South London Weekly - February 28th 2025

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TICKET SALES LEVY FROM BIG CONCERTS COULD HELP STRUGGLING MUSIC VENUES

By Noah Vickers Local Democracy Reporter

A LEVY on tickets to London’s biggest stadium and arena concerts should be used to support the capital’s struggling grassroots music venues, a new report has concluded

According to research by the London Assembly, the policy could be “crucial” for ensuring the survival of the city’s smaller venues, which “nurture emerging talent and provide spaces for live music”

The suggestion has been made by the Assembly’s economy, culture and skills committee, following an investigation into the state of the capital’s nightlife

The committee found that grassroots music venues “are still facing considerable financial pressures” following the pandemic “and are in need of support”.

The Assembly’s report cites an analysis by the Music Venue Trust last year, which showed that 88 out of the 96 artists (92 per cent) in the 2024 Glastonbury line-up started their careers performing at grassroots venues.

A proposal for a voluntary levy to be paid by the music industry at large concerts was also put forward last year by MPs on the House of Commons’ culture, media and sport committee. Responding to the idea, the Government said in November 2024: “We want to see a voluntary levy come into effect as soon as possible for concerts in 2025.

“We welcome the example set by artists such as Coldplay and Sam Fender in donating a proportion of their upcoming tour revenues to support the grassroots sector.”

Sir Sadiq Khan’s team confirmed that the mayor is similarly in support of an industryled, voluntary levy “and is pleased that good progress is being made by the live music

industry on making it happen”.

In their report, the Assembly has also told Sir Sadiq to carry out an assessment of the “practicability, benefits or difficulties of expanding the Night Tube”, to allow more Londoners to enjoy the capital’s night venues.

The Night Tube currently only covers five of the Underground’s 11 lines, as well as part of the Overground’s Windrush line – and only runs on Friday and Saturday nights.

In addition, the Assembly has suggested that the mayor work with London Councils to make the ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme a condition of granting venues licences to sell alcohol.

At venues participating in the scheme, members of staff are trained so that, if a customer asks at the bar for someone named Angela, they can provide support to them discreetly. That support might include quietly seeing them to a taxi – for example, if the customer is on a date with someone making

them feel uncomfortable – or if it’s a more serious safety issue, alerting venue security or the police.

A spokesman for Sir Sadiq said: “London’s nightlife industries, as with other cities across the country, have faced a huge range of challenges in recent years.

“The rising cost of living and operational costs, shifts in consumer behaviour, staffing shortages and licensing issues have all been hitting businesses hard. That’s why the mayor has launched an independent Nightlife Taskforce, bringing together experts to examine and address the issues facing these industries.

“The mayor will consider the Assembly’s report and respond in due course. He will continue to do all he can to support London’s nightlife, which is so vital to the success of our city, as we continue to build a better London for everyone.”

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Sir Sadiq Khan visited Fabric nightclub to meet the members of London’s new Nightlife Taskforce.

Photo by Caroline Teo/Greater London Authority

HOLLYWOOD A-LISTERS

CHRIS HEMSWORTH AND MONICA BARBARO SPOTTED ON WALWORTH COUNCIL ESTATE

EXCLUSIVE

By Callum Smyth

EAGLE-EYED RESIDENTS in Walworth

might have spotted Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth on a council estate football pitch, finally putting to bed any rumours that the ‘Thor’ actor had to leave behind his movie career due to fears over Alzheimer,.

The 41-year-old Australian A-lister was spotted on the estate off the Walworth Road with American actress Monica Barbaro, who since appearing in Top Gun: Maverick three years ago has risen in popularity - winning acclaim for her stellar performance as Joan Baez in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.

The pair arrived at Nelson Estate Football Pitch and Basketball Court at 5pm on Tuesday last week, February 18, to start filming scenes of Bart Layton’s Crime 101, which is expected to be released later this year.

The two actors were spotted leaving black cars and quickly escorted into separate trailers, with Monica Barbaro being poorly shielded by umbrellas.

Filming took place within the Lao Dao, 305 Walworth Road; the Chinese restaurant was covered in black tarpaulin and eventually bathed in red light during the evening (pictured top right).

Residents were alerted of filming the week prior via a letter, which said setup and filming would start by 3pm, however, the stars did not arrive until 5pm.

Filming reportedly went on well into the night with clear-up of the crew facilities within the pitch being completed by 11pm

Residents were faced with restricted parking and lost access to the football court, which some elderly residents, who enjoy their daily walk around it, questioned what they were supposed to do.

The Amazon MGM feature film, starring Chris Hemsworth, Monaco Barbaro, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan and Halle Berry, began filming in Los Angeles in November last year.

It is an adaptation of Don Winslow’s short story and while plot details are under wraps, the original story follows high-level jewel thefts taking place up and down the Pacific Coast that police have linked to Colombian cartels.

Last year Hemsworth updated fans concerned by rumours that he was quitting Hollywood after a shocking health discovery. He found that he had a genetic disposition to Alzheimer’s, making him eight to ten times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease.

The actor discovered the chances of him developing Alzheimer in one of the shows on Disney+ Series titled “Limitless”. He underwent numerous blood tests and confided in an interview with Vanity Fair that his biggest fear was forgetting his family, his work and his children. He also stated that his grandfather had suffered from Alzheimer and had passed away after “Limitless” was aired. His father too is said to be experiencing early signs of the disease.

The actor said that he had immersed himself in various physical activities and mindfulness techniques to combat this deadly disease, but had no plans to quit his career.

LONDON’S £5BN SUPER SEWER FINALLY UP AND RUNNING AFTER TEN LONG YEARS OF DISRUPTION

By Isabel Ramirez

AFTER A decade of digging and £5bn spent, London’s long-awaited super sewer is finally online—set to transform the capital’s outdated sewage system and drastically cut Thames pollution.

The 25km Thames Tideway Tunnel, which runs from Acton in west London to Abbey Mills in Newham, is designed to intercept sewage overflows from 34 of the most polluting discharge points along the river.

It will capture 95 per cent of spills that previously flowed into the Thames, with 5.5 million tonnes of sewage already prevented from polluting the waterway.

For Southwark residents, the project has been a long time coming.

The construction site at Chambers Wharf in Bermondsey brought years of disruption, with people blighted with noise from the works happening in their back gardens.

Now complete, the super sewer promises a major improvement in water quality and environmental health for the Thames.

Tideway CEO Andy Mitchell hailed the milestone, stating: “With this final connection complete, the super sewer is fully up and running and protecting the Thames.

He added: “Our next step is to test it in storm conditions – which is why we are keeping a close eye on the weather – and we will do this over the coming months.”

The system, which links with the existing 6.9km Lee Tunnel, is now set for full-scale

operation, with Thames Water taking over its management once testing is complete later this year.

The project, constructed by an alliance of major infrastructure firms, involved more than 20 deep shafts across London, some as wide as the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral. Work began in 2016, with the first tunnelling machines going underground in 2018, primary tunnelling completed in 2022, and final system integration last autumn.

With regular data updates available via Tideway’s online tracker, Londoners will soon be able to see the tangible impact of this massive infrastructure project. Stay up to date to see how the sewer is working at www.tideway.london

LONDON BRIDGE PUB OVERLOOKING THE THAMES REOPENS FOLLOWING MAJOR REFURBISHMENT

By Issy Clarke

at Hay’s pub on the banks of the River Thames near London Bridge has opened for the first time since the New Year following an extensive refurbishment.

The pub, which dates back to the 17th century, has been re-painted in deep blue and the bars have been upgraded, while seating has been added to each area across the site including private hire areas.

A new bar has been installed in the mezzanine level meaning customers no

longer have to venture downstairs to put in their orders, while in the main bar there are new red leather booth seats providing pub-goers with a more intimate and comfortable dining experience.

Meanwhile, there has also been investment in restoring the historic features of the pub, which is part of the Hay’s Galleria building, a former brew-house dating back to the 17th century. Pictures relating to the building’s history in the tea trade adorn the walls and the ironmongery has been carefully restored along the impressive staircase and banisters.

GALA FESTIVAL IN PECKHAM RYE PARK - WHO IS PLAYING AND HOW CAN I GET TICKETS?

By Isabel Ramirez

GALA FESTIVAL is back this May bank holiday, taking over Peckham Rye Park for a weekend of music, good vibes, and a proper celebration of its tenth year.

From Friday, May 23, to Sunday, May 25, expect a huge mix of legendary artists, fresh talent, and an atmosphere that keeps people coming back year after year.

What started as a small, two-stage event for a few thousand people has now grown into London’s biggest independent festival, pulling in 30,000 music lovers. This year’s lineup is stacked, the energy is high, and the festival is set to be one for the books.

Friday kicks things off with Floating Points, Moodymann, and an eight-hour set

from Theo Parrish setting the tone. Saturday keeps the party going with Avalon Emerson, Ben UFO, and a live set from KiNK, while Sunday wraps things up in style with Caribou, Floorplan, and a back-to-back from HUNEE & Antal.

Plenty more names are in the mix, along with some new stage hosts and longtime festival favourites.

GALA has always been about more than just the music—it’s about the community, the atmosphere, and the people who make it special.

Longstanding partners like NTS, Deviation, Rush Hour, and Horse Meat Disco are back, with newcomers like Chapter Ten and HVYWGHT bringing fresh energy to the weekend.

Giles Napier, Director of GALA & RALLY Festivals, reflects on the milestone: “It

means a huge amount to be joining the tenyear club. Like all independent festivals, we’ve had our fair share of ups and downs, but to see GALA evolve into what it is today makes me exceptionally proud.

“Nothing excites me more than seeing both heroes of the scene and future stars perform in the intimacy of Peckham Rye Park.

“We’re still alive, we’re still independent, and we owe it all to you.

“Thank you.”

Tickets are on sale now starting at £54.50, with cheaper entry for early arrivals before 2 PM each day.

Residents living around the park get discounted tickets (£20) but they are all gone now.

Visit https://ra.co/events/ for tickets. Stay tuned for the full setlist.

Scan to book

THE HORNIMAN

PECKHAM PATTIES ARE NOW ON SALE AT KREPT AND KONAN’S NEW SUPERMARKET

By Isabel Ramirez

A PECKHAM patty, that took the internet by storm last year, is being sold at rap duo Krept and Konan’s new supermarket—and is already flying off the shelves.

Mike Williams, co-owner of Flake Bake, the family-run business behind the handmade halal patties, shared his excitement about the collaboration.

Flake Bake, still based at their Peckham wholesale bakery, has been making waves since winning Aldi’s Next Big Thing. They secured a permanent deal with Aldi after their patties sold out twice nationwide.

Now, the delicious snacks have found a new home at the rap duo’s Croydon supermarket, Saveways.

“It kept popping up all over Instagram that they were opening,” Mike told the News, “and I was like, this is major—I thought, how do I get involved?”

He thought everyone would be approaching Krept and Konan - so he messaged their business partner instead, Kaiser.

“I reached out to him on LinkedIn. By Tuesday, he messaged us back,” he said. Upon their first meeting, he said Krept and Konan were impressed with the patties and requested a delivery within a week.

Mike and his team embraced the challenge, making necessary adjustments to meet the demand. Their efforts paid off: the patties sold out within three hours on the first day.

“It felt like Aldi all over again,” Mike remarked.

The partnership with Saveways not only boosts Flake Bake’s presence but also celebrates Caribbean culture and cuisine.

“We’ve had good feedback. The whole story really shows the best of south London,” he noted.

He also highlighted the significance of offering handmade halal patties, tapping into a demographic that might not typically have access to such products.

Krept and Konan’s Saveways supermarket, which opened on February 1, aims to serve the diverse communities of Croydon by providing a wide range of products catering to Black, Asian, and ethnic minorities.

The 15,000 sq ft store on Beddington Lane features a halal butcher, bakery, and a variety of produce and seasonings from South Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Flake Bake’s journey began when Williams and his father Paul won the Channel 4 show Aldi’s Next Big Thing, leading to their patties being stocked in 1,000 Aldi stores across the UK.

By Issy Clarke

A FORMER driver of Route 363 has been found guilty after being accused of causing the death of a 60-year-old man by driving a bus ‘without due care and attention’ in Peckham.

Jurors at the Old Bailey heard Steven Mitchell waited hours for an ambulance to arrive while he was bleeding and died in hospital just under a month later.

The ambulance service said they had been informed that the victim had left the scene and later dispatched a crew to an address, believed to be the hostel he was staying at.

The driver of the bus Aston Hopwood, 47, from Dulwich, was found guilty on Wednesday February 12 after a trial heard that he pulled out of the bus stop on Peckham Hill Street on November 26 2022, without checking to see if any passengers

were still trying to get on. Jurors were told Mitchell had boarded the 363 bus outside Peckham Library at around 10pm from the back doors, but his hand got

trapped, leading him to fall beneath the rear left wheel, degloving his arm as it pulled away. Mitchell then waited two hours for an ambulance to arrive while his arm

poured blood onto the street, and later died of multiple organ failure at King’s College Hospital on December 17.

Hopwood claimed he was unaware that of the incident until he was later informed by the bus company, Go-Ahead London. He was initially sacked but successfully appealed against his dismissal and was reinstated within weeks.

Judge Anthony Leonard KC sentenced him to 12 months in custody, suspended for two years.

He also ordered Hopwood to do 140 hours’ unpaid work and disqualified him from driving for two years.

Judge Leonard told Hopwood: “I take into account the stress of waiting during the course of two trials for the outcome and you were clearly very upset by the death of Mr Mitchell.”

He added he was “astonished” that bus company Go-Ahead London had allowed him to appeal against his

dismissal.

In a statement, Go-Ahead said:

“We are deeply saddened by our passenger’s death. We take the safety and wellbeing of our customers extremely seriously and are committed to meeting the highest safety standards across our services.”

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “On behalf of the Service, we would like to offer our sincere condolences to Mr Mitchell’s family and friends.

“We apologise that it took longer than we would expect to respond to Mr Mitchell. Prior to dispatch, we were advised that the patient had left the scene and was making their own way to hospital.

“However, when further calls came in some time later the patient was triaged and upgraded to a Category 1 call – a life-threatening emergency – and paramedics were quickly dispatched to

Their success story continues with the collaboration with Saveways, as they aim

to expand into other retailers and food services.

The patties are also available in Selfridges through Sweet D’s Jerk.

Mike Williams (Flake Bake coowner) with rappers Krept and Konan

EXCLUSIVE

By Issy Clarke

A DAMNING inspection report on Brixton Prison revealed a picture of an overcrowded, rat-infested and violent place that is failing to rehabilitate inmates.

Inspectors described HMP Brixton as the most overcrowded jail in the country for medium risk criminals, with spiralling levels of violence and prisoners fearing for their safety.

Sixty per cent of inmates in the Category C prison, which currently holds around 750 men many of whom have convictions for sexual and drug offences, are forced to share rat-infested cells designed for one person with toilets in the middle.

