We have recently heard from Caroline Pigeon that the Jubilee line upgrade (which was supposed to be delivered in December 2009 before the ELL reopened) will now be delivered this spring. When complete, the new system will enable London Underground to run more trains on the Jubilee line, increasing capacity by 33 per cent and cutting journey times by around 22 percent.
London Rail also informs us that work was undertaken over the festive period on the new extension to the Overground service between Dalston Junction and Highbury & Islington. Signalling systems and High Voltage Power systems were successfully commissioned, in advance of successfully running the first test train at the end of last week. The project is progressing well and is expected to open on schedule in spring 2011, with a 'soft start' expected at the end of February. Once the service is up and running, all the Overground trains from Forest Hill will run to/from Highbury & Islington at the northern end of their route instead of Dalston Junction. (The New Cross services will continue to run between New Cross and Dalston Junction)
The final phase of the East London Line upgrade (ELLX2 from Surrey Quays to Clapham Junction) will not now be delivered before the Olympics in 2012. The original timetable for development had aimed for a May 2012 opening, but TfL have confirmed that this has now slipped and it will be the end of 2012 before we see the extension opened, as the timescales for the project were pushed back pending the outcome of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review. TfL have also had to take account of the restrictions on construction work being carried out before and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which have also affected the programme.
13 January 2011
06 January 2011
Recycling Event
Give and Take Day
Sunday 16th January - 11am - 3pm
Devonshire Road Nature Reserve (near the junction with Tyson Road)
It's a good time of year for having a clear out so this is the perfect January event! The idea is that you bring along items you don't want and swap them for something you do want - AND ALL FOR FREE!
Suggested items include DVDs, CDs, small electrical items, bikes, lamps, plants, kitchenware, books, clothes, toys.
Items should be in good condition and easy to carry home.
We're grateful to Lewisham Council for their help and practical support with this event.
Sunday 16th January - 11am - 3pm
Devonshire Road Nature Reserve (near the junction with Tyson Road)
It's a good time of year for having a clear out so this is the perfect January event! The idea is that you bring along items you don't want and swap them for something you do want - AND ALL FOR FREE!
Suggested items include DVDs, CDs, small electrical items, bikes, lamps, plants, kitchenware, books, clothes, toys.
Items should be in good condition and easy to carry home.
We're grateful to Lewisham Council for their help and practical support with this event.
Burns Night Celebration
Tuesday, 25th January, from 7.30pm at the All Inn One
This has become a very popular annual event for the Society. You’ll need to book directly with the pub on 020-8699-3311. We’ll provide an authentic Scot to address the haggis. Here’s the menu…
Bill O Fare
Burns Night Supper £14.95 per person
Cock – a – Leekie Soup
or
Vegetarian Scotch Broth
****
Haggis, Neeps and Tatties
(Traditional or Vegetarian Haggis)
****
Cranachan
****
Complimentary nip of scotch whisky to toast the bard
22 December 2010
PopUp Updates
If you made it to PopUp Forest Hill, then you may have been lucky enough to participate in Jeni Johnson's Messy Maker event or Katrin Heuser's Yoga Gestalten. If not, fear not! They are both running new sessions in the New Year.
Winter is typically a time of lethargy on one hand, and busy mental activity on the other, planning resolutions and rethinking our lives. Do you feel your best right now, at this transformative time of new beginnings?
This day offers a chance to stop, rebalance and find yourself through physical exercise, reflection and relaxation. It can help you become grounded, energised and open to the gifts the new year wants to give you.
Cost is £50 per person (£40 if booked by 31 December). For full details, see www.yoga-gestalten.co.uk/workshop.
Jeni Johnson is a painter who lives and works from her studio on Havelock Walk. She is starting up art workshops for pre-school children on Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons from 1.30 till 2.15pm at Havelock Walk, and a morning class on Friday mornings from 10.45 till 11.15 at the Honor Oak Pub. She will also be running art clubs for children in school holidays.
Classes are £6 per session (siblings half price) but if you pay a term in advance it's £5 per session (siblings half price). The early spring term starts week beginning 17 January 2011 and will run for 5 weeks. Booking is needed as places are limited.
