Southwark News - October 13th 2022

council signs declare war on camberwell green rats

E XCLUSIVE

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

the war against rats on Camberwell

Green has stepped up a level after the council erected signs warning people that feeding pigeons could earn them a fine.

A local campaigner has said the signs are a “monumental milestone” and they hope to see perpetrators given penalties and “maybe even imprisoned”.

Last month, locals complained that the small park off Camberwell New Road had been “surrendered” to “demented-pigeon hunting rats”.

The park’s new signs warn the public that people caught feeding birds risk breaching the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and prosecution in a magistrates court.

The owner of the anti-rat Instagram account ‘Camberwellgreenrats’ said: “The new signs on the green feel like a momentous milestone for the campaign to cull the rats and make our green safe for humanity again.

“However, just yesterday I saw two instances of copious amounts of bread being thrown on the green.

“Hopefully in the future, we will see bird

feeders fined and maybe even imprisoned if they continue to defy the signs. The war is not over.”

Southwark Council previously said it had received “no complaints” about the rats but appears to have changed its tune.

The problem first gained mass attention when BBC News International Editor and Camberwell local Jeremy Bowen tweeted a video of rats on the green.

The veteran war correspondent had written: “Camberwell Green, South London this

afternoon. Rats enjoying what looks like food left for birds or squirrels. Not a good look, not good for public health.”

Southwark Council was recently named Parks for London’s top performing borough for keeping its parks clean.

oceandiva: north bermondsey councillors try to scupper superyacht application

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

Southwark LiberaL Democrats and North bermondsey councillors have officially asked Newham Council to reject the licensing application for the 1,500-capacity party boat oceandiva.

If accepted, the 86-metre “luxury floating space” would be able to moor at Newham’s Royal Docks and several other Thames piers, including Butler’s Wharf, North Bermondsey. North Bermondsey’s Lib Dem councillors fear that disembarking party-goers would disrupt residents’ sleep. Cllr Rachel Bentley said: “Our group represents three wards that sit on the banks of the Thames and noise is a persistent concern for our residents.

“There can be no reasonable argument that this enormous party boat will not cause consistent anti-social disturbances. We urge Newham’s licensing committee to reject this

application.”

The Lib Dems’ submissions demand that Newham Council reject the application or impose specific conditions to reduce disturbance to residents if they approve it. Oceandiva would probably be moored at

Newham’s Royal Docks most of the time and Oceandiva executives say it would rarely disembark at Butler’s Wharf after 10.30pm.

However, at a public meeting held on Wednesday, September 21, they did not rule out the possibility, stoking fears that late-

night revellers could keep residents awake.

At that meeting, one furious resident said:

“It is a conservation area and it is very, very narrow and dense…and you want to chuck 600 people into one narrow street…I don’t think you really care.”

Southwark Lib Dems say locals already suffer from noise coming from “the many party boats that now operate on the river”.

In a letter to Newham Council, they wrote:

“By a considerable margin, the most prevalent noise disturbance complaint is those relating to the many ‘party boats’ that now operate on the river.

“The amplified music from large speaker systems as well as the elevated voices of the patrons on these vessels is amplified and carried across the water, causing considerable disturbance to riverside residents.”

In 2020, a similar application was rejected by the City of London corporation’s planning committee.

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bermondsey-based cidery gives out free cider in exchange for apples

By Isabel Ramirez isabel@southwarknews.co.uk

a BermoNdsey-Based cidery that collected “a double-decker bus worth” of apples in donations is planning to thank locals with free cider.

Hawkes Cidery and Taproom, on Druid Street in Bermondsey, has been turning ‘waste’ apples into cider since 2015.

Elliot Allison, general manager at Hawkes, said they used to have a warehouse in East London where they made ginger beer. “Loads of people in the local area thought we were making cider, so they would leave their apples at the door, hoping we could use them – which gave us an idea.

“We thought, ‘If there’s these many apples on our street, how many are there in London that people aren’t using?”

The cidery started an annual Apple Donors campaign, in collaboration with The Orchard Project - the only national

rotherhide!

Sign blunder misspells historic riverside area

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

traNSport for London (tfL) has misspelt ‘rotherhithe’ as ‘rotherhide’ on a recently erected santander Cycle station.

The docking station on Clements Road, Bermondsey, is one of seven being set up to spread cycle hire access to new parts of the borough.

A TfL spokesperson said: “We are aware of the spelling error at a Santander Cycles docking station and apologise for the mistake. The sign will be corrected as soon as possible.”

Tony, a local bricklayer, hopes the mistake will confuse yuppies, halting their gentrification of the area. He said: “It doesn’t bother me. It’s good as long as it stops people from finding it.

“If people keep moving there, pubs will be priced too high and rent will go up! I’m glad they put the sign there!

Touch!”

For fellow bricklayer Dave Richmond, the sign reminded him of another controversial name change.

Describing himself as “Rotherhithe born-and-bred”, Dave said: “They can

start by changing the spelling of Surrey Quays to Surrey Docks. They changed that overnight without consulting!”

Surrey Docks was renamed Surrey Quays as the shopping centre opened in July 1988 following years of development by the London Docklands Development Corporation. The area was extensively redeveloped from its docking days when over 5,500 new homes were built.

Caroline, from Bermondsey, said: “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a very good speller, I can’t do the crosswords, but that’s not how you spell it!

“How can you get Rotherhithe wrong?

“People can’t spell!”

TfL said it will not have to pay to fix the mistake because it was made by a third-party contractor, which is responsible for fixing it.

Yujin Jang, 29, a sommelier at a local wine bar was less concerned: “I hadn’t noticed. It doesn’t really annoy me. Please can still read it, no?”

A sticker has since been placed over the orthographic blunder.

TfL is not aware of mistakes on any other bike docking stations.

charity dedicated solely to the creation, restoration and celebration of community orchards. Apples donated as part of the campaign are put in a separate vat.

Twelve tonnes have been donated so far, since the start of September: “enough to fill a double-decker London bus,” Elliot said.

This will make about 5,000 litres of cider, out of apples that would otherwise have been wasted.

Apples are the most wasted fruit in the UK. “They’ve fallen out of fashion a bitbut apples are such an inherent part of the UK. So to be able to take such a historical ingredient and get new people drinking it – that’s really exciting.”

“Local people are where we got the bulk of donations from. So many people have apple trees in their gardens, but people don’t think of what they could use them for.”

Any type of apple goes – no matter the shape, size or variety: “We don’t discriminate!” Elliot joked.

He said there’s still time to donate. For every three kilos donated, which Elliot explained is what you get off a small apple tree, they give a free can of cider. He said old trees can have around 30-40 kilos of apples on them. “We’ve had some people donate from an orchard their family passed down to them. Their last donation was 600 kilos - so we sent them a whole pallet of cider!”

They’re keen to give back to the people who make the project possible. “We’re going to invite all the people that have donated apples to us and give them all a free pint of the cider they helped to create.”

They plan to host an event in the next few months, where they’ll do a tour of the cidery and let people taste their cider. “We want to give back to these people because they’ve done so much for us,” Elliot adds.

People have until October 18th to donate apples to Hawkes’ Cidery & Taproom.

It’s located on 86-92 Druid St, Bermondsey, SE1 2HQ.

five massive telecom boxes are ‘ruining business’ for restaurant

By Isabel Ramirez isabel@southwarknews.co.uk

herNe hiLL community group threw an ironic birthday party to mark ten years of disrupted business for a local restaurant that has had five telecom boxes installed right outside the shop front.

Ten years ago, five telecom boxes were erected on the street directly outside Guyanese restaurant, Umana Yana, on Croxted Road in Herne Hill. Restaurant owner, Debbie Monfries said the boxes, which were installed by media giants Virgin Media, O2 and Vodafone, completely obstruct the view of the restaurant from the street.

So despite being dubbed as ‘South London’s best roti place’, since 2012, business has been “massively affected.”

“We get lots of regulars but these boxes mean we are not seen very well by new people walking by who don’t know we’re there,” Debbie explained. “It’s been horrible - it’s massively affected my business.”

She added that whenever they do maintenance, she is forced to close because of the restricted access to the path.

