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.