Sydenham Recital Series

Today (Sunday 29) at 3pm marks the beginning of a new series of recitals at St Bartholomew's on Westwood Hill, SE26 6QR.

Led by soprano Rosie Lomas the group Literary Music, brings alive the music of literature; from the drawing rooms of the Regency era and fashionable concerts of Georgian Bath to the factories of the industrial Victorian cities, performing songs and arias of the period with quotations from the novels, historical background and entertaining anecdotes.

This will be followed by the Albany Piano Trio on 27 October performing Haydn and Brahms.

On 24th November, the Palomino Quartet, described as ‘exuberant and energetic’, are a fresh and dynamic emerging talent in chamber music. Formed in 2011, the quartet comprises former members of Southbank Sinfonia from England, Ireland and New Zealand.

All concerts are from 3-4pm, and followed with tea and homemade cakes. Tickets are £8 (£5 Concessions) on the door or please contact the box office at info@sydenhamrecitalseries.com or 07761923176. Sydenham Recital Series are also on Twitter (SydenhamRS) and Facebook (Sydenham Recital Series).

Dacres Wood Nature Reserve Open Day

This Saturday, 28 September, Dacres Wood Nature Reserve will be open (as usual on the last Saturday of each month) from 1:30 to 4pm.

We will also be holding our seventh Bring and Take event. This time, we will be at the Dacres Wood Nature Reserve in the Field Centre which is accessed via the driveway between Catling Close and Homefield House - you can just take if you so desire, you don't have to bring anything.

Simply Bring any good quality items for somebody else to reuse and Take anything you fancy; all for free.

We cannot accept the following items:

• NO Electrical items larger than a toaster
• NO DVD/VHS/CD recorders / players
• NO TVs, PCs or monitors
• NO printers or scanners
• NO VHS or cassette tapes
• NO vacuum cleaners
• NO Furniture or carpets
• NO Jumble or broken items

as Lewisham Council will not be taking away the unwanted items this time.

Oktoberfest

Come along this Saturday for a local Oktoberfest, Bavarian style, at the German Church in Dacres Road, Forest Hill! It will be great fun! Entry only £5

The church is located just next to the footbridge over the railway line, between Forest Hill and Sydenham.

View Larger Map

Fashion Week - What's On - Wednesday

8pm-11pm It's a Wrap - FHFW closing party

Where better to celebrate the end of FHFW in style than at our established friendly, trendy and central Forest Hill favourite The Sylvan Post, who have created a special FHFW cocktail in honour of the event with a 2-4-1 offer on it all night!! Other £5 cocktail deals and a special snack menu are on offer alongside regular menus. Add a local DJ playing House/electro tunes all night, friendly locals and local fashionistas and this is definitely "THE" closing party to be at! All of drinking age welcome!

Host: Forest Hill Fashion Development Project
Venue: The Sylvan Post, 24-28 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3XZ
Tickets: Free
penelope@foresthillfashion.com // sylvanpost.com

Fashion Week - What's On - Sunday

11.30am-1.30pm Express nail art afternoon

Bunka is bringing the nail art phenomenon to Forest Hill, ladies. Pop in and relax as our artiste turns your nails into a work of art. Come with unpolished nails, leave with a design of your choice.

Host: Ayshin Demirci of Bunka
Venue: Bunka, 4 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3XU
Tickets: Free, but booking required. Call or come into store to reserve your place
020 8291 4499 // facebook.com/bunkafh

Midday-1pm Make a stylish leather cuff

Learn how to make a simple and stylish leather cuff of your own, courtesy of the genius behind N'Damus Bags. Materials will be provided but it helps if you can bring some too!

Host: Nneka Onyenakala of N'Damus London
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3HN
Tickets: £10 for materials (spaces limited - booking advised)
leather@foresthillfashion.com // ndamus.com

Midday-1pm Customise clothes with structured frills

Learn how to upcycle an old top with structured frills to give it that VaVaVoom. This great fashion detailing can be used in so many ways! Please bring a metre of silky fabric, a top you would like to upcycle, fabric scissors, matching thread and pins.