A previous petition from 2017 that called for the removal of the boxes gathered 2,000 signatures from neighbours and customers, but never went anywhere.

Now, Debbie says this is her last chance to save her beloved business. “I am desperate - I need all the support I can get!”

Herne Hill campaign group Save Umana Yana have helped to revive the campaign to remove the boxes once and for all. They’ve relaunched a petition and set up a fundraiser to support the restaurant in their fight. Save Umana Yana organiser, Sophie Mason is a customer and on hearing Debbie’s story, she was determined to help: “It has been heartbreaking to see Debbie struggle on her own against all these powerful people for so long. The boxes have been ruining her business. They are loud, ugly, and should never have been installed there in the first

place,” Sophie said.

On Friday, campaigners staged a 10th birthday party for the telecom boxes, to mark the length of time they’ve been disrupting business for Debbie. “They were thinking of the best way to get lots of people there and came up with the idea to have a party instead of a meeting. About 200 people turned up!” Debbie said.

The event saw locals show up and dance to the tunes of Anja Ngozi, Dean Bryce and other local musical talents, eat rotis, and call on councillors in both Southwark and Lambeth to help save Umana Yana.

The restaurant borders both Lambeth and Southwark Council jurisdiction. The boxes themselves provide connection to

the flats on the Lambeth side. “I don’t even benefit from the boxes being there at all,” Debbie explained.

Recently, the campaign gained the support of local MP, Helen Hayes, who wrote to Virgin Media appealing to relocate the boxes. Virgin Media’s response was that it would be ‘too expensive’ to do.

“So you’re telling me, they have enough money to fly to the moon and not to correct this mistake?” Debbie said.

The News asked Virgin Media, O2 and Vodafone for comment but received no response at the time of press.

To sign their petition go to ‘Save Umana Yana’ on the Change.org website.

Debbie Monfries (left), The telecom boxes as viewed from across the street (top) and Debbie standing next to the boxes to show the scale of them

Fireworks the latest event cancelled at Southwark Park

E XCLUSIVE

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

bermoNDSey peopLe have slammed southwark Council’s decision permanently to cancel southwark Park fireworks .

Locals described the announcement as a “joke” and say Southwark Park is being “pimped out” for commercial events while historic community gettogethers are sidelined.

The council has blamed “the cost of living crisis” and “the fallout from Covid-19”, saying that the money will be redirected to essential services and parks’ upkeep.

But locals, already reeling from Bermondsey Carnival’s cancellation after the council gave it just £10,000 funding, are unimpressed by the explanation.

Bermondsey Carnival organiser

Russell Dryden said: “The council must have got money from the K-Pop Festival so why is that money not being used to supplement community events?”

The K-Pop festival saw Southwark Park close for two weeks in early July and late August. People questioned how the event benefited Bermondsey people.

Back then, Labour Cllr Alice Macdonald argued the profits were “a major source of funding for all of our council-funded, free, community events”. Yet it would appear the council didn’t have Southwark Fireworks in mind.

Circumstances have changed since July. The cost-of-living crisis has hit

London councils so hard that they are demanding a pandemic-style emergency budget boost from central government.

Cross-party group London Councils said additional funding was needed to support social care provision, an essential service which is the responsibility of local authorities.

Asked whether he sympathised with the council’s need to prioritise essential services, Russell said: “I don’t really because community events are essential services and they don’t tend to see it.

“They encourage people to get together and bring all sorts of diverse people together. These events are essential - of course they are.

“Not only that, but it shows the council don’t understand that there are people out there who can’t afford to go to a West End theatre.

“South Bermondsey is one of the most deprived areas so not everyone can afford to go to see these sorts of things.”

Bermondsey Carnival, an historic festival dating back over 100 years, used to receive an £80,000 grant from Southwark Council.

This was reduced to £40,000 and then £10,000 this year. Russell says it was such a paltry amount that even with an extra £10,000 in sponsorship money, he couldn’t organise the event. He says the money remains with the council.

Reader Chris Dowse commented on Facebook: “They know they can’t make any money from it [Southwark fireworks]… surely the K-pop festival would have earned the council enough money to put on the display this year!

“Sign of the times that Southwark

The council must have got money from the K-Pop Festival, so why is that money not being used to supplement community events?

park is just gonna be pimped out to all and sundry and Southwark Council will make a mint and Joe Public won’t see a penny of it!”

Prior to 2020, the Southwark Park fireworks display had run sixteen years in a row. It was called off in 2020 because of covid and again in 2021 due to the event’s “high costs”.

Tammy Rodmell, also commenting on Facebook said: “It’s getting a joke. There is nowhere to go anymore but they take enough money out of us.”

Cllr Catherine Rose, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Parks, Streets and Clean Air, said: “Southwark Council has made a decision not to hold a fireworks display this year, or going forward.

“The Cost of Living crisis, coupled with the fallout from Covid-19, means we have a duty to protect essential services that support residents and businesses.

“We will be using our resources for this, and to support our parks all year round. We know that as a community you will understand the sense in this decision, and thank you for that.”

Which Southwark petrol stations are cheapest right now?

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

DriverS are being warned that petrol price rises are “inevitable” after an international oil cartel that includes russia announced it would slash production.

Opec+, which is made up of Russia, Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing countries, will slash production.

Experts say the move is bound to hit UK consumers’ pockets.

To stop Southwark motorists’ bank

accounts from running dry, the News has found the top five cheapest petrol stations in and around the borough.

why are prices set to rise?

The RAC’s fuel spokesperson has said price rises are “inevitable” and it’s just a case of when retailers decide to pass these increased costs on to consumers.

But why is this happening?

Opec+, a group made up of the world’s biggest oil-producing countries, has announced it will slash production by two million barrels per day beginning

in November.

Experts say this is intended to stabilise oil prices. Prices rose as the world came out of lockdown, and again when Russia invaded Ukraine, but have steadily fallen since June.

The decision, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, sent Brent crude prices up by 2% to $93.80, its highest since September 15.

Although the fall in production doesn’t start for another month, prices could increase sooner as brokers scramble to purchase oil at lower prices.

Job opportunities pour in for disabled teen who kept getting knocked back by employers

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

a DiSabLeD teenager who has had over 300 job applications rejected says the response to his story has “given him hope”.

Last week, Cameron O’Connor, 19, whose legs were amputated aged ten, told the News he’d been knocked back by hundreds of employers because of his disability.

Since sharing his story, Cameron has had an offer of office work, a freelance writing gig, and been invited to apply for positions at King’s College Hospital.

Neil Coyle, MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, also got in touch asking how he might help.

Cameron says he’s particularly excited by the prospect of working at King’s College Hospital: “It’s because it’s King’s. I basically grew up in that hospital.

“When I had meningitis, I was there most of my life. I was in and out of there from the age of one until about eight. I had my legs taken away there, so to work there would be so rewarding.”

Cameron has secured a job at Tesco since the story was published but it’s

Applegreen

only sixteen hours a week and he’s keen to secure full-time work.

A talented wheelchair basketball player, he was delighted to hear that European news outlet, EU Today, want him to write a piece about his sporting success and dreams of playing for Team GB at the Paralympics.

The former Bacon’s College student contracted meningitis as a baby. He fought to keep his legs but, aged just ten, doctors recommended amputation to avoid future health complications.

He secured a youth coaching apprenticeship at Salmon Youth Centre in September 2021 but when his contract ended, his job search became an uphill struggle.

Reflecting on the response to his story, Cameron said: “It’s given me hope because I didn’t think anybody would get it.

“I thought people would read the paper and say ‘it is what it is’. It’s good that people are getting in contact. So when this job ends in January I’ll have more options.”

Cameron is still on the look-out. If a local employer would like to speak to him about job opportunities, please contact us at: editor@southwarknews. co.uk

p eckham v iolinist honoured

By Isabel Ramirez isabel@southwarknews.co.uk

a PeCkham-Based violinist who famously fell out with Beethoven has been honoured with a blue plaque for his exceptional contribution to classical music.

George Bridgetower, who lived most of his adult life in Peckham, was a worldrenowned violinist who rose to fame as a child. He was born in Poland in 1778 on 11th October, to a German mother and a father from Barbados.

The plaque was installed on Tuesday, 244 years to the day of his birth.

