Dates for your diary

Crofton Pk Assembly: Weds 23 March 7.30 - 9.30pm

St Hilda's Church Hall, Courtrai Rd, SE23 1PL

Forest Hill Assembly: Weds 30 March 7.30pm - 9.30pm: Honor Oak Christian Fellowship, 39 Honor Oak Road, SE23 3SH

Easter Bring and Take: Devonshire Nature Reserve

Sun 10 April 11am - 3.00pm

Forest Hill in Bloom: Station forecourt planting: Sat 16 April from 2.30pm.

The Pools Progress

As the Forest Hill Pools are replaced over the next year or so, we’ll hear from members of the team involved in the improvements. This issue we speak to Dominic Collins, Construction Manager for Willmott Dixon.

Q: What is your role on the pools project?

A: I have overall responsibility for day to day running of the project.

Q: What sort other projects have you worked on?

A: I have just completed a major school redevelopment in Kent and prior to this constructed the new Grandstand at Epsom race course. Willmott Dixon has constructed over 100 swimming pools over the last ten years across the country. Locally, we have constructed Hither Green Primary School, Crossways Academy and just completed work at Goldsmith's College.

Q: What did you think of the site for Forest Hill Pools when you first visited it?

A: The original swimming pool had already been demolished but we were very impressed with the clean and tidy condition of the site.

Q: What is the most interesting aspect?

A: For me it is the retention and full refurbishment of the original Victorian entrance and lobby building. When set against the original features of the Victorian structure, the modern aspects of the new facility are striking and say a lot about the buildings’ main purpose and function.

Q: What is your biggest challenge on this project?

A: The refurbishment of the Victorian entrance and lobby will need complicated temporary structural supporting works on the internal walls and floors.

Q: You will be working from Louise House (next to the pools), do you know much about its history?

A: I have read up on Louise House on the internet, I know that it was a Girls Industrial Home built in 1891, with Thomas W Aldwinckle as architect and William Johnson, builder.

Q: What is your dream project?

A: I am a big rugby fan so would love to construct a new stadium.

Community says “NO” to loss of Park!

The Honor Oak Recreation Ground is a much loved and valuable resource for people in Forest Hill, Honor Oak and further afield, many of whom have no external space or garden access.

The users of the space have been right over the years to suspect that Southwark Council has been planning to take even more of the space for burials.

TV cameras at the Rec (cemetery in the background) Local authorities encourage residents to take more exercise and are active in promoting sporting opportunities for all. But then Southwark move to take away the very sites where these activities can take place.

Southwark's Executive Cabinet recently announced it will be reviewing the ground for more burial space. With the formation of an online petition by local residents against the move, the Forest Hill Society acted quickly to ensure that as many people knew about this as possible.

We raised the issue on the Today programme and BBC London News with interviews with FHS Chair Richard Hibbert and Councillor Alex Feakes.

Because of the activity and views of local residents, and coverage in the national media organised by the Forest Hill Society, the meeting, scheduled for 28 February, was moved to the end of March. So there's more time to ensure that we don’t lose this considerable local amenity and leisure space.

The online petition has over 1,300 signatures; please consider adding yours: http://bit.ly/savehonoroakparkrec

Residents and local residents' groups can still demonstrate how much demand there is for the site, raise awareness locally and building support for the campaign. Find out more at: www.honoroakparkrecreationground.blogspot.com

Forest Hill Pools Open Day

Lewisham Council has arranged a drop-in session for all residents as an opportunity to meet the Willmott Dixon team and ask any questions they may have about the construction works. The first session takes place today in Louise House, from 5 pm to 7 pm. There will be a further opportunity on 5th April.

Willmott Dixon Construction have been on site at Dartmouth Road for just over two months and in that time they have made a great start to the programme:

• The first few weeks were dedicated to enabling works, which included extending the hoarding line, carrying out remedial works to Louise House, setting up welfare facilities for the staff
• Lewisham Planning Department granted approval for all pre-commencement conditions, which allowed Willmott Dixon to commence building works.
• Construction work began in early February with ground excavation and levelling, using crushed material from the demolition of the pool halls to form a ‘piling mat’ - a temporary surface to carry the weight of heavy machinery such as the piling rig.
• To date Willmott Dixon have excavated and removed approximately 2,500m³ of soil, to be re-used on another site, and are currently carrying out piling works (piling 22 metres below ground level), in preparation for the new building’s foundations.

Drop in to the Swimming Pool

Taken from Forest Hill Pools Resident Newsletter - March 2011

Following on from the ‘Stakeholder Presentation’ which took place on 9th December, which we believe was well received, two further ‘Drop-In Sessions’ for local residents have been arranged for 22nd March & 5th April 2011 between 5pm & 7pm.

This is an opportunity for you to meet the Willmott Dixon team and ask any questions you may have about the building works. A representative from Lewisham Council will also be there to answer any other questions you may have on the scheme.

