Southwark News - November 13th 2025

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Issue 1763

Established: 1987

50p

November 13 2025

southwarknews.co.uk

VISITED BY QUEEN ELIZABETH I, PREVIOUS OWNERS INCLUDE RUPERT MURDOCH

See page 3

The historic £8m riverside mansion that was bought for just £195,000

HERNE HELL

MARTIAL ARTIST ON TACKLING 'PICKPOCKET WITH HAMMER' ON THE TUBE MILLWALL

EXCLUSIVE See pages 6-7

NEIL DISMISSES BORO LINKS See page 2

Wheelchair users says his 45 minute commute can take up to FIVE HOURS

NEW POOL SHUT UNTIL JANUARY JOIN OUR SENIOR SCHOOL FOR SEPTEMBER 2026 ENTRY Registration closing date - Monday 24 November 2025 www.stdunstans.org.uk London, SE6 4TY

2 NEWS Contents NEWS Pages 2-14 OPINION Pages 18-19 ARTS Page 20-21 HISTORY Pages 22 CLASSIFIED Page 23 FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS Page 23 PUBLIC NOTICES Pages 24-27 SPORT Pages 29-32

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

Road safety measures in Borough Market street after traders sounded alarm about risk to visitors EXCLUSIVE

By Issy Clarke ROAD SAFETY measures are being installed on the main street which runs through Borough Market after concerns were raised about the danger to visitors.

A report commissioned in November 2024 by the Market Trust, the organisation in charge of Borough Market, estimated there are almost 800 ‘near-misses’ involving drivers and pedestrians on Bedale Street each week.

This is because the narrow pavements on Bedale Street mean pedestrians often spill into the middle of the road – particularly during weekends when the market is rammed with visitors.

The council has now implemented a series of safety measures, including widened pavements, safety bollards and raised crossings for pedestrians.

The vehicle unloading bays have also been moved from Bedale Street to nearby Winchester Walk and Stoney Street to create more room on the pavement. The measures will be in place for 18 months before they are reviewed again.

A temporary timed junction which blocked cars from accessing the street during certain

times of day installed in April this year has been scrapped.

The council said this was down to “valid concerns raised in relation to reduced access for residents, reduced speed of access for emergency services and moving safety risks on to Borough High Street”.

The News understands that representatives of the Market first approached the council

with their concerns about the danger to the public two years ago – but their warnings fell on deaf ears.

MP Neil Coyle for Bermondsey and Rotherhithe forced a meeting on April 30 between members of the Market Trust, Southwark Council officers and the Cabinet Member for Clean Air, Streets and Waste, James McAsh, in which the MP castigated the

delivery of these parts from Germany will take 7-9 weeks, and once they arrive installation and testing will need to be completed before the pool can reopen.

The update said: “Based on this timeline, we’re aiming to reopen the main pool by mid-January and will share a confirmed date nearer the time.

“We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.”

The centre said members may freeze their membership at no cost and swimming lessons have been moved to the smaller Teaching Pool where possible.

The new leisure centre opened in

September after repeated delays meant it missed its original Spring 2025 opening date.

It replaced the 60-year-old Seven Islands Leisure Centre located over the road, which is set to be demolished and developed into new council homes.

Membership of the new centre is steeper than its predecessor, with a standard rate of £43.99 a month - up from £31.99 at Seven Islands.

In addition to the swimming facilities, the centre boasts a new sports court something the old site never had - three exercise studios and a smart new gym.

New Canada Water Leisure Centre pool shut until mid-January

By Matt Hasdell

THE MAIN pool inside Canada Water Leisure Centre won’t reopen until January following its closure just weeks after its launch.

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In October, Southwark Council said on X that the pool had been closed due to a "maintenance issue” following the centre’s opening on September 1.

The issue was said to be with the Air Handling Unit, which regulates air circulation, and that parts had to be imported so repair would take “some time”.

A service update sent to customers said

Issue 1762

Editor: Kevin Quinn Reporters: Issy Clarke, Evie Flynn Sports Editor: John Kelly Sports reporter: Will Scott Arts Correspondent: Michael Holland Digital Transformation Editor: Katherine Johnston Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips Advertising: Clarry Frewin, Mandy Stong Design: Dan Martin, Ann Gravesen Finance: Em Zeki - Tel: 0779 883 3758 em@cm-media.co.uk Subscriptions/Announcements: Katie Boyd Managing & Commercial Director: Chris Mullany Managing & Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn Published weekly on a Thursday at: Community Matters Media Ltd 1 Bermondsey Square, London SE1 3UN. News and Sport: 020 7231 5258 Advertising: 020 7232 1639 News: news@southwarknews.co.uk Advertising: hello@cm-media.co.uk Printed by Iliffe Print. Tel: 01223 656500 www.iliffeprint.co.uk

Established: 1987

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November 6 2025

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

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ARMISTICE & REMEMBRANCE pages SUNDAY IN SOUTHWARK See20-21

LIVING AMID DEMOLITION Councillor who lives on Aylesbury Estate speaks out against regeneration delays

EXCLUSIVE See pages 14-15

local authority for not addressing the issue sooner.

The measures come eight years after the Market was at the site of a deadly terror attack, when knife-wielding Jihadi terrorists charged down Stoney Street, attacking innocent diners. In the aftermath of the attack, concrete safety bollards were installed on Stoney Street.

MILLWALL See sport

FEELING BLUE See page 4

JAILED FOR LIFE FOR KILLING PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND WHILE ON LICENCE FOR CAMBERWELL MURDER

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

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

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

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

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Image licensed under Creative Commons

NEWS 3

£8M DEPTFORD MANSION FOR SALE

The Master Shipwright's House

The views of Canary Wharf from the bottom of the garden

A SPRAWLING 10,000 sq ft riverside mansion in Deptford, which used to be owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News International, has been put on the market with a price tag of £8 million.

Shipwright's House.

Even modern day 'royalty' have been to the house in the form of celebrities. The infamous Kate Moss and Mario Testino shoot, where Kate was captured lying on top of the grand piano smoking a cigarette.

The owner recalls Tom Jones, Rod Stewart, Donald Sutherland, Derek Jacobi, and Idris Elba as just some of the celebrities who have been in the space, either for fashion shoots or movie filming.

It was even used as the filming location for Luther's apartment in the BBC drama starring Idris Elba.

The house looks over sprawling uninterrupted views of London on the bank on the river, with lots of sunshine and light due to the large plot. You can even hear the movements and waves of the Thames at the foot of the garden.

To the East, you can see Greenwich and the Royal Naval College and to the North West you can see Canary Wharf towering above and the start of the City.

Currently, the owner says thirteen people live in the house and that is is "ideal for multigenerational living."

The interior has exposed plaster walls and the only paint used is the grey framing on the staircase and around the doors, to preserve the atmosphere of the period building.

English Heritage has described the house as 'light touch' and a benchmark of not overdoing the decoration and renovation.

The kitchen, on bottom floor, has three units, multiple sinks, an aga and multiple cellars.

In the garden, olive groves and fruit trees line the garden in a sheltered garden, which current owner describes the house as "something of an oasis".

The house is surrounded by high walls, which would have kept the British shipbuilding tactics secret and when the current owners moved in, the garden was a car park.

The house is being sold by Tim Phillips Prime Property Agent, who specialises in high net worth real estate.

The Master Shipwrights House, Watergate St, London SE8 3JF

Tom Edden is Paddington's Nosey Neighbour ARTS Page 21

Tim Phillips Prime Property Agent Youtube

Tim Phillips Prime Property Agent Youtube

By Evie Flynn

The Georgian-era house dates back to the early 1700s and is currently a private residence and creative arts venue.

It is said to have been purchased by its current owners, Willi Richards and Chris Mazeika, for just £195,000 in 1998 after their friend turned it down, saying it was too old and too rotten.

Known as the Master Shipwright’s House, it is one of the last above-ground survivors of Deptford Dockyard, which dates back to the 1500s.

It is made up of two structures, the main Master Shipwright's House and his office building attached. Equipped with ten bedrooms, six bathrooms, and ample living space, it is a country style house in the middle of London.

The office building is believed by some to have been the first working office building in the country.

A Master Shipwright's house would have been the residence and offices of the senior shipbuilders who oversaw the design and construction of ships during Deptford's successful maritime era.

Deptford Dockyard, was once once of the most important naval dockyards in the world and was used to build and maintain ships for 350 years, after it was founded by Henry VII in 1513 and closed in 1869.

Rupert Murdoch's News International bought this area of the dockyard, which also included The Great Storehouse, from the Ministry of Defence in 1980. It was used by the company as offices and a dining room for executives when they were shipping paper out of the dock.

In 1990, News International demolished the site and the Master Shipwrights House has since been restored by private owners.

In the last 27 years, the current owner Willi Richards, who acquired the house along with his partner from being "in the right place at the right time" undertook a huge restoration project as the house had no electricity or running water.

The house would have had many royal visitors over hundreds of years. In 1708, after the house underwent a restoration from its Tudor form, the issue went to the government of over expenditure and somebody said that the house, having been fit for King James VI and Elizabeth I had become more of a Shipwright's Palace, rather than the Master

The scene of the Kate Moss and Mario Testino shoot

4 NEWS

MARTIAL ARTIST TACKLES A ‘PICKPOCKET’ WHO WAS ARMED WITH A HAMMER AT BOROUGH STATION © Footage supplied by Ivan Skoko via Instagram

By Evie Flynn IVAN SKOKO, 29, put his martial arts training to use on the Northern Line last month when he leapt to the rescue of a commuter, whose phone was allegedly targeted by a ‘pickpocket’ armed with a hammer.

© Footage supplied by Ivan Skoko via Instagram

© Footage supplied by Ivan Skoko via Instagram

A police officer arrested a man at the scene

Ivan said he followed a man onto the platform and held him on the floor

Two phones were found, along with a hammer

Ivan, who is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), wrestled a man to the floor on the Borough station platform on Tuesday October 28 after hearing a “female scream” in the carriage he was riding in.

The 6ft3, black belt Jiu Jitsu champion, said he jumped up from his seat straight away, stopped the doors from closing and followed the man onto the platform.

He used a judo takedown, known as a ‘foot sweep’, before holding the man on the floor whilst a passer-by alerted the railway staff.

The suspect also had a claw hammer and two reportedly stolen phones in his pocket, one of which had sticker of a cat on the phone case.

Ivan was returning from training at Fight City Gym in Elephant Park, where he is an instructor, and was headed northbound to Hackey. “I had my airpods in so I wasn’t paying attention,” he told us. “A female screamed really loud and everyone turned around.

“I thought someone was hurt and I am first aid trained, so I immediately ran up to her without even thinking about it.”

The woman explained that a man had tried to grab her phone, but rushed off the train when she screamed. Ivan battled commuters out of the way and approached the man the woman identified on the platform.

As Ivan says he held the man down, railway staff phoned The British Transport Police. Ivan shared his

details with the police and left the scene, although he said he has requested the CCTV footage to see precisely what happened.

Ivan believes this incident highlights the importance of self-defence training. He said: “People who don’t have any training can get hurt, I can deal with these guys very easily.

“People should always be prepared to fight. It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.

When a fight comes to me I am more than happy to win the fight.”

Ivan is currently undefeated in the black belt division in all competitions he has taken part in this year. He is now the British Champion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, after winning the British Open.

He said: “Most of the time I am going about my day minding my own business, but this year I have become much more aware. If I am around, the people are safe.”

Ivan said that alongside a friend also chased two alleged pickpockets on the New Kent Road earlier this year.

Between March 2023 and 2024, the Metropolitan Police received more than 79,000 reports of pickpockets, according to the Office for National Statistics.

A spokesman for the British Transport Police said: “Officers were called to Borough Underground station at around 7.30pm on October 28 following reports of an attempted theft.

“Officers attended and a man was arrested on suspicion of theft, possession of an offensive weapon, and handling stolen goods.

“Enquiries are ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 661 of 28 October.”

Ivan said he followed a man onto the platform and held him on the floor.

Whole of Peckham Square cordoned off after 26-year-old man hospitalised with gunshot wounds following shooting

By Izzy Clarke

A 26-YEAR-OLD man was rushed to hospital last night with a 'gunshot wound' after reports of a 'shooting' on Peckham Hill Street last week.

Thankfully the man's injuries are not life-threatening, police have confirmed.

The whole of Peckham Square was cordoned off by police last Thursday while they investigated the incident. No one has been arrested or charged so far.

A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 6.38pm on Wednesday 5 November to reports of a shooting on Peckham Hill Street, SE15.

“We sent resources, including an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic, an incident response officer and a paramedic in a fast response car.

We also dispatched a trauma team in a car from London’s Air Ambulance.

“We treated a man for a gunshot wound and took him a major trauma centre.”

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "Police were called at 18:41hrs on Wednesday, 5 November to Peckham Hill Street, Southwark to reports of a shooting.

'Officers attended, along with the London Ambulance Service, and a 26-year-old man was taken to hospital in a serious condition. It is not believed to be life-threatening.

"No arrests have been made at this stage and a crime scene remains in place.

Councillor Natasha Ennin, Southwark Council Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Neighbourhoods said: "I was

horrified and saddened that a man was wounded in a shooting in Peckham Hill Street yesterday. My thoughts and the thoughts of us all are with him, his family and loved ones.

"I'm hugely grateful for the quick work of police and the ambulance service and the council will work closely with police as they investigate. People in Peckham will see extra officers and patrols in the area over the next few days.

"Police have asked anybody who witnessed the incident – or has information – to call 101, quoting crime reference 6590/5NOV. "We will keep working across Southwark in close partnership with police to keep people safe."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or online, quoting 6590/5NOV.

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6 NEWS EXCLUSIVE

By Issy Clarke A WHEELCHAIR user has claimed the lifts inside Herne Hill Station are ‘constantly broken’, which has led his 45-minute commute to balloon to ‘almost five hours’.

Nathan Rollinson travels from Herne Hill Station every day on the Thameslink train to Farringdon or the Southeastern train to Victoria.

From there, he takes either the Elizabeth Line from Farringdon or the District Line to Westminster followed by the Jubilee Line to the O2 Arena in Greenwich where he works.

