New Chairman for the Forest Hill Society

After four years as chairman, Richard Hibbert has stepped down from the role and at our AGM last night Michael Abrahams was elected chairman of the Society. Michael has been vice chair for the last four years and has previously been chairman. Richard will continue to sit on the executive committee along with many of the old executive plus some new members.

The last four years have been a great time for Forest Hill and Richard has worked tirelessly to develop the Forest Hill Society and to make a real difference to the local area. Thank you to Richard and also to all the other volunteers who have put so much effort into all the work of the Forest Hill Society. We will continue to look for new ways to make Forest Hill an even better place to live.

Totally Locally Forest Hill - Fiver Fest

Visit independent shops in Forest Hill from 4th-8th December for some special deals - from the sweet shop to the pub, and the card shop to the jewellers - they've got something for everybody!

Forest Hill Tree Lighting & Santa's Grotto

Saturday 7th December, 3:30pm

The Forest Hill Society will once again be decorating the tree in the town centre, and the lights on the tree will be switched on from 3:30pm on Saturday, 7th December. Please join us for the popular event with carol singing.

With thanks to Forest Hill Ward Assembly for arranging the tree, and to Winkworth for funding decorations and carol sheets.

SEE3 Christmas Calendar

You may have received a copy through your door, but just in case, the SEE3 calendar is now available on the web. It’s packed with all the festive events happening in the area throughout December. From Christmas markets to special shows, late night shopping and carol concerts, it’s all in here!

SEE3 Calendar 2013

Forest Hill Food Fair - This Sunday

December Food Fair - Sunday 1st December 2013

The Forest Hill Society started running our Food Fairs on a monthly basis in April 2012. Sunday 1st December 2013 will be the last in the series. We have enjoyed them all and we are delighted with what we have achieved and that we have demonstrated the demand for a market in Forest Hill.

September saw the launch of the weekly farmers' market at the Horniman which has proved incredibly popular and make the need for a monthly food fair far less than it used to be. Many of our most successful stallholders are now present in Forest Hill on a weekly basis.

We are proud that two stallholders from the Forest Hill Food Fair now have permanent shops on the high street; The Butchery and Aga's Little Deli - exactly the types of businesses the Food Fair was setup to attract, to enhance Forest Hill's high street.

In 2014 the Forest Hill Society will look at other ways to support the town centre and we are in discussions with local traders and organisations who may be interested in continuing the legacy of monthly/occasional markets in the town centre.

We are incredibly grateful for all the support shown to our food fairs by traders, customers, the weather, and the volunteers who made it all happen. And Sunday 1st December will be a market to equally all others, with a good range of delicious hot food and items to fill your cupboards.

Honor Oak Pub to reopen in March 2014 (Updated)

East London Lines is reporting that the Honor Oak pub, on Brockley Rise, will reopen in March 2014.

A statement from Punch Taverns said: "With the Honor Oak currently being closed for trade, we are aware that there may be some concern regarding the future of the pub. We can re-assure the community that we see the pub very much part of the long term future of Punch Taverns and we are planning a £350,000 investment and refurbishment beginning in January with a gala reopening in mid March."

After closing in May, The Honor Oak was the subject of a campaign by the Forest Hill Society to turn the business into a co-operative pub. The co-operative would have required Punch Taverns to consult the group on any sale, giving the community the option to take over the pub before it could be sold to another buyer.

Richard Hibbert, the chairman at the Forest Hill Society, said: “That’s excellent news. A much-loved pub by the locals and one that was very good at one stage. I’m sure it will have a bright future.”

Update: The Forest Hill Society has received confirmation from Lewisham Council that on 13th November 2013 the Honor Oak Pub was added to the council's list of assets of community value.

Now that the property is included on the Council’s list of assets of community value, if the Owner subsequently decides to enter into a relevant disposal of it, it will be required to notify the Council in writing under Section 95(2) of the Act. For the meaning of “relevant disposal” and for when a relevant disposal is entered into, please see Section 96 of the Act.

On receiving notice of a relevant disposal, the Council will then update the entry in the list for the property to reveal that notice has been received, give written notice to the Forest Hill Society (as the community nominee who originally nominated the property to go on the list) and will also publicise the proposed disposal in the locality. 

