Jonathan Coe in Sydenham

Jonathan Jo Has a mouth like an "O,"
But this is what makes him so funny:
If you give him a smile, Only once in a while,
Then he never expects any money!
- AA Milne

The author of The Rotters Club and What a Carve Up is coming to Sydenham. The Kirkdale Bookshop team write:

On Friday 30th June, to celebrate Independent Bookshop Week, Spontaneous Productions in association with Kirkdale Bookshop is hosting Jonathan Coe in conversation with Matthew Sweet at 8pm, upstairs at Sydenham Centre, 44a Sydenham Rd SE26 5QX.
Tickets: £8 full price, £6 concessions.

Book online at spontaneousproductions.co.uk/jonathan-coe/
Box office at Kirkdale Bookshop, 272, Kirkdale SE26 4RS.

Gibbons investigation confined to one school

Following the news that Grinling Gibbons' recent exam results have been stricken from their permanent record by the DfE as a result of "maladministration" at the school, a number of parents at Sydenham's Adamsrill primary school, with which Gringling Gibbons is paired, expressed fears that their school might be affected too.

Lewisham Council, which must remain tight-lipped until its own investigations have concluded, have confirmed that Adamsrill is not part of the investigation. If you are a parent with a child at Adamsrill, you may or may not find that reassuring.

Free parking this Christmas for Small Business Saturday

Lewisham Council writes:

Lewisham Council is to offer free car parking on three Saturdays in the run up to Christmas.

Shoppers will be able to park for free all day in all council-run car parks in Blackheath, Catford, Deptford, Forest Hill, Lewisham and Sydenham on Saturday 7, 14 and 21 December.

The start of the free parking offer falls on 7 December – the traditional start of the Christmas shopping rush – and also the UK’s first ‘Small Business Saturday’ which is a national campaign to encourage shoppers to ‘shop local’ and use local, independent shops.

Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, said: “Town centres are at the heart of our local communities and independent businesses play a huge role in making our town centres the vibrant and prosperous areas they are to work in and to shop.

“We are pleased to take part in Small Business Saturday by waiving parking charges in Council car parks during this period and I hope everyone will take this opportunity to do their Christmas shopping locally and help support local businesses.”

The free car parking offer only applies to car parks that are managed by Lewisham Council and does not include on-street parking, Lewisham Shopping Centre (which is privately owned) or Blackheath Station car park which is now owned by Network Rail.

For a list of all participating car parks visit www.lewisham.gov.uk/freeparking.

Panther on the loose in New Cross

The Sun reports that a wild panther has been spotted in New Cross, adding that the sighting comes "eight years after a man was mauled by a 6ft-long panther-like cat in nearby Sydenham."

A source told The Sun: “She was terrified. She described it as a huge, black wild cat with large fangs and a long tail. “The woman was very respectable, not drunk or imagining things, so the call was taken seriously.” 

The panther, recognisable by its formidable scent, will represent a threat to any London Gentlemen who cross its path - 60% of the time, it will attack you every time.

If you see the panther, you are advised not to try to have sex with it.

Via Transpontine on the New Cross forum.

Two new Lewisham pocket parks created

A press release from the Mayor of London's office says:

From fruit and veg patches to water features, work is beginning on the first of the Mayor’s 100 ‘pocket parks’ – transforming underused urban spaces into mini oases across the capital in a £2m scheme.

‘Pocket Parks’, which are around the size of a tennis court, are set to reinvent some of London’s forgotten nooks and crannies and make the capital an even better place to live and work.

In Lewisham, thanks to £67,000 from the Mayor, new planting, trails, seating and lighting, will create two ‘pocket parks’. Blackheath Elliot Pits will feature sensory equipment, a Trim Trail adventure, and a play space to educate children about the pits’ ecological importance. Sydenham Literary Piazza will be a space to sit, read and reflect and link Sydenham road with Home Park, encouraging cycling and improving safety.

