Forest Hill Society

Local Crime Survey

2012-01-27T11:09:00.001Z

The Safer Lewisham Partnership wants your views and your experiences of crime and anti-social behaviour in Lewisham. The results of the Lewisham Crime Survey will be used by the partnership, which includes Lewisham Council, the police, probation and fire services, health, and voluntary groups, to set its annual priorities. The online survey will only take a few minutes to complete.

Conservation Areas

2012-01-25T11:00:00.000Z

There are several conservation areas in Forest Hill. If you live in one, then there are certain impacts on your rights.

If you live in a flat or subdivided house, then you do not have permitted development rights and must seek planning permission to undertake changes to the exterior. This includes alterations such as such the erection of a satellite dish or replacing windows or doors. Check with the Council before making any external changes to your property.
If your property is affected by an Article 4 direction (see below), then this removes your permitted development rights and planning permission may be required for certain minor changes, such as the replacement of windows and doors or front boundaries. Check with the Council before proceeding with any external works.
It is an offence to cut down or wilfully damage any tree in a conservation area without prior written consent. A plant is considered a tree once it is over 1.2m tall with a trunk over 100mm in diameter. Applications are free, but should be made at least six weeks in advance.
If you want to demolish (or rebuild) a wall over one metre high, or demolish a building then you must first apply for a demolition notice, giving at least six weeks' notice. Consent for demolition is not normally granted where a building contributes to the character of the conservation area.
Commercial properties have limited development rights, and we recommend you talk to Lewisham's Planning department before undertaking any works. All shop fronts should comply with the Council's Shopfront design guide supplementary planning document.
A heritage statement is required for all planning applications affecting buildings in conservation areas and listed buildings (both nationally-listed and locally-listed), including applications affecting the setting of a building.

The following areas (some of which are not in Forest Hill) are identified in the map above. A detailed map of each area can be found by following the link:

16. Forest Hill

An Article 4 direction applies to the whole of the Forest Hill Conservation Area. The conservation area was originally designated in 1976 and extended in 1994 and in 2010. It now comprises an area of 45 ha which makes it the fifth largest conservation area within the borough. The area includes Benson Road, Bird In Hand Passage, Clyde Vale, Dartmouth Place, David's Road, Dorrel Estate, Havelock Walk, London Road, Manor Mount, Pearcefield Avenue, Waldenshaw Road, most of Wood Vale and parts of Dartmouth Road, Devonshire Road, Ewelme Road, Taymount Rise, Thorpewood Avenue, Westwood Park, Woodcombe Crescent and Waldram Crescent.

17. Stanstead Grove

Designated in 1975, this is the smallest conservation area in the borough, comprising ten properties in two terraces.

19. Sydenham Hill/Kirkdale

An Article 4 direction applies to Mount Ash Road. Sydenham Hill and Kirkdale Conservation Area was designated in 1976 and consists of three different character areas: Mount Gardens, Mount Ash Road and Lammas Green. Mount Ash Road to the south is a unique example of Victorian ‘byelaw’ housing designed as a set piece of identical three-storey terraces enclosing the road to both sides.

20. Sydenham Park

Comprising Albion Villas Road, Carlton Terrace, Redberry Grove, Shrublands Close and parts of Sydenham Park and Sydenham Park Road, Sydenham Park Conservation Area was designated in 1973 and has a peaceful Gothic revival character which retains a degree of original integrity. Development took place in stages during the latter half of the 19th century, with a mix of detached, semi-detached and terraced housing.

21. Halifax Street

An Article 4 direction applies to the whole of the Halifax Street area. This small area was designated in 1972 and consists mainly of one street comprising a group of tightly-knit mid 19th century semi-detached houses set behind small front gardens and a few properties on Wells Park Road.

22. Jews Walk

Jews Walk Conservation Area was designated in 1973, the area consists of semi-detached villas in a Gothic Revival style, exhibiting high quality craftsmanship.

23. Perry Fields

An Article 4 direction applies to specific streets in the Perry Fields Conservation Area which covers Allenby Road, Garlies Road and parts of Perry Rise, Priestfield Road and Woolstone Road. To check whether your street is covered by the direction contact Lewisham Planning on (020) 8314 7400 or planning@lewisham.gov.uk.

24. Sydenham Thorpes

An Article 4 direction applies to the whole of the Sydenham Thorpes Conservation Area which comprises the Thorpes Estate, an Edwardian development consisting of six roads laid out between 1901 and 1914 by Edmondson and Sons.

26. Cobb's Corner

Cobb's Corner Conservation Area is one of Lewisham's newest conservation areas and was designated in 2007 following lobbying by the Sydenham Society.

Canonbie A Capella Concert, One Tree Hill

2012-01-23T14:58:00.000Z

Hat Tip: Brockley Central

Forest Hill Burns Night - Thursday 26th January

2012-01-21T13:38:00.001Z

The Forest Hill Society is holding a Burns Night at the All Inn One, 53 Perry Vale, SE23 2NE, this Thursday.

The meal is from 7.30pm, and if you'd like to join us, please call the pub on 020 8699 3311 to book by Tuesday 24th (as they need to order the haggis). The cost is £16.95 pp for 3 courses and a wee dram.

There will be the traditional Address to the Haggis and this year a few people will read some poetry. Feel free to bring along something yourself and don't feel shy!

It would be lovely to have as many Forest Hillers (and Sydenhamites!) there as possible, so hope to see many of you, new & old to the area.

Bryn Coedwig

2012-01-19T13:18:00.000Z

Aber (or Bryn Coedwig, which is Forest Hill in Welsh) Outdoor Education Centre, a much loved centre that has been frequented by pupils and staff from Forest Hill School for over 40 years, is in desperate need of some attention.

Two ex Head Teachers are heading up the ‘Aber Action Team’ with local residents of Forest Hill and trying to get the community involved. The building is showing signs of fatigue and many, many years of wear and tear. Unless something is done now, the future of adventurous experiences for children at Aber will be under threat.

The Aber Action Team, which also includes several members of the Widehorizons Trustees, intends to spend a week at the centre from 27th February where they will be decorating and undertaking repairs. If you would like to help the team in any way, you can donate at AberActionTeam on Virgin Money Giving or contact the charity directly on (020) 8850 1581.

Mayow Park Orchard

2012-01-18T12:51:00.001Z

The Friends of Mayow Park are planning a new community orchard on the southern side of the park, very near the tennis courts. The proposal is for five apple varieties, three pears (including two varieties of perry pear) and two varieties of plum bordered by a hedgerow of mirabelles, gooseberries, raspberries, dog rose, redcurrants and blackcurrants.

They are looking for individuals or community groups to sponsor or care for the fruit trees. If you are interested in either possibility, please email them at friendsofmayowpark@ymail.com

Several of their members recently attended the Orchard Leaders Training day run by London Orchard Project where training included fruit tree planting and maintenance, community engagement and starting to write an orchard management plan in preparation for the new orchard.

London Orchard project will lead the community planting day on Saturday, 28 January from noon to 3pm, bringing trees, stakes, tree guards and tools. All that is needed is a few volunteers! Go along and get involved.

January News Update

2012-01-17T15:52:00.000Z

Burns Night

Thursday 26 January (a day late for purists – sorry)

Come along to the All Inn One for another great Forest Hill Society Burns Night. A traditional, and fun, evening of addressing the haggis, and then eating it with the usual tasty accompaniments.

“What a great night! The food was delicious and very reasonable. Great people and the entertainment a right hoot” Burns Night 2011 attendee.

We’re also looking for people to get involved in poetry reading on the night (Scottish accents a plus), bagpipe playing and highland dancing.

For details on booking and to offer your artistic skills contact alisa@foresthillsociety.com

The Society’s Local History Evening

Thursday 23 February

7.30pm – 9.30pm upstairs at The Hob

We’ve arranged for the fabulous Steve Grindlay to give a talk on an aspect of Forest Hill History. What Steve doesn’t know about Forest Hill isn’t worth knowing! Come and join us and learn more about this great place we live in.

Exact subject yet to be confirmed, but we’ll update you very soon. Open to all, no booking needed.

We need You

Membership to the Forest Hill Society is open to everyone and costs just £5 a year. Benefits include 12 newsletters, 12 local events - most free, assistance with planning proposals, making new friends in the local area and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to have a say about where you live.

We're a voluntary group and are always looking for people to help with what we do. We have great plans and we need people to help in a number of ways, most very simple and easy things -

Handing out membership leaflets in your street, or one close by
Distributing our newsletter four times a year, a chance to see different areas of Forest Hill, or maybe do your own road
Helping to write articles for the newsletter - either sending your own articles or helping with ones already written
Helping with leaflet design a few hours a few times a year.
Helping at events - not all, just one is a help - maybe baking a cake, helping on a stall or posting links on local forums

However you can help you'll find us friendly and supportive. if you want to find out more about volunteering with us contact richard@foresthillsociety.com

Freecycle Event

Saturday 25 February (11am - 3pm)

Holy Trinity Church Hall, Trinity Path, Sydenham

A Bring and Take event. Bring stuff you no longer want and, in return, take away stuff you do want. You really can get some amazing things - from CDs to clothes to toys to furniture. What’s not to like?

Trinity Path is between 35D and 37 Sydenham Park.

Planning: 10a, 29, and 31 Dartmouth Road

2012-01-06T20:17:00.001Z

The Forest Hill Society has objected to the plans for the change of use at 29 Dartmouth Road.
You can view the application here. And you can view the letter of objection here.

The unit now has the signage up for 'Cash City', although planning permission is required before the change of use is allowed.

The Forest Hill Society has objected to the plans for the change of use at 10a Dartmouth Road.
You can view the application here. And you can view the letter of objection here.

The Forest Hill Society has objected to the plans for an additional residential unit to the rear of 31 Dartmouth Road.
You can view the application here. And you can view the letter of objection here.

Christmas in Forest Hill

2012-01-06T17:54:00.000Z

This year saw Forest Hill Society decorate the Christmas tree for the second year, adding baubles and tinsel to the tree. The weather outside was chilly but that did not prevent crowds gathering in the forecourt of Forest Hill Station on December 10th to see Cllr Philip Peake lead the countdown to switch on the Christmas lights.

A string trio led the lusty carol singing as pleasantly surprised crowds gathered to sample the mulled wine, pumpkin soup and hot sausages on sale from Mark and Helen's Smokehaus tent (smokehaus5@hotmail.com) and coffee and cakes from Ellie's On the Hoof corner coffee stall.

If you would like to help remove the baubles, please meet at the station on Monday next, 9th January, at 2.00pm.

Our thanks go to LOROL for permission to partially close the forecourt to parking on December 10th and to Skanksa and their man Pete for providing the lights and making them work on time.

Recycle your Christmas Tree

2012-01-06T11:46:00.000Z

Lewisham will again be recycling Christmas Trees this year. Simply take your tree to one of 12 designated recycling points between now and Friday, 27 January 2012. The two nearest locations are Mayow Park (near the entrance on Mayow Road) and Sydenham Wells Park (near the entrance on Wells Park Road)

Planning: Hindsleyʼs Place and Westbourne Drive

2011-12-19T14:21:00.000Z

The Forest Hill Society has written in support of the planning application for live work units on Hindsleyʼs Place and Westbourne Drive.
The Forest Hill Society is interested in supporting well designed high quality buildings and appropriate development. In relation to this application, we write in support of it for two reasons:

The live/work units proposed provide a flexible and valuable building type that has been successfully demonstrated in the Forest Hill area at Havelock Walk and other developments. We are keen to support proposals that propose genuine live/work development such as this because they add to the richness of the area and support small scale employment opportunities.
The proposals are of a high quality and address concerns that have been raised to earlier proposals on the site. This development will make a significant improvement to Hindsleyʼs Place, in particular.

Planning: 33 Dartmouth Road - DC/11/78718

2011-12-19T14:20:00.001Z

The Forest Hill Society has written in response to this planning application to oppose the proposed change of use of 33 Dartmouth Road from A1 to A4.

