28th January 2021

pearly king: I ALMOST PAID A VISIT TO pearly gates

Issue 1515

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Established: 1987

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January 28 2021

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lions halt flying hornets Pages 30-31

LOCKDOWN:

staying at home horrors

Plight of residents living in the cold, with sewage, rats and deafening noise Pages 8-9

some Parking fines will be scrapped Page 10

20/01/2021 11:55

2 NEWS

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Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

Contents NEWS Pages 2-17 OPINION Pages 18-19 Arts Page 20 history Page 21 family announcements Page 22 property Page 23 jobs Page 24 Public notices Pages 25-26 SPORT Pages 28-32 During the crisis, contact us if you have a story on 07973175511 or email

editor@southwarknews .co.uk

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market traders fear for their future

By Josh Salisbury

josh@southwarknews.co.uk Borough Market traders could yet lose their businesses over new trading arrangements in the aftermath of Brexit, its managing director has warned.

Traders at the market had stockpiled products like oil and cheese ahead of the new arrangements which came into force at the beginning of January, said Darren Henaghan.

While many of the traders have adapted, some which import small batches of specialist food products are finding that suppliers will no longer supply them.

“It means that some of the traders have stopped selling some of their products,” he said. “We haven’t lost any traders - yet. But

it’s hardly made things any easier.”

He added: “If a trader who has a relationship with a supplier in the EU, if the supplier finds it easier to sell to Europe than to the UK, then the trader is left in a really difficult position.

“They might say, ‘well it’s just not worth it anymore’. At the moment we’re just biding our time, because normally a new regulation would only cover one aspect.

“But what we’ve done is taken all the food

If the supplier finds it easier to sell to Europe than to the UK then the trader is left in a really difficult position Page 31

EXCLUSIVE

SOUTHWARK’S BATTLEGROUND

Issue 1514

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, 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

Established: 1987

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SPORT: LIONS WINGER FINDS HOME COMFORTS DURING LOCKDOWN

Page 4

NEWS:

OUTRAGE OVER LEN • Southwark infections drop PARKING FINES by over half in a week Page 21 • 24/7 vaccinations by end of the month, although allocation is low in London • King’s SOS to help overworked staff, but have re-opened critical care centre HISTORY: MITFORD SISTER beset with fire safety problems SLUMMING IT • New test centres open Pages 6-7 IN ROTHERHITHE

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regulations, thrown them up in the air and put them together again.”

Traders are avoiding importing some goods, he said, over fear that new paperwork rules might mean it gets stuck at the border.

Fears of long delays at Calais earlier this month have not materialised. Partly, though, he said, was because coronavirus meant that domestic traffic is lighter than it would normally be.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen once the restrictions are removed,” he admitted.

“Will there be delays? It’s something we’re really concerned about.”

Despite coronavirus, the market has still seen high numbers of customers. Earlier this month, for the first time since the nineteenth century, Borough Market changed its bylaws, to enforce mask wearing outside.

“We understand that lots of people want to come to Borough Market,” he said. “That’s why we changed the bylaws to enforce it.”

Although the change can be backed up with fines, Mr Henaghan said this had not been necessary so far and that compliance was relatively high.

“We talk to people,” he said. “And there’s been a few difficult conversations. But mostly I think people just want to do the right thing.”

Nineteenth century bylaws which were brought back in use, ensuring shoppers wear masks, are working

The Southwark News is proud to be the only independent, paid for newspaper in London Southwark News started life as the Bermondsey News in 1987, as an A-4 photocopied sheet of paper and rapidly grew to cover the entire borough and the surrounding area. As the borough grew, so did the newspaper.

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

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

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.

20/01/2021 11:55

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Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

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Partially paralysed Bermondsey man walks a mile for the NHS

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk A partially paralysed man has taken to his Zimmer frame to walk a mile for the NHS – raising a stunning £60,000 so far.

Sean Ash, 39, is paralysed from the waist down as a result of a rare and severe spinal condition called Cauda Equina Syndrome.

He has very limited movement in his legs, and uses splints to help move his feet.

But despite that challenge, the Bermondsey ambulance call handler was inspired by Captain Tom to walk a mile for the London Ambulance Service’s charity.

Speaking to the News after finishing his walk, Mr Ash said: “I was inspired by Captain Tom. His team has actually just followed me on Twitter – it’s nice to see they’ve taken an interest.

“Me and Captain Tom could have a Zimmer frame race – but he’d probably beat me!”

Sean became 90 per cent paralysed below the waist in August last year after a disk in his back slipped.

He completed the mile-long walk in two days, by walking 0.5 miles a time around the block of his home in Bexley.

The 39-year-old, who grew up on the Millpond Estate, recounted how he overcame dark days following his

diagnosis.

“Because I have a heart condition, they were worried that I might not survive the surgery,” he said. “I thought let’s go for it.

“But when I woke up, I started having really dark thoughts, wishing I had not woken up from the surgery.”

With the help of family and friends, Sean says he came through the other side – and after a horrible year, he decided to do something positive in 2021.

Previously he had only walked ten metres, but after working for the Ambulance Service and seeing how much pressure they are under, and in thanks for the care, he decided to raise money for them.

“I’ve lost close members of my family to Covid, so I thought, ‘this year has got be better’”, he said. “I just wanted to do something positive.

Explaining why he is fundraising for the LAS, he said: “The NHS is the backbone of our society. They treated me while I was in hospital. They’re all just working so hard.”

Now Sean hopes the impressive feat can help inspire others.

He said: “I just wanted to show them you can get through anything if you want to. They said I wouldn’t be able to walk, but here I am, even if it’s with a Zimmer frame.”

To donate, search 'Sean's Going The Xtra Mile for the NHS.'

Me and Captain Tom could have a Zimmer frame race - but he’d probably beat me!

Have-a-go hero comes to moggy’s rescue

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk A have-a go-hero dramatically rescued a cat stuck in a Brockwell Park tree in front of dozens of delighted onlookers.

Camberwell resident Kay Hotchkiss was in the park with a friend when they spotted a commotion on Sunday, January 17.

“As we were walking up the hill we suddenly noticed loads of people standing around and staring up at a tree,” she told the News.

“And then we saw this cat in one of the big old trees, that was clearly in trouble, with everyone standing around not knowing what to do.”

The cat’s owner was also at the scene, and had been unable to tempt it down.

“The cat was clearly in distress,” Ms Hotchkiss continued. ”And suddenly a man takes off his coat and starts

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to ascend the trees and everyone is aghast.”

“He climbs up super fast and is then like ‘oh my gosh how am I going to get the cat?’"

With a bit of encouragement from a cheering crowd, the mystery rescuer managed to grab the cat by the scruff of the neck and bring it closer to him.

"Then the cat then climbed onto his shoulders so he could shuffle down with his hands free, with the cat hitching a ride," Ms Hotchkiss added.

“We all cheered when he passed the cat back to its owner, who was super grateful.”

“Everyone was really pleased - it was the bit of good news that we all needed.”

It was the bit of good news that we all needed

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Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

more deaths then ever: 27 in seven days

310 people in Southwark have COVID-19 listed on their death certificate

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk

More people have died from COVID-19 in Southwark in January so far than in the previous eight and a half months.

After a huge surge in cases and hospital admissions, the latest data from the government shows the virus was listed as a cause on certificates

for 27 deaths in the seven days up to January 5.

Separate figures showed five people died on Tuesday - from any cause - within 28 days of a confirmed positive COVID-19 test. By January 19 this figure was averaging six per day in the borough.

In total, 310 people have had COVID-19 listed on their death certificate in the borough since the beginning of the pandemic.

The number of deaths has risen sharply since December. Throughout the whole of October and September, no deaths were recorded and, in late autumn and early winter, were hovering at around one or two a week – if any.

However, deaths have yet to surpass the peak in mid-April 2020 when 54 certificates mentioned COVID-19.

This week the UK hit the grim milestone of 100,000 COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

Fortunately, the number of new cases in Southwark dropped by more than a third (-33.4 per cent) in the week up to January 20.

Daily infections have plunged from a high of 698 on December 29, to 120 reported on Tuesday.

Although the number of people going into intensive care is still rising, both hospital admissions and the number of patients in hospital has dropped.

The seven-day average number of patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in London has fallen from 864 on January 4 to 544 reported on Sunday, January 24. Even if there are lags in reporting, this is a significant decline.

Pearly King urges others to follow the rules

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk The Pearly King of Bermondsey has spoken out after battling for his life with coronavirus - to urge the public to follow the rules.

Jimmy Jukes, 65, is known for being the ‘Pearly King’ of Bermondsey and Camberwell, alongside running UK Homes 4 Heroes, a charity which helps feed homeless ex-service personnel.

Speaking to the News after being discharged from hospital, Mr Jukes told of his fear as he lay breathless on his hospital bed - and now he wants to warn others against taking risks with the disease.

“The first 24 hours, it was touch and go with me, it was so scary,” he said. “You wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy.

“But when you go to the supermarket, they put the arrows down to go one way and you still see some prat walking the wrong way without a mask on.

“I just don’t want anyone to get in unnecessarily. I know people are social animals, but this is a pandemic. It’s better to take care now than lose your friends and family and never be able to see them again.”

Mr Jukes, who was given an MBE by her Majesty in 2015, first became aware of trouble breathing on Christmas Day. But it was only several days later when he started really struggling for breath. By January 10, an ambulance was called to his home to rush him into the Intensive Care Unit at St Thomas’ Hospital.

“When they took me away in the ambulance, I didn’t know if I was coming back. It was so scary, to sit there and not be able to catch your breath,” he said.

“I’ve had heart attacks before, but this was on a different level.

“I was in the ICU and there was a lady who I thought was elderly, but then they pulled down her mask and she was only a young woman. It broke my heart.

“There was a man the same age as me

who passed away. There were four of us in there, the two opposite me were in comas, on ventilators.

“The nurses were devastated by it all, it’s so sad. They moved me after a couple of days.”

While in the hospital, Jimmy tells the News there was an anti-mask protest outside. “My answer is: You go inside those wards, and see all those people lying in hospital.”

Paradoxically, says the well-known figure, getting Covid may have actually saved his life, because doctors discovered that he needed stents put into his heart.

“In a way, kind of kicking Covid saved my life,” he said.

Since being discharged last Tuesday, he is recovering at home, but still cannot walk very far without getting out of breath.

“I’m getting better, but I’m still in bed, I still can’t walk from here to the toilet which is about ten foot. Hopefully things will improve,” he said.

“My message is: Some people, youngsters especially, might think ‘well I’m going to die one day’.

“But you really don’t want it to be in a hospital bed gasping for breath.

He added: “It’s serious and people should take it seriously.”

Contracts to pay for fire safety works at King’s Pearly King and Queen taken before the pandemic

In a way, kind of kicking Covid saved my life

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk The cost of urgent fire safety improvements at King’s College Hospital’s £100 million new intensive care unit will be met by building contractors - and not the trust.

Last week the News reported the beleaguered unit would re-open temporarily to provide care for the high number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients being admitted to the Denmark Hill hospital after a plan was put in place to manage fire safety risks.

Just three months after its delayed opening and two years after fire safety concerns were first identified, the 60bed unit was found to be potentially unsafe by the trust’s own technical staff and London Fire Brigade. The unit closed in July 2020.

Some of the necessary remedial works were completed throughout the following months in 2020 after admissions from COVID-19 had peaked.

The next stage of work will involve the building’s facade. Until then, the unit is open with 24/7 fire wardens and other extra measures after ‘extensive risk assessments’ with support from London Fire Brigade.

In a statement, a King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: “The cost of the remedial works is being met by external contractors.

“A company has been appointed to design the remediation and it will commence later this year.”

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Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

Stock picture

did hospital vaccinate ‘ineligible’ people?

Pharmacies in Southwark have begun dishing out the vaccine this week, as south-east London reached the 100,000 vaccinations mark.

Officials are eying up a mass vaccination site in Southwark, but say their supplies of vaccines are currently being used up between hospitals and GPs. Elderly residents of care homes had been vaccinated across Southwark by last week, and vaccines are now also being rolled out for homes which are not elderly-specific.

Speaking to councillors last week, Sam Hepplewhite of the SE London Clinical Commissioning Group, said that Southwark had the capacity to roll out the vaccine if supplies remained constant.

“We’ve got our first pharmacy going live next week,” she said.

“And now we’ve got the AstraZeneca vaccine, it means we can enable the roving service for those that are housebound or cannot travel.

“We’re looking at how we can utilise mass vaccination sites potential…

katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Guy’s Hospital ‘gave out vaccines on demand’ to over70s after a booking number was circulated on social media, patients claim.

should wait to be contacted. Groups now being vaccinated include the over 80s, over 70s, extremely clinically vulnerable people and health and social care workers.

When approached for comment the hospital neither confirmed nor denied the claims.

A spokesperson from Guy’s and St Thomas’ told the News: “We are working hard to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to those most at risk following the guidelines from the JCVI and booking people in by appointment only.

“As such we are asking people not to turn up or contact us until invited to come in.

“We started to vaccinate our frontline staff in December and are now vaccinating all of our hard working teams who ensure the effective running of our clinical services.

“By protecting our staff from illness we can protect and preserve the vital services that our patients rely on.”

prosecute anti-vaxxers says Bermondsey MP

Stock picture

josh@southwarknews.co.uk

By Katherine Johnston

A number of south London OAPs reported they were able to directly book their first COVID-19 vaccination even though they were not in a priority group - then including the over-80s and health and social care workers online.

The News understands over 70s were calling up a phone number that had been circulated online and, even though they were not on the official list, had been able to book slots.

In some cases they had phoned the already busy phone line multiple times. It is believed patients have been skipping the queue in this way for several weeks.

Currently the NHS says patients

Local pharmacies start dishing out the vaccine

By Josh Salisbury

Reports of over 70s chancing it and ‘phoning up booking line’

but at the moment we’re maximising our allocation of vaccinations in Southwark.”

It comes after south east London boroughs reached the 100,000 vaccination mark. Around 30,000 people in Southwark are in priority groups 1-4, those that need to be vaccinated by February 14.

“We’re now moving onto all care home residents that have older people in them,” added Ms Hepplewhite.

“We have capacity, we have the right number of people to deliver the vaccines by that deadline.