Host: Molly Quest
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking advised)
mollyquest@gmail.com // mollyquest.blogspot.co.uk

Midday-2pm The Tie’s the Limit!

Join us at Stag & Bow for a very special Forest Hill Fashion Week workshop, showing you how to work drab old ties into something special… SE23 will be ringing with the cries of - “Oh no! I haven’t seen your ties in ages dear!”

Host: Pascale Spall of Stag & Bow
Venue: Stag & Bow, 8 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3XU
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking required) Details on request or our website.
info@stagandbow.com // 020 8291 4992 // stagandbow.com

2pm-5pm Re-fashion your Fashion

Take something old and turn it into something completely different, with the help of the upcycling genius of your host Paulina. Bring your own project or get experimental with our abundance of preloved clothes.

Host: Paulina Palian & Frockcycle
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free
pen@frockcycle.co.uk // frockcycle.co.uk

4pm-5pm Get the bra right to get your fashion right

This is a bra-fitting workshop for fuller-busted females who struggle with ill-fitting bras. A correctly-fitted bra can make you look pounds lighter and boost your body confidence. Join us for our demonstration of the world of a well-fitted bra, then ask questions and share your bra-fitting problems - maybe some solutions can be found. Our free individual bra-fitting will let you understand how a properly fitted bra should look and feel: marvel at how different you look in your clothes.

Host: Kyra Pitter of The Fitting Studio
Venue: The Fitting Studio, 16 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3XU
Tickets: Free
help@thefittingstudio.co.uk // 020 8613 8038 // thefittingstudio.co.uk

4pm-6pm Beads & Kids

A children's jewellery-making workshop. Upcycle everyday objects to create something unusual.

Host: Marcin Giebultowski
Venue: Doopo Doopo, 15 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free
info@doopodoopo.co.uk // 0203 632 5041 // doopodoopo.co.uk

5pm-6pm Five beautiful ways with bra straps

Bra straps can be the bane of the stylishly-inclined, especially for the most wellendowed amongst us. Come and discover ways to disguise, replace or remove them altogether, beautifully! Bring your problem bra and/or top to explore solutions.

Host: Penelope & Kyra
Venue: The Fitting Studio, 16 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3XU
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking advised)
brastraps@foresthillfashion.com // foresthillfashion.com/brastraps

7pm-8pm Artsy clothes swap

Are you bored with your clothes? Do you own things you don’t wear? Do you fancy something new and exciting? Bring along 3 pieces of artsy, colourful, exciting clothes & accessories that you would be proud to pass onto a fellow Swapper. Take home 3 new items. Swapping is the new shopping! It’s Frugal! It’s Eco Friendly! It’s Fun!

Host: Agata Zielinska-Hryn of Doopo Doopo
Venue: Doopo Doopo, 15 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HN
Tickets: £3 on the door
info@doopodoopo.co.uk // 0203 632 5041 // doopodoopo.co.uk

Tell me a story

Originally just a group of friends and neighbours living in Perry Vale, the Forest with the Big Hill are looking for helpers. In particular, they need people to

• maintain their website
• organise their finances
• write funding applications

Their objective is to bring people together using storytelling; it's also a great way to foster children's language development and to explore our understanding of the world. They want to make their neighbourhood a welcoming, safe, stimulating, happy place for us all to live and for their children to grow up in by putting on events with a broad appeal, while encouraging a love of (and facility in) the spoken word and the use of story. They have already run two events; the Snake King in October 2012 and a performance by Raventales in February 2013.

They're currently planning two performances/workshops on Saturday, 19 October 2013 for children and another for parents/grandparents who want to improve their storytelling skills – all of this at the Forest Hill Methodist Church in Normanton Street, followed by fruit, tea and cake. Then, in the evening, there'll be another special performance upstairs at the Blythe Hill Tavern. Performers will include Randolph Matthews, Effua Daniels, June Peters, Jacq Paschoud and Chris Wise.

