14 year old killed outside Sainsbury’s

Tragic sight this morning doing the shopping.

UPDATED: Please note that this story is from September 16th, and is referring to Saturday September 15th.
From BBC News: Lee stabbing: Kevin Ssali, 14, killed at bus stop

A 14-year-old boy, who had been missing since July, has been stabbed to death in south-east London.
Kevin Ssali, of Whitworth Road in South Norwood, was attacked after he got off a route 202 bus in Lee.
Police and paramedics were called to Burnt Ash Road at about 21:45 BST on Saturday where they found him with multiple stab wounds.
Three teenage males have been arrested on suspicion of murder, police said.

8 minutes walk away, on the 202 route, Jimmy Mizen was killed in 2008 in a bakery.

Massive ASDA next to Lee Sainsbury’s?

Brockley Central has a great post, pointing out that a new ASDA is being planned to replace the dilapidated LeeGate shopping centre (the burnt-out-looking post-nuclear-apocolypse shopping square over the road from Sainsbury’s).

From their post:

St Modwen claim that a supermarket is needed to create the footfall that will make the rest of the retail offer (25,000 sq ft of new shops and restaurants along Burnt Ash Road) work. They must know this is hogwash. If one large supermarket has done nothing for the site (arguably, it accelerated the decline), how would another help? Lee Green has been a dysfunctional town centre for decades and something much more imaginative would be needed to reverse its decline. This proposal plans to keep the ugliest bits (including Leegate tower, which is a strong candidate for the borough’s worst building) and allow the site to be dominated by a supermarket shed, none of which is likely to turn this in to a leisure destination.

This looks like a cynical ploy to get permission to develop another large supermarket in the borough, rather than a considered attempt to regenerate Lee. None of the other projects featured on the developer’s website give any kind of reassurance that they know how to handle a site like this.

They haven’t handed any official plans over to Lewisham Council yet, but they have a weasel-worded “have your say survey” on their site.

Q: Do you support in principle the preliminary proposals for the regeneration of the Leegate Shopping Centre?
No, it looks like you’re just trying to crowbar another massive supermarket next to an existing one, further killing local shops.
Q: Are there any aspects of the scheme that you are particularly impressed with?
No.
Q: Are there any aspects of the scheme on which you have particular comments or suggestions?
How about building some affordable housing on the site, without holding the council to ransom with the threat of a supermarket?
Q: Do you feel that a mixed-use scheme as proposed is the right way forward for the regeneration of Leegate Shopping Centre and Lee Green?
I’d love to live on top of a supermarket. Wouldn’t you?
Q: Do you welcome the opportunity for greater choice in your supermarket shopping?
Do you still beat your wife?

Feel free to add your thoughts on their feedback form.

Another farmers market

This Farmers Market happens on the first Saturday of each month (i.e today if you’re reading this on Saturday 4th Feb).
It’s smaller than the one in Blackheath station car park, but still good value. When I went, there was a fairly comprehensive vegetable stall, a nice bakery, meat and a pickle stall.
Google Map below:

The Dacre Arms Pub

Well, I had to give this one a try… After the rave reviews on a couple of pub websites, and the glowing comments right here in the Bugle, the new bike was taken to The Dacre Arms to see what we were missing out on. It’s a little bit outside Blackheath, but definitely worth it, and walkable from the station-end of the village.

You get that lovely sensation of “this must be the wrong road… There can’t possibly be a pub down here, this looks like a cul de sa… Oh, there it is!” when you go exploring to find this place (reminds me of The Clifton Arms over in North London, back in another lifetime).

I had a good pint of Courage Best, and Twiglets! How marvelous! Haven’t had Twiglets since this was the future of computing… I don’t think they do food, but frankly I didn’t care after I saw the Twiglets (I’m easily pleased).

It is a very nice “locals” sort of pub. No sweeping views of the heath here, but good beer, nice atmosphere, and pleasant beer garden outside…. Nothing showy (no picture frames hanging outside a la Princess of Wales), but nonetheless a nice place to sit and relax on a warm summer evening.

Definitely recommended.

Beer in the evening review.

Fancy a pint review.

Google Map here.