“His dad saw that he had a talent and took him on a tour of Europe – he became a celebrity,” said Dr Jak Beula, CEO of Nubian Jak.

Whilst performing abroad, he met Beethoven and the two became friends.

In 1803 they performed together in Vienna, and Beethoven dedicated his Violin Sonata No. 9 in A minor to him, as well as a tuning fork, now on display

in the British Library. But Jak explains the friendship didn’t last long. “George said something disparaging about Beethoven’s niece, and Beethoven was having none of it, so they fell out.”

After the fall out, Beethoven rededicated the composition to a different violinist, and they say George’s music career was never quite the same again.

Tara Louise Jettoo, a musician who grew up in Peckham, felt drawn to his story. She was who inspired Jak to put forward George for a blue plaque.

Tara first came across George whilst working for the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, where he lived as well for a time.

“George’s father used to exploit him; he would make him play and take the money for himself. Then he met the King (George IV) and clearly made an impression on him, because he put him into his royal processions and agreed to pay for his musical education. But it’s quite unknown as to why he moved to Peckham.”

The plaque was unveiled at the site

where George lived, now Jack Jones House, on Reedham Street in Peckham.

“I just think it’s so important for people to see their own roots in history and really understand that there’s so much more to black British history than just slavery and Windrush,” Tara added.

Kwaku, a music historian who specialises in black British music, said: “George rose to be the most famous British composer of the early nineteenth century. He was a phenomenal musical talent - history says he didn’t need rehearsal which is why Beethoven was so impressed by him. It’s great that Southwark Council, Nubian Jak and Sony Music have put up this plaque. And to know that he lived in Southwark, that’s fantastic.

“Black classical musicians have someone to look up to now,” Kwaku said.

The Mayor Southwark, Sunil Chopra, who attended the unveiling, added: “It’s a great initiative to encourage other people to do good, so they might think one day, they could be remembered as well.

h oley m oley!

‘ s inkhole’ appears

Bermondsey’s final farewell to ‘legendary raspberry blower’

Much-loved Victor was the twelfth of sixteen children

By Kevin Quinn kevin@southwarknews.co.uk

bermoNDSey perSoNaLity

Victor Gardiner, who was known by generations of locals as a legendary raspberry blower and cuppa tea lover, sadly passed away earlier this month.

Seventy-eight-year-old Victor. who had learning difficulties, passed away from cancer on Saturday 1st October. News of his death hit social media with a whole wave of tributes to the muchloved character.

For anyone growing up in Bermondsey over the last 50 odd years Victor was a regular face in the cafés around The Blue in Southwark Park Road and in Surrey Quays, where he could often be found holding a takeaway MacDonald’s paper bag that he randomly blew up and popped.

even remember him going to school really,” she said.

“He would push a pram picking up newspapers, beer bottles, jam jars, packets of fags but he would sell them in his own way. He would tie up all the papers nice and neat and he’d say ‘give us a pound’.”

This was a phrase that Victor became famous for locally. Various social media sites were awash with anecdotes of times people gave Victor a pound, often getting one of his celebrated raspberries in return.

When Victor moved into Doreen’s home in Catford he would return back to his old manor almost daily and always on foot: “He walked everywhere, never caught a bus. He loved his bingo and his 78 vinyl records. Give Victor a couple of bob and he was happy to do anything.” Doreen talks proudly of the fish pond he built in her garden and said he loved nothing better than a cup of tea and spending time with her grandkids.

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

peDeStriaNS were left astounded by a mysterious “sinkhole” that appeared on Lordship Lane and “killed” footfall for one business.

The “massive” two-by-two metre chasm, opened in the ground outside SMBS Foods, 77 Lordship Lane, in the morning on Friday, September 30.

A shopkeeper at SMBS Foods said: “A contractor came down and said there is a two-by-two metre sinkhole. I don’t know how the pavement has been held up.

“It’s killed business - we’re talking by 20 to 30 per cent. When people have to walk

around obstacles they’d rather not come in.”

The shopkeeper said a contractor told him an underground clay pipe had burst and had eroded the ground over time.

A shocked passerby said: “Imagine putting your foot through that! It’s not safe. Makes you wonder how many more might appear!”

Workmen have filled the hole with cement, finishing the job on Tuesday morning (October, 11), according to Ghazi, a barber at Jazz Barbers, Lordship Lane.

Describing the hole as “massive”, the barber said: “Only finished this morning - it took like a week. It didn’t actually affect business - maybe traffic a bit - but business has been alright because there

was enough footpath for people to get past.”

Records also show that Southwark Council were responsible for the repair works but they have not responded to requests for comment.

Some utility companies, like Thames Water, offer compensation to businesses that are adversely affected by maintenance works.

The News has asked Southwark Council if they also offer compensation to businesses who lose profits due to roadworks.

According to online records, the hole caused a lane closure from 8am on Tuesday October 4 until 5pm on Thursday October 6, while workmen did repairs.

From a huge Bermondsey family he was the twelfth of sixteen children, his mother Nell having had a mammoth 21 pregnancies. Victor’s father Charles was a docker and the family lived originally in Rotherhithe where Victor was born, but he was brought up with his numerous siblings on Fort Road, Bermondsey, where he would stay with his mum up until she became ill and eventually passed away in the 1990s. During that time he would live with his brother and often with his sister Doreen. Just one year older than Victor, Doreen said that her little brother never changed throughout his life, always walking around and wanting to do little jobs for a pound.

“He had learning difficulties, but that is all we knew. Back in those days, they did not really diagnose. In fact I can’t

Doreen’s daughter Kelly remembers fondly her uncle living with them before he eventually went into a nursing home. “We have been overwhelmed by people’s response and are planning a get together in Bermondsey after the funeral,” she said. “When it came to listing his profession we put down rag and bone man, we thought that apt, perhaps he is the last one to be listed as such in London.”

Albin’s Funeral home will be conducting the funeral on Tuesday November 1, leaving their base on Culling Road, SE16 at 11am with a service at St James’s Church, off Jamaica Road, at 11.30. Fittingly the cortege will stop in The Blue and at Millwall football ground, before Victor is to be laid to rest with his brother in Honor Oak Cemetery. Those wanting to contribute, to give Victor his last pound can do so, by going to gofundme.com and search for Victor The Bermondsey Legend.

80-year-old died of sepsis after hospital appointments were cancelled during lockdown

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

aN 80-year-oLd disabled amputee died during lockdown after reduced hospital appointments meant his foot infection became necrotic and gangrenous.

A coroner has concluded that Mr Locksley Burton died of sepsis at King’s College Hospital on April 24, 2020, after he “did not receive adequate wound inspections”.

In the report published on September 29, Senior Coroner Andrew Harris said: “Mr Burton did not receive adequate inspections of his wound and changes of dressings when the attendance at the diabetic foot clinic ceased to be weekly or fortnightly.

“The pandemic was a likely reason for this, but there might be other reasons in future for such changes.”

Prior to 2020, diabetic Mr Locksley, would make regular visits to a hospital foot doctor. When his appointments were reduced, the podiatrist told him to change his dressings and keep his foot dry.

But suffering from dementia, Mr Locksley was not always compliant when care home staff tried to inspect and redress his feet.

He developed an infection on his foot

and when he became lethargic, visited a GP on April 2.

But the GP had not been informed that he was no longer seeing the foot doctor on a weekly or fortnightly basis.

So the doctor prescribed him antibiotics and tested him for Covid-19, which was positive, but did not assume he needed to inspect his wound, believing the podiatrist was checking it.

The infection worsened. Mr Locksley was admitted to hospital on April 15, where his wound was found to be necrotic and gangrenous and he subsequently died.

Mr Locksley’s immediate cause of death was given as systemic sepsis in the coroner’s report. Covid-19, osteomyelitis, diabetes, vascular disease, dementia and multiple myeloma were underlying causes.

The coroner has referred the case to three organisations involved in care, to examine the collaborative multidisciplinary arrangements to ensure they are “appropriate and safe”.

In the coroner’s conclusion, he was concerned about reduced appointments but said that he died of mixed natural causes. He added: “It cannot be determined, had it been possible to provide better supervision and management of his wound, whether that would have led to a different outcome.”

