S S EE nine

Totally independent, serving the community for over 6 years

Eltham SE9

www.senine.co.uk

JUNE 2013 Time to get fi t

Suspended until further notice due to renovations

Full range of beauty treatments.

Dermalogica® stockists.

Gift vouchers. Graham Webb salon

202-204 Eltham High StreetEltham SE9 1BH

Telephone 020 8850 6311www.beautywithineltham.co.uk

New Eltham Joggers with support from the SEnine Magazine

raising funds for the Greenwich & Bexley Cottage Hospice

Sunday June 9th 2013Eltham Park South

Glenesk Road SE9 1AH

Enjoy a serious run through Eltham Parks North and South and Shepherdleas Wood in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Multi-terrain accurately measured course. Make it a fun family event. Why not challenge work or school mates or enter a team to compete.

Refreshments and changing facilities available. Medals to all fi nishers and prizes for 5 mile race including spot prizes.

Eltham Park 5Eltham Park 5

10.00 am 3.5 km run starts

10.30 am 1 mile family fun run starts

11.15 am 5 mile run starts

SEnine

2 It is your community, you have the right to a say in what happens

Enjoy life:

Enjoy Eltham.

Cover: A walk in the park - Eltham Park South in spring

time glory.

Cover photo by: John Webb

Cameo: Jogging Track - page 14

Main Office Mark Wall mark@senine.co.uk

Editor: John Webb editor@senine.co.uk

Advertising Mark Wall mark@senine.co.uk

Phone: 020 8333 7493 (For all matters)

Web: www.senine.co.uk

Publisher: SEnine Ltd: PO Box 24290, Eltham, SE9 6ZP

Totally Independent

Friends Membership. Support for the magazine is always appreciated. You can

help the magazine with an annual Friends Membership

The standard membership is £24.00 per year (in the delivery area)

Royal Mail membership £36.00 per year (Outside the current delivery area and delivered by messenger or post)

Send your name, address and contact details along with

payment to 'SEnine Friends' PO Box 24290 Eltham SE96ZP

Or visit our web site www.senine.co.uk to pay on line.

We look forward to hearing form you.

Closing Dates. All copy must be received by about the 15th* of each

month to appear in the next edition. Contributions and Stories are

always welcome from the residents of Eltham. Submissions are

subject to our overall editorial policy. *Some months do vary, check our web page www.senine.co.uk for exact dates.

We only use the very best industry standard vegetable oil based inks. We use environmentally friendly papers, from a sustainable source, with a chain of custody from well managed forests through the supply chain to our printer.

The fi rst edition of SEnine in

December 2006 carried just

15 advertisers. After many months of

work, that was the number that I was

able to convince that the magazine was

here to stay.

Six and a half years and Seventy nine

issues later the point has been made.

Glancing through that fi rst issue I

noted those that appeared in that

issue; Mayday Cars, Alan's of Eltham, Normans Music and San Fairy Anne, are still up and running. The shocking

thing is that the rest, eleven of them, no

longer trade.

Now that is just sad. Some may have

sold and moved on but most just closed

their doors and gave up.

I have 'harped on' over the years that we

must try as best we can to support our

local businesses. It is not always possible

to do so, but where we can, supporting

local businesses is helping to support

the community we live in.

The next time you need something,

before you jump in the car and head

out of town, or on the internet to order,

phone a local business and see what

they can do for you. Apart from those

advertising in the magazine you can fi nd

almost all the high street businesses,

with phone numbers, listed on the web

site www.elthamse9.co.uk. Give it a try,

you have nothing to lose.

Those that follow my

meandering on this

page will know that the fi rst wave of

summer guests had arrived. Six weeks

on they are now back in Australia and

we have a break before the next group

arrive in July.

While they were here they insisted on

taking us out for drinks and meals on

a number of occasions. We did it all in

Eltham. They could not get over the

fact that we could walk to so many

local establishments for food and drink,

something alien to a suburban dweller

of Perth, Western Australia.

They were delighted by the atmosphere

at the White Hart, and thoroughly

enjoyed the meal. It was there that

I tried hard to educate them on the

benefi ts of real ales, my favourite at the

White Hart being Doom Bar, in palce of

their usual tipple of larger. While one of

the group did persevere, I could not get

the others to embrace the concept of

beer at room temperature.

On another occasion we ventured out to

Gusella's Ristorante on the high street.

I had not been there in a while, but my

guests and I were delighted with the

meal and service. In fact

the waiter on the night

had us in fi ts of laughter

with his witty repartee

as the orders were

taken and meals

served. In all

a delightful

experience. If, like me, you have not

visited them in a while, put them on

your list for the next time you want a

lovely meal in Eltham.

In putting the fi nishing touches

to this issue I noted that I had

trouble squeezing in all the 'What's On' events coming up this summer.

We are very fortunate to have so many

local organisations delivering so many

quality events during the year, and

especially the events during summer.

St John's has its festival on again this year

and the local parks will also be hosting

their array of activities. Bob Hope, as

usual, has a great series of shows lined

up. The great Summer Concert at the

Royal Blackheath Golf Club is always a

sell out and there are a variety of one off

events in the off ering. Have a look and

join in. Try something you have never

done before, or just go along to your

favourite and give

them your support.

SEnine

3

OPINION, FROM MY DESKISSUE NUMBER 79

This publication is subject to copyright - if you want to use something, ask we will usually grant permission

JUNE 2013

The fi nal scenes of the epic drama

of the Coronet cinema’s re-development are to be shot this month

SPY understands.

Plans to transform the iconic frontage

into a community gymnasium are to be

considered by Greenwich Council.

If approved, it would bring to a

conclusion 13 years of debate and

argument about the building’s future

since it closed in 2000.

It would also mark an end to hopes of

installing a small screen cinema and

restaurant on the site, promised when

planning permission was won for the

now-completed fl at development.

The seven day a week facility would

be able to accommodate at least 30

keep-fi tters at a time on two fl oors,

with a spectacular new glass frontage

enclosure looking out onto Rochester

Way.

A local private company is set to invest

heavily in the new venture backed by

developers Cathedral.

The rounded Art Deco glass frontage,

which was one of the fi rst of its kind

in the 1930s, will be restored and re-

galvanised, to make the stairwell of the

new facility.

Two new apartments will be created

above from the old projectionist’s

quarters in the cinema.

Cathedral believe that creating a

gymnasium will be a good viable option

for restoring the cinema, keeping it in

public use for recreational purposes.

Attempts to create a cinema were

not possible because of the confi ned

space and the costs of conversion to a

restaurant were prohibitive.

A take-away Pizza Hut will

be opening in one of the

vacant shop units in Well Hall

Road and Cathedral hope to

attract a coff ee shop for the

fi nal unit to complement the

gymnasium.

Cathedral said: “The use of

the site as a gymnasium

will allow for the building

to be operated as a community facility,

which will provide new employment

opportunities, and most importantly

bring a vacant listed building back from

a position of dereliction and neglect.”

Four full time and fi ve part time staff

would be employed. The gym

would be open from six o’clock

to 11 o’clock seven days a week.

Plans for the re-location of Eltham CoE school in Roper

Street are still being developed,

SPY learns.

The council covets the school’s

town centre location and hopes

to move the school elsewhere

in order to implement its

Masterplan for Eltham.

This year and next mark the school’s

bicentenary, with 1813 and 1814

being key dates for its planning and

completion..

In the Masterplan, the council

suggested a move to a

site alongside St John’s

Church, taking over the

site currently occupied

by Ancaster’s Nissan

garage and Tesco’s

fi lling station.

The church’s vicarage

in Sowerby Close could

form a part of the site,

with a replacement, currently being

objected to by nearby residents, being

created nearby in King’s Orchard.

Money has been earmarked for the

re-development under its new school

building programme. Governors say

they will take a decision on whether

to remain on their existing site in the

best interests of the children. However,

they will come under pressure from the

council to move if an alternative site has

been identifi ed.

To the south of SE9, two historic

pubs are coming under threat of re-

development. SPY understands that

residents in Mottingham are claiming a

‘Round One’ victory in their fi ght to save

the Porcupine pub in the village centre.

Bromley Council has blocked Lidl’s plans

for demolition until they have had re-

development for a new store approved.

A similar campaign is underway to save

the Dutch House pub on the A20 which

McDonalds have applied to turn into a

restaurant and drive-through, along the

lines of their operation at Eltham Green,

formerly the Yorkshire Grey hostelry.

Spy Development SpecialSEnine

4 Don't be a litter lout, fi nd a bin

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Follow us on Facebook & Twitter@TheWhiteHart3

2 Eltham High StreetEltham London SE9 1DA

020 8850 1562www.whiteharteltham.co.uk

info@whiteharteltham.co.uk

The White Hart is a traditional Carvery & Steak house on Eltham High StreetWe pride ourselves on a fantastic service and hope you will certainly agree.

We operate our Full Grill and Restaurant menu 7 days a week. We have a buff et menu available for private functions and hire. Our secluded beer garden is perfect for relaxing with a pint of good real ale or a chilled glass of wine. We also host a Charity quiz night on the fi rst Wednesday of the month

We invite you, your family and friends to visit, whether it's a meal in our restaurant or just a drink in the bar or beer garden.

Quiz Nights

June 5th for the Bob Hope TheatreJuly 3rd for Men in Sheds (age uk)July 17th for Nursery on the Green

Father's Day Sunday 16th June 2013. Bookings being taken.

Special Lunch MenuMonday - Friday

12pm - 4pm

2 course meal for £10.95

3 course meal for £12.95

1 5 % o f f the À la car te menu

Evenings - Tues - Thurs

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Try our SET LUNCH- £9.95For your dining pleasure.

2 courses includes a glass of wine.

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SEnine

5Strong People Strong Families Strong Community

98 Riefi eld Road Eltham London SE9 T: 020 8333 0452E: scott @londonandkent.co.uk

• Free detailed quotes and professional advice

• We survey and provide design services for planning permission

• All aspects of building works undertaken, from new build to patios

• We have a portfolio of work available for you to see

• References available • £5,000,000 Public Liability

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The awards ceremony for Eltham in

Verse, a brand new competition aimed

at celebrating the town’s best attributes in

poetic form, took place at the Eltham Centre.

Organised by Eltham Town Centre Partnership

(ETCP), Eltham in Verse encouraged local

writers to submit their own work for review

by a judging panel from nearby University of

Greenwich.

“All of the poems submitted evoked a love,

passion and enthusiasm for Eltham and were

a fascinating read”, said Andrew Lambirth,

Professor of Education in the School of

Education at the University of Greenwich.

Lambirth was chair of the judging panel

for Eltham in Verse, and said he was very

impressed by the sheer number and quality

of poems submitted.

Scott Lander, whose poem I Used to go to

Eltham, was commended by the judges

for “conjuring up a terrifi c atmosphere of

nostalgia by using very eff ective language to

evoke images of old Eltham.” Lander, a keen

writer, was delighted with his win. “I haven’t

written a poem for years”, he said “but when

I heard about a poetry workshop taking

place locally, I decided to go along and was

encouraged to enter the competition. . I am

very surprised to have won, and am thrilled!”

Second place was awarded to Sergeant

Marianne Catmull of the Met Police for her

poem Snapshot of Eltham by a Copper.

