South London Weekly - May 31st 2024

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sadiQ khan has insisted he is not “anti-Motorist”, as he ruled out Making any Further changes to uleZ

“ I drive. The idea that people who drive are the boogeyman is not coming from me.”

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Reporter: Isabel Ramirez

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By Noah Vickers Local Democracy Reporter

sADiQ KHAn has insisted he is not “anti-motorist”, as he ruled out making any further changes to the ultra low emission zone (ulez).

In his first Mayor’s Question Time session since winning re-election this month, Mr Khan was challenged on the issue by several London Assembly members.

Alessandro Georgiou, a newly-elected Tory member, said: “There has been a war on the motorist – whether it be by the Ulez expansion, low traffic neighbourhood or 20mph zones.”

The mayor expanded the Ulez to cover

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often has a good reason to use their cars. We’ve got to recognise that people are going to carry on using cars, because they’re important. Whether it’s for shopping, whether it’s because you’re older, whether it’s because of childcare issues, or whatever.

“So nobody is saying ‘ban the car, or prohibit the use of the car’. It’s about recognising we’ve got to be encouraging others to use active travel, to walk and cycle as well, and to give people alternatives.”

He said that when the Tories accuse him of being anti-motorist, “the results are, Londoners reject that, and vote for me in record numbers”.

all of Greater London in August 2023.

Mr Georgiou asked the Labour mayor: “Do you understand that in outer London, we do need our cars for travel?

“The disabled need their cars, parents on the school run need their cars, because not everyone lives within or under a mile to a primary or secondary school. Do you understand that the elderly also need their cars?”

He stressed that the public transport system is much poorer in the suburbs than in the inner city.

Mr Khan said: “I’m well aware that the Conservatives tried to portray me during the [mayoral election] campaign as being anti-motorist – and that was a theory and a thesis rejected by Londoners on May 2.

“I’m not anti-motorist. I am in favour of cars driving where they can at 20mph rather than 30mph. Why? Because you’re five times more likely to kill somebody and cause them serious injury if you’re driving at 30mph rather than 20mph.”

He added that he was also in favour of improving safety for cyclists and in bringing about “clean air”.

“But I also accept that there are parts of London where public transport is less good,” he said.

The mayor pointed to his plans to expand the Superloop network of express bus services as one example of his work to make it easier for people not to travel by car.

Mr Khan admitted however: “Everyone

He later added: “I drive. The idea that people who drive are the boogeyman, is not coming from me.”

The mayor committed in his re-election manifesto “to keeping the London-wide Ulez standards the same over the next four years,” adding that he also rules out “a move to any form of pay-per-mile smart road user charging system”.

This means that Mr Khan has effectively pledged not to change the definition of a ‘Ulez-compliant’ vehicle.

Alex Wilson, recently elected as Reform UK’s first ever assembly member, pressed Mr Khan on whether he can be trusted on those promises.

He pointed out that the mayor had previously said in July 2021 he had “no plans” to expand the Ulez across Greater London, before announcing the expansion just eight months later.

The mayor reiterated that no changes would be made on either Ulez or the introduction of a pay-per-mile system.

He added: “It’s important you asked me that question, because people understandably were nervous, because they received leaflets that were blatant lies, and Londoners rejected that deceit from the Conservatives.”

Mr Khan was also challenged by his Tory mayoral opponent, Susan Hall –newly re-elected as an assembly member – on whether he would be amending his official transport strategy to enshrine his promise not to bring in pay-per-mile.

The mayor said this would be “a pointless distraction”, because he had already been explicit in his manifesto about his intentions.

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Sadiq Khan at Mayor's Question Time

By Isabel Ramirez

A nEW ultra-modern Bermondsey almshouse, which residents say is ‘like living in a hotel,’ promises to improve the quality of life of over 65s living in social housing.

Appleby Blue, located on Southwark Park Road, opened eight months ago and residents are already settled into a new way of living.

The entire build, which was compared to a Scandinavian spa by The Guardian, is made of oak and designed around a stunning courtyard with water features and a roof garden terrace.

It is home to 63 residents living across a mix of 57, mostly 1-bedroom flats.

The courtyard design and large windows framing the whole property are intentional; to provide community spirit where ‘no one ever feels alone.’

A study done at the City University of London, which analysed up to 100 years’ worth of residents’ records from various almshouses in England, found that people living in these communities lived longer than is expected for older people living in poverty.

The concept of almshouses, an affordable way of independent living with the opportunity to access support and be social, is not new. However, this building in Bermondsey run by United St Saviour’s charity, is unique to the area.

Sixteen of the residents were moved to Appleby Blue by Southwark Charities from Edward Edwards House in Blackfriars. That was also a 25-flat almshouse but the building was dated, having stood there since the 1970s.

Currently, it is being redeveloped into a 15-storey site with offices, a roof terrace, leisure space, and a 62-bed almshouse, with construction due to start in June.

Rohan Lopez was one of the residents who moved there from Blackfriars last August.

The 64-year-old artist says it is a model that should be ‘rolled out everywhere.’

“It’s like living in a hotel,” he commented, “When they showed me my room I couldn’t believe it was just for me. I thought I’d have to share with someone.”

Rohan said this is especially meaningful to him because he knows what it’s like to be homeless.

“I’m grateful for whatever I am given. But this is a really beautiful high-spec building. I can be very social but at the same time, I need a lot of space. This place gives me that.”

He added: “It’s a model that should be rolled out everywhere regardless of your age. If anything goes wrong they get it sorted, unlike certain councils.”

Robert McLeary, 69, was one of the first to move in with his wife Sheree and said they are very happy. “Quality of life is excellent.

“It’s like you come back to your apartment and it just feels like you’re on holiday.”

The £25m project was funded by United St Saviour’s, Southwark Council, and JTRE’s development in Blackfriars (as their affordable housing obligation

under Section 106). It was designed by Witherford Watson Mann Architects.

There is a whole program of activities that residents can take part in including cooking classes, digital workshops, tai chi and yoga, book clubs, and intergenerational activities.

This involves inviting local schools in so the children can interact with residents.

Additional facilities include a community kitchen, a garden room, a skills and hobby room, a library and a spa.

Gwendolyn Ann McCalla, 82, said it has saved her.

She told us: “I didn’t feel safe where I was living before. And I was all on my own and couldn’t manage the stairs any more.”

The 82-year-old, who is overjoyed to now be living right next to a lift, said she has already made friends and loves the mix of cultures.

“That’s what life’s all about, especially when you’re our age and you don’t know how long you’ve got left.”

Gwen added: “Everyone is in here for the same reason. They’ve had to escape something or loneliness or they’ve got a disability.”

Morgan Tume, Centre Manager, who grew up just across the road, said: “First we had to build an internal community. But we now want to open up the beautiful space for the community to enjoy as well.

“A lot of the TRA halls have become run down but we know people make such amazing use of them. Everyone deserves a good space to use.”

She explained that whilst community spaces are not ‘drop-ins’ for the public, they have regular times when ‘open door’ activities take place.

If you wish to host an activity or �ind out more about Appleby Blue, please email applebyblue@ustsc.org.uk

WHERE DID THE NAME COME FROM?

The name ‘Appleby Blue’ pays homage to Dorothy Appleby, an early benefactor of United St. Saviour’s Charity, and references the historic Blue market area in Bermondsey.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO LIVE AT APPLEBY BLUE?

It is structured to be affordable in line with social housing rates.

The base rate is £850 per month for a one-bed apartment before benefits are applied. Many residents are eligible for housing benefits which can help cover the cost.

HOW DOES SOMEONE APPLY TO LIVE AT APPLEBY BLUE?

To become an almshouse resident at Appleby Blue you must have lived in Southwark for three years before the application, be 65 years of age or over, and be on a limited income with low capital and savings.

You should be able to live independently with support from carers if necessary.

Prospective applicants can apply via the charity website or the Southwark Council website. As expected, there is a very long waiting list.

85-year-old gets to go back down

Den

15

is this berMondsey alMshouse the ideal way oF living For over 65 s?

Courtyard and oak fi nish at Appleby Blue.

(credit: Philip Vile)

Rohan Lopez, 64

They do regular activities

Gwendolyn Ann McCalla, 82

© Phillip Vile

st Jude’s and charlotte sharMan school Merger will not go ahead

EXCLUSIVE

By Isabel Ramirez

PAREnTs HAVE been informed that the proposed amalgamation of two primary schools in Elephant and castle will not go ahead.

Since April 2023, Charlotte Sharman and St Jude’s primary schools have been in talks about merging – which would see the neighbouring schools join up to become one establishment.

Last year, Cobourg Primary School in Burgess Park merged with Camelot Primary School in Peckham. It is hoped the move – currently happening across London – will combat the financial burden of falling pupil numbers.

But after over a year of waiting for a decision and a long consultation, it has been decided that Charlotte Sharman and St Jude’s will not merge.

The letter sent to St Jude’s parents on Friday 24 May announced the decision, adding: “We believe it is no

longer in the best interests of staff and pupils within the school.”

It explained the decision not to amalgamate was in part due to ‘opposition from the community at Charlotte Sharman that is at odds with the ethos of St Jude’s.’

St Jude’s is a Church of England school and Charlotte Sharman is of no fixed faith, yet 80 per cent of its pupils are Muslim.

A petition against Charlotte Sharman

Camberwell Arts Festival returns with dog show, silent films and more

becoming a faith school garnered over 600 signatures, suggesting many were against the move.

Another reason it will not go ahead is that there were reportedly ‘concerns’ over whether the merger would be viable, based on the latest financial information.

In terms of the future, St Jude’s revealed they had ‘healthy financial reserves’ which would mean the school could continue to run.

Okinawa Day: Free Japanese festival returns to Bermondsey

By Isabel Ramirez

A FREE family-friendly Japanese festival will return to Bermondsey, with Eisa dance, music and cultural food celebrating the unique okinawa islands.

Okinawa Day, a yearly celebration of Japan’s southernmost region, is coming to The Blue Market on Saturday, June 22.

The Okinawa island cluster once formed part of the Ryukyu Kingdomwhich used to be its own country.

It has its a distinct tradition with influences from mainland Japan, Asia and the US.

Karate originated in the region and visitors will witness a spell-binding demonstration of the famous martial art.

Attendees can also expect musical performances from the London Okinawa Sanshinkai, guest performers from Europe and Japan, and craft stalls. While Okinawa Day has been running since 2009, this will be its third year at The Blue Market.

Millwall fan and housing activist tony receives posthumous civic award

By Isabel Ramirez

A weeK-loNg arts festival in camberwell will offer a dog show, open studios and a silent film night with an orchestra.

Taking place between Saturday 8 to Sunday 16 June, Camberwell Arts Festival is the chance to see what artists in the area have been working on.

Run by Camberwell Arts, the festival is in its 30th year.

With both free and paid-for events, it promises a mix of open studios, arts markets, exhibitions and workshops designed to inspire and entertain audiences of all ages.

It kicks off on Camberwell Green with the launch party on Saturday 8 June. Showcasing fifty local artists, creators and makers, the arts market will be

EXCLUSIVE

By Isabel Ramirez

hosted alongside the weekly urban farmers’ market.

Visitors are encouraged to bring their pups to take part in the popular dog show. Prizes include for the waggiest tail, best puppy, best rescue, best trick and the Camberwell Arts agility course.

The rest of the festival boasts some open studios, fringe events such as a silent film night with a live orchestra and a ‘Not For Sale’ exhibition. Sponsored by Hunters, the signboards exhibition in and around the town will host 30 local artists’ work at people’s homes, businesses and other prominent areas in Camberwell. The exhibition aims to bring art into the community and allow everyone to enjoy it.•

Catch the launch party on Saturday 8 June on Camberwell Green from 11am5pm.

A millWAll fan, who set up a walking football team for people with cancer whilst suffering himself, has now received a posthumous award.

Tony Linforth-Hall had been suffering from a terminal blood cancer called Hodgkin-Lymphoma for a couple of years. He died on Friday, July 14 2023. Despite having an incurable illness, the avid Millwall supporter never let that stop him from helping others.

Before his diagnosis, he was playing walking football – similar to the traditional sort except players aren’t allowed to run. It is typically meant for older people with reduced mobility, but Tony believed it could benefit others too and after being diagnosed with cancer set up his own team.

At this year’s Southwark Civic Awards,

Tony was honoured for showing bravery and lifting others in their darkest times, receiving the Liberty of the Old Metropolitan Borough of Southwark.

The annual celebration recognises outstanding contributions from individuals in the borough. It is rare for the Mayor’s office to give awards out to people who have died, having been received by just three others: Peter Moore, Southwark’s town crier

– Posthumous Life Time Achievement Award 2009/2010

Bernard Alger – Honorary Liberty of Bermondsey (posthumous) 2004/2005

Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole, Hero that saved a drowning woman – Mayor of Southwark’s Award 2021

Tony’s loving widow and Liberal Democrat councillor Maria Linforth-Hall collected the award on behalf of her late husband. On the eve of the ceremony, she was joined by people from Millwall and friends in what was an ‘emotional evening.’

She told us how ‘proud’ she was of him.

“Tony deserves this and more.

“He worked so hard for the community. He was a housing activist for many years and the walking football and Kicking Cancer of late.

“We had a standing ovation, the only one in the evening. I am so proud of my husband and I miss him dearly.”

His legacy lives on in the team he created and his loved ones.

Cllr Naima Ali, Worshipful the Mayor of Southwark, said: “Tony Linforth-Hall was a local hero, inspiring so many others to become involved and stay active following a diagnosis of terminal illness. His legacy will undoubtedly live on through the walking football teams he formed and the friendships that were born out of them. Bestowing this honour on him posthumously is a fitting recognition of his invaluable contributions to the betterment of our borough right up until his sad loss last year.”

