Long Time Coming
Written by Peter | Filed under Development, Events, Politics
There’s so much to talk about and I barely have a spare hour in which to devote to compiling it all. As always, volunteer contributors always welcome. Anyway, what’s going on?
First and most obviously there’s to be a by-election in Brunswick Park ward
after councillor John Friary resigned over some quite disturbing allegations. Allegations which the local Lib Dems seized on shamelessly, distributing a quite nasty attack leaflet which they obviously knew would be contentious as their name appeared on it only in the tiniest lettering possible. I think it should be borne in mind that Mr Friary is innocent until proven guilty, and capitalising on the allegations is quite revolting. Kate Heywood definitely won’t be getting my vote.
Lots going on in terms of regeneration. NickW has put together this fantastic map of developments in SE5 in the next five years, which is great work. I didn’t know about many things, but the big project over in Myatt’s Fields was a real surprise. The plans to develop Burgess Park have been approved, and there’s more good news as Camberwell Baths are due to reopen on February 28th.
As some of you have already seen, Southwark Council have proposed relocating an 8,000 square foot prefabricated building, currently in Bermondsey, to the plaza in front of the Magistrates Court. This would involve removing some of the trees and part of the orchard that’s down there. The Camberwell Society have responded, saying that the idea is good but the building far too large for the available space.
Their full response is in the latest Camberwell Quarterly, which also has a nice article on the fire that all-but destroyed Denmark Hill station 30 years ago, and another on the Camberwell House Asylum (which later became the registry office, and is soon to become student accommodation).
On the subject of history, I bought myself a copy of the new book Camberwell Through Time, which shows historical photos of local spots compared to their modern-day appearances. Really interesting, and I recommend you pick a copy up yourselves.
I could write more, but I won’t. Don’t forget, volunteers are very welcome.
Great work on the development map NickW.….
I actually used it to drop an email to Adrian Salt who are looking after the proposal on the Bengeworth Road Depot (between Southwell Road and Ruskin Park)
Someone very quickly called me back to explain that the council has refused the application and unless it’s taken to appeal it will remain an industrial only site
And I hope the folks who made the “We Are Loughborough Junction” video don’t mind me posting a link to a short documentary…but here it is
http://vimeo.com/17799645
I wrote a post on the £150m Myatt’s Field North development a few weeks back. There’s a bit more info:
http://www.stephenwilmot.com/2011/01/camberwell-housing-developments.html
PS thanks for the map, Nick — that’s a really helpful summary and I have a feeling I may refer back to it many times
It’s a shame that Jenny Jones isn’t going to stand for the Green Party in Brunswick Park. It’s seem to be an admission that she couldn’t win and would rather concentrate on the mayoral election, which she can’t win either.
Labour have been talking a lot about Camberwell over the last few months, which is a good sign, but I still think it is important to have alternative voices on Camberwell Community Council and speaking for Camberwell in Southwark. Given this, the Green candidate, Jenny Bentall, seems like the best candidate to me.
Jenny Bentall is a long-term resident in the ward and was a teacher locally. She recently set up the Wells Triangle Residents Association, which has started to do some good work around Southampton Way. See more here:
http://southwark.greenparty.org.uk/localsites/southwark/news/jenny-bentall-by-election-candidate.html
I note that the Lib Dem candidate has been a committee member of All Saints Church in Peckham, which is a member of the Evangelical Alliance. That explains the Christian values that permeated their election leaflet. Also her twitter bio describes her as a “Peckhamite”. Not, I think, what Camberwell needs.
http://brunswickpark.mycouncillor.org.uk/
http://twitter.com/heywoodkate
It’s about time that Walter G Reed’s video got pushed around a bit more. We showed it at The Sun and Doves. OR at least we were supposed to.
Here’s another little uplifting piece for the weekend: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=hN8CKwdosjE
Try not to forget tonight at Crypt Jazz Club. It’s GeuerillaSound from 9pm. This nu-jazz piano trio are so hot you’ll sizzle — http://on.fb.me/gL6tWS
Fantastic video, fantastic project. Makes me proud to live in Loughborough Junction.
@Ben: Do you know about The Seven Bridges Project?
Facebook 7 Bridges HERE
This is really beginning to get underway and there is a lot more stuff happening at LJ that will in time transform the area.
Camberwell needs a lot of that too.
@ Mark
Maybe you meant to post this link…the devil of copy and paste has put two f’book links..
http://loughboroughjunction.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/7-bridges-1–101.pdf
@JK
Thanks for that. It is very odd, I checked the link to the wordpress LBJ blog page for seven bridges at least twice before posting and added the facebook link on an edit after the first upload. Maybe I cut & pasted the link into two different sections without realising.
http://loughboroughjunction.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/the-7-bridges-project/
Anyhow last night was drinks at the Bear. Walter Graham Reed organised a surprise birthday party for a friend — there was a great throng of LBJ and & Bridges people there then it was down for some fun underground at a packed Crypt for GuerillaSound.