But for the last three weeks, the lift to Platforms 1 and 2 at Herne Hill Station has been out of order because of water damage in the lift shaft – spelling disaster for Nathan, who claims his arduous commute becomes even more of a challenge.

“I can go to Denmark Hill and get the overground to Canada Water but the lifts at both of those stations are always knackered.

“Or I could get the bus to Brixton then the tube to Green Park and change to the Jubilee line, but that can be a pain."

It's not the first time this has happened.

Nathan claims the Herne Hill lifts are 'always broken' and that three times the lifts have been repaired only to break down ten minutes later.

And the other stations in the area aren’t much better, leaving Nathan with limited options when the Herne Hill lifts are down.

“Peckham Rye has no lifts. Elephant and Castle rail station has no lift, Brixton rail station has no lift, West Dulwich has no lift, East Dulwich has no lift, at Tulse Hill the lift isn’t working, the lift at West Norwood Station isn’t working… it’s a nightmare.”

Taking the bus to work would take "more than an hour. And people with pushchairs often don't make room, so there isn't space for me to get on."

Normally when the lift breaks down, Nathan is sent to a Southeastern or Thameslink station with working lifts and is placed on another train back to Herne Hill where he can get off from the other platform.

"I've been sent everywhere and anywhere, to Penge East, Bromley, Wimbledon...

"One time both lifts were out of order so they couldn’t even send me to Wimbledon and put me back on the train the other way to get off from the other platform.

"They told me: the only way out is you getting on your butt and going down these stairs. And these stairs are steep. So they carried my chair down for me, which is about six kilos, because otherwise they would have literally had to call the Fire Brigade and the Ambulance Service."

The other alternative is a free taxi service that rail companies legally have to provide for disabled passengers when they can’t provide step-free access.

This requires him to pre-book at least two hours in advance, but that system isn’t without its problems. "If it is rush hour, no cab wants to do the train work because they get paid less than they would on the metre."

In addition, the rail companies only provide taxi journeys from one station to another on their network, meaning Nathan can’t be taken home all the way from Greenwich and instead has to go to another Southeastern station with working lifts where he can be picked up.

Nathan claims on multiple occasions he has sat shivering on the platform at Bromley Station late at night waiting for

'MY 45 MINUTE COMMUTE FROM GREENWICH NOW TAKES UP TO FIVE HOURS' HOURS' Wheelchair user slams 'always broken' Herne Hill lifts as he battles South London's poor step free access at stations a taxi to come and pick him up all the way from central London, because staff there allegedly hadn't been told to expect his arrival and therefore hadn't booked a taxi in advance.

He claims: "One time they had to pay someone £120 to come all the way from central London, on top of the taxi fare, to come and get me in the middle of the night. By the time I got home it was almost 4am."

Nathan, who often works late-night shifts, claims that even when the lifts are working, the 'understaffing' of the station still means commuting home can take up to two hours.

"The staff at Herne Hill don't work past 10pm. So if I'm on the last train home, they have to call someone to come from

Bromley to put the ramp down so I can actually get off the train."

After we got in touch with Southeastern, which is in charge of the station, to ask when the lifts would be back in use, David Wornham, passenger services director at Southeastern Railway, said the lift would 'hopefully' be up and running within the next few days.

"The good news is that the repair doesn’t need scaffolding, which means it should take less time," he told us last week. "If everything goes to plan when contractors are on site this Friday, we’re hopeful the lift will be working again by the weekend."

But Nathan claims engineers have told him that both lifts are more than 20 years old and need complete replacing.

He added there were “only three or four disabled people in Herne Hill, so I think it’s just not a massive priority. But there are loads of elderly people who live around here who struggle with the stairs too.

“I saw an elderly woman go flying down the stairs the other day, and that wouldn’t have happened if the lift had been working.”

Nathan raised the problem with his MP Helen Hayes, who has piled pressure on Southeastern to repair the lifts at Herne Hill Station.

Just last month, the MP for Dulwich and West Norwood led a debate in Parliament about step-free access in which she pointed out that of the ten stations in her patch, only three had

lifts– Herne Hill, East Dulwich and West Norwood, with only Herne Hill providing lifts to all platforms.

Hayes told us: “It is essential that all passengers can access our railways. As not all stations are step free, it is vitally important that where we have lifts they are kept in good working order.

“As soon as I became aware of the disruption at Herne Hill, I raised my concerns with Southeastern Rail pressing for urgent action to repair the lifts. I have now received a response, and I understand that works are scheduled to start today and the lifts should be reinstated very soon.”

“I am continuing to campaign for investment in accessibility at our local stations. I recently led a debate in

NEWS 7 Parliament to call for further action and I was pleased to meet with Lord Hendy, the Minister for Rail, in October to make clear the need for more step free access in Lambeth and Southwark.”

Transport watchdog London Travel Watch said it was “unacceptable” that the lift had been out of order for so long and called on station companies to make lift repairs a “top priority”.

A spokesperson said: "The ongoing issue with the broken lift at Herne Hill station is deeply frustrating and has dragged on for far too long. It is also unacceptable when passengers are told that repairs will take place on a certain date if they then don’t go ahead. This makes travelling around London hugely difficult for people who rely on lifts to be in good working order.

"We have been assured by Southeastern that repairs to fix the issues caused by water ingress are due to take place this weekend, and we will continue to monitor the situation to make sure these are completed and fit for purpose, along with other longer-term repairs to the lift.

"Train operating companies must make lift repairs a top priority, making sure that any repairs offer a permanent solution rather than a temporary patch. Clear, timely and honest communication is crucial, as travellers need reliable updates to plan their journeys with certainty and confidence."

Just 42 per cent of London's rail stations are step-free, compared to 54 per cent nationally, according to the London Assembly.

Yet last year it was revealed by the Disability News Service that Network Rail failed to spend £65 million of the funds it had been allocated to carry out step-free access upgrades.

A spokesperson for Network Rail

told the outlet this was because "some schemes had taken longer than planned".

It comes after another station which Nathan can't use, Peckham Rye, recently came under scrutiny for its lack of stepfree access after a planned £40 million upgrade which would have given it lifts for the first time was shelved by Network Rail.

After outraged residents contacted us to express their concerns that elderly and disabled passengers were being forced to slide down the stairs on their bottoms, Network Rail submitted a £9 million temporary bid to alleviate some of the problems with the station before funding for the full scheme becomes available.

South Eastern Railway's David Wornham told us: “We’re really sorry the lift at Herne Hill is out of service. The issue was caused by water getting into the lift shaft, and our team is working with contractors to get it fixed as quickly as possible.

“The good news is that the repair doesn’t need scaffolding, which means it should take less time. If everything goes to plan when contractors are on site this Friday, we’re hopeful the lift will be working again by the weekend.

“We know how essential step-free access is, and we’re especially sorry for the impact this has had on passengers who’ve faced long diversions or had to rely on alternative transport. Our lifts are remotely monitored so we can respond to issues as swiftly as possible when they arise and we are doing everything we can to get the lift back up and running as soon as possible.”

The lift was fixed at the weekend but reportedly for only 10 minutes and as we went to press it was said to be still out of order.

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‘Pupils achieve exceptionally well in a wide range of subjects and attain highly at GCSE and A level.’ Ofsted 2023 Applications for Sixth Form courses are now being accepted

The amazing achievement of attaining 10A*s & 4A Grades between them at A level have enabled Eve, Ben, Rosa & Freya to study Classics, Philosophy, English at Cambridge University and Economics at Oxford respectively!

Take advantage of the chance to visit Kingsdale Foundation School and see for yourself how we bring the best out of our students. A tour of Kingsdale Foundation School enables you to realise why we receive such glowing reports. In the Autumn term 2025 you will have just that opportunity as we will be holding Sixth Form Open Evenings for September 2026 entry.

Harnessing talent!

Kingsdale is a dynamic, exceptionally popular and progressive school that has invested £30m to develop an award-winning educational learning environment. In our specialist academic Sixth Form Campus, students study a combination of respected traditional, performing arts and creative A Levels in addition to alternative high value Level 3 courses. Our average class sizes are approximately ten in the Sixth Form. We also pride ourselves on our excellent links to the best higher education institutions in the world. A residential trip to Harvard and Yale in the USA is organised annually.

Scholarships in Mathematics and the Creative & Expressive Arts are on offer for gifted and talented candidates who meet our entry requirements.

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NEWS 9

NEW 90-BED CARE HOME TO BE BUILT IN PECKHAM Southwark demand for elderly accommodation outstrips supply © Google Maps

By Megan Norcott SOUTHWARK COUNCIL approved the building of a new care home in Peckham as demand for nursing care placements outstrips the borough's supply.

Entering into an agreement for lease with Andover Properties, the council confirmed that land on 128-148 Asylum Road and 133 -137 Queens Road will be used for the building and delivery of a new 90-bed care home set to open in late 2029.

This follows a 2024 Nursing Home Needs Assessment, which determined that demand for nursing care placements exceeded the supply at a critical time of rising dementia cases across the UK, with delayed hospital releases projected as a result of insufficient care beds.

In a cabinet meeting on October 14, councillor Helen Dennis said she was ‘delighted’ to confirm the 999-year lease with Andover Properties, as 50 per cent of the prospective beds will be reserved for discounted council use on a ten-year contract.

Speaking about the project, she said: “It will not only deliver additional nursing provision for Southwark residents in need, but also deliver excellent value for the council.

“Whilst our Council Delivery Plan commitment to deliver new nursing homes in the borough has been met, the recent Nursing Home Needs Assessment has shown that there is still a need and anticipated future need for additional placements in Southwark.”

CEO of Age UK Lewisham and Southwark, Chris Price, welcomed the work of the council but said more still needed to be done.

The elderly-care charity executive said: "It's a start. It's clearly not going to be the end of it, but we need more homes, and we

A rough outline of the site where the care home will be erected on the corner of Asylum and Queens Road need homes like this.

"So yes, please get this built, get it built as quickly and as well as you can."

In the first half of 2024, the council funded 150 new care home placements, with 25 per cent of these located outside the borough due to what Price called a housing 'crisis' in Southwark and London.

He said that undersupply in the general housing market is often related to the same issue of insufficient elderly care, as people requiring nursing placements are unable to move out of their properties and are, in some cases, holding up threebedroom houses instead of moving into

care.

The relocation of pensioners to out-ofborough placements is also costly, so the council hopes that the 45 beds promised

by Andover Properties will help balance the budget.

Nine beds are also set to be kept on standby as potential ‘first refusal’ claims, meaning that they will be offered to the council first before being sold to a third party and will provide the public with extra allocation should the need arise.

Such caveats are a result of the development partnership between Andover Properties and the government,

which will see private and state interests considered equally in the homes' construction.

Price praised the relationship, saying: "Care homes need to be built for care, they shouldn't be built for profit. Because if profit comes first, then the level of care will always come second.

"So I think having the partnership with the council really does help with that."

According to a building schedule laid out in the cabinet meeting, the four-storey development will be located on a site which has been derelict since 2018 and will begin construction in 2027, following

Inspired by Founder Paul Tomkins’ own story of sobriety and overcoming mental health challenges, Paul is now a successful personal trainer and Movember Ambassador.

Paul said: “We designed Survive The

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the conclusion of lease negotiations in the fourth quarter of the 2026/27 fiscal year.

As residents rail against the proposed development of a 20-storey building in Aylesham due to its impact on Southwark’s skyline, the Council noted that the Andover project will be ‘sympathetic’ to the surrounding storefronts.

Located next to Queen’s Road Peckham station, easy transport links make visiting easier, a move which plays a crucial role in improving the well-being of residents.

Price said: "One of the biggest issues for a lot of older people in the borough is loneliness, and loneliness is actually the biggest killer of people. So we need to be investing in properties that ensure that there's good social connection, there's activities to do.

"And if people are in the early stages of dementia as well, that they have those because the more mentally and physically active that someone is, the longer they can delay the onset of dementia."

Adhering to standards for social care pay set out under the Residential Care Charter in 2022, the project will also provide 100 new jobs at a London living wage, sourcing employment from the Southwark community.

The Council said the increased footfall in the area brought by visitors and staff will help the borough to achieve its ‘Southwark 2030’ goals of providing a strong and fair local economy.

However, building noise and disturbance is set to impact residents living in the development's immediate vicinity over the three-year construction period, with little guidance on how this will be mitigated.

The site had previously been the focus of a seven-year bitter dispute between Southwark Council and the community after being earmarked for council offices - a proposal which was later called off in 2020.

MOVEMBER HYROX-STYLE FITNESS EVENT IN PECKHAM

By Evie Flynn PECKHAM’S UNIT 8 Warehouse in Copeland Park will be hosting a new hybrid fitness race named ‘Survive the 8’ on Sunday 16 November.

The challenge will raise funds for men’s mental health charity, Movember, and will feature eight workout stations and eight running laps (roughly 4km in total) There are single and doubles entries available and and anyone is welcome to sign up, from keen athletes to those wanting to set a new goal.

THE STATIONS OF THE RACE:

• 500m ski • 25m sled push (152kg men’s weight, 102 kg women’s weight) • 25m sled pull (103kg men’s weight, 78kg women’s weight) • 40m burpee broad jump • 500m row • 100m carry (2 x 24kg men’s weight, 2 x 16kg women’s weight) • 50m lunges (20kg men’s weight, 10kg women’s weight) • 50 wall throws (6kg men’s weight, 4kg women’s weight)

Registration is open now at www.survivethe8.com.

Date: Sunday 16 November Time: 9:00 – 18:00 Price: £50 singles, £90 doubles

10 NEWS

By Matt Hasdell LONDON BUS drivers and supporters marched to Transport for London’s (TfL) Southwark offices last week to call for urgent action over ‘unsafe’ and ‘unhygienic’ conditions.

In October, drivers alleged cockroach infestations plagued bus routes including two in South London.

According to a post on the London Bus Forum, the worst affected routes are the 159 from Streatham to Oxford Circus, the 345 from Peckham to South Kensington and the 55 from Walthamstow to Oxford Circus.

One driver on the 159 route told the site: “I went to take a sip from my drink and felt something in my mouth. I spat it out and saw it was a cockroach. I felt sick and ended up vomiting.”

Drivers at the march said this highlights deeper systemic neglect towards them by both TfL and its contracted bus operators.