Left: Tony Linforth-Hall; right: His widow, Maria, picked up the award

Camberwell Arts Festival (previous year)

The Blue Market hosted Okinawa Day in 2023

Left: St Jude’s; right: Charlotte Sharman

EXCLUSIVE

By Isabel Ramirez

A girl from Tulse Hill, who won a place in a ‘highly competitive’ oxford university engineering programme, says she now wants to go there.

Aishah Babajide, a Year 10 student at City Heights E-ACT Academy, applied for the prestigious university’s Uncover Engineering programme on the advice of her maths teacher.

Out of hundreds of applicants, she was shocked to discover she had secured a place.

Uncover Engineering is a fourday residential programme aimed at girls and Black African and Caribbean heritage year 10 students which allows them to explore STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects, whilst also providing a glimpse into life at a top university.

Around 30 girls from across the UK who demonstrated a passion for engineering and problem-solving, and are expected to get at least six GCSEs graded 7-9 including maths, science and English, were chosen for the programme.

Aishah travelled from her home in

There she enjoyed four days of carefully curated activities, including tours of the relevant university departments, a visit to a recycling and waste management facility, talks

from women working in engineering, and various workshops involving computer-aided design, robotics, coding and drones.

“It made me see girls like me

can have successful careers in STEM. Engineering is often seen as something for men but this made me think that maybe we can change that for the next generation.”

“I’m now considering a career in perhaps software engineering and robotics, or maybe mechanical or electrical engineering.

“I loved my time in Oxford and now I’ve been there and experienced it for myself, I think it could be a place for me to study.”

Alecia Watson, Director of Maths and Associate Assistant Headteacher at City Heights E-ACT Academy, added: “This is such a valuable and important programme, and has introduced Aishah to a world of possibilities. She’s a hardworking, dedicated student who achieves brilliantly in class, and it has been wonderful to see her confidence in her abilities grow as a result of the Uncover Engineering programme. She is certainly capable of studying a STEM subject at any leading university and we’re all excited to see what the future might hold for Aishah.”

Oxford University’s Uncover Engineering programme runs in April each year and is fully funded by the university.

Tulse Hill to Oxford last month with her teacher Alecia Watson, where she stayed at St Hugh’s College.

She commented: “It was like being in a Harry Potter movie or a palace!”

Babajide

‘hidden geM’ lodge space in southwark park Might have to close

EXCLUSIVE

By Isabel Ramirez

A ‘HiDDEn gem’ cafe and wellness centre in southwark Park is facing closure due to rising costs.

The Lodge Space opened seven years ago in the old parkkeeper’s lodge and has since been a popular haven, given it is directly accessible from the park.

Along with a cafe with healthy, reasonably priced food and drink, it hosts 66 weekly classes in yoga, pilates and overall wellness. But having been selffunded since the start, owner Jane Wells

said they are facing closure as costs have become too much.

“The revenue that we currently generate is not able to cover the inflationary cost increases,” she said.

“If nothing changes, we’ll have to close in three months.”

Jane added that it’s partly because they’ve kept their prices low that they have run into these issues.

This includes offering low-cost sessions attended by hundreds a month, £5 classes on a Wednesday and regular donationbased events for charity.

She commented: “We are here for the community. That’s why I haven’t sold this

place off.

“Some people say we’ve literally saved their life. They rely on us.”

Mary and Diana, both in their 70s, said they go to the cafe ‘most days’ and do chair yoga classes every Monday.

“When you come in on your own, you don’t feel alone,” Mary commented, “the staff are so kind and they always talk to me.

“If this place closed I don’t know what I would do.”

Debbie Spink, a coach for Southwark Athletics Club, said she found it just one day walking through the park.

“It’s been a gem for me because it’s

family-run and it’s a calm, relaxing place.

To find somewhere like this is really hard.

“I wouldn’t want it to close for the world.”

In a bid to save the place, the Lodge staff have started asking the community for support to take the business into its next chapter.

They are aiming to raise £40,000 to do this via a crowdfunder.

Asked how they will make it sustainable for the future General Manager, Oliver Wells Hawkins, who has taken the reins from his parents, said they have a whole new business model.

This will include offering wellness days to corporate companies.

He said: “You’ll be able to do herb foraging walks, yoga, breathwork, and have some good food. The idea is to boost workplace morale and people’s mental health.

“This is one of the new things that will help us keep giving back to the community.”

Oliver explained that The Lodge is a ‘community centre’ at its core. “All over London we see these places going

“So - invite your bosses along,” he added, as a call out to anyone working for a company in the city.

To help save The Lodge space, go to crowdfunder.co.uk ‘Save the Lodge space’

By Herbie Russell

THE millWAll fan who fought off knifewielding jihadis finally has a bravery medal on his chest - seven years after the london Bridge Attack.

Roy Larner, 54, famously roared ‘f*ck you, I’m Millwall’ while throwing punches at three steroid-using jihadis who slashed at him while wearing fake suicide belts.

Despite nearly dying from his injuries, Roy has never received official recognition for his heroism - until now.

On Thursday, May 16, the Royal Humane Society presented him with a Silver Medal - reserved for those who ‘put themselves in extreme personal danger’ to protect others.

The medal was given to him by Black Rod Sarah Clarke, the most senior House of Lords officer, at

bravery Medal For Millwall Fan who Fought oFF Jihadis

roy

Haberdashers’ Hall in Central London.

Roy said: “It was lovely. It’s made me feel like:

‘Yes, I’ve finally been recognised after seven years’.

“Even the police officers and counter-terrorism police came up to me afterwards to say thank you. It was very nice. I’m proud of myself for once.”

After, Roy went for a drink at The Wheatsheaf at a meet-up organised by Millwall fan group House of Fun.

Roy can vividly remember what took place at 9.58pm on June 3, 2017.

Three assailants armed with twelve-inch kitchen knives ploughed a van into innocent people on London Bridge.

The trio launched a frenzied stab attack on crowds enjoying their Saturday around Borough Market.

They encountered Roy at the Black & Blue bar who, refusing to flee, fought the attackers –doubtlessly saving the lives of several others.

Eight people were killed and 48 injured during the attacks that night.

Many people have received gallantry awards, including George Medals, for their bravery during the attack – but Roy has always been passed over.

However, he has been involved in several racist incidents which may be why he has never received an award.

These include convictions for raciallyaggravated common assault and religiouslyaggravated harassment for an expletive rant in his local MP Neil Coyle’s office.

Roy has expressed remorse for his actions which he says were “wrong” – but he still feels he’s been “airbrushed” from the history of the attacks.

He previously said: “I’m not perfect but what I’ve done probably makes up for those things.”

Roy still hopes to one day receive the ultimate recognition – the George Cross.

recognised 7 years after attack

Receiving the award from Black Rod Sarah Clarke

Roy sporting his medal

b&Q announce closing date for sutton store

B&Q store and its

By Harrison Galliven l Local Democracy Reporter

suttoN’s MAiN B&Q branch has announced it will close early next month, making way for a largescale residential development to be built on-site.

The large B&Q store on Sutton Court Road is set to close on June 8 after the owners admitted they had “unsuccessful negotiations to renew the lease.”

Planning permission was granted last December for a massive housing complex to be built on the site of the store. Once complete, the development could see 2,500 new residents move into the area.

After closure, shoppers will still be able to access the smaller B&Q store on Sutton High Street. The 8,700sq. ft store was opened last year ahead of the larger branch’s expected closure.

During the planning meeting for the new development, councilors revealed that the B&Q on Sutton Court Road was not a profit-making branch and admitted that it wasn’t a ‘good use’ of the space.

The new development will consist of towers, ranging from six to 21 storeys, housing 970 flats, 337 of which will be affordable homes. The site will include 8,786 sqm of new open space.

This will include space for new shops as well as a public park called Chalk Green, which pays homage to the area’s historic quarry. Both residents and the public will also have access to cut through the site on a new cycle-friendly pathway.

St George, the developers, claimed this new open space will transform the ‘sterile’ B&Q site and connect the green spaces of Manor Park to the north and

By Charlotte Lillywhite Local Democracy Reporter

A BusY south london train station has an extended footbridge, new set of stairs and eight extra ticket gates in a long-awaited £6.7 million upgrade to tackle overcrowding.

The congestion relief works at Surbiton station have finally been completed by Network Rail, after beginning in October

2021, to make passenger journeys quicker and safer.

A new deck has been added to the existing footbridge at the end of platforms three and four at the station, along with eight more ticket gates to increase the total number to 16, all accessed by a new set of stairs. Network Rail expects the upgrades, funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), to make passenger journeys at the station up to 31 per cent faster.

the Warren recreation ground to the east.

A spokesperson for B&Q commented:

“Due to unsuccessful negotiations to renew the lease at our Sutton Court Road store we will be closing our doors on June 8 2024.

“In preparation for this closure and to ensure we can continue to serve local residents, last year we opened a B&Q Local store on Sutton High Street where

Surbiton is the fifth busiest station on Network Rail’s Wessex route with 6.61m entries and exits in 2022/23, according to data from the Office of Rail and Road.

The figures showed 434,021 passengers changed between services at the station in this period.

The high volume of passengers often caused congestion on platforms three and four, heading away from central London, at peak times in the evenings as

customers can continue to shop for all their home improvement needs.

“In addition to our new Sutton store, we have recently opened nine other B&Q Local stores across London at Holloway Road, Wandsworth, Tooting, Wood Green, Harrow, Streatham, Camden, Palmers Green, and Staines and new store openings remain at the heart of our retail growth strategy.

they had to leave the station using only a single set of stairs before the upgrade. This sometimes stopped trains leaving on time and delayed services to Guildford, Hampton Court and Woking.

Network Rail hopes the station upgrade will allow passengers to leave quicker and stop them having to queue on a single set of stairs. The new staircase and deck were officially opened on May 17. The station stayed open during the works, which were mostly completed at night, and passengers had full access to the footbridge.

The station opened in 1838, before being rebuilt in Art Deco style in 1937. It was granted Grade II listed status in 1983.

Mark Goodall, Wessex route director at Network Rail, said the changes will ‘help passengers travel through the station more quickly and comfortably while also improving safety’. He said the works

represented ‘three years of hard work that will help ease congestion for the six million passengers who use the station each year’.

Sir Ed Davey, Lib Dem MP for Kingston and Surbiton, said: “This investment by Network Rail into our community will make a significant difference to constituents and the millions of people who use Surbiton station, particularly during the busy evening peak times, which would see congestion on some platforms as a result of the large number of passengers simultaneously trying to exit the station via a single staircase.

“The introduction of a new deck, staircase and eight additional gate lines will help speed up the time it takes for all constituents and commuters to exit the station and improve the safety and overall experience for those using this historic and important station.”

Plans for a new development called Chalk Gardens on the site of B&Q in Sutton

Surbiton station before the upgrade

Lib Dem MP Sir Ed Davey and Lib Dem councillor Liz Green opening the new staircase at Surbiton station on May 17

10 NEWS

Twelve-year-old

boy who died in flat fall named as Renoy Ellis

By Herbie Russell

A twelve-yeAr-old boy who died after falling from an upperfloor flat in Kennington has been named as Renoy Ellis.

Renoy fell from the property at Ward Point on Hotspur Street shortly after 4.30pm on Friday, May 24.

Police said there was “nothing to indicate the incident was suspicious” although an investigation is ongoing.

Paramedics arrived in under four minutes but tragically the boy died at the scene despite their best efforts.

Half-brother Jason Campbell told the BBC Renoy was “bubbly” and “happy”.

“Just a few weeks ago we were playing together, football, we played a bit of table tennis, we went for a walk around the park,” he said. “On his 12th birthday me and my girlfriend took him out. I was his role model, I was his big bro.”

It comes just over a week after fiveyear-old Aalim Ahmed died after falling from his kitchen window on the 15th storey of an east London tower block. An inquest has opened into Aalim’s death.

A police spokesperson said: “Despite their efforts, the child was pronounced dead. The child’s family have been informed.

“At this very early stage, there is nothing to indicate that the incident is suspicious, however enquires are ongoing to establish the circumstances.

“Cordons are in place at the scene.”

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 4.21pm today (24 May) to reports of a person who had fallen from a building in Hotspur Street, SE11.

“We sent a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, paramedics in fast response cars, an advanced paramedic and an incident response officer. We also dispatched a trauma team from London’s Air Ambulance which consisted of a paramedic and a doctor in a car.

“The first paramedic arrived in less than four minutes. Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a child died at the scene.

“We treated a second patient and took her to hospital.”

Man who grew up on criMe-ridden

peckha

estate is ‘one step closer’ to the w est

end

By Isabel Ramirez

A m A n who grew up on a Peckham estate, ‘notorious for crime,’ is now one step closer to his dream of getting his show to the West End.

David Alade wrote and stars in his one-man play Sunny Side Up, which is about his life growing up in Peckham.

It follows him, as a young ‘Little D’, through his childhood, school, and university, ultimately leading up to his dad’s death.

It first premiered at Theatre Peckham as part of the Fringe Festival in 2022 and then last year for a full run.

Now, the 27-year-old is getting ready to perform it at Soho Theatre, off the West End, for an exclusive run next

week (28 May - 1 June).

He said this exciting move is ‘one step closer to the West End’ which is the goal.

“Hopefully it will go on to have a proper run there. I don’t want to stop until then.”

David grew up on the Wood Dene Estate on Queen’s Road, which was demolished in 2007.

“It was notorious for crime,” he said, referencing the ‘regular gunshots’ they would hear.

“We would convince ourselves they were fireworks.”

He remembers in 2005 at the community centre, when four youths burst into a christening party and shot 33-year-old Zainab Kalokoh.

“I had my birthday party in that hall

Jailed for life: Man who murdered Johanita

Dogbey in random Brixton slasher attacks

By Herbie Russell

A mAn has been jailed for life for a series of random slasher attacks that ended with the murder of a woman in Brixton.

