Events update - January 2013

Society Events

This month's events include our traditional Burns Night celebration. This year it will take place on Friday, 25 January at Canvas and Cream (18 London Road, SE23 3HF). For £19.99 you will get a three course meal of Cock-a-leekie Soup, Haggis wi' bashit neeps an' champit tatties, Typsy Laird (a Scottish whisky trifle) and a wee dram to toast the haggis. (A vegetarian option is also available). Ceremonies will begin at 7:30pm, so turn up at 7pm for a pre dinner drink. Please book directly with Canvas & Cream at the restaurant or on 020 8699 9589. As well as food, there will also be a selection of music and poetry from the bard; bring along something to share if you would like to join in.
The Food Fair will return on Sunday, 3 February. We have decided to change our operating hours - we will now run from 11am to 3pm, which will hopefully catch the Sunday footfall in the town centre better.

In Other News...

The Butchery Limited, one of our stallholders from the Food Fair and a SEE3 PopUp, have signed a lease for 49 London Road. They are busy installing permanent refrigeration and hope to open the doors once more in early to mid February. We are delighted that another of our stallholders is moving into permanent premises and wish them well in this venture. Some people have asked why a local family was not given the chance to try the shop as a PopUp. Although Ruth and Nathan have an outlet in Bermondsey, they live in the heart of Forest Hill, so we couldn't get more local.
The TSA for the South London Health Trust, Matthew Kershaw, presented his final report to the Secretary of State for Health on January 6. The Secretary of State now has 20 working days to review it and make a decision on the future of the NHS in south east London by 4 February 2013. The final report makes the same recommendations as the draft report. ie that the A&E and Maternity units at Lewisham Hospital are closed and that we all use King's College Hospital or Queen Mary Hospital in Woolwich instead. These plans could have serious impacts on health provision in South East London and, once implemented, cannot be undone as they are planning to sell off 60% of the land. If you haven't already done so, please sign the petition against the closure of Lewisham's A&E and Maternity unit. There is going to be a march from the roundabout outside Lewisham Station to Mountfield Park on Saturday, 26 January from noon to 4pm. Watch our website for details of where to meet if you would like to join us - we will probably meet in Forest Hill first.
The Metropolitan Police have announced plans to close Sydenham police station, along with many others across London and reduce the number of police stations operating 24 hours to one per borough (in our case, Lewisham police station). The police station in East Dulwich is also earmarked for closure. There will be a Borough public consultation event on Monday, 28th January at 6pm in Lewisham town hall (opposite the Library in Catford). If you would like to attend you must register first. The full draft MOPAC Police and Crime Plan can be found on the GLA website and there is a questionnaire for your feedback.

Local Events

We try to publicise all local events on our calendar, but this is very dependant on the amount of free time we have. Apologies to any we have missed
If you are self employed and looking for a little support, then head down to the Dolphin (121 Sydenham Road, SE26 5HB) on Thursday, 24 January for 1:15pm where a new group is getting started. The Self Employed Self Help (SESH) group’s Inaugral meeting will decide how often they should meet and discuss the support needed by its members. Go along and have your say at this free event which will run from 1:15pm to 3:15pm. Simply buy your own drink and show your appreciation by donating to the collection for Sydenham Community Radio. For further information email Anna Baghari at annabaghari@ntlworld.com.
The Devonshire Road Nature Reserve (170 Devonshire Road, SE23 3SZ) will be open as usual on the last Sunday of the month (Sunday, 27 January) from 2pm. Jacob Twyford is a vital member of our Executive and the Friends of Devonshire Road Nature Reserve. If you want to show your appreciation for all that he does, catch his band (Jonah's Raft) at HopScotch (72 Honor Oak Park, SE23 1DY) on Friday, 1 February.
After last year's sell-out production of 'Cinderella', Pirate Pantomimes return to St Augustine's (One Tree Hill, Honor Oak Park, SE23 3LE) with 'Dick Whittington' starring Gabrielle Bradshaw, Lisa Thorner and friends. There will be three performances, guaranteed to be extremely popular, on Saturday 9th February at 3pm and 7pm and Sunday 10th February at 3pm. Book your tickets now and arrive early to get a good seat. (Please try and arrive 15 minutes before curtain up). Adults are £10, Concessions and children aged 5 to 18 £7.50, children of 4 yrs and under free. Seats unreserved. If you don't manage to get your tickets in advance, queue at the door and they will try and fit you in, but ticket holders will be admitted first.
The Friends of Albion Millenium Green will be holding their second AGM on Saturday 23rd February, at Forest Hill Pools Community Room from 11am-1pm. There will be elections for the positions of Chair, Treasurer and Secretary, and ordinary committee members. If you would like to join their committee, please email tim@lund.co.uk

Looking Forwards...