If you would like to be involved in The Forest with the Big Hill, do get in touch. They are a volunteer run community organisation and are happy for new members to join them. You can contact them on Facebook, by email to theforestwiththebighill@gmail.com or by phone on 07551 803078.

Walk in the Great North Wood

The Friends of One Tree Hill and London Wildlife Trust have teamed up to organise a free walk this Sunday (4 August) with Daniel Greenwood retracing the remnant woodlands of the Great North Wood that are accessible on foot.

The Great North Wood once stretched from Deptford to Selhurst, with One Tree Hill, Sydenham Hill Wood, Dulwich Wood and Dulwich Upper Wood being living remnants of it in one way or another. This is an excellent way to discover the natural landscape of the local area and learn about its history, as well as getting some very good exercise.

Meet at the Honor Oak Park entrance to One Tree Hill at noon, next to the Hindu Temple on the road leading up to St. Augustine’s Church. The walk will go over the hill to Brenchley Gardens, along Wood Vale to admire the ancient oak boundary trees and down to Cox’s Walk. After that it will go into Sydenham Hill Wood, through to Dulwich Wood, out and over to Dulwich Upper Wood and then up onto the Crystal Palace Park ridge, just through from the parade.

The walk will last approximately 4 hours, with the walk broken up by stops to discuss the history of the area.

Please note that the walk will not be suitable for buggies due to the terrain and kissing gates in Sydenham Hill Wood and Cox’s Walk. It will also cross major roads, so extra care and attention will need to be paid on occasion. Please also be aware this is a long distance walk, so suitable footwear and water is necessary as well as reasonable fitness.

Contact Daniel Greenwood (dgreenwood@wildlondon.org.uk) for more information about the day and if you have any questions about suitability.

Devonshire Road Open Day - Sunday 28th July

The Friends of Devonshire Road Nature Reserve hope that some of you can make it to their Open Day on Sunday. As usual, it will be a nice relaxed afternoon in the nearest thing to countryside South London has to offer. Musician friends very welcome to bring their instruments and join in.

Celebrate Independents' Day

The Americans may celebrate their independence on July 4th, but we're celebrating our independent traders.

As part of their Totally Locally campaign, the Forest Hill traders are running a Fiver Fest which will see thirty of them running special offers over the weekend. Pop into your favourite shop to get a copy of the flyer which has details of all the offers, or download it now.

Second Forest Hill Fashion Week

There will be a second Forest Hill Fashion Week (FHFW) this autumn (20-25 September), and they are looking for local fashionistas to get involved right now!

This time they are doing it in association with the Horniman Museum, who are creating a whole Fashion themed ‘Museum at Night’ event for it. The catwalk shows will be held in Gallery Square, with a fashion market in the Conservatory and lots of other fashion-related events and displays, including static fashion shows.

That's just one evening of course. Over the following few days there will be Fashion Fun all around the Forest Hill shops and venues plus another all-day fashion market.

September will come around very quickly indeed, so this is what they are looking for right now:

• Local designer-makers to submit their collections for consideration for the catwalk/static shows.
• Local fashion/textiles/accessories experts, teachers or enthusiasts to run or host an event/workshop either at the Horniman event or in the high street.
• Ideas for fashion events/workshops that you would love to see.
• Market traders selling designer-maker fashion products.
• Models for the Horniman catwalk show.
• Advertisers and sponsors for their website, brochure or FHFW generally.

For more information and contact details, visit their website, foresthillfashion.com. In the meantime, do put 20-25 September in your diary, subscribe to their newsletter and like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter or do both.

Lewisham gets its day in court

This Saturday, 29th June Michael Mansfield, one of the most eminent QC's in Britain, will lead the ‘Peoples Commission’ at the Broadway Theatre, Catford from 9:30am to 5:30pm.

Michael Mansfield has mounted an investigation into the Government's plans to close Lewisham Hospital, but is also examining them against the wider implications of the new Law which will effectively dismantle the NHS. It is a whole day BUT it is a one off chance to be part of a historic moment and to see him in action with his team, who have all donated their time and expertise for free.

