The Wisdom of Brockodiles

Featuring two salt-of-the-earth characters of the sort who were driven out of Brockley years ago by pitchfork wielding hipsters, this Pension Wise advert was shot in the Hilly Fields Cafe. 

If you can overlook the sub-Keeping Up Appearances script, it's a rather beautiful depiction of our park.

Thanks to all the BCers who sent me the link.

Apply now for Brockley Open Studios

The registration for Brockley Open Studios is now open. To art weekend takes place July 1-3 and participation will be limited to 50 artists.

The event has been running every year since 1992 and is one of the best things about Brockley. To be part of it, click here.

Lewisham MPs to vote against triggering Article 50

All three of Lewisham's MPs, including Heidi Alexander, Jim Dowd and Brockley MP Vicky Foxcroft have confirmed that they will vote against triggering Article 50 when the issue reaches the House of Commons.

The borough of Lewisham voted strongly in favour of remaining in the EU, so our MPs are representing their constituents, however futile the move might be. And since Labour doesn't have a coherent approach to Brexit, it's not as if they have anything to lose by taking this stance. 

Heidi Alexander has put forward a Commons motion to throw out the government’s bill to trigger article 50. The proposal is very unlikely to pass but Alexander has written an article for the Huffington Post, explaining her move. She says:

"Along with 18 other Labour backbenchers, I have tabled an amendment which sets out the key reason as to why I believe there are fundamental problems with the Government’s approach.

"I might be accused of being a democracy denier but I can’t sign up unconditionally to the UK leaving the European Union and the Single Market. 

"Triggering Article 50 is one thing, pulling us out of the Single Market is another - but that is precisely what Theresa May wants to do."

Unfortunately, here, I think Alexander is wrong. Britain voted leave. The EU won't compromise on the terms of Single Market membership and they have made it clear that they want to turn Britain into a cautionary tale for other wantaway member states. Consequently, everything that has happened since June 23rd has been a logical inevitability. 

Britain has to be willing to walk away completely, use every source of leverage during the negotiations and explore every alternative - from becoming "Big Switzerland" to cosying up to the USA. Alexander continues:

"I can’t stand by and watch big firms, which employ many of my constituents, announce they are scaling down operations here in favour of countries such as France or Germany - HSBC, UBS, Lloyds of London."

Some banks will move some jobs. That too is inevitable. But this scenario was very well-rehearsed during the referendum and the British public decided it was a price worth paying - many even felt this was an argument in favour of Brexit. 

We will be leaving the EU and the single market. Those worried about the impact of this decision should be focused on how to develop a plan to mitigate and perhaps even capitalise on our departure. Visas, employment rights, the terms of trade, industrial strategy and the funding gaps left by the withdrawal of EU subsidies. These are the issues now. 

Lewisham's young carers

Today is Young Carers Awareness Day, which recognises the contribution and needs of young people in the UK who have responsibility for caring for a family member.

Carers Lewisham is a charity organisation based in Forest Hill that supports unpaid Carers in the London Borough of Lewisham aged 5 upwards. It works with 7,000 people and aims to improve life skills, learning, self-esteem, confidence, resilience and to help reduce inappropriate care. Carers Lewisham's Luisa Depaoli writes:

Research shows there are likely to be around 3,500 young carers in Lewisham. Carers Lewisham currently has over 700 young carers (5-17 years old) and over 300 young adult carers (18-24 years old) registered with the service. 

Being a young carer should not mean that a child’s future hopes, dreams, and ambitions are shattered. We know young carers miss or cut short on average 10 weeks of school a year as a direct result of their caring role, and those aged between 16 and 18 years are twice as likely to be not in education, employment or training (NEET)

The aim of Carers Trust’s Young Carers Awareness Day is to raise awareness of the plight of these children. Carers Trust is asking people to spot the signs of caring, such as being late or absent from school or behavioural issues. Swift identification of young carers will ensure they get vital support.

Visit www.carerslewisham.org.uk for details of local services, professional support for those working with children and young people and Carers Trust’s specialist online communities for young carers at babble.carers.org and at matter.carers.org for young adults. 

Geoffrey Road garage replacement denied

They are a capricious bunch, the Lewisham planning team. Despite being happy to let this ugly little character through, they have rejected a more handsome proposal just up the road, in-part on the basis of its looks.

A proposed replacement for the Geoffrey Road MOT garage has been rejected on two grounds. Lewisham's decision says:

"The proposed building, by reason of its siting forward of the Upper Brockley Road building line, scale, height, materials and absence of detailed design would result in an incongruous addition to the street scene whilst failing to preserve or enhance the special character and appearance of the Brockley Conservation Area."

In addition, the Council believes the subterranean office space was a nonsense and notes:

"The proposed commercial floor space, by reason of its lower ground floor location within the building, access arrangements via a light well, lack of street frontage and public visbility, restricted headroom and reliance on artificial lighting, would not ensure its attractiveness and marketability, thereby undermining the future viability of this commercial floor space and its sustainable contribution towards local employment and would not compensate for the loss of the existing commercial uses."

Lewisham scraps Millwall scheme

Lewisham Council have dropped plans to develop the land around Millwall Stadium, a scheme which the club claimed would jeopardise its future in the borough. The Guardian reports:

The plan to evict Millwall from their land around The Den by compulsory purchase order (CPO) has been abandoned after months of fierce public pressure. In a statement Lewisham council’s elected mayor, Sir Steve Bullock, said that the CPO on Millwall’s land “should not proceed”, pulling the plug on the plan that could have threatened the club’s future existence in its historical south London home.

Residents threatened with eviction by the £1bn regeneration scheme will also be celebrating as a concerted campaign to expose the plans to detailed scrutiny has finally borne fruit.

The scheme on Lewisham's north-western border was a key part of the Council's regeneration strategy.

Small and blighty

So... what do we think of this one? I have been watching this modest new two-storey house emerge slowly at Brockley Cross, assuming there had to be more to it than this. Some final flourish or new skin that would transform it. But there's no twist in the tail. That's your lot.

I always try to see the best in new buildings, but this one really tests the limits of my charity. With another eyesore on the way, Brockley Cross is mounting a strong bid for the Carbuncle Cup, just at a time when the local high street businesses have been redeeming the double roundabout.