Hosni Mubarak, apparently, has a stash of somewhere between $40 — $75 billion tucked away somewhere. Maybe in his sock drawer.
Breaking news! The government have announced they will pause forest sell-offs for a few months. It’s a brilliant sign, but our forests are still in danger. If we keep working together, we can save our forests forever — not just for a few months.
The government is still going full steam ahead with changing the law to clear the way for a 100% sell-off. It looks like they hope the fuss will die down if they pause a few sales here and there — so they can press on with quietly scrapping legal protection for our public woodlands.
Our petition is now 490,000 strong. Let’s show the government we will keep campaigning until English forests are safe, by making sure the petition passes half a million signatures today.
Please forward this email and ask your friends to sign:
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-forests
Picture yourself in the last forest you visited. Remember how you felt, what you saw, how peaceful it was. Now imagine hearing that this beautiful place has been auctioned off. We just can’t let it happen!
By working together, bit by bit, we are protecting our woodlands for future generations. Since 38 Degrees members voted to launch this campaign, we’ve spread the word, emailed our MPs, and chipped in to pay for opinion polls and adverts. It’s starting to work — today is a time to celebrate. But we also need to keep the pressure building.
Please forward this email and ask your friends to help get our petition past half a million signatures today:
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-forests
Let’s keep going!
David, Johnny, Hannah and the 38 Degrees team
PS:
If you use Facebook, please click here to post the petition to your profile: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/forests-facebook-share
If you use Twitter, please click here to send a tweet: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/forests-twitter-share
The current copy of Grazia magazine has a great feature on Camila Batmanjelly and her involvement in placing four Kids Company kids in six-month placements with the label Reiss.
She is uncompromising and totally switched on, Camila, probably not easy to deal with and the R.D. Laing of her time. She is the Scheherazade of child care and all care, making it up as she goes along, brilliantly.
Her Desert Island Discs will cure you of any grumblitis you may have — hear it again on the BBC website.
Nick W — Brilliant Work regarding the map…
With all these proposed developments taking place in and around the central Camberwell area — it makes a very strong case indeed for a Camberwell Village Hall.
The demand is already there…people have been asking for a place like this for years…
When all the developments on the map are completed — plus transport improvements –the Overground at Denmark Hill & Thameslink Refurb at Loughborough Junction with the bicycle superhighway routes then this place could suddenly become very popular indeed.
If we also take into consideration that (despite a few humble innovations) Peckham doesn’t really have a community arts centre like the one we propose either, and we ARE the same constituency despite certain (ahem) parochial tendencies.
The case for the last remaining grade II listed purpose-built cinema theatre building left in the entire borough of Southwark to become a hub for all manner of community groups including the arts and of course a cinema becomes ever more credible by the day.
As an example of what we could do but even better given all the untapped potential from the many cultures and people who make up the population of this area then take a look at this.
http://www.richmix.org.uk/
We are not asking the council to totally fund such a project…merely to have the vision to see what the building could really represent…Once the council fully support such an idea…you’d be surprised at how many patrons and sponsors would be willing to help.
Met the Brunswick Park Ward by-election Labour candidate yesterday, a very well informed and informative chap. Many folks coming through now in Labour speak a pleasant, vividly figurative, understandable language called English rather than the policy-wonk nicey-poo lingo bodged together into plasticky ra-ra-ese by our friends in north London.
@ Mark.… yes I’d seen the 7 Bridges project, yet more community cohesion through art in Loughborough Junction. Good stuff.
@Dagmar: Are we voting Labour then? I would if I lived in Camberwell instead of in LAMBETH.
One must never tell anyone how one votes or how much one earns.
However.
It has been recorded in these pages before that national treasure, poet and for many years editor of Pseuds Corner, Christopher Logue, lives in Camberwell.
He wrote the brilliant poem “I Shall Vote Labour”, which gets more and more telling about politics and people every year since it appeared in 1966, and shrewdly ends with the line, “I shall vote Labour because deep in my heart I am a Conservative.”
The new Labour candidate is a good, solid fellow. His ward is SOLID LABOUR.
One day, the banker class — the Conservatives — who put the country into such miserable debt, will get the SOLID THUMPING they deserve from the true conservatives of this country, as Christopher Logue foretold.
Letting the days go by/let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by/water flowing underground
Into the blue again/in the silent water
Under the rocks and stones/there is water underground.
Letting the days go by/let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by/water flowing underground
Into the blue again/after the money’s gone
Once in a lifetime/water flowing underground.
Same as it ever was…Same as it ever was…Same as it ever was…
Same as it ever was…Same as it ever was…Same as it ever was…
Same as it ever was…Same as it ever was…
STOP MAKING SENSE
Life in the Bush of Ghosts eusebiovic!
