Buenos Aires Cafe, Blackheath

We've always been suspicious of the places at the top of Blackheath Village, which over the years, has attracted some pretty rubbishy restaurants. So that's why we hadn't tried Buenos Aires Cafe before, despite the fact it's been there for years, collecting decent reviews. That, and we don't get out much. And we're married to a vegetarian.

The steaks are delicious - we had a 400g rib-eye and got to try a couple of other cuts from the plates, courtesy of friends who were defeated by the meat. The wine they recommended made us immediately regret our decision to drive. Upstairs is bright and intimate and we weren't under pressure to leave, even though we stayed until the very end. And for an Argentine steak specialist, the menu made a surprising number of concessions to vegetarians.

Where is the chip, damnit!?

Alex has found a memory card in Crofton Park, that may or may not contain encrypted information that could prevent a terrorist attack and wants BC's help to find its owner:

I just found a 16GB Sandisk SDHC memory card on the pavement near the Brockley Jack on Stondon Park. It seems to contain lots of holiday photos from various places, taken with a Canon digital camera.

If that's your card, please email us and we'll put you in touch within 24 hours.

Ark in the Park, April 3rd

Ark in the Park is part of the Telegraph Hill Festival. For more about the Festival, click here.

Brockley Cross - what happens next

Cllr Vicky Foxcroft attended a meeting earlier this week with Council officers to discuss the redevelopment of Brockley Cross junction and has provided this very helpful summary.

As you can see, with initial roadworks completed, it will take considerably longer to deliver the final scheme than originally thought, with work unlikely to be completed until May 2012, but least this gives it a better chance of being done right:

Background

A survey pamphlet was sent out to 1600 people.

76 responses were received.

A copy of responses is available on the council website.

Progress to date

A topographical land survey has been conducted.

A highways design consultant engineer Clive Sawers, conducted a review of the mini roundabouts and proposed alterations, looked into options regarding the placements of mini roundabouts, they also looked at options regarding one roundabout and traffic lights.

It was decided that the safest option was to retain two roundabouts, but to ensure that they were moved a little so that cars were not able to go straight across and ignore them.

Furthermore it was concluded that traffic lights would hold up too much traffic and that transport for London would not agree to them.

Currently

David Moores, landscape architect from project centre is looking at the public realm proposals.

Funding has been secured over the next two years from Transport for London,

£244,000 has been secured over the next two years, and this has to be spent by March 2013.

The aim is that the design should be finalised by September 2011.

The desire is that works begin February 2012, with the aim to be finished by May 2012.

Areas which have been looked at following the consultation

The roundabouts will be raised.

The 20mph speed limit will be enforced.

There will be a ramp into brockley cross junction from Malpas and Geoffrey Road, to slow down the flow of traffic.

There will be a ramp into the zebra crossing on brockley road, to slow down traffic.

They will explore putting a refuge on the brockley road zebra crossing.

The refuge islands will all be enhanced.

Wider pavements are being looked at.

They are conducting a safety audit to see if it is possible to have zebra crossings on Shardeloes road, Malpas and Geoffrey road entrance to Brockley cross junction as well as the one on Brockley road. This would enable pedestrians to get around Brockley cross junction safely. We will receive the details of this within the next two weeks.

The Endwell road entrance to Brockley has previously had safety audits conducted to see if it can have a pedestrian crossing but this has been rejected because of the turns in the roads.

London & Partners

London & Partners, is the new agency to promote London to tourists, inward investors and students, which was launched today by Mayor Johnson. As part of BC's day job, we were involved with the launch, including this feature in today's Evening Standard.

The story of London and its sales message to the world is best told via its people - people who do amazing things in the capital and help make it the best major city in the world. So we helped to round up some people who are doing cool stuff here - from Chinese graphics companies to world-class chefs, researchers, directors and designers and asked them to talk about why London was special to them. And while we couldn't manage to wangle a Brockley ambassador amongst the twelve, we're happy to say that the photography (on top of One New Change) was created by BC regular Fabhat. Brockley representing.

Lazer, Blazer and Steve

White Goodman: Oh, really, you like it over there with those freaks in Losertown?
Kate Veatch: Freaks? They're not freaks, they're people just like you and me.
White Goodman: People, haha, people just like you and me! That is what I love about you Kate! You've got a *personality*!

- Dodgeball

Brockley's local Dodgeball team is back and looking for new members. Steve writes:

Our 2nd season is closing in the next couple of weeks and it looks like we've successfully avoided relegation from the Premier League.

As our squad is growing and we can't give everyone who is interested a game we've decided its time to form a B Team (or social side) if you prefer.

Brockley is currently a hot bed of Dodgeball 'talent' with around 9 of our squad livng within walking distance of Brockley station and the areas many attractions. We've even got interest from member's of the Brockley Bridge Club (plenty of transferable skills?)

All comers are welcome. Its MIXED. We play on Thursday nights (New season starts in May). Games are played in London Bridge

My housemate David Chandler (of Braxfield Road) has put this short video together for people to get a taster of what goes on.

We're not that fussed about winning. Its all about the apres-dodge which often spills over into some of Brockley's finest bars. However, the beer always tastes better after a victory.

For more information: Contact Steve: the_awful_dodgers@hotmail.co.uk

Westboro chosen for Crofton Park Library pilot

Lewisham Council has selected Crofton Park library to be the pilot project for its controversial strategy to allow private or third-sector organisations to operate four local libraries - with Westboro Baptist Church identified as the preferred partner, according to this report in The Times.

In March, the Council invited interested parties to submit their tenders and while the formal deadline is not until April 4th, the Council is understood to want a "quick win" in response to the anti-cuts demonstrations that have taken place across the borough in recent weeks.

The Church reportedly plans to use the derelict upper floor for "multi-faith initiatives", while the ground floor would offer "a new, more luxurious reading environment and a range of workshop activities, such as sign-making."

On their blog, they say:

We want this to be a free space for the community to use and we invite everyone inside with their ideas for the building and the wider world, or even just to chat over a cuppa. We plan cafés, film nights, workshops, and a million other things on which we’d love to hear your ideas!

The US-based church has earned a degree of notoriety in its home country, for its hard-line views on a range of social issues and its intolerance of other religions, while in 2009, two of its members were banned from entering the UK by the Home Office. However, the Church stresses that its UK chapter is committed to "inclusivity, cultural cohesion and education."

While Brockley Central has to admit to feeling somewhat uncomfortable about an organisation best-known for threatening to burn books taking over a library, we are excited about the plans "to introduce sofas, a gaggia coffee machine and a fresh fruit and vegetable collection point", all of which are badly needed in the area. Parking issues will be the number one concern, obviously.

We'll update the story later today, once we've been able to speak to Lewisham Council press office.