Comments on Brockley Central: The Crofton Park Local Assembly

Patrick -Only just read your question, as I was on...

2008-07-26T20:31:00.000+01:00

Patrick -

Only just read your question, as I was on holiday.

I was on a table at the far end about one row away from the stage in the centre.

Like the idea of putting Crofton Park on the map with an association for residents.

Patrick, you should have mail. The kids are far fr...

2008-07-14T21:20:00.000+01:00

Patrick, you should have mail. The kids are far from dangerous gangsters, just an ever-present menace. Saying that the past month they've been a little less active, I think somebody new is running the second hand appliance shop and is less keen to buy their stolen goods.

In the past they have robbed one of my delivery guys of his mobile, threatened me for asking them to not sit on our tables, etc. No big problem, just the sorts you'd like to discourage.

Marnock Road is where some of them live/hang out, with a few of them on Merrit Road.

Richard, brabuhr (who was the earlier anonymous) a...

2008-07-14T09:03:00.000+01:00

Richard, brabuhr (who was the earlier anonymous) and I have been emailing about a Crofton Park RA. Drop me a line at the address above, would be good to get your input.

Who are the group of lads causing trouble? Where do they hang out? I have to admit, I thought Crofton Park was pretty free of that sort of thing (although after living in Deptford I may be slightly battle-scarred!). The only area of Crofton Park I feel a little wary in is in Marnock Road, opposite the railway - there always seem to be a few people just hanging around there, which is never good news.

Anon, a Crofton Park association would be a great ...

2008-07-14T02:49:00.000+01:00

Anon, a Crofton Park association would be a great idea and I'd be happy to chip in whenever time allows.

I actually think Crofton Park is in a better state than the main Brockley Road stretch, but there is still plenty that could be done.

In recent months Co-Op has had it's refit, Jay's has become Budgens, the hairdresser & dry cleaners have had a lick of paint, etc. On the other hand there are several empty shops near Jam Circus, the dodgy appliance shop persists and an infamous group of trouble-making lads have not been discouraged.

We're surely lucky to have the library still open, but I hear so little of it, I'm sure more could be done to ensure it is fully utilised. Since I used Crofton Park for getting to school it has been gradually staffed less and less and yet the main departure screen is in the (usually locked) main lobby, turned towards the window for those who know to look for it!

Let me know how any association plans go.

Have you got an email address, brabhur? Couldn't ...

2008-07-11T09:26:00.000+01:00

Have you got an email address, brabhur? Couldn't see one on your profile. Mine is patrick1971 at gmail dot com.

Patrick1971, I was anon earlier (couldn't remember...

2008-07-10T21:27:00.000+01:00

Patrick1971, I was anon earlier (couldn't remember my password!). I'm interested in your comment on Crofton Park. Let me know about your ideas.

I'd be interested in the Crofton Park Residents' A...

2008-07-10T09:57:00.000+01:00

I'd be interested in the Crofton Park Residents' Association idea.

Anon - if you want to drop me an email, perhaps we...

2008-07-10T09:45:00.000+01:00

Anon - if you want to drop me an email, perhaps we could start a dedicated thread on this topic, as it sounds like a good idea.

Would there be any interest in forming a Crofton P...

2008-07-10T09:43:00.000+01:00

Would there be any interest in forming a Crofton Park Residents' Association or a Crofton Park Station Users' Group to campaign for better local facilities?

Could we have a Crofton Park and/or Crofton Park Station label in the label cloud please?

There are two cultures: families with kids and the...

2008-07-08T16:43:00.000+01:00

There are two cultures: families with kids and the rest of society.

To be single and have no relatives in the area and with few friends with children. The only kids I see are teenagers cavorting around looking as if they are up to no good. Most have rude manners and are barely articulate.

These days it is wise to keep a discrete distance from youth and their parents unless you have family of your own.

I would have thought that it would only be readers...

2008-07-07T09:15:00.000+01:00

I would have thought that it would only be readers at Crofton Park; the station layout would make a gateline pretty difficult. The only place you could have a gateline would be at the door between the ticket hall and the platforms, which is locked when the station is unstaffed (most of the time!). So readers would be more appropriate, and there's no reason they couldn't be sited at the disabled entrances. I wouldn't have thought that it would be allowed to actually remove disabled access in this day and age. But I could be wrong!

Liz, which table were you on? I was on the one right at the back. Our chair was the chap who'd been on the Blythe Hill Fields User Group.

Great news about the disabled access.But what will...

2008-07-04T22:34:00.000+01:00

Great news about the disabled access.

But what will happen to it in January next year when South Eastern Trains puts Oyster Card readers at the station (at long last). Will there be a barrier as well, or just readers like the ones at Elephant and Castle railway station?

It was a great evening. I took my neighbour with m...