It cannot be determined, had it been possible to provide better supervision and management of his wound, whether that would have led to a different outcome.

This comes after a former government adviser said the UK was beginning to see more deaths from “delay and deferment of treatment for other conditions” during the pandemic.

Prof Robert Dingwall, of Nottingham Trent University, a former government adviser during the pandemic, said: “We are beginning to see the deaths that result from delay and deferment of treatment for other conditions, like cancer and heart disease, and from those associated with poverty and deprivation.

“These come through more slowly – if cancer is not treated promptly, patients don’t die immediately but do die in greater numbers more quickly than would otherwise be the case.”

In July 2022, there were 42,034 deaths registered in England, 3,898 deaths, 10.2 per cent above the July five-year average (2016 to 2019, and 2021).

King’s NHS Trust were approached for comment on deadline.

walworth residents ‘unaware of park development

By Isabel Ramirez isabel@southwarknews.co.uk

frieNDS of a community park in Walworth, that residents helped create over 40 years ago, say they are angry that the council plans for refurbishment have been submitted without their knowledge.

Despite demanding that they be kept informed, many residents have complained that they were unaware of the plans, saying that the current planning notices are inadequate.

Victory Community Park was created over 40 years ago by locals situated between Rodney Place, Munton Road, Balfour Street and Victory Place.

Celia Cronin, a resident of Balfour Street housing project said: “Local people campaigned to get this park back in 1980, when there was lots of kids who lived in social housing with nowhere to play. The residents at the time said if they could get it, they would tend to it. And for over ten years at the start we even used an old pushmower.

“It had high fencing and a tarmac sports pitch at basement level - two things the council are going to change in their new plans.”

Another Balfour Street resident and former councillor Steve Lancashire said the latest plan to re-develop the park are one that the vast majority of local residents “reject completely.”

Plans to refurbish Victory Community Park have been in the pipeline since 2017, but reductions to their original grant have seen significant changes to what was proposed.

Residents claim the latest notice letter was sent to some but not all properties around the park.

Mary Goodwin, local resident and member of Friends of Victory Park said: “We heard about the latest plan through a third-party,

despite meeting with the council many times and asking to be informed. There were a handful of notices put up around the area, but they weren’t very visible.”

A council spokesperson said: “Statutory consultation for minor development requires either site notice or neighbour consultation for 21 days. The council has undertaken both in line with planning legislation: multiple site notices have gone up around Victory Park to make regular users and passers-by aware of plans, and letters were sent to adjoining properties that share a boundary with the park.”

But Celia says people’s limited understanding of planning has not been considered. “It’s a multi-cultural area, with a lot of people whose first language isn’t English. When we knocked on people’s doors to make them aware of the plans the other day, they had no idea about it.”

“They’re changing it without asking for the opinion of the people that the park was created for. The plans include shrinking a really popular games area, and filling it in to be at street level, which would be dangerous for the kids who play there.”

Mary added that this isn’t the first time the local community has not be listened to:

“In 2007, there was a meeting about plans to refurbish the park – which included building a bridge over the multi-use games area, which the whole meeting opposed.” She said that it went ahead anyway, and then in 2017 the bridge fell into disrepair and had to be taken down.

“This was a result of a council decision not reflecting the will of residents, and then going wrong. We don’t want this to happen again,” she said.

Since putting their complaints to the council, residents have told the News they have been contacted by a council officer who said he is looking at updating the plans. The deadline for public comments was originally last Friday, October 6th, but residents are awaiting a further update from the council.

Boy thrown from Tate in random attack is ‘gaining dexterity’ and his sight has ‘clearly improved’

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

the boy who was thrown from the tenth floor of Tate modern is “gaining dexterity and responsiveness” according to his family.

The French child, then aged six, was on holiday when total stranger Jonty Bravery, then seventeen, hurled him off the building in August 2019.

The random attack left the victim suffering life-changing injuries. Bravery is serving a fifteen-year minimum prison term for attempted murder.

That day Bravery, who has autism and a personality disorder, had intended to kill someone, a court later heard.

But in a message posted on their GoFundMe page, the young victim’s family wrote: “He has gained a little in dexterity and responsiveness if we compare with the month of June.”

We know the road is still long but our little knight is not giving up. His courage and his efforts are just incredible

“He can also now ride a little tricycle (which we finally received just before the summer) behind our house, always accompanied, of course: he loves to make his dad run,” they added.

The fall left the boy with a bleed to the brain, fractures to his spine and broken legs and arms. His family have been

heartened by his recovery, particularly given that it’s “contradicted doctors”.

The post on the GoFundMe page, which has raised almost £350,000, said the family had been teaching him to walk on uneven ground at a specially-adapted mountain cottage in the Massif Central Mountains, France.

“We had to catch him countless times, but he made progress in mastering his balance, starting at the end of the fortnight to lean his shoulders forwards or backwards, depending on the slope. A real little adventurer,” the family wrote.

There has also been a “clear improvement” in his eyesight. “Our little

knight sees better and better,” they said. The family said that school was going well but that their son “has a really hard time making friends because of his fatigue and the wheelchair which prevents him from playing like the other children in the playground”.

They added: “We know the road is still long but our little knight is not giving up. His courage and his efforts are just incredible. Thank you to all of you who have been following his tireless journey since the assault. Many thanks for your love and support. We hope that the wishes of full recovery that many of you send to us come true.”

why doesn’t harriet harman have a constituency office?

EXCLUSIVE

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

CaNdidaTes LookiNG to become the next mP for Camberwell and Peckham are pledging to set up a constituency office if selected. so why doesn’t incumbent harriet harman already have one?

The Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament says that MPs have a “special duty” to their constituents and constituency offices offer physical spaces where elected representatives perform that duty.

Although MPs aren’t obligated to have one - they can speak to constituents through the phone or email - pressure group Unlock Democracy says they are “invaluable” for

those who require face-to-face contact.

Mother of the House Harriet Harman, 71, announced last year that she will stand down from her position as MP for Camberwell and Peckham at the next election after almost 40 years in the role.

Several candidates vying to replace her have pledged to establish a constituency office if selected, prompting people to ask why Harman doesn’t already have one.

Andy Harris, a specialist camper van trader and Camberwell resident for forty years, has often struggled to get hold of his MP. He said: “I don’t think they can shirk their responsibilities to their constituents and that involves meeting them face to face. I would feel a lot more confidence in the democratic process if I was able to talk to my elected representative.”

When asked by the News why she doesn’t

have a constituency office, and for how long, Harriet Harman did not answer the question directly. Instead, she said: “I have one of the biggest constituency ‘caseloads’ of any member of parliament.

“The casework has become even more important over the last few years for reasons everyone will understand.

“The overwhelming majority of people contact me by email. Some phone my office. And in some cases, I offer to see people in their own homes (most recently in the case of the parents of Chris Kaba who are my constituents).”

Harman would not say when she last had a constituency office. But her website indicates she had a permanent constituency office at the old Southwark Town Hall on Peckham Road.

In March 2009, Southwark Council

Harriet Harman in her parliamentary office, Portculis House

quicker and easier way to communicate. But for some people - those who cannot use technology or have difficulty expressing themselves on the phone or are in a crisis situation - nothing can replace face-to-face contact.”

In 2018, those identifying as Black, African, Caribbean or Black British were the ethnic group second most likely not to use the internet, according to Office of National Statistics (ONS) data published in 2019. 8.2 per cent of them were non-internet users, surpassed only by whites, of which 10.6 per cent did not use the internet.

In 2011, Camberwell and Peckham had the highest proportion of black, African, and Afro-Caribbean residents of all constituencies in England and Wales, according to ONS 2011 census figures, at 37.4 per cent.

This is not lost on candidates looking to replace Harman. While praising her as an “iconic” figure and skilled campaigner on national issues, many have highlighted the importance of a constituency office.

Peter Babudu said: “I think that at times it [not having a constituency office] has made it harder for people to be heard. If I became MP, I would be looking to establish one within the first 100 days.”

Evelyn Akoto said: “As your Labour MP, I will put the needs of the constituency first, including opening a local office where residents and members can meet with me.”