Please contact Jeni on messymakers@hotmail.co.uk.
Peace, Prescence, Power
with Katrin Heuser, Rosanna Gordon, Maggie Richards
Join us for a nourishing day of yoga and meditation on Saturday 22 January 2011 from 10am to 4.30pm to help you move out of the January blues into a space of health and happiness.Winter is typically a time of lethargy on one hand, and busy mental activity on the other, planning resolutions and rethinking our lives. Do you feel your best right now, at this transformative time of new beginnings?
This day offers a chance to stop, rebalance and find yourself through physical exercise, reflection and relaxation. It can help you become grounded, energised and open to the gifts the new year wants to give you.
Cost is £50 per person (£40 if booked by 31 December). For full details, see www.yoga-gestalten.co.uk/workshop.
Messy Makers
Jeni Johnson is a painter who lives and works from her studio on Havelock Walk. She is starting up art workshops for pre-school children on Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons from 1.30 till 2.15pm at Havelock Walk, and a morning class on Friday mornings from 10.45 till 11.15 at the Honor Oak Pub. She will also be running art clubs for children in school holidays.
Classes are £6 per session (siblings half price) but if you pay a term in advance it's £5 per session (siblings half price). The early spring term starts week beginning 17 January 2011 and will run for 5 weeks. Booking is needed as places are limited.
Please contact Jeni on messymakers@hotmail.co.uk.
A Traveller's Tale
With recent reports that ridership on the East London Line has increased from 40,000 per day in June to 70,000 in October, we thought we would see how the morning commute had changed since the introduction of the Overground services. Are trains any less crowded? The Chair of our Transport Committee, Andrew Reid, decided to see for himself.
08.14 – Honor Oak Park Station. My wife and I boarded the rear carriage of the 08.14 Southern service to London Bridge. She took the last available seat and I was left standing with a number of others. The back of the train was not overcrowded but I was told the front would be. Certainly, the opening of the Overground has relieved pressure on Southern services and, whilst pretty full, the service is generally acceptable except when they run short trains.
08.24 – New Cross Gate. I needed to change onto the Overground at New Cross Gate. I found I couldn’t get on the packed 0824 to Dalston Junction from Crystal Palace and was left, with others, on the platform. The next train, the 0832, had come from West Croydon and was also packed – this time, no doubt, with the lucky people of Anerley and Penge who have seen their service level triple from 2 trains an hour to 6. We all just managed to squeeze on at New Cross Gate but we left people standing on the platform at Surrey Quays. Frightening that this service, open for just 6 months, is already running beyond capacity during the morning peak. Opening the service to Clapham Junction in 2012 will result in more trains running on the core section of the East London Line – but will more travel options reduce congestion? I doubt it.
08.37 - Canada Water. I found I was standing on the train just opposite the single escalator down to the Jubilee Line platform. The carriage emptied in a flash as passengers sprinted for the escalator in order to avoid the crush and get to the front of the queues for Jubilee Line trains. There were queues to board trains in both directions with staff valiantly trying to get the doors closed and the trains despatched as people shoved to get on their way to work. I didn’t envy them and didn’t join them. I made my way back to Forest Hill station to confirm that, despite all the promises, the lights on the northern side of the subway were still not working!
Rest assured, the Transport Committee is doing what it can to improve the lot of Forest Hill and Honor Oak Park travellers. If you have any comments or issues you would like pursued, please email me at Andrew@ForestHillSociety.com.
08.14 – Honor Oak Park Station. My wife and I boarded the rear carriage of the 08.14 Southern service to London Bridge. She took the last available seat and I was left standing with a number of others. The back of the train was not overcrowded but I was told the front would be. Certainly, the opening of the Overground has relieved pressure on Southern services and, whilst pretty full, the service is generally acceptable except when they run short trains.