Lambirth said

the poem was

“eff ective and

unique in character

– a snapshot of life

from a bobby on

the beat, which

shows the warmth

of those living in

Eltham.”

Finally, third place

in the adult category was presented to

Mick Cohen, who penned Recession 'The

Dark Destroyer' versus 'Battling Eltham

High Street'. “This poem has a great idea, a

contemporary subject and we really liked

the extended metaphor

to demonstrate the battle

of businesses in Eltham”,

commented Lambirth.

“We cannot fault the

community involvement

with this project”, said

Gaynor Wingham, ETPC

Arts Representative and

organiser of Eltham in Verse.

“We didn’t know if this sort of

competition would take off

in Eltham, but the response

has been fantastic! We

received 150 entries, more

than we ever expected, and

involved so many people

from the community.”

‘Snapshot of Eltham by a Copper’ by Sgt Marianne Catmull The women whose handbag was stolen Two boys fi ghting, their faces swollen An elderly man just wants a smile Schoolgirls at the bus stop in single fi le Teary eyed boy crying his dog is missing Young lovers on a bench kissing Little girl who can’t fi nd her mum Lonely pensioner feeling glum Noisy teenagers shouting on the bus An angry shopkeeper making a fuss The builder carrying a heavy load The hum of traffi c on the road In the sunshine, in the grey Today, tomorrow, any day A snapshot of Eltham High Street And ME, a copper, on the beat!

Recession “The Dark Destroyer” versus “Battling” Eltham High Street by Mick Cohen Recession stood there scowling, his face was black as thunder He snarled and glared at the High Street and whispered, “Son you’re going under” Eltham took a backward step, not a hint of fear in his eyes ”It matters not what you try to do, we have the power to survive You may have taken Allders, Woollies and the Co-op too But we’ve still got M & S and Debenhams to carry the fi ght to you” Recession hit back quickly, with pawn shops and closing-down sales He laughed out loud and triumphantly cried “Austerity never fails!” “There are other ways we can beat you; we’ve history on our side We’re the Royal Borough of Greenwich, so take that”, Eltham quickly replied “Henry V111 and Eltham Palace are the jewels within our crown And with Sainsbury’s and Next to help us, you’re the one that’s going down” Eltham took a deep breath and swung a mighty punch And Recession fell to the canvas; it was the end for the credit crunch.

Poetry Compitition Copped Story by Amy Duffi n

SEnine

6

NEWS

Buy Local, Support the Town Centre

One of London’s oldest music stores. Aproaching 100 years in Eltham.

We stock a large range and variety of musical instruments and printed music, including Associated Board Publications

aammmm.

32 Well Hall Road Eltham SE9 6SF tel: 020 8850 1263

Why risk buying from the internet or a catalogue shop when you can buy from the specialists?

www.normansmusic.co.uk

Free advice and guidance on all our products before and after your purchase.

Spring into Summer with a new musical

instrument. Huge range always available.

A massage which combines of meridian acupressure and use of

essential oils; which are prescribed to each individual need and

manipulated deep

within the body

tissue achieving

total relaxation and

helping reduce any

muscular pain.

Artisway at Crystal's Palace

95 Westmount Road SE91XX

020 3417 0148 or 07725 669 559

www.crystalspalace.co.uk

Open Mon - Sat; 9.30am-7pm. Sun 10am-6pm

Meridian Acupressure Massage Full Body Massage 70 minutes £45 Back, Neck and Shoulder Massage 30 mins £30 or 45 mins £40 Foot Reflexology Massage 45 minutes £30

Beauty

Facial Treatment

Classic Facial (60 mins) £38

Intensive Facial(90 mins) £48

Mini Facial (35 mins)£18

Special Head Treatment: Deep Scalp

Massage (30 mins)£25

Pedicure, Manicure, Eyebrow Treatment &

Waxing also are available.

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SEnine

7Find and Support Local Tradesmen

Jane Webb has lived in Eltham since '85 with her husband and daughter. She has taught at several local primary schools'

FOOT PAIN IS NORMAL ISN’T IT?FOOT PAIN IS NORMAL ISN’T IT?Our Podiatrist/Chiropodist, with over 20 years experience is able to treat

and advise on a huge variety of foot problems, no matter how large or small, whether they are causing you pain or are just unsightly.

Common complaints include:

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Arch and heel pain

Verrucae

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Diabetic feet

020 8294 0066 020 8294 1113

James Grabham

MChS SRCh DPodM

Eltham Podiatry

93 Eltham Hill

Eltham SE9 5SU

DON’T IGNORE FOOT PAIN!CALL JAMES GRABHAM NOW

Home visiting service available

Free Parking

GadgetsWhen it comes to food, I’ve never

been all that adventurous. “It’s

a Plain Jane”, is sometimes my chef

(husband)’s response to a query about

what’s for tea.

This is a reference to the menus of my

upbringing, in which each day of the

week was allocated a particular fare.

Roast on Sunday, cold meat on Monday,

stews on Wednesday, fi sh on Fridays,

and so on. Even now, sausages taste of

Saturday.

So some of the foods now on sale

leave me fl oundering. At the charming

Chinese deli in Westmount Road you

can buy spring rolls. Even in the autumn!

And bird’s eye chillies are among the

exotics for sale down Eltham Hill. Are

they like Birds Eye peas?

I know chillies are sweeping the country.

But shouldn’t they be called hotties? No,

that’s something else.

OK, I’m not that daft, and I don’t mind

the odd chilli fl ake hitting my plate. Just

as long as I can’t taste it, mind you.

But new foodstuff s take time

to gain acceptance. I read

from the M&S archives,

customers were

initially sceptical of the

avocado. They

were peeling

and boiling

them with

disappointing

results.

Prawns took

a long time to

leap from the

baskets where they

were served up as

scampi, considered a rather

daring restaurant choice in my

youth.

Apparently, the bosses at Marks decreed

in the ‘60s that the British weren’t ready

for garlic. And washed salad in a bag

would never catch on.

When the company opened their

shelves for self-service, leafl ets were

produced explaining to customers how

the new system worked. And I’m told

that when bananas reappeared after

WW2, children had to be told how to

eat them. Now we are told that eating

the skins is very nutritional.

Times change, even if people take a

while to catch up.

I reckon the traditional

British Sunday dinner can’t

be beaten. Apparently,

foreigners can’t see it, but

maybe that’s only because

they don’t know how it’s

cooked.

But I’m not sure I’m

ready yet for some of the

fare in the new Polish shop

in Well Hall Road. Take zapietaka, fl aki

and sopocka, even if they’re probably

just their words for a

sandwich, soup and

smoked pork.

SEnine

8 Vote at elections, it is your right

JANE’S JOTTINGS

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Chilli lamb Kofti Tender Minted Lamb ChopsMarinated Chicken Pieces& Chicken Fillets

New Eltham ButcherFinest Fresh ProduceFinest Fresh Produce

350 Footscray Road

New Eltham SE9 2EB

Open Tuesday to Saturday

Major credit cards accepted Phone Orders welcome

020 8850 4467

Succulent traditional pork sausages - just the way you love

them. The fi nest for Miles. All our sausages are made on the

premises. They come in a wide range of different flavours;

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Try our Fresh Duck Breast in orange &

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Fresh Chicken Fillet in spicy Caribbean

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SEnine

9 Don't wait for people to be friendly, show them how.

£81,000*

Computer generated image

Disclaimer: * The fi gure quoted is a percentage share and is a guideline and may vary according to individual incomes and circumstances. Your home is at risk if you fail to keep up repayments on a mortgage, rent or other loan secured on it. Please make sure you can afford the repayments before you take out a mortgage. Terms & Conditions apply, see www.lqgroup.org.uk for details. Industrial and Provident Society 30441R exempt charity. **Souce www.tfl .gov.uk. Details correct at time of going to print May 2013.

SEnine

10 Join in a Community Activity

Computer generated image

*

SEnine

11Don't be a Litter tosser, put it in a bin

Tuesday 28 May to Saturday 1 June‘Grease’, the musicalRavensbourne Light Operatic SocietyBob Hope Theatre Wythfield Road£11.50 (£13.50 Fri and Sat)www.bobhopetheatre.co.uk or 8850 37027.45pm (plus 2.30pm Sat

Sunday June 2Well Hall Pleasaunce Fun DayRange of entertainment, catering stalls, music and danceEntrance free 10am to 5pm

Saturday June 8Variety concert Greenwich Academy of Music and DramaWith the Greenwich Concert BandBlackheath Halls. 7.30pm

Saturday June 8Plant saleMottingham Horticultural SocietyMethodist Hall, junction of Court Road and Mottingham Road - 9.30 -12 noon

Sunday June 9th ‘Songs of Praise’Join in an evening of joyful hymn singingThe theme is "Eltham and the World".Student volunteer Lucy Bidgood will talk about her forthcoming year in Malaysia - 6pmEltham United Reformed Church, Court Road, SE9

Sunday June 9Plant saleEltham and Avery Hill Garden SocietyMany unusual and specialist varietiesDetails www.eahgs.org.uk118 Eltham Hill (next to school) - Entry free

Wednesday June 12 to Saturday 15 June‘Cider with Rosie’Play based on Laurie Lee’s famous bookBob Hope Theatre, Wythfield RoadTickets £9 (conc £8, not Fri or Sat) - 7.45pm

Thursday June 13thEltham Jazz Club 8.30pm - 11pmWoodcroft Club (Eltham Conservative Club) 254 Eltham High St SE91AA. Tickets £9.00 contact 07752 393 228 or marion@ntlworld.com

Saturday June 15Summer FairSt John’s, Eltham Parish ChurchEltham High StreetStalls with books, linen, crafts, plants, toys, raffle, tombola - 10am – 2pm

Saturday June 15‘Bring your memories of the Progress Estate’Event in preparation to the 2015 Centenary celebrationsProgress Hall, Admiral Seymour RoadPlus cakes and drinks - 1 – 4pm

Sunday June 16‘Celebrating Bond’Shane Hampsheir, Tess Burraston and band50 years of songs from ‘007’ James Bond moviesTickets £15 (£13 conc) Bob Hope Theatre. - 7.45pm0208 850 3702 or www.bobhopetheatre.co.uk

Saturday June 22Summer ShowMottingham Horticultural SocietyMaryfi eld Hall, Leysdown Road, Mottingham2.30pm-5pm

Sunday June 23The Trees of Well HallGuided walk, by borough arboriculturalist Joe Woodcock.Organised by Eltham Nature ClubWell Hall PleasaunceMeet at the gates in Well Hall Road, opposite the Co-op.£1.50 members, £3 non-members - 2-4pm

Thursday June 27thEltham Jazz Club 8.30pm - 11pmWoodcroft Club (Eltham Conservative Club) 254 Eltham High St SE91AA. Tickets £9.00 contact 07752 393 228 or marion@ntlworld.com

Thursday 27 to Sunday June 30Walt Disney’s ‘Jungle Book’Bob Hope Theatre, Wythfi eld Road - Tickets from £10.7.30pm (plus Sat 2.30pm, Sunday 2 and 6pm)

Saturday June 29Eltham Choral Society summer concertMusic by Haydn, Vaughan Williams and MozartConducted by Peter Asprey, organist Charles Andrews with The Amadeus Orchestra. Holy Trinity Church, Southend Crescent.Tickets £12 or £10 conc. from 020 8850 3532, or Norman's Music www.elthamchoral.org.uk7.30pm

Sunday July 7th Summer Concert & BBQGreenwich Concert Band and guest vocalistGrand Marquee, Royal Blackheath Golf Club, Court RoadAdvance tickets only from the club house 020 8850 1795 or Normans Music £15.00 inc BBQ supper.