“We just need to make sure the vaccines now are delivered.”

Officials have been inundated with questions about the priority banding across the boroughs, she added. “We’ve have got a differential across the boroughs for when some people have been invited to have their vaccinations, especially the over-eighty.”

The South London and Maudsley has also begun to vaccinate staff and vulnerable patients, councillors were told.

Around 240,000 people in south-east London are in the top priority groups and will need to have one dose of the vaccine by mid-Feb.

The call comes as Southwark was left off the list of boroughs given extra funding to boost uptake

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk

Neil Coyle has called for those spreading COVID-19 vaccination misinformation to face prosecution as it emerges Southwark was left off a list of boroughs given extra funding to boost vaccine uptake.

Speaking over the weekend, Coyle said misinformation from anti-vaxxers was threatening to limit uptake.

But he also criticised confusing messaging from the government, claiming it had overstated the number of people now receiving immunity by focusing too much on the number of single doses, rather than completed second jabs.

Although 6.9 million people have now had their first dose in the United Kingdom, only one per cent of Londoners had received both injections so far.

Those still waiting for the second jab are still particularly vulnerable to infection - especially in the first few weeks.

Coyle said: “There needs to be a strategy both tackling those peddling misinformation.

“I know one woman has been fined for spreading misinformation on Facebook and I’d like to see more of that, as a specific offence.

“But there also needs to be more support for individuals who have

worries about the vaccination.”

He added: “Councils have been busting a gut to deal with Covid and they have bust their resources, they’ve bust the bank frankly and the government is not covering all the costs it promised when COVID hit.”

On Monday the government announced it had awarded £23 million to sixty councils across England to ensure the most vulnerable people were being reached with the help of a network of community champions.

Their job is to help older, disabled, and ethnic minority people access information, tests, and vaccinations.

Southwark and Lambeth were both left out, while Lewisham netted £275,000.

Councillor Evelyn Akoto, Southwark Council’s public health chief, described the decision to omit Southwark, with no clear information about why certain areas were ‘hand picked’, as ‘infuriating’.

As the News reported last week, London was behind other regions in the UK in the first stages of the vaccine roll out.

Sadiq Khan has claimed this is because ministers failed to take into account the larger number of patients per GP surgery.

A large population of unregistered patients and higher numbers of black and other ethnic minority groups could also contribute to lower uptake.

A poll commissioned by the Royal Society of Public Health showed only 57 per cent of black, Asian and minority ethnic people would be happy to have the coronavirus vaccine, compared to 79 per cent of white people.

Some vaccine refusers, from all backgrounds, are concerned about the speed with

which the vaccine was developed, or lack trust in the government and NHS. Others who are Muslim or Hindu have been worried by fake claims that the vaccine is made with pork or meat products. False claims include reports the vaccine alters your DNA or affects fertility.

The government’s cabinet office now has a whole unit dedicated to tackling misinformation including conspiracy theories and false vaccine claims, believing many to be circulated by ‘hostile states’.

I know one woman has been fined for spreading misinformation on Facebook and I’d like to see more of that

Neil Coyle

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Nightingale Grove: a new luxury apartment development located in Lewisham

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anuary 2021: Revolutionising the Hither Green landscape, Nightingale Grove is a new luxury development set to become the next commuter hotspot. Located directly next to Hither Green Station, Nightingale Grove consists of 16 high-quality modern apartments (13 two bed flats and 3 one bed flats), ideal for first-time buyers, families looking for extra space, and couples seeking life away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Not only is the location a natural hub for commuters, Hither Green is noted for its village-like feel and community spirit, which also offers a rich tapestry of local history; from the water tower to the open green spaces of Manor House park and

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8 NEWS

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Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

LOCKDOWN: staying at home horrors

council vows to compensate those left without heating

Cathy

Terry

The News highlighted their plight as temperatures plummeted

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk Southwark Council has apologised to residents of a Bermondsey estate after the News highlighted how they had been left in the cold for months.

Fed-up tenants on the Rouel Road estate (pictured) had been suffering with heating problems since October 1, forcing pensioners to wear coats indoors, even over Christmas.

Earlier this month, their story formed part of our front page, as we highlighted how the unreliable district heating system is leaving tenants freezing in the winter.

Now the council’s estates boss, Cllr Leo Pollak, has apologised to the residents – and vowed officials were taking action to fix the problem.

“We are very sorry about the heating

system issues that residents at Rouel Road estate have faced and understand well how difficult the unreliable heating system has been since the autumn, particularly in cold weather and during lockdown,” he said.

“Our heating engineers have been working round the clock making inspections and repairs and we have regular meetings with all contractors consultants and engineers to systematically assess recurring issues and solutions.”

Residents had told us that they had racked up costly bills using fan heaters in a bid to keep warm, while others complained of being fobbed off when attempting to contact the council.

Bosses at the town hall pledged no-one should be left out of pocket as a result of heating failures.

“We will continue to make sure older and vulnerable residents are receiving

outbound calls and additional support, and that we get fan heaters immediately to anyone who’s requested them,” added Cllr Pollak.

“The council is also pledging that no one should be out of pocket if their heating is down, or have uncertainty with electricity costs about using a fan heater.

“In addition to automatically reimbursing residents’ rent accounts for loss of heating, our renewed compensation policy will also be offering a direct and automated £3/day flat rate for the inconvenience and any additional costs incurred.”

The News has also highlighted other cases of district heating failures on Southwark’s creaking estates in recent weeks, including in Camberwell’s Dighton Court.

One resident of the estate said she had been forced to heat her flat with an open oven on Christmas Day.

Anna

‘Rats have broken my washing machine’

And the Peckham council tenant says she can’t afford to replace it as she lost her job in the pandemic

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk A Peckham council tenant who has been plagued with rats says she has been forced to wash her clothes by hand since September, because the rodents destroyed her washing machine.

Evie Enakimio lives on the Tustin Estate, and along with her neighbours, has experienced problems with rats for years, as they chew through the walls which connect the flats to the bin rooms.

The News has previously reported on the problems faced by three tenants of the estate, including Evie,

in 2017.

But now the 32-year-old says the rats have come back, breaking her washing machine in the process.

She cannot afford to replace it, as she lost her job because of the pandemic in June. “I don’t sleep, it really upsets me,” she said. “Because every little noise, I think it’s the rats.

I have to be so careful, because I have been bitten by something in the past.”

Pest control officers at the town hall were called out to her flat at the end of last year to block up a hole in the wall through which the rats were pouring.

Since then, Ms Enakimio says she has not had any live rats in her flat.

But she says that officials should replace her washing machine, because if they had put together a long-term solution in 2017, the rats would not have come back.

“I was warning them last September that the rats had come back, and it took months for them to repair the hole,” she said.

“They replaced the cabinet, but I think they should also replace the washing machine, because I told them again and again this would happen.

“No-one should be living with rats the way I’ve been dealing with rats, no-one should have to live like this.”

Southwark Council has been contacted for comment.

And now there is proposed rat charge increase

Charges to get rid of rats could soar by nearly 100 per cent in just a year under a proposed council plan.

For 2020-21, the charge levied for mice and rodent problems was £86.80 in residential properties. For 2021-22, the charge could be £168.60, a 94 per cent increase.

The price for bedbugs, moths and fleas could also jump by 44 per cent, to £187.30.

Opposition Liberal Democrat councillor Victor Chamberlain slammed the move, saying it was

in effect a ‘rat tax’ on low income residents.

“I’m deeply concerned the Council’s new charges could force people to live with pest and vermin infestations,” he said.

“This could have serious knock on effects on residents’ health and wellbeing. Having to call out pest control is a nightmare at any time, but especially so during a pandemic when we are stuck at home.

“Doubling the cost of call outs will disproportionately harm those on low and limited incomes who may not be

able to afford to do so now.”

Council documents outlining the proposal state the new prices would still be competitive.

“A benchmarking exercise with local pest control service providers and neighbouring boroughs with similar characteristics and demographics to Southwark, shows that these new prices remain extremely competitive,” it states.

The proposed increases are set to be discussed by cabinet next week as part of the council budget, and will then be sent to full council next month.

Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 9

LOCKDOWN: staying at home horrors

vulnerable OAP is forced to use plastic bag as a toilet

By Josh Salisbury

josh@southwarknews.co.uk A vulnerable pensioner was forced to use plastic bags and bottles as a toilet for a week after the plumbing inside her Peabody flat broke.

Theresa Emery, 72, began experiencing problems in August, which put her toilet out of action for a whole week.

The problem appeared to be fixed at the Blackfriars flat - only for the same problem to happen all over again at the end of December, spewing sewage all over her home.

Her daughter, Jackie, moved her mother in with her at her home in Buckinghamshire in December. She says she has been trying and repeatedly failing to contact the landlord, Peabody, for repairs.

“Trying to get someone at Peabody to attend, inspect and support my mum is like cutting a brick with a plastic fork,”

she said.

Eventually, the problem with backed up sewage became so bad that a neighbour called the Fire Brigade over the second incident, and Jackie was contacted.

“The fire brigade gained access to the property, and there was poo everywhere,” said Jackie. “Her bathroom was flooded, and Peabody didn’t send anyone to clean it up or anything.”

Peabody said a deep clean has now taken place - but family say this was actually carried out by them and not the landlord.

Theresa said she felt upset at the lack of formal apology from Peabody, saying nobody had come around to check on her after the incident in August.

“Somebody comes and goes, but they don’t solve the problem,” she said. “And not one person has come to ask how I am coping.

“Everytime I think it’s been solved, it comes back again. I just want them to see what’s causing the problem, why can’t

they find out what’s wrong with it?

“Having your house flooded with someone’s faeces, it’s so distressing.”

A Peabody spokesperson admitted there had been delays to repairs, and apologised “We know that this plumbing issue has been difficult and we’re working hard to resolve all the issues for Ms Emery,” he said.

“We make every effort to minimise disruption and also ensure a timely completion of repairs.

“Unfortunately there have been some delays in this case and we have apologised to the family.

“A deep clean took place on 9 January and our surveyor has identified works to the flat.

“We are also planning to change the bath into a wet room and are awaiting an Occupational Therapist report so all the works can be carried out at the same time. We are in regular contact with the family to progress this.”

‘Super sewer works are forcing people to leave their homes despite the lockdown’

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk Residents living near to the ‘super sewer’ construction site in Bermondsey have told of their misery as they are unable to leave their homes to escape the noise.

Tideway, the construction firm behind the £3.9bn project, is continuing construction throughout lockdown, and is currently digging up the road outside residents’ flats near Bermondsey Wall West.

The work, which had been due to take place last year, were delayed, before beginning last week.

But residents living near to the noise have told the News of their misery, as lockdown rules mean they cannot escape.

“It’s just ridiculously noisy, we’ve got drills and sawing every single day,” said one resident, Sarah Skinner. “They’re just inconsiderate, they don’t care.”

Ms Skinner, who is a software tester, lives directly above the works, and says the noise had made it difficult for her to work from home.

“It’s going to be six weeks of continuous noise,” she said. “I can’t concentrate, and I get headaches.”

Work is ongoing from 8am to 4pm, and could last up to eight weeks, but is expected to be finished within six, she added.

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, has been recovering from coronavirus during the construction work.

“My symptoms have been made so

much worse,” she said. “I’ve never had headaches like it, it’s like two hundred tonnes of steel coming down on your head.

“Being in bed with Covid only to have a pneumatic drill to recover with has just been hell.”

She told this paper that she was aware of others who had moved into other people’s homes - despite lockdown - as a last resort to escape the noise.

“They’re saying it’s essential work, but in March they had to stop,” she said.

“They just don’t care.

“Are you really telling me they couldn’t do this work before lockdown, when they’ve known about it since October?”

The issue of noise and dust plaguing residents who live near Chambers Wharf has previously been taken up by the Southwark Law Centre.

Sally Causer, its director, has previously written to Tideway to ask for respite for residents who are trapped by the lockdown.

A Tideway spokesperson said at the time that they had only stopped paying out claims for hotel stays and holidays, because residents could not take them anyway.

Tideway has been contacted for comment again.

I’ve never had headaches like it.

It’s like two hundred tonnes of steel coming down on your head

10 NEWS

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high court says mayor Unlawfully rushed road closures Mrs Justice Lang said TfL and Sadiq Khan ‘took advantage’ of the pandemic

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk A big push to expand road closures in London to promote walking and cycling has been declared unlawful by the High Court.

Mrs Justice Lang ruled on January 20 that guidance issued by TfL and the Mayor to councils to introduce road closures in March was “seriously flawed.” A legal challenge had been brought of the ‘Streetspace’ guidance

Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

Sadiq Khan

by black cab drivers, who had argued that the schemes did not account for their role as public transport.

They had also sought a review of road closures introduced by TfL around the Bishopsgate area in the City.

Ruling in favour of the black cab trade, Mrs Justice Lang ruled: “In my judgment, the flaws identified were symptomatic of an ill-considered response which sought to take advantage of the pandemic to push through, on an emergency basis without consultation.”

She added it was “possible to widen pavements to allow for social distancing” without transforming parts of central London into “predominantly car-free zones.”

The guidance – which Mayor Sadiq Khan had said would turn central London into one of the largest car-free zones of any capital city – must now be “substantially revised.”

Under the ‘Streetspace’ guidance

issued in March, Southwark Council introduced a number of changes in the borough, including restrictions on through traffic at Bermondsey Street, measures in Dulwich Village and Melbourne Grove.

Taxi drivers have taken particular issue with the road closures in Bermondsey Street, telling the court that it causes long diversions to get to Guy’s Hospital and London Bridge.

TfL also introduced changes on roads it maintains designed to stop car use including on The Cut and extending the pavements around St Thomas’ Street and Borough High Street.

TfL has said it will seek an appeal of the judgement.

Temporary ‘Streetspace’ schemes are enabling safer essential journeys during this exceptionally challenging time and are vital to ensuring that increased car traffic does not threaten London’s recovery from coronavirus,” a spokesperson said.

By Josh Salisbury

woods accessible to all, via the bridge,” said Cllr Catherine Rose, the council’s environment boss.

“As with every council decision, there are people who agree and disagree, and we listen to all these voices.

“The public interest in this means that we have a provisional Tree Preservation Order in place, halting the required works, while we look at the next steps forward.”