Honor Oak Park Christmas Celebration

Forest Hill Society AGM 2013

Thursday 12th December, 7:30pm
Upstairs at The Hob (opposite Forest Hill Station)

The Forest Hill Society AGM is a chance to elect the new executive and set out our priorities for the year ahead and beyond. We have some great ideas and want to hear all suggestion for ways to improve SE23.

We welcome members and non-members to our AGM.

Update: We have now confirmed our guest speaker: local resident and PhD student Jacob Phillips will be telling us more about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the local resident (80 years ago) and German pastor who opposed the Nazi regime in Germany. This follows on from Jacob's article for the newsletter earlier this year.

Day of the Dead Late, at the Horniman

Thursday 7th November, 6-9pm 

The Horniman’s next after-hours party for adults, Day of the Dead Late, is inspired by the annual Mexican festival. Follow a procession of fluorescent skeletons and Mexican musicians through the galleries, dance with a giant skeleton, experience a magical puppet performance with Theatre of Dolls, join in a Day of the Dead party with DJ Stylus in the Conservatory, discover fascinating skeleton facts, and enjoy short films. Food and bar open including Mexican street food and Day of the Dead cocktails.

Find out more about Day of the Dead Late at http://www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/events/day-of-the-dead-late. Tickets are £3. Over-18s only due to the nature of the events.

Hat  Tip: Brockley Central

Forest Hill Food Fair - Sunday 3rd November

Horniman Halloween Fair - 26th and 27th October

In addition to their weekly Saturday Farmers' Market the Horniman will be hosting an Arts and Crafts market on Sunday 27th October.

There will be a 'spooky trail' through the gardens, some haunting melodies from the bandstand, and a talk about weird animals in the museum.

More details at http://www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/events/horniman-halloween-fair

Tales for October

Tea at the Opera

Project:Opera, The People's Opera Company brings you piano accompanied extracts from a variety of works in local venues, keeping ticket prices low and offering ideal tasters for people new to Opera and fans alike, with 50% of their proceeds going in direct support of the local community - in this case, the community of St Saviour's church and the Lewisham Food Bank.

On Sunday, 20 October, they will be performing an Italian inspired program of Verdi, Puccini and Rossini, from Gilda's death scene (Rigoletto) to Rossini's hilarious Cat Duet. True to Project:Opera's style, their artists' passion will make you laugh and cry, wishing you could come back and hear it all again!

Tickets are available through their home-page or for on-the-day purchase. Tickets are priced at £10 for Adults, £5 for Concessions and children under 12 go free.

Performers:
Angela Pascale (Piano)
Annalisa Vaughan (Soprano)
Colleen Nicoll (Soprano)
Ian Pope (Bass-Baritone)
Yuri Sabatini (Tenor)

Meet the Bouncers

Allow me to introduce Les Judd, Ralph and old hand Lucky Eric. They've seen it all. On Club night, they'll be there, checking out the action. Looking cool. Stepping in to break up a fight. Just don't get them started.

From 16 October to 2 November, Spontaneous Productions will be bringing their unique style of size-specific theatre to the authentic atmosphere of Zanzibar Nightclub and Restaurant on Kirkdale.

In this all new, updated version of John Godber's timeless comedy, four nightclub bouncers portray more than 20 different characters (giggling girls, lads on the make, pogo-ing punks and a smooth talking DJ) set against the tatty, glitzy glamour, flashing lights and pulsating beat of the dance floor.

“It's easy to see why Bouncers remains John Godber's most successful comedy.”(Liverpool Post)

Tickets (£12 - £8 concession) are available from Kirkdale Bookshop, 272 Kirkdale, Sydenham. SE26 4RS. Phone: 020 8778 4701. Book early to avoid disappointment!

The Honor Oak

The Honor Oak on St German's Road was one of Forest Hill's better pubs until recently. Unfortunately, the last tenants ran the pub into the ground and have allegedly stripped it bare - including removing all the radiators.

After being approached by several members of the Society who were concerned that The Honor Oak might follow the same fate as The Windmill and The Forest Hill Hotel and be converted into flats or a mini-supermarket, we recently applied for the Honor Oak to be listed as a community asset.

If approved, then should Punch Taverns decide to sell the property, the community will be offered the right to buy the building. If you'd like to get involved and hear about the journey, please join the mailing list at www.thehopeandhonor.com.

The table below summarises the ‘assets of community value’ nominating and bidding process in four simple stages.