The theatre and it's facilities have been made available for the day; there will be breaks and all the rest and refreshment areas will be open for your use - you don't have to just sit in a seat for the duration. The event is being filmed, so it would be good to ensure that there are no empty seats. If you can only do the morning or afternoon, why not share your ticket for the day? Tickets are only 50p, with donations being taken at the door. Please reserve your place using the booking form on the Save Lewisham Hospital website.

Immediately following the Commission is the formal Judicial Review, which is challenging the legality of the Government's decision to close the hospital. This will take place at the High Court in the Strand (nearest station Charing Cross/Waterloo/Holborn) from Tuesday, 2nd to Thursday, 4th July, between 9.30am and 5.30pm each day. The Save Lewisham Hospital campaign has been advised by their legal team that it would be beneficial to fill the Public Gallery, which may result in the review being moved to a larger Court. Campaign organisers, top clinicians and Inter Faith leaders will be there, but your support is crucial.

Please go along and show your support; the Press will be there at 9.30am on Tuesday, 2nd July and we need to show the strength of support for the campaign.

SUMMER DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Saturday 29th June - 14th July - Sydenham Arts Festival
Sunday 30th June, 1pm-9:30pm - Devonshire Road Nature Reserve - Festival in the Forest
Friday 5th July, 9pm-11pm - Bat, moth and owl prowl - Sydenham Hill Wood (London Wildlife Trust)
Saturday 6 July, 11am-5pm - Blythe Hill Fields FestivalSunday 7th July - Forest Hill Food Fair, Station Car Park, 11am-3pm
11th July, 7pm - Perry Vale Ward Assembly, German Church, 50 Dacres Road
13th-14th July - Friends of Horniman Art Fair, Horniman Conservatory
Sunday 21st July - Pool River Walk, 11am

Sunday 4th August  - No Food Fair this month
Sunday 1st September - Forest Hill Food Fair, Station Car Park, 11am-3pm

Events at local Nature Reserves
One Tree Hill—First Saturday of the month, practical conservation workdays
Albion Millennium Green—regular events on the second weekend of the month, always open
Devonshire Road—Second and last Sunday of the month, open days
Dacres Wood—last Saturday of every month, open days

Horniman Art Sale 13 - 14 July

The 22nd Friends of the Horniman Art Exhibition will take place in the Conservatory of the Horniman, over the weekend of 13th and 14th July 2103.

Opening at 10am on both days, the exhibition will close at 5pm on the Saturday and 4.30pm on the Sunday. Entry is free and there will be 36 exhibitors with all the paintings, prints, sculptures and greeting cards present for sale during the event.

Persian Delights

On Saturday, 8 June, Young Lewisham Project and Southwark Refugee Project are hosting ‘Persian Delights!’ an evening of great food and entertainment including watching a documentary film at the Ackroyd Centre.

Dinner will be a 3 course meal starting with hummus and freshly baked bread, followed by our very own cous-cous massive and then enjoying some fresh pastries with tea and coffee.

Before the food we will be screening ‘Grass’, an incredible documentary about Persian tribal nomads. The epic story follows the journey of 50,000 of the Bakhtiari, a poor nomadic tribe in Iran, as they herd their livestock up snow-covered mountain passes, barefoot to get to the grazing lands on the other side of the mountains before their animals die from hunger. An amazing story from 1925 of human endurance and a community working together.

There will be two screenings of the film, one at 7.15pm and the second at 8.45pm. Tickets for the whole evening, inclusive of food, are £20. They will be available on the evening but if you are planning on attending please send your name, email address, how many of you are coming and which viewing time you would like to dave@younglewisham.org.uk To find out more information about the projects that this event will be benefiting go to: facebook.com/young.lewisham and www.southwarksrp.org/.

Festival In The Forest

The friends of Devonshire Road Nature Reserve have organised a music festival with the finest in music, food and refreshments.