Miatta Fahnbulleh has also pledged to set up a constituency office.

Neighbouring MPs Neil Coyle and Helen Hayes both have permanent offices but Harriet Harman is not the only MP not to have an in-area base.

relocated to new offices on Tooley Street.

It is unclear what happened to her constituency office after that.

Instead, her website says: “Over the years since 1982 much has changed both in the way people communicate and the response they want from their MP. The overwhelming majority of people contact me by email. Some phone my office. And in some cases, I offer to see people in their own homes.”

Director of Unlock Democracy Tom Brake said: “There is no requirement for an MP to have a physical presence in their constituency. However, for an MP’s constituents, a constituency office can prove invaluable. It is often the only source of information on issues like benefits and immigration which is readily accessible. It is true that for many, email is now a

In 2020, Labour MP for Brent Central Dawn Butler closed her constituency office after receiving racist threats.

It should also be noted that despite the Parliament of the United Kingdom having sat for 221 years, 22 per cent of MP killings have taken place in the last six.

In 2016, Jo Cox was shot and stabbed by a Neo-Nazi white supremacist while Sir David Amess was murdered in October 2021 by an Islamic extremist.

A source to the Labour Party told the News that they believed Harriet Harman had closed her office due to security concerns.

In 2008, Harman was criticised for wearing a stab vest and being accompanied by a police patrol while strolling around her constituency.

See comment - page 19

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

eveLyN akoto, a southwark Labour councillor since 2014, has thrown her hat in the ring to replace harriet harman as Labour candidate for mP for Camberwell and Peckham.

In what some may interpret as a bid to differentiate herself from incumbent Harriet Harman, she told the News this week that, if selected and then elected, she would insist on having a local office and surprisingly added that she would not be an ‘aloof’ MP.

Cllr Akoto is the cabinet member for health and wellbeing and her achievements include setting up the council’s first food insecurity strategy for struggling families and setting up the Holiday Food and Fun programme to tackle food poverty.

As an Old Kent Road councillor, she also initiated a cross-party youth violence commission and kickstarted an awardwinning review of youth services.

But her journey to key local party

figure was not inevitable. She grew up on the Aylesbury Estate in the “uncaring” Thatcher era, and remembers a pervading “sense of desperation, no hope”.

“I was born in Ghana and, at the age of six, my family and I moved to the UK and settled in Southwark. I lived on various estates in the borough before moving permanently to the Aylesbury Estate in the 1980s, at the height of the uncaring Thatcher era.

“Despite that tough start in life, I did well at St Saviour’s & St Olave’s secondary school in the borough and proceeded to higher education.

“At sixteen I got a job at East Street market – I worked from 6am to 5pm and was paid £20 – in retrospect this was clearly child labour! But I was just proud to have found a job and to be earning my own money so my mother could focus on paying the important bills.

“I saw so many young people get caught up in crime and gangs and I wanted better for myself. Though I never felt scared, there was a sense of desperation, no hope

and a sense that this was their lot which manifested in violence and unrest – but I made up my mind that I was not going to accept the limitation.

“As your Labour MP, I will put the needs of the constituency first, including opening a local office where residents and members can meet with me.

“I will work with our community groups, local businesses, charities and local councillors to shape our national policies.”

She has also said she will set up a work experience project in the constituency which will provide training to “help widen young people’s aspirations”.

On a national level, she says she would campaign and lobby against society’s “huge inequalities”. Evelyn describes an education system that “channels its prejudices via exclusions” and “a job market not geared to supporting those on the fringes”.

She also talks about a healthcare system with “unequal access” and a police force “that threatens rather than protects some communities”.

rather than an “aloof MP”: “This is an area where I’ve lived all my life. I want my constituents to see I’m doing the same things as them, that I’m using the same services as them.

an MP and become aloof. I’m going to be going to my Lidl, the same one where you are, where my children go to. That’s what I mean when I say I want to be visible.”

fears raised that 100 elephant park social rent properties are charging tenants incorrectly

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

LoCaL CamPaiGNers are worried that 100 social rent properties on elephant Park are not being let at the correct rate.

Concerns were raised ahead of the planning application for plot H1 on Elephant Park after it emerged that Southwark Council were investigating the rent status of at least one property at Sandow House.

In a briefing paper, local campaign group Southwark Law Centre said: “The Council has an outstanding enforcement action for a social rent property on Elephant Park, to establish whether or not the home is being properly let at a social rent.

“This raises a question about whether or not social rents are being charged for the hundred Elephant Park social rented units, in accordance with the outline planning permission’s s106 agreement.”

At the planning committee meeting on Tuesday, October 4, which saw the H1 application rejected, Lib Dem councillor Nick Johnson said the prospect was “alarming”.

Clarifying the council’s position, Cllr James McAsh, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Sustainable Development, said: “The council recently completed an audit of affordable housing across the borough and identified no such

breaches at Elephant Park.

“We, therefore, have no reason to believe that the social rent properties at Elephant Park are not being let at the correct rates.”

Southwark Law Centre had argued that the H1 application should not be approved until the investigation had been completed.

Southwark Council said it was not relevant to the application, in part because it didn’t contain any residential units.

The council has previously battled with

developers over whether they’re fulfilling their promises to provide affordable housing.

In 2015, a resident of the Signal Building in Southwark was confused when his tenant pack made reference to ‘affordable housing’ even though he was paying the market rate to a private landlord.

Southwark Council have the past sought to bring civil suits against housing associations .

In 2016, housing campaign group, the

Neighbourhoods

35% Campaign, complained to Southwark Council that private developments weren’t delivering the affordable homes they had promised.

When Southwark Council rejected the complaint, the group escalated it to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGC).

The Ombudsman concluded that the council didn’t have a “proper procedure” for checking that private developers were keeping to their word.

The report said: “The Council failed to

implement a structured procedure for supervising compliance. It has now begun a borough-wide audit into compliance… it relied on developers honouring the duty under the agreements.”

Worryingly, it added: “It may act as encouragement for unscrupulous developers to agree to something they do not intend to provide knowing nothing would happen.”

Commenting, Cllr Nick Johnson, Southwark Liberal Democrat member, said: “As a local party we believe in 50 per cent genuinely affordable housing on all private developments. So, it is disgraceful that Labour gave in and allowed for Lendlease to reject the administration’s pitiful 35 per cent minimum for the Heygate EstateIt’s even more infuriating that the council is investigating or is unsure about the status of 100 social rent homes. We are in a housing crisis and this brings up real concerns that developers may be taking advantage of Labour elsewhere without anyone realising.”

Cllr McAsh said: “Southwark desperately needs genuinely affordable housing so when it is secured through the council’s planning process, we must ensure that it is delivered. If anyone has evidence of a home being rented at higher rates than agreed through the planning process, we encourage them to contact the council’s planning enforcement team.”

L&Q, which manages properties on Elephant Park, has been approached for comment.

TEEN ATHLETE WINS BIG AT TRANSPLANT GAMES

AFTER RECEIVING a kidney donation from his mother when he was a child, a teen athlete has won eight medals at two major competitions.

Rian Snell, 17, recently took home four gold medals from the British Transplant Games, followed by one gold and three bronze medals at the European Transplant and Dialysis Games. Having been cared for by the Evelina London Children’s Hospital team since he was two days old, Rian has given thanks to the staff who have supported him to pursue his love of sport.

While still in the womb, Rian was diagnosed with a rare condition called posterior urethral valve (PUV). Children with PUV have a blockage in the tube which runs from the bladder to the outside, which causes urine to reflux back up to the kidneys, causing renal failure. Left untreated, this can eventually lead to death.

In July 2008, when he was three years old, Rian received a kidney from his mother Karen at Evelina London.

Rian and his family attended their first British Transplant Games when he was four years old and he has competed at the event every year since. The games see patients from different hospital teams compete in 25 different sports events, such as swimming, tennis, table

tennis, badminton, cycling and athletics.

Each year, Evelina London, supported by Evelina London Children’s Charity, sends a team of kidney transplant patients known as the Evelina VIPs (Very Important Penguins, referring to the hospital’s urology and kidney department, Penguin Ward), to compete at the British Transplant Games.

