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Want a new cinema in the area? Crystal Palace has plans for three of them!

After a total absence of cinemas in the area three – yes three – different cinema proposals are now doing the rounds in Crystal Palace. Maybe it’s like waiting for a number 75 bus –  just as you’ve given up hope of one ever arriving, three come along at once!

 1. The Picture Palace Campaign wants to turn the former bingo hall at 25 Church Road, SE19 into an independent cinema. Plans to turn the building into an evangelical church were rejected by Bromley council.

Art Deco former Bingo Hall

http://www.campaign.picture-palace.org/

2. Future Projections has applied for planning permission to Bromley Council to turn the Grape and Grain pub, 2 Anerley Hill SE19 and the Bigger Picture Gallery (formerly a car showroom) into a two screen cinema. The main cinema would seat 203 people; the smaller cinema would have 51 seats.

Anerley Hill Development

http://planning.bromley.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=L8QT63BT0DU00

3. Crystal Palace’s Transmitter magazine in its new winter edition has revealed plans for a third cinema, this time located in Victory Square – a new market-square development just off Westow Street opposite the supermarket. Plans include a 4-screen cinema, a glass-covered market, apartments, artists’ studios and a hotel. The scheme by development company the St Aidan’s Group has been at the drawing stage for two years but has yet to be advanced to a full planning proposal.

http://www.thetransmitter.co.uk/

Happy viewing!

Public art competition at Greyhound development- an update

The developers of the Greyhound site in Sydenham have incorporated in their plans a bespoke design and installation of a piece of public art to cover the north elevation wall of the refurbished Greyhound pub. This wall will form one side of a public walkway from Spring Hill to the public space around the pub.

A competition to design the public artwork is being organised by the Sydenham Arts Festival (Visual Arts Team) in association with the Sydenham Society.

“Registrations to enter the competition continue to flow in but there are still two weeks left before the registration closing date if it has slipped your mind. Just email your details by 22 December to receive your competition brief to greyhoundpubwalldesign@hotmail.co.uk

 You don’t need to be an artist to enter. The winning design might be completely “off the wall”  (sorry couldn’t resist that). With this year’s Turner Prize being awarded to a “sound installation” by artist Susan Philipsz http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/dec/06/turner-prize-winner-susan-philipsz?intcmp=239 the Greyhound competition judging panel will have to keep their eyes and ears open.

 The final date for competition entries is 9 January. So you will have nearly three weeks during the Christmas and New Year’s break to get those creative juices flowing. The sound of art – a “Great Escape” from “The Sound of Music”! Any other puns welcome…….”

 

The design competition is open to anyone who lives or works or studies within 2km of the pub, in other words, local people, artists, designers, family and friends. This area includes all of Sydenham and most of Forest Hill, Penge & Crystal Palace.

Each entrant may submit up to three entries.

The final date for registration to enter the competition is 22nd December 2010. The final date for entries to the competition is 9th January 2011. The winning design will be chosen by a judging panel by January 31 2011.

Individuals wishing to participate in the competition should register with the organising team either via email to greyhoundpubwalldesign@hotmail.co.uk or  in writing to The Greyhound Pub Wall Design Competition, c/o The Kirkdale Bookshop, 272 Kirkdale, Sydenham SE26 4RS  before 22nd December 2010, by giving the following information:

  • Name
  • local address (a residential, business or education address located within 2km of the Greyhound pub)
  • home address, if different from above
  • telephone contact details
  • email contact details, if available.

Entrants will be provided with a numbered entry pack and detailed instructions. A maximum of three entries will be permitted per entrant or group. Schools may submit up to 10 entries. Participation as an individual does not disqualify you from also entering as part of a team or school entry.

There is no prize but the winner will have the honour of their design being enjoyed by the public for many years to come.

Work starts on another new building on Sydenham Road

This is an exciting new development at 2-4 Trewsbury Road just behind the Mexican restaurant (the old ice cream parlour) on the corner of Sydenham Road and Trewsbury Road. Permission was granted in November 2007 for a 3-storey building plus basement housing commercial space plus 2 x 1 bedroom and 7 x 1 bedroom flats.

