@littlejungleman has done a very good thing and mapped all the Brockley Street Art Festival works, so that you can do the street art tour. The event produced so much good work and created a new artistic spine for the area.
The Brockley Mess, which used to get twitchy if a baby buggy wheel rolled over an imaginary line from the cafe area to the gallery area, has decided to let it all hang out, by hosting bellydancing nights, in partnership with local pop-up Turkish restaurateur Olly. They say:
An exciting collaboration with Olly’s Turkish and Ninoushka Bellydance promising to be a great evening that brings together dancing, music and food! So work up an appetite by wiggling and shimmying with Nina before sitting down to a Turkish meal!
The evening will consist of an introductory bellydance session, where you will learn a fun and easy dance to an upbeat piece of music which we will all dance together. No restrictions for age, gender or fitness level, we want you to all come and enjoy yourselves. The gents are more than welcome to join too.
The event is on August 1st. Tickets here.
Zoopla presents this studio flat on Brockley Road (the Brockley Barge, by the looks of things). £800 pcm. Toilets within easy reach. With thanks to Monkeyboy.
Another massive run from @Lixsanyee at Watford @BritishMilers 5000m 14.09!!! A european junior qualifying time #inspirational
— Kent Athletic Club (@Kent__AC) June 27, 2015
Richard writes:The ONS has just released its analysis of house price changes across the country during 2014. Prices across borough of Lewisham have risen 21%, one of the highest rates of increase in London and only two points off the highest rate of growth in the country (South Bucks, 23%).
ITV.com reports:
A 14-year-old boy has been stabbed in the back in a street in south east London - the third knife attack on a child in the capital this week.
The boy is in hospital with non life-threatening injuries after the incident near the Royal British Legion club on Eddystone Road [Crofton Park], Brockley, at around 8pm.
The Mad Hatter: Would you like some wine?
Alice: Yes.
The Mad Hatter: We haven't any and you're too young.
- Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Alex writes:
I've started a new free event called Music Geek Monthly. It's like a book group - but for music. It's a completely free event at the Ladywell Gallery (part of the Ladywell Tavern) on the third Tuesday of every month.
Visit the Ladywell forum for more details.
The shortage of local primary school places has been thrown in to sharp relief again. The FT has published a DfE league table of London boroughs where pupils do not get their first choice of primary schools. Lewisham is ranked third-worst on this metric and fourth-worst for pupils who don't get any preferred primary school place.
Tim from BrocSoc writes:
Brockley Voices is a new oral history project by the Brockley Society, which seeks to capture and share the stories and reminiscences of people living in or connected to Brockley. Several volunteers came forward following a piece in the November 2014 Newsletter which expressed a desire to preserve the memories of older Brockley residents before they are lost forever. Following several meetings, a core group of volunteers with a range of recording, interviewing and archiving skills has distilled a number of potential options into a coherent idea.
Our aim is to record the thoughts, feelings and memories of anyone who lives in or is connected to SE4, capturing for posterity a snapshot of Brockley in the early 21st Century. By broadening out from the initial idea of ‘reminiscence’, we hope to make the project accessible and relevant to anyone who feels they have something to say about Brockley.
We are currently looking at how to structure and conduct the interviews, and thinking about subjects or topics we most want to find out about. Some conversations will be long, in-depth, and subject-specific; others may be shorter and more random: ‘vox-pops’ captured at public events, for example.
We have a short list of people who we hope to speak to initially, but are looking for suggestions and volunteers. If you would like to participate, or know of someone who might, please get in touch. We would also like to hear from anyone who is either proficient at recording archival quality audio or is interested in being trained. Providing training and support to ensure the project can continue indefinitely is integral to the project.
We will formally launch the project at the Mass Photo at Hilly Fields on Sunday 19 July 2015. More information will be available from the Broc Soc stall at the Midsummer Fayre on Saturday 20 June 2015.
To contact us, email brockleyvoices@gmail.com
More promising noises emanating from Crofton Park, which is already anticipating the arrival of a new deli shortly. Maria-Rosa writes:
"There is a new American-Italian Diner in Crofton park coming your way soon. It will be opening where Jerk Works used to be, opposite Crofton park station."
More details soon. Thanks to Molewife for the tip-off.
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| London's green and open spaces mapped - 48% of the capital overall |
Officer Michaels: How old are you McLovin?
McLovin: Old enough.
Officer Slater: Old enough for what?
McLovin: To party.
- Superbad
Vicky Foxcroft, the new MP for Lewisham Deptford (AKA much of Brockley) has addressed the House of Commons for the first time and used the opportunity to give big love to the community spirit and artistic flair of the area. Nice to see the Brockley Jack, Brockley Max and the Crofton Park Library get a mention in the mother of Parliaments.
What she actually used her private members bill session for was to make the case for the voting age to be lowered to 16.
Not for Foxcroft a return to the centre ground of British politics - as well as crowbarring the Red Flag in to her seven minutes, she also promised to use words that the people of Lewisham Deptford can relate to and yet avoided both 'artisan' and 'hipster'. Here it is:
BCer Joe writes:
A notice about the partial demolition of Lewisham Station has been put up. They are planning to open up space between platforms by demolishing existing walls to make way for a new seating area, expanding the old ticket hall between platforms 2 and 3. Worryingly, no-one at customer services could tell me any more about it.
There are not any historic buildings left nearby. South Eastern should consult with passengers about its plans before spending money. The damage to the historic fabric of the 1859 building should be offset by moves such as removing the 60s false ceiling in the main hall to expose the original cornicing underneath and removing the television screens which disfigure the symmetry of the façade. The station has the potential to be a real gem if properly looked after.
It would be good if other locals got in contact with South Eastern asking for more information and registering their concern [BC will ask them for a statement].
