the major South London hospital — King’s College Hospital– termination of the service would have major adverse consequences for the recruitment, retention, and functioning of staff — at all levels — at King’s — with an inevitable deterioration of health provision in South London.
Unfortunately, Mayor Livingstone, is supporting the slashing of this service.