A third of the Brixton prisoners’ said they felt unsafe, the report from the HMI Inspectorate, published last September, revealed.

Jimmy*, an ex-convict in his 60’s, who was released from Brixton Prison after spending 40 years in and out of jail for bank robbery, said the prison had become “a free for all.”

These days Jimmy works as a professional actor, after being drawn into prisoner-run theatre in Brixton as a means of escaping his cramped cell.

Twenty years after his release, Jimmy is well-regarded within the industry with an impressive CV that includes playwright awards and acting credits in Netflix shows - and he keeps the details of his criminal past to himself.

But recently he returned to Brixton to visit an inmate in prison and was shocked by the conditions he observed.

He says the prison hierarchy he remembers, with bank robbers and drug dealers at the top and paedophiles and sex offenders at the bottom, no longer exists, replaced by out of control violence and rampant drug addiction.

“There used to be honour amongst thieves - and so you had control,” he claimed.

Brixton is what’s called a resettlement prison, meaning it is supposed to help prepare prisoners near the end of their sentence for release back into the community.

Around 140 people are released from the prison each month, but many do not receive proper educational and employment training designed to support their reintegration into the community.

When inspectors visited, across two weeks in June 2024, they found the prison’s employment hub closed and its employment advisory board disbanded.

The report also highlighted the extend to which drugs are readily available, with nearly half of inmates saying it was easy to get hold of drugs, and 450 prisoners receiving support for substance misuse at the time of the inspection.

Reoffending rates across the country remain persistently high with the latest government data showing prisoners on stays under 12 months are more likely to end up back in prison than not. Overall reoffending rates for January to March 2023 were at 26.5 per cent.

The report has highlighted the staggering amount of time Brixton prisoners are spending in their cells, with some only allowed out for 45 minutes a day to shower and exercise, an issue Jimmy says is leading to more drug use.

“People get drawn into drugs because of boredom,” Jimmy told us.

“You used to walk into prison and there would be a book in your cell - I knew a guy who learned to play a 12-string guitar from his cell.

“But the last time I was there it seemed cool to be a junkie.

“Back in the old days, if you were on

WHAT’S LIFE LIKE IN LONDON’S OLDEST PRISON?

“There is no honour among thieves anymore”, says ex-con

heroin people wouldn’t talk to you. But now people send in £10 bags of crack and ‘normal’ people can afford to use it as an escape. And that leads to more crime.”

Last year, dozens of inmates at Brixton Prison strolled out of jail thanks to a government early release scheme designed to free up thousands of prison places.

The scheme allowed more than 3,000 prisoners convicted of non-violent offences such as drug dealing and burglary to walk free after serving 40 per cent of their sentence, rather than the usual 50 per cent minimum.

These developments make the warnings in the inspectors’ report all the more worrying.

“Offending behaviour work was either not being done or lacked rigour, meaning prisoners were leaving Brixton with potentially unmet need or unaddressed risk,” the report highlights.

“This was particularly true of the significant cohort of Brixton prisoners convicted of a sexual offence.”

Failures across the prison system have been blamed for the growing reoffending rate and prevalence of drug abuse.

The number of people in prison has doubled in the last 30 years, despite a fall in the rate of crime. This has knock-on effects for the success of rehabilitation programmes, hamstrung by a lack of resources and an increasingly complex prison population.

According to figures released by the Ministry of Justice, nearly 12,000 fewer prisoners took part in rehabilitation

schemes designed to promote employment and reduce reoffending in 2023 compared to 2010.

Last week, former Conservative justice secretary David Gauke published a review of sentencing which blamed the overcrowding crisis on “tough on crime” policies and called for shorter sentences to be scrapped.

The report’s recommendations echoed concerns raised by former Conservative prisons minister Rory Stewart who has called for an end to one-year sentences for non-violent convictions such as drugs and tax evasion, as well as the current prisons minister James Timpson, who has argued consistently in favour of reducing imprisonment rates and has made cutting reoffending a government priority.

In October, he called for a radical change in the country’s approach to sentencing policy to reduce overcrowding in prisons, conceding it would be “impossible” for prison-building to meet demand.

This week, the first of up to 390 prisoners are being released from jail in Scotland in a similar bid to alleviate overcrowding pressures. Last week, there were 8,344 people locked up north of the border - above Scotland’s prison operating capacity of 8,007.

It comes after the release of 407 people from Scottish prisons last summer - 61 per cent of whom ended up back in custody before their original planned release date. Amid this dismal picture, the achievements of the former Brixton inmates like Jimmy who have turned their lives around are all the more remarkable.

Last year the News ran a story on 30-year-old chef Nathaniel Mortley, who was sent to Brixton in 2019 for drug offences and served a two-and-a-half year sentence. However once inside he was recruited to work in the prisoner-run restaurant The Clink and now runs his own kitchen at a pub in Peckham.

A trained chef before entering the prison system, staff at Brixton spotted his culinary talent and since his release in 2021 he has acquired a following of adoring fans on social media. He told the News that he even catered events for celebrities such as rapper Ambush and BBC 1Xtra host Nadia Jae.

The Clink runs a restaurant and bakery in Brixton employing around 28 prisoners at a time who are given professional culinary and front-of-house training lasting between four and 12 months depending on their sentence length. Prisoners go through an interview process, sign a contract and are expected to work a 35-hour weeks while abiding by strict behavioural and dress codes.

In 2023, 52 per cent of inmates released trained by the charity, which also runs a restaurant in Styal prison in Cheshire, got jobs after leaving jail.

Yet despite the Clink’s success, the report described Brixton’s provision of education, training and employment as “poor”.

“It comes down to money” said Yvonne Thomas, Chief Executive of the Clink Restaurant. “I’ve been in the system long enough to know a good prison - Brixton is very strong.

“But they’ve got no money, no staff and the prison is falling apart around the ears - and in those conditions, how can they

“But they’ve got no money, no staff and the prison is falling apart around the ears - and in those conditions, how can they succeed?

“It makes everything harder - moving people around the jail, getting meals serviced, time in the gym...The infrastructure is not fit for

“It makes everything harder - moving people around the jail, getting meals serviced, time in the gym...The infrastructure is not fit for purpose.

“Brixton is not a bad prison run by bad people. It’s an overcrowded prison run by good people who haven’t got the resources to make it right.”

“Brixton is not a bad prison run by bad people. It’s an overcrowded prison run by good people who haven’t got the resources to make it

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The new Government inherited a justice system in crisis and has been forced to take action across the prison estate so we can continue to lock up dangerous offenders, protect the public and make prisons safer for hard-working staff.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The new Government inherited a justice system in crisis and has been forced to take action across the prison estate so we can continue to lock up dangerous offenders, protect the public and make prisons safer for

“HMP Brixton has already made significant strides in addressing the concerns raised in this report, including bolstered supervision for offenders on release, refurbishment works on the wings and using its X-Ray scanner and intelligence-led cell searches to clamp down on illicit items entering the

“HMP Brixton has already made significant strides in addressing the concerns raised in this report, including bolstered supervision for offenders on release, refurbishment works on the wings and using its X-Ray scanner and intelligence-led cell searches to clamp down on illicit items entering the prison.”

Two thirds of prisoners were sharing cells designed for one person when inspectors visited Brixton Prison cells

Brixton Prison staff receive nearly £20k in injury claims as prisoner assaults rise

By Issy Clarke

NEARLY £20,000 in injury claims has been paid out to Brixton Prison staff in the past year, as assaults on them by prisoners continue to rise across the UK.

The figures, obtained by Accident Claims through a Freedom of Information Request, revealed the total cost of claims lodged by staff against Brixton Prison amounted to £18,097.50 in 2023/24.

Personal injury claims lodged by prison staff are often submitted for accidents such as slips and trips, muscle strains, or assaults by inmates while performing their duties.

Across the UK the most common reason for claims made by staff against UK prisons is prisoner-on-staff assault, which made up 637 of all claims between 2019 and 2024.

Slips, trips and falls made up the second biggest

number of claims, cited as a reason in 344 cases.

The prison population has increased annually for the last thirty years, rising from 43,000 in 1994 to over 88,000 in 2024.

Despite this, staff numbers have remained relatively static, resulting in disturbing figures –according to the Ministry of Justice, there were 114 assaults on prison staff per 1,000 prisoners across the UK in 2023/24, a rise from 89 in 2020/21.

Brixton is a Category C men’s prison and currently holds around 750 inmates.

Last year, an inspection report concluded it was the most overcrowded medium-risk prison in the country, with two thirds of prisoners sharing cells designed for one person.

The report also highlighted the high level of drug use in the prison, with around half of respondents stating it was easy to get hold of illegal substances.

The real story of the Forty Elephants’ Mary Carr

History Page 20

The prison was built in the Victorian era

Nathaniel Mortley spoke to the News last year

Brixton Prison houses around 750 inmates

By Issy Clarke

THE GOVERNMENT has announced new measures to tackle knife crime including requiring retailers to report bulk orders of knives and increasing sentences for selling weapons from six months to two years.

The rules, collectively named ‘Ronan’s Law’ after 16-year old Ronan Kanda from Wolverhampton, who was stabbed to death by machetewielding teenagers in 2022.

The new measures are designed to make it harder for weapons to be re-sold illegally on social media, following the news last autumn that Southport killer Axel Rudakubana carried out the attacks using a knife he purchased from Amazon when he was 17.

Retailers will be required to introduce stricter age checks on the sale of knives to under 18s, following the conclusions of a police review published today which found it is easier in some cases for children to buy knives than to buy paracetamol.

There is also a new offence being introduced of possessing a weapon with intent to cause violence, regardless of whether it is legal or banned, which which will carry a prison sentence of up to four years.

The whole package of measures will be formally introduced as part of a Crime and Policing Bill in the spring.

Southwark is the fourth most dangerous borough for knife crime in London, reporting 771 incidents in 2023/24.

The stronger penalties come despite a review of sentences published last week by former Conservative Justice secretary David Gauke which blamed overcrowding in Britain’s prisons on “tough on crime” policies.

Last year, thousands of criminals were let out of jail early as part of a Labour government early-release scheme designed to ease pressure on Britain’s prisons. The policies come after a BBC documentary by actor Idris Elba in which he made a number of suggestions for reducing knife crime

Housing campaigners to march again with sights on nationwide campaign

By Issy Clarke

CAMPAIGNERS ARE set to take to the streets of Peckham again on Saturday, March 1 to protest against the UK government’s handling of the housing crisis.

The march marks the beginning of a national campaign led by SHAPE (Southwark Housing and Planning Emergency), a coalition of 14 community groups who joined together last year to object to ‘overdevelopment’ in Southwark.

In February, the group led a march through Peckham to protest against the controversial Berkeley Homes redevelopment of the Aylesham Centre, a 1980s shopping mall on Rye Lane.

In December last year, Berkeley lowered the proportion of housing

set at affordable rent to 12 per cent, down from 35 per cent.

This is despite Southwark Council’s planning policies which require new developments to provide a minimum of 35 per cent homes set at affordable rent, with an additional goal of achieving 50 per cent – although both are subject to the conclusion of viability assessments run by the council and developer.

Now, SHAPE has widened its focus and is calling for reforms to national housing policies and what it describes as the UK’s ‘over reliance’ on private developers.

The march will start at 1:00pm at Peckham Square, before continuing through Camberwell, Walworth and Elephant & Castle and ending at Borough Triangle.

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES NEW RULES TO TACKLE KNIFE CRIME

including banning the sales of nonkitchen knives and blunting the tips.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “It is horrifying how easy it is for young people to get hold of knives online even though children’s lives are being lost, and families and communities are left devastated as a result.

“Not enough has been done to tackle the online market over recent years which is why we made it an urgent priority in our manifesto and the measures today will be underpinned by investment for a new dedicated police unit to go after those who are breaking the law and putting children and teenagers lives at risk.

POLICE APPEAL FOR FOOTAGE

“We are honouring our commitment to introduce Ronan’s Law in memory of Ronan Kanda who was tragically killed in 2022. I am so grateful to the Kanda family for their endless perseverance in ensuring governments take the right actions to protect young people from further tragedy.”

AS MAN IS ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER WOMAN STRUCK BY VAN

By Issy Clarke

A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a woman was struck by a van in New Cross, leaving her seriously injured.

The woman, a pedestrian in her 30s, was struck by a van on Milton Court Road, off Edward Street shortly after 2pm on Monday afternoon, February 10.

One man has appeared in court charged with grievous bodily harm and causing serious injury due to dangerous driving. While a second man, aged 46, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and bailed pending further enquiries.

Detectives leading the investigation said they are treating the incident as a ‘deliberate act’ as the driver did not stop and are appealing for witnesses to come foward.

Police officers and the London Ambulance Service attended the scene and the woman was rushed for hospital for treatment. Her condition is not life-threatening but she is likely to suffer lasting injuries.

The vehicle involved did not stop at the scene but has since been recovered.

Officers are appealing for any witnesses or footage of the incident

that could assist them in building a clear picture of what happened.

Detective Sergeant Jack Mounstephen, of the South East Command Unit, said: “At this stage, we are treating this incident as a deliberate act and need to understand exactly what happened in the build-up and aftermath.

“Were you in the area of Milton Court Road between 14.00hrs and 14.25hrs on Monday, 10 February?

“Did you witness this incident which

resulted in a woman being seriously injured?

“No matter how insignificant you think the information you have is, I would urge you to contact us immediately.

“If you were driving in the area, please check any dashcam or camera footage to see if you have captured what happened.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote 01/7148469/25.

Jacqueline John says she's afraid to go outside since the incident

SHAPE campaigners marching earlier this month

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JACKSON’S BRAVE FIGHT FROM AGE OF TWO

By Harrison Galliven Local Democracy Reporter

“IT WAS surreal. We walked into St Helier, and Jackson was a live wire, with just his rash.

Just a few hours later, he was rushed off to another hospital and had all these experts and special equipment around him. I cried the whole way to St George’s, I could barely see.”

When Shaun Hall first heard from his wife Sam that their son Jackson, then aged two, had developed a rash, he immediately feared for the worst. Shaun’s niece had experienced meningitis at a young age, and he understood what an unexplained rash could mean for his then two-year-old son.

Upon hearing that Jackson had been diagnosed with Leukaemia in February 2020, Sam and Shaun Hall knew their lives were going to change. The parents described the news as a ‘wrecking ball’ through their lives, especially considering that COVID was already turning their world upside down.

Yet in April of this year, Jackson will be five years on from the initial diagnosis and classed ‘cancer-free.’ This significant milestone marks another stage in a long journey that has shaped their young family from Sutton.

However, throughout, both parents admit that they would not be where they are today without the staff at St George’s and the Royal Marsden Hospital, who they say gave them ‘the fighting’ mindset when they needed it the most.

Shaun and Sam sat down with the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) to talk about their story and how the ‘amazing’ staff helped them through the difficult time.

Shaun recalled the day they first learned of Jackson’s diagnosis. “We first discovered the diagnosis on Sunday, February 2, 2020.