Just got this message from the people who organised a whole day consultation / input session with locals at LBJ a couple of weeks ago. They want to take that even further so there’s another session planned:
Loughborough Speaks… Again!
Wednesday 16th February 2011, 6.30–8.30pm at
The Loughborough Centre, 105 Angell Road, SW9 7PD
If you couldn’t make our first event in January, this is a further opportunity for you to feed in your ideas!
An invitation to residents, community groups, local businesses and services around Loughborough, to talk about issues affecting you and how we can work together to improve the area for everyone. If you live or work around Loughborough Junction, including the Loughborough, Thorlands, Moorlands and Lilford estates, this event is for you.
Background: The Capital Community Foundation (CCF) is a local grantmaking foundation, supporting grassroots community activities. We also encourage companies and individual donors to donate funds to support community work through our grantmaking.
Purpose of the event: CCF is working with a number of business and voluntary sector partners who are interested in supporting work in the area, for the benefit of the community. The event will provide an opportunity for residents, businesses, local community groups and service providers to help identify ways in which any future investment could benefit the area and improve people’s lives.
Book now to make sure your views are heard!
The event will start at 6.30pm (registration from 6.15pm) and a hot supper will be provided.
How to book your place:
Please e-mail events@capitalcf.org.uk or telephone 020 7582 5117
The event will follow the same format as the one held in January.
LibDem ladies out the front of Denmark Hill station this morn.
Pizzas at SLAG85 or whatever it’s called. Good value and definitely a nice and informal option. Generous with the meaty toppings though dough a tad soggy in the middle. Service a bit forgetful but charming enough. Loved the chilli sauce. Two good pubs across the road too.
“Are we voting Labour then?”
Yes of course, but first we need to pretend to deliberate. Let me kick off.
The Labour candidate seems to understand Camberwell best and we shouldn’t vote Libdem because their campaign manager sent round some nasty leaflets which are 1,000,000 miles from the truth. It’s not the first time either.
The Tories are evil. The Greens would be a wasted vote.
Will that do?
While deliberations take place sit back and enjoy Francis Maude’s interview on “The Big Society”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Wue8IN_xQ
I don’t think that the Greens are a wasted vote…
Their community development and social responsibility policy is in many ways far more impressive than all the other parties — including Labour.
The problem is unless they get a benevolent philanthropist
billionaire to fund their party…then they will always be struggling to build the vote share they truly deserve.
About 15–20% is all they need to make a difference.
So Labour it is then — I can only hope the central party has finally realized that their long term record in this area has left a lot to be desired and they need to grasp the nettle and start sending some people with imagination & vision who can react positively to the concerns & ideas of it’s constituents. Over the years they have always turned a blind eye to their safe Southwark (& Lewisham) seats and have allowed some truly awful decisions to go down here with frightening regularity. It’s become the norm. Their reputation has taken a battering in SE London…hence the significant Lib Dem inroads made here over the last 20+ years.
I hope the new Labour chappie who they have chosen to contest the seat is well aware of this fact and genuinely wants to change such perceptions.
@SouthLondonJohn: thanks for that cracking link to Francis Maude, a true unscripted comedian, guarantees a laugh.
@eusebiovic: watch out for developments on consulting for the proposed Camberwell Pavilion on the piazza in front of the Magistrates’ courts.
IF you didn’t see Michael Morpurgo’s 2011 Richard Dimbeby lecture last night you really ought to put a little time aside to watch and take it in: http://bbc.in/h60tGw
It is a simple and brilliant, inspiring distillation of what MUST happen to education in the UK. DO what Michael Morpugo recommends out of experience, observation of evidence and from intelligently applied common sense, and we would see a competent society in two generations.
It’s so rational and sensible there’s FAT CHANCE of any of it being put into place. It would get rid of the national deficit too.
Baths spruced up and looking good. Many years since I’ve been, but am going to give it a go when it reopens.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/southwarkcouncil/sets/72157626054879408/
The swimming pool does look good. Having proper steps into the pool seems very luxurious. Also, the learning pool is a decent size, which is good because I’m hoping that once the pool reopens my wife will take lessons there.
I enjoyed The Melange chocolate shop on Bellenden Road yesterday. I’d walked past often enough, but never been in before. Isabelle, who runs the place and makes the chocolate, is very friendly and there are lots of unusual flavours to sample. There’s more info here:
http://www.themelange.com
There are people suggesting that Southampton Way might be Camberwell’s answer to Bellenden Road after its forthcoming make-over. Seems optimistic, but fingers crossed. Speaking of Southampton Way, the plans for the new cafe go before Camberwell Community Council tonight. The planning officer has recommended it for rejection on the rather subjective basis that the glass roof extension to the back doesn’t enhance the area. It certainly enhances the area more than the current boarded up building that’s been derelict for 20+ years.
