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Former top lambeth council boss has been disqualiF ied F rom driving F or two years
By Robert Firth Local Democracy Reporter
The former top boss of Lambeth Council has been disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work after he pleaded guilty to drink driving, failing to stop after a car crash and driving without insurance.
Bayo Dosunmu, who was chief executive until his arrest earlier this year, was ordered to pay court costs of £225 at a sentencing hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 16.
Paul Goldspring, chief magistrate, told Dosunmu, 46, of Hammersmith that he must also complete 15 days of a rehabilitation activity.
Dosunmu was driving a white Jeep on June 23 when he was involved in a crash with a blue Toyota, while it was waiting at traffic lights at the junction of Wandsworth Bridge Road and Townmead Road in South London. He failed to stop after the crash
The driver of the Toyota tailed Dosunmu and eventually had to pull in front of the Jeep to get him to stop. Police were called and Dosunmu appeared to be slurring his words
He was breathalysed and found to have a breath alcohol level of 100 mg (per 100ml of breath), almost three times the legal limit.
Dosunmu pleaded guilty to drink driving,
failing to stop after a car crash and driving without insurance at a previous hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in August. He pleaded not guilty to the possession of cocaine at the same hearing. He is due to be tried for Class A drug possession at Isleworth Crown Court, West London in September 2025.
Sentencing the 46-year-old for the other offences on Monday, chief magistrate Paul Goldspring said he accepted that Dosunmu’s remorse was ‘genuine’ but said it was clear that he had had more to drink on the night than he accepted.
Goldspring added: “You have previous good character. There’s significant impact on your career. You have lost your job. You have led a blameless life and it has been highlighted you have led a life in public service.”
The court heard how since losing his £190,000 per year role at the council in July, Dosunmu had been relying on friends and family for assistance. He was appointed chief executive of the Labour-led council in April 2022, taking over from Andrew Travers.
Since his departure, Fiona Connolly, Lambeth’s corporate director of housing and adult social care, has been acting chief executive. The council is currently recruiting for a new top boss and expects to finish recruitment by the end of the year.
Have you been wrongly issued with Ulez charges due to vandalised cameras?
By Noah Vickers Local Democracy Reporter
Drivers who have been wrongly issued with Ulez charges due to vandalised enforcement cameras will have their penalties cancelled, Transport for London (TfL) has pledged.
A pair of Ulez cameras in Chingford had been twisted the wrong way around by vandals so that they were facing roads outside the clean air zone boundary.
It meant that non-compliant vehicles were being captured by the cameras and charged £12.50 per day, despite the fact they were not
driving within the area covered by the Ulez
Emma Best, a Tory member of the London Assembly, had urged mayor Sadiq Khan in a public meeting last week to resolve this issue, pointing out that the same issue had arisen in July, but has since happened again.
“This is now a new fun sport to some people, and it’s daily,” she said, adding that TfL was “refusing people’s appeals” after being unfairly charged.
Mr Khan promised to follow up on her request by speaking with TfL.
In comments to the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week, Ms Best said:
“TfL have continually shown that they have completely lost control of the administration
of fees and fines, and are not even able to correctly identify the zone.
Dozens of residents contacted me after being fined for driving outside the zone and subsequently having their appeals rejected by TfL. For those with auto-pay, they have discovered there is no way to challenge a charge on their account. It’s absolutely ridiculous.=
“Ulez expansion continues to punish the poorest and most vulnerable in outer London in ways we didn’t even expect. If the mayor can’t secure his Ulez expansion cameras or identify obvious faults then he can take them down.”
Responding to Ms Best, a TfL spokesperson
said: “We are aware that some cameras at the Ulez boundary in Chingford became misaligned through acts of vandalism to point outside the boundary. The cameras have since been fixed and realigned, and any penalty charges issued incorrectly during this short period will be cancelled.
“Vandalism is unacceptable and all incidents on our network are reported to the police for investigation. Criminal damage to Ulez cameras puts the perpetrators at risk of prosecution and injury, while simultaneously risking the safety of the public. Camera vandalism will not stop the Ulez operating London-wide. All vandalised cameras are repaired or replaced as soon as possible.”
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Bayo Dosunmu (Right) arrives to City of Westminster Magistrates court on 16 September 2024.
Photo by Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon
Kate and w illiam give raided F ood banK in p ecK ham
£3,500
By Kevin Quinn
wiLLiam anD Kate have donated £3,500 to Southwark Foodbank after thieves raided their Peckham High Street warehouse.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have made the donation to help replenish stock after hearing about the theft, which will cover the costs of the goods stolen and the damage caused.
Kensington Palace said Prince William and Catherine had heard about the burglary and wanted to offer their support.
The food bank confirmed the couple had pledged £3,500.
Southwark Foodbank, which is operated by Pecan on Peckham High Street, was targeted by thieves last Sunday - who took about £3,000 of food and hygiene products, as well as a laptop.
Pecan chief executive Peter Edwards took to X (formerly Twitter) to thank the Royal couple, saying “Food stocks are being replenished now”.
Southwark News broke the story last Monday morning hours after staff arrived to see just empty shelves and the place ransacked.
Hundreds of families in crisis depend on receiving items from Pecan, which supplies Southwark foodbank plus other food banks and charities across the borough.
Peter Edwards told the BBC yesterday: “This surprise donation by the Prince and Princess of Wales - following such a difficult spell for their family - underlines their kindness and decency.
“After serious ill health, their first thought was of how to help others.”
He added: “Their generosity will inspire staff and volunteers to redouble Pecan’s efforts to alleviate poverty in London.”
The pair are no strangers to Southwark having visited on numerous occasions and Kate is the patron of Evelina Children’s Hospital.
Pecan has now said its food stocks have now been replenished, following a surge of donations from the public.
oveRWheLmiNG ReacTioN fRom LocaLS
Southwark Foodbank volunteers said they were ‘ready to quit’ after finding their office had been ransacked on Sunday 8 September.
Video footage of the burglary showed thieves
making off with around £3,000 worth of stock - all reserved for desperate families and hungry children.
Southwark Foodbank called the Southwark News after arriving at work on Monday to find the place had been completely bled dry.
But ever since the news broke, they have been ‘overwhelmed’ with support and are now thanking the community for saving them in their time of need.
This week, they said ‘local grannies and families’ had been showing up to the office with bags of shopping and people had even offered to install security equipment free of charge.
Genevieve Osei-Kuffuor, Foodbank Manager said: “We been moved by the outpouring of kindness and generosity shown to us in the past few days.
“The donations given will help us ensure that we can support the people in our community for whom our foodbanks are a lifeline”
As well as Southwark Foodbank, Pecan includes Peckham Pantry; Women’s Services; Employment Support; and Together, our community café. Their services aim to address the issues of poverty and alleviate the challenges that are faced by many.
The Metropolitan Police are continuing to investigate the incident and so far no arrests have been made.
SuppoRT SouThWaRk fooDBaNk via DoNaTioNS aT:
Tesco Food Collection: 12-13 September Old Kent Road
Peckham Festival: Saturday 14 September, Community Hub
London Bridge Collection: Wednesday 25 September, 7-10am
Kate and William pictured in 2011/ Flicker Kate and William in Canada in 2011)
The premises in Peckham
Food, hygiene products and a laptop was stolen
disabled woman living on the Fourth Floor
Forced to sleep in stairwell when liFt breaKs
eXcLuSive
By Isabel Ramirez
a DisaBLeD woman in rotherhithe says when the lift in her block breaks, she is often forced to sleep under the stairwell downstairs next to the bins where it stinks of urine.
Joanne Scott, who lives on the Silwood Estate, claimed that over the last two years, the lift has broken ‘67 times.’
The 57-year-old told us: “When it breaks, I’m either stuck in the flat and can’t leaveor if I leave and come back I have to sleep under the stairs in the main doorway.”
As Joanne pointed to the dark crevice she had to bed down under, the eyewatering stench of urine in the entrance is impossible to ignore.
She explained that’s because it is right by the bin store, where foxes rummage through at night and urinate.
Joanne lives on the fourth floor and uses a mobility scooter due to health problems, so she is unable to take the eight flights of stairs to her flat.
Things all got a bit too much when last Friday, Joanne returned from her dad’s funeral to find the lift wasn’t working.
“I slept outside again, still in my funeral clothes,” she said.
“It’s like living in a nightmare but you’re awake.”
Asked how many times she’d slept in the stairwell, she replied: “Well over twenty times.”
She even claimed an employee from the housing association once walked past her and told her to ‘ask a neighbour for a quilt.’ Although she said she has reported every time the lift has broken down, the housing association told us this week that it is their policy to “provide emergency accommodation to any resident who can’t get into their home.”
now be sold permanently in Aldi
“To have finally got to this stage is such an incredible achievement.”
By Isabel Ramirez
The fLaky Jamaican beef patties made by a Peckham father and son will now be sold permanently in aldi.
From last Thursday 12 September customers and fans of Flake Bake will be able to find them on the supermarket’s shelves every day.
Paul and Mike Williams, the duo behind the patty, will now be working overtime to fill up to 1,000 stores nationwide, seven days a week.
Commenting on their dream becoming a reality, Mike said: “It’s been such an intense period in our lives.
The pair were first launched into the spotlight in April after they won the Channel 4 show Aldi’s Next Big Thing – a hunt for a brand new product to stock in its stores. As a result, their patty was stocked at 1000 of Aldi’s stores across the UK. It then sold out three times as a limited product, so the supermarket chain was left with no choice other than to give them a permanent contract.
In the meantime, the patty took the internet by storm and everyone - even Manchester City Football Club - was asking to try them.
Flake Bake’s patties can be found in Aldi’s chilled pies section and it costs just 99p.
“It’s embarrassing,” she continued, “Some neighbours will make me a coffee and come and chat with me whilst I wait for a maintenance person to arrive.”
“That can take over twelve hours if it’s the evening. It’s hardly ever repaired the same day.”
After we got in touch with L&Q they said they would be replacing the lift parts so it would hopefully be more reliable longterm.
L&Q also apologised for the problems faced by the residents and admitted it had taken them ‘too long to put right.’
At her ‘wit’s end’, Joanne has been trying to get moved for over a year but was only offered another place with the same problem.
“It was a third-floor flat in Eltham with a lift and there were steps even to access it.”
Despite it not being suitable, she claimed she was told it was ‘a reasonable offer.’
Her neighbour, Gemma, lives on the 2nd
floor and is currently both pregnant and in a mobility scooter said: “I’m trapped in my flat every time it breaks.
The mum-of-three added: “I’m nervous for when my water breaks. What if the lift’s broken? What if the paramedics can’t get up the stairs?”
She is also requesting to move, with no luck so far.
David Lewis, Executive Group Director – Property Services at L&Q, said: “We are very sorry for the problems that Ms Scott and the residents of Crane Mead have experienced with the lift and recognise this has taken us too long to put right. All electrical and mechanical lift components are being replaced to ensure that it meets the highest standards and provides a longterm reliable service - our aim is to have this work completed by the end of this year.
“In the meantime, we’re focussed on carrying out any lift repairs needed more quickly, and have recently appointed a
new contractor who is able to access critical components at short notice to help us provide a rapid repair service at Crane Mead. We apologise for the inconvenience and frustration these problems have caused and would like to thank residents for their ongoing patience and understanding.
“The well-being of our residents is our top priority, and our rehousing team has been working with Ms Scott to help find her an alternative ground floor property that better meets her needs. We have been in touch with Ms Scott again this week to arrange a meeting to discuss this further and investigate her complaint.
“It’s our policy to provide emergency accommodation to any resident who can’t get into their home because of a fault with their lift. If this happens, we urge residents to report the fault to us immediately via our contact centre so that we can provide urgent help.”
Mike Williams, one half of the Peckham duo behind Flake Bake
Joanne says she’s slept under the stairs ‘over 20 times.’ It’s right opposite the bin store where residents empty their waste and foxes wee at night
two south london primary schools set to close while Four more will be merged
By Robert Firth Local Democracy Reporter
Two LamBeTh primary schools are set to close as the council aims to avoid an impending £17 million debt crisis.
Fenstanton Primary School and Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, both in Tulse Hill, will shut from September 2026 under plans unveiled by Lambeth Council.
A number of primary schools will also be merged. Kings Avenue School and Glenbrook Primary School, both in Clapham, will be amalgamated from September 2026 under plans, as will St John the Divine Church of England School in Camberwell and Christ Church Primary SW9 in Brixton.
As of January 2024, Fenstanton Primary School was 57 per cent empty with space for 359 extra pupils, while Holy Trinity School was 48 per cent empty with 202 spaces for extra pupils.
The Labour-run local authority has said its schools will be in £17 million debt by March 2026 if it doesn’t take action to address the falling number of kids at primary schools in the borough.
Schools are funded per pupil by central government, which means they receive less cash the fewer students they have. Lambeth has suffered a one-third drop in the birth rate since 2009. The council has blamed this on the cost of living crisis and people
leaving the London due to Brexit.