“Sam messaged me saying Jackson had a rash and wouldn’t go away with the tumbler test. My niece had meningitis, so when I heard this, we knew we needed to take him to the hospital.”

After arriving at St Helier Hospital, what initially seemed like a routine visit quickly escalated into a life-changing event.

However, according to Sam and Shaun, the hospital once again stepped in by providing at-home educational support through the Royal Marsden’s STARS service. This reintegration support, alongside the help from his family and school, meant Jackson could eventually join his classmates and make up for lost time.

Shaun told the LDRS: “He was really anxious at the start, but he had Ava at school as well, and she looked out for him. He is still behind on a lot of things, but he’s getting better.”

Jackson’s treatment officially ended on April 25 2023, and the family marked the occasion by watching him ring the bell surrounded by his friends and staff at St Georges.

“We got there at 3pm, and it was just before 8pm when we found out,” Shaun continued. “When they came in, we could tell it would be bad news.”

Sam shared how difficult it was to stay composed during this time. She said:

“Shaun kept it together, but I couldn’t.

“The only reason we took him was because of Taylor, his niece. They found out a couple of hours before she was born.”

Their lives were forever changed when Jackson was diagnosed with leukaemia, a form of cancer affecting white blood cells.

“Jackson’s white blood cell count was 174, which was alarmingly high,” Shaun explained.

He added: “We were transferred to St George’s ICU, and just a few hours after walking into St Helier, Jackson was rushed to another hospital with all these experts and special equipment around him.”

After 11 days in the hospital, during which Jackson began his course of chemotherapy treatment, Sam and Shaun were finally allowed to return home with their son. However, the couple told the LDRS how they could never truly relax as Jackson would have to be rushed back to the hospital every time his temperature

reached 38 degrees.

Sam said: “One of us had always packed an overnight bag if we needed to rush off to St George’s. We would be there for two days and then swap for two days.”

During those uncertain times, the Hall family relied heavily on the care and support of the medical team. Both parents, Jackson and their elder daughter Ava became close with the staff, seeing them as a second family during their months on the wards.

Sam told the LDRS: “The doctors and nurses were so caring. One doctor even came back after his shift to check on us, and you could tell he really cared, and it made such a difference.”

The Halls also credit St George’s and The Royal Marsden with helping them navigate the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit around the same time as Jackson’s early treatment.

Sam said: “When COVID came in March, it got so bad. They said we couldn’t swap anymore, and one of us could stay with Jackson.”

Shaun added: “Jackson had a fungal lung infection and spent nearly all of March in the hospital. We had to decide for one

Putney Bridge road closures

By Charlotte Lillywhite Local Democracy Reporter

ROADS AROUND a South London bridge is shut for resurfacing in the final phase of a major scheme to help with congestion.

Wandsworth Council confirmed the road closures around Putney Bridge will take place until March 4.

The council will resurface and repaint the roads at night, from 9pm to 5am, ahead of Transport for London (TfL) installing traffic sensors to optimise traffic flow in the area. The sensors will link the recently upgraded traffic lights at the junctions of Putney High Street with Putney Bridge Road, and Putney Bridge Road with Lower Richmond Road, to TfL’s control room.

The roads will be closed in phases, with diversions in place. Side roads next to the works will have temporary two-

way access for local vehicles. The road closures are listed below:

• March 3: Putney High Street southbound from Putney Bridge to Felsham Road

• March 4: Completion of lining and signal loop detection

TfL’s installation of the sensors, scheduled for early March, will add the finishing touches to major upgrades to the junction of Putney Bridge Road, Lower Richmond Road and Putney High Street, which were carried out from September to December last year. The council previously said the scheme has made it easier and safer to cross the junction and to walk and cycle across the 139-year-old bridge, while maintaining traffic flow for cars, motorbikes and buses.

Traffic lights at the junction have been upgraded, with a countdown for pedestrians and a detector to cancel out

any demands if they have already crossed or walked away. New small, eye-level traffic lights have also been installed to allow cyclists to cross a few seconds before vehicles behind Pedestrian islands at the junction have been removed, while others have been moved back and made bigger to allow people to cross in fewer stages. A new segregated northbound cycle lane has been introduced up to the bridge to keep bikes and vehicles separate for as much of the journey as possible.

Labour councillor Jenny Yates, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “The Putney junction upgrade is just one part of the improvements to Putney High Street which have taken place over a number of years.

“The council is working hard to improve traffic flow across the borough, which has been made harder by the continued closure of Hammersmith Bridge.

of us to stay with him, which was tough. We couldn’t even leave the room for two weeks.”

Despite the added strain of the pandemic, the Halls appreciated the human connection they found with staff.

“We were quite close with the nurses,”

Sam said: “I used to jump on them for conversation, and I think they appreciated it, too, as they hadn’t seen many other people.

“One of the nurses was helpful because her daughter also went through it. It was really nice to talk to someone who knew what it was like.

“Jackson even has his own Instagram page, and they follow his journey there. It made a difference on a personal level to talk to them during that time.

“The staff at The Royal Marsden were amazing. They even provided art therapy for Ava, which helped her cope too.”

Despite this support, the countless hours spent in the hospital during the three years and two months of treatment meant Jackson missed a substantial amount of his early school life. After missing all of the reception, Jackson only returned to Tweedale School in St Helier halfway through Year 1.

Sam recalled the happy moment: “It was great, the sun was out. We had all the nurses out, his consultant came, and one person who had left the hospital came back to see him.”

Jackson now goes for checkups every three months and splits his time between the two hospitals, where ‘everyone knows his name.’ Shaun and Sam received more good news a year later when they welcomed baby Louie into the family, with whom Sam admits Jackson is ‘besotted’. Despite the happy ending to their story, the parents were keen to stress that there were many tough days throughout. They also acknowledged the difficulty of seeing families in similar situations who were not receiving the same good news about their child’s leukaemia.

Sam said: “I struggled more with survivors guilt after Jackson finished his treatment. I knew he was doing well and other people’s children were not, it was hard to deal with that.

“I see a lot of kids who we know that have relapsed. There is always that worry and it never goes away.”

Shaun added: “We have met quite a few other parents on Instagram from going through this journey, and we share stories. We always say it’s like a little community that no one wants to be part of.”

When asked what advice they have for other parents going through a similar situation, they both responded: “Take it day by day. There will be good days and bad days, so enjoy the good days.”

“Alongside our £100million investment in resurfacing our roads and pavements to make them better and safer for all users, we have also successfully lobbied TfL to increase bus services through Putney, as well as reopen the Green Man bus stop for alighting passengers, making life easier for those who use public transport.

“We are continuing our work with TfL

and the bus operators to improve the bus services, and with the utility companies to minimise disruption from road works in the Putney area.

“We will soon be making the bus lane on Putney Bridge Road a 7am-7pm operation, rather than having part day restrictions, to help speed up bus and cycle journeys from Wandsworth Town through Putney during peak times.”

The Hall family Facundo Arrizabalaga

WATCHDOG TO BE GIVEN NEW POWERS TO INVESTIGATE DISTRICT HEATING FAILURES

EXCLUSIVE

By Issy Clarke

TENS OF thousands of residents

reliant on district heating networks are set to receive protections against skyrocketing energy bills under new regulations expected to come into force later this year.

Some leaseholders on Southwark Council estates have reportedly been charged up to three times the expected amount, which they claim is due to being part of an inefficient district heating network.

Under regulations introduced in Parliament last November, and expected to come into effect in January 2026, Ofgem, the energy regulator, will be given powers to investigate and intervene when customers on district heating networks are hit with unfair or disproportionate prices.

Currently, residents living in properties supplied by communal heat networks are not covered by Ofgem’s Energy Price Cap, however from April this year they will be able to appeal to the Energy Ombudsman for redress.

Last year, MP for Peckham and Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh was tasked by the government with overseeing the creation of a regulatory framework to introduce protections for heat network users.

In Southwark, 17,000 homes are connected to a district heating network maintained by the council. But parts of the system are over 40 years old and falling apart, creating huge knock-on effects for residents.

Whereas the average three-bedroom house should use 11,500kWh of gas, heat lost from the antiquated heating system means Southwark households use around 19,000kWh. This is particularly serious for leaseholders, who are often charged £2,500 for heating and hot water when their bills should be closer to £1,500.

In July leaseholders of Gloucester Grove in Peckham, accused the council of “mismanagement” after they were hit with gas bills triple government guidelines despite heating and hot water often breaking down on the estate.

The Southwark Liberal Democrats have said the new regulations do not go far enough to protect customers, and wrote to Fahnbulleh in October calling for more government intervention to stop leaseholders being struck by outrageously high heating and hot water bills.

In January, Fahnbulleh replied that incoming regulation of heat networks would address some of these issues, but conceded that Southwark Council was “not delivering for customers”.

Heat networks – both those run privately and by councils – are not currently subject to the same regulation as other forms of energy delivery such as gas and electricity, which are subject to Ofgem’s price caps and limits on how far back in time usage can be billed for.

But while the new regulations would extend Ofgem’s powers to heating networks, the Lib Dems say protections need to go further, including a faster roll out of meters to ensure residents are

accurately billed for the energy they use, stricter rules around compensation for outages, and government investment to help protect leaseholders from the costs of system upgrades.

Homeowners struggle to wrestle free of heating networks because the council is explicitly against individual properties disconnecting, while freeholders able to do so still incur huge charges.

As the News reported in 2021, it costs a staggering £39,500 for the average freeholder to disconnect from the council’s heating network and can involve months of negotiation.

In a council policy published the same year, Southwark Council said: “The council does not support individual properties (either tenants or leaseholders) disconnecting from its district and communal heating systems for reasons of efficiency, system imbalance, decarbonisation and the increased burden of cost upon remaining connected properties.

“The council cannot prevent freehold properties from disconnecting, however, if the owners bear all costs of disconnection.”

Yet maintaining the current system has also proved costly for Southwark Council. Since 2021, it has given customers £3 per day in compensation for every continuous hearing or hot water outage lasting more than 24 hours.

In 2023, the News reported that the council had paid residents nearly £97,500 in compensation for heating outages in the space of two years.

Last year, the council reportedly spent more than £25 million in total on maintaining the district heating system. It has previously said refurbishing the network to meet carbon footprint targets would cost a staggering £350 million.

However in the latest budget, the council said the decarbonisation of its housing estate would be subject to a new costing exercise and feasibility assessment.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader

Councillor Victor Chamberlain said:

“Whilst we’re pleased to see these long overdue new regulations come in, it is vital that the experience of Southwark tenants and leaseholders leads to stronger protections for consumers.

“Our Labour council has got it badly wrong, with residents facing rip off bills forced to conduct their own investigations to challenge the costs. It’s not right for residents to have to foot the bill for the council’s failure. With the right rules and investment, we can have fairer, warmer, greener heating for our homes.”

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “We want to make sure that more communities can benefit from low-cost, efficient heat networks, as we sprint towards clean power.

“That is why we have consulted on plans to introduce new regulations, which will help to deliver fairer prices

and improved network quality.

“This will ensure that heat network customers are entitled to similar levels of protection as those in the gas and electricity market, with Ofgem acting as the regulator.”

Councillor Sarah King, Cabinet Member for Council Homes, said: “The council broadly welcomes the upcoming heat networks regulations. These are intended to improve customer outcomes, though of course there are many details yet to be confirmed.

“We are working closely with government and the market to prepare and are already implementing metered systems across the borough and prioritising our heat networks in need of investment to improve their efficiency.

“It’s important that we keep the dialogue with residents open on this issue and we will continue to hear their concerns and check individual properties if the figures do not seem right.”

Last summer, residents of the Consort Estate in Peckham reported being lumped with service charge bills of almost £5,000 due to rising heating and hot water charges

Gloucester Grove residents

ELIZABETH LINE DRIVERS TURN DOWN RISE WHICH WOULD TAKE THEIR ANNUAL SALARIES TO ‘£75,726

By Noah Vickers Local Democracy Reporter

SIR SADIQ Khan has urged Elizabeth line bosses and a union threatening strikes to “get round the table”, as he insisted there was still “some time” for them to “resolve their differences”.

Aslef, which represents train drivers on the cross-London line, announced on Thursday that its members will stage four days of strikes in a dispute over pay.

According to the line’s managers, the strike was called after drivers belonging to the union rejected a 4.5 per cent pay increase.

The mayor declined to say whether drivers should accept the increase, while City Hall Conservatives called the situation “an indictment of Labour’s negotiating strategy”.

It is understood that a typical train driver’s salary on the line is £72,465 for a 34-hour, four-day week – which would have risen by £3,261 to £75,726 under the proposed 4.5 per cent uplift.

A driver instructor’s salary would have risen from £75,430 to £78,824 while a driver team leader’s salary would have increased from £76,090 to £79,514.

The strikes are scheduled for Thursday, February 27; Saturday, March 1; Saturday, March 8 and Monday, March 10, from 00:01 to 23:59.

Sir Sadiq told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I think what’s really important is for MTR – who run the Elizabeth line – and Aslef to resolve these differences amicably, rather than going on strike.

“I think strikes ultimately are a sign of failure. The first one’s scheduled to take place at the end of this month –that means there is some time for Aslef

and MTR to resolve these differences.

“What’s not right is for me to give a running commentary on any negotiation that takes place, but I encourage Aslef and MTR to get round the table…

“These strikes will mean the Elizabeth line loses passengers, passengers are inconvenienced, the drivers lose a wage, and so nobody wins.”

The Elizabeth line is the busiest rail line in the UK and is used for more than 700,000 weekday journeys.

Pressed on whether he thought drivers should simply accept the pay rise on offer and drop the threat of strike action, the mayor said: “No, I’d encourage MTR and Aslef to talk

about the differences they’ve got and resolve them amicably, which is really important.”

Keith Prince, City Hall Conservatives’ transport spokesman, suggested the issue could be traced back to the mayor’s decision to avert RMT strikes on the Underground in January 2024, when he suddenly produced £30m in City Hall funding to boost the annual pay rise for 16,000 Tube staff.

He said: “With every successive announcement that drivers are set to strike, the mayor’s decision to throw tens of millions at the unions with no conditions is increasingly looking like a poor investment, made worse by the Government’s rogue deals with the

union barons.

“It’s the same old story – mayor makes a mistake, Londoners pick up the bill. We hope these strikes can be prevented, but this is an indictment of Labour’s negotiating strategy.”

Nigel Gibson, one of Aslef’s full-time district organisers and the union’s lead officer with MTR, said this week: “Taking action is always a last resort, because we do not want to inconvenience passengers and our members do not want to lose money, and I hope that the company, seeing the strength of feeling amongst our members, their drivers, will do the right thing and return to the negotiating table.”

Mike Bagshaw, managing director

at MTR-Elizabeth line, said: “We are disappointed that drivers on the Elizabeth line have rejected a 4.5 per cent pay rise and voted for industrial action.

“The offer would have maintained some of the highest salaries in the industry, along with enhanced terms and conditions.