On Sunday, 30 June, eleven acts including Hungry Grass, Siobhan Parr, Martin Brown, The Cavendish Set, Steve ‘Boltz’ Bolton, Alan King, Jonah's Raft, Felix Glenn, Isaac&McGoohan, Probably Not and Fox and a Feather will perform between 1pm and 10pm.
Festival in the Forest is a family friendly mix of music, food and drink with an eclectic blend of Folk, Country, Rock and Irish acts and space to dance or roam or picnic as the mood takes you. Seven acts will perform throughout the afternoon, followed by the four Headline acts after 5:30pm.
Food offered will include Slow Roasted Pulled Pork, BBQ and Vegetarian dishes and homemade cakes and pastries while the bar will be offering a range of beers including our sponsor's ‘Rolls’ Portuguese imported craft beer, wine, a range of soft drinks, tea and coffee.
Tickets are £6 for the whole set or £4 for just the main set from 5:30pm (£3 and £2 for under 18s) and can be purchased on the door, or in advance from WeGotTickets.com by clicking on the links above.
If you want to know more, you can preview the bands by following these links:

• Hungry Grass
• Siobhan Parr with Martin Brown
• The Cavendish Set
• Steve ‘Boltz’ Bolton
• Alan King
• Jonah's Raft
• Felix Glenn
• Isaac'McGoohan
• Probably Not and
• Fox and a Feather

Parking is free in nearby streets and the Nature Reserve is easily reached from either Honor Oak Park or Forest Hill Stations (approx 7 minutes' walk from either). The festival area is outdoors, with marquee cover in the event of rain and the visitor centre will be available for extra cover and toddlers, with full toilet and baby changing facilities. The festival is accessible for wheelchair users, although the paths are a little uneven. The main reserve is not suitable for wheelchairs. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed.

An Evening of Gardening Fun

Thursday 6th June, 7.30pm
Upstairs at The Hob, opposite Forest Hill station.

Talk accompanied by video with musical comedy opener and closure.

Fiona Hull - local organic gardener and video editor promoting the benefits of growing organically and the medicinal and multiple other uses of plants.  

Also:  local musical comedy duo, Dan and Jo, with "Can you dig it?" - fresh from their appearance on Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time with their comedy songs about growing your own.

Free entry

"A chance to ask all the questions you've always wanted to ask but didn't know where to go"

Calling Educators, Creative Practitioners & Learning Providers

Forest Hill School will be hosting a family learning event on Saturday 26th October 2013 aimed at engaging with the parents/carers, children and young people (including extended family members) attending primary or secondary schools in west Lewisham or living in the Borough. The event will run from 10am to 4pm.

They would like to invite local groups (or individuals) to apply to take part in this event! For no charge, you can promote your services directly to a family audience by delivering a workshop of your choice. This is a valuable opportunity to show off the exciting opportunities that each organisation can offer, and hopefully build relationships that will lead to future work. The event's title and theme is ‘Connected’, referencing the connections between learning, achievement and well-being and families, generations and communities that the event aims to highlight and foster.

Forest Hill School aims to select a broad range of workshops covering both art and non-art subject areas, representing provision available across the formal and informal learning sectors. To register your interest, please email cpa@foresthillschool.co.uk by 5pm Friday 7th June 2013 to obtain an expressions of interest form.

Green Oak Carpentry

Just a reminder that the Green Oak Carpentry project is in full swing at Devonshire Road Nature Reserve and they're looking for people to get involved.

Great progress has been made over the last couple of Sundays, but this bank holiday weekend is the big push. They will be there from 10.30 to 4.30 on Saturday, Sunday and Monday so if you have a couple of hours to spare, or a whole day, pop along and get stuck in - learn how to cut and shape the essential joints in Green-Oak construction, all free. Tools and tuition are provided.

The Edible High Road - Launch Day, Saturday 18 May

Forest Hill is going back to its roots next month, to be transformed into an urban orchard. Forty-seven shops and businesses in Forest Hill and Honor Oak Park will join forces to create an avenue of 70 fruit trees – the Edible High Road – celebrating Forest Hill’s history and its current standing as a hub of community gardening. A trail map will lead visitors along the route lined with apple, cherry, pear and plum trees, ending in the Horniman Museum’s Gardens at the crest of the hill. Children taking part can also win gardening prizes.