Mohamed Nur, 34, used a makeshift blade to cut the throat of Johanita Dogbey, 31, in broad daylight in Brixton on May 1, 2023.

She had been walking in Stockwell Park Walk after shopping for the day when Nur attacked her from behind. She died at the scene.

Two days before, he had slashed the faces of two women and a man in unprovoked and random attacks.

Nur was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 32 years following a hearing at the Old Bailey on Thursday, May 23. He was found guilty of three counts of unlawful wounding following a trial at the same court,on May 13.

The court had been told that Nur, who came to the UK from Somalia in 1993, became addicted to drugs and was homeless. It has been reported that at the time of the attacks, he was living in accommodation for vulnerable adults in Vauxhall and had previous convictions for possession of cannabis, a firearm, ammunition and blades.

In a statement read to the court, Johanita’s father said: “Johanita passing,

so violently, has left a big hole in our lives and a massive hole in our hearts. It wasn’t her time to go.

“There are parts of your heart you could never imagine could feel so much pain unless you go through the loss we have gone through.

“It is not possible to fully explain how much this has impacted our family and all of us individually.

“Though we will remember her as the beautiful, caring, funny and bubbly daughter, sister and friend she was, her murder and death will always be one of the hardest realities we will have to live with. We are the ones with the life sentence now.”

the week before,” David said.

Despite the obvious danger, he said his childhood was the best.

“I would never trade it. We were out every day, playing 40-40 home, bike rides - I loved it

“Nobody felt poor.”

His dad, Sunny, tragically died in 2018 after a battle with various illnesses. “He was a nurse and I just remember him working around the clock for us.”

In the play, he explained Sunny was not a ‘traditional’ African dad: “Dad would cry in front of us – he was quite soft.’”

One of five siblings, he calls his family the ‘dream team.’ David said they were all big fans of the play.

“When I got back from university, it

was just me and my dad in the house.

“So they didn’t experience that at all. And it was the year before he died.

“They love seeing it through my eyes as they didn’t have the same experience with him.”

He said writing and performing the play has helped him heal from the trauma of losing his dad.

“It was heavy at the start. But now I take a lot of strength from reminiscing about my dad and my upbringing.

“He’d be blown away if he was here. He’d be happy I was making him famous.”

You can get tickets to see Sunny Side Up one sohotheatre.com. It will run from Tuesday 28 May - Saturday 1st June at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE.

JAILED FOR LIFE: Mohamed Nur

David Alade. Right: His dad Sunny, who inspired his play.

Johanita Dogbey was killed by Nur in broad daylight

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Money doner? ForMer bank conversion to kebab shop branded ‘an utter Mess’

EXCLUSIVE

By Herbie Russell

the ForMer Barclays on Walworth Road is set to become a kebab shop with one local branding it an ‘utter mess’.

Restaurant chain German Doner Kebab plans to install extractor fans and illuminated signage.

The unit, at 258 to 260 Walworth Road, has been vacant since the bank left in April 2023.

Barclays, which has axed over 5,000 branches in the last nine years, claimed only fifteen customers regularly used the Walworth branch.

Peter Wisby, a local resident who raged when Barclays closed the Tower Bridge Road outlet last year, said the situation was an “utter mess”.

The 85-year-old, who uses a mobility scooter, said: “We had a Barclays in the Blue [Bermondsey] about five years ago. They said they wouldn’t shut it down and they did. In my day, it was so simple. My generation is fighting a losing battle.”

Whenever the Bermondsey pensioner wants to send money to his daughter, he now has to withdraw cash from the Post Office.

Now, even the Post Office is set to become a Popeyes chicken shop. In March, the Walworth Marks & Spencer announced it would close this summer.

Peter said: “What are we gonna do?

We’re knackered aren’t we?” Turning the Barclays into a kebab shop just about sums it up. I think about what a thriving city this once was and now it’s just a sheer and utter mess.”

The Walworth Road Barclays building was purpose-built between the late 19th and early 20th century.

The Jacobean-revival style building’s gabled roof was severely damaged by bombing in WWII.

Teachers at £24,000-a-year Dulwich private school strike over low pay

EXCLUSIVE

By Herbie Russell

TEAcHERs AT a £24,000-a-year Dulwich private school are striking over ‘low pay awards’ and pensions.

James Allen’s Girls School (JAGS), winner of The Sunday Times’ London Independent School of the Year 2024, faced pickets on Wednesday, May 22. More strikes are expected next month.

A JAGS spokesperson said the school “greatly value[s]” teaching staff who had been offered a “generous alternative pension scheme”.

The 280-year-old institution said it would “continue to work hard to resolve” the dispute. But a National Education Union (NEU) spokesperson said members “have had enough” of being offered “second-class” conditions.

Roughly 50 teachers and some support staff have threatened five more days of industrial action on June 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13.

The NEU and teachers have declined to say how much JAGS teachers earn, saying they do not have information regarding

median salaries. But they say pay awards have been 10 per cent below inflation since 2019 - significantly less than the school’s top earners.

Staff also claim they have been asked to “subsidise” their employer’s contributions.

Teachers wishing to stay in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) are reportedly being offered a 1.3 per cent pay award3.7 per cent lower than those agreeing to join an alternative scheme.

Defending the school, a JAGS spokesperson said: “In recent years, the spiralling costs of the TPS have been a growing concern in the independent sector.

“Following the last valuation, the employer’s contribution rate leapt from 23.68 per cent to 28.68 per cent and this increase poses a significant financial risk to the school.

“In our efforts to reflect the high esteem in which we hold our staff members we have offered a generous alternative pension scheme as well as offering teaching staff the opportunity to remain in the TPS going forwards if they wish to do so.”

Daniel Kebede, NEU General Secretary, said: “NEU members at James Allen’s Girls’ School have had enough. Staff have seen their living standards eroded by year after year of cost of living increases below the rate of inflation.”

He added: “JAGS employs first-class staff but offers second-class staff conditions.”

Teachers say they tried to negotiate with JAGS with the school refusing to cooperate.

But JAGS has insisted the strike is taking place despite its “best efforts to reach an agreement”.

According to a flyer handed to parents, some teachers are “really struggling” due to “erosion of pay and pension”.

Strikers say staff voted on industrial action via formal postal ballot between April 22 and May 7.

Ninety-five per cent of the school’s NEU members reportedly voted in favour of strike action with a 76 per cent turnout.

JAGS has plans to move its PrePreparatory provision to new buildings on the East Dulwich Grove school site.

Some local residents have expressed fears over its impact on congestion but JAGS says there will not be a significant impact.

The new restaurant would see a new glazed entrance door and illuminated signs installed.

The applicant, KDG E&C Limited, has said the shop would create 30 new jobs.

A separate planning permission, submitted by a different developer, has been lodged to build two flats above the building.

Changes to planning law in 2020 have made it easier for shops to become takeaway restaurants. Such conversions are now often classified as ‘permitted developments’ meaning they do not require planning permission.

Surrey Quays man jailed for sexually assaulting young girl

By Herbie Russell

A mAn from surrey Quays, who sexually assaulted a young girl, has been jailed for four years and six months.

Ahmed Deq Mohamed, 20, who has a previous conviction for sexually assaulting a child under thirteen, violated another victim on June 16, 2023.

Police arrested and charged him just five days later, with forensic evidence and the victim’s “compelling video account” helping to convict him.

Detective Constable Oliver Colville, who led the investigation, said: “I would like to praise the victim for initially coming forward to police, and for reporting this repulsive behaviour from Mohamed.

“The compelling video account

provided by her assisted with the forensic evidence that we had, making it enough to convict Mohamed.” Mohamed has been sentenced to four years and six months in jail with twelve months on license after he appeared at Inner London Crown Court on May 22. He was previously found guilty of sexually assaulting a child under thirteen by penetration, following a trial at the same court.

He will now also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Oliver Colville added: “Mohamed will now face a significant amount of jail time, highlighting that we take every case extremely seriously. I hope this encourages anyone who has been a victim of sexual offences to come forward and speak to us.”

Teachers and support staff picketed outside James Allen’s Girls’ School on May 22

Local resident Peter Wisby said the situation was an ‘absolute mess’

Convicted: Ahmed Deq Mohamed

The Barclays bank on the corner of Walworth Road is set to become a kebab shop

Cost of Living

Many residents are struggling with increases in the cost of living. You may be eligible for support that you are not claiming. Below are things you can do to help reduce your costs and increase your income. You can find more on our website: www.lambeth.gov.uk/costofliving

Cost of living support available now

Check to make sure you’re not missing out on benefits

Up to 7 million people in the UK are eligible for benefits but not claiming them. Use a benefits calculator to see whether you are one of them: https://www.gov.uk/benefitscalculators

Get help with food costs

There are many places in Lambeth where you can access food in a crisis or a sit-down meal at a community centre. The Lambeth Larder website has a directory of the support available: https://www.lambethlarder.org/

Lambeth Council and local charities are here to help during the cost of living crisis.

Get

There are also local benefits that can help you with paying council tax and housing costs. You can find out whether you are eligible on our website: www.lambeth.gov.uk/ extra-support

For further information visit our website lambeth.gov.uk/ costofliving

Improve the energy efficiency of your home and apply for discounts

You can register for an appointment with Groundwork, who work in partnership with the council. They can provide advice on decreasing your energy bills and improving the energy efficiency of your home: https://london.greendoctors.org. uk/

Seek debt advice

Lambeth Council has agreed a £10 million package of vital support for those hit hardest by the cost of living crisis.

We can help you with:

If you’re currently in debt, we’d recommend you speak with one of the boroughs advice agencies: www.lambeth.gov.uk/getbenefits-advice

• Council tax support and rebates

• Access to benefits and grants

help with health costs

The NHS provides support for those on a low income who require health treatments that are usually paid for, including prescriptions, dental and eye treatments as well as transport to appointments. More details: bit.ly/low-income-scheme

You can also contact StepChange on 0800 138 1111.

• Making your home energy efficient, reducing your bills

• Access to Foodbanks and low-cost food

• Emergency Support Scheme - support for residents in an emergency, crisis or disaster

• Job and business start-up support

• Holiday activities

The Pharmacy First scheme also supports residents in receipt of means tested benefits with free, over the counter treatments for minor ailments in 33 pharmacies in the borough. More details can be found: bit.ly/pharmacy-first

Emergency Support

Financial pressures can cause many residents anxiety, stress or depression. If you are concerned about your mental health, please speak to your local GP or health service. You can also contact Mind’s Information Line for details on support available near you by calling 0300 123 3393

The Emergency Support Scheme helps Lambeth residents that are facing hardship, a crisis, emergency, or disaster. This includes struggling to pay bills or afford food.

Visit www.lambeth.gov.uk/ESS for more information

Move to a social tariff

Social tariffs are cheaper broadband and phone packages for people claiming some benefits. Find information about the tariffs available to you on the Ofgem website: bit.ly/cheaper-packages

The council also has a range of support available to residents struggling with the cost of living. You can find out about support you might be entitled to and other information on our website: www.lambeth.gov.uk/costofliving

Relocation to the UK, moving at speed with valuable legal advice

Migration is an important element of growth; it helps UK businesses to become more competitive, whether we are bringing in skilled workers, entrepreneurs, investors or those looking to study in the UK.

The UK remains one of the greatest places to live, bringing diversity, rich culture, and high-quality life, making it a very popular destination for expats.

1. To explore the UK visa programs available to apply for, please find more information here: https://icslegal.com/uk-visas.

Did you know? Office for National Statistics (ONS) states that in 2023, 1.2 million people migrated into the UK.

Need to speak with one of our Lawyers, call us on 020 7237 3388 or email us at info@icslegal.com

Reasons why skilled workers, entrepreneurs & investors are coming to the UK?

As the UK looks to bring in competitiveness, with a skilled workforce as well as business opportunities, here are some programs to apply for:

1. The global mobility visa to expansion visa and innovator founder visa, builds the hub of business opportunities in the UK.

2. The scale-up visa allows STEM businesses to bring talented people in the UK.

3. High Potential Individual visa program allows graduates from specific universities to come and work in the UK.

Consulting with ICS Legal on immigration and

sponsor licence programs

Through our experience, our client’s value our advice and helpful guidance.

We believe that it’s important to understand the requirements of various immigration programs, to ensure both our private and enterprise clients understand the various program benefits.

• Our Lawyers provide legal advice sessions to document procurement services, including crisis management and refusals.

• For enterprises, which includes start-ups, scale-up and small businesses, applying for a sponsor licence to recruit skilled workers is critical to business operations and growth. Unlike larger enterprises, these businesses need

to hire at speed and the right personnel, so the flexibility of opening the door to those across the regions ensures they can become competitive.

You can read more information here https:// icslegal.com/legal-advice-and-consulting.

Benefits of taking immigration advice

To avoid an application being refused or apply for the wrong immigration program, we recommend taking legal advice, so that one is able to understand on what would be helpful for you, your family or business.

Here are some of the most critical benefits of taking immigration advice.

F A ALBIN & SONS

1. Tailored legal advice, explaining the immigration programs to apply for.

2. Less chances of being refused a UK visa. The risk to refuse would determine on the information and documents being provided.

3. Understand the pathway to temporary residency to settlement in the UK.

4. Apply to become settled in the UK and route to become a British national.

You can read more details here: https://icslegal. com/immigration-advice.

Managing a visa and immigration program

Our skilled Lawyers will be able to help you and your business to apply for an immigration program.

• We will advise on information and documents required to support the application.

• Check the documents provided and advise on any further evidences to support the application.

• Prepare an application and take you through the legal submission process.

Navigate to find an Immigration Lawyer

We have created a dynamic platform to allow our clients to connect with our Lawyers across the region.

• You can do this simply by providing some basic information here https://icslegal.com/find-an immigration-lawyer.

