A Society for Forest Hill, London.
To contact the Society about our activities please email email@foresthillsociety.com
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The construction of
residential dwellings (Use Class C3) together with new play space, cycle
parking spaces, refuse/recycling stores and associated landscaping works at
Drakes Court Estate, Devonshire Road SE23. |DRAKES COURT, DEVONSHIRE ROAD, LONDON, SE23 3LY
Following the final consultation phase the
planning application for the above is now being considered. The Planning
Committee of the Forest Hill Society discussed this application at their
meeting on 26th July 2022.
We would like to support this thoughtfully
considered scheme which is considerate to existing residents and neighbours in
scale & design, sympathetic to its context and with a particularly
comprehensive & imaginative landscaping plan. The documents and plans in
the application were clear and detailed which is not always the case with
infill developments. The scheme will provide 8 new quality social rented
council homes and substantial improvements to the landscaping & amenity
areas.
It is pleasing that comments made by residents
and others have been incorporated in the final submission.
However, we do consider it important that the
contractors respect the intentions of the plan during the construction. Once
large quantities of plant & materials are moved on site, we have
unfortunately seen too many ‘non material amendments’ seeking to remove
inconvenient trees or RPA’s compromised in some other infill developments.
We feel this plan should be a source of pride
for those who have worked hard to develop it, and welcomed by the local
community.
We are so proud of and grateful for the Horniman Museum - 2022 winner of Museum of the Year.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens was announced as Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022 yesterday (14 July 2022). The £100,000 award – the largest museum prize in the world – was presented by DJ and broadcaster Huw Stephens at a ceremony in the spectacular setting of the Design Museum, London.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens was recognised for its transformational programme in 2021, re-orientating its activity to reach diverse audiences more representative of London and engaging people in addressing the climate emergency.
Nick Merriman, Chief Executive of the Horniman Museum and Gardens, says: ‘To be awarded Art Fund Museum of the Year, when the other finalists have such wonderful achievements to share, is an incredible honour. Thank you to the judges and to Art Fund. I particularly want to pay tribute to everyone involved in the Horniman, in whatever capacity, in 2021. It takes a community of people to create a museum that truly serves its local area. People love museums – we hear “I love the Horniman” a lot – and this award is a great endorsement of love as a motivation for the work that we do here; love for our communities and love for the world we all share.’
A new trial access to Forest Hill station will implements from 30th July 2022 which is designed to make the station more pedestrian friendly.
The car park will remain open except the side closest to WH Smith. This side of the car park will be converted into a pedestrian friendly space with additional plants and flowers. We hope that this will improve the welcome to Forest Hill and encourage events to take place in the town centre.
Drop-off and parking at the station will still be possible through the existing vehicle entrance, but this will also function as the exit from the car park. During the trial period the impact of the scheme will be monitored to see if the scheme works for all the community, and consider whether any changes are necessary to turn this into a permanent change.
Once the changes are in place we would welcome your feedback (positive or negative) to understand the views of the community.
10th - 12th June 2022 at The Old Chapel, 27-33 Malham Road, London SE23 1AH
Hidden within the bizarre dystopian world that is the Shrine of the Goat lies a fragile environment. The goats appear to have control but are they protecting it or taking it over? Tiny morsels of plant life remain in the hope that one day they will thrive once again.
Working with performance artist, theatre director and curator Jacek Ludwig Scarso, and building on previous collaborations performed at Tate Modern, theatrical live scenes are merged with music and an integrated VR Performance in response to the unique site of The Old Chapel, creating a dreamscape where visitors and performers intermingle.
Physically and virtually immersed in a surreal habitat, visitors are confronted with the image of goats as a poignant metaphor for stubborn resilience and an unpredictable future.
Playful, bizarre and mysterious, the piece directly responds to LFA‘s ‘act’ theme, using performance as a vehicle to interact with the idea of architecture as spectacle, and to poetically reflect on the fragility of an urbanised ecosystem.
Further information and ticket booking via Anise Gallery. Tickets are £5 for adults and free for children.
This year the Forest Hill Society is once again able to offer a free edible “starter” plant to any one who comes to our tables at Forest Hill station on Saturday afternoon, 28th May. We aim to encourage people to grow their own edible plants, or plants with edible products.
No need for a garden, these plants can be grown on a window ledge in any old container. Our plants are provided by the Forest Hill Library garden team, Sydenham Gardens and Kilmorie School.
We recommend coming down as soon as possible after 2pm as plants go quickly. We would particularly welcome families at 2pm to give children a chance to grow these edible plants. If you don't have children who wish to grow the plant then you are most welcome, but we want to give priority to children for the first 15-20 minutes.
FREE DRAMA WORKSHOP as part of Lewisham Borough of Culture 2022
As part of Borough of Culture TEATRO VIVO have been made 'Artists of Change' working with the Climate resilience team at the council.
The end result will be a 20-minute show that will be performed twice in every ward in the borough - representing what the people of Lewisham think the borough should be doing around climate, greening, and reaching net zero by 2030.
After working with the climate team, we're reaching out to residents to hear what they want to say and we’d love for you to get involved. We’re running a drama workshop in each ward in the borough including one at Albion Millennium Green on Wednesday, May 25th 6.00-7.30pm.
Nice old photos of The Forester’s Arms, currently know as the All Inn One
and the Forest Hill Hotel, including floor plan).
Forest Hill Station
1910
1911
Some film from 1964 driving up from Lordship Lane to junction with South
Circular then down into Forest Hill and round under the railway bridge.
You may notice there are works happening down London road… nothing much changes eh?
(link takes you to relevant bit @ 3:10 ish but there may be more you notice)
From Facebook. 1971 apparently.
I saw this pic the other day which I thought was gorgeous. 1960 apparently
Here’s a blast from the past - Spiggy’s on Dartmouth Road
In the 1870’s the Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro painted
Lordship Lane station from the bridge in Sydenham Hill Woods looking
north at the Crystal Palace High Level Railway. What was open
countryside then is all overgrown now, but there are a few visible
pointers to the old railway track.
I’ve led walks for friends along the railway route from Nunhead to
Crystal Palace a couple of times. Here’s an overlay of some current
views with the painting to compare. The accuracy of his drafting, of the
landscape and especially of the houses that are still there is, as you
might expect, excellent.
In his painting, centrally we see the railway line, then the station
buildings, just beyond them was a bridge over Lordship Lane heading into
the current Horniman
Nature Trail, at the back of Woodvale. To the right in the distance we
see the hill on which Horniman Gardens now stand. In the near right
foreground now stand the apartment blocks of the Sydenham Hill Estate.
Finally, left of centre, the red house with the cream house left of it
on the corner of Woodvale.
this pic appeared on Twitter recently, the original wooden bridge
from which Pissarro painted Lordship Lane station. Don’t know the date -
guessing around 1900 from the dress of the two children pictured?
Lordship Lane Station looking north in c. early 1920’s
Lordship Lane Station looking north in the early 1950’s
Lordship Lane Station looking south during demolition in 1956
Photo by John L. Smith
The site of Lordship Lane Station looking north east in July 2007
Photo by Nick Catford
Aerial view showing the site of Lordship Lane Station - the
platforms are shown in black. The arrow indicates the camera position
and direction of the photograph above.
Click here for more pictures of Lordship Lane Station
Click here for pictures of Cox’s Walk footbridge south of Lordship Lane Station
Click here to see literature advertising the ‘Palace Centenarian’ - the last train
and this is one side of the station, a 2 storey building with steps up to platform level.
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