Newsletter 20 - Autumn 2012

www.foresthillsociety.com Autumn 2011 Issue 20

Issue 20, Autumn 2011

Covering SE23 and surrounding areas.

We are happy to report some excellent news following our campaigning! The Forest Hill Local Assembly voted to fund 13 projects across the ward and the Forest Hill Society was lucky enough to receive funding for all four of our proposals - totalling just under £19,000. Two projects will improve the Horniman Triangle play park: the addition of two new sets of equipment; swings for the young and games tables for all ages. The games tables will allow park users to play table tennis on sturdy outdoor tables.

The two other projects improve the town centre. We’ll be able to continue the flower planting around the station and opposite the Horniman Museum. The funding will also allow us to maintain the planting and expand the scheme to other locations in the town centre, as well as improve watering facilities at the station, to make maintenance much easier. The final project will target empty shop fronts in the town centre and use them to display large images from the Horniman collection, brightening up the town centre and providing a visual link between the town centre and the Horniman Museum. A great result for us, and for the community. Well done to the Society members and SE23 people who worked so hard to develop and submit these bids.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Sat 1 Oct 1pm - dusk: Apple pressing, One Tree Hill

Allotments

Thurs 6 Oct 7.30: Forest Hill Society AGM, upstairs

at the Hob, all welcome!

Weds 12 Oct 7-9 pm: Perry Vale Assembly

Forest Hill School, Dacres Road, SE23 2XN

Sun 23 Oct 11am-3pm: Open Day at Dacres Wood

Nature Reserve

Tues 1 Nov 7.30 -9.30pm: Forest Hill Assembly,

(venue TBC):

Weds 9 Nov 7-9pm: Crofton Park Assembly (venue

TBC)

SUCCESS AT ASSEMBLY!

See page 5 for a great Open House weekend in SE23

Autumn 2011 www.foresthillsociety.com

FHS MONTHLY OUTINGS! We are keen to hold regular events for both members and all residents of SE23. Previously, this was done via social evenings in local restaurants and called the SE23 Club. We felt that these events, apart from being at a cost, also missed out some of the fabulous things to do in the area. Plus the word club could sound a bit exclusive. And that we are not!

So, we plan to organise monthly events, on or around the 23rd of the month. The forerunner was a river walk in August along the Pool and Ravensbourne, from Bell Green to Ladywell (see above). It was a lovely walk and a gorgeous day, so much so there was a mass dipping of toes to cool off. However we need ideas so come to the AGM or look out for e-news for details.

FOREST HILL SOCIETY AGM Come along and find out what your local community group achieved this year and what is being planned for next year. The Forest Hill Society AGM is open to all residents in SE23 and we’d love to see you there. If you are interested in joining the Executive Committee, helping out at events and local activities, or just finding out what we do, then please do come along to a relaxed and social evening. There’ll be a bit of updating on what we’ve been doing and what our plans are, and a vote for committee members. Primarily, it’s about finding out what you want. We’re passionate about making SE23 an even better place to live. If you are interested finding out what the Executive Committee gets up to with a view to joining email [email protected] If you’d like to help out on a less formal basis come along on the night and see what takes your fancy or, email [email protected] and we’ll be in touch as and when.

APPALACHIANS AT FOREST HILL Richard and Julia have been running the Foresters for over ten years (www.allinone.org.uk) making it more family friendly, and offering a good range of food and drink. The building itself is fascinating, originally mid-Victorian, but following bomb damage, a major make-over was undertaken in the 1950s. Unknown to many, on Monday nights they hold an acoustic bluegrass session. This American roots music, derived from English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish folk, with jazz and blues influences, originally featured guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo and double base. As Forest Hill local, Dave Marshall, explains they accept all comers such as dobro and drums, and delve into other genres, popular and traditional. Dave is a captivating character. He recalls his formative years in the 60s when he was mesmerised by groups including The Animals, Howling Wolf and John Lee Hooker at Newcastle’s Club A’Gogo. He late ran a folk club at the Bird in Hand. The session is held virtually every Monday, check http://ukbluegrass.com/forum/ (search for ‘Foresters’) for details or contact Dave directly: [email protected]. Session members, such as dobro player Mark Langmead, can give advice on lessons and where to buy a instruments.

