Hello all, my name is Joe and I have previously written a post on this blog and am delighted that Peter considers me up to the job and has allowed me back to make a further contribute during his absence.
On Saturday I went to see We Are Loughborough Junction, an exhibition of black and white portraits of Loughborough Junction residents taken by local photographer Conor Masterson. What made this particular exhibition different to most is that the images are displayed outdoors on the sides of houses, on railings and for sale sign boards around the local area.
There are a total of 169 portraits in all, I managed to see 167 as 2 of the photos had been removed by over zealous security guards from a derelict site on Coldharbour Lane who were unaware that the event was taking place. The size of the portraits vary from 16 inches (40cm) to around 8 feet (2.5 metres), some containing individuals and some containing families or groups.
I happen to know Conor but I don’t think I’m being biased in saying that the photographs in the show are fantastic and, for me at least, the project was a real success in terms of concept and execution. Viewing the portraits on the streets made them not only accessible but much more resonant than if they had been hung in a gallery.
I thought this was a really exciting community project and thanks should be extended to all involved including Paul Adlam, Matt Matterson as well as Conor along with the Loughborough Junction Action Group and SE5 Forum and The Sun & Doves for providing the maps.
You can still see the photos which will remain on display until this Friday, 19th of February. I’d recommend printing out a map of the exhibition route although you may have to hurry as, according to Conor, 3 pictures have been removed or stolen.
It’s a busy week for the Arts in Loughborough Junction as Friday also sees the opening of the new Whirled Cinema which, according to their website, is a 60 seat cinema featuring HD projection and surround sound, along with a fully licensed bar and even an outdoor balcony.
The South London Press is also reporting that there is to be an investigation into the three huge fires in Camberwell and Peckham in the last 8 months. According to the BBC the investigation into the Lakanal House fire will not be complete for two years.
On a personal note I’m really looking forward to the opening of The Tiger (formerly the Silver Buckle) on the 25th. Having patronised The Sun & Doves, The Hermits Cave, The Joiners Arms and The Grand Union at the weekend as well as The Phoenix, The Castle, Le Petit Parisien and The George Canning in the last couple of weeks I’ll be well qualified to offer a comparison of local boozers.
But it would be nice if it didn’t become a church, black, white, pink or polkadot — we already seem to have loads more churches than we need.
My vote is definitely for a cinema.
On the note generally of perennial opportunity missed locally even after the lesson of Dicky Dirts (and there’s definitely loads of other big misses I’ve not heard of) we had a chance with the Leisure Centre, ENB and other possibilities. The town hall now. How come all that property gets let out and we don’t get to know about it?
Central Government has put political mechanisms in place which are supposed to give local communities the power to influence local change.
Local Authorities hate giving power away. It’s just not natural to allow all those irritating people who live in the Council’s jurisdiction — those very people who are continually complaining to the council that it’s doing a crap job — to get in the way of council progress. Their jobs are hard enough as it is aren’t they? Wouldn’t it be dreadful if a mob of incompetent ignorant voters got their hands on some of the budgets and started messing with things they cannot possibly understand; errr like why ‘everything to do with Council matters move at a glacial pace’.
As long as the community cannot get at the mechanism and its levers — because it’s not been made possible — the better it is for everyone. Instead of asking local people to contribute to steering where and how money should be spent in their own area, set up a situation that LOOKS like the community’s plugged in — such as a Neighbourhood Renewal Office — and spend all the money through that, as a bolt on Council service.
That way Council people don’t have to be annoyingly distracted away from their day jobs of ensuring that when anything ever does happen it costs a lot to do something no one locally wants — so ensuring that nothing lasting ever comes out of it.
That’s Camberwell for you. And look where we are now. For the first time in thirty years or more, things ARE happening in Camberwell that are throwing up great opportunity to move the area on enormously — all opportunity that will be dashed if real local people are not able to influence what happens.