2013 is going to be a worrying year for many people as the budgetary cuts start to take effect. We will do our best to keep you informed about local issues, but need more people to get involved to spread the word. I'm always looking for people to help run the Society, coordinate publicity and help organise events. If you would like to help in any way, please write to volunteers@foresthillsociety.com. I know I keep saying this, but we really could do with more volunteers and helpers. Bring your family along for a fun day out at one of our events, or spend ten minutes on your way home, helping out with the planting at the stations. If you don't know how you could help, call me and we'll sort something out. Every little helps.
Thank you to all those who volunteered and helped make 2012 so successful. I look forwards to meeting many more in 2013. If you would like to receive these eNews updates in your inbox, then please signn up now.

Burns Night party - Fri 25th January

As has become the custom, we will be celebrating Burns Night for our January social event. Everyone is welcome.

The venue this time will be Canvas & Cream (18 London Road, SE23 3HG) and the cost is £19.99 for the traditional three course meal and a wee dram. A vegetarian option will be available. Come along at 7pm as ceremonies will commence at 7:30.

We are arranging a great evening of entertainment for you. There will be the traditional Address to the Haggis and a chance for people to read some of the Bard's poetry as well as a couple of surprises (if everything works out). Feel free to bring along something to read yourself and don't feel shy!

It would be lovely to have as many people from Forest Hill (and Sydenham!) there as possible, so hope to see many of you, new & old to the area, on the night. The event is open to all (sassenachs, members and non-members alike).

Please book directly with Canvas & Cream at the restaurant or on 020 8699 9589

Please note correction: Correct phone number for Canvas & Cream is 020 8699 9589

Sydenham Police Station Closure - Public Meeting

The Metropolitan Police plan to close Sydenham police station, along with many others across London and reduce the number of police stations operating 24 hours to one per borough (Lewisham police station for Lewisham).

There is a borough public consultation event on 28th January 2013 on the MOPAC Police and Crime Plan. This meeting will take place at the town hall in Catford at 6pm. If you would like to attend you must register on the following weblink: http://www.london.gov.uk/events/policing-and-crime-consultation-events?source=mopac

 

The full draft MOPAC Police and Crime Plan can be found at: http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/policing-and-crime/community-engagement

 

The online questionnaire for the Police and Crime Plan can be found at:  http://www.smart-survey.co.uk/v.asp?i=67232epffs

Perry Vale Local Assembly - 15 January

The next Perry Vale Local Assembly will be held on Tuesday, 15 January from 7pm to 9pm at Kilmorie School, Kilmorie Road, London, SE23 2SP.

Topics to be covered include

• Report by the Safer Neighbourhood Team about crime in the ward and news about the possible closure of Sydenham police station.
• Presentation on the Perry Vale Action Plan. The action plan details the five ward priorities, actions to address them and a progress report. The five ward priorities are
  • The environment
  • Roads and Traffic
  • Youth provision
  • Anti-social behaviour and crime
  • Activities for the whole ciommunity
• Update on the refurbishment of Forest Hill Underpass
• Meet the SEE3 Town Team Manager and hear about the exciting developments surrounding the Portas Pilot
• Learn about the Dog Activity Day taking place in Mayow Park on Thursday 21 February.
• Hear about the final recommendations for the South London Health Trust from the TSA (Trust Special Administrator)and how they will affect Lewisham Hospital (if implemented)

There will also be a chance to meet your local councillors and discuss how you can help make Perry Vale a better place to live. Local groups will also have the chance to make any announcements if they want to publicise an event or share some ideas.

Food Fair Update

Thank you to all our loyal supporters. We're taking a break this month as most of our traders are on holiday or busy with new plans, but we will be back in February as usual.

Wishing you a happy 2013

2012 has been a fantastic year for Forest Hill and we hope that 2013 will continue to see the positive development we saw in 2012.

This year saw the reopening of the swimming pool, the completion of the Horniman Gardens redevelopment including their new education centre, a monthly food fair at Forest Hill station, and many new shops up and down the high streets.

The Forest Hill Society were able to play our part in the changes that took place in Forest Hill this year in a number of ways:

• With local assembly funding we were able to arrange the installation of swings and table tennis in the Horniman Triangle
• We have set up a monthly food fair, bringing people into the town centre
• Our market stall holders have begun to set up a permanent presence in Forest Hill, with Aga opening a deli, and we hope Ruth and Nathan will continue the success of the pop-up butchery into 2013
• We were instrumental in the successful bid for Portas Funding which will continue to build on the progress made in 2012, with more pop-up shops, more markets, and a town centre hub
• We helped Dacres Wood gain a Friends group, with some great plans to improve this unique habitat in Forest Hill 
• We were also able to help local businesses re-launch the Traders Association, and it has been great to see them working together to improve the attraction of the town centre
• Finally, with the support of the local assembly funding, we have been able to brighten up the town centre and stations in Forest Hill and Honor Oak Park 

What's going to happen in 2013?
It is always difficult to predict the future but we can be sure of a few things;
On transport - Honor Oak Park station will have step free access (at least to the platforms - the gap between the platform and the train is another matter), and the subway in Forest Hill will be refurbished making the crossing of the railway a more pleasant affair.
We will continue to run monthly food fair (though not in January), with the SEE3 team running complimentary markets to make Forest Hill even more of a destination.
The success of new businesses, and the continued availability of empty units, should attract more new businesses to Forest Hill and Honor Oak Park. We know of a number of businesses currently looking for the right location in Forest Hill for their business, and the Forest Hill Society and SEE3 team are giving them every encouragement.