GP registrations in Lambeth have also shown a decline in the proportion of kids remaining in the borough between birth and school-starting age in the last five years.
Lambeth has suffered a one-third drop in the birth rate since 2009. The council has blamed this on the cost of living crisis and people leaving the capital due to Brexit. GP registrations in Lambeth have also shown a decline in the proportion of kids remaining in the borough between birth and school starting age in the last five years.
The number of children beginning
primary school in Lambeth has dropped almost 30 per cent since 2013 from 3,243 to 2,324. This decrease has left over 500 spaces in reception classes in the borough alone, the equivalent of 18 empty classrooms.
The council is consulting residents on the proposed closures and mergers until October 7, 2024. Lambeth Council’s cabinet will make a final decision on the plans in November.
Councillor Ben Kind, the council’s cabinet member for children and families, said: “Lambeth Council has a responsibility to
act now to protect the future of Lambeth’s schools. We’re building on the action we have taken over several years and must act now to stop debts mounting and school’s futures being put in jeopardy.
“We’ve engaged with our communities in shaping these proposals and their feedback has been crucial. The council has also written to the government calling for immediate support to help safeguard the future of Lambeth’s schools. We urgently need the government to recognise the severity of this situation and provide the backing our schools deserve.”
Man stabbed on Rye Lane in Peckham
By Herbie Russell
PoLiCE arE investigating after a man was stabbed on rye Lane.
Officers found the man collapsed on the high street street at 5.15am on Sunday, September 15.
The man was hospitalised although his condition is not life-threatening. Met Police officers, who were first on the scene, performed emergency CPR until the London Ambulance Service arrived.
Road closures were imposed while emergency services attended the crime scene.
No arrests have been made. Police enquiries continue.
Anyone with information that could assist is asked to call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote CAD1491/15Sep.
You can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Emergency services attended the incident on Rye Lane, Peckham.
Two South London primary schools set to close while four more will be merged
what’s on at bermondsey street Festival?
By Eliza Frost
EaCH yEar, businesses and locals flock to enjoy Bermondsey Street Festival, a celebration of community and culture, as well as cuisine, craft stalls, music and more.
2024 will be no different due to the dedication of local businesses, especially London Glassblowing gallery director Gena Johns, who has taken on the organisation of the festival. With additional support from Daniel Cobb Estate Agents and other committed volunteers on the street, the festival has come back to life.
Gena says: “Saving the festival has brought the street even closer together. It has really highlighted how incredible Bermondsey Street is. It has an extraordinary collection of businesses, from charming boutiques, art galleries and restaurants to cosy cafes and bars, each adding to its unique character and vibrant atmosphere.
“What’s truly remarkable is that every business has its own individual and unique story. It’s been such a pleasure to work as a collective and bring it all together.”
So, with thanks to those who have worked on Bermondsey Street for years, the festival is back this Saturday 21 September, from 11am to 7pm.
Immerse yourself in the heart of Bermondsey Street as the historic street is transformed into a bustling festival of flavours, sounds and local artistry. From craft stalls and culinary delights to live music and family fun, Bermondsey Street Festival offers a day of discovery and delight for all ages.
Join in with the celebration of Bermondsey spirit, where every corner tells a story.
WhaT’S oN aND WheRe?
BermonDsey sTreeT
The street will turn into a bustling marketplace, where artisans and businesses from the area will showcase the best of Bermondsey’s creativity. With a colourful offering, you can expect stalls, live music and interesting events to pique your interest.
You’ll find José’s Tapas Spectacular –unwind in the Estrella chillout area and witness the jamon carving in a masterclass by José Pizarro himself.
Enjoy DJ sets at many Bermondsey Street spots, including Chapter 72, The Last Talisman, Morocco Bound and Bermondsey Corner – plus melodies at Crol & Co during and after the festival.
WatchHouse coffee shop – which was historically a shelter for men guarding the graveyard of St Mary Magdalen’s Church –is celebrating its 10th anniversary with an extravaganza at the festival.
Plus, you can strike a pose at Daniel Cobb Estate Agents’ photobooth and create a wearable memory with t-shirt drawing. Enjoy first-hand the mesmerising glassblowing in the studio of London Glassblowing, as well as their vibrant gallery and eclectic yard sale of discounted work in their car park on Carmarthen Place, next to Chapter 72.
TannEr STrEET ParK
Once you’ve explored Bermondsey
Street’s offerings, keep the energy high by heading to Tanner Street Park.
This green space transforms into a lively festival hub where you will find a mix of cuisines serving up tasty dishes and refreshing local drinks – all while enjoying some live music curated by the festival.
The music stage will play host to six sets of talent such as south London’s Jessica Wilde, fresh from her Glastonbury appearance this year, and local 6-piece instrumental band, Hoos Collective – plus a host of other special acts and DJ sets throughout the day.
HavE a TiPPLE
Bermondsey Street bars and beer mile breweries are on hand to keep you feeling refreshed on the day.
There’s Bermondsey Corner Bar, where you can sip on Jensen’s G&Ts and Hiver Beer, paired with artisanal cheese and charcuterie.
The Comptoir Gourmand Bar is serving up spritzes from These Days and other beer mile offerings, complemented by gourmet nibbles, of course.
Not forgetting Simon Lyons’ bar from Poulet on Maltby Street Market, Southwark Brewing and Gosnells of London, which are coming straight from the beer mile, too. And B-Street fave pub The Woolpack is offering their extended bar in the park for you to enjoy.
a BiTe To eaT
For food, there are some great options for snacking from Bermondsey Street eateries, celebrating global flavours with a local heart.
You’ll find Anna Mae’s Mac n Cheese, Moroccan food by Harissa & Lemon, burgers and more by Park Farm, Baccalà’s oyster cart, plus Pigling Street, Satay Street, Tower Tandoori, Franco Manca, Fusion Flavours by Tee, and more culinary surprises to be announced.
LeaThermarkeT GarDens
Bermondsey Street Festival also has its traditions, and it wouldn’t be the festival without them. Back again with family fun is the Maypole celebrations and loved Holly&Lil Dog Show.
And you’ll find other frolics for the family at Leathermarket Gardens: Musical Mayhem with kids’ karaoke –plus wellness wonders by the Movement Collective…
Movement Collective hosts festival wellness corner
SE1 Movement Collective (Mo.Co) is a space for Pilates, stretch and breath work. With education at its heart, Mo.Co’s method is to give you the skills to take what you learn into day-to-day life.
Directors Meredith Anderson (Pilates) and Amy Laithwaite (stretch therapy) have a combined 40 years of experience in teaching injury rehab and prevention, plus mobility, strength and flexibility.
The studio space has Pilates reformers, chairs and barrels, a side for mat work, offering group sessions and one-on-one lessons. There is also a team of manual therapists for massage and stretch therapy, too.
And Mo.Co is bringing all this to Bermondsey Street Festival in Leathermarket Gardens.
They say: “Bermondsey Street Festival is absolutely teeming with energy and good times. Our idea with the Wellness Corner is to offer a little oasis of breathing and stretching to revive yourself before getting back out to the street with more bounce in your step.
“We feel that a moment of presence, getting in touch with your body and mind, helps to build community. If we’re comfortable in ourselves, we’re often more comfortable with each other… and the festival is all about community. Our goal is to facilitate and deepen that connection in a fun and approachable way.”
The full schedule of classes can be found on the Bermondsey Street Festival website: bermondseystreetfestival.com
Each session at the festival will last 25 minutes, there is no need to sign up and all levels are welcome as classes will be made accessible to everyone on the day – you just need to bring your own mat.
Pilates classes will focus on core engagement and suppleness of the spine and stretch classes will focus on releasing tension and mobilising the joints. All classes will have an element of breath and meditation, but the 1pm class on the day will be all about finding your calm in the heart of the fete.
Meredith and Amy add: “Our neighbourhood is so vibrant and, at the same time, so chilled. Bermondsey Street says, ‘Come as you are, and have a great time!’ We’re working to create the same feeling at Mo.Co., no judgment, no pressure, just come, move and be happy” 3 Copper Row, SE1 2LH themoco.uk
Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening Sat 5 Oct , 8pm
Andy Parsons Sat 19 Oct, 8pm
Saturday Sessions
Start the weekend with creative activities and performances for children aged 5 –11, and their families. Adapted Relaxed Sessions take place in the morning (free, ticket required)
Sat 14 Sep, Sat 5 Oct, Sat 2 Nov & Sat 7 Dec
Sun 28 Oct, 8pm
Peppa Pig's Fun Day Out Sat 9 Nov - Sun 10 Nov
Ivo Graham Fri 1 Nov, 8pm
Creative Encounters
Find a home in central London with evenings of arts, music, poetry and creative activities
Wed 25 Sep, Wed 30 Oct, Wed 20 Nov, Wed 11 Dec & Wed 18 Dec
Part of Open Doors
Our regular free events are open to all, and bursting with creativity
Rich Hall Sun 10 Nov, 8pm
Mix & Move
Pick up new steps and meet people at our monthly dance workshops. Learn AfroFusion moves with Autumn dance leaders, Kiduku Rhythms
Fri 27 Sep, Fri 25 Oct, Fri 22 Nov & Fri 13 Dec
Furious mp neil coyle searching For ‘gollum looKaliKe’ and says ‘coward’ must apologise For egging his oFFice
By Herbie Russell
neiL coyLe MP has launched a search for what he described as a “Gollum lookalike” who egged his office and demanded the “coward” apologise.
The MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark posted a CCTV image to X, formerly Twitter, of the alleged culprit.
The 45-year-old, who compared the man to a creepy monster from Lord of the Rings, told this paper: “The man was aggressive and forced his way into the office. My team are upset and did not know what he wanted or why he was so aggressive.
“They feared he had a weapon and are shaken. I have volunteers and local people waiting to see me in the space he threw eggs and he’s lucky no one responded violently frankly.
“I hope he’s arrested soon and have released an image to help identify the coward. If he comes back and apologies to my staff and volunteers I’ll consider not pressing charges.
“Especially if he brings some bacon and sausages or go with the eggs.”
But the Labour MP continued:
“Jokes aside, MPs are increasingly threatened and attacked and I won’t tolerate anything that acts as a wedge between me and constituents.
X user for his description of the alleged attacker. The person wrote: “Unnecessary to refer to this person as a Gollum lookalike, Neil, you could have simply posted about the fact they egged your office.”
The Met Police has been approached
“Local people know they can see me - and I try to be as accessible and open as possible, but attacks like this force the security services, MPs and the police to limit access.”
Mr Coyle, who the incident at his Jamaica Road office at 4pm on Friday, September 13, raised serious questions about MP safety.
In 2016, his friend and Labour colleague Jo Cox was murdered in the street while on the way to her constituency surgery in Batley and Spen.
Mr Coyle would later say her death
“was a very difficult time” for him.
During the height of parliament’s in-fighting over Brexit, a brick was hurled through Mr Coyle’s window, he later revealed.
Mr Coyle was criticised by one
Annual Members’ Meeting
Tuesday 8 October 2024
Everyone is welcome to join us for our Annual Members’ Meeting on Tuesday 8 October
The meeting will run from 5.30-7pm and is being held in the Weston Education Centre at King’s College Hospital, Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9PJ. Doors open at 5pm.
Find out about the work that we do through a series of presentations about our services, as well as a round-up of the past year.
There will also be an opportunity for you to ask questions at the meeting.
Email kch-tr.FTO@nhs.net by 5pm on Friday 4 October if you would like to put forward a question for the Trust Board in advance.
pets abandoned at rotherhithe farm ‘were killed by foxes’
By Herbie Russell
a roTherhiThe farm has warned people not to abandon their pets after foxes killed at least one animal left in a bag on its premises.
Surrey Docks Farm shared CCTV footage showing somebody dumping a travel bag by its gate at around 10.25pm on Sunday, September 8.
The farm’s Instagram post continued: ‘Sadly within just a few minutes CCTV showed a fox sniffing the bag and then ten minutes later the foxes were back and had knocked the bag over and got inside’.
When employees opened the bag the next morning, they found a note saying ‘please help us’ but no animals inside.
The farm has urged the public not to treat it as a ‘rehoming centre’ and think carefully before buying pets.
Surrey Docks Farm wrote on Instagram: ‘Taking on an animal is a big responsibility and we strongly advise against children having pets.
‘Every week we get contacted by parents saying something along the lines of ‘our child is no longer interested, would we like a rabbit?’.’
The incident comes after two guinea pigs were discovered ‘freezing and helpless’ on a Deptford construction site in January 2023.
The Covid-19 pandemic also saw cats being abandoned at an alarming rate, according to a Bermondsey rescue centre.
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “It is dreadful to hear that these pets were left on their own in such a vulnerable situation.
“Last winter, abandonment calls to the RSPCA were at a three-year high.
“Abandoning any animal is not acceptable at any time and the RSPCA urges owners to seek out help if they are struggling to care for their pets,” they continued.
“We would urge people to consider very carefully the commitment of ownership as rabbits and other small animals are often viewed as easy pets to care for, but in fact require an investment in time and resources over the long term.”
