Pinch, punch, it’s the first of the month

If there’s one thing guaranteed to make me lose my good humour, it’s a browser glitch that deletes the post I’ve just spent the last 15 minutes writing. Grrr. OK, here’s a terser version of what I wrote before:

A proposed ban on street drinking in Camberwell looks likely to fail after a similar, Southwark-wide iniative was voted down, using the dubious excuse of ‘celebrating World Cup fans’. I think that the police are more than capable of enforcing the spirit, rather than the letter, of the law, and could make a judgement on what is problem drinking and what are isolated incidents. Having said that, I agree that prohibition is not the answer and would just move the problem elsewhere; the best solution I’ve heard so far is the ‘wet centre’, although the last I heard was that it was due to close.

Council leader Nick Stanton has spoken out in favour of a Camberwell tube station, but warns it may take 50 years before we see it. From what I’ve heard, this idea is pretty much a non-starter; that doesn’t mean, however, that a campaign is doomed to failure. There does need to be a good look at transport in the area; the Walworth Road in particular is ridiculously congested. I still favour an increase in frequency of trains through Denmark Hill, a connection with Brixton or Loughborough Junction, and perhaps a tram line too. I also favour a three-day working week and a million pounds for everyone.

Regular reader (and honourary roving reporter) Ben Patio suggests a meet-up in the Sun & Doves one Sunday afternoon for all readers of the blog, members of the SE5 photo pool and other interested parties. I strongly suggest he wants to muscle in on the free wine action, but I also think it’s a fine idea and would be willing to take part. Show of hands?

Author: Peter

Long-time resident of Camberwell, author of this blog since July 2004.

17 thoughts on “Pinch, punch, it’s the first of the month”

  1. But if everyone met in the Sun & Doves, we’d realise that we’re all middle aged men who actually live in Peckham 😉

  2. I used to lay patios for a living but I’ve never lied on the internet. And I’m middle aged and I don’t live in Peckham. But wish I did. No that’s a lie.

  3. Mary Datchelor update:

    As far as I can make out from the plethora of letters I’ve received from Southwark, Planning Officers have recommended the current application for refusal. It will be heard by the Committee on 7th Feb and I would imagine the Councillors will follow the recommendation. In typically aggressive fashion, St George have already appealed a duplicate application.

  4. Has anyone noticed the new ‘welcome to Camberwell / Walworth /etc’ signs going up around the borough? It’s interesting were the council have decided to draw the Camberwell borders. Apparently Burgess Park is now in Walworth, as is most of Camberwell Road.…

  5. I used to live on Camberwell Road, above the bookies on the corner of Bethwin Road. That address was definitely Camberwell (according to Southwark council anyway). If Burgess park is Walworth then I guess the border is somewhere around there.

  6. I’d be up for the battle cruiser/boozer on Sunday.. mind you I usually am. One thing.. how will we recognise each other.? on the basis of your Flickr photo Peter you look exactly like that toy Tango was giving away some years back.. I’m sure this isn’t really the case.

    I’m easy, as I’m just a big floating eye..

  7. You and Peter will be easy to recognise — you’ll be the ones with smug grins and expensive bottles of wine.

  8. I wasn’t necessarily thinking of this Sunday, but if that’s what everyone wants…

    And yes, unfortunately, that’s me; a bald, goggle-eyed, orange plastic freak.

  9. Well i’d be up for meeting everyone Peter let us know if it’s this Sunday afternoon- it would also encourage me to contibute to the Camberwell Wiki as i was one of the initial enthusiasts and have been feeling guilty about not doing anything since!

    Two more things:

    1. on my way to kickboxing at about 5pm last night (February 1st)i noticed a small protest by Camberwell Green — anyone know what it was about?

    2. Not really Camberwell stuff but can i encourage everyone to go to a new restaurant in Brixton called Upstairs (you may have seen it in Time Out last week) It’s just the sort of locally owned place we should all be supporting — great food reasonably priced, good cocktails, a fantastic wine list and lovely staff (all three of them!!) and with Feb 14th looming a perfect place to take a date. It’s above the Opus cafe on Acre Lane — do go!!

  10. I can make this Sunday. No time like the present… perhaps Mark you could reserve an area so we all know where to go?

  11. yea am I slightly confused… I thought I’d said earlier that I could reserve a table from 2 or 3pm and that I’d be able to be there from 3… I know I did and I know I read some other stuff about. Is there a parallel blogiverse in here? there must be. I wish I could do html links and transfers and all that clever stuff everyone else does naturally, with ease. A huge Flickr sign would be above the table??? That was it.

    ON the ‘welcome’ signs… and of se5forum, in its previous incarnation, Camberwell Community Forum, when I was Treasurer, the Forum raised I thinkit was 40K for welcome to Camberwell (SE5) signs. Now the interesting thing is that the money was granted but the camberwell community council (Southwark. Lib.Dem. in ascendent) was concerned that the signs might/would conflict with signs they already had in the pipeline for the area. I presume the signs Stuart refers to above are the latter ccc signs and not the former ccf 40K signs (that’s why it’s called se5forum).

    Now as far as I recall, the money was put aside to be decided upon (what kind of signs would work) and may still be getting mouldy in some escrow account somewhere for the people to make a decision on. I must follow this up. But need help. Innit.

  12. Hello. I’ve just discovered this camberwell blog thing and I’m not sure what the rules are, so to speak. The truth is that I don’t quite live in Camberwell but very near it on the edge of east dulwich. But I am keen to contribute. Thing is, at the moment I really need some advice and thought you seem like the people to help. I’d be so grateful. I am looking for a cosy, quirky, preferably self-contained venue to do a special birthday party for about fifty people, where I can organise my own, sort of jazz type music preferably in the camberwell, east dulwich or at a push a bit further afield area on 4 March saturday. Any suggestions gratefully received. Please do let me know more about whether I’m eligible to contribute in otherways to whatever goes on here.

Comments are closed.