Campaign group Save the Footbridge Oaks, have hailed the move as a great success for their campaign.

One activist, Claire Sheppard, told the News last week: “This gives all of us some much needed hope in what is a very hard January.

“The findings of the report really seem to see the value of the trees and this makes me hope that after two years of inaction Southwark are finally starting to see sense and connect their actions to the climate emergency.”

Historic oaks spared the chop josh@southwarknews.co.uk Historic oak trees in Sydenham Hill Wood have been spared the chop after planning permission was refused.

The oaks, which straddle either side of Cox’s walk bridge, had been due to be chopped down so that the council could carry out repairs to the bridge.

A fierce campaign was launched to save the historic oaks - and now a tree protection order has come into force which saves the trees from the axe for at least six months. The order came into force on January 19.

It represents a defeat for the council, which had previously gone all the way to the High Court to move protestors who blocked council machinery from felling the trees.

“We are accountable to the public and working on their behalf to make the

council tells news some parking fines on new road restrictions will be scrapped

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Southwark Council says it will cap the number of fines it hands out for driving through new road restrictions and scrap some charges altogether after a report into financially crippling charges featured in the News.

Tickets issued between November 22 to January 5 will now be limited to three, with the first ticket cancelled if a warning notice was not received beforehand.

Last week this newspaper detailed how dozens of drivers had unwittingly found themselves with three and four figure fines from multiple penalty charge notices after driving through new road restrictions in Walworth; at Manor Place and Braganza Street.

Since our first article we have been made aware of many more people affected in other ‘low emissions neighbourhoods’ across Southwark, including in Dulwich Village. It is not known how many people are affected - but it is likely to be in the hundreds.

Similar complaints are now being reported in neighbouring boroughs.

One unsuspecting driver, a Penton Place tenant, told the News she had three tickets in one week after driving to and from hospital treatment, fines which she appealed but had to pay.

No right hand turns, timed restrictions, and roads that are now closed to traffic but open to cyclists and walkers have all had a mixed reception since being implemented from July 2020.

And although there are many compelling arguments for and against the schemes, one certainty is that the sheer number of fines and huge sums would be financially ruinous to people already struggling from redundancy or reduced incomes during the pandemic.

In some cases, drivers said signage was unclear or not visible in the dark, or that as they do not live in immediate area they had no idea restrictions had been put in - especially if signs were vandalised.

Although the schemes have support from many groups including those

keen to reduce the volume of cars using side streets as rat runs, and climate and air pollution groups, the speed at which the wholesale changes were put in place has created tensions - and teething problems.

Southwark Council’s cabinet member for leisure, environment and roads, councillor Catherine Rose, told the News this week that the council had already started refunding some drivers.

“Despite our signs and advance warning letters, some people have regrettably received multiple tickets,” she said.

“We apologise for this, and have issued a cap of three, on the number of tickets issued from 22 November 2020, to 5 January 2021.

“Anyone not receiving a prior notice letter will also have their first ticket quashed.

“We are contacting all those affected and will be issuing automatic refunds where appropriate. “Anyone who wishes to appeal remaining tickets, can do so.

“Moving forwards, we will work to make any essential adjustments and give the scheme time to settle in.

“It is a new trial, and will be open for resident feedback in six months from its introduction.

“The hope is that the measures will help to free local streets from commuter traffic and open roads up for local people to walk, cycle and play.”

The next question is whether, given the High Court’s latest judgement on the mayor’s rollout of the schemes, all tickets ultimately have more grounds for appeal.

Cllr Catherine Rose

PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE UK GOVERNMENT

How you can help your children keep up with studying THE UK Government is committed to balancing the safety of communities with the continuation of children’s education.

Classrooms have once again closed, but that does not mean an end to lessons. The majority of students are expected to receive between three to five hours of lessons each weekday.

Such support includes recorded or live direct teaching as well as time for children to complete tasks independently.

Additional support is also available for disadvantaged youngsters.The UK Government is investing over £400 million to provide access to technology, including partnering with the UK’s leading mobile network operators to provide free data to those who need it, while teaching staff regularly

While schools and colleges are closed to all except children of critical workers and vulnerable children, most children are currently receiving remote learning support. Teachers and lecturers are working hard to ensure students don’t miss out. Here we explain what experts are offering to ensure ongoing education as well as tips on how parents can best help pupils. check pupils’ learning and well-being.

Remote learning can, understandably, be stressful for parents some of who are already facing personal and professional challenges due to the pandemic. They can be reassured their help is invaluable in more ways than simply helping manage lessons.

Parents can create regular routines, ensuring their kids connect with friends and family online or via

phones. They are also able to talk openly with their children about any updated educational requirements.

BBC Bitesize and Oak National Academy are among many valuable resources that are available.

Other family-orientated virtual activities, including body coach Joe Wicks, remain important to support children’s physical and mental health ... and that of their supportive parents.

HELPING HAND: Children are expected to receive up to five hours of lessons a day.

‘First class support for learning from home’ PARENTS BEN and Helen Evans believe the remote learning support their children are currently receiving is first class.

“I feel incredibly grateful to the school for having that structure,” enthused Ben, whose daughters Lily, aged nine, and four-year old Poppy attend Broadclyst Community Primary.

Wife Helen, a university web team leader, continued: “The community thing is really big for us. To see them interacting with their friends and seeing relationships they have with teachers is great.”

The Devon EdTech Demonstrator School provides advice, guidance and training

FAMILY TEAMWORK: Ben and Helen Evans with Lily and Poppy.

including webinars, resources, peer to peer discussions on how to best use technology as well as remote learning provision for pupils during the pandemic.

Ben said: “It’s been great fun actually going back to school for ourselves. We do baking with the Bishops on a Friday afternoon.

“All the parents join in together with the baking and it becomes a discussion point in the community as well.” n For more guidance on remote learning and support for mental health and wellbeing, visit : gov.uk/ coronavirus-remote-learning

HELP FOR DISADVANTAGED PUPILS n The UK Government invested over £400 million to support disadvantaged children and young people with access to technology through the pandemic, including providing 1.3 million laptops and tablets. n The Department for Education has partnered with some of the UK’s leading mobile network operators to provide free data to disadvantaged families, further

supporting remote education where it’s needed. Families will benefit from this additional data until July 2021. n 54,000 4G wireless routers have been provided, with free data for the academic year, to support disadvantaged children to access remote education and vital social care services.

Find out more information at gov.uk/coronavirus

12 NEWS

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Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

explosion at peckham hotel housing homeless

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk A Peckham hotel providing shelter to homeless people was evacuated after a fire and explosion in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Around a hundred people had left the building before the brigade arrived at the Peckham Road building after the fire broke out at 1.44am, January 23.

One man was taken to hospital by paramedics. No other injuries were reported.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus searched the building to make sure no one was trapped inside, before 25 firefighters from four crews across south London brought the fire under control by 5.21am.

The brigade says a small part of a first floor room was damaged by the explosion ‘believed to have involved a small cylinder’.

Residents were later able to return to other areas of the hotel after the building was deemed safe.

Hotels have been working with the authorities to house rough sleepers and homeless people during the pandemic.

Southwark councillor Evelyn Akoto, the cabinet member for public health and community safety, said: “Council officers attended the scene and made sure that hotel guests were evacuated from the premises, before working with the emergency services to establish that the structure of the building was sound.

“On confirming this, they saw that all council residents return safely to the hotel.

“Guests in the affected area were allocated new rooms, in another part of the hotel.”

The cause is now under investigation by the brigade and the Met.

4,000 deaths from toxic air

By Katherine Johnston

katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Four thousand Londoners died from toxic air in 2019 alone, according to a new report on the impact of dirty air and the benefits of emissions policies pushed through by Sadiq Khan.

The study, from Imperial College London’s Environmental Research Group, found that the highest number of deaths caused by air pollution are now recorded in outer London boroughs. Bromley, Barnet, Croydon and Havering had the highest deaths, believed to be due to the number of older residents who are more vulnerable to toxic air.

City Hall says the findings highlight the need to expand clean air measures - like the ULEZ. Air pollution has long been linked to lung and heart disease, but increasingly scientists are seeing evidence of its role in a range of conditions including cancer, dementia

and Parkinson’s disease. It has also been linked to miscarriage.

Researchers also detailed progress made between 2016 and 2019, which saw a 97 per cent fall in the number of state primary and secondary schools located in areas exceeding legal pollution limits – from 455 in 2016, to just 14 in 2019 and a 94 per cent reduction in number of Londoners living in areas exceeding legal limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

It is believed clean air policies, pushed through from City Hall, will now mean children born in London in 2013 can expect to have a life expectancy of six months higher than before.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said he was ‘enormously proud’ of what has been achieved so far, and said he was committed to expanding the ULEZ in October after the ‘stark reminder’ of the 4,000 deaths in 2019 linked to dirty air.

Jemima Hartshorn, Founder of

clean air campaigning group Mums for Lungs, based in south London, said: “This report is encouraging, we are pleased to see that the action the mayor of London is taking will help increase the life expectancy of children in London.

“I am glad that the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone in October will have more of an impact in protecting the health of our children.

“However, this report is also a stark reminder that there are thousands of premature deaths and many more people getting sick from toxic air in our capital.

“I am calling on the government to take leadership on this now, and commit to achieving at least WHO recommended guideline limits by 2030 in the new Environment Bill. We cannot afford to delay action on this any further - our children deserve to breathe clean air.”

See comment - page 19

London Bridge is going to the vote

By Josh Salisbury

josh@southwarknews.co.uk Businesses in the London Bridge area are being asked to vote for plans to make it among the most ‘culturally innovative’ in the world.

The appeal comes from Team London Bridge, which runs the Business Improvement District (BID) for the area.

It has run the BID since 2006, and now its latest five year plan is up for approval. According to the BID, a majority ‘yes’ vote would see £11m reinvested into the London Bridge area.

‘We have tried to see beyond the extremely difficult circumstances we are all currently in to present a plan that not only eases the impact of the

pandemic, but will help businesses build back strongly and reinvent areas of our working lives that can be more sustainable, healthy and enjoyable,” said the organisation.

“Team London Bridge is proud of how we were able to pivot in 2020 and make sure our services remained relevant and supportive of our members.

“These experiences will make us stronger and more resourceful as we reposition ourselves for the fiveyears ahead.”

Businesses within the area are being posted their ballot papers in the coming days. Voting lasts until February 25.

Details of the voting process are available at ourlondonbridge. co.uk or by emailing henry@ teamlondonbridge.co.uk.

Crackdown on county lines sees 934 arrests by transport police

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Over 900 people have been arrested by British Transport Police’s county lines task force in just one year.

The team, which is focused on catching gangs who use the railway network to transport drugs between London and regional towns, arrested 934 people between December 2019 and 2020.

To date they have secured fifteen modern slavery charges, using new legislation to target those who groom vulnerable children as drug mules.

Often, the children are lured in with promises of money and status, but are then threatened with violence to make sure they do not leave.

The children, usually in their midteens, can be sent across the country with thousands in cash and class A drugs.

The youngest person arrested by the team was a thirteen-year-old boy found in Kent last September, carrying £1,500 in cash. The discovery led to a dawn raid at a flat

in south east London, and the arrest and charge of two people for modern slavery offences.

Since December 2019, officers have seized £308,000 from individual stops, made 471 drug seizures and removed 168 dangerous weapons from the railway.

Detective Superintendent Gareth Williams said: “One year on we have a very strong picture of how County Lines gangs are using the railway. We know where they are operating and the young age groups they target.

“This year, we’ve used the Home Office funding to bring in experts in child exploitation from notable charities committed to tackling County Lines, and we have expanded the team to make sure we can reach across England, Wales and Scotland, putting pressure on gangs wherever they operate.

“We are also in step with the wider railway industry, training their frontline staff to identify the signs of County Lines and child exploitation.

“They are our eyes and ears and we use their reports to identify where we should target next.”

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peckham man Jailed for ploughing into police car, injuring four officers

Haydon Martin drove at 60mph on the wrong side of the road

Council’s 100% renewable electricity bid

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk A dangerous driver who ploughed into into a police car, injuring four officers, has been jailed.

Haydon Martin (pictured), 25, from Fenwick Road in Peckham, was handed four years and five months at Inner London Crown Court on Wednesday, January 20 after pleading guilty to one count of causing serious injury caused by dangerous driving and one count of dangerous driving. He was also banned from driving for seven years.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Ben Simpson said: ‘’It is a miracle that there were no fatalities as a result of this incident.

“Police officers all over the country work tirelessly day and night in order to protect the public. Whilst providing this crucial service last October, Martin subjected four such officers to a head on collision.

“Martin drove at 60 miles per hour in 20 miles per hour residential streets, on the wrong side of the road and under the influence of drugs before fleeing the scene with his passenger leaving injured officers trapped inside their vehicle – he made no attempt to call for help.

“I am pleased that justice has been served and hope that the sentence

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Street lamps and councilowned public buildings in Southwark are now all powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity.

handed down helps the injured officers to progress with their recoveries and once again serve and protect the community.”

The officers were in an unmarked police car on patrol in the borough when, shortly before 1.30pm on October 20 last year Martin’s car collided directly with their vehicle in Draycott Close, near the junction with Edmund Street in Camberwell. His passenger fled the scene - and has yet to be identified.

Martin and the four officers were all hospitalised. Two of the officers, the driver and front seat passenger, are still off duty and recovering from their injuries.

Detective Superintendent Nicky Arrowsmith, from the Central South

Command, said: “This was a horrific head-on collision which left four of our officers needing hospital treatment.

“One officer was seriously injured and three months on, two of the officers will be continuing in their recovery for some time to come. It was sheer luck that they were not permanently, or even fatally injured.

“Martin’s behaviour, and driving, that afternoon was deplorable, and he is now facing the consequences of his actions.

“Equally shocking is how Martin’s passenger ran from the scene leaving people injured. Our enquiries to identify and trace him remain ongoing.”

Anyone with information regarding the passenger is asked to call police via 101 quoting reference CAD 3656/20OCT20

Haydon Martin

Police need to speak to these four men Appeal as officers investigate a sexual assault on a lone woman in Stockwell park

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk A CCTV appeal has been shared by police investigating a sexual assault in a Stockwell park.

Images of four men police want to identity have been circulated in relation to the attack in July last year.