SE5 Forum was set up precisely to be the community vehicle that could get hold of the mechanism, start pulling levers and begin steering Camberwell where it wants to go.
Other local groups who have been very good at making headway out of sheer effort — Gay Camberwell and Peoples’ Republic for example, ought to get onto SE5 Forum and contribute their valuable knowledge and points of view to the only independent local body that does, actually, have the ear of both our Councils. This is not about removing the raison d’etre of individual local groups — The Forum is an umbrella organisation designed to wield influence where it counts. As a vehicle it offers an efficient way of getting messages across. The only problem as ever is manpower and money — but the more who are working within The Forum’s arms, the more easily it is to share work and have its influence grow rapidly.
There are several key opportunities for Camberwell looming on us now and things are speeding up. We need to get organised and fast. This has been the case for years and opportunities have been missed because we the people have not been ready. But this time everything is already in place to bring it all together, the HARD WORK has been done. We just need to get together and be effective. These are some of the big things upon us whose outcomes we can influence for the good:
Camberwell Green Job Centre development.
Gala Bingo
The big site opposite Planet Nollywood
The Town Hall and other local govt buildings
Underground car parks along Redcar Street
Down the line things will be happening with the police station.
A Community Development Trust is what we need here. And making a bit of history.
I did a fairly detailed, important post here. It didn’t appear when I submitted. I posted it again, it came back telling me it had been submitted already. It seems to be lost. I didn’t copy it.
Peter, if it’s still in the ether I”d appreciate it if you could salvage it please.
What it said, in short, is get into The SE5 Forum and start wielding your power.
You ALL MUST go to Mamuska — Mum’s — (‘Your Mother Will Hate Us’ is their byline) http://www.mamuska.net/ a REAL Polish Milky Bar at Elephant & Castle, first floor not far from La Bodeguita. It’s brilliant in a way parallel to Angels & Gypsies but at the rock solid other end of the catering spectrum.
You WILL NOT be disappointed unless you hate really good food at knock down prices served without frills but LOADS of panache.
And when you go there — tell them they should set one up in Camberwell. It would go down a storm here and be a fantastic addition to the area.
And don’t forget to put some cash aside to buy your part of The Sun and Doves. 1000 people at £500 each. Or multiples thereof. It will involve us becoming London’s BEST pub and Camberwell’s own second fab hotel. We’re working on the business plan.
@dagmar: alabama 3 is/are our favourite band! all 12 steps of them.
@eusebiovic: article’s up on people’s republic of soutwhark, have deleted your comments as an article is more prominent.
@mark: check your googlemail mail! xxx
Mark, happy to get more involved but I don’t think I really understand how to get involved in the SE5 forum. I sometimes post events, but there are few hits, and no replies to these posts. Is it posting in the general discussion forum that you want? Or is there some other way to be involved that we ought to be doing? For instance should we be launching and signing petitions/votes on the site? Or something else?
I DID actually happen upon a serious bargain from a shop in Butterfly Walk recently…£50 for a beautiful formal evening gown from ‘Just for you’ which I will be wearing to a black tie do being thrown by my company to mark their 250th anniversary. This after three weekends spent trawling round the West End desperately trying to find something to wear.
@ Amanda, yes — I was desperately seeking a 1920s style dress and happened upon Just for You which turned out to have several suitable options at great prices, though in the end I bought one in Sugarmomma, also at a good price. Had searched shops in other parts of London to no avail.
@eusebiovic
I also think that it is a mistake to make the headline of the Facebook campaign for the Gala Bingo hall specifically about not wanting an Evangelical Christian Church. Even if this is a genuine and legitimate concern of ours, so far it is only an unsubstantiated rumour. It would be much more sensible to make it a positive campaign for what we want, rather than what we don’t want. If you take a positive approach there would be no need for a dunces hat, but more importantly some influential backers (i.e. politicians and celebrities) may be put of lending their names to any campaign if they fear they might be offending certain minority groups.