In truth, the extension might not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s not hideous and it’s not going to be that obvious. Obviously the guy opening the cafe must like the design as it’s going to be his home. Living in the area, I’m just grateful someone is willing to invest in opening a cafe on the street. Let’s just give him the home he wants and hope the new cafe opens as soon as possible.
I see our old friend the House of Praise (aka former cinema/bingo hall) has a new sign up on it where the Gala sign was — the Light House although the H wasnt illuminated last night when I went by. There appeared to be notices up advertising the hall for hire.
Planning permission for the cafe at 149 Southampton Road was granted.
http://www.149southamptonway.com/
Good!
See? It’s not all negative stuff around here.
Planning application for National Builders’ Merchants: 10/AP/2915 — 166–176 CAMBERWELL ROAD AND 16 WYNDHAM ROAD, LONDON, SE5 0EE
is causing a stir.
Had dinner at Caravaggio last night and was pleasantly surprised to find that they have added pizza to the menu. It was only the second day they were doing them as their original plan to add them to the menu in January was delayed when the supplier sent over the wrong model of oven from Italy.
The chef is apparently still fine tuning his technique and they will be adding more varieties soon, but I had a very nice Capricciosa for just under £7.
@PK Good news! I love pizza. A little too much, it must be said.
@Peter it is not possible to love pizza too much.
Austerity!
I’ll have the Pizza Povera, please, with some bread of sorrow and a small glass of lachrimae christi.
Half term and the young things of spring bring their zing to the proceedings!
Full Moon tonight over old Camberwell, the full full moon in Leo, the Millwall Lions’ moon. Incredibly, this will be conjoined with some extreme solar flares which will alter clocks and confuse satnavs.
Aye, there will be not a few leaving the Hermits tonight with their satnavs awry and their bodyclocks to cock…
Good news on Cara. I haven’t been there awhile as I’d tired of the menu. Will revist. SLAG85 on Bellenden Rd is worth a trip too.
Phil G@
SLAG85?
Sounds suspiciously brothel-like to me…If so I’ll give that one an extremely wide berth indeed.
Of course, there is a chance they could be making reference to the waste product which results from extracting coal from underground.
Ahhhh! A basement bar?
Eusebiomate, this is a basement club of some kind complete with slings and manacles. There is a company called Civil and Marine Slag Cement (part of Hanson) who process GGBS.
GGBS is not Tina (or “Crystle Meth”) but ground granulated blastfurnaced slag which is a cementitious material which is the by-product of blast furnaces that manufacture iron (cf Bessemer of Camberwell).
Slag is fantastic.
It is glassy, black and mysterious. Civil & Marine grind it down into power so that it can be mixed into a superior class of cement.
That fool moon is powerful tonite!
Sorry, Civil & Marine grind it into POWDER not power. God, the rays!!!
That full moon is so powerful tonite,
feel like I’m Nietzschean dynamite.
Where is my frayed denim miniskirt?
’Fraid it’s Thrilla time you Cambwerwell innocent.
They grind it down into power. Now THAT is a nice thought.
Jah Dodds! Was you watching Toots on BBC4 tonight? Toots & the Maytals. Aye! Major.
Grind it into powder
chaka-boom-chaka-boom
and sing it up louder
BOOM-chaka-boom
I luv dis sun in de sky at night. What is?
Wat is it de big sun oop aboove Camibewell
at night wat a fright wat a fright wat a fright
dat made me fill so wery well an all rite and all rite
chaka laka
moon
moon
moon
(and de girls sing)
moon
moon
moon
and de girls sing
moon
moon
moon
and de girls sing
moon
moon
moon
x
DAT Tingalingaling TING
Found this photograph on my desk a couple of days ago. How it popped up there I have no idea. The Sun and Doves in 1995 when I was a regular customer rather than the landlord.
Great photo, just as I remember it, though no way a photograph can remind one of the soggy carpet. Think we — my then partner and I — first went to the S&D back in spring 1984 (it was too cold to go into the garden); hadn’t changed much by 1995. Vaguely recall a series of Aussie barstaff in the early 90’s, then the renaissance and the very good food (which impressed the next partner, high praise as she was French).
A recurring destination for good food and drink.
@SouthLondonJohn Coo! You knew it a long time before me, when I came to Camberwell in those days I was living in Balham and the Grove was the pub of choice.
Can you imagine people coming all that way to Camberwell from Balham now? No.
The Sun and Doves in 1995 was stale and almost completely dead and smelled like it. The the carpet was black and green checked and threadbare, the sponge padding on most of the furniture was bursting out and scattered small granulated bits of yellow foam rubber around the floor. The colour scheme on this side ranged predominantly through dark pink to even darker pink. The Dj booth which you can see at the back was like a guard’s post in a high security prison with wired glass.
Apart from domestic microwaves the kitchen had a four burner domestic oven, no extraction and a yellow/brown (with grease) domestic fridge… those were the days. Deep fried sausages mmmmmmmmmh!