Dartmouth Road has had a difficult few year, since the closure of the swimming pool in 2006, however with the reopening of the pool next year we have a strong belief that retail units on Dartmouth Road will be revitalised with the increased passing trade, especially on the route between the station and the pool. At this time we need to council to protect existing retail units so that as the fortunes of Forest Hill change there will be opportunities for new businesses to set up retail units on the high street.

This site is within the core shopping area of Forest Hill and is therefore covered by STC4: Major and District Centres - Core Shopping Areas
Within the Core Shopping Areas, the Council will strongly resist any change of use involving the loss at ground floor level of Class A1 shops. The following factors will be taken into account when considering exceptions:
(a) whether the proposal harms the overwhelming retail appearance of the shopping frontage, with an over-concentration of non-retail uses (normally 3 non A1 uses together and 70% maintained in A1 use);

In reference to STC 4a, this unit is next door to a pub and a pizza takeaway (currently closed). Changing this unit from retail to non-retail would harm the retail appearance of the road at this section.

We are also concerned about the proposed hours of operation including until 3am at weekend. This is later than any other pub in the area and feel it would be an unnecessary disturbance for neighbours.

With the existing concentration of pubs in the immediate vicinity, and new ones approved for opening directly across the road, we believe that this is not an appropriate use for this unit.

Burns Night 2012

2011-12-19T08:02:00.000Z

Following the success of previous years, our Burns Night celebration will again be held at the Foresters/All Bar One, near Forest Hill station.

Please note that this year, the evening will be on Thursday 26th January (a day late for purists, but please make a note in your diaries). If you would like to get involved in helping organise or addressing the Haggis, please contact alisa@foresthillsociety.com

Lighting Up in SE23

2011-12-14T11:56:00.000Z

Under a Private Finance Initiative, Croydon and Lewisham councils have appointed Skanska to improve street lighting across both boroughs including the underpass in Forest Hill. The councils won £151 million of government funding.

The project includes an initial five year core investment period where the main replacement of lighting stock, traffic signs and street bollards will be undertaken by Skanska, with an ongoing maintenance and repair programme until 2036. During this period, 20 subways will be relit, 38,000 new lighting columns (lamp posts) installed and over 7,000 illuminated traffic signs and bollards will be replaced on a ward by ward basis. Perry Vale is the first ward to be upgraded locally, with work expected to start in February. Forest Hill, Sydenham and Crofton Park wards follow in the second year of the contract.

The replacement programme takes many factors into account when considering whether to replace or upgrade the existing lighting including age, condition and compatibility of existing equipment. In many circumstances the roads undergo a complete re-design and positions of the columns may be changed as it's not always possible to integrate the existing columns in the new design layout.

Also, the new design sets light the footpaths in addition to the highway, which means that the majority of the lighting columns will be positioned at the back of the footpath where possible. Lighting on side roads will be converted to Iridium white light sources, rather than the current yellow, sodium lamps.

One of the major factors in the replacement programme is to reduce energy consumption, and a typical saving of 30-40% per road can be achieved by utilising the latest technology. It is also possible to detect faults quicker due allowing the street lighting to be maintained much more efficiently.

Localism and SE23

2011-12-13T21:11:00.000Z

The much talked about Localism Act will bring into force a range of changes that affect local authorities and planning. Much of this will come in to force on the 6 April 2012. This gives a greater role to local authorities under a 'general power of competence'. They will also be given greater powers to work with other councils in order to drive down costs and consider different ways of delivering services.

Some of the most revolutionary changes will be powers given to communities, such as the ability to challenge the running of Council services and propose cheaper alternatives, and the community 'right to buy' assets of community value. In terms of planning, communities will have a stronger role in developing planning policy through Neighbourhood Planning proposals, and a new requirement for developers to consult with the community on proposals before submitting a planning application.

Neighbourhood Planning
This lets communities have more of a say on proposals, allowing them (within reason) to draw up a 'neighbourhood plan'. In 'unparished' areas such as London, the community and Council will need to define what a 'neighbourhood' is and the best group to draw up a plan.

We have been working with the Sydenham Society on this. In September we organised an event to discuss the key issues. This focused around four locations: Forest Hill, Honor Oak, Kirkdale and Sydenham/Lower Sydenham. This went very well and a report has been produced and is available on our website. An area that we want to work on is to have better information about the specific character of the area so this can be used to inform decisions about new development.

Our next steps include meetings with Lewisham Council, and the organisation of a Neighbourhood Forum. Then we will be working on a programme of community workshops and events over the next 12-18 months and seeking funding support for this.

Man Dug Pond

2011-12-12T13:26:00.000Z

A new wildlife pond has arrived on Albion Millennium Green. ‘Man Digs Pond’ was the creation of local performer, Bruno Roubicek who collaborated with Friends of Albion Millennium Green to produce this unique community event.

The pond was constructed during 24 hours from the 5 – 6 November, accompanied by around 40 singers including a choir from Holy Trinity School and a community choir organised by Alix McAdams.

With around 21 volunteers and support in kind from such diverse sources as Theatre Royal Stratford East and Lewisham Green Scene, the event involved a big effort from many in Forest Hill and beyond, so thanks to all who helped, especially Mark Edwards who supplied the delicious food at cost price and Rosalind Meadows who helped out with some great pond plants and advice.

Two weeks later and the pond looks great. Lets hope we get some frogs in the Spring.

FOREST HILL WINS COMMUNITY AWARD

2011-12-11T08:54:00.000Z

Our exciting initiative of planting at the station and along London Road has been awarded a certificate in the ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ scheme.

We were assessed in the summer and awarded a 'thriving' status - one category (and only three points) down from 'outstanding'. An excellent first year attempt. The beds have also recently been planted with hundreds of spring bulbs, which will be an awesome display next year.

Well done and many thanks to Quetta Kaye and all the green fingered volunteers, and especially to those who laboured through the summer months hauling watering cans.

Thanks to Shannon's Garden Centre for donating plants, the Horniman Gardens for donating compost, Natures Gym for helping us break the back of the project by removing the old shrubs, Willmott Dixon for helping to repair some of the flowerbeds and LOROL for their encouragement and support in making this happen. Also thanks to Lewisham Council and the Forest Hill local assembly for providing funds.

See It, Report It!

2011-12-08T21:41:00.004Z

As part of our drive to improve the area, we encourage our members to report any fly tipping, graffiti or other problem to Love Lewisham (see a poignant example illustrated below). You can report anything from a faulty street light to a dead animal and the sooner it is reported, the sooner it will be removed - don't walk past it.

Reporting is simple and can be done in several ways.

If you have a smartphone and dataplan, download a free application for your phone. You can then take a photo of the problem and send it to LoveLewisham.org. The app automatically logs the location and a picture ensures that the correct team is dispatched to clean up the area, saving time and money.
Use the LoveLewisham.org website. Simply create an account or sign in with your Twitter, Facebook, AOL, Google, Yahoo or Windows Live ID (among others). Your password is secure and it is never sent to LoveLewisham. Once signed in, select the location on a map (or type it in), add a picture (if you have one), give them a few details (such as a description) and click the Add button.
By TEXT message or MMS. Just send a text or MMS message to 07725 20 20 20 with LCS in the Subject field or as the first part of the message. Include a picture if you can and give a description of the problem and the location. LoveLewisham will get back to you if they need more information.
Click on the 'Do It Online' tab, then 'Report It' on the Lewisham.gov.uk website complete the form.
Phone Envirocall on 020 8314 7171 and speak to a human.

Whilst it can sometimes take a couple of reports to resolve the problem, the Society has reported over 20 problems, which have all been resolved.

Membership Matters

2011-12-08T21:41:00.002Z

As I stated at the AGM, our priority for 2012 is building our membership and encouraging existing members to help where they can. With more members we can show wider community engagement and effect more change in SE23. With more members we can have a louder voice about where we live.

Some of our smaller campaigns take a lot of time, but do not require expert knowledge, just common sense. So how can you help?

Update your membership to include other family at your address. It's free!
Encourage your friends and neighbours to become members. Give them a voice too.
Let us know how we are doing. A postcard, email, tweet or poke are always welcome.

If you can spare some time then why not:

Help deliver newsletters. Each route is quite short and it's only four times a year
Grow a few plants for our "In Bloom" flower beds. Pick out litter or deadhead the plants when walking past (Everyone can tell the difference between plants and litter!)
Staff a stall at one of our events – even if only for an hour - or bake a cake.
Write an article for the newsletter on something you are passionate about.

So join in, make new friends and have some fun! As one member recently told me "The Forest Hill Society is the friendliest organisation I've ever joined; everyone just helps each other". Please contact me via 2, Perry Rise, SE23 2QL or by email at richard@foresthillsociety.com if you can help.

CAN YOU HELP?
The Society needs help for a number of projects in 2012. We need some help in designing leaflets and posters for various events we will be holding and campaigns such as our membership drive. We also need someone with experience in website development.

So if you are a graphic designer or website designer/developer and you'd like to help out on a voluntary basis then email richard@foresthillsociety.com for everlasting thanks.

Finally, I would like to welcome Martin and Richard C onto the Transport and Executive committees and thank Alisa and Alison for taking over as our new Treasurer and Communications Officer respectively.
Richard Hibbert, Chair, Forest Hill Society

Busy Time for Planning

2011-12-08T21:41:00.001Z

Your society has been very active looking at the many new applications for developments in the local area. Below are just a few that we have closely looked at with local residents.

The Old Bank (Honor Oak Park)
There were over 300 objections to the application by Dominos Pizza to convert the Old Bank restaurant to a pizza takeaway and delivery shop. Our main reasons for objecting were the poor use of a prime location which should be a retail unit. There were also concerns about the parking and noise generated by motorbikes which would serve the shop during peak hours, and changes to the signage that could be out of keeping with the area.

We were pleased that the council officers rejected this application and hope that the site will be back in use as a restaurant or retail unit soon.

Dartmouth Road
Two applications to convert retail units (A1) into offices (A2). Although this would bring empty shops into use, the council has policies to protect retail units in core shopping areas and conversion to offices would have a detrimental impact on this shopping area. We have therefore asked the council to reject the change of use.

Dartmouth Road has far too many empty shops. We hope that the opening of the pools next year will start to see a revitalisation of this important part of the town centre. Many members are concerned about the impact of empty shops which is why we successfully bid for funding to produce bright images for some of these empty shops. We are currently working with Horniman Museum on a range of images for shop fronts that will showcase the museum in the high street.

Hindsley Place / Westbourne Drive
A previous application for a six-storey building on this site was withdrawn by the applicant after concerns from neighbours. A new application was submitted for a three and four storey building on this site. This would include seven live/work units built by Jeff Lowe, who has a proven track record of delivering high quality live/work units in Havelock Walk and in other locations in Lewisham. We believe this is a good use of the site and have written in support of this development. It is rare for the Society to positively support applications but we consider that this will provide an additional hub for live/work in Forest Hill and will help develop Forest Hill as an artistic area.

David's Road
The Society objected to plans to demolish the gym replacing it with seven flats, as this provided poor quality living accommodation with a lack of natural light and windows facing onto the pavement. If you have concerns about planning applications in the local area please contact us at planning@foresthillsociety.com.

POOLS ‘TOPPED OUT’!

2011-12-08T21:41:00.000Z

Our years of campaigning are now visibly evident. On 28 October Forest Hill’s new pools were ‘topped out’ at a ceremony to mark the end of the main construction phase. The Society was invited to attend as a member of the Stakeholder Group. In a somewhat pagan ritual, Steve Bullock, our Mayor, Councillor Chris Best, Lewisham Cabinet Member for Community Services, Mark Tant, MD of builders Willmott Dixon and Ivan Parkinson, Finance Director of Fusion, poured salt, oil, water and corn into a carefully prepared recess in the concrete upper floor of the building.

We were assured that the offerings would be removed prior to filling the recess in order to ensure structural integrity.

