5th May 2022

SOUTHWARK ELECTIONs

Issue 1581

Established: 1987

50p

May 5 2022

southwarknews.co.uk

it’s polling day - 5th May - go out and vote!

‘learn from our tragedy’ exclusive

Page 6

Page 4

millwall exclusive

Page 30

Benik has his mojo back

fundraiser after four killed Page 4 exclusive

The harrowing story of Maureen Watkins - killed by her own son

Page 17

from kyiv to camberwell

2 NEWS

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Contents NEWS Pages 2-17

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

Fragments of 17th century of Delft pottery.

arts Page 18 OPINION Page 19 history Pages 20-21 family announcement & Jobs Pages 23 Public notices Pages 24-25

A Victorian hobnail boot – a leather boot fitted with iron studs to prevent the heel wearing away.

The bronze foot of a Roman statue AD 43 – 410.

Coins ranging from the reigns of Mary I to Victoria.

By Herbie Russell

herbie@southwarknews.co.uk When people are asked about their perfect Sunday, few picture themselves scrabbling around on the muddy Thames banks.

SPORT Pages 26-32

But for Lara Mailkem, it’s a favourite pastime. She is arguably Britain’s most famous mudlarker - a practice which involves scavenging through river mud in search of lost historical items.

Lara said: “It’s absolutely a therapeutic experience. My main reason for doing it is just to get away from everything.

The Thames feels far from the city and you’ve got that added excitement of what you might find.”

‘Mudlarking’ arose in the 18th century when impoverished peasants would search the Thames shores for anything that could be sold.

Today, it is a recognised hobby, with official mudlarkers requiring a license from the Port of London Authority.

Lara explained: “You don’t own anything you find as it all belongs to the Port of London Authority. If it’s over 300 years old, you have to report it to the Portable Antiquities Scheme. They have a fantastic database of objects found in beaches and fields.”

The Thames’ unusually oxygen-free properties mean items lost hundreds of years ago are remarkably well preserved. One of her finds was a Tudor shoe, a child’s toe prints still visible in

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magic of mudlarking

Lara Mailkem

MILLWALL EXCLUSIVE

Page 30

HORROR IN BERMONDSEY

Issue 1580

Editor: Kevin Quinn Deputy Editor: Katherine Johnston Reporters: Kit Heren; Herbie Russell Sports Editor: John Kelly Arts Correspondent: Michael Holland Magazine Editor: Laura Burgoine Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips Sales Manager: Tammy Jukes Advertising: Clarry Frewin, Sophie Ali Design: Dan Martin, Aurelio Medina Finance: Em Zeki - Tel: 0779 883 3758 Subscriptions/Announcements: Katie Boyd Managing & Commercial Director: Chris Mullany Managing & Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn Published weekly on a Thursday at: Unit A202, The Biscuit Factory, Drummond Road, Bermondsey, London SE16 4DG. News and Sport: 020 7231 5258 Advertising: 0792 203 4598 News: news@southwarknews.co.uk Advertising: ads@southwarknews.co.uk Finance: em@southwarknews.co.uk Printed by Iliffe Print. Tel: 01223 656500 www.iliffeprint.co.uk

Established: 1987

50p

April 28 2022

southwarknews.co.uk

BRADDERS EYES DOUBLE TARGET

SOUTHWARK ELECTION SPECIAL

Pages 14-20 Page 6 Samantha Drummonds Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo

Police name victims all found in house on the Bonamy Estate Dolet Hill and Denton Burke

FULL STORY

Page 4

JIMI - ‘YOUR LEGACY LIVES ON ANGEL’

the soles.

She has also discovered glass eyes, Charles I shillings and sword scabbards.

She said: “The magic is knowing that, after all those years, you’re the first person to have picked it up. It’s handson history!”

But her favourite find to date is a Medieval pilgrim badge from the shrine of St. Osmund of Salisbury, a popular destination for the religious travellers of the Middle Ages.

Describing it as Medieval "tourist tat”, Lara says people would buy these badges to retain the shrine’s blessing, before tossing it in the Thames once back in London, as a token of good return.

To help would-be mudlarkers take the plunge, Lara has published ‘A Field Guide to Larking’ which explains what objects you’re likely to find and how to find them.

Her advice, think practically: “The important thing is to get a permit, wear sensible shoes and clothes, and beware of the tides.”

To find the best treasure, she says: “Think about the where has historically been busiest with people and activity” and start searching there.

Lara was coy when asked about future projects, but will be hosting a talk at Southwark Cathedral at 7pm this evening (Thursday 5 May.) Tickets cost £10. Buy them at www.cathedral.southwark.anglican.org

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.

Follow our social media to be updated on local news

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

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

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

mural unveiled to BMX Olympian Kye Whyte

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 3

Hollyoaks star to open Nunhead Costcutter

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk The Mayor of Southwark will join William Mellor, star of 'Hollyoaks' and 'Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps', to cut the ribbon at a new Nunhead Costcutter this week.

The grand opening of the store on 40 Nunhead Lane, SE15, will take place at 11am on Saturday 7 May. Mellor, who played Jambo Bolton in ‘Hollyoaks’ and Gaz Wilkinson in ‘Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps’ will be meeting fans from 11am to 12pm.

The first 100 shoppers at the new store on 40 Nunhead Lane, SE15, will get the chance to win vouchers, prizes and a free goody bag.

Possible prizes include £25, £10 and £5 vouchers, coffee, Tango blasts, roll over, and there will be face painting from 11am to 2pm.

Mellor, 46, first burst onto British screens as Ben Rowlingson in the kids' TV programme 'Children's Ward'.

The new store’s opening hours are as follows: Monday to Thursday: 7am - 10pm Friday to Saturday: 7am - 11pm Sunday 7am - 10pm

Soviet Day changed to honour Ukraine

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk A huge new mural has been unveiled commemorating Peckham Olympic BMX star Kye Whyte on his home turf.

The mural is on the side of the Prince of Peckham pub just off Queen's Road.

The caption reads: "From Peckham to the World."

Kye's coach Michael Pusey said he was delighted with the new, permanent mural. "All the years we've been working in Southwark, now we’re set in stone."

Kye won silver at last year's Olympic Games in Tokyo. He said that much of his success was due to the hours he put in at the £1.2m Burgess Park track, which was paid for in part by Southwark’s 2012 Olympic Legacy Fund.

Former MP Sir Simon Hughes will lead a ceremony to commemorate the victims of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Second World War this Sunday, May 8.

The ceremony at the Peace Garden in the grounds of the Imperial War Museum traditionally takes place on May 9 - when Russia celebrates the Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War against the Nazis.

The Russian ambassador is usually invited, along with representatives from the other former Soviet states.

This year former Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP Sir Simon campaigned for the Russian ambassador not to be invited to the ceremony, and for the date to be changed to May 8, when Ukraine celebrates victory - in light of the current war between the two countries, which has claimed thousands of lives so far.

The 2pm wreath laying ceremony on Sunday will be followed by another event at the Ship and Anchor pub on Odessa Street that same afternoon. Sir Simon said he will meet local Ukrainian families to give a toast to their home nation in their struggle against the invaders.

4 NEWS

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Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

Bermondsey killings:

family pay tribute to ‘loving, warm-hearted’ victims

Dolet Hill and Denton Burke

Boy, 16, jailed for four and a half years after fatal stabbing

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk

The victim, Jason Nyarko

A sixteen-year-old boy has been jailed for stabbing a man to death at a rave near Millwall's stadium in Bermondsey last summer.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, got four years and six months in prison after admitting killing Jason Nyarko at the illegal rave on Stockholm Road on June 26, 2021.

The boy pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of a bladed article at the Old Bailey on March 25. He was sentenced at the same court On Tuesday, May 3.

Police still do not know why the boy killed Mr Nyarko. Officers think the two did not know each other before that night - nor have any contact.

Mr Nyarko's sister said his death had caused "a void" in their family and said the pain of his killing was "heart-breaking".

Police were called at around 11.45 on the night in question following reports a man had been stabbed. Mr Nyarko was treated by paramedics but died about quarter past midnight.

Officers used phone footage of the aftermath of the event taken by partygoers. Mr Nyarko's friends described seeing Jason, known as ‘Jay’ to his friends, 'collapse to the floor with several stab injuries'.

After stabbing Mr Nyarko, the boy was 'attacked by a group of people'

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk The family of the four people stabbed to death at home on Bermondsey's Bonamy Estate last week have paid tribute to the victims of the "brutal" killings.

Husband and wife Dolet Hill and Denton Burke, and Ms Hill's daughter Tanysha Okori-Akuffo and granddaughter Samantha Drummonds were all stabbed to death at home on Delaford Road in the early hours of Monday April 25.

Mr Burke's sister Juleth Hutchinson is fundraising to give the four victims "a [funeral] ceremony they deserve".

Her brother, 58, "was a fun-loving and warm-hearted kind man whose laughter would bring joy to anyone in his presence," Ms Hutchinson said.

The trained chef and Westminster council sanitation worker "showed his love through food".

Ms Hill, 68, his wife of fifteen years "was a loving mother, grandmother, wife and friend who never turned anyone away & her smile will truly brighten anyone's day." A pharmacy assistant at Guy's Hospital for twenty years, Ms Hill "was a woman with impeccable strength" who "always welcomed everyone with an open heart."

Brandon Estate resident Ms OkoriAkuffo, 45, "was a doting wife, caring mother and a great friend," Ms Hutchinson said, while her daughter Ms Drummonds, 27, "was an upbeat, fun-loving, bubbly young lady who adored her grandmother Dolet". "They had a beautiful relationship," she said.

Joshua Jacques, from Hither Green, has been charged with the murder of

kit@southwarknews.co.uk Don’t miss your chance to affect how your borough is run today. From bin-emptying to building houses, and from planting trees to protecting our environment - this is your opportunity to vote for the party or person you want to represent you at the council.

see his family and live the rest of his life. All we can do is hope that he understands the damage he has caused.

“We are so sorry that this happened to you Jason, and we did everything we could do to make sure your death wasn’t in vain. We think about you every day, we miss you so much. We love you forever.”

Detective chief inspector Brian Howie, who led the investigation, said: “Jason’s death tragically illustrates the awful consequences that carrying weapons can bring – a young man’s life has been cut short in its prime and Jason’s family and friends have been left to deal with the pain of this loss.

“In addition, a teenage boy will now spend time in prison as a result of his actions that night.”

Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo

Samantha Drummonds

vote: today is polling day

By Kit Heren

following the event, billed as an 'end of lockdown party'.

Officers took him to an ambulance.

People at the party told them he had attacked Mr Nyarko and he was taken into police custody after a trip to hospital.

Mr Nyarko's sister Jessica said that the sentencing would not bring her brother back.

"We have to navigate the rest of our lives knowing that someone took it upon themselves to take him away from us. The daily pain we feel as a family, the void and the reality of doing the rest of our lives without Jason is so heart-breaking.

“A violent act has now impacted two families; Jason we will never see on this earth again, all we have is the memories we made together.

The teenager convicted will get to

the four victims.

"The memories of Dolet, Denton, Tanysha and Samantha will be forever in our hearts," Ms Hutchinson said.

"We ask for your help, however big or small, to support the families to lay them to rest."

The family are looking for £40,000.

To donate to the fundraiser, search online for 'Bermondsey murders fundraiser'.

Just over 33 per cent of people voted in the local elections in 2018. That is a shame: the party controlling your local council has a massive influence on your life arguably as much as the national government - and your vote in the local elections is your only chance to decide which party that is.

So whether you want Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green or Conservative in control of the council, or any of the other smaller parties like Let London Live and the Reform Party - if you are registered, make sure you go to the polling station between 7am and 10pm on May 5 to make your voice heard.

how seats currently stand Borough & Bankside

London Bridge and West Bermondsey

Chaucer

St George's

North Walworth Newington

North Bermondsey

Faraday

Camberwell Green

St Giles

Rotherhithe

Surrey Docks

South Bermondsey

Old Kent Road

Peckham

Nunhead & Queen's Road

Rye Lane Champion Hill Goose Green

Dulwich Village

Peckham Rye Dulwich Hill

Dulwich Wood

Labour

See comment - page 19

www.southwarknews.co.uk

lib dem

Dear resident, On the 5th of May you can choose who will run your council for the next four years. It is a big choice that will shape how our community recovers from the pandemic. Choose Labour and you will have a council that is on your side.

Our plan is not just to build back better, but to build back fairer, greener and safer too. With more good jobs. Homes local people can afford. Help to keep your fuel and food bills down. Safer streets and estates. Support for families. Investment in your local high street. New and better green spaces and real action to tackle the climate emergency.

Above all Labour will be on your side, just as we have been during this pandemic.

Our record shows we can be trusted to deliver.

Over the last decade Southwark Labour has raised standards in our schools and in social care. We have created more and better jobs. We have made our council homes warm, dry and safe and we are building thousands more. We have delivered all of this while keeping council tax low.

Our response to Covid has shown us how much more we can achieve. Wherever I go in Southwark I see the potential to overcome the challenges we face and create opportunity for everyone. I see it in our community groups, universities, schools and businesses and, above all, in the people of our borough. A vote for Labour is a vote to unlock that potential.

We are asking you to use all your votes for Labour on the 5th of May. Together we can deliver a fairer, greener and safer future for everyone in Southwark.

Our pledges

�

More good jobs: 2,000 green jobs, 2,000 apprenticeships and investment in your local town centre through a new Thriving High Streets Fund

🌍🌍

A greener future: More parks and nature sites, doubling the number of cycle hangars, 1,000 more electric car charging points and halving the council's carbon emissions again by 2026

�

Safer streets and estates: £2 million taskforce to tackle crime hotspots, upgraded street lighting across the whole borough and more CCTV

🏙🏙

More homes local people can afford: We are already building 2,500 new council homes. We will start 1,000 more by 2026. Plus 500 homes at low rents for key workers

👥👥

Support when you need it: A guarantee of mental wellbeing support, support for all unpaid carers and a new Cost of Living Fund to help you in a crisis

Cllr Kieron Williams Leader of Southwark Council

Use all your bour votes for La , on Thursday 5th May!

Read our manifesto at southwarklabour.com/manifesto2022

ON YOUR SIDE Facebook.com/SouthwarkLabour � contact@southwarklabour.com Promoted by Robert Smeath on behalf of Southwark Labour, both at 264 Rosendale Road, London, SE24 9DL.

6 NEWS

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Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

Photos provided by family

‘Learn from our tragedy’ The harrowing story of Maureen Watkins - killed by her own son Exclusive

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk The family of a “wonderful, loving” but “frail” Peckham woman killed by her own paranoid schizophrenic son after he was released from the Maudsley hospital have pleaded for the trust to learn from their tragic case.

Maureen Watkins, 75, was stabbed to death by her son Edward in November 2018 at their home on Ethnard Road.

Edward was found naked in the street outside and told police that “God made him do it”, according to an inquest into his mother’s death that recently finished.

Maureen and her son, who was 55 at the time he killed her, had lived together for decades. But Edward was sectioned in the Maudsley after he became concerned about his neighbours and broke into their home. Three months later he was let back out to live with his mother but he heard hallucinated voices telling him to rape his mother - and the court heard that he felt it was better to kill her. Four days after that she was dead.

The inquest found several failings by hospital staff in the way the decision to release him was made, but did not blame doctors for Maureen’s death. One staff member said that “too much of what we were trying to put in place was based on supposition and no evidence”.

Maureen and Edward - Eddie to his family - had previously had a very happy relationship, according to her granddaughter Katie, Edward’s niece. He had been mentally unwell since his late twenties and could not work, but was not violent. She had the lung condition emphysema, which meant she was unable to do strenuous physical activities.

