Unhappy note next to Shepherd Foods bus stop. If anyone has seen a bag full of law books, please call 07577558355 or 07435896554. Good luck indeed…
UPDATE:
Fran writes on the Facebook page:
“Lots of note books plus sunglasses strewn along Lawn Terrace on Christmas Day. Pile of papers last seen on wall next to Friends’ Meeting House but not sure of their whereabouts now.”
Filed under blackheath
Here’s a list of the various opening times in Blackheath.
All the info below is from me phoning the pubs today, so may not be perfect.
If you’re going to try and watch fireworks over London (where the Thai hot air balloon shown above lifted up from a couple of years back), try the junction of Cade Road and General Wolfe Road, shown below – nearest Blackheath pub is the Hare & Billet. (see map at the bottom of this post).
Hare & Billet
No tickets required – open from 11am until 1am on New Year’s Day.
Cave Austin
Open from 8.30pm – with an extended license (guy on the phone wasn’t sure until when – possibly 3am or 4am?) Tickets are £12 in advance, or £15 on the door.
The Crown
No ticket required
Open until 1am
The Railway
No ticket required
Open until 2am
O’Neill’s
Tickets are £5 on the door,
Open until 1.30am
Prince of Wales
No ticket required
Open until 1am (he thinks but not sure)
Zero Degrees
As with last year, they’re not answering the phone – I’ve dropped them an email, and I’ll update the blog if they reply.
Good spot for watching fireworks over London:
Filed under blackheath, blackheath village, events, pubs
If you would like us to collect your real Christmas tree you must remember to remove all decorations then leave it next to your green-top bin on your normal collection day. Make sure you leave your tree where it can be easily seen by the collection team.
Lewisham Council:
Take it to one of these designated places, or pay £15 to have the council collect it from your door. Note that the pins on the map are VERY approximate – please correct them if they’re in the wrong places.
I sometimes think local councils should be unified into a single body. I can’t understand why the two adjacent councils differ so much in their provision of services.
Filed under blackheath, blackheath village, planning, politics
Spotted at Blackheath Cooks:
Come along to the Standard’s Old dover Road parade tonight from 6-6.45pm for carol singing, to meet the Standard’s very own Santa (who will be giving out free treats for kids of all ages!) and to do some last minute shopping!
The Bugles are off for a week or so to darkest Cornwall – have a lovely Christmas, wherever you are!
Filed under blackheath
Great to see a local school embracing computer science, not just teaching kids how to use Microsoft Office.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16186705
See also Young Rewired State. And of course, the Raspberry Pi!
Filed under blackheath
BVRG has a very detailed article about Lewisham Council’s previous responses to Network Rail’s suggestions of building high density housing on the car park. If anyone can find Network Rail’s initial housing proposals, it would be interesting to see them…
Filed under blackheath, planning
Brrr, looks chilly…
Vimeo is so great. It’s YouTube with style.
Filed under art, blackheath
Roger writes:
The Blackheath and Greenwich group of Amnesty International are welcoming the head of the UK section of Amnesty, Kate Allen, to their next meeting in the crypt of St Margaret’s, Lee Terrace. Tuesday 13th December 8.00pm. All welcome.
Incidentally we raised £3,400 at our recent booksale. Thanks to all Blackheathens who donated and bought books.
St Margaret’s is the church between Blackheath & Lewisham, on the left as you go down the hill.
Filed under blackheath, events
UPDATE: Please see the bottom of this post for an update from Kevin.
From Blackheath Village Residents Group via an email from Kevin Bonavia:
Lease on Station Car Park Will Not Be Renewed
The Council’s lease on Blackheath Station car park has come to an end and Network Rail, the owners of the car park, do not intend to renew it. It is understood that Network Rail want to operate their own business from the site and although they are not saying what this is they have said that they intend to retain some sort of car parking facility. Network Rail also have a commitment to the arrangements that have been agreed for the Olympics.
More on their site. Being vigorously tweeted about by Kevin Bonavia and Heidi Alexander. No comment from Nick Raynsford, who is probably talking about housing somewhere. There are other issues Nick.
Hope they can get something sorted here. Otherwise Network Rail will may try to develop the car park, as they have done in other parts of the south east.
UPDATE: Better link to the mess of redevelopment at Epsom station that I was thinking of: Controversial Epsom Station regeneration given the green light from 2010
UPDATE: Here’s a reply from Kevin Bonavia:
Here’s an update following a number of enquiries to Network Rail about their intentions and to Council officers about Council policy towards use of the site.
Network Rail (via their property department) have informed our MP, Heidi Alexander:
“I would like to confirm that the Blackheath Station Car Park will remain in its current use once the lease with Lewisham Council comes to an end. It will however be necessary for there to be restrictions during the Olympic period due to Blackheath being a designated station for transport to the Olympic Park.”
So far so good. I understand that Network Rail will shortly be meeting Lewisham’s Director of Property to discuss more details, and I have asked for more information about potential changes to the operation of the car park, such as parking charges and any effect on the farmers’ market.
In the meantime, the Council’s approach to the use of the car park is very clear. In 2005, the Council undertook a survey of sites that could potentially be used for more housing as part of Lewisham’s obligations under the London Plan. In the case of the Blackheath Station car park, Network Rail submitted that the site would be suitable for high density housing with a decked car park. The Council, however, decided not to place the site on the list for potential new housing stating:
“Although this site is close to a rail station and therefore in a highly sustainable location it was considered that in this case the preservation or enhancement of the Conservation Area at Blackheath took precedence. It was considered that a development of this density and pattern would not conform to the historic pattern of development within the area and would form an intrusive element that could not preserve or enhance its character. The loss of the car park additionally would not preserve the village character of the Blackheath Conservation Area by removing the Farmer’s market site, and the possibility of parking in the centre of the village.”
Network Rail should be aware of this, but it’s worth reminding them in case there’s a change of heart…
Filed under blackheath, food, politics
Look at these two charts, and tell me when you think our library was destroyed.
Number of books issued in Blackheath Village libraries from April to October 2011
Visits to Blackheath Libraries between April - October 2011
The Age Exchange Library is a joke.
In May 6,758 items were borrowed from the library in Blackheath Village. Then the library was closed, and replaced with a community library in Age Exchange. In October, after the Age Exchange library had been open for 3 months, only 832 items were borrowed.
“I didn’t come into civic life to close libraries”, I believe is the familiar refrain. So don’t. Re-open the real library. I don’t care how you do it, find a way. Otherwise you’ve just guaranteed the quickest, most efficient way to dumb down an entire generation. Shame on you vandals.
The data comes from questions by councillor David Britton (a Tory with a slightly scary looking union jack on the blog head), made available by Lewisham councillor Christine Best, the cabinet member with responsibility for libraries, at a council meeting on 29th November:
Here are the two google docs: Question Answer
Including an apology for the crappy numbers:
There have been some initial difficulties with data collection from the Community Libraries, and the Service overall has had a difficult year, completing a major staff reorganization and the introduction of new technologies. The implementation of such major change has had a negative impact on performance, but the Service is confident that both issues and visits will now begin to increase.
Yes, a bit. Maybe. Or perhaps it will just be wound down and closed.
See also: The Bookseller: Catastrophic plunge in lending at Lewisham’s community libraries
Filed under blackheath, books, library
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The Blackheath Bugle 