Stage one: Identify an asset for nomination
If an eligible community or voluntary group thinks that a local asset meets the definition of an ‘asset of community value’ they can fill in an application form and ask the Council to list the property as an ‘asset of community value’. If the nomination meets the relevant criteria and is approved by the Council, the asset will be included on the list. A list will also be compiled for any unsuccessful nominations that do not meet the criteria.

Stage 2: The owner wants to sell their asset
If the owner wants to sell their asset they must notify the Council, which will then notify the community group that nominated the asset and publicise the proposed sale to the wider community. If within six weeks of informing the Council of their intention to sell their asset an eligible community interest group does not come forward, the owner is free to sell their asset for a period of eighteen months from the date that they notified the Council of their intention to sell the asset.

Step 3: A designated community group wants to bid for the asset
If an eligible community interest group does express an interest in bidding for the asset, this group or groups will be granted extra time to prepare a business plan and gather the finance needed to purchase the asset. All in all, the time-frame for groups to put together their bids is six months starting from the time the asset owner informs the Council of their intention to sell the asset.

Step 4: The point at which the asset is to be sold
The six month window of opportunity is only for eligible community interest groups to put their business plans together and gather necessary funding. Once the six month window has expired, the asset owner is free to sell their property to who they want. They are under no obligation to sell the asset to any eligible community interest group or groups who bid to purchase the asset.

Apple days

If you've got a surplus of apples or just want a fun day out, pop along to one of the local apple days.

Mayow Park

SEPlentyFree and GrowMayow have got together to run an apple day today (Wednesday 2 October) from 2 - 6pm. There will be apple & pear juice fresh from the apple press, cakes, pies, crumbles & pastries as well as jams & chutneys to sample & buy. There will also be kids activities, free apple recipes to take home, mulled apple juice (hot) & apple lot more.. There will also be a plants on sale as well as freshly made herb bundles.

One Tree Hill allotments

The One Tree Hill Allotment Society will be apple pressing on Saturday 5th October from 1pm to 6pm.

Go and help press apples and taste fresh juice. Please make sure that you wear old clothes and decent footwear as the event is out doors. All ages welcome, but children must be supervised directly at all times. Free event - welcome to bring snacks to share. Entry by Top Side Gate on Honor Oak Park SE23 

Devonshire Road Nature Reserve

Sunday 13th October is Devonshire Road Nature Reserve Apple Day....11 till 3

It’s a fantastic day for the whole family. Take along your apples if you have them. They’ll be crushing and pressing them to make fresh apple and pear juice.

Great food, refreshments and homemade cakes. Also face painting, games and music.
 

They hope to see you there.

Orchard Day

On Saturday 19th, the Forest Hill Society is organising a walk with the Friends of Albion Millenium Green. We will be planting some of the trees from the Edible High Road which were donated by bCards, Bunka and the Horniman Museum.

Meet at Forest Hill station at 11.00 am to walk to Albion Millenium Green for planting of trees at 11.30. We'll then go over the footbridge and walk
through Mayow Park for a brief talk about the trees already planted in the Mayow community orchard, arriving at de Frene community garden's mature orchard with lunch from pizza oven from about 1:30pm.

There will be apple bobbing, apple juicing and other activities.

Posted using Bloggerdroid. Apologies for any weird formatting

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).

October Food Fair - 6th October

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

Become a Skills Coach

Over 55? - Volunteer Centre Lewisham is setting up an exciting new project called Helping Hands which will offer services such as gardening, minor DIY, handyperson, home technology help and shopping assistance to anyone living in and around Lewisham. They are looking for volunteers aged 55 or over to become Skills Coaches who will provide basic training sessions and guidance for the volunteers going out to perform the service. These roles would suit someone who can commit to at least 4-5 hours per week (within office hours), has had practical experience in the services to be provided and the confidence to train small groups of volunteers.

The project aims to work specifically with unemployed young people (16-25) and disabled people living in the borough who will provide the services as volunteers in order to increase their employment skills through the volunteering and training which Volunteer Centre Lewisham and other organisations can provide.

They are looking for Skills Coaches with DIY, handyman, gardening and IT support skills as well as those willing to help run a shopping. If interested, please contact Lauren Banks on 020 8613 7113 or 4Gdigital@volunteercentrelewisham.org.uk.