Stay connected with us at www.icslegal.com.

new cycle lane will run alongside peckhaM rye park

EXCLUSIVE

By Herbie Russell

A nEW cycleway is set to run alongside Peckham Rye Park after southwark council signed off the plans. Cycleway 35 Phase One will go from

Nunhead Lane to Stuart Road - a stretch used by 1,096 cyclists daily.

Once finished, Cycleway 35 will connect Bermondsey with Lewisham - with some northern sections already finished.

The Peckham Rye design includes an uphill segregated cycle lane while northbound cyclists will share the road with other vehicles.

Police hosting free bike marking event in Dulwich

By Herbie Russell

PecKhAM Police are marking cyclists’ bikes free of charge in East Dulwich to prevent them from theft.

Goose Green Police will hold the free session at 10am outside Balfe’s Bikes, 34 - 36 East Dulwich Road, on Saturday, June 8.

Security marks are visible deterrents for bike thieves as it tells them the bike is registered.

Thieves know they will be arrested if caught with it and the owner can be traced.

The Met Police has shared other tips including using two D-locks, locking the frame and both wheels, and taking removable bike parts with you.

Bike thefts are a persistent problem in Southwark, where just 0.01% of incidents resulted in a charge, according to research by the Southwark Liberal Democrats.

The group’s Freedom of Information request found that from 2020 to 2022, 94 per cent of stolen car and bike cases went unsolved, without a suspect even being identified.

Near the junction with Nunhead Lane, and further south along the road, there are plans to install floating bus stops. Disability campaign groups want to ban floating bus stops although a TfL report recently found their risk was “extremely low”. The Peckham Rye carriageway has been reduced and there will be a loss of parking bays along Peckham Rye.

Southwark Council initially consulted residents on a different design which would have seen a two-way cycle track. But people worried that the design would mean pedestrians sharing crossings with cyclists, potentially presenting a hazard. The new layout attempts to minimise the conflict between pedestrians and cyclists.

Land regulations have meant planners couldn’t cut the cycle lane through the Peckham Rye Park, it is understood. Southwark Council now has to obtain planning permission for the cycleway although this is unlikely to be a problem. That will have a separate consultation period where locals can comment on the plans.

82-year-old Millwall fan back at the Den after sixty years away

to Ted

By Herbie Russell

An ElDERlY millwall fan has watched his team play for the first time in 60 years.

Ted Heardman, 82, watched the Lions beat Plymouth Argyle 1-0 at the Den, on Saturday, May 4.

The life-long supporter, a former Millwall darts team member, was a regular visitor in the ‘60s.

He also enjoyed a VIP tour of the

ground, with staff from his Erith care home.

In his youth, Ted and his friends went to most of Millwall’s home games at The Old Den in New Cross.

Ted, who now lives at the Heathfield Court Care Home, said: “I loved this time with my mates. When I was in my late teens and throughout my 20s, we would go to the football and then head to the pub for a few beers. “We went to away matches too, and always had such

a laugh. I was also in a Millwall darts team, back in the 60s, and was awarded a tankard – which I still enjoy a pint from – when my team won the league in 1967.

“Once I got married and had children, we couldn’t afford to spend money on going to football games, so it’s been over 60 years since I was last at a match.”

Care assistant Zoe Burton, a fellow Millwall fan, was thrilled to join Ted on the tour. She said: “Chatting to the residents, hearing their stories, and finding out about their hobbies and interests is my favourite part of my job as a care assistant.

“When Ted first made Heathfield Court his home, we soon started to chat about our love of football and found that we were both Millwall fans.

“When Ted told me he had never been to The New Den, I explained to him about our ‘Wish Tree’ where we support our residents to experience something they never had the opportunity to do, or to rekindle something they love from their youth.

“Ahead of the tour, we were both very excited, and then on the day to see how happy it made Ted was just the best.

“Getting to go back to watch a match made the whole experience extra special.”

Heathfield Court is rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and was a Regional Finalist for the Putting People First Award in the Great British Care Awards 2023.

Cheers

as he visits the home of his beloved club for the fi rst time in 60 years

The new cycleway will alongside Peckham Rye Park

dulwich’s answer to the garrick club: the 250-year-old Male-only society that now allows woMen in

By Herbie Russell

THERE

WAs a sense of relief when the garrick club - a maleonly society counting aristocrats, leading lawyers and politicians among its membership - finally voted to admit female members last month.

It was a long time coming given the club was founded in 1831. But The Dulwich Club, a 251-year-old dining group, was slightly quicker off the mark. While the Dulwich Club does not count the leading actors or cabinet ministers among its membership, it has a lot in common with the Garrick. Both host parties in illustrious halls, whether it be Dulwich College or a Covent Garden palazzo, both have bizarre traditions stretching back to the age of horse and cart, and both, you could argue, exude a sense of pomp.

Yet unlike its central London equivalent, The Dulwich Club didn’t need a Guardian exposé to start admitting women. Motivated by a desire to “move with the times”, members voted to permit female membership three years ago. Katherine Opie-Smith, 59, a local dentist, was the first to join. Recounting her inaugural speech to fellow members, she says: “I tried to make it not too heavy and a bit lighthearted - slightly taking the p*ss out of

the old blokes without being rude! I told them I’d try not to get nail varnish and glitter on the agenda. I certainly didn’t say I was hoping to cause too many waves!”

The club has all the hallmarks of a hallowed past. It has an original ivory gavel, a tattered 250-year-old menu book and retains its founding entry fee of one guinea (£1.05). But for Katherine, the pull was a “nice dinner” and good company.

“The people are very nice,” she explains. “It’s about Dulwich rather than anything else. It’s local people so people who have shops or local knowledge. It’s not based on your category of income although it does tend to be educated. I’m probably the thickest person there!”

While the Garrick Club has lifted its ban on women, 40 per cent of members voted against the rule change, reportedly debating the matter for two hours. On the other hand, Dulwich Club Secretary Ian Rankine said only “one or two” members were concerned about allowing ladies into the fray. There’s also been debate about the extent to which these mini-societies are centres of power. The Dulwich Club, with its local focus, certainly isn’t some shadowy realm of authority. But with the Garrick, Travellers Club, Savile Club and Beefsteak clubs, it is hard to be sure.

Columnist Simon Jenkins, a Garrick

member himself, says its can’t be a ‘some fiendish hotbed of influence’ because the average age is 70 with many retired. But this ignores the fact that Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, Michael Gove, Kwasi Kwarteng, twelve House of Lords members and 150 KCs are among its ranks.

Katherine, reflecting on this, said: “When it’s just blokes talking things over it’s worrying… to be able to decide things behind closed doors without any women’s input. The more influential your membership is, the higher the stakes are.”

Car flips in Rotherhithe

By Herbie Russell

A cAR flipped in rotherhithe with emergency services rushing to the scene.

Paramedics and London Fire Brigade responded to the incident at the junction of Rotherhithe New Road and Hawkstone Road at 2.23pm last Friday, May 24.

London Ambulance Service dispatched ambulance crews, paramedics in response cars Hazard Area Response Team members. The incident is ongoing. A London Ambulance Service

spokesperson on the day: “We were called at 2.23pm on Friday 24 May to reports of an incident at the junction of Rotherhithe New Road and Hawkstone Road, Rotherhithe.

“We sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews and paramedics in response cars. We also dispatched members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). The incident is still ongoing and we are working with our emergency services partners.”

The Met Police and London Fire Brigade were approached for comment

Millwall military veterans to finish 44km hike with football match

By Herbie Russell millWAll miliTARY veterans

will complete a 44km nighttime hike marshalled by gurkhas to raise money for the Royal British legion.

Members of the newly-formed Millwall Military Veteran Football Club will march with football equipment slung over their backs - concluding the walk with a 5-a-side match.

Tommy’s D-Day Trek, a fundraising

challenge marking the D-Day Landing’s 80th anniversary, will go through the Kent countryside on Friday, June 7.

Joined by Millwall Community Trust Staff, trekkers set off at midnight, travelling through villages, fields and woodland.

The route concludes at the historic Chilham Castle, with weary trekkers enjoying a hard-earned kickabout at the end.

Breakfast will be included along the

route to keep participants fully fuelled mid-way through the trek.

Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) is a national charity. Since 1919 they have provided crucial accommodation, welfare, and employment support to injured veterans and people with disabilities.

To donate to the cause, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/ page/millwall-communitytrust-1715767287554

A Dulwich Club evening held at the The Reform Club in Central London

First female member Katherine Opie-Smith

Lads from the Millwall Military Veterans Football Club will embark on the trail

danson park's swan song

Council had been asked to consider reorganising an event after a swan nest appeared

By Joe Coughlan Local Democracy Reporter

BEXlEY REsiDEnTs are worried about how a funfair in a local park will affect a swans nest located less than 20 metres from the event.

Bexley Council had been asked to consider reorganising an event in Danson Park after a swan nest appeared next to the site in recent weeks.

Chris Smith, speaking on behalf of the Greenwich Wildlife Network, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the park is known for its wildlife including a variety of birds such as herons and great crested grebes, as well as butterflies and dragonflies. He said he sent several emails to Bexley Council last month when he noticed a swan nest had appeared on the bank of the park’s lake for protective fencing to be erected to keep the animals safe from dogs and people.

However, Mr Smith said earlier this week he became aware of a funfair event, called Dinosaurs in the Park, being set up beside the nest in the park. The event will run from Saturday (May 18) to June 9 and will feature a set of life-sized, moving animatronic

dinosaurs with accompanying speakers playing roaring sounds, as well as a crazy golf course.

The swan nest is approximately 18 metres away from the nearest fence line of the event, according to Bexley Council. Mr Smith said he feared the noise and footfall from the event would interfere with the swans, and stated it is an offence to disturb wild birds building a nest containing eggs or young under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Nicky Wilson, a local resident and member of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Bexley committee, told the LDRS: “The frustrating thing about it is it seems to me that they didn’t seem to consult with anyone about it. They’ve just gone ahead and done it and there didn’t need to be any of this. If they had just asked, we could have had it all sorted before they started putting the stuff up.”

Bexley Council said in a statement on May 14 that the authority and event organisers were taking all reasonable steps to protect the nesting swans, which had nested along one of the busiest pathways in the park. A council spokesperson told the LDRS that the authority has been holding daily

meetings with the event organisers to change the site layout to minimise disruption to the nest and allow the event to operate within its parameters.

The spokesperson told the LDRS: “We have made decisions with the operator on positioning, event sound levels, moving entrances, queuing systems and taken all reasonable steps to avoid disruption to the swan and would urge visitors to the park to also do the same. Interest in the swan has increased this week and we have added an additional fence line around the nest to keep people further away from the bank.”

Ms Wilson said she understands the event was planned before the swan had set up its nest in the current location, but believes the council and organisers had time to move the event site after the nest appeared. She added that she and other locals have no issue with the event itself, but that wildlife appears to be low on the council’s list of concerns when an event is being held.

The local said: “There will be other birds on the lake that are beginning their breeding season. So the proximity of the swans is an extreme concern but any noise and footfall anywhere along there is going to disturb a nesting bird.”

She added: “When you’ve got a park that size, to have the event on that side of the lake. I really can’t understand why they have done it or their reasoning behind it.”

A Dinosaurs in the Park spokesperson told the LDRS that the layout of the event site had been altered following consultation with the council and park management. They said the direction of the queue into the event and location of a dinosaur meet and greet station had been changed to direct attendees away from the nest and that fencing, netting and a storage container had been placed for further protection.

The spokesperson added that bins and waste disposal services would be in place to address concerns on increased litter near the nest. They said signage would also be present to ask visitors to be responsible and respectful of the local birds when leaving the event.

They said: “As the opening of Dinosaurs in the Park approaches, we are aware of the community’s concerns regarding the potential impact on local bird populations, particularly in relation to a swan nesting site. We wish to assure the public that the preservation of wildlife and their

natural habitats is a priority for our organisation.”

The spokesperson said that the council’s wildlife officer had visited the event site and was happy with the measures the organisers had taken and was not concerned. They added that the guidelines set by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 were being strictly adhered to ensure no nests were being disturbed during the set up and duration of the event.

They said: “Dinosaurs in the Park is a family fun event set within the beautiful Danson Park, our aim is for children and dinosaur fans of all ages to marvel at the life size collection of dinosaurs on our trail, discover and learn about dinosaurs and enjoy the natural surroundings and have fun.”

A Bexley Council spokesperson said the authority would continue to monitor the situation throughout the event and make any adjustments if required. They said dog owners are reminded to keep their dogs on leads when near the lake to protect birds during nesting season and residents were being made aware of the authority and event organiser’s measures through social media and the council website.

Nicky Wilson said she was not against the event but feared it may disturb the nesting swans

The swan nest is just off the lake in Danson Park

The two swans currently nesting in Danson Park, as seen earlier this year on the lake

© Joe Coughlan

© Nicky Wilson

© Sharon Telfer

nearly 300 new homes in 15-storey buildings could be built at battersea power station

By Charlotte Lillywhite Local Democracy Reporter

nEARlY 300 new homes in 15-storey buildings, shops and a community hub could be built at Battersea Power station in the next phase of its major regeneration.

The plans would also see the emerging town centre’s high street Electric Boulevard completed, if they are approved by Wandsworth Council.

A total of 123 new homes would be built in a new 15-storey building under the plans from Battersea Power Station Development Company, along with 175 senior living flats in another 15-storey building. The two buildings would be joined by a three-storey basement with 196 parking spaces.

A two-storey podium would also be built to provide shops, cafés and a community hub inside, along with a raised communal courtyard garden for residents on its roof. The scheme would also see surrounding pavements and public space along Electric Boulevard,

Battersea Park Road and Prospect Way completed, along with 448 new cycle spaces.

The developer set out the proposals in a detailed planning application for phase 3C of the overall development, which won outline permission in 2011.