The building was designed by local archtitects Thomas Ford and mirrors the redeveloped former church hall on the corner opposite.

Full details of the plans can be seen here:

http://acolnet.lewisham.gov.uk/lewis-xslpagesdc/acolnetcgi.exe?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPSESSION=%7B%5B%2A%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%21%2A%5D%7D

Forest Hill pop-up shop event – 2nd December

The Forest Hill Society and Forest Hill businesses would like to hear from people who are interested in inspiring local residents in a fabulous event of local, community-run activities that celebrates just what is available in the community. 

Forest Hill high street businesses are offering their venues and facilities for POP UP SHOPS to hold free activity sessions. And they are inviting you to take part. It’s a great opportunity to promote your project, interest or business to local people. They’d like to hear from people who are interested in inspiring residents of Forest Hill in a fabulous event of local, community-run activities that celebrates just what is available in our community. 

Forest Hill Pop Up Shop event is on Thursday 2nd December 2010 6pm – 9pm; Children’s activities 3pm – 6pm

For further details on running a 45-minute activity session contact Hugh before the 15th November and we will include your session in the programme and publicity campaign.

People are already going to share 

Creative Writing   Yoga    Parent & Toddler Art Workshop    DIY Art
Forest Hill community workshops Computer Training Children’s Boxing & Dance
Vegetable Carving   Allotments & Vegetable Growing  Adult & Child Christmas Card Making
 
Phone: 07891 296354

Email: hugh@foresthillsociety.com

www.popupforesthill.wordpress.com

Gatwick Airport station redevelopment

Network Rail has announced the go-ahead for a major upgrade of the station at Gatwick Airport with easier access, reduced congestion and better facilities.
 
Work to finalise the station design will start immediately with the relocation of a substation due to commence in summer 2011. Passengers will begin to see progress at the station but the major construction work is not scheduled to start on site until Autumn 2012 after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics games have finished. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
 
The £53m scheme will deliver a range of benefits for passengers including:
 
  • Improved passenger circulation on platforms 5 and 6 through the replacement of an existing stairway with an escalator and the installation of a new lift  
  •  Refurbishment of the concourse area to provide better facilities for passengers and improved circulation  
  • Upgrade of the track and signalling to improve performance and reliability of trains passing through and travelling to/from Gatwick Airport.
  • A new platform to address the existing bottleneck in the Gatwick area for services on the Brighton mainline
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Good news for rail travellers – extra late night train on East London Line in December

Good news for night travellers on the East London line when the new timetable starts on Sunday 12 December.  An extra late train will leave Dalston Junction at 00.15am calling at Canada Water at 00.31 and arriving at New Cross Gate at 00.36am in time to catch the last train from London Bridge and arriving at Sydenham at 00.52am.

After the new timetable starts in December the times of late ELL trains leaving Canada Water towards Sydenham will be: 22.46, 22.56, 23.16, 23.26, 23.46, 23.56 and 00.31.

With the news reported earlier on this website that two extra evening rush hour trains from London Bridge will be provided in December, this shows a continually improving service for Sydenham.

See http://www.sydenhamsociety.com/2010/10/more-trains-to-and-from-london-bridge-in-december/

Meatballs and Music – Trattoria Raffaele, 29th October

The wonderful Alex Carter, star of recent Sydenham hits such as BLITZ! and OOH LA LA! is accompanied by accordionist extraordinaire Serge Pachnine in Una Notte Italiana a celebration of  the Italian greats from Neapolitan to popular Italian songs.

£27.50 with a superb 4-course Italian meal. Starts at 7pm. Book your ticket now – they’re disappearing fast.

Pop into Raffaele, 29 Sydenham Road or phone the restaurant on 020 8778 6262

It’s not grim up north – a guide to some great pubs on the East London Line

Pub enthusiast and CAMRA stalwart Neil Pettigrew takes you on the first of a series of trips to the best boozers along the new rail line.