The protesters began in Islington and headed across the Thames to TfL's offices at Palestra House, campaigning for the 'Bus Drivers' Bill of Rights' to be implemented.

Over 27,000 people signed a petition ahead of the protest demanding the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, and TfL to include the proposed bill into drivers’ contracts.

The proposal sets out 12 key demands to improve conditions for London bus drivers, and includes a “safe work schedule free from forced overtime”, adequate rest breaks, safe and clean workspaces and “respect for drivers’ dignity”, among other requests.

Campaigner Tom Kearney, 58, was hit by a bus in Oxford Street in 2009, leaving him in a two-week coma with punctured lungs and severe brain trauma.

Since then, he has become a prominent spokesperson for bus safety in London and hopes to help reduce the number of people killed or injured by public transport in the city, and he joined the drivers on Wednesday.

In research submitted to the London Assembly Mr Kearney said that TfL's "first consideration is not safety" and the organisation's main target is buses being on time.

Assembly Members Caroline Russell, Neil Garratt and Keith Prince joined the drivers in their call to TfL and the Mayor.

BUS DRIVER MARCH AFTER COCKROACH SCARE

They protested outside TfL offices in Southwark over ‘degrading’ working conditions

London Assembly Member Cllr Keith Prince speaking to Tom Kearney ahead of the protest Cllr Garratt, whose father was a bus driver, said to the protesters outside the offices: "For TfL and for the Mayor, bus driver welfare and the public safety risk that comes from having poor welfare is a cost they don't want to pay."

Cllr Prince has long been a vocal campaigner in City Hall on behalf of transport workers. In October, he put a question to the Mayor to ask why he “refused to embed bus drivers’ rights in contracts.”

Sir Sadiq responded: “Many aspects of the proposed ‘Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights’ are already covered by existing agreements, actions or legislation.”

He added: “All operators have

Protesters holding the ‘Bus Drivers’ Bill of Rights’

Campaigners marched to Southwark demanding better conditions for drivers

their own policies, procedures and agreements, which have been collectively bargained and cover all aspects relating to their employees at work.”

Cllr Prince spoke to us during the protest: “All of my questions highlight the neglect and the contempt the Mayor has for bus drivers, which is surprising because he is the son of a bus driver himself."

He added: “They need to have proper rest times. They need to not have to work seven day shifts and, more importantly, need basic human things like having a toilet at the end of the route. It is just unacceptable.”

One driver at the protest said he had

to use bottled water to cool himself during a heatwave and another said driving a bus is “not a safe job” due to the demands from employers.

TfL figures say five million bus journeys are made every day in the city, with 675 bus routes served by over 8,700 buses, largely operated by private companies under contract to TfL. Lorna Murphy, TfL's Director of Buses, said: “Bus drivers play an essential role in keeping the capital moving. Alongside bus operators, we take their safety and welfare seriously and we rightly require operators to meet high standards.

“We are working together on a

range of measures to further improve working conditions, health and wellbeing. We are committed to ensuring that all staff have a fair work schedule, with safe vehicles and access to the facilities they need to carry out their roles effectively.

“We would like to reassure colleagues again that any reports from drivers are always fully investigated, and our operators should never take action against people raising concerns about welfare. We value all feedback from the thousands of people who work tirelessly to keep London's bus network moving, and will carefully consider any proposals for improvements to safety and welfare.”

By Evie Flynn

Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lee, who is leading the investigation, said: “While my team has made significant progress, we are now appealing to the public to help ensure that everyone responsible for this tragedy is held accountable.

“In particular, the residents of New Park Road may hold vital information that could help us identity more people involved.

“Were you in the area on Monday, 8 September?

“Did you see or hear anything suspicious?

“A reward of £20,000 is now being offered to encourage the public to speak up and help us.”

Kyrone was shot on Monday, 8

September on New Park Road in Clapham just before 9pm.

He was treated by officers at the scene before being rushed to hospital, where he was sadly pronounced dead the next day.

A 20-year-old man was also injured.

Kyrone’s family continue to receive support and updates from specialist officers.

To provide information to police directly, call 101, giving the reference CAD 7805/8SEP2 or Operation Concito.

To provide information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

They are an independent charity, separate from the police. They won’t ask for your name and can’t trace your call.

POLICE OFFERING £20,000 FOR ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT MURDER OF 27-YEAR-OLD KYRONE MOODIE IN CLAPHAM POLICE ARE offering a £20,000 reward for anyone who has information about the murder of 27-year-old Kyrone Moodie who was fatally shot in Clapham.

Kyrone Moodie

Officers are on the hunt for any information that could lead to the identification, arrest and prosecution of the person or persons responsible for his death.

Three people have already been charged with murder and remain in custody.

However, police believe several witnesses have yet to come forward, and there may be additional people of interest.

12 NEWS SOUTHBANK ADVERTORIAL

Winter at the Southbank Centre Come together for a magical Winter at the Southbank Centre with spectacular shows, luminous art, cracking activities, a wondrous Winter Market and more festive treats making spirits bright this winter.

Winter at the Southbank Centre Image credit: Adam Luszniak Top Hat. Image credit: Johan Persson

Winter Come together

Bluey’s Big Play Image credit: Courtesy of Dressing Room 5

This year’s Winter season offers holiday fun for all to enjoy the festive magic of London in winter.

Be wowed by spectacular shows – there’s a magical musical stage adaptation of Top Hat, the return of family favourite Bluey’s Big Play, the chance to join TV’s favourite doctors in Operation Ouch: Quest for the Jurassic Fart! and the hilarious Sh!t Theatre: EVITA TOO. Enjoy live music spanning classical music, Christmas carols and festive favourites.

At the Hayward Gallery, experience the Gilbert & George: 21ST CENTURY PICTURES exhibition with vibrant, largescale images that centre the human experienceandreflecttheduo’smotto,‘Art for All’. Highlighting new pictures created

BOOK NOW

Kids’ Countdown. Image credit: Alice Boagey

Gilbert & George: 21ST CENTURY PICTURES Image credit: Installation view of Gilbert & George: 21ST CENTURY PICTURES. Courtesy of the Hayward Gallery. Photo by Mark Blower.

Arts: Night Owls and Abstractions exhibition, dances, ceilidhs, crafting, music and New Year’s celebrations.

The popular Winter Market returns, lining the riverside with pop-up bars, street food stalls and independent craft traders. Keep your belly merry with plates of festive burgers and fondue fries, duck wraps, spicy chicken boxes and Nepalese spiced dumplings. Round it all off with sweet treats like churros and indulgent cookies. Ward off the cold by cradling a mulled wine or hot chocolate while you browse for gifts, jewellery and decorations made by independent creatives. Under the bridge you’ll find Wunder Bar, a festive sing-a-long bar with a Bavarian twist. Opposite the Queen Elizabeth Hall, right on the river, Fire & Fromage are back with cheesy indulgence, warming drinks and cosy riverside vibes.

since the start of the millennium, the exhibition has been featured in Financial Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Time Out and Stylist as one of the top art exhibitions to see in Autumn 2025.

Plus, for the first time, the beloved Queen Elizabeth Roof Garden will be open throughout the winter months, transforming into a destination for mulled wine and warming drinks, nestled above the bustle of central London.

There’s cracking free activities and family fun for all ages, including the Winter Light outdoor art exhibition, the Koestler

Discover all the festive treats this winter at www.southbankcentre.co.uk/winter

NEWS 13

LIFE OF A SLAVE ABOLITIONIST HAS BEEN MEMORIALISED IN A CHILDREN’S BOOK

By Evie Flynn

A NEW children’s book, written and illustrated by two local men, is based on the life of Olaudah Equiano, whose slave narrative became a best seller in the 18th century.

The children’s book focuses on Olaudah Equiano, who was kidnapped from his home in Nigeria at the age of 11 and sold as a slave.

Equiano survived a transatlantic journey to Barbados, where he was bought and sold several times. During this time, he came to London under enslavement of an officer of the Royal Navy.

Equiano lived briefly in Deptford and in a house on Maze Hill, Greenwich, in 1767 after buying his freedom. Today, a Blue Plaque marks 111 Maze Hill, where he stayed.

His autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano sold so well that nine editions were published during his life and helped secure passage of the British Slave Trade Act 1807, which abolished the slave trade in Britain Hugh Closs, a Surrey Quays local, was inspired by Equiano’s story on his visit to the Royal Naval Museum in Greenwich, where they have a bust sculpture of him.

Using his writing skills and knowledge of children’s fiction, Hugh read Equiano’s memoir and did a talk at Peckham

Illustrator, Tayo Fatunla

The front cover of the new book

Author Hugh Closs Library.

Hugh asked his artist friend, Tayo Fatunla, a Nigerian cartoonist, to make some illustrations for the powerpoint.

He said: “I believed more people should know his story than a dozen people in Peckham on a random Tuesday, so I

decided to write a book and asked Tayo to do the illustrations for it.”

The book features Greenwich, Deptford and Bermondsey, as well as other parts of the world Equiano would have visited.

There are now tributes to Equiano dotted around South East London.

In Deptford Park, there is a bench dedicated to him and on the Pepys Estate next to the Thames, he featured on the ‘Wall of Ancestors’ alongside Elizabeth I. On Telegraph Hill, there is an eyecatching tribute to Equiano. It stands on a ceramic plinth with three sides, which

symbolises both the triangular route of the Atlantic slave trade, as well as the three phases of Equiano’s life (child in Africa, slave and free man).

The inspiration for the book sits in the National Maritime museum in Greenwich has a sculpture by Christy Smyingtom which is based on the only known accurate portrait of Equiano, from the front of his autobiography.

The book costs £9.99 and you can get a copy by emailing equiano@colnehouse.net.

14 NEWS

CONFISCATED KNIVES ARE TURNED INTO OUTDOOR GYMS

St Thomas’ Hospital cook wins NHS Chef of the Year

Every week, Callisthenics world champion and Steel Warriors coach, Simone Ming, Ming, leads sessions in Denmark Hill’s Ruskin Park

By Maxine Brigue

Nedko Rusev, known as Chef Ned, teamed up with Joe Omolo, — an apprentice chef from Strepping Hill Hospital in Stockport — marking the first time that two trusts have merged to form a team in the NHS Chef competition.

The pair’s winning menu consisted of a Greek saganaki pastry, a cauliflower steak and a fig sponge with mascarpone.

Judges described the meals as “standout, elegant, refined, and packed with flavour.”

Alongside the national title, Chef Ned also took gold for best plant-based recipe.

Chef Ned originally planned to compete with colleague Chef Scott Ferguson who had to withdraw for personal reasons.

Chef Ned said: “I’m delighted to be NHS Chef of the Year – it’s a real honour and I’m very grateful.

“Scott and I worked hard through the heats to get this far. Even though he couldn’t take part in the final, Scott and I spoke every night of the week to fine-tune the recipes and discuss techniques.”

Chef Ned and Joe Omolo were crowned with the prestigious national title following an intensive grand final week in York in late October.

Chef Ned joined St Thomas’ Hospital in 2017 and he is well-known throughout for his intricate fruit carvings.

Rob Cormack, general manager of catering central services at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “Ned is a great chef, and a fantastic mentor to colleagues, encouraging and supporting them to develop their potential.

“He’s a real asset to our catering team and we’re thrilled he’s been named NHS Chef of the Year.”

© Comic Relief and Daniel Loveday

A CHEF manager at St Thomas’ Hospital won the national NHS Chef of the Year 2026 award at the end of October.

Coaches Tayo Awoderu, Demi Alvanis, and Colin Dappah outside Brixton Prison

By Maxine Brigue A FITNESS charity that makes outdoor gyms from knives confiscated by the police says it is fighting violent crime by giving young people support and a sense of purpose.

Founded in 2017, Steel Warriors uses moulted-down metal from weapons seized by the Met to make callisthenics gyms around London.

The charity — which has grown to six gym locations — empowers at-risk young people through their free classes, school visits and gym programme at Brixton prison.

Callisthenics is a form of strength training that uses body weight and compound exercises to work multiple muscle groups at once.

Jenny Oklikah, Steel Warriors’ chief executive, told Southwark News that they chose callisthenics as their sport of choice because it is “attractive and exciting” for young people when they see someone who is good at it.

Oklikah, 54, said: “Callisthenics is great for functional fitness and great for goal setting.

“Young people will set goals on what

they want to achieve then take that ability to set and achieve a goal into other areas of their lives. For example, schools report many young people not getting on with mainstream PE or sport but getting on well with callisthenics.”

One 16-year-old boy who was excluded from mainstream education said: “As soon as I started Steel Warriors classes I knew I had found something I liked. I was always quite sporty but didn’t really get on with sport at my school.

“I felt like it was for a different type of person. I felt comfortable here, like it could make me better and give me a focus. I look up to my coaches, Tayo and Colin. I see that I could be more like them.”

For each of their gyms, — located In Lambeth, Haringey, Stratford and Brixton — Steel Warriors require two tonnes of steel or 8,000 knives. After receiving the knives from the police, the charity, which is the first of its kind in the UK, shreds and melts the steel into form.

Oklikah said: “We get great results. 75 per cent of young people who come to our sessions say they feel better about themselves and more than 90 per cent say they learn new things.”

Alongside their public park gyms, Steel Warriors run mobile events in schools

and a 10-week programme in Brixton prison.

Oklikah added: “This is a collaboration between Steel Warriors, the Metropolitan police and Brixton prison, and we are seeing very strong early results. ”We found that younger men who are more attracted to callisthenics are less likely to be in prison educational and vocational programmes so we also provide access to educational support for the prison’s literacy and numeracy classes.

“We’re also adding an awards ceremony at the end so that men who have excelled in this round can support men on subsequent programmes.”

Jenny Oklikah grew up in northwest London and joined Steel Warriors as CEO last year — bringing with her six years of experience working in organisations that provide sport, mentoring and employment support.

Oklikah said: “I have a strong connection to Steel Warriors’s work due to my longstanding commitment to social justice and providing opportunities for young people to develop skills, talents and future prospects.”

Every week, callisthenics world champion and Steel Warriors coach, Simone Ming, leads sessions in Denmark

Hill’s Ruskin Park on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Ming, 33, said: “The community we have grown here is unmatched. ”We have a very mixed group of people coming to our classes from six-year-olds up to pensioners from all backgrounds.