Alternate WednesdaysEltham KnittersSocial craft group. St Mary’s Community Centre. 2-4.30pm

Every ThursdayEltham Chess & Games ClubAll ages and abilities welcome. St Mary’s Community Centre, 7.30 – 9.30pm (Recess all Aug & Sep 1st)Contact Alan 07944 445 322

Every ThursdayEltham Choral SocietySt Luke’s Church, Westmount Road, New members welcome. 7.30pm. www.elthamchoral.org.uk

Second Monday of MonthEltham Park TownswomenMethodist Church, Westmount Road - 2pm

Fourth Thursday of MonthCivil Service Retirement FellowshipSocial meetings, talks and free raffle. Also open to non-civil servants. Meets United Reformed Church, Court Road Contact: Phyllis 020 8265 0810. -10am – 12noon

Friday June 28thMetropolitan Police Male Voice Choir & Soloists Summer ConcertEnjoy a bargain night out in the West End with tunes to suit every taste. - Regent Hall, 275 Oxford Street, W1C 2DJ - Doors Open 7.00pm - Tickets £15.00Tickets 020 7091 5271 or www.metpolicechoir.co.ukProceeds to Evilin a Children's Hospital

Sunday June 30thBaby and Toddler Nearly New Sale Clothes, toys and general baby thingsHoly Trinity Church Hall, 59a Southend Crescent2pm - 4pm, £1 entry for adults, children go free.

Thursday 20 -22 JuneSt John’s Church Annual Patronal FestivalEltham High StreetThursday:Organ Recital - Richard Moore, scholar at St Paul’sMusic including Bach, Mendelssohn and ElgarTickets £6 (conc £5) - 7.30pm Friday Piano Recital - Maksim Shtshura Music from Haydn, Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin.Tickets £7 (conc £6) - 7.30pm

Saturday 22 JuneClassical vocal and piano Tamara Thompson-Brock, accompanied by James Graham Music from Mozart, Poulenc, Gershwin.Tickets £9 (conc £7) - 7.30pm

SEnine

12 Eltham has something for everyone

WHAT'S ON

BOB

HOPE

THEATRE

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Success on Two FrontsCalendar Girls was both an infectious

romp of merriment and a very

successful fund raiser for Leukaemia

and Lymphoma Research. The actresses

playing the lead parts brought warmth,

humour and sadness to the stage.

It was a riot to watch, but tinged

with sorrow. Sales of the calendars

at the performances raised £2500.

Sponsorship for Val Youngman, the

actor who played John, to have his

head shaved, was £890. The quiz night

at the White Hart Pub raised £400 and

takings from the fi rst night of the show

raised £1000. With the match funding

from BP International of £3800, the

grand total raised was £8540. Calendars

are still available at the theatre box

offi ce and at the White Hart pub. They

will also be on sale at the bank holiday

fayre at Well Hall Pleasance on 2nd June.

Impressive all on fronts.

Cider with Bob and Rosie

June brings Cider with Rosie by Laurie

Lee to Bob Hope. This is experienced

director Graham Johnson’s directorial

debut at Bob Hope, though you’ll have

seen him in many productions. He

played Herbert Soppett in the recent

When we are Married, and was the

conductor in Brassed Off . He picked this

production as he has always found this

stylised vision of rural life interesting.

And though it doesn’t cover everything

in the book, it is very true to its essence,

capturing the scents and sounds of

Laurie’s early life.

The cast of nine range in age from

teens to forties, and play large age

ranges - children to eighties. The three

leads are Eric Whiting as Laurie Lee, Fiona

McGahren as Mum, and Liam Edwards

as Loll, the young Laurie. Heather

Claisse as Rosie also covers three other

roles. The remaining fi ve actors (Maddy

Tunstall, Ria Mahady, James Thomas,

Paul Marshall, Tony Daniel Templeton)

have over twenty characters

to master, an impressive

feat. They have been

rehearsing since March and are working

hard to convey the small world of the

early twentieth century, and how it was

swept away by progress.

They will be accompanied by David

Horsburgh playing keyboard to evoke

the mood, on a very simple set adorned

with rustic props to suggest rural life,

using lighting to establish each scene.

The costumes will be authentic to the

period.

This is suitable for children of

eight or nine upwards, but especially

appropriate for anyone studying the

book. How wonderful to welcome

British summer with an uplifting peek

into the simple rural life of a bygone

age, that is just out of reach of our

collective memories. This is a wonderful

adaptation for stage, which captures

the imagination and really should not

be missed.

SEnine

13Be a good neighbour

PREVIEW by Beattie Slavin

Patronal Festival EucharistCelebrating the birth of John the Baptist on Sunday 23 June at 10am

Eltham Parish Church of St John the BaptistSummer FairSaturday 15th June from 10am-2pmBooks, bric-a-brac, toys, cakes, plants and more

Summer Festival Celebrating the birth of John the BaptistFrom Thursday 20th to Saturday 22nd June the church is open from 9.30am to 2.30pm - With the Eucharist at 10am each day Exhibitions and refreshments plus concerts in the evening

Concerts (programmes for sale in church and on the evening)

Thursday 20 June at 7.30pm

(programme £6, concessions £5)Organ Recital by Richard MooreRichard is an organ scholar at St Paul’s Cathedral Including music from Bach, Mendelssohn and Elgar.

Friday 21 June at 7.30pm

(programme £7, concessions £6)Piano recital by Maksim ShtshuraMaksim has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Estonia, Russia, Germany, Austria, Holland and the United Kingdom. Music from Haydn, Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin.

Saturday 22 June at 7.30pm

(programme £9, concessions £7)Tamara Thompson-Brock sings with piano accompaniment from James Graham‘Critics remark that Tamara’s performances are “touching and sympathetic” and “deliver world-class vocal fi reworks’. Including music from Mozart, Poulenc, Gershwin.

Exhibitions Include work from Eltham Church of England Primary School and Ealdham Primary School and an exhibition of the church called ‘look around you’.

Three permanent

running routes

have been marked

out in Sutcliff e Park

as part of a plan to get more people in

the town active.

Run England and Greenwich Council

have teamed up as part of the national

3-2-1 Scheme which is to make running

more accessible.

Three diff erent routes have been

marked out around the park which is

at the junction of Kidbrooke Park Road

and Eltham Road.

Organisers hope that it will encourage

residents in the town to have a try -

whether they want to run, jog, or just

stroll around the park paths.

Each route is a diff erent length.

There is a measured half mile and a one

kilometre, which run clockwise around

the park while the third route - 1.25km -

runs anticlockwise.

The distances have been worked out

to allow users to easily measure longer

runs such as one mile, three kilometres

and fi ve kilometres.

The routes are mainly fl at with slight

slopes so they are open to all users

including people in wheelchairs.

Lynne Atkinson, Run England Activator

for Greenwich, said: "The routes are

open to anyone to use, whether you

want to walk round, jog or run.

"They have been designed to be as

inclusive as possible. So people in

wheelchairs would also be able to use

them.

"The path surface is either tarmac or

pebbledash. The tarmac paths are

wide enough to allow for easy passing,

suitable for wheelchair users and

pushchairs, with benches along the

route. The path on the remainder of the

route is narrower but still suitable for all

users."

There are currently fi ve Run England

groups based at Sutcliff e Park which will

make use of the routes;

* Sutcliff e Tuesdays at 6.45pm * Sutcliff e Thursdays at 6.45pm* Sutcliff e Saturdays at 10.30am* Sutcliff e Junior Running at 12pm on a Saturday* Running Sisters at 6.45pm on a Thursday

These groups can cater for all jogging/

running abilities and meet each week at

the track reception.

There is also a new Buggy Runners

group due to start which will be on a

Thursday at 11.15am.

Sutcliff e Park was transformed from a

traditional open park into an award-

winning fl ood alleviation scheme in

2004.

It is now wetland site rich in wildlife and

is home for a variety of birds, animals

and plants including dragonfl ies,

damselfl ies, herons, Little egrets,

kingfi shers and reed warblers.

The central area of the park, the fl ood

water collection area, was declared

a Local Nature Reserve in 2006. The

routes run around the outside of the

wetland area.

For further details

and contact

information for all of

these groups can be

found on the Run

England website

www.runengland.org

Eltham joggers can now test their times, thanks to an initiative from Run England. Adam Gillham reports.

Hit the TrackSEnine

14 Help keep Eltham tidy! Put your litter in bins.

NEWS

The Woodcroft(Eltham Conservative Club) 254 Eltham High Street, Eltham, SE9 1AA020 8850 8659

Music 8.30pm to 11pmAdmission £9.00Contact - 07752 393228marion200@ntlworld.com

Eltham Jazz ClubAT THE WOODCROFT

GREAT JAZZ AND SWING

Guest Artists - subject to change without notice

30 May Tracy Mendham-Sax, Chris Gower - Trombone

13 June Roger Beaujolais - Vibes.

27 June Digby Fairweather - Trumpet/Vocals

Julian Marc Stringle- Clarinet/Sax

11 July Henry Lowther-Trumpet, Mick Foster- Baritone

25 July Dominic Ashworth- Guitar, Nick Beston-Sax

08 Aug Leslie Alexander- Vocals, Dave Bowdler-Sax

22 Aug Derek Nash- Saxes

05 Sept Jo Fooks -Sax, Buster Birch - Drums

19 Sept Matt Wates - Alto Sax, Andy Flaxman - Trombone

Thursday NightsThe Hugh Ockendon Trio and Guests

SEnine

15Make a diff erence in your community

Since James Herriot started the genre,

with tales of diffi cult deliveries,

eccentric rustics and awkward animals,

few paid employees have left their jobs

without wondering if there was a book

in it.

But in Jean Ramm’s six short stories, a

long and varied career shouldering the

burden of other people’s problems was

just an inspiration.

Her home on Shooters Hill looks out

across a crowded south east London full

of the real life struggles which are on all

our doorsteps.

There’s elderly George, living in ‘cloud

cuckoo land’. Ethel, an old dear, defying

the pigeons, Frank seeking what might

seem like solace in his garage, and

Diane who has to make an agonizing

choice, not to mention little Tommy, fed

on fast food while his mother looks for

romance on the screen.

Avoiding the temptation of self-

justifi cation, Jean describes her world

through the prism of a ‘Bird and

Fortune’ dinner party where solutions to

complex problems fl ow easily with the

pudding wine.

Between each kitchen sink saga, there

are snippets of dialogue of the type

familiar to most families behind the

rows of suburban front doors across SE9

and surrounding neighbourhoods.

“It’s all fi ctional and certainly not directly

related to any cases I dealt with at work.

In any case, over the years there have

been problems suff ered by my own

family, friends, neighbours....that’s life.”

“It’s an attempt to show how people

often need others to help make

decisions and take action.”