Above the bar was a jungle of plastic foliage set in bronze mirrored planters. The back bar was covered in small square yellow rustic tiles that looked like they came from Fanny Cradock’s kitchen.
It was a mess in need of change.
I smashed, pulled, dismantled and skipped most of that myself with my father Roy, my uncle Alan and Rob, who was to be head chef.
When we opened
Anyone been to The Lighthouse yet?
Your friendly friend here. As I ranked burgers in the area, thus the pizzas.
1. Caravaggio
2. 168SLA (Bellenden Rd)
3=. La Luna and Il Giardino
5. Bar Story
Special mention to The Gowlett. Bit off patch but no more than La Luna. I’d place it after 1. and 2. above but I’m not sure where, as I only went once a while ago. Bit of a thin base for me, but I recognise it was good.
@ J Mark Dodds
That’s not a lighthouse (shakes head)
THIS is a lighthouse…
http://v8.lscache6.c.bigcache.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/5826615.jpg
What a lovely lighthouse it is too! Yours I mean.
LIGHTHOUSE:
Structure, usually with a tower, built onshore or on the seabed to signal danger or provide aid to seafarers of choppy Camberwell seas.
Aye!
It’s the Torre de Hercules in A Coruna, Galicia, Spain — the oldest operating lighthouse in the world — but then they all say that don’t they? Apparently this really is the official one!
Perhaps Camberwell & Peckham had a mini-version in the days when a canal used to operate here…but it appears the vision to envisage what that waterway could represent in the mid to distant future wasn’t realized then either!
Do they still do pizza in the Grove? 2-for-1 on Tuesdays was a good deal.
Also, Peckham has just one bakery. A Greggs. Just one. And it’s packed. Camberwell is well upscale with Sophlocles.
Also, when they refurb Burgess Park will they keep the abandoned roads to nowhere? Nice little bike ride from there to Peckham Square via the old canal.
@Gabe: the Grove is called Grand Union, it’s part of a group who do burgers and pizza on the menu. http://www.gugroup.co.uk/bar-grill/pdfs/GU_Bars_Food_Menu.pdf
Strictly speaking Greggs is not a bakery but a shop that sells comestibles that are produced centrally and distributed to many retail outlets where they are heated and served.
I seem to recall the roads being removed, I seem to remember objecting to this at the time that I read about it. What do I know?
You’re right, Dodds, the roads in Burgess Park should not be removed. Like Gabe suggests, the roads to nowhere are a nice piece of poetic post-situationism, a location of old localism, literally the path of socialism, the memories are held there in the tarmac.
Imagine an imaginary redo consultancy with an imagination.
Sorry, disagree, the roads make it look like a half arsed, botch job of a park. Getting rid of them is a great idea, and what is being put in it’s place is so much better.
There was a lot of misinformation about what is happening. Having spoken to the head of parks, at length, I am well in favour of what is being proposed, and to say that it was done without public consultation is a lie.
If you don’t like what they are doing, you were probably in the minority. Sorry.
I saw today that the Olive Shop on Church St is closed until further notice and Tadim is closed for (another) refurb. It hasn’t been the same since the last one.
Does anybody know any more about either of these? It would be a shame to lose them.
@Monkeycat — Tend to agree with you on the roads; I like the bridge over the former canal, as it feels like a connection to history; but the roads just seem unfinished.
@Ian P — It would be a shame to lose either of those; Paul’s does the freshest, most delicious feta around (and nice guacamole too), and Tadim is part of the furniture around here — although they sucked out most of the atmosphere in the last refurb, it did seem to be picking up.
I won’t argue about landscaping or roads or anything else to do with Burgess public works because the decisions have been made but will say that the accusations of poor consultation are not exactly a lie — I do, really, know people who use the park daily and live adjacent to it who didn’t know about consultation until it was ending.
The gap between the consultants’ and the public’s view of what happens with consultation is just that; a gap.
@Monkecat: By the way; You’ve Got Mail.
Paul’s Continental and Tadim. Hope it’s not the worst.
“They shut the road through the woods
Seventy years ago…”
Monkeycat, yes, the new Burgess Park plan is good and the security that will be brought to what is currently a mugger and murderers’ paradise will be very healthy.
But old Camberwell roads — unfinished?
“… As though they perfectly know
The old lost road through the woods.
But there is no roads through the woods.”
Ah yes. Meant to mention: Central Park. There; mentioned.
The roads to nowhere have very awkward cambers for runners. ITB strain beckons if you’re not careful (Camberill). Good place to dump and set ablaze any car you’ve nicked though. Or to fly tip.
Does any one know where they’ve got on the plan to close the underpass? That was my one (major) gripe with the plans.
Regarding Paul’s Olive Shop, I believe the owner unfortunately died last week, hence the ‘closed until further notice’ sign. Not sure when/if the shop will reopen.
So Greggs is an outlet, not an actual bakery. Hmm. Explains a lot.
