Southwark News - April 25th 2024

millwall eXclusive

Issue 1682

Established: 1987

50p

April 25 2024

southwarknews.co.uk

the candidates lions Boss on tHe london How it works, and the major issues cHamPionsHiP elections Pages 10-13 safety Page 32

BrigHt sPark Peckham electrician whose police search was Tik Tok hit, on his quest to train up young people for employment

Page 9

eXclusive

See page 4

£1.3 million over budget - estate claims major works ‘shambles’

See page 4

man ‘stabbed’ in Bermondsey

2 NEWS Contents NEWS Pages 2-17

The locations of the two overflow pumps in Bermondsey and Old Southwark

OPINION Page 18 ARTS Page 20-21 HISTORY Page 22 CLASSIFIED Pages 23 PROPERTY Page 24 PUBLIC NOTICES Pages 25-27 SPORT Pages 29-32

By Isabel Ramirez

Contact us if you have a story on editor@ southwarknews .co.uk

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Call 0207 231 5258 You can WhatsApp us on 07494 070 863.

such as during heavy rainfall when there’s a risk of flooding.

But there is evidence that water companies sometimes spill sewage when it’s not raining.

A BBC investigation found there were 388 potential ‘dry spills’ by Thames, Wessex and Southern Water in 2022.

Thames Water did not respond to this paper’s request for comment about the spills in Bermondsey and Rotherhithe.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pledged to make the River Thames “swimmable” in a decade as part of his election campaign.

His analysis published this year revealed a nearly five-fold rise in the duration of sewage spills in London in 2023.

But Cllr Rachel Bentley, deputy leader of the Southwark Liberal Democrats, said Mayor Khan and the Conservative government had failed to plug the flow.

“It is disgusting that there has been such a sharp rise in Thames Water pumping

“FilthY” sewAge was released into the thames by Bermondsey and rotherhithe 40 times in 2023 - double that of 2022, new figures have revealed.

Two pumps by Shad Thames and Surrey Docks, operated by Thames Water dispersed the “disgusting” waste for 111 hours - equivalent to four-and-a-half days.

The Liberal Democrat party, which obtained the data, has called on the government to replace the regulator Ofwat and ban bonuses for careless water company bosses.

The government responded saying sewage pollution was “unacceptable”, adding that it was fast-tracking a £180 million sewage-reduction fund while consulting on a bonus ban for bad bosses.

Water companies can release sewage into rivers but only under some circumstances,

See sport

Issue 1681

Editor: Kevin Quinn Reporters: Herbie Russell; Isabel Ramirez Sports Editor: John Kelly Sports reporter: Kiro Evans Arts Correspondent: Michael Holland Digital Transformation Editor: Katherine Johnston Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips Advertising: Clarry Frewin Design: Dan Martin, Ann Gravesen Finance: Em Zeki - Tel: 0779 883 3758 Subscriptions/Announcements: Katie Boyd Managing & Commercial Director: Chris Mullany Managing & Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn Published weekly on a Thursday at: Community Matters Media Ltd Unit A202, The Biscuit Factory, Drummond Road, Bermondsey, London SE16 4DG. News and Sport: 020 7231 5258 Advertising: 020 7232 1639 News: news@southwarknews.co.uk Advertising: hello@cm-media.co.uk Finance: em@cm-media.co.uk Printed by Iliffe Print. Tel: 01223 656500 www.iliffeprint.co.uk

Established: 1987

50p

April 18 2024

southwarknews.co.uk

IS THE NEW CYCLEWAY WORKING? See page 14

EXCLUSIVE

EXCLUSIVE

Bradshaw staying at the Den

News investigation TO DO ON reveals shocking WHAT GEORGE’S pages waiting times for ST DAY See10-13 disabled people

TRAPPED

See pages 15-16

See page 8

MARATHON SPECIAL

The site of an overflow pump at Shad Thames their filthy sewage into our river,” she said.

She continued: “People in Bermondsey and Old Southwark are sick to the back teeth with Rishi Sunak’s Conservative MPs voting time and again to allow

water companies to get away with this environmental vandalism.

“In London, Labour’s Sadiq Khan has shown no appetite for getting to grips with the rampant pollution of the Thames. The whole thing stinks.”

A Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs spokesperson said: “Sewage pollution in our waters is unacceptable, which is why we are holding polluters to account, including a consulting on banning water bosses’ bonuses when criminal breaches have occurred, fast-tracking £180 million in investment to reduce sewage spills, and quadrupling water company inspections.

“We have also demanded 100% of storm overflows to be monitored – including those of Thames Water – and are clear that they should only be used under strict permit conditions. If companies are found to breach their permits, action will be taken up to and including criminal prosecution.”

The Southwark News is proud to be the only independent, paid for newspaper in London

Southwark News started life as the Bermondsey News in 1987, as an A-4 photocopied sheet of paper and rapidly grew to cover the entire borough and the surrounding area. As the borough grew, so did the newspaper.

It is owned and run by Chris Mullany and Kevin Quinn.

Former reporters for Southwark News, they bought the title in 2002, after the founder Dave Clark died suddenly from cancer four years earlier.

A dedicated team of staff work tirelessly to cover as much of what is going on as possible and strive to ensure that a community-led, independent newspaper can survive and excel in a market dominated by national and multinational media groups.

Follow our social media to be updated on local news

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Southwark News is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK’s magazine and newspaper industry).

We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint, please contact 0207 231 5258.

If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors’ Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk

The River Trust’s Sewage Map

LONDON ELECTIONS 2024 Pages 10-13

sewage sHocker: tHames Pollution Has douBled in Bermondsey and rotHerHitHe

NEWS 3

PeckHam fatHer and son’s famous Beef Patty sells out in aldi after 48 Hours...

From L) son, Mike 33 and Paul, 54

By Isabel Ramirez A pecKhAm father and son whose beef patties sold out at Aldi stores in just 48 hours say the phone ‘hasn’t stopped ringing’ as everyone - including a Premier league football club - wants to try them.

For the last twelve years, Mike, 33, and Paul Williams, 54, have run Flake Bake - a wholesale bakery specialising in handmade Jamaican patties.

In that time they have sold over six million patties and have earned a reputation in southeast London alongside First Choice in Brixton which closed down not long ago.

Recently, the pair were launched into the spotlight - 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

1,000 of Aldi’s stores across the UK. However, after Flake Bake’s beef patty sold out everywhere in two days - the fastest-selling product from the show - it looks like Aldi will have to make a bigger order (and fast.)

To reflect on their overnight success, we went down to see Mike and Paul at the bakery, based on an unassuming industrial site on Penarth Street.

Mike told us: “Since winning the show it’s just been non-stop.

Tik Tok hit for Peckham electrican Page 9

“Everyone was talking about this patty.

UB40, Loose Women - even Man City Football Club reached out to us.”

In 2018, Mike tragically lost his mum, a nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’ - to whom they dedicate their success.

“When we won it was a win for her as well,” he said.

Mike explained that when they knew the show was airing - he set up a video with London-based food influencer, ‘Eating with Tod’ (Toby Inskip) - which got two million views.

“So when the show came out and people learned they could buy it in an Aldi near them, that demand had already been created.”

Paul, who ran a little bakery on Bellenden Road before Flake Bake, said: “It feels like we’ve put patties on the map in the UK.” Originally from Bog Walk, a little town in Saint Catherine - he said the perfect Jamaican patty is ‘all in the flake and the crust.’ “When you eat one, it should get all over your clothes,” Paul said.

The 54-year-old added that when they entered the contest, he ‘knew’ they would win.

“You have to speak positively - I know our patties are the best.

“We never had a doubt.”

But Mike said they were up against some other products that had won major awards - and he wondered whether the product would be accepted in the mainstream.

“Patties are always in the World Food section at stores - we want it next to the pasties and bread, as an alternative.”

They are currently in talks with other major retailers to get their patties into other stores - another win for Flake Bake, which according to Mike, ‘had never been on their radar’ before.

Given the rise of this humble product will they be moving out of their kitchen in Peckham?

“We don’t want to,” Mike replied, “we still want to keep this place for the community who have always bought our patties.”

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4 NEWS

Arica House: Bermondsey block refurbishment £1.3m over budget and two years over schedule amid latest claims of ‘shambolic’ major works EXCLUSIVE

Arica House was built in the 1960s as part of the Slippers Estate

By Herbie Russell A major refurbishment of a Bermondsey block went £1.3 million over budget and two years over schedule amid claims some of the work was unnecessary.

Furious Arica House residents say Southwark Council has ignored calls for an independent inquiry and treated concerned residents “like children”.

Southwark’s Liberal Democrat opposition said it was “appalling” to see another major works debacle highlighting the cases of the Canada and Devon Mansions estates - and demanded “real accountability” for residents.

The project, named Arica House Phase 2, was a landmark revamp of the 1960s Slippers Estate block.

But after estimating it would cost £1,438,771 council spending sky-rocketed to £2,822,387.

Meanwhile, residents say the scheduled November 2019 completion date was delayed until November 2021.

They have claimed perfectly good tiles and floors were replaced with inferior versions while “shambolic” paint jobs, and hard-to-clean flooring had left corridors looking like “a bomb site”.

John Dickson, an Arica House resident, said: “The internal painting of the block is a complete shambles…The brickwork was time-consuming and an absolute nightmare.”

He added: “They treated residents like we were children.”

Another leaseholder said: “There was a feeling that Southwark lost control of the project.”

Residents have said the delayed works left them encased in a “prison of scaffolding” for around six years while heritage Crittall windows were replaced with poor alternatives.

Louvre vents installed above the windows - used so smoke can escape during a fire - have quickly gathered dust and dirt whereas previous iterations had been clean, residents said.

Contractors also painted external balconies before inexplicably painting

Arica House leaseholder John Dickson has described Southwark Council’s project management as ‘shambolic’

Poorly painted railings have already begun to peel, residents claim

Residents have claimed hard-to-fix flooring has quickly accumulated marks

Vents quickly gathered dust and dirt whereas previous iterations had been clean, residents said

them again, they claimed.

Mr Dickson, a leaseholder, said his estimated bill of £7,500 had already soared to £17,500 with further increases expected.

He said: “I’ve been paying £355 a month for four years. It’s tantamount to a small mortgage. I’m exhausted.”

Delays and overspends on the Devon Mansions and Canada estates have already forced the council to conduct fraud investigations and apologise for a “litany of mistakes”.

The works went a combined £6 million over budget and more than three years

over schedule. Internal audits are ongoing to establish what went wrong.

In 2021, Arica House residents wrote to Southwark Council demanding an independent inquiry into the works.

But in a response sent to residents, seen by this paper, Southwark Council admitted some things had gone wrong but stopped short of agreeing to investigate.

In a response to residents, a council officer admitted that starting the works before a design solution had been found to ‘known’ structural problems ‘contributed to delays’. They also said balconies shouldn’t have been repainted twice.

But the officer’s response also said the team did ‘not believe the works were poorly executed’.

They added that windows were due for renewal, that tile replacement was necessary and that Covid-19 had caused delays.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Rachel Bentley said: “It is appalling but unsurprising to see yet another major works scandal in Southwark. Kirby Estate, Canada Estate, Devon Mansions and now Arica House.

“It seems, after years of chronic mismanagement, Southwark Labour’s chickens are coming home to roost. The

council will no doubt be forced into yet more apologies, but residents deserve real accountability not empty words. These are people’s homes and money that the council seems to have had no regard for.”

Contractor UK Gunite was on site for Phase 1 of the works in spring 2016.

But soon after works began, a structural survey found brickwork repairs were needed before windows could be replaced.

Residents claim they warned Southwark Council about the structural problem at meetings before the works began but were ignored.

A resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “We were treated like we were irritating and we should leave it to our ‘betters’ that ‘know more’.”

Southwark Council employed Saltash to undertake Phase 2 works which included brickwork repairs and window replacements and began in February 2019.

Calfordseaden was the lead design and cost management quantity surveyor employed by Southwark Council.

Southwark Council did not respond to requests for comment.

Saltash, UK Gunite and Calfordseaden were also approached for comment.

By Isabel Ramirez

“Police were called to Camilla Road, SE16 at around 13:42hrs on Tuesday, 23 April following reports a man had been stabbed after he was chased by another man from Southwark Park Road.

“The London Ambulance Service and the Air Ambulance also attended and the victim, a man in his 30s, was taken to hospital. His injuries have been assessed as non-life threatening.

“No arrests have been made but enquiries are ongoing. The suspect is reported to have escaped on a motorbike.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called today at 1:43 pm (23 April) to reports

of a stabbing on Camilla Road, SE16.

“We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and members of our tactical response unit. We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance.

“Our first paramedics arrived on the scene in less than a minute.

“We treated a man at the scene for a chest injury and took him to a major trauma centre as a priority.”

Anyone who has any information is encouraged to call police on 101 quoting CAD 3772/23Apr. To remain 100 per cent anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111.

Bermondsey stabbing: Police say ‘suspect escaped scene on motorbike’ A suspect is said to have ‘escaped on a motorbike’ following a ‘stabbing’ in Bermondsey, police said.

The scene on Camilla Road

A man in his 30s was rushed to hospital suffering from a chest injury after he was reportedly stabbed on Camilla Road at the junction of Lynton Road, on Tuesday April 23.

Police said he is reported to have been chased by another man from Southwark Park Road.

His condition is said to be non-life threatening.

No arrests have been made but enquiries are ongoing.

A Met Police spokesperson said:

NEWS 5

By Robert Firth Local Democracy Reporter A Former south london baths is set to get a new lease of life as offices for a skateboarding brand.

Manor Place Baths in Walworth could become home to Palace – a skateboarding and clothing company based in the capital, plans submitted to Southwark Council reveal.

Palace’s offices would be based in the front of the Grade-II listed building and would include refurbished retail space for product launches and other promotions under the proposals being brought forward by the skateboarding brand, alongside

Newmark Properties and Shoreditch design studio Whitepaper.

Documents submitted to the council read: “The scheme will comprise the following works: the provision of commercial floorspace, including ancillary retail space envisioned to facilitate independent product launches, brick cleaning works, the replacement of the existing ground and first floor level skylight [and] the installation of a new metal door at the site’s western elevation.”

A non-original office toilet and shower will also be bulldozed under the plans, as well as internal partition walls and doors.

The development will be car-free, but include a total of 38 cycle spaces (24 inside

© Southwark Council planning documents

old walwortH swimming Pool could Become skateBoarding Brand offices

Manor Place Baths in Walworth, South London

CGI of how Manor Place Baths in Walworth, South London could look once refurbished

Manor Place Baths was built in 1898 and originally included three swimming pools, showers, changing rooms and even an area to do laundry and 14 outside).

Notting Hill Genesis previously submitted plans to turn the front of the former baths into flats in 2021 as part of its Manor Place Depot housing development.

While hundreds of these homes are now complete, the bath house aspect of the scheme never came to anything.

Manor Place Baths was built in 1898 and originally included three swimming pools, showers, changing rooms and even an area to do laundry. The baths served

the Walworth community until the 1970s when the opening of modern facilities at the nearby Elephant and Castle Leisure Centre sounded the death knell for the Victorian baths.

After the closure of Manor Place Baths, Southwark Council paved over the main swimming pool and demolished part of the rear of the complex. In the following years, the baths were used as offices for the council and at one point rented out by a Buddhist organisation for meditation.

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It promises “everything you would expect from a traditional summer fete, but with an urban twist”.

International DJs Gilles Peterson and Jamz Supernova are headlining the day, which boasts a timetable of workshops, exclusive talks and music.

The Fete on Sunday May 19 is located in London’s only Peninsula neighbourhood.

With the river on three sides, it takes over Peninsula Square, winding its way through the Design District and finishing with fanfare in Central Park.

This year’s line-up includes: ‘Creative Conversations’, a series of discussions with some of London’s compelling minds, hosted by BBC London’s Robert Elms in the Design District and the return of The Incredibly Clever Canine Circus – proving that every dog (and their owner!) can learn new tricks.

The Charity Shop DJ collective brings their democratic dance vibe down with the People’s Party – where the audience chooses the tunes and there’s an unmissable carnival workshop and procession with Kinetika Bloco.

This summer’s alternative Olympics, the Allympics, promises everyone a chance to get on the podium with events for all – from showjumping and relay to the egg and spoon race and, the less expected, hurl the pineapple.

The Design District will become the Urban Village Hall offering interactive workshops, including the Doodle Apartment and Wonky Veg Sculpture competition.

Plus there will be an origami

©©Kris Humphreys Photography

Urban village Fete returns to its Thames-side destination at Greenwich Peninsula next month and it is free.

Founder Simon Burke and Piers Greenlees

By Isabel Ramirez An old Elephant boozer, which recently closed after ninety years of service, has just reopened as a new LGBTQ pub.

The Rising Sun on the Rockingham Estate has been serving the community since 1937 - but in February it was forced to shut its doors after the landlady retired.