“They looked after each other, they were each other’s companions,” Katie said. “He did the shopping, and helped out at home.

If someone had broken into the house, my uncle would have died to protect her.

They had that kind of relationship.

“But also they would be taking the p*ss out of each other, laughing so much, digging each other out. It was such a happy relationship, there was never any aggression there. She never begrudged that he was unwell.”

Edward had been taking anti-psychotic medicine to control his condition but stopped. In August 2018, he broke into the neighbours' house and attacked the father “on a mission”, according to the coroner’s report. He was arrested on August 18, 2018, sectioned and admitted to the Maudsley, a psychiatric hospital in Denmark Hill.

Edward was treated for his condition at the hospital and put on a high-dose regimen of anti-psychotics, before being discharged on November 12 after a cousin said that Maureen wanted him to come home.

Two days later Edward attacked his neighbours again. On November 16, he

hallucinated voices telling him to rape his mother so he felt it was better to kill her, according to the coroner’s report. She was found dead, face-down at home with a seventeen-centimetre blade beside her body.

Edward admitted to the manslaughter of Maureen on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was taken back to the Maudsley. He cannot be discharged from hospital unless the Ministry of Justice or a tribunal says so and any discharge may be subject to certain conditions. Residential treatment centres are an alternative to prison for offenders with mental health problems, and can offer a better chance of lasting rehabilitation.

The Watkins family have now criticised the South London and Maudsley (SLaM) trust, which runs the hospital, on several grounds. The coroner also found several areas of concern in the way doctors came to the decision to discharge Edward.

In a statement shared with the News, the family said that doctors put too much emphasis on Edward and Maureen depending on each other at home, and not enough on her safety. They also said that Maureen and the family were not given enough information about how violently Edward was acting on the ward to make an informed decision to bring him home.

“Maureen was not a trained psychiatrist or mental health professional,” they said.

“She was unaware of all the facts and she was a mother who loved her son first and foremost.” The family are also concerned that Edward was having money stolen from him in the ward, which contributed to Maureen wanting to bring him home.

The coroner’s report said that Edward had twice tried to strangle a fellow patient on August 23, but that one of his doctors “sought to downplay its significance”. On October 15, Edward himself admitted that his mother was afraid of him. Doctors also tried to find other housing for him away from Maureen, before she changed her mind and said she wanted him home.

But the coroner agreed with the family that hospital staff did not make Edward’s violent behaviour clear to Maureen before releasing him into her care.

A psychologist “accepted that the visit could not be the sole basis for a decision that it was safe and appropriate to discharge to their home, yet that is what appears to have happened, as no further assessment of Mrs Watkins was made,” the report said.

The Watkins family also criticised doctors’ assessment that Edward was unlikely to be violent towards women.

A psychiatrist treating Edward said that “the history of the family showed no evidence that he would ever likely direct violence to his mother”.

Edward’s condition may have been exacerbated by drinking alcohol and taking drugs, the coroner said - and he stole cannabis from a fellow patient’s bedroom. But doctors failed to investigate whether drink and drugs would make him more violent.

Maureen was 75 years old when she was killed There is also no documentation proving that doctors carried out a detailed assessment of Edward’s mental state before he was discharged. The coroner added that “it was a misjudgment to discharge without further risk assessment”.

Once he had gone back to live with Maureen, Edward got into another screaming and shouting match with the same neighbours he had an altercation with before. The care coordinator found that he was a high risk to others at this stage, but Maureen said she wanted to keep him at home.

The coroner said that doctors should have carried out a home visit, and it was likely that he would have been taken back to hospital if they had done so. They did not visit. Because of this, “the failure of the care coordinator to escalate the incident to a psychiatrist has contributed to the death” of Maureen, he said.

Katie and her family said they do not want an apology from SLaM - “it won’t be good enough” - only for them to change how they operate to make sure a tragedy like this does not happen again.

“My uncle is still in their care. If he is ever let out again, there’s also a risk that he could hurt someone else,” she said.

“These things are playing with people’s lives.”

Katie added that “even though it’s awful that it’s our nan [that died], at least I don’t have to look another family in the eye because it’s their relative that’s been killed. But it could have been.”

Dr Michael Holland, medical director at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We offer our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Maureen Watkins.

“Following Mrs Watkins’ death in 2018, a full internal investigation was conducted which identified areas where we need to make improvements to the care we provide. This included improving how we record incidents of risk across our services to allow for more comprehensive risk assessments; improving how our staff support families and carers involved in a patient’s care; and to highlight the importance of sharing care plans with families and carers where necessary.

“Since Mrs Watkins’ death four years ago, we have provided comprehensive training and support for our staff in carrying out robust risk assessments, care planning and raising safeguarding concerns. We are committed to improving the quality of care we provide and dedicated to learning from all incidents to reduce the risk occurring in the future.”

Maureen with her grandson Alfie

Maureen was the heart and soul of the family, says her granddaughter Katie

Three and a half years on, the death of lifelong Peckham resident Maureen has left a hole in the Watkins family, her granddaughter Katie told the News.

“We were really lucky to have her. Me, my sister and my brother were her only grandchildren and we were so close to her..

“She adored us, she invested so much time in us. We were so close to her, every other day we were on the phone.

“Even though she wasn’t well, she helped us pick our unis. We would go out and travel across the country with her.”

Katie fondly remembered how Maureen would babysit the three children so her parents could have an evening and a weekend off.

“She would have us create cardboard cutouts and then we would perform plays for our parents when they would come to pick us up.

“She was always laughing, she loved to sing. She was an entertainer - she had a laugh you would never forget.

“Christmases were the biggest things.

She’d be singing and dancing Irish folk songs, because all her family were Irish.”

Former accountant Maureen was also community-spirited and was a member of the Breathe Easy choir, for people with breathing difficulties.

Katie added: “There was always something, we’d go to the zoo. Any school project she wanted to help us with. We were studying Florence Nightingale and she took us to the Florence Nightingale museum.”

8 NEWS

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Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

Hero Jimi immortalised in bermondsey

Jimi’s parents react to the unveiling Jimi’s family and Bishop of Southwark Christopher Chessun with his memorial

Tributes left to Jimi in Salmon Youth Centre Youth worker Derrick Johnson

Exclusive

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk The family and friends of Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole gathered at his old youth centre in Bermondsey to unveil a memorial that celebrates his life.

Jimi, who died aged 20 in April last year after jumping into the Thames from London Bridge to save a woman struggling in the water, was a regular at the Salmon Youth Centre on Old Jamaica Road.

In an emotional ceremony on Sunday, May 1, at the youth centre, led by Bishop of Southwark Christopher Chessun and attended by local MP Neil Coyle, as well as Jimi's parents and brother and dozens of friends, the community remembered the young Neckinger Estate man's life and character.

Speaking before the ceremony, Jimi's mother Olusankami told the News: "He was a kind boy, I am proud to be his mother. He made everybody laugh. He

was so happy... he was special."

The three-part memorial was unveiled after the ceremony by Bishop Christopher and Jimi's parents. Made by children at Salmon under the guidance of artist-in-resident Eugene Ankomah, the two panels on either side say 'Stand Up and Be Counted' and 'Don't Turn a Blind Eye'. The centrepiece is an image of Jimi himself, made up of hundreds of small pictures of Salmon kids.

"The idea is that Jimi is the kids and the kids are Jimi," Eugene said. The memorial has been treated so it is weatherresistant.

Jimi's family said they were very happy with the tribute. His father Michael said: "It shows what Southwark as a community has done, particularly Salmon Youth centre. They recognise Jimi, what they did for Jimi was very good, the opportunities they gave for him. They encourage youth to be happy people.

"Jimi helped when something happened. We are so happy that the community, the Southwark people, they recognise Jimi for what he has done."

His brother Omobolaji added: "I

appreciate everyone, it's such a good community. You see how they celebrate life and encourage young people. It means a lot to us as a family. We still celebrate his life, even though it’s sad."

Jimi was very popular with staff and children at Salmon, youth worker Derrick Johnson said on Sunday. "If you’re feeling down, he was one of the people that will pick you up. He’s done that countless times."

Derrick recalled a time when he took some kids up to Wigan on a residential trip, most of whom Jimi didn't know yet. "The way he fitted in with the young people that I took there was amazing.

Literally within the same day, everyone knew him. He was very open."

Olusankami and Michael both spoke at the service, as well as Omobolaji and another friend. Bishop Christopher and local St James' church vicar Gary Jenkins both gave reflections on the meaning of Jimi's life and his legacy.

Revd Jenkins quoted from St John's gospel: "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

ADVERTORIAL

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East Street traders fight for survival as prices skyrocket

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk Fruit and veg traders on East Street Market, Walworth, are seeing costs soar as inflation, surging energy prices, and war in Ukraine coincide to hit local business.

Walworth's fresh produce traders say some items’ prices have tripled in three weeks, with wholesalers passing the escalating financial burden onto them.

59-year-old Ali Surchi has owned a stall on East Street since 2000. He said: “Of course I’m worried. We’ll have to close down if this keeps happening.”

“If every week you’re losing money, you can’t carry on.”

Higher energy bills, caused by a post-Covid surge in industrial activity, and the Ukraine war, have seen food industry bosses warn food prices could rise 15 per cent this year.

Strikes by Spanish truckers over crippling fuel costs have also been blamed for supply chains disruptions.

30-year-old Aras Mustafa from Iraq, also a fruit and veg trader on East Street Market, said: “It’s bad for us, and customers as well, because people come here looking for a cheap price.

“Even when I was in Iraq and there was war it wasn’t like this!"

He said, two weeks ago, £1 got you a bowl brimming with tomatoes, but now customers can only get a paltry three or four for the same price.

A wholesale box of chilli peppers did cost Aras £8. Now wholesalers are demanding £15, over the double the price.

In just a month, wholesale boxes of plantain have gone from £6 to an unheard-of £22.

Ali Surchi says things have got particularly bad recently, but believes the demise of market traders is a long-term trend.

He says increased house prices and new housing developments are pushing his old customer base out: “All the people who lived here are leaving. Rich people go to the supermarket.”

He also blamed the council for upping the costs of market plots. On some days recently, he has made less than £20 profit.

Muhammad Mobaeeri, who has traded for 25 years was more optimistic saying: “Prices were going up but they’re coming back down now. Everything is coming down.”

He said customers didn’t complain when they prices went up because “that’s the way of the market”.

A recent Office for National Statistics study found that 39 per cent of adults had cut down on grocery shops due to the cost of living crisis.

Cost of Living Crisis: Walworth mum-of-four tells how she sold most treasured belongings to put food on the table

By Herbie Russell

herbie@southwarknews.co.uk As a care worker, Fatima has spent most of her life helping others. But in 2021, she separated from her husband and her health deteriorated, forcing her to stop working. Before she knew it, she was selling her possessions and taking out payday loans just so her children could eat.

Fatima Briscoe was born in Jamaica and moved to London in 1993 when she was eleven years old. She went to school in North London, studied Graphic Design at the University of East London, before moving to Southwark, and spending 23 years working in the care and hospitality industries.

She has suffered from chronic pain for decades and, in 2011, was diagnosed with Addison’s disease, a hormone deficiency that causes fatigue, low blood pressure and, as in Fatima’s case, extreme abdominal and back pain.

Despite this, she soldiered on, determined to care for her four children, aged eighteen to three. In March 2021 she separated from her husband, the main breadwinner, and in October, her pain became so debilitating she had to stop work for the first time in her life.

Fatima says: “My whole world was collapsing in front of me.”

She was barely able to afford the basics so when she had to pay for her son’s football club and daughter’s extra English and maths lessons, she took out payday loans which quickly spiralled out of control.

She dragged herself out of debt by selling the only luxuries she owned - her jewellery. She said: “When things come to the crunch you have to do what is necessary.”

The flat she lives in on Munton Road in Walworth had suffered from damp for two years, but it intensified over the winter. Her housing association, Peabody, ignored her cries for help and social services got involved because of the danger the mould posed to her asthmasuffering three-year-old son.

She explains that rising energy bills have also made things difficult: “When my son says he’s cold, I can only put the heating on for five minutes.

“My son had an asthmatic flare-up because he was so cold. He said to me ‘mum I can’t breathe’ and I had to call an ambulance. I was so frightened.”

Last month, Peabody finally fixed the damp in her flat when she got solicitors to email them. She also found Alexandra Rose, a charity that gives food vouchers to families so they can afford to buy fresh healthy produce.

Fatima said: “It’s hard to ask somebody for help because I’m not used to that. I’ve never depended on benefits and have always had income coming in.

“But Alexandra Rose has been a blessing because now I don’t have to worry as much.”

With her health steadily deteriorating, Fatima doesn’t know when she’ll return to work. She struggles to relax but she tries to by meditating, reading, and taking the occasional hot bath. She is currently writing a book about growing up in the Caribbean and a life her in the UK. Looking to the future, she said: "If you find yourself in a difficult situation it doesn't mean you remain in that situation.

If you have the right motivation you can turn your life around and make things better.

“For my future, I see a bright light at the end of the tunnel awaiting me.”

Peabody has been approached for comment.

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 11

Bermondsey tenants say they are ‘unable to take electric meter readings while energy prices soar’

By Kit Heren

kit@southwarknews.co.uk Bermondsey council tenants have complained after being locked out of their electricity meters, leaving them feeling powerless in the face of rising energy bills.

May Matthias, 88, is housebound because of dizziness and agoraphobia, and has had a couple of falls recently.

Her last electricity bill, covering the past three months, came to £429, up nearly 60 per cent on the previous three-month period. With the price cap set to rise from April, and again in October, she is worried that she may not be able to afford higher bills. “I’m worried about prices getting dearer,” she said.

Ms Matthias lives in West Lane. When she asked to get a key for her electricity meter, at the bottom of her four-storey block, she was told she had to go get a key from the council’s service point at Peckham Library - two miles away.

“I’m not in a position where I can go places and sort this problem out myself,” said Ms Matthias, who has lived in the same flat since 1942. She has not had a meter reading for four years and is worried that her bills are being overestimated. “The council make it very awkward for a lot of people,” she added.

Jennifer Ross, who lives not far away on Cherry Garden street, has had a similar

problem with her electricity meter in a locked cupboard outside. The most recent electricity bill for the flat she shares with her son was double what she paid for the period before that - and she has no feasible way of checking her actual usage.

“It’s just depressing when you see the bill,” she said. “It’s not like we’re using too much, we’re not on the computers or the internet.”

Seamus Farrell, a longtime local resident who is trying to help both Ms Matthias and Ms Ross, said he wanted

the council to make it easier for residents to take meter readings, like by giving people access to the cupboards. “Nothing would be simpler,” he said.

It is unclear exactly how widespread this problem is among Southwark council tenants, but a spokesperson for

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the council said most of its residents have their electricity meters in their home. When an electricity meter is in a locked cupboard outside, it is because it is in with other electrical services. The spokesperson added that electricity suppliers should be able to get in to take meter readings on request, although this has not been the case with Ms Matthias and Ms Ross.

The spokesperson added: “We recognise the inconvenience caused for the small number of residents whose electricity meter is not inside their home. We have issued a large number of electricity suppliers and meter operators with keys to access our secure areas, alongside our Communal Key Request team who help provide access on a daily basis as necessary. We can also help facilitate moving electricity meters to inside the property where residents have arranged this with their supplier.

“Given the rise in energy prices, we understand our residents’ concerns about accurate meter readings. Smart meters have a number of benefits, including sending your usage directly to your supplier so you only pay for what you use.