Mr Coyle was criticised by one
The Met Police has been approached for comment.
Neil coyle mp
CCTV footage showed a fox sniffing at the bag before managing to get inside a bag was left abandoned at Surrey Docks farm believed
ccTv footage shared by the farm showed a figure dumping a bag on the farm
Neil coyle mp posted this picture on X (formerly Twitter) in hopes of identifying the culprit
prince harry waxworK escapes madame tussauds For birthday pint at se15 pub
By Herbie Russell
PECKHaM PUnTErS got a royal surprise when they walked in on a waxwork Prince Harry enjoying a pint in a local boozer.
A Meghan Markle figure accompanied the prince to the Duke of Sussex pub for his 40th birthday on Sunday - a rare public outing for the Madame Tussauds couple.
Alan Day, pub manager, said customers were “quite amused” by the surprise encounter and many were shocked by Harry’s 6’ 1” stature.
“I never realised how big Harry was,” the manager said. “The Prince Harry was pretty good and the detail was pretty impressive.”
Rumours have swirled that the estranged prince is trying to return to the Royal fold - especially after Prince William wished his brother happy birthday on social media.
It was the first public birthday greeting since 2021 when the Sussexes accused unnamed royals of racism in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
But the publican said locals were happy to give the pair some muchneeded privacy: “To be honest, people round here were talking about the fact
they were in the pub and not about their personal lives!”
Prince Harry’s and Meghan Markle’s figures normally reside in Madame Tussauds London’s Culture Capital zone.
They share the exhibition with
fellow British icons including Sir David Attenborough, Stormzy, suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, William Shakespeare and Sir Lewis Hamilton. Social media users were quick to react to the news, with many sending birthday wishes to Harry. One user
said: “Sounds like fun. Happy birthday Harry,” while another commented: “Love it! ! ! ! I would so visit just for this.”
Harry’s visit was Peckham’s second brush with the monarchy in under a week after Prince William and Kate
Middleton donated £3,500 to the Southwark Foodbank on Peckham High Street.
Southwark News broke the story that thieves had ransacked the centre prompting the King-in-waiting to make the generous contribution.
Southwark Pioneers Fund: Launchpad Relaunch!
Trampoline is excited to announce the relaunch of its Southwark Pioneers Fund: Launchpad, a programme funded by Southwark Council that provides free, practical information, advice, and support to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs living and/or working in Southwark.
This initiative is designed to help local entrepreneurs, start-ups, and founders, to grow and thrive, offering expert guidance and resources tailored to your needs.
We actively encourage applications from young people, women, marginalized genders, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, senior citizens, and people with living with a disability or neurodiversity.
Applications for the SPF: Launchpad 2024 – 2025 programme are re-open.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to jumpstart your entrepreneurial journey!
For more information
Scan the QR code, Join one of our Networking and Open Days
- Friday, 20th September 2024 at St. Peter’s Church, Liverpool Grove, London SE17 2HH, starting at 5pm
- Wednesday, 16th October 2024 at Peckham Library, Peckham Hill Street, SE15 5JR, starting at 10am
Contact us on 07856 877152 or info@trampolinecic.org
Locals did a double take as Madame Tussauds London’s Prince Harry fi gure was spotted at the Duke of Sussex pub in Peckham
17th-century Spanish galleon will soon arrive in London
By Isabel Ramirez
a rEPLiCa of the 17thcentury Spanish galleons, that sailed the world’s seas for three centuries, will make its entrance to London this month.
The Galeón Andalucía will dock at Britannia St. Katherine’s Dock, arriving on Monday 23 September.
Its stay in London marks the grand finale of the extensive European tour the galleon has undertaken this year through ports in France, the Netherlands, Germany, and over 14 cities in the United Kingdom
It will make its entrance in London on September 23, crossing Tower Bridge at 4:00 PM, creating what will undoubtedly be a stunning and unique scene, where centuries of history converge.
It will remain docked at St. Katherine’s Dock, where it will open its decks to the public.
You can climb aboard and learn how the adventurous sailors of yesteryear sailed and lived! Only from Tuesday 24 September to 6 October from 10:00 am to 20:00 pm non-stop. Visit the floating museum with an exhibition in which you can visit 5 of its decks. Schools and associations should schedule their visit by sending an e-mail to the following address ecampos@ velacuadra.es
WouLD You Like To SaiL oN BoaRD The GaLeÓN aNDaLucÍa?
Go to www.tallshipexperience. com to book.
admission: Adults: £12, Children (5- 10 years): £6 Family (2 adults + up to 3 children between 5- 10 years): £30. Free for under 5s.
Guided visit schools and associations: £6 (1 free teacher for every 10 children) Over 10 years old: £12. Arrange through: ecampos@velacuadra.es
Points of sale: on the ship or on the website: tickets.velacuadra.es
walworth’s victorian town hall now worth staggering £25 million eleven years aFter Fire
By Herbie Russell
waLworTh resiDenTs have been given an exciting glimpse of the regenerated Walworth Town Hall which is now worth an estimated £25 million.
The stunning mid-19th-century building, which was ravaged by fire in 2013, is an impressive sight now the scaffolding and coverings have been taken down.
Southwark Council’s restoration of the Grade-II Listed building, in partnership with developer General Projects, will provide it with offices, event space and a free-to-use
community hub.
After the devastating blaze over ten years ago, the derelict Victorian complex, built in 1865, was placed on the Heritage at Risk Register.
General Projects, appointed to lead the project, estimated it would be worth £25 million on the open market once complete.
The developer will operate the town hall on a 125-year lease from the council, once restored.
Southwark Council entered the partnership with General Projects after structural surveys conducted post-fire revealed the shocking extent of the damage.
Police investigating ‘masturbator’ on London Bridge train
By Herbie Russell
PoLiCE arE investigating a report of a man masturbating in front of a woman on a train from London Bridge.
Officers would like to speak to a man, pictured, in connection with their investigation.
British Transport Police said the incident took place on Sunday, July 14, at around 7.40am on a train from London Bridge to Sevenoaks.
A man reportedly sat near a woman and engaged her in conversation before sitting across from her.
He then exposed himself and started masturbating, British Transport Police said.
Officers believe the man in the CCTV images could have information that would help their investigation.
A British Transport Police spokesperson said: “Detectives investigating a report of a man masturbating on board a train are today releasing these images in connection.
“At around 7.40am on Sunday 14 July, a woman was on board a train from London Bridge to Sevenoaks when a man sat near her began engaging her in conversation. The man then moved to sit across from her and exposed himself to her and began masturbating.
“Officers believe the man in the CCTV images may have information that could help their investigation.”
Anyone who recognises him, or has any other information, is asked to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 164 of 14/07/24. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Dry rot discovered in structural supports, caused by the burning building being doused in water for four days, helped put the estimated restoration cost at £36 million in 2016.
The 50,000 sq ft venue once housed the Newington Library and Cuming Museum.
The building is set to have a stunning, light-filled central atrium and a new wide entrance from Walworth Square.
The new designs by architects Feix & Merlin, Heyne Tillett Steel & RED have aimed to create “a fitting response to the building’s great heritage”.
The old town hall on Walworth Road
will contain studios and workspaces, “ideal for start-ups” alongside a new community space on the ground floor.
An independent management board chaired by local resident Manisha Patel, and comprising other members of the Walworth community, was established to help shape and oversee the new community space.
This new community space will be operated by a third party, to be chosen by the management board. It will be available to the public all year round for various uses such as meetings, events, talks, performances, arts and crafts, workshops and classes.
The wreckage in the aftermath of the fire Police would like to speak to the man pictured in connection with the incident
The Walworth Society excitedly posted this photo of the coverings removed from the historic building
A photo of the ship sailing in New York
®Alejandro Mallado Erbez
By Joe Coughlan
Local Democracy Reporter
SoUTH London shoppers are ‘wary’ of using their high street because pickpockets are snatching phones and purses from locals on a regular basis.
Residents living around Eltham High Street in Greenwich borough have claimed individuals are targeting pensioners on the road in pickpocketing and theft offences, with one woman having close to £2,000 in cash taken.
Maureen Metcalfe, 82, said the issue has gotten worse in recent years. She said she has noticed a lot of elderly women walking around with their bags open, suggesting they’ve been targeted and are unaware, with young people also snatching valuable items such as phones
The resident told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “I only come here about twice a week nowadays. I used to come more but if you have to go to the bank, you’re very wary.”
She added: “I remember I was in the [bank] and a lady came in panicked. She said she had the bottom of her bag slashed. That’s what they do. She had lost £500. I think they target older people because their reactions are not as quick…
There was a little old lady in the bank the other week crying her eyes out because she had her clasp pinched.”
Ms Metcalfe said despite her worries, she still has good faith in the police but would like to see officers patrolling the high street more frequently. Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said they had lived in Eltham for over 30 years and they had also noticed an increase in theft on the high street, to the point where they have stopped using ATMs outside banks.
They told the LDRS: “They reckon they are targeting older people. It’s the phones that they’re nicking now, they grab the phones while they’re on bikes.”
The LDRS has seen several reports of individuals attempting to pickpocket shoppers on the high street, on the Eltham, SE9 Facebook group. Norma Small, 77, has lived in Eltham for 50 years and uses the high street every day. She said she was pickpocketed on the road a few years ago after she visited the bank so it’s not a new issue, though the frequency appears to be increasing
'e
lderly targeted on e ltham high s treet'
She told the LDRS: “Someone must have been watching me because I took money out for Christmas and a holiday then went to a charity shop. I felt somebody [in my bag] when I moved. I had £2,000 and they left me with £150. They just grabbed it and ran… I was beside myself.”
Ms Small said she reported the issue to the police but the money was never recovered. Data from the Met Police found there had been a general increase in offences relating to theft on Eltham High Street from January to April of this year, increasing from 19 to 34 offences a month between those months.
These crimes included burglary, shoplifting and robbery offences. The Met Police says crime data from May to July of this year is currently not available due to an issue with its data feed.
Inspector Jo Chapman, responsible for
policing the Eltham area, told the LDRS: “We have listened to the concerns of the community and increased the number of neighbourhood officers assigned to this area.”
She added: “This year has seen a significant decline in antisocial incidents compared to the previous 12 months, while reports of shoplifting incidents have also reduced.”
Inspector Chapman said neighbourhood police teams were working with schools, officers, safer transport teams and mounted branch police to disrupt and deter antisocial behaviour at times and locations when such offences were noted to be most common. She said the police work closely with Greenwich Council’s Safer Spaces Teams and their wardens to target antisocial behaviour and address safety concerns.
The inspector added that the police were working closely with business groups and shops in the area to reduce shoplifting and theft. A Greenwich Council spokesperson told the LDRS that the authority had invested £1.3 million in proactive measures to improve community safety. They added that the council works closely with the police and other partners to identify high crime areas for extra police and enforcement officers to be deployed to.
They said: “It’s Our Greenwich mission to make sure everyone is and feels safe and we’re proud to be investing in new resources to support this. Eltham is a thriving town centre, with a vibrant high street, a fantastic mix of shops and award-winning green spaces which have greatly benefited from significant council investment over recent years, including
New Labour MP refuses to give up his council seat
By Ben Lynch
Local Democracy Reporter
a new London MP will not be giving up his seat on a local council and will juggle both roles, though he’s said he will not take the allowance for being a councillor on top of his MP salary.
Ben Coleman (pictured), the Labour MP for Chelsea and Fulham and former Deputy Leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, took the parliamentary seat from the Conservatives for the first time at this summer’s General Election.
This comes week after Jim Dickson, who represents the Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction ward in Lambeth, also said he will continue in his role despite having been elected as an MP. He told the LDRS there will be a byelection, but that residents and officers ‘deserve a rest’ after ‘two major elections in the last three months’.
Mr Coleman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) on the night
that he was “absolutely delighted” to have won the seat, and that he is “determined to do the best I can for everybody in the constituency”. But he will be balancing his new role of representing people in Westminster with advocating for his ward constituents on Hammersmith and Fulham Council, something critics argue he can’t effectively do.
First elected to the West London council in 2014, Mr Coleman was also the local authority’s Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care. Following July’s general election, Mr Coleman stood down from his Cabinet and Deputy Leader roles.
He still however appears as a councillor for the Lillie ward, which is located within his parliamentary constituency, on Hammersmith and Fulham’s website.
A council spokesperson confirmed Mr Coleman remains as a councillor, though said he no longer receives payment for his work, through the councillor’s allowance which equates to £11,520 a year However on his parliamentary register
of interests, Mr Coleman lists having received £1,354 from the council on July 15 for roughly 20 hours work. The LDRS understands this is because he decided at the end of July to refuse his councillor allowance moving forward. He returned his Deputy Leader allowance, which had been paid by the council in its July payroll, and subsequently decided to also reimburse his basic allowance from July 5 onwards. He will still receive the £91,346, plus expenses he gets as an MP Mr Coleman is now reportedly waiting for Hammersmith and Fulham to confirm the sum to return, following which the Register of Interests will be amended accordingly. A spokesperson for Mr Coleman told the LDRS: “Ben chose to give up his councillor allowance after the election, but as his local ward is also part of his parliamentary constituency, he continues to represent and support its residents as he has done for the last 10 years.”