I’d go for something like this for your introductory paragraph:
This is much more in keeping with the language of the council’s own aims for Camberwell and is therefore much more likely to gain political support.
meanwhile, in the lands of cor!strategy, we’ve set up a section for this on people’s republic of southwark, this is a brief intro
http://www.peoplesrepublicofsouthwark.co.uk/news/cor-strategy-the-sequel
and the cor!strategy section contains at the moment only two articles, one mainly to do with the language (also known as doubleya tee eff) here http://www.peoplesrepublicofsouthwark.co.uk/core/meet-the-authors
and to do with just plain confusion:
http://www.peoplesrepublicofsouthwark.co.uk/core/confused-you-should-be
if any of you are reading/have read the core strategy (im only at page 53 at the moment & am sure things are going to get really interesting once i get to actual policies); if you’ve already submitted your comments to the council; if you understand any of it etc etc, please comment!
xxx
We are going to play bingo tonight at the last session.
Starts at 7.30pm.
We will be the ones without a blue rinse, our own teeth and looking clueless.
See you there.
MK
oh and will try to take a few photos as well.
Agree that I feel a little uncomfortable about saying that we don’t want a church there. What I want there is something that anyone can use.
Bingo is inclusive. So is a cinema or arts centre. A church or conference centre is not. However, a cinema or arts centre can be a church or conference centre as well.
Speaking to a planning friend of mine it is very unlikely that we can stop anything now unless we stop the sale going through.
I think that maybe anyone interested in this matter should all meet up. Since the sale may go through by March 1st, is anyone free to meet at the Sun and Doves tomorrow evening at say 6.30pm to chat about it and see what we can do. Mark, would anyone from the SE5 forum be able to come along to give their advice?
Mark Dodds
Spot on, I agree with all your points about the current Camberwell issues that we can hopefully influence.
With many apartments also due on Coldharbour Lane and hopefully resuming on Camberwell Station Road…and the Job Centre/Snooker Hall developments pending and the Medlar Street site — there will be even more residents who will need a cultural/community outlet they can enjoy and rely upon.
There is nothing that I would love more than to invest in the S&D and stick two fingers up to the PubCo fascist vampires and show them what a real business plan looks like (ie:a progressive one) — not a short termist one — I want to help you, tentively perhaps a year from now may be possible!
JamesJ — Thank You for your suggestion it’s excellent and I think it’s much better than my original summary. I will change it!
I hope anyone else who thinks the Facebook page can be improved upon won’t be afraid to share their opinions with me. I want it to be as impressive as possible, so please don’t hesitate to assist. This is new to me so any help is much appreciated — Perhaps somebody can join me as a Facebook admin?
I wanted to include as many relevant links as possible — perhaps, many of you can run through the list and suggest which are relevant and those that are superfluous. There may be others I don’t know about which should be there. Can we contact Blue Elephant Theatre,Cooltan Arts, KidsCo and Theatre Peckham? I’m sure they would love the idea of a local facilty which they can contribute to and use for their activities — especially if it provided extra and improved rehearsal/studio/performance space 😉
I hope we can achieve many positive outcomes…but we must not lose the opportunity to save our last surviving Cinema. The Camberwell Odeon episode was a disgrace and I don’t want to see a repeat. What’s the point of the council squandering funds on new community buildings when we have a purpose built venue which could house everything?
Kind Regards
Victor
Life is bingo. The good book says so.
Dagmar…
It could still be used for Bingo…As a community hall…members could all set up a collective online account and enjoy the benefits of social interaction at the same time…
Good eh?
Monkeycat
“Bingo is inclusive. So is a cinema or arts centre. A church or conference centre is not. However, a cinema or arts centre can be a church or conference centre as well”
Agreed, my sentiments entirely…although initially I was slightly confused
James, a great response and Victor, a compelling argument. Monkeycat, a reasoned reply as well. My wife has now joined as I am not ok fb. Such a positve, well reasoned approach was refreshing and likely to be more effective than a over the top rant. Good luck!