You don't need to play to enjoy the session. You can enjoy a quiet chat, read or contemplate life, and let the music wash over you. For those new to this you may wish to take out the wonderful Coen brothers DVD 'O Brother Where Art Thou'. The Foresters has tried other nights including trad jazz, and Blues, sadly falling my the wayside. Richard and Julia are happy to consider suggestions.

REVIEWERS WANTED Enjoy your live entertainment. Want to hone your journalism skills? We would love members to send in their reviews. Contact [email protected] for details and to arrange your press pass!

http://uk.mc277.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]

www.foresthillsociety.com Autumn 2011

It may seem that we have been a little quiet in recent times, in the absence of high profile issues such as the possible demolition of the pools, and threats to our train services. These united the community in opposition. But let me reassure all members that our work does not stop there and there is plenty going on behind the scenes!

The main campaign we have supported this year has been the ongoing fight to save Honor Oak Rec

from being claimed as burial space. Another focus has been the town centre. To this end, we have been actively involved in decorating the Christmas Tree and planting the flower beds outside the station and organising a pop-up event. We have also been active in removing graffiti, pushing for the underpass to be refurbished and getting the railway bridge repainted, as well as meeting with TfL to make some changes to the South Circular. Some of these changes are still in the pipeline and we will be following up to make sure that the promises are delivered. The next year looks very busy, with over £17,000 of projects to deliver from the Local Assembly Fund, the effects of the Localism Bill to react to and a resurrected monthly social event. We would like to do more, but need more volunteers. If you have something you feel strongly about, or can spend a few hours a month volunteering then please consider joining the Executive committee. Each year some people leave due to moving house, a new job or University commitment. Children grow up and new residents arrive and we hope that they will all become active in their community. I look forward to meeting you at the AGM and hearing your news.

CHAIR’S REPORT

Whilst there's no room for complacency, nor should we go all sentimental, it is still good to reflect that our AGM this year is our fifth anniversary. Of course it's not been all plain sailing, we have a broad range of opinions and strive to represent the views of all in this, until recently, relatively hidden gem of SE London. So how did it all start? On 23 April 2006 a local resident with the pseudonym ‘Roz’ started a post on the chat room SE23.com about setting up a new society. Interest picked up quickly and, a month to the date, around 20 of us met at the Dartmouth Arms. This included mystery residents who used evocative monikers such as Hilltop General, KK and Loneranger. It all seemed very organic at the time, but looking back much had already been done by the time we met, our current vice-chair (and former chair) Michael had already started working on a

constitution. Importantly we ensured that this recognised that Forest Hill and Honor Oak were already thriving areas, and that our role was to make SE23 an even better place to live. Four months later at the Friends Meeting House in Sunderland Road 150 potential members met. The feature was a discussion on the proposed new East London Line extension (aka the Overground) and it was refreshing that whilst most welcomed this, there was a strong voice objecting to any degradation of the existent service to London Bridge. (Now we look to more exotic proposals such at the Bakerloo and DLR extensions). You may find it interesting to revisit these minutes: www.box.net/public/rk7cyyyet6 Committee members were voted in and, in what seems like record time, the Society had gone from a speculative discussion to a fully fledged organisation. (To be continued in Autumn 2016!).

FIVE YEARS ON AND STILL GOING STRONG


Michael Abrahams, from our transport sub-committee, explains how three major rail projects that are already in hand, and a fourth under consideration, could affect us.

Crossrail (see above) will provide fast connections in an East-West direction across central London. For passengers from Forest Hill the interchange at Whitechapel (on the East London Line) will provide good connections to the West End, Paddington, West London and Heathrow. Thameslink trains are expected to run a stopping service including our stations, allowing direct travel to Blackfriars, Kings Cross, and further north. This could be a half-hourly service during morning peak, extending two existing services into London Bridge. DLR recently published a map (see right) showing proposed extensions to the East (to Dagenham), to the West (Victoria and Euston), and to the South (Catford and, taking us by surprise, Forest Hill). The configuration of railway tracks and roads South of Lewisham is a challenge, beyond Catford is more problematic - elevated above or underneath the South Circular, or through houses. Another option may be terminating at Bell Green rather than Forest Hill, which could be part of the regeneration of the area. We are already well served for Canary Wharf and beyond. Finally, the East London Line phase 2 project is an important new service for Southwark residents, complimenting phase 1 taking us to Canada Water, Shoreditch, and now Highbury & Islington.

Michael will be explaining how we hope to influence the Bakerloo line extension in our next edition.

