24 May 2013

Calling Educators, Creative Practitioners & Learning Providers

Forest Hill School will be hosting a family learning event on Saturday 26th October 2013 aimed at engaging with the parents/carers, children and young people (including extended family members) attending primary or secondary schools in west Lewisham or living in the Borough. The event will run from 10am to 4pm.

They would like to invite local groups (or individuals) to apply to take part in this event! For no charge, you can promote your services directly to a family audience by delivering a workshop of your choice. This is a valuable opportunity to show off the exciting opportunities that each organisation can offer, and hopefully build relationships that will lead to future work. The event's title and theme is ‘Connected’, referencing the connections between learning, achievement and well-being and families, generations and communities that the event aims to highlight and foster.

Forest Hill School aims to select a broad range of workshops covering both art and non-art subject areas, representing provision available across the formal and informal learning sectors. To register your interest, please email cpa@foresthillschool.co.uk by 5pm Friday 7th June 2013 to obtain an expressions of interest form.

23 May 2013

Green Oak Carpentry

Just a reminder that the Green Oak Carpentry project is in full swing at Devonshire Road Nature Reserve and they're looking for people to get involved.

Great progress has been made over the last couple of Sundays, but this bank holiday weekend is the big push. They will be there from 10.30 to 4.30 on Saturday, Sunday and Monday so if you have a couple of hours to spare, or a whole day, pop along and get stuck in - learn how to cut and shape the essential joints in Green-Oak construction, all free. Tools and tuition are provided.

22 May 2013

RHS “In Bloom – It’s Your Neighbourhood”

It’s summer time – yes, it really is summer time – so it’s time for Forest Hill’s gardeners to come to the aid of the town centre flower beds. It is your neighbourhood, so please get involved in making Forest Hill look summertime lovely by helping out on Sunday June 9th at 2.00pm. Just turn up at the station forecourt with a trowel, secateurs, gardening gloves, and a spare plastic carrier bag. Or if you have none of the above, and not even green fingers, come along anyway and you will be able to lend a helping hand.

Judgement Day is on Tuesday 9th July and this time, with the success of the Edible High Road, we want Forest Hill town centre to look really outstanding.

The Forest Hill Society gardening group has been working hard this year. We’ve created vibrant large new planters at the entrance to the station, replaced and replenished the central beds under the trees in the forecourt, extended our planting to the boxes in front of Dartmouth Road’s Job Centre and have had a deal of success in encouraging local businesses to “green up” their frontages. And climbing roses and honeysuckle are now draping gracefully over the railings above the upgraded underpass. But with more volunteers we can go that extra half mile and put on a really great sh
ow for this year’s RHS judges.

So....Forest Hillers, help to make your neighbourhood bloom by volunteering a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon, 9th June. After all, it is your neighbourhood.

If you are interested in helping out or would like to be kept in touch with other opportunities to help make Forest Hill bloom, email volunteers@foresthillsociety.com

Tewkesbury Lodge Open Gardens - 15th & 16th June

A group of four very different gardens in Forest Hill will be open to the public under the National Garden Scheme on 15th June (5-8pm) and 16th June (2-6pm). Situated just behind the Horniman Museum, the gardens are within a few minutes walk of each other on a hill with spectacular views over London and the North Downs. Proceeds to cancer, caring, and gardening charities.
27 Horniman Drive
28 Horniman Drive
53 Ringmore Rise
Coach House, 3 The Hermitage, Westwood Park.
You will find a small SE-facing garden with richly coloured borders within formal outlines to complement a modern extension, plus a mini-meadow and a tranquil vegetable area with seating; a hilltop country garden in two sections, evolving from the owner's love of growing vegetables, with raised beds, a fruit cage, greenhouse, chicken run, and working and wildlife areas; a front garden inspired by Beth Chatto's dry garden, with stunning borders in soft mauves, yellows and white, interspersed with drifts of red and purple poppies; and a sculptor’s creative courtyard ‘container’ garden crammed with unusual plants and the artist’s sculptures and ceramics (for sale).
Combined admission: £6 (payable at 27 Horniman Drive). No charge for accompanied children.
Homemade cakes and tea on Sunday. Plants for sale on both days.
NB. Sorry, wheelchair access not possible. Well-trained dogs on leads welcome.

14 May 2013

Talking about Food

The Horniman Museum are hosting a series of talks and tastings about food and drink from across the globe. The setting will be in the beautiful new garden pavilion and the timings are after work on week days.

Up coming talks include:
Western Polynesian Food and Drink: Acts of Power by Dr Andy Mills, 21st May
Polish food: Memories in deportation and exile by Dr Monica Janoski, 11th June
Behind the Scenes: Pacific Northwest Coast Potlatch by Dr Robert Storrie, Keeper of Anthropology at the Horniman, 13th June
Hot Spice Gingerbread and Edible Symbols by Dr Kaori O'Connor, 25th June
Stories of cheese-making told by its tools by Professor Harry West, 23rd July


More details on these events from http://www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/events/type/19/date/2013-05-10/interval/74
Booking recommended

09 May 2013

Road Closures for 'several days'

From Transport for London:
I am writing to let you know about travel disruption in the Forest Hill area, while Thames Water carries out emergency repairs on a collapsed sewer. This will start from 21:00 tonight and is expected to last several days.

The A205 London Road will be restricted to one lane in both directions at the junction with Devonshire Road, outside Forest Hill station. There will be no right turn from the A205 London Road into Dartmouth Road. Road users are advised to avoid the area.