“Any potential strike action will be disruptive for those who rely on the Elizabeth line, and we will work closely with Transport for London to ensure customers are informed of alternative travel options.

“We remain committed to engaging with Aslef in the hope of resolving this dispute.”

Lambeth Council says it might have to sell off council homes to repay government bailout

By Robert Firth Local Democracy Reporter

A SOUTH London borough with 40,000 families waiting for a home may have to sell off council houses to repay a £40 million government bailout.

Zena Cooke, Lambeth Council’s Corporate Director of Finance, told a meeting last Thursday (February 20) that the money making initiative was one option the local authority was considering in order to cover its debt costs.

Ms Cooke made the remarks on the same day that the government announced it had approved the Labourrun council’s request for a £40 million rescue package to help balance its Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

The HRA records the costs and income associated with running a council’s housing stock. Without the bailout

Lambeth would have been unable to set a balanced HRA from April, which it is required to do by law.

Ms Cooke said: “One of the options [to balance the HRA] will have to be consideration of disposals where they meet the criteria for disposal in order to generate a receipt that would allow us to pay the debt cost.

“From a finance perspective and from a value of money perspective, it is not sensible to dispose of assets that are going to have future income generation possibilities or are an asset that you would want to keep.

“However there are also those assets that are extremely expensive to maintain or repair and uneconomic to keep.”

Ms Cooke warned that the council may not be able to balance the HRA again next year due to other financial obligations, such as maintaining its existing housing.

She added that officials may have to

seek assistance from the government again.

Lambeth has the second highest number of people on its council housing waiting list in London, slightly fewer than Newham in East London. Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of families waiting for a council home in the capital are waiting for a property in the two boroughs.

Lambeth is also the second largest council landlord in London with 23,600 social housing properties.

It was the only council to receive a bailout specifically for its HRA from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on Thursday.

Six other London councils received general financial support packages ranging from £136 million to £10 million. These were: Croydon (£136m), Havering (£88m), Barnet (£55.7m), Newham (£51.2m), Haringey (£37m) and Enfield (£10m).

Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton

COULD WILLIAM BLAKE’S HOME BE AS POPULAR AS MOZART’S HOUSE IN VIENNA AND REMBRANDT’S HOUSE IN AMSTERDAM?

By Noah Vickers Local Democracy Reporter

THE FORMER Mayfair home of the Romantic poet and artist William Blake could be turned into a cultural hub and education centre, under plans supported by the London Assembly.

In a cross-party motion last week, the Assembly agreed that the property at 17 South Molton Street, near Bond Street station, offers a “unique opportunity” to “secure Blake’s legacy for generations to come”.

The group behind the plans, the William Blake Fellowship, have been liaising with the company that owns the building, Grosvenor – who want to turn the street into “a new destination of international significance for the West End”, including new office space, housing, cafes, shops and restaurants.

The Fellowship argues that, as part of the street’s re-development, there is the “potential for the House of William Blake to become its jewel in the crown, a cultural hub in the heart of Mayfair attracting visitors far and wide”.

Blake lived at the property for 17 years, in two small rooms in which he produced his most famous and influential illustrated works, which are now located in 56 galleries and private collections around the world.

Born on November 28 1757, as a youngster with delicate sensibilities, the central London location and builtup environment wasn’t agreeable to the young boy’s temperament. William Black when he was as young as seven years old, he used to embark on regular walks out of the City, to the greener pastures of the South.

“He was drawn to the hills,” said Chris McCabe, Liverpudlian Poet and Literary Investigator who has researched and written extensively on William Blake, “His favourite walk was the one down to Peckham Rye and even beyond, as far as

Croydon.”

Back then these areas where still just countryside. William used to make his sixmile walks alone. When he was around eight years old, in approximately 1765, William saw something: “Sauntering along, the boy looks up and sees a tree filled with angels, bright angelic wings bespangling every bough like stars.”

It was William’s first “of many” angelic visions, as recorded by his first biographer, Alexander Gilchrist.

“He wasn’t scared by it at all. In fact it was a very positive thing for him,” said Chris. He believes that among Blake’s formidable catalogue of poetry, the Peckham Rye visions are most clearly evoked in Songs of Innocence and Experience and poem The Tyger.

The motion in support of the Fellowship’s plans to keep his Mayfair home was put forward by the Assembly’s Labour group, and won support from the Greens and Liberal Democrats. The Conservative group abstained from voting, and Reform UK’s sole assembly member, Alex Wilson, was absent from the meeting.

According to the motion, the William Blake House “would draw from the success of long standing historic houses in other European cities such as Mozart’s House in Vienna, Rembrandt’s House in Amsterdam, Dante’s House in Florence, nearby Handel House in London and Robert Burns’ House in Scotland, the legacy of which generates £200m a year to the Scottish economy”.

The motion states that Grosvenor’s plan “is to renovate it as a private residence sold on the commercial market”, adding: “The Fellowship retains the ambition to open a centre in 2027, which would mark both 200 years since Blake’s death and 270 years since his birth.

“If the property is continued to be developed as a luxury apartment, the opportunity to create a dedicated centre to William Blake at his last remaining London home will be lost for good.”

Even more investigations launched into ‘devastating spillage’

at the River Wandle

By Harrison Galliven Local Democracy Reporter

TRANSPORT FOR London has confirmed two separate investigations are under way into a ‘completely unacceptable’ diesel spill that it’s feared is causing devastation in a South London river.

TfL is working with Arriva, which operates Thornton Heath Bus Garage, as it carries out its own investigation into a leak of fuel from a storage tank there. This is in addition to the Environment Agency probing the disaster, as an urgent clean-up operation continues.

Around 4,000 litres of diesel has flowed into the River Wandle as a result of the spill, having entered the drainage system before being

Approached for comment, a Grosvenor spokesman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “We have been engaging with the Fellowship for a number of years on their ambitions for a visitor centre. We remain open to their proposals and will continue this dialogue.”

In their motion, the Assembly called on mayor Sir Sadiq Khan to meet with the

Fellowship “to be updated on the current status of plans” for the cultural hub.

The Assembly also resolved to write to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy MP, and the minister for tourism, Sir Chris Bryant MP, “to convey the importance of the House of William Blake being preserved as a national cultural centre”.

The mayor’s office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport were both approached for comment by the LDRS, but neither responded.

dumped into the watercourse, with a local expert predicting its impacts on wildlife will last years and potentially undo decades of conservation work

TfL has also confirmed in a statement that ‘there is no current or foreseen impact to the availability of services operating from the garage’ as vehicles can refuel at other locations while the investigation continues.

TfL has committed resources from its Safety, Health, and Environment Team, as well as its Engineering Team to assist with Arriva’s investigation

TfL added: “While the investigation is still in its very early stages, we have taken steps to communicate what we have learnt about the incident with other operators to avoid such an event occurring again.”

TfL acknowledged the environmental concern, stating: “Any pollution into

this week, the Local

Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) spoke to River Wandle expert Dr Jack Hogan about the potentially devastating impact of the oil spill. Dr Hogan believed the spill was the worst

extent of it yet.

Dr Jack Hogan on the Wandle Credit: Harrison Galliven

William Black

The former home of William Blake at South Molton Street. Credit: Google

20MPH ROLL-OUT WILL NOT SLOW DOWN BUSES, MAYOR KHAN CLAIMS

By Noah Vickers Local Democracy Reporter

SIR SADIQ Khan has insisted that the roll-out of 20mph limits on roads across the capital is not slowing down average bus speeds, despite the fact that buses remain slightly slower than they were pre-pandemic.

In answer to a recent written question, the mayor said it was “unlikely” that the rising number of 20mph roads was having more than a “negligible” impact on bus speeds – as “overall journey times are largely dictated by junction delays”.

As part of Sir Sadiq’s ‘Vision Zero’ strategy – which aims to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from London’s transport network by 2041 – Transport for London (TfL) has increased the number of 20mph limits on roads it controls, so that some 264km are now subject to the speed cap.

But Tories on the London Assembly argue that the policy has caused unnecessary delays on buses, creating a “long-term cycle of decline” where buses become less attractive to Londoners because of how slow they are, and consequently less financially viable for

TfL – leading to routes being cut.

Neil Garratt, leader of City Hall Conservatives, wrote to Sir Sadiq:

“There’s clear evidence that bus speeds are declining across London. What work have you done to determine whether lowering speed limits is a possible factor?

The mayor replied: “The average bus speed in London in 2019-20 was 9.29 mph and in 2023-24 was very similar at 9.27 mph – a very small decline of 0.02.

“However, as a customer there is a perception of declining bus speeds following returning traffic and roadworks after the Covid-19 period.”

A report by the watchdog London Travelwatch revealed in November last year that in parts of central London, bus speeds have dropped below 7mph.

The research found that average bus speeds range from 8.1mph in inner

London to 10.3mph in outer London. Bus speeds were lower in every borough in 2023/24 compared with 10 years previously. In the ‘square mile’ of the City of London, buses travel at only 6.6mph – and at 7.1mph in Westminster and in Camden, the report said.

In his written answer to Mr Garratt, Sir Sadiq continued: “Lowering speeds is one of the most important things that can be done to make our streets safer.

“Over half of London’s roads now have a 20mph speed limit and London’s boroughs continue to lead the way with 19 of the 33 boroughs now having 20mph speed limits across their roads.

“In 2020, we reduced the speed limit

on all TfL roads within the central London Congestion Charging zone to 20mph, with preliminary data showing a 24.9 per cent reduction in fatal and serious injuries post implementation.”

On the question of whether average bus speeds are being impacted, the mayor added: “Due to current average speeds, it is unlikely that the lowering of speed limits from 30mph to 20mph will change existing journey times during the day.

“During off-peak periods, including overnight, some people may experience a slight increase in journey times, however research into the impacts of 20mph by Steer Davies Gleave suggests

that introducing 20mph speed limits has a negligible impact on journey times, given that overall journey times are largely dictated by junction delays and not vehicle speeds.”

In a pledge to speed up the capital’s buses, the mayor said: “I fully recognise the importance and scale of the challenge involved in improving bus journey times and reliability.

“That is why TfL is working in partnership with bus operators and their borough colleagues to deliver a programme of technological, operational and policy improvements to better support bus performance while also delivering my Vision Zero ambition.”

Transport for London face £20 million shortfall due to increase in National Insurance contributions

By Noah Vickers Local Democracy Reporter

TRANSPORT FOR London (TfL) is being forced to find more than £20m in savings over the coming year due to the Government’s increase in employers’ National Insurance (NI) contributions

It emerged at a City Hall meeting on Thursday that despite ministers providing significant support to public bodies to help them cover the NI hike, TfL is facing a shortfall of £23m.

Neil Garratt, leader of City Hall Conservatives, said the cost of “Labour’s jobs tax” was “hammering” TfL. Sources within the transport authority insisted that the funding gap does not require any reduction in staff, though it remains unclear at this stage exactly how the necessary savings will be made.

Speaking to the London Assembly’s

budget and performance committee, Sir Sadiq Khan’s chief of staff, David Bellamy, admitted that the Government has “not provided as much money as we would have hoped for”.

While grant funding has been provided to cover the complete cost of the NI increase at the Metropolitan Police, the same has not been true for TfL or the London Fire Commissioner (LFC) – the City Hall body responsible for governing the capital’s fire brigade

The LFC’s shortfall is only £2.5m, a funding gap which mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has plugged using money from business rates. But it remains unclear how TfL will plug its own, much larger, £23m funding gap.

Mr Bellamy said: “There’s clearly an issue, and we’ve spoken to the Government about this and they understand it, that the model they used for allocating funding was very

much based on a local authority [i.e. council] view of the world, where local authorities tend to have relatively restricted sources of income, other than council tax and business rates.

“Whereas, with TfL, it clearly has billions of pounds worth of income from fares, and that didn’t factor into the Government’s formula. It will affect transport authorities across the country as well – it’s just the decision the Government took on how to assign the available funding.”

Mr Bellamy added that TfL had already “significantly reduced costs going into next year” with London Underground staffing, “because of the progress made on the cost of the pension scheme”.

The chief of staff was referring to the fact that, thanks to some highperforming investments, TfL has successfully reduced the proportion it

directly pays into staff pensions, from about 27.3 per cent down to 10.5 per cent. TfL hopes that this saving will help with covering the extra £23m NI cost.

However, in a video posted on X, Mr Garratt said: “Labour’s jobs tax is hammering TfL… They [the Government] said when they announced it that they would cover the cost for public sector bodies.

“You might think that would cover TfL. It definitely doesn’t cover business, which is getting whacked by this… This is Labour’s cost in London – it just keeps rising.”

It is understood that TfL remains in talks with the Government and hopes to receive additional support ahead of the new financial year in April.

A TfL spokesman said: “We continue to discuss this with Government, and will provide a further update on how

we would cover any shortfall as part of our annual budget.”

The organisation’s budget is due for publication in March, and will include details of any savings made to cover the £23m cost.

A spokesman at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “We recognise the challenges that councils are facing, which is why despite the inheritance we have been left, we are providing an additional £2bn of grant funding, including £502m to manage the impact of employer National Insurance contributions changes.

“This is part of making available £69bn of funding to councils across England to help them drive forward the government’s Plan for Change, including a 3.1 per cent increase for the Greater London Authority, taking Core Spending Power to £3.2bn next year.”

Neil Garratt AM.

Photo from London Assembly

Sir Sadiq Khan

what’s on

THE DANCE IS CONSISTENTLY EXCELLENT

DESPITE THE plethora of opportunities, this production seems incapable of fully cashing in on any melodrama because so much time is spent philosophising and breaking out into (albeit excellent) contemporary dance. This is quite a feat in a play which involves incest, patricide, and the ever-vengeful Greek gods, writes Melina Block.

In fairness, as an analysis of fate, fear, and fanaticism, the Old Vic’s Oedipus works well. Rami Malek, the titular king of Thebes, is characteristically unnerved as he wrestles with whom to turn to to decide his future: the oracle, his sceptical wife, or his own intuition?

Questions over fate and free will may be timeless, but the dangers of yielding to what those who we assign power to tell us, without question, feel rather timely.

Similarly, Oedipus’ own obsession with prophecy and the people of Thebes’ mob mentality is emphasised throughout. Again, this feels eerily relevant in the current political climate as the characters highlight the extent to which fear can motivate not only individuals but groups to act in ultimately destructive ways and turn against each other.

Indira Varma’s Jocasta is confident and assertive - a sharp contrast to

Malek’s neurotic (understandably, given the circumstances) Oedipus. Both actors are undeniably talented, but I couldn’t believe they were happily married and in love - even prior to the whole mother-son issue being revealed - save for some very on-the-nose dialogue. This inevitably undermined what should be the devastating climax, which in itself felt rushed and unable to throw the emotional gut-punch it should have delivered.

The most controversial aspect of this particular production, however, is likely to be the dancing, with Hofesh Shechter Company appearing several times as the Thebian people. The erratic, pulsating movements are fevered and striking, almost religious or ritualistic, emphasising the fevered zealousness of Thebes. The issue, perhaps, is that dance - in its nature - is incredibly subjective.