NEW TRAIN SERVICES, FULL STEAM AHEAD?

HONOR OAK PARK WOES In spite of having a lot of money spent on the ticket hall and steps up to the road, Honor Oak Park Station continues to look like an abandoned building site. New benches have been provided, but some are behind fences! As a moderately disabled person, I find that it is not easy to get on/off either the Southern trains or the Overground ones. Why oh why did they not raise the level of the platforms to make it easier for every passenger to get on/off the trains while they were modernising the station? The slope has been stabilised and a ‘weed field’ established. Will this avoid any maintenance? Peter Irby, Transport sub-committee

TfL has quietly introduced an online Countdown bus information service for mobile phones and PC/Mac users. After testing has completed, this should enable you to find out approximate bus times by either typing in a bus route, postcode, bus stop name, bus stop code or if you have a smartphone, GPS will find your local stops for you. You can find the site on your mobile at http://m.countdown.tfl.gov.uk or on your computer

at http://accessible.countdown.tfl.gov.uk/

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0


SE23 ON SHOW A number of local historic buildings were open to the public on 17/18 September as part of the London Open House Weekend. Here we focus on one of our many gems.

The Capitol pub entertained a couple of hundred or so visitors, taking them around many of the original features. Opened in 1929, and now Grade II listed, this is the only remaining John Stanley Beard designed cinema in the country. In its heyday it sat 1,640 for films, variety shows and the Saturday morning childrens’ club. On the first day the queues went all around the building. It was the perfect location, as the comedy actor Frank Thornton (‘Are You Being Served’, and ‘Last of the Summer Wine’) recalls, being on the convergence of bus, tram and train. Planned for silent movies, it pioneered a new sound system where the speakers went behind the screen, which had 1000s of small holes made in it.

Visitors explored the balcony with all the seats still intact, and marvelled at the views over toward the Greenwich and the ‘Dome’. You can see one of the three resident ghosts in the previous picture. The architecture has been described as Art Deco Egyptian, but it is more Greco-Roman. The sensitive refurbishment was carefully agreed with English Heritage and Lewisham Council; the few original features not on show were carefully hidden, or where removed replaced by a sympathetic addition. It closed as a cinema in 1973, and as a bingo hall in 1986. Developers would have loved to get their hands on it, but J D Wetherspoons preserved it for public use for the foreseeable future. Many thanks to ‘the Bean’ (see picture below) for showing us around and hope he recovers swiftly after repeatedly climbing all those stairs. Some members will recall the tour the Society had in one of our pub crawls. Bean please keep looking for the keys to the projectionist’s room, and tell us when you find the original Compton organ, in its time the largest in the country.

The self build ‘Segal’ houses in Walters Way, that share many similarities with timber framed buildings from Elizabethan England, have now been on display at numerous open houses. Many have now been remodelled to provide a most eclectic mix, set-off perfectly on the slope of a wooded hill only spitting distance from Honor Oak Park station. Numerous Havelock Walk studios and The Horniman Park and Gardens were also open on the day, giving visitors the chance to see behind the scenes Last year we showcased Louise House, and in a years time this and the Pools may well be on the Open House list. We would be interested in hearing from others who may wish to be involved in next year’s event.

View from the top of the Capitol


MORE RETAIL THERAPY

Following our article in the last issue on new shops, we now feature some old favourites.

ON THE WALL Mirror Mirror, 25 London Road

Mirror Mirror Hairdressers, on the ‘boulevard’ side of London Road, has been styling the hair of Lewisham residents since 1994. Their hairstylists are all qualified and also colour specialists who take pride in their constantly updated skills. So if you feel like an autumn spruce up, pop in and be the fairest one of all.

ON THE FLOOR EJ Carpets, 1-5 Perry Vale

Established in 1974, E J Carpets is a family run business offering a wide variety of flooring including carpets, real wood, laminate and vinyl floorings As well as advice and sales they provide a friendly and professional installation service too. As members of the Carpet Foundation and accredited by the Office of Fair Trading, it seems we have a real gem on our doorstep.