“We will be in contact with our residents from Bermondsey to arrange a reading of the electrical meters mentioned here, and discuss the options available to them.”

12 NEWS

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Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

10,000 new trees have been planted - but are they being looked after properly?

By Kit Heren

council’s plan. Firstly, the trees planted this year were put in the ground too late - in March - when they should have been planted in autumn, which would give them time to bed in before the ground gets too dry.

It is unclear why the trees were planted so late - a possible reason could be that tree planting is so politically popular and demand on nursery tree stocks outstrips supply.

Despite the apparent high success rate of new trees planted by the council, there have been several recent failures.

Ms Vaughan pointed to two new trees planted in Bermondsey’s Spa Gardens last year, one of which died, as well as

some that died on Weston Street, also in Bermondsey, and some trees that failed in Burgess Park.

For Ms Vaughan, this is also evidence that the trees are not being watered enough. She said that there are also sometimes problems with the planting methods themselves, with trees being put in too deep in their tree pit.

Ms Vaughan added that trees “could really benefit from some TLC” after they have been planted, which could mean watering for five years or longer after they go in the ground.

“And even if trees do survive for three years, are they thriving?” she asked. “Trees can be very hardy, they can struggle on

for years and years before dying. The key question is ‘are they getting established?’

It’s extremely difficult to thrive in an urban environment.”

It’s not an easy job for contractors: there are real challenges with watering trees in a city park, like water supply, which is not readily available in every location where trees have been planted. That means contractors have to bring portable water supplies with them.

Planting trees in Bermondsey and Rotherhithe also has a particular cultural and political significance. Any treeplanting programme in the north-east of the borough harks back to Bermondsey’s former socialist mayor Ada Salter and her transformative tree-planting ‘beautification’ scheme in the 1920s.

Local politicians have not been shy of using tree-planting as a photo opportunity. Labour council leader Kieron Williams was photographed, shovel in hand, planting a tree in Leathermarket Gardens earlier this year. Ms Vaughan pointed out online that this tree was struggling for lack of watering recently.

And planting trees is harder now than it was in Ada’s day. The soil is more compacted, there are wires and cables possibly blocking tree roots - and no horses on the streets to provide nutritiongiving manure.

Ms Vaughan said this was far from being a Southwark-specific issue, and that some “really interesting” trees have been planted, like persimmon, strawberry and pomegranate in St James’ churchyard.

Robert Hutchinson, a Bermondsey

getting out there."

The team trains once a week. Most of the women taking part are in their late twenties, although two of the players are a mother and daughter. But training is open to everyone of any standard - and is free. The club also provides equipment for free.

Final-year dentistry student Tara said she would love for more women to come along and get involved. She has played cricket herself since she was a child with her family, but "never more than with a tennis ball and a frying pan", before she got to King's College London, where she played with the university team as a bowling all-rounder.

"I would say there is definitely a stigma [around women's cricket] that is only recently starting to go," Tara said.

"I've definitely been to social events at university where you'd say you play cricket and people would say 'women playing cricket? Really?'

"I would say even in the past year the women's game is really starting to get more of the recognition that it deserves," she said. "Things like the introduction of the 100 [a new cricket tournament that has a women's edition] have really boosted the profile."

The women's team is just one part of Southwark Park cricket club, which also has two men's sides and puts on training sessions for children and teenagers.

Martin Kovats, one of the founders, is trying to get £100,000 from Southwark Council to maintain the outfield so that the club can host league-quality cricket. Martin is also hopeful of getting

investment from the London Cricket Trust for a top-end artificial wicket.

The current artificial wicket - the patch of ground in the middle of the pitch where the main action takes place - was laid in 2007 and needs replacing. The club cannot have a grass wicket because it would cost too much to maintain and keep secure.

Another worry is the K-pop festival mooted for Southwark Park this summer.

If it went ahead, the festival, which would host up to 15,000 fans, would take place on the cricket pitch, causing further damage to the outfield.

The sessions for primary school-age children will run on Saturday mornings from May 28-July 23. The sessions are free for children from families on low incomes.

The club is also running free hardball

kit@southwarknews.co.uk You may have heard that Southwark Council planted 10,000 trees over the past year, as part of the plan to make the borough more green and get to carbon neutrality by 2030.

If elected this week, Labour say they will plant another 20,000. The Liberal Democrats say they will plant no fewer than 100,000. This all sounds great - who doesn’t want more trees on their streets and in their parks?

But the story doesn’t end with planting - in fact that’s just the beginning of the challenge. Trees have to be watered a lot and looked after once they are put in the ground in order to stay alive. In Southwark, that is the job of the contractor.

They have to water trees seventeen times in both of the first two years after they are planted according to a schedule with the council that specifies how many visits have to take place each month, as well as clearing weeds and mulch twice, in April and September. That drops to sixteen times in the third year, after which they no longer have to water the trees.

If a tree they plant dies within three years of going in the ground, the contractor has to replace it. Southwark says 95 per cent of its new trees survive this period, that caring for its trees is a priority, and that its care plan meets the highest standards.

But Sarah Vaughan, part of the Trees for Bermondsey community group that monitors trees in the north of the borough, said there were several problems with the

Kieron Williams planting a tree in Bermondsey

resident and Green Party candidate in the upcoming local elections, said he did not want to discourage the council from planting trees, but the care plan needed to be more rigorous. He said that of the five Weston Street trees planted in March, two had already died.

Southwark Council said that its tree care plan was good and asked anyone who sees a tree that needs extra care to get in touch.

A spokesperson said: “Caring for Southwark’s trees is a priority for us. This is why we have planted ten thousand trees in the last year. It is also why we introduced a three year care plan that meets best practice standards for these, and all new trees that are planted in Southwark. Our contractors are working on this plan, with us.

“We monitor this work to ensure that Southwark’s new trees are properly cared for. We can also increase watering if we experience drought conditions in the summer. If a tree dies during its first three years, our contractors will replace it and pay for the new tree.

“Watering trees during the growing season for the first three years, is known to help trees to establish themselves and thrive in their new location. Our plan sees that new trees are watered two to four times a month from April to August. With a final check-up and watering before the end of the season in September.

“If people have concerns about a new tree on public land, we invite them to let us know at: trees.envl@southwark.gov. uk ”

coaching programme for teenagers on Friday evenings at 5.30pm from May 6.

The club runs two teams for men - a friendly eleven and a first eleven. Anyone can get a game in the friendly eleven. The first eleven is more competitive and is being run to prepare for when the club has the right standard of pitch to join a league.

Although Southwark Park cricket club was only founded in 2014, the park itself has a long history of cricket. Former England great Jack Hobbs played in Southwark Park in the early twentieth century, while nineteenth-century batsman Bobby Abel is commemorated with a blue plaque in the park.

For more information or to discuss the programme, visit the website or contact the club at southwarkparkcc@gmail.com

Southwark Park to host its first women’s cricket match

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk Southwark Park cricket club is holding its first women's game this year in a "milestone" event.

The women's eleven, largely made up of local players, will take on Stoke Newington on the cricket pitch towards the south of Southwark Park on May 15.

Tara Gulshan, who is coaching the women's team, said she would "love a win" against the more established east London outfit but that "just the experience of playing is going to be invaluable."

"We’re all beginners, we've only just started, so it's difficult to have an idea of exactly what the standard is," Tara said.

"But we're really just looking forward to

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

Campaign to protect Sydenham Hill Wood falls short

Burgess Park to host history trail to mark the Queen's platinum jubilee

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk Burgess Park will host a history trail to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee on the June bank holiday weekend.

Local people are invited to join the trail, which will lead people to different trees, each representing a different decade of the Queen's 70-year-reign.

The history trail will reflect the park’s rich social history, “taking place in an imagined world where the trees are talking to each other as custodians of the community”.

Organisers Art in the Park, a local arts charity said: “We see a parallel in the sense that HM the Queen has been the nation’s custodian and in particular supported the creation of the protected Queen Elizabeth II Fields.

“One of these was established in Burgess Park in 2015 to commemorate

the Diamond Jubilee, and is now part of the legacy of protected parks and green spaces throughout the UK” Each tree will host a different historical story will be performed as a monologue by an actor from the People’s Theatre.

In the run-up to June, Art in the Park are working with community groups to gather stories from real people relating

to the Queen, which will form the basis of the monologues.

As Southwark’s largest park, stretching across Camberwell, Peckham and Old Kent Road, the organisers say it’s a perfect representation of the Queen’s expansive 70-year-reign.

Art in the Park said: “The discussions on the trail will also touch on the changes in diversity that the local area has seen, reflecting how London has become such a multicultural place and nowhere is this seen more than in and around Burgess Park.”

Art in the Park have a centre in the middle of the park, and aim to give people positive experiences of art and the outdoors by combining the two.

People of all ages, cultures and backgrounds are invited to the park to enjoy the visual and aural creativity that will be on show from 2 to 5 June, Burgess Park.

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

The campaign need £50,000 to restore wornout pathway

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk The campaign to protect Southwark’s last ancient woodland fell £27,000 short of its £50,000 target, after their self-imposed deadline passed.

The campaign to restore pathways in Sydenham Hill Wood, near Dulwich, raised £23,000, with donations being accepted until 12.00 p.m on Friday 29 April.

The Big Give and Dulwich Society pledged to match every donation up to £10,000 but, after they reached that target, the campaign had to rely on individual donors.

Although the campaign didn't hit the target, people can still donate to London Wildlife Trust's ongoing appeal.

The pathway needs restoring because Covid-19 lockdowns caused a huge spike in visitors to the ancient, ten hectare woodland.

The path has been rapidly eroded and

NEWS 13

the London Wildlife Trust believes it restoration is essential to stop walkers disturbing surrounding fauna and wildlife.

They say improved paths will provide better access around the site and accommodate the increased visitors - up 81 per cent since 2019.

The vegetation that lines the footpaths is home to small mammals such as hedgehogs and voles which move, sleep and breed amongst the undergrowth.

Robins and chiffchaffs, which nest in the shrub layer, would also benefit from the pathway repairs.

Each donation made will be doubled by the Dulwich Society and the Big Give.

Recent restoration efforts on just 150 metres of pathway in the wood cost £18,000.

The woodland is the largest surviving portion of the ancient Great North Wood, which stretched from Croydon to Deptford in Medieval times.

Back then, the sprawling forest was a vital source of timber, charcoal, oak bark, turf and firewood.

Named ‘North Wood’ to differentiate it from the huge ‘South Wood’ which covered Kent, Surrey and Sussex, it has been swallowed up by London over the last nine centuries.

Walworth primary school breakfast club to expand thanks to Greggs bakery partnership

Burgess Park to host pop up forest school for kids

By Herbie Russell

By Herbie Russell

herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

Breakfast club kids at Victory Primary School in Walworth can look forward to extra toast in the mornings thanks to a partnership with Greggs bakery.

Southwark's city kids are being invited to walk on the wild side at a free forest school starting next week.

The Greggs Foundation, the charitable arm of the sausage roll empire, will now cover the cost of the school’s breakfast, currently served to fifteen to twenty children every morning.

Every morning, batches of buttery toast will be delivered to the hungry tots, courtesy of the Greggs on Walworth Road.

Agatha Peter, the school office manager, said: “It’s a bit of extra help for the parents. Lots of the children who attend breakfast club are on free school meals.”

“The children love it! They come in 8am, play some activities and have a proper breakfast ready for school at 9am.”

Thanks to the Greggs, the school can now expand the breakfast club, opening it up to more pupils, 67 of which are entitled to free school meals.

As well as toast, the school can order yoghurt, low sugar, high fibre cereal,

juice and milk. Agatha says that Greggs have said they could also pay for a new freezer and toaster.

Launched in 1999, the Greggs Foundation’s Breakfast Club serves free, healthy breakfasts to 46,500 children at 700 different clubs across the country.

They aim to serve 70,000 breakfast to children each day by 2025.

Nature Vibezzz, a South-London based charity which specialises in environmental education and conservation, is setting the school up at Glengall Wharf Garden, Burgess Park.

It will open from 10am to 12pm every Monday for six weeks, starting from Monday 9 May, with activities aimed at kids aged two and over.

John Cannell, who set up the charity in 2015, said: “It’s aiming to build up kids’ self-esteem and confidence as well as building up new skills and introducing them to wildlife.

“Especially after Covid, it helps with

mental health to be close to nature.”

Families will build their own bird boxes to take home, learn how to identify different species of plants and animals, and have a go at building their own shelters.

They will also learn woodcraft skills, how to make a fire as well as some useful gardening tips.

Nature Vibezzz hopes to set up a forest school in Galleywall Nature Reserve, Bermondsey in the summer, although dates aren’t confirmed.

As well as education, the charity works on conservation projects such as bramble clearance and shrub management.

The charity are active in Lambeth, where they have run projects in Streatham Common and schools across the borough.

Find out more about the work Nature Vibezzz do at www.naturevibezzz.org.

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Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

‘Pull your own pint’ pub opens in Elephant

What’s happening with the Walworth community pub?

Exclusive

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk A futuristic pub which invites punters to pour their own pints has opened in Elephant and Castle.

Jeff Hussain, 44, bought the Crown and Anchor Tap House on New Kent Road, then an Irish pub, ten years ago, but closed its doors when business was slow.

Hoping that Elephant and Castle’s regeneration will usher in “new people with new expectations” Jeff, who used to work in technology for the Royal Bank of Scotland, has reopened the Victorian boozer with a modern twist.

Police officer is charged with rape

On the self service system, he said: “It prevents the thing where you’re waving your card around at the bar for the first twenty minutes. It’s instant gratification!”

Customers put credit on an electronic card which they swipe at the tap, before dispensing themselves a drink.

The bar has a Korean theme, serving the country's trademark fried chicken in three flavours, soy, sweet chilli and plain, and are setting up a ‘pocha’ downstairs an underground drinking den.

“The pocha will have a different vibe more dimly lit and a more exclusive feel with less beer and more spirits”, said Jeff.

It could also be used for music events, especially given the pub has a license to serve alcohol until 2am if it chooses.

By Kit Heren

Jeff is betting the pub on the area’s changing demographic. He said: “I think this area is going to change big time.

There’s new people to the area and they have new expectations. We’re glad to offer something different.”

As well as the classic ‘premium’ lagers, they serve locally sourced beverages such as Partizan IPA from Bermondsey and Orbit from Walworth.

The pub, built in 1790, when it shared the same name, has retained its Victorian fixtures, while freshening up with TV screens and modern lighting. Tom Jordan, 43, a local animation producer, who had popped in for the first time, said: “I love the concept. Just jump in and off you go and then you fill up on fried chicken.”

PC Ireland Murdock allegedly committed the rape on Saturday, September 25, 2021 while off duty.

He was arrested on January 11 this year and has been suspended from the force.

PC Murdock, who is attached to the Central North Command Unit, appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Friday, April 29, where he was bailed to appear at Inner London Crown Court on Friday, May 27.

went up nearly 36 per cent compared to February, while burglary - which involves going into a property - went up eight per cent.

Theft from the person - which would include phone snatching, a widespread problem in Bermondsey and Rotherhithe - went up more than 68 per cent in March compared to February.

A spokesperson for the police said: "Today [Thursday 28 April] officers from the Central South Burglary and Robbery Investigation Team, supported by colleagues from the Neighbourhood Policing Team and the Violence Suppression Unit, executed a

number of search warrants in business premises in the Walworth Road area to search for stolen property, in particular mobile phones.

"A large quantity of property, including mobile phones, have been seized and efforts are now underway to identify the lawful owners."