Rian said: “I don’t think I would be the person I am today without the opportunity that Evelina London gave me to compete. Though I’ve had a lot of difficulties, I see the kidney transplant I got from my mum as a gift of life and I’m determined to live my life to the fullest.”

Grainne Walsh, transplant advanced nurse practitioner at Evelina London, said: “The British Transplant Games has a huge place in the hearts of all the Evelina London staff and volunteers who attend each year. Being able to see the children and young people compete and forget about their condition for just a few days is a privilege.”

Patients in need of organ transplants rely on people being willing to donate their organs after death or donating a kidney or part of their liver as living donors.

You can register your decision about organ donation at www.organdonation. nhs.uk

STAY SAFE - AVOID TRIPS, SLIPS AND FALLS

DID YOU know that about 1 in 4 older people will have a fall this year? Guy’s and St Thomas’ has worked with Partnership Southwark to produce new guidance for people at risk of falls. There is also useful information for family members or carers.

Falls can cause pain, injury and loss of confidence or independence. But falling is not a normal part of ageing and can be prevented.

Stephanie Jury, patient information

manager at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “Our new content highlights many straightforward ways to improve your balance and avoid falling. These include removing hazards at home, wearing suitable shoes, and having regular eye and hearing checks. We hope that our practical tips will help people to stay as independent as possible.”

To read the guidance on preventing falls, please visit: www. guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/healthinformation/falls

BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY THIS WINTER

people who are:

• aged 65 and over

• pregnant

• at higher risk due to a health condition

• immunosuppressed

• health or social care workers or unpaid carers

In line with government guidelines, the most at risk groups are being prioritised first. People aged 50 and over should also have their autumn booster and will be able to book appointments soon.

WITH WINTER on the way, it’s time to top-up your immunity to keep yourself and those around you safe. COVID-19 autumn

boosters and flu vaccines are now available at Guy’s and St Thomas’ for eligible people.

Appointments can be booked for

To book your COVID-19 vaccination with us visit www. nhs.uk/covidvaccination or call 119, free of charge. Guy’s and St Thomas’ are offering flu vaccines at the same appointment for those who are eligible.

NEW FOUNDATION TRUST LEAD GOVERNOR ELECTED

JOHN POWELL was elected as the new lead governor at Guy’s and St Thomas’ having been a patient governor for three years. He takes over from Heather Byron who was elected in January 2020.

John has a strong connection to the Trust, having first been treated for cancer at Guy’s Hospital in his early 30s and again in 2018.

He said: “I want to help in guiding the Trust towards delivering a world-class health service.”

Rian Snell

family who lost their baby son raise £47,000 for evelina hospital

By Isabel Ramirez isabel@southwarknews.co.uk

a famiLy have raised more than £47,000 for a London children’s hospital to honour the life of their son, who passed at just 37 days old.

Anita-Mai Goulding Barette and Nick Barette, of Brixton, have given thanks to staff at Evelina London, who cared for their son, Dylan, before he passed away.

In August they completed their second annual ‘We Ride for Dylan’ fundraising cycle. Nick was joined by friends and family to take on this year’s challenge of cycling 54 miles. They raised £15,000 for the hospital.

Anita-Mai said to mark Dylan’s life, his godfather, Stewart, of Tunbridge Wells, came up with the idea of an annual cycle ride which raises vital funds for Evelina London’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Dylan was born in 2020 with multiple health conditions, which meant he had to stay in Evelina London’s NICU, based in St Thomas’ Hospital. Though staff worked around the clock caring for him, he passed away in his parents’ arms 37 days

later.

Anita-Mai, 34, said: “Dylan continues to live on in our hearts. The whole team at Evelina are incredibly special to us. Dylan had the most amazing care, and, as his parents, we received incredible support from the whole neonatal unit. We’re immensely grateful for the time we had with him.”

Since the family started fundraising two years ago, they have raised £47,000.

The money raised goes into research and projects on the NICU. The two are also part of the team of parents who work to improve the experience of future parents on the unit.

“Having a vulnerable baby has infinite unknowns and you just fill yourselves with hope. No-one tells you what can happen if your baby isn’t well. The neonatal ward can be intimidating for new parents,” Anita-Mai said.

“It’s extremely important to us to increase awareness about neonatal medicine and to raise money to go towards research at Evelina London and towards helping more babies and supporting their parents.”

Consultant neonatologist and Dylan’s doctor, Dr Hammad Khan, said: “Anita-Mai and Nick

have done an incredible thing in raising money for the neonatal unit at Evelina London Children’s Hospital. The whole team are grateful for this money, which will go a long way to support the care of babies like Dylan.”

Anita-Mai explained “baby loss is a painful subject that can be extremely difficult to talk about but I’d like to see that change. Anyone going through a similar experience can always reach out to me. Since losing Dylan, a lot of people have got in touch. There’s such a powerful and compassionate community out there.”

The couple welcomed their daughter, Olivia-Mai, in February this year.

“As a family, we always celebrate Dylan. He lives in our hearts and is Olivia-Mai’s big brother who we always talk about.”

This year’s cycle ended at Brockwell Park, in Brixton, where they celebrated around a tree that was planted for Dylan. To donate to this year’s ‘We Ride for Dylan’ fundraiser, visit the JustGiving website.

For more ways to support Evelina London, visit the Evelina London Children’s Charity website.

JASDEEP

The tale of a UK Immigration Lawyer

As we have been in the industry since December 2005, our firm has seen so many different scenarios over time. We get the challenges you face when applying for your visa, or even family members to enter or remain in the UK.

With this space, we will outline some common tips we feel are important to note. So, when you prepare the next visa application, whether it is made in the UK or outside the UK, check to make the following are adhered to:

1. Check the visa form, and ensure the correct form is being used when applying. This ensures the matter is appropriately considered as intended, followingly the documents would suffice to meet the Home Office criteria.

2. Your documents should be in accordance with the Home Office criteria. Do ensure they are not older than 28 days from the date of application.

3. As to the documents, ensure they are in English, where they are in a foreign language, you should have these translated into English via a certified translator.

4. You or the applicant in question should book the appointment with the visa application centre, attend the appointment, and submit biometrics.

5. If you feel with the application there are specific circumstances that you would like the Home Office to consider, you are able to write out a statement to detail the circumstances, and request consideration on this aspect.

Our expertise at ICS Legal spans over 16 years in immigration history and by this, we have seen over the years the Home Office consistently made changes to processes and requirements.

We have seen many decisions unfortunately being turned down by not following standard

processes and this is something we would like you to be much more vigilant on when applying.

INTERESTING FACT: The year ending to September 2021, the Home Office granted 385,337 applications out of 393,038 made over the 12-month period, with refusals of 7,701 [HOME OFFICE STATISTICS PUBLISHED]

We would like to add that many decisions are opinionated, and we do see unfair decisions being served over time.

The United Kingdom remains an attractive powerhouse for many nationals outside the UK, and we must consider the processes and guidelines in place when making a UK visa application. At most times it causes a huge level of stress and nervousness when going through a matter, and that is appreciated, we say, do the best as possible and meet provide evidence as close to the requirements where we anticipate the decision should be successful.

Remember, whenever an application is made,

Home Office will make a decision only on the information and documents made available.

Our lived experiences reflect on how we engage with our clients by being empathetic towards their situation. Be it an individual or an organisation, each has its own means to seek on simplifying the matter as best as possible. Creating success stories is not the only aspect of our work, but the wonderful experiences we have whilst engaging with our clients and shaping them on building the lives of families is what makes us.

An MP should have a constituency office it

took us a month to get a response from harriet harman mP as to whether she had a constituency office - and when she finally did get back to us, she simply dodged the question.

We had asked whether the rumours that the Camberwell and Peckham MP, who will stand down at the next election, did not have a local office were true - instead we were given statistics about the levels of casework she dealt with, and charts that showed why her constituents were approaching her.

But there’s no two ways about this - not having a constituency office can only be a bad thing. For people who aren’t comfortable using email, face-to-face meetings with their elected representatives are indispensable. Harriet Harman says that the “overwhelming majority of people” contact her by email and that people can always phone her office. She also points to the fact that she has one of Parliament’s highest constituency caseloads.