Cllr Victoria Brocklebank-Fowler, Leader of the Conservative opposition
on the council, said she would like to congratulate Mr Coleman on his success in July. However, she added she has “very grave concerns” regarding him remaining as a councillor. “The residents of Lillie ward deserve a dedicated councillor for their many pressing questions and issues with LBHF (London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham) Council,” she said. “I have my doubts that Coleman can perform two important political jobs to the standard expected, whether he’s paid or not.”
Cllr Brocklebank-Fowler further suggested Labour are “frightened” to hold a by-election in the ward because they might lose the seat. In response, a Hammersmith and Fulham Labour spokesperson said: “Given the Conservatives’ appalling record in Hammersmith and Fulham, including selling off housing estates, attempting to shut Charing Cross Hospital, lack of engagement in the council scrutiny process and even asking residents to drive across the borough to attend
upgrading street lighting.”
The spokesperson said the council runs the Business Crime Reduction Partnership in Eltham, a service that collaborates with businesses and the police to address issues such as shoplifting, vandalism, and public disorder. They claimed this had helped businesses adopt measures to prevent crime and ensured the area remained a welcoming and secure place for all.
They added: “Eltham is also home to one of our five Safehaven Superhubs, which are safe spaces for people to go in an emergency, and we work with Charlton Athletic to engage with young people on the high street twice a week. More widely, we have just launched a campaign which gave residents and visitors safety tips around theft prevention, to help ensure our borough stays safe.”
councillor surgeries, we won’t be taking any lessons from them on representing and supporting residents.”
Cllr Sharon Holder, Cabinet Member for Public Realm and Lead Member for Inclusive Community Engagement and Co-production, is the other Lillie ward representative. Mr Coleman is one of a number of London councillors elected to Parliament in the summer.n.
Maureen Metcalfe, 82, shown on Eltham High Street. Photos by Joe Coughlan
Norma Small, 77,
Sacred Heart Catholic School is an outstanding 11-18 educational institution which achieved outstanding grades from Ofsted in every category during our recent inspection in November 2023.
We have consistently topped the borough league tables for GCSE results for two decades and are among the top schools in the country for progress made between the ages of 11 and 16, with a ‘Progress 8’ score of 1.38 last year which placed us 12th out of a national total of over 6,000 schools an incredible achievement.
We possess a state of the art
building and a highly successful Sixth Form, which has sent students to both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, as well as many other Russell Group institutions. Sacred Heart students embark on degree courses in Medicine, Law, Languages, Architecture and Engineering, to name but a few.
We are a school which believes in living our Catholic faith, as demonstrated by our caring ethos and systems of pastoral support, as well as our extensive charity work in the local community and abroad. Our school also offers an abundance of extra-curricular activities and opportunities, – in the last few years, students have travelled to Thailand, New York, Santiago, Paris, Marseille, Iceland and Barcelona, as well as participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme to Gold Level.
The top performing state school in Southwark for the majority of the past 20 years 2024 GCSE results 91% Grade 4+ English and Maths 74% Grade 5+ English and Maths 89% Grade 4+ in at least two Sciences 2024 A Level results
Tours of the School will be available, the last tour will be at 5pm. The Headteacher will address parents at 5.00pm and 6.00pm
london’s First lgbtq+ cinema is set to open in bermondsey
By Robert Firth Local Democracy Reporter
London’S FirST LGBTQ+ cinema is set to open in a Bermondsey picture house empty for over a year and a half.
Simon Burke and Piers Greenlees, the duo behind Southwark queer pub
The Rising SE1, plan to open cinema and cocktail bar The Arzner in a venue formerly home to Kino Bermondsey in
late 2024.
Speaking last week, Simon Burke said the LGBTQ+ venue would give visitors ‘access to art house and independent film.’
He told a Southwark Council licensing meeting on Thursday, September 12:
“We are currently the only LGBTQ+ pub in SE1 and this to our knowledge will be the only LGBTQ+ cinema in all of London. This licence will allow us to operate a safe space for all in one of the most LGBTQ+ densely populated areas of the country.”
The cinema in Bermondsey Square, South London will have one screen with room for up to 50 spectators. The full venue, including the bar, will have space for 150 customers. But Mr Burke said he would be ‘surprised’ if it ever reached full capacity.
Kino Bermondsey, the space’s former occupant, shut down in January 2023 after not paying rent for 18 months. Plans were submitted to allow the cinema venue to be used as a shop, restaurant or fitness
studio in autumn 2023, but were later withdrawn after the council advised the proposals were unlikely to be successful.
Burke and his business partner Piers Greenlees opened the area’s first LGBTQ+ pub, The Rising SE1, in April last year. He said the addition of The Arzner would double the number of permanent queer venues in the SE1 district.
A Southwark Council licensing committee gave the new cinema and bar permission to open until 11pm Sunday to Wednesday and until midnight from Thursday to Saturday.
A representative from a local residents’ association said she was ‘delighted’ that a cinema was planning to reopen in the space, but added that she had concerns about extra noise the new venue might create. In response, Mr Burke stressed that The Arzner was ‘not a club’. He added: “This is about having a safe space that people can predominantly relax in rather than being a loud live music venue.”
nightclub bid re F used a F ter owner admits ‘we don’t K now nothing’ Wetherspoons to open pub in former London Dungeon
By Robert Firth
Local Democracy Reporter
a woman has had her bid to open a nightclub in a Walworth railway arch turned down after admitting to councillors that she didn’t know anything about running a late night venue.
Lina Usma had asked Southwark Council for permission to open club Barrio Latino until 4am in a residential area.
Speaking at a council licensing meeting on Thursday September, 12, she apologised for oversights that meant the venue opened illegally in July before it had a licence, blaming the error on a former manager and her team’s lack of experience.
She said: “Sergio [the previous manager] is no longer working with us. It was our mistake to delegate it to someone who [made] lots of mistakes. […] It’s our first time running this kind of business. We don’t know nothing.”
Neighbours told the same meeting that the location wasn’t appropriate for a club and claimed they had already experienced nuisance from the venue operating unlawfully.
Resident Giada Migliavacca said:
“There aren’t many restaurants or shops where we are located… This area is very quiet. I don’t understand why a club opening here would be considered for a business that hasn’t been following their own regulations before. It doesn’t give me any confidence they will in the future.”
Paul, another resident, who didn’t give his surname, added: “The noise from the venue is a public nuisance and occurs when people are entering the venue but also loitering on the street after the venue closes.
“I have a video from April of a drunken fistfight outside my flat on a Sunday of early hours. We complained to the management… but nothing changed.”
The local police and the local authority’s licensing team objected to the application, while Southwark Council’s environmental health and trading standards departments raised concerns about aspects of the proposal.
A licensing committee made up of Councillor Suzanne Abachor, Cllr Barrie Hargrove and Cllr Sunny Lambe rejected the application.
By Herbie Russell
Jd W ETHEr SPoon could be opening a new pub inside the former London dungeon attraction.
The Sun Wharf pub would be inside the arches at 50 Tooley Street and open from 6.30am to 12.30am daily
The name is believed to reference to one of the wharves east of London Bridge where imports from Australia once arrived. The space housed The London Dungeon, an iconic Merlin Entertainments-owned attraction, until 2013.
After that, it moved to County Hall on the South Bank as part of a redevelopment of London Bridge Station.
The last Tooley Street tour took place
on January 31, 2013, and had sections including The Great Plague, Blood and Guts, Boat Ride to Hell and Sweeney Todd.
Network Rail has previously complained that the space was hard to let. In 2017, the rail provider wrote: “The residual premises provide a very poor quality environment. The former user (London Dungeon) was somewhat unusual in so far as the poor quality environment was its main attraction.
“NR Commercial Property has been unable to identify other potential D2 users willing to lease the residual space in its current state.”
News of the new London Bridge pub comes following the opening of Wetherspoon’s The Lion & The Unicorn at Waterloo Station.
Kino Cinema in Bermondsey closed its doors in 2023
The Rising SE1 founders Simon Burke and Piers Greenlees
JD Wetherspoon has applied for a licence at 50 Tooley Street.
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
Check to make sure you’re not missing out on benefits
Cost of living support available now
Get
help with food costs
Seek debt advice
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
Lambeth Council and local charities are here to help during the cost of living crisis.
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
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 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
Get 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 can be found: bit.ly/495zPPI
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/
SCAN
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/3w4DvCX
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
ME
Social tariffs are cheaper broadband and phone packages for people claiming some benefits. You can see information about the tariffs available to you on the Ofgem website: bit.ly/4briKS4
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
Co-educational secondary (ages 11-18)
Year 6
Open Events
2024
Mornings
Tuesday 1st October 9am – 10:30am
Wednesday 2nd October 9am – 10.30am
Tuesday 8th October 9am – 10.30am
Evening
Thursday 3rd October 5pm – 7pm
Sixth Form Open Event
Thursday 14th November 5pm– 7pm
www.trinity.futureacademies.org
56 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1QS
T: 020 3126 4993
E: admissions@trinity.futureacademies.org
Thursday 12th September 5:00pm — 7:30pm
OPEN MORNINGS
Saturday 14th September 10:00am — 12:00pm
Wednesday 18th & Thursday 19th September 9:00am — 10:30am
Wednesday 4th & Thursday 5th October 9:00am — 10:30am
Open Evening: September 19th 6pm - 8pm
Open Mornings: September 17th, 18th
October 3rd, 4th 10am Compassionate... Reflective... Inclusive... Supportive... Transformative...
Advertorial
Southwark’s youngest councillor, Joseph Vambe, was recently the guest of honour at a local SE1 primary school to open their new Nursery and Reception playground
Joseph, Labour councillor for Chaucer ward, was welcomed to the school to officiate at the opening ceremony and see the new development.
As a proud local resident, Joseph was also able to spend time with older school children at Friars to share inspirational messages from his life journey, where he won the first ‘Stormzy’ scholarship to Cambridge University and is now an elected representative in Southwark.
During his visit, Joseph discovered the unique learning opportunities that Friars early years outdoor area provides. These include a stimulating mixture of structures appropriate for wet and dry weather, climbing and physical exercise spaces, creative play, quiet areas and sensory plant and tree zones.
Joseph observed “As a former member of Southwark’s Education Commission, I understand the opportunities all children should have and I’m excited to see a school offering such a varied outdoor learning and development environment.”
Professional playground designer, Robert Fairley, from London School Playground
classes to have an exciting outdoor area to explore with their peers.”
The playground development completes the current phase of Friars’ medium-term investment programme which started with the construction of a dance and music studio, IT and technology suite and art and design studio.
Headteacher Jo Wratten commented, “We are proud of the investments we are making in our educational facilities that all pupils will benefit from. The children are very excited to use these new spaces and keen to engage in their learning opportunities. The school’s leadership team and Governors have worked to ensure financial resources continue to be carefully invested for our pupil’s benefit both now and in the future. We are looking forward to further developments as part of our investment programme which is due to run for several more years.”
Friars is a one form entry Southwark local authority foundation primary school situated between Waterloo and Borough in the Borough and Bankside area of Southwark. For any parents of prospective pupils interested in visiting the school please contact the office to attend one of the scheduled tours or make a booking through the website.
Design ensured the complex has a broad range of activities, complementing the rest of the school’s vibrant grounds and sports facilities.
Early Years lead Claire Foster explained, “Young children are always learning and it’s very important for nursery and reception
Open Days:
• Tuesday, 24th September – 9:15 AM to 10:30 AM
• Wednesday, 2nd October – 9:15 AM to 10:30 AM
• Monday, 7th October – 9:15 AM to 10:30 AM Academy Tour: 9:15 AM Principal’s Talk: 10:00 AM
Open Evening:
• Thursday, 26th September – 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM Principal’s Talk: 4:30 PM, 5:15 PM, 6:00 PM Academy Tours available throughout the evening.
Meet Mabel: HAB’s friendly School therapy dog.
does sadiq Khan have a grip on the metropolitan p olice?
By Noah Vickers Local Democracy Reporter
saDiQ khan faced questions last week over his grip on the Metropolitan Police, after a report last month found that the force is failing in almost all areas of its work.
The mayor was told by Tory assembly member Lord Bailey that “black children are dying on the streets of London because someone in this building is not doing their job properly”
Mr Khan said the Met had undergone a “significant” transformation under his administration, while also blaming the impact of the last Conservative government’s austerity programme.
The topic was raised at Mayor’s Question Time following the publication last month of a new report into the Met by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS)
The force was assessed across nine areas and was graded as either “requires improvement” or “inadequate” in seven of those – including in ‘investigating crime’.
Liberal Democrat assembly member Gareth Roberts questioned whether it was right for Sophie Linden, Mr Khan’s policing deputy, to remain in post for the next four years – given the Met’s failings.