There is an actual Caribbean-style proper bakery on Bellenden Road. The wholemeal loaf has a funky texture, though. We suspect additives, possibly lard.
Burgess Park is reclaimed from old industrial streets, so keeping the roads would be a witty design nod to history, like the lime kiln and the railway bridge. “Look how we used to live kids.”
Okay maybe not. Bulldoze ‘em if you must.
@florian, there’s a good place to abandon stolen cars at the bottom of our street. Plenty of capability for that in the borough of Southwark. We could lose the Burgess Park facility without too much impact.
[Edit: After that, I won’t attempt any more message boards witticism for a while]
[Edit 2: sad news about the Olive Shop owner]
That’s sad about Paul’s Olives isn’t it. Hope they reopen. It was a quirky place.
Got some great baklava from Sophocles recently. Must try the bread at some point. Must admit I never have done.
That is very sad news about Mr Olive — he was a really nice man. Kind generous and always friendly part of the old Camberwell Cypriot community, which is slowly disappearing. A big loss and Church Street wont be the same again.
Someone stole my identity in 2003 and I only found out a few weeks ago. It could have been very serious and I didn’t know what to do. I wrote to Harriet Harman and she was a huge help. I am not normally a Labour voter so you know it’s genuine when I say I could not have hoped for a better response from my MP — so a big public thank you.
@NickW. Sounds bad. How did you find out?
Harman probably thought she could bag two votes — yours and your imposter’s. (Just kidding folks…)
There’s currently no plan to remove the subway due to very mixed consultation feedback. While there were plenty of people who didn’t like the subways, others did and generally it was felt that removing the subway would only be an improvement if Wells Way was turned into a ‘green route’ restricted to public transport, bikes and pedestrians. As this wasn’t currently feasible, removing the subway would have made the junction worse for most park users.
I really do think the consultation on the park was very extensive: numerous events in the park, notices were put up, people living close by were sent letters, there were newspaper articles, websites, facebook pages, local TRAs, community organisations and interest groups were contacted etc.
If people feel they missed out, perhaps they just needed to make a little more effort themselves. This time, the Council did a good job, not least because groups like the Friends of Burgess Park cajoled and pressured them into doing more and got them to keep revising the plan until it reflected a balance of local demands.
I spoke in favour of the new plans at the planning committee, so you can take it from that that I do believe they represent an improvement. Of course, there are still things that I’m not completely satisfied with. However, I do recognise that the designers have worked hard to balance a range of conflicting demands.
http://www.friendsofburgesspark.org.uk/index.html
How far can we take a poetic post-situationist park? Perhaps just build all over it and enjoy poetic nostalgia for a park that never truly was?
I was involved in the consultation for months, and never met anyone during that time who expressed the opinion that the roads should be kept. They break up the flow of movement around the park and give it a feel of decline that the park desperately needs to escape. The roads are themselves in a very bad condition. Should we really contemplate using the money to repair defunct roads rather than remove them and create more green space?
New Church Road willl be replaced with a footpath and cycle path, so cyclists and joggers will still be able to travel from Southampton Way to Wells Way. However, without the roads will be less non-porous hard surface, no pavements and no road markings. What purpose do pavements serve in a park?
I’ve walked in the park with visiting relatives and seen them grab my young nieces and nephews as they approach the road assuming they could be struck by a passing car. It’s strange to explain that the roads haven’t been open to cars for decades. Indeed the only times cars are on them are when they are used to recreate street scenes for film and TV production companies, who like the fact that they don’t have to pay extra to close public roads.
Other heritage will be kept including the canal bridge, while new references to the parks industrial history and wartime history of bombing will be introduced.
Very sad news about Mr. Paul of Olive Shop fame. Love that place.
Re bread at Sophocles. Are you mad? Have you not tried their bread. Shame on you. The best ones are the sesame seed round loaves that sit on the shelves on the right as you go in…Heaven in the round…and one of the bigger culprits when it comes to my ever expanding waist-line.
Possible closures to Southwark’s day centres are covered in the Standard today.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23925751-ten-day-centres-face-the-axe-as-southwark-votes-in-savage-cuts.do
Worth looking at if only for the lovely picture of Anood Al-Samerai apparently mid-sneeze.
James J
Agree…the roads are pretty superfluous
The precedent to remove them was already set many years ago when Neate Street which was adjacent to the old Bath House/Boxing Club and former public library building.
Funnily enough, I still recall my first ever visit to Burgess Park in the late 70’s — Many of the roads which led off Albany Road still had housing with people living there (some OAP’s some Squatters) the bizarre situation of several half-derelict streets with obvious bomb sites still within a public park. This was also just about around the time the lake was being landscaped.
Never mind poetic post-situationist it was more post-apocalipse! There was even an old derelict flop house at the Old Kent Road entrance too.