Now it has been taken over and is being re-launched as an inclusive

Village Fete with a twist

model village with A Line’s Fold Your Town, independent traders with everything from baked goods to handmade crafts, free face-painting, a puppet show and enough eats to fill your boots.

Laura Flanagan, Director of Greenwich Peninsula, said: “We love putting on Urban Village Fete for both residents and visitors alike. It is a hallmark in Greenwich Peninsula’s year-round events programme.

“Culture and creativity are in our DNA here. The Fete is a way for us to celebrate that, to show it off and invite everyone to discover Greenwich Peninsula for themselves. This year, with Gilles Peterson and Jamz Supernova heading

the staggering line-up of artists, creatives and makers, it’s going to be the best free party London has seen for a long time.”

Date: Sunday 19 May 2024, 11am til late Greenwich Peninsula, SE10 0SQ urbanvillagefete.london

elephant Estate pub reopens as swanky new LGBTQ venue

Son of a Tutu crowd LGBTQ+ Pub with Cabaret Stage - to be known as The Rising SE1.

This makes it the only permanent LGBTQ+ venue in the area - rare news of an opening amongst the sea of closures.

Since 2006, the number of such venues in London has fallen dramatically - going from 125 to 50.

As two members of the community, Piers Greenlees and Simon Burke decided to take over the lease to create this swanky venue - despite

never having owned a pub before.

“We wanted to create somewhere we would go ourselves,” Piers told us.

“A place to let your hair down at the end of the week or to enjoy our midweek offerings of our quiz, games night and pop-up events.”

From May there will be live music and performances four nights per week (Thursday, Friday & Saturday plus a Sunday Jazz session) as well as a regular Pub Quiz.

Simon Burke commented: “Having a

Stage and bar safe space is really important for the LGBTQ+ community.

“I think what we’re trying to create here is not just somewhere to go and drink or somewhere to go and dance it’s for people to be part of something.

“A lot of people yearn for a place like that.”

Just a few years ago there was a planning application turned down after a campaign led by the Walworth Society to keep this space open and prevent it from being turned into flats.

The co-founders added: “Our pubs are crucial to our communities and we must protect and support them.

We look forward to welcoming all to The Rising SE1.”

The Rising SE1 is open now at 98 Harper Rd, Elephant and Castle, SE1 6AQ. Mon - Wed: 12pm-11pm; Thur: 12pm-12am; Fri - Sat: 12pm - 1am; Sun: 12pm - 10pm

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NEWS 9 Josh and some of his team

A pecKhAm electrician, who runs his own company at just 23, talks about how much he earns, being searched by police, and how he is inspiring the youth to get into trades.

The lunar halo was spotted in Camberwell on Sunday, April 14.

PeckHam electrician sParking a generation into work after Police searcH was tik tok Hit to get young people into employment.

“I get so many messages asking me how to get into a trade.

“So I really want to set up a charity where I show people how to get into various trades - you know plumbing, heating, electrical.

Asked about how much someone can earn in a job like this, Josh replied: “Anyone in the sector can expect to earn between £40,000-50,000.

But if you’re self-employed like him - ‘the sky is the limit.’ “You can earn £80,000 and up - it’s a stable career.”

His current workforce ranges from aged 17 to 45.

“People always say to me how come you’re so young and you’ve got all these people who are older than you what do they say - but it just comes down to work.

“At the end of the day, I do everything by the book, I pay everyone on time, and I build good relationships with everyone.

“With my company, you’re more than just a number you’re part of the family.”

“We’re not the typical man in a van - we do big contracts” - the most recent being the Canada Water Masterplan.

Josh is looking to collaborate with Community Southwark to start doing

When Josh and his colleagues were stopped and searched by police

© TikTok: @josh_sparks9

Joshua King made headlines just weeks ago after a video circulated online that showed him and his colleagues being stopped by officers, on the way home from a job in Clapham.

The video showed two Met Police searching Josh - who was in uniform branded with his company name KK Electrical.

“I’ve never been stopped by police before,” Josh said, “I was driving the car, I stopped instantly.”

“We carry various tools for work and I tried to explain that to them.

“But they weren’t having any of it and said we didn’t look like electricians.”

Josh continued: “What does an electrician look like? What does a lawyer look like? What does a builder look like?”

“You know - it was a very traumatising experience.”

Commenting after the incident, a Met spokesperson told The Standard: “The men were searched after a passenger in the car was seen attempting to hide a lock knife in a door compartment following a traffic stop.

“Possession of a lock knife is illegal and officers thought the man’s attempt to hide it was suspicious. He was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of an offensive weapon.

“The man claimed he was using the knife for work, however, the group’s other tools were found in the boot, rather than the passenger compartment.

“Ultimately the Crown Prosecution Service decided the man should face no further action, but we regularly see the devastation knives cause and officers will do all they can to remove them from the streets of London.”

Josh continued: “It did make me want to quit - because I can face these problems even when I’m doing everything by the book.”

On leaving school, he did an apprenticeship and was a qualified electrician by 20.

The 23-year-old explained: “I was on site for over a year.

“Because of the work I put in, I was very knowledgeable in my trade. So I just took the risk and said you know what - let me make my own company.

“Before I knew it I had about ten to fifteen people working for me.”

Despite the experience with the police, Josh said he is not giving up on his goal

workshops for people.

“There are a lot of things people get wrong. So I feel like by doing this it would help a lot of people young and old.”

Bizarre optical phenomenon spotted in Brixton and Camberwell sky

By Herbie Russell stunned south londoners reported seeing a bizarre optical phenomenon in the sky on sunday (April 14).

© Steve Von Heartel

Josh King

‘Sun halos’ were snapped by gawping passers-by in Camberwell and Brixton.

The rare event is caused by light interacting with ice crystals contained in high-flying cirrus clouds.

Steve Von Heartel, amazed by the 2pm sighting on Camberwell Grove, said: “It’s real. I stopped a woman in

the street and asked her if she could see what I was looking at.

“Oddly, at first she said no. I showed her my photo and then looked up again. She did see it.”

The 61-year-old added: “My advice is to look up at the sky we miss so much.”

The phenomenon happens when clouds are very high in the sky so create ice crystals.

Sunlight, or moonlight, hits them to create a halo, the Met Office says.

If the sunlight hits the ice crystals at a particular angle, some light can be

refracted causing “faint colouration” and a noticeable rainbow.

A commenter on the social media site NextDoor said: “Great photos! I saw the sun halo but noticed it was easier to see if you were wearing sunglasses.”

Another said: “That is beautiful well done on capturing it.”

The Met Office says: ”Halos happen when we have cloud really high up in the atmosphere - it’s ice crystals and the sun is reflected on them,” said a spokesperson for the Met Office. The majority of ice crystals are hexagonal.”

© Southwark Council

By Isabel Ramirez

10 NEWS

tHirteen candidates vie to Be london mayor

By Noah Vickers

Count Binface of the Count Binface Party is again throwing his “lid into the mayoral ring”.

In 2021’s contest, he promised to rename London Bridge “after Phoebe Waller” and for no shop to be allowed to sell croissants for more than £1.

Local Democracy Reporter thirteen cAndidAtes are standing for election in May 2nd’s london mayoral contest...

Labour candidate Sadiq Khan is seeking an historic third term as mayor, having served in the role since 2016.

He has championed his free school meals programme and the fact that he has frozen Transport for London (TfL) single pay-as-you-go fares five times during his mayoralty, “saving Londoners hundreds of pounds”.

He said in 2023 that he was standing again “so we can finish the job of reforming the police service, we can finish the job of cleaning the air in our city, we can finish the job of the post-pandemic recovery, we can finish the job to build far more genuinely affordable homes that Londoners desperately need – and much more”.

Under the supplementary vote system used in the 2021 mayoral election, Mr Khan received 40 per cent of first preference votes, rising to 55.2 per cent once second preferences had been counted. This year’s election will be conducted using first past the post however, meaning that Londoners will only be able to vote for one candidate.

Conservative candidate Susan Hall has served as a member of the London Assembly since 2017 and as a councillor in Harrow since 2006.

Ms Hall has pledged to remove the outer London expansion of the Ultra low emission zone (Ulez) “on day one” of her mayoralty, arguing that it has “been absolutely devastating for people who cannot afford to go to work, get to the hospital or visit their family”.

She has said her campaign will be focused on delivering “safer streets and more money in your pocket”.

The candidate has promised to invest £200m into the Met Police and to set up specialist units within the police to tackle burglaries, robberies, and thefts.

On housing, Ms Hall has promised to “build a lot more homes in the right places… homes that people want to live in, which do not disrupt existing communities or the Green Belt”.

She believes that most low traffic neighbourhoods “just create congestion and worsen air quality” and has said she would encourage councils to remove them, while removing 20mph limits from main roads controlled by Transport for London (TfL).

The Conservatives’ 2021 candidate, Shaun Bailey, received 35.3 per cent of first preference votes, rising to 44.8 per cent once second preferences had been counted.

Green Party candidate Zoë Garbett is a councillor in Dalston, Hackney. She pledges to deprioritise the policing of cannabis and to make public transport more affordable – including free bus travel for under-22s. A vocal opponent of the Silvertown Tunnel’s construction, she says it

Natalie Campbell was originally longlisted to be the Tory candidate, but failed to make the party’s shortlist. Not long afterwards, she announced that he would be running as an independent, setting out her stall as a “centrist, middle of the road candidate”. She has said she would look to progress the Bakerloo line extension into south-east London, and would create more ‘mayoral development corporations’ to ensure the right homes are built “in the right places”.

Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate Amy Gallagher says she will “push back on woke ideology”.

She also pledges to “depoliticise the police” and make transport free for under-25s.

Tarun Ghulati, an investment banker running as an independent, has pledged to “get London moving again”, while strengthening community cohesion and improving policing. He has promised to completely scrap the Ulez and to remove the congestion charge on weekends, as well as pledging to reopen closed police stations in areas with high crime rates.

Independent candidate Andreas Michli is a gym owner from Haringey who has promised to provide free gym memberships for all Londoners, paid for by City Hall. He has also said that he would impose “significantly higher physical standards” for new Met Police recruits, which would be “closer to military standards”. Police officers would also all be trained “in defensive martial arts”. He has proposed abolishing the capital’s net zero targets.

should be repurposed for public transport and is a “blight” on Mr Khan’s climate record. Ms Garbett would also lobby for rent control powers, boost council housing and address “huge failings” in the Met Police. The Greens came third in 2021’s mayoral election, winning 7.8 per cent of first preference votes.

Liberal Democrat candidate Rob Blackie says he will “get the police to focus on serious crimes and earn the respect of Londoners”.

He believes the Met is “wasting

time on low level drug offences like laughing gas” and should be freed up “to investigate rapes and serious sexual offences properly”. He has pledged to help undocumented Londoners by providing legal support to secure their British status, as well as cleaning up the capital’s rivers and boosting solar power on rooftops. The Lib Dems came fourth in 2021, securing 4.4 per cent of first preference votes and losing their £10,000 deposit.

Reform UK candidate Howard Cox is founder of the FairFuelUK

campaign. He has pledged to scrap the entire Ulez and “extensively increase policing visibility 24/7 to cut crime and make streets safer for all”. He would also “massively increase affordable housing numbers, particularly for young and low-income families”.

Femy Amin is the Animal Welfare Party’s candidate. She’s promised to fight for what she calls a “liveable planet”, including a commitment to prioritise the climate and biodiversity crises in all decisionmaking.

Brian Rose is another 2021 candidate who is standing for a second time. He stood under the banner of his London Real party in the previous contest, receiving 1.2 per cent of votes cast. Mr Rose has pledged to ensure “freedom of speech is protected” and wants to “make London a ‘crypto-first’ city” by “positioning it as world leader for blockchain technology”.

He has also said he would privatise Transport for London and abolishing the Ulez.

Finally, there’s Britain First candidate Nick Scanlon. He claims London is “fast becoming a Third World cesspit” and has promised to eradicate knife crime and to house homeless veterans.

PHOTOS: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT TO RIGHT: Labour's Sadiq Khan, Rob Blackie of the Liberal Democrats, Conservative Susan Hall, Green Party candidate Zoe Garbett, Count Binface and Reform UK's Howard Cox.

NEWS 11

Aerial view of London

By Herbie Russell the mAYor of london plays a key role in running the capital, making decisions that affect 6.2 million voters.

With help from London Assembly members, the mayor oversees a £20billion budget funding transport, policing, housing and more.

The job, currently held by Sadiq Khan, and those of GLA members, are up for grabs on May 2, 2024.

But what does the mayor do, who are GLA members, and how does voting work?

© Thype (Creative Commons)

london elections 2024: How do they work?

WHAT ARE WE VOTING FOR ON MAY 2?

Three elections are taking place on May 2. These are for the: • Mayor of London • Fourteen Members of the London Assembly representing fourteen areas • Eleven Assembly Members representing the whole of London (London-wide Members) Fourteen of these members represent different areas of London called constituencies.

The other eleven are London-wide Members who represent the capital as a whole.

Voters will now decide who holds these important positions for the next four years.

The results will be announced at City Hall on Saturday, May 4.

WHAT DO THE MAYOR AND LONDON ASSEMBLY MEMBERS DO?

The mayor has the top job, setting the vision for London, and deciding how the budget should be spent.

They have numerous powers including: • Transport; responsibility for Transport for London (TfL) and sets fares.

• Roads; powers over London roads, congestion charges and Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ).

•

Policing; setting how London is policed and appointing the Met Police Commissioner.

• Housing; deciding affordable housing targets and working towards them with local councils.

The mayor doesn’t have control over day-to-day services like social services, schools and rubbish collection which are run by local councils.

The NHS, the welfare state and national tax rates are controlled by central government.

The 25 London Assembly members exist to keep the mayor in check, scrutinising his decisions and suggesting changes to his policies.

Their main power lies in approving or rejecting the mayor’s £20bn budget

plans.

They also work on committees which assess the mayor’s policies and check if they are working.

The Mayor earns £154,963 per year.

Assembly Members get a £60,416 base salary but can earn more if they take on more responsibilities.

WHAT IS THE VOTING SYSTEM?

When voters head to the polls, they’ll see the different voting cards one for each job role.

For the Mayor, the election will take place using a first-past-the-post system for the first time.

First-past-the-post is simple.

Whichever Mayoral candidate gets the most votes, wins.

Constituency assembly members

use a first-past-the-post system.

For the London-wide members, it will be a proportional representation system.

Previous mayoral elections were decided by the ‘supplementary vote’ where voters chose a first and second preference.

If no candidate got a majority (over 50 per cent) the top two candidates progressed to a second round where second-choice votes were included in the count.

Whoever got the most votes after those two rounds was declared the winner.

The government changed it to firstpast-the-post in 2021 saying it would make it “easier for voters to express a clear choice”.

WHO IS RUNNING?

Candidates from all the main parties are running for the Mayor’s seat - plus some independents.

These include Labour’s Sadiq Khan, the Conservatives’ Susan Hall, Rob Blackie for the Lib Dems, Zoe Garbett for the Greens, and Howard Cox from Reform UK. A host of independents and candidates from lesser known parties are running too.

The parties and independents are also standing in the different consistency seats and as London-wide members.

Find out who your local candidates are by visiting https://whocanivotefor. co.uk/elections and clicking ‘London Assembly elections’.

How this brewery is getting Londoners clued up on voting...

By Isabel Ramirez iF the thought of the mayoral elections is driving you to drink, you could do worse than grab a can of Brixton Brewery’s bestselling beer.

The popular South London Brewery has put a QR Code on cans of its Reliance Pale Ale, in a bid to get voters to understand the election process.

This followed a new YouGov poll of 4,103 adults across the UK, which discovered a lack of knowledge about how elections work and people’s eligibility to vote, as the London mayoral elections approach on the 2nd May. It showed a quarter of people (26%) remain unclear about what form of voter ID is required - meaning they

risk being turned away at the polling station.

Having a correct ID is just the tip of the iceberg, with the research finding almost three-quarters (72%) in mayoral regions either don’t know what electoral system is used in mayoral elections or gave an incorrect answer.

This is significant as the upcoming mayoral elections mark the first since the voting changed from the supplementary vote to the first past the post system to select the winning Mayor.

Speaking about the findings, Xochitl Benjamin, co-founder of Brixton Brewery, commented, “It’s clear that many voters are frustrated and disillusioned in mayoral regions - our research found two in five think that their vote doesn’t matter, which

is really shocking.

“Brixton has a long history of sparking change, and our Yes We Cans! campaign, is our way of putting the power to as many people as possible and saying cheers to making a difference, one vote at a time.”

Each can has a QR code which directs people to a website where they can find out more about changes to the election process.

“Informational coasters have also been created for pubs to help educate the electorate.

The cans will be available for free at the pop-up events and sent via Brixton Brewery’s website in place of Reliance Pale Ale to drinkers across the country between now and the elections on 2nd May. For more information go to brixtonbrewery.com/vote

12 NEWS

Local Democracy Reporter sAdiQ KhAn and his tory rival susan hall have clashed over the fact that a record low number of new homes got started in london in the last months of 2023.