Part 1 – Dalston

 

Sydenham pub-goers, often less than thrilled by the pubs on offer locally, are finding they have a feast of new pub experiences to enjoy, now that the recently re-opened East London Line goes all the way to Dalston. There are good pubs to be found near all of the stations on the new line (including Wapping and Whitechapel), and this article, the first of a series, will begin by looking at just those that are an easy walk from Dalston itself, the end of the line.

The previously-uncharted (at least by a southern softy like me) territory of Dalston is a goldmine for those who, like me, enjoy the endlessly fascinating architecture of London’s Victorian suburbs, and in particular the faded grandeur of our capital’s purpose-built nineteenth century pubs. And, a bonus for real ale lovers, all of the following serve traditional cask-conditioned beer by hand-pump.

 

When you emerge from Dalston station you will immediately be confronted by the sad sight of two impressive Victorian pubs that have seen better days. Look slightly to the right and you will see the Railway Tavern – now a William Hill betting shop – and then walk left to the main crossroads where you will see the Crown and Castle – now a noodle bar. For both pubs, look up to see the evidence of their former glory.

Have no fear, though, a short walk west takes you to The Duke of Wellington (119 Balls Pond Road, N1). This handsome Victorian corner pub still displays, rather magnificently, an old Watney’s sign outside. The original Victorian features inside have been sympathetically retained by the current licensees, including some old dark wood and etched-glass screens. A selection of real ales is offered and kept in excellent condition. Here one can sample beers from Sambrook’s, a small and relatively new London brewery based in Battersea. Food is offered daily, and so too are Saturday brunch and Sunday roast are also available. See their web-site for more information: www.thedukeofwellingtonn1.com

Head south from here to the Scolt Head (107a Culford Rd, Dalston, N1), another elegant Victorian corner boozer. While musing over the meaning of the pub’s name, you can admire the green-tinted leaded windows, which are trade-mark remnants of its days as a Charrington-owned pub. And on the day of my visit, there was another reminder of pub heritage: a bitter called Truman’s Runner was available, thanks to some enterprising locals who have started a new brewery in honour of the old company.

The Stag’s Head (Orsman Rd, Hoxton, N1) is a splendidly traditional 1930s back street boozer, included in CAMRA’s inventory of London pubs with interiors of special interest. For those who object to the gentrification and gastro-ization of many of our pubs, this place will be more to your liking, and it has even retained an old spittoon trough around the base of the bar (present-day usage not recommended).

The Prince George (40 Parkholme Rd, E8) is a short walk to the east of Dalston station. Inside is still pleasingly traditional, and outside is a seriously faded pub sign atop a pole (still advertising ‘Whitbread’, although they haven’t owned any pubs for two decades), and depicting the Prince himself with a lady of low morals sitting on his lap. Real ale fans will enjoy the selection available in here.

The Prince Arthur (95 Forest Rd, E8) is just a couple of minutes walk from the Prince George. Architecturally, it’s another good-looking Victorian corner pub, looming over its neighbours by a good ten feet, and with the name of the pub and the year 1861 engraved high up in stone. Inside is still traditional, and above the back of the bar is an eye-catching display of old lettering advertising various drinks.

Forest Hill underpass – renovation at last?

Long-awaited improvements to the underpass at Forest Hill could now be within sight thanks to a decision of Lewisham’s Mayor and Cabinet on Wednesday 20 October.

The M&C agreed to provide up to £104,000 from money allocated to improve access to the East London Line stations in the Council’s capital programme to renovate the subway. Together with funds from Network Rail it looks at long last as if local residents may soon have a decent underpass to walk through on their way to and from Forest Hill Town Centre.

Let’s hope this long saga will soon come to an end.

Full details of the Mayor and Cabinet decision here  

http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/4BCCEDF5-B895-493B-A722-5C69FF7C10DF/0/caba4551fbc0493d93c1522ff16b637eItem7ForestHillAssembyResponse220October2010.PDF