But the fact is that there are probably plenty of constituents in desperate need of her help who can’t contact her by phone or email. And note how Labour hopefuls vying to become the next party candidate for her seat are putting clear blue water between them, insisting they will have a local office, just as the other two Southwark MPs do.

It might surprise people to know that an estimated 270,000 Londoners are completely offline, with two million having very low engagement, according to the Mayor of London’s latest figures.

Yes, people could always phone. But for those who don’t speak English as a first language, this is hardly an option.

Harriet also says a huge portion of her caseload relates to immigration. But for every vulnerable asylum seeker who managed to get in touch, there could be another who hasn’t.

There is also a particularly concerning caveat that it’s very unclear where Harriet Harman hosts her advice surgeries, and if she hosts them at all. Again, when the News put this to Harman, she simply didnt’ give us an answer.

There are a number of good reasons why Harriet Harman might have decided not to have a permanent base in her constituency. Perhaps, following the murders of fellow MPs Jo Cox and David Ames, she fears for her safety. As a prominent and outspoken politician who has spoken courageously on women’s rights and abortion, this would be understandable.

But by failing to explain her decision, she is in danger of looking like she doesn’t care. Her national legacy is undeniable. She fought for a national minimum wage, all-women shortlists and maternity pay. But perhaps, somewhere along the line, while focussing on the big issues, she lost sight of the very people she was elected to represent.

CryPtIC PUzzLE

Clues Down

Concerned with seasonal plants in

turn of the science room (6)

Glued in the wrong way to gratify (7)

Above all an equal sum (9)

No dirt found in Uncle Andrew’s house (5)

Enclosures that are right in the reefs? (7)

Hence an arrangement to exaggerate (7)

Odd ten run strangely bereft of footprints! (9)

Creatures in groups (7)

Hotchpotch of leg and mane (7)

hundred encoded

and surrendered (8)

examine the statue (4)

of all resources? (5)

a matter of time it is deeply

QUICk PUzzLE

Come see an exhibition of EQT Exeter and Karbon Self Storage’s plans to redevelop the land at 257-283 Ilderton Road to create a mixed-use development containing industrial floorspace and residential apartments. The exhibition will include boards detailing the proposals and representatives from EQT Exeter and Karbon Self Storage’s development

team will be on hand to answer your questions and receive your feedback.

Details of the proposals will appear on our website, www.257ildertonroad.co.uk after the public exhibition.

If you would like any further information on our plans, or would like to discuss further please contact: kim.humphreys@carvil-ventures.co.uk

SOLUtIONS tO

WEEk’S

Picture myself and the unsettled age I’m in (7)

Provide some relief by having me up before the leader (6)

Warn the intelligent (5)

History

reunion of the bermondsey school ‘with no rules’

In the 1970s Lois Acton tore up the curriculum and rule book to teach 60 kids from her flat

iN 1972 teacher Lois acton started an ambitious and radical free school in Bermondsey that was outside of mainstream education – it was a school with no rules and after decades she met up last Saturday with her former pupils, writes Michael Holland...

Lois Acton is an activist extraordinaire.

She has been on the side of doing good for just about all her life, campaigning for local communities, decent housing and good education. Her early years were spent in relative comfort up until her father was caught in a bomb blast and was unable to work again.

“I saw straightaway how those neighbours who were once friendly and polite treated us differently now that we were not well off,” she said. These memories are what pushed Lois towards always trying to help those who were in need of it.

As we talk, Lois and her daughter are filling up tables and notice boards in the Bermondsey Village Hall off Bermondsey Street with cuttings, photos, books and other paraphernalia from The Lamp Post School, the project she began for kids hanging about outside her Bermondsey Street flat with nothing to do. It is the 50th Anniversary of the school and she was preparing for the arrival of those who were once students to come and relive those happy times with people they have not seen for many years.

The school, in her flat, quickly grew into a phenomenon as she tore up the school curriculum and rule book to teach these young people in a different way. She left her job nearby comprehensive Alywin Girls School to set up on her own to help these young, unguided people. More time would be spent going to the theatre and museums than poring over books in classrooms, and they all had more one-

to-one teaching than they ever had in a mainstream class. They had all been told they would not amount to much and been thrown on the scrapheap of life - Until Lois Acton stepped in.

She told of one 14-year-old boy’s eagerness to be a mechanic so she lied about his age and got him on a college course for over 16s. He now not only runs his own garage just yards from where the Lamp Post School was but owns the whole building. She told the tale of the young girl who could not stand school - or the way that she was taught - but is now the headteacher for two schools!

Lois was keen to tell of how well some of her former students did but also wanted to emphasise the amount of help she had from the most surprising people. “The Midland Bank manager next door used to help with the accounts and fundraising,” she recalled. “The Young Vic would give us free tickets, well-known actors would come and help the kids put plays on after we built a stage out of palettes on some waste ground, and the young teachers who came to work with me deserve all the praise they can get.”

As the time got nearer to two o’clock you could see Lois getting excited about seeing her ‘Lamp Post Kids’ again, and as they arrived in their ones and twos and with their own children you could see how pleased they were to see her.

The News spoke to them about their Lamp Post experiences. Kim Barker, who after hearing about the free school on a BBC programme, contacted Lois and begged to be taken on, even though she lived out of the borough. Kim stayed for three years and remembers being allowed to focus on the journalism that she was interested in: “Lois took me to Fleet Street and I saw how a newspaper was put together, she introduced me to journalists, and got me to interview local people during the power cuts in the 70s to write a piece for a magazine.” Now she says, “I am so grateful for Lois starting the Lamp Post School because it changed my life and I don’t know what would have happened to me.”

Christine Rowe remembers Lois “taking us kids off the estate camping and giving

us cookery lessons in her flat above the post office.”

Gary Beadle attended the school with his big brother Rikki and little sister Carleen, all of whom are in the acting world. “We (the Beadles) encountered Lois in Bermondsey Street one day and she just took us on! She let us do cooking and painting in her flat, and took us to art exhibitions… She inspired us culturally and artistically and is a big mentor in my life… She put us in touch with the history of who we are at the British Museum, and stuff like that, but above all that she would always be kind, always the soft, guiding hand that gave us a moral compass. Without her, I don’t know where I would have ended up! She taught me and my siblings how to harness the energy we all had; she directed my life in a positive way and I am forever grateful.”

Gary’s biggest memory is coming from the local Snowsfields school and being unable to read and write. “I went to Lois and asked her to help me read and write and within a summer I could!” On Lois, he remembers how she would always give people her attention and give them confidence. “She never left anyone out to feel that they were a lost cause, as many had been told, and that was vital in helping us in life. I have a lot to thank her for.”

Alongside friends, neighbours and other activists she set up the Bermondsey Street Association and staged the first street festival in the 1970s - now an annual event, the electricity coming via a long cable from her flat at the junction of Morocco Street.

Lois Acton still fights on. Currently, she is trying to save the Beormund Centre on Druid Street, Bermondsey from being developed and have it reopened as the community centre it was purpose-built for.

The Bermondsey Lamp Post School is currently featured in an free exhibition called ‘We Don’t Need No Education’ at Southwark Heritage Centre, 147 Walworth Road to find out more www. southwark.gov.uk/events-culture-andheritage

You can also watch the 1973 Lamp Post documentary on You Tube: www.youtu. be/DSpFyQlzEqA

what’s on in Southwark

new dawn f or f orest hill

pauL r aftery is a Londonbased architectural photographer whose latest exhibition at anise Gallery is the culmination of him documenting sites across europe that have seen uprisings and protests, sites where a desire for democracy and basic human rights manifested itself and the people stepped up to demand change and an end to communism.

By coincidence or not, each of the countries depicted in New Dawn For Europe consequently became an EU member, thereby wrapping themselves in a metaphorical security blanket once they had escaped the yoke of dictatorship. Of course, Raftery did not realise how significant his photos would be right now as Putin threatens a nuclear Armageddon.

Photographed over the past three years, the huge images show places of peaceful calm. All taken at dawn, with clear blue skies as the backdrop, they belie the horror and danger and bravery that once took place as citizens said enough is enough and took to the

aNGeL aLLeN is drunk and being helped home by her good friend Guy (Giles terera), a gay costume designer, and a kindly stranger in Pearl Cleage’s Blues For an alabama sky, a play about hopes and dreams set in 1930s harlem, a place of a thousand night clubs and just as many speakeasies selling bathtub gin, writes Michael Holland...