Further volunteering opportunities can be found at do-it.org.uk

Fashion Week - What's On - Tuesday

7pm-8.30pm Do we need fashion trends?

Expanded anatomy of fashion trends – a fun workshop combined with some examples of seasonal trends for 2013 and 2014, during which we will discuss whether we need fashion trends. There will be some quizzes that will help us see trends in a clearer light. During the workshop participants will learn more about how trend forecasting companies work, about the history of trend forecasting, different types of trends and how trends can be used either for their own outfits or for designing for customers.

Host: Marlena Woolford of Inspiration Trend Analysis Ltd
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking advised)
marlena.woolford@inspirationtrendanalysis.com // foresthillfashion.com/trendsworkshop

A scrumping we will go

A new foraging and community harvest group called SEplentyFREE has started locally.

" We are a NEW small South East London based group of foraging enthusiasts based primarily in SE23, SE26, SE4, SE6, SE13, SE14, SE19 & SE20 (or wherever the fruit trees call us to). We are now also part of the national Abundance Network. If you are interested or live locally, you can join us by emailing Vera at: SEplentyfree@gmail.com for more information.

Fashion Week - What's On - Monday

It's been a hard weekend and all our models are worn out, so there is nothing planned for today, but they'll be back tomorrow.

It's hard work being fashionable @fhfashionse23

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

Horniman Market

Hot on the heels of the successful Forest Hill Food Fair, we bring you details of a new weekly market in the local area.

From today (21st September), the Horniman will be bring you a Farmers' Market every Saturday between 9.30AM and 1.30PM on the Horniman Museum and Gardens' Bandstand Terrace.

You'll find seasonal meat, fish, fruit and veg, bread, dairy and eggs, cakes and other baked goods, street food, plants, herbs, flowers and much more. 

In addition to providing you with the convenience of buying fresh, high quality produce in a beautiful setting, all the stallholders are based within 100 miles of the Horniman, so go along and support British farmers and producers and lower your food miles!

Although this market is not run by the Forest Hill Society, we do of course wish them every success and will use it to supplement our purchases from our hard working independent traders in the Town Centre.

The next Food Fairs will be on Sunday 6 October, 3 November and 1 December.

Fashion Week - What's On - Saturday

10am-1pm Make a unique necklace from ribbons, lace & beads

Learn the techniques involved in making a necklace out of ribbons, beads and lace and then make a beautiful confection of your own.

Host: Jane Gardner of Tattered Stones
Venue: Stag & Bow, 8 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3XU
Tickets: £3 for basic materials to learn the techniques, or £10 to take away a finished necklace using Jane's gorgeous selection of trimmings and beads. Spaces limited - booking advised.
tatteredstones@hotmail.co.uk // 020 8291 4992 tatteredstones.yolasite.com

11am-1pm Bead It jewellery workshop - fix, improve or create

Bring along some of your jewellery to improve it or make something totally new and exciting using our Jewellery Bank. A workshop with a fantastic jewellery designer, and an intro to our jewellery making course starting on Sat 28 September.

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

11:30-1pm Making a living from Fashion Pt 1

The 12 steps to success

Two inspirational workshops presented by Alison Lewy, founder of fashion business accelerator, Fashion Angel and author of Design Create Sell – a guide to starting up and running a successful fashion business. Find out more about the fashion industry and what it takes to start and run a successful fashion or accessory label.

Host: Alison Lewy of Fashion Angel
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking advised)
fashionangel@foresthillfashion.com // fashion-angel.co.uk

Midday-6pm Personal styling session by Divine Couture

We are excited to offer every female a personal styling session, so if you want some new ideas, inspiration or simply some general styling advice feel free to come down. You can even bring with you that outfit you've been wanting to wear but still unsure of how to work it...

Host: Chantel Wedderburn
Venue: Best of Both Boutique, 71 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HT
Tickets: Free
info@bestofbothboutique.co.uk // 020 8699 2753 // bestofbothboutique.co.uk

2pm-3.30pm Making a living from Fashion Pt 2

Routes to market - where to sell your product

The 2nd part of the workshops presented by Alison Lewy, founder of fashion business accelerator, Fashion Angel and author of Design Create Sell.

Host: Alison Lewy of Fashion Angel
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking advised)
fashionangel@foresthillfashion.com // fashion-angel.co.uk

4pm-6pm Embellish your clothes by hand

Bring along a garment and add your own personal touch using handstitch. Come and play with stitches, threads and trims in this 2 hour workshop with Rowena Ardern, expert designer/maker and embroidery teacher.

