5th March 2020

Issue 1469

Established: 1987

50p

March 5 2020

www.southwarknews.co.uk

Millwall exclusive

Meet the rookie keeper who could find himself thrust into play-off race

Squat off!

SEE PAGE 38

Council and school in legal battle to evict squatters

Snake found in a Henry Page 3

CoronaVirus: everything you need to know Page 4

Meet the 82 year-old glass blower SEE PAGE 8

Page 9

2 NEWS

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

Contents NEWS Pages 2-19 OPINION Pages 20-21 arts Pages 22-23

Peter JOhn hails ‘decade of delivery’ as heCouncil steps down leader: ‘15,000 new

HISTORY Page 24

By Katherine Johnston

family announcements Page 26 classified Page 27 PROPERTY Pages 28-29 jobs Page 30 Public notices Pages 31-33 SPORT Pages 36-44

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katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Peter John has described Labour’s ten years in power at Tooley Street as a ‘decade of delivery’ despite ‘unprecedented cuts’ and ‘tough economic circumstances’ in his resignation letter.

As the News reported last week, on Wednesday night (February 26), Cllr John told Southwark Labour Group, and the full council assembly, that he was stepping down after ten years at the helm.

He has now confirmed his last day will be Wednesday, March 25, the next council assembly, when the new leader will be elected.

Housing cabinet member Kieron Williams and

homes, over 40,000 new jobs; over 5,000 new apprenticeships’

Johnson Situ; who holds the planning portfolio, are tipped as early runners.

In his letter, John positioned his legacy as one of navigating central government cuts whilst pushing forward an ambitious programme of growth and “major investment in every community.”

“From Blackfriars to Canada Water; Peckham to Elephant and Castle; Bermondsey to Old Kent Road; and London Bridge to Camberwell, that investment has brought 15,000 new homes; over 40,000 new jobs; over 5,000 new apprenticeships which we have helped to create as a council, and millions of square feet of new office and leisure space,” he said.

Southwark Council’s chief executive, Eleanor Kelly, described him as ‘an amazing leader’ and

working alongside him as an ‘absolute honour’.

Southwark Labour MPs paid tribute to his tenure, including Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP Neil Coyle, who said: “Southwark has had a frontline champion in Peter John defending local people from national government cuts and building a positive legacy for Southwark Labour.”

Harriet Harman, the Camberwell and Peckham MP, thanked John for ‘tremendous years of leadership’ and ‘outstanding determination’.

Across the political divide, Liberal Democrat councillor David Noakes said: “Although I don’t agree with all the things that have happened over the last ten years I applaud his strong commitment to local government and public service.”

in the form of car parking charges and controlled parking zones (CPZs) and instead focus on making money.

Tourist levies have been put in place in many cities around the world, including those struggling with the effects of ‘over-tourism’, such as high numbers of properties being taken out of the rental market and instead being let for short term stays, including Airbnb homes.

Cities in France, Italy and Germany all have some form of levy. This year Amsterdam in the Netherlands joined their ranks with a room rate and further increased charge for visitors staying in Airbnbs.

Across the UK local authorities have been debating the idea since Edinburgh first voted in favour. Funds raised will help manage large-scale events and infrastructure affected during peak tourist season. A Local Government Association survey found 53 per cent of UK residents would

support the scheme.

MPs have warned that it could have a negative impact on struggling hotels. An all-party parliamentary group for hospitality argued that if this type of tax is to work long-term there would need to be a VAT reduction on hotels to help protect the industry.

Councillor Victoria Mills, the council’s cabinet member for finance, performance, and Brexit, said there was a lot more work to be done to before seriously considering the scheme.

“We are always looking into new ways to innovate financially, and this includes investigating introducing a voluntary tourist tax,” she said.

“However, it would have been irresponsible to vote for the Lib Dem budget proposal as without significant further work we cannot yet know how much money a tourist tax would generate.

“We should not make budget decisions based on conjecture and guesswork.”

Tourist Tax for Southwark is voted down for time being

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Labour councillors have refused to commit to backing an optional ‘tourist tax’ on hotel stays in Southwark.

The scheme was proposed by the Liberal Democrats at last Wednesday’s council assembly.

They say novel ways of generating income will be the only way to protect people living in the borough from increased charges and fees.

Currently councils have limited powers to implement mandatory charges, but many are lobbying in favour. But they can get around this by making it ‘opt-in’. Boroughs to do this include Hackney.

Speaking at the budget-setting council assembly on Wednesday, February 26, Bermondsey councillor Humaira Ali called on the Labour-run local authority to stop passing costs onto residents

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

Campaigners on Heathrow victory

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Climate campaigners in Southwark are ‘jumping for joy’ after the government’s Heathrow expansion plans were blocked by the Court of Appeal.

Last Thursday (February 27) the court declared plans for a third runway illegal after declaring climate change had not been adequately taken into account including how the UK could meet its Paris Agreement targets.

The ruling is a victory for climate campaigners - including Friends of the Earth which lodged the appeal - and lobbying groups who say more noise pollution would make the lives of those living in flight paths a misery.

It is expected that Heathrow will challenge the decision, but not yet known whether the government will continue pushing for the expansion or scrap the project.

Claire Sheppard, from Nunhead, who stood as the Green Party’s candidate for Camberwell and Peckham in last December’s general election, was at the court to hear the ruling.

She said she was ‘jumping with joy’, describing the judgement as “amazing news. A victory for the planet and the campaigners who have fought so hard.”

Green Party co-leader, Jonathan Bartley, who stood as its Dulwich and West Norwood parliamentary candidate last year hailed it as “great news but in the face of the climate emergency Heathrow expansion should be permanently grounded.”

In a formal statement, on behalf of the No 3rd Runway Coalition, Paul McGuinness said: “With both the committee of climate change and economists suggesting that Heathrow expansion would have been an assault on the regions, the project is no longer politically acceptable either.”

Extinction Rebellion Southwark described it as a ‘momentous decision’ and a ‘historic result’.

“Opposing Heathrow expansion is a momentous decision. The first ruling against a high-carbon project based on the Paris Agreement that will undoubtedly cause a ripple effect. It confirms what we already know: change is coming.”

The Southwark News is proud to be the only independent, paid for newspaper in London Editor: Kevin Quinn Deputy Editor: Katherine Johnston Chief Reporter: Josh Salisbury Sports Editor: John Kelly Arts Correspondent: Michael Holland Weekender Series Editor: Laura Burgoine Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips Sales Manager: Tammy Jukes Advertising: Clarry Frewin, Lorraine Wood, Samantha Ratcliffe Design: Dan Martin, Aurelio Medina Finance: Em Zeki Subscriptions/Announcements: Katie Boyd Managing & Commercial Director: Chris Mullany Managing & Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn Published weekly on a Thursday at: Unit A302, The Biscuit Factory, Drummond Road, Bermondsey, London SE16 4DG. News and Sport: 020 7231 5258 Advertising: 020 7232 1639 News: news@southwarknews.co.uk Advertising: ads@southwarknews.co.uk Printed by Iliffe Print. Tel: 01223 656500 www.iliffeprint.co.uk

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.

Both directors live in the borough. 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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Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 3

Bermondsey

‘Oh MY God! There’s a SNAKE in my Hoover’

Called Mavis, the serpent will be rehomed

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk A Bermondsey woman has told of her shock after discovering a snake hiding underneath her hoover.

Kasia Radochonska was choosing her shoes when she spotted the corn snake slithering through the airing cupboard at her Cadet Drive home.

“I opened the cupboard in my flat where I keep my shoes and other bits and bobs,” she said.

“I looked at the vacuum cleaner and noticed something red, like rope. Then it moved and I thought: ‘Oh my god, it’s a snake!’”

Ms Radochonska rapidly shut the door to make sure the snake didn’t escape and called the RSPCA for help.

She wasn’t scared, she says, because the snake is only small. “If it had been a spider, I would have run a mile!” she

Bermondsey

said.

Kasia knocked on doors of her flat to find if anyone was missing the snake but nobody claimed her.

The RSPCA’s Joe Tambini came to Kasia’s flat to take the snake away. “She was a bit cold so I took her to RSPCA Putney Animal Hospital where she was put in a vivarium to heat up,” he said.

“People are always surprised to hear that we actually get called out to collect lots of escaped snakes who have gone wandering around the neighbourhood.

“They can slither out of their vivariums and into stranger’s homes; we’ve even had some hide for months before coming out later, much to the householder’s shock!”

Now the little snake has been named Mavis by RSPCA staff – and if nobody claims her, she will be rehomed.

“I don’t know how she got into our flat, how long she’d been there or where she

came from,” added Kasia.

“You expect to spot a mouse in your flat, or a rat, or even a fox who might wander in off the street. But I never thought I’d find a snake under the Hoover!”

May the force be with you!

By Josh Salisbury

josh@southwarknews.co.uk Star Wars actor John Boyega made a surprise visit to a Bermondsey secondary school last week to give drama pupils advice on how to break into the competitive industry.

The unannounced celeb visit saw Boyega give a speech to Year Ten and Eleven students at Compass School on Drummond Road to give them tips on becoming involved in the film industry.

The Peckham-born star, who attended Oliver Goldsmith Primary School, is well-

known for playing Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy films.

“They were absolutely delighted,” said Benjamin May, a drama teacher at the school who organised the visit.

“I thought it’d be great for our young people. John’s a local boy from Peckham and a lot of our children have grown up in a similar area so they are familiar with his journey.”

During his speech, Boyega urged pupils to take full advantage of their time in school, saying it only happens once.

“One of the things he was saying is that you’ve got one chance, so make the most

of it,” said Mr May, who is leader of creative arts at the school.

“He also said a film employs a village of people, which was good for them to hear, because it gives them focus about what they want to do.”

The school is planning on continuing to work with the celeb and his representatives to encourage their students to get into the arts.

A possible event in September or October for pupils to learn more about the creative arts and how to break into the competitive fields is also being planned, said Mr May.

4 NEWS

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Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

Bracing for CORONAVIRUS outbreak COLA is virus free says head

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk A Bermondsey school has firmly rejected ‘unfounded allegations’ that any of its students had contracted coronavirus on a ski trip to Italy.

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Southwark Council’s public health chief has criticised the government’s ‘slow response’ to the coronavirus outbreak.

Cllr Evelyn Akoto, Tooley Street’s cabinet member for public health, tweeted this week: “I’m afraid the slow response has potentially allowed this virus to further spread.

“There are still reports of travellers coming from hot spot areas being able to come back into the country without the checks and information needed. I do think Southwark is more prepared than the government.”

This week the government raised the level of risk to ‘moderate’ after the World Health Organisation declared a public health emergency of international concern.

At the time of going to press there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Southwark.

However, 51 people had been confirmed as testing positive for the virus across the country, including in London.

Some are being treated at Guy’s and St Thomas’ specialist unit. By Tuesday, March 3, nearly 14,000 people (13,860)

returned negative tests in total across England.

Despite remaining relatively unscathed, the impact of the virus is already being felt in the borough.

Dulwich Prep reopened on Monday after a scare last week when a number of pupils returned from half-term trips abroad. As the News reported, the school closed as a precaution on Thursday and Friday after an NHS delay in returning tests for the virus.

And one man from Peckham has reportedly already lost his income due to the outbreak. The LBC caller named Keith said he had been laid off work as a tour bus driver due to a decline in overseas visitors to the capital. “Now, today, it’s affecting people’s jobs,” he said.

This week the government published its coronavirus action plan, which states: “In the event of the outbreak worsening, or a severe prolonged pandemic, the response will escalate, and the focus will move from ‘contain’ to ‘delay’, through to ‘mitigate’.

“During this phase the pressures on services and wider society may start to become significant and clearly noticeable.”

Possible measures could include school closures, working from home and reducing public gatherings including

large scale events like the London Marathon.

The government has warned that a widespread outbreak could be inevitable, but hopes containment measures could at least delay the number of cases until later in spring when the NHS will be in a better position to cope.

Southwark Council and Southwark Clinical Commissioning Group say they are putting plans in place to ensure the borough is well prepared if anyone tests positive.

Current advice is that the public does not need to avoid crowds or public places, and schools should remain open.

Evelyn Akoto

How to reduce your risk of catching coronavirus • Always carry tissues and use them to catch coughs and sneezes • Bin used tissues straight away and wash your hands • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at leasr 20 seconds– especially after using public transport • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands • If you can’t wash your hands with water and soap use sanitising hand gel • Avoid close contact with people who are unwell

What to do if you’re worried you may have the virus

What does self-isolating mean?

If you have been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus in the last fourteen days or you have been in close contact with someone who has the virus, do not go to your GP or hospital.

If there’s a chance you could have coronavirus you may be asked to self-isolate for fourteen days to help prevent the spread of the infection.

In this time you will need to stay at home, not go to work, school, or public places or use public transport or taxis.

You should avoid having visitors – though it is fine for delivery drivers or friends and family to drop off food or supplies.

Instead call 111 to speak to the NHS coronavirus advice service.

Staff and students at City of London Academy Southwark (COLA) went on the trip to Santa Caterina di Valfurva during the half-term break in northern Italy, which has been hit with an outbreak of cases.

Principal Mike Baxter said he had been advised by the authorities that a quarantine or school shut-down was not necessary as COVID-19 symptoms were not present.

A small number of other schools across the UK have taken the move following Italy skiing trips.

“There are no reported cases of COVID-19 from the resort, nor any of the surrounding towns and villages,” he said. In addition, the students travelled to and from the resort via bus, rather than flying.

“The government is not advising principals in my situation to shut the school or impose quarantines on staff and students.”

Government guidance is that those who have visited a region north of Pisa since February 19 should self-isolate for two weeks if they have symptoms.

Parents have expressed concerns following the ski trip, although pupils have not visited towns which have seen coronavirus cases.

Senior staff at the secondary school have reported no cases of pupils experiencing coronavirus symptoms, and said that on the available information any suggestion that students had contracted coronavirus was ‘simply untrue’.

The letter also states that attendance in classes today has been normal, while the school has extensively stocked up on tissues and hand sanitisers.

“I myself am a father of two young children and like you want to be assured that we are doing what is right,” added Mr Baxter. “I believe this to be the case.”

Gloves are on at the Beer Mile

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk A top Bermondsey beer mile business has barred its staff from touching punters’ glasses because of coronavirus.

Craft beer joint Cloudwater, which has a tap room on Bermondsey’s Enid Street, has instructed staff not to collect glasses from tables unless wearing gloves, and not to touch the rims or insides at all.

Following a virus preparedness meeting last week, the brewery has told staff they must wash and sanitise hands before serving every customer, and that they are not allowed to touch any body part while on-shift.

“The health of colleagues, friends, family, loved ones and the wider community is our main concern,” said the business in a message to customers.

“By maintaining the highest hygiene standards and sharing official advice

with our staff and customers, we hope we can play our role in limiting the spread of Covid-19.”

The Bermondsey business fears that any dramatic fall in sales due to a sustained outbreak of coronavirus in the UK would have a ‘catastrophically damaging risk’ to the company.

In the worst case scenario, it said it would be forced to ask for discounts from its landlord and suppliers, but that it was “not in a position to accommodate sustained losses.”

Cloudwater will also cancel any travel to beer events abroad and said that it had noticed an impact on its suppliers who work in areas affected by outbreaks of the virus.