ON THE GREEN Shannon’s Garden Centre 99-105 Stanstead Road

Henry Shannon started his landscaping company in 1959 and won major awards, including the '1988 Principal Award for Hard Landscaping Construction' awarded by the British Association of Landscapes Industries. This was for a project carried at Coin Street River Walk, SE1. He opened his garden centre in 1989 which was the realisation of a dream for Henry. It is now run by the next generation, and still has Henry Shannon in the background to see that it is run the 'correct way'. They are always happy to give customers advice on plants and flowers and will recommend suppliers for landscaping etc. They will also deliver if you just love gardening but can’t carry all your purchases. Shannon’s are very keen to play a part in the local community helping and advising on planting projects such as The Stanstead Strip. They have also been fundamental in getting the planting at Forest Hill station underway and this year helped the Forest Hill Society with the plants in the forecourt and on the platforms.


You can comment on any article in this newsletter on our website: www.foresthillsociety.com

Forest Hill Society Contacts

Chair— Richard Hibbert (07833 315563) [email protected] Vice Chair – Michael Abrahams (020 8291 6104) [email protected] Treasurer – Helen McAllister [email protected] Communications Officer—Alison Wadley [email protected] Secretary – Katherine Willett [email protected] For up to date information, please check our website: www.foresthillsociety.com

Newsletter Team Editor: Alison Wadley [email protected] Layout & distribution: [email protected]

Our sincere thanks to the contributors to this edition: Richard Hibbert, Michael Abrahams, Peter Irby, Martin Phillips, Jake Twyford, Charlie and Wadders. Please submit any articles for the next newsletter to the editor: [email protected], or Forest Hill Society, c/o 2 Perry Rise, LONDON, SE23 2QL. We look forward to hearing from you. All articles are subject to

ON YER BIKE Finches Ski Emporium

25-29 Perry Vale You can tell by the name that this is much more than a bike shop. Also a local, family run business, Finches has six different departments: Skiing, Snowboarding, Cycling and General Sports in the winter months, Skateboarding and General Sports in the summer months. They also trade online at www.finches-ski.com. Current customers will know that the shop front on Perry Vale leads you into a wonderful 200 square metres of beamed space filled with every type of gadget and accessory you could imagine. They also stock ice spikes for shoes and boots, essential for traversing the slopes of Forest Hill in the icy winter. Finches—by Royal Appointment!

Acoustic Mondays in the Hob (see page 2)

The weird and wonderful at Haverlock Walk (see page 5)


Forest Hill Society Standing Order Bank Details for Standing Order: Name of your bank/building society: ______________________________________________________________________

Address of your bank/building society: ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Account number ___________________________________ Sort Code ____________________________________________

Signed ___________________________________ Your Name __________________________________________ (please print)

To the bank: please pay the Forest Hill Society (HSBC Bank, Holborn Circus Branch, SC: 40-03-28, a/c no: *) the sum of £5 immediately, and then on the 5th of September each year with immediate effect and until further notice. This replaces any Standing Order in favour of the “Forest Hill Society”. [* We will fill in Account and Reference]

Please complete the forms and return to the Society at the address below; we will forward the instruction to your bank. Send the forms to: Forest Hill Society, c/o Belinda Evans, 2 Perry Rise, London SE23 2QL

Keep up-to-date with what is happening with the Forest Hill Society on our website:

www.foresthillsociety.com

If you would like to join the Forest Hill Society, recommend us to a friend or neighbour, or set up a standing order, please send the form below with your name, address and email to Belinda Evans at 2 Perry Rise, London, SE23 2QL. Thank you.

Are you a frustrated craftsperson? Do you get a kick out of DIY? Have you ever dreamt of building your own shelter in the woods? Do you watch those TV programmes about building your dream home and think “these people are buffoons!”; well the Devonshire Road Nature Reserve has just the thing for you! We need volunteers to build a greenoak shelter with a living roof at the reserve. We’ll be running carpentry workshops during the winter, cutting and shaping the green-oak frame for the building, making the mortice joints and bracing pieces and forming the curved roof timbers.

In the spring we’ll be clearing the site, casting the pad-stones ready for an Amish style ‘barn-raising’; a two-day buildfest to get the frame erected and the roof on. Finally we’ll be running hands-on workshops to build and plant the living roof (similar to the roof on the Horniman Museum). We’ll have seasoned professionals on hand to guide the work, but the building will truly be yours, something to look back on and say “I did that!”. Contact Jake on 020 8291 2272 or e-mail [email protected] to enrol.

WANTED! HANDYMEN AND LADIES FOR NATURE RESERVE

Jake and friends entertain at the summer picnic

Relaxing by the pond

Newsletter 20 - Autumn 2012

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