The latest Government data shows that between October and December last year, work began on just 580 new homes – the lowest number since quarterly data started in 1990.

Greater London’s figure is the lowest for any region in England and was an 86 per cent reduction compared with the equivalent quarter of 2022.

Although every region was hit by a national downturn in house-building in the latter half of 2023, the only other region to have hit a record low in that last quarter was the South East. But at 2,720 homes started, the South East still managed to begin construction on almost five times as many homes as London.

Despite the fact that the statistics are “provisional” at this stage and “subject to scheduled revisions”, it illustrates the scale of the challenges facing the sector.

In London, Conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall suggested that Labour mayor Sadiq Khan had contributed to the low number of starts.

She pointed out that according to City Hall’s figures, work has only started on a tiny percentage of the homes he promised under his latest affordable homes programme.

As of September last year, the percentage of completed homes under that scheme stood at just 2.8 per cent. The mayor’s team blamed the Government for delays in signing off funding for the programme, and

promised that the delivery of homes would “ramp up” over the coming months.

Ms Hall said: “It’s a complete shambles, and he won’t listen. I am listening to Londoners, which is why I will build more family homes that people can afford, by cutting the bureaucracy in Sadiq Khan’s failing London Plan.”

Asked whether he accepted any responsibility for the low number of homes started in the last quarter of 2023, Mr Khan said: “The Home Builders Federation (HBF) have said across the country, [we could see] the lowest number of homes being started since the Second World War. “We know in London, only at the end of March, did [Housing Secretary] Michael Gove finally give the guidance for those buildings with a second staircase requirement above 18 metres.

“A lot of our buildings – the new starts – are the taller buildings, and that certainty from the Government only came in weeks ago, so it’s hardly surprising there have been so few starts.

“What we need though is not just my re-election on May 2, but a change in Government, so we can have certainty and stability and more homes built in London.”

The HBF’s warning about a post-war low for housebuilding was issued by the organisation in February 2023, and was a prediction concerning housing supply over the next few years if certain potential policy changes occur.

House-building in the 2022/23 financial year, which does not include the latest ‘provisional’ data, was high by recent standards – standing at about 174,000 new homes started across England. This compares with an average of roughly 153,000 new homes begun each year over the last decade.

New Government regulations requiring buildings taller than 18m to have second staircases were announced last year, but were only set out in detail on March 29 this year.

Mr Khan had previously accused the Government of “dither and delay” over those details, arguing that uncertainty over how the new regulations would be applied was causing housing projects in the capital to stall.

Among the 580 homes started in London at the end of last year were just 60 housing association homes. A further 90 were being built by local authorities, and the remaining 430 by private developers.

Andy Hulme, chief executive of the housing association Hyde, said: “We currently have record numbers of homeless children and households living in temporary accommodation.

“The evidence is clear that London is in the grips of an appalling housing crisis which is paralysing millions of people and forcing them to put their lives on

that the mayor establish the ‘City Hall developer’ in the next mayoral term.

Lord Kerslake said the new body could be created in two phases, with the first phase being the expansion and strengthening of City Hall’s existing housing delivery mechanisms.

Mr Khan confirmed that the second phase – creating of the new developer – will take place if he is re-elected in May. The Labour mayor said that his deputy for housing, Tom Copley, has been “obsessed” with bringing the plans to life.

“The sorts of things we’re looking at is where there’s a gap, where a council or a housing association or a developer may not take forward a scheme that maybe City Hall can take forward,” said Mr Khan.

“What we don’t want to do is become a developer for the sake of doing it – it’s about adding value, and if we can add value, we’ll definitely do it [intervene at key housing sites].”

He added: “Imagine if there’s a piece

of land that’s owned by one GLA [Greater London Authority] functional body [such as Transport for London], another owned by another part [of the GLA], or the local authority, or a private developer.

“Working together, we can make some real progress – where at the moment there might be sort of a ‘turf war’ taking place. We’re a trusted friend, a trusted ally, who can rise above some of the potential tensions that can exist.”

Similar plans were proposed last week by Mr Khan’s Liberal Democrat rival Rob Blackie, who said such a body would “fill in the gaps” left by the private market, with a particular focus on publicly-owned land and setting conditions to prioritise homes for key workers.

Tory candidate Susan Hall has not made her position clear on whether she would take forward Lord Kerslake’s recommendation. Her campaign team was approached for comment.

Ms Hall has said on housing that

Tory mayoral candidate Susan Hall London mayor Sadiq Khan hold because they cannot find a suitable, affordable home.

“Sadly, this situation is set to get worse and not better in the short-term. As a social housing charity that is working hard to build homes, things are harder without a long-term plan from Government for affordable homes.

“High inflation, high interest rates and global economic headwinds of the last few years means we are seeing big falls in the supply of affordable housing at precisely the time when we need the number of affordable housing starts to increase to help meet demand.”

In a call for action, Mr Hulme added: “In the next settlement for social housing rents, it is vitally important the Government delivers long-term certainty to help us unlock additional private sector investment with a ten-year, index linked settlement. Investors making long-term investment decisions need assurances and funding commitments from national government.

“We need Government funding to work smarter to create a stable environment so we can maximise investment to deliver more of the homes this country desperately needs.”

Responding to Mr Hulme’s comments, a spokesman at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “Through our long-term plan for housing, we are investing £11.5 billion in the Affordable Homes Programme and remain on track to build one million over this Parliament.

“Last year saw the highest year on record for affordable housing delivery, with a 12 per cent increase in starts to the previous year and since 2010, we have delivered over 696,100 new affordable homes, including over 172,600 homes for social rent.

“We’re working closely with house builders and the wider sector on our longterm plan for housing to deliver more affordable homes to rent and buy across the country.”

Where do mayoral candidates stand on creating a City Hall-owned housing developer?

By Noah Vickers

Local Democracy Reporter sAdiQ KhAn has confirmed that he will create a City Hall-owned housing developer if he is re-elected for an historic third term.

The aim would be to ensure that housing schemes are brought forward on plots of land where private developers and local authorities have been unable to get homes started.

The mayor had already promised to “pilot” such a developer in his current term.

In his 2021 re-election manifesto, Mr Khan wrote: “Because I’m determined to do everything in my power to tackle the shortfall in genuinely affordable homes in London, I’ll take action not seen for a generation in London and pilot a new City Hall developer to start directly building the low-cost homes Londoners need.”

However, a review commissioned

by Mr Khan and carried out by the late Lord Kerslake in 2022, suggested

Rob Blackie is the Liberal Democrats’ 2024 London mayoral candidate. she wants to “stop Sadiq Khan’s inappropriate tower blocks” and instead “build family homes”.

She has promised to relaunch the London Land Commission, to identify brownfield sites where more homes can be built.

Green candidate Zoe Garbett said she would also follow Lord Kerslake’s recommendation, but would have certain conditions set in relation

to affordability and environmental impact.

She said: “This is using public money, so the homes must benefit Londoners and I would want to see at least half of what this developer builds being genuinely affordable homes. And these new homes must be built to the highest environmental standards which will mean energy bills are affordable for residents in the future.”

© Liberal Democrats

By Noah Vickers

© Noah Vickers/Local Democracy Reporting Service

mayoral rivals clasH over a record low numBer of new Homes started

NEWS 13

By Noah Vickers

Local Democracy Reporter Sadiq Khan has unveiled plans for a second Superloop, as part of his re-election bid

Sadiq Khan has unveiled plans for a second Superloop network of express bus services as part of his re-election bid.

If granted a third term at City Hall, the capital’s Labour mayor is proposing to double the number of Superloop services from 10 to 20.

The new collection of routes, dubbed ‘Superloop 2’, will include the recently announced ‘Bakerloop’ service, designed to provide an alternative to the unfunded £10billion Bakerloo line Tube extension.

The proposed Superloop 2 routes, all subject to consultation, are: • Harrow to Barnet, via Edgware • Barnet to Stratford, via Enfield and Chingford • Leytonstone to South Havering, via Gants Hill and Romford • North Greenwich to Thamesmead, via Woolwich • ‘Bakerloop line’: Elephant and Castle

to Lewisham, via Old Kent Road and New Cross • Streatham to Eltham, via Tulse Hill and Lee • Richmond to Wimbledon, via Roehampton • Ealing Broadway to Kingston, via Great West Road and Richmond • Hounslow to Hammersmith, via Great West Road • Hendon to Ealing Broadway, via Brent Cross and Hanger Lane

Mr Khan said: “The success of the Superloop is one of my proudest achievements as mayor, connecting Londoners to key locations in outer London and getting more people onto public transport. It has been nothing short of a game changer – making journeys quicker and more convenient…

“The proposed new routes will all be subject to consultation with Londoners, but I’ve asked Transport for London to start looking at how they could best serve key locations – whether popular town centres, other transport hubs or public services like hospitals.”

The mayor has meanwhile promised to continue lobbying the Government to fund the Bakerloo line Tube extension, among other Tube and rail projects.

When the Superloop was first announced by the mayor last year, backed by £6million of funding, it was attacked by his Tory critics as “nothing more than a repackaging of existing routes and vague promises” and “a microscopic level of investment”.

On the Superloop 2 plans, Conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall said: “Sadiq Khan’s last attempt at an orbital bus service turned out to be a Superflop, and there is no reason why this would be any different.

“I have long called for more investment in outer London buses and I will deliver this without hammering motorists with Sadiq Khan’s Ulez expansion or bringing in his pay-per-mile plans. On May 2, you have the chance to vote for a mayor who listens.”

Mr Khan denies he plans to bring in ‘pay-per-mile’ road user charging, having explicitly ruled it out in his manifesto on Thursday.

Four of the original 10 Superloop routes

© London Labour

Sadiq Khan has unveiled plans for a second Superloop, as part of his re-election bid

were ‘re-badged’ existing services, albeit with increased frequencies.

It is not yet clear whether any of the Superloop 2 routes will use existing services, but the mayor’s campaign team pointed out that even the re-badged

routes have seen increased ridership.

For example, the SL7 – which runs from Heathrow to West Croydon – saw a 56 per cent ridership rise between June and November following its rebrand and frequency boost.

have toilets and that their availability can vary wildly between different Tube lines.

Labour mayor Sadiq Khan last year commissioned a feasibility study to explore how best to improve toilet provision on the transport network, expected to be published in the summer this year.

Mr Khan’s latest budget “commits £3million per annum [recurring] to provide additional public toilets on TfL estates, as well as modernise existing facilities where required, funded from business rates income”.

He said last month: “This is the first time money’s been ring-fenced in TfL’s budget for public toilets.

“This means that as soon as the feasibility study is complete, TfL can look to start work on priority locations – they won’t have to wait until the next budget round to secure funding.”

He added: “In the meantime, improvement works have been completed at over 35 London Underground stations and work continues on several major station enhancements, including Colindale and Leyton – which include improvements to toilet facilities.”

But Ms Russell argued that, while welcome, the mayor’s planned investment will fall short of what is needed and she said Mr Khan had “dithered and delayed” in addressing the issue.

“You can’t have a wee in a feasibility

study. He really needs to just get on with investing in this really serious public health issue,” she said.

Explaining the Greens’ proposals, she said: “We’ll keep the £3million a year obviously for the team that works at TfL, on toilets. We will invest at least £20million a year [to boost toilet provision].

“We will obviously use the mayor’s feasibility study that’s being published quite soon – which was prompted by my campaigning – and we will use that to determine where the toilets go. But we’ll do things like concentrate on Night Tube stations, [and] interchanges, where the most people are going to be able to get the benefit of those new toilets.

“And also think about the Overground, where it may be quite easy to put toilets in, and that may well be able to fill in some of the gaps on the map.”

Speaking at a London Assembly meeting in February, Tory mayoral candidate Susan Hall said that providing more public toilets will “certainly” be “on the agenda” if she is elected in May. Lib Dem candidate Rob Blackie said: “This is a big accessibility issue for the London transport network. It’s hard for many people to use public transport if we don’t have enough toilets. We would aim to increase the budget for toilets year on year – and we have supported calls for this at City Hall.”

© Noah Vickers/Local Democracy Reporting Service

© Green Party

Greens’ say their Loo Czar is proving ‘an absolute vote-winner’

Left; Green mayoral candidate Zoe Garbett asking Londoners about improvements to public toilet provision Above; Caroline Russell, Green member of the London Assembly

By Noah Vickers Local Democracy Reporter The promise of more toilets on London’s Tube and bus network is proving “an absolute vote-winner” in the race for City Hall, the Green Party has said.

The party has campaigned over the lack of public loos in the capital over several years, and Green mayoral candidate Zoe Garbett promises to hire a ‘Loo Czar’ and create a Toilet Commission for London if she is elected on May 2.

The Czar would lead the Commission and ensure their recommendations for boosting the number of public

toilets are implemented.

Ms Garbett’s campaign team said the Loo Czar’s role would have a “much smaller” scope than Sadiq Khan’s Night Czar or deputy mayors, suggesting that the job would not command a six-figure salary like they have.

Caroline Russell, Green group leader on the London Assembly, said the party’s promise to install more toilets across the Transport for London (TfL) network is proving popular.

“I think it’s absolutely a votewinner,” she said. “Everybody cares about this, everybody knows what it’s like to be worried about where you’re

going to be able to have a wee.

“For people having prostate cancer treatment, or people who use a colostomy bag, or have Crohn’s Disease, or just pregnant or travelling with small children – those are times in your life when you really need to find a toilet urgently.

“It’s not right that people are curtailing their travel around our city because they’re worrying about finding a loo.”

In August 2023, Ms Russell published a ‘London Loo League Table’ report which exposed the number of ‘loo deserts’ across the Tube network. It found that less than a quarter of stations in zones 1-3

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NEWS 15

world’s Best Press PHotograPHs to sHowcase in BorougH

By Herbie Russell

the world’s best press photographers will display their spellbinding photos of war, disasters and climate change at an exhibition in Borough next month.

The World Press Photo Exhibition is being hosted at Borough Yards from Friday, May 3 until Monday, May 27.

Heart-wrenching images of a devastated Gaza, the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, and blackened forests following Canada’s wildfires all feature.

This year’s winner was Mohammed Salem whose photo of a Palestinian woman cradling the body of her five-year-old niece Saly, grabbed the world’s attention.

Taken on October 17 in Khan Younis, Gaza, it shows Inas Abu Maamar, 36, mourning after losing her niece and four other family members.

Mohamed Salem, a Reuters photojournalist, described it as a “powerful and sad moment that sums up the broader sense of what was happening in the Gaza Strip”.

The world-renowned exhibition, which returns to London after a sevenyear hiatus, will travel to 80 cities globally drawing over 3 million visitors.

Leon Neal’s photo shows the Supernova music festival site where hundreds were killed and dozens taken hostage by Hamas militants on October 7.

Leon Neal - World Press Photo 2024

Mohammed Salem/Reuters World Press Photo 2024

Alejandro-Cegarra World Press Photo 2024

The Getty Images photographer snapped security forces walking among bodies trying to identify victims.

Charles-Frederick Ouellet’s photo shows a firefighter scanning the horizon after wildfires devastated Quebec in July last year.

Published in The Globe and Mail, it encapsulates the world’s collective shock after witnessing how high temperatures fuelled the recordbreaking fire season.

‘The Two Walls’ by Alejandro Cegarra shows asylum seekers waiting at the

gates of the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid in Tapachula - 25 miles from the Mexican border.

Published by The New York Times and Bloomberg, the photo helps convey Mexico’s attempts to stem the flow of immigration.

The World Press Photo Exhibition is taking place at Borough Yards, Dirty Lane, London, SE1 9AD between Friday 3rd May and Monday 27th May 2024.

Buy tickets at ents24.com/london-events/ borough-yards/world-press-photoexhibition-2024/7046982

16 NEWS

Maths geniuses from Bermondsey get to go to top private school

By Isabel Ramirez

LEFT T Hriday Doshi, Mr Blain, Finley Doran

Two 11-year-olds from Bermondsey, who have been learning A-level Maths, are getting support to go to a £22k-a-year private school.

Hriday Doshi, 11, and Finley Doran, 11, have both been offered places at the City of London Boys School - where Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe attended years ago.

The pair attend Galleywall Primary, City of London Academy, in Bermondsey where they are given A-level questions to stretch their learning.

The maths masterclass was devised by headteacher Martin Blain – himself a Cambridge graduate and maths teacher.

“It’s there to stretch and challenge our very brightest students and it’s been a big hit,” he said.

Hriday said he was happy that all his hard work had paid off, commenting: “I studied hard since last year. I even had to miss a trip back to India to see my family in the summer. But it was all worth it.”

Both students came through a rigorous selection process which included an entrance exam and interviews to be offered a place.

Since Martin Blain assumed the role of head last September, he has made it his mission to rise the aspiration in the school so every child who wants to prosper, can.

“At my previous school, we helped around 50 per cent of students win places at grammar and private schools. I want to continue that success here so that

those who work hard reap the rewards.”

He told us: “We want every child to aspire to get into the best schools regardless of money.