So is anyone around tonight to meet up?
Morning Monkeycat.
I could call in at the S&D later but would be getting there a bit earlier (5.30ish).
It would be good to see any fellow campaigners before heading back to put the chef’s hat on.
I’m confused, who the hell are all these Johns? John — this is the internet. Help us out. You don’t have to be John here. My real name is Sue.
On the churches, can I just say there are many many churches. Maybe there is demand for one more. But if so I don’t care. Enough’s enough. Nothing against evangelical churches or the gibberish they preach. If it were fried chicken shops I’d be making the same point.
Whilst thankfully I don’t live too near one I have seen people have their weekend ruined because they were blocked in by the many cars that descend on narrow streets and park in a stupid and thoughtless, screw you cos da LORD is with me, manner.
I’ve always thought they were local churches but given the volume of cars I have to wonder if they even live in SE5/SE15. I suspect not.
Mark — nice find! I have seen the banner at Elephant and have thought, what is that new place, must check it out. Anyway, I’ll be going soon.
Had Polish food in Clapham once. Not a lot to it beyond the soups and dumplings, it has to be said, but it was a nice restaurant and it’s good to be a bit different now and then.
The menu at African place Moyo Ma on Walworth Rd looks quite hardcore. Looks like I’ll have to test it without my girlfriend.
I got an email about this the other day and it may be of interest to people here. Go along and support and get involved.
The dedicated ‘youth’ entrance sounds a bit silly, but I don’t know the details.
Camberwell Baths Campaign have submitted a Cleaner Greener Safer application for a start to the refurbishment of Harvey Road, the new entrance at the rear of the Baths which will be a dedicated entrance for Youth.
The next meeting of Camberwell Community Council. It’s your chance to find out what is happening in your area and to have your say about local issues. You can also meet other people from your area and speak to Councillors, officers and service providers. Refreshments will be provided.
The main items on the agenda will be
The new Camberwell Leisure Centre – tell us your hopes for the future of the building and hear an update on the refurbishment works
Small businesses
Cleaner Greener Safer Programme 2010⁄11 – hear decisions on the schemes to be funded.
In addition there will be the usual updates from the Police Safer Neighbourhood Teams and Community Wardens.
Date of meeting: Wednesday 3 March 2010 Time: 7- 9pm Venue: Southwark Town Hall
i’ll pop over to s&d but wont be able to stay for long as i tend to get really hungry round that o’clock plus dont drink & find pubs too loud & cant smoke etc etc 🙂
x
The last night at the bingo was amazing. What an atmosphere and what a mix of people.
Whatever my preconceptions of bingo were, they were smashed last night. What fun!
I have a feeling that the reason the place wasn’t making any money though was because their heating bill was through the roof. It was hotter than a flat on the D’Eynsford estate where Southwark council seems to think that hot water needs to be 90C and the radiators set to Chernobyl. And that’s saying something.
Anyway, I would urge anyone who professes to care about Camberwell to come along for a drink at the Sun and Doves. Sorry Mark if I am trading on your turf, but felt that needed to meet asap rather than trying to find a room and so on. Also it means that we will grace your bar with our custom.
I will get there at 5.30 for those that can’t stay late, but will stay for as long as people can make it. Look forward to meeting some of the faces on this site. Victor, will you be there as the facebook man? Mr. Copeywolf and Liliana, see you there.
Tom
Hi guys. I’m full of a cold and dizzy. IS the meet at S&D this afternoon?
This afternoon at 5.30 yes.
Would be good if you can get there.
Hi can’t get to the meeting but a few things to add.
Gala bingo premises is a listed building so you could get some of the architectural conservation charities on board as Southwark haven’t had the best rep in making sure the new owners of listed buildings in Camberwell treat them with any respect.