“Though cases are being announced and investigated all around us, we are resisting giving rise to panic or pessimism,” it added.

“Our thoughts go out to the great many people around the world who have lost loved ones, and those that are directly affected by Covid-19.”

Petition launched to guarantee sick pay for quarantined workers

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk There are also fears that workers could be left struggling without statutory sick pay if they are forced to self-quarantine or come down with coronavirus.

The government has warned it is plausible for a fifth of the workforce to be off-sick as a result of the virus.

Camberwell councillor James McAsh is one local politician to sign a petition

calling on the government to scrap the wage threshold for statutory sick pay – helping the estimated two million low paid workers who currently are ineligible.

“No entitlement to sick pay for self-quarantining workers choosing between having enough money to live, and putting others’ health at risk. If that’s the choice, the system is broken,” he said.

The petition, set up by the TUC, had achieved 12,585 signatures by Wednesday morning.

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

counter terrorist measures could curtail bermondsey beer mile

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk A Met counter terror cop has warned that the Bermondsey Beer Mile could be vulnerable to a vehicle-driven terror attack.

banks shut down by eco fighters

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Greenpeace activists shut down Barclays bank branches across the borough early this week in a protest against fossil fuel investments.

Barclays in Butterfly Walk, Rye Lane and Lordship Lane were all rendered out of action on Monday (March 2) after protestors disabled the doors to stop staff from entering. Across the country, nearly a hundred Barclays were targeted, with slogans including ‘Stop Funding Fossil Fuels’ and ‘Stop Funding the Climate Emergency’ plastered over the shopfronts.

Barclays is one of the biggest funders of fossil

fuels in Europe’s banking industry, investing $85 billion between 2016-2018.

“Barclays must stop funding the climate emergency, that’s why we’ve taken action in London and across the country today,” said Morten Thaysen, a climate finance campaigner at Greenpeace.

“From floods across the UK, to bushfires across the globe and record heat in Antarctica, the impacts of this crisis are staring us in the face.

“Yet Barclays keeps pumping billions into fossil fuel companies at exactly the time we need to stop backing these polluting businesses.”

Barclays did not respond to a request for comment before the News went to press.

Photos by Greenpeace

The comments come in a review of licensing measures for Druid Street and Enid Street due to be considered by councillors on Monday.

However, counter terror advisors stressed that there is no intelligence that such an attack would be likely on Druid Street, and that other Southwark locations would likely be considered higher risk.

“A tactic used regularly by terrorists in recent years is to attack crowded places using a vehicle as a weapon, aiming to knock down as many people as possible,” said Met counter terrorism security adviser, Stewart Sharland.

“Although there is no intelligence indicating that Druid Street is likely to be the target of an attack, given the straight nature of the road and limited escape routes, a ‘vehicle as weapon’ attack against patrons of licensed premises either seated or standing outside may be considered

viable.”

He added: “I am of the opinion that there many similarities between this location and the vulnerabilities present on the road bridges of London.”

The town hall’s licensing committee will decide on a range of options for the areas in front of breweries where punters gather with a drink.

Measures could include removing any outside areas from Druid Street, a footpath outside the railway arches on Druid Street between Abbey Street and Tanner Street or secured barriers to make sure people stay within the premises of the taproom.

Concern has also been raised about pedestrians wandering into the road on Druid Street, leaving them vulnerable to collisions with a car.

According to consultants who were contracted to carry out a safety review of the road, pedestrians were frequently seen walking into the road “leaving them particularly vulnerable to conflict with an on-coming vehicle or cyclist.”

Some punters of the breweries were also observed standing outside the cordoned-off area, again leaving them more susceptible to being hit.

NEWS 5

6 NEWS

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Record numbers of pupils get their first choice secondary place

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Southwark has recorded the highest number of firstpreference secondary school offers since 2009.

According to statistics compiled by Southwark Council, 65.3 per cent of pupils (1,924 in total) received offers from their top choice – up by 5.8 per cent from last year. Across London, 68 per cent of pupils gained first-choice offers.

In Southwark, 93.3 per cent of pupils were given a place at one of their six chosen schools. The remaining 197 families have been offered an alternative school place. Nearly all families submitted their applications on time, Southwark Council said.

Cllr Jasmine Ali, Southwark’s cabinet member for schools, said: “I know that secondary school is the foundation to a great start in life for the borough’s young people and I wish them all the best for a superb secondary education in Southwark and a great future ahead.”

Danyl Johnson

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

digs approved despite mass objections Bermondsey Spa to house 185 students

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk Plans for student accommodation next to a Bermondsey Buddhist centre were approved this week despite hundreds of objections.

The proposals, given the green light on Tuesday, will see a four-to-six storey building created to form 185 student bedrooms on Spa Road.

Although not linked to a specific university, a report put before Southwark’s planning committee notes that it is close to many major universities, including LSBU and University of the Arts London.

In consultation, the overwhelming majority of responses were objections.

Concerns initially voiced by the Kagyu Samye Dzong Buddhist Centre included the harm the accommodation could do to the heritage of its building, which is the former Bermondsey Public Library.

Since revisions were made to the scheme, including the removal of a storey and a reduction in bedroom numbers, the Buddhist Centre

withdrew its objection.

“It would provide good quality student housing and would not cause unacceptable harm to the amenity of neighbouring properties,” the report states.

“Planning obligations would secure the necessary highway works, transport improvements, travel plan and management arrangements.”

Over three rounds of consultation, the council received around 390

objections. Some of these objections related to an earlier iteration of the application before changes were made.

Fears raised include impacts on the centre, height and size of the building, loss of privacy and added pressure on transport.

However, six local businesses have voiced support for the application.

The developer submitted 149 signed leaflets from students in favour, which

council officers said they had not counted towards the total number of objections logged.

Those that have left messages of support in favour of the application note that there is a need for student residences.

“From the point of view of a neighbour and a student, I think it is incredibly important to continue to develop the availability of residences in the city and beyond,” said one.

support and fun activities.

Alongside the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme it also has given young people the opportunity to try sports like fencing and kayaking.

Runhead AC was set up in 2016 by local friends united by their love of running, beer, and raising funds for

charity.

It now has over 50 members and has raised over £4,000 for Westminster House. Its founders described having their own beer as a ‘dream come true’.

“The fact that the beer is in collaboration with Brick Brewery, somewhere we ran from in the very early days, and Westminster House Youth Club, a charity we have a strong history of supporting, makes it taste even sweeter,” said founders Anthony Matthews and Leonie Hope.

It launched on Sunday, March 1, with a party at the Blenheim Grove taproom where the runners enjoyed a refreshing pint or several after completing the Big Half.

Brick Brewery describes it as having notes of grapefruit and orange from its Simcoe and Amarillo hops.

brewers and runners go the ‘extra mile’ to support nunhead youth club

Hawkslade Road residents in Nunhead are all lottery winners

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk A group of neighbours in Nunhead are celebrating today after being announced as winners of the People’s Postcode Lottery’s daily prize.

The five Hawkslade Road residents won £1,000 each on Tuesday, March 2.

The People’s Postcode Lottery says a minimum of 32 per cent of its ticket sales go directly to charities.

One of the organisations to benefit from this draw is Oxfam, which has gained over nine million in funding from players. A total of £500 million has been raised for good causes at home and abroad.

People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador and former X-Factor semi-finalist Danyl Johnson said: “Congratulations to our winners, I hope this news has made their day!”

For more information visit www. postcodelottery.co.uk

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Brick Brewery has launched a new charity beer to raise funds for a Nunhead youth club.

Extra Mile is a four per cent Session IPA, and a collaboration between the

brewery and running club Runhead AC to raise money for Westminster House Youth Club.

One of the country’s oldest youth clubs, Westminster House works with young people aged eight to eighteen, helping them make positive life choices and benefit from educational

Capel Manor College

Enfield Brooks Farm Regent’s Park Gunnersbury Park Mottingham Crystal Palace Park

Are you passionate about animals, nature and the environment?

Visit an Advice Evening to discover our unique range of full and part-time courses for young people and adults.

Wednesday 11 March 2020 Taking place at all campuses except Mottingham

capel.ac.uk www.southwarkhomeowners.co.uk SOUTHWARK HOMEOWNER COUNCIL IS PLEASED TO INVITE YOU TO

HOMEOWNER SPRING 2020 CONFERENCE Saturday 7th March 2020 William Booth College, Champion Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8BQ The conference, organised by fellow Southwark Homeowners, will give Leaseholders and Freeholders who live in Southwark Council managed properties a chance to find out about their rights and responsibilities. In addition, it will provide an opportunity to hear from various independent organisations about the services and support that are available to them. It will also enable delegates to meet their representatives and peers.

For Homeowners - By Homeowners Please tell your fellow Homeowners 9am Registration 10am Conference Start 4.45pm Conference Finish 5pm Doors Close Morning Coffee & Afternoon Break Lunch Provided 1.30-2.15pm Easily accessible Directly across from Denmark Hill Railway/ Overground Station

Presentations and Panel Discussions from the Council, Independent Professionals and Leasehold Campaigners with opportunities to ask questions.

Council Officers will be also on hand to answer your questions and help with understanding how your bills are calculated.

Information stalls.

One-to-one meetings with Service Charge Staff, Citizens Advice Leasehold Team.

If you are a Southwark Council Homeowner, You should be there: Register for a free place

www.southwarkhomeowners.co.uk/conference-registration

Confirmed guest speakers and experts include: CONFERENCE MODERATOR Martin Boyd Chair of Leasehold Knowledge Partnership.

SPEAKERS Cllr Kieron Williams Cabinet Member for Housing Management and Modernisation Helen Hayes MP Dulwich and West Norwood Michael Scorer Director of Housing & Modernisation Amanda Gourlay Barrister Mari Knowles Solicitor Commonhold and Leasehold Experts Limited Katie Kendrick Founder National Leasehold Campaign Cath Williams Founder National Leasehold Campaign Sebastian O’Kelly CEO Leasehold Knowledge Partnership

www.southwarkhomeowners.co.uk

8 NEWS

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Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

Squatters take over empty nursery

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk Squatters have taken over a disused nursery by Rotherhithe Primary School, sparking a legal battle by the school and council to have them removed.

As the News went to press, senior staff at the school were meeting with parents about an estimated five people who claimed squatters’ rights over the kids day care centre on Monday night.

The building looks onto the primary school playground, separated by a fence, with a Year Three classroom reportedly among those closest to the area squatters are residing.

Once concerned parent told the News he would not be taking his two stepsons into school until the squatters had left – and estimated another ten parents at least were taking the move.

In a letter sent to parents on Tuesday, the school said it was vigilantly monitoring the situation and that all access points to the Day Centre had been secured.

“We are requesting and urging parents not to make contact with the squatters or engage in communication with them,” said school authorities.

“The police and local authority have given advice and we are currently being supported by the legal team to take the necessary legal action to address this occupation.”

Rotherhithe Primary School did not return a request for further information by the time of publication.

One worried father, who gave his name as Jack, said he was unhappy at how the school had handled the squatters, thought to be four men and one woman.

“We’re really worried about it. We found out yesterday, the school didn’t send out a letter to every single parent, we got told by another parent,” he said.

“We had a meeting this morning with the school and it felt like they were making excuses for them.”

On Tuesday night when he discovered that the building had been occupied without the school’s permission, Jack went down to the premises, which has only one gate separating it from the playground, to talk to them.

“The first time, I said ‘my kids go to this school’

TfL blamed for spiralling bridge costs that hit £600m

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk TfL has been accused of getting the figures wrong on the Rotherhithe Bridge by the chair of London Assembly’s transport committee.

And he said, ‘I have a right to be here’ and something regarding squatters’ rights.”

“He said, ‘You’re more than welcome to come around.’ He seemed to be treating it like it was his own house. He found it on a Facebook group for squatters.”

Southwark Council said it may take a bit of time for the individuals to be evicted, but that it wanted to reassure parents it was well-versed in the process for securing squatter evictions.

“We are currently working with the school and the police to carry out the legal process of eviction,” said Cllr Jasmine Ali, cabinet member for children, schools and adult care.

“The council’s legal team is supporting the school while we deal with the issue, which may take a bit of time but will be permanently resolved as soon as possible.

“Where any of the squatters have genuine housing needs, this will be identified as part of the process to vacate the building before it is more securely sealed to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

She added she wanted to thank parents for their patience while the situation was being dealt with.

A bridge spanning the river between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf was junked by TfL in June when cost estimates spiralled to higher than £600m.

Instead a ferry service has been proposed as TfL’s preferred cheaper option.

Originally the bridge had been estimated to cost around £120m, before jumping to more than £600m two years later – a more than fivefold increase.

Now chair of the transport committee, Navin Shah AM, has written to TfL to urge them to review its planning for big infrastructure projects, so that they are not derailed by unrealistic costings.

“How did TfL get its sums so wrong?” he asked.

“This major infrastructure project is key to unlocking this part of east London in terms of active transport links, jobs and homes.

“A ferry service between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf is a much cheaper alternative, but we have questions over its cost, frequency, commencement of the service and whether it will be free to use.”

Mr Shah added that he would be grilling the transport body over the cost of the ferry to passengers, the types of ferry used and land purchases needed to make the ferry viable.

Announcing the decision to stop the bridge in June last year, deputy mayor Heidi Alexander said: “TfL has done everything possible to explore options for making this project viable.

“Despite considerable effort to minimise the costs of a bridge at this location, the sheer scale and complexity of the engineering solution that would be required means it is currently unaffordable.”

homeowners conference expects record numbers

Southwark Council reps and lawyers will take questions from the floor

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk

The next Southwark Homeowners Conference is being held this Saturday at Camberwell’s William Booth College in Champion Park.

Organised by Southwark’s Homeowners Council, the public event gives leaseholders and freeholders who live in Southwark Councilmanaged properties the opportunity to learn more about their rights and responsibilities, how to challenge decisions, and resolve disputes.

Speakers include Southwark Council’s Michael Scorer, the strategic director of housing and modernisation, and Cllr Kieron Williams, the elected cabinet member responsible for housing.

Barrister Amanda Gourlay, an expert in property

and lease law, will also be giving a presentation, and the founders of the National Leasehold Campaign, a lobbying group with more than 17,000 members, will discuss their achievements so far and how leaseholders can unite to effect change.

Dulwich and West Norwood MP Helen Hayes is also lined up as a keynote speaker. Hayes has been involved in drafting proposed reforms to the leasehold system in Westminster.

Discussion topics will range from service charges to major works in Southwark, and new legislation that will affect all leaseholders.

Experts from the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and Leasehold Knowledge Partnership will also be addressing the audience, whom will have ample opportunity to put questions to the panel.

Attendance is expected to be very high. Last year’s event in October saw more than 360 people join, believed to make it the largest leaseholder event of its kind ever in the UK. The conference will be held on Saturday March 7 between 9am-4.15pm at The William Booth College, Champion Park, SE5 8BQ. Registration is on a first come-first-served basis.

If you have any questions, please phone 020 7525 1139 or email: resident.involvement@southwark. gov.uk

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

Glass half full

I’m 82-year-old.

I might be the oldest glassblower in the world

By Laura Burgoine

news@southwarknews.co.uk As glass-blowing artist Peter Layton celebrates his studio’s ten year anniversary on Bermondsey Street, he looks back on its beginnings, down river.