"Detective Constable Paddy McCarthy, of the Central South burglary and robbery investigation team, said: "The Met is focused on tackling theft and crime in our neighbourhoods, and will use all tools at our disposal to deter and disrupt those involved in it. Enquiries remain on going.”

kit@southwarknews.co.uk A Met Police officer has been charged with rape in Lambeth.

Police seize stolen phones from Walworth shops

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk Police officers seized "a large quantity" of stolen property from businesses in Walworth last Thursday, April 28, - including mobile phones.

Officers carried out the raids near the Walworth Road to look for stolen goods, with a particular focus on phones.

There was a huge rise in theft and burglary in Southwark in March compared to the previous month, according to Met Police figures. Theft

Exclusive

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk A possible new community pub in Walworth has got £14,000 in funding to move forward to the next stage of development.

The funding, from Southwark Council and the Co-op, will let the organisers put together a share offer for people to own a stake in the pub. These would be likely to go for as little as £100.

The group will probably need to raise between £100,000 and £1.5 million through different funding sources.

The initial money the group has raised will also help them keep consulting local people on what kind of pub they would want.

Matthew Meynell, one of the cofounders of the group, said they want to "capture what people normally want from a pub but also reach a wider group of people".

"We're a very diverse area in Walworth, but we don't really have places that the different communities can come together and mix in."

Part of the plan to get different groups together is to focus on food. Mr Meynell said the group would try to crowdsource menus and recipes as a hook to get people involved.

The first survey, run in part through the News, got a positive response from the roughly 150 people who replied.

Most people who responded were concerned about possibly losing the nearby Beehive pub. The council's planning committee turned down plans to convert the Beehive into flats in January.

Another concern was that the high level of recent development in Walworth had not been matched by an increase in public and community spaces for people to socialise in. This

has also been a worry for people in nearby Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, with a housebuilding boom taking place alongside the closure of several community pubs.

Nearly everyone who responded was excited by the idea of a new community pub. Some 80 per cent were interested in buying a share of the pub.

The next steps are to meet at least 500 more people in person over the summer to hear their views on the future pub, finalise a business plan and find a site.

Former civil servant Mr Meynell has some relevant background - he coowns a pub in Wales and is also a keen home brewer. But he has gathered a group of about 25 people with useful experience in running pubs, as well as accountancy and communications, who have offered to help out.

Jeremy Leach from community group the Walworth Society said, which is supporting the plan, said: "We are really pleased at the interest in a community pub for Walworth. What started out as deep regret at the loss of pubs locally along with the threat to the future of the Beehive is now turning into a strong and positive campaign that lots of people are clearly very keen to get behind."

Local councillors Alice Macdonald and Eleanor Kerslake are also supporting Mr Meynell and co-founder Frances Foley on the campaign, which Cllr Macdonald said she was "pleased" to back.

"Pubs play a huge role in helping bring communities together," she said. "As Newington councillors, we’ve provided local funding to help ensure the views of people across our neighbourhood are heard showing our full support for this project."

If anyone wants to contact the pub organisers, please email walworthcommunitypub@gmail.com.

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 15

Elephant Park wins 'Placemaking' award despite displacing thousands

Elephant developer ‘won’t lend leaseholders a hand’

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk The park at the centre of the Elephant Park development has been given an architectural award which recognises places that improve "the social, cultural and economic character of the local area".

New London Architecture (NLA) named the park as the winner of their ‘Placemaking Award’, even though critics point out that it’s redevelopment saw thousands of council tenants booted out of their Heygate Estate homes.

Jerry Flynn, of the 35% Campaign, which

represents locals, traders and others with an interest in the local regeneration, said: “This is all very nice for the designers and architects involved, but Elephant Park is built on the remains of the Heygate estate.

“We lost over a thousand council homes when it was demolished and many of the homeowners on the estate had to leave the borough, because they couldn’t afford the price of a new home.

“Elephant Park is also doing nothing to help Southwark in its housing crisis – it only has 100 social rented homes.

Whatever else it is, it is not an inclusive development."

NLA, which describes itself as “a world leading centre for excellence for the

built environment”, also gave awards to redevelopments in Liverpool Street and Blackwall Yard.

Architects that were integral to the Elephant Park development, such as Maccreanor Lavington, Hawkins/Brown and Make, are listed as ‘contributors’ to NLA. NLA’s founder, Peter Murray, is a member of Sadiq Khan’s ‘Design Advisory Group’, a collection of private developers which, according to their pamphlet, “identify the right approach to planning and creating the public realm”.

Peter Murray also sits on the board of Be First, the developers behind the Barking and Dagenham regeneration.

Council was unable to tackle three-week-old spit stain because it was "engrained" and required special materials

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk The council told a man they couldn’t clean a three-week-old ‘spit stain’ in his lift because it was “engrained” and the "relevant materials" were needed to remove it.

Armed with a soapy sponge, the exasperated resident resolved to tackle the gruesome globule himself, only to find it wiped off easily.

The council had been on the cusp of ordering special materials to "prevent scratching and damaging the lift panels when they are cleaning it”.

Nick Flower, Tenants’ and Residents’ Association (TRA) chair at Southampton Way Estate, Camberwell, first noticed the unsightly spittle on 25 November, and emailed the council asking to get it cleaned.

Two weeks later, after a second reminder email, the council replied: “I can confirm that our cleaning supervisor and officers have been monitoring its cleaning and advised that the ‘spit mark’ you are complaining about is actually engrained in the lift.

“I am further advised that in order to remove the stain you have shown they will have to use materials that may cause scratch marks to the lift.”

“The cleaning supervisor will be

Lendlease are yet to sign a deal that would see them pay for postGrenfell fire safety improvements, despite being awarded a regneration contract at Elephant & Castle worth £2.5 billion.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove is calling on developers to pay £5 billion towards fixing unsafe cladding and other fire safety issues across UK housing developments.

As of Saturday 30 April, at least 35 developers had pledged to pay their way, but Lendlease, an Australian multinational with an £8.1 billion revenue, is yet to sign.

Sebastien O’Kelly, a spokesperson for the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, a charity that defends leaseholders’ rights, said: “The Australian developer Lendlease demonstrated its wobbly sense of social responsibility right at the beginning of the building safety scandal when it ran off to court in 2018 to ensure that leaseholders in Manchester’s Green Quarter paid to remediate the buildings it had built, not the company.

“Now it is refusing to sign up to the government’s sector-wide levy on

developers to pay to sort out build defects revealed after the Grenfell tragedy. In fact, it is the biggest company to refuse to do so.

“House builders are grossly over subsidised, through grant finance and the ‘Help To Buy’ scheme so, until Lendlease pays up, this source of finance should be switched off.”

The council awarded Lendlease the lucrative Elephant Park contract in 2007, paving the way for the demolition of the Heygate Estate, home then to 3,000 people.

Lendlease say the development “breathes new life” into the area, providing new homes, jobs and businesses opportunities.

But it has proved highly controversial, with opposition describing the project as ‘social cleansing’ for its failure to provide adequate social housing.

In January, Michael Gove announced that housing developers would have to foot the bill for fire safety works, or else face legal action or a new tax.

Since then, the government has faced an uphill struggle in getting developers on-board, but the tide is turning with the majority of developers now agreeing to pay up.

Lendlease were approached for comment.

Watch the video

nline

southwarknews.co.uk sourcing the relevant materials tomorrow and will arrange for the panel area to be cleaned.”

Expecting a tussle beyond even Mr. Muscle, Nick resolved to confront the blemish himself, and was flabbergasted to find it wiped off in seconds.

He wrote to the council: “Just to prove how ridiculous the assertions in your last email were, I went and cleaned off the spit myself, using a damp soapy sponge. It took less than five seconds to remove.

“The spit stain was not 'engrained' and did not require any specialist materials or equipment to be removed.

“Each time these concerns are treated as isolated incidents and we are fobbed off with excuses that the 'supervisor' will 'have a look', that there will be an 'inspection', that the situation is being

'monitored', blah blah blah.”

Cleaning at Southampton Way Estate has been a persistent bugbear for residents, with some having reportedly built up photo archives of dirty lifts and filthy communal areas.

Nick said to the council: “This is just an example used to illustrate the general state of affairs. The same situation applies across the whole estate.

“By allowing the standard of cleaning and hygiene to fall to such a low level un-challenged, your inaction and complacency is having a detrimental effect on the quality of life of the hundreds of residents who live on our estate.

“None of this is rocket science. But it is serious.”

Southwark Council w approached for comment.

Police appeal after attempted robbery

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk Police have released photos on Twitter of two people they want to speak to help them with their investigation into an attempted robbery in Dulwich.

The victim was pushed to the ground,

hit in the face and had their clothes ripped during the attack at 5pm on Thursday 14 April, in Long Meadow, Dulwich Wood Avenue.

Those who recognise the people pictured, or have any information, should call 101 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800555111. The reference number is 3010444/22.

16 NEWS

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Shipping supplies to Ukraine

Guy's and St Thomas' have shipped huge quantities of vital medical supplies to Ukraine to help with the war effort.

Staff in Supply Chain Hub, L-R Dinesh Yoganantham, Yaamini Premakumar, Filitsa Allwright, Nisha Pindoria, Waqas Akhtar

chain hub. I was amazed when so many staff across different areas of the Trust came forward to give up their time to assist.

Specialist nurse Agnieszka Wypych-Zych and Dr Waqas Akhtar, chief registrar based at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, ran the process of finding medical supplies. Agnieszka said “We were overwhelmed by the number of staff wanting to help despite the intense workload associated with the pandemic. We were incredibly proud of Guy’s and St Thomas’ for its leadership in helping others in their time of need.”

The supplies were then transported directly to hospitals in Ukraine via Poland through a system run by Bianca Swalem, a former member of staff at Kings Health Partners. Bianca said: “We are absolutely thrilled that life-saving medical supplies are being used in hospitals across Ukraine within 48 hours of leaving the Dartford warehouse.”

Photo by Foteini Christofilopoulou

Some 150 pallets of gloves and theatre gowns, as well as bandages, sutures, dressings, sanitisation materials and other essential items have arrived safely in Ukrainian hospitals.

Responding to calls for donations, the hospitals made part of their supply chain hub in Dartford available for the Ukrainian Medical Association.

Staff members volunteered to find and package up the medical equipment, which was made up of donated and surplus items. Staff have also volunteered to work at the Dartford centre between shifts.

David Lawson, who runs procurement for Guy's and St Thomas', said: “Like so many, I have been devastated by the scenes in Ukraine and was looking for ways I could help. When we were approached by the Ukrainian Medical Association, we quickly engaged the supply

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

Bacon’s College students put on their dancing shoes Hundreds gather at Southwark Cathedral for the Grand Iftar Hundreds of people gathered at Southwark Cathedral last week for an iftar, a meal after sunset during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast during the day.

The Southwark Grand Iftar, now in its sixth year, aims to bring people from all backgrounds in Southwark together and is hosted by the cathedral and community group Living Bankside.

This year's iftar is part of a series of events marking the fifth anniversary of the London Bridge attack in June 2017, which took place in the same month as the first iftar.

The Very Revd, Andrew Nunn, Dean of Southwark said: “What a joy it was to be able to host Living Bankside's Grand Iftar at Southwark

Cathedral after two years of online gatherings. A really uplifting evening.”

Amir Eden, chair of Living Bankside, agreed it was good to get back to in-person version of the iftar.

He added: "The Iftar continues to be a part of the community’s healing process since the London Bridge Attacks on 3rd June 2017. I am glad that this annual Southwark Grand Iftar remains a positive legacy of the attacks – celebrating unity, hope and compassion...

"This year’s Iftar focused on compassion and I hope together as a community we can continue to support those in need in whichever way we can, whether small or big, giving something of ourselves to others.”

Students at Bacon's College were joined by children from four other schools in a special dance event this week.

The Rotherhithe school hosted a Step Around Town event, a programme organised by the Royal Academy of Dance and the Jack Petchey Foundation to get children interested in dancing who might not otherwise take part.

The programme will eventually bring together more than 400 dancers from 40 groups in seven London boroughs.

Dance students at Bacon's gave a special performance as part of the evening event at their school.

Speaking after the event, Mrs Dryden, head of dance at Bacon's, said it was "absolutely wonderful" to host the event. "I think the dance tonight was absolutely amazing, such a wonderful array from contemporary to street dance and freestyle. It’s been a really enjoyable evening.”

Gerard Charles, artistic director at the Royal Academy of Dance said: “The Step Around Town events are a fantastic opportunity for students to

come together to celebrate with each other, and to experience performing for an audience. It is always inspiring to see the positive results of their work and the diversity of their performances.”

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

from kyiv to camberwell Exclusive

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk Two months after Russian bombs began falling on Kyiv, Oksana and Lena find themselves in a Peckham pub, ready to tell the story of how they fled their home, a 2,500 mile transcontinental journey, and reached the UK.

To look at these two relaxed, smiling women, sipping from mugs of English breakfast tea - no milk, no sugar - it's hard to imagine what they’ve been through. “We still don’t believe it. Before we had normal lives, then one day, one morning, everything changed”, says Lena.

Born in Sevastopol, Crimea, Lena, 37, lived in Kyiv and was working in the cosmetics industry. She and Oksana, 38, a bank employee, are distant cousins but introduce themselves as best friends.

Before the war began, they had been laying plans for the future. Bags were being packed for holidays to Barcelona, calls made to parents to organise family get-togethers, and fingers were crossed for promotions at work.

Oksana said: “In the weeks before you had news from the TV everyday saying that tomorrow there will be war but when you hear this everyday and it doesn’t happen you think ‘it’s just more news’.

"To be honest we didn’t believe they’d attack Ukraine, especially Kyiv.”

But on 24 February they awoke to the sounds of shelling: “Then we understood it had started.”

They left their homes and hid in an underground bunker for three days, trying to stay warm in a dark, damp chamber as temperatures plummeted to -5 degrees.

With Kyiv under siege, they fled to Lviv in the western region. Hoping that peace would soon be negotiated, they took just one backpack each.

At the station, thousands were evacuating.

Entire families squeezed onto seats intended for four people, and men were turned back, told they must fight.

Lena said: “A lot of men accepted this. It’s your country, your house, your family, your children. Guys who worked in offices were becoming army men.”

With the scale of war escalating, the pair crossed the border into neighbouring Poland. Oksana began hearing that her childhood city, Volnovakha, was being obliterated. Fortunately, her parents had

herbie@southwarknews.co.uk The Asda supermarket on Peckham’s Rye Lane permanently closed last Sunday.

The store had been there for over a decade, after it replaced Netto UK, a supermarket chain that Asda bought for £778 million in 2010.

An Asda spokesperson said: “A lease extension was negotiated with the landlord, however, this is coming to an end and due to a proposed increase in rent, it would be unsustainable to keep the store open.

“Sadly, this has led to the difficult decision to close.”

Isaac Walker, deputy store manager said morale had remained high because all staff members were being relocated to other Asda branches, such as Old Kent Road and Lewisham.

However, he added: “We’ve got one or two staff members who are really sad because they’ve been here since it was Netto.

“They say it’s like losing a family."

NEWS 17

Lena and Oksana (standing,) and their hosts Lynda Tyler-Cagni and Gian Piero Cagni

escaped to Kyiv.

Neighbours who had stayed told Oksana that her family home, built by her father, had miraculously survived, but was being occupied by Russians - part of their ‘nationalisation’ scheme.

Once in Poland, they were amazed by the country's generosity. They were given clothes, food and free access to healthcare and transport. But with almost one million refugees in Poland, they felt the burden was too great so they applied for the UK's Homes for Ukraine scheme.