The point is made through depictions

of daily problems faced by people

living busy lives. For Neil, it is the regular

journey from the north to see the folks

in Plumstead.

“The cheerful woman came out to him

at the back and said she was worried

about his parents. She didn’t think they

were coping.”

‘Can’t you and the family get together

on it.?’ Her tone was friendly.

‘I am the family’.

She looked at Neil and saw a man in a

good suit. Expensive car. Only son. Only

child. All the privileges.

In 13 pages of Neil’s story, Jean packs an

awful lot together with awful ending.

But simply told with detail, without

cliché.

Originally from Lincolnshire, Jean and

musician husband, David, spent 12

years in Australia before returning to

the UK bringing back their young son

and needing to be closer to their own

parents.

“These stories about people in crowded

metropolitan London struggling to

cope with various domestic situations

may have come about because they

seemed intriguingly diff erent from

the problems I remember in rural

Lincolnshire where I grew up on a farm,”

she said. “There were problems there

but not the same.”

“Certainly the 12 years in Sydney had

a big impact on me. There I attended

Sydney University and obtained Bach.

Social Science Degree and Social Work

Diploma. Four very stimulating years.

Following this I worked in the NSW

Parole Service. Interesting indeed. Very

thorough reports covering the prisoners’

plans on release and their attitude to

their crimes had to be presented to the

Parole Board.”

“These included many home visits

checking out families often in the

outback to make sure, for instance, that

they were willing for the prisoner to

return home.”

On return to the UK, Jean’s social work

career took in the many and varied

problems of people and families across

south east London.

A recent pleasure has been the Eltham

Centre combining, as it does, the scope

for physical recreation and books. In

her case, meeting friends for a swim

and coff ee and more recently for the

monthly book group in the library.

This, her love of reading, and various

short stories and articles published in

the past, led her pen to strike paper in

earnest.

The result is a snap-shot of early 21st

century life in urban Britain which

readers can develop for themselves.

‘Passing the Baton’ by Jean Ramm is available from Pen Press, priced £7.99. Also Waterstones, Amazon and The Book Depository postage free and on Kindle

It Shouldn’t Happen to a….Social Worker?

People in crowded LondonSEnine

16

BOOK REVIEW

Take a walk in the Tarn

At the Court Yard Surgery

28 Court Yard,

Eltham SE95QA

020 8850 7623

Open 6 days

a week plus

home visits

Lorna McGucken & AssociatesBSc(Hons) HCPC 12250

1 s t H e a l t hF o o t C l i n i c

New, New Eltham Village Sign

SEnine readers have helped to re-design New Eltham’s proposed village sign. Amy Duffin reports.

New Eltham’s proposed village sign

has generated signifi cant interest,

according to its residents association.

The feedback received has been used

to produce a second draft, which takes

in the life and soul of the village and

community.

The fi rst draft was featured in the March

edition of SEnine and the feedback

has caused the New Eltham Residents

Association make changes.

Thanks to the Co-

o p e r a t i v e

Community

Fund, NERA

s u c c e e d e d

in gaining

most of the

f u n d i n g

it needs,

meaning it

can advance

plans for the

new design,

unveiled at

their recent AGM.

It makes references to The Beehive pub,

greenery, sports, transport and local

houses.

“We wanted the sign to be as

broad as possible, refl ecting

both older and newer things

about the community”, said

John Rose, NERA committee

member.

A crown is also pictured at the

top of the sign, referencing

Greenwich borough’s new

royal status. “We want

residents in New Eltham to

feel as if they belong and are

involved in the community,

and a village sign helps to do this”,

added Rose.

NERA is proposing the sign be

erected in two locations; at the

New Eltham crossroads and at Clare

Corner, where Green Lane and

Footscray Road meet.

With the project estimated to cost

£4,500, NERA still has some fundraising

to do to get the project off the ground,

not to mention securing planning

permission for the proposed sites.

Follow the sign’s progress at

www.nera-se9.com.

Retinitis Pigmentosa

Retired Eltham head teacher Cass Farrar spoke to Greenwich Rotary

Club last month about the blindness

condition retinitis pigmentosa.

Accompanied by wife Bethan, Mr Farrar

attended a club meeting at Charlton

Athletic’s football ground to talk about

the fi ght against the condition, which

aff ects his daughter Lucy.

Rotary made a £50 donation to the

charity which raises money for suff erers

and members sponsored his son James

for £75 for taking part in this year’s

London Marathon.

The club meets monthly and has

members from amongst the business

and professional community, both

current and retired.

www.rotarygreenwich.org.uk

Plant Sales

A weekend of

plant sales is

in prospect on

Saturday and

Sunday June 8

and 9.

Garden enthusiasts from two local

horticultural societies will be selling off

their surplus specimens.

On Saturday, Mottingham Horticultural

Society will have a sale at the village’s

Methodist Hall in Mottingham Road

from 9.30 – 12noon.

The following day, on Sunday June 9th, a

range of unusual and specialist varieties

will be available for sale from the Eltham

and Avery Hill Garden Society at a

member’s house, 118 Eltham Hill from

1 – 4pm. Entry to both events is free.

Messeter PlaceIf you have not been down that way

in a while, you might be surprised at

the pace this development has moved

ahead over the past month. The former

site of the Eltham Fitness Centre was

sold with planning permission for the

construction of six 3 bedroom town

houses, two 2 bedroom fl ats and two 1

bedroom fl ats all with allocated parking.

The building, rising up over three

fl oors, is now clearly visible above the

hoardings surrounding the site.

Great location if you like living in the

town centre.

SEnine

17

ROUND-UP

Join a local community group

Bread and Roses:

Nontheism and the Human SpiritTaking a break from algebraic symbolism, 86 year old

Muriel Seltman has written a book on nontheism. SEnine’s Eloise Chaffers spoke to her.

Tucked away, not far from Eltham

High Street, Muriel Seltman’s

home is surprisingly tranquil given its

accessible location.

Muriel explained to me how she’d put

her foot down about the location. “I’d

always lived so far from a bus route, this

time I didn’t want that.”

A very practical

thought for one

whose thoughts focus

heavily on the abstract

and theoretical.

At 86, Muriel is proud

to have just fi nished

her fourth book, ‘Bread

and Roses: Nontheism

and the Human Spirit.’.

After a couple of years

in the making, Muriel

took time off from her

usual fi eld, the history

of mathematics, and

has ventured down the lines of semi-

autobiographical. Previous tomes,

which sell for up to £170 on the internet,

have been on Jean Piaget and Thomas

Harriot and attract readers from the

academic community.

She describes her latest project as a

‘cross between a series of essays and a

memoir’.

“The main purpose of the book is to

indicate the spiritual joy available to

nontheists from a variety of diff erent

aspects of the universe, but especially

from freedom of thought. The word

'spirit' is used in the same way that

you would use it in the phrase 'human

spirit'”, she explained.

Despite being born in Stamford Hill,

Muriel has long links to this area, her

father having been born in Woolwich.

Muriel took a job as teaching

mathematics at Avery Hill College in

1968, moving here ten years later. In

1981, she took early retirement but

continued to work part time there for

20 further years.

“The way

t h i n g s

worked out,

they didn’t

have anyone

to teach the

history of

mathematics

so I used to

go down the

hill until I was

75.”

Previously, in

the mid ‘60s,

as fi re-brand

left wingers,

she and her

husband had worked briefl y in North

Korea and China, an account of which

can be found in her memoir ‘What's

Left? What's Right? A Political Journey

via North Korea and the Chinese Cultural

Revolution.’

She still attends and speaks at rallies

for the group 'One Law for All', which

campaigns on behalf of Muslim women.'

Muriel has a history of writers in her

family, with a journalist father and

sister. This might help to explain her

determined work ethic that drives her

to write long into retirement.

“I always do any work fi rst thing in the

morning, when I wake up when I’m

fresh”. Muriel quite emphatically told me

how her determination is also the result

of her mind-frame.

“I go on writing and trying to express

myself because that’s what gives

meaning to my life”.

The book is self-published by Matador.

“Why didn’t I look for a publisher or

agent?

Because I didn’t know how much time

I had left”. The book is a discussion of

nontheism, which Muriel diff erentiates

from atheism ‘as the word atheist carries

a lot of baggage and sounds as if it’s a

very black and white issue.”

Muriel decided to write about her

relationship with religion, as a ‘Marxist-

Humanist-Nontheist-Quaker’, because

of her dissatisfaction with the current

literature on the subject.

Not comparing her work nor discrediting

others, Muriel said, ‘they are superb

some of them’, but she couldn’t help

but feel they ‘came over as dogmatic,

and somewhat comfortless.’

The intriguing title ‘Bread and Roses:

Nontheism and the Human Spirit’

evolved from a group of women textile

workers who went on strike in 1912

who had a banner that said ‘give us

bread but give us roses too’.

As I fi nished my cup of tea, we talked

briefl y of Muriel’s plans for the future.

“I’ll go back to the history of

mathematics” she told me. The subject is

the emergence of algebraic symbolism,

particularly in the Renaissance.

I’ll look out for Muriel’s future

publications so I can identify who’s to

blame for years of secondary school

mathematical misery.

SEnine

18 Be active in your community

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Eltham SE9 1XA

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violinist helps out at the local care home. The tennis captain designs websites. In a challenging yet caring environment, we nurture each pupil’s skills and talents. All of them.

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C O L L E G EE L T H A M

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SEnine

19Help keep Eltham safe - report suspicious activity!

With farms surrounding the village

of Eltham it was no surprise that

the inhabitants were never far away

from a lactating cow. Enterprising

farmers, ever keen to guarantee their

product a market, organised a delivery

service near to their farm as the product

had a limited shelf life before the days of

refrigeration. The cows were gathered

in from the fi elds and milked by hand

in cowsheds; the milk was poured into

a contraption similar to a car radiator

which cooled the milk before it was put

into a large metal churn which also kept

it cool. The churns would either be rolled

onto a push handcart, for delivery near

the farm, or a pony and trap for outlying

homes. Milk purchasers would attend

the milkman with a large covered bowl,

into which the milk was dispensed, or

be off ered the milk in a metal container

which would be hung from the cart;

enterprising farmers off ered a twice

daily delivery.

Some local farms also operated dairy

shops in the High Street where their

farm produce, including milk, was sold.

In the early 1900s The Eltham Dairy

(now site of Specsavers) run by John R

Howe sold milk products from Belmont

Park Farm at New Eltham (now around

the Montbelle Road area), William

Corp’s Lyme Farm (now

the Page estate off

Eltham Hill) had a dairy

shop now occupied

by FORYOU, Charles

Ridewood’s Chapel Farm

Dairy was on the site

of La Scarpa, and at 18

The Broadway, opposite

Southend Crescent, was James Grace’s

Pippenhall Farm Dairy (now Light &

Grow). Milk contractor F W Webb ran the

Lily Farm Dairies from 168 Westmount

Road with a yard in the rear garden now

used by Eltham Park Motors, Elibank

Road.

In Mottingham Village a dairy business

was established around 1899 by James

Pollock in premises near Mottingham

Library now used as Etiquette

Hairdressers. During the First World War

owner Albert Norman of Mottingham

Farm engaged ladies to deliver the

milk when the men were at The Front.