Now 82-years-old, Peter, who was born in Prague and raised in Yorkshire by Austrian parents, opened his first studio in Rotherhithe in the late ‘70s, on the river near the Mayflower pub. “It was deserted, on this little Dickensian street and it was just the right space with a tin roof,” he recalls. “There were derelict warehouses on each side. I could’ve bought that for a song if I’d had the money.”

Trained as a potter in ceramics, Peter was one of the pioneers of British studio glass, transforming it from an industrial medium to a collectable art form.

“We were all new to glass in the ‘70s and concerned about fire risks in the studios,” Peter says. “I’d worked at the Glass House in Covent Garden and they had flats above that always made me a bit nervous.”

“In the 17th century, it was seen as a fire risk so the Venetians were put on the island of Murano,” Peter continued.

With roots in Venice, Bohemia, and Holland, glass was seen as a family trade, where secretive skills were passed down through generations and chemical formulas were not to be passed on to outsiders.

“There were errant glassblowers wanting to sell their secrets, like industrial espionage,” Peter says.

In 1995, Peter moved his studio to Leathermarket

before making Bermondsey Street home.

“We’ve got some of the best glass-blowers in the country working here,” Peter says. “They help me with my work, and I help them with theirs. We’re all striving to achieve our own style. Often you go off on an avenue you didn’t imagine.”

The artist has created high-profile commissions for the Tate, the National Gallery, and even Prince Charles – for an exhibition at Buckingham Palace.

“He didn’t buy anything though,” Peter laughs.

“My work is inspired by painters, like David Hockney, Picasso, Georgia O’Keeffe, and also by travel,” the artist says. A recent trip to Japan was the source of inspiration for his latest collection.

The Bermondsey Street studio is open to the public, where people can watch the glass-blowers work.

“We try to make people feel welcome. It’s an enchanting process to watch,” Peter says.

They also host “experience day” classes for beginners, which are booked solid until May. Peter and his wife Ann, who runs the studio, live in East Dulwich and have always called south London home. The artist is showing no signs of slowing down.

“I suppose I’m getting a bit long in the tooth. I’m lucky to have very good help here with my work,” he says.

“I’m 82. I might be the oldest glass maker in the world...It’s all about evolution here. I’m an experimenter.”

London Glassblowing is at 62-66 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UD. Phone: 020 7403 2800 londonglassblowing.co.uk

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water only policy in primaries

By Josh Salisbury

josh@southwarknews.co.uk Southwark Council will ban drinks that aren’t water or low-fat milk from its primary schools from April.

behaviour and learning amongst our children.”

Moves towards allowing only water or low-fat milk in Southwark primary schools and nurseries began in February, with the change becoming compulsory in April.

“Promoting drinking water and banning sweetened drinks should kick start making healthier choices and improving children’s health from nursey onwards,” said Cllr Evelyn Akoto, who holds the public health portfolio for the council.

A ‘child obesity taskforce’ created by the mayor in 2018 reported its recommendations this week to tackle obesity in youngsters across the capital.

Mr Khan said he would be writing to Ofsted to ask that they encourage schools to offer healthier products as part of an aim to halve the number of kids living with obesity by 2030.

“It’s high time we faced up to the reality that our city has a child obesity problem,” he said.

He added he wanted all schools to follow Southwark’s lead in banning sweet drinks “to help improve the life chances of all young Londoners.”

Councillors led calls for a Black Cultural Centre in Southwark A new Black Cultural Centre could be built in Southwark after the idea was put forward by two Labour councillors, writes Katherine Johnston...

Backbenchers Maggie Browing and Jason Ochere have pushed the council to look into the viability of the project, saying that a new centre would celebrate the borough’s diversity and condemn the government’s ‘hostile environment’ policies. The centre could also act as a meeting space and hold community events. They are calling for £100,000 to be set aside for a feasibility study into the project.

Although nearly half the borough’s population identified as black, Asian or from another ethnic minority background, there is no existing formal centre in the borough – although the Black Cultural Archives is nearby in Brixton and Southwark is also home to The Africa Centre near Waterloo.

20mph speed limit

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk

sophie’s ballet school

By Josh Salisbury

josh@southwarknews.co.uk A new South Bank premises of the Central School of Ballet has been named after the Countess of Wessex, who visited to formally rename it last week.

The Paris Gardens site of the world-famous school is part of specially-designed facilities in Southwark, which will be fully operational by September.

Undergraduates and postgraduates will begin using the premises in summer in a phased move from its current home in Clerkenwell.

The state-of-the-art facilities were built with the help of a £3m council loan and a crowdfunding campaign.

“Our much-anticipated move will allow Central to provide

Opening in September the Central School of Ballet in South Bank has been named after the countess

exceptional facilities to match our world-class training for the benefit of our degree level students, for young people with an early passion for dance and the wider community to enjoy,” said director Heidi Hall.

Over 1,200 people use the school’s current facilities each week in Clerkenwell, but the new facilities will allow the school to offer classes to thousands more in Southwark, it said.

When fully completed, the school will have seven studios, a fully equipped studio theatre, study and resource centres. This will “rival dance training facilities anywhere in the UK,” said the school.

Cllr Peter John, leader of the council, said he welcomed the school’s move to Southwark “as part of our growing reputation as a cultural destination.”

TfL central London roads, including major routes in Southwark, will now be 20mph in a bid to reduce road deaths.

The new speed limits came into force on Monday. Borough High Street, Blackfriars Road and Great Dover Street are some of the major Southwark roads affected.

“I am absolutely determined to do everything I can to eradicate all deaths and serious injuries on London's roads and these new measures are a vital step along the way to helping us to achieve this,” said the mayor, Sadiq Khan.

The Met is planning a new speed enforcement team from April to police high-risk speeding areas, including the roads affected by these changes.

“Excessive speed unfortunately remains a common cause of serious and fatal collisions across London and the consequences can be devastating for those involved and their families,” said the force’s Andy Cox. According to TfL data, 131 people died in collisions on streets in the capital from 2016 to 2018.

Another 2,256 people were reported as seriously injured in collisions involving speed. Charities which campaign for road safety measures and cycling charities have welcomed the

measure.

“We see the devastation that speed causes every day, and the few seconds that are saved can lead to a lifetime of misery for a victim,” said Victoria Lebrec of the charity RoadPeace.

Southwark Council had backed the move in consultation. Concerns raised in the survey include longer journey times and fears that it was not needed at off-peak times.

TfL said it wanted to completely eliminate deaths and serious injuries from the London transport network by 2041.

The full list of roads affected: • Albert Embankment • Lambeth Palace Road, Lambeth Bridge • Millbank • Victoria Embankment • Upper Thames Street, Lower Thames Street, Byward Street, Tower Hill • Borough High Street, Great Dover Street • Blackfriars Road • Part of Druid Street (between Tower Bridge Road and Crucifix Lane), Crucifix Lane, part of Bermondsey Street (between Crucifix Lane and Tooley Street) • Part of Tooley Street (between Duke Street Hull and Tower Bridge Road), Duke Street Hill, Part of Queen Elizabeth Street (between Tooley Street and Tower Bridge Road)

Source: Googlemap

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan this week backed the mandatory move and said he hoped all London primaries would take similar steps to tackle child obesity.

The capital has among the highest rates of childhood obesity in Europe with almost 40 per cent of children in Year Six overweight or obese.

Health experts hope that banning sugary drinks will help children form health habits from a young age and tackle childhood obesity. Southwark’s new policy was announced this week at Tower Bridge Primary School.

“Children’s health and wellbeing are a top priority for us at Tower Bridge Primary School and the Bridges Federation, we are delighted to be leading the field by implementing the water only policy,” said executive head, Kate Wooder.

“We have already seen some great results with improved concentration,

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

Wed 15 – Sun 19 Apr ‘a captivating live theatre experience for little ones’ THE STAGE Presented by Theatre-Rites and 20 Stories High © Helen Murray

FOR AGES 4+

Advertorial

New Clock Tower For Market Place

Following the public consultation conducted from July to October 2019, the design team appointed to deliver the Made in Bermondsey regeneration project, Hayatsu Architects and Assemble, have been working closely with the community client team to finalise the plans in line with the consultation findings.

On Saturday 7th March from 12 noon to 4.30pm at Market Place, you are invited to the first in a series of public engagement events where you can come along, meet the team and discover more about the history and future plans, for the Blue. The design team will be constructing a full-scale model of the new market place Clock Tower along with the

amazing Castellers of London building a human tower.

Also there to entertain you will be balloon modelling, juggling and stiltwalking. To keep an eye on proceedings and give you a laugh are barmy bodgers, Dave ‘n’ Dave, the builders.

Saturday 7th March – 12 noon 4.30 pm, Market Place, London SE16 3UQ.

–

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

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NEWS 13

Bermondsey memories, meet

The timekeeper Gary Magold...

By Michael Holland news@southwarknews.co.uk Gary Magold was born in Guy’s to a machinist mother and a Master cabinet maker father on January 1st.

“Me mum went into labour on Christmas Eve, so me eldest brother Steve went round Aunt Maureen’s, and me dad spent that week in the Rising Sun having the best Christmas of his life”, says Gary laughing. Home was a bungalow in Jamaica Road until 1967 when the family moved to new flats in Emba Street where Gary, Steve and younger brother Chris grew up.

Gary’s mum was born in Dombey House, Dickens Estate, his dad in Llewellyn Street and the grandparents are also Bermondsey people. Family members signed up for WWI; some dying in battle, others returning without limbs, while his father saw action at the end of WWII, which all led to Gary’s connection to war memorials.

With a Master Carpenter indoors Gary grew up surrounded by wood: “Me dad made the grandfather clock in the living room with wood from when Powell’s Wharf was demolished.

“He saw me and me mates pulling wood out of there for a bonfire and said, ‘Oi! You can’t burn that, it’s oak!’

He made that clock and others I’ve still got - I’m a clockaholic.” As if on cue a medley of gongs and bongs filled the air as his collection struck the hour just as he spoke of dad getting a ‘tuppence ha’penny pay rise’.

His mother made clothes for the royals in a Tower Bridge Road firm: “They sewed Harrods labels in the

clothes they made for Prince Charles,’” he reveals.

Gary went to St James’ School, as did his dad, but when it was annexed at the top of Riverside School. “It had been bombed and they hadn’t rebuilt it by then,” he says. After that he attended Bacon School in Pages Walk. He recalls shopping at Whitehall Clothiers for his uniform and still smarts at how there was a special gym kit his parents had to buy!

“Holidays were a big family affair and we’d drive down to Bognor or Dymchurch in a rented minibus,” Gary remembers while looking over old photos. “We couldn’t afford to go away every year, but when we did it was to caravans,” he adds while bells chime another half hour.

Gary had his first job for 22 years until they closed and he was made redundant. This became a theme and he is proud of the fact that in his working life he never left a job - ‘Jobs

left me,’ he jokes.

He is the ‘Family Archivist - I keep anything and everything’ - and his home is testament to that: old photos, street signs, the Bermondsey Borough Council coat of arms, Peek Frean’s paraphernalia, plus a constant ticking and chiming from the clocks. He is surrounded by memories and his interest in Bermondsey’s history has made him one of the most knowledgeable. Plus, Gary’s interest in his local community has meant he has been instrumental in making Bermondsey better.

The first project he got involved with was getting swings erected for land abandoned when the wharves along the waterfront were demolished. His next journey into community work was joining the Friends of Southwark Park (FoSP) group, where he became the Treasurer. “There was a small committee having meetings in a room under Layard Square, and our first big step was going for Lottery money to improve the park, which was successful.” Finding people on the council who believed in the cause was key to their success and they have gone on to do wonderful things in the park.

The FoSP has been the force behind many improvements - extending the lake and bringing the boats back; having the bandstand rebuilt - and they still fight for more.

Campaigning for a better Bermondsey is in Gary’s blood, and with likeminded people he got funding to renovate the West Lane War Memorial that now has landscaped gardens and inscriptions in the Millpond Bridge pavement. More funding was granted to save a war memorial for local men

Me Dad made the grandfather clock in the living room with wood from when Powell’s Wharf was demolished… that went to the Boer War, which was moved inside St James’ Church.

Gary was also a major player in getting the caryatids brought back to their spiritual home in Rotherhithe.

The beautiful statues were once the only reminder of the bombed Rotherhithe Town Hall, standing proud on Lower Road until someone with a pen gave the order for them to be moved to the Heygate Estate, where they stayed for 30 years. That was until Gary read a book about his hometown that told him where the caryatids were located, which spurred him on to ensure their return. After a long battle they came back to a beautiful setting in Southwark Park.

Another role Gary has taken on is the Peek Frean’s Museum. He was involved with the Pumphouse Museum until funding cuts forced them to close. “I couldn’t bear to see all that stuff being thrown out,” he says. A meeting with a Workspace director got Gary and his museum partner Frank Turner free space in the old Peek Frean’s factory to exhibit all the Peek Frean’s memorabilia from the Pumphouse.

“The biggest problem,” begins the man who works tirelessly for the area, “was getting the replica of the Queen’s wedding cake remade after it was vandalised.” With a few phone

calls they had Warwick University and the British Sugarcraft Guild involved: the university scanned the damaged replica to make 3D prints, and each tier was sent to various branches of the guild to be recreated.

Gary’s current campaign is getting the legendary St James’ Church slide replaced. He was quick to tell me that “Fergus Carr, the great grandson of Arthur Carr, the Peek Frean’s Chairman who funded the original slide, has designed the new one, which is fantastic.”

I don’t think Gary Magold will fail in this endeavour.

14 NEWS

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Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

shopping centre Appeal despite high court ruling

elephant & castle

Do you recognise these men?

katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Housing campaigner Jerry Flynn has lodged an application for permission to appeal the High Court’s decision to approve the demolition and regeneration of Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre.

The application, made to the Court of Appeal, was made by Mr Flynn from the 35 per cent campaign for more social housing and affordable housing in the borough.

The move is supported by a coalition of activists – known as ‘Up the Elephant - who object to developer Delancey’s plans, already approved by Southwark Council and the London mayor. They will hold a fundraiser on Friday, March 13, hoping to raise funds for an appeal.

Mr Flynn said: “We were naturally disappointed that the High Court did not find in our favour. But we believe that this development is much too important not to do everything we can to get more social rented housing and a better deal for the traders, so we decided to go to appeal.

“We have had fantastic support from everyone in the local community and we will be building on that as we continue our battle.”

The three-year campaign has yielded fruit. Last month Southwark Council announced it would give an additional

£200,000 to help affected traders, some of whom are yet to find new premises for when the shopping centre closes in July this year.

Since the first application was submitted to Southwark Council’s planning committee, the development’s number of homes for social rent has increased from 33 to 116. Traders have also benefitted from more support including a temporary retail site – Castle Square – and relocation funding.

But Mr Justice Dove, at the Royal Courts of Justice, did not find in campaigners’ favour and, like the mayor, gave the development the green light.

Paul Heron, a solicitor from the Public Interest Law Centre, described the judgement as “far too forgiving of the advice that officers provided to the councillors which led to planning permission being granted.” He said there was a ‘robust case’ for a Court of Appeal challenge.