“We don’t want that to be a barrier,” adding that the City of London Academies Trust offer means-tested bursaries for bright pupils who can’t afford the high

fees.

On his achievement, Finley said: “It is an incredible opportunity for me and I can’t wait to get started in September.

“I have to say a big thank you to Galleywall for pushing me with the maths masterclass and extra challenges such as creative writing.

Elephant and Castle Railway Station cordons raised after man found injured

A police cordon was raised outside Elephant and Castle Railway Station

By Herbie Russell Police cordons were raised outside Elephant and Castle Railway Station after a man was found injured.

Officers were called to the station shortly after 6am on Saturday, April 13.

They found a man who’d been

injured and was then taken to a nearby hospital.

His condition was not considered life-threatening.

There have been no arrests and enquiries are ongoing.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “Police were called at 06:03hrs on Saturday 13 April to reports of an injured man at Elephant and Castle

Railway Station.

“Police attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service and a man was found injured.

“The man was taken to a near-by hospital where his condition was confirmed as non –life threatening/ changing.

“At this early stage there have been no arrests, enquiries are on-going.”

“It helped prepare me really well for the application process to City of London.

The interview was tough but I felt I was on the front foot.”

This is the second year pupils from Galleywall have earned places at City – last year, student Tommy Burridge was the first to pass the test.

Playground misery amid ‘antisocial behaviour’ fears

By Herbie Russell Detectives are investigating after vandals reportedly burned down part of a Peckham playground.

Police said “antisocial behaviour” meant “misery” for the local community amid an appeal for information.

The London Fire Brigade was called to the fire at Sumner Road Park shortly after 3pm on Sunday, April 14.

A two-metre-tall wooden play structure was partially destroyed and has since been dismantled.

Nearby Peckham Rye Park was hit with a spate of vandalism last month when rude words were scrawled on rat bait boxes.

Plants in the park’s American Garden were also hacked to stumps with its 81-year-old founder saying the mindless damage made her ‘sick’.

There is no suggestion the incidents are related to the fire in Sumner Road Park.

In Bermondsey, three playgrounds plagued with sinkholes, rust and broken swings were recently named among London’s ‘saddest’.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “We will continue to work with our borough partners to formulate a long-term solutions to the issues that local people have raised while taking enforcement action where crimes are committed.

“As that work progresses, we would urge anyone with information relating to crime in the area to get in touch with their local policing team, dial 101 or post on X @MetCC.”

Brigade warning after Fire damages in Walworth

By Herbie Russell A fire has damaged a residential block in Walworth with firefighters warning about the dangers of candles.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called the blaze on Massinger Street at 1.58pm on Wednesday, April 17.

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters had brought it under control by 2.43pm.

LFB said the fire, which destroyed half of a ground-floor flat, was likely

accidental and caused by an unattended candle.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Candles are one of the most common causes of fire. It’s really important that you never leave a candle unattended and keep them away from anything else that can easily catch alight.

“Consider using battery-powered, flameless LED candles instead, which are safe even if you fall asleep. Whilst they may cost more upfront than traditional candles, they will last considerably longer, giving you better value for money.”

NEWS 17

rio ferdinand ‘deligHted’ By millwall PartnersHiP

Young players competed in a football tournament in Burgess Park organised by the two charities

By Herbie Russell rio FerdinAnd has welcomed his charity’s partnership with millwall after they co-hosted a football tournament on Burgess park.

The former Manchester United and West Ham defender said was ‘delighted’ to see the Rio Ferdinand Foundation (RFF) join forces with Millwall Community Trust.

Boys and girls from across Southwark kicked off at Burgess Park, signaling “a new chapter” of collaboration for the two organisations, on Thursday, April 11.

The former England centre-back said: “Having grown up in Peckham I’ve always been aware of the good work Millwall do in the area, particularly engaging and creating opportunities for local young people.

“I know they do a lot. I’m therefore

City Splash Festival returns to Brockwell Park

By Herbie Russell

A FestivAl celebrating Caribbean and african culture is returning to Brockwell park.

City Splash Festival will host artists performing reggae, dancehall, dub, amapiano and more across its seven stages on Bank Holiday Monday, May 27.

This year the festival welcomes the Grammy-nominated Jamaican reggae musician Capleton, plus legends Beenie Man and Busy Signal.

Jungle mainstay Shy FX and “dancehall sensation” Shenseea are also expected to put on a show.

Former Chase & Status frontman Rage MC will make an appearance as will Afrobeats and Amapiano selector DJ Neptizzle.

Last month, organisers announced the

City Splash Festival will return to Brockwell Park this May

latest line-up drop with tonnes of new names added to the bill.

Mystic Marley’s unique blend of reggae, hip-hop, soul, R&B, and pop will grace the stage.

Joining her is Jah Izrehl, whose tunes are influenced by his legendary uncle, Little Twitch.

Then there’s Tamo J, whose viral hit ‘Level Up’ has taken the scene by storm with 3.1 million views and rising dancehall star Mehka Don. In celebration of Amapiano, City Splash has lined-up Nicky Summers, Rosey Gold and Larizzle.

Alongside its music, City Splash Festival will have food and drink from more than 45 Black-owned food traders in partnership with Black Eats LDN. Festival-goers can also expect a creative market, as well as panel discussions.

delighted to see my Foundation and the Millwall Community Trust working together and really excited to see our partnership move forwards.”

Born at King’s College Hospital in Camberwell, Rio was raised in Peckham. He went on to have a distinguished career making 504 Premier League appearances and 81 for England.

His foundation, which aims to empower young people, now plans

to host a careers event at Millwall in October.

Students will meet music industry figures including Warner Music and Kiss FM and discover social inclusion projects on offer.

Joubin Sarrami, Community Manager at Millwall Community Trust, added: “The Co-Hosted tournament over the school holidays was a great opportunity for local boys and girls to take part in some competitive football

games.

“It gave them a safe space to showcase their talent but to also meet other local young people and learn more about the wide variety of different opportunities that both RFF and MCT offer young people in the area.

“We are looking forward to developing our partnership with RFF and the Co-hosted tournament will set the foundations for more to come in the future”

KCL university develops gadgets that ‘decode’ moody teenagers’ emotions

The head-worn cameras track family members’ facial movements

By Herbie Russell teenAgers’ unpredictABle moods are being deciphered thanks to wearable technology developed by a local university.

The new gadgets can decode the meanings behind scowls, smirks and eye rolls, say researchers from King’s College London.

Their research has been published in the journal Frontiers amid hopes it could foster better relationships between parents and teens.

The study saw a team from

Manchester Met University give the head-worn devices to youths aged fourteen to sixteen to wear at home.

Cameras tracked family members’ facial movements as teens interacted with parents at home while algorithms deciphered their emotions.

Using AI, software pinpointed whether participants were ’20 per cent’ worried or ‘5 per cent happy’.

According to researchers, the technology may even spot when teenagers are “masking their true feelings”.

The protocols could soon be used in

therapy sessions and help to reduce mental health problems.

Dr Nicky Wright, Psychology Lecturer at Manchester Met and lead researcher, said: “With the current mental health crisis in adolescence it is crucial we understand potential sources of resilience for young people.

She added: “Human interaction is highly complex and multi-faceted. Our facial expressions serve as critical nonverbal social cues, communicating our emotions, intentions and support our social intentions.”

18 OPINION

Comment

‘This election will be a close two horse

race between Labour and the Tories’

n

eXt thursdAY will be a pivotal moment for our borough and city, as londoners choose between two very different visions for our city.

The choice could not be starker. You can vote for a Mayor of London who has backed our community or one who wants to talk London down.

A vote for the Labour candidate Sadiq Khan will be a vote for a Mayor who will fund free healthy school meals for our children, build 40,000 new council homes, freeze TfL fares, fund 250,000 positive opportunities for young Londoners, create 150,000 good jobs and put more neighbourhood police on our streets.

The alternative is the hard-right Tory candidate Susan Hall, who would raise Londoners’ travel fares, cancel universal free school meals and cancel new council

homes. She has no plans to support young people, tackle the causes of crime or create jobs. Instead she supported the Liz Truss mini budget that crashed our economy and made bills, rents and mortgage payments shoot up, and she has been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump and Enoch Powell too.

There are of course other candidates but this election will be a close twohorse race between the Labour and Tory candidates. That’s in part because the Conservative Party has changed the voting system for this election to make it easier for them to win. You no longer get to put your preferences for Mayor in order. Instead, you get to choose just one candidate. So your choice is to vote for the Labour candidate, Sadiq Khan, or a vote for any other candidate will help the Tory candidate to win.

Parents urgently need affordable, high-quality childcare

A

FFordaBle, HIGHQuAlitY and accessible childcare is important not just because it enables parents to work, but because it gives every child a fair start in life.

Childcare should be as much part of our economic infrastructure as transport – a functioning childcare system is as important as the rails and the roads which take us to work.

Without it many parents, mainly mothers, will miss out on work, or earn less than they should – and the economy will not grow to its full potential.

Sadly, many parents in Camberwell and Peckham tell me they simply cannot find the childcare they need.

A report this week by the Fawcett Society showed 85% of UK mothers cannot get the hours or days they

need. Under the Conservatives childcare has become less workable for the majority of UK families.

While the recent expansion of free hours was welcome, nursery leaders tell me they are struggling to meet parents’ demand and lay on the new hours due to a lack of staff. How after 14 years do the Tories still have no strategy for increasing the early years workforce?

Offering families free funded childcare hours are no good if nurseries can’t safely staff them: families across the country urgently need a credible longterm solution so they can plan their lives. This is what Labour will deliver.

The last Labour government’s National Childcare Strategy led to a massive increase in childcare provision. There were 2,500 more childcare places in Southwark alone.

Sadiq’s support for our community is not new. He is a regular visitor to Southwark and I’ve spent time recently with him in both Rotherhithe and Peckham, meeting local people and talking about the issues our community faces and how he can help us overcome them. He really does get it and his support has made a big difference.

In Southwark we are now building more new council homes than at any time since the 1970s, more than any other council in the country. The vast majority of these new council homes are part funded by Sadiq.

This school year we extend our free healthy school meals in Southwark so they are not just for all primary school children but for hundreds more secondary school children whose families are on low incomes

too. Again this was made possible by extra funding from Sadiq.

Last month we had the brilliant news that Sadiq will be investing another £850,000 in positive activities for young people in our borough.

Money we have matched with £1 million of council funding through our Positive Futures Fund too.

Sadiq has also backed our campaign to extend the Bakerloo Line, from Elephant to Lewisham and beyond. Work is already underway to build the new station at Elephant and Castle jointly funded by Sadiq and the council. In the meantime, Sadiq has also announced that if he is re-elected he will deliver a new ‘Bakerloop’ express bus down the Old Kent Road to speed up journey times while the new line is delivered.

It would be easy to take all of these

KIERON WILLIAMS

Southwark Council leader things as for granted. But the Tories have made clear they would cancel many of them. Wrecking our city in the same way Liz Truss wrecked our national economy when she had just a few weeks in charge. We must not let them do the same to London.

I sometimes hear people say politicians are all the same and it makes no difference which way you vote. Well in this election that could not be further from the truth. So if you care about children not going hungry, low TfL fares, new council homes and opportunities for young people then I encourage you to vote for Sadiq.

And don’t forget the Conservatives also introduced Voter ID as another way to make it easier for them to win, so remember to take your photo ID with you when you go to vote.

HARRIET HARMAN

MP for Camberwell & Peckham We did this through childcare tax credits, Sure Start Centres and nurseries in the NHS and colleges. And the benefits of these changes stayed with children for life. A recent report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that children from low-income families who grew up near a Sure Start centre did better than their

peers at GCSEs. This is the difference a Labour government will make.

The next Labour government will once again make childcare our priority – we know it is government’s responsibility to deliver on this. We will work with local authorities to boost the availability in places where provision is currently letting so many families

down. It is not right that in 2024 Britain lags far behind other European countries in terms of the amount of free hours parents are able to access.

Let’s turn the page on Tory failure and treat childcare like we would any other crucial pillar of the country’s infrastructure, so all new families get the best possible start.

OPINION 19

london elections: voters must make themselves heard despite electoral changes

p

eople should exercise their democratic right and cast their vote in london’s elections on May 2 - even if recent electoral changes have eroded that choice.

Londoners have an important decision to make. Victory for Sadiq Khan would mean a historic third term for the Labour mayor. Alternatively, a win for Susan Hall of the Conservatives would be a sharp rejection of Khan’s controversial ULEZ and road policies. Who knows, maybe an outsider could pull off one of the biggest political upsets in recent memory. Third time lucky for Count Binface?

But there’s an important change to the electoral system this time, one that we find difficult to stomach. For the first time, the mayor will be selected via a first-past-the-post system. Whereas voters could previously select a first and second choice, now they can only vote for a single mayoral candidate.

The Conservative-led government introduced this change as part of the Elections Act 2022. It’s largely gone under the radar with many being distracted by the equally significant introduction of Voter ID. But the alteration is key and, in this paper’s view, unfit for the realities of modern politics.

According to the government, a first-past-the-post system makes it “easier for voters to express a clear choice”. However, a second-choice system meant people could vote for the candidate they really wanted - and then make a more tactical decision should it boil down to a two-horse race.

First-past-the-post may have worked in the past when people’s political allegiances were tribal, when voters had near-familial loyalty to either the red or blue team. But the topsy-turvy nature of contemporary politics - where the Tories can win a storming majority in 2019 and then be on the brink of collapse five years later - shows how times have changed. Nor is the system fit for a diverse London, where varied cultures need varied choices.

Fortunately, you’re not just voting for a mayor. There are two other votes on May 2 - for the constituency London Assembly members and their London-wide colleagues. The positions aren’t as glamorous as the top job - nor as well publicised - but these politicians still play a vital role in the running of London.

We urge our readers to check out which candidates are running in their constituency and see what their values and goals are. They can provide important checks and balances on the mayor’s decisions - notably how he or she spends the £20 billion budget. A well-informed, committed, London Assembly member could have a really positive impact on your local area.

Readers might feel disillusioned by the voting change. Or they may be glad that the complexities of politics have been simplified. Regardless, casting your vote remains as important as ever.

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CRYPTIC PUZZLE Clues Across

Clues Down

1 He should be able to get to the top in the building trade (11) 9 Disreputable tearaway (3) 10 Cases of shocking cruelties (9) 11 What are the stakes in W. Indian Test match? (5) 13 The cost it seems is tenpence (7) 14 Anyone can see through it (6) 16 Tight but honest we hear (6) 18 Time for the hands to get together (7) 19 Mainly astray? (23) 20 Get rid of alien I met (9) 21 Does it implement lawbreaking? (3) 22 Meantime saves the game (5,6)

2 Butter up? (Just a little) (3) 3 Do noblemen have organs about the Left? (5) 4 Untidy little beasts (6) 5 Lift the top up to get the prize (7) 6 Rascal’s upset about finish of many dates (9) 7 Does he never take the cake? (11) 8 Basically the end of the ones sent to a friend (11) 12 Heavyweight sailor distressed about hairstyle (9) 15 Orders to make inroads (7) 17 Birds not of the coaltit family (6) 19 A near miss in the battleground (5) 21 Past making a try? (3)

QUICK PUZZLE Clues Across

Clues Down

1 Document (11) 9 Insect (3) 10 Bit by bit (9) 11 Aristocratic (5) 13 Energetic (7) 14 Revolve (6) 16 Not often (6) 18 Wind instrument (7) 19 Drill (5) 20 Venetian boatman (9) 21 Join (3) 22 Gorge of the Colorado (5,6)

2 Consume (3) 3 Red Indian tent (5) 4 Devils (6) 5 Rid of dirt (7) 6 Month of French Republican Calendar (9) 7 Killer of the dragon (5,6) 8 Illegal trade (5,6) 12 Haggler (9) 15 Cocked hat (7) 17 Madman (6) 19 Lord (5) 21 Also (3)

SOLUTIONS TO LAST WEEK’S CROSSWORD CRYPTIC

Across 1 Legends 5 Roman 8 Idle 9 Captures 10 Master mariner 13 Grit 17 Roar 17 Salad dressing 19 Overtone 20 Rein 21 Toyed 22 Studied Down: 2 Endear 3 Elector 4 Decorated 5 Rotor 6 Mariner 7 Nostrum 11 Agreement 12 Disport 13 Gallery 15 Assured 16 Inside 18 Dated

QUICK CROSSWORD

Across: Welcome 5 Eased 8 Lira 9 Talisman 10 Bolshoi ballet 13 Echo 14 Tear 17 Viennese waltz 19 Academic 20 Date 21 Entry 22 Spinach Down: Editor 3 Classic 4 Metronome 5 Erica 6 Similar 7 Denotes 11 Buttercup 12 Deviate 13 Elegant 15 Abandon 16 Static 18 Needy

20 ARTS

what’s on

Photo by Greta Zabulyte

When Love and Hate Collide

in Southwark

Last night I was banged up in a top security prison with killers, rapists, robbers and those who describe themselves as monsters, and they all had something in common - They are all able to love, writes Michael Holland...