If you interpret the movement in a different way, then I can see why it could feel slightly out of place. But, the dance is perhaps the most consistently excellent aspect of this performance, at times overpowering the often bleak, moody play.

My friend saw this show with me, and although we both agreed that the dancers were excellent, she was not sold on how significant a role in the story it played. Or, rather, how significant a part of the story it took time away from.

Ryan Moves Onwards With Retrograde

ONE OF the most exciting writers around right now is Ryan Calais Cameron, who has pushed against boundaries and smashed down the elitist walls of theatre to have two hits in the West End. He is now on the cusp of going to Broadway, writes Michael Holland

One of six children, Ryan grew up in Lewisham in the bosom of a loving and supportive family ‘where you were allowed to dream’. At school, he enjoyed Drama and English: ‘Writing was where I could really express myself,’ he says, adding that he didn’t realise then that those lessons would have carried him so far.

When Ryan left, he took up a career in electrical engineering that, after four

years, he came to despise, so he chose to take a drama degree at Bournemouth University. His parents were fine with his decision even though there was no way of knowing their son would be so successful.

I wondered why he did not go to one of the many great acting establishments in London. ‘For me, he begins, ‘I wanted to get as far away from Lewisham as I could, from some people and the things they were doing, plus to get life experience… It was a massive choice for me because at 19 I had never left my area before!’

After focussing on university for three years, Ryan graduated and pretty much worked steadily in TV and theatre - in top productions - for some years.

He spoke of the people who inspired him: Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington,

While I did not agree, as I think it did complement the themes of the play even if it did not drive the narrative forward, I can very easily see this being a major,

and the award-winning writers Debbie Tucker Green and Roy Williams, who Ryan now sees regularly but still has that Fanboy feeling when Williams says encouraging things about Ryan’s work.

But that industry is not an easy ride. In the early days, Ryan would email his favourite actors and ask for advice.

Jimmy Akingbola returned a Facebook message, calling him down to his Monologue Slam, which, perhaps with the advice Ryan had taken on board, he won. Clint Dyer was there and told Ryan to audition for his play at the Royal Court. He got one of the lead roles.

These steps to stardom were not lucky. These are examples of a young actor making his luck by knocking on doors, walking through them and then producing the goods.

Eventually, the time arrived for the young actor to take up the pen. He explains the change: ‘My imagination was a lot bigger than the work I was being offered and in the end I wasn’t excited by acting any more, it had become just a job.’

Ryan struggled with the acting work offered because it conflicted with his ideas of what being black and British and working-class were. ‘I’d hear better stories going to the barber shop,’ he claims. ‘And I thought that if I can create stories for the people I meet on my street, then I’m positive I can get those people into the theatre.’

Along with like-minded friends, he cofounded Nouveau Riche to tell the stories they wanted to tell, never knowing if they would be successful or not. They were.

Another good break came when he

valid gripe for many people. So, whether you come for the drama or the dance, rest assured that you will leave Oedipus with something to say.

co-adapted Jessica L. Hagan’s book Queens of Sheba for stage and took it to the Edinburgh Fringe. ‘We sold out every night,’ Ryan recalls while reliving the dream. ‘We were on front pages, TV people came!’

Could the sound of an audience clapping draw him back? ‘Since I’ve been writing, I do get that little bug now and then, but it’s the auditions that stop me going back… If someone offered roles specifically for me, I might jump back in but, no, not now.’

Couldn’t he write something for himself? I asked. ‘I could, but I feel that’s greedy; plus, I’d wanna be so hands-on I would make it the worst production.’ His words tail off with a knowing laugh.

The writer had experience of people saying they liked his work but were put off because, he was told, “black working-class don’t go to the theatre”, but I really thought they would if there was something that would resonate with them.’ Ryan takes a breath before continuing. ’It’s not rocket science, if we can put something on that reflects their truth, their environment, they’d turn up.’

Ryan was right because 800 young, black, working-class were buying tickets every night for his West End hit “For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy”.

And to help break down the barriers, Ryan had the ticket prices slashed to make them realistic and affordable.

Ryan hopes to do the same when his latest play, Retrograde, transfers to the West End in March. A play about when a young Sidney Poitier is about to sign a career-defining Hollywood contract

Old Vic, The Cut, SE1 until 29th March. Full details and Booking: www.oldvictheatre.com

that could make him a star. But there’s a catch. Will he put his career before his principles? In a time of betrayals, will he name names? Will he sign his life away? Ryan was writing about a time way before his.’It meant immersing myself in a whole other universe that I’ve never been to before; it was an immense amount of research, but it was exciting to learn about somebody’s life.’ Ryan was now on a Poitier role. The Hollywood legend was one of his early inspirations. ‘The level of research I’ve been able to do meant I knew him so much better, and he became more of a hero to me. I felt like I’d met him and knew him, like he was family!’ Ryan went graciously on to praise Ivanno Jeremiah, the actor who brings Poitier to life every night, and Amit Sharma, who has put things into his direction of the play that Ryan reveals he would never have thought of.

Our time was ending, and I was left with the feeling of having met a nice man, a focussed man, a family man, a man who smiles a lot and who deserves everything that is coming his way.

Ryan Calais Cameron is now in a position to plan ahead for himself, and he implies that some special things are coming to our screens in the future.

But for now, let’s get our tickets for Retrograde.

Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, W1 from Saturday 8 March –Saturday 14 June 2025

Box Office: www.nimaxtheatres.com / 0330 333 4809

Photo by Manuel Harlan

Heading south - our pick of upcoming winter events

Groove to some live jazz

Every other Thursday at The Chart Bar in Blackheath’s The Clarendon Hotel you’ll find a live jazz performance to enjoy and groove along to. Starting at 7:30pm, Jazzy D’s Jazz Diary invites you to experience the magic of local jazz ensembles. Coming up this month, 6 March sees the Jago Furnas Trio perform, with jazz guitarist Jago Furnas making his debut, and 20 March invites the Tony Goldsmith Red Brooke’s Duo to the stage. The popular duo of Tony Goldsmith on guitar and Red Brooke on sax play a variety of jazz classics.

Dates: Every other Thursday. Tickets: Free The Clarendon Hotel, Montpelier Row, Blackheath Village, SE3 0RW www.clarendonhotel.com/events/live-jazz

Generator at Tramshed

Generator is Tramshed’s monthly night showcasing emerging theatre and performance arts. March sees a double bill of new work from artists Ella McGran and H.R.H. Aphrodite I. Ella McGran’s ‘Operation Shrink’ (7:30pm) is an autobiographical solo show that delves into personal struggles with an eating disorder. The show breaks down expectations of what someone with an eating disorder might look like and touches upon themes of obsessive exercise, misunderstandings within the medical system, the toxicity of the dance industry, and emotional abuse. Then, at 9pm, step

into HRH Aphrodite I’s ‘The Diana Auction’ as she sells off some of her very own Princess of Wales looks. Turning back to 1980, she’ll offer her own unique insight into the wide and wonderful world of Diana’s wardrobe – and puts them up for sale. ‘The Diana Auction’ is an hour-long participatory show about clothes, media scrutiny and death. While Aphrodite puts her frocks up for bid, your job is simple: see what you like and bid ’til you get it.

Date: Friday 21 March 2025, 7:30pm and 9pm

Tickets: £6-£27

Tramshed, 51-53 Woolwich New Road, SE18 6ES www.tramshed.org/generator-march

Visible mending workshop

Woolwich Works is hosting a workshop where you’ll be guided in the art of mending clothes. Ali Clifford, of Incredibusy, will talk you through the three-hour workshop, where you’ll learn about the art of carefully repairing holes and breathing new life into your clothes. You will learn the fundamentals of how to use the Incredibusy darning loom, handmade in the UK from salvaged materials, a design inspired by the original 1950s speed loom. This is a handcrafted tool designed to simplify the process of darning and repairing small snags and holes in fabric. Materials will be provided for use during the workshop and there will also be an option to purchase your own Incredibusy salvaged loom at the end of the day.

Date: Saturday 22 March 2025, 10am. Tickets: £55 Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, 11 No 1 Street, SE18 6HD www.woolwich.works/events/visible-mending-workshop

Sips of Wisdom

Join multidisciplinary artist Love Hannington at the National Maritime Museum to learn more about African Caribbean herbs for women’s health, with a focus on womb health. This workshop is an introduction to herbal traditions, exploring the history of African Caribbean herbs, their connections to African and Indigenous practices and their importance for women’s health. Inspired by artist Jacqueline Bishop’s Keeper of All Secrets tea set (pictured), the workshop will delve into the theme of the Market Woman and her role in sharing knowledge about herbs. As part of the session, you’ll design and paint your own cup and saucer to take home. It will also include a discussion and sharing of the uses of African Caribbean herbs and a guided reflection meditation on connecting to inner resilience, empowerment and ancestral knowledge across all lands.

Date: Saturday 22 March 2025, 11:30am. Tickets: £7 National Maritime Museum, Romney Road, SE10 9NF www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/national-maritime-museum/sips-wisdom

Murder, She Didn’t Write

Don your deerstalker, grab your magnifying glass and get your “finger of suspicion” at the ready because Degrees of Error is bringing back their sell-out show for your sleuthing pleasure. At Churchill Theatre this March, they’ll create a classic murder mystery on the spot in this improvised comedy. You, the audience, become the author as the cast acts out your very own Agatha Christie-inspired masterpiece live on stage. The company use audience suggestions to create a unique, original and comical murder mystery just for you. All you have to do is solve it… Ms Gold poisoned at a synchronised swimming gala? Dr Blue exploded by cannon during a hot air balloon race? Professor Violet crushed to death at a Love Island recoupling? You decide – but will you guess whodunnit before the killer is revealed?

Date: Friday 14 March 2025. Tickets: From £22. Churchill Theatre, High Street, BR1 1HA trafalgartickets.com/churchill-theatre-bromley/en-GB/event/play/murder-she-didntwrite-tickets

Mozart’s Requiem at Blackheath Halls

Experience an evening of musical brilliance with a live performance of Mozart’s Requiem. Conducted by Chris Stark, Mozart’s piece will be brought to life by soprano Ailish Tynan, tenor Nick Pritchard, bass James Platt and the Blackheath Halls Orchestra and Choir. The performance will feature over 70 choral voices and a full orchestra, creating a powerful and emotional journey through one of Mozart’s most celebrated works. From haunting harmonies to triumphant crescendos, Requiem promises a moving experience.

Date: Sunday 23 March 2025, 7:30pm Tickets: £19, under 12s £10 Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Road, SE3 9RQ www.blackheathhalls.com/whats-on/blackheathhalls-orchestra-choir-perform-mozarts-requiem

The Keeper of All The Secrets, Jacqueline Bishop, 2023, bone China with gilding and digital print transfers. Credit Jacqueline Bishop. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

A Thousand Blows: The real story of Queen of the Forty Elephants’ Mary Carr

By Issy Clarke

BRAND NEW Disney Plus show A Thousand Blows tells the true story of the Forty Elephants, an all-female gang of thieves who dominated London in the 1880s through to the 1920s.

In the show, their leader Mary Carr is depicted by Erin Doherty, best known for her portrayal of Princess Anne in Netflix’s the Crown. Here, Doherty plays a different kind of royalty, taking centre stage as the Queen of the Forty Elephants.

The Forty Elephants – also known as the forty thieves – emerged in the 1870s, a group of thieves based in Elephant and Castle, made up of women drawn from the slums of the Seven Dials who stole and conned their way to fabulous wealth.

The extensive web of women, which numbered as many as seventy in its heyday, approached criminality with a cold professionalism and ruthlessness assumed to be the preserve of their male counterparts – The Elephant & Castle Gang, formed a hundred years earlier.

Carr was the female Elephants’ first leader, organising the women from her home at 118 Stamford Street into an effective shoplifting syndicate who in exchange gave her their unbound obedience.

Born in Holborn in 1860 to working class

parents, Victorian criminologists would later describe Mary as bearing all the hallmarks of a “born criminal”. Her first stint in jail at the age of 12 for petty theft set the course for a life of crime. She was sent at the age of 19 to a Church of Englandrun institute for “fallen” women, where she stayed for nine years – which hardly proved effective in thwarting her taste for criminal deception.

Some time around 1890, Carr was elected leader of the Forty Elephants and refined the mechanics of their signature heist and namesake, in which the women would raid luxury shops and waddle out like elephants with clothes and jewellery crammed into their dress pockets. On other occasions, the women would pose as poor maids as a means of gaining access into wealthy houses, before disappearing with stolen goods stashed within their petticoats.

As well as one of London’s most notorious criminals, Carr was also known for her beauty. She was described by Lloyd’s Weekly, a contemporary newspaper, as a woman of “good looks and engaging manners (who) managed to get round her a gang of young women who gave her complete obedience as their leader’”.

When she wasn’t stuffing the contents of Selfridges’s jewellery floor into her petticoat pockets, Mary moonlit as a nude model for the Victorian artist Lord Frederic Leighton, thought

to have been the model for his painting The Maid with the Yellow Hair (1895).

Working as an artist’s model wasn’t a particularly lucrative trade but it was invaluable to Carr in another way – it equipped her with the poise and grace which would enable her to woo upper-class gentlemen while discreetly swiping their wallets.

Carr devised another of the gang’s favourite tricks in which one of the women would ask a wealthy elderly gentleman to loan her a bus fare. She would then lead him down a side alley, ostensibly on the way to a bus stop, before crying out that he had attacked her. Usually at this point, the elderly man would hastily agree to hand over some cash to avoid his reputation being ruined. Mary used to boast she would rake in £40 a week from this ploy.

Such were her good looks and glamorous fashion sense that when she faced a trial in 1896 –charged with abducting a seven-year-old boy – crowds flocked to the courtroom, hoping as much to hear a snatch of the proceedings as to catch a glimpse of Mary’s golden curls and delicate features. Mary did not disappoint, arriving in court lavishly dressed in a velvet cloak, ostrich feathers and diamond rings, valued by one journalist at more than £300.

Today we can only imagine what Mary looked like since there are no surviving photographs of

her. Other aspects of her life also remain shrouded in mystery – even her name, which alternated between several aliases including Polly Carr, Eva Jackson, Annie Leslie and her married name, Mary Crane, from a brief period when she wedded to another criminal, Thomas Crane.

Mary was sentenced to three years in prison in 1896, but it wasn’t long after her release before she was back in court again facing charges of receiving stolen goods. She continued her life of robbery and violence right up to her death, penniless and alone, in the 1920s aged in her sixties.

By this point the Forty Elephants were under the leadership of their most famous leader Alice Diamond, who presided over the gang’s heyday which coincided with the proliferation of luxury department stores across the capital at the turn of the 20th century. Under Diamond, the Elephants became more violent and continued targeting high-end stores with even greater efficiency, such as Harrods and Liberty.