“Only about half of the traders have new premises and even those are often small and unsuitable,” said Tanya Murat, from Southwark Defend Council Housing, one of the campaign’s backers.

“Our campaign has managed to achieve a better deal for traders and the local community but the development is still not good enough.”

To donate to the campaign, visit www. crowdjustice.com/case/save-theelephants-diverse-com-appeal

Chief executive appointed at King’s to drive up standards

Photo by BTP

rotherhithe

By Katherine Johnston

By Katherine Johnston

katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Two men allegedly forced a passenger to hand over their cash in a robbery at Canada Water station.

British Transport Police say the incident happened at 11pm on Saturday, January 25.

The victim described being approached by two men who intimidated him into handing over £20.

Officers have now released an image of two men they believe have information that could help their investigation.

Anyone who can help identify them should text 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40. To stay anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk

Nunfest returns for Easter Saturday

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk

Nunhead’s free community music festival is returning this April for an ‘Easter Saturday spectacular’.

Back for its second year, Nunfest

A new site chief executive has been appointed for King’s College Hospital in Denmark Hill, tasked with improving standards for patients and staff.

will see more than 30 acts perform across ten venues. There will also be workshops and activities for children and families.

The announced line-up so far includes Lynks Afrikka; Clémentine March; Honey Hahs, JoeJas and the Nunhead Community Choir.

Held on April 11 from 1pm until late, the festival will be free as long as its organisers reach their crowdfunding target.

For announcements visit the Nunfest 2020 Facebook page.

To pledge, visit www.crowdfunder. co.uk/nunfestlondon

As the News has reported, King’s is still falling short of meeting the fourhour wait targets in A&E. Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors say not enough improvement has been made in key areas including mandatory staff training completion rates, and equipment safety checks, to move the hospital out of the ‘requires improvement’ rating.

John Palmer was hired for the newly created role, and will be tasked with improving the hospital’s performance, as well as working on its long-term planning.

Mr Palmer is currently the chief operating officer for the Welsh Cwm

Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, with responsibility for its three district general hospitals in Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf. “I am delighted to be joining King’s at such an important time in the organisation’s development,” he said.

“I am really looking forward to working with the senior team, clinicians, our staff and health system partners to deliver important outcomes for our population.

“I hope that my experience of delivering integrated care in proud, complex and deprived communities in south Wales over the last ten years will support the development and implementation of our own collaboration and transformational plans. I cannot wait to get started.”

He will take up the position of deputy group chief executive for King’s trust, and site chief executive for the Denmark Hill hospital, in late May 2020.

Southwark just isn’t Southwark without its EU citizens.

Register for settled status today To avoid missing out, apply by 31 December 2020 at www.gov.uk/eusettledstatus Get help with your application by calling 0300 123 7379 or visiting www.southwark.gov.uk/applyEUsettlement

16 NEWS

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Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

bermondsey

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk A Bermondsey man who helped to carry out a terrifying burglary has been jailed after he was found hiding in a wardrobe of a house used as a weed factory.

The court heard Alfie Taylor forced his way into an address in Gravesend, Kent along with two pals on July 11.

Two people sleeping inside were tied up and beaten before the burglars made off with jewellery and cash.

The 25-year-old was jailed for eight years last week for his role in the terrifying 1am burglary.

His associate, Baffour Amponsah, from Lewisham, was jailed for nine years while David Powell, from Gravesend, was given eleven years behind bars.

A woman, Elizabeth Woods, has also been jailed for fifteen months for hiding Taylor and Amponsah at a house where cannabis plants were

being grown.

Woolwich Crown Court heard how the victims were asleep upstairs when the three men barged into their bedroom demanding money.

The trio had their faces covered and were carrying knives.

Kent Police said the victims were tied up, punched in the head and ordered to lie face down on the bed by one of the men, while the other two searched the property for cash and jewellery.

One of the victims bravely managed to overpower the burglar holding them, pushing him out of the bedroom and locking the door. He then called the police and the trio fled.

When cops went to the scene, a sniffer dog tracked the burglars to a property in Thong Lane, also in Gravesend.

Woods was inside, but when police tried to enter she tried to set her dog on them. Taylor was found hiding in a wardrobe upstairs and Amponsah was hiding in a bed.

Downstairs, cops found 40 weed plants. The victims’ jewellery and cash were found at the address, alongside designer handbags, shoes, and £5,000 in cash.

“This was a violent burglary and an extremely terrifying ordeal for the victims,” said DC Rebecca Ward.

“Not only were they threatened with knives and tied up, they were assaulted without being able to defend themselves.”

“However, the bravery of one of those victims resulted in him being able to call us while the offenders were still in his home.”

Taylor and Amponsah were arrested at the scene and later confessed to burglary. The third burglar, Powell, denied taking part but was found guilty by a jury.

Twenty-seven-year-old Woods was also arrested and charged with perverting the course of justice, permitting the production of cannabis and possession of criminal property.

BURGLAR JAILED AFTER HIDING IN WARDROBE OF kent CANNABIS Factory

From left to right: Taylor, Amponsah, Powell and Woods

Council sets up a Renters’ union Clllr James McAsh

Exclusive

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk

How far gay rights have come since that 89 kiss

By Josh Salisbury

josh@southwarknews.co.uk Former EastEnders star Michael Cashman visited St Thomas’ Hospital to celebrate LGBT history month last week.

The actor made TV history in 1989 when he portrayed the first-ever gay kiss in a British soap.

The campaigner, who sits as a peer in the House of Lords, joined staff from the hospital’s LGBT network.

The network’s co-founder, Jayne King, said it was a welcome reminder of the progress that has been made.

“It was wonderful for Lord Michael Cashman to attend our LGBT+ History Month event at St Thomas’”, she said.

“Our LGBT+ Network gives a voice

to our LGBT staff and patients and to be joined by Michael, who has been doing the same for the whole country throughout his career, was a source of great pride.

“Having Michael with us is a great reminder of the incredible progress that has been achieved, while keeping us motivated to ensure that staff and patients of all sexualities and genders feel represented.”

Lord Cashman, who helped found Stonewall, gave a speech to thank nurses and doctors who treated his late husband, Paul Cottingham.

The activist also signed copies of his memoir ‘One of Them’ donated by his publisher. The event raised more than £200 for the Guy’s and St Thomas’ charity, said the hospital.

A new Renters’ Union will be set up by Southwark Council to help people in private housing lobby for better standards and take action against rogue landlords.

The council committed to investing £100,000 in forming the union in its budget for the next financial year.

Labour councillor, James McAsh, who pushed for the scheme, told the council a ‘crisis of greed’ had left residents at the mercy of rent hikes and poor-quality properties, when he addressed the budget assembly meeting last week.

“It strikes me there are two types of housing crisis,” he told his audience.

“There is a crisis of supply, when there are not enough homes, homes have been destroyed, like after World War Two. “The second type of housing crisis is a crisis of demand when there are too many people, like after the baby boomers in the 1970s. But we do not have that type of housing crisis now either.

“In one sense, there is no housing crisis at all. In 2011 there were more bedrooms per person in this country than at any point since the Black Death.

“No, we do not have an issue with there not being enough homes, we

No, we do not have an issue with there not being enough homes, we have an issue with homes being in the wrong hands; under occupied, empty, not being used properly - Councillor James McAsh

have an issue with the homes being in the wrong hands: under occupied, empty, not being used properly. We do not have a crisis of housing. We have a crisis of greed.”

It is estimated that a third of all homes in Southwark are now privately rented. The new union is the latest in a series of tougher measures from the local authority which has pursued high-profile prosecutions of rogue landlords and repeat offenders.

Southwark Council also runs two property licensing schemes and wants to introduce a ‘gold standard’ register of landlords to recognise and publicly list those who are best in class.

Southwark Liberal Democrat leader Anood Al-Samerai said the council should reverse planned cuts to legal advice and support services if it wants to help people living in

unsuitable accommodation. The Liberal Democrat opposition, who have been fighting against the cuts, abstained in the renters’ union vote.

"We think it is good to support positive ideas which come from the community,” Al-Samerai told the News. “However, it is ironic that Southwark Labour want to set up their own new body for renters at the same time as cutting independent legal advice for many of those renters who are in desperate need of legal help.

“Southwark Labour councillors should feel ashamed that they chose to cut funding from Southwark Law Centre and Southwark Citizens' Advice Bureau at this week’s council assembly when they could have cut their own propaganda instead."

Anood Al-Samerai, Southwark’s Liberal Democrat leader

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uNDER 18s

£450

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2. Online at www.millwalltickets.com

£410

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3. By phone on 0844 826 2004*

£350

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BARRY KITCHENER BARRY KITCHENER UPPER LOWER

DOCKERS UPPER

DOCKERS LOWER

uNDER 16s uNDER 12s

ZAMPA’S FAMILY STAND

COLD BLOW LANE Upper

*Purchasing restrictions apply in Zampa’s Family Stand. Visit millwallfc.co.uk for more information.

uNDER 6s

COLD BLOW LANE LOWER

1. Complete the downloadable form online from millwallfc.co.uk and bring it to the Ticket Office either in person or mail to: Ticket Office, Millwall Football Club, Zampa Road, London, SE16 3LN

*Calls to this number will cost 7p per minute from a BT landline. Calls from other networks may vary and from mobiles will be considerably more. Booking fees apply.

The call centre is only operational between the hours of 9.30am-5pm, Monday to Friday.

saver period deadline - 10th april 2020

Good Moooooos!

We’ve got £6m for community projects Surrey Docks Farm refurbished their community building What would you do?

Watch the video and share your idea by 30 April at southwark.gov.uk/cil

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

Four generations of pie and mash

By Michael Holland news@southwarknews.co.uk The historic name M. Manze over a shop door has been the sign of good quality pie and mash for over 100 years, and with the fourth generation of the family now proudly flying the Manze flag that tradition will not be stopping in the near future.

Rick Poole, his daughter Emma, and her husband Tom run the three M. Manze shops now that Rick’s brothers, Graham and Geoff, have retired. Emma concentrates on the social media, Tom, the business, while Rick, with his years of experience, looks after quality control in the kitchen. "It’s a good 3-way split,” says Rick, when I met him and Emma.

I needed some backstory so Rick obliged.

“The 87 Tower Bridge Road shop was originally a Cooke’s (The East London pie and mash dynasty). Robert Cooke’s daughter Ada married Michele Manze from the ice-cream shop at 85 Tower Bridge Road, and they were given 87 as a present.”

This became the first to bear the Manze name and is the empire’s flagship. But what about the Pooles, I asked? “The Pooles had a pie and mash shop in Shadwell in the 19th century and Ada was related to them too.”

Michele and Ada eventually had five pie shops. “Two in Chrisp Street, Poplar; Southwark Park Road, Peckham and Tower Bridge Road,” says Rick. “But between my grandfather and his brothers there were 14 pie and mash shops around London with the Manze name.”

As the other shops got sold off the buyers kept the Manze name above the door because it had built a reputation they wanted to keep, but it is just the Peckham and Tower Bridge Road establishments that have a true connection to the Manze name, plus the Sutton pie shop they opened in 1998 to feed the demand of Londoners moving to the suburbs.

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 19

What we’re asked most frequently is if we deliver to Europe, so we’re looking into that, especially Spain where there Emma recalls doing her first Saturday shift when she was 17 in Sutton, where her mum worked. Now, with children of her own (Albert and Arthur), she and husband Tom have taken the place of Geoff and Graham to work alongside her father.

I asked why she wants to work in this business: “It’s a passion, and we have the family history to carry on as well as the London tradition of pie and mash - I don’t want to let that tradition die,” she says.

Rick added: “It’s because of the whole tradition of pie and mash that I’m still here - My two brothers didn’t want to retire but due to age and health they decided to bow out.”

What’s changed? “Bringing in some new blood with new ideas is for the better,” he begins. “After 40 odd years you can get a bit stale so you have to change with the times, like with our internet chilled delivery business and local hot delivery, but you have to keep the core, traditional pie ’n’ mash and not move away from that.”

Emma adds, “Fresh eyes looking at the business can only be a good thing… What we’re asked most frequently is if we deliver to Europe, so we’re looking into that, especially Spain where there is a large number of British expats. At the moment we’re testing how long we can keep it chilled for… Yesterday, on Facebook, I was asked if we could deliver to Australia!”

“A new website is now up and running which makes online booking a lot easier as it’s more customer-friendly,” Emma continues. “It shows people what we deliver and that we deliver all over the UK;

it gets the message out to those people who moved out of London and think they can’t have their pie and mash anymore. The website also gives a bit of family history.”

“We’ve been doing deliveries for 15 years now… it’s grown into another business, more or less,” interjects Rick.

Over the years there were times when pie shops were under pressure. Rick recalls that “with the mad cow disease we were big on traceability and were able to say that all our beef was British, to say what farms we bought from, and because we butcher the meat ourselves we knew it was safe.”

How do you combat competition from all around the world now? “We keep plodding

on. Of course the number of customers changed - there was a time when we could open in the morning at 9 and stay open right the way through to 12 o’clock at night.

That kind of trade has gone; we now take all week to sell what we once sold in one day.”

And the future? “We’re looking to do more deliveries while never detracting from what our core business is.”

Emma says the vegetarian and vegan pies are very popular these days. “We get a lot of Deliveroo orders for them,” she says.

Before we finished, I needed Rick to dispel some longstanding myths: Liquor: “We haven’t used eel stock in our liquor for over 40 years now. We never

used that much before but changed the original recipe because some people were allergic to it.”

Upside down pies: “In the old days the temperamental coal ovens sometimes overcooked the pies, so we’d serve the pie upside down to hide the burnt crust.”

So there you have it from the experts, proving that the pie and mash in Ada’s blood from both sides of her family has truly trickled down through the generations.

Manze Pie and Mash is at 87 Tower Bridge Road, SE1 4TW. Phone: 020 7407 2985. www. manze.co.uk

20 OPINION

www.southwarknews.co.uk/letters

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

Comment Southwark

Green

from

Westminster

eleanor margolies

Eleanor Margolies writes about theatre and on environmental issues, and is an active campaigner for urban green spaces and clean air. www.eleanormargolies.co.uk @ellanOrnell

NEIL COYLE

MP for Bermondsey & Old Southwark

Make 2020 My visit to Dads House the lightbulb and farewell to Peter John moment

T

his week a big lightbulb went on above many heads in government and civil service.

On Thursday 27 February, judges at the Court of Appeal said it would be unlawful to expand Heathrow Airport because the government had failed to consider the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

The UK – along with 195 other countries – signed an agreement in Paris in 2016 to cut carbon emissions.

Now the government will have to look at every new project in this light. That must include the Silvertown Tunnel between Greenwich and Newham, a four-lane road-building scheme recently signed off by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. At a cost of £1 billion, this will increase pollution and do nothing to reduce congestion and car journeys. It’s been opposed by Southwark Council, recognising that the tunnel will make traffic worse.

The next Mayor could help us cut our carbon bill instead. Transport for London is the biggest user of energy in our city. But just 0.01% of the power for tube stations and bus stops comes from renewable sources like wind and solar. Imagine if all the bodies under the Mayor, including the fire brigade and police, used their purchasing power to boost renewable energy.