It’s a great place to really feel included in a great sport.”

Steel Warriors, which focuses on choosing areas with higher levels of deprivation, is expanding to Enfield and looking to open three new locations by the end of this year.

Ming added: “One of our members told me that he was on the wrong track but I encouraged him to come to one of the classes. He was able to build up his skillset and change his whole life around.

This member is now a personal trainer and a coach for Steel Warriors.”

Steel Warriors have 12 full places for the TCS London Marathon 2026 but are looking for runners to participate in the following three years. Each runner will commit to a minimum fundraising target of £2,500 which will cover six months of free community classes.

For more details on how to support or donate to Steel Warriors check out their website: www.steelwarriors.co.uk/ marathon and Instagram: @steelwarriors.

Flu causes serious illness for people with long-term health conditions Protect yourself by getting the flu vaccine this winter Book an appointment through the NHS App, nhs.uk/bookflu, 119, or your pharmacy or GP. Find participating pharmacies at nhs.uk/flu-pharmacy

EXCELLENCE. DIFFERENTLY.

LEADING THE WORLD WITH INTEGRITY London, SE6 4TY www.stdunstans.org.uk

18 OPINION

Comment

What Southwark Council is doing to protect local people from crime

SARAH KING

Southwark Council leader

L

AST WEEK’S news that a man was wounded in a shooting in Peckham was both shocking and deeply saddening.

All of our thoughts are with the injured man, and his family and loved ones.

I’d like to thank again the police and ambulance service for their incredible work during the incident and we continue to work closely with police on their investigation. There have been extra officers and patrols in Peckham to help support and reassure local people.

This autumn, we will keep working in close partnership with police to keep people safe.

We all need to feel safe, whatever we’re doing - walking home, meeting friends, or spending time out and about in our neighbourhoods. Everyone deserves that sense of safety and confidence.

That’s why we welcomed the Met Police’s announcement a few months ago of more neighbourhood officers for Peckham and North Walworth,

with two sergeants and 12 police constables for each area. This came after we asked for more police support to work alongside our Community Wardens and enforcement teams.

We’ve also stepped up our work with our new night-time patrol service. Since its launch in August, officers from the service have already spent more than 3,900 hours on patrol across the borough.

These new patrols have been tackling the issues that matter most to you, including anti-social behaviour, drug use, noise, littering, and nuisance vehicles.

They’ve supported vulnerable people, reported incidents to the police, and helped clear problems in parks, estates, and town centres. In areas including Burgess Park and London Bridge, their work is already helping reduce antisocial behaviour and building trust within the community.

During the day, our Community Wardens continue their vital work too, responding quickly to fly-tipping,

engaging with businesses and schools, and supporting local events that strengthen neighbourhood pride.

Together, these teams provide a visible safety presence on our street, so residents always have someone to turn to.

On our housing estates, Resident Services Officers carry out regular inspections to find and address any issues that could affect safety. They work closely with police and our community safety team to sort out concerns, from improving lighting and security to supporting anyone affected by crime.

We also now have 31 Safe Havens across Southwark — local places that anyone can go to if they feel unsafe or need help. The include pubs and restaurants and offices, community centres, and our leisure centres and libraries – look for the Safe Haven sign in the window.

We’ve been working closely too with bars, clubs and restaurants through the Women’s Safety Charter, distributing anti-

spiking kits and helping staff learn how to spot and respond to signs of distress.

Technology plays a big part in keeping Southwark safe. We’ve invested £3 million in upgrading our CCTV, improving coverage and image quality so our cameras can better detect incidents and support police investigations. CCTV operators work 24 hours a day, guiding patrols, helping find missing people, and providing vital evidence that leads to arrests.

But creating a safer borough isn’t just about enforcement, it’s about community. The more we work together, the stronger we become. We are seeing real partnership in action: wardens, the police, businesses, youth workers and residents all doing their part to make our public spaces safer and more welcoming.

I’ve been out with our officers at work and seen first-hand the dedication of our patrol teams — whether they’re helping a vulnerable person late at night, clearing litter from a park before families

'Only the Liberal Democrats can beat Labour in Southwark'

arrive, or standing side by side with the police to tackle drug dealing. Their work makes a difference every single day.

We were pleased last week that the Met Police came to St Thomas the Apostle School in Nunhead to talk about A New Met for London, including policing in Southwark, and answer questions.

More than 100 people including Cllr Natasha Ennin, our Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Neighbourhoods, came to listen and speak.

We know there is much more to work to do, and this autumn we will keep working together with police, local groups and organisations, and most importantly – you, our residents – to build a borough where everyone can feel safe, and that is inclusive and united.

VICTOR CHAMBERLAIN Leader of the Southwark Lib Dems

F

ED UP with Labour’s let-downs? You’re not alone. Across Southwark, people are saying the same thing: “enough is enough”.

I’ve met countless lifelong Labour voters who say they’ll never vote Labour again.

Reform UK can shout from the sidelines, but they’ve never won a single council seat here, never run a campaign, and never lifted a finger for local people. A vote for Reform UK, or any other minor party, just

helps Labour stay in power. The choice this May is simple: more of Labour’s failure, or a fresh start with the Liberal Democrats.

Sixteen months on from Labour’s landslide and the Tories’ collapse, Southwark is still going backwards. Streets feel less safe, bills and rents keep rising, and council homes are falling apart.

Try phoning the council about a repair - good luck getting through.

These problems aren’t new. They’ve been piling up after 15 years of

Labour running Southwark into the ground. And the Labour Government in Westminster isn’t helping.

Labour is cutting police budgets, slashing council funding and backing a developers’ charter with the Labour Mayor that will gut affordable housing targets.

The Liberal Democrats are the only elected opposition on Southwark Council, and the only credible alternative to Labour’s chaos. We’ve got bold, practical plans: overhaul the broken housing department,

set up local one-stop shops so residents can actually get help, double community safety officers, reintroduce genuine community decision making and make sure new homes are built for local families, not sold off-plan to overseas investors.

For sixty years, Southwark Council has only ever been run by Labour or the Liberal Democrats.

The Conservatives are finished.

Reform are a protest, not a plan.

Last year, the Liberal Democrats won a record number of MPs. Since

May, the Lib Dems have won more new council seats nationwide than Labour, the Tories and the Green Party combined. We’re standing up for Britain’s true values of fairness, decency and community and taking on Nigel Farage’s divisive politics head-on.

If you’re fed up with Labour failure, don’t throw your vote away on fantasy parties. Back the party that can actually beat them.

Vote Liberal Democrat in May for a fairer, safer, better Southwark.

OPINION 19

Why is money not being spent on step-free upgrades?

I

t's a shocking fact that in 2025, just half of London's train stations are fully accessible for disabled people. The city lags behind the country at large, with 61 per cent of stations containing step-free access.

The paltry supply of genuinely accessible public transport in the capital doesn't just affect London's 1.2 million wheelchair users: it impacts anyone who, for whatever reason, can't effortlessly bound up and down flights of stairs. Parents with pushchairs and the elderly are similarly barred from using swathes of London's rail network. And even where stations do contain lifts, too often these are poorly maintained and left unrepaired when they stop working for weeks on end, leaving passengers with limited mobility forced to miss days at work or crucial hospital appointments.

That reality was highlighted this week when the News went to see a wheelchair user from Herne Hill called Nathan, who claimed the 'chronically broken' lift in that station has been out of use for three weeks.

Our video of Nathan explaining the problems he faces when the lifts pack up has been viewed by almost half a million people on social media, suggesting it is an issue with a wide resonance in London.

Shockingly, Nathan explained that when the Herne Hill lifts are down his commute home from Greenwich can sometimes take up to five hours - because he has to be put on a train to another station further out so he can either cross the platform and come back or be met by a taxi and escorted home, a service rail companies are legally obliged to provide. But this system frequently snags when, for example, there aren't any staff to meet him at the station he has been sent to, meaning he can't get off the train onto the platform because no one is there to put down a ramp.

Worse, Nathan says he has often been stuck on the platform shivering in Bromley late into the night when the rail company has forgotten to organise him a taxi to bring him home. He is almost entirely dependent on the Herne Hill lifts behaving properly so he can live his life as all of us should be able to do: most other stations in the area don't have any lifts at all, and those that do like Denmark Hill are similarly temperamental. Buses are a challenge because he has to compete for space with prams and pets, and services such as Dial-A-Ride and the taxi service offered by train operators require pre-booking and often won’t take him where he needs to go.

We previously shone a light on similar issues at Peckham Rye Station, which recently lost out after a promised £40 million upgrade which would have given it lifts for the first time was shelved due to a lack of funding.

But dig deeper, and this rote justification deployed by Network Rail is unsatisfying. Back in 2019, the government gave Network Rail £350 million to spend on delivering step-free access upgrades - granted, this covered stations all across the UK meaning London was forced to compete for funding with the rest of the country. But last year it was revealed by the Disability News Service that the body recorded an underspend of £65 million in the five years to 2024 - surely the first time a transport infrastructure project in this country has spent less than its allocated budget. What has gone wrong with Access for All to get us to a point where Peckham Rye, the busiest interchange in the country without lifts, isn't high-priority enough?

We will continue to investigate and shed light on the scandalous deficiency of accessible transport in London until transport chiefs make it more of a priority.

SUPPORT THE ROTHERHITHE SHED GO TO CROWFUNDER.CO.UK

Southwark Pensioners’ Centre

Supporting older people in Southwark for over 35 years.

Offering advice, support, activities, rooms for hire and a voice for older people.

Contact us on 020 7708 4556 or info@southwarkpensioners.org.uk Or pop into 305 -307 Camberwell rd, Camberwell Green, SE5 0HQ

CRYPTIC PUZZLE Clues Across

1 Shown compassion and heard to be scarred (6) 7 The supporters don't come forward (7) 8 Narcotic effect of Southernwood? (7) 9 Strict US soldier gets cut free (5) 10 Arrogant little devil will hesitate to take on debts (9) 12 Lose strength as 17 does endlessly (3) 13 Somehow robs the globes (4) 15 Thus putting to a purpose a thorough drenching (7) 17 Wise man in the garden (4) 19 It's taken from mine (3) 21 Craft intended, we hear, to go south for consignments (9) 22 They always wear wool next to the skin (5) 23 Steals a little sleep? (7) 24 Minus? (7) 25 Climbs the ranges (6)

Clues Down

1 Time to go out for recreation (8) 2 They are tricky to play (6) 3 Set me up at the bar and try prohibition (7) 4 They are over wound (5) 5 One without a proverbial choice (6) 6 Employed in the house decorating trade (4) 7 Very useful for a spell of air travel (11) 11 The rest (of the letters by the sound of it) (4) 13 Man eating monster might well gore you (4) 14 Lives for the bus returning to my young sister up the road (8) 16 Wandering Dominican doesn’t get in (7) 18 They are for putting balls on (6) 20 Necessitate coming in late (6) 21 Light fall? (5) 22 Bright boys presumably (4)

QUICK PUZZLE Clues Across 1 7 8 9 10 12 13 15 17 19 21 22 23 24 25

Handcart (6) Bitter repentance (7) Hug (7) Female relative (5) Twisted (9) Coal distillate (3) Groups (4) A chemical element (7) Maiden (4) Wholly (3) Meddle (9) Dislikes (5) Lewd (7) Sure (7) Happily (6)

Clues Down

1 Producing young (8) 2 Strong (6) 3 Speakers (7) 4 Correct (5) 5 Chill (6) 6 No more than (4) 7 Reparation (11) 11 Appendage (4) 13 Identity (4) 14 Strictly (8) 16 Sunshade (7) 18 Sharp reply (6) 20 Myth (6) 21 Moslem religion (5) 22 Wine (4)

SOLUTIONS TO LAST WEEK’S CROSSWORD CRYPTIC

Across: 4 Coffer 8 Portion 9 Places 10 Stevedore 11 Sore 13 Tripe 14 Amperes l6 Couples 18 Peers 19 Erne 21 Tolerates 22 Saloon 23 Circles 24 Siding Down: 1 Posterior 2 Stovepipe 3 Bonds 5 Ogle 6 Factor 7 Rushes 9 Prime 11 Severance 12 Retriever 15 Felon 16 Census 17 Unclad 20 Refit 21 Town

QUICK

Across: 4 Across 8 Inflate 9 Toddle 10 Cover girl 11 Dial 13 Inane 14 Ascends 16 Setting 18 Idler 19 True 21 Semi-final 22 Antics 23 Endemic 24 Theory Down: 1 Announcer 2 Alternate 3 Stage 5 Cool 6 Ordain 7 Spells 9 Trust 11 Deadlines 12 Adrenalin 15 Andes 16 Strait 17 Turtle 20 Diana 21 Scar

20 ARTS

what’s on

WRITE AND SEND KOESTLER YOUR HAIKUS

THE ANNUAL Koestler Arts exhibition is a great leveller, it is where prison inmates and art connoisseurs come together on common ground where nobody is judging anyone else, writes Michael Holland.

In fact, any judging has already been done, once in Koestler HQ by art experts choosing the works that get displayed, and earlier by the law courts that sent people to jail where they were able to find the creativity within themselves.

This year's common ground is once again The Southbank Centre where, with a keen eye, you can identify the inmates there; those who are acting as tour guides and stewards, and some who are the artists on day release. They have a quiet beauty about them, a look that comes from having experience of both sides of life. They exude a confidence that shows they are not phased by art enthusiasts, a confidence that comes from their art being on the walls being looked at and admired.

Every year Koestler choose a curator who will bring something special to the exhibition, someone who will have walked a path that wasn't merely creative but had diverted down roads most people do not have to walk.

Inua Ellams is a poet, playwright and performer who came to this country as a child and spent many years in a limbo of never knowing if he would get full citizenship. It was granted recently, so Inua lived as a refugee and knows what it is like to live with no safety net, when each day the rug could be pulled from beneath your feet.

And that was what he brought with him when he curated this show and saw the many depictions of owls in the thousands of works put forward; he

me, along with other poets from the New Poets Collective, to contribute, so I wrote haiku inspired by the artworks on display by the artists in criminal justice settings.'