The scheme for the 42-acre site is split into eight phases overall and aims to create a new riverside neighbourhood

in South London, with homes, shops, bars, restaurants, cafés, offices and more than 19 acres of public space. The third phase of the development was divided into four stages to accommodate the extension of the Northern Line to Battersea. Phases 3A and 3B, completed in 2022 and 2024, include new homes, shops, restaurants, offices and a hotel.

Planning documents said the application for phase 3C of the development would ‘complete the high street and transform visitor, resident and employee experience, opening up legibility and providing active travel routes’.

The documents added: “An exciting and diverse mix of commercial uses will be provided across podium level,

which will support a dynamic and vibrant town centre. A community hub will create opportunities for the local community to integrate across a range of activities. These uses will support and enhance the needs of the neighbourhood.”

Wandsworth Council will make a decision on the application in due course.

Battersea Power Station set to get step-free entrance

By Charlotte Lillywhite Local Democracy Reporter

BAtterseA Power station underground station is set to have a new step-free entrance with more escalators in spring next year.

The station opened alongside the new Nine Elms Underground station when the Northern Line was extended to Battersea in September 2021.

Although the station currently only has one entrance on Battersea Park Road, it was designed so that a second entrance could be built in the future and concrete maintenance steps were installed to support the addition of two escalators. Works to build this new entrance under an office block on Electric Boulevard are now being carried out by Transport for London (TfL) and Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC),

who have confirmed they are ‘well underway’ and due to be completed in spring next year.

The companies told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the new entrance will provide a ‘more direct link’ to the Battersea Power Station development. The ongoing development of the 42-acre site is split into eight phases and aims to create a new riverside neighbourhood in South London, with homes, shops, bars, restaurants, cafés, offices and more than 19 acres of public space.

The third phase of the development was divided into four stages to accommodate the extension of the Northern Line to Battersea. The new western entrance at Battersea Power Station Underground station is being built as part of phase 3B.

A TfL spokesperson told the LDRS: “Working in partnership with Battersea Power Station Development Company, work is well

underway on building a second stepfree entrance to the Underground station at Battersea Power Station which opened as part of the Northern Line Extension in September 2021. The new western entrance on Electric Boulevard will provide additional step-free access to the existing station and a more direct link to the Battersea Power Station development. It will include two new escalators, a new lift and is due for completion in spring 2025.”

A BPSDC spokesperson added: “The new western entrance is being built underneath the Foster + Partners designed 50 Electric Boulevard office space, which launched earlier this year, and is within phase 3B of the Battersea Power Station development. The western entrance design was approved via a separate planning application under the transport and works act order for the Northern Line extension.”

© Battersea Power Station Development CompanyGehry Partners

CGI of Battersea Power Station with phase 3C of the development completed

Battersea Power Station Tube Stop

CGI of Electric Boulevard with phase 3C of the Battersea Power Station development completed

what’s on

this play about addiction is addictive this play about addiction is addictive

Dunc A n mAcmill A n’s People, Places & Things opens in the middle of a disastrous production of The seagull that quickly turns into a claustrophobic version of Hell for actress Emma, surrounded by crazed ravers, booming baselines, strobed lighting and an audience on both sides,writes Michael Holland...

She phones for help while dropping a C-Bomb. It doesn’t come Emma is next found in rehab, hallucinating and surrounded by lots of Emmas all in Hell. She comes to realise she needs help but will not work with the system, refuses to do as she is asked, telling the doctor (Sinead Cusack), ‘I shouldn’t have to choose between abstinence or dying’. Emma seeks out a middle ground but gets lost in it.

Her tale is told through therapy sessions where Emma is urged to contribute, but even though she appears to be saying what they want to hear you are never sure if her input is true, so her fellow patients never get to see who she really is. Nor do we. Fellow patient Mark (Malachi Kirby), though, sees through her lies. He has told them himself. Gradually, we get a picture of Emma’s life, the trauma and lack of love.

Eventually we find that Emma is better role-playing as other people than being herself while still arguing that she is not the problem, ‘it’s the world that is f*cked’.

When the group began listing all their

‘triggers’ I recognised many of them myself, as, I’m sure, did others there. I could relate to Emma(Denise Gough). She was quick to tell other patients that ‘drugs and alcohol have never let me down - They make my world perfect.’

Her ethos was that ‘there is no god, no spirituality, the world’s chaos so let’s go!’ But Emma’s lack of faith held her back from talking to a ‘higher power’ in the AA Fellowship and eventually she relapses.

Act 2 sees Emma’s return to the clinic, now looking far worse - rock-bottom worse - but looking ready to find her way to recovery by participating in the group sessions.

She spoke about the acting world

where she found herself being called in to audition for ‘mother of 5’ instead of ‘young sexy girl’ - a change that took its toll on her - A reality that she struggled to accept. But still she craved that few minute of limelight in acting jobs that paid less than what she got for temping work.

During the ‘Saying Sorry’ step of the 12 Emma tried to make amends with her parents for the years of angst and pain she caused, but they were not interested. She is devastated. As are we, the audience.

People, Places & Things can be a hard watch if you are close to someone in recovery, or needing to be in recovery, but there is plenty of that dark humour that comes with addiction and being in dark situations.

Denise Gough brings back the role she first played in 2015 without losing any of that initial drive. She takes you to uncomfortable places and makes you believe many things about her life, some of which come back to catch to haunt you.

A great set (Bunny Christie), great direction(Jeremy Herrin) and a cast that create the deliciously attractive madness of addiction.

You’ll want to go and see it again and again and again.

Trafalgar Theatre, 14, Whitehall, SW1A 2DY until 10th August. Mon - Sat 7.30pm; Wed & Sat matinees 2.30pm. Admission: £20 - £150. Booking: trafalgartheatre.com

Music, l Aughter, and witty repartee, is on offer with the globe Much to do About Nothing, writes Elizabeth Carlin...

The musicians open the play, walking onto the stage and quickly joined by the company singing and dancing.

There is talk of the imminent return of soldiers from the war, chat about Benedict and Claudio causing blushes for Hero (Lydia Fleming) and witty scorn from Beatrice (Amalia Vitale). Then the triumphal entry of Don Pedro et al from the pit with noise and excitement, followed by a lull

when the villain, Don John (Robert Mountford) enters.

The awkwardness of this meeting is very effective. When the family leave to plan a party, there is lively banter among Don Pedro (Ryan Donaldson), Benedict (Ekow Quartey) and Claudio (Adam Wadsworth) about love and marriage with Don Pedro devising a plan to win Hero’s hand in the name of Claudio during the impending revels. His brother, overhearing this and declaring himself ‘a plain-dealing

villain’, plots with his henchmen Borachio (Calum Callaghan) and Conrade (Dharmesh Patel) to ruin the plan.

Benedict and Beatrice sharpen their wits at each others expense, both declaring that love and marriage the last thing on their mind, and avow a total lack of interest in the opposite sex. Benedict, a powerful presence on the stage, soliloquises on the same theme and has here - and throughout the play - very pleasing interactions with the

audience. This engagement with the crowd is amusingly developed by several characters throughout the performance.

Gloriously-costumed revels ensue, choreographed with humour and skill and accompanied by talented musicians. Don Pedro’s ploy succeeds and Hero’s hand is given to Claudio by her father, Leonates (John Lightbody).

The first act closes with Claudio all set up for his wedding, a plot developing to make Benedict fall in love with Beatrice - seemingly an impossible task, but amongst all this light-hearted preparation and anticipation the audience knows that a scheme to defame Hero has been carried out.

After the interval and a hilarious scene with Dogberry (Jonnie Broadbent) and Verges (Colm Gormley) there is a very sudden and sombre change of tone. It is hard for a modern audience to take the ease with which the suave bastard Don John can convince Claudio and Don Pedro and then, Leontes, of the previously admired Hero’s sudden fall from grace but it is a small price to pay and cannot dim the total enjoyment or take away from the excellence of the performances of the whole company.

It is hard to pick out any one actor

for particular mention but Jonnie Broadbent, John Lightbody, Ekow Quartey and Amalio Vitale produced several outstanding moments.

Set design was perfect, from the colourful musical opening of a sunlit, orange strewn and bedecked stage with blue pillars both holding balconies, which were cleverly used throughout the play.

Vivid costumes maintained the blue and orange theme and the first half is full of music, laughter, and witty repartee. The returning warriors were greeted lavishly with feasting and the daughters happily (eventually) given in marriage. The generosity of Leonates and the closeness of the soldiers, Don Pedro, Claudio and Benedict is nicely developed and the interaction between Beatrice and Benedict is beautifully handled.

Praise must go to director Sean Holmes for his skilful management of the intricate plot and the clarity of the performances. Perhaps the revels were a little too long, but weren’t they fun!

Shakespeare’s Globe, Bankside, SE1 until 24th August.

7.30pm; 2pm matinees.

Admission: £5 - £75.

Booking: www.shakespearesglobe.com

© Marc Brenner

© Marc Brenner

Heading south - our pick of upcoming Summer events

Summer sports screenings

The Old Royal Naval College grounds will be showing the best in sporting talent on a big outdoor screen this summer. Kicking off with the Euros, the big screen will then serve up Wimbledon viewings for tennis fans through July, with the Olympics being the closing ceremony. Grab some street food from Karnival Food, a drink from the alfresco bar or a cone from Hackney Gelato and enjoy. There will be seating in front of the screen for big sports fans, and smaller tables for foodies who want to make the most of the food and drink on offer.

Dates: 14 June to 12 August 2024

Tickets: Free King William Lawn, Old Royal Naval College, SE10 9NN ornc.org/whats-on/summer-bigscreen

Animal Farm

This June, Greenwich Theatre is welcoming George Orwell’s classic fable, Animal Farm, in an adaptation bristling with satire. The animals have thrown off their human oppressors, but a new political elite is rising, and wants to make Animal Farm “great again”. But at what cost? The riotous retelling of the timeless novel, featuring Creation Theatre’s rep company, is adapted by playwright and political commentator, Van Badham.

Dates: 5 to 8 June 2024, 2:30pm, 7:30pm Tickets: Standard £26, concession £21, student £16 Crooms Hill, SE10 8ES greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/ animal-farm

Father’s Day clay workshop

Get your dad involved in some freestyle clay-making this Father’s Day at House of Denna. In the workshop, you’ll have the opportunity to let your inner artist out and create a beautiful piece to take home. Using air dry clay, you can choose to make a pot, bowl, tile or plate, all with your own freestyle design. The class is designed for all skill levels, and you will be guided through various techniques and tools – from applying paint to using stamps. All materials are provided and, after the class, you and your dad can take your work home with you.

Date: Sunday 16 June 2024, 10am

Tickets: £34 House of Denna, 54 No 1 Street, Royal Arsenal, SE18 6ST www.houseofdenna.com/eventdetails/fathers-day-clay-workshop

Up in smoke

Continuing its 10thanniversary celebrations, NOW Gallery has announced its Design Commission of 2024 –“Up in Smoke” – by the designer-architect duo John Booth and Mat Barnes from CAN. The exhibition is free and opens on 21 June. Up In Smoke sees the gallery space transformed into a vibrant, colourful and interactive installation that tells the story of Greenwich Peninsula through its iconic chimneys, evoking the memories of the area’s lively past, and its transformation from a historic former marshland to the cultural hub it is today.

Dates: 21 June to 22 September 2024 Tickets: Free NOW Gallery, The Gateway Pavilions, SE10 0SQ nowgallery.co.uk/ exhibitions/up-in-smoke

Sun dyeing

Learn to print with sunlight at the Deptford Lounge this spring for a free four-week cyanotype workshop series. Cyanotype photography is a camera-less technique that involves laying an object on paper coated with a solution of iron salts before exposing it to UV light to create white and cyan-blue images. This four-week workshop series

New Lights Festival

The seventh New Lights Festival takes place in Greenwich at the Royal Naval College this June with an arrange of multi-disciplinary and improvised works. Opening with a celebration of Iranian music and poetry, the week will see works for Cello and Organ, a concerto for “Kraken Harp” at the Cutty Sark, Nancarrow-Ligeti intersections with player-piano, electroacoustic collaborations, an improvised opera “Irma” and a day devoted to popular culture and “crossover”, including Salsa, music film documentaries and a social media inspired Piano Quintet.

Dates: 17 to 21 June 2024, Tickets: Prices vary per event Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, King Charles Court, Old Royal Naval College, SE10 9JF www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/new-lights-festival-june-2024

will take you through the process of creating designs and working with found objects and photography to create cyanotype artwork.

Dates: 3 to 22 June 2024, Tickets: Free 9 Giffin Street, SE8 4RJ www.thealbany.org.uk/shows/spring-snapshots-ofdeptford-cyanotype-workshops

History 22 HISTORY

By Herbie Russell

southwArK, ANd the three parliamentary constituencies that have traditionally overlapped with it, has a reputation as a labour stronghold. But the party’s dominance is a fairly recent occurrence. over the last century, all three major parties have held seats at one time or another.

Constituency boundary changes ahead of the 2024 general election mean the borough of Southwark will have five different parliamentary constituencies falling within its borders. But for the last century, there have been three. Their names have been chopped and changed but they are now known as Peckham, Bermondsey and Old Southwark, and Dulwich and West Norwood.

Since 1900, these three constituencies have witnessed plenty of dramatic political moments. The Bermondsey by-election was among the dirtiest in British political history, numerous famous political careers began in Southwark, and one Dulwich MP would eventually be exposed as a spy.

BERMONDSEY AND OLD SOUTHWARK

The modern boundaries of Southwark’s modern constituencies were first established in 1885. Although the borders have changed several times since then, the three constituencies’ shapes were roughly approximate to what they are today.