So we wish everybody in Forest Hill a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.

Station News

There are a number of pieces of news which our rail travelling members will be interested in.

1. The station building has been repaired following the ram raid on the ATMs in June. The hoardings will be removed once the new ATMs have been installed.

2. TfL recently published their ten year business plan. The good news is that the Overground fleet of trains will be extended to 5 cars each by 2016, increasing capacity by 25%. However, this will require selective door opening at some stations (including Canada Water) as the platform is not long enough.

   There will also be two extra trains each hour from Crystal Palace, meaning a total increase in capacity of over 50%, which will be welcome news.

3. London Overground passengers are now able to access a free WiFi service at our local stations under a contract between public WiFi provider, The Cloud, and TfL. Passengers will be allowed 60 minutes of free internet access per day at every London Overground station at no cost to the fare or taxpayer.

   Passengers will have 60 minutes’ free internet access each day at each station through a one-time registration process available at all 56 London Overground-operated stations. WiFi access will be available in the immediate vicinity of stations.

   Steve Murphy, Managing Director of London Overground Rail Operations Limited, said: “Access to the internet is no longer limited solely to home or to the workplace, and people’s expectation is to be able to work and communicate effectively and seamlessly while they’re on the move so we’re delighted to support this initiative which will bring reliable, free WiFi to London Overground’s customers.”

Sydenham's SEE3 Festive Fair, Sun 16th December

Seasonal gastronomic goodies will be on offer at SEE3's Festive Food and Gift Market from 10am to 4pm on Station Approach, outside Sydenham Station.

There will be some stall holders from our Food Fair along with some other enticing offerings, so go along and say hello.

Aga’s Little Deli	Christmas deli
Van Dough	Wood fired Pizza
Tongue N Cheek	Street food
Anna & Magdalena	Polish deli
On The Hoof	Bread
DB Foods	South African foods
Stag & Bow	Vintage art & images
Alvin's Jerk Wraps	Jerk wraps
Man Made Foods	Cakes for men
Uli's Cakes	Savoury scones and jams
Capo Caccia Fine Food	Sardinian delicacies
Living La Vida Cocoa	Spanish delicacies
Cakehole	Cakes
Daisy's Décor & More	Handmade home accessories
Sylvia’s Vintage Gems	Vintage accessories
Taste of Spain	Spanish foods
Resistless Ltd	Chimney cakes
Miss Poppy Cakes	Cakes
Angela Kay Designs	Craft
Two Hungry Bees	Vietnamese street food
Elizabeth Cranwell-Ward	Chutney

While you are there, you could also drop in on Conquer Gear (Sydenham's PopUp shop at 4 Station Approach) and Jill (the Sydenham Hub), just around the corner at 27 Sydenham Road.

SEE3 Forest Hill Festive Fair , Sat 15th December , 10am–5pm

Forest Hill Pools will go all Christmassy on Saturday 15 December.

From 10am-5pm the market, just outside the main entrance to the pools, will showcase the best local talent, offering hand-crafted trinkets, wooden toys, jewellery, candles, ceramics, vintage accessories and Christmas tree decorations.

There will be sixteen stalls including a few local favourites. They will be selling a variety of goods from food to candles and a variety of vintage and festive goods.

Miss Poppy Cakes	Cakes
Aga's Little Deli	Deli
Doopodoopo	Locals artists work
Stag & Bow	Vintage art & images
DB Foods	South African foods
South London Prints	South London illustrations
Shop Eastern Bloc	Crafts from the former Eastern Bloc
B Creative & Co	Festive decorations
My True light Candles	Handmade candles
Bubblylicous	Handmade soap
Isa Marie Skincare	Organic skincare
Mariona Otero	Reflector ties and cards
Solivio Soaps	Soaps
Sock Monkey	Sock monkeys
Desnee's Vintage	Vintage and upcycled homeware
Committee of Taste	Vintage homeware and flowers

Organised by the SEE3 team.

Fiver Fest hits Forest Hill

With over 25 local shops and businesses participating, each with their own festive £5 deal, its sure to be a great time to enjoy what the town has to offer.
The event will run from 8th-15th of December with a late night opening on the Thursday 13th.

Details at Totally Locally Forest Hill.