It might be worth contactign the Association of Town Centre Management to see if there is any help for this sort of thing.
Also there was a recent campaing in Walthamstow that successfully managed to block the conversion of a much loved cinema into a massive evangelical church, i’m sure you can google the details.
I would add weight to the massive problem in Camberwell of legala nd illegal evangelical churches. I live very near Mark and the one on Warner road causes all sorts of problems — congestion, poor parking, noise, large groups of people hanging around outside my flat at 8am on a Sunday morning, litter etc.. The main problem i have as a resident is the number of Sunday mornings i have had discturbed by people ringing my doorbell to talk about Jesus and bunches of people having loud conversations outside my bedroom window etc..
In reply to the earlier comments i don;t havea rpobme with churches but i do have a problem with organisations using residental areas for gatherings that cause congestion, noise and litter and disturb residents sunday mornings — i would have the same opinion if it was a pub, art gallery, play group or anything else that woke me up early on a sunday — the one on my road just happens to be an African Evangelical church.
Anyone ringing my doorbell at 8am on a Sunday wanting to talk about Jesus and I’ll have a vat of boiling tar ready to tip on them.
Mark take some photos at the meeting this afternoon.
To be fair Phil they haven’t tried that for a couple of moths since they got some full and frank opinions on Jesus for some of my neighbours!
now it’s just loud discussions about Jesus directly under my bedroom window!
Door knocker 10am Saturday am:
BANG! BANG! BANG!
“Who could that be coming round at 10am on a Saturday morning?”
*open door*
Two ladies, both smiling, standing one in front of the other, the one in front short and round, wearing glasses; the one behind tall and slim. Both dressed Methodist church style from my childhood days, top to bottom.
Lady number one looks up at me, beams and says:
“Today we are thinking about Faith”
Slightly stunned, with an image of that man on the Fast Show, was it, saying “today I am mostly eating chips” I say:
“That’s very nice for you, today I’m cooking breakfast for the kids”
Lady behind beams at me and says:
“Do you have hope?”
“I just lost what ever hope I had”
Bye Bye
See you this evening at 5.30 camera in hand, kids in tow.
i like books as much as the next man or woman, possibly more than some of the next men or women.
i do not however go around converting anyone to believe in ‘from hell’ (arguably the best piece of writing/art evah) or demand chain of spaces to do so.
(ditto narnia, lord of the rings, alice in wonderland, discworld)
Unfortunately I won’t be able to drop in tonight, but I wish you the best of luck with it.
Today we’re talking about the Bible. The Bible tells a story about two ladies with glasses who goes to a house and knock on the door, looking for stray souls. “Hi!” says the cat who opens the door, tail curling suspiciously, “Please come in.” The ladies demur. The guy has an extremely long nose, two sharp little horns and glistening skin. So the ladies step over the threshold together and bingo! Instantly they…
+ PAY $1000 NOW 2 HEAR THE REST OF THE STORY! +
tut-tut-dagmar, surely that should’ve read ‘two ladies with glasses what goes to a house…’
in other news,
camberwell is rising!!!
A constructive meeting this evening, thanks to all who came at such short notice.
I will post an update tomorrow.
Peter, any chance of hijacking a post to give more info?
Cheers,
MK.
Hello Everyone!
Can’t believe you had a meeting at such short notice…and I bloody missed it too..It just had to be my father’s birthday last night, typical eh? I didn’t check the blog for once and what happens? Hardly Impressive on my part…I do apologise
I can drop by for a drink at the Sun and Doves any evening this week from Wednesday the 24th February…If anybody want to meet up and say hello and see what I look like (or click Victor Ferreiro admin icon in the corner of Cinema for Camberwell Green page)
Tom/Monkeycat
I look forward to the pictures that you took…I have a feeling that lurking behind some plasterboard partitions there could be an extra auditorium or 2 as well as the main one.