The latest plans and Computer Generated Images of the new building will be on display for residents to view. Both sessions will take place in the 1st Floor Meeting Room in Louise House, which we are using as temporary office accommodation for the duration of the project and afford an excellent view of the site. The sessions are open to all local residents and there is no requirement to pre-book ... please just ‘drop-in’!

Oyster Simplified

One of the most confusing aspects of Oyster usage on National Rail is coming to an end. As of 22 May, the Oyster Extension Permit (OEP) will no longer be required for travel on the trains.

As explained in our earlier article an OEP was required if you had a Travelcard loaded on your Oyster and travelled from a station covered by your Travelcard to a Network Rail station outside your zones. For example, if you had a zone 1-3 Travelcard and travelled to Croydon from Forest Hill, then you needed an OEP if travelling to East Croydon (operated by Network Rail), but not West Croydon (operated by TfL).

This simplification will be welcomed by all Oyster Travelcard holders who will now simply tap in and out on their PAYG journeys.

Free Composting Days

Lewisham Council is running its free weekend garden waste recycling scheme again this year. From March 19 until November 27, residents can dispose of their garden waste every Saturday and Sunday between 9am and noon at four sites including Girton Road car park, Sydenham SE26 5JX and Laurence House Car Park, Catford SE6 4RU

Gardeners are being encouraged to take their waste including flowers and plants, grass clippings, hedge trimmings, leaves, and twigs and branches up to four inches in diameter in plastic or reusable bags. Kitchen waste, trade waste or trailers, vans or open back vehicles will not be allowed.

The service is free, but residents should take a proof of address and ID. For more information visit lewisham.gov.uk.

If you cannot make it on a Saturday or Sunday, there are two other options open to you. Either get rid of your garden waste seven days a week at the re-use and recycling centre at Landmann Way, New Cross or pick up garden waste sacks from your local library. The sacks come in rolls of 10 and cost £10 per roll (cash payments only) which covers the costs of collection and transporting the waste to a composting site. Once one or more bags are full, contact CallPoint on 020 8314 7171 to arrange a collection.

BBC News reports on Honor Oak Rec

BBC London reporter Sonja Jessop came and interviewed various people at Honor Oak Rec yesterday. A short piece appeared on their website, with additional pieces on the lunchtime and evening news.

It was a pity that the Southwark Press Officer felt unable to introduce us to Councillor Barrie Hargrove, Southwark's cabinet member for transport, environment and recycling who will be making the final decision.

Lunchtime News

Evening News

The campaign also been on the radio recently too.
BBC London


BBC Radio 4's Today Programme

World Book Night

Forest Hill Library is the only one of Lewisham's libraries taking part in the largest book give-away ever attempted in the UK, World Book Night 2011.

This dynamic and unprecedented initiative to celebrate adult books and reading will see one million free books given away on World Book Night by 20,000 passionate readers to other members of the public across the UK and Ireland.

From 4.30-8pm on Saturday 5 March 2011, members of the public will have the opportunity to take part in a special event at Forest Hill Library SE23 3HZ. This free to attend event will form part of a nationwide celebration of books and reading on a single evening when 1 million people will receive a gift of a book by one of the 20,000 people who have successfully applied to give away 48 copies of a title they have already read and love. The books being gifted have been chosen from a carefully selected list of 25 titles.

The Forest Hill Library event showcases published local writers and performance poets.

Lauded performance poet and celebrated editor in chief of his own independent publisher (Flipped Eye), Nii Ayikwei Parkes introduces his debut novel, Tail of the Blue Bird, published by Jonathan Cape. It's a beautifully written murder mystery set in a rural part of Ghana and built around the relationship between a western trained forensic scientist and an elderly hunter steeped in the folklore of the village. (Click this link for an interview and reading by the author)

Winner of the Mail on Sunday novel competition, Bronia Kita, tells of The Swansong of Wilbur McCrum, published by Picador. A tale set in the Wild West during the gold-rush as seen through the eyes of an inspired fictional creation.

Chrissie Gittins is Forest Hill’s resident poet. Her poems have won prizes, been broadcast on BBC Radio 4, animated for Cbeebies television, and are widely anthologised.

Steve Smith will introduce his insightful book on the origins and development of gospel music in Britain which traces the early days of British black gospel, from the pioneering African American Choir %th Jubilee Singers in 1873 to the formation of the London Community Gospel Choir an Hip Hop artists of the 90s.

Members from local writing group, Inspired Word, will also contribute to the evening, which will be compered by storyteller, Sandra Agard.

The event is free to attend with courtesy refreshments and you might walk away with a gifted book or be enticed into buying a signed copy of a book from our writers performing on the night. Places must be pre-booked with Forest Hill Library (Tel: 020 8699 2065) - You don't have to attend all the event!

Bird Walk in Mayow Park

The Friends of Mayow Park have organised a Bird walk in Mayow Park on Sunday 6th March 2011 at 7am, so if you are up in time, go along and experts will help you identify the birds you see. The walk will last about an hour.

If you have a pair of Binoculars, please take them with you. Meet by the Pavilion near the Burghill Road entrance gate