After the war the dairy was owned by

Edwards & Sons Ltd who in the 1920s

was associated with United Dairies

whose name appeared outside the

shop from 1929 until closure in 1960. A

former resident remembers the 1930s

when the dairy was run by Miss Norman

who, “seemed to glide around as if she

was on skates and always said ‘what can

I do for you today?’ It was a small, cold,

very clean shop full of bottles of milk,

cream, butter and jars of transparent

golden honey that shone in the light

from the window.”

The doorstep milk delivery changed

dramatically with the introduction of

the glass bottle with initially its circular

cardboard cap. More mechanised

production methods were required

and the small farms could not compete

with the big combines who were now

bottling milk on an industrial scale. The

United Dairies fi rst local distribution

depot was in Greenvale Road in

premises now used by Mobile Petfood.

With more residential growth in the

area they acquired a larger site in Green

Milk on the DoorstepJohn Kennett writes about a disappearing service

Eltham Dairy delivery cart and milk churn in the High Street

Lily Farm Dairies delivery vehicles, Elibank Road

ff

SEnine

20

HISTORIC ELTHAM

Lane, near the A20 Sidcup Road, where

a new depot was built. It was offi cially

opened by local MP Sir Kingsley Wood

on 14 October 1931 who inspected

the new facilities and the thirty orange

coloured horse drawn carts used by the

roundsmen to deliver the milk. Later

electric fl oats were introduced but

the smell of the horse occupation of

the stables was still evident when the

depot closed in 1981 to be replaced

by a business park. From the 1920s to

the 1960s United Dairies had shops at

124 Westmount Road (now Westmount

Estates) and 125 Eltham High Street

(part of Eltham Wines & Grocery).

The Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society

was also a big supplier of doorstep milk

from their own farms. Horse drawn

carts were succeeded by electric fl oats

and the attraction of receiving dividend

on milk purchases was an incentive to

trade with the Co-op.

The other big multiple was Express

Dairy, founded by George Barham in

1864 in Museum Street near Kings Cross

Station who also brought milk by train

to the capital from outlying counties.

In 1865 the Government ordered the

destruction of all London cattle due

to an outbreak of rinderpest and the

company was able

to bring in fresh

supplies to avoid

a milk famine. The

business expanded

throughout London

with dairy shops, milk

rounds and their own

model dairy at College

Farm, Hendon. They

often expanded by

acquiring existing

dairy businesses

and from 1908

were in premises in

Mottingham Village

alongside that of Albert Edward

Norman of Mottingham Farm, whose

farm they ran from 1935 till the early

1960s; the cows have gone but the

buildings survive at the Mottingham

Farm Riding Centre, Mottingham

Lane. The village premises were rebuilt

after Second World War bombing and

used as a milk distribution depot until

1985; since 2002 Warrs have supplied

Harley Davidson motor cycles from the

adapted premises.

After the Second World War (on the site

of the present Post Offi ce and Sorting

Offi ce) the displaced milk rounds from

the bombed depot at Mottingham

were housed at

Court Yard. Milk was

delivered by push cart,

horse drawn fl oat,

or electric fl oat from

Well Hall roundabout

to Mottingham

Estate using thirteen

roundsmen with a

foreman to six men

until 1949 when the

rounds returned to

Mottingham. A milk

bottling plant was

installed at Court Yard

just after the war and

milk was supplied

by rail to Mottingham Station where a

special dock was installed in 1948 but

the operation only survived for a few

years.

After selling his milk delivery business at

North Cray Mr WR Mitchell returned to

Eltham at King John’s Walk Farm around

1947 to keep thirty Ayrshire cows which

produced about 20-35 gallons a day

of hand-drawn milk and a delivery

round was established serving Eltham

Palace, Court Road, Wythfi eld Road

and the Eltham Park area. Extra milk

was bought from the Nestles depot at

Bow as the farm was not large enough

to supply the local demand. Milk was

bottled at the farm and the bottles bore

the inscription ‘King John Lane Farm,

Eltham, W. J. Mitchell’. The milk rounds

were sold to United Dairies in 1960

but milk was still supplied to a dairy at

Streatham. The last cattle left the farm

in 1988 and the site is now used for the

stabling of horses.

The march of the supermarkets with

their competitive price marketing has

seen the doorstep delivery decline

together with the problems of milk

being left on doorsteps until residents

return from work. The Co-op, Express

Dairy and United Dairies names have

all disappeared from doorstep milk

deliveries with the only survivor being

Dairy Crest’s ‘Milk & More’ service.

All pictures are from the John Kennett collection

Express Dairy delivery in Mottingham Village, 1981

Express Dairy delivery in Purneys Road, 1950s, courtesy Stephen Sopp

United Dairies fl oat in Larchwood Road 1970

Co-op milk fl oat at Philipot Path, 1981

SEnine

21

HISTORIC ELTHAM

Roz Britnell meets hypnobirthing practitioner Chantal Fabrice.

Call the Hypnotherapist!

A wise woman once said “death and

taxes and childbirth! There’s never

any convenient time for any of them”.

She was right. But one SEniner is on a

mission to fi x this (well the childbirth

part anyway). Birth psychologist and

sound therapy practitioner Chantal

Fabrice has been running a successful

home practice in Eltham since 2009.

Using the Mongan Method, Chantal

delivers customised private sessions for

women on the brink of parenthood.

Whether it’s your fi rst or fourteenth, the

sessions will equip you with techniques

that will help you prepare for labour and

beyond.

The closest I’ve ever come to a hypnotic

state was when I had to concentrate

on fi nding Wally in the Where’s Wally

books, so I was slightly sceptical before

meeting Chantal.

Chantal clarifi es: “There are huge

misconceptions about hypnosis. In

relation to hypnobirthing we are talking

about self-hypnosis and giving women

the techniques to practice. All hypnosis

is self-hypnosis. I can facilitate the

process but I can’t make anyone become

hypnotised. It is about achieving an

intense focused awareness”.

So, if you’re expecting Chantal to lull

you into a pre-labour snooze then

you are going to be disappointed.

Hypnotherapy off ers an alternative to

pain relieving drugs by tapping into

your body’s natural anaesthesia, there

are no hypnotically induced sleeps

involved.

Although hypnobirthing isn’t widely

available on the NHS there are a growing

number of encouraging testimonials.

The best time for pregnant women to

start on a course is around 28 weeks.

Does it guarantee a drug free birth?

“Most couples who come to me want

to avoid the use of drugs. That’s not

guaranteed and it’s about managing

risk and knowing when assistance is

needed. However hypnobirthing will

reduce the need for pain relief and help

you to cope with any necessary medical

intervention” says Chantal.

With so many expectant mothers

dreaming of a tranquil labour, why are

we glued to TV shows about dramatic

childbirth? Chantal explains: “Calm and

relaxed births would not make a good

story for TV! Lots of women are told all

the negative stories often by women

who have had traumatic births. Those

women have not been listened to and

that’s a shame because they would

really need the support”.

So what makes hypnobirthing so

successful? “It’s about having a positive

outcome despite the birth journey” says

Chantal. “There are always going to be

unpredictable factors during a labour.

Hypnobirthing allows women to be

open to any changes that happen”.

Mums-to-be looking for a positive

birth experience should consider

hypnobirthing especially when

compared with the more risk approach

courses currently available on the NHS.

Although

Chantal is not

a midwife she often

works closely with them, and

refl ecting on the key diff erences she says

“I do not attach so much importance on

what could go wrong because we want

to stay focused on the positive, if you

focus on the negative then that’s what

you’re going to attract in your life”.

The hypnobirthing course also comes

with material for your midwife in case

they aren’t familiar with it. The benefi ts

of hypnobirthing range from shorter

labours, helping with breast feeding

as well as the long term health of the

mother. Studies have shown that 55%

of those who tried hypnosis required

no medical pain relief at all. The way we

are born shapes us forever so if you are

going to make an investment in your

baby’s future, the very beginning would

be a good place to start.

You can contact Chantal on 020 8265 4308

and her website

www.soundbirthing.co.uk

SEnine

22

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Fitness Classes

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Children from the Gordon, Haimo and

St Thomas More primary schools

had an audience with leading author

Jacqueline Wilson when she came to

Eltham to unveil the new sculptures in

Well Hall Pleasaunce.

The park is the former home of

children’s novelist E Nesbit and the three

sculptures are based on characters from

her imagination; Jacqueline Wilson’s

new book, ‘Four Children and It’, also

features one of the characters, the

Psammead. Her new characters interact

with those from Nesbit’s original novel,

‘Five Children and It’, which was written

in 1902 at Well Hall.

With the 75 Eltham pupils in the audience,

Dame Jacqueline spoke to children from

more than 320 schools across the country

from the Tudor Barn via a live webstream

organised by publishers Penguin and

each left with a copy of the new book

signed by the author.

“If Edith Nesbit’s ghost is

fl oating around Well Hall

today, she will surely be

smiling”, she said, before

reading extracts from

her book and taking

questions from her young

audience.

The sculptures,

commissioned by the park’s Friends

group, depict a Psammead, the sand

fairy which is the ‘It’ of the books; a

phoenix and a dragon. They were

paid for from the Fields in Trust award

scheme to commemorate the Queen’s

Jubilee.

Other improvements arranged by the

Friends include a new Jubilee avenue

of beech trees alongside E Nesbit Walk,

an arbour, a re-planted and renovated

alpine garden and 20 new specimen

trees, coming into leaf for the fi rst time

this spring.

Sue King, chair of the Friends said: “We

are absolutely delighted that the history

and culture of Well Hall will be kept alive

with these imaginative sculptures. Edith

Nesbit is one of the country’s leading

authors and she wrote her most famous

works while living at Well Hall.

“We’re proud that Jacqueline Wilson has

built on her work for a new generation

and came to Well Hall to unveil the

works.”

The sculptures are of sweet chestnut

and are by Cornish artist Reece Ingram.

Park SculpturesSEnine

23

SEnine

Take an interest in local events

NEWS

In Falconwood cemetery, alongside

a path, there’s an unmarked patch of

grass. The crematorium records tell us

that, on 29 May 1969, the ashes of Ruby

Mary Webster were scattered on that

spot.

Described in the lists as ‘unmarried’ and

‘aged 45’, there is little to distinguish

her life from the many others that have

ended there.

One clue would be in the letters

‘M.A.’ after her name. Unusual, but

not unknown, for a female leaving

education in the middle of World War

Two.

Another comes on the line beneath.

The job description is ‘Clerk in Holy

Orders’, in other words, an ordained

priest; very unusual.

A reading of the local papers in the

week following her death opens the

book on her life. One which must rank

among Eltham’s fi nest, a person whose

legacy will outlive most.

The headlines read ‘We Simply Loved

Her’ and ‘A Special Brand of Courage’.

The funeral oration by the then minister

of Eltham Congregational Church (now

URC), the Rev Ronald Ward, needed no

contorted explanation that this lady

knew about a thing called ‘society’, or

inappropriate political references.

He said: “Whoever she met, her

generous heart and her very genuine

concerns and interest in other people

evoked a response.

“Her many qualities included goodwill

and aff ection, essential cheerfulness, a

happy way of expecting the best from

people and a real zest for life.

“She was good to be with. She made

us feel more alive and we simply loved

her. She was no ordinary person and her

achievements were not ordinary. How

she worked. How many ideas she had.

