Emotional Baggage

I got on the train yesterday at Blackheath. It was packed. I stuffed my bag under a chair to get it out of the way. More people got on, so I moved down. Then a seat next to me became free, so I sat down. The train was still packed to the end of the [...]

How The Other Half Putt

I normally try and tell people that Blackheath isn’t that posh. And then I see this. Don’t remember my comp ever running a golf championship. If they’re attending the local golf club already, then I doubt they’ll need that much help in life.

Climate Camp message to activists

Received today:
This is an invitation for you to join us at a Climate Camp Blackheath residents de-briefing session happening this Saturday the 19th September at the West Greenwich community and arts centre from 3.15 to 4.15pm.
We hope that you had a chance to attend the Climate Camp at some point over the bank holiday weekend [...]

Noa Noa

Noa Noa (new clothes shop) were refused planning permission for extra illuminated signs outside the shop:
The proposed signage, by reason of its design and illumination, would fail to relate to the design and detailing of the shopfront and the character and appearance of the building,and would detract from the special character of this part of [...]

Sleeping Policeman to be Interrogated

As spotted on (LibDem councillor) Godfried Gyechie’s blog:
Lewisham council are running a questionnaire about the speed reducing measures around Blackheath Village that have been in place since 2005.  In a great example of Government 0.9 (rather than 2.0), you are required to download a PDF file, print out pages 12 and 13, then post them [...]

The Secret Garden

Everywhere outdoors in Blackheath is packed on a sunny day. Everywhere except this one garden. It’s lovely. And they sell great tea and cakes.

Photos of the Heath Before and After Climate Camp

As suspected, the climate camp clean up was pretty much perfect.
As published on Indymedia, here’s a photo during the camp:

And here’s the same location afterwards:

Photos by Indymedia, who I think operate a copyleft image policy.

Beware hoodies at the station

Peter writes:
Please can you let Blackheath folk know to keep an eye out for hoodies at the station. Our lad (only 11), on only his second day at his new school, got off the train at Blackheath, and three hoodies on bikes, hit him for no reason. It happened on the platform at [...]

Photos from Blackheath Funfair 2009

“The gigantic machines of cheap jouissance that towered in the heath’s vast expanse, swinging screaming youth back and forth”
A great set of photos here by Flickr user R.I.Pienaar
Another set from last year here.
And the quote from the previously mentioned nastybrutalistandshort article – although I’m not sure exactly what jouissance is, and neither is Firefox…

Climate Camp -The Aftermath

… or not. All in all, Blackheath seemed to do pretty well out of the Climate Camp. The people in Provender looked as though all their Christmases had come at once (well, they said they’d been busy). The Hare and Billet looked busier than I’d seen it for a long while, despite the worsening choice [...]