Nobody knows what goes on in the minds of those who commit serious crime, unless, of course, you sit down and talk with them, get to know them, become one of them for a couple of hours.

Which is why I spent an evening immersed in jail, surrounded by cons and screws and claustrophobic prison beds, tormented by jangling keys and slamming doors as the inmates went about their tedious daily routine, punctuated only by banter and the occasional brawl.

This was the world of Kiss Marry Kill,

co-written by Daphna Attias, Terry O’Donovan and James Baldwin who had done deep research on LBGT issues and rights in prisons after they had read a story about two Category A prisoners getting married in jail. Between them they fictionalised a play that tells that story.

Through movement, choreographed riots, dialogue and rap, Kiss Marry Kill begins with Jay (Dauda Ladejobi) just about to be tempted into a homosexual encounter when a friend enters the toilet and sees what it going on. Jay murders the man and explains it away by saying he was being sexually assaulted. He is jailed, leaving behind a pregnant girlfriend, who he plans to marry.

In a high security prison he has to fight for his place in the pecking order there, and after a few personality clashes he

A Superb Sensory Overload

The claustrophobic, bright yellow triangular space soon became over-populated with commuters crushed into a train carriage and then a lift ascending an office block before miraculously transitioning into a busy office. A young woman arrives late for work.

She is the star of Sophie Treadwell’s Machinal and she is Rosie Sheehy who gives a phenomenal performance, writes Michael Holland.

Machinal is based around the 1928 trial and execution of Ruth Snyder, a story that Treadwell, a journalist, had followed.

Like most of her plays and writings , it positions the woman as front and centre of the tale.

The action is pretty much non-stop as we are quickly shown a dysfunctional home life with her mother, her tardiness for work, and a boss who falls so much in love with her ‘lovely hands’ that he proposes marriage. A proposal she ponders and stresses over before saying yes.

Cut straight to the honeymoon hotel and the awkward scene of approaches by a man ‘with fat hands’ she doesn’t love, followed by jumping to the maternity ward where she does not bond with her baby girl.

The ‘young woman’ is next seen in a speakeasy being wooed by a petty criminal who takes her back to his place.

It is here that the action slows down for their love-making but the Old Vic’s lights

becomes close to Paul (Graham Mackay Bruce), the wing hard man and getter of contraband. - at a price.

After a time their relationship becomes very close until the Governor (Frank Skully) steps in to warn Jay that he needs to think of his young family and keep his head down so that he can get out of the Cat. A system and move to a prison nearer his home. Love, however, is a powerful emotion.

Complaints are made about the couple’s intimacy and when the Governor tries to come down hard on them they retaliate with prison rules and the rights of inmates to get married. Yes, this is meant to mean marry someone of the opposite sex who is not in prison, but when those rules were drawn up nobody foresee what could happen. They demand to be married in

jail and the Governor has no option other than to agree.

The story flies through time at an electrifying speed and you have to fill in a lot yourself, which means you never really get to know the characters, but still a tale is told here.

Weaving in and out of this complex situation is Lady Lykez who plays a prison officer and Jay’s girlfriend, plus, periodically enters the action with raps that accentuates and throws light on the stripped down, succinct dialogue.

Kiss Marry Kill is a fast-paced, highenergy, hard-hitting production that depicts some of the realities of jail time: cancelled visits, loneliness, the constant threat of danger… But with several exoffenders on the team as a resource for detail, I expected that.

There was a Q&A after and Frank Skully spoke about there being no LBGT rights in prison in the 80s and 90s, so the play’s highlight for me was him as the Governor officiating at the wedding and having the pleasure of pronouncing Jay and Paul ‘Husband and Husband’.

Kiss Marry Kill goes a long way in explaining the hardships of the LBGT community who find themselves locked up, but no one has yet found any answers.

In this production it is love that wins over the hate, but this is just one story and there is still a long way to go.

are all switched off to leave us drenched in total blackness and their sex noises.

By the time our eyes became accustomed to the lack of light the couple were post-coitus. In the dark she declares her love for him and plans a life together, which quite rightly scares him off.

Next, she is on trial for murdering her husband and sent to the electric chair. All the men in her life are depicted in a chain connected to the switch and being the both the blame for her predicament and her executioners.

The nightmarish style of delivering Machinal in a confined and contorted set, where huge shadows are thrown on to the walls, reminiscent of the darker depths of The Third Man but in bright colour rather than monochrome, is not an easy watch but you become transfixed by Sheehy’s performance as she is constantly trying to figure out her

world - a world that she has to negotiate on stage through smartly choreographed movement.

The scenes where she is spitting out a stream of consciousness are mesmerising; and when she is finally caged you feel her anxiety.

By focussing on the woman in this story you get a clear picture of how men have created her throughout an intense production that leaves you rather battered.

My companion, who registers quite high on the spectrum, immediately said, ‘She was definitely autistic.’

‘Not just a bi-polar woman, quick to threaten her own mother and nice-guy husband before deciding to kill him and run off with bad boy boyfriend?’ I asked.

I then got her own stream of consciousness explanation about signs of the neurodivergent: social ineptness,

constantly figuring out the world and how it works, a focus on details, feeling incredibly vulnerable, struggle to interpret social situations…

This production of Machinal about the woman’s struggle with sensory overload and the closeness of others then made a lot more sense, which it already had to my fellow theatre-goer. It also highlighted how women would be cast off as mentally unwell for the slightest showing of not letting a patriarchal society force women into corners.

I had wanted Machinal to be a straightforward telling of the Ruth Snyder story, which was - to me - much more interesting, but it would not have been as exciting as this.Old Vic, The Cut, SE1 8NB until June 1st. Mon - Sat 7.30pm; Wed & Sat matinees 2.30pm. Admission: £13 - £90.

Stone Nest, 136 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5EZ Mon to Sat at 7.30pm.

Until 27th April.

Booking via www.danteordie.com

Booking: www.oldvictheatre.com

ARTS 21

Heading south - our pick of the upcoming events in May The Laugh Bath Fancy a night of free stand-up comedy? The Laugh Bath offers a laugh a minute at Deptford’s Endeavour every Wednesday evening.

Grab your mates, grab a pint, and grab a giggle at this weekly comedy event.

Every Wednesday (1 May, 8 May, 15 May), 7:30pm Tickets: Free Endeavour, 39 Deptford Broadway, SE8 4PQ www.eventbrite.com/e/the-laugh-bath-free-stand-up-comedy-in-deptford-tickets-790181773957

©©National Maritime Museum

Yoga in Greenwich Park Calling all yogis, join in a restorative session of yoga in Greenwich Park.

Whatever your experience – whether you’re new to yoga or perhaps you’re an experienced yogi looking to get out of the studio – this is the class for you.

Everyone is welcome; all you need is a mat, a bottle of water and an open mind.

Sundays (5 May, 19 May, 26 May, 2 June, 9 June), 5pm Tickets: £5 Greenwich Park, SE10 8QY www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ park-yoga-greenwich-park-everybody-iswelcome-tickets-865348439477

Tarot Nice to Meet You Want to know your future? Because comedians Carly Smallman and Sarah Iles already do. The duo will be joined by a special guest for a real – and hilarious – tarot reading.

There will also be card readings for the audience, too, in this fully interactive hit show, which won the ‘Best Audience Interaction’ Award at the 2022 and 2023 Brighton Fringe Festivals. So, what do the cards have in store for you…

Thursday, 2 May 2024, 8:15pm Tickets: £9.50–£11.50, 16+ event Churchill Theatre, High Street, BR1 1HA trafalgartickets.com/churchill-theatre-bromley/en-GB/event/other/ tarot-nice-to-meet-you-02-may-tickets

Live music Greenwich’s Trafalgar Tavern hosts evenings of free live music every week (Fridays and Saturdays from 8pm, Sundays from 7pm).

Feeling Blue In this 45-minute tour, assistant curator Maya Wassell-Smith will unpack the rich narratives in Alberta Whittle’s work, which speaks to a global history of migration, melancholy and mythology.

Feeling Blue is a site-specific commission, made by Alberta Whittle and Dovecot Studios. When designing the tapestry, Whittle visited Royal Museums Greenwich, delving into the collections at the National Maritime Museum and exploring the tapestry at the Queen’s House.

Weaving together sailor traditions, Windrush stories, ocean ecologies and musical themes, the piece speaks to the multiple histories represented at the Museum, and imbalances of power evoked by the Queen’s House.

Tuesday 14 May 2024, 3:30pm Tickets: £5 Park Row, Greenwich, SE10 9NF www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/queens-house/ feeling-blue-curator-tour

Enjoy the sweet serenades of some fantastic artists from across London as the pub is joined by performers who keep the party going. Listen to some classics while taking in views of the river, pub garden season has just begun after all.

Every weekend Tickets: Free The Trafalgar Tavern, Park Row, SE10 9NW www.trafalgartavern.co.uk/ event/live-music

Community dance session Bulgarian-born, Woolwich-based choreographer and dance artist, Stephanie Handjiiska, is hosting community dance sessions at Woolwich Works this spring.

The sessions cater to individuals from all backgrounds; no prior dance experience is needed. Stephanie guides participants through a free dance session, offering thoughtfully structured instructions that build upon each other to inspire movement. Revel in the music’s rhythm and let it drive your emotions and transformations.

There’s no set choreography to memorise, no specific

movements to repeat. Dance in unison, fully present in the moment, connecting with the music, joy, and the sense of community.

The session is for those 18+, or 15+ with a parent present and dancing. It can also be conducted seated and is accessible for wheelchair users.

Sunday 12 May and Sunday 16 June 2024 Tickets: £8, concession £6.50 Coopers Studio, The Fireworks Factory, 11 No. 1 Street, SE18 6HD www.woolwich.works/events/dancer-in-the-community-2024

22 HISTORY

History Courtesy of Nicky Hughes

Southwark Blue Plaques: William Pullum, weightlifter who trained Olympians

William Pullum

By Isabel Ramirez A Camberwell man, who is said to have ‘revolutionised the world of weightlifting, has been nominated for a Blue Plaque.

William Albert Pullum was born in Camberwell on April 8, 1887.

As a child, he suffered several serious illnesses – including meningitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, peritonitis and tubercular disease of the lower jaw. He even wrote in his 1926 book, Weightlifting Made Easy and Interesting, that an early grave was on the cards for him.

With that in mind, it makes what he went on to achieve even more impressive.

The beginning of his entry into the sport can be dated back to 1904 after he saw the Arthur Saxon Trio perform their act of extreme strength at the Camberwell Palace of Varieties.

They would get audience members to compete for cash prizes and on the night he was watching, a local strongman called William Slade won the competition.

Shortly after, Mr Pullum ended up sharing a house with Slade and his brothers - when his family moved out of London.

A sickly-looking teenager at the time, Slade created a training programme for him - and slowly Mr Pullum built up his strength.

Getting well into Mr Pullum noticed that whilst many traditional strongmen could lift weights with ease, they did not

have a proper technique. It was this that drove him to devise a set of rules - selftried and tested - that would become the ones the sport still abides by to this day.

By nineteen years old, Mr Pullum had set up a school of physical culture in Camberwell named the Lothian Club.

In 1907, this world-famous gym was relocated to number 5 Church Street, Camberwell (now a Cheeky Burger.)

It became a hub for aspiring weight trainers from around the country including the world’s richest man John Paul Getty was once trained by him.

Not only did he work behind the scenes - going on to help set up the British Amateur Weightlifting Association in 1910 - he was also a famous athlete in his own right.

Between the years 1911 and 1915, he won 192 British and world weightlifting records, fifteen British championships and 53 gold medals.

He would later coach the 1948 British Olympic Team, long after having retired from competing himself - proving how integral he was to the sport.

In 1920, Pullum even patented a new design for barbells. While he took his competitive weightlifting seriously, he was not above performing more theatrical displays of strength.

One famous stunt involved him supporting nine men sitting on a wooden plank and three more seated on a barbell. He was under nine stone at the time and was supporting over 2000 lbs.

During the First World War, Pullum’s request to enlist was refused but rather he was employed as a physical training

instructor, tasked with bringing those who failed the physical tests up to the required standard. Even throughout the war, he continued to break records but saw no active military service.

After hostilities ended, Pullum’s gym continued to flourish and attracted many weightlifters, boxers, wrestlers, and the occasional millionaire, all eager to be trained by him.

He had married Alice Sophia Howe in 1910 and went on to have one son, William Stanley Pullum who went on to be a professional boxer, trainer and promoter.

William Pullum died on August 29, 1960, aged 73 and was buried at Camberwell New Cemetery.

The inscription on his gravestone reads: “During his lifetime a pillar of strength and an inspiration to his many friends throughout the world.”

We spoke to Geoff Platt, a lifelong friend of the Pullum family who knew him personally in the weightlifting world.

Mr Platt told us: “I was the auditor of the International Weightlifting Federation number three in the world in charge of weightlifting 1991-1995.”

“William Pullum was a very intelligent man who was treated very well.

“His rules and techniques have stood the test of time.”

CLASSIFIED 23

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PUBLIC NOTICES 25

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

THE LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (ABBEY STREET, COBOURG ROAD,MELON ROAD, BARNHAM STREET, FENWICK ROAD, LIBRARY STREET, AVONMOUTH STREET, WARNER ROAD, GLENGARRY ROAD, THORNCOMBE ROAD, TROSSACHS ROAD, HILLSBORO ROAD, BOUNDARY LANE, FELLBRIGG ROAD)

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 (as amended)

TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) 1.

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

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time in: (a) Abbey Street, between Enid street and Jamaica Road (b) Cobourg Road, between Neate Street and Loncroft Road (c) Melon Road, between Peckham High Street to it’s blocked end (d) Barnham Street, between at railway bridge, located between Crucifix Lane and Tooley Street (e) Fenwick Road, between East Dulwich Road and Strickland Court (f) Library Street, between Milcote Street and Borough Road (g) Avonmouth Street, between No’s 6 (h) Warner Road, between Crawford Road and No’s 63 (i) Glengarry Road, between No’s 6-8 to JW Thorncombe Rd (j) Thorncombe Road, between the side of 129 East Dulwich Grove and Glengarry Road (k) Trossachs Road, between Glengarry Road and Thorncombe Road (l) Hillsboro Road, between East Dulwich Road and Thorncombe Road, the LTN restriction will be lifted (m) Boundary Lane, side of 57-67 Camberwell Road (n) Fellbrigg Road, between No’s 13

3.

The alternative routes for affected traffic as indicated by the signs displayed

4.

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

5.

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

6.

The works will be in operation for (2a) 4th – 5th May (2b) 6th – 7th May (2c) 2nd – 17th May (2d) 6th – 10th May (2e) 7th – 8th May (2f) 7th May (2g) 6th – 13th May (2h) 9th – 11th May (2i) 7th May – 11th December (2j) 7th May – 11th December (2k) 7th May – 2nd July (2l) 7th May – 11th December (2m) 7th – 13th May (2n) 7th – 13th May

7.

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

Dated this 25th April 2024 Ian Law Traffic Manager London Borough of Southwark Network Management Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529 London SE1 5LX Ref: (2a) 68616268 (2b) 67940663 (2c) 77001021 (2d) LBSCR13445 (2e) LBSCR13487 (2f) LBSCR13444 (2g) W118399542-00120 (2h) 00338558-00000001 (2i) 9621-04 (2j) 9621-01 (2k) 9621-02 (2l) (2m) 61514469 (2n) 10402148 MARRIAGE/CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS APPROVAL NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENT FOR NEW APPLICATION/RENEWAL* TO LICENCES Notice is given that Shakespeare’s Globe Trust Has applied to the London Borough of Southwark for approval/renewal of approval of premises for marriage/civil partnership ceremonies at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London, SE1 9DT (Balcony Room, The Underglobe and Sam Wanamaker Theatre) A register of all applications made within the Southwark area is maintained by: The Licensing Service, Hub 1, 3rd Floor, 160 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2QH A record of this application may be inspected by visiting the office during normal office hours by appointment on 020 7525 2000; details are also available on our website at http://app.southwark.gov.uk/licensing/licenseregister.asp It is open to any interested party to make representations about the likely effect of the application on the promotion of the licensing objectives. Representations must be made in writing to the Licensing Service at the office address given above (or by email via licensing@southwark.gov.uk) and be received by the Service within a period of 21 days starting the day after the date shown below.

Date of application: 9th April 2024

THE LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK hereby gives notice that it proposes to make an Order under Section 247 of the above Act to authorise the stopping up of the following areas of public highway shown hatched grey on the drawing attached to the draft Order numbered ‘M000806-2-1-DR-017 Rev A’ and labelled ‘Red Lion Court Stopping Up Order’.

The highway to be stopped up is in the London Borough of Southwark and can be described as two areas of highway at Bankside Path, London SE1 9HL, together totalling 9.44 square metres in area. The first area measures 10.85 metres long at its longest point and 1.05 metres wide at its widest point. The second area measures 0.9 metres long at is longest point and 0.6 metres wide at its widest point.