While they waited for their application's outcome, they left Poland, which was

Asda packs up in Rye Lane

By Herbie Russell

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

Last Tuesday (26 April 2022), a Twitter user shared a photo showing the shelves bare. It is unclear whether this was related to the closure.

People have been reacting with dismay on social media, saying they’ll miss the friendly staff and reliably stocked shelves.

Twitter user JCainTait wrote: “Shocked and saddened to hear about the imminent closure of Asda Rye Lane.

“No exaggeration to say that it's my favourite supermarket ever. Great stock, cheap and the staff have always been so friendly and welcoming to my two-year-old son, since he was a tiny baby.”

Stuart Bennett wrote: “Worrying rumours being spread around that Rye Lane Asda may be shutting down. Say it ain’t so."

Shoppers can still visit Morrisons, Lidl, Tesco and Iceland, all a stone’s throw away but, for some, that’s not enough.

Hillary Juma wrote on Twitter: “Sadly it’s official Asda on Rye Lane is closing on 1 May. Nearest store is Old Kent Road” with crying emojis.

struggling under the pressure of so many refugees, and headed for Berlin.

They applied for the scheme on March 18 and on April 17, while in Berlin, they found out their UK visa was being issued. “We felt so lucky to get this visa and to have found such amazing people to host us in London”, says Lena.

They have now been in London since Thursday, April 21, and say seeing London buses and Big Ben is “like being in a movie”.

Lena said: “Everyone tells us that London is a great city and even people who have lived here for ten years are still discovering things every day so we’re just trying to get

used to being here!”

They are now living with Lynda TylerCagni and Gian Piero Cagni, a Camberwell couple who have given them a place to stay and even set them up with their own personal living room.

On Friday April 29, weeks after the Russians retreated from Kyiv, they pounded the capital’s residential buildings once again.

Asked what the future holds, Lena said: “It’s very difficult for Ukrainians to create long-term plans. We don’t know how long we’ll be here but we’re happy to have the opportunity to stay.”

18 ARTS

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Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

Photo by Manuel Harlan

what’s on When Moses Bulldozed The Bronx

Robert Moses marches out with a confrontational countenance, takes up centre stage and boasts of how he likes to go for long swims in the ocean after dark, swimming out as far as he can and then going even further, leaving others fretting on a Long Island beach. And hereby Ralph Fiennes sets up his character of a headstrong man who cares little for the feelings of others, writes Michael Holland.

David Hare’s Straight Line Crazy is a true story set in 1925 when Moses was New York’s Commissioner for Parks and saw the many green spaces underused and left to decay. He decided to bring them back to life for the ‘masses’ who had just fought for, and won, a drop in working hours from 70 to 45 and would have much more leisure time. The parks soon thronged with people, so Moses linked them up with new highways for the new cars that were now filling the streets.

When Moses set his sights on opening up the beaches of Long Island to the upwardly-mobile city dwellers, the rich residents were determined to fight back, but Moses’ philosophy was to demolish trees and buildings and start laying the tarmac before any campaigns could begin, believing that it is easier to stop a tree or old building being pulled down than it is to stop a highway being constructed once it had been started. He

in Southwark

won that battle.

He was a Messiah to some, an untouchable god who could do as he pleased, and his workforce willingly followed his every move.

After the interval, we jump forward 30 years. Moses now has swanky offices and two loyal staff, who have been there from the beginning, who he uses to get rid of new, young architects with modern ideas that differ from his own. But the world has changed.

This is now the 50s and New Yorkers have seen the Bronx destroyed by urban planners driving a highway through it and the former residents dispersed across the state. There are now more campaigns to save the city from Robert Moses, who believes that it is better to demolish and rebuild than to do nothing but appease those who are against change. However, these campaigners are not the uneducated masses who feel that they have no voice and do nothing, but the middle class who know they have a voice and use it.

His anti-public transport stance means that more subways are never an option for him, and as time passes the traffic jams become worse, his ideas become dated and he faces more and more opposition, and all while his arguments never change. Moses now wants to run a highway through Washington State Park to ease traffic congestion but there are protests against it - by the people who

will be displaced and displeased. They cite the destruction of The Bronx and its community, and of Moses’ plans to clear Greenwich Village of ‘slums’. It was the beginning of the end. His team is more in tune with the city than he is and as much as they try to advise their hero, Moses will not listen.

This is a tale told up and down the UK with moneymen infiltrating and sociallycleansing deprived areas to make them habitable before selling them off to the wealthy who would not have been seen dead there before.

The grid-like set (Bob Crowley) keeps us on a straight line with the story, while Nick Hytner’s direction works ideally with what is, essentially, an office-based

script rather than enhances it. Most of the cast are static as Fiennes pontificates about his urban planning theories to one and all, while outside the office, New York is a non-stop, 24-hour city, moving on and leaving Robert Moses behind.

Fiennes is incredible in the role. He shows him as a man who genuinely has the people at heart and believes he is doing the best for them by providing new roads. Very often, however, they just need their community to be left alone.

Everyone else, despite putting in great performances, is a mere bit-part player in this long and wordy play.

At the end, there is a telling statement from campaigner Jane Jacobs, who says that their efforts stopped the Village from

strong male bond, fostered in combat, which goes some way to explain why Hero’s defamation is so easily believed.

On arrival, Don Pedro is welcomed, Claudio is struck in the heart by Hero, Beatrice and Benedick continue their verbal sparring and a feast and masked ball are set up. John the bastard hatches a plan; excluded from the happy band of brothers he schemes to take his revenge on Claudio and the crazy plot is underway.

Set in the lush haven of the neatly tended garden, the play turns and twists energetically between moods, from high comedy to tragedy, from farce to celebration. The whole is accompanied by the playing of accordions, which is a little intrusive at times but wittily called for in the text.

The performances are strong from all

the cast members and physically taxing.

Everything taken at a run. Except, very effectively, when it’s not, as in the slow motion dinner set beside Don John‘s (Oliver Huband) plotting with his henchmen Conrade (Peter Bourke) and Boracio (ably played by the stand-in for Ciaran O’Brien, despite having to resort to a script at times, for which he earned a roar of approval from the crowd). Hard to sympathise with Claudio, but his night of grieving by Hero’s supposed grave was moving.

There is nice directorial detail from Lucy Bailey, too, as when Beatrice is handing out oranges during the preparations for the party, foreshadowing the later comparison of Hero to a rotten orange.

The high points are the verbal fencing between Beatrice (Lucy Phelps) and Benedick (Ralph Davis) and a hilarious

performance by George Fouracres as Dogberry, assisted by his motley crew of watchmen. These are gifts of parts of course and all three actors rose to the occasion.

In the midst of all the fun and action, the play includes much sense about marriage and relations between men and women and so, as well as laughter, of which there is plenty, wry smiles are also provoked and although the public humiliation of Hero in the wedding scene - extremely well acted by all the company – is hard to forgive, Benedick’s transformation distracts us and makes the resolution more tolerable, particularly as everyone seems so delighted!

Lucy Bailey and designer Joanna Parker have set a high standard in this first production of the summer season and

being bulldozed but even though they kept their buildings they lost their people and it is now not only unrecognisable from the perspective of the former community, but is one of the most expensive places for real estate on the planet, which leaves us to question whether Moses was right, or the NIMBYs. On May 26th Straight Line Crazy will be broadcast live from the Bridge Theatre to cinemas across the UK. The Bridge Theatre, 3 Potters Fields Park, Bermondsey, SE1 2SG until June 18th.

Times: Monday – Saturday: 7.30pm; Wednesdays & Saturdays: 2.30pm.

Admission: £15 - £95.

Booking: www.bridgetheatre.co.uk

Much ado about this high standard Shakespeare On entering the arena, the audience is greeted by a lushly decorated stage, swathed in green climbers and covered grass. The cast of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is busily preparing for a party and the period, judging by the costumes it is the mid-1940s, writes Elizabeth Carlin.

Into this merry scene, through the groundlings, struggles a blood-stained soldier, announcing the imminent arrival, fresh from battle, of Don Pedro, Duke of Milan, his companions Claudio and Benedick, and his bastard brother. Mistress of the villa, Countessa Leonata, her sister Antonia, Hero and Beatrice are delighted by the news and overjoyed to receive this boisterous, testosterone-fuelled addition to their midst. They bring with them, the

provided an enjoyable and lively start. The happy, joyous ending was never in doubt.

Globe Theatre, Bankside, SE1 until October 23rd. Times: Varied, see website for full details. Admission: £5 - £62. www.shakespearesglobe.com

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

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OPINION 19

Follow us on election night with live tweets

A

s a Southwark News reader, you may be aware that the local elections are taking place today. We’ve interviewed leaders and representatives from all the major parties. We’ve carried out our Southwark Soapbox video series to put local issues and candidates’ takes on them to borough residents. We’ve even covered the strange political sub-genre of hustings to take a look at some unvarnished exchanges between politicians and voters.

All this means that as one of our readers, you will probably know that today is a chance to change politics in your borough, or keep them how they are.

We would encourage all our readers to go out and vote today: go online to www.southwarknews. co.uk to see all of our coverage. The News will continue our extensive coverage online and on social media of the count overnight tonight (Thursday May 5).

Follow @Southwark_News on Twitter for live updates on the night.

Our front page story should demand changes

O

ur front page story this week is the tragic case of Maureen and Edward Watkins. Maureen was a loving, kind person who was the life and soul of any get-together, according to her granddaughter Katie. Edward was a caring son and uncle, his family said.

One reason why this story is so sad is that Maureen and Edward were so close and lived together for decades before he killed her. The family believe that Maureen and Edward were “let down” by the Maudsley hospital, which was treating him. They feel it was irresponsible for hospital staff to release Edward back into Maureen’s care so early.

The South London and Maudsley trust, which manages the Maudsley, said they have made changes to the way they operate after Maureen’s killing, including helping staff make better risk assessments.

Let’s hope this is true and doctors are now making better judgements about who is safe to be let out onto our streets and into their families’ homes. It won’t help the Watkins, but it may prevent other future tragedies. The Coroner’s criticisms are telling of a wider problem of helping people like Edward with severe mental health issues and keeping families and the wider public safe.

CRYPTIC PUZZLE Clues Across

1 Saint with a delicate hue was too sparing (7) 5 Spacetravellers’ path (5) 8 Destroy by fire among drab urns (4) 9 Underwater process in which one would hate to be involved (8) 10 Like a ghost, or a person who has seen one, no doubt (5,2,1,5) 13 Heroic aspect of Italianate pictures (4) 14 Many are drawn (4) 17 Representative samples, or only the illtempered parts? (5,8) 19 Consignment of broken hemp tins (8) 20 Very interested in fake entombments (4) 21 Forbidding behind (5) 22 Where one lives totals about half the resort (7)

Clues Down 2 Oversensitive about asking for money? (6) 3 Uninterrupted by end of run on inverted pots 4 Delights on the way in? (9) 5 A shot goes astray leads to curses (5) 6 These are one’s betters in race (7) 7 Given free medical attention? (7) 11 Coal dealt out of order, but still distributed (9) 12 Topless sex, over a hundred uses free from, blame (7) 13 Move tie strongly, arousing feelings (7) 15 One who considers slender half of the kernel (7) 16 Tinsel can be twisted into these openings (6) 18 Name of a man called Peter (5)

QUICK PUZZLE Clues Across 1 Hotheads (7) 5 Group (5) 8 Scowl (4) 9 Football official (8) 10 Rash acts (13) 13 Set period (4) 14 Belonging to us (4) 17 Bad organisation (13) 19 Beekeeper (8) 20 Boring tools (4) 21 Indications (5) 22 Literary compilers (7)

Clues Down 2 Quantity (6) 3 Kind of rifle (7) 4 Officer of the law (9) 5 Sheepish cry (5) 6 Lively girls (7) 7 Cutting tool (7) 11 Stretched (9) 12 Direction indicator (7) 13 Sampling (7) 15 Piece left over 16 Fisherman (6) 18 Measures of area (5)

SOLUTIONS to last week’s Cryptic Crossword

ACROSS: 4 Scores 8 Candles 10 Cluster 11 Tonic 12 Trips 13 Crab Apple 16 Despaired 19 Throw 20 Claim 22 Inching 23 Sunspot 24 Sonnet DOWN: 1 Acetic 2 Anon 3 Black and white 5 Countenancing 6 Retailer 7 Stress 9 Scoop 14 American 15 Strips 17 Sings 18 Demote 21 Alps

Quick Crossword

Across: 4 Pamper 8 Errands 10 Hitting 11 Imbue 12 Purse 13 Overstate 16 Canisters 19 Allot 20 Naked 22 Ingrown 23 Stencil 24 Dressy Down: 1 Merino 2 Grab 3 Intersections 5 Antipersonnel 6 Primrose 7 Ragged 9 Sheba 14 Epilogue 15 Varied 17 Nouns 18 Saddle 21 Kick

20 HISTORY

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Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

History A Victorian ‘peeler’.

Fred Barnard illustration from Charles Dickens’s Bleak House

A Victorian Policeman in Southwark

Southwark historian Stephen Bourne has discovered the extraordinary 1893 memoir of Timothy Cavanagh, who worked as a police officer in Borough in the 1800s...

Some years ago, I became aware that Timothy Cavanagh had written a memoir called Scotland Yard Past and Present in which he documented his life as a ‘peeler’, a Victorian nickname for a policeman The term ‘peeler’ was inspired by Sir Robert Peel, the Home Secretary who created the Metropolitan Police Service in 1829.

Cavanagh’s memoir was published in 1893, some years after he had retired, but the only copy I could find was in the British Library. With some detective work, I recently managed to acquire a rare first edition for just £17.

Reading Cavanagh’s descriptions of his life as a ‘peeler’ brought to mind some of the scenes in the novels of Charles Dickens.

When Cavanagh joined the Metropolitan Police in 1855, and began his career as a police constable, he was sent to work in one of the poorest areas of London. At the age of nineteen, Cavanagh was posted to Stone’s End Police Station in the Borough. This was one of the most notorious and poverty-stricken parts of Southwark. This was in an area depicted in several of Dickens’s novels.

The police station, which opened in 1844, was situated in Revel’s Row, under the walls of the Queen’s Bench Prison.

This was near the junction of the present Borough Road and Borough High Street.

In Revel’s Row, most of the houses adjoining the police station were brothels. In Dickens’s 1839 novel Nicholas Nickleby, it is described as a row of “mean and not over-cleanly houses.” A

short distance away Marshalsea Prison had existed in Borough High Street until 1842. It was well known to Dickens from his own childhood, his father was imprisoned there for a short time, and he featured it in Little Dorrit.

Five years prior to Cavanagh joining the police, Dickens witnessed the horror of a public hanging at the nearby County Gaol in Horsemonger Lane (now Harper Road).

Cavanagh was born in Hammersmith on 21st April 1836 to Irish parents, Michaelis and Mariae. He was christened Timotheus. His father was a shoemaker from Limerick.

Cavanagh left his job as a warehouse clerk to join the Metropolitan Police in March 1855, the time of the Crimean War. After training, he presented himself

Stephen Bourne for duty at Stone’s End Police Station in ‘M’ Division (Southwark) on 25th June 1855. The dormitory, which he shared with other constables, looked into the station yard where a Black Maria (the prison van) and the superintendent’s horse were kept. Having familiarised himself with the station, Cavanagh commenced his first night shift at 9pm.

He said: “I felt a bit curious and anxious as to how I should get through the night…

My beat was on one side of Union Street, and included some of the worst slums in the Borough.”