08.24 – New Cross Gate. I needed to change onto the Overground at New Cross Gate. I found I couldn’t get on the packed 0824 to Dalston Junction from Crystal Palace and was left, with others, on the platform. The next train, the 0832, had come from West Croydon and was also packed – this time, no doubt, with the lucky people of Anerley and Penge who have seen their service level triple from 2 trains an hour to 6. We all just managed to squeeze on at New Cross Gate but we left people standing on the platform at Surrey Quays. Frightening that this service, open for just 6 months, is already running beyond capacity during the morning peak. Opening the service to Clapham Junction in 2012 will result in more trains running on the core section of the East London Line – but will more travel options reduce congestion? I doubt it.
08.37 - Canada Water. I found I was standing on the train just opposite the single escalator down to the Jubilee Line platform. The carriage emptied in a flash as passengers sprinted for the escalator in order to avoid the crush and get to the front of the queues for Jubilee Line trains. There were queues to board trains in both directions with staff valiantly trying to get the doors closed and the trains despatched as people shoved to get on their way to work. I didn’t envy them and didn’t join them. I made my way back to Forest Hill station to confirm that, despite all the promises, the lights on the northern side of the subway were still not working!
Rest assured, the Transport Committee is doing what it can to improve the lot of Forest Hill and Honor Oak Park travellers. If you have any comments or issues you would like pursued, please email me at Andrew@ForestHillSociety.com.
17 December 2010
The Englishman who Posted Himself
by John Tingey
This recently published book describes the exploits of a little known but endearingly eccentric Forest Hill resident. The local historian, Steve Grindlay, has been reading it.
In 1898 Willie Reginald Bray began a detailed study of the Post Office Guide which contained the regulations defining what could and could not be sent through the post.
Bray decided to put these regulations to the test and so he posted, mostly addressed to himself, a wide variety of unwrapped items including a shirt collar, the sole of a shoe, a bicycle pump, a turnip and a hat. Eventually he posted himself, and the long-suffering postman dutifully delivered him to his home in Devonshire Road.
Bray then turned his attention to autographs. He posted thousands of personal requests to the famous, infamous and largely unknown ranging from Churchill, Hitler and Santa Claus to the station master at Forest Hill station. Bray declared himself “The Autograph King” and few could dispute this. He sent out over 32,000 requests and received some 15,000 responses.
Reggie, as he preferred to be known, was born in Stanstead Road in 1879 and educated at St Dunstan’s College. His family moved to Devonshire Road in 1899 and in 1912 Bray moved to Queens Garth, Taymount Rise where he lived until 1939.
This meticulously researched book (in which Steve played a small part) describes Bray’s life in Forest Hill, and lists many of the challenges that he set the postal service. It is beautifully illustrated with many examples of both the objects that Bray posted and the autographs that he collected.
The book is available from Kirkdale Bookshop, 272 Kirkdale (020 8778 4701) and further information is available from the publisher and elsewhere online.
16 December 2010
Chair's Report
Thank you to everyone who came along to the AGM in October and to those who volunteered for the various committees.
With budgets being cut, we’re relieved that the new swimming pools appear to be secure. However, the Horniman’s future is less clear. Although the Department for Culture, Media and Sports has ring-fenced the funding for the Horniman Museum until 2015, it is one of seven non-national museums for which they are hoping to find alternative sponsors by April 2011. Contrary to initial rumours, there is no question of cutting these museums adrift without any financial support in the unlikely event that no new sponsorship arrangements can be found, but it will be difficult to arrange equivalent funding.
On the transport side, it has just been announced that the Thameslink programme will go ahead in its entirety but that the rebuilding of London Bridge will not be complete until 2018, instead of the original 2015. This is a mixed blessing; a long term benefit with the Southern services from Croydon being replaced by direct Thameslink trains through to St Pancras (via London Bridge), but the delay will make it more difficult to get the Charing Cross service reinstated. We will continue to lobby for this.
We have had a meeting with Tfl, LOROL (the people who run the new train service) and various politicians to discuss the Red Route. There have been some changes as a result and a promise to move and fence off the commercial bins outside the station which should improve the appearance of the station forecourt.
