A new cafe is opening this Saturday 4 August at the bottom of Tanners Hill, opposite the south end of Deptford High Street.
I haven't even been up there to look at the building yet, but I am hoping to try it out at the weekend.
It's called Deptford Properly and is run by those irrepressible folks at Utrophia. See you there?!
THE DEPTFORD DAME
Monday, 30 July 2007
Herb garden gig
I dropped into the McMillan Herb Garden on Deptford Green last night, at the bidding of Bob from Brockley, to see "the legendary Lol Coxhill and master Ghanian Drummer, Nana Tsiboe" in a modest gig.
I didn't stop long - the music was a bit too freeform for me and besides which I had a fruit cake in the oven - but it was great to see a little group of folks obviously enjoying themselves in these lovely surroundings. The vine was laden down with grapes and the garden was bright with colours and herbs. Around the musicians was a small group of appreciative fans, very into the music with tapping feet and nodding heads, and on the outskirts, a few other groups of people just enjoying the vibe and the surroundings. There were even a couple of students from the neighbouring blocks, drawn in by just hearing the music through their open windows.
I'm not sure who arranged the gig - in fact I don't even know who owns or looks after the herb garden - but it would be great to see a few more of these type of events. Well done, if you're reading this! And more please!
Friday, 27 July 2007
I decide!
Evelyn ward in Deptford has been chosen as one of two wards in Lewisham to benefit from a £45k tranche of money from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (the other is Bellingham). This is part of the participatory budgeting policy being piloted by Lewisham Council.
Local groups and residents are being invited to bid for funding for schemes that aim to meet one or more of the following criteria: encouraging volunteering, supporting young people, addressing community concerns, improving health and bringing together diverse communities. Awards can be anything from £50 to £2k.
In September there will be a special community day at which those who have applied for funding will have chance to pitch their ideas to an audience, who will then vote on which ideas will get the cash. Sounds like some kind of Deptford Dragon's Den!
Apparently only those people presenting ideas will be allowed to vote on the other proposals, although future participatory budgeting events will allow all residents to vote. I don't know the reasoning behind this decision.
Well, the closing date for applications is 15 August and if you have any ideas you can phone 020 8314 9061 for an application form.
I wish they had called it something other than "U-decide" though. I'm sure we already have enough problems with literacy in this ward without the council joining in.
Local groups and residents are being invited to bid for funding for schemes that aim to meet one or more of the following criteria: encouraging volunteering, supporting young people, addressing community concerns, improving health and bringing together diverse communities. Awards can be anything from £50 to £2k.
In September there will be a special community day at which those who have applied for funding will have chance to pitch their ideas to an audience, who will then vote on which ideas will get the cash. Sounds like some kind of Deptford Dragon's Den!
Apparently only those people presenting ideas will be allowed to vote on the other proposals, although future participatory budgeting events will allow all residents to vote. I don't know the reasoning behind this decision.
Well, the closing date for applications is 15 August and if you have any ideas you can phone 020 8314 9061 for an application form.
I wish they had called it something other than "U-decide" though. I'm sure we already have enough problems with literacy in this ward without the council joining in.
Thursday, 26 July 2007
The Tower - latest from News Shopper
'Some people like it, some hate it'-story from Lewisham & Catford News Shopper. I particularly enjoyed the quote about some people being scared to go out after they had seen the programme. Do they go around with their eyes closed the rest of the time? Deptford has its share of problems like most places in London, but I think this comment insults the intelligence of our local residents.
Thames Gateway Bridge
Yes I know, a little bit out of my area but I confess a professional interest in this project as well as my local interest. The government has decided to reopen the public inquiry, thereby postponing a decision on whether or not to build this major bridge. They say that they want to further investigate information that has come to light since the inquiry closed last year, but it's just a fudge. The inspector recommended that the bridge should not be built. He said that the case for building it - that it would stimulate regeneration in the Thames Gateway - had not been sufficiently proven to outweigh the disadvantages.
The report says: "In my view, the key to this is the economic regeneration benefits claimed for the scheme. If they had been robustly shown, they might have been sufficient to tip the balance. But I do not consider the evidence to be strong enough or reliable enough to outweigh substantially the disbenefits of the scheme in terms of increased traffic, reduced safety, increased air pollution, and a shift against walking, cycling and public transport, in favour of the private car."