Here in Southwark, there is a great opportunity to do exactly that, as Southwark Council’s current energy contract is coming to an end. In 2019, the council spent almost £13.5 million on electricity. Its supplier, NPower, uses more coal than average (7.2 – 8.9 % as opposed to the national average of 5.2%) and much less wind and solar power (only 8.9 – 26.2%, when the national average is 32.8%).

Fossil Free Southwark is calling on Southwark Council to purchase 100% of its electrical energy from renewable sources. Not all the electricity used in Southwark schools is purchased by the council, so parents, governors, teachers and pupils can ask schools to switch contracts. And anyone can check their home supplier’s record, or start the conversation at their workplace.

Changing supplier is only the start.

TfL has 5,700 acres of stations, depots and offices and could install solar panels across London. Similarly, Southwark Council could install solar panels every time it puts scaffolding up to fix the roof on a school, or block of flats. Let’s make 2020 the lightbulb moment.

L

ast week I visited the charity Dads House, which helps single dads (as well as mums) and is based in the Elephant and Castle shopping centre.

They are the only community centre of their kind in Europe amazingly and have several fantastic initiatives including free legal advice sessions, a

foodbank, cooking classes, football and book clubs for kids and parents as well as a helpline open to all.

It was great to see how much practical support Dads House offers, particularly when I compare it to my own dad’s struggles in the 1980s due to mum’s ill health.

But it was also a reminder of how badly successive Tory/Lib

Dem Governments have failed parents and families since 2010.

Legal Aid, for example, was slashed by the coalition and thousands of families have been denied access to justice for issues like custody disputes and challenging unfair benefit sanctions or cuts.

For a decade it has fallen to charities like Dads House, which relies on donations, to pick up the pieces and I fear things will only get worse under the current regime.

Boris Johnson has already defended Universal Credit which is damaging so many people’s lives here in Southwark.

I’m pleased to have won a place again on the Work and Pensions Select Committee and it finally met again this week.

It took three months between December’s election and our first meeting due to government delays in appointing Conservative members.

Johnson seems scared of scrutiny, but I suppose his legacy of lies and deceit must weigh heavily.

I look forward to using my role on the committee to try and secure much-needed changes to social security policies leaving some people homeless, others reliant on foodbank handouts and even more in debt and arrears with rent.

Peter John is stepping down after

ten years as Leader of Southwark Council. Peter has overseen a positive decade of delivery for our borough in very difficult circumstances.

Since 2010 the council has lost a staggering £146 million in central government funding and been burdened with more responsibilities without the resources to match, as well as a growing population and ever-rising prices.

Despite the brutal cuts handed down by the Lib Dems and Tories nationally, under Peter John, our council has opened new libraries, provided free healthy school meals for primary school children, introduced free swim and gym use for all local people, paid the London Living Wage for council staff, and has the biggest council housebuilding programme in the country which has also created hundreds of new local jobs.

Peter has been an important shield for our borough against national government cuts and, despite Tory low expectations for local government generally, Peter has been innovative and ambitious for our community.

He exemplifies what Labour can achieve: winning back the borough, leading with vision, and overseeing a decade of delivery in Southwark that more than matches Labour values with local people’s needs and aspirations.

READERS’ VIEWS What the Dickens?

SOUTHWARK NEWS DIARIST

The beauty queen who was banished to Bermondsey: Elizabeth Woodville was considered a great beauty in the 1400s with ‘heavy-lidded eyes like those of a dragon’.

Those 15th century scribes and their barbed compliments.

Would fit in just right on Twitter.

- Claire Nash Thurlow, via Facebook

Council cuts to Citizens Advice Bureau and Southwark Law Centre ‘targets vulnerable residents’ Keep the richer rich and the poorer poor.

- Mike Mulcahy, via Facebook

This is disgusting.

- Chinyere Ok, via Facebook

Nunhead residents defiant over ‘unauthorised CCTV’ Get onto Harriet Harman. She was on the news saying she wants trees cut down to stop dealers hiding under them when a few kids were killed within weeks of each other.

- Jo Cook, via Facebook

‘If Marriage were a drug it would be a miracle cure,’ says Dulwich peer as he speaks out against divorce law changes He is an out-of-touch, happily married (since 1960 until his wife died) dinosaur. We all know [politicians] do not live in the real world.

- Kelly Gardner, via Facebook

Former Thorowgoods furniture shop in Bermondsey’s Blue to become a cinema I think it’s a great thing to have, it will bring people to the Blue, but it’s got to be more than just a cinema. The stalls have to be better.

- Kathy Heather, via Facebook

A three-screen cinema, community space and coffee shop, WTF it ain’t the tardis.

- Lisa Tomlins, via Facebook

If I was asked to provide any suggestions (which I won’t be), I would suggest that the people trying to make it happen, do some extensive research. Maybe they could show the latest big movies of an evening, and find some way of bringing back the Saturday morning kids cinema thing in a modern way. Also, they could maybe have some afternoon things on weekdays showing stuff like the old Pathé newsreels. There are a lot of elderly people in Bermondsey that can’t access things like Youtube, who would love to see all that old stuff again. It could also be educational to the younger generation.

- Tony Moorcroft, via Facebook

Binface on Tower Bridge One of Southwark’s biggest landmarks, Tower Bridge, could be renamed after the Fleabag actress, Phoebe Waller-Bridge if a mayoral candidate is successful.

The bizarre idea is the brainchild of self-declared interplanetary space warrior Count Binface.

Speaking as he launched his mayoral campaign last week, the former Lord Buckethead said: “I thought, why not throw my old bin into the ring?”

Other possibly implausible pledges include free parking between Vine Street and the Strand for electric cars only, bringing back Ceefax – and finally finishing Crossrail.

Rival candidate Rory Stewart has voiced his dismay at the challenge, saying the “unstoppable force” of Count Binface could scupper his chances of

becoming London mayor.

“I was almost winning - coming up into second place - convincing people that Sadiq wasn’t really the active mayor we need for the future … now this unstoppable force is coming up on the inside,” he said.

Could it be the bin wot wins? Watch this space.

Who gives a flying flag?

Readers will know flags have caused a lot of disputes of late.

Firstly a petition was started to get Southwark Council to take down its EU flag. Then another one asking it to keep it up.

Now a bizarre disgruntled reviewer has taken umbrage with the flag on the Mayflower Pub in Rotherhithe of all places.

The complaining customer says he asked the boozer why it had a torn American flag. It was ripped up by a drunkard, the pub apparently replied.

In a petty act of revenge, customer has vowed not to visit the establishment – and that they “dropped a ketchup cap out the deck at the back and never confessed at the time.”

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

www.southwarknews.co.uk/letters

OPINION 21

Dual crossword The Renters’ Union is needed to tackle rogue landlords and set standards in our housing crisis

R

enters are getting the worst deal in our housing crisis and until drastic action is taken to completely overhaul the housing market more people will be left at the mercy of rogue landlords.

Southwark’s social housing list is ever growing. The council also continues to lose its own homes through right to buy (which it doesn’t have the power to reform) and despite some welcome improvements its housing budget is still stretched.

Even in areas where overcrowding is not so acute, and rents aren’t as high as in Southwark, standards are often woefully poor.

This means councils have to take much more rigorous enforcement action on the slum landlords who fleece vulnerable people out of thousands a year.

From the tenants surviving from one month to the next teetering on the brink of financial collapse, to the councils picking up the pieces when renters find themselves unable to pay spiralling bills and to the buildings left mouldering from lack of investment while absentee landlords spend money elsewhere, it’s no wonder housing is one of the biggest causes of genuine heartbreak and frustration to our readers.

Many still keep up with the News but can no longer live in the borough. They tell us they left because, quite simply, it’s impossible to afford a family home without either 1) Having a million to spend or a £100k income 2) having a council home already 3) being very high on the list in a priority band 4) living in appalling conditions.

There are some fantastic landlords and the council is taking steps to ensure they are recognised as such, so people can make informed choices about who to rent from.

Some landlords may not be breaking the law, but they may not exactly be shining examples of good practice either – and here the Renters’ Union will be best placed to step in.

But ultimately it’s a sideshow to the really critical work needed – a huge investment in council house building.

cryptic Puzzle

25 Mast on cars that’s been realigned (6)

Clues Across

Clues Down

1 A clear red colour is found in wax (6) 7 Authorisation of availability with regard to a contract (7) 8 Giant flying creature after mother! (7) 9 A net for a French river (5) 10 Wide extents which could be high ones with a turn of the head (9) 12 She picked fruit the day before (3) 13 Game turned back by what beaters do (4) 15 A tribe at variance with rebel leader he will mediate (7) 17 A high time, one way or the other (4) 19 Got off a vehicle on fire (3) 21 A singer for a dance, unusually staid (9) 22 Heather one in a backward area of land (5) 23 Distinguished but incompetent? (7) 24 There’s equipment in the gang for a bandit (7)

1 All company slain, centre wiped out lodge a protest (8) 2 With regard to a speck in the distance (6) 3 Duck incorporating a ring is a child’s toy (7) 4 A polished explanation? (5) 5 Where to gamble that’s an offence in company (6) 6 A lake as seen in a summer evening (4) 7 Unruly head lords in a state (5,6) 11 He was terrible and awfully vain (4) 13 In this network, there’s a. Swedish girl (4) 14 A castle fixed on a headland (8) 16 Lace it’s variegated and flexible (7) 18 Source of circle on dress in fashion (6) 20 Wooden head of mallet found in ancient river (6) 21 To prohibit nearly everything is trivial (5) 22 Place of isolation for the Spanish graduate (4)

Quick Puzzle Clues Across 1 Method (6) 7 Opposite of windward (7) 8 Passivity (7) 9 Smallest (5) 10 Not entirely (9) 12 Longing (3) 13 Dispatched (4) 15 Sitting (7)

17 Locality (4) 19 Insane (3) 21 Wingless crawling animal (9) 22 More pleasant (5) 24 Storage space 24 Decayed (7) 25 Appearance (6)

Clues Down 1 Loose shoes (8) 2 Wine (6)

3 Weave (7) 4 Stomach (5) 5 Empty (6) 6 Prepare for publication (4) 7 Anarchy (11) 11 Trial (4) 13 To photograph (4) 14 Apartment (8) 16 Inauspicious (7) 18 Flower (6) 20 Adulterate (6) 21 Rogue (5

SOLUTIONS to last week’s Cryptic Crossword

Across: 6 Gratis 8 Shyster 9 Angler 10 Argentine 11 Sell 13 Scrap 17 Neutral 16 Feature 18 Bandy 19 Argo 21 Malingers 22 Tiered 23 Reserve 24 Radish.

Down: 1 Character 2 Esperanto 3 Vesta 5 Rune 6 Tiller 7 Stroll 9 Annex 11 Strangler 12 Landgrave 15 Tread 16 Factor 17 Agreed 20 Dives 21 Mews

Quick Crossword

Across: 4 Glider 8 Bayonet 9 Misses 10 Catamaran 11 Pare 13 Tends 14 Scarlet 16 Placate 18 Snout 19 Here 21 Antiquity 22 Emerge 23 Elector 24 Matter Down: 1 Bagatelle 2 Cowardice 1 Legal 5 Loin 6 Dismal 7 Russet 9 March 11 Pronounce 12 Reduction 15 Stone 16 Phlegm 17 Arrest 20 Villa 21 Ague

22 ARTS

www.southwarknews.co.uk/arts

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

Photo by Sofia Romualdo

what’s on

in Southwark

Jekyll & Hyde

The literature of Victorian Britain speaks of bleak, cold winters, and Fire Hazard Games’ interactive show sure lived up to this expectation as we played our way through Jekyll & Hyde in and around the streets of Waterloo, writes Christopher Peacock...

Initially guided by a cast of three who helped you to solve some initial clues and use the website for the game, you were then given a map and allowed to explore the area solving clues to discover what Mr Hyde did the night before.

Running around trying to discover what really did happen is the Victorian equivalent of a hazy Sunday morning waking up next to last night’s kebab, going through Instagram stories, checking the damage on the Uber account and looking through the last WhatsApp messages you sent.

However, once it got underway, the show turned into an adventure game that is now very common across the

The Lesson, by Conroy Maddox

From the Irrational to the Absurd Dr David Boyd Haycock has curated an exhibition of British Surrealism that, although it is considered a 20th century phenomenon, suggests its earliest roots were 400 years ago, writes Michael Holland...

He uses André Breton’s 1924 Surrealist Manifesto as the light which all the artworks here orbit; a manifesto he devised as an anti-war protest during the horrors of WWI. Once you gain entry into the exhibition through an excellent entrance, British Surrealism is broken down into themed rooms that take us through an exploration of dreams, unexpected juxtapositions, the aspirations of the Surrealists, the subconscious, automatism, and a big surrealist finish with the irrational and absurd.

Haycock talked us through each room, explaining why he had included certain works. Early copies of Lewis Carroll’s Alice books were there to

capital. The use of live actors helps to set the scene and a sense of urgency to the scenario. The star of the show, though, is the website, it is easy to operate and doesn’t penalise you for entering any wrong guesses.

The cover of darkness adds to the image of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson setting. Nevertheless, a February night out walking around SE1 could do with a couple of warm spots. The weather distracted from the pursuit when most of the time I was longing for a bit of warmth.

If you are well versed in adventure games, this is certainly a fine telling and will test your grey matter. But if staying in the warm is more your cup of tea, I would maybe see if Fire Hazard Games have a game running in the summer months.

Vault Festival, The Vaults, Leake St, London, SE1 7NN until Sunday 22nd March 2020.

Times: Tuesday – Sunday 7.15pm – 9.45pm. Admission: £21.

Phone: 0208 050 9241 www.vaultfestival.com

show his adventures into the absurd, as well as William Blake’s detours into the ridiculous. He told of how a Scottish newspaper exclaimed that ‘Hitler would not put up with this’ in their review of a Surrealists’ exhibition, which nicely countered the artwork created out of Hitler’s wickedness (Clive Branson: Blitz: Plane Flying & Sam Haile: Hitler Must Be Overcome).

But as in any art movement there are the naysayers, and Dr Haycock does not shy away from including Lucien Freud’s description of Surrealism: ‘I objected to the fact that under the laws of doctrinaire surrealism… it was easy for people of no talent to practise art. The work of an 8 year old child is included as many surrealists felt children’s sense of absurdity and honesty was the truest form of surrealism. And the notes tell us that some of the artists in the exhibition had excellent surrealist ideas but weren’t very good painters. Francis Bacon, conversely, was rejected for the 1936 Surrealist Exhibition ‘on the grounds of being insufficiently surreal’!

All exhibitions, however, come down to what you like and what you are indifferent to. I personally enjoyed the work of Leonora Carrington and Conroy Maddox.

Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, Dulwich, SE21 7AD until 17th May. Times: Tues - Sun 10am - 5pm.

Admission: £16.50, £8. Phone: 0208 693 5254. www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

www.southwarknews.co.uk/arts

ARTS 23

An Ode to Joy and Pain

Arts

Ed Gray doesn’t just look at something and paint it, but draws on everything to do with his subject for guidance and inspiration to create art that will ‘celebrate the energy of the city’, writes Michael Holland...

However, his latest painting, ‘Ode to Joy’ Old Palace Yard Westminster, has proved somewhat problematic for him, and this is due more to personal reasons than artistic.

The painting depicts the Leavers and Remainers who have made camp outside Parliament for years, protestors the artist has been sketching since 2018.