We were surprised to find both of the new pools full of water – apparently this was to test for leaks. At a subsequent meeting of the Stakeholder Group, we were shown all the surface finishes that were to be used in the building. The main pools hall will largely be finished in a traditional pale blue colour with white tiling in the pool and dark blue lane markings.

The building is progressing well and should be sealed from the elements by the end of the year. Current plans are for completion by late spring with opening expected no later than early autumn 2012. (Fingers crossed that it will be ready for the Olympics!)

The stakeholder group had a presentation from Fusion about their management plans for Lewisham‘s leisure facilities in general, and Forest Hill in particular. As a company which is also a registered charity they are committed to returning any profits they make to the benefit of the sporting facilities they manage. They have considerable experience of managing local leisure facilities including Brockwell Lido, Dulwich Baths and Peckham Pulse. With a 15 year contract to manage most of Lewisham‘s facilities, they will be looking after more than 50 facilities in the area.

Forest Hill Returns to the 1970s

2011-12-08T21:40:00.001Z

After a suitable repast of Babycham and a cheese and pineapple hedgehog, the scene was set for Abigail’s Party, at St George’s Church, Vancouver Road, performed by the St. George’s Players.

It was well-cast with an excellent homage to Alison Steadman, with her fabulous gauche and gangly walk. The play was perfectly rehearsed with excellent timing and energy throughout. The story line builds from cringing moment to cringing moment to a fabulous crescendo of sexual tension, frustration and naiveté: set against the sublime character of Sue.

The performance was well lit and the costumes relevant to the decade. The gem of a set was a professional evocation of the era down to the hostess trolley, the 70s lamp and the wallpaper.

The venue is a great one, and lovely refreshments were served by other members and Players. St.George‘s Players put on two plays a year at the church in May and October and details can be found at www.st-georges-players.org.uk

Photo Competition

2011-12-08T21:40:00.000Z

Local award-winning photographer Paul Murphy chose the winning entries and the overall winning picture came from Yomsa, which showed Honor Oak in warmer times, with a well composed, black and white picture of One Tree Hill Allotments in the summer. Yomsa wins a £20 gift certificate from local delicatessen, Hills & Parkes – so hopefully can keep well stocked up with organic vegetables through the winter!

With only six participants, and a weighting towards pictures of snow, we have had a challenge creating the 12 month calendar!

Please look on the flickr site, http://www.flickr.com/groups/foresthillcompetition/ for the set of fantastic winning entries.

23 Night Out at the Foresters

2011-12-08T21:39:00.001Z

In the last newsletter we showcased the acoustic night on a Monday night at the Foresters/All Inn One.

This time it was electric when our very own Jake brought his band, Jonah‘s Raft, to the venue for our regular series of events on the 23rd of the month.

We had a great turn out and picked up a few new members while we were at it. Thanks to Lindsay, Andy and Vitor on guitars, Jake on cello and Christophe on cajon and percussion.

Even better connected SE23

2011-12-08T21:39:00.000Z

The transport committee remains active on many fronts. We continue to be a thorn in the side of the authorities on both the Forest Hill Station underpass and the rail bridge. The promised repairs to the underpass were well below the expected standard and we have now enlisted Cllr John Pashoud in our dealings with the council, and in turn, Network Rail. The repainting of the railway bridge also failed to meet expectations, and we are putting pressure on for this to be completed.

Honor Oak Park Station
Again, ongoing work has fallen well short of our expectations, in particular the embankment and the work on the platforms, which remain tatty. We'll ask Network Rail about landscaping plans for the embankment – if not, then we will be applying pressure to get this important wildlife reserve reinstated.

Lifts are still due at Honor Oak Park Station, probably in 2013 however, the lifts are of limited value if a step ladder is still required for the less agile to get onto and off trains! The step onto trains on platform one must be one of the largest on the network. We will shortly be down with our measuring stick, but it feels like a foot (24 cm). This presents a real challenge for anyone with luggage or a buggy let alone those with less mobility. Not really a good enough answer in the 21st Century.

As we go to press we are considering responses on a number of issues raised with LOROL – later running of trains, fare avoidance, longer platforms, five car trains and the staffing of the new Surrey Canal Road station.

We'll report in the next edition but meanwhile please do share your views with us.
transport@foresthillsociety.com

More tranquil times at Honor Oak. (picture courtesy of Steve Grindlay)

Improved Recycling in Lewisham

2011-12-05T10:48:00.000Z

Lewisham residents can now recycle a larger range of materials from the doorstep collection, now including: juice cartons, all plastics, aerosols, and clothes.

More information on Recycle for Lewisham web site

Christmas Delights

2011-12-03T20:44:00.000Z

Forest Hill Christmas lights
Saturday 10 December, 3.30 - 5pm, Forest Hill station forecourt
The Society invites young and old to see the lights switched on the Forest Hill Christmas tree and sing carols. Mulled wine, mince pies and more. Get some lovely festive cheer inside you.

Kirkdale Village Pop-Up ChristmasOn Friday 9 and Saturday 10 December, businesses and the local community are hosting a special event. Participating businesses will hold short sessions including singing, yoga, drumming, music, drumming and dancing. There'll also be theatre, fashions shows and more. Info at www.kirkdalevillage.net

Christmas Carols at Horniman GardensSunday 11 December, 5pm - 6pm
Due to on-going work, this will be a smaller event this year so bring your flask and mince pies! See:
http://www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/events/event/christmas-carol-concert-

Magic of Christmas Fair – Mayow ParkOn Sunday 11 December Grow Mayow Community Garden is holding a magical mix of all things festive for all the family from 12-4pm. Children‘s crafts, handmade gifts, carols and more.

New Year’s EveSaturday 31 December at The Railway Telegraph Stanstead Road. See in the new year with the one and only Tippa Irie in concert. 020 8699 6644
Tickets £10 in advance. Open until 3am

LOCAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS(All venues and times to be confirmed, check www.foresthillsociety.com for details)
Sat 28 Jan: Crofton Park Assembly (venue TBC)
Thurs 2 Feb: Perry Vale Assembly
Weds 22 Feb: Forest Hill Assembly
Tues 22 March: Perry Vale Assembly

Forest Hill Pools Topping Out

2011-11-02T08:29:00.000Z

Last week saw the Topping Out Ceremony for Forest Hill pools, with the main structure now completed. The project was 'topped out' by the ceremonial pouring of some wine, oil, corn and salt into a suitably prepared recess in the concrete of the first floor.

The pools have been filled with water for testing purposes, as can be seen in the photo. There is still lots of work to do with the building project expected to be completed in the Spring and the pools open to the public in September 2012.

More photos of the construction process can be seen on Flickr.

Devonshire Road Nature Reserve - Halloween special

2011-10-30T12:06:00.001Z

Planning: 51-53 Canonbie

2011-10-30T12:06:00.000Z

The Forest Hill Society has objected to the plans for a development at 51-53 Canonbie Road.
You can view the application here. And you can view the letter of objection here.

Since the submission of the objection some amendments have been included in the plans, in particular removing the parking from the rear of the property and adding three parking spaces to the front of the property, within two metres of ground floor bedroom windows. We have adjusted our objection to take account of these amendments.

Planting Spring Blubs

2011-10-25T11:00:00.000+01:00

Riverwork Days on the River Pool

2011-10-25T10:39:00.000+01:00

Information of Events from Thames 21
http://www.thames21.org.uk/events.html

October: 26th
November: 9th, 23rd
December: 7th

Join Thames21 in our new fortnightly Riverwork Days on the River Pool.

Learn how to support and manage our vital river systems by making a practical difference.
This an opportunity for people to get involved in a long-term project to enhance the character of the river, and make improvements to the river and bankside vegetation.
No experience necessary. All equipment, including safety boots, gloves and tools provided.

People of all age groups and abilities are welcome. Children under 16 need to be supervised by an adult.

TIME: 10.00am - 1.00pm
MEET: Meet at the bridge on Winsford Road, Bell Green, SE6. http://g.co/maps/r2er8

Planning: Old Bank in Honor Oak and 13 Church Vale

2011-10-14T08:34:00.002+01:00

The Forest Hill Society has recently objected to two planning applications in the local area.

Old Bank, 76-78 Honor Oak Park
Details of Planning Application for conversion to Domino's Pizza take away
You can read the full letter of objection here

13 Church Vale
Details of Planning Application for conversion of residential property to children's nursery
You can read the full Letter of objection here

AGM Minutes

2011-10-09T19:42:00.000+01:00

The following Officers of the Society were elected for a period of one year at the AGM on 6 October 2011.

Chairperson: Richard Hibbert
Vice-Chair: Michael Abrahams
Secretary: Katherine Willett
Treasurer: Alisa Owens
Membership Secretary: Belinda Evans
Communications Officer: Alison Wadley

Committee Reports:

Environment

Quetta Kaye gave a short presentation at which she summarised the activities of the Environment and Leisure subcommitte and outlined proposals for the next year.

Raising awareness of environmental issues through public events such as May Day and various Open Days at local nature reserves.
Had reached a different demographic by holding events at Dacres Road nature reserve as well as Devonshire Road
'Friends' groups were now up and running at Albion Millenium Green, Devonshire Road and Dacres Wood. It was hoped to start one for Garthorne Road too.
Money would be received from Ward Assembly for continuing Forest Hill In Bloom at the station next year. We had not yet heard how the results for this year.
There had been regular meetings with the Head of Lewisham's Environment and Waste Management team which had resulted in less bins on pavements in the Town Centre. There were still issues to be resolved.
Shannon's Garden Centre, Willmott Dixon and LOROL were thanked for their sponsorship of our 'In Bloom' entry
There would be a Christmas Tree in the Town Centre this year (funded from the Localities Fund) which we would be able to decorate again
There had been three 'Bring & Take' days during the year. These had proven very popular and there would be another in the spring
Lewisham's Environment department had said they would provide wildflower seed for the bank at Honor Oak Park station if we could organise people to broadcast the seed

Transport

Andrew Reid then presented the report of the Transport sub-committee.

The committee meets every 4-6 weeks
We continue to keep pressure on the relevant authorities to improve the standard of our stations and their surroundings.
We represent the community at Lewisham Transport Liaison Meetings and on the LOROL and Southern Passenger Boards
Platform extensions to 10 car are under way. Forest Hill platforms are now both being extended towards Croydon.
Network Rail claimed they had finished the works at Honor Oak Park and handed responsibility to LOROL. There were still areas which looked unfinished and we would raise this with LOROL
Work was supposed to have been completed on Forest Hill Subway, but the programme had slipped and Network Rail were refusing to refurbish steps or supply handrails. The relevant personnel at Lewisham and Network Rail were leaving shortly, so progress may be further delayed.
The December timetable would see 10 car trains running on some Southern services, but the 1725 and 1824 services were being withdrawn due to low passenger numbers on these badly spaced services.
The Olympics would impact train and bus services. The Overground should be running later evening service. A member requested that we lobby LOROL for later running ELL services, particularly at the weekend
In the near future, there would be:
- Possible cuts to our London Bridge service starting in December 2012. Southern will only be able to run 24 trains per hour into London Bridge instead of the current 30, but are unable/unwilling to tell us how this may affect us.
- Step free access at Honor Oak Park, Brockley and New Cross Gate as part of Access for All. The current date for this to be completed is December 2013.
- a new Franchise from 2015. We expect consultation on this to take place late next year
In the more distant future,
- Further extensions to the platforms for 12 car trains (for Thameslink)
- Direct service from East Croydon to Finsbury Park when Thameslink is completed in 2018
- Crossrail would provide step free access at Whitechapel
- The Overground would probably be extended to 5 car trains, with Selective Door Opening at Canada Water, Rotherhithe, Wapping and Shadwell.
- An extra two trains per hour have been proposed by TfL from Crystal Palace to Dalston Junction
- TfL are currently working on proposals for Tramlink to be extended from Harrington Road to Crystal Palace providing 6tph to Beckenham and Croydon.
- Tfl had produced draft plans showing the DLR being extended from Lewisham to Forest Hill via Catford
- Tfl had supported extension of the Bakerloo line via New Cross Gate, Lewisham and Catford to Lower Sydenham and Hayes
Despite these improvements, our line was still expected to be one of the most crowded by 2021
We had met with TfL London Streets and they had promised a number of improvements to the A205 South Circular including a right turn lane under the Railway Bridge onto Waldram Place and removing the loading restrictions outside Mirror Mirror on London Road.
We had met with Lewisham to discuss the abysmal gritting last winter. They would be providing chains for the griting lorries so that they could treat the hilly roads, among other improvements
Network Rail had told us that the A205 South Circular would be closed on 10 October so that the Railway Bridge could be repainted. It was not known whether this was an all day or early hours closure.
Live Countdown information is now available by sending a text to 87287 or online at m.countdown.tfl.gov.uk. This allows you to find out the times of the next bus at any bus stop by simply entering the bus stop number, which is displayed on a label attached to the bus stop.