“We’ve had scandal after scandal, failure after failure, devastating report after devastating report,” he said, before asking: “What is it going to take for you to lose confidence in your deputy mayor for policing?”
Mr Khan said he had “full confidence” in Ms Linden, who has held the role since he first took office in 2016. He also credited her with undertaking several key pieces of work in the police force, including her review of the Met’s “gangs matrix” and her
decision to refer the Met’s investigation into the “Grindr killer” Stephen Port for an inspection by HMICFRS.
But Lord Bailey, who stood against the Labour mayor in the 2021 mayoral election, asked if the mayor would take a more hands-on approach to ensure the Met improves as quickly as possible.
“Do you think it’s time that you now take a closer role, a personal role, in scrutinising the police and helping MOPAC [the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime]?” he asked.
The mayor pointed to his decision to set up the London Policing Board, a body of experts in policing and community outreach, chaired by Mr Khan, which holds the Met to account on how it is reforming itself.
“We will make sure we do what we can to support and hold the police to account, but you can’t take away from the consequences of the last 14 years,” he said, referring to the Conservatives’ post2010 austerity policy.
Lord Bailey pressed him however: “Notwithstanding all of the reassurances we’ve had from the deputy mayor, which now feel very hollow, I’m asking you to directly do something.
“This is important. In my own community, our children are being murdered at quite a rate. We’d like someone to support us in scrutinising the Met to do better.”
The mayor replied that was “not the evidence” in the report, and he encouraged Lord Bailey “to read” the report.
Lord Bailey hit back, saying: “Londoners will be hugely disappointed by that dismissive answer, to what is the single most important thing happening to London today.
“Black children are dying on the streets
of London, because somebody in this building is not doing their job properly.”
Susan Hall, the Tory assembly member and former mayoral candidate, told Mr Khan that over his eight years “the Met, quite honestly, has gone backwards”. She asked him how he can believe that the force is “heading in the right direction”, as he said following the report’s publication in August.
“The size and the scale of the transformation being carried out by the Met Police is significant,” said Mr Khan. He stressed that Scotland Yard “now recognise there are problems, there is now a plan to address those problems, the Inspectorate [report] was a snapshot before those plans have had a chance to be actioned”.
He added: “Over the course of the next few months, you’ll see those plans actioned and we’re hoping that will lead to the changes that the HMICFRS talked about.”
c ity h all sta FF told to wor K F rom home amid F ears over passengers' banK details being exposed, a F ter
cyber-attac K on transport unit
By Noah Vickers Local Democracy Reporter
sTaff aT City Hall were told to disconnect from the WiFi, switch off their devices and work from home instead, as precautions were taken following the impacts of a cyber-attack on Transport for London (TfL).
It came as the National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed that a teenager had been arrested in connection with the incident last week.
TfL said some customers’ sort codes and bank account details could have been accessed by hackers during what they called an “ongoing cyber security incident”.
The NCA said a 17-year-old boy was arrested in Walsall on September 5 on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act
offences. The cyber attack was first reported on September 2. He was questioned by NCA officers and has since been bailed.
As a precautionary measure at City Hall, while preparations were made for a full reset of the Greater London Authority’s WiFi network on Thursday afternoon, staff were told to ensure their devices were completely turned off and to use their home internet as a temporary measure.
Shashi Verma, TfL’s chief technology officer, said: “The security of our systems and customer data is very important to us.
“We continually monitor who is accessing our systems to ensure only those authorised can gain access. We identified some suspicious activity on Sunday 1 September and took action to limit access. A thorough investigation
continues alongside the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre.
“Although there has been very little impact on our customer so far, the situation continues to evolve and our investigations have identified that certain customer data has been accessed. This includes some customer names and contact details (including email addresses and home addresses where provided).
“Some Oyster card refund data may also have been accessed. This could include bank account numbers and sort codes for a limited number of customers. As a precautionary measure, we will be contacting these customers directly as soon as possible to advise them of the support we can provide and the steps they can take.
“We have notified the Information Commissioner’s Office and are working
at pace with our partners to progress the investigation…
“In addition, as part of the measures we have implemented to deal with the cyber incident, we have today put in place additional measures to improve our security. This includes an all-staff IT identity check. Throughout this planned process we have ensured that all safety critical systems and processes have been maintained.
“We do not expect any significant impact to customer journeys as we carry out this process. However, temporary and limited disruption is possible to some services so, as ever, please check before you travel… “We will continue to keep our customers and our staff updated. I would like to apologise for the inconvenience this incident may cause customers and I thank everyone for their patience as we respond to this incident.”
Sadiq Khan
Lord Bailey
City Hall in the Royal Docks, east London. Photo by Noah Vickers
par K Football pitch F or 'deprived' K ids in b rixton 'unplayable' a F ter music F estivals
By Herbie Russell
a fooTBa LL pitch used by “deprived” children has been destroyed by music festivals in Brockwell Park, furious locals have said.
Shards of “plastic and metal” are “embedded” and “divots” mean the ball is “bouncing off in funny directions,” locals told this paper.
Scores of residents have slammed Lambeth Council’s decision to hold six days of music events in just ten days this summer over its impact on the ecology and local well-being.
The St Matthew's Project, a children's football organisation serving 350 children in Brixton, many from impoverished backgrounds, appears to be the latest victim.
The club works with young people living within the most deprived 10 per cent for crime and living environment nationally, according to its website
Since 2005, players had used a pitch in Brockwell Park, but a 2023 Pokémon Go festival forced them to play two miles away in Clapham Common
Rather than cancel future events, Lambeth Council handed new contracts to party organisers, meaning 130,000 revellers descended in June and July
With the new season weeks away, the side looks set to be banished from their home ground once again.
Ellie Laycock, whose son plays for St Matthews FC, said: “It’s no longer flat, so the ball is bouncing off in funny directions, which increases the risk of injury for children.
“We travel to other pitches, and they’re all in really good condition. They come to Brixton, and it’s all just a mess, and it’s not fair on the kids.”
She added: “It’s already in a very deprived community. Parents want to come and support their kids, but if you’re asking people on low incomes to suddenly get buses [to pitches
elsewhere] to support their kids, not everyone has enough money to do that.”
City Splash, held in July, coincided with heavy rainfall, and shocking footage showed attendees slipping and sliding through what locals branded a ‘mud bath’.
Lambeth Council has attempted to resurface the area, but locals have posted disturbing photos of birds eating the grass seed that has been laid.
Richard Quinlan, a regular park-goer, said: “It’s still scarred and hasn’t grown back. As far as I know, they [Lambeth Council] were doing seeding, but none of that has taken because it’s been quite dry.
“Most of the grass seed has been blown away or eaten by pigeons.”
In July, locals made a desperate plea to Lambeth Council at a public meeting to reassess events and protect local ecology.
They read a statement from St Matthews sharing dismay at losing “our home” and that it was “unlikely” the pitch would be ready for this season.
Councillor Donatus Anyanwu responded by saying that events were part of Lambeth’s “unique cultural identity” and the income was used to “maintain open space.”
Approached for comment, a Lambeth Council spokesperson said: “The sporting facilities at Brockwell Park are highly valued and we are committed to maintaining them as well-loved and well-used community amenities. We have carried out a number of works to protect the pitches and to ensure that long-term improvements in the playing surface.
“The council is committed to addressing concerns about the impact of events held in Brockwell Park – for example, by moving events to earlier in the year and compressing the schedule so that the park is free of further events across the summer.
“All the costs of restoring the ground
back to its original condition are met by event producers as part of our terms and conditions, and we spend £500,000 a year on maintaining and improving Brockwell Park.
“We’ve undertaken an initial set of remediation works on the football pitch and more works are scheduled for this month - including a different method of sowing seed deeper. We’ll also be using a special sports turf seed mix which should result in a better quality playing surface once it is established. St Matthew’s also have two other football pitches in Brockwell Park.”
Shards of “plastic and metal” are “embedded” and “divots” mean the ball is “bouncing off in funny directions,” locals told us
Paraorchestra to perform immersive classical concert at Southbank Centre this month
By Isabel Ramirez
a n orchesTra made up of professional disabled and nondisabled musicians is set to perform an immersive symphony concert at the Southbank Centre.
Paraorchestra - the first of its kind in the UK - will perform Polish composer Henryk Górecki's Symphony No. 3, Op. 36, conducted by Charles Hazlewood and featuring the acclaimed soprano Victoria Oruwari.
Also known as Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, the hauntingly beautiful piece is a meditation on loss and transcendence.
Coming to the Clore Ballroom of the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday 29 September, it will be staged like a large sonic installation. Audience members
will be free to walk through the orchestra and around the musicians as they play.
It will create an immersive live music experience that has proven popular at the recent Proms premiere of The Virtuous Circle, and Drone Refractions, which was performed at the Southbank Centre earlier this year.
Each of its three movements features a Polish lament, exploring themes of motherhood, grief, and the heartache of war. It includes a message inscribed on a Gestapo prison cell wall from a teenage girl to her mother and a folk song about a mother who has lost her son in the Silesian civil war.
Paraorchestra will also perform the work in Manchester and Dublin, where it will be presented in front of a seated
audience. At these performances, they will also hear Paraorchestra play Gustav Mahler’s appropriation of Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No 14 in D minor D 810 (Death and the Maiden), arranged for string orchestra.
When: Sunday 29 September
Two shows: 5:30pm and 8:30pm
Where: The Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
Admission: From £15
Booking information for the London show can be found at www. southbankcentre.co.uk
Suitable for classical and contemporary music lovers and people wanting an immersive live music performance - anyone seeking musical adventure.
A previous performance of theirs (credit:
Paraorchestra)
what’s on
the remarkable walter tull
Gr EEn W iCH THE aTr E , as part of Black History Month, will be hosting our Little Hour, which tells the inspirational story of the pioneering, black footballer Walter Tull, writes Michael Holland...
Written by award-winning playwright
Dougie Blaxland and composer Chris Anthony, and starring Leon Newman, Neil Reidman and Susie Broadbent, Our Little Hour explores how Walter Tull – grandson of a Barbadian slave – orphaned at eight years old, rose to prominence against all odds.
Walter was the first black footballer to play at the highest level of the domestic game - at Tottenham Hotspur - then went on to achieve yet another historic breakthrough as the first man of his heritage to be commissioned as an Officer in the British Army.
Tragically killed in action just a few weeks before the end of World War 1, Walter’s achievements have earned him a distinguished place in British history and in the hearts of everyone who knows his story.
Dougie Blaxland’s route to becoming a writer was ‘circuitous’, he says, and it was that journey which intrigued me enough to ask for this interview.
After reading English at Kent University and then an MPhil research degree at Bristol University ‘where my thesis was about 18th Century Theatre’, Dougie became a professional cricketer for Kent and then Derbyshire.
Sporting careers are notoriously short so when cricket run itself out the intrepid allrounder reverted back to his educational
qualifications and took up teaching English.
‘I then found myself getting promoted - ending up as Head of two secondary schools in the South West,’ he says.
Howzat?, I wanted to ask, but I was now wondering where the playwriting fitted in.
‘I started writing plays as a teacher when I was responsible for directing school plays and discovered that I couldn’t find plays with parts for young adults - so I started writing my own.’
Adapting to the needs of the students and the school led to Dougie winning numerous writing awards. He also created his own niche of penning plays about his sporting heroes
(Colin Milburn Jonny Wilkinson, Chris Lewis…) and after a play about footballer Laurie Cunningham was well received on a UK tour he was approached by Show Racism the Red Card to write a play about Walter Tull.
And to add to that something extra, he chose to turn the play into a musical!
‘Mainly because I had never written the book and lyrics for a musical before and I wanted to break new ground… and also because we felt that music would enhance and add drama and feeling to Walter’s great story.’
Having reached great heights in sport and teaching I was quite surprised to hear Dougie say it was the playwriting that gave him the most satisfaction: ‘I find writing plays the most fulfilling because I have the absolute freedom to explore and write about areas and subjects of my choice. In many ways it brings together all of my interests: my love of sport, my
as i sat in the Union bar waiting for the theatre doors to open, nathan Taylor, one of the three cast, burst through them in a white toga, gold boots, a tiara of shooting stars and angel wings before jumping atop a table and giving us a great rendition of The Eurythmics’ There Must Be an angel, writes Michael Holland...
love of literature, creative arts and my fascination with what makes people tick.’
An explanation I could not argue with.
Dougie Blaxland, said of Our Little Hour: ‘I am so pleased that organisations like Show Racism The Red Card are exploring new ways of engaging people in their campaign against racism - and
member, went scuttling sheepishly past, muttering, ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry,’ that we realised Nathan was covering for Stuart’s tardiness.
But it was great impromptu fun while it lasted and a good smother for his colleague.
Inside we find our two men, Tom(Nathan) and Drew, post-party on a Fire Island beach, tipsy, happy and more than a little flirty. When the kissing suddenly began they had to desist and reveal their long-term relationships at home before putting a little distance between themselves in order the maintain fidelity to their significant others.