IF THE ORDER IS MADE the stopping up will be authorised to enable the development described in the Schedule to this Notice to be carried out in accordance with the planning permission granted under Part III of the Act by the Council under local planning authority reference 22-AP-1602 on 26 October 2023 at Red Lion Court, 46-48 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ. COPIES OF THE DRAFT ORDER AND THE RELEVANT PLAN MAY BE INSPECTED FREE OF CHARGE by way of appointment during a 28 day period commencing on 25 April 2024 at 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH by calling 020 7525 2135 and referring to the Stopping Up Order in respect of Bankside Path, 46-48 Park Street. A copy may also be viewed on the Council’s website at https://www.southwark.gov.uk/transport-and-roads/trafficorders-licensing-strategies-and-regulation/highway-stopping-up-closure-orders?chapter=4&article.

ANY PERSON MAY OBJECT to the making of the proposed Order within a 28 day period commencing on 25 April 2024 by written notice to the Head of Law (Property and Planning), Legal Services, London Borough of Southwark, 2nd Floor, Hub 2, PO Box 64529, London SE1P 5LX quoting reference (LEG/RP/PL/RE040/176/KM).

In preparing an objection it should be borne in mind that the substance of it may be imparted to other persons who may be affected by it and that those persons may wish to communicate with the objector about it.

Doreen Forrester-Brown Assistant Chief Executive (Legal, Governance & Assurance) THE SCHEDULE 22/AP/1602: ‘Demolition of the existing building above ground and part-basement and redevelopment of the site to provide an 11-storey stepped building with roof top plant, plus a two storey basement, providing office, retail, restaurant and wellness uses alongside external terraces, landscaping, public realm works, new plant equipment, internal loading bays, cycle parking spaces and other associated works.’

Transport for London Public Notice ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 THE A200 GLA ROAD (CRUCIFIX LANE/DRUID STREET/BARNHAM STREET, LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC AND STOPPING) ORDER 2024 1. Transport for London in consultation with the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that it intends to make the above named Trafc Order under section 14(1) of the Road Trafc Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose specied in paragraph 2. The effect of the Order is summarised in paragraph 3.

2. The purpose of the Order is to enable bridge inspection works to take place A200 Crucix Lane.

3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit; (1) any vehicle from entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on A200 Crucix Lane/Druid Street between its junctions with Barnham Street and White Grounds. Local non HGV access only will be permitted between Tower Bridge Road and White Grounds; (2) any vehicle from entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on Barnham Street between its junctions with Crucix Lane and Tooley Street; (3) any pedestrians from proceeding on either footway on Barnham Street between its junctions with Crucix Lane and Tooley Street.

Marshalls will be available to assist pedestrians and HGV drivers.

The Order will be effective at certain times between 6th May 2024 and 10th May 2024 every night 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM or when the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. The prohibition will apply only during such times and to such extent as shall from time to time be indicated by trafc signs.

4. The prohibitions will not apply in respect of: (1) any vehicle being used for the purposes of those works or for re brigade, ambulance or police purposes; (2) anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or a person authorised by Transport for London.

5. At such times as the prohibitions are force alternative routes will be indicated by trafc signs vehicles via Bermondsey Street, Long Lane, Great Dover Street, Borough High Street to normal route of travel. for pedal cycles via White Grounds, Bermondsey Street, Crucix Lane to normal route of travel. or Tower Bridge Road, Queen Elizabeth Street, Tooley Street, Shand Street and Crucix Lane to normal route of travel.

Dated this 25th day of April 2024 Claire Wright Co-ordination and Permitting Area Manager Transport for London Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

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26 PUBLIC NOTICES LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK TOWN & COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 (as amended) PLANNING (LISTED BUILDINGS AND CONSERVATION AREAS) ACT 1990 (as amended) The planning applications listed below can be viewed on the planning register at https://planning.southwark.gov.uk/online-applications/ You can use facilities at your local library or 'My Southwark Service Points' to access the website.

How to comment on this application: You should submit your comments via the above link. Comments received will be made available for public viewing on the website. All personal information will be removed except your postal address. Online comments submitted without an email address will not be acknowledged and those marked 'confidential' will not be considered. Written comments can be submitted to; Southwark Council, Chief executive's department, Planning division, Development Management, PO Box 64529, London SE1 5LX. Reason for publicity. The applications are advertised for the reasons identified by the following codes: AFFECT - development affecting character or appearance of a nearby conservation area; OR development affecting setting of a nearby listed building(s); DEP - departure from the development plan; EIA - environmental impact assessment (these applications are accompanied by an environmental statement a copy of which may be obtained from the Council - there will be a charge for the copy); MAJ - major planning application; STDCA - development within a conservation area; STDLB - works to or within the site of a listed building; 260 CAMBERWELL NEW ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 0RP (Ref: 24/AP/1027) Listed building consent for proposed alterations to the window/door openings to the rear ground floor outrigger, alterations to the external materials, including Listed building consent for external insulation to the rear GF outrigger, alterations to create a double vaulted ceiling at second floor level and new roof finish to the main, butterfly roof, internal alterations and associated work at 260 Camberwell New Road. (Within: Camberwell New Road CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Eleanor Heagney 020 7525 5403) 110 THE QUEENS WALK LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 2AA (Ref: 24/AP/0918) Alteration (including demolition) and extension of the existing office building for use as Offices (Class E(g)(i); Flexible Commercial (Class E) to include additional floorspace through extensions; altered and additional entrances; creation of office amenity terraces and plant enclosures; facade alterations including urban greening and associated works. Associated works including deconstruction / removal of an existing garage / kiosk structure and provision of new hard and soft landscaping within the public realm including improvements to the Scoop, and other works incidental to the development. (The site is within the setting of the Grade 1 listed Tower Bridge, the Tower of London World Heritage site, and the Tooley Street and Tower Bridge Conservation Areas) Reason(s) for publicity: MAJ (Contact: Matt Redman ) LAND AT MORE MORE LONDON RIVERSIDE MORE LONDON PLACE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 2DB (Ref: 24/AP/0954) The temporary erection and installation of pop-up bar and seating area in More London by The Scoop, a stage and screen to be erected within the Scoop itself for daily entertainment. The temporary erection and installation of pop-up bar and seating area on London Bridge City Pier

outside of the Cottons Centre including pagodas.

The bars will serve a range of hot and cold beverages/food. (Within: Tower Bridge Tooley Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Michèle Sterry 020 7525 5453) 247-249 WALWORTH ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE17 1RL (Ref: 24/AP/0975) Variation of condition 1 (Approved Drawings) for planning permission reference number 16/AP/4370: Installation of new cold rooms in rear yard and relocation of 4 no. existing plant units and the replacement of 3 no. existing internal condenser units to the external yard. The amendments sought by this application are: Relocation of 1x condenser unit along with noise attenuation of both condensers and kitchen flue extract (Within: Walworth Road CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Vanessa Chai 07894 979965) 31 SUTHERLAND SQUARE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE17 3EQ (Ref: 24/AP/0961) Retrospective Listed Building Consent for Reception rooms: Restoration of the existing floorboards and lowering of existing skirting boards (Amended Description) Rear extension (garden side): creation of a new window on the first floor Garden wall (rear of property): Intallation of helibars to wall due to cracking (Within: Sutherland Square CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Richard Craig 020 7525 0436) 20 UPPER GROUND LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 9PD (Ref: 24/AP/1088) Continued use of the highway for the temporary placing of decking, picket fence and associated furniture in association with hotel use (Within: Old Barge House Alley CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Samuel Hepworth 020 7525 5465) BATH HOUSE REAR OF 33 MANOR PLACE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE17 3BD (Ref:

24/AP/1054) Listed building for external relining and cladding of the rear and part return elevations; associated external material changes at 33 Manor Place.

Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Catherine Jeater 020 7525 5375) 8 EAST STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE17 2DN (Ref: 24/AP/0964) Addition of 1no. door to the north elevation in order to create an internal WC for use of tenants 2,4,6 and 8 East Street (Within: Walworth Road CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Alex Lambert 020 7525 1353)

Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: William Tucker 07925 637 210) Dated: 23 Apr 2024 - comments to be received within 21 days of this date.

STEPHEN PLATTS - irector of Planning and Growth

30 WEST SQUARE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE11 4SP (Ref: 24/AP/1116) Erection of a garden room outbuilding to the rear garden. (Within: West Square CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: William Tucker 07925 637 210) FLAT 3 100 TOOLEY STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 2TH (Ref: 24/AP/1037) Variation of Condition 1 'Approved Plans' of planning permission ref no: 23/AP/2030 'Construction of rear extension at the third-floor level, installation of glass structural roof lantern and external alterations including the creation of a roof terrace and replacement enlarged fenestration to the rear facade.' Amendments sought: The depth of the rear extension and the roof addition is to be increased to allow for an automatic openable vent at the roof level. This will improve the fire safety of the building whilst providing an open-plan kitchen dining layout suitable for the applicant and his young family.

(Within: Tooley Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Agneta Kabele 07548097486) 30 DENMAN ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE15 5NP (Ref: 24/AP/1084) Proposed courtyard development and all other associated works (Within: Holly Grove CA)

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (ALBERTA STREET, AMELIA STREET, NIGEL ROAD, WESTON STREET, DEKKER ROAD, MONTAGUE CLOSE, WOOD VALE, DRUID STREET) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) 1.

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

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time in: (a) Alberta Street, between Braganza Street and No’s 97 (b) Amelia Street, between Penton Place and No’s 212 (c) Nigel Road, between Rye Passage and Peckham Rye (d) Weston Street, between Melior Street and St Thomas Street (e) Dekker Road, between Court Lane and Woodwarde Road south side and north side closure (f) Montague Close, between No’s 3 and No’s 6 (g) Wood Vale, between No’s 21 – No’s 8 and No’s 1 – No’s 15 Branfoot Court ‘at any time’ waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced outside and opposite on both sides of the carriageway (north and south side) (h) Druid Street, between Tanner Street and Pheonix Wharf Road

3.

The alternative routes for affected traffic for (a) Braganza Street, Manor Place, Penton Place, Alberta Street. Penton Place, Kennington Park Road, Braganza Street (for non-motorised vehicles) as indicated (2b) Iliffe Street, Crampton Street (2c) Anstey Road, Fenwick Road, East Dulwich Road, Peckham Rye (2d) as indicated by the signs displayed (2e) Dekker Road, Desenfans Road, Woodwarde Road (2f) as indicated by the signs displayed (2g) not applicable (2h) as indicated by the signs displayed

4.

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

5.

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

6.

The works will be in operation for (2a) 13th May – 22nd June (2b) 13th May- 15th June (2c) 13th – 15th May (2d) 4th – 5th May (2e) 15th May – 26th June, south side and north side closure carried out in phases (2f) 12th – 13th May (2g) 10th – 18th May (2h) 11th – 19th May

7.

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

Dated this 25th April 2024 Ian Law Traffic Manager London Borough of Southwark Network Management Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529 London SE1 5LX Ref: (2a) 99450983 (2b) 02986436 (2c) SA-939625 (2d) LBSHO13465-2 (2e) W119974175-00736 (2f) LBSCR13437 (2g) XW0722462829-03073 (2h) 93183499

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PUBLIC NOTICES 27

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK MINOR TRAFFIC SCHEMES – 23/24 Q2 The London Borough of Southwark (Charged-for parking places) (MTS 2324-Q2) Order 202* The London Borough of Southwark (Free parking places, Loading places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping restrictions) (MTS 2324-Q2) Order 202*

1. Southwark Council hereby GIVES NOTICE that it proposes to make the above orders under sections 6, 45, 46, 49 and 124 of and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended.

2. The effect of the orders would be:(a) in BUSHEY HILL ROAD in CPZ 'PR' south-west side o/s No. 76 (i) reduce existing 'permit' by 2m in length (20m remain), and (ii) add 2m new DYLs; (b) in CHADWICK ROAD in CPZ 'Q' north-west side o/s No. 60 (i) reduce existing 'shared-use' by 8m in length (34.5m remain), and (ii) install 8m free cycle parking facility; (c) in CHAMPION PARK in CPZ 'L' north-west side o/s Denmark Hill Station (i) remove 8m existing 'pay' parking (4.5m of one bay remains), and (ii) install 8m free cycle parking facility; (d) in DE CRESPIGNY PARK in CPZ 'L' (i) north-west side opposite No. 34 reduce existing 'pay' by 6m in length (35m remain) and formally add an existing cycle hangar and 1m DYLs, (ii) relocate an existing cycle hangar (from southeast side opposite No. 25) to a location north-west side opposite No. 34 (next to the formalised cycle hangar), and (iii) south-east side opposite No. 25 extend existing SYLs by 2.55m to accommodate the relocated cycle hangar; (e) in EMPRESS STREET in CPZ 'J' south-west side, south of its junction with Fielding Street (i) reduce existing 'permit' by 6m (13.5m remain), and (ii) install new electric vehicle only re-charging point 6m in length, which may be used by electric vehicles for re-charging only either for a max stay of 4hrs, no return within 2hrs between the hours of 7 am to 10 pm Mondays – Saturdays, or without time limit for the remaining hours in the week; (f) in GREAT SUFFOLK STREET in CPZ 'C2' north-east side o/s Nos. 133 to 135 (i) remove a total of 12.5m existing SYLs, (ii) add 5.5m new 'permit' parking, and (iii) add 7m new DYLs; (g) in GREEN HUNDRED ROAD in CPZ 'T' south-west side, south-east of a point opposite its junction with Ethnard Road (i) remove 9m existing 'shared-use', and (ii) add 9m of new DYLs to accommodate; (h) n HATFIELDS in CPZ 'C1' north-east side o/s Nos. 19 to 21 (i) remove 16m existing 'permit', (ii) install 8m free cycle parking facility, and (iii) add 16m new SYLs to accommodate; (i) in MELBOURNE GROVE in CPZ 'ED' south-west side, side of No. 68 East Dulwich Grove (i) split and reduce by 7m in length existing 'permit' (a total of 46m remain), and (ii) add a total of 4m new DYLs; (j) in RED POST HILL in CPZ 'P' (i) reduce existing 'permit' north-east side by 2m in length each o/s No. 86 (31.5m remain) and o/s No. 100 (23.5m remain), and south-west side o/s No. 65 by 6m in length (40m remain) and o/s No. 61 by 2m in length (33.5m remain), and (ii) add a total of 12m new DYLs to accommodate; (k) in ROBERTS CLOSE north-west side, relocate an existing 6m car club only parking place south-westward by 15m, and amend the existing 'pay' parking to accommodate; (l) in RUSHWORTH STREET in CPZ 'C2' south-west side o/s No. 14 (i) remove 10m existing 'permit', (ii) add 2m new DYLs, and (iii) install 8m free cycle parking facility; (m) in WREN ROAD in CPZ 'L' (i) south-west side remove existing 12.5m 'permit' (side of No. 25 Camberwell Green) and 39m 'pay' (o/s Nos. 1 to 6 Wren Road) and replace with 6.6m 'limited stay' DPPP operating every day and 'at any time' (max stay 4hrs, no return 2hrs), 9.5m of 'stop and shop' parking in which either:- vehicles may be left free of charge for up to 30mins, or vehicles which have paid the parking charge may be left for up to 2hrs, the first 30mins of which parking session would be free of charge, provided no vehicle may return to a parking place within 2hrs, between the hours of 8:30 am and 6:30 pm on Monday to Saturday inclusive, and 35.5m of new DYLs, (ii) north-east side o/s. Nos. 13 and 14 reduce existing 'permit' by a total of 5.5m (22.5m remain) and add new cycle hangar (2.55m in length) and a total of 5m new DYLs, (iii) south-east sides of the south-easternmost extremity o/s Nos. 8 and 9 convert 4 existing 'pay' parking bays to 'permit' which are lined so as vehicles stand at an 90° to the kerb-line (each bay is 4.5m in length and 2m in width), and add a total of 14m new DYLs on the remaining kerb-line, and (iv) north-west side of the southeasternmost extremity side of No 10 formally amend the size and shape of existing 'permit' which are lined so as vehicles stand at an 90° to the kerb-line (each bay is 4.5m in length and 2m in width) and existing DYLs; (n) in CRAWTHEW GROVE north-east side (i) add new DYLs o/s Nos. 46 and 48 (3.5m) and o/s No. 58 (2m), and (ii) relocate an existing 'at any time' DPPP 3m north-westward to a location o/s Nos. 58 and 60; (o) in HOLLYDALE ROAD south-west side, (i) o/s No. 57 extend the length of an existing 'at any time' DPPP by 1.5m (new length is 8.1m), and (ii) add 1m new DYLs o/s No. 59; (p) in ST MARYCHURCH STREET relocate an existing cycle hangar (from south-west side, side of Nos. 22 to 38 St Mary's Estate) to a location south-east side opposite the south-easternmost vehicular access to St Mary's Estate, and add a total of 7.3m new DYLs either side of relocated cycle hangar; (q) in WARNER ROAD south-east side (i) relocate an existing 'at any time' DPPP 2.5m south-westward to a location o/s Nos. 63 and 65, and (ii) add 2.5m new SYLs o/s No. 63; (r) in WYNDHAM ROAD north-west side o/s No. 16 (Caine Apartments) extend existing loading bay (for the purpose of loading only) to operate every day of the week between the hours of 10 am - 4 pm and between 7 pm - 7 am (max stay 40mins, no return 2hrs); (s) remove existing lengths of ‘School Keep Clear’ markings in (i) LARCOM STREET (30m) south-east side o/s Nos. 12 and 14 and St John's C of E Primary School and convert 33.5m of existing SYLs to new DYLs, and (ii) ROTHERHITHE NEW ROAD (25.5m) north-west side o/s Rotherhithe Primary School and replace with 25.5m new DYLs; (t) convert existing SYLs to new DYLs in (i) MARMONT ROAD north of its junction with Peckham High Street north-west side 16m and south-east side total of 13.5m, and (ii) MCDOWALL ROAD north-west side 10.5m o/s No. 19 and south-east side 9.5m o/s No. 17b, and 19.5m o/s Nos. 10 to 13; (u) add new DYLs (i) 3m in CARLTON GROVE west side, between Nos. 51/53 and No. 61, and (ii) 8m in LIMESFORD ROAD south-east side, south-west of its junction with Ivydale Road; and (v) add new DKBs on existing DYLs in (i) BOSS STREET on both sides at its junction with Queen Elizabeth Street (14m total), (ii) CURLEW STREET across both of its junctions with Gainsford Street (12m total) and across both its junctions with Queen Elizabeth Street (10m total), (iii) GAINSFORD STREET both sides across both its junctions with Curlew Street (14m total), both sides at its junction with Horselydown Lane (9m total), both sides across both its junctions with Lafone Street (16m total), north-east side across its junction with Maguire Street (12.5m total), and both sides at its junction with Shad Thames (6m total), (iv) HORSELYDOWN LANE south-east side across its junction with Gainsford Street (11m total), (v) LAFONE STREET across both of its junctions with Gainsford Street (19m total) and across both of its junctions with Queen Elizabeth Street (20.5m total), (vi) MAGUIRE STREET on both sides at its junction with Gainsford Street (8m total), (vii) QUEEN ELIZABETH STREET south-west side across its junction with Boss Street (14m total), north-east side across its junction with Curlew Street (14m total), both sides across both its junctions with Lafone Street (14m total), both sides at its junction with Shad Thames (34.5m total), and south-west side across its junction with Three Oak Lane (10m total), (viii) SHAD THAMES across its junction with Gainsford Street (9.5m total) and across its junction with Queen Elizabeth Street (16m total), and (ix) THREE OAK LANE on both sides at its junction with Queen Elizabeth Street (18.5m total).