The victim, a woman in her 20s, is believed to have been attacked while unconscious in Slade Gardens around 2.30am on Saturday, August 1.

She had gone to the park with four men she had met that night after drinking in a nearby bar.

The group left the venue at around 2am and it is believed the victim was assaulted around half an hour later after losing consciousness.

When she woke up she realised her bank cards had been stolen.

Officers have now released images of four men, believed to be friends, captured on CCTV (pictured), whom

they wish to identify.

Detective Constable Colette Daoud, from the Met’s Central South Safeguarding team, said: “This was an atrocious attack on a lone woman who was targeted late at night and subjected to serious sexual violence.

“We are requesting the public’s help to identify the men pictured. If you recognise any of these men, please come forward and speak to us.

“If you have any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, it is vital you get in touch.”

In August last year three men, aged 45, 46 and 33 were arrested on suspicion of raping the victim in the early hours of Saturday, August 1 and were released under investigation.

Anyone with information or who recognises the men captured in the CCTV is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference CAD 4055/01AUG20, or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Southwark Council announced the milestone achievement last week.

Buildings covered include the town hall, council-owned day centres, offices and park huts.

Tooley Street has also confirmed plans to extend this commitment into communal areas of its housing stock

by September; meaning clean energypowered stairwell lighting and lifts.

Further plans for schools’ electricity are also expected to be announced within weeks.

Cllr Johnson Situ, cabinet member for climate emergency, planning and transport, said: “I am delighted to confirm that Southwark has switched the electricity in all of our council buildings and street lighting to renewable energy.

“Council managed housing spaces and schools are up next. This is the next stage in our response to the climate emergency and our commitment to reaching net zero by 2030.

“We will keep working towards more and improved sustainable energy sources and invite others to see what they are able to do as well.”

Five flee blazing pub

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Five people fled a fire at The Kennington pub in Camberwell New Road last Friday morning.

Operators received nearly a dozen calls from 8.25am on January 22 after the blaze had broken out on the third floor of the building - which also contains flats.

The room where the fire started was completely destroyed but, fortunately, there were no reports of any injuries.

The fire was under control by 9.30am thanks to 25 firefighters from Lambeth, Peckham and Brixton stations.

London Fire Brigade said the cause was now being investigated.

Southwark News Lockdown ADVERT v1.indd 1

06/01/2021 11:17

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southwark angels Helping in crisis

Thieves steal batteries from bikes used to deliver food parcels for the vulnerable

Thieves have stolen the batteries from bikes used by a Rotherhithe charity to deliver food parcels to the vulnerable and the elderly.

Time and Talents has been delivering food parcels to hundreds of local residents throughout the pandemic by using their electric bikes.

But last week it was discovered that thieves had stolen the expensive £700 batteries from the bikes.

This has put the bikes out of action and forced the charity to fundraise to replace them at a cost of £2,100.

“We discovered it last week when a member of the team went to get them to recharge them, because they need to be charged overnight before we deliver the food parcels,” said director, Sarah Gibb.

“Outside of the pandemic, we use these bikes to take housebound people for rides so they can feel the wind in their hair, but during the

pandemic we’ve been using them to deliver food supplies to hundreds of local people.”

The batteries from the specialist kit – called Christiana bikes – cannot be used for anything else, making the theft even more pointless, says the charity.

“We’re a small charity that’s trying their best to support the local community,” added Ms Gibbs. “It’s sad really, when everyone is working so hard to support the food hub each

week.”

Deliveries of the council and Fareshare parcels are still taking place after volunteers rallied around the charity to offer their cars, to make sure no-one goes hungry.

Time and Talents has encouraged the public to donate to its food hub so that they can replace the batteries.

Money also goes towards topping up food boxes for people in need with additional items.

After posting about the brazen theft,

over 3,000 face masks donated to waterloo food bank

which has been reported to police, the charity has seen the local community rally around them.

“It’s heartwarming, really,” said Ms Gibbs. “The local community has really stepped up, people are outraged on our behalf. It’s lovely to see that people are supporting us.”

To donate to Time and Talent’s fundraiser, which will both replace the bike batteries and pay for extra food items for those in need, search ' Time & Talents Food Hub donate'

Face mask company SmartCover donated more than 3,000 masks to Waterloo Food Bank over the festive season.

Before Christmas, volunteers helped get 1,000 parcels to those in need including essentials such as food, toiletries and reusable, washable face masks.

The company says it is keen to help get face coverings to the most vulnerable people, and is exploring how to partner with more food banks and charities.

Matteo Grassi, CEO of Viceroy Group, SmartCover’s parent company said: “We are pleased to be able to provide support to Waterloo Food Bank, especially over the Christmas period when times are tough for so many people.

“We applaud their volunteers’ tireless work following a challenging year, and hope to continue working with their network to help communities in need.

“We’d like to thank Waterloo Food Bank for their hard work and support they give to local communities.”

Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

e-fitting tribute to police artist tony The Met’s sole e-fit officer is leaving the force after a fifteen year career helping to catch some of the most dangerous criminals in London.

PC Tony Barnes joined the Met from Essex Police in 2006 and has worked as London’s single e-fit operator since 2013.

He says that despite CCTV, everimproving forensics and new digital tools, there will ‘always’ be a place for the vital skill.

Those he helped arrest after e-fit appeals were issued include Derry McCann who was given a life sentence for a rape he committed in east London’s Victoria Park on his own wedding day.

PC Barnes said: “I like to tell people one of two things about me. Either that I’m the most published artist in the Evening Standard or that I’m the only police officer in London who’s paid to draw pictures all day long. Both are true I think, although Banksy gets his fair share of column space.

“Whatever I tell people, I know that I have been incredibly lucky to do something at work that I love doing. Not only can I use my natural creative talents but I get to meet very interesting people.

“I joined up as a PC but when I saw this opportunity, I knew it was right for me and that’s proved exactly right.

“Over the years I have carried out interviews in every London borough and interviewed at least two thousand people from a variety of backgrounds.

“They all had one thing in common though. They had either been the victim of, or witness to a crime. Some of them, very serious indeed.

“This is something that is often forgotten by the press. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t laughed at some of the e-fits I have seen over the years. I bet you have as well.

“The truth is that every e-fit that you see in the press or on TV is not the vision of the police officer or police staff member.

“It is what the witness has described to those officers. Sure the artistic skills of some of the composite artists may be lacking at times, but that image only appears for public consumption if the witness says there is a likeness to the suspect.

“I have pride in all the images that I have helped create over the years, even if some very old images look unrealistic by today’s standards.

“Of course not all e-fit images lead to an arrest but lots have, including the conviction of Derry McCann who committed a rape in Victoria Park on the same day that he later got married. He was sentenced to life in prison.

E-fitting tribute of the officer

£20,000 pledged online to get laptops to our schoolchildren Last week we revealed that Southwark Council’s schools’ chief and a network of teachers from across the borough had lost faith in government promises and decided the only way to fix the ongoing problem was to pay for it themselves.

A crowdfunder was launched by Tooley Street and south London's Teaching School Alliance with the council saying it would match fund up to £250,000 using emergency COVID-19 funding it had been given from central government.

Edible Rotherhithe’s school dinners

Despite the new restrictions the charity is still growing and harvesting fresh fruit and veg in the school’s polytunnel, which are then used to make healthy school meals. The grant was part of Tesco’s 'Bags of Help' community grant scheme.

Christina Wheatley, a trustee and project manager at Edible Rotherhithe said: "Like many local charities and community groups, COVID-19 has restricted Edible Rotherhithe's ability to operate as

we normally would - so it's fantastic that we can keep supplying the school with fresh produce.

“We can't wait to start up our after-school activities again once restrictions have been lifted.

“The after-school classes we normally offer at Surrey Square have received nothing but positive feedback from both the parents and the pupils.

“Introducing children to the idea of nurturing and harvesting their own food has opened up a new world to them, and has taught them the benefit of healthy, freshly grown produce.

“We’ve had parents tell us that their children are suddenly taking an interest in cooking, which has given

Tony Barnes

“People sometimes ask whether e-fits are still needed today, given the extent of CCTV and other technology.

“And while it’s of course true that these things have diminished the need for e-fits in some ways, there are always criminals who lurk in the shadows and manage to evade any cameras.

“That’s where we come in and why I think there will always be a place for what we do.”

Four new officers have now received their accredited e-fit training and are now being given extra tuition from PC Barnes - who says he is “off to the countryside in a floppy hat and smock to paint until the sun goes down."

A campaign to end digital poverty in Southwark has already had more than £20,000 in online pledges.

Edible Rotherhithe is benefitting from a £1,000 donation from Tesco - helping to provide fresh produce to the school’s kitchen throughout lockdown.

NEWS 17

them a new shared activity, bringing them even closer as a family!

“The donation from Tesco will help us continue the after-school classes after lockdown which provide an invaluable service to the pupils at Surrey Square, and for that, we’re hugely grateful.”

In total, 1,995 groups were awarded grants of £1,965,500 by Tesco throughout the UK in 2020.

Another organisation in Southwark to receive funding is Community Cycleworks, a charity that runs builda-bike courses, bike fix sessions and on road and mountain biking ride outs for young people in the area. https://ediblerotherhithe.org.uk/ donate

The council has also received a £20,000 donation from the New Common Collett Foundation – enough to pay for 130 devices.

Cllr Jasmine Ali argued that although the money from central government was not initially budgeted for laptops, the digital divide was a COVID-19 crisis and risked children falling behind permanently.

This week Cllr Alice Macdonald said providing laptops was ‘just the beginning’ as the council worked to connect families who do not currently even have internet access.

“Families in Southwark shouldn’t have to rely on internet tethering from a mobile phone to

ensure their children can access online learning,” she said.

“This lack of connectivity is an unacceptable barrier to education faced by thousands of Southwark’s pupils.

“We’re building on our partnership with internet providers to extend the free and fast WiFi connections provided at community halls to all homes in our estates currently without broadband until the end of the school year.

“This is just the beginning as we want to work with providers to get the internet to every single child who needs it.” www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ laptopsforlearning

18 OPINION

www.southwarknews.co.uk/letters

Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

Comment What help is there for those in need in the lockdown?

A

s we go through another lockdown, which is currently due to last until April, it is vital more support is given to those who have been left to struggle during the pandemic.

A £20-a-week increase in Universal Credit was introduced last year to give people an extra helping hand. It’s due to be cut in April, but it’s patently clear it should be extended at least until the end of this pandemic.

We also urgently need to see more support for those on low incomes needing to self-isolate. The current £500 compensation payment scheme is not fit for purpose as the criteria for applications is too narrow and the government have not given councils enough funding to meet the demand for it. Ministers must also boost statutory sick pay in the capital, so it is equivalent to the London living wage.

It has been disappointing to see reports of some GPs ignoring British Medical Association guidance and charging alleged victims of domestic abuse over £150 for letters confirming their injuries.

The letters are needed for victims

READERS’ VIEWS Outrage in Walworth over 'three and four figure' fines racked up after Low Emissions Neighbourhood installed

florence eshalomi

GLA Member for Southwark & Lambeth to access legal aid and this help should never come at a price. The Domestic Abuse Bill currently going through Parliament is the opportunity to scrap this unfair fee.

On a related and local note, I was pleased that Southwark Council have appointed its first deputy cabinet member for domestic abuse. Lockdown has seen a rise in reported cases, while isolation has shattered support networks, making it even more difficult for survivors to get help.

I’d also like to highlight the work of the Rhea Project – a partnership between Solace Women’s Aid, Commonweal Housing and Southwark Council.

Many women find refuges to be unsuitable for their needs, and this scheme helps to prioritise social housing. With Solace Women’s Aid reporting unprecedented demand, Southwark’s leadership in this area is to be welcomed.

In other important news, it is now possible to book a local and free rapid lateral flow test, without having symptoms of COVID-19. Results are usually available in less than one hour and the borough’s testing centre

is open seven days a week from 9am to 7pm, based at the Damilola Taylor Centre in Peckham. More of these local test centres are in the pipeline.

Around one in three people with the virus don’t show symptoms and the council are currently encouraging key workers and those who can’t work from home to get a lateral flow test in order to break the chain of transmission.

Finally, it has been great to see Southwark Council approve funding for 29 projects put forward by local people and organisations to support growth in their neighbourhoods, as part of a £6m investment drive into the borough. The fund will breathe new life into community spaces, including The Walworth Living Room, a neighbourhood hub run by charity Pembroke House, with a social space and community café based in All Saints Hall.

South London institution, Peckhamplex, famed for its £4.99 tickets, has also been awarded £564,423 from the Culture Recovery Fund. It should mean that this well-loved cinema can continue to serve our community safely when lockdown measures ease again.

It’s incredible that Southwark Council has implemented this so badly.

It is now 22nd January and Google Maps and my car navigation (which does not use Google maps) both route through here. The whole area here is a mess – the council failed to clean up the Manor Place development and have kept it as narrow access. The signage was so small and inconsistent when implemented and hasn’t improved much despite the council having another go at improving it.

It is simply cruel that the council would send out one PCN one day and then send out more and more in the following days before the vehicle owner even received the first. It must be causing huge worry and stress for people.

There should have been warning letters being sent to drivers and a period of time left – say fourteen days – before any further PCN’s being issued.

The whole thing smacks of an out of touch council that is interested in raising revenue only with no regard to residents.

David, via SN website

Sooo many people round here have fines! It’s ridiculous.. driving all round the Elephant then all the way to Oval, turning round and finally left at Kennington all for the sake of that one right hand turn.

Rebecca Cox, via Facebook

Peckham garages to become five new council homes More 1/2/3 bedroom when they need to build 4/5/6 to free up small places and rehouse those who need bigger places.

Tanya Robinson, via Facebook

Bermondsey school slams free school meal hamper it was told to send to parents I’m a lone parent because of domestic violence. I went to Crawford Children’s Centre to pick up a huge box with my daughter telling her they wanted to give a nice food present for us.. we had some rotten carrots, three rotten bananas, one single tomato and two potatoes, two small packs of pasta, two cans of beans and two little custards. Nothing else, not a biscuit, not a piece of bread, nothing to use to make a sauce for this pasta, not even a little bottle of oil. The box was almost empty.

