10th Anniversary of London Overground Reaching Forest Hill

23rd May 2010 saw the first services from Forest Hill to Dalston Junction.

After ten years, it is a route that many of us take for granted (or at least we did until Covid-19) but the Forest Hill Society and Sydenham Society were there on the first day; leading a group of intrepid explorers into the unknown realm of North East London, and to such enticingly names places as Haggerston and Shoreditch High Street. All returned from the adventure safe and well - leading the way for closer ties between these previously unconnected communities. 

Below are a few photos from that first trip 'Up North' on Day One of the Overground service on the East London Line.

The Great Big SE4 & SE23 Raffle

Small independent businesses have been hit hard by the lock-down and a raffle has been organised to help them.

There are some great prizes you can win - all purchased from local businesses.

Enter the Great Big SE4 and SE23 Raffle to support local business and win great prizes!
 
Over £6,000 has already been raised from local people.
Find out more and enter the raffle here.

Helping Local Families

Two ways to support local families struggling at this time:

You can support the local food bank with one-off or regular donations:
https://lewisham.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-money/
At present all food is being delivered to clients by the food bank.






Revd Edd Stock is also raising money for food for local families:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lewisham-citizens/

Helping Each Other

Whatsapp
We encourage all members to help other members of the community. A number of streets, estates, and areas across Forest Hill have Mutual Aid groups on Whatsapp and there is a map available here.



Volunteering
Lewisham Local, Voluntary Services Lewisham and Age UK Lewisham are working with Lewisham Council and local partners to coordinate support for people who are vulnerable or self-isolating.  This support will include the delivery of food and supplies, befriending and provision of accurate information.

If you need support or wish to volunteer to help you can:

Call 03330 150 378 (Mon-Fri 9-5) or complete an online form at https://www.lewishamlocal.com/request-support/

Call a Neighbour
Many people will feel isolated if they cannot leave their homes. Perhaps give elderly friends and neighbours a call on the phone, just for a friendly chat, and to safely break the monotony of lock down.

Local Shops Collection / Delivery

Residents have been compiling a list of businesses in SE23 and SE4 that are open for business in some way during the current crisis. This list includes many local restaurants which can provide you with a break from cooking as well as Butchers, delis, greengrocers and pharmacies.

View the full list at: http://croftonaid.org/2020/03/28/local-businesses-being-brilliant/

If you can, please try to support local business during this difficult time.

A Giant for the Horniman

Horniman Museum kicks-off April 2020 with plans for a celebration of Neolithic Art including the installation of their own Giant Hill figure that will be visible from across London!

Hill figures have been part of the British landscape for millennia and these imposing figures are often associated with fertility. The figure will be created by cutting turf and filling the trenches with crushed chalk recreating the way similar figures have been carved in the British countryside for thousands of years. To complete the authentic nature of the art, local Druids will imbibe the figure with mystical fertility powers.

However, many local residents have expressed concern about the anatomical explicitness, dubbing the piece the Horniman “Horny man”. The man will stand 100 metres tall with the phallus itself stretching just over 13 meters (40 feet). 

Visitors are expected to come from far and wide to enjoy the spectacle of this cultural colossus in the heart of South London, and the “Horny man” is expected to become as symbolic of South London as the “Angel of the North” is for Manchester.

The Horniman Giant will be visible from a variety of locations across London and as far away as Cockfosters.

All figures are correct at time of publishing – 1^st April 2020.
All details will be incorrect on any other day.

The Lazy Chef

Located in Forest Hill station’s forecourt, it is easy to overlook this surprising little café, where the staff are anything but Lazy!

First impressions on entering this family run café are of a warm, friendly place to eat, featuring a menu with something for everyone. The large range of breakfast options has an international flavour with Mediterranean and American combinations to complement the standard European fare. There is also an equally varied list of lunch options ranging from chicken dishes to pasta, fish and burgers. These can be washed down with a glass of wine from Italy, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia or Chile. It’s the wide range of different meals available that makes the Lazy Chef special.

I met with Serkan, one of three brothers, the others being Sidar and Serdar who have worked together for 20 years and have run the Lazy Chef for two years — alongside their uncle Ercan, who does the cooking.