This combining of inmates and professionals coming together through art adds another level to what Koestler has always done. Each artist will not only know that their work is in an exhibition seen by thousands, but it has also energised other creatives to

make more art to complement it. And that is a beautiful thing.

With money and materials lacking in jail it was good to see many 3D works made from found or recycled objects. One enterprising artist from HMP Wymott used cell furniture smashed up by angry prisoners to make beautiful trinket boxes. They deservedly got a Gold Award for Woodcraft. There was a bag made from can ring-pulls, a pirate ship in

levels. Nevertheless, the two men agree to produce a monumental flop ($2m worth of flop) by a far-right Nazi (Harry Morrison) that includes gays and a transvestite playing Adolf Hitler because flops can earn dollars. 'What could go right,' they confidently sang at one point.

Of course, these now are different times from 1967 when there was worldwide discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. With a more enlightened world Marber has ramped up the camp to dazzling heights and gained a different audience from what Brooks had all those decades ago, when they would laugh at gay people for all the wrong reasons - The Garrick auditorium twinkled like a disco ball almost as much those on stage.

The opening numbers and pastiche choreography mirrored the sardonic vibe that Brooks' brought to his work to mock the status quo and laugh at it. They set up

the mood for the rest of the evening.

There is a brilliant dance of the Zimmer frames and lots of high-kicking, goosestepping moves, but mostly The Producers sparkled and glowed with Trevor Ashley, perhaps, sparkling more than anyone and loving every glittery second of it.

Andy Nyman (Bialystock) struggles to balance out his sleazoid character with no redeeming features to work with, but he didn't care, he was the best thing in it as he made the unlikeable likeable, and we loved him anyway because of his comic timing and ability to belt out a big song.

Marc Antolin as Leo Bloom surprised with his light-as-a-feather fancy footwork and singing skills that helped him blossom from office geek to geezer of the week when he and Ulla (Joanna Woodward) became a pair.

But nothing works without the company coming together to make this one hell of

a razzamatazz night. They tapped and kicked and shuffled to create a fantastic chorus line and a great show that will go down as one of The Menier Chocolate Factory's finest West End transfers.

I was a little surprised at how the dodgy duo turned out doing fine instead of doing time for fraud at the end, but it's human nature to like a happy ending, which we had that as a winning double because Mel

The choreography mirrored the sardonic vibe that Brooks' brought to his work WHAT CAN you do with a timeless classic Mel Brooks' film from almost 60 years ago? Merely make the small changes that puts your own stamp on it and hope for the best, writes Michael Holland.

And that is precisely what Patrick Marber has done. His background in comedy allowed him to add many visual gags that made this stage version just as memorable as the movie.

The Producers tells of Max Bialystock, a hotshot theatre producer with a sleazy backroom sideline of selling sexual favours to old rich women to pay for his productions, and Leo Bloom, a nerdy accountant who dreams of being a rich producer. This clash of personalities actually equalled a match made on Broadway when Bloom comes round to Bialystock's office to audit the books. An arrival that was badly timed on a couple of

Southbank Centre, Spirit Level, Level 1, Royal Festival Hall until December 14th. Free Admission.

Check opening time details: https://koestlerarts.org.uk/exhibitions/ annual-uk-exhibition-2025/

Photo by Manuel Harlan

thought about how prisoners might do their most creative work at night, like owls, so he called the exhibition Night Owls and Abstractions. Many of the artworks show a longing for freedom, for the power of flight, for an escape from the walls and the bars.

He opened the gallery space up to fellow poets who wrote verse to hang alongside the art. Luigi Coppola was in attendance, a teacher and poet from SE London who told me, 'Inua asked

full sail built from all the flotsam and jetsam found on any prison wing.

There is always the poignant (Dear Dad) and the witty( Bingo Wings) and the harking back to a simpler time of board games with the family, but with a harsh reality check (Monopoly); plus the intricate matchstick and prison soap creations that have been a Koestler staple from back when the matches had to be picked up from the exercise yard and the soap from the prison stores.

There are poems to read and music to listen to, cushions to admire, handmade quilts and an embroidered sheet that pleaded for Freedom.

My favourite, though, was Welcome to A Wing, a simple composition, almost devoid of colour, a man in silhouette arriving on the landing, an empty, soulless place that offered no warm welcome. He holds a piece of paper, seemingly with the rules to abide by during his time there.

You can almost see and feel what is going on in his mind: the regret of being in jail and not with his family, the shame his loved ones will feel when the neighbours shun them, the sorrow of not being a father to his children and not seeing them grow up. This one resonated with me more than any other.

This is an art exhibition that every year earns the right to be seen. Inua hopes that visitors will be inspired by the exhibition to explore their own creativity. A QR code in the gallery will allow you to write and send Koestler your haikus.

Brooks sent a congratulatory telegram that Nyman read out to one and all after the cast had taken their bows.

The Garrick, 2, Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0HH until 21st February 2026.

Booking and full details: https://thegarricktheatre.co.uk/tickets/ mel-brooks-the-producers/

ARTS 21

Arts

Tom Edden is Paddington's Nosey Neighbour

'As students we all ended up living around Lewisham, New Cross and Greenwich. Then fifteen years ago, when I bought a flat, I chose Blackheath.'

Tom waxes lyrically about 'the green space of the Heath, Greenwich Park, the village feel of Blackheath and being not too far from the river,' adding randomly 'I also have a fondness for the Blackheath tea hut.'

A standard question in these interviews is whether an actor prefers stage or screen, but I've never had this response before: 'Work is the prize whether it’s on stage or screen'.

Tom did, though, express stage as a favourite when pressed: 'At its best, an experience with a live audience in a show you’re proud of, is really unbeatable.' He described the role that kickstarted his career: 'I’d been grafting away for my twenties and then I got a small but very showy role as an octogenarian waiter in the comedy ‘One Man Two Guvnors’ with James Corden. That was such a huge hit that it catapulted me from relative

obscurity to being in a show that the world and his wife saw and remembered.

It was like riding a fantastic wave for two years, from the National Theatre, to the West End to Broadway.'

In recent times, Tom has enjoyed Waiting For Godot, with Ben Wishaw - 'a very challenging but hugely rewarding experience'; Cyrano De Bergerac with James McAvoy, 'because it was such an exciting adaptation and concept that audiences really went crazy for it', and ‘Crazy For You’, 'the joyful Gershwin musical in the West End because it was such a happy show to be part of.'

A memorable theatrical moment for Tom was working with his friend David Benson. 'We played waiters together in the most chaotic and hilarious restaurant scene in ‘One Man Two Guvnors’, and, together with James Corden, I’ve probably never had as much fun or made as much mess on stage.'

On the screen, Tom also has tales to tell: 'I had an incredibly stimulating and fascinating time working on Mike Leigh’s film ‘Mr Turner’ starring the great Timothy Spall as the genius painter.

It was a privilege to watch those two masters at work.'

And now Tom can soon be seen in Paddington: The Musical. I wanted to know how he felt when he got the part.

'Excited of course! I’ve never originated a role in a new musical before, let alone a new British musical. The songs by Tom Fletcher are so infectious and joyful - I know audiences will fall in love with them. There is so much that audiences will enjoy in this production; the design

is magical, the cast is incredible and, of course, we mustn’t forget the furry star of the show.'

Tom will play Mr Curry. I asked about his character.

'Well, making friends isn’t exactly Mr Curry’s special skill. He’s the nosy, interfering neighbour nobody wants and is very animated by the appearance of a bear from Peru who definitely doesn’t meet Mr Curry’s neighbourhood watch regulations. But he’s a pussy cat, really, and just needs an act of kindness to cut through the layers of scepticism.'

Rehearsals are underway right now and Tom is loving it: 'The cast is so wonderful and talented, as are the multitude of creative departments bringing this amazing show together; the music, props, costumes - everything!

It’s amazing to see it come together and I don’t know if I’ve ever been part of such a huge operation.'

Tom's excitement was infectious and he could see that I was just as excited to see Tom and the cast in this new adventure for the Peruvian bear.

'It’s as if this show is made for south Londoners,' he began. 'It’s a love letter to this amazing city AND,' he emphasised, 'it’s at the wonderful Savoy Theatre which is only five minutes walk from Charing Cross!! Perfect!'

Perfect indeed. My train ticket is booked from SE London to Charing Cross!

VicPal. Jack Holden in KENREX

Old Vic Theatre School, where the likes of Olivia Coleman, Patrick Stewart and Daniel Day-Lewis all trained.

How did you get to make it on to stage and screen?

After drama school, I was lucky enough to sign with one of the biggest agents in the country. They started sending me to auditions all over London, and I hit the jackpot very early on: I was cast as Albert in the National Theatre’s production of War Horse in the West End. I performed in that for a year, which set me up for a career on the stage. Along the way, I acted in the odd bit of TV and film, then landed some bigger roles in Ten Percent on Amazon, and Marriage on BBC One in recent years.

Do you prefer stage or screen?

Theatre is absolutely my first love, and I will always be making theatre as a writer, actor and producer. But film also inspires and excites me. The feeling of being on a film set is like nothing else.

And watching a film you’re in on the big screen is a mind-blowing experience. So I haven’t answered your question… if I had to choose, I’d always come back to theatre!

Is there one role that you feel was a kickstart to your career?

There are a lot of rungs on the ladder of success. War Horse was the first rung, but then my first season at the Royal Shakespeare Company was also an important one. Then performing in James Graham’s play ‘Ink’ at the Almeida Theatre and in the West End was another big moment. You never really

Jack is Back

ACTOR, PRODUCER and writer Jack Holden has had theatre in his veins since he was young, so there was no overnight success for him just hard work put in over the years with solid performances that attracted the right attention. I first saw him in Cruise, an Olivier Awardnominated play that he wrote and starred in. I was mesmerised. Plus, he is always the stand-out act when you see him on TV, writes Michael Holland.

Now Jack is bringing KENREX back to London after great runs in Sheffield and

Savoy Theatre from November 1st 2025 May 25th 2026.

Booking and full details: https:// paddingtonthemusical.com/

Photo by Manuel Harlan

TOM EDDEN knew he wanted to be an actor early on: 'Probably when I was very small when I realised that showing off came with instant attention and gratification! But as I grew up my knowledge and interest in theatre matured; thanks to a dedicated drama teacher my experience pointed my passions in one direction.' That direction turned out to be South East London and the noted Rose Bruford Drama College in Sidcup, writes Michael Holland.

Southwark Playhouse - a play that has already won him a prestigious award and he wants to tell us about it.

But first...

When did you realise you wanted to act?

I was always trying to entertain my parents when I was a kid - something to do with being the middle of five boys!

Then I got involved with drama clubs during secondary school. But things really kicked off for me when I heard about Drama Schools — I couldn’t believe there were places I could go and study acting. So, off I went to Bristol

Tom Edden

know where your next job is coming from, and you have very little control over your career as an actor — that’s what made me start writing a few years ago, and now writing makes up as much of my career as acting does.

Is there someone who you feel has inspired you more than anyone else in your career?

Well I have to give thanks to my English and Drama teacher, Kathleen Lynch, who always encouraged me to pursue a life on the stage. My all time acting hero, however, has to be the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman. He was mesmerising in every role he performed. He also ran a theatre company in New York, and he directed work too. I always admire creatives who do more than one thing; people like Phoebe Waller Bridge and Mark Gatiss.

And you've just picked up an award.

Yes! I was honoured to win the UK Theatre Award for Best Performance in a Play for my performance in KENREX. It was good timing as we’re bringing the show back to London. To get recognition for your work is always nice, but particularly for this show, which I cowrote with director Ed Stambollouian.

We’ve been working on this idea for many years, so to receive good reviews and to win awards is a huge reward.

Tell me about your characters?

In KENREX I play some 20 characters, almost all of them from the small Missouri town of Skidmore. It’s a true story, and most of the characters were real people, but I’ve had to embellish

and exaggerate them to make sure the audience always know who I am at any point. To differentiate between the characters, I change the pitch, quality and tone of my voice, but I also make clear physical choices too. I’m also assisted by an incredibly complex sound design, full of all sorts of audio trickery, courtesy of our genius sound designer Giles Thomas.

Will Kenrex change when you get to The Other Palace?

This is the third outing for KENREX and this time it’s going to be bigger, brighter and louder than ever before! The Other Palace is a brilliant, modern theatre, with an excellent sound system, so I’m super excited to amp up the production and give audiences one hell of a ride.

What’s next for you after this?

I’ve got several commissions as a writer which I’ll have to catch up on, but we’re also hoping KENREX has a future life beyond London.

Anything you'd like to add?

KENREX is a high-octane, spit-andsawdust thrill ride through the American Midwest. Fuelled by a footstomping Americana soundtrack from John Patrick Elliott, it’s part gig, part true crime podcast — and an unmissable night out for theatre-lovers and sceptics alike.

The Other Palace, 12 Palace Street, London, SW1E 5JA from 3rd December 2025 - 1st February 2026.

Booking and full details: https:// theotherpalace.co.uk/kenrex/

22 HISTORY

History

80 years of questions and answers after World War Two

Dulwich to Denmark a search for my big brother EIGHTY YEARS ago in Dulwich, as VE Day celebrations roared across Britain, my great-grandmother Mary Robbins sat down to write a letter to her family in Ireland, writes Emily Driver...

Her son, Alfred, an RAF bomb aimer, had disappeared a year earlier: “My dear Nellie, “Glad to know the cursed war is over at last. Now I’m more keenly than ever looking forward to good news of Alf, or better still, seeing him in person.

People went mad here, but I couldn’t participate. It made me wish more than ever he was here, after all, those brave boys we have to thank for our lives.

“I fully realise there are a lot that won’t come back, but I’m hoping a mother’s greatest wish that her boy is spared.

“Little did I think when I wished for a son that he would be involved in a war more terrible than the last, and it will take years and years to recover from it. But Alf to come back is my one obsession. I pray to God he will.”

Her missing son, Alfred Robbins, was born at St Thomas’ Hospital in 1924, five years after the devastation of the First World War. His father, Albert, had joined the 4th Queens Own Hussars in Dublin in 1911, serving as a machinegun sergeant through some of the bloodiest battles of the Great War – from the Somme to Verdun. During the Blitz, he drove buses through bombing raids and blackouts.