2008-07-04T20:29:00.000+01:00

It was a great evening. I took my neighbour with me and we sat with people who also lived at the north end of the ward. We had very lively discussions on our table.

A lot of issues were raised, and I am sure the volunteer co-ordinators will be discussing these over the next few weeks and bringing some of them back to the next meeting.

I get the impression from some of these comments t...

2008-07-04T12:15:00.000+01:00

I get the impression from some of these comments that people just don't really like kids that much and regard them as nuisance and are a burden to cater for.

I suppose it's a relic from the Victorian times...

The disabled exit on the southbound platform is gr...

2008-07-04T12:06:00.000+01:00

The disabled exit on the southbound platform is great for me, as I live on Manwood Road so it saves a walk. But yes, if you lived on the western side of Brockely Road it would mean a longer walk.

I should add that the disabled entrance on the southbound platform had fencing in front of it which looked like it had been moved enough to allow people to go through...may be difficult with a wheelchair until they remove this fencing fully.

Thanks Tressilliana/Patrick/Spincat for the info. ...

2008-07-04T11:59:00.000+01:00

Thanks Tressilliana/Patrick/Spincat for the info. I think the extra distance might cancel out the benefits of no stairs (I fairly regularly have to bring heavy/bulky stuff back from town) but it's good to know.

The disabled access has only opened on Crofton Par...

2008-07-04T11:53:00.000+01:00

The disabled access has only opened on Crofton Park station in the last month (ish) - think the southbound platform entrance/exit opened even more recently, so not everyone would know about it.

I've been on holiday so missed the assembly but will definitely go to the October one.

mg, as tresilliana says, the disabled access is by...

2008-07-04T11:42:00.000+01:00

mg, as tresilliana says, the disabled access is by a gate on Marnock Road for London bound trains.

BUT there is also an extremely hidden disabled entrance for the southbound platform. It's at the extreme eastern end (i.e. right at the other end of the platform from the steps), and comes out on Lindal Road. I had never noticed it and then one day last week I was walking home along Marnock Road and saw a guy on the southbound platform walking towards the eastern end. I wondered where he was going and then saw him go through this entrance. Tried it myself the other day - all ramps.

So there is disabled access, but it's totally unsigned.

MG, there is now a gate in the fence giving access...

2008-07-04T10:43:00.000+01:00

MG, there is now a gate in the fence giving access to the London-bound platform. I suppose the idea is that you go into the ticket hall which is all level to get your ticket and then go round by the road to get to the gate - if you want to go to London. I don't know what you do if you want to go to Bromley or other southerly points, or if you've been to London and then you come back.

There is a football pitch on Ladywell Fields. Ther...

2008-07-04T10:37:00.000+01:00

There is a football pitch on Ladywell Fields. There is a large area on Hilly Fields on which you can play football. Neither of them are occupied 100% of the time.

@Patrick1971Thanks for the report, I'm in Crofton ...

2008-07-04T10:04:00.000+01:00

@Patrick1971
Thanks for the report, I'm in Crofton Park but wasn't able to go to this. Could you let me know where the disabled access is to the station - would be really useful info. Thanks!

Re the documentary series you may recall it was th...

2008-07-04T09:05:00.000+01:00

Re the documentary series you may recall it was the son of the well off family who had dealings with the police.

Re the local assemblies one thing I suggested was having a meeting were the children talk and the adults listen.

A survey in Ladywell a survey of youngesters showed they wanted football, football, football so adults landscaped Ladywell Fields so it looks nice but where it is now impossible to play football.

The meeting was a useful exercise, although a few ...

2008-07-03T18:22:00.000+01:00

The meeting was a useful exercise,
although a few more young people at the next one would be good.

The rather rotund woman on our table from Lewisham council just sat there sighing, and staring into space when I tried to chat to her - just like Little Britain's 'Computer says no' woman.

Yea - I always felt sorry for those kids - no life...

2008-07-03T17:19:00.000+01:00

Yea - I always felt sorry for those kids - no life but endless study. And if it wasn't juku then it was compulsory school clubs on Saturdays.

Thank goodness UK kids aren't subjected to that kind of mass brainwashing of study, study, study at least they are allowed to express their own individuality away from school and have some private R&R time outside an academic environment.

But then again – there’s virtually no crime in Japan. Actually, maybe that’s what the UK should do – lock all kids in schools for 12 hours a day and then give them enough homework to stay up half the night. They’ll be so sleep deprived they’ll have no energy left to become a public nuisance.

It's about time kids in the UK were forced to go t...

2008-07-03T16:53:00.000+01:00

It's about time kids in the UK were forced to go to juku/cram schools after normal school like in Japan, eh TJ? That'd keep 'em off the streets!

I remember in Osaka going home at 10/11pm after work and a night drinking and seeing teens/kids still wearing their school uniforms only just heading home.