Planning and Development

Hilary Satchwell explained how the Planning committee operated and ran through the various planning applications which we had objected to in the last year. Two current applications which had provoked strong local feelings included an application by Domino's Pizza to change the Old Bank in Honor Oak from A3 (Restaurant) to A5 (Takeaway) and Southwark's plans to use Honor Oak Rec for burials.

She then went on to discuss Neighbourhood Planning. We had recently run a very successful event in conjunction with Sydenham Society.

Communications and Membership

Alison Wadley gave a brief presentation on the activities of the Communications sub-committee and asked for feedback on the Newsletter. We had introduced PayPal as a means of payment this year and it was proving popular. Most people were paying extra to cover PayPal's fees.

Chairman's Report

Richard Hibbert then summed up before the elections of the Officers. This year had been one of less intense campaigning and more supporting of other single interest groups, such as the Friends of Honor Oak Rec due to our concentration on the Town Centre. We had persuaded Lewisham to put in a bid for the Outer London Fund, but this had been ultimately unsuccessful.

He went on to thank all members of the Executive for their contribution over the year, particularly Quetta, Charlie, Alison, Alisa and Hugh. He also thanked Peter, Liz and Helen who were stepping down this year for all their work.

Man Digs Pond

2011-10-09T10:28:00.000+01:00

An exciting event from our friends at Albion Millennium Green...

A Man will move.
A Man may sing.
A Man will not speak.
A Man may cry.
A Man will not leave until A Man has dug a pond.

Over 24 hours, A Man will dig a wildlife pond, complete with a garden bog area, flora and fauna and a rock garden for amphibians.

Start: Saturday 5th November 8.00pm
End: Sunday 6th November 8.00pm

Venue: Albion Millennium Green

From 1.00pm - 8.00pm on Sunday, delicious and great value bbq food for sale, (with veggie options).

This is a free event. The audience can come and observe A Man working for as long as they want. There will also be an opportunity to sing if you want to. School choirs and groups and individuals of mixed singing ability will sing a song or two as an accompaniment to the action. From 1.00pm till 8.00pm Sunday you can just turn up and sing anything you want. As long as there is nothing offensive in the lyrics. There will be no amplified sound, so no microphones. Feel free to bring an acoustic instrument. Out of respect to the neighbours there will be no drumming after dark.

Getting There:
Entrance at the end of Albion Villas Road. London. SE26 4DB.

Forest Hill Society AGM 2011

2011-10-02T20:02:00.000+01:00

Thurs 6 October, 7.30pm Upstairs at The Hob (opposite Forest Hill Station)

Come along and find out what your local community group achieved this year and what's 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 please email richard@foresthillsociety.com

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 alison@foresthillsociety.com and we’ll be in touch as and when.

Date for your Diary

2011-10-02T18:35:00.004+01:00

Sun 23 Oct 11am-3pm: Open Day at Dacres Wood Nature Reserve
Sun 30th Oct - 2:30pm : Spring Bulb Planting at Forest Hill Station

Sat 5th Nov - Sun 6th Nov, 8pm-8pm: Man Digs Pond, Albion Millennium Green

Weds 12 Oct 7pm: Perry Vale Ward Assembly, Forest Hill School, Dacres Road, SE23 2XN
Tues 1 Nov 7.30pm: Forest Hill Ward Assembly, (venue TBC)
Weds 9 Nov 7pm: Crofton Park Ward Assembly (venue TBC)

Success at Assembly!

2011-10-02T18:33:00.002+01:00

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.

APPALACHIANS AT FOREST HILL

2011-10-02T18:31:00.002+01:00

Richard and Julia have been running the Foresters for over ten years 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: davermarshall@yahoo.com. 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.

FHS MONTHLY OUTINGS!

2011-10-02T18:30:00.001+01:00

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 23 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. 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.

Chair's Report - September 2011

2011-10-02T18:28:00.002+01:00

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.

Five Years on and Still Going Strong

2011-10-02T18:25:00.004+01:00

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 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!).

NEW TRAIN SERVICES, FULL STEAM AHEAD?

2011-10-02T18:23:00.003+01:00

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 right) 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 below) 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.

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

2011-10-02T18:21:00.001+01:00

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/

HONOR OAK PARK WOES

2011-10-02T18:20:00.001+01:00

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?

SE23 On Show

2011-10-02T18:10:00.004+01:00

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 ‘Bean’ 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.

WANTED! HANDYMEN AND LADIES FOR NATURE RESERVE

2011-10-02T18:08:00.003+01:00

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 jake@foresthillsociety.com to enrol.

MORE RETAIL THERAPY

2011-10-02T17:47:00.005+01:00

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 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.

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 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.

Honor Oak Rec deadline. Act now!

2011-09-28T14:54:00.000+01:00

The consultation process by Southwark Council is almost over - you have until Friday to submit your questionnaire. If you have not already done so, the questionnaire can be completed online at Southwark's website.

About 150 people attended last weekend's Public consultation event at the Rec and the questions and comments gave the loud and clear message to the council :
that our community want the Rec to stay as an open green space, to be improved and not used for burial.

We recognise that the passing of loved ones is an emotional affair and that people need to visit graves to grieve, but are also cognisant of the fact that we have limited space locally for the living and the deceased. We are not against burial, but urge Southwark (and Lewisham) to follow a sustainable policy which does not consume valuable amenity space; the previous extensions of Camberwell New Cemetery were supposed to last many years and yet are already full. Using the remaining space of Honor Oak Rec will merely delay the inevitable day when there is no more burial space available in Southwark and Lewisham - it is not a solution to the problem. In 2007 the Government stated it was supporting London boroughs in the reuse of burial grounds that are more than 75 years old.

Our suggested answers

How often do you visit the cemeteries or crematoriums in Southwark?: Enter frequency of visits to all Southwark cemeteries and Honor Oak Rec (which is part of Camberwell New Cemetery from the viewpoint of this questionnaire)
What is the reason for your visit(s)?: Tick all that apply
Do you have a preference for burial or cremation?: Answer truthfully. Obviously, if you say burial, then more burial space is required.
If you have chosen burial as a preference please let us know what would be important to you when selecting a cemetery plot: If you chose burial, then explain that you want a sustainable solution, encouraging grave reuse by lift-and-deepen. The Church of England recommends grave reuse after 50 years in its Churchyards' Handbook.
Do you feel it is important for Southwark Council to continue to provide burial space for its residents: If you feel that Southwark should provide burial space, then stress that this should be either by reuse of existing space, or by provision of new space outside the Borough
Please rate the following options in order of those you feel most appropriate for the future of burials in the borough. Please number your preference from 1 to 8 with 1 being your first preference and 8 being your least favoured option.: A. Re-use of common graves - 1
B. Re-use of private graves - 2
C. Use of burial chambers - 3
D. Find burial site outside of Southwark - 6
E. Share other cemetery or buy privately - 4
F. Find shared land with other councils - 5
G. Use some/all of Honor Oak Recreation Park - 8
H. Stop burying in Southwark Providing a burial service is not a statutory responsibility. - 7
Add comments stating the need for any Burial policy to be sustainable. Also note that when Camberwell New Cemetery opened, there was plenty of green space in the Borough and this is no longer the case; burial space should not be provided at the expense of amenity space.

The campaign to preserve the Rec is being supported by Fields in Trust as well as the Friends of Honor Oak Rec.

Apple pressing afternoon at One Tree Hill

2011-09-28T12:22:00.000+01:00

The One Tree Hill allotment society have their annual apple pressing afternoon on Saturday, 1st October, between 1pm and 5pm. All are invited to go along and join them “chop/ mash/ scrat/ press apples into lovely fresh juice for you to drink".

It’s a free event at the One Tree Hill Allotments, just off Honor Oak Park. Entry is by the top side gate on Honor Oak Park. See this map for the location (marked “ALLOT”) or email london_cider@btinternet.com for further information.

'Bring and Take' day - Saturday 24th September

2011-09-15T15:32:00.002+01:00

The Forest Hill Society is organising a 'Bring and Take' day on Saturday 24 September 2011, 11.00am to 3.00pm, at the Dacres Wood Reserve Field Centre, off Dacres Road SE23.

BRING: usable items you no longer need
eg bicycles, push-chairs, books, toys, CDs, DVDs, tools, small items of furniture, musical instruments, good‑quality clothing, electrical goods, kitchenware etc

TAKE: items you will find useful

This isn’t a swap so you don’t need to match a Bring item with a Take item. Bring and Take whatever you like but remember, the more items people bring the more there will be take away!

Please note: Items you bring should be in good working order.

In addition, Lewisham Council are providing a van for the collection of WEEE waste (electrical and electronic equipment), so if you have any electrical items that no longer work you can bring them along to be disposed of properly.

How to find the Dacres Wood Field Studies Centre:
Entry to the Field Centre is off Dacres Road, between Catling Close and Homefield House, near the junction of Dacres Road and Silverdale. An unmarked driveway leads directly to the Field Centre from Dacres Road. Parking is available on Dacres Road and other nearby roads.

The Nature Reserve won't be open but the Forest Hill Society are organising an Open Day on Sunday 23 October 2011.

View Larger Map

Open House Weekend in SE23 - 17th-18th September 2011

2011-09-11T16:15:00.000+01:00

Havelock Walk Open Studios
Saturday and Sunday 12pm-6pm.

Tour of the landscaping of Horniman Gardens- Sat - 2pm-4pm.
More details

The Capitol - Sat 10am-5pm/Sun 10am-5pm.
Regular architectural tours including behind-the-scenes to largely untouched first floor area. Pre-book ONLY on 020 8291 8920. Last tour 4pm.

Walter Segal self-build house with eco-refurbishment
8 Walters Way, Honor Oak Park SE23 3LH - Sun 1pm-6pm.
Regular tours, first come basis.

What is Neighbourhood Planning,and why might it be relevant for us?

2011-09-10T08:01:00.003+01:00

The Forest Hill Society and The Sydenham Society invite you to a neighbourhood planning workshop on 21 September 2011 at 7.30pm, Upstairs at The Hob (opposite Forest Hill Station).

You may have heard about a range of changes to The Planning System that the Government are proposing. One of the positive things to come out of the draft legislation is the proposal for Neighbourhood Plans that allow communities to put together their own vision and plan for the future in a way that can then become planning policy.

The Forest Hill Society and the Sydenham Society are hosting an event on the 21st September at the Hob to consider the neighbourhood planning proposals, to discuss how it might be relevant for Forest Hill, Perry Vale and Sydenham and whether it is something we should to do. The idea is that the event gives information about Neighbourhood Planning and Localism, but that it also focusses on the specifics of the areas we are interested in and gets people to think about what could change for the better and what the key issues might be?

We want to include people who don't know anything about this at present but who are simply interested in the area(s). We don't have a set view about whether a Neighbourhood Plan is the answer or not yet, or how it would work, but understanding the issues behind this is one of the purposes of the event. We particularly want to attract people with good ideas and thoughts about what could be done to improve the area.