NOTES: (1) ‘DPPP’ refers to disabled persons parking places which may only be used by vehicles displaying a valid disabled persons 'blue badge'. (2) ‘permit’ refers to parking places for holders of valid parking permits within the Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) listed; ‘shared-use’ refers to parking places in which holders of a valid permit for the CPZ listed or ‘pay’ paid ticket holders are permitted to park within the permitted hours. (3) In reference to 'stop and shop' pay parking mentioned in item 2(m), a parking session must be registered with the Council’s ‘Pay by Phone’ provider to obtain the 30 minutes free of charge parking in addition to a longer charged-for stay. The ‘Pay by Phone’ provider will calculate the total parking charge for the parking session payable automatically upon registering. (4) ‘SYLs’ refer to timed waiting restrictions, ‘DYLs’ refer to 'at any time' waiting restrictions, and ‘DKBs’ refer to 'at any time' loading restrictions. (5) All measurements are in metres ‘m’ and are approximate. (6) Parking charges are listed on www.southwark.gov.uk/parking 3. Southwark Council hereby GIVES FURTHER NOTICE under sections 90A to 90I of the Highways Act 1980 and in accordance with the provisions of the Highways (Road humps) Regulations 1999 and the Highways (Traffic calming) Regulations 1999, propose to construct road humps of sinusoidal cross-section construction, approx. 3.7 metres in length, having a maximum height of 100 millimetres and covering the greater width of the carriageway (any existing speed bumps in the exact locations listed below will be removed and refreshed with road humps):(a) in BLUE ANCHOR LANE (i) centred 11m north-west of the common boundary of Nos. 15 and 17 Blue Anchor Lane, (ii) centred 11.5m south-east of the common boundary of Nos. 25 and 27 Blue Anchor Lane (Bridgestone House), (iii) centred 3.5m north-west of the north-western kerb-line of Bombay Street, and (iv) centred 4m north-west of the common boundary of Nos. 47a and 49 Blue Anchor Lane, (b) in LUCEY ROAD centred 37.5m south-west of the southwestern kerb-line of Rouel Road, (c) in MCDOWALL ROAD (i) centred 2.5m south-west of the common boundary of Nos. 8 and 9 McDowall Road, and (ii) centred 30.5m north-east of the north-eastern kerb-line of Denmark Road, (d) in SARTOR ROAD centred at the common boundary of Nos. 3 and 5 Sartor Road, and (e) in YALDING ROAD (i) centred the common boundary of Nos. 9 and 11 Yalding Road, (ii) centred the common boundary of Nos. 31 and 33 Yalding Road, and (iii) centred 19m south-east of the south-eastern kerb-line of Cadbury Way. 4. Southwark Council hereby GIVES FURTHER NOTICE to: (i) introduce a ‘shared pedestrian and cycle only’ route in the entirety of CHURCHYARD PASSAGE (between its junction with Camberwell Church Road and its junction with Camberwell Grove) for the use of pedestrians and pedal cycles only ‘at any time’ every day of the week, and (ii) formally convert an existing ‘cycle only’ path to a ‘shared pedestrian and cycle only’ path on the footway which lies in the area south-west of the south-western kerb-line of College Road and north-west of the north-western kerb-line of Dulwich Common (the north-westernmost side of this junction), to clarify and make safer this space for pedestrians and cyclists.

5. For more information about these proposals please contact Katie Reeves of the Council's Highways – Transport Projects team Highways@southwark.gov.uk.

6. Copies of the supporting documents (this Notice, the proposed Orders, and a statement of the Council's reasons for making the Orders) may be found online at www.southwark.gov.uk/trafficorders; paper or digital copies of plans showing the location and effect of the Orders and the supporting documents may be requested by emailing traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk, or inspected by appointment only at: Highways, Southwark Council, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth, 3rd floor hub 2, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH - from the date of this Notice until the end of a period of six weeks from the date on which the Orders are made. Email traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk (or call 077 3132 4742) for booking details.

7. Anyone wishing to make any representations either for or to object to the proposals, may use our consultation portal at https://consultation.appyway.com/southwark; or send a statement in writing to: Traffic Order Consultations, Highways, Southwark Council, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth, P.O. Box 64529, London SE1P 5LX or traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk quoting reference ‘TMO2425-004 MTS 2324-Q2’ by 17 May 2024. Please note that if you wish to object to this proposal you must state the grounds on which your objection is made.

8. Under requirements of current access to information legislation, any letter, form or e-mail sent to the Council in response to this Notice may be subject to publication or disclosure, or both, including communication to other persons affected.

Dated 25 April 2024 Steven Grayer Head of Service - Highways, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth

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surrey see off defiant kent Dom Sibley, left, and Rory Burns

surreY clAimed their first win of the season after defeating Kent by an innings and 37 runs despite some dogged final-day batting from the home side in the vitality county championship at canterbury.

The reigning champions dismissed the hosts for 262 in their second innings, with Dan Worrall taking 4-31 and Cameron Steel claiming 3-38.

Steel remains the leading wicket-taker in the country this season, with 20 after three matches.

Joey Evison made 53 and Matt Parkinson hit his highest first-class score of 39, but after a dogged rearguard action that saw them through the morning session, Kent subsided midway through the afternoon.

The hosts were 120-5 overnight, still 179 runs in arrears, and their slim hopes of batting out the day were dealt a near fatal blow when Ben Compton was out in the fifth over of the morning.

Hamlet squander three-goal lead

By John Kelly

dulwich hAmlet blew a threegoal lead they had built up inside 26 minutes as they drew 3-3 against Folkestone invicta in their isthmian league Premier division game at cheriton road last weekend.

Josh Shonibare, Danny Mills and Ryley Scott put Hakan Hayrettin’s side into a commanding position.

Seidou Sanogo pulled one back before the break and the hosts claimed a point after goals from Edward Allsopp and David Smith in the last sixteen minutes.

“We’ve got so many players out injured, ten to twelve out,” Hayrettin said. “The way we held on there in the end to get the point, I think we were good value for money in the second half. We haven’t got a recognised centre-back, we haven’t got a recognised left-back. Harrison’s [Hatfull] just come back and he’s not 100 per cent fit.

“But the boys put in a shift like they always do, that’s the most important thing but obviously the injuries are hampering us at the moment so we’ve just got to get over the line.”

The Hamlet’s last game of the season is against Cray Wanderers at Champion Hill this Saturday at 3pm.

Reigning Division One champs get first win of season

By Fred Atkins

SPORT 29

Brittany Sayls into sunset with victory

Compton, unbeaten on eight overnight, chased a Worrall delivery that veered away and was caught behind.

The home crowd, however, were pleasantly surprised by the way Evison and Parkinson survived the rest of the morning. Parkinson, promoted up the order to number eight, had spent the winter working on his batting as part of a concerted effort to shore up Kent’s lower order and although there were a few alarms by lunch Kent had reached 203-6 and the impossible now seemed merely improbable.

Evison, however, fell to Tom Lawes in the afternoon’s third over. He cut Lawes for fours off successive boundaries to reach his half-century but then edged him behind.

With Evison gone, Kent crumbled.

George Garrett was lbw to Steel for four and Jas Singh went for a duck when Jamie Smith took a brilliant catch at short leg off the same bowler.

Number 11 Arafat Bhuiyan had some fun with the new ball, flicking three

consecutive balls from Kemar Roach for a six and two fours on his way to his highest championship score of 22 not out, making him the fourth Kent tailender to reach that personal landmark in this match, after Garrett and Singh hit their career-best scores in the first innings.

This merely delayed Surrey’s celebrations however and an emphatic victory was sealed when Smith took another exceptional close catch to snare Parkinson off Kemar Roach.

Surrey took 24 points and Kent two.

“It’s a max win and one that we’re pretty pleased with on a pretty flat surface,” Surrey’s Rory Burns said.

“It’s difficult with the wind and rain and some of the conditions we were presented with early to stay together as a team out there but I think the guys and they way they led with the ball, some of the partnerships we put together in that first innings in particular, to bowl them out for under 250 was a really good effort.”

Burns added: “It’s brilliant, isn’t it.

People put their hands up at various opportunities at various different points. We’ve very happy with a win on a very flat surface.”

Kent’s display on day four didn’t surprise Burns.

He said: “We always knew that was going to be the way, we knew there was still a lot of hard work to do. The fact that we had them five down overnight was probably a very good thing because we knew it was a pretty benign surface so we knew that period was going to be a little bit tricky and we’ve given ourselves a second bite of the cherry with that new ball there just to finish it off.”

“It’s nice to see [Dom] Sibley in some really good form and I’ve been in decent touch myself so as a partnership we’re popping off each other quite nicely at the minute. We obviously can take confidence from this.”

Surrey play Hampshire in Division One starting on Friday (April 26).

it until the final over with a tidy spell of 2-35, but England Star Sophia Dunkley’s composed unbeaten 48 saw Stars home amid rising tension.

Earlier, Freya Kemp, a day short of her nineteenth birthday made a maiden list-A 50 with Georgia Elwiss 44 and Knott 41 propelling the visitors to a competitive total, Ryana MacDonald-Gay returning figures of 3-46 Ella McCaughan and Knott survived some early fishing outside off-stump to post an 80-run opening stand after Vipers were put in.

Knott impressively drove MacDonaldGay for successive fours, one square of the wicket and another straight. However, Macdonald-Gay would have her revenge, thanks to a stunning catch by Phoebe Franklin, diving full length to grab a ball dropping over her shoulder.

McCaughan soon followed trapped lbw

by Stars’ spinner Danielle Gregory, but it proved the high point for the Stars’ spinner, later banished from the attack for a second head-high full toss, the first despatched by Vipers’ skipper Georgia Adams for the day’s first six.

Adams became the first of two lbw victims for slow left-armer Bethan Miles just as she looked set to dominate but the visitors were well placed at 190-3 with thirteen overs remaining.

Miles though struck again, ending Georgia Elwiss’s polished innings after which wickets fell at regular intervals, Dunkley picking up two with her leg-breaks.

That Vipers posted 273 was down to Kemp, mixing aggression with good running to reach 50 at better than a run a ball. Alice Monaghan also hoisted MacDonald-Gay for a huge six before

falling to another wonderful catch from wicketkeeper Chloe Hill.

Farrant was promoted to open with skipper Bryony Smith and gave the hosts early impetus with five boundaries in the powerplay. Smith then clicked through the gears, taking two fours in an over off Mary Taylor.

Farrant won the race to 50 from 56 balls while Smith took 13 balls longer, before upping the pace, drilling Linsey Smith for two fours in an over to take Stars to 131-0 at the halfway mark.

History was made when the stand reached 156, eclipsing the 154 posted

by Dunkley and Alice-Davidson Richards against Western Storm at the Oval in 2021 before the fun ended when Smith struck Adams into the hands of Monaghan at cover.

Knott quickly removed Paige Scholfield,

By John Kelly dulwich hAmlet women are three points clear at the top of the l&serwFl premier division with two games to go after their 3-0 win against enfield Town at Champion hill last week.

Summer Roberts scored in each half either side of Tia Searle’s second-half goal as Mark Dempsey’s side won a thirteenth league game in a row.

It was skipper Brittany Saylor’s lastever game in East Dulwich before she retires at the end of the season.

There was an attendance of 1,142 at Champion Hill - a record for the side.

Dulwich travel to Crawley AFC this Sunday. With their goal difference of plus-seventeen better than second-place Dartford, a win will virtually secure promotion to the Women’s National League Division 1 South East with a game to go.

Kick-off is at 1pm.

Tash Farrant makes sensational Stars return after two years out as Vipers feel bite RACHAEL HEYHOE FLINT TROPHY RESULT SE Stars: 274-6 Southern Vipers: 273-9

By Jon Batham tAsh FArrAnt made a fairytale return to cricket as south east stars beat reigning champions southern vipers by four wickets in a thriller on the opening day of the 2024 rachael heyhoe Flint trophy at Beckenham last weekend.

The Greek-born England star, after missing almost two years of cricket with stress fractures of the back, struck a careerbest 94, sharing a stand of 165 with skipper Bryony Smith – a record for any wicket for Stars as the hosts got home with three balls to spare.

Australian Charli Knott kept Vipers in

but Farrant responded by lifting Freya Davies for a straight six as she moved into the 90s.

There would though be no maiden hundred as the excellent Knott struck again to pin the all-rounder in front for 94 with 78 needed.

As the tension mounted, Adam damaged her left hand failing to cling onto a caught and bowled chance offered by Alice Davidson-Richards, but the drop wasn’t costly as the England all-rounder was castled by Linsey Smith for just eight.

Franklin struck three fours in a rapid 19 before being run out with fourteen needed from fifteen but Stars got home with a scrambled leg-bye in the last over.

South East Stars were in action against The Blaze in Leicester on Wednesday and host Central Sparks in Beckenham this Saturday at 10.30am.

30 SPORT

Come a Long Way EXCLUSIVE

by Kiro Evans neil hArris has lauded Millwall’s in-form midfielder ryan longman.

The Hull City loanee has hit his best patch of form in a Lions shirt in the last few weeks and has four goal contributions in his last five appearances, including the cross to set up the goal at Sunderland on Saturday.

He also produced one of the standout moments of Millwall’s entire season earlier this month when he struck an outstanding goal against Leicester City.

His loan deal expires at the end of the season but Harris said he has enjoyed watching the 23-year-old flourish.

The Lions boss told our paper: “It takes time for me to learn about players and it takes time for players to understand what I want. I’ve impacted some players really quickly and others I’ve had to take time to impact. Maybe Longy was one who just needed a bit of time.

“Ultimately, Longy’s plays his best football when he’s got space to attack.

He’s got pace and energy and really good end product. He’s got the ability - and it’s a dying art in the modern game - to cross the ball on the run.

And Millwall fans love a winger that crosses the ball on the run.

“They loved Jed Wallace, Jimmy Carter and Christophe Kinet.

“Ryan should be really proud of himself. I’ve just tried to help him develop as a Millwall player to help us and he has done.”

