Write what you know

Once upon a time it was a rare treat for a Brockley thing to register in anything resembling mainstream media. Even Time Out couldn't be bothered. Now, thanks to the collapse of traditional media models and the need to churn out user-generated lists of stuff, Brockley resisdents have been able to turn the tide.

So it is that Arlo & Moe finds itself in The Guardian's best coffee shop top 10 (well spotted Monkeyboy) and the MOT garage's Maya Angelou makes it onto Buzzfeed's list of literary graffiti (thanks Roger). Keep it up people. Greater Brockley's continued success demands total sensory domination.

All these diggers and all these holes in here, somebody's got no truck!

BCer Jim is angry. He writes*:

If you have been around Hilly Fields lately, if not you better watch it. There are about 100 ankle deep holes by some 18yo metal-detecting person. I fell in two thinking they were dogs digging to China.

Someone ran into the kid and asked him what he was doing digging up the entire field. He says he has a license from the council which we all know is rubbish. I attached a picture of potential ankle breaking holes!

*Email has been edited to remove expletives.

Ladywell restaurant plan submitted

An application to redevelop the old Snack Bar at 40 Ladywell Road has been submitted. The application is for:

The construction of rear extensions at basement and ground floor levels and external staircase to first floor level at the rear of 40 Ladywell Road SE13, together with the installation of new shop front, rear extraction flue, roof light to front roofslope and alterations to the rear elevation.

The unit, squeezed between Geddes and Le Delice, has been dormant for a while, but has Tardis-like qualities which mean that it has considerable potential. Brockley architects Gruff have drawn up the plans, which is a good sign that this will be done properly. The plan is to shift the kitchen into the basement, creating a dining space on the first floor, with access to a little terrace area at the back.

With thanks to Simon.

Harmony Sinfonia Concert Tonight

Saturday 28th June 2014, 7.30pm at St Peter's Church, Wickham Road, Brockley SE4 1LT.

Mendelssohn - Symphony no. 5 (Reformation)
Sibelius - Finlandia
Beethoven - Coriolan Overture
Bizet - selections from L'Arlesienne.

Tickets £9/£6, available on the door.

Homophobic crime rises, reported rape not recorded as crime

Two troubling sets of crime figures have been released in recent weeks.

Firstly, recorded homophobic crime has risen dramatically across London, with Lewisham producing a 115% rise in the last year, from 32 cases in 2013 to 69 cases in 2014. The figures come courtesy of ITV News.

Secondly, the News Shopper reports that one-fifth of reported rapes in Lewisham borough were not recorded by the police as crimes as part of a city-wide pattern. The article says:

Figures given to The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) by the CPS have shown police categorised a significant number of rape allegations across London as ‘crime-related incidents’ or ‘no crimes’ – this means they were not investigated unless new evidence emerged. A spokesman for the Met Police said: "We voluntarily referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission who took the decision to return it to the Met to be looked at locally."

Summer Fair or Summer Fayre

Coming Soon: The Honor Oak

The team behind the reopening of The Honor Oak pub writes:

Get ready for a new British Gastro Pub designed to get The Honor Oak back to its former glory days as a popular community hub in South East London, frequented and admired by locals and people from wider afield.

After a £600,000 refurbishment we are reopening in August 2014.

Notable additions will be a Whisky Room with hundreds of different varieties; a specially commissioned and specific and labelled for The Honor Oak branded Brut Champagne at £6.95 per glass and £39.50 a bottle; over 30 fine wines and the All-Malt British Beer – The Governor, created by Marco Pierre White and JW Lees Brewery.

New owner Justin Wallace says:

“The main thrust will be on the local community and our local residents who, in the past, held The Honor Oak in great esteem as a huge focal point for their community. There will also be a big concentration on the “family’ and to that end our customers will be able to enjoy a large outdoor beer garden, a dining terrace, a soft play area for children – and mums will even be able to have breakfast or a coffee as our doors will be open from 10 a.m each morning."

There will also be an emphasis on local produce including craft ales and locally sourced ingredients for its gastro pub food, which will include homemade scotch eggs & pork scatching’s, ploughman’s lunch, a wide variety of grill steaks, homemade pies and an abundance of other traditional British dishes.

Other notable additions will be multi-purpose function rooms, which will be used for a variety of different activities including: “City Speed Dating” nights; whisky tasting evenings; cheese and wine parties; quiz nights; private functions and lots more.