I know many of you prefer traditional methods of communication, so you can write to the Society at: Forest Hill Society, c/o 2 Perry Rise, LONDON, SE23 2QL. For those who are internet savvy, we are in the process of adding PayPal as a means for payment of your subscriptions; we will add the appropriate button to the website as soon as this is available. If you have not paid your membership since October, then your membership is due now. Please contact Belinda at the above address or email Belinda at membership@foresthillsociety.com if you are not sure whether your subscriptions are paid up.
Wishing you a very festive holiday.
With budgets being cut, we’re relieved that the new swimming pools appear to be secure. However, the Horniman’s future is less clear. Although the Department for Culture, Media and Sports has ring-fenced the funding for the Horniman Museum until 2015, it is one of seven non-national museums for which they are hoping to find alternative sponsors by April 2011. Contrary to initial rumours, there is no question of cutting these museums adrift without any financial support in the unlikely event that no new sponsorship arrangements can be found, but it will be difficult to arrange equivalent funding.
On the transport side, it has just been announced that the Thameslink programme will go ahead in its entirety but that the rebuilding of London Bridge will not be complete until 2018, instead of the original 2015. This is a mixed blessing; a long term benefit with the Southern services from Croydon being replaced by direct Thameslink trains through to St Pancras (via London Bridge), but the delay will make it more difficult to get the Charing Cross service reinstated. We will continue to lobby for this.
We have had a meeting with Tfl, LOROL (the people who run the new train service) and various politicians to discuss the Red Route. There have been some changes as a result and a promise to move and fence off the commercial bins outside the station which should improve the appearance of the station forecourt.
I know many of you prefer traditional methods of communication, so you can write to the Society at: Forest Hill Society, c/o 2 Perry Rise, LONDON, SE23 2QL. For those who are internet savvy, we are in the process of adding PayPal as a means for payment of your subscriptions; we will add the appropriate button to the website as soon as this is available. If you have not paid your membership since October, then your membership is due now. Please contact Belinda at the above address or email Belinda at membership@foresthillsociety.com if you are not sure whether your subscriptions are paid up.
Wishing you a very festive holiday.
Little Russets!
How do you celebrate the birth of a child? Sara and Tom Russet came up with a very special idea which benefits the whole community.
On the 13 June our first child, Nell Margie Russet, was born. Trying to think of an apt way to celebrate her arrival we happened upon the idea of planting a tree. We wanted to bring our name into the equation so we decided upon a Russet apple tree. Living in a flat with little garden space, we thought that Albion Millenium Green was the perfect location as it is a lovely public space that we could visit even if we had to move away and the tree could be part of a bigger, community project. To this end we have ordered two trees which will arrive in the last week of January. As we need to clear the undergrowth towards the back of the orchard prior to our planting, it looks like we'll probably do it the first weekend of February.
Photo Competition
 |
| Horminan Gardens |
 | SE23 is so photogenic with its great views, green spaces and varied architecture. So early next year, we’ll be launching a photo competition with the best pictures being made into a 2012 Calendar. |
| Horniman Clock Tower |
| We’re still finalising the details. In the meantime get your cameras ready for those dramatic winter shots of Forest Hill glistening in the snow. |  |
| Gridlock on Honor Oak Road |
As you can see, some of our members have already sent us their photos.
 |
| "Welcome Aboard" |
Louise House Memories - Early Years Centre
The Centre served hundreds of local children aged two to five over many years. Skilled and specialist support was offered to the children, many of whom had special educational needs and/or behavioural difficulties. Support was also offered to their parents and carers. In 1984, when I started at Louise House, the ‘crèche’, was in the west end of the building. The other room was a community hall offering sewing classes and childminder pop-ins. Prior to my time, I believe that there was a luncheon club for the elderly.
During the 80’s, few schools had nursery classes so the crèche provided pre-school education for the 3 to 5's. We had an excellent reputation and long waiting lists. Later, as nursery classes opened, we developed more specialised childcare to support the children who would find integration into a nursery class difficult. I was told that the crèche had been opened post war, to care for the children of mothers attending the health clinic based in the front building.
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