The 'Outstanding' Grow Mayow Community Garden

As well as the Forest Hill Society gaining 'Outstanding' in the London In Bloom competition, another local group achieved the same accolade:

Grow Mayow Community Garden has been awarded the highest level of achievement from the Royal Horticultural Society and London in Bloom in this year’s RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood initiative.


Iris Borgers and Erika Sager were presented with the Level 5: Outstanding award at the RHS London In Bloom ceremony at the Surrey County Cricket Club on Monday, 8 September.

“This is a wonderful achievement for the Garden that would not have been possible without the help of local volunteers who have spent countless hours planting, weeding, watering and moving mulch” says Iris Borgers, Garden Director.  “We are also very thankful for the support we have received from Martin Hyde at Green Scene, Shannon’s Garden Centre, Mayow Park Systems, Havelock 11, Caribbean Mix Cricket Club, Friends of Mayow Park and Streetscape whose contributions and donations have made the reinstatement of the front garden possible.”

Grow Mayow Community Garden Project is open to public on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10am to 2pm and has weekly volunteer sessions on Tuesday mornings from 10am to noon and Wednesday afternoons from noon to 2pm. They host a variety of events for children and from September will be running their own Nature Kids Club on Thursday mornings from 10:30 to Noon.

Further details about Grow Mayow Community Garden Project and all upcoming events can be found at growmayow.blogspot.co.uk

Dartmouth Road improvements work

It is still early days but we know that Lewisham Council have been successful in their bid for funds from TfL to improve Dartmouth Road (north). In total it appears that £650,000 has been allocated over the next two years to make substantial changes to a key section of the high street.

There are a number of challenges in the stretch of road from the swimming pool to the station, these include; lack of parking/too little time in parking bays, parking away from bays blocking the road and the footpath, difficulty for pedestrians crossing the road, lack of provision for cyclists, and poor use of public spaces outside Sylvan Post and Heron House.

We are expecting consultation by Lewisham Council to identify priorities and find solutions that are right for shops, shoppers, school children, and bus routes. We will keep you updated about the plans as we find out more over the next few months.

Outstanding!

The Forest Hill Edible High Road has been judged as 'Outstanding' by the RHS London in Bloom Judging panel!

Congratulations to the volunteers from the Forest Hill Society, Forest Hill station and local businesses!

The Edible High Road 2014

The Forest Hill Society joined with Chelsea Fringe’s Edible High Road scheme again this year when we distributed 100 tubs of plants sponsored by local businesses throughout Forest Hill and Honor Oak Park.

Linking with the RHS’s 50th ‘Golden’ anniversary of their ‘In Bloom’ competition, we chose sunflowers, poppy and strawberry seedlings and, at the station forecourt launch in May, accompanied by music from Holy Trinity School band, more than 200 vegetable plants donated by the Horniman Gardens were given away.

Has it been a success?   Well, many people stop to check the labels and admire the tubs.  The shopkeepers, on the whole, have been watering and are pleased (intrigued?) to see their sunflowers getting taller and taller - and the strawberries being popped into passing mouths!

So, yes, decorating the main streets of our town centre with plant life seems generally to be considered to be a good thing.

Going forward ... if the Edible High Road is about anything at all, it is to raise awareness of the simple way in which edible plant products can be produced.  

Anyone can grow their own using an old bucket, tub, window sill or grow bag and with little effort beyond regular watering the pleasure of watching seeds turn into things you can eat is immense.  It's an educational experience for children to observe the natural world evolving, especially those living in the inner cities.  It's good for children, too, to take responsibility for care of plants by becoming the official waterer or weeder.  In Forest Hill the local shopkeepers, having invested in procuring a tub, seem happy to take on this role too.

Forest Hill Fashion Week

As London Fashion Week tails off, the local community of Forest Hill pick up the fashion baton and provide South London and it’s visitors with their local take on fashion, craft and style.

Founded in 2013 by South East London local Louise Brooks, this bi-annual event was born from the SEE3 Portas Pilot investment to regenerate local high streets in the area. Originally conceived to support the Pop-Up shops scheme, Forest Hill Fashion Week (FHFW) was such a local success that the team have kept it going.

Previous FHFW events have seen live catwalks and a local craft market take over the Horniman Museum & Gardens. Keen to keep each year fresh, new and interesting, this year will see a host of events that will allow innovative and original designers the opportunity to present their work locally in and around Forest Hill.

Festival highlights will include; catwalk shows, markets, children’s events, and designers showcasing their work in local shops. It will end with a grand finale closing concert staged by Forest Hill Society in the station car park on Sunday, 21st September.

Local Forest Hill craft store Stag & Bow will be organising a Big Knit. It’s an unofficial record attempt to knit as many items as possible. They will be inviting participation in the preceding weeks at a number of events, with the items going on sale during FHFW and all proceeds going to the One Girl charity for the education and empowerment of girls and women in Sierra Leone (www.onegirl.org.au)

Louise Brooks, FHFW founder told us "We're looking forward to delivering the biggest and best Forest Hill Fashion Week to date. We’re aiming to highlight Forest Hill's strong arts identity, as well as providing a platform for the growing crafts and makers community. We have some really talented creatives in Forest Hill and this event will be a celebration of their talent."

Forest Hill Fashion Week is a family-friendly, inviting, community festival with something for all ages, celebrating the wonderful craft, design and creative buzz of South East London.

For all the latest up-to-date Forest Hill Fashion news, please visit www.foresthillfashion.com

HOPFest - Saturday 20th September

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Forest Hill Fashion Week - Thursday 18th September - Sunday 21st September
Forest Hill Society Music Festival - Sunday, 21st September, Forest Hill Station

HOPFest - Saturday, 20th September

Forest Hill Society AGM - Wednesday 22nd October, Upstairs at The Hob (opposite Forest Hill station)

Forest Hill Ward Assembly: Tuesday, 16th September, Christian Fellowship Centre, Honor Oak Road (opposite Fairlawn school)
Perry Vale Ward Assembly: Tuesday, 30th September, 7pm, Kilmorie School, Kilmorie Road

Crofton Park Ward Assembly: Saturday, 18th October, 11am, St. Saviour Church on the corner of Brockley Rise and Herschell Road

Horniman Farmers’ Market - Every Saturday 9am-1:30pm at the bandstand

Give a name to an Alpaca

Our new baby alpaca still needs a name - tweet us your vote and be in with the chance of winning a membership pic.twitter.com/smOnvAblP4 — Horniman Museum (@HornimanMuseum) August 22, 2014