They continued talking with lust smouldering in their eyes but staying faithful to their men at home.
What an opening I thought while checking the programme to see how Tim McArthur’s true tale of Small Town Boys could possibly begin like this
Mr Taylor then went on to give a little drag act routine to keep us amused and out of the theatre. It was only when Stuart Simons, another cast
Eventually the discussion turned to where they came from and neither of them could believe that they - with their nice English accents - both hailed from Middlesborough where a north-east dialect is strong.
They talked about the clubs they frequented, schools they went to, places they avoided and how they first came out… Their discussion covered the problems in the gay community in the
I hope that audiences feel inspired by Walter Tull. Orphaned at just 8 years old and subjected to dreadful racial abuse he nonetheless rose to achieve two remarkable firsts:
The first Black British footballer to play in the top division of our domestic game; the first Black British Army Officer to lead men in combat!’
early 90s, highlighting that life hasn’t improved that much for young people 30 years on.
Another spark was added to the dynamic and the play picked up the pace when they realised they had both dated Jason(Dominic Charman) at the same time, the boy with ‘beautiful blue eyes’.
Scenes were played out through flashbacks to their teen years, we - and Tom and Drew - discover how Jason had played them both as they fell for his charms. This new knowledge created mixed emotions, forcing them to relive and re-evaluate all the long-ago memories they had of their relationship with Jason.
And then it all comes to a close when Tom says, ‘This would make a great story; I think I’ll write it as a play.’
Is it a great story? It’s merely a coincidence that would make an excellent anecdote whenever the topic of coincidences or old relationships comes up in conversation. Life is a series of coincidences and this one connected two people to a town when they were thousands of miles away and opened up another connection with a third person.
Is it a good play? It is nicely directed and
And now we all have the opportunity to see that story told.
acted, but merely shows how mundane life can be for 90% of the time if written as it actually happened. Unless this minidrama is embellished with excitement then it is just reminiscing. Should it have been made into a play? Yes, absolutely, because without addressing, on stage and screen, the problems facing the LGBT+ community, then the problems depicted in Small Town Boys will always remain in society and not become the norm, as they should be.
That community still need safe places to go where they can talk openly about their experiences and theatre is one of them. Plus, it’s a learning curve for heterosexuals in the audience; I found out I’m a Honey Bear and not a Twink! PS. When the photos arrived from the PR people I noticed that Nathan’s Angel routine was among them, so maybe that was a part of the play and not just a distraction.
Photo by Dave Bird
History
how b
roc K well h all’s restoration is
re K indling memories oF when
the par
K was wartime Farmland and training grounds
By Herbie Russell
BroCKWELL Ha LL , a Georgian-
era ‘country house’ in the centre of Brockwell Park, saw its future hang in the balance during the late 19th century. 100 tumultuous years later, the stunning hall is undergoing a restoration set to reinstate the building as the centerpiece of the park.
Surprisingly, the hall predates Brockwell Park. While the 125-acre parkland officially opened in 1892, the current Brockwell Hall was built between 1811 and 1813. Since then, its walls have witnessed the park grow around it; becoming grazing land for wartime farm animals and a training ground for squaddies.
But in the early 18th century, the area around Herne Hill and south Brixton was a rural idyll - very different from the urban sprawl people know today.
Large estates and country houses were scattered across rolling fields, owned by wealthy merchants and landowners seeking residence or a temporary
retreat from the bustle of London.
Among those opulent families was that of John Blades, the capital’s most significant glass manufacturer, known for supplying glassware to George III and other Royal Family members. He purchased part of what was called the Brockwell Estate and commissioned architect D. R. Roper to design a stately mansion for him and his family.
The result was Brockwell Hall.
Constructed from yellow stock bricks with stone dressings, the building was carefully nestled along the ridge of the hill. This allowed it a commanding view of London without being too overbearing on its surrounding landscape. The design was a reflection of the Regency style, characterised by symmetrical form, restrained ornamentation, and spacious interiors.
A £3.3 million project to restore the hall, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, is currently underway and eagerly anticipated by locals. The main building will be refurbished and become a public space for exhibitions, businesses, and community
events. It will also house a café and accommodation for local volunteers.
For enthusiasts of local history, the restoration comes as a relief. Such a large investment shows Brockwell Hall is recognised as a key feature of the historic park. However, it has not always been that way.
In 1888, the estate was inherited by John Blades’ grandson. However, he was hospitalised due to mental decline, and Brockwell was put up for sale. Brockwell Hall, and its surrounding land, hung in the balance. Nobody knew if the new owners would be sympathetic to the important property. Fortunately, the estate drew the attention of Conservative MP Thomas Lynn Bristowe, the first parliamentary representative for the new Norwood constituency. It just so happened that the Lambeth Vestry had gained permission to create a public park near Brixton Hill and had a site in mind not far from Brockwell Hall. But Bristowe, a stockbroker by trade, spied a good deal.
The Brockwell Estate was significantly
bigger than the originally planned site, so Bristowe began a campaign to raise funds to buy the land and save it for the public. Bristowe even took a bill through parliament, and his hard work was rewarded in 1892, when the newly created Brockwell Park was formally opened.
Tragically, at the ceremony on the steps of Brockwell Hall, Bristowe suddenly collapsed and died from a heart attack. A stone drinking fountain with a bust of the late MP was placed in the park as a memorial in 1893, but in the 1950s it was demolished. During World War II, the park suffered damage from bombing, but Brockwell Hall survived largely intact.
From its prime position, Brockwell Hall has witnessed the park undergo immense change through the generations. Thanks to Bristowe’s efforts in securing the land as a public space, sheep needed for wool were allowed to graze the land. Within the wall of Brockwell Hall, The Wellcome Physiological Research Laboratories researched vaccines for diphtheria,
typhoid, and typhus – as well as antigas serums.
In WW2, the park was used for training exercises by the forces, and parkland was set aside for allotments and ‘Pig Clubs’, where communities kept shared pigs during rationing so they had a local source of meat. In peacetime, Brockwell returned to recreational use. The 1937 art deco lido was eventually joined by tennis courts, a BMX track, children’s playground, and miniature railway. In recent times, the park has also held a special place in the heart of one of our most famous – and celebrated – south Londoners, Adele, as it inspired her song “Million Years Ago”, about her youth spent in Brockwell Park. In 2015, she told a reporter she would not be playing any festivals that year as she preferred to be “sitting in Brockwell Park with my friends drinking cider”. With the restoration of Brockwell Hall expected to conclude later this year, locals could well be enjoying the Grade II*-listed property for years to come.
An 1820 image of Brockwell Park Hall. Credit- London Metropolitan Archives
Found bust hidden in the undergrowth (c) Herne Hill Society
A 1914 photograph of Brockwell Hall, just as the WWI was beginning
Postcard of Brockwell Park, Lambeth, London, circa 1900 – 1930. Image: Historic England
London Borough of Lambeth SITE NOTICE
Former Charles Edward Brooke School, Cormont Road, Myatt’s Field, London, SE5 9RE
Consultation on change of use of playing fields for education purposes in advance of an application under Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (as amended).
London Borough of Lambeth is consulting local schools and the public about the site of the former Charles Edward Brooke School at Cormont Road, Myatt’s Field, London, SE5 9RE.
The former Charles Edward Brooke school was formerly a maintained secondary school, which closed in 2012. The playgrounds were used to accommodate temporary decant buildings for the Saint Gabriel’s College while refurbishment works were undertaken to their school building on Langham Road. The site has otherwise been unoccupied and remains vacant today.
The Lambeth Local Education Authority has confirmed that the site is no longer required to meet education needs and is surplus to requirement.
The former school site has an overall area of some 0.59 hectares of which 0.29 hectares are classed as playing field land.
Though no formal decision has yet been made, it is expected that the site may be brought forward for redevelopment or conversion of the site for housing. Any proceeds arising from this are expected to be reinvested into the local authority’s school estate.
London Borough of Lambeth has invited primary schools within a 0.5-mile radius and secondary schools within a 1-mile radius of the site to express an interest, should they wish to do so, in using the playing fields (comprising the tarmacked areas around the school) in connection with their school, in their current condition.
Comments from those wishing to express a view on these proposals are also invited. Those wishing to respond to this consultation can do so by contacting HousingDeliveryTeam@lambeth.gov.uk.
Expressions of interest must be submitted by 1st November 2024.
This consultation is being undertaken in advance of an expected application to the Secretary of State for Education for change of use or disposal of the site under Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (as amended by Education Act 2011) and Schedule 1 of the Academies Act 2010. This will be subject to a future decision by the council and residents are advised that London Borough of Lambeth intends to consult on the wider future of the site at a later date.
Perfected Lien Security Interest –Stephen William Rudman
School
i, a man, Stephen William Rudman, hold a perfected Lien Security Interest in and over the public indemnity insurance policy(s) and all real and moveable property of the following:
DAVID JOSEPH DUFFY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CLYDESDALE BANK PLC, 177 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, G2 7ER; and
CLYDESDALE BANK PLC, 177 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, G2 7ER.
Lien Debtors are jointly and severally liable for the total sum certain of £774,368,400.00 Interested parties should contact Stephen William Rudman, privately, via email swr@tidc1.com
Notice of application for a Premises Licence.
Notice is hereby given that Miss Alessandra GIANSANTI & Mrs Elisabeth BOLOGNINI have applied to Richmond Council for a new premises licence at Girasole, 154 High Street, Teddington, TW11 8HZ for Sale of Alcohol – On and Off the premises. Monday to Sunday – 0800 hours to 23.00 hours
Any person who wishes to make a representation in relation to this application must give notice in writing by 10th October 2024 stating the grounds for making said representation to: Wandsworth Licensing Authority, Regulatory Services Partnership (Serving Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils) Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 5DX or by email: licensing@merton.gov.uk
The record of this application may be inspected Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays) by prior appointment at the offices of Wandsworth Licensing Authority, Regulatory Services Partnership (Serving Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils) Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden,Surrey, SM4 5DX between the hours of 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. Information on all new and variation applications received by the Licensing Authority can be viewed on the Council’s website www.wandsworth.gov.uk
It is an offence, under section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003, to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in or in connection with an application, punishable upon conviction by an unlimited fine.
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
Notice Under The Town and Country Planning Acts
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council is considering applications as set out below under the following categories;
FUL – Full planning permission
LB – Listed Building Consent
ADV – Advertisement Consent
Written representations should be made within three weeks of the date of this advertisement to the Director of Planning, PO Box 734, Winchester SO23 5DG. Any comments made are open to inspection by the public and in the event of an appeal may be referred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Confidential comments cannot be taken into account in determining an application.
Application plans can be viewed online at www.lambeth.gov.uk/searchplanningapps – search using the reference number at the end of each application listing.
265 South Lambeth Road London SW8 1UH Installation of an air source heat pump on south side elevation. 24/02562/FUL
15 The Pavement London SW4 0HY Internal alterations at ground, first, and second floor levels, together with the demolition of the rear ground floor addition and erection of a single storey ground floor infill extension, incorporating 2
but
Consent application is
reference number: 24/02333/FUL). 24/02334/LB
29 Telford Avenue London SW2 4XL Erection of a
storey ground
-
24/02661/FUL Eastman House Poynders Road London SW4 8NQ Upgrade to the rooftop telecommunications, involving the removal of 3 x antennas and 1 x plinth, the installation of 6 x Antennas and 2 x dishes, the relocation of 6 x antennas and 1x dish to 3 x modified freestanding
24/02575/FUL
1 Stannary Street London SE11 4AD Extension to the mezzanine to create an additional bedroom and storage/dressing area, together with the removal of the storage at second floor level including the relocation/replacement of the staircase to Flat 25. 24/02573/LB
87 South Lambeth Road London Lambeth SW8 1RN Replacement of the 4th floor and erection of a 5th floor rooftop; Removal of entrance and seating area; Erection of 5 storey rear extension at all levels together with alterations to car parking spaces and servicing arrangements. 24/02624/FUL
46 Baldry Gardens London Lambeth SW16 3DJ Provision of vehicular crossover and hardstanding. 24/02636/FUL Keybridge House 80 South Lambeth Road London SW8 1RG Change of use of part of the basement with associated access at ground floor level from flexible uses (E(a)-(g), F.1, F.2 (b)-(d), Sui generis (public houses, wine bars or other drinking establishments, including drinking establishments with expanded food provision, cinema, concert halls, bingo halls and dance halls)) to an electric indoor go karting (Sui Generis). 24/02495/FUL
22 Ferndale Road London Lambeth SW4 7SF Replacement of single and double glazed timber and PVCu sash windows with double glazed timber framed sash windows. 24/02388/FUL
10 Cedarville Gardens London Lambeth SW16 3DA Erection of a single storey ground floor rear extension 24/02426/FUL
Dated this Friday 20th September 2024
Bristow Director - Planning, Transport & Sustainability Climate and Inclusive Growth
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Site Plan of Former Charles Edward Brooke
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH INTRODUCTION OF ONE-WAY SYSTEMS, RESTRICTED TRAFFIC MOVEMENTS AND CHANGES TO WAITING, LOADING AND PARKING PLACE RESTRICTIONS CRASTER ROAD, ELM PARK, LEANDER ROAD AND OSTADE ROAD
(NOTE: This Notice is about the introduction of one-way systems in Elm Park and Ostade Road, restricted traffic movements in Craster Road, Elm Park and Ostade Road and changes to waiting, loading, and parking place restrictions in Elm Park, Leander Road and Ostade Road.)