In 1942, at 19, Alfred left his family home in Dulwich to join the RAF as a bomb aimer. Over two years he completed nine missions, earning the RAF’S highest decoration, the Distinguished Flying Cross, twice. A citation from a superior described him as showing “coolness and exceptional

fearlessness in the face of danger.”

On 16 April 1944, he married Ruth Robbins. Three days later, he was recalled from his honeymoon to replace a fallen bomb aimer on a topsecret mission. At 20 years old, Alfred was never to return to the new life he had just embarked upon.

Throughout the war, Alfred’s family lived in hope. At the end of the war, Ruth received the news she had feared most. She wrote to her mother-in-law to say she learned that Alfred’s Halifax bomber had been attacked by two German fighters. The crew shot down one enemy plane, but the second destroyed their tail, sending them into the sea off the Danish coast.

Mary’s letter telling her own family of the terrible news mingles her faith and utter devastation: “I’ll hope on that perhaps by some miracle God has spared him to us. Even to the contrary, it will take me a long, long time to reconcile myself to it.

“What a terrible thought, your own flesh and blood blown to eternity just gun fodder.”

Mary and Albert died never knowing what became of their son. So did Ruth, who, according to family accounts, lost the will to live after his death.

LINDA ROBBINS - ALF BABY SISTER SEARCHES FOR ANSWERS

Half a century later, Alfred’s sister and my grandmother, Linda Castleton (nee Robbins), 82, who had been just 15 months old when he vanished, began her own search.

Through an RAF archivist, she discovered that her brother’s plane had been on a ‘gardening’ mission – the code name for mine-laying over the Baltic.

Her inquiries led her to the Danish Army barracks in Sonderborg, who put

Linda visiting war graves. Image courtesy of Linda Castleton.

Alfred Robbins.

Image courtesy of Linda Castleton.

Alf's medals her in touch with Gunnar Hounsgaard, a local historian and former teenage member of the Danish resistance.

“Gunnar was able to fill in the blank areas for me,” Linda says. “He told me that on the anniversary of the Halifax crashing into the Baltic, the local army and civil defence hold a service of remembrance every year at the site of the memorial stone.”

Linda and her partner travelled from their homes in Farmborough, Kent, to visit the memorial in 2011.

“They are grateful to the British for supporting them against the German invasion. After the service, we were the guests of honour at the reception," she said.

She thought the story might end there – comforted by the knowledge that her brother had been remembered for nearly sixty years, unknowingly, overseas.

But Gunnar found more. Searching

The memorial stone old resistance documents, he uncovered records that indicated that Alfred’s body had been recovered two months after the crash, during efforts to retrieve other airmen from the sea.

When his remains were moved to Aabenraa Cemetery, it appeared to Gunnar that his identification tag had been stolen – “presumably by thoughtless people in their eagerness to obtain souvenirs,” Linda adds.

For the first time, she believed she knew where her brother lay. Gunnar was certain that this archival evidence confirmed that Alfred was buried in an anonymous grave at Aabenraa.

For Linda, it opened up the possibility of at last marking his resting place.

A NAME WITHHELD

But her request to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission was denied this year. Without his identification, they said, they could not allow the

name to be added.

“The events of the Second World War changed the history of my family forever,” Linda says. “Both my parents died never knowing where their son died. Alfred’s wife Ruth became ill in 1949, and died aged 29, and I am told she didn’t have the power to live.

“It is through the power of the internet and the tireless work of the Danish archivists that I was given some consolation. I am very grateful to the Danish people for the care given to our servicemen at that time and for their gratitude given for all those who have their lives.”

Eighty years on, her brother’s grave in Aabenraa remains unmarked.

The war that ended in celebration for so many never truly ended for the Robbins family. For Linda, one small act – letters on a headstone – would mean that, after decades of silence, Alfred would finally have his name.

CLASSIFIED & FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS 23 CLASSIFIED AND COMMUNITY NOTICES

FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Memorials In loving memory of

Una Maud Daley

ScotsCare is here to help and support Scots and their families Financial Support | Advocacy Counselling | Sheltered Housing Homelessness | Befriending Social Events I Volunteering

9th July, 1931 – 19th November, 2008 Former Mayoress of the London Borough of Lambeth Seventeen years on, you still remain in our hearts, and not a day goes by without us thinking of you.

You were a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, and a very special lady to family and friends alike.

Visit scotscare.com or call 0800 652 2989 to speak with a Client Support Worker to see how we can assist you.

We treasured the lovely times we spent together, but we are comforted in the knowledge that you are with the Lord.

Registered charity England and Wales (207326), Scotland (SC052739)

May we all know God’s presence during our struggle to come to terms with your absence.

WANTED RECORDS ROCK, POP, PUNK,

Sadly missed by Husband Rudolph (Rudy), Sons Clayton & Colin, Daughters Maureen & Marlene and Grandchildren & Great Grandchildren, Family & Friends.

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Thinking of our beloved Justin on what would have been his 50th Birthday.

Taken from us so suddenly & unexpectedly.

Was loved so much by all his friends & family Miss you Justin, the pain will never leave us Love Mum, Brian & his loving brother Stephen

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24 PUBLIC NOTICES

Thursday, November 13th 2025

Notice of disposal of open space land at the Astro Turf Pitch Site, Greendale Playing Fields, London, SE5/SE22, section 233(1) and section 233(4) of the Town and County Planning Act 1990 (as amended) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in accordance with section 233(1) and 233(4) of the Town and County Planning Act 1990, the London Borough of Southwark intends following its appropriation for planning purposes to dispose of the Astro Turf Pitch Site, Greendale Playing Fields, London, SE5/SE22 (“the Land”). The planning purposes related to planning permission 19/AP/1867: “Redevelopment of the Dulwich Hamlet Football (Champion Hill) Stadium, including the demolition of existing buildings, and use of land at Greendale, to provide: - the erection of a new stadium with relocated playing pitch with associated floodlighting and boundary treatment, and part two-part three storey clubhouse building with sports and leisure facilities, with capacity for 4,000 spectators (Use Class D2); - the construction of a multi-functional kickabout space and associated boundary treatment; - the erection of a series of buildings between four and six storeys in height to provide 219 residential dwellings, (Use Class C3); - associated car parking, cycle parking, refuse storage and access road; the widening and greening of a public route with associated hard and soft landscaping; - the relocation of telecommunications equipment and re-provision of the substation together with plant and equipment” The Land is owned by the London Borough of Southwark. A copy of the plan showing the Land is available for inspection at the ground floor reception of the London Borough of Southwark, 160 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2QH. Appointments are available between the hours of 10.00 am – 5.00 pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Any objections or representations in respect of the proposed disposal must be made in writing to Matt Derry, Head of Sustainable Growth South, Planning & Growth, London Borough of Southwark, Fifth Floor, 160 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2QH or at regen.info@southwark.gov.uk to be received no later than 18 November 2025.

Dated: 30 October 2025.

Stephen Platts, Director of Planning & Growth, on behalf of the London Borough of Southwark, Fifth Floor, 160 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2QH. ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (COSTA STREET, ELEPHANT LANE, ROTHERHITHE STREET, SHAD THAMES, WALWORTH PLACE, YEOMAN STREET) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) 1.

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

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time in: (2a) Costa Street, between Choumert Road and No’s 7 (2b) Elephant Lane, between Rotherhithe Street (2c) Rotherhithe Street, between No. 317 and Acorn Walk (2d) Rotherhithe Street, between Salter Road and Elgar Street (2e) Shad Thames, between No. 24 and No. 26 (2f) Walworth Place, between Cadiz Street and Bronti Place (2g) Yeoman Street, between Plough Way and Chilton Grove

1. Transport for London hereby gives notice that on 6th November 2025 it made the above named Order, under section 6 of the Road Trafc Regulation Act 1984. The Order will come into force on 15th November 2025.

2. The general nature and effect of the Order will be to add hireable cycles as a permitted vehicle to use the 5 metre long no stopping at any time except hireable e-scooters only parking bay on the southern footway of Peckham Road outside Nos. 36 to 38 Peckham Road.

3. The roads which would be affected by the Order is the A202 Peckham Road.

4. A copy of the Order, a map indicating the location and effect of the Order and copies of any Order revoked, suspended or varied by the Order can be inspected by visiting our website at https://haveyoursay.t.gov.uk/tro and selecting the relevant borough and reference the Trafc Order relates to or by appointment during normal ofce hours at our ofce at the address below. To arrange an appointment please email trafcordersection@t.gov.uk. Copies of the documents may be requested via email at trafcordersection@t.gov.uk, or by post at the following address quoting reference SNO/REGULATION/STOT/GK/TRO/GLA/2025/0279: • Transport for London Streets Trafc Order Team (SNO/REGULATION/STOT) Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road London, SE1 8NJ Please note due to hybrid working access to post is restricted and requests for documents may be delayed.

5. Any person wishing to question the validity of the Order or of any of its provisions on the grounds that they are not within the relevant powers conferred by the Act or that any requirement of the Act has not been complied with, that person may, within six weeks from the date on which the Order is made, make application for the purpose to the High Court.

Dated this 13th day of November 2025 Matt Standell, Performance and Planning Manager, Transport for London Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

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

4.

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

5.

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

6.

The closure will be in operation on the following dates (2a) 24th – 27th November (2b) 24th November 2025 – 20th January 2026 (2c) 24th -25th November (2d) 26th – 28th November (2e) 24th – 26th November (2f) 24th & 26th November (2g) 28th – 29th November

7.

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

Dated this 13th November 2025 Ian Law Traffic Manager, London Borough of Southwark, Network Management, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street, PO Box 64529, London, SE1 5LX Ref: (2a) SLS00081236627-0100/thames (2b) 74632372/Conway (2c) 47202301/conway (2d) 73253709/conway (2e) SHADTHAMESV9062/BT (2f) LBSCR14298/ LBSCR14298-1/RTS (2g) 47555464/conway

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ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 THE GLA ROADS AND GLA SIDE ROADS (SOUTHWARK) RED ROUTE CONSOLIDATION ORDER 2007 THE A202 PECKHAM ROAD (E-SCOOTER AND CYCLE BAY) VARIATION ORDER 2025

Transport for London Public Notice

3.

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Transport for London Public Notice

THE A200 GLA ROAD (ST THOMAS STREET, LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) ORDER 2025 1. Transport for London 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 electrical installation works to take place at A200 St Thomas Street.

3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from entering, exiting or proceeding on St Thomas Street between its junctions with Snowelds and Vinegar Yard.

The Order will be effective at certain times from 8.00 AM on the 15th November 2025 until 7.00 PM on the 16th November 2025 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 prohibition is in force alternative routes will be indicated by trafc signs via Snowelds, Kipling Street, Long Lane, Great Dover Street and Borough High Street to normal route of travel. for vehicles over 7.5 tonnes m.g.w via Bermondsey Street, Tooley Street, Duke Street Hill and Borough High Street to normal route of travel.

Dated this 13th day of November 2025 Andrew Ulph Co-ordination Manager, Transport for London Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

DEBRA SLABAS Deceased Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone with a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of Flat 1, 173 Half Moon Lane, London, SE24 9JG, who died on 10/09/2025, must send written details to the address below by 14/01/2026, after which the Estate will be distributed with regard only to claims and interests notified.

Malky Chaloner c/o DMH Stallard, Fetter Yard, Barnards Inn, 86 Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 1EN. Ref: C83/415252/1 NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A NEW PREMISES LICENCE Notice is hereby given that an application has been made by Lulu London Ltd to Southwark Council for a Premises Licence under the Licensing Act 2003 in respect of premises located at 20 Forest Road Hill, London, SE22 0RR. The relevant licensable activities and proposed times to be carried on, on or from the premises are: 1. To permit the supply of alcohol from 08:00 to 23:00 (Monday – Saturday) and 08:00 – 22:30 (Sunday); 2. To permit the provision of regulated entertainment to include recorded background music (indoors) from 08:00 to 23:00 (Monday – Saturday) and 08:00 – 17:00 (Sunday). Full details of the application are contained within the application and held by Southwark Council, Southwark Licensing Team, 3rd Floor, Hub 1, PO BOX 64529, London, SE1P 5LX where the licensing register can be inspected during the Authority’s normal opening hours or online by visiting their website.

Any representations by a responsible authority or any other person regarding the above-mentioned application must be made in writing to the Licensing Authority at the above address or to licensing@southwark.gov.uk no later than 5 December 2025 stating the grounds upon which the representation is being made.

It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum financial penalty on summary conviction is unlimited.

Knights Phoenix House Christopher Martin Road, Basildon, Essex SS14 3EG

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PUBLIC NOTICES 25

Thursday, November 13th 2025

Notice of Application to Vary a Premises Licence made under Section 34 of the Licensing Act 2003

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

How to comment on this application: You should submit your comments via the above link.

Comments received will be made available for public viewing on the website. All personal information will be removed except your postal address. Online comments submitted without an email address will not be acknowledged and those marked 'confidential' will not be considered. Written comments can be submitted to; Southwark Council, Planning division, Development Management, PO Box 64529, London SE1 5LX. Reason for publicity. The applications are advertised for the reasons identified by the following codes: AFFECT - development affecting character or appearance of a nearby conservation area; OR development affecting setting of a nearby listed building(s); DEP - departure from the development plan; EIA - environmental impact assessment (these applications are accompanied by an environmental statement a copy of which may be obtained from the Council - there will be a charge for the copy); MAJ - major planning application; PIP - application is for Permission in Principle; S106 - ; STDCA - development within a conservation area; STDLB - works to or within the site of a listed building; 2 BARKHAM TERRACE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 7PS(Ref: 25/AP/3149) Listed building consent for the proposal is for five photovoltaic panels located on the flat roof, behind the parapet of the building to reduce the buildings energy demands. (Within: West Square CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Adam Dickenson ) 2 BARKHAM TERRACE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 7PS(Ref: 25/AP/3148) Installation of five photovoltaic panels located on the flat roof, behind the parapet of the building to reduce the buildings energy demands. (Within: West Square CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Anim Danquah 020 7525 3247) THE CROWN AND GREYHOUND 73 DULWICH VILLAGE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE21 7BJ(Ref: 25/AP/3190) Installation of 2x freestanding menu cases, 6x replacement cowl lights, 2x sets of sign written entrance letters and one new 3D pictorial fitted to existing post and gibbet. (Within: Dulwich Village Dulwich Village CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Nejum Hussain )

11 CHAMPION GROVE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 8BN(Ref: 25/AP/3089) Listed bulding consent to demolish an existing 1980s rear extension and replace with a new full width with extension (Within: Camberwell Grove Conservation Area CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Rosie Poser 020 7525 7924) Dated: 11 Nov 2025 - comments to be received within 21 days of this date (or 14 days for Permission in Principle, 30 days for EIA development).