The show focuses on Carr’s reign over the gang, but with confirmation from show creator Steven Knight that season 2 has already been shot, there’s every chance that the next series will explore Diamond’s later tenure in the 1920s as Queen of the Elephants.

All six episodes of A Thousand Blows are now available to watch on Disney Plus.

In the show Mary Carr is portrayed by Erin Doherty

Elephant and Castle circa 1900

Gang leader Alice Diamond

LICENSING ACT 2003 APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE

OLGA GABRIELA SANTANA CUEVAS has applied to the London Borough of Lambeth for the grant of a premises licence, in respect of the following premises: MONTEGO BAY 45 TULSE HILL ROAD SW2 2TJ which would authorise the following licensable activities:

Recorded music – SUNDAY – THURSDAY

11:00 – 00:00/ FRIDAY - SATURDAY 11.0001.30 / Sale of Alcohol–SUNDAY–THURSDAY11:00 - 23:30/ FRIDAYSATURDAY FROM 11.00 - 01.30 Opening hours - SUNDAY - THURSDAY

07.30 - 00.00/ FRIDAY AND SATURDAY07.30 - 02.00

The record of this application may be inspected during normal office hours by an appointment at the Licensing Section, London Borough of Lambeth, 3rd floor Civic Centre, 6 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1EG, or via the licensingauthority’s website, at www.lambeth.gov.uk/licensing

A responsible authority or any other person may make representation to the licensing authority in respect of this application. Representations must be made in writing, either by post to the above address, or by email to licensing@lambeth.gov.uk and must be received no later than 21/03/2025

It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with a licensing application, and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for that offence shall not exceed level 5 on the standard scale (£5,000).

LICENSING ACT 2003 APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE

Jimmy Garcia Catering Ltd has applied to the London Borough of Lambeth for the grant of a premises licence, in respect of the following premises: Jimmy's Pop up, The BBQ Club Festival Pier, Queens Walk London SE1 8XX which would authorise the following licensable activities: Sale of Alcohol From 21/04/2025 - 22/09/2025 - 11:00 - 23:00

The record of this application may be inspected during normal office hours by an appointment at the Licensing Section, London Borough of Lambeth, 3rd floor Civic Centre, 6 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1EG, or via the licensingauthority’s website, at www.lambeth.gov.uk/licensing

A responsible authority or any other person may make representation to the licensing authority in respect of this application. Representations must be made in writing, either by post to the above address, or by email to licensing@lambeth.gov.uk and must be received no later than 17.03.2025

It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with a licensing application, and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for that offence shall not exceed level 5 on the standard scale (£5,000).

LICENSING ACT 2003 APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE

Jimmy Garcia Catering Ltd has applied to the London Borough of Lambeth for the grant of a premises licence, in respect of the following premises: Land outside of Queen Elizabeth hall & Purcell Room, Southbank, London SE1 8XX which would authorise the following licensable activities:

Sale of Alcohol: 12:00 - 00:00, Everyday, 17/04/2025 - 30/04/2026

Recorded Music: 12:00 - 00:00, Everyday, 17/04/2025 - 30/04/2026

The record of this application may be inspected during normal office hours by an appointment at the Licensing Section, London Borough of Lambeth, 3rd floor Civic Centre, 6 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1EG, or via the licensingauthority’s website, at www.lambeth.gov.uk/licensing

A responsible authority or any other person may make representation to the licensing authority in respect of this application. Representations must be made in writing, either by post to the above address, or by email to licensing@lambeth.gov.uk and must be received no later than 26.03.2025

It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with a licensing application, and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for that offence shall not exceed level 5 on the standard scale (£5,000).

Transport for London Public Notice

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

THE A20 GLA ROADS (LEE HIGH ROAD AND ELTHAM ROAD, LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM)

(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC AND STOPPING) ORDER 2025

1. Transport for London having consulted with the London Borough of Lewisham hereby gives notice that it has made 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 carriageway resurfacing to take place on the A20 Lee High Road and Eltham Road.

3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from:

(1) entering, exiting or proceeding in a north-westerly direction on Lee High Road between its junctions with Burnt Ash Road and Bankwell Road;

(2) entering, exiting or proceeding in a south-easterly direction on Lee High Road between its junctions with Lee Church Street and the extended common boundary of Nos.340-342 Lee High Road;

(3) stopping on Lee High Road between its junctions with Burnt Ash Road and Bankwell Road;

(4) entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on Old Road between its junction with Lee High Road and the extended northern building line of No.334 Lee High Road;

(5) entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on Lenham Road between its junction with Lee High Road and the extended northern building line of No.340 Lee High Road;

(6) stopping in the loading, unloading and disabled persons’ vehicle bay opposite Nos.5-7 Eltham Road.

The Order will be effective between 7th March 2025 and 30th September 2025 every night from 9:00 PM until 05:00 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 in force an alternative routes will be indicated by trafc signs (For trafc travelling in north-easterly direction) Lee Church Street, Dacer Park, Lee Terrace, Lee Road, and Lee High Road to normal route of travel. (For trafc travelling in south-westerly direction) Lampmead Road, Aislbie Road, Bankwell Road, Lee High Road, Lee Road, Lee Terrace, Belmont Hill and Lee High Road to normal route of travel.

Dated this 28th day of February 2025 Matt Standell Performance and Planning Manager Transport for London

Transport for London Public Notice

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

THE A24 GLA ROAD (LONDON ROAD, LONDON BOROUGH OF SUTTON) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC AND STOPPING) ORDER 2025

1. Transport for London 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 electric vehicle charging point installation works to take place on A24 London Road.

3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from:

(1) stopping in the Parking and Disabled Persons' vehicles bay outside Nos.816-822 London Road;

(2) stopping in the Parking and Disabled Persons' vehicles bay opposite Nos.816 London Road;

The Order also prohibits any person from entering or proceeding on:

(3) the south-western footway of the unnamed service road fronting Nos.816822 London Road from the extended north-western boundary of No.816 London Road for a distance of 11 metres north-westwards.

The Order will be effective at certain times 7:00 AM on 10th March 2025 until 7:00 PM on 10th March 2026 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 in force an alternative route will be indicated by trafc signs for pedestrians wishing to utilise the south-western footway of of the unnamed service road fronting Nos.816-822 London Road to instead utilise the north-western footway of the unnamed service road to normal route of travel.

Dated this 28th day of February 2025

Transport for London Public Notice

loading, and unloading; and, (b) suspend the footway on the south (rail arch) side with pedestrians diverted to the north side.

3. Suspend one-way working and introduce two-way working; (a) on Popes Road between the junctions of Canterbury Crescent and Brixton Station Road; and (b) Brixton Station Road between the junction of Popes Road and No. 53 Brixton Station Road.

4. Suspend the cycle lane on Brixton Station Road in both directions.

5. Alternative routes for affected vehicles would be available via Popes Road, Canterbury Crescent and Gresham Road and vice versa.

6. The bans would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall, from time to time, be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

7. The Order would come into force on 11 March 2025 and would continue for a maximum duration of 1 month, or until the works have been completed whichever is sooner.

Dated 28 February 2025

Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE - PRATT WALK

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable works involving the operation of a crane to be carried out safely, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intend to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering Pratt Walk between Lambeth Road and its junction with Juxon Street.

2. Alternative routes would be available (a) via Lambeth Road and Lambeth Walk; (b) for vehicles of 14’ 6” or less in height via Sail Street, Juxon Street, Lambeth Walk, Old Paradise Street and Lambeth High Street; and (c) Lambeth Road, Albert Embankment, Black Prince Road, Lambeth High Street, Old Paradise Street, Lambeth Walk and Juxon Street.

3. Whenever the ban referred to in paragraph 1 above applies, the one-way system in Juxon Street between a point 80 feet south-east of the south-eastern kerb-line of Pratt Walk and a point 180 feet south-east of that kerb-line would be temporarily suspended to allow access to and egress from that length of road.

4. The bans and suspension would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing and covering of the appropriate traffic signs.

5. The Order would come into force on 15th March 2025 for a maximum duration of 2 months (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed, whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

THE A24 GLA ROAD (STONECOT HILL, LONDON BOROUGH OF SUTTON) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC AND STOPPING) ORDER 2025

1. Transport for London 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 and 4.

2. The purpose of the Order is to enable installation of a new zebra crossing including carriageway resurfacing and lining works to take place on the A24 Stonecot Hill.

3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from:

(1) entering, exiting or proceeding on the A24 Stonecot Hill between its junctions with Malden Road and Epsom Road. Local access only between its junctions with Malden Road and Nova Mews and between Epsom Road and Hill Top;

(2) entering or exiting Ash Road at its junction with the A24 Stonecot Hill; (3) stopping on the A24 Stonecot Hill between Nova Mews and Hill Top; The Order will be effective between 17th March 2025 and 28th September 2025, 10:00 PM until 5:00 AM every night 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 Order will also prohibit any vehicle from stopping on the footway Parking and Disabled Persons Vehicles Bays opposite Nos. 43 – 45 Stonecot Hill, on the north-western kerbline of the service road fronting Nos. 35 to 49 Stonecot Hill, between 10:00 PM on 17th March 2025 until 5:00 AM on 28th September 2025 or when the works have been completed, whichever is the sooner.

5. 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.

6. At such times as the prohibitions are in force an alternative route will be indicated by trafc signs via Malden Road, Cheam High Street, St Dunstan’s Hill, Oldelds Avenue, Reigate Avenue, St Helier Avenue, Central Road and Epsom Road or reverse to normal route of travel. Or for trafc wanting Ash Road via Burleigh Road to normal route of travel.

Dated this 28th day of February 2025 Matt Standell Planning and Performance Manager Transport for London, Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE – AMESBURY AVENUE AND HILLSIDE ROAD

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable public realm improvement works to be carried out, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intend to make an order the effect of which would be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering:

(i) that length of Hillside Road which lies between Barcombe Avenue and Tredvell Close; (ii) that length of Amesbury Avenue which lies between Tredvell Close and the property boundaries of No.s 201 and 203 Amesbury Avenue.

2. An alternative route for vehicles would be via Faygate Road and Barcombe Avenue.

3. The restrictions would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

4. The order would come into force on 17th March 2025 and would continue for a maximum duration of 6 months (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed whichever is the earlier. In practice it is anticipated that the order would only have effect on 17th March 2025 but if the works cannot be carried out or completed during that time then the Order may have effect on subsequent days within the maximum duration of 6 months.

Dated 28th February 2025

Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ON VOLTAIRE ROAD

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that to enable Thames Water works, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth after consulting Transport for London (TfL) intend to make an Order, the general effect of which would be in:2. Voltaire Road, between the north-western kerb-line of Clapham High Street and a point 19 metres north-west of that kerb-line to ban vehicles from entering, parking, waiting, loading, and unloading.

3. Suspend the inset parking place on Clapham High Street outside Nos. 21 to 25 Clapham High Street.

4. Alternative routes for affected vehicles would be available via Edgeley Road, and Voltaire Road and vice versa.

5. The bans would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall, from time to time, be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

6. The Order would come into force on 11 March 2025 and would continue for a maximum duration of 1 month, or until the works have been completed whichever is sooner.

Dated 28 February 2025 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14

TEMPORARY RESTRICTION OF PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICULAR TRAFFIC – MEPHAM STREET

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable bridge investigation works to be carried out, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth, subject to the agreement of Transport for London, intend to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily ban vehicles and pedestrians from entering that length of Mepham Street which lies between Waterloo Road and the south-west to north-east arm of Mepham Street.

2. Alternative routes for affected pedestrians and vehicles would be available via the south-west to north-east arm of Mepham Street and Waterloo Road.

3. The bans would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

4. The Order would come into force on 17th March 2025 and would continue for a maximum duration of 1 month (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works would take place from 17th March 2025 to 19th March 2025 between 11.59 pm and 4 am, but if the works cannot be carried out or completed during that time then the Order may also have effect at subsequent times within the maximum period of 1 month.

Dated 28th February 2025

Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE – RATHGAR ROAD

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable new UKPN connection works to be carried out, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth have made an order the effect of which will be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering that length of Rathgar Road which lies between Loughborough Road and a point 36 metres north-east of that kerb-line.

2. Diversion routes for vehicles will be available in writing to all affected pedestrians and road users.

3. The restrictions will only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

4. The order will come into force on 8th March 2025 and will continue for a maximum duration of 1 month (to allow for contingencies). In practice it is anticipated that the order will only have effect between 8th March 2025 and 9th March 2025 but if the works cannot be carried out or completed between these dates then the Order may have effect on subsequent days within the maximum duration of 1 month.

Dated 28th February 2025 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ON ROYCROFT CLOSE

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that to facilitate construction works as part of the implementation of the Peckham to Streatham Healthy Route, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth made an Order, the general effect of which will be in: -

2. Roycroft Close, (a) at the junction of High Trees, to ban vehicles from entering, parking, waiting, loading, and unloading, except for access for residents; (b) close the footpath between Christchurch Road and Roycroft Close.

3. Alternative routes for affected cyclists will be available via (a) High Trees, A204 Tulse Hill, A205 Tulse Hill Gyratory, A205 Christchurch Road; and (b) A205 Christchurch Road, A205 Hardel Rise, A204 Tulse Hill, and High Trees.

4. The bans will only apply at such times and to such extent as shall, from time to time, be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

5. The Order comes into force on 3 March 2025 and will continue for a maximum duration of 6 months, or until the works have been completed whichever is sooner.

Dated 28 February 2025 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY PARKING RESTRICTIONS – CORNWALL ROAD

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable development related works to be carried out, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth have made an Order the effect of which will be to temporarily: (i) ban vehicles from waiting (including waiting for the purpose of delivering or collecting goods or loading or unloading a vehicle) in that length of the south-western side of Cornwall Road which lies between Upper Ground and Doon Street; (ii) suspend parking in that length of the south-western side of Cornwall Road which lies between Upper Ground and Doon Street.

2. The ban on waiting and loading will only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

3. The Order will come into effect on 3rd March 2025 and will continue for a maximum duration of 12 months or until the works have been completed, whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works will be carried out between 3rd March 2025 and 3rd November 2025. If the works cannot be carried out or completed during this time, then the Order may have effect on subsequent dates within the maximum period of 12 months.

Transport for London Public Notice

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

THE A202 GLA ROAD (VAUXHALL BRIDGE ROAD, CITY OF WESTMINSTER) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC, STOPPING AND SUSPENSION OF BUS LANE) ORDER 2025

1. Transport for London in consultation with the City of Westminster hereby gives notice that it has made 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 carriageway lining works to take place at A202 Vauxhall Bridge Road.

3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from:

(1) stopping on Vauxhall Bridge Road between its junctions with Neathouse Place and Stanford Street;

(2) exiting Udall Street at its junction with Vauxhall Bridge Road;

(3) stopping on Udall Street between its junctions with Vauxhall Bridge Road and Vincent Square;

(4) entering or exiting Gillingham Row at its junction with Vauxhall Bridge Road;

(5) stopping on Gillingham Street between its junctions with Vauxhall Bridge Road and Wilton Road;

The Order will also permit all vehicles to use all Bus Lanes on Vauxhall Bridge Road between its junctions with Neathouse Place and Drummond Gate.