The meeting is open to all, from SE23, SE26, and those further afield who are interesting in what neighbourhood planning might mean to them.

Perry Vale Energy Savers - Launch Event

2011-09-03T10:06:00.002+01:00

Time: September 13, 2011 from 7pm to 9pm
Location: Kilmorie School, Kilmorie Road, London SE23 2SP
Organized By: Susan Wise and Lewisham Council

Perry Vale residents (see map of Perry Vale Ward) have been awarded funding from the GLA to improve energy efficiency in their homes.

Participating households will receive a visit from a professional energy advisor who will asess which energy and water saving devices residents can benefit from, install them and offer practical advice on how to reduce energy use, The scheme is open to everyone in Perry Vale, is completely free with no obligation on the resident's part.

Please attend and learn how to save energy and reduce your energy bills!

Cross Post from Love Perry Vale.

Planning: 15 David's Road and 2 Radlet Avenue

2011-08-31T21:52:00.005+01:00

The Forest Hill Society has recently objected to two planning applications in the local area.

15 David's Road
Details of Planning Application
You can read the full letter of objection here

2 Radlet Avenue
Details of Planning Application
You can read the full Letter of objection here

Forest Hill Society wins Funding from Ward Assembly

2011-08-15T10:04:00.005+01:00

The Forest Hill Local Assembly yesterday 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 look to improve facilities in the Horniman Triangle play park with the addition of two new sets of equipment; Swings for young children and Games Tables for everyone.
The Games Tables will allow park users to play table tennis on sturdy outdoor tables. Similar tables are well used in Dulwich Park.

The two other projects look at improving the environment around the town centre. The first continues to flower planting that the Forest Hill Society started around the station and opposite Horniman Museum. The new funding will allow us to continue to maintain the flowers in these locations and expand the scheme to other locations in the town centre, as well as improving watering facilities at the station, to make maintenance 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.

River Walk

2011-08-08T21:53:00.005+01:00

Sunday 21st August, start time 11am
Start point: Bell Green, on Stanton Way, between Sainsbury's Petrol Station and the Southend Lane bridge. Map at http://bit.ly/q9Dt7I
Join us for a walk along the Rivers Pool and Ravensbourne to Ladywell Station. Walking time will be 60-75 minutes.

Picture from here © Copyright Stephen Craven.

Stolen Property in Lewisham

2011-08-06T23:42:00.001+01:00

Lewisham police have recovered a number of suspected stolen items of jewellery and are using Flickr.com in an attempt to re-unite the items with their rightful owners.

The Burglary Squad in Lewisham have photographed all of the property including watches, charms, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, rings and earrings and posted them on the Metropolitan Police's Flickr page in the hope that those owners will come forward to identify them. They are also using traditional methods to try and return the missing property, including sending letters out to victims of crime who have reported their jewellery stolen through a robbery or burglary.

It is hoped that the Flickr set entitled "Gold jewellery recovered by Lewisham Burglary Squad" will allow the public to search through pictures of the stolen items to try to identify anything that might belong to them.

If you do believe any of the stolen jewellery could be yours, you are asked to contact PC Aaron Barr during office hours (8am - 4pm) on 020 8284 5040 or alternatively email Aaron.A.Barr@met.police.uk to arrange to view the property at Lewisham Police Station.

Please note:
- You should only get in touch if your property was stolen prior to 4 July 2011
- You may be asked for identification, proof of ownership and be required to make a statement

Wacky Olympics - Saturday 20th August - Mayow Park

2011-08-02T21:26:00.005+01:00

Information has been sent to us regarding a fun local event in a few weeks time, and all for a good cause....

Wacky Olympics – Mayow Park, Saturday August 20

Lewisham’s first ever Wacky Olympics – a family sports day with a funny twist
Date: 20th August
Location: Mayow Park, Sydenham (SE26)

Bring your trainers and winning attitude and join us for fun, laughter and games to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Take part in the space hopper and two people sack races. Get stuck together and go under in twin limbo & many many more silly competitions for the whole family.

Time: Opening ceremony for the Games begins at 12pm and ends at 3pm. To get involved in the games, contestants are encouraged arrive earlier to register.

Other activities include:
· Bouncy castle
· Food and refreshments
· Beat the goalie
· Face painting and arts and crafts and nail art
· A raffle

Entry for the games: £3 adults. £2 for children
Concessions: none

WHY I AM ORGANISING THIS EVENT
I’m a 33-year old L&Q resident from Forest Hill, who, had a clean bill of health and used to go to the gym 5 days a week. I was working as an Associate TV Producer for C4 until September 2009, when I was diagnosed with a rare form of Leukaemia after going to Lewisham Hospital for a routine blood test. On diagnosis, I was given a 20-40% chance of survival and spent four months in hospital isolation receiving chemotherapy. I’ve had to give up working to have 2.5 years of cancer treatment have had 72 blood transfusions to stay alive. Without the help of Macmillan Cancer Support, I would have probably lost my home. To show my enormous gratitude for the financial generosity received from the charity, I want to raise money for Macmillan Cancer to help other families affected by this disease.
Where is the money going to:
I aim to raise £5000 which will to Macmillan Cancer Support. In the process of trying to restrict the funds to local Macmillan services to support local people affected by cancer.

Alternatively you a can make a donation on
http://www.justgiving.com/Bengu-Shail0

Forest Hill Localities Fund

2011-08-01T22:09:00.000+01:00

The Forest Hill Society has submitted four bids for funding from the localities fund in the Forest Hill ward. We selected four projects that we believe are of particular importance to the local area and fit with the assembly priorities.
1. Empty Shops - Horniman themes posters - £1,600
2. Flowers for the town centre and watering facilities in the station forecourt - £3,800
3. Swings for the Horniman Triangle - £9,500
4. Games Tables (Table Tennis) for the Horniman Triangle - £4,000

In addition there are a number of other excellent applications from other organisations to improve facilities and services within the ward. All of the project will be put to the vote on Sunday 14th August at 2pm at Sydenham School on Dartmouth Road. Please come along and vote for your favourite projects.

More Dates for your Diary

2011-07-26T22:19:00.002+01:00

Sunday 21 August: Society Walk - Waterlink Way from Bell Green to Ladywell
An opportunity to join us to explore a little known, but rather pretty, river and parkland on the edge of Forest Hill.

Saturday 24 September: Freecycle/Bring and Take event at Dacres Wood Nature Reserve
Following successful freecycle events in Devonshire Road Nature Reserve, we bring this concept to the other side of the railway.

Thursday 6th October: Forest Hill Society AGM
You chance to vote for the next committee and to get more involved yourself. Guest speaker to be confirmed.

Sunday 23 October: open day at Dacres Wood Nature Reserve
Another opportunity to explore Dacres Wood and ponds. Quite possibly the site of one of Shackleton's first expeditions, when he should have been in school!

Outer London Fund bid

2011-07-21T08:00:00.000+01:00

On June 13th, the Outer London Fund which had previously been announced by Boris Johnson, went live. This is a £50m fund to boost regeneration and rejuvenate town centres at the very heart of local London communities. The funding will be distributed in two rounds; up to £10m in Round One, the remainder in Round Two.

Round One applications had to be made through the Boroughs, so we held meetings with our local councillors and Lewisham. Thanks to our approach, Lewisham have now applied for Forest Hill as one of their places. We should hear in August whether they have been successful.

We are very excited by this as the Fund is aimed directly at the issues we have been campaigning on including letting empty units, greening of the Town Centre, better signage, improved environment, Pop Up events and removal of street clutter.

The second round will continue the package of support, adding more places and shifting the balance towards more substantial physical projects that can deliver lasting improvement. Round Two applications are required by midday on 14th October 2011 and are limited to £2M per place. We will continue working with Lewisham to develop their bid for Round Two.

Save Honor Oak Rec

2011-07-20T13:29:00.000+01:00

Southwark Council are currently undertaking the promised public consultation on the future of their cemeteries, including the possible use of Honor Oak Rec.

They would like to involve as many residents and councillors from Southwark and Lewisham as they can to take part, so please submit your views online now.

There is no end date listed on their website, so act now to make sure your voice is heard!

Act swiftly!

2011-07-20T10:14:00.000+01:00

Work on the Horniman Gardens project began at the start of this year and although there has been a lot of disruption, great progress has been made. The £2.3 million project will improve access and repair tired infrastructure and facilities, install new facilities for the community, and help to unlock the educational potential of the Gardens and their links with the Museum's collections, by exciting new interpretation and planting schemes, and a purpose-built learning and community centre - now known as the Pavilion.

While most of the funding has been secured, the Horniman are still looking for further funds to complete the project. Joe Swift, garden designer, presenter of BBC TV's Gardener's World and Patron of the Horniman, has donated an hour's consultation to a charity auction. You can now bid online, but hurry as the auction closes at noon on Monday 25th July. They are hoping to raise £1000, so dig deep! All proceeds from the auction will go to the Horniman Gardens Appeal.

Please note that the consultation, which is for up to an hour, is limited to gardens within the M25 and must be taken by 31st July 2012.

To find out more about the progress of the project, click here.

Capital Clean Up

2011-07-19T18:20:00.000+01:00

If you are at a loose end tomorrow or on Saturday, then why not lend a hand to Capital Clean Up.

Following on from last year's success, they have already run eight sessions this year, cleaning various areas including tidying the path opposite Sainsbury's in Forest Hill, and have a couple more sessions remaining.

The first is at Willow Way on Wednesday 20 July from 10 am to noon. Simply turn up if you would like to help. The clean-up involves removing overgrown vegetation and weeds, cleaning off graffiti (where possible), removing flyposters and clearing and sweeping litter. Lewisham council will provide necessary PPE such as hi-viz jackets and gloves but please bring your own sturdy boots and old clothes.

The final session is at Sydenham Garden's De Frene Road Allotment Site on Saturday 23 July from 10 to 2 pm. Apart from the usual volunteers, this event will be joined by 35 members of the Fourth Monkey theatre group and members of the local Safer Neighbourhood Team. Due to the numbers expected, please take suitable gloves with you.

Paypal

2011-07-13T12:51:00.000+01:00

We are delighted to announce that we are accepting PayPal once more as a way to pay your membership fees, so if you have been putting off joining because it was too much hassle, now is the time to act.

Your membership fees help to pay for the newsletter and to cover any expenses involved in putting on the various events and activities we organise during the year.

Joining is easy. Simply follow the instructions on our Membership page. If you had previously signed up using Paypal, there is no need to take any further action.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

2011-07-09T21:37:00.001+01:00

Sydenham Arts Festival Fri 1 July – Sat 9 July

All over the place!

Havelock Walk Open Studios Event Sat 16 – Sun 17 July 11am–5pm: Havelock Walk

Crofton Park Assembly Fri 15 July 12.30 - 9.00pm: Community Carnival, Courtrai Road, SE23 1PL

Forest Hill Assembly Sun 14 August 2.00 - 4.30pm: Sydenham Girls’ School

Perry Vale Assembly: TBC

A Right Royal Do

2011-07-09T21:35:00.001+01:00

On Friday 29 April, the Forest Hill Society held a party on Dartmouth Road to celebrate the nuptials of the now Duke & Duchess of Cambridge as well as a day off work for many!

Antic, who will run the old Post Office, provided a pop up pub venue offering beer, cider and sausage rolls, whilst FHS set to sprucing up the space outside with flags and bunting (and undertaking some much needed weeding!).

The event was well attended with Forest Hilliers getting into the spirit, enjoying the sunshine, sharing cakes and sandwiches as well as partaking in games - guess the weight of the cake, pin the crown on the princess and decorating paper plates. The gorgeous sunny afternoon was a lovely show of community spirit and enjoyed by everyone. Here's to next year and the Queen’s Jubilee!