All 100 ‘pocket parks’ are due to be delivered by March 2015. A further funding round for community based projects will open in May.

This is also part of the Mayor’s Team London programme which is seeking to build a volunteering legacy following the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by encouraging Londoners to do something great for their city.

Forest Hill and Sydenham win Portas Pilot bid

Sydenham and Forest Hill have succeeded in their bid to win "Portas Pilot" funding to rejuvenate their high streets. They will be given £100,000 to deliver three projects designed to increase high street occupancy and footfall.

The Forest Hill Society describes the three schemes:

Jack & Jill
Two high street shops will be renovated for creative community engagement, exhibitions, showcasing local products, business workshops, ‘pop-up’ events and as a Town Team base

Shop Revolution
A high impact project with lasting sustainable benefits will renovate up to 12 vacant units, letting them to an eclectic mix of businesses and organisations, including successful Market Makers traders on a Pop Up or trial basis.

Market Makers
More than a market, this will build on the success of the Forest Hill Food Fair, to pilot markets on a rotational basis across the area, with the aim of finding long term tenants for our vacant units.

Congratulations to the team behind the slickly-produced bid. It will be fascinating to watch the projects develop - hopefully there will be many lessons to be learned from their experience.

The BBC reports that the full list of pilot areas includes:

Ashford; Berwick; Braintree; London Road in Brighton; Hatfield; Royal Leamington Spa; Lodge Lane in Liverpool; the Cut in the Waterloo area of central London; Forest Hill in south London; Chrisp Street, Watney Market, Roman Road in Tower Hamlets, east London; Loughborough; Lowestoft; Morecambe; Rotherham, and Tiverton. 

The funding for the three London areas is to be provided by the Greater London Authority, while the government will put up the remaining £1.2m.

Sydenham, Kirkdale and Forest Hill bid for Portas Pilot status

Lewisham Council is supporting a bid by community groups in Sydenham, Kirkdale and Forest Hill to secure funding from the Portas Pilot pot, intended to regenerate local high streets across the country. Following the review by Mary Portas, which explored how local high streets might be regenerated, £1.5m has been made available for 15 projects across the country and a further £300,000 has been committed by the Mayor of London to support three London projects.

Here's the bid video:

This bid includes plans to create two community hubs in high street shops renovated for exhibitions, business workshops and creative community engagement; the letting of 12 vacant units to a mix of businesses and organisations as part of a large scale ‘pop-up’ project; and the initiation of a series of subsidised pilot markets with incentives for local traders across Sydenham, Kirkdale and Forest Hill.

The successful bids will be selected at the end of this month.

The Sydenham Arts Festival 2012

Clive writes:

The Sydenham Arts Festival starts this Sunday, 1st July, with a fabulous Arts in the Park event at Home Park, Sydenham and runs for two weeks.

There are some great things happening as part of the festival, many of them free, and lots of great events for families including the Jungle Book performed in the open air (weather permitting) at Albion Millennium Green near Forest Hill station and a fairy tales concert from Brockley’s own Harmony Sinfonia.

We are fortunate to welcome Roger McGough on Saturday 14th July who will be reading from his latest work at Forest Hill School and there are several comedy nights at the Hob.

All the information about the festival is available at www.sydenhamartsfestival.co.uk where you can also book tickets.

Greenspaces: Mayow Park, Sydenham

If you're looking for an alternative to Hilly Fields, Telegraph Hill and Blythe Hill for an autumn walk, then Mayow Park in Sydenham is worth a visit.

Lewisham's oldest municipal park is a broad, shallow grassy bowl - a little featureless but handsome and well looked after. It's also great for sport, with plenty of open space, a cricket square, tennis, a bowling green and a great junior zip slide.

Visit http://friendsofmayowpark.blogspot.com/ for more news and information about the park.

Fate of Lewisham's libraries decided

In a report to the Mayor and Cabinet of Lewisham, Eco Computer Systems has been recommended as Lewisham Council's preferred partner to take over the running of three of its libraries: Grove Park, Sydenham and Crofton Park.