Cavanagh recalled that there was one

street he didn’t like the look of at all, “neither were the odours emanating from it at all agreeable. However, police duty is police duty, and likes and dislikes had to be borne equally.” This was Ewer Street, close to Union Street and Cavanagh said that it was inhabited at the time “by the lowest type of thieves and prostitutes, with a few Borough Market porters thrown in.”

Cavanagh described some of the inhabitants of his beat as “Poor squalid creatures, men and women saturated up to the neck with what was termed gin… the ribaldry, horseplay, was something

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

www.southwarknews.co.uk/history

HISTORY 21

History

London slum in the Victorian era.

appalling. Men and women skulldragging each other all over the place; pokers, flat-irons, bellows in free use everywhere. Women pulling the hair out by the roots from others. Shrieks of Murder, Police, Fire, Robbery filled the air.”

However, young Cavanagh was advised by one of the locals not to intervene.

“It will be all over in a minute,” he said and it was. Cavanagh wrote: “He was right; the row collapsed as suddenly as it commenced.” And he added: “I now began to feel I was somebody. Yes, I was a policeman!”

Towards the end of Cavanagh’s first night shift he discovered huddled in a doorway “a poor wretched unfortunate in a helpless state from drink and, apparently starvation. I had never met with such a human mass of wretchedness and filth.”

After about half-an-hour’s tugging and dragging he managed to get her to Stone’s End and into a cell, but “I couldn’t get that woman out of my mind. She seemed to haunt me. I was only nineteen years of age, and being of a very sensitive nature I wondered how it was possible for any poor creature to get to such a deplorable state of degradation.”

Cavanagh described the cells at Stone’s End which were about twelve feet by six: “I had to put a dozen women, and in another of the same size an equal number of men. The ventilation of these cells consisted of a small grating near the ceiling and an opening in the door six inches by ten, through which a small can of water could be passed. There was only one place of convenience in each cell, and this had to be made use of by all its occupants in the presence of each other.

Nothing more disgusting, nothing more revolting could possibly be imagined. It was simply sickening. It was, to me, really heart-breaking.”

Following his first night on duty,

he wrote: “I was only too glad to get to the station yard, and to hear from the inspector the welcomed word, dismissed.”

On a lighter note, Cavanagh described some of the antics or ‘skylarking’ of some of the forty police officers (all single men) who were stationed at Stone’s End. In his memoir Cavanagh described the time they became boisterous and threw eggs at each other in the station kitchen.

“The uproar was so great,” he said, “that nothing could be heard in the neighbouring Police Court.”

He added: “Life in a police station would be very dull indeed if it were not for an occasional bit of by-play. We all know that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy…when a bit of larking (of course within proper bounds) is put a stop to among the single men in a Section House, the prestige of the service is sure to suffer. You can’t stop it.”

In 1857 Cavanagh was posted to a police station in Whitehall and promoted to Sergeant. In 1860, at the early age of twenty-four, he was promoted to Inspector.

In his memoir, Cavanagh says that his health ‘broke down’ in 1869. It has to be assumed that he retired from the force because in the 1871 census he entered his profession as ‘lodging house keeper.’

He had married in 1859 and had several children.

In 1867 it was decided that a new police station was needed at Stone’s End and in January 1868 premises were obtained in nearby Borough High Street. This is the site of today’s Southwark Police Station, which was built in 1940.

As for Cavanagh, he died at the age of 60 on 12th September 1896 in the Royal Portsmouth Hospital. We are thankful that he left an historical document which gives us a rare first-hand insight into the day to day life of a policeman in the Victorian era.

F.A.A.

F A ALBIN & SONS Family Run Funeral Directors

F A Albin & Sons Funeral Directors are looking for a

FUNERAL ARRANGER to join our team at Bermondsey.

Previous experience in the funeral industry is not essential. The successful applicant should have a friendly and caring nature and a willingness to help people at their most difficult time.

Empathy, respect, a high level of professionalism and attention to detail are very important attributes for this role. The successful applicant will be required to be smartly presented, well mannered, possess excellent communication skills and be comfortable meeting and supporting families.

The ability to work as part of a team in a fast-moving environment is also very important to being part of our family.

For enquiries or to submit a CV please contact Albins by email – laura@albins.co.uk

Skills, self-reliance and social inclusion are things you develop, not things you are born with. By being person-centred and supporting people to develop their potential and contribute as equal citizens, our staff replace disempowering forms of support.

If you want to be part of a team providing high quality social care and social inclusion to people with learning disabilities, autism and/or mental health challenges, consider joining a team who enjoy and really believe in what they are doing.

Support Workers We’re looking for great people who are looking for rewarding careers where they can make a difference in the lives of people with learning disabilities, autism and/or mental health challenges.

To be successful you will share Three Cs vision and values, and put the people we support at the heart of what you do. Being a Support Worker is an amazing opportunity to do a job that makes a difference, and to help people with learning disabilities live the lives they choose.

We are always looking for people to join our team as Support Workers. You don’t need to have previous experience, but you do need to have a positive and enabling approach to supporting people, a desire to help people learn new things and be more independent. Above everything else you will put the people you support at the centre of how you work, and make sure their choices come first.

Salary – £20,670 Benefits ∙ Contributory pension scheme ∙ 22 days annual leave, increases to 28 days after 5 years (plus bank holiday) ∙ Cycle to work scheme ∙ Employee Assistance Programme (Health Assured) ∙ Full training and development programme ∙ Qualifications

Please send CV’s to info@threecs.co.uk

www.albins.co.uk

Website www.threecs.co.uk

Classified An 11-18 Church of England Girls’ School

New Kent Road London SE1 4AN 020 7407 1843

Office Manager & Admissions Officer Term Time plus 2 weeks (£28469 - £35949) Required as soon as possible

We are looking to appoint a highly enthusiastic and motivated Office Manager and Admissions Officer at St Saviour’s & St Olave’s School. The post is crucial to the smooth running of our administrative team, offering high quality support to our school community of students, staff and families. As Office Manager, you will lead a team of reception and administrative staff and play a key role in ensuring the administrative functions of the school work efficiently and effectively. As Admissions Officer you will oversee the processes necessary to facilitate the transition of students from primary into secondary, as well as supporting with ad hoc in-year admissions. You will develop effective and positive relationships with staff, families, prospective parents and feeder schools.

Contact the school on 020 7407 1843 or email apply@ssso.southwark.sch.uk for an application pack.

Closing date for applications is 12 noon, Wednesday 11th May 2022.

Interviews will be held on Monday 16th May 2022 ‘an outstanding school, which provides an excellent quality of education for its students’ Ofsted

Our school is committed to the safeguarding of children and all our appointments are subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check. We are committed to Equal Opportunities and are a Living Wage employer. St Saviour’s & St Olave’s School, New Kent Rd, London, SE1 4AN Tel: 020 7407 1843 www.ssso.southwark.sch.uk

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24 PUBLIC NOTICES

www.southwarknews.co.uk

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (RISBOROUGH STREET, SURREY QUAYS ROAD, SYDENHAM HILL, ROLLINS STREET)

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (SPA ROAD, KINGS BENCH STREET)

(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC)

(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC)

1.

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

1.

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

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload in:

2.

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) Risborough Street, between Loman Street and Copperfield Street (b) Surrey Quays Road, between Lower Road and Deal Porters Way (c) Sydenham Hill, north bound lane of carriageway, at it’s junction with Westwood Hill (d) Rollins Street, at any time waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced on the northern side at the end of the existing double yellow lines, located at it junction with Ilderton Road, for a distance of 13m east (e) Rollins Street, at any time waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced on the southern side at the end of the existing double yellow lines, located, easternmost between the existing former Leathams site access gate and railway bridge for a distance of 10m east.

(a) Spa Road, between Grange Road and Alscot Road (b) Kings Bench Street, between Rushworth Street and the side of No’s 3 3.

The alternative route for affected traffic (2a) Grange Road, Southwark Park Road, Enid Street, Neckinger. Grange Road, Tower Bridge Road, Abbey Street, Jamaica Road, Southwark Park Road. (2b) Rushworth Street, Webber Street, Blackfriars Road, Pocock Street, Rushworth Street.

4.

Kings Bench Street will be made two way for access and egress purposes for (2b) as applicable

3.

The alternative route for affected traffic: (2a) Copperfield Street, Sawyer Street, Loman Great Suffolk Street. (2b) Lower Road, Bush Road, Rotherhithe Old Road, Lower Road, Salter Road, Redriff Road, (2c) Westwood Hill, Jews Walk, Kirkdale, Wells Park Road

5.

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.

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.

6.

5.

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

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

7.

The works will be in operation for (2a) 19th – 20th May with back up dates of the 26th – 27th May. (2b) 24th – 25th May and 31st May – 1st June.

6.

The works will be in operation for (2a) 16th – 20th May (2b) 14th – 15th May with back up dates of the 21st – 22nd May. (2c) 19th – 21st May (2d) & (2e) 13th May 2022 – 12th November 2023.

8.

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

7.

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

Dated this 5th May 2022 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)6094 /80450913-ukpn (2b) 6042/LBSCR12316/LBSCR12316/1 (2c) 6061/7036882-01 (2d) & (2e) 6091/barratt

Notice of Application for a Premises Licence made under Section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003 Please take notice that I / we Henok Tesfamariam Have made application to Southwark Council for a new Premises Licence in respect of Eden Cafe, 342b Camberwell New Road, SE5 0RW The relevant licensable activities and proposed times to be carried on, or on from the premises are Days

Start time

Finish time

The retail sale of alcohol:

Monday to Thursday Friday to Sunday

18:00 18:00

02:00 04:00

The provision of regulated entertainment:

Monday to Thursday Friday to Sunday

18:00 18:00

02:00 04:00

The provision of late night refreshment:

Monday to Thursday Friday to Sunday

23:00 23:00

00:00 01:00

Opening hours:

Monday to Thursday Friday to Sunday

07:00 07:00

02:00 04:00

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

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

Date of application: 28th March 2022

Dated this 5th May 2022 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) LBSCR1237-2/ LBSCR1237-3-NTS (2b) 6012-SRM/readvert

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

www.southwarknews.co.uk

PUBLIC NOTICES 25

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

How to comment on this application: You should submit your comments via the above link. Comments received will be made available for public viewing on the website. All personal information will be removed except your postal address. Online comments submitted without an email address will not be acknowledged and those marked 'confidential' will not be considered. Written comments can be submitted to; Southwark Council, Chief executive's department, Planning division, Development Management, PO Box 64529, London SE1 5LX. Reason for publicity. The applications are advertised for the reasons identified by the following codes: AFFECT - development affecting character or appearance of a nearby conservation area; OR development affecting setting of a nearby listed building(s); DEP - departure from the development plan; EIA - environmental impact assessment (these applications are accompanied by an environmental statement a copy of which may be obtained from the Council - there will be a charge for the copy); MAJ - major planning application; STDCA - development within a conservation area; STDLB - works to or within the site of alisted building; SITE OF THE FORMER BLACKFRIARS CROWN COURT 1-15 POCOCK STREET LONDON SE1 0BT (Ref: 22/AP/1347) Minor material amendments to planning permission 20/AP/1537 [approval date: 06.05.2021] for the development of the site including partial demolition, extensions and alterations to provide a commercial building with community uses. The amendments comprise: - basement and structural alterations including deepened and extended basement and revised piling approach; - cross laminated timber floor construction changed to concrete plank system; - addition of external structural columns on Sawyer Street façade; - internal reconfiguration including consolidation of cores, relocated refuse store, revised cycle parking and end of journey facilities, revised affordable workspace and community auditorium design; - fire strategy updates; - external alterations to doors and repositioning of south-east external stair; - relocation of visitor cycle parking; rooftop amendments including revised swimming pool and atrium, revised roof plant enclosures, revised Community Pavilion layout, provision of additional office space; and - the addition of 37 more trees. Reason(s) for publicity: MAJ (Contact: Patrick Cronin 020 7525 5535) BRIDGE MASTERS RESIDENCE TOWER BRIDGE ROAD BUTLERS WHARF LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 2UP (Ref: 22/AP/1396) Installation of replacement timber main entrance door (Within: Tower Bridge CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Eleanor Heagney 020 7525 5403) FLAT 13 PEACOCK HOUSE 38 ST GILES ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 7RG (Ref: 22/AP/1398) New double glazed timber door, painted white. No changes to structural opening. Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Athena Hylton-Thompson 020 7525 2161) TULIP HOUSE 66-70 BOROUGH HIGH STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 1XF (Ref: 22/AP/1431) Change of use from a commercial unit to a bar along with refurbishment to interior across ground and lower ground floor and exterior changes to include installation of retractable awning, wall mounted ash tray and exterior shopfront at ground level to be repainted. (Within: Borough High Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Athena Hylton-Thompson 020 7525 2161) PART BASEMENT REAR AND FIRST FLOOR AND SECOND FLOOR 222 TOWER BRIDGE ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 2UP (Ref: 22/AP/1365) Change of use of basement unit from ancillary

storage to offices (Class E), part demolition of existing frontage on the Horselydown Lane elevation, and replacement windows and entrance door, installation of air source heat pumps on roof fronting Tower Bridge Road (2 no.) and in the yard fronting Horselydown Lane (1 no.) (Within: Tower Bridge CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Louise Dinsdale )

Dated: 03 May 2022 - comments to be received within 21 days of this date.

STEPHEN PLATTS - Director of Planning and Growth

9A BLENHEIM GROVE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE15 4QS (Ref: 22/AP/1422) Demolition of the existing 1990s house at No.9a Blenheim Grove and the construction of a new 2bedroom home with a basement, housing a home studio. (Within: Holly Grove CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Michèle Sterry 020 7525 5453) NORTHCROFT DULWICH COMMON LONDON SOUTHWARK SE21 7EW (Ref: 22/AP/1492) Construction of a ground and front extension; and a first floor extension with two dormers to the existing outbuilding (Within: Dulwich Village CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Hajnalka Kurti 020 7525 3701) CAMBERWELL SCHOOL OF ARTS AND CRAFTS 61-65 PECKHAM ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 8UF (Ref: 22/AP/1483) Listed Building Consent to lower part of the ground floor slab in Block C to create level access (Within: Sceaux Gardens CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Athena Hylton-Thompson 020 7525 2161) EMBLEM HOUSE 17-25 TOOLEY STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 2PR (Ref: 22/AP/1435) External repairs and redecoration to facdes and roof (Within: Tooley Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Catherine Jeater 020 7525 5375) 15 MELON ROAD REAR OF 43 PECKHAM HIGH STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE15 5QW (Ref: 22/AP/1280) Change of use from Night Club (Sui Generis), to grocery delivery hub (also Sui Generis) with the installation of Air Conditioning plant and associated works. (Within: Rye Lane Peckham CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Ewan Lawless 020 7525 1264) 145B ST GEORGES ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 6HY (Ref: 22/AP/1469) Replacement of existing non-original double glazing to French doors at first floor level with new acoustic glazing (Within: West Square CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Sean Gomes )

FIRST FOR 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... www.southwarknews.co.uk

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

sport@southwarknews.co.uk SURREY’S JAMIE Smith hit a double-century before inclement May Day weather conspired to deny Gloucestershire’s Chris Dent the opportunity of establishing a new career-best score when the final day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match in Bristol was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Unbeaten on 207 overnight, Bristolian Dent had his sights trained on the personal best score of 268 he made on this ground against Glamorgan in September 2015.

In the event, no play was possible and Gloucestershire, replying to Surrey’s mammoth 603, were unable to improve upon their overnight first innings score of 443-2.