Some of us who lacked her capacity

sometimes thought she had too many

ideas.

“Her poor little body did not serve her

very well but when we speak of her will

and spirit, her strength served her well.”

Her legacy was to found a national

movement for ‘carers’. That was before

the word ever existed, it not appearing

in dictionaries until the 1980s. Mary

Webster expressed a problem at a time

when people were ready to hear it and

single-handedly forced the issue onto

the national agenda.

That was early in 1963. Her life until

then had been a preparation for that

moment.

Born in Plumstead in 1923, her family

moved to Eltham when she was young,

to a new semi-detached house in

Westhorne Avenue, opposite what is

now McDonalds at Eltham Green. Her

father had a steady job at the Royal

Arsenal Co-op and Mary, a clever girl,

won a place at Eltham Hill grammar

school for girls. On the outbreak of war,

she was evacuated to north Wales, then

won a place to study at King’s College,

part of the University of London, during

the height of the German V-bomb

campaign.

But it was her subsequent attendance at

a revolutionary college on Merseyside, St

Paul’s House, which was to point to her

future career. Long before the ‘feminist’

movement began, the college, under

the auspices of the Congregational

Church, aimed to train young women

to be ‘home missionaries’ in deprived

areas of the country, then recovering

from confl ict, and encouraging them

to become priests. Mary, brought up

in the Church of England – the family

attended St John’s – was attracted, and

saw the potential to become a minister

in the Congregational Church, in a way

then unthinkable in the denomination

of her upbringing.

This month, the national carers’ movement celebrates its 50th

anniversary. John Webb tells the remarkable life story of the Eltham

woman who was its founder.

Someone Quite Exceptional

by John Webb

SEnine

24 Local Business - use it or lose it

TRIBUTE FEATURE

A further degree, in theology, at St

Hugh’s College, Oxford, followed and

her fi rst posting was as a 27 year old to

the Congregational Church in Twyford,

Berkshire, where local records show a

picture of her induction in 1950, one of

the country’s fi rst women ministers.

But after just four years, her tenure was

abruptly ended. Both her father and

mother had become ill and unable

to cope without ‘care’. It fell to Mary to

sacrifi ce her future dreams, resigning

her posting to look after her parents.

After a stellar education, training in

community work and leading a female

charge into the church, she suff ered a

deep sense of loss and helplessness, a

life of looking after two sick dependants

ahead of her.

But it was the lack of support, as a ‘carer’,

and isolation she felt, which hurt most.

Her father died in 1959 and, towards

the end of her mother’s life, she

entered 1963 on a mission. A blizzard

of publicity-seeking letter writing

followed, targeting media outlets, a

one-person PR campaign in an era

before such a concept existed.

It struck a chord. Thousands of people

across the country, trapped in conditions

which Mary described as ‘house arrest’,

identifi ed with her situation. Interviews

in The Guardian and the ‘Home Service’

(Radio 4) alerted politicians that

something had been left out of the

post-war ‘welfare state’. A visit to the

London School

of Economics

f o l l o w e d

where she met

Baroness Seear

who remarked

a f t e r w a r d s

that within

fi ve minutes

she “knew

Mary was

someone quite

exceptional’.

By June, the

c a m p a i g n

had become

unstoppable. A

meeting in the

House of Commons in July 1963 led to

the formation of the ‘National Council

for Single Women and her Dependants’

with Mary as its chairman. The group

lobbied the Treasury and quickly set

the agenda which would led to such

women gaining tax allowances, pension

rights, and paving the way for today’s

system of attendance allowances.

As important, the Council propagated

the provision of support services

for those left caring for relations at

home with social groupings formed,

the possibility of holiday relief and

bereavement counselling.

But while the Council, later to become

the Carers’ National Association,

prospered and fl ourished, Mary herself

did not.

Never strong, and carrying a physical

disability which required operations at

an early age, and throughout her life,

Mary was struck down in her early 40s

by cancer.

After her death in 1969, a notice in

the Guardian spoke of the Rev Mary’s

‘personal concern for an understanding

of the psychological as well as fi nancial

problems of members.

“She could communicate her deep

religious faith. Even during her last

few months, when breathing and

sometimes speech were diffi cult, she

ended every conversation ‘God bless’.”

During her years of caring, Mary did

manage some part time teaching, both

in Plumstead and at Stockwell teacher

training college in Bromley. There’s

a message from a former student,

unanswered, on the College’s Friends

Reunited site which reads as follows:

M i s s We b s t e rD o y o u re m e m b e r M i s s We b s t e r ?S h e t a u g h t D i v i n i t y ?I t h i n k s h e l i v e d i n E l t h a m .S h e w a s re a l l y k i n d.

Greenwich Carers Centre and Oxleas Trust will be acknowledging Mary Webster's work and dedication at a Special Carers Day Event in Woolwich on Tuesday 11th June from 9.45 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. With the theme "PREPARED TO CARE", carers can have the opportunity of giving their thoughts and ideas on services and meet some of the offi cers from Health and Social Care Services. There will be FREE massage sessions, health checks, information stalls, discussion tables and a light lunch. For venue and catering purposes please contact Kay Clapham on 0208 8459/8361 or email Kay.Clapham@greenwichcarerscentre.org.

Today carers can benefi t from a variety of support organisations. Greenwich Carers’ Centre has been providing a variety of services since 1991, and built up a comprehensive knowledge base of carers’ needs and issues, as well as the expertise required to off er eff ective support. The Organisation is a registered Charity is one of over 100 independent centres connected to the Princess Royal Trust for Carers. It aims to provide a 'One Stop Shop' service to all carers living within the borough providing individual support through information, advice, emotional and practical support, representation, advocacy, and consultation opportunities. The Centre is fi nanced by a variety of funding partners and donors, mainly the council’s Social Services Department but also corporate and private donors. The Greenwich Carers Centre offi ce hours are Monday to Thursday 9am - 4pm and Friday 9-1pm. Greenwich Carers Centre, Suite 9, Gunnery House, Duke of Wellington Avenue, Woolwich SE18 6SW. Adult Carers support 020 8301 8459/8461 Mobile: 07411 190 920; Main offi ce number: 020 8301 8457 - Fax: 020 8301 8456

SEnine

25

TRIBUTE FEATURE

When in doubt, do the right thing

Who inspired you?

A man called Richard Reynolds set up

a website (wwww.guerrillagardening.

org) after he planted in abandoned

fl ower beds around his fl ats in Elephant

and Castle.

How did you get started?

I was frustrated at the poor state of the

planters on the war memorial outside

St John's Church in Eltham High Street.

I tried to fi nd out who was responsible

for maintaining them but kept being

passed around between the vicar,

Greenwich Council and the Royal British

Legion.

Did you get a positive reaction?

The Royal British Legion were delighted

to have someone volunteer. A few

people think I’m being a vandal but

most just walk on by and assume I'm

allowed to be doing it.

Is it an on-going project?

Yes, once you've started you can't just

leave it. I've also branched out (excuse

the pun) to the small garden area at the

foot of the church's bell tower. It was full

of brambles and weeds.

What happens if you are away?

I've no time to be constantly fussing

with the planters so everything I plant

is as tough as old boots. Most plants do

much better if you just stick them in and

let them get on with it. The people in the

church call me the 'mystery gardener'.

Anywhere else?

My allotment is at Pippenhall in Bexley

Road, where outside is an old water

trough.. It looked awful so I cleaned it

out and planted some bulbs in it. Now

it's completely bare again so I need to

do something about it.

Do you garden at home?

I live in a fl at with a balcony 16 feet by 6

feet. It's part of the communal walkway.

I usually have more than 50 pots of

various sizes. The postman threatened

to come armed with a machete just so

that he could get through.

How did you get into gardening?

In 1997 I wanted a change of career so I

did a Royal Horticultural Society course

on practical gardening techniques

which included a module on history

of garden design. It inspired me so I

enrolled on a one day a month course at

the Museum of Garden History and by

lunch on the fi rst day I was completely

hooked. I then did a longer foundation

course in historic gardening at Birkbeck

College, London.

Do you use your knowledge?

Yes, now I give around 60 talks a year

to special interest groups and societies,

large and small, and have also given

talks at bigger venues like Blenheim

Palace, the National Portrait Gallery and

the Eden Project.

Do you advise others?

I've given advice to people with period

properties who want an authentic-

looking garden to match the age of their

house. Some TV dramas and fi lms use

food and fl owers out of their historical

context. Jane Austen adaptations seem

particularly prone to poor research

garden-wise.

Should gardening be taught in

schools?

Yes. Children can learn so much from it,

including where their food comes from,

biology, design and history. I know

more schools have their own allotment

which is great. Children love seeing

something they planted as a seed grow

into a fl ower or a piece of food.

If anyone gets wants to brighten up

a public space, what should they do?

Just do it.

Guerrilla in the GardenRussell Bowes is a 'guerrilla gardener'. It's not illegal. He has helped

brighten up some parts of Eltham. Matt Bell spoke to him.

Laurie Baker reports that after

fi nding the right person to talk to at

Southeastern Railway, they have made

a big improvement for people who

have to use the ramp to get to or from

Platform 2 for trains towards Dartford.

When they use a 5-carriage trains they

used to stop right at the end of the

platform meaning people who had to

use the ramp – people with buggies,

luggage, wheelchairs or whose leg

joints just do not bend as well as they

once did – had to walk a long way

between the train and the ramp.

Now, after our representation,

Southeastern moved the place where

5-car trains stop on 14 May to the same

location as 4-car trains thus avoiding

the long walk. Thanks to Southeastern,

for making this simple change.

Russell will be speaking to the Eltham Nature Club on

the title ‘Say It With Poison’ on Tuesday July 23. To fi nd

out more about Russell's guerrilla gardening or his

lectures go to his website www.capabilitybowes.com

Welcome 'Change Here'

SEnine

26 Help keep Eltham tidy! Put your litter in bins.

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SEnine

27Don't fi nd fault, fi nd a remedy

The Greenwich Free School is one

of a new generation being set up

under the government’s policy of trying

to widen the parental choice of state

schools beyond those run by the local

council.

Already operating from temporary

buildings on Shooters Hill Road, the

Free School has received permission for

a three storey development which will

enable it to become fully operational

during 2014.

The school is the fi rst in the borough

to be up-and-running under the

government’s reforms.

In September, the Free School’s fi rst

cohort of 93 pupils entered the school,

who are enjoying a school regime

radically diff erent from that off ered by

local comprehensives. Every day, school

starts at 7.45am and for three days a

week fi nishes at 5.30pm.

Additionally, on alternate Fridays, pupils

have the opportunity to visit social,

spiritual and cultural locations across

London

It’s a formula which Headteacher Lee

Faith says is proving popular. From this

year’s council secondary admissions

process, in which the Free School

competes for recruits alongside the

existing state schools, and has received

over 600 applications for the 100 places

on off er from September.

This will enable the Free School to recruit

from a tight

geographical

area of within

about a mile

of the new

school, which

will gradually

emerge from

Adair House,

o p p o s i t e

the Royal Herbert

Pavilions apartment

complex. New

blocks will fl ank the

1930s neo-Georgian

building, originally a

nurses’ home to the

old military hospital,

which closed in 1978.