The environmentalists have got a very strong point on this; there is no way that Ken can promote this scheme while claiming to be trying to reduce pollution etc through congestion charging in central London. It can only serve to generate additional traffic and increase pollution in what is already one of the worst polluted boroughs in - is it the UK?
Just so you know - I DO support the congestion charge, I DO use public transport almost every day, I also cycle and walk regularly, and I also own a car!
The report says: "In my view, the key to this is the economic regeneration benefits claimed for the scheme. If they had been robustly shown, they might have been sufficient to tip the balance. But I do not consider the evidence to be strong enough or reliable enough to outweigh substantially the disbenefits of the scheme in terms of increased traffic, reduced safety, increased air pollution, and a shift against walking, cycling and public transport, in favour of the private car."
The environmentalists have got a very strong point on this; there is no way that Ken can promote this scheme while claiming to be trying to reduce pollution etc through congestion charging in central London. It can only serve to generate additional traffic and increase pollution in what is already one of the worst polluted boroughs in - is it the UK?
Just so you know - I DO support the congestion charge, I DO use public transport almost every day, I also cycle and walk regularly, and I also own a car!
Saturday, 21 July 2007
Blast from the past
Before anyone starts accusing me of going all Andrew Brown on you and posting pictures of my dinner for no discernable reason, let me just explain.
Anyone who has lived in these parts for a more than six years or so may remember the legendary Heather's Bistro in McMillan Street, just off Creek Road. Heather's started off in a scruffy little cafe down on Trundley's Road in the New Cross wastelands; during the day it was a regular greasy spoon, but a few evenings a week, it was transformed into a vegetarian buffet which soon attracted rave reviews. Its location made it difficult to find, but kept it from getting too overcrowded.
When it relocated to a former pub in McMillan Street, not only was it more accessible but it was on much larger premises and was open six evenings a week. Having been meaning to try it for years, but never being quite sure how to get to the place, I started visiting the new premises fairly regularly.
The food was magnificent - even die-hard carnivores were forced to admit that this veggie stuff was quite tasty! It was also very good value - customers paid £14 a head to visit the buffet as often as they liked for soups, salads, main courses (usually a choice of several) puddings, home-made bread etc etc. In fact, here's the menu from 2001 just to give you an idea of the sort of thing we are talking about. They also had a great organic wine list (long before anyone else did) and I think this was the first place where I tried English wine, and was pleasantly surprised!
It was also memorable for me because of the lavender shortcake I tried there; the delicate, slightly perfumed flavour was a revelation to me, I hadn't imagined that something which was usually found in overpowering bubble bath could produce such a delicious taste.
Yesterday I decided to try and recreate it - having bought some 'culinary-grade' lavender from the Herb Garden near Chesterfield in Derbyshire. Here it is - a regular shortcake recipe (mostly butter, sugar and flour in unhealthy quantities) with a bit of lavender mixed in. I'm looking forward to a taste of it, and being transported back to that revelationary experience that night at Heather's.
Sadly, the restaurant closed down in 2001 when the owners decided to move out of London and couldn't find anyone to take it over. Writing this post has reminded me what a great place it was and how much I missed it. Although I'm generally of the opinion that change is a good thing - if places and people stay the same, they become stale and tired - but I would have liked a couple more years to enjoy Heather's!
Monday, 9 July 2007
Bloggers on parade!
Just in case you missed Le Tour, here's the views of various local bloggers, collected for you in one place! Compare and contrast the levels of excitement...
Charlton Average thinks the gendarmes' uniforms left something to be desired.
Greenwich Phantom agrees but was more interested in the mobile wheely bin.
Andrew Brown stepped into the Dame's territory for the day.
Smug Sheep was impressed by the speed of the riders.
Whimsy Chichi at the Greenwich Gazette thought it was a good dry-run for the Olympics.
The Inspector took up the challenge of following the tour with great determination.
Check out some great photos on the Flickr Greenwich pool.
Charlton Average thinks the gendarmes' uniforms left something to be desired.
Greenwich Phantom agrees but was more interested in the mobile wheely bin.
Andrew Brown stepped into the Dame's territory for the day.
Smug Sheep was impressed by the speed of the riders.
Whimsy Chichi at the Greenwich Gazette thought it was a good dry-run for the Olympics.
