Brockley more beautiful

The first weekend of the Brockley Street Art festival has already produced some amazing results. All pictures via the Street Art Twitter and Instagram feeds.

Avignon rd WOW end of DAY 1 start of DAY 2 @INSALAND @BrockleyMax @brockstreetart @brockleylion @brockleypub pic.twitter.com/odExJ8mJDF

— kingsley taylor (@kingsleytaylor5) May 30, 2015

And here's our shutter #streetart by @butch_attai @brockstreetart @BrockleyMax @Londonist @globalstreetart pic.twitter.com/JHO6IfviCe

— Jack Studio Theatre (@BrocJackTheatre) May 31, 2015

Known at work #Brockley #streetart http://t.co/j1wbwfqGwE pic.twitter.com/JqU1032MFT

— Ian Brimacombe (@ibrim) May 30, 2015

Mimi Soan painting in the rain #Brockley #streetart

A photo posted by @brockleystreetartfestival on May 31, 2015 at 5:19am PDT

Masai mural in #Brockley #streetart

A photo posted by @brockleystreetartfestival on May 31, 2015 at 4:09am PDT

To the guy who bought me a coffee and pastry while I was painting, Thank you. @brockstreetart @BrockleyMax pic.twitter.com/uHh91jNaxs

— Lionel Stanhope (@lionel_stanhope) May 31, 2015

Acoustic Corner at the Brockley Deli

Phoebe writes:

Acoustic Corner @ Brockley Deli Live is a new monthly music night, with original music from local artists and beyond. With coffee, beer and candle light, there is no better way to bring in the weekend. Let's fill up the deli! Starts Friday 5th June - 8pm. Thanks very much!

The Brockley Max and Street Art opening weekend

Mira Off Licence, Brockley Road. Already looking better. Pic courtesy of Lionel Stanhope.

Brockley Max and the Brockley Street Art Festival 2015 have both begun, with the traditional opnening night Max gig outside the Barge now under-way and artworks already beginning to take shape across our shop fronts.

The Max will be fun, as ever, while the Street Art will leave a glorious, technicolour legacy. It's going to be great.

For the full Max programme, click here. For the Street Art site, click here.

Prendergast withdraws Academy bid

Meredith Eddy, one of the people campaigning to prevent local schools from becoming Academies, provides an update following the protests triggered by Prendergast governors' decision to apply for Academy status. She writes:

"The Chair of Governors has withdrawn the application for Prendergast Hilly Fields because of a legal challenge to the process. The whole project has not been helped by the fact that the normal process is complicated by the different types of school involved."

Schools Week reports:

"The Government has been forced to stop the academy conversion of a school after opposition from a single staff member. It will now rewrite government regulations to close the loophole that halted the process.

"In March, The Department for Education (DfE) issued academy orders for three schools in Lewisham, following applications by the Leathersellers’ Federation which runs the schools. But Schools Week can exclusively reveal that the order for one of the schools – Prendergast School – has been rescinded after a parent challenged its legality.

"Regulations for federation schools applying to be academies state that a staff governor must vote in favour of conversion before it can go ahead."

Meredith comments:

"I think successive goverments have made things far too complicated and central government has failed to demonstrate any discernible benefits to switching - especially since Prendergast Hilly Fields has been consistently a top performing school.

"Further, while the Governors and the Executive Head have spent much time and resource on this project, they have done little to promote sharing across the Federation in other areas - that could benefit all the children - e.g. Music and Drama - where the expertise of one school (Music at Hilly Fields) could share in the facilities of another (a purpose built theatre at Ladywell)."

The Crofton Park Library Garden Party, May 31st

Design a Lewisham business hub

Lewisham Council writes:

We’ve had a really good response from local entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in our planned Enterprise hubs.

Studio Tilt are now hosting a co-design workshop on Wed 10 June 5-8pm in the Old Town Hall, Catford, to get a better insight into what space, services and facilities are needed amongst people that are interested in renting a space in one of the hubs.  Here's the link to book a free place.

Jones of Brockley - the secret history

Mystery Man: We've met before, haven't we?
- Lost Highway

What lies beneath! Just one of many former guises of the shop. How odd.

A photo posted by Jones of Brockley (@jonesofbrockley) on May 27, 2015 at 4:01am PDT

One of the many benefits of new local shops with savvy owners who don't just try to bolt a sheet of plastic over the top of old signage, is that their renovations help to uncover our high streets' pasts. This shot, from new deli Jones of Brockley (coming soon to Crofton Park) reveals the evil that lurks below the surface.