Persistent light rain rendered the Seat Unique Stadium outfield sodden and ruled out any chance of play before lunch. No sooner did the groundstaff remove the large covers and commence the mopping-up operation in the afternoon, than the rain returned, ending any further prospect of the match resuming.

Umpires Alex Wharf and Ian Blackwell staged a brief inspection at 1.30pm before electing to call the contest off soon afterwards.

With no further bonus points available and the match heading inexorably towards a draw, neither side was too unhappy at the prospect of packing up and returning home in worsening conditions. Of the two, Gloucestershire will no doubt be happier, having claimed 15 points in total, compared with Surrey’s 11.

“I think the batting again was magnificent,” Surrey head coach Gareth Batty said. “The batting group I feel is operating very well at the minute.

“It’s the bits that we’ve spoken about, we don’t want to lose wickets in clusters.

We want to show a bit of toughness in our play particularly in April when the ball can zip around.

“To be fair to them, they coped pretty well as we have seen in the previous three games. Credit to the batters as a group, and to the team actually, we’ve had a long way down.”

SPORT 27

Washout as Surrey draw in Bristol

Jamie Smith was at the crease for more than nine hours

Young star hits double-century Smith had registered a maiden doublecentury and Jordan Clark a second firstclass hundred.

Smith moved to 234 not out from 430 balls with 34 fours before his side were finally bowled out for 603 shortly after tea on day two.

The 21-year-old was at the crease for nine hours and 28 minutes, sharing a stand of 244 – a record for Surrey’s

eighth wicket – with Clark.

Clark made 137 including 15 fours and 2 sixes in a 177-ball innings.

Batty wasn’t surprised to see Smith score heavily.

“He played lovely, he really did,” Batty said. “He did what we see in training, he did what we’ve seen him do before.

“So it’s certainly not a surprise and it’s very nice for the lad to get a double-

hundred. “[Clark] has worked very hard in the winter, this isn’t something that’s happened in the last period of time. He started this in November with [former head coach] Vikram Solanki, let’s not forget that Vikram did a huge amount of work with the players before he’s moved on to set the IPL alight.

“Jordan’s worked his socks off and it’s

thoroughly deserved.”

Surrey bowler Reece Topley added: “To lose the toss and then score 600 was quite something. But the pitch has defeated us, to be quite honest.

“We tried so many things, but the slow nature of the pitch didn’t help us. There were chances that went into gaps, some lbw appeals, we found the outside of the bat, but nothing went our way.”

Youngsters end campaign with win

Southwark duo confirmed for Wembley returns

By John Kelly

By John Kelly

johnk@southwarknews.co.uk

Goals from Sean O’Brien and an injury-time winner from Tom Leahy gave the hosts the three points.

“I thought we started really well, but then the swing of the game and the momentum changed towards the latter part of the first-half,” Nugent said.

“We struggled to get to grips with that, but it is the lads’ third game in a week, which is unusual for them.

Some parts of the performance were bright but some were flat, but they hung in there and found a way to win.

“Tom came on with loads of energy, giving us an out-ball down [the sides] with his running down the channels. I was really pleased for him that he got that winner.”

Under-23s Zak Lovelace and Nana Boateng made their first-team debuts this season, while a number of players enjoyed spells out on loan in senior football.

Nugent added: “Overall, it’s been okay. In terms of the team side of it, I think we’ve been quite inconsistent in our performances.

Maybe that’s because we haven’t been settled for much of the season with the constant chopping and changing.

“But, we’ve had people out on loan and that side of it has been successful, plus we’ve had players make the jump up to the first team as well.

“We’ve now got to make sure that those who come back for next season are ready to go and push again.”

johnk@southwarknews.co.uk CHRIS KONGO will return to Wembley Arena on June 11 in the latest fight of his BOXXER/Sky Sports deal.

Bermondsey’s Kongo faces Sebastian Formella in a welterweight clash.

That bout is on the undercard of Walworth cruiserweight Richard Riakporhe’s world title eliminator against Fabio Turchi.

Former WBO Global Welterweight champion Kongo (13-1-0, 7 KO’s) is aiming to get back into world title contention. German contender Formella’s professional record stands at 23-2-0 with 11 KO’s.

Kongo won his comeback fight against Kelvin Dotel in March following the first loss of his porofessional career, on points against Michael McKinson in Gibraltar last year.

Formella’s two defeats were against former world champion Shawn Porter and Connor Benn.

Riakporhe stopped Deion Jumah in the eighth round of their contest at Wembley Arena in March.

“I’m ready to continue my assault on the cruiserweight division,” Riakporhe said. “The Midnight Train is on an unstoppable roll and Turchi is the next man tied to the tracks in front of me.

“He’s a good boxer and I’m expecting a tough fight but nothing I can’t handle.

I’m coming out of this one with the win and stepping up into world title contention.”

Florence-born Turchi said: “I am very happy to have this opportunity.

Since I was a kid I always dreamed to fight at international level and in an important venue like this.

“I’m dedicating my body and soul to get into the best shape and have a great match against Riakporhe, who I think is an excellent boxer.”

Adam Smith, head of boxing development at Sky Sports, added: “This is shaping up to be a fantastic card. I’m looking forward to seeing The Midnight Train Riakporhe roll

back into Wembley after that excellent win over Jumah. Another big test awaits as he faces the tough and classy Turchi.”

Tickets went on sale on Wednesday, May 4 via boxxer.com and are priced at £250, £150, £100, £75, £60 and £40.

Chris Kongo

Photo by Millwall FC/Brian Tonks

KEVIN NUGENT said he was pleased to see some of his players progress to Millwall’s first team as he assessed the season after the 2-1 Professional Development League win over Sheffield Wednesday at The Den on Tuesday.

Photo by Mark Sandom

By Andy Stockhausen

www.southwarknews.co.uk/sport

28 SPORT

www.southwarknews.co.uk/sport

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

dulwich hamlet fc

Crouch shares fans’ disappointment

But former England striker wants to stay involved with Dulwich

Photo by Rob Avis

EXCLUSIVE

By Simeon Wright sport@southwarknews.co.uk PETER CROUCH shared the frustrations of the travelling Dulwich Hamlet fans as the side blew a 3-0 lead to lose 4-3 away at Dorking Wanderers last weekend.

Crouch – who briefly played for the Hamlet on loan from Tottenham in 2000 and is these days a non-official member of the club’s board – watched on a sunny Bank Holiday Monday amongst the Dulwich supporters, shadowed by the cameras tracking his involvement with the club this season.

The documentary entitled Peter Crouch: Save Our Beautiful Game, commissioned by Discovery Plus, has been in-shoot throughout this season, and Crouch’s disappointment over the Hamlet’s collapse on the day may well become evident on television screens shortly.

At full-time, Crouch exclusively told the News: “Wherever Dulwich go they create a great atmosphere, but it’s a bit of a shame and everyone’s on a bit of a downer now. A great game of football for the neutrals but from a Dulwich point of view we were 3-0 up, so losing 4-3 is deflating.”

So far, three episodes have dropped on Amazon Prime Video behind a Discovery pay wall. It is not entirely clear how much influence Crouch has had in the Champion Hill boardroom, though he has certainly found elements of the role challenging.

Crouch added: “I’ve really enjoyed it [being back involved with Dulwich Hamlet]. Different to what I’ve been used to, I suppose. There’s been a lot of putting out fires and bumps in the road but it’s great being associated with a team again; watching out for results and coming to games like this. In the main I’ve enjoyed it.

“I think [I’d like to stay involved].

We’ll see what happens, but I’ve enjoyed it for the season and hopefully

Peter Crouch was at Dorking on Monday I’ve had a positive impact.”

Dulwich Hamlet finish a disappointing National League South campaign on Saturday at home to Hemel Hempstead, a fixture which could bring back poignant memories for fans.

Crouch’s series charts the difficulties

non-league football has faced since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and on March 14, 2020 fans knew on the day that Dulwich’s win from behind against Hemel would be the last live football they would watch for a while.

Better times have since returned, and Crouch – who was travelling to

Dorking have narrowly missed out on automatic promotion and made a number of changes ahead of their upcoming play-offs, but did look somewhat shell-shocked when Dulwich raced into a 2-0 lead inside 23 minutes.

Green pounced on a loose pass by Darren Oldaker to play in McQueen, who rounded goalkeeper Slavomir Huk before squeezing the ball into an empty net.

Then the same combination linked up again as Green placed his shot with power into the right corner from eighteen yards, following McQueen’s cut-back.

It was a bumper Bank Holiday crowd of 1,875 at Meadowbank, a strong section of whom were Dulwich fans, and the pink and blue were celebrating once again in the 48th minute when Green converted a penalty of his own making.

The former Barnsley winger tiptoed up to the spot and sent Huk the wrong way after Wanderers wing-back Bobby Joe-Taylor had brought him down in the box.

Cue an incredible fightback. Dorking winger Jimmy Muitt entered the pitch moments after the Hamlet’s third and on the hour-mark headed across goal to present National League South top-

Villarreal on Monday night as a pundit for Liverpool’s second leg of their European Cup semi-final – is expected back at Champion Hill at the weekend to see out his first season involved with the Hamlet.

Before Liverpool came from two down to win 3-2 on the night and

go through 5-2 on aggregate to face Manchester City or Real Madrid in the final in France, Crouch said about his former club’s quadruple chances: “I’m confident. I think they’ll get to the final in Paris and with the pedigree they’ve got in the competition you wouldn’t bet against them beating City in the final.”

Hamlet collapse sums up anti-climactic campaign

By Simeon Wright at Meadowbank sport@southwarknews.co.uk DULWICH HAMLET’S horror end to the season hit another low as a 3-0 lead turned into 4-3 defeat in the last half hour away at Dorking Wanderers last weekend.

Play-off football was no longer in Dulwich’s reach going into the match after a run of ten – now eleven – matches without victory, but a goal from Darren McQueen and two from Jordan Green had initially left travelling fans wondering what might have been had early season form not taken such a poor turn.

scorer Alfie Rutherford with his 29th goal of the season, as he nodded past Charlie Grainger.

Eight minutes later, former Dulwich midfielder Harry Ottaway’s deft flick from a corner found its way to Rutherford again, who cut the deficit to 3-2.

It got worse for the Hamlet and manager Gavin Rose when Ottaway equalised from close range in the 74th minute. Misery was piled on for the visitors as Giovanni McGregor was shown a straight red card for apparent dissent five minutes later.

The inevitable happened two minutes from time. Muitt picked out

Rutherford again and heroics from Grainger to deny the 23-year-old a hat-trick were in vain as Josh Taylor arrived on the scene to net the winner.

Dulwich began the day slap bang in mid-table, eleventh out of 21 in the league, but dropped a place following this defeat and could finish as low as fourteenth if they lose to Hemel Hempstead on the final day of the season.

Rose is out of contract in the summer, but whatever happens regarding his future he knows that if he betters Hungerford’s result then the Hamlet will secure the highest league finish in the club’s history.

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

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MILLWALL 29

Jed fuels Lions charge Talisman makes difference in possible last Den game

George Saville heads home

SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP Millwall - 3 Afobe 53’, Knight 73’ og, Saville 76’ Peterborough United - 0 Date: Saturday 30 April 2022 Attendance: 16,705 Referee: Geoff Eltringham Man of the match: Jed Wallace

By Ryan Loftus at The Den

THE LINE-UPS 3-4-3

33 Bialkowski

18 Leonard

5 Cooper

4 Hutchinson

J Wallace 54’

2 McNamara

3 M Wallace 17 Saville

24 Michell 23 Afobe

10 Burke

9 Bradshaw Bennett 55’

Burey 82’

14 Marriot Poku 57’

16 Burrows

6 Kent

Jones 57’

3-4-1-2

sport@southwarknews.co.uk

9 Clarke-Harris

7 Szmodics

42 Fuchs

8 Taylor

23 Ward

Randall 73’

2 Edwards

12 Knight

13 Cornell

Head to Head 48% 18 4 8 9

Possession Shots Shots on target Corners Fouls

52% 14 2 12 9

MILLWALL PRODUCED a scintillating second-half performance to round off their home campaign with an emphatic 3-0 victory over relegated Peterborough United and keep their slim top-six chances alive heading into the final day.

On what could be his last Lions appearance at The Den, substitute Jed Wallace was the difference-maker, setting up two of Millwall’s three goals.

Following Sheffield United’s victory over QPR the previous evening, Millwall’s playoff hopes appeared all but over. By half-time in SE16 last Saturday, no one could have thought there would be anything riding on the Bournemouth game. But between the start of the second half against the Posh and the final whistle in Luton’s 7-0 defeat at Fulham on Monday evening, there was a ten-goal swing between the Lions and the Hatters. It means Millwall need only be concerned with Luton’s result on the final day instead of the result and the goal difference.

Despite Friday’s result going against the Lions, there was a bumper crowd at The Den as the fans turned up in their numbers to show their appreciation for an incredible campaign by their side.

The North Stand was opened to the home crowd to meet the demand for tickets. It was shared with the 600 or so away fans who came to show their support for their side despite a poor season.

Before kick-off, Murray Wallace was presented with his Player of the

Jed Wallace came on and provided two assists Season award, a deserved accolade for a fan favourite who has shown great adaptability and consistency this season, scored six goals and entertained the crowd with relentless running, big tackles and Cruyff turns.

On the pitch, there was little to shout about in the first half. Despite needing goals, there was little threat from the home side and little indication of what was to come.

In fact, the away side had the best chance of the first half when Jonson Clarke-Harris was played in behind by Sammy Szmodics.

The front man’s flicked effort went wide of the target.

The Lions knew they would need a large margin of victory to maintain a faint hope of reaching the play-offs and a first half with no shots on target was not going to help that cause.

A tactical shift at half-time provided the thrust Millwall needed. Gary Rowett decided to push Ryan Leonard – who had started at right centre-back – into the midfield and move to a back four.

The change provided the attacking impetus the hosts required and they raced out of the traps, nearly breaking the deadlock in the first minute of the second half.

George Saville saw his close-range effort kept out by Posh keeper David Cornell, as the midfielder arrived late in the box to meet a Leonard cut-back.

But minutes later, the visitors went close again. Jack Marriott tested Bartosz Bialkowski, but the Polish stopper got down well to turn the 20-yard effort around the post with a fingertip save.

Benik Afobe finally gave Millwall the breakthrough on 53 minutes, rifling home with his left foot for his thirteenth goal of the season after Peterborough failed to clear a Leonard long throw.

From that point, it was all Millwall, as the home side set about adding to their goal difference. Murray Wallace and Saville both hit the woodwork within the space of a minute just after the hour-mark.

As has so often been the case over the last few seasons, Jed Wallace provided the quality and spark that Millwall needed.

The attacker, who was rushed back from injury in order to make what could be his last appearance in front of the Den crowd, was instrumental in adding to the goal tally.

In the 73rd minute, Wallace’s teasing low cross forced Peterborough defender Josh Knight to turn the ball into his own goal, as he attempted to deny the onrushing Jake Cooper.

Three minutes later, Wallace was on hand to deliver another superb cross, which was met by the head of Saville at the back post.

The midfielder made no mistake this time to wrap up a comfortable victory for the Lions.

The win meant Millwall ended the season with 45 points at home and guarantees they finish with at least the third-best home record in the division. Undoubtedly the Lions regained their edge at The Den with their fans back.

After the final whistle, there was the traditional end-of-season pitch invasion.

Men, women and children entered the turf to take photos with some swinging from the goalposts, much to the frustration of the fans remaining in the stands.

Fortunately, the pitch was cleared and the players returned with their families for their lap of honour, showing appreciation for the home faithful who have stuck by the side through a turbulent, injury-hit season.