STEPHEN PLATTS Director of Planning and Growth

Please take notice that I / we Luz Angela Velez have made application to the Southwark Council to Vary the Premises Licence in respect of (full name & postal address of the premises): Monster Sapo (09 Camberwell Church Street SE5 8TR The Proposed variation is as follows: Extension of opening hours.

The sale by retail of alcohol:

The provision of regulated entertainment:

The provision of late night refreshment:

Opening hours:

Days

Start time

Finish time

Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

17:00 17:00 17:00 17:00 17:00 18:00

00:30 00:30 00:30 02:30 02:30 00:30

Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

17:00 18:00 16:00 18:00 18:00 20:00

01:00 00:00 00:00 03:00 03:00 01:00

Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

23:00 23:00 23:00 23:00 23:00 23:00

00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00

Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

17:00 18:00 16:00 18:00 18:00 20:00

01:00 01:00 01:00 03:00 03:00 01:00

A register of all applications made within the Southwark area is maintained by: The Licensing Service, Hub 1, 3rd Floor, 160 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2QH A record of this application may be inspected by visiting the office during normal office hours by appointment on 020 7525 2000; details are also available on our website at http://app.southwark.gov.uk/licensing/licenseregister.asp It is open to any interested party to make representations about the likely effect of the application on the promotion of the licensing objectives. Representations must be made in writing to the Licensing Service at the office address given above (or by email via licensing@southwark.gov.uk) and be received by the Service within a period of 28 days starting the day after the date shown below.

Note: It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. A person guilty of such offence is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

Date of application: 3rd November 2025

21 GLOBE WHARF 205 ROTHERHITHE STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE16 5XS (Ref: 25/AP/2929) Retrospective Listed Building Consent for the removal of non-loadbearing partitions from within the flat. Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Rosie Poser 020 7525 7924) 24 CHAMPION GROVE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 8BW(Ref: 25/AP/3097) Construction of a lower ground floor wraparound extension following the demolition of the existing lower rear ground floor bay window and external metal steps; demolition of single-storey lean-to side structure; alterations to the first-floor rear façade fenestration; replacement of windows throughout the property; and external works including hard and soft landscaping to the rear garden (Within: Camberwell Grove Conservation Area Camberwell Grove Conservation Area CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Susherrie Suki 020 7525 0646)

STAY INFORMED ABOUT BUILDING PLANS FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.

publicnoticeportal.uk

26 PUBLIC NOTICES LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (O’MEARA STREET) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) 1.

The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that to enable a road closure, it has made an order, the effect of which is to prohibit vehicular traffic from entering part of the above named road.

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time on O’Meara Street, from the junction of Southwark Street to the rear of number 4 O’Meara Street.

3.

The alternative route for affected traffic will be Southwark Street, Southwark Bridge Road, Union Street, or Union Street, Borough High Street, Southwark Street.

4.

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

5.

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

6.

The road closure will be in place from the 20th of November 2025 until the 23rd of February 2026.

7.

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

Dated this 13th November 2025 Ian Law Traffic Manager, London Borough of Southwark, Network Management, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street, PO Box 64529, London, SE1 5LX Ref: 7127b ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (AMERGATE STREET, PECKHAM PARK ROAD, PIERMONT ROAD, NAYLOR ROAD, ROTHERHITHE NEW ROAD, SUMNER STREET) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) 1.

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

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time in: (2a) Ambergate Street, between Alberta Street and No’s 103 (2b) Peckham Park Road, between Old Kent Road and Bird in Bush Road (2c) Piermont Road, between Upland Road and it’s blocked end (2d) Naylor Road, between No. 12 and it’s blocked end near it’s junction with Commercial Way (2e) Rotherhithe New Road, between Ilderton Road and No. 206 (2f) Sumner Street, between Southwark Street and the blue fin building

3.

The alternative routes for affected traffic will be (2a) Ambergate Street (2b) Old Kent Road, Commercial Way (2c) not applicable (2d) not applicable (2e) Catlin Street, Rolls Road, Humphrey Street, Old Kent Road, Tower Bridge Road, Grange Road, Southwark Park Road, Raymouth Road. (2f) as indicated by the signs displayed.

4.

The existing ‘one-way’ working in Ambergate Street, will be made ‘two-way’ for access and egress purposes for item No (2a)

5.

The existing ‘one-way’ working in Sumner Street, will be made ‘two-way’ for access and egress purposes for item (2f)

6.

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

7.

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

8.

The closure will be in operation on the following dates (2a) 1st – 4th December (2b) 1st – 5th December (2c) 3rd December (2d) 1st – 10th December (2e) 1st – 22nd December (2f) 29th November.

9.

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

Dated this 13th November 2025 Ian Law Traffic Manager, London Borough of Southwark, Network Management, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street, PO Box 64529, London, SE1 5LX Ref: (2a) 18147739/Conway (2b) 86180551/conway (2c) 39386193/Conway (2d) 65004344/thames/S50 Flatley Construction Ltd (2e) 52434909/clancydocwra (2f) LBSCR14282-5/citylifting

Thursday, November 13th 2025

Transport for London Public Notice ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 THE A3 GLA ROAD (BOROUGH HIGH STREET, LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) ORDER 2025 1. Transport for London 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 railway bridge inspection works to take place at A3 Borough High Street.

3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle except pedal cycles from: (1) entering, exiting or proceeding in a southerly direction on Borough High Street between its junctions with Railway Approach and St Thomas Street.

(2) turning right into Borough High Street from London Bridge Street; The Order will be effective at certain times from 10:00 PM on the 18th November 2025 until 6:00 AM on the 19th November 2025 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 alternative routes will be indicated by trafc signs for eastbound trafc on Eastcheap, via Great Tower Street, Byward Street, Minories, Goodman’s Yard, Mansell Street, Tower Bridge Approach, Tower Bridge Road, Great Dover Street and Borough High Street to normal route of travel. for eastbound trafc on Cannon Street and southeastbound trafc on King William Street via Queen Victoria Street, Blackfriars Bridge, Southwark Street, Southwark Bridge Road and Marshalsea Road to normal route of travel. for HGVs over 18 Tonnes m.g.w, via King William Street, Monument Street, Fish Street Hill, Lower Thames Street, Upper Thames Street, Queen Street Place, Southwark Bridge and Southwark Bridge Road to normal route of travel.

Dated this 13th day of November 2025 Andrew Ulph Co-ordination Manager, Transport for London Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

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Transport for London Public Notice ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 THE A3 GLA ROAD (BOROUGH HIGH STREET, LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF STOPPING) ORDER 2025 1. Transport for London 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 crane operation works to take place at A3 Borough High Street in the London Borough of Southwark.

3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from stopping on Borough High Street between its junctions with Southwark Street and Talbot Yard.

The Order will be effective at certain times from 9.00 PM on the 16th November 2025 until 6.00 AM on the 17th November 2025 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.

Dated this 13th day of November 2025 Alan Davidson Area Manager Central, Transport for London Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

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SPORT 29

BURGESS PARK ‘GREAT EXAMPLE’ AFTER FUNDING BOOST

Anton Ferdinand puts the kids through their paces Ferdinand and Fara Williams grew up in South London

By Sports Reporter

The centre recently hosted an event to celebrate 25 years of the Football Foundation driving grassroots impact. Richard Masters, CEO of the Premier League, Mark Bullingham, CEO of The FA and CEO of Sport England Simon Hayes were in attendance, along with Lioness legend Fara Williams and former Premier League star Anton Ferdinand.

The centre opened in June this year thanks to a £2.4 million grant from the Foundation.

Surrey Seven get new deals

From left: Mark Bullingham, Simon Hayes, Richard Masters and Stephanie Peacock The unique partnership between the Premier League, The FA and government formed at the turn of the century with the goal of providing grassroots facility improvements for all, regardless of gender, race, disability or place.

The event offered an opportunity to look ahead, and with the exponential growth of the game, particularly among women and girls, the Football Foundation’s mission continues via its ‘Game Changing’ five-year plan officially launched at Burgess Park.

By Sports Reporter

SEVEN SURREY players have been awarded England Men’s central contracts.

Gus Atkinson, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton and Ollie Pope have agreed new deals.

Mills seals long-awaited Hamlet win at packed Hill

By John Kelly

Without a league victory since the start of September, Mark Dacey’s side raced into a 3-0 lead in the first half after goals from Sol Baugh, Danny Mills and Lonit Talla.

The hosts got a major second-half scare when Alex Dyer pulled a goal back and then Daniel Olaniyi Oluwaseun Oyetunde reduced the deficit further in

All-rounder Tom Lawes has also agreed an England Development contract. Lawes has become a key part of the England Lions squad after four impressive seasons with Surrey.

Rob Key, managing director of England Men’s cricket, said: “This year’s central contract group reflects the depth and

strength of talent we have across England men’s cricket.

“We have awarded two-year deals to our multi-format players, so we can manage their workloads responsibly and give them the stability they need to perform across formats.

“We have also secured a number of

white-ball players on longer agreements to help us plan effectively around the growing franchise calendar and ensure England remains their priority.

“This structure allows us to support our players properly while maintaining strong squads across all formats as much as possible.”

Lionesses exit to rivals

By John Kelly

© Mike Urban

DULWICH HAMLET won for the first time in nine Isthmian League Premier Division games when they beat St Albans 4-2 at a soldout Champion Hill last weekend.

the 64th minute.

But the Hamlet weren’t going to be denied in front of 3,334 in East Dulwich and Mills added the fourth in the sixth minute of added-time.

Dulwich moved up to fifth in the table before their midweek game against Wingate & Finchley at Champion Hill.

Dacey’s side travel to Burgess Hill Town this Saturday for a 3.03pm kickoff. That kick-off time is part of the National League’s 3Up campaign, aimed at pushing authorities to change the current system to the Football League to three teams promoted instead of the current two.

At the core of the new strategy are the Foundation’s Local Football Facility Plans, which have been developed in partnership with local authorities, county FAs and other community stakeholders. These plans are a blueprint for providing the grassroots football facility improvements that will deliver where need is greatest and impact is strongest, creating inclusive opportunities for generations to come.

“We are proud to have co-funded the development of grassroots facilities through the

© Nellie Murray

BURGESS PARK Sports Centre has been held up as a “great example” of a facility improved by a Football Foundation investment - and the “positive impact on the local community will be felt for years to come”.

Football Foundation since it formed 25 years ago, enabling millions of people to lead more active lives,” Masters said.

"The Premier League is committed to supporting every level of the game, and providing pitches and facilities that benefit people across the country is a key part of that. The new development at Burgess Park is a great example of the many sites that have been improved through Football Foundation investment. Its positive impact on the local community will be felt for years to come.

"It is thanks to the ongoing success and growth of English football that we can continue to deliver vital funds into the Football Foundation, in partnership with The FA and the Government.”

Hayes aded: “For 25 years, the Football Foundation has been a driving force in transforming community sport across England.

“At Sport England, we’re incredibly proud to stand alongside the Foundation, the Government, the Premier League and The FA in this unique partnership that’s actively and positively changing the sporting landscape of our country.

“Together, we’ve helped create thousands of high-quality facilities that have given millions of people the chance to be physically active, healthy and connected through sport.

“As we look ahead to the next chapter, we’re excited to keep building on this shared success and ensuring that everyone, wherever they live and whatever their background, can enjoy the opportunities and benefits that great community sport provides.”

Ferdinand and his his brother Rio grew up in Peckham before both started their professional careers with West Ham United.

Anton said: “I’ve seen first hand the impact of Football Foundation supported facilities in South London and the country more widely and am delighted to be here to celebrate 25 years of investment into the game I love. These young people are so lucky to have such brilliant facilities, a luxury not all of us have had. I’m excited to see the impact of facilities like this in shaping the next generation of players at all levels.”

Williams, from Battersea, earned 172 caps for England, scoring 40 goals, and five caps for Great Britain.

Williams said: “The growth of the women’s and girls’ game in recent years has been incredible, but we know it starts with giving girls the same opportunities to play as boys. The Football Foundation is making that possible by creating safe, welcoming places where dreams can begin, like here in South London where I grew up. I’m proud to play a part in helping the next generation of girls fall in love with football just like I did.”

Mia Lockett’s goals wasn’t enough

MILLWALL LIONESSES were knocked out in the second round of the League Cup as rivals Dulwich Hamlet Reserves won 2-1 at Green Dale Fields.

Mia Lockett tapped home in the 50th minute after Maisie Joyce’s effort had been tipped onto the post.

But the hosts hit back and went through after goals from Natalia Davila and Shakira Sesay.

Millwall are back in L&SERWFL Premier Division action this Sunday when they host Saltdean United at St Paul’s in Rotherhithe (2pm).

30 SPORT SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP Millwall - 1 Ivanovic 36'’ Preston North End - 1 Smith 15' Date: Satuday 8 November 2025 Man of the match: Casper De Norre Referee: Stephen Martin Attendance: 15,778 (1,190)

By Will Scott MILLWALL AND Preston North End both conceded unusual firsthalf goals as the two sides played out a 1-1 draw at The Den.

Camiel Neghli's underhit back pass was intercepted by Michael Smith, who gave his side the opener.

20 minutes later, Daniel Iversen completely missed an attempted long pass to allow Mihailo Ivanovic to pass the ball into an empty net.

The second half was entertaining but ultimately goalless, with neither side doing enough to earn all three points.

Millwall now head into the international break without a win in their past three games, although they put in a far improved performance on their 4-0 loss to Birmingham four days earlier.