The Inspector took up the challenge of following the tour with great determination.
Check out some great photos on the Flickr Greenwich pool.
Sunday, 8 July 2007
Made in Deptford: the aftermath
After my rant on Friday, I decided to crash the party on Friday evening - as it turned out, there was very little crashing required. It was being held in 'the Cafe with no Name' - a tent and some tables in the old yard next to the station. Despite the fact that it hadn't been advertised anywhere sensible, the organisers failed to realise that in Deptford, stoking up a BBQ after 7pm is tantamount to taking out a double-page spread in the AA's house magazine (that's Alcoholics Anonymous, not the Automobile Association).
By the time I arrived, about 8.45pm, there was only water left to drink and every time a tray of chicken arrived from the BBQ, there was an unholy scrum as young creatives and hardened drunks competed for the spoils. I didn't stay long, just had a chat with Ozzi from the drycleaners, then made my excuses, as they say.
The tent and cafe stayed for the duration of the festival, intended to promote the new market that is planned for the station yard, apparently launching this autumn. It's going to be crafts, arts, collectables, fashion and food - presumably it will be more 'upmarket' than the traditional stalls in order not to compete. The new residential/live-work building and the station refurb are a little further down the line, it seems.
Well, this was the scene on Saturday in the disused car park on Hamilton Street. A fashion show of 'recycled' clothes designed by local students and sponsored by Chris Carey's Collections, one of the region's biggest employers. Ms Carey runs a clothes recycling business from the arches under the railway station, and is desperately looking for a new site for her business, where she can expand her currently £4 million turnover. Sadly, although there are some suitable premises locally, most of them are earmarked for redevelopment as apartments.
When I moved to Deptford, about two and a half years ago now, this car park was blocked off but still accessible on foot, and was a magnet to fly tippers and drug dealers. After about two years of constantly nagging the council, they finally agreed to fence it in, the plan being it would provide parking for businesses on the high street. This idea seems to have been abandoned - I know that the long-term plan for the site is to develop it for residential use - but it was great to see it actually in use this weekend.
On Sunday it was the home to Company of Cyclists, who brought many weird and wonderful bikes for us all to try - including the eight-seater I was so hoping for! I was one of the first on - and we were taken up and down the high street with a few sharp turns and many bemused glances from shoppers! I did come to grief on one of the recumbent bikes, and I found my legs were too short to safely attempt the Penny Farthing, but it was great fun, for kids and adults alike!
I made the effort on Sunday morning to stroll down Evelyn Street at about 9am and see what was happening. The French market was already flogging its wares, looking oddly out of place on that scruffy triangle of shops next to the John Evelyn pub, but people were milling about and enjoying the music, the sunshine and the sense of occasion.
The trail of sponsors vehicles came first throwing out freebies and blasting out loud music, tooting horns and generally being annoying to anyone who was hoping for a lie-in. This chap wandered out in his carpet slippers, clutching a pint of beer -not sure if it was last night's leftovers or if he was starting early.
I got chance to go home for a cup of tea before the riders came along - but it was very much a case of 'blink and you'll miss it'. They were sandwiched in between endless vans and motorbikes with flashing lights, and the phalanx of cars with racks of spare bikes on the top. By now, the streets were quite crowded, and most people wandered back up the high street to check out the other festival events. There was very much a chilled-out vibe in the town centre, it was great to see that people were enjoying themselves, and enjoying Deptford!
Incidentally, Chet were very good! Look out for them...!
By the time I arrived, about 8.45pm, there was only water left to drink and every time a tray of chicken arrived from the BBQ, there was an unholy scrum as young creatives and hardened drunks competed for the spoils. I didn't stay long, just had a chat with Ozzi from the drycleaners, then made my excuses, as they say.
The tent and cafe stayed for the duration of the festival, intended to promote the new market that is planned for the station yard, apparently launching this autumn. It's going to be crafts, arts, collectables, fashion and food - presumably it will be more 'upmarket' than the traditional stalls in order not to compete. The new residential/live-work building and the station refurb are a little further down the line, it seems.