The Ladywell Fields Users Group is a highly-effective group that has helped make all sorts of little improvements to the park in recent years. If you want to get involved, there is a great opportunity on Sunday 28 June 11.00am-2.00pm, when they will be holding a volunteer workday and open day at their orchards. Robert explains:
At the weekend our orchard leader had a good look at both these orchards. Although both are coming on well, a lot of weeds have established around the trees.
So we’re organising a workday for 11.00am-2.00pm on Sunday 28 June. We can do some pruning of plums and cherries, plus some weeding, watering and inspection for pests/disease.
If you are going to come along, please dress appropriately. We have a limited supply of gloves so please bring your own and come wearing sturdy footwear and with your legs covered against the nettles, thistles and brambles that we’ll be tackling. Please also bring your own refreshments, especially if it’s a hot day.
Please assemble 10.45-11.00am in the community orchard, close to the children’s play equipment in the south part (Bournville Road, Catford) end of Ladywell Fields.
Please come along - and if you intend to do so I'd be grateful if at all possible if you'd let me know so that I can guage numbers.
To find out more about their work, click here.
The Sunday Times has declared Brockley (SE4) the fourth-fastest-rising property hotspot, after Chelsea (SW3), Manchester (M22) and, um, Burnley (BB10).
In a league table published yesterday, based on data from Rightmove, asking prices for properties in Brockley rose an eye-watering 53.9% between January and May 2015, compared with a national average of 4.6%.
Asking prices are not the same thing as selling prices and Brockley is a small enough area that a small number of houses coming on to the market at one time will be enough to skew the results, but nonetheless, this provides more evidence that Brockley is playing catch-up with other parts of Zone 2.
The Sunday Times proves an unreliable narrator, explaining that Brockley is "between Peckham and New Cross" and that its arty character is because it is home to the alumni of "nearby Camberwell College of Arts". It also claims that: "Period houses once split into flats are now being turned into family homes - a sure sign of better things to come."
Lester: It's hard to stay mad when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst.
- American Beauty
The Brockley Street Art Festival, which finished today, has produced so much amazing work, it needs another round-up. These artists have not only changed isolated, underloved spots, they have changed Brockley for generations, enhancing its sense of place and creating a new art trail that wends through Greater Brockley.
Please tell us which works are your favourites.
Mischievous handmade badgers are misbehaving in Brockley. #streetart @brockstreetart pic.twitter.com/DsJlcH6w7C
— Deadly Knitshade (@deadlyknitshade) June 2, 2015
Our very own luxecycled wall right opposite the shop. LOVE 😍 @BrockleyCentral @BrockleyMax pic.twitter.com/0VNqMxgL9v
— MuckNBrass (@mucknbrass) June 6, 2015
— Lionel Stanhope (@lionel_stanhope) June 6, 2015
Kids marvelling at this larger than life piece in Arica Road pic.twitter.com/MtMm5FB7yg
— Brockley Street Art (@brockstreetart) June 5, 2015
Before hitting the @brockstreetart walls on Monday, @itsartista took on this 17' long wall and done wonders to it. pic.twitter.com/t1cVSzIqJO
— Bablu Miah (@bablu121) June 3, 2015
Phew! My wall for @brockstreetart festival is complete despite the wind and rain! pic.twitter.com/xSjWiWcGpu
— Mr Cenz (@mrcenzgraffiti) June 3, 2015
Finishing touches by Rhiannon Hunter. No offence taken from placement of a poster by @skyarts pic.twitter.com/9Cnfn2i9UE
— Brockley Street Art (@brockstreetart) June 6, 2015
In London you really feel that the world is someone else’s oyster. Whether it’s an A-list star on stage in the West End I can’t get tickets for, a Michelin-starred restaurant laughing contemptuously at my attempt to make a reservation or a nightclub with guest list admittance only, London has it all.
- The Daily Mash
The Time Out guide to Brockley, curated with contributions from BC readers and printed earlier this week, is now online, the publisher having bravely eschewed the "digital first" mantra.
The guide itself is fine - flattering, but a little 2012, with the Brockley Brewery the only recent arrival to get a name-check. The Rivoli gets its obligatory 'you'll never guess what' mention.
Here you go.
Hans: Right who's got my rental snake? I'm gonna lose me deposit.
Jez: Wasn't it in the salad spinner?
Hans: Empty.
We need to find him while he's still dizzy, cos if he gets his shit together, he is gonna be pissed off.
- Peep Show
"@RZKellehar: Have you lost this snake in re Brockley area? Just found in my garden! @BrockleyCentral @brownsofse4 pic.twitter.com/JKaUYCyZ66"
— tedted (@tedtedtalks) June 2, 2015
We've had BC snake alerts before, that turned out to be slow-worms. But this snake is the real deal. It is apparently safely stowed in a bucket. Its discoverer, Rachel, reckons it might be a California King.With the Jubilee Line becoming an all-night service from September, TfL is proposing to extend the operating hours of two local bus routes, to link up with Canada Water.
This consultation document shows that the 47 and the N199 will offer extended services, with the former running every 30 minutes all night to Bellingham and the latter running every 30 minutes towards Bellingham, except on Fridays and Saturdays, when they will be running every 20 minutes.
The East London Line will start running all night to New Cross from 2017.
The Land Registry's latest London data is out and reveals that the borough of Lewisham has the second-fastest rate of house price rises in the capital in the year to April, with an annual growth rate of 16.4%.
Newham was the fastest-riser, with the cheaper boroughs dominating the top 10.
Back in May, when an 11-feet wide Brockley house sold for half a million pounds, we declared that the area's status as "relatively affordable" was officially over - that the borough had moved in to the middle of the pack. With the average price of a Lewiaham home now at £391,000 - the second highest figure in this top 10 - the numbers back our assertion up.