It's likely that ownership will be transferred to the social enterprise on a 25 year lease, enabling it to continue to offer library services while expanding the buildings' remit to include IT recycling and training for local people.

During the tender and consultation process, Eco Computer Systems emerged as by far the most credible candidate, with a strong business plan and a positive track record in Lewisham. The fate of New Cross Library still hangs in the balance, as a suitable partner has not yet been identified.

The report says:

Subject to agreement of the Mayor, officers will now work with Eco Computer Systems to agree final lease terms with them for Grove Park, Sydenham and Crofton Park libraries. Officers will also negotiate interim arrangements with Eco Computer Systems to allow them to begin to implement their plans for community library facilities at the three buildings from 29 May 2011 pending the leases being entered into. Work will also continue to secure a suitable long-term sustainable use for New Cross library working with local organisations.

This bid expressed an interest in all four libraries and sought to combine a community library service with IT recycling and training. The bid proposed using the four library buildings as mixed-use community hubs each including a professionally managed library service fully integrated with the borough’s library service. This activity would be supported through income generated by sales of recycled IT equipment as well as income generated from training, a community café and other activities. Each library would be staffed by a mixture of paid staff and volunteers. Library opening hours would be increased under the proposal to 52 hours a week. The one-off transitional funding would be invested in self-issue technology as proposed in the application guidance. Each library would have its own steering committee comprised of local organisations and other active citizens on a voluntary basis.

Eco Computer Systems is a social enterprise that aims to use business solutions to achieve public good. It specialises in rebuilding, repairing and recycling computers and other IT equipment some of which is then sold commercially to support the donation of the remainder to community and charity projects. Eco Computer Systems propose work with a number of partners, including UK Online, Open Doors, Rushey Green Time Bank, EAGA, Volunteer Centre Lewisham, Voluntary Action Lewisham and local schools. The bid proposed establishing a new charity: Eco Libraries to deliver the concept.

For the reasons set out, it is recommended that Eco Computer Systems should be granted a maximum 25 year lease for Grove Park, Crofton Park and Sydenham libraries. There remain concerns about the significant growth that this implies for the company and the resultant danger to their business. Officers will therefore work closely with the company as they take responsibility for these buildings and develop the new community library facilities.

The proposals in this report will deliver the council’s planned savings of £755k in respect of the core libraries service, in line with the profile agreed in the council’s annual budget.

The report recommends that officers should continue to seek alternative users for New Cross library.

This is a good outcome for Lewisham. The Council are not the philistines they have sometimes been presented as during this process and they have succeeded in finding a partner that shares their vision for libraries run by the private sector in the public interest, maximising the community value of their buildings.

The three libraries being transferred should continue to serve the needs of their loyal users, while making much more efficient use of scarce community space. This is not simply a cost-saving exercise, it should also deliver better local libraries.

Meanwhile, Lewisham is building an outstanding library in Deptford - one with the scale and quality of facilities that should help attract new readers and serve a range of needs - creating a new community hub and a new generation of library users.

We've created a poll on the South East London forum, to see whether you agree with our rosy assessment.

That's Amore Italian Restaurant, Sydenham

For a local Valentine's meal with a difference, what could be better than a restaurant called That's Amore? Brockley Central ventured south to spend Friday evening there, and we couldn't stop smiling. The place is tastefully done, the food clearly made with love and the staff friendly and attentive. But what really sealed the deal was co-owner Gianni's warm hospitality.

To top it off, every Friday & Saturday, Gianni takes to the keyboard to perform his own selection of crooner classics, naturally including 'That's Amore', but also in our case a guilty pleasure double-bill of Barry White. Snap out of work mode, go with an open mind, and you'll feel like you're in Sicily not Sydenham.

If you end up there for Valentine's, let us know how it goes.