Given the limited

facilities currently on

off er in the temporary

premises and a hefty construction

programme in prospect over the

coming 12 months, it’s a remarkable

vote of confi dence in the Free School’s

ability to deliver a better standard of

education than what’s already on off er.

But Mr Faith rejects the suggestion that

high demand will enable the school to

‘cherry-pick’ more able pupils.

“As part of the local authority’s common

admission system, pupils come equally

from across the fi ve ability bands and

will be selected by them”, he said, with

geographical proximity to the school a

key criteria.

The school is being funded directly by

central government which, amongst

other freedoms, he says, enables the

school to reduce pupil-teacher ratios,

with a maximum of 25 per class.

“Our focus is on delivery of depth rather

than breadth”, he said, “with a focus on

English. Mathematics and Science.

To excite and engage the pupils,

Mr Faith says the longer school day

enables a greater variety of experience,

including code-breaking, debating, arts

and music. A greater freedom is allowed

on the curriculum, which means that

subjects such as economics, politics

and philosophy can be introduced from

Year 7.

This is complemented by ‘enrichment’

activities on Fridays which has seen

the students travelling to the British

Museum, Shakespeare’s Globe and

Greenwich Observatory.

Mr Faith says the school’s ethos focuses

on high expectations, no excuses and

no short cuts and the underpinning

values are ‘growth, fellowship and

scholarship’.

The new building, once completed,

will include a sports hall and outdoor

games area. The space will allow for

the formation of a sixth form starting in

September 2014 and an intake of 100

students each September.

To the east of Adair House, on the crossroads of Well Hall Road and Shooters Hill Road application site is Victoria House, formerly offi cers’ accommodation for the military hospital. Planning permission has been granted for it to be turned into a 75-bed care home.

Greenwich Free SchoolConstruction is due to start on a new 700 pupil comprehensive secondary

school which is designed to serve young people from the local area.

SEnine

28 Smile , it feels good

EDUCATION

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From this September, the school will

be the fi rst in the borough to off er

the qualifi cation, which is an alternative

to A levels, off ering a broader curriculum

and community engagement.

The opportunity will be within the

school’s renovated and refurbished

accommodation which formed part of

the original school buildings backing

on to Queenscroft Park.

The 100-strong intake into sixth form,

which will include both boys and girls,

will occupy the new premises.

Under the IB, sixth formers study six

subject groups, including at least two

languages with a greater emphasis on

personal development and inquiry-

based learning. The IB diploma is

increasingly sought-after by leading

universities as an alternative to

traditional A-levels.

IB coordinator at Eltham Hill Rosie

Osborne said: “This is an exciting

development for Eltham Hill. We will

be the centre for IB in the borough and

it will be the fi rst time that students

will have had the chance to gain the

qualifi cation locally.”

By September, the entire school, with

purpose built sports centre and catering

block will have been re-built under the

previous government’s Building Schools

for the Future scheme.

Places in the sixth form are still available;

more information from the school on

020 8859 2843 or rosborne@elthamhill.

greenwich.sch.uk.

Eltham Hill School students support Malala Yousafzai

Students in Eltham

Hill’s Year 10

organised a mass

fund raising sleep

over for their peers

in Years 7 and 8,

to raise awareness

and money for the

Malala Yousafzai

campaign.

Over 100 students

took part in the sleep over which raised

over £600.

The event was to support 15-year-old

Malala Yousafzai who was shot in the

head, in a failed attempt to silence her

for becoming a leading voice for girls'

education and the right of all children

in Pakistan to go to school.

The sleep over event which began at

6pm on Friday; saw an action packed

evening of activities including taking

part in a beauty boutique, a disco, a

wacky science session to a treasure hunt

and cooking before all students settled

in their sleeping bags for the night.

Madeleine Griffi n, Eltham Hill School

Principal, said: “It was a successful

evening of events that saw all the

students working together. I am so

proud of the girls who organised,

managed and promoted the event. It

has taken them months to plan from

the moment they fi rst came to me with

the idea, wanting to support the Malala

campaign. I am pleased that so many

Year 7 & 8 students participated in the

sleep over and supported such a great

cause.”

A centre for sixth form students to study the International Baccalaureate is being created at the newly re-built Eltham Hill school.

IB Studies FirstSEnine

29Put your money where your house is - shop locally

YOUNG ELTHAM

A guided walk around the trees of Well

Hall Pleasaunce is to be held by the

borough’s senior arboriculturalist.

The park is home to some of the oldest

trees in SE9 and contains large number

of unusual and specimen trees.

Over the past two years, a further 25

species have been added as part of a

strategic development of the species in

the park.

Joe Woodcock, who heads the borough’s

tree service, will lead the walk, which is

being organised by Eltham Nature Club,

starts at 2pm on Sunday June 23.

It is £1.50 for members and £3 for non-

members Further details from

www.elthamnatureclub.org.uk or

07894 711765. Meet at the gates opposite

the entrance to the Co-op in Well Hall

Road.

In July, the club will have an illustrated

talk ‘Say It With Poison’ by local garden

expert Russell Bowes. It will be at St

Mary’s Community Centre, Eltham High

Street on Tuesday July 23 at 7.30pm.

Too many bees or not too many

bees? That’s the question on the

lips of beekeepers across the capital.

The hobby has taken off , in particular

with trendy companies in the centre

of town putting hives on their roofs to

burnish their environmental credentials

and motivate their staff .

According to the London

Beekeepers Association,

the number of hives

has doubled over the

last four years to more

than 3,300 and there are

worries that there might

not be suffi cient fl owers

to go around.

That’s honey bees,

of course. And it is

honey bees which are

experiencing the well-

publicised problems

of decline in terms of

population numbers

and the yield of hives.

But honey bees are just

one of the three main

types of bees. Most types of the other

two, bumble bees and solitary bees, are

doing just fi ne.

For those who like to mark off species,

there are 23 types of bumble bee to

look out for, 12 of which are commonly

seen in gardens from red tailed to buff

tailed and white tailed, forest cuckoo

and common carder.

That’s nothing compared with the 265

types of solitary bee, who don’t live in

hives or colonies but, as their name

suggests, in their own nests. Common

types of garden solitary bees include

the Miners, Masons, Megachiles,

Cuckoos and Sweets. And then there

are hornets and hover-fl ies, again,

similar but diff erent.

There are various theories about the

decline of the honey bees, which more

closely resemble wasps, as both can

sting; the diff erence being that honey

bees are hairy, tend to be longer and

are not aggressive.

One theory is that diseases, such as

the varroa mite, are reducing their

vigour. Another is that they are losing

habitat, particularly

in farming areas

where they are

less able to cope

with monocultures.

A further one is

the neonicitinoid

pesticides, which are

soon to be banned.

Gardeners are being

urged to help,

either by becoming

b e e k e e p e r s

t h e m s e l v e s ,

providing nest

sites for solitary

bees, putting up

bumblebee nest

boxes or growing

fl owers that honey

bees will like. These

are nectar rich single-fl owered plants

such as Californian poppies, cosmos,

forget-me-not and nigella. Try planting

some and enjoy identifying the

diff erent species.

Bee A WareSEnine

30 Take a walk in the Pleasaunce

NATURAL ELTHAM

The prestigious Awards

Ceremony of The Guild of

Professional Estate Agents was

held on the 8th May at the

Millennium Hotel, Grosvenor

Square, London.

Members of The Guild of

Professional Estate Agents from

across the UK attended a Gala

Dinner following the most

important day in the year for the

Guild – its Annual Conference –

the theme of which was ‘A Market

for Change’.

Conran Estates won ‘Best Estate Agent

London Region’. The agency received

its Award from Guild CEO Marcus

Whewell in front of a large audience

who had come together to celebrate

the outstanding achievements of their

fellow agents across the 700-plus strong

network.

The judges were particularly impressed

by Conran Estates’ clear focus,

dedication, and consistent business

strategies, using outstanding marketing

to help sell their clients’ homes, while

simultaneously building a professional

and enviable lettings business.

“In a highly competitive region,

they have consistently engaged

with their clients in new and

interesting ways, often ahead of

market trends,” they commented.

Marcus Whewell, CEO of The

Guild of Professional Estate

Agents, said: “It is my honour and

privilege to be able to celebrate

the outstanding achievements

of our member agents, who are

great ambassadors for The Guild

and the Estate Agency industry.

The quality of award entries this

year was the highest ever, indicating

how our organisation is moving

forward and assisting its agents to

give a truly outstanding service to the

public. My sincere congratulations go

to Conran Estates who should be very

proud of winning this hard-fought and

prestigious award.”

A Market for Change

Conran Managing Director, Simon Hughes with Marcus Whewell

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SEnine

31Your Community is what you make it

BUSINESS ELTHAM

JOHN GINTY & ASSOCIATESDENTAL SURGEONS

www.johngintyandassociates.co.uk

0844 375 6990info@johngintyandassociates.co.uk

The practice provides a full range of NHS and private dental treatments and a private hygienist service, including;

• Crowns, Bridges and Dentures

• Cosmetic dentistry such as veneers, invisalign

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Eltham Station

Our minimum fare is still only £4.50

Call 020 8859 7666

West End £35.00Heathrow £55.00Stansted £55.00Victoria £30.00Gatwick £45.00City Airport £25.00

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SEnine

32 Support local traders - shop locally!

Travel Sickness…

A part of the borough suff ering from

this occasionally fashionable objective

of 'green travel' is Avery Hill where the

council’s decision to impose a ‘green

travel plan’ on the University when it

granted permission for the expanded

student residencies. Unfortunately this

had the eff ect of fl ooding surrounding

streets with cars, rather than paying in

the Uni’s parks. A problem which the

council is now seeking to resolve through

imposing a Controlled Parking Zone in

the neighbourhood. Sadly, Bexley Council,

whose residents would thereby suff er the

inevitable spill-over, are not to be bullied

by their nuisance neighbours. A high level

battle is being fought out between the

two which will end up in arbitration by

Boris and chums at the GLA. Bexley may

feel they have an advantage there.

No parking for park...

Another entirely foreseeable consequence

of this folly was that the council’s own car

park at Avery Hill, alongside the Winter

Gardens, which is meant to be a free

provision for people wishing to stroll their

dogs, children and themselves around

the pleasant surroundings of Avery Hill, is

packed to the gunwhales with students’

cars, park users unable to get a look-in.

All progress on this is snagged until the

CPZ row is resolved, sometime never. Let’s

hope that the problem is overcome by

the time the University’s ambitious Winter

Garden restoration is completed.

Pointless answer,

what was the question?

If there is an MP in the country with a

higher local profi le than Eltham’s, SPY

would like to meet them. Sadly, despite his

appointment by Ed Miliband as a shadow

spokesman, and PR forays on topics such

as the Corky Fruited Water Dropwort, the

name ‘Clive Eff ord’ clearly is not on the lips

outside the confi nes of SE9 and adjacent

streets. Regulars to the BBC tea-time

show ‘Pointless’ will know the object is for

contestants to think of obscure names on

various themes, hoping to outwit a studio

audience of 100. Unfortunately for the

bearded one, the topic chosen was ‘MPs

whose names begin with E’. Neither the

contestants, nor the 100 others came up

with the answer which, to SEniners, would

have been obvious.

Censors censored..