We all know that the whole topic of Brexit has been divisive throughout the land, and this division has dripped down into most people’s psyche over time, and for Ed Gray it has affected how he works.

Gray was born in the year Britain joined the then Common Market and says: “I’ve always looked inwards to my British roots and outwards to European style, fashion, art and films and new ideas.

“I’m married to an EU national who loves London and has paid taxes for 2O years for the right to be a part of it.

“My children have European and British passports,” he adds. “But it’s so much more than that. This city has been a place of migrants and migration for millennia. I can walk down to the beach by my home in Rotherhithe and find fragments of Roman and Dutch pottery.

Street names commemorate our links to Scandinavia. Europe is in our DNA.” I wanted to know why the painting had taken so long to complete: “It’s a complex scene to paint for all kinds of reasons, structural and personal.

Initially I made several versions but they didn’t capture the energy and passion that I was seeing on my research visits to Westminster.”

With such a personal attachment to the subject matter I asked why he chose it: “My work is an ongoing depiction of my relationship with London and I try to celebrate the energy of the city and the energy that comes from the people, so I had to paint this scene.”

Was it difficult? “It was complex. I was painting a moveable feast, working and reworking the painting while listening to - and reading - news coverage of a constantly shifting scene.

“I became angry and frustrated with the subject of Brexit and with the painting itself. I wasn’t even sure I would want to look at the painting when

I finished it, let alone anyone else. But as a painter you just have to paint as key things happen.”

But through a vortex of turmoil Gray came through. “The key to solving the problem was when I revisited the scene and looked down and carved beneath the feet of the protestors I saw there was a sundial with a quotation from Shakespeare’s Henry V that read: ‘To carve out dials quaintly, point by point, thereby to see the minutes how they run: how many makes the hour full complete, how many hours brings about the day, how many days will finish up the year, how many years a mortal man may live.’

“That sundial and the quotation led me to realise that I was painting about perceptions of time - the time that we had spent as members of the EU, the time that we had set ourselves to leave the EU by, the lifetime of those who were voting to leave and the future time of the children who will inherit the new age we find ourselves in.

“But the clock runs both ways.

I’ve never been one for flag waving; I remember the National Front in Whitechapel as a boy. All my life I’ve been proud that we have moved forward in time towards the anti-fascist country my grandfathers and their compatriots from Britain, Europe, India and the Caribbean fought for in two world wars. And so the painting references those far right movements that seek to rewrite our history and set the clock backwards.”

I had to spend a lot of time looking at the completed artwork when it was first shown to me in order to really soak it in, because it’s not a moment in time, like a photograph, but a gathering of events over recent years: the Trump Baby Blimp; the LibDems yellow bus; the placard slogans; the flags, the main players; the discarded headlines and litter, and the outfits. All the things that Gray had seen and had to work into this one magnificent painting that he built around a man singing Ode To Joy. I left the artist tidying up his studio in preparation for his next painting about the doctors, nurses and patients of St Thomas’s Hospital. He explains: “The banking crisis of 2008 and the austerity imposed has had devastating effects on the NHS. I went to St Thomas’s and sketched the people there.”

I hope that while the NHS is slowly dismantled as he works on his next painting, Ed Gray keeps himself together.

24 HISTORY

www.southwarknews.co.uk/history

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

History

Camberwell’s Champion de Crespigny baronets

Sir Claude Champion de Crespigny 4th Baronet

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Champion Hill takes its name from the eighteenth century’s Sir Claude Champion de Crespigny who owned an estate near to today’s Champion Hill in Camberwell.

The original Champion Lodge, in Camberwell

The first Claude Champion de Crespigny, (1620-1697) settled in England after the religious wars in France which saw the majority of its protestant population flee.

His lineage was Norman, with ancestors fighting in the First Crusades for St Louis and later becoming ‘hereditary champions’ of the Dukes of Normandy and Brittany.

De Crespigny left his ancestral home, Chateau de Vierville, after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1687, as they came under pressure to either convert or leave.

He made London his home and served in the British Army as a Colonel. It was his son, Thomas, who built their Camberwell seat, Champion Lodge, roughly at the corner of Love Walk and Denmark Hill. The estate had 30 acres of parkland.

Thomas’ grandson, Claude, born in 1704, was the first to become a baronet and gain the title of ‘Sir’. Over the next generations, the family moved in high circles – with the Prince Regent reportedly visiting Champion Lodge in 1804.

The fourth baronet - another Claude was a militarist, adventurer, sportsman and all-round eccentric and the most famous Champion de Crespigny.

Born in 1847, Claude started in the navy as a midshipman before transferring to army and the King’s Royal Rifle Corps.

An adrenaline seeker and keen steeple chaser, he only retired from racing at the age of 67. He is believed to have even once bribed a hangman to allow him to serve as an assistant executioner for a triple hanging.

Twelve years after inheriting his title he was declared bankrupt, but continued living an eventful life. In 1882 he took up the dangerous pursuit ballooning, and a year later had become the first man to cross the North Sea in a hot air balloon, gaining worldwide fame.

A first attempt had ended with the baronet breaking his leg and ribs during take- off when the basket collided with a wall.

Claude named all five of his sons Claude. The eldest was born in 1873 and, like his father, he entered the military - joining the 2nd Life Guards in 1885 after leaving Eton.

Captain Claude served in the Boer War in South Africa and was twice recommended for the Victoria Cross for his bravery.

Although ultimately missing out on this commendation he did gain a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his service. He later served the Governor-General of India as his Aide-de-Camp.

Continuing family tradition he was a successful sportsman, particularly in polo. In 1910 he was chosen to play for the Hurlingham Club team that competed in America. But on May 18 that year, at just 37 years-of-age, he committed suicide.

A coroner ruled that he killed himself while ‘temporarily insane’ suffering a bout of flu and sporting head injuries.

Gossip at the time linked his death to an alleged affair with a married woman.

Son and father were both buried together in their family crypt. By then, the Champion De Crespigny family had relocated to Essex, where a new Champion Lodge had been built after their original Camberwell seat was demolished in 1841. They also had a Suffolk mansion - Crespigny House.

After the eccentric fourth Sir Champion de Crespigny’s death, the title went to his younger son, Claude Raoul, a Brigadier General, who became the 5th Baronet. He died in 1941.

Claude Raoul inherited many family traits. A newspaper article from 1918 described how during World War One “with one mighty swing of his stick he broke the neck of a Hun, and the regiment went on.

“The Hun’s gas mask and steel helmet are in England now hanging on the Walls of Brigadier General de Crespigny’s Essex home among innumerable trophies of the chase, grim relics of man whose hobby is fighting.”

He was reportedly a dab hand at boxing, shooting, cricket and horse riding, too.

In all there were eight baronets before the line became extinct in 1952, with the death of last baronet died.

Although the family and their home have disappeared from in Camberwell, boundary stones placed in 1806 to mark the end of their Camberwell estate and that of Dulwich College do survive to this day. As does their name, in Champion Hill.

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Thank you

Nina Donovan 21.05.51 - 24.01.20

The family of Nina Donovan would like to say

Thank You!

Thank you to Dockhead Church, Cannon Alan McLean, Father John Diver and Father Michael Branch.

Jon, Simon, all staff and Jay the singer at Albins & Mick The Horseman.

To Margaret Donovan for a wonderful reading.

The Gillet family, Kate at Gillet flowers.

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And the Hilton Docklands for their wonderful support.

Also to all the people who attended the funeral and sent flowers.

With deep love & respect.

The Donovan and Dearsley Families xxx

Ellen 'Nellie' Mason ,

Funeral announcement Trevor Saker

25/07/1953 - 03/02/2020

In Loving Memory,

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A loving Son, Brother and uncle You will be so missed Love Mum, Sheila, Charlie, David, Brian and families Funeral Service

Tuesday 17th March 2020 At 3.15 Honor Oak Crematorium SE4 2LT

The family of Ellen 'Nellie' Mason would like to thank everyone who attended her service on Wednesday 26th February.

Thank you for the floral tributes and donations made to Bexley and Greenwich Hospice in Nell's memory.

Thanks to Debbie Western Flowers of Albion Street and Albins Funeral Directors and their team.

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Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

Photo by Surrey CC

Plunkett excited by huge derby

Ballers FA Youth

Super eight for Ballers Ballers FA Youth 8-0 Dulwich Village Black

By Sports Reporter sport@southwarknews.co.uk THERE WERE two hat-tricks for Ballers FA Youth last weekend as they romped to an 8-0 league win over Dulwich Village Black.

Liam Plunkett

By Sports Reporter sport@southwarknews.co.uk SURREY WILL host Middlesex in a blockbuster London derby to begin this summer’s Vitality Blast and seamer Liam Plunkett believes there is no bigger match in domestic cricket.

Tickets for this summer’s Vitality Blast went on sale this week with the London-based rivals – who attracted the largest attendance to an English domestic T20 at Lord’s last summer – set to open the tournament on Thursday, May 28.

Last season Plunkett joined Surrey from Yorkshire, where he had experienced the heat of a Game of Roses derby, but admits there is nothing quite

like a full house at the Kia Oval against their cross-city rivals.

“It’s as big a game as you are going to get in county cricket,” he said.

“I’ve played in the Roses match but I’ve felt playing at the Oval for Surrey, especially in the derby against Middlesex, it is one of the biggest county games you can play on the circuit.

“The crowds are amazing especially on a summer’s day. It’s a great place to play.”

Plunkett was one of the stars of England’s stunning victory in the men’s World Cup final last summer and has targeted the Blast as a trophy he wants to lift this term.

Surrey have recruited Australian D’Arcy Short, who was the Blast’s leading runscorer during the group

stage last summer, to bolster a strong squad of homegrown players.

“That’s our aim – to win the trophy with the talent we’ve got,” Plunkett said.

“The wickets that we get provided at the Oval makes it tough for bowlers but I enjoy playing there in front of those crowds - hopefully we get to that Finals Day and win a trophy this year.”

The Kia Oval is again set to be rocking for the Blast this summer with Surrey set to host four matches on a Friday night and three on a Thursday night.

Fans have been urged to buy their tickets quickly to avoid missing out following record attendances across the Blast last summer.

Legends set up winner-takes-all contest Southwark Legends 98-39 Barking and Dagenham RDF

By Sports Reporter sport@southwarknews.co.uk AFTER A disappointing loss in the previous match against Barking and Dagenham RDF, Southwark Legends were determined to right the wrongs in the return contest after suffering their only defeat of the season against this opponent.

It was a must-win game for the Legends to keep the pressure on joint league leaders London United.

The game started in a cagey fashion as both teams were conscious of each other’s fire power. After a few adjustments by the Legends’ coaching staff, however, they blew the game wide open as they exploded for 29 second-quarter points after only scoring eleven in the first.

That was down to a couple of rimrocking dunks by Luke Bamgboye and some dazzling plays from Donique Downer setting up his team-mates for easy baskets.

The Legends continued their

Oluwo grabs crucial Fish winner at K Sports

Malaki Coker gave Ajay Ashanike’s side a sixteenth-minute lead before Regan Corke equalised on 32 minutes.

Jacob Katonia’s goal in the 37th

minute was replied to just a minute later when James Alderman got his side’s second leveller.

But Adebola Oluwo won it for the visitors with 25 minutes to go.

Fisher are eleven points above bottom side Crowborough ahead of this Saturday’s trip to Bearsted. Kickoff is 3pm.

Photo by FisherFC

FISHER EARNED a crucial 3-2 win at K Sports last weekend to put further distance between themselves and the relegation zone.

dominance into the second half of the game scoring 33 and 25 points in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.

Malachi Jim-Lawson finished with a game-high 29 points and Joel Chigbo followed with 24 points.

In a winner-takes-all match, the Legends travel to west London to take on London United in a bid to be crowned champions.

For more information on the Southwark Legends, follow them on Instagram @Southwark_Legends and Twitter @LegendsAcad.

Mecca Maxime-Samuels and Freddie Doublet both had claims on the match ball, while Bedeau-Francis and Brian Jimenez Perez were also on the mark.

Ballers were sluggish early on but once they had built a 3-0 half-time lead the result never appeared in doubt.

Coach Charlie Pearce still wasn’t fully satisfied with the display. He said: “Although the team scored eight goals, and some very good ones at that, the performance was slightly below par and the boys mentioned this again at the end of the game. They know they can do better.

“Take nothing away from the boys, they didn’t play well, but they dug in and got the

result and the clean sheet, which is most important. Congratulations also to Freddie Doublet on picking up the man-of-thematch award, a really good performance rounded off with some really good goals and hard work.

“Prior to the game the team warmed up by being invited in to play Millwall’s under13s on Saturday morning at Well Hall in Blackheath. This provided our players with a platform to express themselves, have fun and most importantly enjoy the occasion.

“It was a great opportunity for the boys as it shows how far they have come as a team since forming in 2019. Being able to play against academy players and being able to stand up to the challenge was brilliant to see.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Millwall Academy staff and players for the invitation and experience.”

Ballers are next in action against Eltham Lions.

Dulwich Village FC claim prestigious London trophy

By Sports Reporter sport@southwarknews.co.uk DULWCH VILLAGE FC claimed a historic achievement last weekend as they won the prestigious London Football Association’s county cup, the London Cup.

The under-14 Dulwich Village Black side defeated White Star Youth FC 3-1 at Fisher’s St Paul’s stadium with striker Stavros Achillea turning in a man-of-thematch performance.

Dulwich chairman Karl King said: “I want to say how hugely proud I am of our under-14 Black team for their fantastic victory in Sunday’s cup final. This was an exciting, inspiring performance in which the team played with enthusiasm and skill.

“Above all, there was a fantastic team spirit that epitomises the club’s ethos and values: that football is more than just a game.

“Dulwich Village Football Club is an ambitious club serving the locality that aims to make sport a positive contributor throughout the local community.

“I am especially grateful, too, for the tremendous travelling support. With such support our teams and the club will be successful in all its endeavours. ” The sides’s manager Daniel Mascoll added: “My team has delivered a truly outstanding achievement and I am extremely proud of each of them.

“They are a massive credit to their families and the club. I have coached the team since they were eight years old and it’s just wonderful to see them go from strength to strength. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these young players.”

Dulwich Village FC was established in 2008 and develops footballers from age six upwards.

This season the club has 51 teams, boys and girls, playing in the Kent County Football League, Bromley & South London Football League, Kent Youth League, Selkent Youth League and the London Country’s Saturday Football League.

If you would like more information, please contact Press, Media and Communications Officer Claire Wallace on 07887 628 275, or email claire@cjwcommunications.co.uk.

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

www.southwarknews.co.uk/sport

SPORT 35

Hamlet haunted by relegation demons as THE Angles soar

By Simeon Wright at Champion Hill sport@southwarknews.co.uk

DULWICH HAMLET tumbled into the thick of the relegation dogfight, as fellow National League South strugglers Tonbridge Angels struck a late winner at Champion Hill.

Photo by Ollie Jarman

Danny Mills on the attack sent the ball low across the face of goal, inexplicably missing an outstretched Mullings.

Conditions then began to deteriorate.

Rain blew sideways, hoods went up, and Tonbridge’s Henry Burnett went off, as he took the ball powerfully to the

international Jack Connors bombed forward behind him.