Host: Rowena Ardern
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd SE23 3HN
Tickets: £3 for materials
rowenaardern@googlemail.com // rowenaardern.com

4.30pm-6pm Fabric design workshop

Covering the basic aspects of fabric design and printing, this workshop demonstrates how layout can make or break a pattern. Come along to discover the difference between half-brick and half-drop, and the chance to design your own basic repeat.

Host: Madeleine McIndoe
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd SE23 3HN
Tickets: £3 for materials
madeleine.mcindoe@gmail.com // 07930 205559

Fiver Fest - check out the offers

It's your lucky weekend in Forest Hill. There's so much happening that the traders have decided to run a Fiver Fest with 30 of them offering special deals. Not only that, but if you buy today's issue of the South London Press (SLP), you'll find further special offers inside.

Simply click on the picture to download a copy of the Fiver Fest flyer, but you'll have to buy a copy of the SLP for those offers

Fashion Week - What's On - Friday

6pm-9pm Fashion Late at the Horniman Museum

The FHFW launch event - a night of fashion in association with the Horniman Museum.

Catwalk shows, dance, exhibitions, tours, talks and much more. Horniman Lates are for over 18s only.

Host: Forest Hill Fashion Development Project & Horniman Museum
Venue: Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ
Tickets: £3 - pre-booking tickets advised. Call 020 8699 1872 or book online foresthillfashion.com/fashionlate

Forest Hill Fashion Week - 20-25 September

Baroque the Streets. RUN for the Hill

How do you like the new mural in Forest Hill?

For some time now, one of our top priorities as a Society has been to reinvigorate Forest Hill's High Street.

To this end, we started the Food Fair, planted various locations in the town centre and reconvened the Traders' Association. We also received some funding from the Local Assembly to decorate the fronts of vacant units with a Horniman theme, with the aim of linking the Museum with the town centre and bringing some of their 750,000 visitors shopping here.

The first of our projects was the boarded up shop at 43 Dartmouth Road, which we decorated with a portrait of the Walrus before he went on his summer holiday to Margate.

However, this mural by RUN was funded by the Dulwich Picture Gallery's street art project, Baroque the Streets, and is an interpretation of The Translation of Saint Rita of Cascia by Poussin.

Our next piece will be appearing soon - keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, additional photos of RUN's piece outside the Sylvan Post can be found on Dan Needham's Flickr page. Our thanks to Dan for documenting the process.

September Food Fair - Sunday 1st September

Improved Access at Honor Oak Park Station

On the 28th August, Transport for London will begin improvement works at Honor Oak Park station.

In order to ease congestion and reduce queuing at busy times, the gateline will be extended and repositioned within the ticket hall, doubling the number of gates. Extra ticket vending machines will also be installed to help reduce waiting time.

These improvements are part of an overall programme of works to increase capacity across the London Overground network, both in stations and onboard trains, with a new 5-car service due to arrive in 2015.

The work is expected to take around three months and the station will remain open throughout the works and services will run as normal, however access to some parts of the station will be restricted at various times throughout the project, to allow work to be carried out to passenger areas.

Later this year, Network Rail will be carrying out further work at the station to install lifts as part of the Department for Transport’s Access for All scheme.

Open House Weekend - 21st-22nd September

London Open House Weekend is a chance to explore some of the best architecture London has to offer. Locally there are a number of buildings you can visit:

Crystal Palace Subway - Crystal Palace Parade
Magnificent subway built by Italian craftsmen resembling a vaulted crypt. Part of the Crystal Palace High Level Railway system demolished in 1961.
Saturday:10am-to-5pm. Pre-book ONLY by email on openhouse@cpsubway.org.uk

Drake House - Lordship Lane - Sunday 10am-5pm
London's oldest concrete domestic structure and Grade II listed former vicarage. Now restored and converted by Hexagon Housing Association in partnership with Heritage of London Trust and converted to provide 5 apartments.

Brunel Museum - Railway Avenue, SE16 4LF,close to Rotherhithe Station
Guided descents of subterranean chamber half the size of Shakespeare's Globe. Trains to view Thames Tunnel portico, one time shopping arcade, banquet hall and fairground.

