Summer Lockdown Quiz

While it is difficult to organise community events during the present time, we still want to bring people together across the community, so we invite you to join us via Zoom for a quiz evening, including some questions specifically about Forest Hill.


8.00pm, Thursday 2 July 2020

Click here to register

Entry is free but donations to Lewisham Foodbank welcome
You can play by yourself or as a household, and once you have registered details of the Zoom link will be sent to you close to the event. We hope you can join us for a bit of fun with your neighbours and local community. (Bring your own bottle!)

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!