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth on 17th September 2024 made the Lambeth (Charged-For Parking Places) (Amendment No. 42) Order 2024, The Lambeth (Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions) (Amendment No. 46) Order 2024 and The Lambeth (Moving Traffic Restrictions) (Amendment No. 2) Order 2024 under sections 6, 45, 46, 49 and 124 of and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The Orders will come into force on 28th October 2024.
2. The general nature and effect of the Orders will be to:-
(a) introduce one-way systems on:-
(i) Elm Park, south-eastward between the western boundary of No. 79 Elm Park and the western kerb-line of Craster Road; (ii) Ostade Road, north-eastward from the south-western kerb-line of Elm Park south-westward for 10 metres;
(b) ban vehicles proceeding in Ostade Road from turning left into Elm Park, except for bicycles;
(c) ban on vehicles in Craster Road entering Elm Park;
(d) ban on vehicles in Elm Park entering Ostade Road;
(e) introduce an at any time restricted parking zone on Elm Park from a point 1 metre south-east of the common boundary of Nos. 75 and 77 Elm Park, south-eastward to the common boundary of Nos. 103 and 105 Elm Park (In accordance with the usual traffic signs for a Restricted Zone, there will be no yellow lines or kerb-markings to indicate the ban on waiting and loading.);
(f) make changes to the existing waiting, loading, and parking place restrictions on Elm Park, Leander Road and Ostade Road.
2. The Orders are necessary to reduce traffic volumes across the neighbourhood and to deliver improved air quality, improved safety, and create street spaces where people can socialise and play, while preserving motor vehicle access so residents and local businesses can use cars and vans when needed.
3. For further information about the changes in general please email lowtrafficneighbourhoods@lambeth.gov.uk
4. A copy of each of the Orders and other documents giving detailed particulars about them are available online at: https://streets.appyway.com/lambeth or www.lambeth.gov.uk/traffic-management-orders and for inspection at the offices of Lambeth Council’s Parking and Enforcement Group (Parking, Network Management & Fleet), 3rd Floor, Civic Centre, 6 Brixton Hill, London SW2 1EG, between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm on Mondays to Fridays inclusive (except on bank/public holidays), until the last day of a period of six weeks beginning with the date on which the Orders are made, . To arrange inspection please telephone 020 7926 0209 or email: Trafficorders@lambeth.gov.uk
5. If any person wishes to question the validity of the Orders or any of their provisions on the grounds that it or they are not within the powers conferred by the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, or that any requirement of that Act or any instrument made under that Act has not been complied with, that person may, within 6 weeks from the date on which the Orders are made, apply for the purpose to the High Court.
Dated 20th September 2024 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE – ROUPELL STREET
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable Thames Water to carry out repair and maintenance works, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intend to make an order the effect of which would be to temporarily ban vehicles from
1.
2.
3.
4.
will be temporarily banned from turning left into Coin Street.
6. The bans and suspensions will only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing and covering of the appropriate traffic signs.
7. The Order will come into force on 27th September 2024 and will
or
Dated 20th September
of 1 month or until the works have been completed whichever is the earlier. In practice it is anticipated that the order would only have effect between 7th and 9th October 2024 but if the works cannot be completed or carried out between those dates, then the order would also have effect on subsequent dates within the maximum period of 1 month.
Dated 20th September 2024 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY TRAFFIC AND PARKING RESTRICTIONS ROSENDALE ROAD FOR CARRIAGEWAY RESURFACING AND PLANNED MAINTENANCE
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable carriageway resurfacing and planned maintenance works to be carried out, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intend to make an order the effect of which would be to temporarily ban vehicles entering or waiting (including waiting for the purpose of loading or unloading a vehicle) in that length of Rosendale Road which lies between Park Hall Road and Tritton Road.
2. Alternative routes would be available for affected vehicles via (i) Park Hall Road, Clive Road and Tritton Road and vice versa; and (ii) Tritton Road, Martell Road and Robson Road and vice versa.
3. The restrictions 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 30th September 2024 and would continue for a maximum duration of 6 months (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed whichever is the earlier.
Dated 20th September 2024 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable works involving the operation of a crane to be carried out, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth, intend to make an order the
3RD – 20TH DECEMBER 2024
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surrey haunted again by somerset
Second defeat in 48 hours as Blast hopes up in smoke
By Jon Culley
SUrrEy SKiPPEr Chris Jordan said he wouldn’t “make any excuses” after a “tough week” as Surrey lost to defending champions Somerset in their vitality Blast semi-final at Edgbaston last weekend.
Somerset had looked in big trouble at 7-3 chasing 154 but Sean Dickson (76 from 57 balls) and James Rew (62 not out from 44) shared a stand of 144 for the third wicket as Somerset powered into the final with eight balls to spare. The win came just 48 hours after the west country side had pulled off a stunning victory at Taunton to cut Surrey’s lead as the Vitality County Championship heads for an exciting climax.
Having been put in, Surrey had collapsed from 69-1 to 114-6 before grafting out 153-9 in their innings, Somerset skipper Lewis Gregory (3-15) playing a superb
hand with the ball as well as pulling off an excellent run-out, backed up by Josh Davey’s 3-34 after Dom Sibley had given the innings its only real substance with 48 from 36.
Dan Lawrence departed in the second over of Surrey’s innings when he sliced Davey high in the air on the off-side. Otherwise 62-1 from six was a solid start after being put in. Sibley lifted Davey into the crowd at wide long-on for the first six of the day
A double setback in the eighth over changed the picture somewhat as Gregory struck two massive blows, the canny allrounder bowling Ollie Pope through the gate and nipping one past Jamie Smith’s outside edge to clip off stump, removing two England players with consecutive balls. Surrey, slightly shaken, were 86-3 at halfway.
Gregory turned the screw again, running out Rory Burns with a superb throw from extra cover after a poor call by Sibley, then taking his third wicket with the ball as Sibley found the fielder at wide long-on. When Tom Curran played on to Jake Ball,
Surrey were 114-6 in the fifteenth. Surrey could find no momentum, Gregory conceding just three in his final over. Laurie Evans landed a couple of blows against Ball but then Jordan, Evans and Jordan Clark all perished trying to clear the ropes, Davey picking up two of those in his final over.
If 153-9 looked meagre, it must have felt better to Surrey fans as Somerset were stung three times in the opening thirteen balls, Dan Worrall pinning Tom KohlerCadmore in front of leg stump and having Will Smeed wafting to be caught behind, either side of a leading edge to cover by Tom Abell off Tom Curran.
But from 7-3, Dickson and Rew - in for the sidelined Tom Banton - saw off the storm and turned 29-3 after the powerplay into 71-3 at halfway. They were behind the rate but looked to have the measure of the pitch.
Although they had three players back from Test duty, England’s T20 series against Australia robbed Surrey of four players from their first-choice side in this format and their absence was felt as
Somerset turned that momentum into a proper charge over the next five overs.
Dickson, having already cleared the rope with a slog-sweep off Cameron Steel, picked up two more sixes off the legspinner, with Rew collecting maximums off Lawrence and Clark. With 30 balls remaining, they were just 26 away from a place in the final.
A couple of tight overs by Clark and Jordan will have set a few Somerset nerves twitching but they were settled as Rew, with his maiden T20 half-century in the bag, pulled Jordan for his third six and followed up by cutting him for four to bring the requirement down to three of the last two overs.
Dickson skewed one in the air to be caught at deep cover but that only invited skipper Gregory to hit the winning runs, which he did by slashing Clark high over third man for six.
Somerset, who will contest the final of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup next weekend, had their eyes on becoming the first side to complete a domestic treble since Warwickshire in 1994, but they lost
to Gloucestershire in the final.
“We would have bowled first on that pitch as well but we got off to a pretty good start with the bat and with the wicket being a little bit tacky we felt it was a score we would have taken if you’d offered it to us at the beginning of the game,” Jordan said.
“The way the boys started in the powerplay, to knock over three of their key players, we were in a good position but you have to give credit to Dickson especially. It would have been easy to come out and rebuild in a more conventional fashion but he took a punt and it came off. After that it was tough to stop them. In between boundaries, he was rotating the strike really well. The way they played the spin made it tough for me in particular.
“I don’t want to make any excuses because we had players missing. Any eleven that we put out as a club we would back 100 per cent and I fully trusted the players that we put out today. It has been a tough week but that’s part of cricket and we can only look forward.”
South East Stars through to decider after thrilling fightback
By Fred Akins
THE SoUTH East Stars are through to the rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final, after a thrilling fightback against the Southern vipers in their semi-final at Beckenham last weekend.
The Vipers had posted 220-9 from their 50 overs, Nancy Harman their top-scorer with 38 and Tilly CorteenColeman taking 3-33 and the Stars looked dead and buried at 131-7 until a partnership of 90 from 86 balls between Alice Davidson-Richards and
Kalea Moore turned the contest on its head.
There were seven balls remaining when Davidson-Richards hit Alice Monagan for a single to send the Stars through to the final. DavidsonRichards, who was dropped on 31, finished on 90, while Moore was unbeaten on 52 and the Stars will now face the Sunrisers in Saturday’s final at Grace Road.
South East Stars’ Alice DavidsonRichards said: “I was just thinking, Alice come on (at seven down), don’t lose it here, but I saw Kal come
out and instantly felt pretty calm. The innings that she played was absolutely unbelievable and so crucial to that win, so big up Kal, she was phenomenal. I think we worked well together as a team, we chatted really clearly and we knew how to go about it, just backing each other. I think that was really important and yeah, she was really clear and completely unflustered.
(On the drop) “It was quite a slowish wicket and the spinners were bowling quite slowly. I think I was more annoyed at myself for one, giving
them a chance and two, not milking it long off so thankfully for us and me she dropped it, but … cricket!
“It helped me zone in a little bit. Those moments pass and as a batter you’ve got to advantage of them sometimes. I mean I dropped Nancy and she managed to get however many runs after that so I think as batter you’ve got to roll with the punches sometimes, sometimes people take absolute blinders and that’s just the game. Sometimes they drop dollies so you’ve just got to roll with it.
“It was really important for us to
keep up with the rate because you know if you have a couple of bad overs suddenly it creeps so we literally just said running, gard strong shots and making sure we hit at least four an over and if we can get five or six and a boundary it’ll take the pressure off.
“We’re absolute buzzing for the final, we can’t wait. I don’t think the group was quite ready to have a break for the winter so I can’t wait to have a few more days with the girls and take on Sunrisers on Saturday.”
The final, at Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester, starts at 10.30am.
Striker made eagles debut - his first 90 minutes since December
By John Kelly
eDDie nkeTiah says he is “nowhere near his best” and there is “more to come” after he made his Crystal Palace debut in the Eagles’ 2-2 draw against Leicester City at Selhurst Park last weekend.
Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi put the Tigers 2-0 up with goals either side of the break.
Jean-Philippe Mateta sparked the fightback a minute after Leicester’s second before the striker scored his second from the penalty spot two minutes into added-time.
Nketiah, 25, joined in a £25million deal from Arsenal on deadline day and completed his first 90 minutes since New Year’s Eve last year.
Nketiah played off Mateta in a forward role.
“I'm really happy to make my debut, [but] really disappointed not to get the three points,” Nketiah said.
“I think the team pushed, we had some good chances, we deserved it, so yes, I think it's a good start, and one to build on. There's more to come for myself, and definitely more to come from the team.
“I felt good. Obviously it's my first 90 minutes in quite a while, so it was good to get back out there. Like I said, I'm nowhere near at my best, I know I'm going to keep getting better, and I'm sure I can help the team as things go on.
“[We made] a disappointing start, but I think it [coming back] showed the character. We kept going, even when we came back out and conceded after half-time. I think we all rallied each other up.
“I tried to keep everyone positive because I knew the way we were playing, we're going to create chances, we're going to get goals. Like I said, obviously it’s not the ideal three points, but we'll build on it, we'll take the point, and make sure we're better next game.”
Nketiah added: “It’s been really enjoyable for myself. I've been really pushed physically to keep improving, keep getting fitter, and yes, it was really nice to be at Selhurst Park and on the receiving end of the fans’ support this time.
“I was lively today and I could do a lot more, and with the support of the fans, I'm sure I'll reach the levels I know I can get to.”
Mateta, meanwhile, is a fan of the exGunner.
“He’s a very good player from Arsenal, and will understand quick the philosophy,” Mateta said.
“He played very well. He gave everything and we need to work with him, and all the team, and we’ll put in the work.
“We still have to work. They [the new Palace players] still need the philosophy of the gaffer, and we’ll work, 100 per cent we’ll work.”