My first question was obvious: Why the name when it’s very clear this is not a lazy establishment!? Serkan explained that the name is fun, a laugh and something different to catch the eye. Continuing, Serkan said 90-percent of his customers are locals who visit regularly. Serkan takes pride in making them feel welcome. He wants the Lazy Chef to feel like a warm sanctuary where you can enjoy excellent coffee and tasty food.

Serkan and his family are Kurdish and come from Turkey, though Serkan has now lived in Devonshire Road for 23 years and loves working in Forest Hill. Before the Lazy Chef, Serkan and his brothers owned kebab shops including one in Dartmouth Road. Asked if he had any plans for the Lazy Chef, Serkan said he would like to expand the café and be able to serve more customers. Given the location, this would be difficult. I wondered whether Serkan and his brothers might want to move to a larger premise elsewhere, but he was adamant he had no intention of leaving Forest Hill.

If you fancy a good cup of tea or coffee and a tasty bite to eat, the Lazy Chef may be the place for you. And if you do visit, try the Gorlette — savoury Turkish flatbreads which are home-made by Serkan’s mum!

Where Did You Get That Hat?

This past Christmas our community was aflutter with the Forest Hill Hat Caper when not just one, but two of the handmade Santa hats for the Christmas tree were stolen. Local Forest Hill designer and resident Lee Jackson of Jackson Morgenstern Ltd created this fantastic feature. Jason Kee sat down with him to find out more about the designer behind the decorations, and the man under the hat.

Now very much in demand, Lee didn’t start his career in design. His first foray was an extensive year-long refurbishment and redecoration of the house he shared with his then partner. It must have been a triumph as a friend then introduced him to the BBC. It was the 1990s and makeover programs were all the rage. Lee found instant success and began working on home makeovers for daytime magazine shows. He had no formal training, but he was creative, could do the work himself and was an excellent presenter, a rare combination for this new emerging TV format.

After the BBC, Lee started working with a growing number of interiors’ magazines and began to focus on styling rooms for photoshoots. There is a very good chance you have a feature in your house which Lee inspired. But the fortunes of TV home-décor shows and those glossy magazines waned. Lee set up Jackson Morgenstern Limited twelve years ago and has built a business focusing on exhibition design, and experiential and PR stunts. Stunts have included setting up a full-scale wedding for Bertie Bassett at the Bassett’s factory, and an ambush by Scottish Clansmen in Soho.

He said, “I love it most when I answer the phone and someone says: I’ve got a really bizarre request...” He has been asked to recreate a jungle and 1950s Cuba, and even to create an edible set. In an industry where burn-out is common, Lee attributes his success to keeping ahead of the curve, and embracing new technology and media.

Today, styling photo shoots accounts for a lot of his work and takes him all over the World. When we talked he was getting ready to head to Milan for two weeks. When he heard about the theft of the hat (the first time) he was in Tenerife.

Lee became a Forest Hillbilly just over six years ago on a day his partner Alex is unlikely to let him forget: Valentine’s Day.

Lee is a native North Londoner, living in both Century Park and Watford before venturing south to SE23. Like many other recent arrivals, he knew very little about the area but was encouraged here by friends who live and work in Havelock Walk. In Forest Hill he found a converted sausage factory (or so he has been told) with room for a studio and a home for him and Alex. Lee speaks with great fondness now of Forest Hill though, from our chat, I suspect it is the cheese toasties from Aga’s Little Deli that keeps him in the ‘hood.

Over the past few years, Lee has also carved out a niche line of work in styling photo shoots and events for Christmas. For him, Christmas begins in May lasting often through to October. A few years ago at a photo shoot for Dobbies Garden Centres, he admitted to decorating over 1,500 trees — a number he now thinks was conservative. It should be no surprise that he has earned himself the title Mr. Christmas. Forest Hill was very lucky to have Lee not only design but also supply the decorations and make those two erstwhile hats for our Christmas Tree.

• Fun Fact 1 – The Forest Hill Hat was made from an elephant-knit throw, padded with a 5-tog duvet and trimmed with a lot of fake fur.
• Fun Fact 2 – In case the second Forest Hill Hat was stolen, it had the message “we hope you get no presents” printed on the inside.
• Fun Fact 3 – Lee is obsessed with television shows from the 60s and 70s, which in part explains the Morgenstern in Jackson Morgenstern. If you think you know why, then tweet us at @FHSoc or leave us a post on Facebook.
• Fun Fact 4 – Lee will be decorating the Forest Hill Christmas Tree again this year and has already started on design concepts.