Organised by the Forest Hill Society, in partnership with Lewisham Gardens and Shannon’s Garden Centre, the Edible High Road opens on Saturday 18 May until Sunday 9 June, as part of the Chelsea Fringe Festival, the volunteer-run celebration of plants, gardens and landscapes.

The Forest Hill event is part of a city-wide network of Edible High Roads including Shepherd’s Bush, Kilburn, Chiswick and Kensal Rise. The Horniman Museum and Gardens is also hosting a series of other Chelsea Fringe events including a family fun day and plant sale, compost cookery, guerrilla gardening and much more.


Our Edible High Road launch will take place on Saturday, 18th May at 2pm when we are delighted to welcome Matthew Wilson, presenter of Landscape Man on Channel 4 and regular contributor to BBC Gardeners World and Radio 4’s Gardeners Question Time

Join us at Forest Hill Railway station car park to help us launch this exciting innovation on the high street.

Little Ecological Arts Festival

The Little Ecological Arts Festival (LEAF), will take place on Albion Millenium Green. There will be a series of events running from 2pm to 8pm on Wednesday 1 May to Saturday 4 May. In true artistic fashion, all timings are approximate! For latest details, check the littleecologicalart blog.

• ‘Tree / Book’ an Interactive Installation by Camilla Nelson
  Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 2pm to 8pm
  Make your mark on this interactive web of tree-related reading & writing materials
• ‘Enclosure’ an Installation by Dan Eltringham
  Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 2pm to 8pm
  Dan needs more space for his things. He's staked a claim and privatised part of the Green. He might consider leasing it to you.
• ‘Labyrinth’ an Installation by Maria Strutz
  Wednesday, Thursday 2pm to 8pm
  A walkable sculpture
• ‘The Keithettes: Divination’ a Performance by Beetle and Bird
  Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 2pm to 3pm
  London based performance company Beetle and Bird pay homage to their Irish heritage. The Keithettes retell a traditional Irish May Day folklore with the help of some snails.
• ‘Nest’ a Performance Installation by Nathalie Hauwelle
  Wednesday 5pm to 8pm, Thursday, Friday 2pm to 8pm
  A nest fit for a human is built from wood found on The Green.
• ‘Insect Hotel’ Performance by the International Collective of Ecological Actors
  Thursday, Friday 2pm to 8pm, Saturday 2pm to 6pm
  You are trying to check in but the receptionist is busy building bed-space for some exceptional guests.
• ‘The Tempest’ by Teatro Vivo
  Thursday, Friday, 7pm to 8pm
  The Spirits of Albion Island invite you to come and celebrate Independence Day! The tyrannous Prospero has relinquished control and the Spirits will be celebrating by planting a memorial. Discover lovers and kings, monsters and men creating a storm in the undergrowth. This will be a work in progress showing inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest
• ‘I Surrender’ by Rachael Henley
  Friday 2pm to 8pm, Saturday 2pm to 7pm
  Live Performance Installation Knitting - Live .
• ‘Gleaning, Leaning and the Lean’ Workshop by Natalie Joelle
  Friday 4pm to 5pm
  What does it mean to glean and what are the ecological implications of its gestures?
• ‘The Last Cuppa’ Theatre by Elaine Pantling
  Friday, Saturday 4pm to 8pm
  There is comfort in a cup of solitude but there is much more pleasure in sharing a pot of tea with friends. Every cup, every sip stirs up a story and invokes a memory never to be forgotten…
• ‘Linus Slug’ by Mendoza
  Friday, Saturday 6pm to 7pm
  Insect Poetry from Northumberland.
• ‘Sprites In Shorts’ a Performance by Simon Harrison and Phiip Engleheart
  Saturday 6pm to 8pm
  The festival finishes with Crystal Palace's finest. Famous for their ‘Blessing of The Pond’ on Albion Millennium Green
• ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ Interactive Installation by the International Collective of Ecological Actors
  Thursday, Friday, Saturday 2pm to 8pm
  Reveal the path to the future