Video Outside Lewisham Town Hall

From youtube user thegoldengirlk8, spotted on Guardian London Blog

Glad to see some people brave the cold to stand up for what they believe in. Hope it saves the libraries.

Anti-Cuts Protestors in Lewisham Town Hall

From BBC News:
Lewisham Town Hall protest broken up by riot police

Twitter photos

(photo above from GuidoTallman) – quote “This is what democracy looks like in Lewisham”.

“And the scene outside Lewisham Town Hall this evening … ” Sue Luxton (Green Party):

Councillor Jenni Clutten: “Guy Hanging from Projector”:

1 minute 42 seconds

That’s how much time you’ll need to allow, if you normally approach the station from the florist’s side.

On the plus side, you get a new perspective on Blackheath from the top of the rickety bridge. Those rooftop flats next to the library car park must have great view across the village- never realised they were so high up before.

Access for All, eventually…

So it begins. If you want go into London from Blackheath station, you’ll have to get onto the wrong platform, then cross over the rickety bridge… This work is to improve the station (junk food machines count as an improvement apparently), and to allow disabled access. The work was originally planned to be completed back in 2008. I think it was funded by the previous government’s Access for All policy, but I’m having trouble locating the planning documents… Anyway, according to Network Rail, the work should be finished by spring. That’s right. If spring means April, it will have taken 4-5 months to improve the station.

£1300 for a zone 1-3 ticket, and still no seats on the trains…

Walking through Blackheath

Lovely post, showing the many historical details across Blackheath & Greenwich. (I like the comparison between Queen Caroline and Madonna!)

It’s part of a series of posts written by Margot Wilson, whose daughter worked as a VSO volunteer, teaching science, in Rwanda. Her daughter was murdered in 2000 when the bus she was traveling on to Bujumbura in Burundi was attacked by rebels. She is now raising money which is given to groups in who are improving the lives of very poor people, usually in Rwanda. More here.

A wonder of the world, sort of…

It seems I’ve achieved a degree of notoriety for the Clarendon Hotel:
12 of the World’s Ugliest Statues
The post was added about two years ago!
Oops..

Lovely things

The Christmas lights are back. Last year it was December the 5th, so not sure why so early. But they make Blackheath look amazing. Give them money.
And look at this. Stunning.

By Andy Williams, spotted by Adam Bienkov.

Fresh mint coming soon!

Dear Selecta,

Thanks ever so much for adding your vending machines to Blackheath Station. The machine isn’t filled up yet, but I notice there’s a poster on the side of it, suggesting the kinds of food it will contain. From the look of the poster, I’m really looking forward to being able to purchase:

• fresh oranges (and their peel)
• cappucino (with chocolate sprinkled on top)
• crumbly dark chocolate
• iced water in a glass
• and mint!

Please can you let me know when these things will be available, as other machines tend to stock Pot Noodles, Twixes, HulaHoops, and lots of other rather unhealthy processed food!

Thanks,

The Bugle.

Blackheath Fireworks 2010 Roundup

So yet again, Bugle-Dad-birthday (and a wedding to attend) meant that Mr & Mrs Bugle could not, and possibly will never manage to attend the biggest and best fireworks display held in their back garden (almost). So instead, to compensate I have re-lived the event by tragically staring into my laptop screen, whilst waving a sparkler. More below:

Lovely high definition video of the fireworks, from a Nokia phone (youtube user macintoshmorrisson)

An historical perspective on bonfire night in Blackheath from Andreas Moser, with links to more youtube videos.

“As far as I am aware, this is the only country that annually celebrates the failure of an assassination attempt on its head of state.”

When you put it like that, it does sound a bit odd…

Another HD video of the fireworks (no point in watching them at a lower rate!)

Great photo by Liam Hayter. Makes me wish I’d been there.

dclovell on twitter:

Blackheath fireworks were great. Lewisham Council showed Greenwich how to do it: big, not too long, no awful music. http://yfrog.com/eqt1hfj

Perry Luke on twitter:

All of Blackheath is engulfed in a thick low-lying smoke. Quite amazing, feels like a film set.

AnnaBucks on Twitter:

Blackheath fireworks. The best thing Lewisham Council does. http://twitpic.com/34joan

Apart from, you know, the schools, hospitals, GPs, libraries, etc etc :)

Rickety bridge appears at the station

Any takers to try it? Looks like it would barely hold the weight of two people…

By the time they’ve finished “enhancing” the station (so far only with a high fructose corn syrup dispenser), it will look as lovely as Calais. Thanks to David for the pics.

In other news, our landlord wants to put the rent up, and we’ll never be able to afford to buy a flat here. Feeling glum.