I’ve lived in South London for far too long now…
The Mr of Paul’s Continental was called George. He supplied our halloumi for well over a decade. Mr Hartnell, of Hartnell’s Solicitors, was called Chris. He supplied our legal advice for well over a decade. Chris also died suddenly, a few weeks ago; R.I.P both. They each in their own way brought a lot to the area.
Would Ken’s re-election lead to the salvation of the bendy buses and the reinstatement of the Cross River Tram plan?
@MCat, yeah I do feel bad about it! It’s just that I don’t think I’d get through a whole loaf. Have to save it for a dinner party or something. Or a bread binge. The Cypriot minced meat fried roll thingy they do is quite a good snack for a £1.
@Alan Dale: AFAIK the bendy buses were only a short-term measure and due to be phased out in the long term, so not sure he’d campaign on keeping them. The tram would be a goer, I heard.
Camberwell & Peckham residents currently 6th highest in the http://saveournhs.org/ petition league; sign the petition if you want a public consultation on changes to the NHS, and represent your endz.
Well here’s one of those crazy Camberwell things. I voted to save the nhs earlier and noted Peter’s post above and his Tweet about Camberwell and Peckham being number six or so in the rankings of costituencies with the most votes. Since I placed my bet it’s at number seven. I wondered why it should fall when people will be going there from here and well of course MY vote went to Dulwich and West Norwood as you would expect from living on Coldharboour Lane above a pub in Camberwell, four minutes’ walk from the Green. This is because I am, of course, in Lambeth and in Tessa Jowell’s constituency.
IN one of the online pub review sites someone points out that it’s advisable for publicans not to discuss politics or to make things they are not happy about obvious through their business. WHY is that? Please, don’t bother answering that one.
You’re living in the pub… trouble in paradise?
Trouble? What’s trouble? I’ve been telling you for years it’s a load of trouble haven’t I? And I’ve never said it’s Paradise, I think I’ve said it’s more like Hell. And you never seem to believe me.
It’s LOADS of trouble Alan. Loads. You wouldn’t Adam and Eve it. But I do and I’m used to it. It used to make me depressed, now it makes me excited. More stitches in the tapestry of life.
in case you missed it in the paper press, brunswick ward park hustings are happening 1st march http://www.peoplesrepublicofsouthwark.co.uk/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1355%3Abrunswick-park-ward-hustings&Itemid=3
Yesterday’s Southwark News has an announcement of the death of Sotiris (of Paul’s). He died on 10 February at the age of 64. The funeral is at noon on 1 March at the Greek Orthodox Church. (See page 28.)
I shall miss him.
The annual carpet of crocuses in Addington Square looks amazing at the moment. Just wanted to share that with everyone.
@mark–
Can’t you cash in a trust fund or something?
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3432534/Fox-cub-found-living-off-scraps-at-top-of-Britains-tallest-building.html
time for a kull
Nice one Matt. Will check it out.
Also, a tip: the back room of the Joiners Arms is good on a Friday night… three pints for less than a tenner and the DJ rocks out. Seems to be okay to take ur bicycle in too
@Alan. NO. I have no assets whatsover. But as a fall back on destitution I sent Rush Limbaugh a plea for urgent financial support. He’s no idea who I am but could certainly afford it. He’s bound to be sympathetic, anyone that right wing would be.
That fox should have had a camera. What I am most surprised about is that the Angel of the North is only 66ft high. I thought it must be a lot taller than three regular semi detatches on top of each other.
@Matt The crocuses will detract from the terrible visual and spatial disjuncture at the end of Addingtom Square where it meets Burgess Park. A fine example of the usual nonsense of municipal landscaping bearing no relation to its surroundings.
My memory is failing. I meant to post this link for people out there in Camberwell who need their souls saving.
I’ll be the one at the front of the queue. Innit.
Hi all, I’m a occasional lurker on this blog as I lived in Camberwell in the mid 90’s — I remember The Sun and Doves when Mark first took over, The Carrott Cafe, Tadims when it first opened, the tiny health food shop on Church Street, the small book shop in the arcade, and Paul’s Olives (sorry to hear) — happy days! I have also never forgotten the “best bread ever”, round or plaited with sesame seeds on top from Sophocles. I noticed that it’s been mentioned on here recently, and wondered if any one can tell me what it’s called? Since I left Camberwell I’ve searched high and low, described it to others, and have never come across it again. The nearest I got was an internet search where I found that it might be an Italian bread called Scalli. A funny request I know, but these things stay in your mind,all mixed up with the the great student days I had in south London. I’m now back north of the border and have not visited London for years, but I still think of Camberwell as a really special place — cheers!
Hannah@
Hello, I’m not entirely sure but I think (from asking a Greek friend or two) that the name of the bread with the sesame seeds is “spitiko psomi” — sesame bread.
Nice to know you still think of Camberwell as a really special place…it has that effect on most who pass through here…it’s just a crying shame that most who are responsible for IT’S administration continuously have such a lack of ambition and low expectation for the place. Sad, but true.