Horniman Museum and Gardens
A landmark building - Charles Harrison Townsend's original arts and crafts building (1901) and his ideas on the arts and crafts aesthetic. The 16.5 acre gardens have re-opened after major redevelopment by Land Use Consultants (2012) including a Pavilion by Walters Cohen plus a bandstand terrace with views over London.
Sunday behind the scenes tours at 2pm & 4pm, pre-book ONLY via Horniman website.

Forest Hill Pools - Dartmouth Road
New facility providing community pools, fitness, cafe and meeting rooms whilst retaining the original Victorian pool superintendant's building.

TNG Wells Park Youth Venue - 111 Wells Park Road
A new youth and community venue developed in consultation with young people, using a simple and robust material palette of exposed timber structure, porcelain-like pre-cast concrete panels and translucent curved polycarbonate. Dramatic, open spaces connect through the building with viewing points and stage-like staircases.

Walter Segal self-build houses - 8 & 10 Walters Way, Honor Oak Park
A close of 13 self-built houses. Each house is unique, many extended and built using a method developed by Walter Segal, who led the project in the 1980s. Both houses have benefited from extensions and renovations. Sustainable features include solar electric, water and space heating.

The Capitol - 11-21 London Road
Formerly Capitol Cinema, Grade II listed rare survival of a complete 1920's cinema in Art Deco style, later a bingo hall and now a Wetherspoon pub.

Coach House - 11a Sydenham Hill, SE26 6SH, London, England
Combining a rich palette of traditional and vernacular materials with a contemporary understanding of detail and space, this house proposes a new vision of domesticity based on craft, tactility and light.

SELCHP Energy Recovery Facility - Landmann Way, off Surrey Canal Road, SE14 5RS
First new generation 'state of the art' Energy Recovery Facility providing long-term sustainable solution for waste disposal, and producing electricity for National Grid. Designed to minimise visual impact whilst remaining a high quality landmark building.

Southwark Integrated Waste Management Facility  -  3 Devon Street, off Old Kent Road, SE15 1JR
One of Europe's most advanced recycling facilities, comprising many sustainable features including grey water, solar panels and green roof. Designed for the purpose of turning waste into a resource.

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.

Calling all Budding Young Entrepreneurs

Young people have an amazing enterprising entrepreneurial opportunity to work with RBS professionals and their business contacts to take part in exciting workshops that explore what it takes to set up a business.  They also get to create their own business model and test it on the high street, in real life with with real punters!

The sessions are at TNG -Sydenham's most amazing new world-class youth centre -  and start on Tuesday September 10th, running weekly during term time until Christmas. 

A staff team of 15 RBS professionals have purposefully created fun interactive modules, a unique offer for Lewisham-based young people.  All the young people need to do is apply via our website or download the form and post it to: Melissa Knight, Sydenham and Forest Hill Youth Forum, c/o The Here For Good Centre, 17 Sydenham Road, London SE26 5EX.

The deadline is Friday 16th August.
It's really important that parents and adults who work with young people are signposting them to amazing one-off opportunities like this one.  Best of all, RBS staff are prepared to create a legacy by offering mentoring afterwards to those who wish to pursue business.  It also means trips to the City of London, something really invaluable - knowing the City is accessible to them. 
 You can also support the Sydenham and Forest Hill Youth Forum by donating here.

Louise House - A Hub for Art

We are delighted to say that we have finally heard who will be running Louise House for the next three years (and beyond, if successful).

V22 Collection is an art organisation, with a shared ownership structure, which specialises in the collection of contemporary art, the production of exhibitions, events and educational initiatives, and the provision of artists' studios and artisans' workshops. V22 currently runs three studio buildings in London, providing affordable workspace for over 400 tenants.

The first property, which they have managed since 2006, provides for 27 artists and is situated at the heart of Dalston’s creative district on Ashwin Street. The second, V22 Workspace, is a massive 142,000 sq. ft ex-industrial space in Bermondsey which they moved into in October 2010 and has over 380 artists and creative professionals working in the building, a large exhibition and events space, a community café and workshop space. They are proud of the collaborative and friendly community that has arisen there. Their third property opened recently in De Beauvoir, London, N1.

V22 believes that artists will always be at the forefront of contemporary thought. They aim to enable better connections into the wider art ecology through their shared ownership structure.