Again, sorry I didn’t catch the meeting but like I said Wednesday onwards — any evening I’ll be there…
Mark
I will post the next SE5 Forum meeting on the facebook page too…60 odd members for just 5 days…not bad…but I’m full of ideas to get those numbers up…
See You All Very Soon
Victor x
I emailed (or left messages on the blogs) the councillors from Camberwell Green, Camberwell South, Faraday, Brunswick Park, & East Walworth. I think these are the closest wards. I’ve already had positive responses from Cllrs Friary & Wingfield, who’ve also both joined the Facebook page, and Cllrs Ward & Dixon-Fyle.
I’d like to share these responses and indications of support with Victor & Monkey Cat, but would like to do so more securely than just copying them onto a blog.
You emailed the Brunswick Park lot? Let me know if the useless Sandra Rhule deigns to reply. It’d be a first.
@James J: if everyone who wants to get in touch emails me at peter@camberwellonline.co.uk, I’ll facilitate it.
also, as tom seems to be away from his computer!!!
last night, we’ve put together a letter to be sent out to absolutely everyone you can think of — tom will be posting/emailing this to us as soon as, as the deadline’s so near
mark dodds is creating a poster/flyer which all those with some time to spare over the next few days are more than welcome to help distribute
think of all the famous people who might want to put their names down in support?
x
Just spoken to the reps at Troxy.
No they are not buying it.
don’t think this will change anything, tom — change of use can be objected to, and legally rejected.
I hope no one objects to me just going ahead with contacting the local councillors on my own initiative. I thought it was a good idea to get a move on with spreading the word. All three Camberwell Green councillors, London MEP Mary Honeyball and Southwark News reporter John Prendergast have now joined up to the Facebook page.
@james: yay for that! sorry didnt mean to sound eurgh, am multi-multi-multi-multi-tasking (or typing between some five tabs)
x
A journo from the SLP has left a message on the Facebook page asking for someone to get in touch.
Actually, make that two Camberwell Green councillors plus one Brunswick Park councillor…
http://www.keepourmuseumsopen.org.uk/?tag=walthamstow-cinema
i mentioned the Walthamstow cinema campaign yesterday — this link gives some more info — it might be worth contacting them for tips and hints.
I will be posting a guest spot on the blog tomorrow, but in the meantime please look at this and get involved. There is not much time.
http://www.camberwellcommunitycinema.webs.com/
Sadly, I am working tomorrow evening so will not be able to make it. However, at 2pm tomorrow afternoon there will be a photo call outside the bingo hall. This will be going to the South London Press so if you can, please come.
Cheers,
Tom.
’tis I who look foolish. So I will add two other possibilities. They may be the mystery buyers — if not, two good possibilities to add to the campaign.
EN Ballet. Did they find a home?
The brothers of Angels and Gypsies. They have said they want to bring a cinema to Camberwell ‑and they are good at generating positive press.
Worth a shot. Victor, Tom and James deserve a round of applause.
Hello Everyone,
JamesJ — Excellent work, I will try and enlist support from all the Green Councillors in Herne Hill Ward (I live in SE5 but come under them) They will be extremely enthusiastic too…Rebecca Thackeray is already on Lambeth Council and George Graham and John Hare missed out by a whisker in the last local election…Remember we need to engage Lambeth Council as well as Southwark…They have a major say too as the location is practically right on the boundary of both…
Monkeycat/Tom — Will be there at 2.00pm tomorrow for SLP Photocall…Superb Work…Thank You for your efforts
Hannah M — If you look at the favorites on the facebook webpage you will see I already have a link to Walthamstow END Cinema Campaign — It’s a good suggestion though and I urge everyone to support their campaign and ask them to support us in return…
I don’t want to get anyone too over-excited but…I may well have a contact (almost a direct link) to someone who works on the ENB Board…but I will have to write a very charming and flattering letter and ask my dear mother for a favour…but there may be a good chance indeed — I’ll let you all know in due course!