The constituency of Bermondsey flip-flopped between the Liberal and Conservative parties between 1885 and 1918. The Liberal Party’s success reflected the working-class support for liberal policies focused on social reform and workers’ rights. But the Conservatives remained a powerful force nationally and locally.

The constituency briefly split between Bermondsey West and Rotherhithe for the 1918 election before rejoining in 1950. After 1924, the area, with its strong working-class demographic, would stay red for an astonishing 73 years.

The pre-war period saw the emergence

of one of Bermondsey’s most famous politicians. Elected MP for Bermondsey West in 1922, Alfred Salter, along with his wife Ada, significantly improved Bermondsey in the early twentieth century. As a dedicated doctor, he provided affordable healthcare and championed public health reforms, addressing diseases like tuberculosis and diphtheria.

Rotherhithe, like Peckham, briefly went Conservative in 1931 when Norah Runge was elected. This was amid the crisis of The Great Depression, which saw the Labour Party collapse due to internal divisions over economic policy.

In 1946, Labour MP Bob Mellish was elected in Rotherhithe and would go

southwark: not always a labour stronghold

A century of political shifts

on to serve as MP for the reconstituted Bermondsey constituency until 1982. Born in Deptford, the son of a docker, he was a local man, charged with representing an area struggling with the decline of its key industry - the docks. He had a hard man reputation, with his tough attitude seeing him appointed Chief Whip on two occasions.

1983 saw the Bermondsey by-election, now known as the ‘Battle for Bermondsey’. The election descended into a political punch-up with real blood being spilt - that of vilified Labour candidate, left-winger Peter Tatchell.

Bob Mellish resigning due to disillusionment with the party’s leftward shift under Michael Foot. Peter Tatchell, representing the newly-emerged leftist faction, faced opposition from Labour traditionalists. Simon Hughes, representing the Liberal-SDP alliance, and Robert Hughes of the Tories, entered the fray. Tatchell’s campaign, advocating for progressive policies, faced fierce opposition, including homophobic attacks and physical violence.

In one of the great electoral shocks of modern British politics, the Labour stronghold fell to the Liberal-SDP alliance. Locals were not sure it would last but Sir Simon Hughes established himself as a highly capable politician, ensuring he remained in post until the election of former Newington ward Labour councillor

Neil Coyle in 2015.

Many say Labour’s return to power in Bermondsey and Old Southwark showed how local demographics were changing. Whereas past voters were aware of Simon Hughes’ work in the area, the population had become more transient. A large student community had built up and rising house prices were pushing out longestablished families. As a result, people were more likely to vote on national lines and, after the Lib Dems’ disastrous stint in government as part of the coalition, Labour became the obvious choice for many.

CAMBERWELL AND PECKHAM

From 1885 to 1908, Peckham consistently voted for Conservative candidates. Back then, it was a rich, semi-rural suburb, often inhabited by rich factory owners who hoped that voting Tory would secure their commercial interests.

But in the following decades, the area’s demographic makeup changed dramatically. More and more people living in Peckham were being employed in local manufacturing and retail industries. Unsurprisingly, these new working-class residents were more likely to vote Labour.

The arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush in 1948 marked the beginning of a significant wave of Caribbean immigration to the UK. Many settled in south London, including Brixton and Peckham. These were also working-class people so Labour’s hold on the area only strengthened.

A significant milestone in Peckham’s political history was the election of Harriet Harman as the Labour MP for Peckham in 1982. Harriet Harman entered Parliament in a 1982 by-election for the Peckham constituency, succeeding Harry Lamborn after his death. Her election came at a time of significant political and economic turmoil in the UK, with the Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher implementing policies that deeply affected working-class communities like Peckham. She became a prominent figure in British politics, known for her advocacy of women’s rights, social justice, and community issues. Her long tenure and active engagement with local concerns helped maintain and strengthen Labour’s support in the area. Harman’s work in the constituency and her high-profile roles in the Labour Party, including serving as Deputy Leader, brought national attention to Peckham. In 1997, the Camberwell and Peckham constituency was established. However, the safety of the seat has led to accusations of Labour complacency in the area. In particular, Harman has been accused of not being visible enough in the area she represented. In 2008, she made national headlines when she was spotted wearing a stab-proof jacket during a police walkabout in the area.

Defending herself, she denied she felt unsafe in her own area, explaining: “It was

just a courtesy, there was no security issue whatsoever, it was almost like wearing the kit when you go out with the team.”

In 2022, Southwark News reported that Harriet Harman did not have a permanent constituency office where local residents could come to meet her and share their concerns and thoughts. Following her announcement in 2021, that she would stand down at the next election, many of the candidates vying to replace her pledged to establish constituency offices.

Nonetheless, Harman is widely respected in the Commons and has earned the Mother of the House title as she is the longest continually running MP. The south London MP said she made it her mission to elevate more women to positions of power in Parliament and within her party with initiatives such as all-women shortlists. The initiative helped to raise the proportion of female MPs within the party to 45 per cent, according to the Labour Women’s Network.

In November 2022, Miatta Fahnbulleh was named as the Labour candidate taking over from Harriet Harman. Already working behind the scenes as an advisor to the shadow treasury, she has been tipped as one-to-watch if Labour wins the general election.

DULWICH AND WEST NORWOOD

Today, Dulwich and West Norwood is represented by Labour MP Helen Hayes. But, sitting at Southwark’s extreme south, the area is among the borough’s wealthiest, except arguably the neighbourhoods around London Bridge and West Bermondsey.

The constituency’s unique feel has translated to politics, with Dulwich’s electoral history diverging significantly from that of Bermondsey and Old Southwark and Peckham. When it was created in 1885, Dulwich was essentially a suburban constituency. Between 1885 and 1935, constituents voted Conservative in all nineteen elections. In 1892 a Liberal candidate estimated Dulwich had around 4,000 working-class voters out of 10,500 and observed that although it had a reputation as a ‘villa constituency’ there were many voters living in less impressive houses

Among the Tory MPs from 1885 and 1935 were Sir Frederick Hall, a key recruiter during Lord Kitchener’s famous call to arms at the outbreak of World War I. Bonar Law, elected as MP for Dulwich in 1906, would become Prime Minister in 1922.

As was the case for the entire UK, the 1945 election was a watershed moment for Dulwich. Riding a groundswell of postwar support, Labour candidate Wilfrid Vernon turned Dulwich red - for the first time in its history. His victory was by the narrowest of margins - gaining 10,266 votes to the Conservatives’ 10,055.

His maiden speech was among the most bizarre in Hansard’s records. Speaking on November 25, 1945, he advocated for retraining bombers to join a world police force, suggested moving heavy industry underground to be safer from attack, and suggested moving the House of Commons to “Northern Rhodesia or Tanganyika, or Arctic Canada”.

In February 1952, he was interrogated by MI5 officer Jim Skardon and admitted having been part of a pre-war Soviet espionage ring. Fortunately for Vernon, he was not exposed at the time. But he did lose his seat to the Conservatives in 1951, once again by a tight margin of 691 votes. Between 1945 and 1992, Dulwich remained a marginal seat. Labour MP Samuel Stilkin was in post between 1964 and 1983, when it changed hands to Conservative MP Geral Bowden. But the election of the famous Tessa Jowell in 1992 marked a new era of relative Labour stability, although nobody knew it then. In 1997, Dulwich became subsumed by the new Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.

As MP, Jowell championed numerous local initiatives aimed at improving public services and quality of life for her constituents. She was instrumental in securing funding for local schools, enhancing educational opportunities, and supporting youth programs. Her efforts in healthcare were notable, particularly her advocacy for mental health services, reflecting her commitment to vulnerable populations. The Tessa Jowell Health Centre is named after her.

Nationally, Tessa Jowell is best remembered for her role as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, where she was a driving force behind London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

Helen Hayes MP was elected in 2015. Following the EU referendum, floundering Tory support suffered a significant hit. Dulwich and West Norwood voted to remain in the European Union by an estimated 78%. This was the third-highest result in the UK, behind Gibraltar and the neighbouring constituency of Vauxhall. The Conservatives have struggled to regain support in an area where many feel betrayed. In 2019, Green candidate Jonathan Bartley beat the Conservative Jane Lyons to second place by 51 votes.

Alfred Salter

Bob Mellish

Simon Hughes

Harriet Harman

PUBLIC NOTICE

London Borough of Lambeth

NOTICE OF DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR SELECTIVE LICENSING

Section 80, Housing Act 2004

1. The London Borough of Lambeth (“The Council”) in exercise of its powers under section 80 of the Housing Act 2004 ("the Act") hereby designates for selective licensing the areas described in paragraph 5 CITATION, COMMENCEMENT AND DURATION

2. This Designation shall be known as the “London Borough of Lambeth Designations 1 of an Area for Selective Licensing 2024”. All privately rented residential accommodation situated within the designated areas must be licensed with the Council unless subject to statutory exemption as set out in paragraph 6.

3. The Designation is made on 22nd May 2024. The Designation fall within a description of designations for which confirmation is not required by Secretary of State, and come into force on 2nd September 2024

4. The Designation shall cease to have effect on 1st September 2029 (not more than 5 years) or earlier if the Council revokes the scheme under section 84 of the Act. AREA TO WHICH THE DESIGNATION APPLIES

5. This designation shall apply to the following areas of the London Borough of Lambeth. The Designation covers the area coloured green on the map in annex A below. The following wards are included: • Knights Hill • Streatham

APPLICATION OF THE DESIGNATION

6.

the

is a

in

[HMO] that falls within the nationally prescribed category of HMO that is required to be licensed as a ‘mandatory HMO’ under section 55(2)(a) Part 2 of the Act2; b. the house is a house in multiple occupation that falls within the prescribed category of HMO that is required to be licensed under the London Borough of Lambeth Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses of Multiple Occupation made on 9th December 2023 under Section 56 of the Housing Act 20043; c. the tenancy or licence of the house has been granted by a registered social landlord4;

d. the house is subject to an Interim or Final Management Order under Part 4 of the Act; e. the house is subject to a temporary exemption under section 86 of the Act; or f. the house is occupied under a tenancy or licence which is exempt under the Act or the occupation is of a building or part of a building so exempt as defined in Paragraph 5(f): Exempted tenancies or licences, Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006 SI 370/2006. EFFECT OF THE DESIGNATION

7. Subject to sub paragraphs 6(a) to (f) every house in the area specified in paragraph 5 that is occupied under a tenancy or licence shall be required to be licensed under section 85 of the Act.6

8. The London Borough of Lambeth will comply with the notification requirements contained in section 83 of the Act and shall maintain a register of all houses registered under this designation, as required under section 232 of the Act.5

If you are a landlord, managing agent or a tenant, or if you require information regarding this designation, or to apply for a licence, further information and assistance is available from the Council’s Private Rented Property Licensing Team by telephone on 020 7926 8591 or by email to PRSlicensing@lambeth.gov.uk, or by writing to Private Sector Enforcement and Regulation Service, PO Box 80771, London, SW2 9QQ

The Designation may be inspected at the above address during office hours. All landlords, managing agents or tenants within the designated area should obtain advice to ascertain whether their property is affected by the Designation by contacting the Council’s Private Rented Property Licensing Team.

Upon the Designation coming into force any person having control of or who manages a licensable property without a licence or allows a licensed property to be occupied by more households or persons other than as authorised by a licence, is liable to prosecution and upon summary conviction is liable to an unlimited fine pursuant to the provisions of section 95 of the Housing Act 2004. A person who breaches a condition of a licence is liable upon summary conviction to an unlimited fine. The Council, as an alternative to initiating a prosecution, may pursue one or more of a range of other enforcement actions including the imposition of a financial penalty of up to £30,000 and/or taking management control of the unlicensed property. Further, where an offence has been committed an application may also be made by the Council and/or tenant under the provisions of section 96 and 97 of the Housing Act 2004 for a Rent Repayment Order to pay back up to 12 months’ rent, Housing Benefit or

Signed: Venetia Reid-Baptiste, Corporate Director, Resident and Enabling Services on behalf of London Borough of Lambeth on 22nd May 2024

1 For the definition of "house" see sections 79 and 99 of the Act

2 Section 55 of the Act defines which Houses in Multiple Occupation are required to be licensed under the Act. See also The Lic ensing of Houses.in

To

Transport for London Public Notice

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

THE GLA ROADS AND GLA SIDE ROADS (LAMBETH) RED ROUTE (BRIXTON ACADEMY) EVENT DAY TRAFFIC ORDER 2024

1. Transport for London having consulted with the London Borough of Lambeth, hereby gives notice that it intends to make the above named Order under section 6 of the Road Trafc Regulation Act 1984.

2. The general nature and effect of the Order on events days will be to:

(1) Prohibit stopping in The Loading, Unloading and Disabled Persons' Vehicles bays outside Nos.209 and 221 Stockwell Road between 7am to 11:59 pm on Any Day;

(2) Prohibit stopping in The Loading, Unloading and Disabled Persons' Vehicles Bay on Stockwell Park Road between 7am to 11:59 pm on Any Day ;

(3) Prohibit stopping on the single red line on Stockwell Park Road (No Stopping Mon-Sat 7am-7pm) between 7am to 11:59 pm on Any Day ;

(4) Prohibit any vehicle to enter Astoria Walk at its junction with Stockwell Park Road. Residential access will be maintained;

(5) Suspend the one-way operation on Astoria Walk, permitting two-way operation.

3. The roads which would be affected by the Order are the A203 Stockwell Road and Stockwell Park Road in the London Borough of Lambeth.

space, off-street parking and bicycle and refuse storage, following demolition of 10 existing garages on land adjacent to West View. (REASON: REVISED DRAWINGS RECEIVED.) 24/00714/FUL

5-6 Cardigan Street London SE11 5PE Replacement of all windows

please

Deadline

4. A copy of the Order, a statement of Transport for London’s reasons for the proposals, a map indicating the location and effect of the Order and copies of any Order revoked, suspended or varied by the Order can be inspected by visiting our website at https://haveyoursay.t.gov.uk/tro and selecting the relevant borough and reference the Trafc Order relates to or by appointment during normal ofce hours at our ofce at the address below. To arrange an appointment please email trafcordersection@t,gov.uk. Copies of the documents may be requested via email at trafcordersection@t,gov.uk, or by post at the following address quoting reference NMR/REGULATION/STOT/SW/TRO, GLA/2024/0121.