The Order will be effective from the 3rd March 2025 until 2nd September 2025 every night between 9.00 PM and 5.00 AM or when the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. The prohibitions will apply only during such times and to such extent as shall from time to time be indicated by trafc signs.

Works will be phased such that some restrictions will apply only at certain times.

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 in force an alternative route will be indicated by trafc signs for Udall Street closure via Vauxhall Bridge Road, Bloomburg Street, Vincent Square, Wallcott Street and Rochester Row to normal route of travel.

Dated this 28th day of February 2025

Andrew Rogers Performance and Planning Manager, Transport for London Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

Notice of Application for a New Premises Licence Under Section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003. Notice is hereby given that Inventure ECR Ltd have applied to the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council for a new premises licence for 189 / 193 Earl`s Court Road, London SW5 9AN to permit the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises from 09.00 to 00.00 (midnight) daily all week. The address of the Licensing Authority where the register is kept and the application may be inspected during normal business hours is Licensing Team, Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council, Council Offices, 37 Pembroke Road, London W8 6PW. Details are also available online at: www.rbkc.gov.uk Email: licensing@rbkc.gov.uk Any representations by any other person or responsible authority must be received in writing by the Licensing Authority at the above address by 24th March 2025 stating the nature and grounds for making such representation. It is an offence under Section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003 to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum fine on summary conviction for this offence is an unlimited fine. GT Licensing Consultants Tel 07810 826778 em: gtlicensingconsultants@gmail.com

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH

Notice Under The Town and Country Planning Acts

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council is considering applications as set out below under the following categories; FUL – Full Planning Permission LB – Listed Building Consent

Written representations should be made within three weeks of the date of this advertisement to the Director of Planning, PO Box 734, Winchester SO23 5DG. Any comments made are open to inspection by the public and in the event of an appeal may be referred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Confidential comments cannot be taken into account in determining an application.

Application plans can be viewed online at www.lambeth.gov.uk/searchplanningapps – search using the reference number at the end of each application listing.

11 Offerton Road London SW4 0DH Retrospective application for alterations to pre-existing front lightwell including a new retaining wall (To lower ground floor flat).

24/03984/FUL

46 Acre Lane London SW2 5SP Replacement of black metal gates with black powder coated automatic gates for pedestrian and vehicle access. (Please note: The reference number for this Listed Building Consent application is 24/03616/LB but there is also an associated application for Full Planning Permission related to these works with reference number: 24/03615/FUL). 24/03616/LB

10 Radcot Street London SE11 4AH Erection of a single storey side infill extension and single storey rear end extension with associated landscaping of garden involving partial demolition of lower ground rear flank wall and outrigger. Lowering of front light well floor and

introduction of a larger new front entrance doorway. (To Lower Ground Flat) 25/00174/FUL

33 Crescent Grove London Lambeth SW4 7AF Erection of a second floor side extension. (Please note: The reference number for this Listed Building Consent application is 25/00349/LB but

Dated 28th February 2025.

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HARPS SPREAD THE GAELIC BIBLE

Two Dulwich players inspired to use sport as part of GCSE PE

By Ben Rowley

DULWICH HARPS, a south London Gaelic football club, made history in 2024 when its men’s team won promotion for the first time to the London Senior Football Championship.

In the same year, the long-standing club – formed in the 1950s – took a major step towards introducing Gaelic games to a new generation by launching its GAA youth section for ages 5-17.

Since hosting an initial taster session, the youth team has grown from 25 participants to 57 registered players, competing in their inaugural season.

Unlike most grassroots sports teams, Dulwich Harps integrates boys and girls together, with 35 male and 22 female players, as well as five children with neurodivergent or physical disabilities, including ADHD, autism, selective mutism, and hearing loss.

While Gaelic football remains deeply rooted in Irish culture, its global footprint

is growing. Thanks to the Irish diaspora, the sport is well-established in America, Asia, and Argentina, where a recently founded club welcomed Dulwich Harps players to train during their school holidays.

For many children in Southwark and beyond, it’s a sport they aren’t familiar with – but that’s exactly what Colin Fleming, Dulwich Harps’ youth coaching officer, wants to change.

Having grown up playing Gaelic, Colin is now in a position to encourage children south of the Thames to take up the sport, with training sessions held at Peckham Rye Park every Saturday at 11am.

“Our training is all play and move based,” Fleming told our paper.

“It’s very basic, we might break them up into groups depending on ability and either work on kicking, hand passing the ball, or soloing.

“We really want them just to get a love for the sport and have that in a nonpressured environment.”

In just under a year, Fleming has

Invincibles bag Khan

By Sports Reporter

AFGHANISTAN SUPERSTAR

Rashid Khan and seven-times World Cup winner Meg Lanning have become Oval Invincibles’ first Direct Signings in The Hundred, joining on deadline day as the men’s and women’s teams begin to form their squads.

Khan joins the likes of Gus Atkinson and Sam Billings in the reigning champions’ squad.

Lanning has signed alongside Marizanne Kapp, Alice Capsey and Lauren Winfield-Hill.

Across The Hundred, twelve Direct Signings have been confirmed on deadline day, with the eight teams finalising their retentions and forming their squads ahead of The Hundred Draft on March 12.

The Hundred returns for its fifth year at the Kia Oval on August 9, with the double-header visit of Manchester Originals.

“I am really excited to be joining

Oval Invincibles and calling the Kia

Oval my home this August,” Khan said. “It’s great to be joining the back-to-back champions, hopefully I can contribute to more success this season.

“I would also like to say a big thank you to Trent Rockets for the three seasons I spent at Trent Bridge.”

Winfield-Hill said: “I’m stoked to be returning to the Invincibles this summer. I have a huge amount of love for all the players and staff and there is no better place to play than in front of a packed house at the Kia Oval.”

Oval Invincibles Women:

Marizanne Kapp, Alice Capsey, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Meg Lanning, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tash Farrant, Ryana Macdonald-Gay, Sophia Smale, Jo Gardner, Rachel Slater.

Oval Invincibles Men: Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Tom Curran, Jordan Cox, Rashid Khan, Saqib Mahmood, Sam Billings, Gus Atkinson, Nathan Sowter, Donovan Ferreira, Tawanda Muyeye.

witnessed the impact that the youth setup launch has had on the young guns he helped develop, highlighting two teenage girls who had never played Gaelic football before.

He said: “Two of the girls have already decided to take GCSE PE and use Gaelic as one of their sports.

“They didn’t even know Gaelic existed a year ago, and now you’re participating in it as part of your GCSEs?

“We’re delighted, it’s rewarding for them and for us.”

One of those students is Katie Friel, 14, from East Dulwich.

She said: “It is great to have part of my Irish heritage involved in my GCSE and I have enjoyed introducing the sport to my classmates, most of whom had never heard of Gaelic before.”

The club’s accessibility has played a huge role in its participation rates, with pitch space provided by Southwark Council and all coaching done by volunteers. Dulwich Harps can offer membership for the entire first year for £25.

Fleming believes staying true to the public is the only way to ensure the sport remains as democratic and open as possible to people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.

He said: “You play football and the subs could be as high as £40 a month – we charge you a registration fee and that covers you for the whole year.”

Beyond affordability, parents praise the club for creating a safe and accessible space where children of all backgrounds can express themselves –something rarely found in other sports organisations.

One parent said: “The Saturday morning Gaelic Games are highly valuable as they have enabled my two children to grow their skills and confidence in a lowstakes, friendly environment.

“My daughter is autistic and previously avoided team sports, but the supportive environment has enticed her from the sidelines onto the pitch and opened up a new experience for her.”

With the 2025 season kicking off on March 8, Dulwich Harps are keen to expand participation, recruit more volunteers, and bring Gaelic football into local schools.

The club is also exploring introducing hurling, another sporting mainstay in Ireland. This variety will offer the budding youngsters in London the ability to dabble in the game they enjoy most. Fleming believes that fostering a fun and non-competitive atmosphere at youth level is key to attracting new players. When players reach eleven, the competitiveness will build, and the pathway to the senior team is in place. Dulwich Harps welcomes new players and volunteers, as Fleming and his team continue to grow a thriving Gaelic football community in south London. With athletes like Conor Bradley – a Gaelic footballer turned Liverpool star – proving the sport’s influence extends beyond its own fields, who knows where the next generation of Dulwich Harps players might go?

Was a haul as Lionesses make last four

By Myles Thornton

CIARA WATLING scored four goals as Millwall Lionesses reached the semi-finals of the L&SERWL League Cup with a thrilling 7-3 victory over Leatherhead Women FC after extratime at St Paul’s last weekend.

Watling scored two brilliant goals in normal time, finding the top corner in the

tenth minute when she flicked the ball over a defender and volleyed into the top corner from 20 yards. Watling picked out the top corer again ten minutes before half-time, this time from a 30-yard free-kick, but Ted Jones’s side were twice pegged back.

Watling completed her hat-trick on 105 minutes after being set up by substitute Shannan Drewe.

Watling made it 4-2 in the second half of

extra-time before academy graduate Kayda Townsend got her first senior goal with an overhead-kick in the 115th minute.

There was still time for more as Townsend scored her second and Millwall’s sixth. Leatherhead grabbed a consolation but then scored an own goal from Drewe’s corner.

Millwall face Fulham in the last four in Rotherhithe this Sunday at 1.30pm.

Dubois ‘down’ - as Lee has suspicions

By John Kelly

DANIEL DUBOIS was “down and disappointed” after pulling out of his scheduled IBF heavyweight contest against Joseph Parker in Riyadh last weekend.

Dubois withdrew just two days before the bout, with Parker stopping late replacement Martin Bakole in the second round.

On the Second Captains podcast in Ireland, Parker’s coach Andy Lee

speculated whether Dubois pulled out to avoid a potential defeat which could have scuppered his chances of a unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk.

Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren outlined what might be next for the Greenwich fighter.

“You have to look at the next move and I think that will be either Usyk in an all-belt affair for the four belts or maybe AJ [Anthony Joshua],” Warren said. “We will have to work that out in

by

the next week or so.

“We will talk through the options as a team and make a decision. Everyone’s view is important but the most important view is Daniel’s because he is the one getting into the ring and he makes the ultimate decision.

“He’s very down and disappointed and he feels his moment was robbed. It happened at the wrong moment for him and cost him a lot of money and cost the fans a really good fight.”

Photo

Colin Fleming

Dulwich Harps picnic social day

Addicks have Ex factor as Grecians soundly beaten

By John Kelly

BOTH MANAGERS were in agreement about who the deserved victors were at The Valley as Charlton Athletic swept aside Exeter City 3-0 to win their fifth successive home game in League Two to remain outside the top six only on goal difference.

The Addicks scored the first in the 20th minute when Luke Berry’s free-kick went in off Angus MacDonald for an own goal.

Tyreece Campbell added the second in the 68th minute with a low finish from the edge of the box and substitute Miles Leaburn completed the victory with his tenth goal of the season.

Nathan Jones’s Charlton had 27 touches inside the opposition box, compared to six for the Grecians, and had five shots on target to one.

“I thought we were excellent from start to finish,” Jones said. “I thought we really controlled the game, I thought we were dominant. The only disappointment was that we weren’t further ahead before we got the second. We had a lot of situations, controlled the game. We had a lot of possession, I really thought we were good. It was a really pleasing performance from start to finish.

“The level of performance even when we made changes, the game-changers showed when they came on what they can do. It was a dominant performance and one of the best ones we’ve had here.

“I thought all the goals were good in their own right. It was a wonderful ball from Luke Berry for the first goal and someone had to get on the end of it. It was in that corridor of confusion, where anyone can have a touch.

“Then Tyreece Campbell scores a wonderful goal and then the wonderful goal for the third as well.”

Charlton are unbeaten in nine league games at home with five clean sheets in that run.

Will Mannion started again in place of the injured Ashley Maynard-Brewer and kept his first clean sheet in seven games.

Jones added: “We needed that and we wanted that [clean sheet]. Even when we went 3-0 up I wanted that. Those are the stats, that’s the confidence we want to have. It merited [the clean sheet] because I thought we were dominant today. Today from start to finish it was a proper Charlton performance.”

Exeter boss Gary Caldwell accepted his side didn’t deserve anything from the game.

He said: "It was a disappointing afternoon and result. We were out-battled by a much better team on the day who have great momentum.

"We have to be better and analyse that, and do something about it next week in training in preparation for a huge game against Northampton.

"We didn't commit to what we came to here to try and do. We know they are aggressive and play on the front foot and we had way to try and combat that and sat off them first half, restricting to not much, and then we concede from a set piece which can't happen.

"We then conceded two really poor goals in the second half."

Charlton have a crucial game at the weekend when they travel to Leyton Orient who are in sixth, above the Addicks on a plus-six better goal difference having scored six goals more.

SOARING EAGLES SET RECORD

Daniel Munoz scores cracker to seal

win

By John Kelly

FORMER CRYSTAL Palace defender

Joachim Andersen lost his head as the Eagles set a club club record of four consecutive Premier League wins away from home with their 2-0 victory against Fulham at Craven Cottage at the weekend.

Andersen jumped to challenge Maxime Lacroix for Will Hughes’s corner only for the ball to go in off the back of his head to give Palace a deserved lead in the 37th minute.

Anderson joined Fulham from Palace for £30million last summer.

Daniel Munoz sealed the win for Oliver Glasner’s side in the 66th minute when Jean-Philippe Mateta played him down the right and he beat Cottagers defender Calvin Bassey in the box before rifling a shot from a tight angle high past Bernd Leno into the roof of the net.

Mateta also had a goal ruled out for a tight offside call at 1-0 in a dominant Palace display.

It was Palace’s fourth consecutive 2-0 win on the road in the league. They have kept five clean sheets in their last five away games and are unbeaten in nine on their travels.

"Congratulations and all the credit to the players for this win," Glasner said. "Because they worked so hard for this win, they were so disciplined all over the game.

"We didn't give them clear chances, we were very compact and waited for the situations. We had several chances, then we used a set-play to take the lead. We had to

also wait [with the] disallowed goal.

"Then in the next situation, it was an amazing goal, and then we were always defending as a team. We had to be disciplined and wait, staying patient throughout.

"We know that we can always score goals from different situations, we know that we can be very tough to play against, especially when we defend like we did today."

Glasner added: "It's not just the backline, of course, Dean Henderson is doing very well, but everything starts with the front three, because they have to close the passing lines.

"Everybody does their job on a very, very high level, and I think it's difficult to create chances against us.

"But we always have to be disciplined, and wait for the situations, and I also think, especially in the first half, we did well in possession as well.

"We moved the ball quickly, created some attacking situations, and it's also important that we can take a breath.

“But when you have the fifth clean sheet in a row, in a way, that always means that you have at least five points."