Laura, via SN website

More needs to be done on the environment and housing

nick johnson

Southwark Liberal Democrat opposition leader

S

o 2021 may technically have begun, but it still feels like we’re stuck in a never ending winter of 2020 doesn’t it.

Our heartfelt thanks go out to all the volunteers, our NHS and many others who are fighting so hard at the front-lines. We are all living for the Spring and a much longed for easing of Lockdown and conquering of this virus.

Ten per cent of the population now have their first dose of vaccinations and the daily infection rate is starting to fall; hopefully hospital admissions and deaths will soon follow. So there are reasons to feel hopeful.

With this mood of hope, I would like to invite you, dear reader to think of a brighter future for Southwark and how we might get there.

Two years ago, Southwark Council declared a ‘climate emergency’. The vote was unanimous, the entire council agreed that this was correct.

The only question was, what should / could we do about it? We all want

to live in a Borough that is filled with green spaces and trees, that has low air pollution and that plays its part in lowering the UK’s carbon emissions.

What’s happened since? Sadly not enough. In fact, in many ways, things have been made worse: mature trees have been cut down in unprecedented numbers in order to allow for building; there are barely any electric car charging points in Southwark and maybe most surreally of all, as I highlighted last year, the council signed a five year, £65 million contract to buy fossil fuels such as coal and gas whilst investing in new council estate gas fired heating.

As the saying goes, ‘trust what I do not what I say’. Luckily with a bit of scrutiny from us (that’s politics speak for arm twisting), some great journalism from this paper (plug I know), and perhaps plain embarrassment when challenged by groups such as Extinction Rebellion, the council are waking up to take action by: • Promising to plant 10,000 trees over the next year – including the

•

• •

•

•

mature ones cut down – even if its costing £5 million to do - this has to be a good thing; Promising to convert all council buildings and all council estates to 100 per cent green energy over twelve months - a remarkable about face considering they said it was too expensive only six months ago.

We are also continuing to push for the obvious actions to take: To stop the mass culling of mature trees. Replacing a mature tree with a little sapling that often as not dies due to lack of care does nothing To massively increase the number of charging points for electric cars (yes I know they aren’t the full answer and we should all use public transport or cycle/walk, but sometimes people have to use a car, so let’s make sure as many of them as possible are electric) To show real leadership and ensure that all of our Southwark energy requirement is green. In the 21st Century, Southwark shouldn’t be burning coal and gas to keep the lights on. Let’s invest to make our

own power! - generated and stored from renewable sources– such as solar panels on every building that the Council owns and a network of heat source pumps or similar.

Of course, the other thing that Southwark desperately needs is more affordable green homes.

The kind of homes that anyone on an average London salary (so roughly £30-35,000) could hope to own. Currently there are over 14,000 people waiting for a council home - a rise of over 5000 these past five years. People have been waiting for literally over a decade.

Again, the council says one thing and does another. Almost a decade ago, it promised to build 11,000 new council homes but so far we have just over 1000 and it seems most won’t be done till sometime after 2040 - don’t know about you, but I can’t wait that long! I’m also not counting the thousands demolished by the council on large estates such as the Heygate, and then selling the land off to private developers whilst moving families

'temporarily' all over London.

There are now over 6000 empty private homes following a property development boom in Southwark.

As we campaigned for, it turns out it was a good idea to tax them at up to 300 per cent – now covering the rent for one family for every 20 or so empty - sadly not nearly enough to compensate for the council’s failed house building programme.

Over the coming 12 months, the Southwark Liberal Democrats will be revealing a number of bold plans to help further with all this.

A council that can’t build enough houses for its own residents and can’t protect its green spaces has failed and it is time for a change.

That’s all for me this month; perhaps by the time you read my next column at the end of February, we will see better news about COVID and Lockdown. In the meantime, please stay safe – wear a mask that covers your nose, try not to ‘bend’ the Lockdown rules; and be kind to each other – it’s tough for all of us out there.

Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

www.southwarknews.co.uk/letters

OPINION 19

Green choices need to be inexpensive

I

f the government wants to get serious about meeting climate targets then green choices can’t continue being the most expensive.

Solar panels, renewable electricity, and electric cars need more subsidy and support for people who want to do the right thing but struggle to meet high up-front costs.

In a similar vein, winning people round to the long term benefits of low emissions neighbourhoods, emissions charges and the expansion of the ULEZ means persuading people who are on the fence.

There are a huge number of people in dire financial straits, or who are worried about using public transport because of COVID-19, or who rely on driving for work or other commitments.

Not everyone can cycle, use a bus or walk.

Although it’s good news the council is taking a flexible approach to some of the ludicrously high charges handed to people who missed poor signage or confusing new road layouts, there is also a real danger that the hodgepodge implementation of the low traffic zones has hardened attitudes - whether for or against.

Amid the personal difficulty of going green,

the bigger picture is that the direction of travel simply has to be towards cleaner, greener transport and air.

New sobering research has highlighted that air pollution was responsible for the deaths of 4,000 Londoners in 2019 alone.

Many more are struggling with asthma and other conditions both partly caused and also worsened by dirty air.

Recent weeks have also highlighted the impact of climate change - more flooding, and more freak weather conditions.

This month the High Court ruled that the rapidly imposed road changes in the capital were ‘unlawful’.

Along with public outcry over the fines handed out, and the ongoing difficulty securing finance for cleaner vehicles, there is a real fear that pushing flawed schemes through too quickly has done long term damage.

To avoid another major set back among hearts and minds of the public we need to see big polluters taxed properly, more public transport investment, a huge programme of support to help people buy electric cars and in the review of all council-led road changes the ‘coherent’ plan we were promised.

What theDickens?

SOUTHWARK NEWS DIARIST

Is the Bat Signal over Canada Water?

Robert Pattinson’s latest blockbuster, a new installment of the Batman franchise, is said to be filming in Printworks, we’re told.

Production has begun on the project, which will see Pattinson play the titular character in ‘The Batman’.

The new Dark Knight movie began production this month, and is set to premiere in June next year.

Canada Water is often plagued by antisocial behaviour problems - could they do with a Bruce Wayne to bring order to the streets of Gotham City?

Was the grass greener in Peckham for Fresh Prince star?

Iconic TV show, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, has been added to I Player this month, marking the first time it has been on the Beeb since 2004.

Geoffrey, the butler on series, played by Joseph Marcell, first set up home in the UK in Peckham after moving from St Lucia as a child.

His appearance on the show launched his career in the States, but he never forgot where he came from. “Let me tell you that Peckham was a revelation,” he told the Yorkshire Post earlier this year. Why did we come over? I suppose that it was a sort of ‘grass is always greener’ sort of thing.

Except that, in Peckham, there was precious little grass!”

We could lose generation of talent, warns National Theatre boss

On the topic of the arts, the National Theatre’s director Rufus Norris has warned that artists are being left behind during the pandemic.

While the cultural recovery fund has been “incredibly useful”, many artists are freelance, Mr Norris told Newsnight, meaning many may leave the industry without adequate support.

“Most of the artists that work in theatre are freelance,” he said. “The provision for freelancers has been unfortunately pretty lacking.”

“Many of the ones who don't have support, the ones who are more socio-economically more vulnerable... they're going to be the ones who are leaving the industry,” he added.

CRYPTIC PUZZLE Clues Across

4 Several frogmen (6) 8 Meeting Constance with diplomacy (7) 9 Reverend gentleman breaks the circle (6) 10 Man with loads of work (9) 11 Gain a point? It’s intoxicating (4) 13 Stays for the postscript (5) 14 Father, in tatters, an example to us all (7) 16 Two-by-two in close-up (7) 18 Inscribed in memory, by the sound of it (5) 19 Bird heard to make money (4) 21 Plagued to be leased round the beginning of May (9) 22 Wash all I have on (6) 23 Asleep? Right, before it’s about and cancels everything (7) 24 It’s nonsense about the lair of the animal (6)

Clues Down

1 Later Bill has one alternative (9) 2 Kind of hat to wear on the range? (5-4) 3 Helps out many, but they’re sour (5) 5 Out of work but makes a comeback in welding (4) 6 Toupee slipped sideways. What a pest! (6) 7 In this way a range of knowledge can cause weakness (6) 9 Stuff round either end of the eye for the best part (5) 11 Justified when conflict raged (9) 12 Direction not taken either by the railway (9) 15 Soundly attacked wrong-doer (5) 16 Vendor, we hear, might store 11 across (6) 17 Joined in duet (6) 20 Remains of fire for the closing months of the year (5) 21 This urban district won’t change (4)

QUICK PUZZLE Clues Across

4 Pleated border (6) 8 Metal cap (7) 9 Risky (6) 10 Gifts (9) 11 Pledge (4) 13 Braid of hair (5) 14 Ill-treated (7) 16 Usefulness (7) 18 Chatter (5) 19 A Roman Emperor (4) 21 Auspicious (9)

22 Attack (6) 23 Unfold (7) 24 Less difficult (6)

Clues Down

1 Low-necked (9) 2 Well-protected burrowing animal (9) 3 Killed (5) 5 Footed vases (4) 6 Quarrel (6) 7 Smoothed (6)

9 Up to (5) 11 Firearms smuggler (3,6) 12 Period of carrying in womb (9) 15 Backless seat (5) 16 Not constructed (6) 17 Flags (6) 20 War-horse (5) 21 Penalty (4)

Solutions to last week’s crossword Cryptic ACROSS: 1 Stripped 4 Asia 8 Polish 10 Foment 11 Tacit 12 Until 14 Necked 17 Golf balls 18 Atomic war 22 Catsup 23 Irked 24 Stone 26 Thirty 27 Gnomes 28 Deed 29 Rawhides DOWN: 1 Sips 2 Ruling 3 Pistil 5 Steaks 6 Antidote 7 Hotel 9 Half-empty 10 Financing 13 Torts 15 Cloak 16 Placated 18 Attire 19 Ousts 20 Wrench 21 Reamed 25 Asks

Quick Puzzle

ACROSS: 1 Regiment 4 Sped 8 Browse 10 Pogrom 11 Tries 12 Other 14 Ceases 17 Heroic age 18 Penetrate 22 Borneo 23 Ideal 24 Super 26 Rebuts 27 Sister 28 Dust 29 Festered DOWN: 1 Robs 2 Growth 3 Master 5 Phrase 6 Domestic 7 Hosea 9 Erroneous 10 Peccaries 13 Helen 15 Agate 16 Lumbered 18 Probes 19 Nests 20 Adrift 21 Easter 25 Prod

20 ARTS

www.southwarknews.co.uk/arts

Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

what’s on

Original Theatre Company and Perfectly Normal Productions present the first revival of Barnes’ People, a series of four theatrical monologues starring Jon Culshaw, Matthew Kelly, Jemma Redgrave and Adrian Scarborough and directed by Philip Franks and Charlotte Peters, writes Michael Holland...

From writer Peter Barnes (The Ruling Class) comes a selection of four exquisitely crafted monologues, performed by four of our leading actors and filmed on stage at the Theatre Royal Windsor.

Billy & Me starring Jon Culshaw Directed by Charlotte Peters For Michael Jennings, the only way to fight the voices in his head is to bring them to life. In fact he’s made a career from it. Now, seemingly alone on an empty stage, Billy, his stage partner of 25 years, keeps interrupting him.

Which would be fine, except that Billy is a puppet. Billy and Me is a hilarious and daring examination exploring what happens when a ventriloquist lets the puppets take control.

Losing Myself starring Matthew Kelly Directed by Philip Franks Adams used to have everything, with the world at his feet. Now he’s lost his faith… and his rocking horse. On a solitary bench within the hallowed confines of one of London’s forgotten churchyards, Adams sits on a bench for his final conversation with an old friend.

With poignancy and profundity he must come to terms with who he has become and where he is going, but it’s going to rain and the bulldozers are moving in.

Rosa starring Jemma Redgrave Directed by Philip Franks Dr Rosa Hamilton is tired. After twenty

in Southwark

Barnes’ People Filmed For Streaming

years of battling the system, drowning in paperwork and watching patients fade away in care homes, she’s tired, she’s angry and she really wants a drink.

Especially as she’s about to dictate the most important letter of her life.

True Born Englishman starring Adrian Scarborough A World Premiere Directed by Philip Franks

Leslie has been a footman at Buckingham Palace for thirty years. A life of service, a life of discretion and a lifetime of secrets. Originally banned from broadcast by the BBC and never seen before, this world premiere takes you behind the scenes of the most famous of royal palaces for an unforgettable audience with a true born Englishman.

Director Philip Franks added, “Peter Barnes’ monologues have all the qualities of his plays— all the passion, wit, anger and compassion- condensed into urgent 20 minute plays. They feel like they could have been written yesterday.”

Dates: 18 February – 31 July 2021.

Tickets: Early Bird (when purchased by 16 February 2021)

Individual monologue; Standard - £7.50; With programme - £10; Package of 4 monologues; Standard - £20 (£5 each); Premium Package - £100 (signed script by a creative team member of your choice and a credit on the final films) Supporter Package - £40 (programme and credit on the final films) Book: originaltheatreonline.com Prices rise after February 16th

Poltergeist at the Party Philip Ridley’s new one-man play, Poltergeist, tells of being haunted by a life not lived, living with regrets that you’re not allowed to forget and constantly being reminded of mistakes made that affect your life forever, writes Michael Holland.

Photo by Martin Photography

Joseph Potter is the one man playing Sasha and everyone else in his uptight life, and 2020 could be the year that haunts him like a dark cloud because he was supposed to star in the world premiere of The Beast of Blue Yonder at the Southwark Playhouse, and The Taxidermist’s Daughter at Chichester Festival Theatre before Covid-19 killed them both off.

The Southwark Playhouse did manage to squeeze in three 5-star performances of Poltergeist between lockdowns in November and the show is now available to view online.

Sasha seemingly doesn’t like anyone though lives with his partner Chet, who is constantly asking Sasha if he is okay. This loving concern, however, translates as an annoying habit. Then there is the brother

he hates, the neighbours he distrusts, the in-laws from hell, and the young niece who has a birthday party he is obliged to attend.

Poltergeist is set on the day of the party and the day is spent with Sasha metaphorically bouncing off every wall while all about him remain calm and ask after his health. Small reveals along the way let us know Sasha is a worrier, Sasha has paranoia, Sasha is addicted to painkillers and Sasha was once famous.

