Community Food Growing Areas

Hazel Grove Estate In Sydenham has it's own Community growing food garden, that has been going along nicely for the last year and a few months.

Founded by local resident Jean Beckford, she is a force to be reckoned with.

She has stuck to the idea of Social Cohesion and is doing a wonderful job, at any given time in the evenings or lazy days Jean is usually out tending the gardens, surrounded by a group of children digging, planting, weeding, and even eating. They grow seasonal fruit.

The Idea of Community food growing gardens are to build stronger communities, and come about as part of  http://www.capitalgrowth.org, this newly formed organisation want to have 2012 Community food growing areas by the year 2012, it's aim to teach about growing traditional foods. 

It has been determined that gardening is very good for the mind and we have another wonderful gardening project in Sydenham. 

//http://www.sydenhamgarden.org.uk/supporting-us/volunteering this organisation caters for people who are in need of peaceful therapy. What could be better than gardening to soothe the mind

The green in the middle of the small flats on Hazel grove Estate, on the Burghill Road side, was just a grass patch with not much happening, but after Lewisham Homes gave the Green a face lift it has been completely transformed, there are bench's and tables, logs to clamber on, and a basket ball pitch for the children and young adults. 

It is a nice area now, children playing out, mothers out watching and chatting,  people walking their dogs, and everybody knows each other, in these times it's nice to have somewhere nice to sit and chill. 

The day I visited it was quiet, I sat at a bench listening to the birds, it was very peaceful. The Community growing garden is abundant, there are Pak Choi, Courgettes,Tomatoes, Pumkins,Green Beans and quite recently Strawberries.  The Residents are encouraged to help themselves to food and I'm pleased to say that people are respectful, there has been no vandalism and I believe that is because nearly everybody in that community helped build the garden and it would almost be destroying themselves to ruin it. There is still respect in the community.  Sometimes people moan and say all the fruit has gone, but that's good isn't it, that means the children are eating fresh fruit and enjoying it. Not all city children are indoors on computers and scared of life. 

A lot of children are out and happy growing and eating there own fruit.

If you are interested in starting your own Community food growing  Garden, you can contact Capitalgrowth on 020 7837 1228 or on the link provided.

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Another Fast Food Outlet

Last week as I walked past yet another fast food outlet, I was disgusted by the bones that had been discarded on the floor right outside the shop. It got me thinking how many food shops there are in the London.  From my house in a five-minute walk I actually pass seven fast food outlet, that's not including the cafe's.  I decided to carry on walking in to my local shopping Center and count how many more I would pass, I got to approximately 28 not including cafe's and restaurants.

This is a phenomenon that is spreading over the whole of London.
when I was a child you went home for your tea, now children leave school and go straight to the nearest fried chicken shops, is that their dinner?  Are parents not cooking dinner anymore?  It was a special treat for me to eat a takeaway meal, but now you go on buses and trains and people are stuffing themselves with this food with no thought for anybody about the unpleasant smell. I remember a friend of mine who lives in Sidcup saying to me when he drives through Greenwich and the surrounding areas on his way into town, he noticed how many fast food shops there are I was embarrassed, yet they seem to be wanted because if you go past any Kentucky Fried Chicken shop (I hate to call them restaurants) they are always very busy.

Why are so many food shops allowed to open in predominantly poorer areas, can't we tempt any decent shops into these area.  The Government have set in place all these measures to get people to eat properly and exercise yet local councils are allowing these food shops to flood our areas. Come on let's have a fresh look at what else we can have after all there are many people just like me who would like to see our areas brought up, not swimming in a flood of bones and chicken boxes