The Pools Progress

2011-07-09T21:33:00.001+01:00

As the Forest Hill Pools are replaced over the next year or so, we’ll hear from members of the team involved in the improvements. This issue we speak to Bill Duke, structural engineer on the Forest Hill Pool’s rebuild

What is your role on the pools project?

I am the structural engineer – which basically means making sure it doesn’t fall down!

What sort of projects do you normally work on?

All sorts of developments including schools, hospitals, factories, retail and leisure projects. This is the fifth pool I’ve done; the last one was the Corby East Midlands International Pool which won a number of awards. It will be an Olympic training venue.

What do you think is the most exciting aspect?

I think any project like this has a major positive impact on the local community and playing a key role is very rewarding

What will be your personal biggest challenge?

As structural engineers we must deliver the design and details to meet the build program and this is always a challenge, particularly on a ‘wet leisure’ type project

How much involvement will you have in the pools project during the construction?

I’ll visit site every two to four weeks and at key steps. Our team will have a heavy involvement in the early stages whilst the building gets off the ground.

What sort of projects are you most interested in?

I’ve done many projects but I find the most challenging are the most rewarding. They are not necessarily ‘high profile’ jobs. I led a team of up to twenty over a two year period in the design and construction of a major factory extension. Contractors worked round the clock to complete it and it was quite invigorating.

Which of the facilities in the new pools complex would you be most likely to use?

Definitely the swimming pool!

ST AUGUSTINE’S

2011-07-09T21:32:00.000+01:00

February 5 this year saw the launch of a new exhibition ‘Changing Faces’ telling the story of the life of One Tree Hill, St Augustine’s Church and the people connected with it. As time has moved on, so has the building which is now in desperate need of repair.

Changing Faces launched a major fundraising campaign to save this iconic landmark, and the plans are to develop as a key venue at the heart of the local community; the exhibition is still on show in the studio space.

St. Augustine’s is also about to launch a new project called The Green Rooms which will focus on the areas of the Arts, quiet and meditation and the natural and built environment. Through performances, workshops and community volunteer days we want to serve and celebrate our local community as well as connecting faith and the world around us.

There are many more exciting projects planned. If you would like to be involved in any of the fundraising projects, donate further archive material to the exhibition or would like to hear more about The Green Rooms, please e-mail info@augustaineonetreehill.org.uk

A SIGN OF DAYS GONE BY!

2011-07-09T21:30:00.001+01:00

Commuters may have seen the original rear signage that was revealed for the first time for decades during recent building work. This can be seen from the train line. Sadly the brewery has gone, and so may the public house.

Chair's Report

2011-07-09T21:28:00.002+01:00

Five years ago, on 23 May 2006, a group of people who had met through a local forum got together at the Dartmouth Arms and put into motion the formation of the Society.

A few months later, they had delivered 10,000 leaflets throughout SE23 and surrounding roads, held the first Annual General Meeting and published the first newsletter.

Since then, the Society has achieved a lot. Notable highlights include a successful campaign to retain the swimming pools on Dartmouth Road, persuading Southern Railway that we needed at least five trains per hour in the evening peak and a respected presentation at the Tyson Road planning enquiry.

Other highlights include:

Organising evenings out, history talks and nature walks
Campaigning to improve park facilities at Horniman Triangle and Honor Oak Rec
Keeping the rear stairs open from platform 2 at Forest Hill station
Responding on a range of planning applications in the local area
Decorating the Christmas Tree in Forest Hill
Planting the raised beds outside Forest Hill station and entry into the RHS "It's Your Neighbourhood" scheme
Pop Up Forest Hill, an evening when we matched drummers with estate agents, puppets with pubs and generally created a buzz in Forest Hill

There is also the less glamorous attending of Council and other meetings, ensuring that our local needs are heard and addressed. We continue to push for improvements to the underpass and the high street environment, better winter gritting and preservation of Honor Oak Rec. Thank you for your support - please spread the word and encourage your friends and neighbours to join.

POP UP TWO

2011-07-09T21:27:00.000+01:00

Following the huge success of our Pop Up event last December, we are now organising a second event to bring a buzz to Forest Hill, again matching artists and venues, shops and customers, locals with something new. There will be more information over the coming months.

In the meantime, we are keen to hear from businesses interested in getting involved, artists wanting to find a venue or local groups or parties willing to help get involved with organising this.

You can get in touch with us via chair@foresthillsociety.com

LET’S KEEP SNAPPING

2011-07-09T21:24:00.001+01:00

The Forest Hill Society digital photo competition is still open. With its fabulous views and eclectic mix of old and new, there are sure to be some fantastic images to be found in Forest Hill. Pictures can be of any part of the area and taken at any time of day, night or year.

There will be 12 winning photos selected which will then go on to form the Forest Hill Society Calendar 2012, which will be available for everyone to buy. Winners will be notified and presented with an award at the Forest Hill Society AGM in November.

Entrants can submit as many digital pictures as they like to www.flickr.com/groups/foresthillcompetition

Every submission must be accompanied by an e-mail sent to PhotoComp@foresthillsociety.com with your name, address, phone number and photo ID/name.

The closing date is 15 October 2011 and the final 12 photos will be chosen on 30 October. The competition will be judged by Paul Murphy, local resident and winner of the ‘Rose Award for Photography’ Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2010. Paul is the second person ever to win this award.

Please read the rules for copyright and privacy issues. Full competition rules can be found here

The competition is only open to digital photographs. We hope to be able to accept printed images in the future.

DIGGING FOREST HILL STATION

2011-07-09T21:19:00.002+01:00

Eighteen volunteers joined members of the Forest Hill Society in replanting Forest Hill station’s forecourt, as the Society’s entry to the London in Bloom ‘It’s your neighbourhood” category’.

Many of the volunteers became involved through leaflets or were just passing by on the day. Expert help was also given by the head gardener of the Horniman Gardens, Shannon’s Garden Centre and Lewisham’s Green Scene.

Judging will take place in mid-July so we need to make sure that the forecourt continues to look its best.

Constant watering will be needed for the coming summer months, plus occasional weeding, a watering rota of eight regulars has been established but additional volunteers would be really welcomed.

The beds have suffered a little from littering, even with bins right next to the beds, so if you feel like helping you could help here, or with dead heading, then please do.

LOROL have been very supportive of the scheme and have now agreed that the Society can use a bed on platform 1 and we plan to plant bulbs in autumn for a delightful spring display

Posters were kindly donated by Willmott Dixon

Honor Oak Park Station

2011-07-09T21:18:00.000+01:00

Station users will be delighted that the new and improved stairs are now open. They also include a second hand rail for children.

The re-grading of the bank up to the Southwark cemetery land continues and, once the planting on the bank develops and matures, the station should feel very much more pleasant than before, hemmed in with ugly fencing and the overgrown cutting.

Unfortunately, we continue to get no answers to our questions about exactly what is planned for the future of the station, although London Overground have indicated that lifts may be provided in the period 2012-2013. We are seeking confirmation of this information. With a platform to train step of around 15 inches, disabled access to trains will still be difficult without the use of a ramp.

As the major works at the station come to a close, we expect London Overground to complete their ‘Phase 3’ upgrade which includes total re-painting, new signage etc; smart new benches have appeared on the platforms which are very welcome.

TUNNEL VISION

2011-07-09T21:16:00.003+01:00

Plans for refurbishment of the Forest Hill Station subway are finally beginning to come together thanks to the efforts of Lewisham Council’s nominated officer.

Details of the new cladding and lighting for the subway are being finalised and Network Rail will undertake surfacing and drainage improvements to co-ordinate with the installation of the cladding and lighting.

Unfortunately, it is anticipated that the works will require the subway to be closed for around two months to allow the refurbishment to take place.

We’ll share more information as soon as it comes to light.

SYDENHAM ARTS FESTIVAL

2011-07-09T21:15:00.001+01:00

Friday 1 – Sunday 17 July

Since its beginning in July 2008, the Sydenham Arts Festival has grown to be one of the biggest arts festivals in the country.

There are a whole host of events going on including classical concerts, comedy, dance, drama, family activities, visual arts, and craft workshops.

There are far too many fabulous events to mention here, so best visit the website and see the calendar of events for details, venues, dates and timing.

Many of the events are happening in Forest Hill, a nice way to enjoy a start the summer.
http://www.sydenhamartsfestival.co.uk/2011

Retail Therapy

2011-07-09T21:07:00.004+01:00

We take a look at some great new shops opening in SE23; next issue we’ll feature some firm old favourites.

b CARDS

A great new shop selling with refreshingly distinctive stuff...unique and beautiful greeting cards and stationery from the likes of Treasures Pop-Ups, Orla Kiely, Moleskin, Paperblanks and Pantone, to name but a few!

There are lots of lovely and stylish wrapping paper and gift bags, all of a very high quality including party accessories, thank you cards, notelets and much more. They have a great selection of Children’s cards too.

Well worth a visit and excellent for those gift purchases from the lovely Bunka. Bunka opened this shop in March; good to have such nice shops just a hop and skip apart.

Canvas and Cream

Situated on the old Aceri site on London Road this has multiple community roles:

* Neighbourhood Dining/Cafe

* Artist's and Artisan's studios

* Gallery and Showcase

* Community Workshops and Gatherings

In opening her new venture, Proprietor Joanna Gore is enlisting the help of her family, including her Mum.

“We are going to convert it from a space that has been empty for at least five years into an arts community hub.

All furniture and fittings will come from recycled materials - two old Mercedes car seats will become cafe chairs, chandeliers will be made from old decanters and walls will be papered with old music sheets and comics.”

Looks like a great addition to Forest Hill!

Home Accessories Extra

Opened recently on the former Blockbusters site, this shop with the bright frontage is a real treasure trove of household and other useful wares.

VAIDAS BICYCLES

Vaidas, originally from Lithuania, trusted his instincts having no experience of Honor Oak, when he started his bike sales and servicing business , close to the station, 18 months ago. And that proved a very good decision for local cyclists. Vaidas says that this is a small shop with big ideas! He is looking to build further links with the community with a series of short rides, aimed at beginners and social cyclists. Watch this space of go to www.vaidasbicycles.com

HILLS AND PARKES

49 Honor Oak Park

Since setting up their stall outside Honor Oak Park station most weekends for the last six months, Mrs Hills and Mrs Parkes are about to take over their own delicatessen in the old ID premises on the same road.

The shop will sell freshly baked artisan breads from Blackbird Bakery, fruit and vegetables, cheese, milk and other dairy products, charcuterie, pies, cakes and pastries, jams and chutneys, dips, salads, ready to cook meals, pasta, rice, spices, oils and vinegars and all number of other tasty delights.

Planned opening is mid to late July.

Visit www.hillsandparkes.com for developments.

We are the Champions

2011-07-09T21:03:00.004+01:00

LATEST FOOTBALL RESULT: Forest Hill Park 1 Hildenborough Athletic 0

In a nail biting final game of the football season in, Forest Hill Park FC won the Vandanel Kent County Football League cup against Hildenborough FC.

Although played on Hildenborough’s turf, Forest was the home team and took full advantage of it.

Forest took the initiative and threatened early on but the away side showed some predatory play in retaliation. As the nervy, tense affair settled it was the home team that gained control of the game putting the Hildenborough defence under pressure.

Early through the first half a well-angled kick from the first post put the score at 1-0.

With the away team under more pressure, substitutes were made and a red card given but to no avail; as the official signalled full time Forest Hill FC were well and truly the champions.

Forest Hill Park FC is a local community club made up from players from, or previously from Forest Hill – a fact they are very proud of. Their home ground is Ladywell Arena with its excellent facilities. As ticket prices for the big football clubs continue to rise, the thought of a local team with good transport links sounds just the thing for next season.

More information, contact details and a fixtures list can be found at www.fhpfc.co.uk

“Back of the net!”

Southern Passenger Forum

2011-06-23T14:56:00.000+01:00

Southern Railway will be running an online Passenger Panel forum between 1700 and 2000 on Tuesday 28 June 2011. This is an opportunity to ask questions and post messages with Southern managers responding direct online. In order to log on to the forum you need to be a member of their Passenger Panel. If you are a regular user of their services and not yet a member of their Passenger Panel, please sign up now.