Spurred on by an electric atmosphere at The Den, the Lions got off to a lively start, generating a chance within the first two minutes. Tristan Crama, Neghli and Aidomo Emakhu exchanged passes before Crama was set down the right by Emakhu. The right-back squared it for Neghli, whose shot flew over the bar.

The Lions looked to be on top in the match, but handed Preston the opening goal on a platter. Under little pressure, Neghli underhit a pass back to Max Crocombe that Smith pounced on to touch it past the goalkeeper and into the net.

Millwall responded well to the setback, winning a series of corners, one of which was cleared to Derek Mazou-Sacko, whose bouncing volley from the edge of the box was cleared off the line.

The home team continued to have the Lions' share of the ball, and after toiling for a while, were gifted a route back into the match. In the 36th

STALEMATE Battered Lions grind out draw with Preston - courtesy of strange Ivanovic goal minute, Liam Lindsay sent a throw in back to Iversen, who attempted to send it long but completely missed the ball, giving Ivanovic an easy finish to

Coops suspended for Pompey clash

restore parity.

Five minutes later, they nearly had the lead when yet another corner was sent into the box and Taylor scrambled

one past the post.

The game started to pick up pace as the interval loomed. Crocombe’s clearance was blocked and bounced

ALEX NEIL thought a draw was a fair result after Millwall played out a 1-1 stalemate with Preston North End at The Den.

JAKE COOPER will be suspended for Millwall's trip to Portsmouth after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season on Saturday.

Alex Neil

Millwall - 4-2-3-1: Crocombe; Crama, Taylor, Cooper, Sturge; MazouSacko (Kelly 89), De Norre; Emakhu (Bangura-Williams 82), Neghli (Langstaff 75), Ballo (Harding 89), Ivanovic (Cundle 89) Unused Substitutes: Coleman, Bryan, Grant, Matthews

Preston North End - 3-5-1-1: Iversen; Hughes, Lindsay, Storey; Offiah, Armstrong, Whiteman, Thordarson (Dobbin 56), Lewis (Small 56); Frokjaer-Jensen (Devine 70); Smith Unused Substitutes: Walton, Cornell, Thompson, Mawene, Nolan, Wilson

Neil: Draw was a fair result

By Will Scott

By Will Scott

Cooper was penalised in the 69th minute after referee Stephen Martin deemed him to have pulled back Lewis Dobbin, ruling him out of Millwall’s first game after the international break.

Alex Neil criticised the decision.

"His booking today, I thought was extremely soft," Neil said. "I don't think it was a foul on Dobbin when he spun him in the middle of the pitch. I thought he just eased him out of his arm. But yeah, that would be Jake suspended, which again, doesn't help us."

Four Millwall players are two bookings away from suspension: Billy Mitchell, Tristan Crama, Zak Sturge and Joe Bryan.

Relieved: Mihailo Ivanovic celebrates after his second goal of the season

just past the post. Millwall went up the other end, and Emakhu was put in behind, but he sent his effort into the side-netting after bursting past two defenders.

Millwall continued to look dangerous after the break. Cooper headed Neghli's free kick wide five minutes into the second half.

Ivanovic nearly had a second on the hour mark, connecting with Crama's cross after Emakhu found the Frenchman down the right flank, but Iversen did well to keep out his low effort.

A minute later, Casper De Norre curled an effort just past the post, while down the other end, Smith volleyed wide after the ball dropped for him inside the box.

Emakhu looked to be in behind in the 65th minute, but his second touch was too heavy and cries for a penalty after he went down under pressure fell on deaf ears.

Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom made three changes shortly after, and they gave his side more of a foothold in the game.

Substitute Thierry Small was dangerous down the right and nearly had the ball in the back of the net in the 80th minute after driving past Sturge, but his shot went under Crocombe and out for a corner.

The Lilywhites came even closer to a goal seven minutes later when Dobbin burst forward in transition, but Crocombe's legs kept out his low effort.

The two sides were both gifted first-half goals and traded chances to take the lead in the second, with the Lions having the slightly better opportunities.

Millwall finished the match with an xG (expected goals) of 1.82 to Preston’s 0.74, although nearly half of their total came from Ivanovic’s finish into an empty net.

Neil gave his thoughts on the game in his post-match press conference.

"I thought we started the game quite brightly, we were moving the ball well," Neil said. "Then the mistake gave Preston a sort of foot up in the game. Then at that point, it's the worst team you want to do it against, because they're quite content staying in their shape, keeping it in front of you and then hitting on the counter. I think they're really dangerous in that

sense. We then had to work doubly hard to try and break them down, and then you leave yourself a little bit vulnerable at that point in transition.

"In the main, I thought first half we played well, we created some good chances, we got into some good spaces. I think some of the decisionmaking at times was maybe lacking, whether it's a cross, whether it's a final shot. Even the one into Mika's [Ivanovic] feet and he sort of falls over the ball in the middle of the box. For the first half, we were good.

"We benefit from the mistake that obviously Daniel makes, which is fortunate for us, and we managed to get ourselves back into the game.

I actually thought we started the second half pretty well. We were, again, probably the better team for that spell.

"The game changed really when the subs came on the pitch. [Lewis] Dobbin, [Thierry] Small, and [Alfie] Devine, they looked bright, they looked fresh.

"The difficulty you've got is if you

look at the game over the whole 90 minutes, I would probably say that we edged it. We had more opportunities in the game than them. But when the game finishes in the manner in which it does in the last ten minutes, where they had probably the better chances, it leaves you with a feeling of, yeah, take the point.

"I didn't think we deserved to lose the game. In the main, we played some nice football at times. The second half became a little bit more of a scrap.

When they made the changes, they looked more dangerous. We still had one or two chances. Mika's chance right across the front, Daniel [Iversen] makes a really good save. Casper [De Norre] flashes one just past the post.

Over the game, I was pleased with the effort that the lads put in."

Asked if a point shared was a fair reflection of the match, Neil said: "Probably. We certainly didn't deserve to lose it. I think if anybody deserved to nick it over the full game, we had more incidents in the final third than they did."

SPORT 31

EVANS EXTENDS LOAN

Alex Neil

‘NONSENSE’

George Evans in training

By Will Scott

© Millwall FC

ALEX NEIL dismissed reports linking him with the Middlesbrough job.

Reports emerged ten minutes after the Lions kicked off on Saturday that the Yorkshire club were eyeing up Neil as their first-choice target to replace the Wolves-bound Rob Edwards.

Neil was appointed Millwall head coach on December 31, 2024, guiding the Lions to within two points of the top six in his first season. He previously had stints at Hamilton Academical, Norwich City, Preston North

© Millwall FC

Alex Neil dismisses Boro links

End, Sunderland and Stoke City, achieving promotion three times in his career.

He currently has Millwall sixth in the Championship after the opening fifteen games of the season.

Neil was asked about the reports by this paper following Millwall's 1-1 draw with Preston at The Den. "I certainly haven't seen that, no," Neil said.

"It's not even on my radar. I don't even know anything about it. It's the first time I've heard about it.

You've caught me off guard with that one. Nonsense."

By Will Scott GEORGE EVANS’ loan deal with National League side Hartlepool United has been extended to January.

The 20-year-old goalkeeper has made seven appearances for the Pools so far, keeping two clean sheets for the National League side.

Evans made a decisive intervention in his most recent match for Hartlepool, saving a penalty as the Pools beat Halifax Town 1-0 away from home.

Evans first joined Hartlepool on

a 28-day loan in early October, six months after he made his firstteam debut for Millwall.

Injuries to Lukas Jensen and Liam Roberts meant Evans was drafted from the under-21s into the first team, and he started the final four matches of the season, having previously just made one senior appearance.

He won man of the match in the Lions' 1-0 win against Swansea City on April 26, making four saves to ensure Millwall left The Den with a clean sheet.

Evans signed a long-term contract with the club in the

summer.

After recovering from an injury earlier this season, he made three appearances for the under-21s ahead of his loan move.

Millwall’s other loanee, Adam Mayor, is enjoying a successful loan at ex-Lions boss Neil Harris’ Cambridge United.

The 20-year-old has made fourteen appearances for the U’s, scoring three goals.

Cambridge are currently twelfth in League Two, and have progressed to the FA Cup Second Round and EFL Trophy Round of 32.

Millwall trio called up for international duty

By Will Scott MIHAILO IVANOVIC, Dan Kelly and Max Crocombe have been called up for international duty during the international break.

Goalkeeper Crocombe will travel to South America for New Zealand's friendlies against Colombia and

Femi Azeez celebrates his strike against Leicester City

Ecuador on November 15 and 18, respectively.

Striker Ivanovic will link up with Serbia under-21s, ahead of their friendlies against Czechia on November 14 and USA on November 18.

Scotland under-21s have called up midfielder Kelly for their two European Championship qualifiers. The first

Azeez nominated for player of the month

By Will Scott FEMI AZEEZ has been nominated for the Championship Fans' Player of the Month award for October.

© Millwall FC

away in Gibraltar on November 15, then a home fixture against Bulgaria on November 18.

Promising under-18s duo Ralphie Beckwith and Lyndon Snelgrove also earned international call-ups.

Beckwith was called up by Wales under-16s for their three Football Federations Cup fixtures in late

Azeez found the net in four consecutive matches, all of which Millwall won. The winger also assisted Jake Cooper’s header in the Lions’ 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

Some of the strikes Azeez scored were sublime, particularly his stunning curled effort from outside the box against the Baggies.

Azeez has five goal contributions

October and early November. The midfielder excelled in the last of those, a 2-1 win over Turkey on November 4, scoring a penalty en route to winning man of the match.

Defender Snelgrove will be part of the England under-17s camp for their fixtures against USA, Ivory Coast and Australia.

in eight league appearances this season, nearly matching his previous campaign’s total of seven.

The 24-year-old is set to miss a couple of games after the international break after sustaining a mild hamstring injury against Oxford United.

THE OTHER NOMINEES INCLUDE: • • • • •

Rob Atkinson (Bristol City Joe Gelhardt (Hull City) Imran Louza (Watford) Brandon Thomas-Asante (Coventry City) Milan Van Ewijk (Coventry City)

Max Crocombe has made six league starts for the Lions

Watford kick off moved earlier

By Will Scott MILLWALL'S TRIP to Vicarage Road to face Watford on January 17, 2026, will now kick off at 12:30 pm.

The fixture was originally scheduled for 3 pm, but has moved to the earlier time slot and will be broadcast on Sky Sports+.

The Lions' derby against Charlton Athletic at home the

following weekend (January 24, kick-off 12:30 pm) will also be shown on Sky Sports+.

The news came as part of the EFL’s release of all broadcast selections of games up to and including March 2, 2026.

Matches after that date can still be selected for broadcast, and selections will be announced on a four-week rolling basis starting from February 1, 2026.

INSIDE

Sport Southwark

LIONESSES EXIT TO RIVALS PAGE 29 Alex Neil has won 47 per cent of league games as Lions boss

Mitchell suffers hamstring tear

By Will Scott BILLY MITCHELL will be sidelined for the next four to six weeks with a hamstring tear.

NEIL HAS THE GOODS Ex-skipper backs gaffer to emulate Scottish Millwall greats EXCLUSIVE

By Will Scott EX-MILLWALL CAPTAIN Stuart Nethercott compared Alex Neil to Millwall’s most successful Scottish managers, likening him to his former gaffer Mark McGhee.

Neil’s Millwall tenure started strongly. He inherited a side in free fall last December, and after an initial adjustment period, steered them to within two points of the top six.

Fifteen games into the current campaign, he has them competing for the play-offs in sixth.

Across the 38 Championship

games he has overseen as Lions head coach, he has won eighteen, drawn eight and lost twelve.

Neil’s record draws favourable comparisons to fellow Scots who have also excelled in SE16.

McGhee won the Division Two title with the Lions in his first campaign in charge in 2000-01, before guiding the Lions into the Division One play-offs the following season, where they lost to Birmingham City in the semifinals.

Nethercott was a crucial part of that side, making 52 appearances at the heart of one of the stingiest defences in the league.

McGhee’s countryman, John Docherty, went one step further

in 1987-88, leading Millwall to the Division Two title and promotion to the top tier for the first time in club history, while fellow Scot George Graham helped the Lions return to Division Two earlier that decade.

Nethercott thinks Scottish coaches are well-suited to Millwall.

“I see a lot of Mark in the gaffer at Millwall at the moment,” Nethercott told NewsAtDen. “They seem to have something in them - the Scottish managers that we do hire at the football club. I'm very interested to see how this season is going to unfold.

“Scottish managers have always done well, like the one before Mark [John Docherty]. There is something there. I feel that a

Scottish manager has always suited the football club.

“This manager here, I think he actually feels like he's found his football club. He's been to Norwich, he's been to Stoke, he's been to this and that, and he's probably thought to himself, 'This is a bit of me, this.'

“Mark was actually the same way.

He found his home. He absolutely loved the time he had there.”

Neil spoke in glowing terms about his time at Millwall so far after his side’s 1-1 draw with Preston North End. “It's a really family-oriented club,” Neil said. “Brilliant people, great players in terms of just good, solid lads that work their socks off. I've loved my time here so far.”

The 24-year-old midfielder started in Millwall's 4-0 loss to Birmingham City, but was not part of the squad that drew 1-1 with Preston North End four days later.

Mitchell has made nine appearances in a season where he has also been hampered by a quad injury sustained in mid-August, which ruled him out for a month and a half.

Neil addressed Mitchell's absence after the Preston stalemate.

"He's going to probably be out for four to six weeks," Neil said.

"It's frustrating because he played against QPR. He came back, missed the next game through illness. We then kept him on the bench and started with Derek [Mazou-Sacko], and only gave him 30 minutes just to ease him back in.

"He then played the other night, he only played 75 minutes. We took him off precautionally to try and keep him fit for the next one, which would have been today, and he was fine.

"Then he wakes up the next morning after the game and reports that his hamstring's feeling tight and he's a little bit worried about it. We get it scanned, and he's got a tear in there."

Neil also said it was not guaranteed that any players who missed the game would be available for Millwall’s clash with Portsmouth after the international break, with Femi Azeez, Alfie Doughty, and Steven Benda all expected back towards the end of the month.

Billy Mitchell THE RECYCLED PAPER CONTENT OF UK NEWSPAPERS IN 2014 WAS 83.5%