Mateta was pleased with how he kept his composure to score the leveller.
He said: “I just wanted to score. I know the Leicester keeper and player tried to get in my head, so that’s why I stayed calm.
“I just focused and I just wanted to score, you know, and I scored.
“I’m very happy. I was coming back from a big tournament [the summer Olympic Games with France]. I played every game and I came back and played [straightaway]. I’m still human, I was tired, but it’s coming.”
Addicks put foot on the Gas as new man gets off mark
By John Kelly
naThan Jones was more satisfied with the three points than the performance as Charlton athletic won 1-0 at Shrewsbury Town to go second in League one last weekend.
Gassan Ahadme scored the only goal of the game five minutes into the second half.
The Addicks have a new set-piece coach in James Brayne, and it was from Lloyd Jones’ looping header from a corner that Ahadme bundled over the line for his first goal since he joined from Ipswich Town in the summer.
“I’m delighted with three points,
a clean sheet and a goal from a setplay,” Jones said. “The conditions were difficult today, which made it difficult first half to get ourselves really frontfooted – we were really passive and I thought we were really poor first half.
“Second half we stepped on, exactly like we did against Reading, it was an almost identical game. We were poor first half but had real good situations where we didn’t show a bit of quality and then second half we started like a house on fire, really took the game to them and stepped on to them and that is when we were better. This time we were fortunate enough and got the goal.
“When you play like that you’ve got to make sure that you win. It was an
ugly win, a win where you have just got to dig in and keep a clean sheet and hope that you nick another goal, because we had some good chances second half. I’m pleased with the points, the performance we’ll have to dissect as we’ll have to be better than that. Any away win in the league is really important.”
Jones was delighted for Ahadme and that Charlton’s work on set-piece paid off. He said: “I don’t care who scores as long as we score one more than the opposition then that is all that matters to me. It’s important sometimes for strikers to get goals, it’s excellent to score from a set-play because we work
religiously on them and haven’t scored enough. Lloyd is a big threat and what we have in the side, we should be scoring more – we’re a big side with good aggression, we’ve got some good technical players. It is pleasing to do that and pleasing to see Gas get off the mark because that would have been playing on him.
“He’s a focal point and we brought him in for that, he hasn’t been used to playing like we do, so he’s had to adjust and it takes time. It really, really takes time – I’m pleased for him.”
No.9 Ahadme, meanwhile, relished the physical battle.
"That's what I'm asked to do," he said. "I'm happy to do that and I'll keep
doing that. I'm ready to do whatever the manager asks me because that's what I'm here for, so whoever I have to play with, I try to give my best.
"You can see from our position in the league that we're doing well. I'm happy to be part of the team and helping the team to do so. Hopefully we can keep it going.
"It was really important to get the win," said the striker. "We got a clean sheet and to score a goal as well, I'm really happy about it."
Charlton - who went down to third on Monday after Birmingham City’s 3-1 win at home to Wrexham, with the three teams on sixteen points - host Blackpool on Saturday at 3pm.
Eddie Nketiah played as part of a front three
Macaulay Langstaff in action against Leyton Orient
macaulay getting chopper crash course
eXcLuSive
By Ed Pracy
“i’M from Middlesborough originally, which is a long way away.” Macaulay Langstaff may be a long way from family and friends in south east London, but the Middlesborough native has a newfound purpose: to make Millwall and the Championship his home.
His team-mates are currently helping a lot in that respect: “I’ve settled in really well. I think the lads are a great group and
they’ve helped me settle in really quickly. Obviously it’s a big change. I don’t get home as much now but I experienced living away when I was in Nottingham for a couple of years and I got used to that. I see the family a bit less but I think the lads in this group have made it a lot easier for me than I expected.”
The striker’s statistics are enough to suggest he was too good to be plying his trade in the fourth division of English football. Last year, he amassed 29 goals and 49 games for Notts County in League Two; even Langstaff himself admits that
“As a football player, you obviously want to start every single game and every single minute, and when you’re used to that it’s difficult at times,” Langstaff said. “What I would say is, I spoke to the gaffer when he first came and he said it may take a little bit of time in terms of getting used to the level, so it may take that time. Like I say, I’m training hard every single day and trying to get used to the level. I can feel myself scoring more goals in training, so I am getting used to that. It’s not easy when you’re not starting games, but ultimately, I want to play a part and if I’m coming on — I’ve come on in every single game so far — these experiences are going to hold me in such good stead.”
For Neil Harris, the key to Langstaff’s success at this moment in time is patience. “He’s being really patient with himself and we’ve been really patient with him,” Harris said in a recent interview with our paper. “We almost have to treat him like he’s a young player coming through the ranks because he’s come from Conference to play in League Two and now the Championship. It’s a real fairytale ride for him and I’ve really enjoyed working with him.”
The former Notts County player may have found the perfect coach to harness his ability at this level. Harris, as Millwall’s all-time top scorer, is an ideal person to teach players not only how to score goals, but how to endear themselves to a passionate fanbase.
Striker working closely with boss in hunt for elusive first goal
“goals have come naturally over the past few years”.
The second division, however, has been a little tougher for him so far. While the new Lion has contributed well in games and gotten himself in fantastic positions to score, he is still in search of that elusive first goal in a Millwall shirt. Despite not managing to find the back of the net for his new club, Langstaff knows his time will come.
“I’m training hard every single day and trying to get used to the level,” Langstaff said. “I can feel myself scoring more goals
Enzo: Jadon ‘needs love’
By John Kelly
enZo maresca said Jadon Sancho is someone who “needs love” after the England winger set up the winning goal on his Chelsea debut last weekend.
Sancho came on for Pedro Neto at half-time and assisted Christopher Nkunku in the 86th minute to defeat AFC Bournemouth 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium.
“I get the feeling that Jadon is a guy who needs love when I spoke to him before he joined us,” Maresca said.
“Also, I know that he has the desire to show the player that he is. For me he just needs to enjoy football. That is the reason he plays, to be happy when he plays
football. Then because he is good, he wants to do good things.”
Blues fans were signing Sancho’s name at the final whistle.
Maresca said: “The fans were fantastic.
“I said to the players after the game to go over there and enjoy their time with the fans because they have come from London and they completely deserved this. It is always good when we win games, to share it with the fans.”
Sancho, 24, joined Chelsea on a season-long loan from Manchester United in the summer.
“It is amazing to make my debut for Chelsea and just be back playing. I am very grateful,” Sancho said.
“I thought the team played very
well, we dug in until the end and we are happy with the three points.
‘I have been working hard for this moment and I am happy that I got my chance.
“I had a great end to last season, being in the Champions League final [with Borussia Dortmund], and I told myself going into this season that I wanted to have a great start to the season, and this is my first game so to get a win for Chelsea and obviously to make my debut too.”
“I have to say thank you to all the staff and all my team-mates. From the first day I came in, they have made me feel welcome and I want to thank them for making me feel this comfortable.”
in training. Once I get that confidence I’m sure that I’ll go on a run of scoring, because that’s what I’ve always done. I’m not panicking, even though I want to get off the mark as quick as I can.”
The number seventeen is also aware that his role has changed at Millwall compared to Notts County, where he was a nailedon starter for every game. Although the hunger to play from the start of matches is there, Langstaff recognises that any minutes at this new level of football he can get will only only do him good — both in the short and longer term.
“I’d be stupid not to listen to Neil because he’s the most experienced person around and is the all-time top scorer for Millwall,” Langstaff said. “If I didn’t listen to him, then I’d be missing a trick. We do unit work in training with the strikers and he always takes it. He’s always giving us tips on things we can do. Ultimately, I listen to everything he’s got to say. There are certain things that he did incredibly well over his career that I don’t do so well, so I’ve just got to take every little bit of advice he gives and keep working at it.
“When you go to a club like Millwall, it’s not jus about goalscoring, it’s about other little things you can do to help the team. He’s experienced that so he can help in that respect as well.”
With so many key forwards currently missing through injury, Langstaff has a golden chance to move his way up the pecking order of forwards at the club. News of Josh Coburn’s calf issue will not delight Harris, but the manager’s remark that “sometimes one person’s misfortune is another person’s gain” is a clear message to his new striker that an opportunity is there to be seized.
By John Kelly
FULHaM LoST 16-15 on penalties to Preston north End in the third round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday night - the longest shootout in the competition’s history.
After a 1-1 draw following normal time at Deepdale, it was 8-8 when Fulham's Jorge Cuenca and Preston's Kaine Kesler Hayden both missed.
Ryan Ledson scored the winning penalty after Timothy Castagne had fired over the bar.
Ledson had put Preston ahead after 35 minutes before Reiss Nelson scored his first Fulham goal on 61 minutes.
Cottagers boss Marco Silva made elven changes to his side from the 1-1 draw at home to West Ham United in the Premier League last weekend.
"I think, no I'm sure, that we did enough during the 95 minutes to win the game," Silva said.
"From the first minute, we took control of the game and I think we created enough chances to score more goals. That is the situation.
"We created two or three chances that we should have scored. One rebound in that moment on the edge of the box and they scored. A very good reaction from us second half. We took control of the game all second half. A good goal from us.
"Some good chances again, the crossbar, a lot of crosses, a lot of moments where we should have scored. We didn't and after in the penalties, they scored one more than us, one goal, and they are in the next round."
Far From eZe - but Job done INSIDE
SURREY HAUNTED AGAIN BY SOMERSET
Palace attacker helps knock out former side
By John Kellly
eBerechi eZe was the king of Loftus road again on Tuesday night - this time for the opposition.
Crystal Palace’s Eze scored the winner in the 64th minute as Oliver Glasner’s side saw off a spirited display from Championship Queens Park Rangers in the third round of the League Cup.
Eddie Nketiah had given the Eagles the lead on sixteen minutes before Sam Field levelled eight minutes into the second half.
Eze, 26, launched his career at QPR in 2016 after being released by Millwall and scored 20 goals in 112 games before a £20million move to Palace in 2020.
“That was the main thing as to what we wanted to come here and do today, win, go through to the next round, and put in a performance,” Eze said.
“It's a difficult place to come. You can see the atmosphere, it's not easy to play under, but we did what we needed to do, and that's the most important thing.
“That’s what we were saying there [in the changing room], sometimes games are tough, and you're under it a bit and they're applying pressure, but to come out on the other side with the victory, that's a testament to the character of the boys.”
Eze’s goal had an element of fortune as the ball hit QPR defender Steve Cook and wrong-footed goalkeeper Joe Walsh.
Eze said: “To be fair, I wasn't sure if it was going wide or not, but yeah, I'll take the goal, man!
“Of course, to come back here and to score is a great feeling, and I enjoyed today which is important as well.
“It’s always a good feeling [to return to Loftus Road]. I came back for a preseason game and that was cool as well, but to come back in a competitive one, to see the energy and the atmosphere here, that was a sick feeling. I enjoyed it.
“I’m happy to win, happy to score, and just to show a bit of love to the fans as well, which is a good thing to do.”
Eze also provided the assist for Nketiah for his first Eagles goal since his move from Arsenal on deadline day.
“He’s a top player, I know that,” Eze said.
“If you put him in the right places he's going to finish, and he's got the first one . I'm sure many will come after this.”
Glasner said: “It was a tough game, but we expected a tough game here against a good Championship team in their stadium.
“It was very tight and then I think we controlled the game, took the lead, fully deserved. Then, they came back with a set-play and the crowd got loud, and I think we had a great reaction. We scored immediately our second goal and, with also great support from our fans here behind the goal, over 90 minutes I think it's deserved – but it was a tough game.”
major striker blow for Lions
By Ed Pracy
miLLwaLL manaGer
neil
Harris revealed new loan signing Josh Coburn will be out for a “six to eight week period” following a calf injury he sustained during Saturday’s defeat against Luton Town at The den.
Coburn, who joined Millwall from Middlesborough on a season-long loan in late August, came off after 34 minutes of the game. Macaulay Langstaff, another recent signing from Notts County, came on as his replacement. Injuries to Mihailo Ivanovic and Coburn, as well as Tom Bradshaw who suffered a knee injury during Millwall’s Carabao Cup exit against Leyton Orient, means Langstaff is now the club’s only senior striker available.
“It’s obviously a disappointment for us,” Harris said. “We’re not going to see him before the next international break so we’re hoping that we’ll see him in mid to late October.”
Harris had better news regarding Jake Cooper, however, who went off at half-time against Luton for experienced defender Shaun Hutchinson.
“Jake is much better news,” Harris said. “It’s going to be short-term. QPR will probably be too soon at the weekend but we’re hopeful for Preston the week after.”
Harris’ defensive problem is an easier one to solve, as both Wes Harding and Hutchinson provide senior options in the centre-back position.
“When you lose Jake, who was the team captain at the weekend and has huge Millwall experience, it softens the blow when you can bring in your club captain who has played a lot of football for us,” Harris said of Hutchinson. “Experience can be vital when you go into a London derby with QPR. It’s important to have that know-how and personality in the team.”