•Transport for London Streets Trafc Order Team (NMR/REGULATION/STOT) Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road London, SE1 8NJ

5. All objections and other representations to the proposed Order must be made in writing and must specify the grounds on which they are made. Objections and representations must be sent to Transport for London, Streets Trafc Order Team, Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ or by emailing trafcordersection@t.gov.uk quoting reference NMR/REGULATION/STOT/SW/TRO, GLA/2024/0121, to arrive before 21st June 2024.Please note due to hybrid working access to post is restricted and requests for documents and conrmation of your objections or representations may be delayed. Objections and other representations may be communicated to other persons who may be affected.

Dated this 31st day of May 2024

Gerard O’Toole Network Regulation Manager Transport for London

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14

TEMPORARY LANE CLOSURE AND ONE-WAY TRAFFIC SYSTEM THORNE ROAD

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable telecommunication maintenance and repair works to be carried out, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth, subject to the agreement of Transport for London intend to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily:a) ban vehicles from entering or waiting (including waiting for the purpose of loading or unloading a vehicle) in that length of the eastbound carriageway of Thorne Road (towards South Lambeth Road) which lies between Guildford Road and South Lambeth Road; and b) impose a one-way traffic system for vehicles in that length of Thorne Road which lies between Guildford Road and South Lambeth Road in a westward direction (towards Guildford Road).

2. An alternative route would be available for vehicles affected by the ban described in paragraph 1(a) above, via Guildford Road, Lansdowne Way and South Lambeth Road.

3. The ban and one-way system described above would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

4. The Order would come into force on 17th June 2024 and would continue for a maximum duration of 1 month or until the works have been completed, whichever is the sooner. In practice it is anticipated that the closure and one-way traffic system would only have effect between 17th and 19th June 2024, but if the works cannot be carried out or completed during this time then the Order may also have effect on subsequent days within the maximum duration of 1 month.

Dated 31st May 2024 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager

roof terrace for the commercial premises and

Retrospective) 24/01404/FUL

10 - 11 Bishop's Terrace London SE11 4UE The removal of partitions, the removal of non-original stairs, the reinstatement of the lightwell and new lightwell with cast iron above to the rear, introduction of secondary windows, plus other alterations, and the addition of roof insulation to nos. 10 and 11 Bishop's Terrace.

(Please note: The reference number for this Listed Building Consent application is 24/01009/LB, but there is also an associated application for Full Planning Permission related to these works with reference number: 24/01008/FUL) 24/01009/LB

Dated this Friday 31st May 2024

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (PARK STREET)

(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF VEHICLES, TEMPORARY DIRECTIONAL CLOSURE)

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that to enable utility and resurfacing works to be carried out by Kier Construction Ltd or it’s appointed contractor, the Council of the London Borough of Southwark has made an order the effect of which would be to temporarily restrict vehicles from entering a section of Park Street.

2.This order will (a) Prohibit vehicles from entering, proceeding, stopping, waiting and loading in a section of carriageway on Park Street between New Globe Walk and Bear Gardens. (b) Ban vehicles from making a right turn out of Bear Gardens and Rose Alley on to Park Street ( c) Close the westbound carriageway lane on Park Street between Rose Alley and Emerson Street.

3.The alternative route for affected traffic will be (a,b&c) Redcross Way, Southwark Street, Thrale Street, Southwark Bridge Road, Sumner Street, Emerson Street.

4.Access to and from New Globe Walk and from Emerson Street onto Park Street will be maintained.

5.The Order will be in force (a) 11th of June to the 14th of June 2024 (b&c) 14th of June to the 21st of June 2024.

6.The restrictions will not apply to any vehicle being used in connection with the said works, or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes or anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform.

7.Further information may be obtained by contacting Road Network Management at ttmo@southwark.gov.uk

Dated this 30th of May 2024

Ian Law Traffic Manager London Borough of Southwark Network Management Traded Services Environment and Leisure 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529

London SE1 5LX Ref: 6920

1.The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that it has made the above named Traffic Order under section 29 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose specified in paragraph 2. The effect of the Order is summarised in paragraph 3.

2.The purpose of the Order is to facilitate a street party/big lunch, as indicated in the schedule to this notice.

3.The effect of the Order is to prohibit any vehicle or cyclist from:-

(a) entering or proceeding in the length of street specified in the schedule to this notice on the date and between the hours specified in that schedule;.

(b) waiting (including waiting for the purpose of delivering or collecting goods or loading or unloading a vehicle) in the length of street specified in the schedule to this notice.

4. The prohibitions will not apply in respect of:

(a) any vehicle being used for the purposes of that event or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes;

(b) anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or a person authorised by the Council of the London Borough of Southwark.

5.The alternative route will be adjacent roads as

For information regarding this notice, please contact Network & Parking at ttmo@southwark.gov.uk

Dated this 30th May 2024

Ian Law, Traffic Manager, London Borough of Southwark, Network Management, Environment & Growth, 160 Tooley Street, PO Box 64529 London SE1 5LX

Ref: streetpartys/playstreetsJune24

Schedule

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (UNION STREET, GREAT SUFFOLK STREET, GILKES PLACE, CULMORE ROAD (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC)

1.The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that to enable various works to be carried out, it made, an order, the effect of which will be to prohibit vehicular traffic from entering part of the above named roads.

2.Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time in:

(a) Union Street, cycle lane between Southwark Bridge Road and No’s 74 (b) Great Suffolk Street at it’s junction with Union Street (c) Gilkes Place, between Gilkes Crescent to the side of No’s 25 Dulwich Village (d) Culmore Road, between Blanch Close to it’s blocked end

3.The alternative routes for affected traffic for will be as indicated by the signs displayed

4.Exemptions will be provided in the Order to permit reasonable access to premises, so far as it is practical without interference with the execution of the said works.

5.The restrictions will not apply to any vehicle being used in connection with the said works, or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes or anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform.

6.The works will be in operation for (2a) 7th – 27th June (2b) 10th – 23rd June (2c) 10th June –5th July (2d) 10th June – 27th September

7.Further information may be obtained by contacting Road Network Management at ttmo@southwark.gov.uk

Dated this 30th May 2024

Ian Law

Traffic Manager

London Borough of Southwark Network Management Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529

London SE1 5LX

Ref: (2a) UKP12223-1 (2b) MCW-00001979 (2c) 3001755 (2d) 65003896

PUBLIC NOTICE: ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 16A THE (RESTRICTION OF TRAFFIC) SPECIAL EVENTS ORDER 2024

1.The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that it has made the above named Traffic Order under section 16a of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose specified in paragraph 2. The effect of the Order is summarised in paragraph 3.

2.The purpose of the Order is to facilitate a special community event, as indicated in the schedule to this notice.

3.The effect of the Order is to prohibit any vehicle or cyclist from:(a) entering or proceeding in the length of street specified in the schedule to this notice on the date and between the hours specified in that schedule;. (b) waiting (including waiting for the purpose of delivering or collecting goods or loading or unloading a vehicle) in the length of street specified in the schedule to this notice.

4. The prohibitions will not apply in respect of:

(a) any vehicle being used for the purposes of that event or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes;

(b) anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or a person authorised by the Council of the London Borough of Southwark.

5.The alternative route will be adjacent roads as applicable. For information regarding this notice, please contact Network & Parking at ttmo@southwark.gov.uk

Dated this 30th May 2024

Ian Law, Traffic Manager, London Borough of Southwark, Network Management, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street, PO Box 64529

London SE1 5LX

Ref: LBSBOST2024

Schedule

By ECB Reporters’ Network

suRREY FEll to their biggestever innings defeat as Hampshire spinners Felix organ and liam Dawson bowled the hosts to their biggest-ever county championship victory to beat the back-to-back champions inside three days at southampton last weekend.

Off-spinner Organ claimed his third career five-for, while England all-rounder Dawson took 4-45 as Hampshire bowled out Surrey second time around for 203 to win by an innings and 278 runs.

Surrey have only ever had two heavier defeats in first-class cricketfirst in 1866 against England, a match in which WG Grace scored a double century, then in 1948 against Don Bradman’s touring Australians - both by an innings and 296 runs.

Hampshire’s first home win of 2024, which opens up the Division One title race as they move to within 30 points of the leaders, was only Surrey’s fourth defeat since the start of 2022. And two of those came after they had already won the title.

The hosts finally declared 481 runs ahead on 608-6, their thirdhighest Championship score at the ground. that was after Ben Brown, 99 overnight, carted the first ball of the day to the boundary to reach his 24th first-class hundred on his way to a career-best 165 not out.

Surrey were given a minimum of 172 overs to avoid an innings defeat but, after getting to the seventeenth over unscathed, wickets fell regularly.

Rory Burns edged left-armer Keith Barker to first slip then Dom Sibley finally fell for 20 off 86 balls when an inside edge onto his pad ballooned to silly mid-off.

Organ produced a wicked off-spinner to pin back Ollie Pope’s middle stump before Jamie Smith became his next victim as a change-up delivery slid into middle and off.

Dan Lawrence took a different approach, hitting nine fours to reach 42 before he chopped Organ onto his stumps.

Having spent the best part of two days laying on the physio’s table with back spasms, England wicket-keeper Ben Foakes then came in to face 107 balls for his unbeaten 19.

But wickets continued to clatter, as Dawson now took the limelight. He had Cam Steel brilliantly caught at first slip by Vince after a deflection off Ben Brown’s gloves before Jordan Clark was yorked.

Organ got his five-for when Sean Abbott chipped to mid on, before Dawson closed out Hampshire’s second straight win in a row by bowling Gus Atkinson around his legs and eventually bagging Dan Worrall off a skier for 48 - Surrey’s highest score of the match.

surrey’s record deFeat

Hampshire claim their biggest-ever County Championship win

Surrey head coach Gareth Batty said it wasn’t all “doom and gloom” as he reflected on the defeat.

“Apart from winning the toss everywhere [could be improved]. It was a pretty good wicket all game and getting as little runs as we did in the game is the issue,” Batty said.

“Hampshire will probably be talking about playing their perfect game. They scored 600 runs and bowled us out for less than 203 twice. They have gone about their business very well.

“It isn’t all doom and gloom for our Championship campaign, we have really been quite excellent in six games but unfortunately this one went really quite badly.

“We need to learn from that and the Blast is a new start for everybody. Our whole focus now goes to T20 cricket.

SE Stars: Did not bat Western Storm: 38-3 Match abandoned - both sides take two points

SE Stars won the toss and elected to field

By Jon Batham

“I hope this is a one-off – I would be very disappointed if it is not. I have huge belief in the whole group of players, I wouldn’t change our squad for anything, but we all have to understand that we weren’t as good as we can be in this game and we need to be better next time out.

“We are top of the Championship having played six pretty good games and would have won more than four games had weather not come into it.

“We need to address that we could have been better in periods and it is our job as staff to be as good as we can be. We can’t sweep things under the carpet and worry about it next time, we need to get on the front foot and see if we can do better – which I absolutely know we can as most games I see these guys doing exceptional things.”

south East stars and Western storm in their Bank Holiday monday clash at Beckenham.

Only six overs were possible in which time the visitors reached 38-3 before the heavens opened, drenching the outfield and leaving pools of water on the bowlers’ run-ups.

Umpires James Treadwell and Fiona Richards gave the ground every chance to recover, calling for a 4:45pm inspection, but a further shower left them no alternative but to abandon the game. Both

Hampshire wicket-keeper batter Brown added: “It has been a pretty special weeks, it is one of those weeks where the majority of things we did went our way and to some extent, we played the perfect game.

“That doesn’t happen often in this game, especially against a side as good as Surrey. It has been an amazing week to be a part of and everyone is so happy, and so many people contributed to it.

“We’ve really struggled at the Oval but we feel like they’ve not done as well against us here, so we did come into the week confident – but we didn’t expect a game against Surrey to go all our own way, which this pretty much did.

“It was good to bat out there, albeit under not a great deal of pressure as the likes of Gubbo and Toby set it up.

sides took two points meaning Stars are still unbeaten while Storm are yet to win in the campaign.

In the little play before the rain there was a lovely moment for Tilly CorteenColeman and a dazzling piece of fielding from Stars’ all-rounder Paige Scholfield. England under-19 slow left-arm spinner Corteen-Coleman, currently on a pay as you play contract with Stars gave the hosts the perfect start, bowling Alex Griffiths with the first ball of the game. Shortly afterwards, Tash Farrant

Me and Daws were just able to play our shots, get the run-rate up and have good fun.

“Shout out to Felix for the way he bowled. Barks gave him some rough but it isn’t as easy as it looks for a young offie to put so many balls in good areas. He was our many hope and he handled the pressure brilliantly.

“We look at the fixtures and we knew the first seven games were tough on paper. We didn’t get off to the start we want but with the two wins in a row we would probably have taken this start to the season. The fixture list looks kinder to us in the second half of the season.”

Surrey start their Vitality Blast campaign against Hampshire Hawks in Southampton this Friday (May 30) at 7pm.

removed Emma Corney, the batter’s attempted pull shot coming off the toe end of the bat for Phoebe Franklin to take a good catch falling forward at mid-wicket. Then just before the rain arrived, Niamh Holland, who’d struck some fine boundaries square of the wicket chanced her arm on a short single to Scholfield and paid the price, the South African pulling off a direct hit despite only having one stump to aim at.