Well, this was the scene on Saturday in the disused car park on Hamilton Street. A fashion show of 'recycled' clothes designed by local students and sponsored by Chris Carey's Collections, one of the region's biggest employers. Ms Carey runs a clothes recycling business from the arches under the railway station, and is desperately looking for a new site for her business, where she can expand her currently £4 million turnover. Sadly, although there are some suitable premises locally, most of them are earmarked for redevelopment as apartments.
When I moved to Deptford, about two and a half years ago now, this car park was blocked off but still accessible on foot, and was a magnet to fly tippers and drug dealers. After about two years of constantly nagging the council, they finally agreed to fence it in, the plan being it would provide parking for businesses on the high street. This idea seems to have been abandoned - I know that the long-term plan for the site is to develop it for residential use - but it was great to see it actually in use this weekend.
On Sunday it was the home to Company of Cyclists, who brought many weird and wonderful bikes for us all to try - including the eight-seater I was so hoping for! I was one of the first on - and we were taken up and down the high street with a few sharp turns and many bemused glances from shoppers! I did come to grief on one of the recumbent bikes, and I found my legs were too short to safely attempt the Penny Farthing, but it was great fun, for kids and adults alike!
I made the effort on Sunday morning to stroll down Evelyn Street at about 9am and see what was happening. The French market was already flogging its wares, looking oddly out of place on that scruffy triangle of shops next to the John Evelyn pub, but people were milling about and enjoying the music, the sunshine and the sense of occasion.
The trail of sponsors vehicles came first throwing out freebies and blasting out loud music, tooting horns and generally being annoying to anyone who was hoping for a lie-in. This chap wandered out in his carpet slippers, clutching a pint of beer -not sure if it was last night's leftovers or if he was starting early.
I got chance to go home for a cup of tea before the riders came along - but it was very much a case of 'blink and you'll miss it'. They were sandwiched in between endless vans and motorbikes with flashing lights, and the phalanx of cars with racks of spare bikes on the top. By now, the streets were quite crowded, and most people wandered back up the high street to check out the other festival events. There was very much a chilled-out vibe in the town centre, it was great to see that people were enjoying themselves, and enjoying Deptford!
Incidentally, Chet were very good! Look out for them...!
Friday, 6 July 2007
Considered reactions
Well, Bob from Brockley asked, reasonably enough, what we all thought of The Tower.
I managed to catch the second episode last week, having been out of the country and missing the first one, and have to say I was rather underwhelmed. There was a lot of the stock documentary fare of 'here's several very diverse people living with severe difficulties, some of them are striving to improve their lot, others are dealing with the situation with humour but little hope, and others are just resigned to life but hoping for better things for their children'. There was also a gaggle of blonde women who formed the marketing team for the developers of the new tower. They specialised in inane comments and giggling, and in this episode were organising an event (in central London) for prospective buyers. The closest these buyers were going to get to the tower was a boat trip. So far, so predictable. Sadly, the programme never got any better and there was very little attempt to dig beyond the surface of the story. The oddest thing was that as far as I could make out (forgive me if I missed this, if it was in the first episode..) the local residents they were following didn't even live in the tower, they were in neighbouring buildings. I would have been more interested in seeing how those who'd been rehoused were adapting, if their lives had been made better or worse by the move etc.
I will continue to follow it when I get the chance, it might improve - who knows? But I won't be making an effort to stay in for it.
What about the rest of you?
I managed to catch the second episode last week, having been out of the country and missing the first one, and have to say I was rather underwhelmed. There was a lot of the stock documentary fare of 'here's several very diverse people living with severe difficulties, some of them are striving to improve their lot, others are dealing with the situation with humour but little hope, and others are just resigned to life but hoping for better things for their children'. There was also a gaggle of blonde women who formed the marketing team for the developers of the new tower. They specialised in inane comments and giggling, and in this episode were organising an event (in central London) for prospective buyers. The closest these buyers were going to get to the tower was a boat trip. So far, so predictable. Sadly, the programme never got any better and there was very little attempt to dig beyond the surface of the story. The oddest thing was that as far as I could make out (forgive me if I missed this, if it was in the first episode..) the local residents they were following didn't even live in the tower, they were in neighbouring buildings. I would have been more interested in seeing how those who'd been rehoused were adapting, if their lives had been made better or worse by the move etc.
I will continue to follow it when I get the chance, it might improve - who knows? But I won't be making an effort to stay in for it.
What about the rest of you?
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