Despite the play-offs being a long shot as the Lions head to second-placed Bournemouth for their final game, Rowett’s side have done phenomenally well to remain in the hunt until this late in the season. They were eleven points off sixth in January.

The club will want to carry the positive atmosphere and momentum into next season, as the Lions look to improve again. There will be plenty of work to do rebuilding in the summer, with key players Daniel Ballard and Benik Afobe returning to their parent clubs and Jed Wallace set to leave on a free transfer.

If Rowett can bring in the right replacements, Millwall fans will be hopeful their team can go one step further next season – if there is to be no miracle on the south coast on the final day.

30 MILLWALL

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Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

Benik has his mojo back

Striker doesn’t want season to end – as he faces former club with everything on the line

Benik Afobe settled perfectly at ‘humble’ Millwall

EXCLUSIVE

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk BENIK AFOBE has got his mojo back and he doesn’t want the season to end.

That’s not only because if the campaign extends beyond this weekend it will mean Millwall are in the play-offs, but also because he’s in some of the best scoring form of his career.

Afobe, 29, has scored thirteen goals this season, his best return since 201516 when he got fourteen for Wolves and Bournemouth, four of them for the latter in the Premier League. He has scored six in his last eight games and nine in 2022.

After a season away in Turkey with Trabzonspor that followed a campaign when he didn’t feature much for Bristol City, Afobe, at 28, needed to find a home.

And he couldn’t have found a better one than Millwall and the “humble” environment at the club.

Afobe has played for ten other clubs and admitted the atmospheres were not always good, with “gossip” or players not speaking to each other.

There is a completely different culture at Millwall.

“It’s been really good for me, a great fit, I’ve said it all along,” Afobe told the News.

“I took some time to get up and running which is quite normal. Last year I lacked confidence, I didn’t play. I racked up 28 appearances but they were all five or ten minutes at the end of the game. I think I

The forward equalises against the Cherries earlier this season played the equivalent to eleven 90 minutes and scored five goals. It wasn’t enough for me, and being away from home.

“To come back to Millwall, to come back to London, to come back to a manager that trusts and believes in me and, just by the off-chance, to come to a great changing room, because it could have been a poor changing room, it’s all been a great fit for me. And also to be injury-free.

“It’s been fantastic for me, I’ve really, really enjoyed it and I feel I’m in my best form now and the season is about to finish, which is a bit disappointing for me.

“But let’s wait and see, maybe we’ll have an extra three games after Saturday, we don’t know.

“When you’ve played for ten clubs in your career, not all ten are going to be great. I’ve been in some changing rooms where the lads don’t talk, there are gossip games, like little kids. Maybe the manager doesn’t have a great relationship with the team so he’s quite distant.

“All these different problems happen but they don’t just happen in football, they happen in all jobs. It’s the norm. It’s life.

“But here, you can have lunch with anybody, you can room with anybody, you can speak to all the staff. Everybody is very humble and are working people. That’s why the season has been a success for us.

“At the start of the season if I had told anybody Millwall were going to finish in the top eight after last season they probably would have said ‘no’. The Championship has been very strong this season, the quality has been good. The top six or seven haven’t really changed the whole season so for us to be in and around it is just a credit to Gary [Rowett] and his staff for the work that they’ve done at the club.”

Afobe faces one of his former clubs, Bournemouth, in a must-win final game of the season on Saturday. The former Arsenal forward joined the Cherries for £10million in January 2016 and scored three goals in his first four Premier League

games.

Afobe scored six goals the following season but lost his place in the side the campaign after that and re-joined Wolves on loan in January 2018 before another £10million move back to Molineux in the summer.

Stoke, with Rowett in charge, paid £12million for him the following January - after he had spent the first half of the season there on loan - but he struggled and after spells at Bristol City and Trabzonspor moved on loan to Millwall.

Afobe was asked if he had thought about the irony of having helped the Lions finish above the Potters after Michael O’Neill offloaded him.

He replied: “No, no, no, I’ve not had one thought about Stoke or Bristol City or Bournemouth. I’m not that kind of person.

I’ve never held a grudge in my life. I said before in an interview the ideal situation for me, having another year at Stoke, would be for Millwall and Stoke to both go up.

“For me, it was just about me, Benik Afobe, enjoying football again, bringing out the tricks, the flair, the goals, the assists. Just having a smile on my face again, that was the sole purpose of me coming to Millwall.

“I didn’t set myself any specific targets goals-wise, but I did say if I got around fifteen goals playing for Millwall, who are on the average a mid-table team, I would take that.

“To be on thirteen now with a game to go is not bad.”

If Afobe manages to get to fifteen goals this weekend, it will surely mean Millwall have a chance of finishing in the top six.

“We’re all happy, it’s been a positive season,” Afobe said. “But listen, it’s out of our hands. You know me, I’m a man of faith, it’s in God’s hands now.

“All we’ve got to worry about is trying to beat Bournemouth because that’s not going to be easy. All the other teams could lose but we could lose as well so it doesn’t really matter about what other people are doing.

“And, to be honest, even the talk in the changing room is, listen, it’s the last game of the season, you’re going to go away and have your six weeks with your family and friends, you want to win anyway. Even if you’ve been relegated.

“Look at Peterborough, Barnsley, when they play on Saturday they’re going to want to win as well. They’ll want a good send-off for the season, even though they’ve been relegated.

“It’s nothing to do with the play-offs, we just want to win the game in general anyway. It’s nothing like, ‘oh, we’re going to be extra up for it on Saturday’. No, this team is the most professional, honest bunch of lads I’ve ever played with.

“This being a game that could potentially put us fifth or sixth doesn’t mean anything for these boys. It means a lot to the club, of course, but they’re not going to change their mentality because their mentality has always been bang-on.

“We’ve had a very, very positive season considering we’ve had so many injuries in each position. No one’s really fancied us for the play-offs so to take it to the last day of the season, we’ve done outstanding. Gary and his staff have done outstanding.”

Southwark News, Thursday May 5 2022

Championship preview

matCh details Possible Millwall starting XI: 5-2-1-2 Bialkowski; McNamara, Leonard, Hutchinson, Cooper, M Wallace; Mitchell, Saville; J Wallace; Afobe, Bradshaw

Match odds:

Bournemouth 4/6 Draw 3/1 Millwall 5/1

Last meeting:

Championship (November 24, 2021): Millwall 1-1 Bournemouth (Afobe 67; Solanke 44).

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk THE ODDS for Millwall are daunting enough just to beat AFC Bournemouth this Saturday without even thinking about what needs to happen elsewhere.

The Lions are 5/1 outsiders to win on the south coast. If they do it, a combination of other results could then see them finish in the top six but the long and the short of it is they need three points against Scott Parker’s side and then hope two of Middlesbrough, Luton Town and Sheffield United slip up.

It’s a tough task at the Liberty Stadium but the Lions have plenty going for them.

They have lost just two of their last sixteen games – more than a third of the season – winning nine and drawing five. That kind of form is close to automatic promotion.

There is also the Lions’ record against the top six. Apart from losing twice to Fulham – and those 2-1 and 3-1 defeats don’t look too bad now in light of the Cottagers winning 7-0 three times this season and 6-2 twice – Millwall have taken points in six of the other nine games. They drew 1-1 against the Cherries at The Den in November but on the balance of good chances they should have beaten them.

Lions manager Gary Rowett is again set to be without defenders Daniel Ballard and Scott Malone, but Jed Wallace should be in consideration to start after being deemed not fit enough last weekend before he came on and got two assists.

Rowett could decide to keep some

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AFC Bournemouth

Former Lions transfer target Kieffer Moore’s 83rd-minute goal clinched second place and automatic promotion and consigned Forest to the play-offs.

The Cherries will finish second behind champions Fulham.

The Lions have to beat Scott Parker’s side and hope two out of three results involving Middlesbrough, Luton Town and Sheffield United go their way.

“I struggle to enjoy moments,” Parker told BBC Radio Solent.

“Every other day you then think about what’s next. It’s the same now. The person I am and with my

Millwall

The Liberty Stadium, Saturday May 7, Kick-off: 12.30pm

Millwall aim for Cherry on top Gary Rowett’s side must win and hope other results go their way of his pacier players such as Oliver Burke, Tyler Burey and Mason Bennett in reserve until later in the game when there should be more space for them to try to exploit. That was the rationale behind playing Wallace for the last 40 minutes rather than the first hour against Peterborough

Late Moore goal could suit AFC BOURNEMOUTH’S late victory over Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening means they have effectively nothing to play for against Millwall on Saturday.

VS

MILLWALL 31

staff there’s going to be an element of, ‘right, now we’re Premier League, what are we going to do?’

“I said to my family after the last time I got promoted with Fulham that I’m going to enjoy the moment a bit more.

“I want to enjoy this moment, we’ve created an amazing memory for me, the family, the players and the young players have created an amazing memory and we’ll enjoy it.”

United.

Against the Posh, Rowett switched from five at the back to four for the second half with Ryan Leonard pushing forward into midfield.

Leonard, though, will likely start on the right-side of the back three in a 5-2-1-2 formation.

Alternatively, Rowett could decide on a 5-2-3 formation with Wallace and one other winger either side of top-scorer Benik Afobe in attack.

It could be the last involvement in a Millwall squad for Wallace, Afobe, Maikel Kieftenbeld, Alex Pearce and Oliver Burke.

Lions’ final-day permutations MILLWALL HAVE to beat AFC Bournemouth on the final day of the season to have a chance of finishing into the play-offs.

But Luton Town’s 7-0 thrashing at Fulham on Monday evening means that while the Lions still have to rely on two of their three rivals slipping up, they don’t have to worry about the Hatters’ goal difference.

Before last weekend’s fixtures, Luton had a plus-eight goal advantage over Millwall, now it’s minus-two.

The permutations If Millwall don’t win it doesn’t matter what happens in the other games.

Gary Rowett greets Scott Parker before the sides’ December meeting

It could be club skipper Alex Pearce, left, and Jed Wallace’s last involvement with the Lions

Millwall win Two of Middlesbrough, Luton and Sheffield United win – Lions miss out

Middlesbrough win, Luton lose, Sheffield United lose (with six-goal swing) - Lions finish sixth Middlesbrough fail to win, Luton and Sheffield United both get a result (win, draw) – Lions miss out Middlesbrough fail to win, Luton lose, Sheffield United win or draw – Lions finish sixth Middlesbrough fail to win, Luton win or draw, Sheffield United lose (with six-goal swing) – Lions finish sixth Middlesbrough fail to win, Luton lose, Sheffield United lose (with sixgoal swing) – Lions finish fifth Final-day fixtures Saturday, May 7 (12.30pm) AFC Bournemouth vs. Millwall Luton Town vs. Reading Preston North End vs. Middlesbrough Sheffield United vs. Fulham

The Lions have sold out the away end, with more than 1,300 supporters heading to the south coast, even if it’s more in hope than with any real expectations their team’s season will extend beyond the weekend.

Supporters should note the earlier kick-off time of 12.45pm.

SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE P

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Fulham 45 Bournemouth 45 Nottingham F 45 Huddersfield T 45 Sheffield United 45 Luton Town 45 Middlesbrough 45 Millwall 45 Blackburn Rovers 45 WBA 45 Coventry City 45 QPR 45 Stoke City 45 Preston NE 45 Swansea City 45 Blackpool 45 Bristol City 45 Hull City 45 Cardiff City 45 Birmingham City 45 Reading 45 Derby County 45 Peterborough U 45 Barnsley 45

W D L GD Pts

27 24 23 22 20 20 20 18 18 17 17 18 17 15 16 16 15 14 14 11 13 14 8 6

9 13 10 13 12 12 10 15 12 13 12 9 10 16 13 12 10 8 8 14 8 13 10 12

9 8 12 10 13 13 15 12 15 15 16 18 18 14 16 17 20 23 23 20 24 18 27 27

67 90 34 85 33 79 15 79 14 72 7 72 12 70 9 69 8 66 3 64 1 63 0 63 5 61 -7 61 -9 61 1 60 -13 55 -13 50 -19 50 -24 47 -32 41 * -7 34 * -49 34 -36 30

*Derby County deducted 21 pts. * Reading deducted 6pts

Crouch shares fans’ disappointment

inside

Sport Southwark

Lions ready attack plans Millwall manager Gary Rowett in discussion with assistant Adam Barrett, left, before the 3-0 win over Peterborough

Boss will be aware of other scores as his side could need to chase more goals EXCLUSIVE

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk MILLWALL MANAGER Gary Rowett will be aware of the live scores of the other three games in the play-off race to be in the best position to be able to react to what his side needs.

There are multiple possibilities this weekend, but one is that the Lions have to score more goals to clinch a top-six place.

Goal difference will come into it if Millwall are beating Bournemouth, Sheffield United are losing to Fulham and Middlesbrough are not winning against Preston.

In the 1995-96 season, Manchester City were drawing 2-2 at home to Liverpool when City boss Alan Ball got information that relegation rivals Southampton were losing and told future Millwall manager Steve Lomas, who then took the ball to the corner flag. Southampton, though, were drawing their game, City’s finished 2-2 and they were relegated from the top flight with a worse goal difference than the Saints.

Rowett said he and his coaching staff will also have different plans to chase more goals if they need them. Rowett kept Jed Wallace in reserve last Saturday against Peterborough – albeit the Lions boss felt the attacker wasn’t fit to start anyway – and he came on to exploit the spaces and

provided two assists.

If Millwall get ahead in the game this weekend and United are losing, Middlesbrough are failing to win and Luton are getting a result, it would come down to goal difference between the Lions and the Blades.

That is one of several different scenarios and Rowett will be aware of what’s happening elsewhere.

“You have to be,” Rowett said. “I’ve heard a lot of managers talk at this stage of the season that we don’t worry about other results, we just concentrate on ours. I understand that, everyone to a certain degree does.

“You have to know what’s happening around you because at the end of the

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game you could find out if you’d scored one more goal you’d have been in the play-offs.

“I think everyone knows roughly what’s happening. I would always prefer to be armed with all the information so I could try to make the best in-game decisions as possible.

“It’s not always easy to do that but if having the scores live doesn’t deter too much from your game plan then that’s the best scenario.

“We were 1-0 up on Saturday, we had plans to go and chase more goals if we needed to. We did, we got another couple, and we’ll have similar plans against a Bournemouth side that I’m sure will pose a much different test to Peterborough.”

Page 28

Top-scorer sees move as ‘definite option’ EXCLUSIVE

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk BENIK AFOBE says a permanent move to Millwall this summer is “definitely an option”.

Afobe, 29, has spent the season on loan with the Lions from Stoke City and is top-scorer with thirteen goals, nine of them in 2022.

Afobe has one more year left on his Potters contract so Millwall would have to pay a fee if they pursue a move.

Asked by the News if he would try to push for a move to The Den, Afobe replied: “I have to think about it, to be honest. Do I want to stay here, will I stay at Stoke, will I go somewhere else?

“I never really want to focus on these things when I’m playing because it can be a distraction. Even if you think it’s not a distraction it can be.

“For me it’s just about staying fit and enjoying my time here. I’m a bit gutted the season is finishing because I feel I’m hitting my best form of the season.

“It’s something we’re going to have to sit down and speak about.

Obviously we have to wait until after the end of the season and see if we’re in the play-offs.

“It is definitely something that I would consider. A lot of people know what I think of Millwall and it’s definitely an option, for sure.

“It’s not no chance, it’s definitely an option but we have to wait and see if things can be matched [in any potential deal].”

Benik Afobe The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2014 was 83.5%