The day/performance starts off slowly with Potter merely having two-way arguments with Chet; quick-fire volleys of words between the Londoner and his northerner lover. But then they arrive at the party where there are welcomes and introductions with several people with different accents and genders, and as people settle into conversational groups Sasha is fending off questions from chatterbox Dougie, Mrs Kilkarney, the Irish neighbour, his sister-in-law and her posh parents, the supercilious brother Flynn and his screeching offspring Jemila and Robyn, with Potter not missing a beat as his machine gun delivery switches from one to the next, while miraculously also

dealing with interruptions by someone coming round with cupcakes and drinks and people dragging on his arm to pull him to another room or into the garden.

I felt the madness of what was going on in Sasha’s head and wanted to shout, ‘Stop!’. Sasha, on the other hand, deals with problems in his own inimitable way.

In amongst all the normal chitchat we discover what Sasha was once famous for and how he dealt with the pressure of fame, and Poltergeist then becomes a play about mental health, and the poltergeist in the title is Sasha and the trail of destruction he leaves in the wake of his life.

Potter’s performance is incredible.

Memorable. I’m still feeling the anxiety he passes on to whoever sees this wonderful piece of work.

I sincerely hope that this young actor’s career gets up and running in front of live audiences again soon.

Dates: Sun, 25th January to Sun, 28th February 2021. Time: 7.30pm.

Admission: £15 www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/ livestream/the-poltergeist/

Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

www.southwarknews.co.uk/history

HISTORY 21

History

knowing your poison

Guy’s Hospital’s Sir Thomas Stevenson was the star witness in deciding some of the Victorian era’s most notorious poisoning cases, including in the trial of Jack the Ripper suspect, Borough publican George Chapman

By Josh Salisbury josh@southwarknews.co.uk His name is little known today - but his evidence was crucial to deciding some of the Victorian era’s most high-profile poisoning cases.

New toxic substances became freshly available in the Victorian era, and the public became consumed with panic about grisly cases where poisons were used to kill unsuspecting victims.

But one man, Sir Thomas Stevenson, pioneered the use of forensic toxicology, the technique now often seen on detective shows, to catch the guilty and clear the innocent.

Born to a well-connected farming family in Rainton, Yorkshire, in 1838 Stevenson was apprenticed to a Bradford doctor before starting his studies at Guy’s Hospital in 1859.

Here he excelled. He won medals for his talents in anatomy, forensic medicine and organic chemistry.

Little wonder then that he would then become a lecturer, succeeding the renowned Alfred Swaine Taylor, one of the world’s first lecturers of forensic medicine.

But it was his role in nailing the prosecution of some of the era’s most brutal killers - including several in south London - that gained him recognition.

In response to the ‘poison panic’ gripping the headlines, the Home Office created a new role of scientific analyst, with the view of getting expert testimony to bolster the quality of evidence in court.

Stevenson took the role up in 1872 - making him involved in the most notorious poisonings of the day.

Among them was the Pimlico mystery.

Adelaide Blanche Bartlett was accused of murdering her older wealthy greengrocer husband with a large quantity of chloroform.

But there was a mystery: nobody could say how it got into Thomas Bartlett’s stomach. Did Adelaide slip it into a drink?

Did he take it himself?

Under tests, Stevenson discovered that there was no presence of chloroform in Bartlett’s windpipe. This, he said, suggested that Bartlett could have drank it himself, as it would have been rapidly consumed.

He “stated that he knew of no recorded

Adelaide Bartlett case of murder by administering liquid chloroform,” report contemporaries.

“The difficulty of pouring the poison down the throat of an unconscious person would make him fear pouring it down the windpipe.”

Based partly on this evidence, Adelaide was cleared. When the jury returned to court after considering its verdict the foreman said: "although we think grave suspicion is attached to the prisoner, we do not think there is sufficient evidence to show how or by whom the chloroform was administered."

The gallery is said to have erupted into spontaneous applause.

Another of the high-profile cases that made Stevenson’s name is testifying against Thomas Neill Cream, otherwise known as the Lambeth poisoner.

Cream killed multiple people across America and London, before being sentenced to death. Among his victims were sex workers in Lambeth.

Another of the high-profile grisly cases was that of the Borough poisoner, the Polish serial killer George Chapman.

Chapman - remembered now as a potential Jack the Ripper suspect, though there is precious little evidence for this poisoned three women before his trial in 1903.

Crowds packed out the courtroom and every paper in Britain and the colonies covered it. One round of feverish headlines quoted a police chief inspector Abberline, who had said on the record he suspected Chapman may have been the missing Jack the Ripper.

Chapman spoke only to say the words “not guilty” and was convicted for three

Mr. James Maybrick

George Chapman

counts of murder on March 19.

It was partly on the evidence of Stevenson, who identified the poison, that a guilty verdict was returned.

And in yet a third case, Stevenson played a leading role as the expert witness for the prosecution. James Maybrick died in 1889, having taken ill after self-administered strychnine.

Suspicious, his family had his body examined, which found traces of arsenic - but not enough to conclusively prove a fatal dose.

Suspicion fell on his wife, Florence Maybrick. Throughout all of his cases, Stevenson earned a reputation as a “admirable witness, his evidence being so accurately and carefully prepared that cross-examination strengthened rather

than weakened its effect.”

But it is here that his evidence was most disputed. Florence was considered by many newspapers not to have committed the crime for which she was accused, poisoning her husband using flypaper soaked in a bowl of water.

Stevenson testified that, “I have no doubts that this man died from the effects of arsenic.” When asked how much arsenic would be needed to kill a man, he replied: “Two grains or thereabouts.”

The defence contended that only 0.091 grains of arsenic were found in Maybrick’s body - and that in any case, he had been known to self-prescribe medicines containing poisons.

The defence case did not stop Florence from being convicted of the crime and sentenced to death. But after a public uproar, the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

“The evidence clearly establishes that Mrs Maybrick administered poison to her husband with intent to murder,” said the Home Secretary at the time.

“But that there is ground for reasonable doubt whether the arsenic so administered was in fact the cause of his death.”

Stevenson, the prosecution star witness, was knighted in 1904, and died four years later of diabetes at his home in Streatham High Road. He is buried at West Norwood Cemetery.

22 FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS / COMMUNITY NOTICES

Memorial

Death notice

Lynn Ann Wiltshire

In memory of our beloved brother, uncle and great uncle

20/5/1959 - 28/1/2020

Colin Matthews

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Thank you

Relative search

Sean Patrick Brady

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looking for relatives born in the Camberwell area, who are descendants of EDWARD JAMES SAUNDERS Born 1886 Kidderminster Worcs lived in and married in Willesden 1912 killed in action WW1 TEXT OR PHONE 07985100583

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Also known as George. Who sadly passed away on 08/01/2021.

Always forever in our hearts. May you rest in peace our gentle giant.

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An 11-18 Church of England Girls’ School New Kent Road London SE1 4AN 020 7407 1843 We are seeking to appoint the following person as soon as possible:

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36 hours per week in Term Time plus two weeks Salary Full-Time Equivalent £32,301 to £35,949 Salary Pro Rata £24,761 to £27,558 St Saviour’s & St Olave’s school is a highly successful Church of England girls’ school seeking to appoint an office manager. This role is crucial to the smooth running of our administrative team offering high quality support to our students, staff and families.

Every member of our staff contributes to the success of our students. This is a full time (36hrs per week) post, offered as term time plus two weeks annually.

If you have relevant experience, the ability to lead a team, can remain calm and cheerful under pressure and are keen to continue your own professional development we would love to hear from you.

If you are interested and excited by this opportunity and would like to discuss it further, please contact Sarah Peters, School Business Manager on 0207 407 1843 or email speters@ssso.southwark.sch.uk An application pack can be obtained from apply@ssso.southwark.sch.uk or via the TES jobs website tes.com Applications must be made using the school’s form - CV only is not acceptable Closing date: Midday, Friday 5th February 2021 Interview date: Monday 8th February 2021 Our school is committed to the safeguarding of children so all our appointments are subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check. We are committed to Equal Opportunities.

TO BOOK THIS SPACE call Clarry on 020 8103 1481 or email clarry@urbanmedia.london

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LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (COMMERCIAL WAY, BEDALE STREET, BOURNEMOUTH ROAD)

GROVE LANE IMPROVEMENTS

(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) 1.

2.

The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that to enable works by, Instalcom, Centurion Site Services and Shift Traffic, it made, an order, the effect of which will be to prohibit vehicular traffic from entering part of the above named road.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload in: (a) Commercial Way, at it’s junction with Furley Road (b) Bedale Street, westwards, 60m from the junction of Borough High Street (at railway bridge) (c) Bournemouth Road, between Bournemouth close and Rye Lane

3.

PUBLIC NOTICES 25

The alternative route for affected vehicles (2a) Furley Road, Fenham Road, Friary Road (2b) Borough High Street, Tooley Street, Montague Close. (2c) Bournemouth Road, Copeland Road, Consort Road, Clayton Road, Hanover Park, Rye Lane

4.

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

5.

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

6.

The works will be in operation for (2a) 10th – 12th February. (2b) 11th – 12th February between 22:00hrs and 06:00hrs (2c) 8th February, with back up dates of the 22nd February.

7.

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

Dated this 28th January 2021 Ian Law Traffic Manager London Borough of Southwark Network Management Traded Services Environment and Leisure 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529 London SE1 5LX Ref: (2a) 5599/63558960 (2b) 5625/ CBM-00-33-110221 (2c)5626/LBSCR11388-7/8 NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A SPECIAL TREATMENTS PREMISES LICENCE MADE UNDER PART ll OF THE LONDON LOCAL AUTHORITIES ACT 1991 & 2000 Please take notice that I / we: Rachel Pitman have made application to Southwark Council for a new Special Treatments Premises Licence in respect of 23 King Edward Walk, SE1 7PR A register of all applications made within the Southwark area is maintained by: The Licensing Service, Hub 1, 3rd Floor, 160 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2QH Email: Licensing@southwark.gov.uk Opening hours:

Days

Start time

Finish time

11am - 4pm

Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri

11am

4pm

A record of this application may be inspected by visiting the office during normal office hours by appointment on 020 7525 2000; details are also available on our website at http://app.southwark.gov.uk/licensing/licenseregister.asp For applications for Special Treatments Licences, there are no set objectives. However, the grounds for the objection must be relevant to the application and reasons for the objection must be given.

Representations must be made in writing to the Licensing Service at the office address given above and be received by the Service within a period of 28 days starting the day after the date shown below. http://www.southwark.gov.uk/business/licences/how-to-lodge-a-representation Note: it is an offence to knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application. A person guilty of such offence is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

Date of application: 18.12.20

To place a notice, please email em@southwarknews.co.uk o r c al l 0 77 9 8 83 375 8.

D e ad li n e is 4p m e ve r y Tu es d a y.

The London Borough of Southwark (Cycle lanes) (No. *) Traffic Order 20** 1. Southwark Council hereby GIVES NOTICE that it proposes to make the above order under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended.

2. The effect of the orders would be, in: GROVE LANE the north-east side, to introduce a south-eastbound mandatory contra-flow cycle lane between its junction with Camberwell Church Street and a point 27 metres south-east of that junction.

3. Southwark Council hereby GIVES FURTHER NOTICE under sections 90A to 90I of the Highways Act 1980 and in accordance with the provisions of the Highways (Traffic calming) Regulations 1999, propose to construct a speed table of flat-top construction having a maximum height of 100 millimetres and covering the entire width of the carriageway, at the following location:GROVE LANE and JEPHSON STREET junction - (i) in GROVE LANE extending from its junction with Camberwell Church Street south-eastward for a distance of 40 metres; and (ii) in JEPHSON STREET extending from its junction with Grove Lane westward for a distance of 3 metres.

4. For more information about these proposals please contact Nigel Bradbury of the council's Highways – Transport Projects team Highways@southwark.gov.uk .

5. Copies of this notice, the proposed orders, a statement of the council's reasons for making this chance and plans may be found online at www.southwark.gov.uk/trafficorders, paper copies may be obtained from or viewed at Highways, 3rd floor hub 2, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH by appointment only. Contact traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk or 020 7525 3497 for booking details.

6. Anyone wishing to object to or make any other representations regarding the proposal, may use the form labelled 'Parking - Road traffic and highway schemes - responding to statutory consultation notices' at www.southwark.gov.uk/statutoryconsultationnotices or send a statement in writing to: Traffic Order Consultations, Highways, Southwark Council, Environment and Leisure, P.O. Box 64529, London SE1P 5LX or by e-mail to traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk quoting reference ‘TMO2021-017 Grove Lane’ by 18 February 2021. Please note that if you wish to object to this proposal you must state the grounds on which your objection is made, in writing.

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

Dated 28 January 2021 Dale Foden Head of Service - Highways, Environment and Leisure

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26 PUBLIC NOTICES

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Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

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

How to comment on this application: You should submit your comments via the above link. Comments received will be made available for public viewing on the website. All personal information will be removed except your postal address. Online comments submitted without an email address will not be acknowledged and those marked 'confidential' will not be considered. Written comments can be submitted to; Southwark Council, Chief executive's department, Planning division, Development Management, PO Box 64529, London SE1 5LX. Reason for publicity. The applications are advertised for the reasons identified by the following codes: AFFECT - development affecting character or appearance of a nearby conservation area; OR development affecting setting of a nearby listed building(s); DEP - departure from the development plan; EIA - environmental impact assessment (these applications are accompanied by an environmental statement a copy of which may be obtained from the Council - there will be a charge for the copy); MAJ - major planning application; STDCA - development within a conservation area; STDLB - works to or within the site of a listed building; 76 UNION STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 0NW (Ref: 20/AP/3256) Demolition of existing structures on the site; erection of a four storey building and excavation of a basement to provide an office (use class B1) in the basement and ground floor and 3 one bedroom dwellings (use class C3) on the first, second and third floors. (Within: Union Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Gemma Williams 07926087097) SHIPWRIGHTS ARMS 88 TOOLEY STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 2TF (Ref: 21/AP/0134) Display of expandable Awnings with Advertising on Fabric (Within: Tooley Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Louise Dinsdale ) 13 COLNBROOK STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 6EZ (Ref: 21/AP/0177) Minor changes to existing outrigger at ground floor level, changes to rear elevation (lower ground garden door widened, lower ground utility door closed up, lower ground utility room window replaced, ground floor outrigger window widened), minor change to front mansard elevation (change from windows to doors, no change to dormer structures), internal layout changes (Within: West Square CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Tracy Chapman 020 7525 1948) 2-3 LONDON ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 6JZ (Ref: 21/AP/0158) Listed building consent for internal and external altertaions to facilitate the conversion from a retail to restaurant use, works include the installation of an external extraction system to rear elevation and internal alterations including the removal of the party wall between Nos. 2

and 3 London Road (Basement and Ground Floor) and associated structural works, removal of the staircase to No. 2 London Road and and installation of a new staircase (Basement and Ground Floor) new shopfront and signage.