The Southern managers hope to respond to as many posts as possible within the timeframe but if they are not able to do so Southern will ensure that outstanding questions are followed up and answered over the following few days.

If you are unable to sign up in time, please contact us at email@foresthillsociety.com and we will forward your questions.

St Clements Heights public meeting

2011-06-23T14:39:00.001+01:00

The Clement Danes Trust provides almshouses for the elderly at St Clements Heights on Wells Park Road. The majority of their intake comes from the local area and the price of accommodation is subsidised by the trust to affordable levels. However, the current housing on the site is now starting to decay and needs rebuilding to provide residents with housing of a decent standard. This is obviously a costly process and in order to finance the project it will be necessary that some of the existing site is developed into private housing.

Aside from the obvious benefit to the community of decent quality, affordable sheltered accommodation for the elderly, the project will help to meet local housing demand and will be designed to meet Lewisham Council’s 20% sustainable energy target.

Curtin & Co, a specialist community consultancy; will be working in conjunction with Pellings LLP and the St Clement Danes Holborn Estate Charity to conduct a programme of consultation on the proposed redevelopment. They will be running a Public Exhibition on Thursday 30th June 2011, from 3pm to 9pm, and on Friday 1st July 2011 from 3pm to 6pm in St. Philip the Apostle Church Hall, Coombe Road, off Wells Park Road.

Further details can be obtained from Ian on 0207 399 2293 or by email at iang@curtinandco.com. Please note that the workshop referred to previously is an invitation only event while the public exhibition is open to all.

Bloomin' Marvellous

2011-06-20T23:41:00.000+01:00

As you are hopefully aware, Forest Hill Society has entered the RHS "It's Your Neighbourhood" scheme and planted the beds outside the station. But now it is your chance.

The annual Lewisham in Bloom competition is here again.

The competition which is open to residents, schools and businesses, gives recognition to the best front gardens, residential planters, business premises, school grounds, wildlife gardens and community gardens in the borough.

There are prizes of £150, £100 and £75 for the winners and runners up.

There are six categories:

Category A: Residential front garden (small – under 20m squared)
Category B: Residential front garden (large – over 20m squared)
Category C: Residential planters (window boxes, hanging baskets, tubs etc)
Category D: Business premises
Category E: School grounds
Category F: Wildlife garden
Category G: Community garden

To enter, download and complete the application form, stating which category you are entering, and return it to Lewisham Council by Wednesday 29 June.

For more information call Katy on 020 8314 2277.

Planning Applications: Radlet Avenue and Waldram Park

2011-06-04T23:03:00.003+01:00

The Forest Hill Society has recently objected to two planning applications in the local area:

14 Radlet Avenue

Details of the planning application can be read here.

Details of the objection can be read here.

The main points of the objection concern over development and poor design and layout.

14 Waldram Park

Details of the planning application can be read here.

Details of the objection can be read here.

The main points of the objection concern impact on the character of the street, lack of family units, poor design and layout, inadequate parking provision.

Tewkesbury Lodge Garden Group opening 2011

2011-05-25T08:19:00.001+01:00

Saturday, June 11th and Sunday, June, 12th

A group of six very different gardens in Forest Hill SE23 will be open to the public under the National Gardens Scheme, raising money for cancer, caring and gardening charities. The gardens are within easy, if steep, walking distance of each other.

Opening times: Sat June 11th, 6-9pm. Sun June 12th, 2-6pm.

Combined admission on both days £7. Free for accompanied children.

Garden tickets & Plants for sale on the Green at the junction of Horniman Drive and Liphook Crescent.

Refreshments: Homemade tea and cakes on Sunday.

NB. Sorry, wheelchair access not possible, well-trained dogs on leads welcome.

The gardens include a sculptor’s courtyard, crammed full of unusual plants and the artist’s ceramics; there is artwork for sale. A garden designer’s own country style garden (featured in national magazines) delights the eye with lovely plant combinations. Other owners offer a front garden inspired by Beth Chatto’s dry garden; herbaceous planting that complements a modern house extension; and deep informal flower borders under mature trees. A love of vegetable growing is evident with green houses, raised beds, a fruit cage and chicken run. The new garden in the group is a peaceful organic haven with a gravelled beds, summerhouse and newly planted red garden. Wildlife flourishes too, with areas to encourage interest and diversity.

Wanted: budding singers!

2011-05-24T07:00:00.000+01:00

The new Sydenham Garden community choir (part of the Sing Out project, getting Lewisham singing) is looking for singers – no experience necessary, all ages welcome!It’s an opportunity for anyone from any walk of life or background to come together and sing, learn some music in a range of styles and share an experience together.

FREE
Where: Sydenham Garden Resource Centre, 28a Wynell Rd, SE23 2LW
When: 7.00-8.30pm Tues (starting May 17th for 8 weeks) leading to a performance at Lewisham People’s Day on July 9th!
More info or want to join? email ‘Sydenham’ to ed.comm@trinitylaban.ac.uk or just come along.

Happy Birthday!

2011-05-23T14:44:00.001+01:00

Today is our fifth Birthday.

In the short time that the Society has existed, we have achieved a lot. Notable highlights include a successful campaign to retain the swimming pools on Dartmouth Road, persuading Southern Railway that we needed at least five trains per hour in the evening peak and a respected presentation at the Tyson Road planning enquiry.

Other highlights include

PopUp Forest Hill, an evening when we matched drummers with estate agents, puppets with pubs and generally created a buzz in Forest Hill,
Organising evenings out, history talks and nature walks,
Campaigning to improve park facilities at Horniman Triangle and Honor Oak Rec,
Keeping the rear stairs open from platform 2 at Forest Hill station
Responding on a range of planning applications in the local area
Planting of the raised beds outside Forest Hill station and entry into the RHS "It's Your Neighbourhood" scheme.

We continue to push for improvements to the underpass, improvements to the high street environment, better winter gritting and preservation of Honor Oak Rec.

But we cannot do this without you. We need your membership fees to pay for the various events we run throughout the year and to provide evidence of numbers when expressing our members' views, so don't just follow us on Twitter or friend us on Facebook, show your support in real terms. After all, membership is a real bargain at just £5 per year. Download a membership form from http://bit.ly/JoinFHSoc today and give us the best Birthday present.

Horniman Secrets

2011-05-19T16:03:00.000+01:00

Did you know that only a small proportion of the Horniman’s collection is on display? This weekend there is a rare opportunity to explore the Horniman's collection. Back by popular demand, there is the chance to go behind the scenes with their knowledgeable staff for a tour of the Study Collections Centre in Greenwich, where the rest of the collection is stored, between 2 pm and 6 pm on Saturday, 21 May.

Advance booking is required and tickets are only £6 each. Simply download a booking form from here and return it by email to communitylearning@horniman.ac.uk . Refreshments and transport between the Horniman Museum and Greenwich are provided.

It is possible that this event is only suitable for adults. Please check with the Horniman first.

Mix it Up at Brockley Max

2011-05-17T08:00:00.000+01:00

This year’s Brockley Max festival willl run for nine days from 27 May to 4 June and is dedicated to the memory of the beautiful and vibrant Gill Fraser, co-organiser of Brockley Max. The Opening Night starts at 2 pm on Friday, 27 May outside Brockley Station with the legendary evening of entertainment. With the best line–up ever including more than ten groups, the evening will be hosted once again by ‘Dre the coolest, smoothest MC in Brockley and produced by Richard Swan, one of Brockley’s best known musos. What follows is eight more days of exciting, surprising, family-friendly activities, events, workshops and exhibitions across Brockley, Ladywell, Crofton Park and Honor Oak.

Now in its eleventh year, Brockley Max brings the best talent and creativity the area has to offer for your enjoyment. The theme this year is “Max It Up – Join The Fun” where the community has come together to keep Brockley Max alive and thriving despite the cuts. It still is the best place to celebrate the summer in SE London. Full details of all the events can be found on Brockley Max's website

Brockley Max is run by Max Media Arts, a community-led volunteer organisation. Shops, churches, cafes, bars and local businesses support the festival by hosting events, giving raffle prizes and displaying programmes. The festival only happens because of the hundreds of volunteers who give their time, whether performing, organising, or helping at events. All of them make this area a special and better place to live.

DLR Extension to Forest Hill?

2011-05-11T07:30:00.001+01:00

According to London Reconnections, TfL Planning is now developing five Sub Regional Transport Plans which propose projects which can deliver the Mayor's Transport Strategy in each of North, East, South, West and Central London. These proposals include a number of DLR schemes to improve connectivity and capacity to Docklands.

One of these schemes includes bringing the DLR from Lewisham to Catford and on to Forest Hill. While the idea of going to Catford is a relatively old one (it appeared in Horizon 2020, a previous proposal on which these options are based), the surprise addition is the idea of DLR coming to Forest Hill. Catford is an obvious choice for a DLR extension and it would follow a disused railway line which would provide new journey opportunities and numerous benefits to the Hayes line and the Catford loop.

There are no details of what route the DLR would take from Catford, but a solution at ground level or involving a viaduct does not seem very attractive whereas a tunnel would be very expensive. While all four proposals had a BCR exceeding 2.0:1 (which means that the scheme should be built), this option has the lowest BCR of the four proposals and so is probably least likely to go ahead.

The other three proposed extensions are Gallions Reach to Dagenham Dock, Bank to St Pancras and Bank to Victoria.

Craft Fair at The Hob

2011-05-10T19:15:00.000+01:00

The Hob will be having their Craft & Design Fair next weekend - Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th May.

All the stalls will be by local artists; there will be ceramics, glassware, pre-loved vintage, photography, jewellery, textiles, lights & lamps, hand made cards & soaps, homemade cakes and a local author with his new book.

The fair will be downstairs in the pub from noon to 5 pm.

Royal Wedding Party Photos

2011-05-08T19:59:00.002+01:00

Thank you everyone who came and made the Royal Wedding Party at the old Post Office/ Sylvan Post such a success. At last, we have uploaded the photos and these can be found on our Flickr site - feel free to add your own!

Havelock Open Weekends

2011-05-06T19:05:00.000+01:00

This weekend is the first of two Open Studio weekends on Havelock Walk as part of the Dulwich Festival Artists’ Open House trail. As usual, you will be able to see wonderful works by photographers, a glass maker, painters, sculptors, furntiture makers, illustrators and more! The studios will be open betweem 11:00 am and 6:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday, 7/8 and 14/15 May.

FH Space (9 Havelock Walk) will host a talk by Humphrey Ocean RA on Saturday, 14 May at 6 pm. Tickets are available at £5 from HavelockWalk.com. Humphrey Ocean was born in Sussex in 1951 and went to art schools in Tunbridge Wells, Brighton and Canterbury. From 1971 to 1973 he was bass player with Kilburn and the Highroads and was elected a Royal Academician in 2004. He also designed album covers for 10CC and Paul McCartney, toured with The Who and Ian Drury, then returned to painting, became a professor and an RA at the age of 50.

This year's mural at the entrance to Havelock Walk by Supermundane (Robert Lowe) is titled "You thought it was all for you". Supermundane is a designer, illustrator, graphic artist, art director, typographer and writer living in London, England. He is the art director of the children's magazine Anorak and the food writing quarterly Fire & Knives.

Rockbourne Relaunch

2011-05-05T03:13:00.000+01:00

For the last two years, Rockbourne has been working in partnership with Aiming High to secure funds to develop and renovate the Youth Club. Despite the recent budget cuts, approval was given for internal and external alterations to the Youth Club, including a new, disabled accessible entrance, changing facilities and a floodlit, multi-use pitch. The work started in December 2010 and was finished by the end of March.

They will be holding an open day on Saturday, May 7th from noon to 4 pm which will allow you to see the great work that has and is being done at the Youth Club.