SPY has some regret that his bête

noire Greenwich Time is to

be axed by Eric Pickles, the

Communities Secretary’s

sledgehammer legislation. If

the council had just produced a regular

sheet with straightforward information

about local happenings and facilities, there

would have been no issue. The problem

is that the council seems to be unable to

diff erentiate between information, hype

and overblown rhetoric.

The Oracles have spokes…

Democracy Greenwich-style turned to

comedy this month, as council offi cers

made clear their determination to plonk

a cycle path in Avery Hill park exactly

where everybody said they don’t want it.

Campaigners seeking a fair and reasonable

outcome to this project, costing £450,000

in all, backed by the good and true people

of the Eltham Society and also Greenwich

Cyclists, put forward an alternative

scheme only to be told it doesn’t count

as their suggestions aren’t in the council’s

consultation document. Yes, true. That’s

because offi cers didn’t put them there.

Only responses containing the word ‘yes’

are permitted apparently. And they are

in a hurry to implement because it has

been discussed already for fi ve years. By

them that is, not the community, whose

thoughts are allocated only weeks

to work through. Council offi cers are

reluctant to admit that a decision has

already, in eff ect, been taken, despite the

fact that their proposals have been costed

in great detail and the precise amount of

money already applied for from Boris’s

cycling chest. The reason being that the

non-decision was taken in secrecy and

lead councillors were not informed of

any objections or counter-proposals

from the Eltham Society, a clear breach

of civil service protocol. Therefore, a sham

consultation was organised to make it

all appear proper. Let’s hope our elected

representatives have the wisdom to see

through this fog.

Nobles not obliging...

Trouble among the shrubbery at Eltham

Palace SPY learns. The 'garden only' ticket,

which allowed locals to stroll around from

£4.20 a time has been scrapped. Instead,

every ticket must be for both house and

gardens, even for regulars who have seen

the interior on many previous occasions.

Originally considered to be a 'perk' for

the community to engage with its local

English Heritage attraction, it now looks

a public relations own goal, with Palace

courtiers being on the thick end of

numerous written and verbal complaints

since the new rule came in this spring.

The offi cial explanation is that extra funds

are needed to pay for refurbishments

at the Art Dec/Medieval combo, which

will see an extended closure period

from November to March this winter.

But SPY thinks it sounds more like a loss

of revenue, and goodwill. Patience on

SPY's desk had already run thin, when a

Palace fl unky requested freebee space

in SEnine to advertise their events, the

budget seemingly able to extend to

paying for staffi ng, etc, but not a quarter

page ad every so often to enable the local

community to know what's going on. The

truth is, of course, they really just want

your £48 a head annual direct debit and

email address.

Hope springs eternal…

Congrats to those who bared all at the

Bob Hope for the near sell-out run of

Calendar Girls, including the pin-up boy

who bared his scalp to take part. The

total raised for charity was more than

£8,000 with about as many laughs per

performance. A version of Laurie Lee’s

Cider with Rosie and Disney’s Jungle Book

provide dramatic promise for July.

Spikey customers…

Further congrats to the Porcupine

protestors, who had lobbied Bromley

Council to put a ‘stop’ notice on Lidl’

threats to tear down the closed public

house in Mottingham. Apparently, the

supermarket giants hadn’t even lodged

a planning application for their proposed

store, leaving the possibility of there

being an empty hole in the village centre

for a prolonged period.

Can Greenwich follow

suit and turn down

McDonald’s ambitions

for the Dutch House?

SEnine

33Have your say, your opinion counts

Yalways newsy, sometimes

inaccurate or irreverent, often

controversial or gossip, but never

the opinion of SEnine.

In some streets (usually where the road is rather narrow), some car owners tend to park their cars half on and half off the pavement. I can understand why they do so but it would be helpful if they would consider those who have to resort to getting about in mobility scooters and leave a good 30" gap so that they can pass.

The same plea might also go out to those whose front hedges protude way out across the pavement.I can vouch for the fact that it's very unpleasant to be smacked in the face by an overgrown hedge - especially after rain or snowfall!

Many thanks, Marion Langham.

Eltham Station Platform

Either go to the SEnine web site atwww.senine.co.uk

or write to the Editor at:

SEnine, PO Box 24290

Eltham SE9 6ZP

Do you have an opinion?

Do you have a 'pet' groan?

Have you had a good or bad

experience?

Why not write and tell us?

What is your opinion?

Would you consider a story on the platform extension at Eltham Station. Might this fi nally mean that we get long awaited enterance mid-way between the former Eltham Park Station and the old Well Hall Station?

Mrs C Bradshaw.

Has been noted and we will see what we can fi nd out - Editor

I ( ll h h d i

Scooting Along

The Porcupine pub. I read the bit in Spy about the pub and whether people would have known what a porcupine was back in the day. The word has certainly been known back in England back as far as Shakespeare - its used as the name of the inn in The Comedy of Errors (although the word was actually "porpentine" then), so that gets it back to 1594 which was the fi rst performance, and probably a bit back further since Comedy of Errors is thought to have been written sometime in the late 1580s. Certainly they would have been a fairly familiar - if exotic - creature as stuff ed ones were commonly displayed in apothecaries' shops as part of a general "stock in trade" of exotica to use in remedies of one kind of another - although personally I think that the quills were probably used as needles during surgery.

Russell Bowes

The Porcupine pub

SPY got it wrong

I have pleasure in enclosing my cheque for my annual subscription to SEnine Magazine. SEnine is worth every penny - very informative - if it wasn't for you, most of us would have no idea what is happening in Eltham, especially now that the 'News Shopper' is no longer delivered and hasn't been for probably a couple of years or more.

I look forward to receiving our magazine and it's very well read.

Thank you, Jane Harrison

I h l i l i h f

SEnine Delivers

Once more many thanks for another year of the wonderful SEnine Magazine.How would we know what was going on in Eltham without it!Kind regards. Elizabeth Clay

Once more many thanks for another year of the

SEnine Year

It would be nice to see a wine bar, coff ee shop or restaurant where the old Eltham Park Station was situated.

Chris & Dot Cole

It ld b i t i b ff h

Eltham Park Station

Congratulations on maintaining such an excellent magazine

Ross Mountford.

C l i i i i h

Excellence

When, oh when will a Sainsburys local or Tesco Metro open near New Eltham Station? After work I sometimes get off at New Eltham and get a bus to the high street - I sometimes make the mistake of attempting to 'pop in' to the Co op there and generally it's a mistake! The selection is poor and overpriced and there is usually a very long queue which makes me annoyed and stressed, as at this point I want to get home and not be delayed! Only last night it was the same story - I have written to co op HQ and told them about this and there has been a slight improvement but it seems to revert to the same depressing scenario time and time again. I think its appalling to treat customers in this way and would love there to be some serious competition for the co op.

Maureen Davey

Wh h h ill S i b l l T

Co op

Hill Parking Issues

S

It is time Eltham Hill got residential parking. The newly built Eltham Springs contractors and builders have been using Eltham Hill along with Carnecke Gardens and Sherard Road as their own parking zones. When they leave at the end of May we still have to contend with staff from the surrounding offi ces and Eltham Hill teachers parking outside our homes. It will be argued that as long as they have tax they can park, but what of the residents who pay tax on their cars and are prevented from getting to their homes on a daily basis. I know that Sherard Road has some permit parking but what about the rest of us? Some residents are disabled and need to park near to their homes but non residents, who may have a badge, park in the disabled zones preventing the very person who applied for the bay from using it. Its time our roads to be parked in by the residents who live here, not non residents. How would they feel if this was happening to them?Lisa Poyner

SEnine

34 SEnine does not necessarily agree with or support any letters published.

MAILBOX ....... Have your say

You can make a diff erence in your community

SEnine

35

ELTHAM

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SEnine

36

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SEnine

37

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Available Now

The starting gun for the Progress

Estate’s 100th anniversary is being

fi red this month.

A tea and cakes session is being

organised by the Estate’s residents

association to compile ideas for the

celebrations and memories of the past.

The Estate will have its anniversary in

2015, a hundred years after its hasty

construction for Woolwich Arsenal

workers during the First World War.

David Hallam, former resident and local

estate agent, who has an extensive

knowledge of the area, will assist in a

memory-jogging discussion, which will

be held at the Progress Hall on Saturday

June 15 from 1 – 4pm.

Committee member Keith Billinghurst

said: “The Residents Association would

like to welcome all residents past

and present. We’re hoping to capture

as much information as

possible about living on the

estate through the years.”

There will be a post-it note

board for you to contribute

your ideas for the 1915-

2015 celebrations.

Keith said: “Everyone’s

contributions and

photographs will be very

welcome as potential items

for the centennial book that is to be

published.”

Originally named the Well Hall

Estate, The Progress Estate was built

in 1915 to provide housing for the

many additional workers needed to

manufacture the armaments required

by the services during the First World

War. Conservation Area status was

granted in 1975, in recognition of its

unique architectural character.

Contributions to the cake or raffl e stalls

are welcomed. Cash voucher prizes will

be given to an adult and a child for the

best cakes.

Further information is available from

Rita Billinghurst, telephone

07947 043479 or

Keith at 56 Arsenal Road

or 8856 5593 or 07962 877389 or

keith.billinghurst@btinternet.com

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SEnine

38

NEWS

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Forest Hill, Sidcup,

New Cross & CamberwellIn the care of Nicholas & Matthew Uden

The current fashion is for ‘grow your

own’ and, for a man whose clothing

mostly dates back pre-War, being

fashionable is a welcome novelty.

So Herbaceous has been enjoying

browsing around some of the new

shops he has noticed have sprung up

to supply the hobby which is sweeping

the nation.

But a couple of recent visits to

‘horticultural supply companies’ and

‘grow your own specialists’ have

perplexed him a bit, leaving with the

impression that he hasn’t quite got the

plot, as it were.

Some of the objects on display, he

couldn’t quite see the relevance. For

example, why would any gardener want

a hat with a miners’ lamp attached. For

midnight weeding perhaps?

And, while there are times that an

odour fi ltration system could be useful,

for example when he takes his boots

off after a long day’s digging, at £450 it

seemed a bit excessive.

The current trend for hydroponics,

growing plants in water, also seemed to

be popular in some of these new stores,

it seemed.

And he was curious at some hand-out

leafl ets on the counter giving precise

details about ‘what to do if arrested’

and a list of telephone numbers of

local solicitors. Although he’s had

the occasional dispute with fellow

plotholders, he’s nearly always stopped

short of going to law to resolve the

problem.

It seems that darkened rooms and

basements are recommended by the

new wave growers, which sparked

Herbs’ mind racing about laying a claim

to the spare bedrooms.

Some of the lingo employed by the staff

left him puzzled too. ‘This is good for

propagating, you know, err, tomatoes,

sir’. Communications seemed to involve

an awful lot of nudging and winking,

even by the male staff , normally hirsute

hippy types.

For somebody very interested in

terracotta, though, he was re-assured

that there seemed to be plenty of chat

about pots.

He did make one important purchase

though. ‘This is our fi nest Canna’, the

assistant told Herbaceous ‘Ah yes’, lovely

lilies, said the Old Man, who is planning

it a central feature for his bedding

display this year.

Potting Around at HomeSEnine

39Never stop trying

HERBACEOUS

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