(Within: St Georges Circus CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Tracy Chapman 020 7525 1948) 123 CAMBERWELL ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 0HB (Ref: 21/AP/0155) Replacement of upper ground floor rear window (Within: Addington Square CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Catherine Jeater 020 7525 5375) 123 CAMBERWELL ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 0HB (Ref: 21/AP/0154) Replacement of Upper Ground rear window (Within: Addington Square CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Catherine Jeater 020 7525 5375) SHIPWRIGHTS ARMS 88 TOOLEY STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 2TF (Ref: 21/AP/0132) Installation of an expandable awning (Within: Tooley Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Richard Craig 020 7525 0436) SHIPWRIGHTS ARMS 88 TOOLEY STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 2TF (Ref: 21/AP/0131) Installation of an expandable awning (Within: Tooley Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Louise Dinsdale ) 189 JOHN RUSKIN STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 0PT (Ref: 21/AP/0172) Demolition of existing rear conservatory and

replacement with a single story rear extension with an air conditioning unit on the roof (Within: Grosvenor Park CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Nicolette Harriot ) 73 CAMBERWELL GROVE LONDON SOUTHWARK (Ref: 21/AP/0171) Rebuilding of the rear NE corner wall of the single storey garage and replacement of existing double doors with new doorway (Within: Camberwell Grove Conservation Area CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Ibrahim Azam ) 13 COLNBROOK STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 6EZ (Ref: 21/AP/0188) Minor changes to existing outrigger at ground floor level, changes to rear elevation (lower ground garden door widened, lower ground utility door closed up, lower ground utility room window replaced, ground floor outrigger window widened), minor change to front mansard elevation (change from windows to doors, no change to dormer structures), internal layout changes (Within: West Square CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Tracy Chapman 020 7525 1948)

48 WILLOWBROOK ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE15 6BW (Ref: 21/AP/0006) Listed Building Consent for reopening of original double doorway at foot of stairs into drawing room and fill in existing later single doorway adjacent to front door. (Within: Peckham Hill Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Tracy Chapman 020 7525 1948) Dated: 26 Jan 2021 - comments to be received within 21 days of this date.

SIMON BEVAN - Director of Planning

26-34 UPPER GROUND LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 9PD (Ref: 21/AP/0179) Refurbishment and reconfiguration of the existing building; demolition works associated with internal and external alterations and extension to provide a five-storey building comprising office accommodation (E Class) and associated cycle Parking, servicing and all necessary enabling works (Within: Old Barge House Alley CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Glenn Ruane 020 7525 5447)

BREAKING NEWS Check out our website for the latest breaking news, and the chance to see more photos and videos of the stories you have read in your Southwark News...

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No barrier too high

28 SPORT

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Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

Peckham Town boss on her pride in her roots, overcoming prejudices to get to the top – and opening doors for the next generation

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk MARY PHILLIP has opened up on growing up in Peckham, juggling a football career with raising two sons – and her battle with multiple sclerosis.

Current Peckham Town men’s boss Phillip fought her way to the very top of the game, before one of her proudest achievements when she became the first black female captain of England.

She won multiple domestic titles after starting her career with Millwall Lionesses before moving on to Fulham and Arsenal.

It was where she was raised, and all the prejudices she had to confront, that formed her character.

“I’m Peckham born-and-bred, every part of me. It was great growing up in Peckham, I love the atmosphere, I love the people,” Phillip said.

“I love the ups and downs of the place, the diversity, the different ways it has grown and I’ve been there for all of it.

“I grew up in the central part of Peckham. Everyone knows you, I couldn’t walk five metres without someone saying, ‘that’s the Phillips’ daughter’. Everyone knew me, I couldn’t get into trouble because it would go back home. Everybody knew everybody.

“Rio Ferdinand was a stone’s throw away from me. He lived there, I lived here. The difference being he was male,

I was female and female footballers didn’t make it back then.

“I played with my brothers and my sisters in our estate and it just grew from there. I played football in primary school, solely down to the dinner lady taking the ball from the boys and saying, ‘the girls are playing football today, you’re not playing’.

“From then on the boys just let us go and play. Me and one other girl continued to play throughout primary school.

“I think [her determination] came from being told, ‘little girls shouldn’t be doing this, shouldn’t be climbing trees...’ All little things like that.

“And I was like, ‘I want to do these things, I want to play with my brothers, ride my bike, jump off walls, get my clothes dirty and go back home’.

“Constantly being told what girls can’t do, and knowing that I had a passion [for football] and I wanted be involved in that kinda stuff, just fed my hunger and gave me that desire to show people that I can do this.”

Phillip, 43, won 68 caps for England after having her first son when she was eighteen and her second when she was 22. But she made it work, even bringing them to gym sessions.

Phillip continued: “I’d just got into the England squad in ‘95 and was called up to the World Cup. When I came back from the World Cup, I was having a kid and people were telling me that I wasn’t going to get back into

the England squad.

“I didn’t feel that was my only option.

I thought to myself, if I wanted to do football, I still could, as long as I made this child a part of my life…it worked for me. Everything I did, my child was near me.

“It’s different for women compared to men. We’re not fed by money, the incentive of money. It was a pure passion for the game.

“Football was what I wanted to do so to be able to go to the highest level and play against the best of the best, it was the cherry on the cake.

“Looking back, we opened the doors for the women who are playing now to achieve what they are achieving.”

She believes that being the first black captain of the England women’s team can show her family there are no barriers to what they want to do in life.

Phillip said: “I did a good enough job to be given the armband back several times over. It makes me feel proud of my achievement, the fact that I didn’t give up my dream of being a footballer after being told I wasn’t going to achieve it.

“I had my first son at eighteen, my second son at 22 and people were saying, ‘you’re not going to play for England again’. But in 2003 I not only played for England but got the captain’s armband.

“I’ve just become a grandmother. I said to my son your daughter is going

to grow up and she can’t say, ‘dad, I can’t do this’, because he can say, ‘your nan did it, she became the first black England female captain’.

“I’m of mixed parentage. Credit to my parents. I wouldn’t look at you as colour, I wouldn’t walk down the street and see someone as colour. Everyone is a person and everyone has their own abilities. That’s how I was brought up.

“I used to tell my sons you can achieve whatever you want to achieve but you’ve got two fights on your hands.

They used to look at me funny. I said, one, you’re male and, secondly, you’re black. Being black males isn’t going to be easy for you. People are going to see you as being black first, so you’ve got to recognise that.

“And being men out there is not easy.

They were things my parents didn’t have to tell me because they were different eras. From the age of eleven my sons were stopped and searched and it got to the point where it was too much and I had to go to the police station.

“They were being stopped going to their auntie’s house. Not until I complained did they stop, but they shouldn’t have been happening as frequently as they were by the same person all the time.”

Phillip was diagnosed with MS in 2017. But she is determined not to let it control her. She led Peckham to victory in the London Senior Trophy last September.

And she completed her A Licence, the fourth badge of five in the UEFA coaching structure.

“It was tricky. I can safely say it blew me out of the water,” Phillip admitted.

“I had an international career, a very active lifestyle, I’d have a bit of pins and needles or vertigo but in 2017 I ended up being hospitalised by it for a couple of weeks and in that period of time finding out I had MS. “Throughout my lifetime, this is something that has been going on, but I’ve been putting my illnesses to the side and thought it was something I was going to get over. I did each time, but in 2017 it took me for six and I lost the complete [sensation] on my right side.

“I’ve got recovering MS so it will come and go. I’ve got no control over when it comes or goes, but I take control of myself. While I’m in control I need to take every step that’s available to me.

“Making sure I got my A Licence was a big step.

“And my kids will know their mum never gave up because something got in her way. She got an illness – but it didn’t stop her.”

The FA has partnered with Refresh Productions and Facebook to create a new video content series exploring the experiences of black players who have represented England.

The video interview with Mary Phillip was from the fourth episode of Black, England and Proud.

Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

www.newsatden.co.uk

Manager explains why Lions go Dutch EXCLUSIVE

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk THERE MIGHT have been some eyebrows raised at Millwall’s signing of Maikel Kieftenbeld – but Lions boss Gary Rowett has explained exactly why he wanted to bring him to the club.

Millwall already had five central midfielders in their squad – though Billy Mitchell has yet to play this season because of injury – but Rowett felt the side still lacked a tenacious ball-winner.

Rowett has used Ryan Leonard in

defence this season, leaving Millwall short of energy in central midfield.

Rowett was surprised Kieftenbeld was available in this transfer window, and moved quickly to sign a player he brought to English football from the Netherlands to play for Birmingham in July 2015.

Rowett believes Kieftenbeld can add a different dimension to his side.

“I just felt that once or twice this season we lacked someone to step out aggressively and go and win the ball back for us and get us up the pitch in a different way,” Rowett said.

“Sometimes you can pass your way up the pitch, sometimes you can

intercept and break forward. We need to have different options and different ways of doing it.

“Particularly when Lenny goes into the back three, I felt we were really light there in terms of options and options off the bench.

“So to be able to bring someone in of Maikel’s experience and someone I know really well, a player that in my opinion is as good a player as Birmingham have had this season, was a really easy decision.”

Meanwhile, Kieftenbeld expressed his excitement with the move when he spoke on Millwall’s club website this week.

MILLWALL 29 Maikel Kieftenbeld

He said: “I’m really pleased, it’s a new adventure for me. I’ve been at Birmingham for five-and-a-half years.

“I stayed five years at a club in Holland, Groningen, five-and-a-half years at Birmingham, so I’m not moving around a lot.

“It’s a big step for me, a new step.

I’m really happy I could stay in England, play for a nice club like Millwall. I really like it here, I like the Championship, the atmosphere, the British mentality. I didn’t want to go back to Holland.

“Then this opportunity came in with a manager I know since I’m in England. It worked out really well for

me.

“It makes it much easier. It always helps when you know the manager, how he works. It was four-and-a-half years ago so he might have changed – I have to find out!

“But I know what he wants on the pitch.

“Most of all I’m a team player, I want to do well for my team-mates and obviously for the club. I give everything to win the match.

“Hopefully I can give some energy to the team. I like to be a team player, to achieve things with my team-mates.

That’s one of the best feelings in football.”

Too easy for flying Robins as Millwall limp out of Cup FA Cup fourth round report MILLWALL - 0 32’ pen, Wells 58’, Bristol City - 3 Diédhiou Semenyo 72’ Date: Saturday 23 January, 2021 Attendance: 0 Man of the match: Famara Diedhiou Referee: Tony Harrington

By Lucas Ball at The Den johnk@southwarknews.co.uk MILLWALL WERE knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round for the second season in a row after a 3-0 home defeat against Championship rivals Bristol City.

A first-half Famara Diedhiou penalty was followed up by goals from Nakhi Wells and Antoine Semenyo in the second period, as the Lions were deservedly beaten in SE16 to extend their wait for a home win.

Millwall did what they have done

in too many home games this season - played well for the first 20 to 30 minutes, failed to take any of their half-chances, then sat back and dropped their intensity and allowed the visitors to control the game before conceding.

Yes, this goal came from a penalty

- but Millwall had begun to drop off after a good start when Mason Bennett in particular was causing plenty of problems.

Their intensity dropped further in the second half and they fell to a much heavier defeat than this game ever should have been.

Gary Rowett made eight changes for the tie and a number of fringe players - such as Shane Ferguson and Alex Pearce - didn’t take their chances to stake their claims for more regular league football.

Rowett is keen to freshen up his squad and Saturday’s defeat showed the need to do so. There is a lack of pressure on a number of regular starters which could naturally lead to some complacency.

It is hard to strengthen during the January window in a normal year, however, let alone during a pandemic and the restrictions that have resulted in no gate income.

Millwall signed Maikel Kieftenbeld

on Monday, but at the time of writing have been frustrated in their efforts to add more depth to their squad.

The Lions need additions if they are to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle, but will also need to move players on to alter the squad to Rowett’s liking.

That, again, is made much harder by the salary cap implemented in League One and Two, seriously restricting the ability of Championship clubs to move their lower quality players on.

Perhaps where Millwall most desperately need an addition is in the attacking central midfield area given their persistent lack of creativity - though these players do not come cheap if they are to add real output in terms of goals, assists and chances created.

Maybe Kieftenbeld sitting in front of the defence could free up the likes of Ryan Leonard and Ryan Woods to be more advanced in attack - with Leonard offering some goal threat

and Woods possibly able to utilise his passing range in forward areas.

Rowett is still chasing a central defender following Murray Wallace’s foot injury and ideally more signings beyond that with the backing of John Berylson.

The Lions have plenty of work to do to their squad but, with so many players out of contract in the summer, they may not have a chance for such an overhaul until then - when hopefully the return of fans is much closer or has already happened.

Millwall: 4-2-3-1: Fielding; Romeo, Pearce, Cooper, Ferguson; Thompson, Leonard; Bradshaw, Parrott, Bennett; Zohore.

Bristol City: 4-4-2: O’Leary; Mariappa, Kalas, Moore, Rowe; Semenyo (Adelakun, 76), Vyner (Edwards, 80), Bakinson, Palmer (Massengo, 75); Diédhiou (Martin, 76), Wells (Bell, 87).