Blackbird Singing In The Dead Of Night

We all lie awake in the middle of the night sometimes listening to the house cracking or because I live in London it could be a bird singing maybe a Blackbird, other sounds are lorries rumbling past my house, I live on a main road,
One of those moments that I remember lying awake was nearly 14 years ago and the sound I heard would later sweep through my life and rip it to pieces, everything I had ever known would be taken away without my permission leaving me lost for realistically the rest of my life.
The cough was persistent and I thought I must send him to the doctors in the morning, I was listening to my son Richie, he had been complaining of shortness of breath and said he felt pressure behind his ears.  I took him to the doctors at that time and doctor said it was nothing and he would be fine, little did he or I know that Richie, his sister and I would never be fine again.
The next morning I had to go to work so I asked my daughter Sophia to take Richie to the doctors, I remember going down the stairs and looking back up, Richie was standing on the top step looking down at me I was struck at how handsome he was and it took my breath away, but Richie had been playing up lately his sister Sophia was pregnant at a very young age and as we had all got over the surprise and anger we just got on with it and life continued, I thought that Richie was a bit jealous of the attention that Sophia was getting normal behaviour but my parting shot at Richie was "stop mucking about Pull your socks up and behave"  regrets for words and actions.
Richie was the child I had when I had grown up, there was a six year gap between him and his sister I was totally in love with his father and  Richie was my love child, I had a good job and I was the happiest I had ever been.  Richie's father and I had broken up, not my fault the new drug of my generation was Crack and I'm afraid Richie's father fell in love with Crack, he loved it more than me. What a shame.
I had been at work for a couple of  hours and was sitting in the restaurant with my friend Janice a lovely bubbly pretty lady and a couple of other ladies, when we got around to my daughters pregnancy. I was saying how disappointed I was that Sophia had got pregnant so young.  Janice told me a story that I would never forget.
A friend of hers had a daughter who was sixteen when she got pregnant (same age as Sophia) and she was so angry, just a short time later the daughter started complaining of a pain in her leg, the mother took the daughter to the doctors and shortly afterwards the daughter was diagnosed with cancer and within a very short time the young girl had died. Janice says her friend says if she could have anything it would be her pregnant daughter was alive and she would have a grandchild, because now she has nothing. She had realized that having a pregnant daughter was the least of her problems. That certainly put things in perspective for me and I actually did feel better.
As we were talking there was a Tannoy announcement asking for me to go the Office. It was a phone call for me from Lewisham Hospital and my daughter was telling me I must come down to the hospital straight away.
I flew like the wind.  Richie is a lovely caramel colour and he has chubby cheeks and dimples, he is rather wilful and highly intelligent, he is my companion and he makes me laugh, he is twelve years old and his voice has still not broken, he is my baby.
The nightmare starts. first Richie is lying face down on a bed unable to breath properly and we are waiting to see a doctor, this doesn't take long. Next Richie is having an examination a scan of his chest.  Next I'm in a room away from consultation room with two doctors looking at me telling me, there is a huge mass around Richie's throat and chest, his lung has collapsed and the other is halfway down, his lungs are full of fluid. They are taking him to surgery straight away I felt myself getting smaller and smaller the doctors seemed as if they were miles away from me and I was dreaming, next my tears are blinding me as Richie is drowsy from surgery they have inserted a drain to his lungs and he is just coming round, he lifts his arm up and his eyes are far away and dreamy, he strokes my cheek and tells me not to cry, I didn't think he could see me.  I have a meeting with a consultant  who says that even though there have been no biopsy results, he is quite sure that Richie has cancer and he will be transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital in the morning.This is all in 3 hours of walking through that hospital door.
Oh God things have quieted down and Richie is stable, there is no doubt that Richie was actually at deaths door. Sophia and I are shell shocked.

To be Continued
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=478237684828&set=t.100001400379083&type=1&theater