East London Line Brings Tha Noize

Listen for lessons I’m saying inside music that the critics are blasting me for

They’ll never care for the brothers and sisters now across the country has us up for the war

We got to demonstrate, come on now, they’re gonna have to wait

Till we get it right

- Public Enemy, Bring tha Noize

In Sydenham, the brothers are madder than mad cause the beats on the East London Line are so dope. The ride, the glide is driving them to suicide.

ThisisLondon reports that residents nearby Sydenham Station are being driven to distraction by the frequency of train announcements since the introduction of the East London Line. The tannoy has been replaced by a man with a loud hailer, who has become D. Public Enemy number one.

In Brockley, we've kept our tannoy but we have thought for a while that the frequency of the trains now makes the announcements redundant. Anyone who spends a few minutes near the station is subjected to a running commentary about life on platforms one and two.

Are any residents in Brockley bothered?

School listing could derail another Lewisham school plan

The South London Press reports that plans to demolish and rebuild Sydenham School could be scuppered by English Heritage, which is considering giving the 1950s building Grade-II listed status.

Heritage concerns have already prevented the rebuilding of Lewisham Bridge school and delayed the planned development of Gordonbrock and the shortage of local school places is threatening to become an acute problem.

With thanks to Patrick for the story.

Revitalising civic societies

Doing Civics in the 21st Century
February 18th, 8pm
Golden Lion Pub, 116 Sydenham Road, London SE26 5JX

We recently met with Tim Lund, the Chair of the Sydenham Society, who has just announced that he is stepping down after two years in the role. Listening to him talk about his experiences in the organisation, there were clear parallels with Brockley’s various civic societies.

Members are too few, the demand on time is high and the Society doesn’t always have access to the skill sets and experience that it needs to properly campaign on what can often be complex issues of planning and transport. Engagement with the wider public and local authorities is not all that it could be.

At least part of the solution has to be better and closer co-operation between different civic societies, who can share knowledge, skills and best-practice on issues that they often have in common.

In Lewisham, a perfect example is the Council’s Local Development Framework consultation. The LDF plays a major role in shaping the Borough’s future. It’s an area in which many local civic societies would find common ground and by providing a high-quality collective response they could expect their views to carry greater weight.

Tim is helping to organise a meeting designed to encourage closer co-operation between civic societies, not only in Lewisham but across the country. He writes:

A revitalised civic society movement can champion the millions of local people who care about where they live and want to make a difference.

Just over 50 years ago a grass roots movement was born, and hundreds of local groups across the country sprang up to help improve the general quality of urban life. Today, many Civic Societies have ageing and declining memberships, and their former umbrella body has been wound up.

Now established organisations such as the National Trust, Royal Institute of British Architects and CPRE want to help redevelop a national voice for such community activists, and Tony Burton, former Director of Strategy and External Affairs at the National Trust is leading this initiative. Will his ideas work? What do you think should be done?

Tony will be presenting his case at the Golden Lion pub, Sydenham High Street. All are welcome, admission is free.

El Syd

Ex-Brockite Lee has alerted Brockley Central to a feverish discussion on the Sydenham Town Forum, about whether Sydenham needs to strike out on its own, breaking away from the tyranny of Lewisham. While El Cid conquered Valencia with an army of Moors and Christians, Lee plans to use a new logo.

Apparently, they covet the Catford Cat and want a symbol which represents all that is good and pure about SE26.

Lee kicked off the debate, explaining:

"I get fed up of seeing the same Lewisham signage, horrible generic plastic Lewisham bins with Borough of Lewisham plastered all over them.

"I live in Sydenham. I want to be reminded of where I live when I walk down the street, I don't want to keep being reminded of 'brand Lewisham', the local authority who take away our rubbish and 'ahem' clean our streets.

"With all this talk about regeneration and roundabouts I think it's high time we got our own identity."

The current front runner is a Green Dragon, way ahead of the alternative "Grey Hound".

This begs two obvious questions:

1. What do outsiders like us think the symbol for Sydenham should be?
2. What would Brockley's symbol be?