30 MILLWALL

www.newsatden.co.uk

Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

millwall halt flying hornets

THE LINE-UPS 3-4-1-2

33 Bialkowski 4 Hutchinson

18 Leonard 23 McNamara

19 Woods

5 Cooper

16 Kieftenbeld 8 Thompson Bennett 72’

7 J Wallace

13 Zohore

Bödvarsson 72’

Williams 85’

18 Gray

11 Masina

4-4-2

23 Sarr

14 Chalobah

8 Cleverley

31 Sierralta

21 5 Femenía Troost-Ekong

João Pedro 64’

26 Bachmann

Head to Head 44% 4 2 2 10

Possession Shots Shots on target Corners Fouls

Defender sees goal chalked off as south Londoners grind out draw against Watford SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP MILLWALL - 0 WATFORD - 0

Date: Tuesday 26 January, 2021 Attendance: 0 Man of the match: Maikel Kieftenbeld Referee: Jeremy Simpson

9 Deeney

Zinckernagel 64’

19 Hughes

14 Malone

56% 13 5 8 17

Jake Cooper can't believe his goal doesn't stand

By Jake Sanders at The Den sport@southwarknews.co.uk SOME DRAWS can be viewed as two points dropped, while others are most definitely one point gained – this was certainly the latter.

Even Millwall boss Gary Rowett echoed those thoughts, while at the same time appearing frustrated about another home game without winning or scoring.

Rowett admitted that consecutive Championship clean sheets, something the Lions hadn’t managed since the beginning of November, is closer to where Millwall want to be.

The Lions also stopped promotionchasing Watford’s four-game winning run.

But two victories in seventeen

Championship matches isn’t where Millwall want to be or envisaged being at this point in the season. Nor that they would be in the bottom half of the table when they expected to challenge for the play-offs.

But their defensive improvements, Nottingham Forest aside, are at least signs of progress, even if this performance came just three days after their nightmare FA Cup exit to Bristol City.

These are the games that are going to define Millwall’s season, grinding out a precious point against a top side. This draw ensured they’re still unbeaten against the three sides that were relegated from the Premier League last season, after previously holding Norwich City before almost beating Bournemouth earlier this month.

The draw did stretch the Lions’ winless run at The Den to ten matches in all competitions – with only League Two outfit Cheltenham Town and Luton defeated here since the victory over Huddersfield on the final day of last season.

Only Wycombe, Derby and Birmingham have collected fewer points on home soil than Millwall. No

side in the second tier have recorded fewer wins than the Lions’ one this season.

Fans or no fans, Millwall simply must improve at The Den, otherwise they’re running the risk of getting dragged into an unlikely relegation battle.

While on this occasion, it was a good point, it’s one victory from twelve Championship home games for the Lions.

To put that into context, Millwall managed six victories from their opening twelve last term, and one fewer the season before that under Neil Harris.

On a more positive note, less than 48 hours after Maikel Kieftenbeld was confirmed as the Lions’ first January signing from Birmingham, the Dutch midfielder was immediately thrown into the starting XI for his Millwall debut. And he showed his quality and determination.

Despite his lack of minutes at St Andrew’s this season, he didn’t appear short of match sharpness, though that shouldn’t come as a great surprise considering he started Blues’ win at Preston last Wednesday, one of six appearances he’d managed already

this calendar year.

Kieftenbeld completed the full 90 minutes in what was a tidy and assured first performance next to Ryan Woods in midfield. An early slip aside, albeit on a wet and muddy Den pitch, the 30-year-old hardly put a foot wrong.

He epitomised what was an organised and solid Millwall performance. But what the south Londoners must do now is to find that consistency. They’ve pulled off the odd good result here and there, but more times than not have managed to follow it up with a negative one.

Saturday’s trip to Cardiff City will be a good test to see whether the Lions genuinely are heading in the right direction and can put this nightmare run of form behind them.

In terms of the action, it was a game short on chances and even shorter on quality.

Following a quiet opening third, Millwall came close to taking the lead in the 31st minute. Kenneth Zohore showed great strength and control to find the Jed Wallace, who picked out the onrushing Danny McNamara, making his competitive home debut for the Lions. The right-back then

Southwark News, Thursday January 28 2021

Neil Harris was sacked as manager of Cardiff

Different blast from past after Harris gets chop

johnk@southwarknews.co.uk THERE WILL be a familiar face in the opposition dugout at Cardiff City on Saturday – just not the one most were expecting.

but the latter’s effort was deflected behind for a corner by Hutchinson.

Scott Malone’s curling effort with the outside of his boot went wide of the right-hand post.

But the Lions offered little after the break as the visitors looked more likely to pinch all three points. Nathaniel Chalobah’s rasping effort was palmed away by Bialkowski, before the exIpswich Town goalkeeper saved well from Deeney’s acrobatic follow-up.

Both sides pushed hard for a late winner, but the second half was mostly a non-event.

And when Rowett decided to introduce Shaun Williams in place of Wallace late on, he was clearly satisfied with avoiding defeat.

By John Kelly

johnk@southwarknews.co.uk GARY ROWETT was pleased with how Millwall stood up to the physical challenge of Watford in their goalless draw at The Den on Tuesday night.

The Lions claimed a second consecutive clean sheet in the league for the first time since November.

Jake Cooper hit the post and also unluckily saw a goal disallowed for offside as the Lions chased a first home win in the league since October 20.

“With Watford they don’t just pass the ball well but they can out-muscle you and we had to stand up to that,” Rowett said.

“Our home form hasn’t been good so I spoke to the players before the game and told them to treat it like an away

game. The challenge wasn’t to go and get on the front foot, I just felt we had to keep our shape.

“First half I think we did that well and we had a goal disallowed for offside that I think was probably level.

“Second half we had to hang on a little bit because we weren’t passing the ball well, but a clean sheet and a point at home is more where we feel we need to be.”

Rather than Neil Harris, it’s a blast from the 1990s past as Mick McCarthy embarks on another managerial reign in the Championship.

Harris was sacked after six consecutive defeats.

It’s fair to say Cardiff City fans were underwhelmed when their club replaced one former Millwall boss with another.

McCarthy was appointed as boss of APOEL in the Cypriot First Division in November, but was sacked this month after just two wins in eight games.

Harris’ predecessor Neil Warnock hit out at his replacement after the news of his dismissal. Warnock said he felt “disrespected” when Harris spoke at his unveiling as Bluebirds boss.

“I didn’t say too much while Neil Harris was there, but I thought one or two of the comments he made when he first got the job were a little bit detrimental to me,” Warnock blasted. “‘I’ve got to change the mindset of the players who have been used to playing one particular way’. What’s that, winning?

“I just thought it was a bit disrespectful, if I’m honest.”

McCarthy chose his words carefully after replacing Harris, but they still reflected poorly on the ex-Lions’ manager’s spell.

“I saw a bit of that [low confidence] in the first training session,” McCarthy said. “But it can’t be one man’s fault. You can’t just blame Neil Harris. If you’re in that state where you’ve lost seven games in a row, if you concede, you see players drop straight away.

“How do you get confidence back into them? A solid team performance and getting results. Nothing else gets it back. They might enjoy training, it might be a bit more fun. I’ve been there when you’re losing games.

“It’s hard to come in with smiles on your face. So if the last two days have been a bit lighter and they enjoy it, it will only continue with a result against Barnsley. Then it’s Millwall. It all hinges on results, there’s no doubt about that.

“We’ve got to stop getting beaten.

That’s first and foremost, and you do that by having a solid shape. That’s no disrespect to anybody else. When you get beat, you start to get a bit fragmented on the pitch and they look around and start blaming each other.”

McCarthy – who was in charge of Millwall from 1992 to 1996 – also revealed he was in touch with Warnock after getting the job.

McCarthy said: “He wished me well.

Not too well - he still wants me to finish behind him!

“I did say, ‘the way you’re going, if we finish one behind, we might pretty successful’.

“It was just an exchange of pleasantries. We’ve been friends for a very long time. He’s not offering me any advice or hints or tips. It was just to say well done and that he was delighted for me.”

matCh details

Possible Millwall starting XI: 4-2-3-1: Bialkowski; McNamara, Hutchinson, Cooper, Malone; Kieftenbeld, Leonard; J Wallace, Bradshaw, Bennett; Smith.

Match odds:

Cardiff 5/6 Draw 12/5 Millwall 2/1

Last meeting:

Championship (November 21, 2020): Milwall 1-1 Cardiff (Smith 35; Moore 79)

SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE before Wednesday’s games

# Team

Pl

W

D

L

F

A

GD

Pts

1 Norwich City

25

16

5

4

35

21

14

53

2 Watford

26

13

8

5

30

18

12

47

3 Swansea City

24

13

7

4

29

13

16

46

4 Brentford

23

12

8

3

37

21

16

44

5 Reading

25

13

5

7

37

28

9

44 42

6 Bournemouth

25

11

9

5

38

21

17

7 Middlesbrough

25

11

6

8

30

21

9

39

8 Bristol City

25

12

3

10

27

27

0

39

9 Stoke City

26

9

10

7

31

28

3

37

25

10

6

9

40

28

12

36

10 Blackburn Rovers 11 Preston North End

26

11

3

12

31

33

-2

36

12 Barnsley

25

10

4

11

27

32

-5

34 33

13 Luton Town

25

9

6

10

21

27

-6

14 Huddersfield Town

26

9

4

13

29

37

-8

31

15 Millwall

25

6

12

7

21

24

-3

30

16 Cardiff City

24

8

5

11

30

28

2

29

17 Queens Park Rangers

25

6

9

10

23

31

-8

27

18 Coventry City

24

6

8

10

22

34

-12

26

19 Birmingham City

25

6

8

11

18

30

-12

26

20 Nottingham Forest

25

6

7

12

20

29

-9

25

21 Derby County

25

6

7

12

16

25

-9

25

22 Rotherham United

22

5

5

12

23

32

-9

20

23 Sheffield Wednesday *

23

6

7

10

15

23

-8

19

24 Wycombe Wanderers

23

3

6

14

16

35

-19

15

* Sheffield Wednesday deducted 6 points (6pts).

Manager pleased as Lions show signs of extra resilience

Millwall

Cardiff City Stadium Saturday, January 30 Kick-off: 3pm

By John Kelly

by the Hornets skipper.

Millwall needed Shaun Hutchinson to make a crucial intervention before Bart Bialkowski was forced into making his first meaningful save of the evening when he smothered the Ismaila Sarr’s close-range effort.

The Lions then almost made Watford pay for those missed opportunities right on the stroke of half-time. First, Cooper’s towering heading came back off the inside of the post before the Millwall centre-back was then denied by an offside flag after heading home Wallace’s in-swinging free-kick as the sides somehow went into the break goalless.

Ten minutes into the second period Gray and Deeney combined once again,

VS

Cardiff City

Championship preview

Mason Bennett tries to find a way through

galloped forward before sending over a delicious delivery for Zohore, but the on-loan West Brom striker failed to connect from point-blank range.

Moments later, Millwall survived an almighty scare up the other end.

Jake Cooper conceded a free-kick that former Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley whipped in to a dangerous position – with the ball hitting a Lions defender before bouncing off the post. The ball was then flashed across the face of goal before Rowett’s team eventually cleared the danger.

Andre Gray and Troy Deeney combined less than 60 seconds later, but the former was unable to keep his effort down following some neat work

MILLWALL 31

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Tick tock

inside

Sport Southwark

Page 28

Peckham boss opens up Millwall signed Mikael Kieftenbeld, left, this week

Rams star on Lions’ hit-list

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk MILLWALL HAVE been linked with a move for Derby County’s George Evans as January’s transfer deadline approaches.

Despite stagnant market, Millwall still hoping for breakthroughs

EXCLUSIVE

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk MILLWALL BOSS Gary Rowett is hoping the Lions’ transfer business is not done this window – but says a lack of offers for some of his fringe players is hampering attempts to add further to the squad.

Millwall have extended Kenneth Zohore’s loan from West Brom until the end of the season, and on Monday signed midfielder Mikael Kieftenbeld on a free transfer from Birmingham.

Rowett would like to add at least a

defender before the transfer window closes at 11pm next Monday, February 1.

Millwall’s situation is a common one in this window as clubs continue to be hit financially without gate income.

The cumulative effect is less money and less movement of players, meaning clubs can’t free up spaces in their squads for new additions.

The Lions have been linked with Motherwell midfielder Allan Campbell, though the availability of Kieftenbeld was a surprise to Rowett, and Millwall moved quickly to recruit him.

Hibernian defender Ryan Porteous is also reportedly on the Lions’ wanted list as Rowett needs to boost his

defence with Murray Wallace out with a broken foot.

Rowett insists Millwall have been “ambitious” in this window, but as of Wednesday this week they had failed to make any further breakthroughs.

Jiri Skalak is available for transfer, but the club have yet to receive any acceptable offers.

But they are hopeful of adding to their squad before next Monday night.

“I’ve said publicly we’ve made three or four bids for players. We’re trying to be really ambitious to get good players in this window,” Rowett insisted.

“What you can’t do is dictate who’s going to sell who – there aren’t an

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endless amount of options out there.

“It’s a tough window. So I can’t ask for much more. We’d like to do more business but, again, we haven’t had any sort of offers that would allow some of our players to move on and play regular games.

“It’s one of those situations where if it livens up as the week goes on, then great. There are one or two areas we’d like to strengthen.

“It has to be the right players. You can’t just bring anyone into a group and hope it works. You have to be specific in targeting players.

“If we can get them then great. If we can’t then we’ll wait.”

Evans, 26, can play in midfield or defence – the latter a position the Lions are trying to strengthen this month.

Millwall boss Gary Rowett returned to one former club, Birmingham, for midfielder Maikel Kieftenbeld this week, and has his eye on a player from another of his ex-sides.

Rowett wants to substantially overhaul his squad, and was hoping to make significant moves in that direction this month and steal a march on Championship rivals.

But the market is even slower than Milwall had anticipated and until Tuesday of this week they had made just one permanent signing, Maikel Kieftenbeld from Blues.

There are a number of Millwall players out of contract in the summer, and with some of those unlikely to be offered new deals that will free up space in the squad, and vital funds.

Rowett wants to reinvigorate the squad with young players that the Lions see as having potential.

After the FA Cup third-round defeat against Bristol City last weekend Rowett said the club had “put two or three really good bids in for young players”. But any success was dependent on those clubs finding suitable replacements.

The more stagnant market makes that difficult.

And it might be tough to prise Evans away from Derby, given Rams boss Wayne Rooney’s recent comments.

“The players I want to stay at this football club will stay here,” Rooney said.

“None of my starting eleven from the last few weeks will be going anywhere.”

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