Stars are away to Northern Diamonds this Friday (May 31).

Surrey’s Rory Burns

Enzo can be Chelsea ‘solution’

By John Kelly

QuEEns PARK Rangers

goalkeeper Asmir Begovic believes Enzo Fernandez could provide the midfield “solution” for Enzo maresca, who was set to be appointed chelsea manager this week.

The Blues were in advanced talks with Leicester City manager Maresca, 44, earlier this week as they prioritised a quick summer move for Mauricio Pochettino’s replacement.

Former Manchester City coach Maresca guided the Foxes to the Championship title in his first season in charge.

Leicester played a slick, passing style of football with former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks key in a role just in front of the defence.

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Begovic believes Mareca has two players who could fill that position.

“I think the most important player, if you look at the Leicester side, was Harry Winks. He was that midfielder who kept everything flowing like a pivot man and connected the backline to the forwards,” Begovic said.

“I guess we are talking about Fernandez or [Moses] Caicedo. Who’s going to be that pivot player? Who’s going to be that guy who is really going to get on the ball a lot and force some of those passes?

“He really likes that No.6 who’s really important to balance things out. He expects a lot of them. I think that pivot player, whoever he decides he wants that to be, is going to be massively important.

“I would imagine Fernandez would be that logical solution for that position.”

FaMily wants 'Justice' For Joe

Former Wimbledon boss’s daughter recalls decline

By John Kelly

ForMer wiMBledoN manager Joe Kinnear’s family want to get “justice for players” as his daughter described the “heart-breaking” decline of her father, who died in April at the age of 77.

The family are among a number of claimants taking legal action against football’s governing bodies as they say that they failed to protect players from brain injury allegedly suffered from heading the ball.

Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Kinnear was diagnosed with dementia in 2015.

Kinnear’s daughter Russ Doffman believes that “loads of headers with a very heavy leather ball” in training and games “caused damage to his brain over the years”. She told BBC Sport the claimants wanted “justice for players, and to try to get some help for [ex-players] still around.

“If it helps others then we’re all for it, and if we have to go through court we will because it’s so important.”

Doffman recalled watching her father “fade away”.

“We noticed his moods were changing,” she said. “During my teenage years he was such great fun, very outgoing and positive, but then he started getting verbally aggressive. His whole personality changed and he went very quiet.

“He had it for eleven years. Watching him fade away was awful.

“My mum’s okay, she’s a tough cookie. We miss him. There’s now a massive hole in our lives, but we’re happy he’s now at peace because it was a long, horrible journey.”

Earlier this month, the Football Association introduced a new rule to phase out deliberate heading in grassroots youth football games in England. It applies to under-11 games and below in all leagues, including club and school games.

"I've got two sons and I used to go to their

Fulham fans spy Sess hint

By John Kelly

ryAN sessegNoN set Fulham tongues wagging after liking an old photo of himself in the cottagers' dressing roomwith some supporters urging him to re-join the club.

Sessegnon, 24, is available on a free transfer this summer after leaving Tottenham Hotspur.

Left-sided defender or attacker

Sessegnon left Fulham for Spurs in a £25million deal in August 2019 but his time in north London was hampered by injuries.

Sessegnon started just 26 Premier League games, making 57 appearances in total in all competitions and scoring three goals.

He spent the Covid season of

2020-21 on loan in Germany with Hoffenheim, for whom he played 29 times and scored twice.

Sessegnon has 'liked' only five posts this year on his X account, the last three of them Fulhamrelated.

And it seems plenty of Cottagers fans would have him back this summer as part of Marco Silva's squad.

football training and they were told to put their whole weight into heading," Doffman said. "This is what concerns us now going forwards.

"Both are still playing and I've said, 'for goodness sake, don’t head the ball so much'. But that's why it's so key people are educated in what it does."

The family had to apply for financial assistance from a support fund to help with the cost of Kinnear’s care. In September 2023, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), supported by the Premier League, announced the creation of a new fund. An initial £1million was made available “to provide discretionary financial support to former players and their families to help improve their quality of life”.

Richard Masters, chief executive of the Premier League, said: “The welfare and care of players has always been a priority for the Premier League, and we feel it is important to offer our support to this

newly established brain health fund.

“The fund builds on our long-standing partnership with the PFA and strengthens our collective support for former players facing health challenges.”

”We didn't like to ask for anything, but it gets to a point where sometimes you need a bit of help. I wish I hadn't bothered. I wish I hadn't lowered myself,” Doffman said.

"When Dad became ill, it was like, 'you're done'. We received very little in support. A lot of the families feel they've been totally neglected in their time of need.

"His generation have really been let down and left behind. So many are struggling financially. Salaries were so low. It's hard enough, the most stressful time, and then to worry when the invoice comes in from the care home. This is a multi-billion pound industry. It seems so cruel and unfair just to leave people to it.

"Even if they felt [heading and brain injuries] wasn't linked, they have a duty of care.”

Joe Kinnear in charge of the Dons

© Action Plus

Former Fulham star Ryan Sessegnon

By Kiro Evans

nEil HARRis is optimistic over England’s chances this summer – but had reservations over one part of the team.

The Three Lions are one of 24 countries who will be gunning for glory at the European Championships in Germany as they look to build on the progress they have made at major tournaments over the last six years.

Gareth Southgate named a provisional 33-man squad for the Euros last week, firing the starting pistol for weeks of build-up and anticipation before England’s opening game against Serbia.

And Millwall boss Harris believes England have a chance of making real progress but had concerns over the defence.

He told our paper: “As a massive England fan, I’m always optimistic. I always hope for a final appearance.

“We’ve done brilliantly under Gareth Southgate. What’s missing is that success that we all crave. We’ve got a very talented group of players. My gut feeling is that we’ll do really well and probably just fall short because I’m not sure we have the defensive capability to be able to keep a clean sheet when absolutely needed in a tight game.

“I think we’ll certainly get to the last four.”

Text message explains Crystal Palace stance Harris’

By John Kelly

JohN teXtor has explained why he wants to sell his stake in crystal Palace despite “things getting so good” for the club.

Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings has engaged Raine Group to find buyers for its 45 per cent stake in Palace.

Textor said that Palace had a “steady hand” at the helm and therefore “integrated sporting model” Eagle was not “a perfect fit”.

Textor initially bought a 40 per cent stake in the club for £87.5million in 2021 before increasing it to 45 per cent two years later.

Two other American investors, Josh

By Kiro Evans

dAvid liverMore said Roy Keane was left without a “bead of sweat” in manchester united’s 3-0 win over millwall in the 2004 FA cup Final.

The 20th anniversary of the game was last week with Livermore, who made 302 appearances for the Lions, sat in midfield that day alongside player-manager Dennis Wise.

The Lions had pulled off a surprise by getting to the final at all and headed to Cardiff looking to engineer one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history.

After they initially managed to frustrate Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, Cristiano Ronaldo

broke the deadlock just before half-time before two goals by Ruud van Nistelrooy in the second half killed the game.

Livermore, who returned to his post as assistant manager to Neil Harris in February, admits that the gulf in quality was too much to handle.

He told the Wall Talk podcast: “The semi-final was our final. We went to the Millennium Stadium wanting to win, of course we did, but we knew on the dayat the back of your head, you don’t want to admit it - but you know you’re going to have your best game ever and they’re going to have to have their worst game ever.”

Asked if United had to get out of second

sweat it

Harris and David Blitzer each have a ten per cent stake, along with chairman Steve Parish.

Textor owns majority stakes in France’s Lyon, Belgium’s R.W.D. Molenbeek and Brazil club Botafogo.

“I am extremely proud of our contribution to Crystal Palace, and am overjoyed with the improved form and heightened ambitions of the club. As a lover of pure football, at the academy level, I am also delighted to have been able to support Steve Parish’s vision for the completion of the Palace academy,” Textor said in a message to Palace fans.

“The academy is so important to the future of South London and to the club.

I am also proud to have supported the

multi-year transformation of the squad, invited by Dougie and Steve to share ideas as this current squad was built, player by player.

“Finally, in this last year, I was pleased to see total unity in ownership as we transitioned in coaching leadership that brought a new style of play that fits perfectly with the power and pace that we are known for at Palace.

“So, why would we sell, just when things are getting so good? Well, Eagle Football is known to employ a highly integrated sporting model across its football clubs, with an unprecedented amount of scouting collaboration and player movement within the family of clubs.

“Our model of collaboration has led

‘second gear’ for 20024 cup final, says Livermore don’t

Roy Keane and Man United in

gear, Livermore said: “In my opinion, no. Roy Keane didn’t have a bead of sweat on him.

“You can feel the levels. We’re sort of hanging on and they’re in second gear. We were unfortunate as we went there and only had one centre forward at the time after big Danny Dichio got sent off in the build-up to the final.

“So we had to go one up top with the gaffer [Harris] leading the line. I think it was 44 minutes [before they scored]... we started to frustrate them. You could sense they were getting frustrated. If we could have made it to half-time at 0-0 who knows. But then a young Cristiano Ronaldo scored before half-time.

“He was so good, it was a joke. He was eighteen at the time and he was half the player he ended up being and was levels and levels above everyone else on the pitch.”

The day wasn’t all bad for Livermore though as he managed to fend off teammate Paul Ifill in the fight for Keane’s shirt after the game.

He added: “I’ve got his shirt at home. Me and Paul Ifill both went up to Roy Keane after the game and asked for his shirt and he promised it to both of us.

“I ended up getting it, and I got Nicky Butt’s. The good thing was that I flipped a coin for it and I won so it’s got a place at home.”

to considerable turn-around success at Olympique Lyonnais in France, where we quickly have returned to Europa League competition, and at Botafogo in Brazil, where we have resurrected a historic club from bankruptcy in the 2nd division to fight for championships at the top of Serie A.

“We are also excited about our workin-progress in Belgium, which resulted in a quick championship and historic promotion in our first year, which we must fight again to reclaim next year.

“As proud as we are to have been a part of the resurgence of Crystal Palace, it remains true that Crystal Palace is an independent club, run by a man with a steady hand, who has achieved a level of sustainability

that is incredibly uncommon in today’s Premier League. An integrated sporting model, such as ours at Eagle, is simply not a perfect fit for Crystal Palace.

“Simply based on early reaction to the process we have begun with Raine Group, it’s obvious that the momentum at Crystal Palace has not gone unnoticed. I feel extremely confident that a good number of prospective partners will jump at the chance to be a part of this promising future.

“Of course, these processes do take time, however we believe the summer of 2024 is the right time to run such a process, with a goal to identify a successful bidder and future Palace supporter before our focus returns to football games in the Fall.”

David Livermore was up against Roy Keane in the 2004 FA Cup Final

Millwall boss Neil Harris is hoping England can win the Euros

Sport INSIDE SURREY SUFFER RECORD DEFEAT

The

blues pounce For FoXes boss

Enzo Maresca set to replace Mauricio Pochettino

Palace close to first signing

By John Kelly

cRYsTAl PAlAcE are close to their first signing of the summer as Barcelona defender chadi Riad was having a medical this week.

Morocco international Riad, 21, will cost around £14million, including addons.

Riad made 30 appearances on loan at Real Betis last season, helping them to a seventh-place finish and a spot in the Conference League play-off round.

The Eagles have moved quickly for Riad, with uncertainly around the future of England international Marc Guehi, who has been linked with a number of clubs.

Palace stars, including attackers Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, could attract attention this summer after Oliver Glasner’s side ended the season unbeaten in their last seven games, scoring 21 goals in that spell, to finish in the top half on the last day.

Dons Hipp to the groove

By John Kelly

AFc wiMBledoN have signed myles Hippolyte on a free transfer from league Two champions stockport county. Winger Hippolyte, 29, has signed a two-year deal. He made nineteen appearances in all competitions last season.

By Kiro Evans

cHElsEA WERE close to appointing Enzo maresca as their new head coach this week after successful talks with the leicester city boss.

The Blues were determined to move quickly this summer to secure a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino, who left after the end of last season.

Maresca was set to sign a five-year deal.

Chelsea were linked with Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna, who guided the Tractor Boys into

the Premier League after successive promotions.

But Italian Maresca, whose side beat Ipswich to the Championship title by a point, moved into pole position after talks.

Chelsea will have to pay the Foxes £10million in compensation for Maresca.

A number of candidates had been linked with the Stamford Bridge post and others. McKenna, 38, is coveted by Brighton & Hove Albion as a potential replacement for Roberto DE Zerbi, who had also been linked with Chelsea in a likely managerial merry-

go-round in England and Europe this summer.

Maresca started his coaching career in Italy with Ascoli before joining Manchester City in 2020. He won the Premier League 2 title in 2021 before being appointed the head coach of Parma in Serie B. He was expected to have the side challenging for promotion but was sacked that November when that didn’t materialise.

Maresca returned to City as one of Pep Guardiola’s assistant managers in June 2022 before signing a three-year deal with Leicester a year later.

There was some surprise when Pochettino and the club ‘mutually consented’ to part ways. Chelsea lost just one of their last fifteen games in the Premier League, winning their last five, to go from eleventh to a sixth-place finish. They also reached the final of the League Cup and semifinals of the FA Cup.

Maresca would be the third permanent manager appointed by owner Todd Boehly. Including caretakers, Maresca would be he sixth man in the Chelsea dugout since Boehly acquired the club in the summer of 2022.

“I’m very creative when it comes to attacking,” Hippolyte said. “That’s where I can be dominant and bring a lot of assists to the team.

“I can play in many positions. There are many strengths to my game, and I bring a lot of excitement.

“I create a lot. I get goals, I get assists, I bring players into the game, but when I need to defend, I can put opposition players on the back burner and prevent them from scoring.

“There was interest from quite a few clubs. The club were made aware of that. For me though, AFC Wimbledon stood out.”

Italian led Leicester City to the Championship title in his fi rst season in charge