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5CUHHGlQg0

Two Weeks Today

What a hectic first two weeks.
As I sit here at Crofton Park Library I look over to the counter and I see Darren Taylor C.E.O of Eco Computer Systems chatting away with his staff, checking out books and looking like any other volunteer, there is no pretence, no stuffiness, just a willingness to get on with the job of keeping the library open, as he said he would.  This morning I'm sitting in this lovely bright building I feel privileged to be part of this.  I have my laptop (wireless users please feel free to come in) I glance around there is a man studying,he has a pile of books besides him. Over in the children's section I can hear a couple of mums and their young children chattering away.  I spoke to Darren he is utterly calm and loving his new role.
It is marvellous to be able to sit here knowing that if there had been no protests, there would be no library to sit in and he acknowledges that by having a lot of the protesters from the original campaign group working for him now.  A young local woman Remi  saw the photographs of one of the volunteers Gwen on the Pepys Resource Centre facebook Page, see link below, and recognised her as her Old Brown Owl, Gwen had worked at Grove Park for many years as a librarian and here she is still around volunteering and making a local woman feel that everything is alright with the world.
The role of the library has changed so much, when I was a kid of course there were no computers and you had to go scrumping or using your imagination to enjoy yourself but of course things have changed a lot and now a lot of children are experts on the In's and outs of computers.  As this is a newly formed Community Hub, Crofton Park will be providing I.T training for everyone of all ages.

Cycling down to Grove Park Library I arrived just as Mhari Clare, The Hub Manager was locking up for the day.  Mhari Clare has a lot of ideas and wants what the community wants, she is off for a meeting at the Residential home for Seniors just around the corner they have expressed an interest in helping, one has also offered to clean the rather grubby nets on the window saying she has been dying to wash them for years. The offer has been kindly accepted. The seniors have also expressed a desire to learn I.T. we want everyone to learn the delights of the Internet, where else would I know what is going on that interests me, walks, exhibitions and even free lectures at the Geological Society on Piccadilly, get there early.

She would like users of the Hub to get more involved and help with the displays, A library user has been the first person so far to get involved he has picked a topic on Travel and Food and put out a selection of books that he felt were relevant. There is an established baby Singalong and a steady footfall of users.
Mhari Clare felt that 99.9% of the users were happy with the new management  and had said they were just glad the library was still open. Cycling down Burnt Ash Road and then in to Somertrees Avenue I saw a few shops and it would seem that there is not a lot for people to do this far down from Grove Park Town Center.
Closing this Library was not an option.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=226687237356852&set=pu.173041006054809&type=1&theater

Eco Community Hubs Opening Times & Staff Information

	MON	TUE	WED	THUR	FRI	SAT
Grove Park Eco Community Hub & Library Somertrees Avenue, SE12 0BX Tel: 020 8857 5794 Hub Manager: Mhari Claire mhari.claire@ecocom.org.uk	0900-1300 -1000-1030 is U5s sing-a long	1430-2000	CLOSED	0900-2000	CLOSED	0900-1700 Alternate Saturdays are local Cllr ward Meetings
Crofton Park Eco Community Hub & Library Brockley Road, SE4 2AF Tel: 020 8692 1683 Hub Manager: Kaiya Willaims   kaiya@ecocom.org.uk	0900-1700	0900-1900	CLOSED	0900-1900	0900-1300	0900-1700
Sydenham Eco Community Hub & Library 210 Sydenham Road, SE26 5SE Tel: 020 8778 7563 Hub Manager: Nesrin Ingham    nesrin.ingham@ecocom.org.uk	0930-1700	0930-1900	CLOSED	0930-1900	CLOSED	0930-1700
Pepys Resource Centre Old Library, Deptford Strand, SE8 3BA Eco Tel: 020 8691 3146 Hub Managers:  Kim & Stephanie This Centre has a facebook page where you can also leave messages.	1000-1800	1000-1800	1000-1800	1000-1800	1000-1800	1000-1600

Taking over the libraries

1.05.2011

The date that Eco Computer Systems took over 3 of the 5 libraries earmarked for closure.

Sydenham Library, Grove Park and Crofton Park 

I wanted to be at Crofton Park library for the handing over of management from Lewisham Council library services to Eco Computer Systems.

I got there nice and early it was not yet 9.00am, so I sat on the modern stainless steel seat and gathered my thoughts, today was the day that these libraries become Community Hubs.

When the announcement came that five libraries in the lewisham borough were to be shut, as you can imagine the communities of these libraries were up in arms.  Coming together they organized marches protested outside Lewisham Borough premises,  and went along to the meetings at the civic centre, there was uproar as well there should be.

Because of their actions, there  is proof people power does work, and I can write this piece.