Munoz has been a revelation for Palace since he joined from Genk for just £7million in January 2024. He has three goals and three assists this season and he is enjoying his career in England.

“I have always said it: here the atmosphere is an inexplicable thing, unparalleled,” Monoz said. “All the stadiums are full, and you have all the fans – both in your favour and against you – two or three metres away.

“The truth is that you must be very, very, very focused, close your ears to the words of the opposition fans, and concentrate on your game so that things go well on the field. That's the beauty of being in England, I think that every game is played to its fullest.”

Meanwhile, Fulham boss Marco Silva accepted his side had been second best.

“It definitely was a performance below the standards, if I can say in this way,” Silva said. “We knew before the match that it was going to be a tough game.

“They make it really difficult on the road for any team that they play against. We knew that it's going to be difficult to break them down. We have to be moving the ball quicker, I think first half we moved the ball too slow in our first build-up.

“We expected them to be a bit more aggressive in the first pressure, they changed it, they sat more in the middle block, and they showed respect for ourselves.

“First minutes, I think we did break well in some moments, some good moves, [but] our last decision, last cross, last pass, was not at the level. And, because of that, first half we didn't create many, many, many chances. But these type of games can happen.

“Difficult, balanced game, until that moment we had one or two dangerous moments, like they had one with Mateta in the first three or four minutes of the game, and nothing more from both teams in terms of chances.

“But these type of games, the other part of the game that is there, that ugly part,

in terms of duels, in terms of individual challenges, we have to be there.

“And the reality is that they scored two goals, they had another disallowed goal, but they scored two goals in two moments where reaching certain standards did not happen.

“The defensive corner they scored for 1-0 when the game was really balanced. They scored, and we have to do better in that moment clearly.

“Even the second goal was a free-kick for us, offensive free-kick for us, and in that moment you have to make a tactical foul to stop that situation. And we didn't.

“And if you look in the opposite way, every time that we had chances to the counterattack, they stopped us, tactical fouls, yellow cards, yellow cards, and they were much more mature than ourselves in that moment.

“It’s difficult to say, but that is the reality, they were more aggressive than us in that moment. And the Premier League is like that, when you are not at your best level in terms of creativity, in terms of the dynamic of the team, the other standards have to be there.

“Because if you don't make mistakes like we made this afternoon, the game is going to be always toe to toe and everything can happen, but the reality is that they punished us in specific moments because we didn't reach the standards that we should.”

Palace host Millwall in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Fulham face Manchester United in the last sixteen on Sunday.

Dons slip up but Jacko focuses on positives

By John Kelly

AFC WIMBLEDON extended their unbeaten run in League

Two to twelve games but were denied victory after Colchester United scored a late leveller at the Colchester Community Stadium last weekend.

Marcus Browne scored his first Dons goal in the 39th minute but Samson Tovide’s 89th-minute equaliser meant Wimbledon slipped down to third after Doncaster Rovers won 2-1 at Accrington Stanley. Jackson focused on the positives despite that late setback.

“We’re twelve unbeaten now. We wanted to win, but got a draw. I said to the lads

in the dressing room that to go twelve unbeaten is no mean feat,” Jackson said.

“I don’t care what level of football it is, I don’t remember going on too many runs like that as a player, so fair play to them.

Fair play to the boys that they’re digging in and giving absolutely everything for this club and the shirt.

“The supporters can see that and they’re

getting behind them in their numbers. That’s why they’re travelling to support us in the way that they are. We haven’t got the points that we wanted out of this week, but we picked up something and we’re in a really good place together.”

Wimbledon play South London rivals Bromley at Plough Lane on Saturday at 3pm.

Joachim Andersen (5) heads into his own net © Action Plus

‘I JUST HOPE TO GIVE MILLWALL FANS STUFF TO BE EXCITED ABOUT’

The Lions’ club-record signing Camiel Neghli on why he moved to south-east London, adjusting to England and his goals for the season.

Camiel Neghli has started three games for the Lions, and come off the bench in another

EXCLUSIVE

By Will Scott

CAMIEL NEGHLI barely had time to register the prospect of joining Millwall. Only a week after his agent told the forward they were seriously interested in him, Neghli became the Lions’ club record signing and was moving to a country he had always wanted to play in.

The 23-year-old had spent the first half of the season lighting up the Eredivisie for Sparta Rotterdam with spectacular long-range goals, and would now be part of Alex Neil’s new-look, youthful Millwall side that looks reinvigorated heading into the business end of the season - the next step in a career trajectory that Neghli hopes will take him to the Premier League.

Neghli started at FC Twente’s youth set-up before joining De Graafschap’s academy in 2013. He broke into the first team in the 2020-21 season, before

becoming a regular by the 2022-23 campaign.

Sparta Rotterdam picked him up in the summer of 2023, and he spent a year and a half at Het Kasteel before Millwall snapped him up last month.

Joining Millwall allowed Neghli to fulfill one of his career ambitions, playing in England.

“Before every season I sit with my agency and my family and I discuss some points like what I want to be the next step,” Neghli told our paper. “One of them was English football.

“After that I searched for the history of the club, how they play. I think with my qualities, it suits me well. I’m hardworking, but also with my attacking options, I thought I could give the team something extra.

“When I signed, a lot of people I know sent me pictures, they went to the stadium and said it’s a really nice club to visit. It’s a famous club in the Netherlands to visit. “

Neghli was signed for what Millwall described as a club record fee, a tag that can burden players. The former Algerian youth international has not let it affect him.

“It’s not in my mind, but I just always want to play well, Neghli said. “Like when I come from the youth team with my previous club and with Sparta also, I just want to prove to people that I am a good player and that has nothing to do with money.”

Millwall announced the signing of Neghli late on Friday, January 31, and he was introduced to The Den only a day later ahead of their match against Queens Park Rangers, which Millwall would win 2-1. Neghli was brought onto the pitch before the game and was given a standing ovation by Lions fans, an experience he enjoyed.

“It was really good,” Neghli said. “I came with my family and it was the first time we were there with the fans.

“We were there the day before, but the first time with the fans and seeing the game, it was really nice. They made so much noise. It was also a good game of course against QPR, so everything was perfect. We really enjoyed it. It is very different from the Netherlands, like the atmosphere. But it was really good.”

Neghli was the crown jewel of a January spending spree that saw Millwall add eight players to a squad that clicked off the pitch. The winger has integrated well so far.

“Most players talk with me,” Neghli said. “They have helped me a lot.

“When I first came here, of course Casper, because he also speaks Dutch, said let me know if there’s something. The club and the players help me and it’s a good group. It’s funny, I just try to chat sometimes, also to improve my English.”

Neghli has also enjoyed working with Millwall boss Alex Neil, who joined the club only a month earlier on December

30.

“It’s been good,” Neghli said. “He’s very clear what he wants and how he wants us to play. So when we are on the pitch, there’s not like that you have questions left.

“Except for the Plymouth game, I think we played all the games pretty well. Away games are much harder here. So sometimes you have to defend well and launch some attacks. But I think most of the games were pretty good.”

Neghli was handed his debut by Neil in Millwall’s 2-0 win against Leeds United in the FA Cup Fourth Round on February 8, and has gone on to make four appearances for the Lions so far.

From a very small sample size he leads the team in key passes per 90 (1.58) and shots on target per 90 (3.14), and trails only Aidomo Emakhu in shot creating actions per 90 (3.66).

Despite already looking the part, Neghli is not effusive with praise when describing his performances so far.

“I think it’s gone okay,” Neghli said. “I think I did my job defensively - in the last game, especially the first half we were sometimes defending and I tried just to help and do my part in the defensive tactics. And when I have to ball, I just try to create something.

“Sometimes I have to adjust to the physical level. I think also with my teammates we have to get to know each other better. Like when I have the ball what I want from them or what they want from me, so I can play at a faster tempo.”

When asked what the main difference between Dutch and English football is, Neghli said: “ The difference is they like to play here in the duel. That’s the difference in the Netherlands, they wait more. So sometimes you have more time, here when you have the ball they like to come to you. I think that’s the difference.

“I also played a couple games for Algeria and that was also the same, especially like when you play the southern teams, they just want to fight for the ball. So I am used to it, but I have to be better at it. But I think every week you get used to it.”

Neghli is improving every week as gets used to living and playing football in England, and has set modest goals for the rest of the campaign.

“For me this season my goals are to play good games and be important for the team in attack and defense,” Neghli said. “I just hope to give the Millwall fans stuff to be excited about.”

And for the rest of his career?

“To go to the Premier League.”

Sess-ational as Fulham fire rapid strikes Crash anding for Ravens

By John Kelly

RYAN SESSEGNON scored his first goal in more than two years to help Fulham to a first league win against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux in 40 years as Rodrigo Muniz grabbed the winner on Tuesday night.

Sessegnon, making his first Premier League start of the season, wasted little time scoring his first goal since October 2022 - in a 3-2 win for Tottenham Hotspur at Bournemouth - when he beat Jose Sa 59 seconds in.

Joao Gomes equalised in the eighteenth minute before Muniz scored 63 seconds into the second half after he ran on to Adama Traore's pass and chipped Sa.

It was only Sessegnon’s ninth appearance this season since he

returned to Craven Cottage from Spurs last summer.

"He's a lovely boy,” Fulham boss Marco Silva said. “It's been tough for him. He's had a lot of injuries which has taken a lot of confidence from him. We decided to bring him back. This season is crucial for him, he's a very good tool for us, and for us in the future.

"I'm really confident in us as a club, it's got to come from him too. Let's hope the future is going to be bright for him.”

Sessegnon played left wing-back as Silva changed to a back three.

Silva said: ”We know Sess can play wing-back very well, he has the composure to attack the box like he did for his goal. With [Jorge] Cuenca there, we knew he was going to covered.

“Scoring early in each half made an impact. After we made it 2-1, we controlled the game in a different way.”

Silva was pleased with his side’s response after they lost 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace at the weekend.

"The main thing for us was the game tonight, we wanted to bounce back after the game against Palace,” Silva said. “We have been responding to the downs really well. Some players will be ready, if I decide to start them in the next game.

“It's not easy at this level when you make five changes. We knew we would need some fresh legs. We didn't start with Alex [Iwobi], Willian is not ready to start a game yet, and we don't have other wingers, that is the reality. That was why we changed the formation.

"I think our organisation, the way we defended, the togetherness was there. The last 20 mins, we had two clear chances with Raul [Jimenez] to kill the game.

“Over all, with the changes to the formation, the boys responded really well, and I'm really pleased for them.

"To see players like Sess for, I don’t know how long, two years without a Premier League start, to see him start the game - I knew we wouldn't be able to play the 90 minutes - but it's really nice to see it. Especially in a really demanding game away from home."

“[It’s good] to give the feeling to the fans when they go on the road, they are going to be able to see Fulham winning games and to be competitive in the Premier League."

By John Kelly

BROMLEY’S FOUR-GAME unbeaten run in League Two was brought to a halt as Bradford City won 1-0 at Hayes Lane on Tuesday night.

The Ravens, who had won their last three, fell to Bobby Pointon’s 82nd-minute goal that moved the Bantams up to second, four points clear of AFC Wimbledon in fourth.

Graham Alexander’s side deserved their win and would have been ahead earlier only for a brilliant double-save by Bromley goalkeeper Grant Smith who denied Brad Halliday and Michael Mellon.

Michael Cheek and Omar Sowunmi had efforts saved by Bradford stopper Sam Walker. Bromley are tenth, seven points off the playoffs, and travel to the Dons this Saturday.

Sport

‘LET’S GO ATTACK THE GAME’

Lions aiming to raid Eagles’ nest for place in FA Cup quarter-finals

By Will Scott

MILLWALL BOSS Alex Neil wants his side to “attack” their FA Cup Fifth Round tie with Crystal Palace this weekend.

The Lions comfortably defeated Dagenham & Redbridge 3-0 in the Third Round at The Den, before stunning Championship league-leaders Leeds United 2-0 at Elland Road to set up a trip to face their south London rivals at Selhurst Park, who are twelfth in the

Premier League.

“It’s an important game because it’s a local rivalry,” Neil told our paper.

“It’s an important game because it’s an important game to our fans, which means it’s an important game to me.

“So the players will be fully aware of the importance of the match. They’ll be looking forward to it. It’s an opportunity for us to pit ourselves against a good Premier League side.

“There’s nothing not to like about the game. It’s a cracking game for us because it’s a one-off hit, we can go and attack it. There’s no league points at

stake. It’s not an accumulation over a season, it’s just a one-off game. Let’s go attack the game and see where it goes.”

Millwall have not played a Premier League side since losing 2-1 to the Eagles in the FA Cup Third Round on January 8, 2022.

When asked how he plans to motivate his side ahead of a fixture in which they are likely to be underdogs, Neil said: “I don’t try and dial it down for the players. Like I said, I think it’s an important game for the fans. So I think the players need to be fully aware of that, which they will be. I think they need to play

Birthday boy bags brace

By John Kelly

ISMAILA SARR scored twice on his birthday to help Crystal Palace thump Aston Villa 4-1 at Selhurst Park - but Eagles boss

Oliver Glasner was in no mood to celebrate as he immediately turned his thoughts to Millwall this weekend.

Sarr’s goal had the hosts in front at the break before Morgan Rogers levelled seven minutes into the second half.

Jean-Philippe Mateta curled past substitute goalkeeper Robin Olsen before Sarr - 27 on Tuesday - got his second. Eddie Nketiah completed the rout a minute into stoppage-time.

"We don't have time to celebrate,” Glasner said. “In four days we face Millwall. Of course, a win, and a goal, and a great performance from [Sarr] and the team - great birthday for him.””

Laugh and be happy, Cole

By John Kelly

ENZO MARESCA told Cole Palmer to “laugh and be happy” after Chelsea ended a three-match losing streak to beat Southampton 4-0 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night - but without a goal contribution from their star attacker.

Christopher Nkunku opened the scoring for the Blues in the 24th minute and set up Pedro Neto for the second twelve minutes later.

Levi Colwill headed Neto's free-kick past Aaron Ramsdale a minute before half-time and substitute Tyrique George set up Marc Cucurella for the fourth on 78 minutes.

Millwall have won four out of their seven away games under Alex Neil

with emotion, but controlled emotion, if that makes sense.

“I think that tactically I’ll have a look at Palace. I’m going to watch them tonight [Tuesday, February 25] against Aston Villa. By the time we play them, the lads will be well versed in what we’re up against. I think the difficulty we’ve always got with the cup is normally there’s a few changes made so we are not in control of that, but we are in control of how we play and what we do. So we’ll be looking forward to the game, we’re in good form and we’ll go out with confidence.”

Chelsea moved two points clear of Manchester City and Newcastle in fourth before those teams played on Wednesday night.

Palmer hasn’t scored in his last seven games.

"He has to continue to work, continue to be happy, continue to laugh the way he does," Maresca said.

"It is normal to go through a moment where you struggle to score but it doesn't matter. Just continue and you are going to score many goals."