Louise House is situated on Dartmouth Road between the library and the swimming pool and is Grade 2 listed by English Heritage. The involvement of V22 in this site is another exciting opportunity for the development of Forest Hill and we look forward to working with them.

High Court quashes decision by Jeremy Hunt to close Services at Lewisham Hospital

The High Court today (31 July 2013) found that the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt MP, had acted outside his powers and therefore unlawfully, in deciding to substantially cut services and close departments at Lewisham Hospital.

In today’s judgment Mr Justice Silber said that the decision of the Secretary of State must be “quashed” as he had acted outside his powers as Secretary of State, and in breach of the National Health Service Act 2006, when he announced to Parliament that services at Lewisham Hospital would be downgraded and closed.

Law firm Leigh Day, representing the Save Lewisham Campaign Group, successfully argued that the decision of the Secretary of State was unlawful. They also successfully argued that the decision of Trust Special Administrator, the first to be appointed under new health service guidance, was also unlawful.

The High Court today found that “The TSA did not have vires [the power] to make his recommendations relating to LH [Lewisham Hospital]; The Secretary of State did not have vires to make his Decision relating to LH.” (Para 208) ‘Therefore the Decision of the Secretary of State insofar as it relates to LH must be quashed as must the recommendations of the TSA also insofar as they relate to LH.’ (Para 210)


Details above taken from http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/ where you can find the full press release from the campaign team.

The Forest Hill Society has consistently supported the campaign to protect services in Lewisham Hospital and welcome today's judgement. We hope that this is an end to the matter and that the Department of Health do not choose to appeal against this judgement.

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.

Summer at the Horniman

There are some great musical and dance events taking place at the Horniman this August. Here are just a few, but there are many of other events for adults and children throughout the summer.

Florilegium concert - Friday, 26 July 2013 (ticketed event)
Florilegium are one of the UK’s foremost period instrument ensembles.

Capoeira Workshop and Performance - Wednesday, 31 July 2013 from 1:30pm
The Afro-Brazilian artform of Capoeira combines martial arts, dance steps and music first developed by Africans as an act of resistance against their colonial rulers. This performance and simple workshop is suitable for all ages and will encourage you to take part in some simple moves.

Brazilian Ceilidh - Thursday, 1 August 2013 from 1:30pm
The Ceilidh Liberation Front, London’s newest and most radical ceilidh band, will invite everyone to take part in the famous Gaucho Handkerchief Dance, with a load of brightly coloured handkerchiefs provided so everyone can wear one and get into the spirit.

Amphion Consort concert - Friday, 9 August 2013 - 7pm (ticketed event)
The Amphion Consort presents an enjoyable and varied programme of guitar pieces by the Brazilian composer Villa Lobos, refined suites by Court of Versailles composers Marin Marais and de Visee, sizzling baroque songs from Latin America and music by J S Bach.

Latin Late at the Horniman - Friday, 16 August 2013 - 6pm (ticketed event)
Live music – Majagua
Circus - Circolombia
Film – The Suitcase Cinema
Talks and object handling - Life in the Amazon Rainforest
Dance - Tango Ball
Storytelling – Mexican stories

Summer Bandstand Concerts - Sundays from 3pm
Mafua de Yaya - Sunday, 28 July 2013
Lokandes - Sunday, 4 August 2013
Afro-American Project - Sunday, 11 August 2013
Cumbé - Sunday, 18 August 2013
Son Yambu - Sunday, 25 August 2013

Latin Music Fiesta - Sunday, 1 September 2013 - 12pm - 6pm
A big Latin fiesta in the Horniman Gardens to celebrate the end of the Latin American series of summer events: the programme will include carnival performances from Brazil, Argentinean tango, brass bands from Mexico, Peruvian party vibes and much more!

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.

Featherstone Co-Housing Open Day

SATURDAY 27^th JULY 

FROM 2PM – 5PM

1 Eliot Bank SE23

Featherstone Cohousing is situated at the top of Eliot Bank, near the junction of Sydenham Hill and Kirkdale. It is a large Victorian lodge with large grounds which could provide 33 spacious self-contained apartments and houses. 

Members of Featherstone Cohousing are holding an Open Day - a chance for you to look round the lodge, the site and the proposed plans for the first cohousing community in South London.

You will be welcome to talk to members of the community about their vision for establishing an ecological community that encourages independent living whilst sharing common spaces, social activities and extending them into the community.