Ryan Longman has made 33 appearances for Millwall

strike Back

Lions forward keen to find more goals before season end

Michael Obafemi netted an impressive goal against Cardiff earlier this month

dun and dusted Watmore pounces as Millwall confirm Championship safety at Sunderland THE EFL CHAMPIONSHIP Sunderland - 0 Millwall - 1 Watmore 71’

Duncan Watmore and Tom Bradshaw celebrate after Millwall get their noses in front

Date: Saturday 20th April 2024 Attendance: 9,803 (919 away) Man of the match: Ryan Leonard Referee: Anthony Backhouse

By Kiro Evans duncAn wAtmore struck against his former club sunderland to mathematically secure millwall’s place in the championship next season.

The attacker scored just minutes after coming off the bench as he found the net in an otherwise poor game of football.

Neil Harris won’t care - his remit was to keep Millwall up from a tenuous position when he arrived in February and that is what he has now managed.

It is three wins in a row for the Lions for the first time since New Year’s Day, their first victory over Sunderland since 2004 their first win away at the Black Cats since 2003.

They can now head into the final two games of the season - home against Plymouth Argyle and away at Swansea City - with less pressure on their shoulders after

EXCLUSIVE

by Kiro Evans michAel oBAFemi has admitted that he has not yet come close to hitting his goal target at Millwall.

The striker arrived on loan from Burnley in January and has impressed fans despite only notching up two goals in fourteen appearances.

Obafemi has only managed to complete a full 90 minutes in four games as he was lacking match fitness when he arrived at The Den due to recent injury issues.

The 23-year-old’s last goal was against Cardiff City earlier this month when he received a rousing ovation from fans for his lung-busting efforts

an unpredictable and topsy-turvy season.

As good as the result was, it is not a match that will live long in the memory. A week on from Millwall’s belting win over Cardiff that left The Den buzzing with life, the opening 45 minutes at the Stadium of Light threatened to send fans off to sleep.

The hosts showed the greater intent with Timothee Pembele almost dribbling in the box after three minutes before he was halted

by Japhet Tanganga.

Former Millwall loanee Daniel Ballard had the best chance of the half when he headed over from inside the six-yard box.

At the other end, the Lions’ only sniff at goal before half-time came when Ryan Longman crossed a dangerous, low ball towards the near post but Ballard made an abrasive, sliding challenge on Michael Obafemi to put an end to the move.

The in-form Burnley loanee was

also booked for taking out Luke O’Nien while Jack Clarke saw yellow for impeding Matija Sarkic. The winger was perhaps lucky not to see red before the end of the half when he went in late on George Saville after his booking.

That was that for a sleepy, lowquality first half in the north-east that could not have been more different from the watchable 1-1 draw between these two in December.

Even Jack Clarke and Ryan Leonard, who spent that match entertaining The Den with an excellent duel, were largely staying separate until the Lions defender fouled the winger just before the hour mark.

Not long after that moment, Millwall responded to Sunderland’s double change with two switches of their own as Tom Bradshaw came on for Obafemi while Black Cats fans applauded both of their former players as Watmore replaced George Honeyman.

before he was substituted off.

Now Obafemi is determined to try and notch up more goals in the final two games of the season.

He told our paper: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself. It seems like just yesterday I arrived. I’ve had to build up my fitness first but I feel like I’ve got to a good place and just need to keep going.

“We’ve had three great results at crucial times as well and we still want to win both the games that we have left and that’s the main thing on our minds to stay focused and be prepared.”

On meeting the objectives he set out for himself, the striker added: “I would say some of them, maybe not the goals.

The main thing was playing football, getting back into shape and building up

for next year.

“For sure [I wanted more goals]. I definitely had a target in mind - I’m nowhere near it! It’s been difficult but I just need to keep going. Two games left and hopefully I can get a couple more goals there.”

Millwall boss Neil Harris has been very complimentary about the Burnley loanee in recent weeks and Obafemi says he has received plenty of advice from his boss, who scored 135 goals for the Lions, about putting the ball in the back of the net.

Obafemi said: “We’ve got a good relationship. He’s definitely a character for sure, definitely pumps up the boys for games and in training. Gives us the kick up the arse also. But amazing guy, great coach and I’m happy that he

Sunderland’s substitutes linked up quickly as Abdoullah Bah put a ball in for Adil Aouchiche whose effort from twelve yards out was blocked

by Leonard in the first real chance of the second half.

But ultimately it was one of the Millwall subs who made the difference. Saville released Longman down the right, he put another impressive cross towards the near post and there was Watmore who initially appeared to get the last touch at the near post after 71 minutes. He had come on just five minutes earlier.

It is the 30-year-old’s third goal in four games and the fourth goal involvement for Longman in his last five appearances.

Watmore tore his shirt off after scoring late against Cardiff last week but led more muted celebrations this time around against his ex-club.

Sunderland would not have a serious chance to equalise and Millwall deserve credit for their strong defensive display throughout.

The only notable moment before the end came when Zian Flemming clashed with Ballard and both players were booked. sunderland: 3-4-3: Patterson; Alese (Mundle 81’), Ballard, O’Nien (c); Pembele (Ba 62’), Ekwah, Bellingham, Styles (Evans 81’); Rigg (Aouchiche 63’), Dack (Hume 46’), Clarke.

millwall: 4-4-1-1: Sarkic; Leonard, Tanganga, Cooper (c), McNamara; Longman (Norton-Cuffy 87’), De Norre (Hutchinson 88’), Saville, Honeyman (Watmore 67’); Flemming; Obafemi (Bradshaw 67’).

BOTTOM HALF OF CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE P

13 Sunderland

W D

L

GD Pts

44 16 8 20 1 56

14 Swansea City

44 15 11 18 -5 56

15 Watford

44 12 17 15 1 53

16 MILLWALL

44 14 11 19 -12 53

17 Stoke City

44 13 11 20 -16 50

18 QPR

44 13 11 20 -16 50

19 Blackburn R

44 13 10 21 -16 49

20 Plymouth Arg

44 12 12 20 -11 48

21 Sheffield Wed

44 13 8 23 -29 47

22 Birmingham C 44 12 10 22 -16 46 23 Huddersfield T 44 9 17 18 -27 44 24 Rotherham U

44 4 12 28 -53 24

came.

“He was saying before that he wasn’t the quickest striker but he had instincts around the box. So it’s just about getting sharp around the box and trying to get more and create more chances for myself and getting more second balls.”

With his parent club battling relegation in the Premier League, Obafemi says his future is up in the air and he wants to remain solely focused on the next two games.

He said: “I don’t know what the future holds next but right now it’s about focusing on the last two games, making sure we get the wins especially at home. And last game of is against my old team Swansea who it would be lovely to score against as well.”

Heading tHe rigHt way

BrooKe NorToN-CUFFy believes he has grown as a player despite Millwall enduring a turbulent season.

The 20-year-old is entering the home straight of his loan move from Arsenal where he has managed to get another campaign of Championship football under his belt.

His move has coincided with Millwall having one of their more challenging seasons of recent years with three permanent managers in charge and their Championship status only being secured in the final weeks of the season amid a frantic relegation scrap.

Regardless of the topsy-turvy nature of the season - that included the defender picking up injuries in the second half

Joe Bryan has had to deal with injury problems this season

By Kiro Evans joe BrYAn is set for a scan on his latest injury after missing saturday’s win at sunderland.

of the campaign - Norton-Cuffy is convinced that this has been a useful year of development for him.

He told our paper: “There’s been a few ups-and-downs. I’ve played a lot of minutes and had a lot of starts and that’s been good. But I’ve had a few injuries and that’s slowed down my season a little bit. Overall it’s been a decent season personally and most games I’ve been fit, I’ve played some part in.

“Before every single season I set certain personal objectives. I feel like I’ve hit a few of them, not every single one, but I’ve been close to hitting most of them to be fair.”

With two goals and four assists, NortonCuffy has managed four more goal contributions than he did last season when he was on loan at both Rotherham United and Coventry City.

He believes that playing games against the unusually strong teams that occupy the

Match preview:

top spaces in the Championship has been particularly helpful for his development.

The defender said: “I feel like those teams are more of a challenge because those teams, the way they play, most games they have about 65 per cent of possession and you can’t switch off. You have to be alert at all times, even when you feel like you’re not involved in the game you have to be alert and have an open body shape, especially in the position I play.

“Balls coming in at the back post and quick players running in off the back of you, your positioning is key and you have to get your shape right. Just little things like that I feel like I’ve improved on.

“I feel like in the final third my decisionmaking and my final ball has been a lot better. Me personally I’m also demanding of myself - I should be getting more [goal involvements]. But it hasn’t been a bad season in the final third.

Millwall vs Plymouth

Neil Harris’ arrival in February came just as Norton-Cuffy was overcoming a hamstring issue and the full-back has made just one start in the eleven games under his new boss, having been a regular name on the team-sheet during the first half of the season. But he says he understands the situation.

Norton-Cuffy said: “I’m a team player first always, so it’s not hard for me to do that.

At the end of the day, the team comes first and whatever you have going on comes second to that.

“Sometimes you have to put yourself aside for the benefit of the team. So every single day in training, no matter if I’m starting or not starting, I’m still going to train properly and give 100 per cent.

“I spoke to the manager about it as well and he said my attitude was good and to just keep doing what I’m doing.”

plYmouth ArgYle will be fighting for their lives when they arrive as the final visitors of the season to the den.

Neil Harris remains unbeaten in his five home matches since returning and has Millwall purring in front of their own fans.

Having secured safety against Sunderland, the Lions can approach this game with more freedom and try to put on a show against the Devon outfit.

Unlike Millwall, Plymouth remain as one of seven teams who could join Rotherham United and go down into League One. They sit only two points above the drop.

A 3-0 defeat last Saturday to relegation rivals Stoke City, who are led by their former manager Steven Schumacher, has done serious damage to Argyle’s efforts to keep their heads above water.

Plymouth have not dipped their toes into the relegation zone all season long but have struggled ever since Schumacher departed in December.

Ian Foster was sacked earlier this month after winning just four of his seventeen games in charge.

The makeshift team of Director of Football Neil Dewsnip and first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell have been trying to keep things steady in the four games since and have picked up a credible seven points since taking

over from Foster.

You wonder where Plymouth would be without the excellent Morgan Whittaker who, with nineteen league goals this season, only trails Blackburn Rovers’ Sammie Szmodics (25) and Adam Armstrong (20) of Southampton in the scoring charts.

Ryan Hardie is also enjoying a strong campaign with thirteen goals while no Millwall player has yet to reach double figures this season Plymouth’s away form had been a sticking point but they have only lost four of their last eleven away games and, with more on the line than the Lions on Saturday, could prove to be tricky customers.

The goal for Millwall will be to end their season on a high and a home

The full-back has a calf issue and groin pain in what is his latest setback during an injury-hit debut season at The Den. Bryan, 30, could return in time for the clash against Plymouth Argyle on the weekend but first needs to be assessed.

Millwall boss Neil Harris said: “Joe Bryan missed out on Sunderland due to a calf injury and groin pain. We’re waiting for Joe to be scanned and see a specialist this week on both. Joe could easily be involved on Saturday or he’ll need an intervention for the calf or groin or both to be ready for pre-season.

That’s something I’ll know later in the week.”

George Honeyman and Duncan Watmore both managed minutes on Saturday as they faced their former club Sunderland despite their recent injuries.

Watmore replaced Honeyman in the second half and minutes later pounced in the box for a goal that is still being credited as his but may have possibly been an own goal.

Harris said: “We were forced to split Dunc and G minutes wise because of ongoing injury issues with calf and shoulder respectively. So I’m delighted in the way it fell that G did brilliantly for us for an hour and then Dunc came on and got us over the line for the important touch leading to the goal.”

Billy Mitchell is also set return after missing the game at the Stadium of Light with illness.

The Den, Saturday 27 April 15:00

Plymouth need points in Lions’ final home game

by Kiro Evans

Bryan sidelined with scan due

Brooke Norton-Cuffy has enjoyed a strong loan season at Millwall

Norton-Cuffy pleased with development as loan move nears closure

EXCLUSIVE

by Kiro Evans

SPORT 31

match against a struggling side gives them the chance to entertain The Den like they did against Leicester City and Cardiff City.

It’s not be an easy campaign at home with Millwall suffering eleven defeats in front of their own supporters in all competitions, four more than last season.

These two sides last met in October in what proved to be Gary Rowett’s last victory as Lions boss. Second half goals from Zian Flemming and George Saville wrapped up the points at Home Park.

Millwall are unbeaten in their last nine games against Plymouth going back to December 1997. Argyle have not won at The Den since 1967, a run of seventeen unsuccessful trips.

George Saville scored late at Plymouth back in October

MATCH DETAILS Possible Millwall starting XI: 4-4-1-1: Sarkic; Leonard, Tanganga, Cooper, McNamara; Norton-Cuffy, Mitchell, Saville, Longman; Flemming; Obafemi Last meeting: Championship, October 3, 2023 Plymouth 0-2 Millwall

INSIDE

Sport Southwark

SURREY SEE OFF KENT

lions unleasHed Harris tells players to express themselves after survival efforts

Neil Harris celebrates after leading Millwall to safety

EXCLUSIVE

by Kiro Evans neil hArris has commended his players’ “monumental” efforts in securing Championship safety - and urged them to now play with more freedom.

Victory over Sunderland last weekend saw Millwall mathematically lift themselves clear of the relegation scrap with two games remaining.

Harris replaced Joe Edwards in February and has managed 20 points from his eleven matches in charge, enough to stop the club tumbling into the third-tier.

The 46-year-old praised his squad’s efforts and wants to see them play with the shackles off against Plymouth Argyle and Swansea City.

Harris told our paper: “We’ve had four wins out of five at The Den, we have six wins out of eleven, we have 20 points

out of eleven games... it’s a monumental return by the group of players. We want to keep that rich vein of form going into next season. We want to finish on a positive.

“A sold out Den at home is a brilliant place to play as we’ve seen over a number of years. I want the players to enjoy it and embrace it.

“I’ve asked a lot from the players over the last eight weeks and been extremely demanding of the group and extremely passionate with the players at times.

I want to do the same on Saturday before the last home game of the season but I want them to go out and enjoy themselves. I want to them to experience the atmosphere that there’s going to be.”

Harris said he has enjoyed the few days since the Lions returned from the Stadium of Light.

The result appears to have brought some calm to a club in a campaign that has been unpredictable and volatile.

The Lions head coach said: “I have to

be honest, it’s been a lot more relaxing couple of days. The emotion after the game was one of huge pride in the players in responding to the difficult situation.

You can look at the bigger picture and say we were disappointed to be in the position we were in with three games to go. The football club would have liked to have continued the vein of the last nine years of improving every season.

“But you have to accept sometimes that there are going to be bumps in the road when you’re doing that so as long we can finish on a positive, sixteenth place and upwards, it would be acceptable on the back of the last two months. And as long as we keep moving forward as a football club we’ll be moving in the right direction for sure.”

Unlike Millwall, Plymouth are still fighting for their lives at the bottom of the Championship and arrive in southeast London just two points clear of the relegation places. Harris does not

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necessarily believe this disparity will be a problem for his side.

He said: “Are we at a disadvantage because we don’t necessarily need to win a game of football or does that become the advantage because the shackles are off, the shoulders are back and we can play with some freedom?

“I delivered the message on the pitch after the game Saturday. Well done for what we’ve achieved so far but we’re at The Den on Saturday, we want to finish there in style.

“There’s me straight away putting it on the players. I’m going to pick a team accordingly and I want the players to make sure in our last home game that we’re at it.

“As I’ve always said as head coach and manager, they will be left in no uncertain terms what I think but 17,000 Millwall fans will always let them know what they think as well. Me and the fans should be enough to drive them on.”

Page 29

Hutch talks held EXCLUSIVE

by Kiro Evans neil hArris said he has spoken to shaun Hutchinson regarding his contract situation as he paid tribute to the “hugely important” defender.

Hutchinson’s deal expires at the end of the season and it is not yet clear what his future may hold.

The 33-year-old, who is club captain and Millwall’s longest-serving player, has only featured twelve times this season largely due to injury issues. He has made 255 appearances for the club since signing from Fulham in 2016.

Tom Bradshaw, Ryan Leonard and George Saville have all recently seen their contracts extended after appearance-based clauses were triggered in their deal.

Asked about the club captain, Harris said: “I’m fully aware of Hutch’s contract situation, he’s out of contract in the summer and I’ve spoken to him about it. I’ve had initial conversations with Shaun and he knows my thoughts and I know where he’s at as well. We’ll be speaking every week without fail and it’s a big summer for Shaun and his family and for us at the club.

“He’s a leader by example, a very good organiser and a great link for the football club between the changing room and the other departments. He’s been hugely important for me in the last few weeks but also for the club over seven or eight seasons now.

“He’s been a hugely consistent centre-half in the Championship but also he’s an unbelievable professional and man as well. He’s not featured a lot for me but you can’t underestimate the importance of his impact on a day-today basis at the training ground.

“He’s a player I’ve been privileged to work with for numerous years.”

Shaun Hutchinson has made 255 appearances for Millwall THE RECYCLED PAPER CONTENT OF UK NEWSPAPERS IN 2014 WAS 83.5%