One day, I too will look back on my time in Camberwell and think fondly of this place.
It appears as if the golden opportunity to bring all the areas strenghs together and address a lot of the weaknesses has been passed upon, yet again — by the failure to seriously consider the ex-Bingo Hall building and it’s potential use for an arts/cinema/community venue.
Thankyou so much Eusebiovic for making enquiries, I’ve just googled spitiko psomi and have found a recipe already! I’m sorry to hear that in some ways Camberwell is not fulfilling it’s full potential. My memories are of that small part of London being full creativity and a great community spirit — which I’m glad to see is still apparent on this blog. Keep up the good work!
Sorry, I ment “full of creativity and with a great community spirit” — it must be over-excitment on account of the bread!
Hannah, may one ask, what region of the world took you away from this creative minestrone?
Hi all,
In good community spirit the first pop-up supper club at Keston Kitchen will be on Saturday March 12th.
Check out the menu and email us if you’d like to book a place (limited spaces)
http://thekestonkitchen.blogspot.com/p/supper-at-keston-kitchen
Thanks!
The Keston Kitchen
Neighbourhood Challenges; sesame bread aside:
@Keston Kitchen: the link to your 12 March item appears not to be working.
A@ no one in particular: a cafe called Jackson Dodds has received awards for the breakfast they serve in Melbourne, Australia. I know of this because someone who lives in Melbourne just asked me if this place has anything to do with me in a distant was because I have Australian relatives.
DID ANYONE OUT THERE know about NESTA’s Neighbourhood Challenge? As far as I can see the challenge in Camberwell is to actually find out about this stuff BEFORE the stable door has been bolted and Camberwell’s been firmly locked out.
http://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/public_services_lab/neighbourhood_challenge
I am Verry Dissapoint.
J Mark Dodds
Is this an annual thing?
Or a one-off never to be repeated again thing?
I too am pi55ed off
Hannah. I was in Sophocles the other day and, as I’m such a great bloke, remembered your request. I think the bread to which you refer might be called ‘daktil’. Or at least they labelled it that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daktyla
The Carrott Cafe? A play on Withnail! What was that place like?
Thanks J Mark Dodds!
Hopefully this link will work:
http://thekestonkitchen.blogspot.com/p/supper-at-keston-kitchen.html
Pop-up supper club at Keston Kitchen will be on Saturday March 12th.
Check out the menu and email us if you’d like to book a place.
That’s brill, Phil, that’s exactly what it is, that bread — Greek country bread. Do you know what? I’m going to go and buy some now!
Hannah, where are you?
Hi Dagmar, these days I live on Shetland. I last visited Camberwell in 2002,I felt that it had changed a lot, seemed to have a very different atmosphere. Oh well, they say that the past is a foreign country!
Many thanks Phil — I will follow up your suggestion with a google! The Carrott Cafe opened during the last year that I was in Camberwell (1996), it was on the Denmark Hill end of Coldharbour Lane. It was a veggie caff and they had DJ’s playing on sunday from what I remember. I believe that it closed down after a short time. Thanks again everyone!
The latest crime figures are out on police.uk
What happened around Denmark Hill Station in January? Was there some sort of riot?
What these figures don’t tell us is what percentage of local crime is committed by our councillors.
Camberwell to Shetland! Wow, I thought I’ve got quite a diverse spectrum of UK living behind me, but that is the ultimate!
Just looked at the spreadsheet of London Met Police data and I think that in the whole of London only Oxford Street had more crime recorded in Jan 2011 than Windsor Walk.
Shetland, yeah. People move away from Camberwell in search of a better life, but I dunno if they find it. [Pause. Sound of single gun shot.]
Carrot Cafe, from memory (which may be utterly wrong) got grant money because it was a cooperative. I went there several times and failed even to get served. Like there was NO ONE on the counter, although there was evidence of there being someone somewhere on the premises — noises out back — I think there was a back yard where someone might have a smoke. Spliff probably for all I know. Anyway this wilful neglect of duty REALLY pissed me off.
Did any of you know that Dog Star got £68K out of Brixton Challenge to do up the exterior of the pub? I set Sun and Doves up with £45K of my own and other people’s money and a £30K loan. I needed £250K really but that’s another story. I was told by Brixton Challenge: ‘of course you are not eligible for BC funds — you are in Camberwell’. Well years later, as a ‘business in the Brixton Challenge area’ I was invited to go celebrate the success of the scheme and to help decide how the last £50K should be spent. That was uplifting.
My eldest son has just got his offer for a high school place from Southwark Education Services; St Thomas the Apostle Catholic school in Nunhead. He is atheist. He specifically pointed out on the application forms that he did not want to considered for a faith school and none of his priority SIX choices of school were anything to do with GOD.
I LOVE living here. It just keeps you keen because it’s so MEAN.