Noon to 2pm: Roller Disco, Basketball/Football Classes, Food Stalls, Raffle, meet the staff, Young People and the Friends of Rockbourne Committee, tour of the Youth Club.
3:00 pm: Premier Film Screening of ‘Rockheros: The Club of flying Swords’ - the latest film from the Rockbourne Film group.
3:30pm: Presentation and Thank You’s

Forest Hill in Bloom

2011-04-21T08:22:00.005+01:00

Many thanks to everybody involved in planting the flowers around Forest Hill station over the last couple of weeks. We hope everybody enjoys the improvements this will make to the station forecourt and the station platforms.

Royal Wedding in Forest Hill

2011-04-14T08:10:00.002+01:00

The Forest Hill Society in conjuction with the 'Sylvan Post' will be organising a celebration from 2-5pm at the old post office on Dartmouth Road.

From 2-5pm, on Friday 29th April, we will be holding a wedding party in and outside the Old Post Office. Antic (the owners) will be selling bottled beers/ciders and if a nice day set out a living room outside. Please bring food to share as well as friends & family and lets enjoy a day off in Forest Hill!

Fun activities for all:

Pin the crown on the prince and princess
Fancy dress competition best prince and princess
Guess the weight of the cake
Royal wedding themed art activities

Bunting provided by Messy Makers and Stag & Bow.

Bursting into Bloom

2011-04-13T22:25:00.000+01:00

The Forest Hill Society’s entry in the London in Bloom ‘It’s your neighbourhood’ category has been accepted. The Localities’ Fund award from Lewisham Council is agreed and dates are set.

Forest Hill station forecourt will be the centre of our attention – being the most visible point of entry and exit in our town, but with a leafleting and poster campaign in the offing, we hope to inspire individuals, shops and businesses to brighten up their homes, shops and premises with flowers.

The programme is: Saturday 9 April 10.00am – 1.00pm: work with volunteers from Nature’s Gym to help dig the existing beds.

Saturday 16 April from 2.30pm: All ages welcome to help with the replanting. If you join in, many hands will make light work of transforming the station forecourt into a thing of beauty. Forest Hill will bloom this year!

Bring & Take

2011-04-08T19:13:00.000+01:00

The Forest Hill Society and The Friends of Devonshire Road Nature Reserve are running another Bring and Take Day at the Devonshire Rd. Nature Reserve, 170 Devonshire Road, SE23 3SZ on Sunday 10th April 11.00 – 3.00pm

Bring something you no longer need…….

Bicycles, Push-chairs, Hard-back books, CD’s, DVD’s, Small items of Furniture, Household Ornaments, Musical Instruments, High-quality Clothing, Footwear, Tools, Electrical goods, Kitchenware etc

Take something you can put to good use!!

All items should be in good working order
No bric-a-brac or general re-cycling

Tea, Coffee and homemade cakes for sale and the Nature Reserve will be open for visitors

NHS Reforms - The Health and Social Care Bill explained

2011-04-06T15:18:00.001+01:00

In light of the recent media coverage of the NHS reforms, we thought it would be useful to hear the views of someone impacted by the changes. Penelope Jarrett, Forest Hill Society Member and a GP in Lewisham, is worried about the proposed NHS reforms and summarises her main arguments here. If you want to know where or how information was derived, please contact her via penelope@foresthillsociety.com.

The views expressed here are those of Dr Jarrett and not necessarily those of the Society.

Introduction: Some History

The National Health Service was born in 1948, in the aftermath of the Second World War. A patchwork provision of charitable and private healthcare was nationalised so that healthcare would be free, available to all and of uniform quality no matter where people lived nor what their background. The service was run as a single system, administered by regional and district health authorities. The first big change came with the introduction of the internal market by the Conservative government in the 1990s. The service was split into “purchasers” of care and “providers” of care: the NHS was made to buy services from itself. At this time there was also an experiment with “GP fundholding”, where instead of the health authority purchasing services, GP practices could buy services for their patients.

The Labour Government after 2001 entrenched and extended the internal market. The Department of Health (DH) is not open about the figures, but the Health Select Committee has recently estimated that the transaction costs of the NHS have gone up from 5% of total NHS expenditure to 14% over the last 20 years in which this market has been operating. There is some evidence that fundholding allowed GPs to make some savings by lowering the demand for clinical services, but this was at the cost of higher managerial and transaction costs, and a substantial drop in patient satisfaction.

In 2000, the UK was spending just 6% of GDP on health. The Labour Government pledged to increase this up to the EU average of 8%, and spending went up from £35bn in 1997/98 to around £98bn in 2009/10 and will be £102bn in 2010/11. However, we still lag behind the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average, because expenditure has risen in other countries too.

This increased expenditure coincided with a number of other policies such as targets on waiting times, and evidence based policies such as the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE, popular with clinicians) which saw patient satisfaction levels soar from a low of 35 % (quite or very satisfied) in 1997 to an all time high of 64% in 2009 (the latest reported survey). Politicians have commented how the NHS was not an issue during the election campaign of 2010, because people were generally happy.

Despite this, and despite the Conservative pre-election promise of “no top down reorganisation of the NHS”, Andrew Lansley is proposing reforms in the NHS which will be so big that they will be “visible from space” (according to David Nicholson, NHS Chief Executive).

The Proposed Reforms

The headlines have all been about GP commissioning, but this huge piece of legislation (288 clauses) changes all parts of the NHS. At the same time, there are White Papers proposing major changes to the Public Health Service, and to the training of doctors.

PCTs and Strategic Health Authorities to be abolished
New commissioning consortia of GPs
New NHS Commissioning Board; working only on an annual mandate (so not opportunity for long term planning) to commission GPs as providers, and to judge commissioners.
All hospitals to achieve Foundation Trusts status, with no obligation to observe national pay and conditions, and removal of the cap in private earnings.
Establishment of Monitor, a new economic and licensing regulator, with a duty to promote competition; and powers to investigate commissioner and providers, and to fine or impose change on them.
New Health Education England, new “local skills networks” for training
New Health and Wellbeing Boards in each Local Authority
Abolition of the Health Protection Agency, new Public Health England
Replacement of Local Involvement Networks (LINks, themselves only 3 years old and just getting established) with local HealthWatch, with unclear lines of accountability, and no specification to ensure the bodies are representative of the local population. It is unclear if they can investigate services
Hospital procedures will be paid for on a local or a national tariff (as brought in by the Labour Government under so-called “payment by results” – actually a payment for activity)
There are number of clauses requiring information to be shared or disclosed, including clinical information which could compromise patient confidentiality.
A greater role for the Care Quality Commission

The government is committed to patient choice, any willing provider policies, competitive tendering, and the Secretary of State will have the power to create regulations to ensure that these happen.

The Bill is Unnecessary

Andrew Lansley and David Cameron have said that the Bill is necessary because outcomes in the NHS are not as good as in some other countries. This is true of the outcome they picked out (death rates after a heart attack are lower in France than in any other European Country), but you can pick out many figures in international comparisons, and easily find others in which the UK performs better than France. In fact, on trends since 1979, the UK rate of death after a heart attack will fall below the French rate by 2012.

Overall, life expectancy at birth in the UK in 2007 was 79.5 years, similar to most European Countries and slightly above the OECD average of 79.1 years. European countries have health care systems which are called insurance based, but they are all compulsory and to a great extent underwritten by Governments, which makes them effectively funded by taxation. The OECD country which has the most developed market and least socialised system is the United States. It stands out from the other countries in having a below average life expectancy of 78.1 years, and spending over $9,000 per capita to achieve this in 2007 while most other OECD countries spent $2,000-4,000 per capita. The UK spent about $3,000 per capita.

No-one would argue that the NHS is perfect. However, there are many existing examples of good practice and successful projects, some of which have been touted by the reformers as arguments for the reforms. It must be remembered that these projects have all taken place under the present legislative framework. Passage of the Bill is not necessary.

The Reforms will be Expensive

In the context of the current economic recession, it has already been recognised that health expenditure would be a problem. NHS chief executive David Nicholson’s 2008/09 annual report says the health service should expect to have to make ‘unprecedented’ efficiency savings of £15bn to £20bn between 2011 and 2014. He writes: ‘This is so that we can deal with changing demographics, the implementation of the [NHS next stage review strategic health authority] regional visions and cost pressures in the system.’ This has become known as “The Nicholson Challenge”. It means that although the Coalition have promised not to cut NHS spending in real terms, because there will be more older people, and healthcare inflation is more than consumer or retail inflation, £20bn has to be saved over the next 3 years, from a budget of about £300 bn.

The DH estimates that the proposed reforms will cost £1.3bn to implement. Independent academics have estimated it could easily cost as much as £3bn. This is on top of the £20bn of the Nicholson Challenge. And, as noted in the introduction, the more marketised a system is, the higher the transaction costs become.

The Reforms are Risky

The whole process is very risky: changing all the structures at once means that there will be no safety net if one of them fails. Indeed, in the market the expectation is that some consortia and hospitals WILL fail. The presumption is that other consortia or hospitals (or private providers) will take over the failing bodies, or they will close. Where will patient choice be in all this? Or indeed, any patient rights?

There are very many unanswered questions about how the proposed new bodies will be constituted, exactly which body will have which duty, and where lines of accountability will lie. This is going to be a difficulty for staff and patients alike. When there are problems, and there always are problems in healthcare delivery, it is likely that no-one will be accountable.

The process of GP commissioning carries inherent conflicts of interest, since GPs will be commissioning services which overlap with the services that they themselves provide. For example, a diabetic may be cared for at the GP surgery, or may be referred to hospital. This is even before one considers the problems when GPs set up companies to provide services such as physiotherapy, or minor injuries (which is already happening); or if GPs are rewarded for saving money on prescribing or referral budgets.

The Reforms will be Ineffective.

The proposed changes have not been tested nor piloted. There is some evidence to indicate what might happen e.g. what happened with fundholding, as described in the introduction. There is evidence from health economists to show that competition on price reduces quality. This happens in other markets too: we do not generally go to the Poundshop if we want good quality goods. The Government have backed off a little, and said that there would only be two tariffs for hospital procedures (a local and a national tariff). However, it has been estimated that 70% of NHS activity is not covered by the tariff system.

The Government’s vision is “to modernise the NHS so that it is built around patients, led by health professionals and focused on delivering world-class healthcare outcomes”. This sounds fine, but there is no evidence that the proposed changes will achieve this. The BMA commissioned Ipsos MORI to do a survey in January 2011. 1,645 doctors participated in this. A majority thought that enactment of the Bill would lead to increased competition (88%), which will lead to fragmentation of services (89%), reduce the quality of patient care (65%) and will damage NHS values (66%). They also thought that the reforms would increase health inequalities (66%). These concerns, and many others, were also articulated at the BMA Special Representative Meeting on 15th March. Over 400 doctors, representing medical staff throughout the UK, voted for motions criticising every aspect of the Bill, and agreeing to campaign against it..

So, it comes down to whom you believe: Lansley says it will work, the majority of doctors say it will not. If you are concerned about any of the proposals as well, you can email our MP dowdj@parliament.uk at any time.

Dacres Wood Nature Reserve and Field Centre Open Afternoon

2011-03-24T15:51:00.001Z

Organised by Forest Hill Society and Friends Of Mayow Park
27TH MARCH 2011 from 1pm to 4pm

This small nature reserve has woodland and a meadow. A special feature of the site is the wetland area which is a remnant of the old Croydon Canal, bypassed when the railway was built.
Forest Hill Society and the Friends of Mayow Park are pleased to have arranged an open afternoon for the public, with history talks at the field centre, guided walks and activities for all the family.

Refreshments will be available

How to find the Dacres Wood Field Studies Centre and Nature Reserve:
Entry will be via the Field Centre which is near the junction of Dacres Road with Silverdale, between Homefield House and Catling Close. An unmarked driveway leads directly to the Field Centre from Dacres Road. Parking is available on Dacres Road and other nearby roads.

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