The left-back was involved in another good move when his cross met the foot of skipper Quade Taylor, but his shot narrowly missed the post from ten yards out. Soon after, Jeffrey Monakana

Dulwich Women land plum Eagles cup draw

sport@southwarknews.co.uk DULWICH HAMLET have been drawn to play Crystal Palace Development Squad in the semifinals of the Capital Women’s Cup.

Dulwich knocked out Leyton Orient 1-0 win in the quarter-finals, thanks to Jo Gibson’s goal. Meanwhile, Palace progressed by beating AFC Wimbledon 3-1 on penalties after their tie finished goalless.

Speaking after the draw, manager Ryan Dempsey said: “We’re looking forward to playing Crystal Palace Development.

They’re doing very well in their league, are currently undefeated and have recently won the National Reserve League Cup. They beat AFC Wimbledon

29

24/02/2020

15:45

MARCH DULWICH HAMLET FOOTBALL CLUB TWITTER:

@DULWICHHAMLETFC WEBSITE: PITCHERO.COM/CLUBS/DULWICHHAMLET

Photo by Ollie Jarman

By Hugo Greenhalgh

centre of his face. The 2,663 Champion Hill faithful endured a lengthy stoppage, before applauding the midfielder down the tunnel.

Dulwich boss Gavin Rose witnessed warning signs near the hour-mark, when Wood headed just wide and

DHFC_March20_SouthwarkNews.pdf

who play in the league above us.

“It’s going to be a really difficult game, they try to play the so-called right way.

They’re a young squad so will be bright and energetic and have good ability within their squad, with some players training with the first team.

“We’re playing at Champion Hill which will hopefully be a big advantage. We’ve had loads of support thus far and if we can get a good crowd for this game it was be a massive help to everyone.

“We’re confident and excited at the prospect of getting into the final but we realise it’s going to be a difficult game.

We will try our best and work as hard as we can to do so.”

The tie will be played at Champion Hill on Sunday, March 15, kicking off at 2pm.

Get all your Hamlet news online at www.southwarknews.co.uk/sport

Joe Turner’s 85th-minute goal was enough to inflict a ninth home league defeat of the season, in a match which saw Dulwich waste early chances, before simply failing to even threaten in the second half.

Tonbridge were almost ahead just two minutes in, Tommy Wood’s halfvolley from range tipped over by Charlie Grainger. Minutes later, the hosts’ top scorer Danny Mills raced away from Rian Bray, only to stroke a near-post effort straight at Jonny Henly.

The Angels’ stopper was worked again in this lively opening ten minutes, Shamir Mullings chancing his arm from distance and forcing Henly to parry.

Mills was inches away from pouncing on the rebound.

Mullings, a striker by trade, started positively on the left for Hamlet, as he looked to be an extra presence in the box alongside Mills, while former Republic of Ireland under-21

Turner curled past the post. Rose responded by introducing the exotically-named new signing Diogo Barbosa into the centre of midfield.

In the final ten minutes, Marvin McCoy was well placed to clear off the Dulwich goal line, while Mills’ frustrating afternoon was summed up as he glanced a difficult headed chance off target.

And the home crowd was left stunned with five minutes of normal time to go, Turner fizzing a 20-yard shot into the bottom corner in front of more than 50 travelling fans. The goal propelled Tonbridge above Dulwich into sixteenth in the table.

The Hamlet now face an ominous trip to league leaders Wealdstone on Saturday, sitting just two places above the bottom two, level on points with 21st-placed St Albans City, but significantly maintaining a positive goal difference.

Saturday’s match at Wealdstone’s Grosvenor Vale will be the latest destination for mental health and suicide awareness campaign Walk and Talk, which is encouraging people to take part in a walk which will begin at Champion Hill.

Details can be found on Twitter @ WalkAndTalkMMH.

MEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH

C

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CM

MY

CY

CMY

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3PM SATURDAY 14TH VS HEMEL HEMPSTEAD TOWN 2PM SUNDAY 15TH VS CRYSTAL PALACE 3PM SATURDAY 28TH VS OXFORD CITY WOMEN’S SEMI FINAL CAPITAL CUP

MEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH

MEN’S MATCHES: £12/£5 | WOMEN’S MATCHES: £4/£2 UNDER 13’S ARE ALWAYS FREE | ADVANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE AT SEETICKETS.COM TRAIN: EAST DULWICH | BUSES P13, 37, 40, 42,176 185 484 CHAMPION HILL STADIUM, EDGAR KAIL WAY, DULWICH (SOUTH LONDON LA LA LA) SE22 8BD

36 SPORT

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Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

Jayson Molumby was denied a late penalty

Matt Smith follows in after Tomas Kalas' own goal

You’re reffing having a laugh THE LINE-UPS 33 Bialkowski 12 Romeo 21 Mahoney

4-4-2

4 Hutchinson

5 Cooper

16 Molumby

19 Woods

(Bennett, 74’)

10 Smith

11 O’Dowda

(Eliasson, 84’)

3 Dasilva 4-4-2

7 J Wallace

johnk@southwarknews.co.uk

(O’Brien, 85’)

14 Weimann

4 Nagy

7 Smith

6 Baker

22 Kalas

20 Paterson (Wells, 69’)

32 Pereira

33 Mäenpää

Head to Head 51% 12 4 5 14

Possession Shots Shots on target Corners Fouls

Date: Saturday 29 February, 2020 Attendance: 13,584 Man of the match: Jayson Molumby Referee: Andy Davies

John Kelly at The Den

9 Bradshaw

(Bödvarsson, 75’)

9 Diédhiou

3 M Wallace

SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP MILLWALL - 1 Kalas (51’ og) BRISTOL CITY - 1 Lopes Pereira (10’)

49% 3 1 7 16

THERE SEEMED to be a little bit of doom and gloom around after the draw with Bristol City last weekend when, really, some perspective was called for.

Lions boss Gary Rowett said he couldn’t view the result positively, while the first question to Jayson Molumby in the press conference could have been: “Why the long face?”

In fairness to Molumby he had every reason to feel grumpy. He had given as much as anyone in the second half to try to get his side a result, and then in the 89th minute he was clearly fouled by Adam Nagy in the penalty area.

Molumby showed maturity beyond his 20 years to not metaphorically go in studs-up on referee Andy Davies afterwards as Nagy had on him.

But we can’t be too kind on Davies.

There really was no excuse. He was standing yards away, and even before Nagy’s tackle you could anticipate what was coming. Nagy had his eye on the looping ball as it dropped

over his shoulder and wasn’t aware of Molumby closing in. The Irish midfielder got the first touch and it was too late for Nagy to stop his swinging leg. He clattered into his opponent and it seemed the next action would be Davies pointing to the spot.

Instead he hesitated and then, worse, he actually gave a throw-in to the Robins, indicating he had seen Molumby get the ball first.

But then again Lee Johnson’s side could have pointed to their own penalty claim just before that. Jake Cooper’s heart must have been in his mouth when Andreas Weimann’s cross struck him on the arm.

There seems to be some confusion on this. Some claimed on social media it wasn’t deliberate and therefore not a spot-kick. It wasn’t deliberate, no, but that’s irrelevant. What is relevant is the position of the arm, whether it’s deemed ‘unnatural’. At the point of contact Cooper’s arm was almost at a 90 degree angle from his body.

Again Davies was well-placed but gave a corner rather than a penalty.

So one-one on bad decisions.

Although two wrongs don’t so much make a right in this case as indicate the ineptitude of all the officials.

Those two decisions reflected a draw probably being a fair result, but it left a lot of people dissatisfied. Fair enough, considering how the last two results feel like missed opportunities.

Given the balance of play over the two fixtures against Birmingham

Millwall midfielder denied late penalty in Robins draw

and Bristol City – with just one shot conceded on goal in 180 minutes – then we should be talking about only one point separating sixth and Millwall in seventh.

Yet consider how perilous the club’s position was a year ago to measure the progress. After the same number of games last season Millwall had just suffered a fourth defeat in a row, at Bolton, and were just a point and a place above the relegation zone.

The Lions are seventeen points better off now than then.

Even if you go back to that wild ride towards the play-offs in 201718 Millwall were six points off sixth with ten games left. The hill doesn’t get any less steep, with a trip to Nottingham Forest next up. But then Millwall usually step it up against the top sides. It suits them better, when they have less of the ball and play more reactive football rather than

have to take the creative role.

The Lions have taken fifteen points off sides in the top six. They have been unfortunate not the get more at the City Ground in the last two seasons, losing 1-0 in the first game of 2017-18 when they should have won by a wide margin, and drawing 2-2 there last season, coming back from two goals down.

They will need that level of fight again, and indeed that which they showed in the game at The Den earlier this season when Forest seemed to have won it through Lewis Grabban’s 88th-minute goal before Aiden O’Brien’s leveller in the 92nd minute.

Games are running out and Millwall seem to be always a couple of results away from getting right back into it or losing touch.

They would have dealt play-off rivals City a severe blow by going above them with a win. Instead they couldn’t force a second breakthrough.

Rowett has mentioned that lack of quality in the final third, that moment of brilliance that the top sides have.

Think of the likes of Pablo Hernandez of Leeds, Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic and all his goals, and all of Brentford’s attacking brilliance.

Millwall have to work much harder for wins, and maybe the fifteen draws – the joint-most in the league with Cardiff – shows those fine lines.

They will have their work cut out for them again this weekend to try to grind closer to the top six.

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

www.southwarknews.co.uk/sport

Out of the Woods

SPORT 37

Ryan Woods, pictured against Fulham, has brought aggression to Millwall’s midfield

Midfielder enjoying his football again after barren Stoke spell exclusive

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk RYAN WOODS believes Millwall are exceeding expectations to still be in the play-off conversation with ten games left this season.

Midfielder Woods said the Lions would be giving it a “real good go” as the clock ticks down on the 2019-20 campaign.

Millwall were in the bottom four in the relegation odds last summer, after they only ensured their Championship safety with one game left last season.

“We haven’t really set a target, it’s just about giving it a real good go,” Woods said. “We’ve given ourselves a real chance so why not have a proper go for these last games of the season and see where it takes us.

“It would be amazing if we could make it but we’ll see what happens.

“A lot of people wouldn’t have expected us to be where we are at this time in the season, especially after last year. The lads have done the majority of the work and I’ve come in to help out as much as possible.

“We’ve put ourselves in a good position, it’s down to us as a group to see how far we can get ourselves.”

The last ten games could bring an end to Woods’ short Millwall career, if the

club decides not to take up the option of buying him from Stoke in the next transfer window.

Woods, 26, has started nine league games for the Lions since his January loan switch, having lost his place in the Stoke side at the start of December.

He admits it’s not ideal that he doesn’t know where he will be playing next season, but his only concern is doing well enough to ensure the Lions make the move permanent.

“It would be nice to know, but at the end of the day I’m just enjoying playing regularly again and being around a good set of lads,” Woods continued. “I’m enjoying the surroundings and that’s the most important thing.

“Things will take care of themselves at the end of the season. I’m sure it will happen sooner rather than later.

“I can’t honestly answer [whether he has a Stoke future] because I honestly don’t know. Other things will take care of themselves. Whether I come here, it’s down to my performances.

“It’s been brilliant, I’ve been out with the lads a number of times for food and what not. It’s helped the number of games I’ve had to play, people really get to know the real you after a full 90 minutes of football.

“I feel like I’m getting there with every single game. Sometimes it’s hard going on a Tuesday or Wednesday after a Saturday, but that’s what everyone wants to do.

That’s all I’d ever known until Stoke.

“It’s been great to be able to do that again and get into a real rhythm. Hopefully the more games I play the better I’ll get.

“I’m really enjoying my time here.”

Woods has struck up a good midfield partnership with Jayson Molumby, and he’s a fan of the youngster.

Woods added: “He’s a good lad, I get on with him really well off the pitch as well. It seems like we’ve gelled quite well, quite easily.

“We’re picking a lot of second balls up, which is really important, especially for the size of us because we’re not two of the biggest lads in this division in midfield.

“We complement each other well, we’ve got different attributes. It’s going well.”

Molumby thought he was denied a clear penalty against Bristol City last Saturday when he was taken out in the box by Adam Nagy, but referee Andy Davies ignored the appeals.

Despite the obvious mistake, Woods is still not convinced VAR is improving decision-making. “The system probably works, but it’s just down to the human error that is involved in it. So it doesn’t really get away from anything that’s been happening for years and years, there’s still human error.

“Until you cut the human error out it’s probably a bit pointless.

“I took the corner from the other side, and I even had a word with the linesman on my side because it looked like a penalty. It was sloppy from their player, he didn’t know Jayson was there.

Anywhere else on the pitch you get a foul.”

The Lions were 1-0 down to City after difficult first half, but Woods believes the way they worked their way back into the game showed their spirit.

“People were disappointed because of the performance in the first 20, 25 minutes more than anything,” Woods admitted. “But I think we showed unbelievable character to come back in the second half the way we did, we can be really proud of that.

“We knew it hadn’t been good enough, but we were more aggressive second half. We had them on the ropes and on another day our centre-forwards would get on the end of those crosses flashed across the box.

“We can hear the crowd when they get behind us. They were obviously frustrated at half-time, they knew it wasn’t good enough and so did we.

“Second half we showed the real us and gave it a really good go. If we’d played like that the whole game we wouldn’t have had any problems.”

If Woods starts this Friday against Nottingham Forest he will likely be facing Ben Watson, the Camberwell-

born former Crystal Palace midfielder who scored the winner for Wigan against Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup final.

Woods doesn’t hesitate when asked who is the most difficult opponent he has played against.

“That’s easy, that’s [Cesc] Fabregas.

It was against Chelsea [in a 4-0 FA Cup defeat for Brentford]. What I liked about him so much was that, nowadays a lot relies on your physical attributes, but he was so much quicker in his head than anyone else that that didn’t matter.

“As long as you’re clever upstairs it doesn’t matter about your physical attributes. He knew the next pass before he got the ball. Everything was one-, two-touch. And he knew if he had time for more than two touches.

“He did unbelievable things in his career. It would have been a joy to play alongside him every week.

“I’ve played against [Watson] a lot previously so I know what he’s about.

He’s been around for years, he’s had a good career. He’s one of those players that can hurt you if you give him time and space, but we’re not planning on doing that.

“At the end of the day it’s about ourselves, not anyone else. If we can go there and perform the way we did second half against Bristol City we’ll have a good chance.”

38 MILLWALL

www.newsatden.co.uk

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

Opportunity knocks

EXCLUSIVE

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk IF BART Bialkowski gets injured or sent off at Nottingham Forest on Friday, there’s a fair chance most Millwall fans won’t recognise the player who will be summoned from the bench to replace him.

That’s because he hasn’t made a senior competitive Lions appearance and this time last season was playing on loan for the bottom side in the ninth tier of English football.

Ryan Sandford has been at Millwall almost eight years, and if misfortune strikes at the Lions’ No.1 this week, he will step into the City Ground cauldron and be thrust into the play-off challenge.

That prospect, and the fact that Sandford concedes he has “put all my eggs in one basket” to try to make it in professional football, would seem daunting for any 21-year-old.

But Sandford is unperturbed. That’s down to his positive attitude – which comes across clearly in his first interview with a newspaper – his determination never to waste a day as he pursues his dream, and his work with goalkeeping coach Lee Turner to ensure he always feels ready if he is called upon.