Bang on 9.00 am the doors opened and I was swept in along with volunteers and users, mothers and children.  This is not an exaggeration and It goes along with the outrage that many community members felt when they heard that the libraries were under threat. It also underlines what many users said; these libraries are used, wanted and needed.

Councilor Pauline Morrison and Campaigner Karen Jonason were there to mark the occasion with a speech.  They have both worked extremely hard, as have all the members of the community to make sure that their library was not closed and were ecstatic that their hard work had paid off.

Off to  Sydenham Library next where I used to spend many happy hours as a child, my childhood was a very scary and lonely existence and being able to go to the library was a great escape for me, I would get a pile of books out and hide behind sofas, chairs and under tables and read for hours. I stepped into the doorway and it was like stepping back in time.  It was quite busy by the time I got there and to be honest Sydenham needs a lot more volunteers, if you or someone you know would like to learn some new skills go and volunteer.    Great news for Sydenham Community Radio Station they have a permanent new home at the library that far exceeds anything they were trying to find

Grove Park was just as busy as the rest, by noon a would be Silver Surfer was asking for I.T. lessons and the children’s section was very busy, some people hadn’t even realized that the library was meant to be shut that day and were surprised and pleased that the doors were open and would always be open from now on.

Sadly for New Cross Library it could not be saved and I believe the campaign goes on to find a solution to reopen this building.   Age Exchange is in talks to take over some of the library service with Blackheath Library.

We wish them luck

Councillor Pauline Harrison, Darren Taylor, Karen Jonason

Computer user

Looking for a good book

Father John, Gavin Dunne, Kiya, volunteer Librarian

3

Waiting for the Library to open

Crofton Park Library

Sydenham Library

Grove Park Library

Two volunteers at Crofton Park Library




http://audioboo.fm/boos/372447-middle-aged-sounds-system-turned-up-to-sing-a-song-they-prepared-for-crofton-park-community-library-great-fun

I was in love until

I'm a funny person, as a lot of us are.
I'm not a man hater I love men, but the past couple of years I have been so busy that I haven't really met anyone that I like.  I live in a busy area and there are a lot of Asian shops selling meat, clothes, mobile phones and that is where it all began, my love story.
I would make sure that I put my make-up on, gel my hair and stick my hair piece on before going anywhere near his shop, I say a shop but it is a space in a shop, I have noticed lately that shops have a section set aside which people rent, and I'm going to assume that this man rents this space.
He has the most amazing head, it is regal and he looks like a prince, a very, very handsome prince, his hair is long, shiny and black.  His smile melts my heart and when he shouts out "Good Morning Princess" I would feel like a princess, girly and silly I would even linger a bit over some cheap sweet stuff that I would never eat in a million years.  I say would because I had the most terrible shock the other morning.

It was early and the sun was shining, this spring weather really is putting a spring in every ones step.  For some reason I did not have my bike and was going to catch a bus.  I got down to the Town Hall in Catford when I saw my prince on his bike.
My world came crashing down my Prince has a defect.  No I'm not shallow but if the man that you have had a fantasy about for the last couple of months, (admittedly I had only seen the top half of him, because he is always sitting down behind his counter)  if you saw your fantasy man who from the waist up could be any height up to six foot, turns out to have the shortest, skinniest legs in the world would it not destroy your dream as well.
All I can say is it was a lovely fantasy while it lasted but all dreams must come to an end and real life must out. 
I have been burnt but I will not let anything get in the way of my rich fantasy life, so I will keep on dreaming until Mr Right comes along.

Cycling,Mudlarking. A guide to a perfect Sunday afternoon

What a beautiful start to the first day of Summer, bright blue skies, warm balmy weather and the Thames Cycle Path.  I hadn't meant to end up on the path but as most people know life just happens one minute your here and then your there.

At 9.00am  Sunday morning I opened my front door to my young Grandson Malachai who is Thirteen.  Malachai plays rugby for Blackheath Rugby Club and today he had training at their Home Club in Charlton.  I have been cycling with my Grandson for the last five years he is a very competent and safe cyclist. I'm  a road cyclist and  I introduced Malachi to the road as soon as possible I did not want him to be scared of the road but I wanted to teach him to respect it and other road users, I think I have done a good job as we both enjoy cycling and going on adventures together.