Bus routes 176 and 197 will be diverted via Sydenham Hill and Kirkdale and will not serve London Road, Forest Hill station and Dartmouth Road. Customers are advised to use nearby stops in Lordship Lane or Kirkdale.

To check for future updates on the roadworks, please visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk

08 May 2013

Sydenham Garden Spring Fair - Saturday 11th May

Saturday 11th May, 11am-3pm.
Enter at 28a Wynell Road or Holland Drive (off Queenswood Road SE23)


  • Plants, crafts, nearly new & vintage goods, home-made jams, chutneys & preserves for sale.
  • Children’s activities.
  • Gardening tips and seed sowing activities provided by South London Master Gardeners.
  • Refreshments, & home made cakes.
  • Live music.
  • Wander round the nature reserve and the food-growing garden, or just sit and enjoy the refreshments! 
  • Entry £1 or 50p concessions
For more information go to: http://www.sydenhamgarden.org.uk

06 May 2013

SEE3 Makers Market - Saturday, 18th May


Forest Hill Makers Markets  - Forest Hill Pools – Saturday 18 May, 10am-5pm
A SEE3 Event

30 April 2013

The Edible High Road - Launch Day, Saturday 18 May

Forest Hill is going back to its roots next month, to be transformed into an urban orchard. Forty-seven shops and businesses in Forest Hill and Honor Oak Park will join forces to create an avenue of 70 fruit trees – the Edible High Road – celebrating Forest Hill’s history and its current standing as a hub of community gardening. A trail map will lead visitors along the route lined with apple, cherry, pear and plum trees, ending in the Horniman Museum’s Gardens at the crest of the hill. Children taking part can also win gardening prizes.

Organised by the Forest Hill Society, in partnership with Lewisham Gardens and Shannon’s Garden Centre, the Edible High Road opens on Saturday 18 May until Sunday 9 June, as part of the Chelsea Fringe Festival, the volunteer-run celebration of plants, gardens and landscapes.

The Forest Hill event is part of a city-wide network of Edible High Roads including Shepherd’s Bush, Kilburn, Chiswick and Kensal Rise. The Horniman Museum and Gardens is also hosting a series of other Chelsea Fringe events including a family fun day and plant sale, compost cookery, guerrilla gardening and much more.


Our Edible High Road launch will take place on Saturday, 18th May at 2pm when we are delighted to welcome Matthew Wilson, presenter of Landscape Man on Channel 4 and regular contributor to BBC Gardeners World and Radio 4’s Gardeners Question Time

Join us at Forest Hill Railway station car park to help us launch this exciting innovation on the high street.

29 April 2013

Little Ecological Arts Festival

The Little Ecological Arts Festival (LEAF), will take place on Albion Millenium Green. There will be a series of events running from 2pm to 8pm on Wednesday 1 May to Saturday 4 May. In true artistic fashion, all timings are approximate! For latest details, check the littleecologicalart blog.

  • ‘Tree / Book’ an Interactive Installation by Camilla Nelson
    Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 2pm to 8pm
    Make your mark on this interactive web of tree-related reading & writing materials
  • ‘Enclosure’ an Installation by Dan Eltringham
    Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 2pm to 8pm
    Dan needs more space for his things. He's staked a claim and privatised part of the Green. He might consider leasing it to you.
  • ‘Labyrinth’ an Installation by Maria Strutz
    Wednesday, Thursday 2pm to 8pm
    A walkable sculpture
  • ‘The Keithettes: Divination’ a Performance by Beetle and Bird
    Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 2pm to 3pm
    London based performance company Beetle and Bird pay homage to their Irish heritage. The Keithettes retell a traditional Irish May Day folklore with the help of some snails.
  • ‘Nest’ a Performance Installation by Nathalie Hauwelle
    Wednesday 5pm to 8pm, Thursday, Friday 2pm to 8pm
    A nest fit for a human is built from wood found on The Green.
  • ‘Insect Hotel’ Performance by the International Collective of Ecological Actors
    Thursday, Friday 2pm to 8pm, Saturday 2pm to 6pm
    You are trying to check in but the receptionist is busy building bed-space for some exceptional guests.
  • ‘The Tempest’ by Teatro Vivo
    Thursday, Friday, 7pm to 8pm
    The Spirits of Albion Island invite you to come and celebrate Independence Day! The tyrannous Prospero has relinquished control and the Spirits will be celebrating by planting a memorial. Discover lovers and kings, monsters and men creating a storm in the undergrowth. This will be a work in progress showing inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest
  • ‘I Surrender’ by Rachael Henley
    Friday 2pm to 8pm, Saturday 2pm to 7pm
    Live Performance Installation Knitting - Live .
  • ‘Gleaning, Leaning and the Lean’ Workshop by Natalie Joelle
    Friday 4pm to 5pm
    What does it mean to glean and what are the ecological implications of its gestures?
  • ‘The Last Cuppa’ Theatre by Elaine Pantling
    Friday, Saturday 4pm to 8pm
    There is comfort in a cup of solitude but there is much more pleasure in sharing a pot of tea with friends. Every cup, every sip stirs up a story and invokes a memory never to be forgotten…
  • ‘Linus Slug’ by Mendoza
    Friday, Saturday 6pm to 7pm
    Insect Poetry from Northumberland.
  • ‘Sprites In Shorts’ a Performance by Simon Harrison and Phiip Engleheart
    Saturday 6pm to 8pm
    The festival finishes with Crystal Palace's finest. Famous for their ‘Blessing of The Pond’ on Albion Millennium Green
  • ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ Interactive Installation by the International Collective of Ecological Actors
    Thursday, Friday, Saturday 2pm to 8pm
    Reveal the path to the future