Kennington-born Sandford has been on the bench before, soaking in experiences such as the one at Elland Road in January when he was back-up to Bialkowski as Leeds came from 2-0 down to beat the Lions 3-2.

It’s put to Sandford that his debut could come in front of 20,000-plus fans at one of English football’s most iconic stadiums, the home of the former European champions.

He has already prepared for the scenario.

“You have to go into every single game anyway thinking you’ve got the possibility of playing,” Sandford said.

“You’ve got to prepare right. If anything were to happen – touch wood it doesn’t – you could be on in the first minute, you could be on in the 80th minute.

“You have to note set-plays. You have to prepare as if you are Bart. That means doing it right in training every day in the build-up to the game. It could happen at any time, in the warm-up even, so you’ve got to be ready to step up.

“It’s a really good experience. I know it’s only the bench but there are thousands and thousands of people there, completely different to what you’re used to. It hits you as soon as you sit down in the dugout, the atmosphere, especially at Leeds away, how difficult some places can be to go.”

Sandford first experienced training with the first team when he was 15, and an England underage goalkeeper.

He has trained with Jordan Archer, Dave Martin, and now with Bialkowski.

“To be totally honest, Bart is probably the best player I’ve worked with,” Sandford said. “Sometimes you watch him and it’s like, ‘wow’. I don’t know how to explain it but there’s just an aura about him, you just think he’s going to save everything. That’s my first proper experience of something like that.

“Not that the other goalkeepers who have been here before haven’t been fantastic, I’ve worked with some really good goalkeepers and they’ve all helped me massively, given me advice, but with Bart you just think he’s unbeatable.

“We’ve never had a bad bunch here, never, we’ve always been pushing each other and it’s always been a good environment to work in.

“When we go over there and train with the first team the tempo is so much faster and you’ve got to be able to adapt quickly. If you don’t you get caught out.

The quality the first-team boys have got is unbelievable.

“Things happen so quickly, the finishing and balls into the box are a lot better. That’s the good thing about LT [Turner], we work at that tempo, so it doesn’t feel as difficult going over there.

You’re more used to it.

“It’s good for us young lads because the quality of finishing is always so much higher with the likes of Fergie [Shane Ferguson] and Jed [Wallace]. To be fair a lot of the shots from the firstteam boys are so much crisper, so much harder. To know what the standard is like in the Championship gives you an insight into what to expect if you were to play, how sharp it is. There are some really good finishers out there.

“I can remember coming over here [from the academy training base] at 15, 16 and working with the first team.

At first you’re nervous because it’s your first real look into a professional football environment, how they work, the quality of the goalkeepers.

“But it’s good because you can see where you need to get to. You see how hard they work so it gives you an understanding of what you need to do to get to that level.”

Sandford wasn’t afraid, and certainly had the humility, to go down quite a few levels for first-team football last season.

With a queue of keepers in front of him, Sandford took the plunge not only into the Isthmian League South Central Division, but right down to the bottom of it.

He spent two months at Egham Town in Surrey where, after a 3-0 defeat to Cheshunt on his debut, in the match

Ryan Sandford's only senior Millwall experience has been in pre-season

Ryan ready to step into the breach

The young stopper, right, working in the snow with Dave Martin during the 2017-18 season report his temporary club’s official website praised him for keeping the score down.

Egham finished the season in last place, after conceding 94 goals in 38 games.

Sandford explained how the move happened. “We had quite a few goalkeepers here, four senior goalkeepers. I wasn’t getting gametime, purely because some of them were playing for the 23s as well. There just weren’t enough games to go and play in. It was what was available at the time where I could go and get games.

“That came up and it was quite low down so you’re umming and ahing, but I spoke to LT and it’s just about playing games. That’s how you’re going to get better. At the end of the day a shot’s still a shot, a cross is still a cross. It’s not like for an outfielder where they’re maybe playing with players that are not as good. For me it’s still a shot, still a cross.

“I was very busy! It was good for me in that sense, I was always getting a load of action. The boys there were really good as well as people. Believe it or not, despite where they were, it was enjoyable for me because I was able to go out and play football.

“Wherever you go you get boys that have been in academies so they know what it’s like, but there are a load of boys who haven’t. They’re curious about what your day-to-day routine is, how often you train. It is intriguing for

them to know what it’s like.

“To be totally honest, I have put all my eggs in one basket, I’m not going to lie.

This for me is all or nothing, because it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do since I was young.

“When you’ve put all that time into it you hope, hope, it can work out. So you don’t want to waste a day outside, have a bad day in training, you want to be 100 per cent all the time.

“It’s a massive opportunity, especially for us young lads. That’s the biggest thing, understanding what an opportunity you’ve got. And even if it doesn’t happen here, it can happen somewhere else for you.”

Sandford signed a one-year contract last summer with the option for the club of a further twelve months.

It could make the next few months a tense time.

“I try not to think of that,” he said, “I just focus all my energy on showing them what I can do out there. Ultimately that should take care of everything, if you work 100 per cent and you’re doing well, you’ll know yourself if you’ve done enough to earn a new contract or the option is taken up.

“You’ve got to give your all because it’s quite cut-throat and, like I said, when you’ve got all your eggs in one basket you can’t afford to be slacking any day.

You’ve always got to be the best that you can be to give yourself that opportunity.”

Who knows, maybe that could come this week.

Southwark News, Thursday March 5 2020

Championship preview

Lions need City break

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk MILLWALL COACH Adam Barrett believes the side has made major progress this season but wants to get back to winning ways to keep the pressure on the top six.

Barrett won one, drew one and lost one in his caretaker spell in charge, before Gary Rowett came in and the Lions have only lost five games in 23 in the league under him.

But they have just one win in their last seven, and drew their last two at home, ahead of their trip to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest on Friday.

The Lions were frustrated after their 1-1 draw against Bristol City last Saturday, but Barrett is a believer in quickly moving on and preparing for the next challenge.

Nottingham Forest

VS

Millwall

Millwall hoping to further close the gap to the Champ’s top six “When I was a player it was done with,” he said. “You probably have the hump over the weekend and don’t speak to the missus, but come Monday morning you’re back at work and looking forward to the next game.

“That’s the beauty of it, you can’t linger on it too long or be too disappointed because you’ve got to prepare and make sure you’re ready for the next challenge.

johnk@southwarknews.co.uk MILLWALL SUPPORTERS CLUB sought clarification this week on the use of body-worn cameras on stewards at The Den.

The cameras were suggested by the Football Association after trouble outside the ground and alleged racist chanting inside the stadium during the FA Cup clash against Everton last season.

The club haven’t decided whether they will be implemented next season, but the MSC insist that they should be involved in any discussions.

In a statement, the MSC said: “Following recent apparent use of 'body-cams' (BWV) at The Den, we have spoken to the club and asked for their protocol regarding the use of them.

“The use of body-worn cameras was suggested by the FA post Everton and forms part of the Action Plan in force for the next sixteen months. In

order to investigate compliance, the club have trialled the use of stewardworn body cams (in addition to the CCTV already in use) to assess the effectiveness and quality. The trial is now complete and will be evaluated, however we are assured that any footage captured during the trial will be deleted.

“We also asked about the licensing of the equipment. The steward wearing the camera is unable to view the footage and so is not required to hold a licence.

“The decision as to whether to introduce the use of body-worn cameras for the 2020-21 season has yet to be taken but we have requested to be consulted and included in any discussions and that has been agreed.

“Their use would be covered by the ground regulations and the necessary procedures and policies will be in place.

“There will be no more deployment of these cameras at any of the remaining home fixtures this season.”

MILLWALL 39

The City Ground, March 6 Kick-off: 7.45pm Shaun Williams has scored in two of his last three games against Forest and could return this Friday

MSC get ‘bodycam’ clarification

By John Kelly

www.newsatden.co.uk

“We’ve been on a fantastic run, the form’s been good. Recently we’ve had some tricky fixtures but the performances have mostly been good and the team is improving.

“We’ve got to make sure now we get back to winning ways and keep the pressure on the boys above us.”

Millwall boss Rowett could revert to a back five on Friday, with Alex Pearce returning to the centre of defence.

Shaun Hutchinson and Jake Cooper have impressively taken on the extra responsibility on the ball stepping out from the back.

Barrett added: “I’ve been delighted with the whole team, really, the back players obviously after going to three at the back. It has been slightly different and the wider [centre-backs] have had to step in with the ball a bit more.

“We’ve got good honest pros here,

good honest lads and they’re working extremely hard to improve. They’ve taken on the challenge really well and adapted.

“We’ve been pleased with that but there is still lots of improvement. We know we need to get better and that’s what we’re striving to do.”

Millwall could be boosted by the return of midfielder Shaun Williams this Friday. The Ireland international is back in full training and in contention to feature at a ground where he scored in a 2-2 draw last season. Three of his eighteen Millwall goals have come against Forest, including two in his last three appearances against them.

Forest drew 2-2 at struggling Middlesbrough on Monday, needing an 86th-minute goal from former Lions striker Lewis Grabban to take a point.

Forest manager Sabri Lamouchi wants to see improvement against Millwall. “It was the worst game away because we # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Team West Bromwich Albion Leeds United Fulham Nottingham Forest Brentford Preston North End Bristol City Blackburn Rovers Swansea City Millwall Cardiff City Sheffield Wednesday Derby County Queens Park Rangers Birmingham City Reading Huddersfield Town Hull City Wigan Athletic Charlton Athletic Stoke City Middlesbrough Barnsley Luton Town

Pl 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

W 19 20 18 16 16 16 15 14 13 12 12 13 12 13 12 12 11 11 10 10 11 8 8 10

Youngsters do club proud at Stamford Bridge

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk CHRIS PERRY said he was “hugely proud” of the Millwall players after their 1-0 FA Youth Cup quarter-final defeat to Chelsea last week.

Armando Broja's 62nd-minute goal sent the Blues through to the last four.

The Lions were backed by a vociferous 1,000 away following in the limitedcapacity fixture, and senior manager Gary Rowett and his staff were also in attendance.

Perry, joint-boss with Larry McAvoy, was pleased with the team’s defensive organisation against a side that had defeated Wolves 7-0 in the previous round and are going for a sixth win in the competition in the last seven years.

“We’re hugely proud of the effort the boys put in. To come to a place like this and put on a defensive performance like that, I thought we were outstanding,” Perry said.

“To limit the amount of chances they had, they didn’t cut us open once in open play, was outstanding given we had only

one or two days to work on what we wanted to do.

“Although I’m extremely proud of the boys, I’m disappointed with the manner in which we did concede the goal, but that’s me being a perfectionist I suppose.

“They took on board everything we asked of them. I was just a little bit disappointed with how we did when we won the ball back, I thought we were a little bit rushed in possession. We looked a little bit nervous.

“We can be a lot better than that but maybe when we look back at the video of the game we’ll see where we could have improved in possession and where we could have caused them a few more problems.

“To hold a team that good – they could go on and win it – to 1-0, a set-piece goal, I think we should be immensely proud.”

Millwall had a late appeal for a penalty when Tyrese Briscoe went over in the box.

Perry added: “I can understand why Ty went down, but I think it would have been generous.”

Chelsea: Askew, Lawrence, Simeu,

never controlled the game, never. We started better than them but we never made the difference with our quality.

“I don't know what was wrong but if the fans are happy with a point, I'm happy with a point. But I'm not happy with the way we played.

“We need more character, more personality. Technically it was a very bad game and a very bad performance.

We need more concentration and more focus.”

matCh details

Possible Millwall team: 5-2-3:

Bialkowski; Romeo, Hutchinson, Pearce, Cooper, M Wallace; Molumby, Williams; J Wallace, Bodvarsson, Bennett.

Match odds:

Forest 8/13 Draw 12/5 Millwall 7/4

Last meeting:

Championship (December 6, 2019): Williams 15, O’Brien 92; Grabban 63, 88) D 12 8 9 12 9 8 9 11 13 15 15 9 12 8 11 9 9 8 10 9 6 14 10 4

L 5 8 9 8 11 12 12 11 10 9 9 14 12 15 13 15 16 17 16 17 19 14 18 22

F 64 54 51 48 59 49 50 52 46 41 50 46 46 55 47 43 45 48 38 44 44 36 42 43

A 37 30 37 35 33 42 52 42 45 40 50 44 49 61 54 41 56 58 50 53 54 47 60 71

GD 27 24 14 13 26 7 -2 10 1 1 0 2 -3 -6 -7 2 -11 -10 -12 -9 -10 -11 -18 -28

Pts 69 68 63 60 57 56 54 53 52 51 51 48 48 47 47 45 42 41 40 39 39 38 34 34

Colwill (Rankine 61), Maatsen, L. Bate, Livramento, Simons, Broja (Ballo 90), Anjorin, Lewis. Subs not used: McClellend, Wady, Humphries, Harris, Fiabema.

Millwall: Fanshawe, Bennett (Miller 24), Ezennolim, Munting, Mitchell, Muller, Barton (O Bate 85), Allen (Briscoe 68), Abdulmalik, O'Brien, Boateng. Subs not used: Gillmore, Penney, Brooke, Walker.

inside

Sport Southwark

Angels deepen Hamlet misery Page 35

Sixth sense

Lions boss vows to attack every game to stay in mix exclusive

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk MILLWALL BOSS Gary Rowett has praised his players for still being in the promotion mix – and vowed to keep attacking as they try to gatecrash the play-off spots.

The Lions are five points behind sixthplaced Preston ahead of the trip to Nottingham Forest on Friday.

Millwall were sixteenth in the Championship table when Rowett took over from Neil Harris in October, seven points off the top six.

Rowett’s team need to overhaul four sides between now and May 2. To match the total they accumulated in 2017-18 Millwall would need 22 points from ten games, but that was only good enough for eighth two years ago, three points off

Go to NewsAtDen for the report and all the reaction after Millwall’s Friday night clash with Nottingham Forest www.newsatden.co.uk

Rowett’s Derby in sixth.

Last season Derby also finished in the last play-off spot, with 74 points. So realistically the Lions need to win seven more games, with a couple of draws, to be in with a chance.

Millwall have picked up 36 points in 23 games with Rowett in charge, so have to significantly increase that average rate starting at the City Ground.

“I remember speaking about our ambitions for the team, what we felt was achievable, and I certainly felt within a two- or three-year period we could challenge for the top six,” Rowett said.

“But the initial aim was just to stabilise. Obviously we wanted to show ambition and win games, but the main objective was to make sure that we weren’t battling down the bottom of the division, and instead seeing where we could climb to in the table.

“Sometimes we can get caught up in where we are in the league, if we can win a game or not win a game and the disappointment if we don’t win. The expectation levels have climbed a little because we’ve done quite well, which is only right.

“But to still be in the mix with ten games to go, I think a lot of credit can go to the players. The disappointment of not winning the game against Bristol City, who have had four years to build in the Championship, to be disappointed to draw against Fulham, shows what we think we can achieve.

“Yes, we’re five points off the top six, but I just want to see if we can do what we can to win every game.

“You can see at the moment every sub we make is attacking, with every sub we’re trying to find a solution, and that’s something we’ll continue to do.”

Nottingham Forest VS Millwall The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2014 was 83.5%