Malachi had a great morning training and I had a great discussion with one of the other mothers, all too soon it was time to go, we jumped on our bikes yelled goodbyes to everyone and pedalled off in the direction of Blackheath.  We decided to cycle across the Heath into Greenwich Park and down into Greenwich Town Centre the quaint and old town houses, The Royal Naval College, The Royal Observatory and the only surviving Tea Clipper remaining in the world The Cutty Sark are all based here. 

After Malachi's morning of training, he was hungry so we grabbed a snack and decided as it was so beautiful we would cycle towards the O2 on the Greenwich Peninsula where we would join the Thames Cycle Path then cycle back down into Greenwich alongside the River Thames.  We reached the 02 and had an hour of fun exploring some of the free exhibits inside the Dome, you can watch 3D images and you can also record yourself presenting the news and then download your video later at home. Which we did. you can go to the cinema and there are ton's of bars and restaurants, they also have The Titanic Exhibition, showing artefacts found on the wreck. 

We got back on our bikes and headed towards the path it runs along the back of the Dome and there are beautiful views,  Ravensbourne College is a marvellous building, fantastic architecture, looking back towards Woolwich you can just make out the sight of the Thames Barrier the world's largest movable flood barrier. Looking East across the river you have the very impressive sight of  Canary Wharf, looks like we have the rarest, the biggest and the most impressive right here in Greenwich.  There were quite a few other walkers and cyclist using the path but not so many that you were in each other's way as we would encounter when we got back into Greenwich Town Centre where it was packed with visitors. I have cycled along this section of the Thames Path on many occasions and it has changed so much over the years, there is a large Aggregate company that operates on the path and I have waited patiently while they load  large cargo ships moored at the side you have to wait to pass until the crane operator sees  you and gives you a nod, most crew members aboard will normally shout hello. As the tide was out we decide to stop at Bendish Sluice it is a causeway between two jetties and has an old Tudor drain which drew water away from the marshes.  I felt like a Mudlark scouring the riverbank for treasures all we found were huge nuts and bolts, rivets, old iron chains, pulleys and other marine paraphernalia. Pipers Wharf is further down and this is home to a boat repair yard.  The sun shone over the water, we watched a pair of cranes fly awkwardly past and we ran away from the wash of the Thames Clippers sailing by very fast,we threw stones and bolts into the water and found old polished glass that looked smoothly precious it felt like a perfect Sunday afternoon thing to do, no rushing just enjoying being alive and healthy.  We decided it was time to move on so off we went, so much to see. There is a housing development being built so you have to come off the river but soon return to it at Ballast Quay there is a pub here which is very popular called the Cutty Sark, of course, what else would it be called, it has a huge bay window at the front offering great views of the river and if you are lucky you could possibly nab the table set in front of it, if not going on a weekday when it is not so busy you will probably have a better chance. The great chimneys of the Greenwich Power Station dominate the sky now and as you carry on you come to the Alms House Trinity Hospital for 21 old Gentlemen of Greenwich founded in 1613, the building dates later though 1812.  At one time you could not cycle through the Greenwich Naval College which is now run by Greenwich University and the Trinity College of Music but it has been extensively refurbished and is now cycle friendly. We had reached the end of our journey on the Path and headed into Lewisham towards our final destination home. It was a lovely day and I recommend anyone who likes cycling to explore the path.  If you are frightened of cycling on the roads there are so many cycle paths it is possible to go for miles without touching the main road.

http://old.gold.ac.uk/world/gihs/mmgrpath.html
http://www.visitgreenwich.org.uk/places-to-visit-in-greenwich
http://www.museumindocklands.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Permanent/Mudlarks.htm
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/walkfinder/walkdetails.asp?id=122

Tall Ship infront of Canary Wharf



Ravensbourne Media College and The Dome o2 on the Greenwich Peninsula

Magnificent buliding Ravensbourne College