Angel has been drinking to hide the pain of her ‘gangster boyfriend’ who got married but still decided to celebrate at a stage-side table in the club where she sang and danced. Angel showed her feelings on the matter by stepping out of the chorus line to berate her former beau in the middle of a song and dance number. Ms Allen was promptly fired and also lost the apartment her ex let her use while he still wanted her around.

Not a good night for Angel, left to drown her sorrows and cry about her dreams shattered.

Guy says she can share his apartment, an offer she snaps up because she knows Guy will look after her and expect nothing in return. In fact, Guy has his own dreams of happiness that include Josephine Baker calling him over to Paris to design costumes for her stage shows - and he’s going to take Angel with him! On hearing this she straightaway plans

streets. And, for me, that is the reality that was lacking. I wanted to see those protests in a ‘before and after’ way.

There were barcodes you could scan

National Samira Wiley (Angel), Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo (Delia), Sule Rimi (Sam) & Giles Terera (Guy) in Blues for an Alabama Sky.

to read up on the past events but I prefer my photography exhibitions not to be dependent on having a phone and wifi connection. A minor quibble.

Harlem Dreams

to find and marry a wealthy old French man there ‘who dies immediately!’

Delia Patterson (Ronkę Adékoluęjo) is the young, simple-living, churchgoing neighbour who dreams of opening a birth control clinic in the neighbourhood, and Sam (Sule Rimi) is the reprobate twice her age who spends his nights clubbing and his days working as a doctor, plus, dreaming of being with Delia. While enjoying life, however, Sam

is also a good man. These make up the quartet of friends.

Blues For An Alabama Sky is about the dreams people have and whether they hold on to them or give up on them. More succinctly, it is about the dreams black people have. Dreams and hopes ruined through exploitation by their own people just as much as they are held back by racism. It is also about the lengths friends will go to help.

There are no white people in Cleage’s masterpiece, but they are always there. They are there in the police sirens, there in the conversations about fighting back, because this was a time of protest and marches and people trying to make changes.

Frankie Bradshaw’s set looks right into the big house they share with others that we see but who take no part in the story other than looking like they are good

Forest Hill. The time of the day when the images were taken gives them a silence, a serenity that is reflected in the chapel’s architecture, which itself looks slightly bomb-scarred.

On the opening night cellist Orlando Jopling performed Sarabande from Bach’s Second Suite, the music played at the Berlin Wall as it came down by cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, a Russian exile who made his way to Berlin to show his support in the best way he could. The music and Raftery’s images made for a contemplative exhibition. events programme

Friday 21 October, 6 - 9pm: Late opening with DJ Saturday 22 October, 6 - 8.30pm: Paul Raftery in conversation with Joe Robson & guest speaker

Further details and full exhibition programme available at www.anise. gallery

Anise Gallery, The Old Chapel, 2733 Malham Road, London, SE23 1AH until 22 October. Times: 12 - 5pm Friday - Sunday and by appointment 0208 858 3226

neighbours.

The plot trajectories are whether Sam and Delia get together, and will Guy and Angel go off to Paris.

While looking out of the window and feeling sorry for herself, Angel sees a stranger walk by and they strike up a conversation. It is Leland (Osy Ikhile), the good Samaritan from the night before, back to check that she is okay. Now manless, Angel agrees to go for a walk with the God-fearing Southern man from Alabama who is still in love with the wife that died while giving birth to a boy who also did not survive. His dream is to find a replacement. His arrival cuts right through Angel and Guy’s friendship. As their relationship warms, his proposal of marriage offers a security long since vanished from Angel’s showgirl life; but what about Paris and Josephine Baker?

Lynette Linton’s direction brings out tremendous performances from everyone. Samira Wiley shows Angel’s waif-like vulnerability beneath a tough external façade, but it is Terera as the flamboyant Guy who is the one to watch. National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 until November 5th. Times: Mon - Sat 7.30pm; Wed & Sat matinees 2.30pm. Admission: £20 - £89. Booking: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

The huge photographs worked well in the deconsecrated Zion Chapel where Anise have brought a different kind of work to this industrial hinterland of

Anise Visitors watch cellist Orlando Jopling

Photo by Marc Brenner

An 11-18

New Kent Road

Cleaners

England

Part-Time London Living Wage (£11.05 per hour) Required as soon as possible

We are looking to recruit friendly and enthusiastic cleaners for our outstanding, vibrant school. The successful applicants will work as part of a team that is responsible for the upkeep of classrooms and surrounding areas. Duties will include cleaning, buffing, sweeping, vacuum cleaning and other general cleaning. Times will be before school and after school. Hours are from 6.00am to 8.00am and 4.00pm to 6.00pm.

The job will involve alternative arrangements during school closure periods. Previous experience is not necessary, as training will be provided.

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, Friday 14th October 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

An 11-18 Church of England Girls’ School

New Kent Road London SE1 4AN 020 7407 1843

This highly successful multi-cultural comprehensive school is looking to appoint a full-time - 5 days which could include occasional SaturdaysPremises Assistant. The successful applicant will have good interpersonal skills and be happy to work as part of the Premises team. Duties will include maintenance, cleaning, health and safety, security and other general site services within the school; some duties will involve physical activity such as lifting, carrying up and down stairs, ladder-work, porterage and small decorating jobs. As the key holder, at times there will be a requirement to work out of hours, which will be paid according to the scale above.

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, Friday 14th October 2022.

outstanding school, which provides an excellent quality of education

its students’

school is committed to the

children

are

LONDON BOROUGH OF

TRAFFIC

HOUSE STREET,

SECTION 14(1)

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

2 Whilst the works are in progress or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload in: (a) Barge House Street, between Upper Ground and the side of No’s 34 (b) Southwark Park Road, between Reverdy Road and Longley Street (c) Harris Street, between No’s 1 No’s 23 Bernard Myers House to it’s blocked end (d) Wadding Street, at it’s junction with Content Street (e) Bassano Street, between No’s 21/22 and No’s 123 (f) Culling Road, ban the right turn into Lower Road from Culling Road (g) Great Guildford Street between Kepple Row and Union Street

3 The alternative route for affected traffic (2a) Upper Ground, Barge House Street (2b) Southwark Park Road, St James Road, Rolls Road, Dunton Road (2c) not applicable (2d) Brandon Street, Portland Street, Albany Road, Thurlow Street, Flint Street, Rodney Road, Wadding Street (2e) ) Blackwater Street, Lordship Lane (2f) Culling Road, Lower Road, roundabout, Lower Road (2g) Southwark Bridge Road, Southwark Street, Blackfriars Road, Union Street

4 The existing ‘one way’ working in Wadding Street, will be made ‘two way’ for access and egress purposes for (2d)

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

6 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

October (2d)

(2a)

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

Dated this 13th October 2022

Ian Law Traffic Manager London Borough of Southwark Network Management Regulatory Services Environment and Leisure 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529 London SE1 5LX

Ref: (2a) 6253/LBSCR12625 citylifting (2b) 6213/LBSCR12549 nationwide re ad (2c) 6333/LBSCR12456 3 clearview re ad (2d) 6332/00071446 00000001 lanes/re ad (2e) 6184/31577802/Thames re ad (2f) 6238/50484129 conway (2g) 6336/LBSCR12307 BAM re ad

may be inspected by visiting the office during normal office hours by appointment on 020 7525 2000; details are also available on

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

licensing@southwark gov uk) and be received by the Service within a period of

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: 6th October 2022

THE LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 (as amended)

THE LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK hereby gives notice that it has made an Order under Section 247 of the above Act to authorise the stopping up of the following areas of public highway shown hatched black on the drawing attached to the Order and labelled Stopping Up Area Plan, Joan Street

The highway to be stopped up is in the London Borough of Southwark and can be described as an area of highway at Joan Street between The Cut and Isabella Street The area measures 46 metres in length and 9 7 metres (at its widest point)

The stopping up has been made to enable the development described in the Schedule to this Notice to be carried out in accordance with the planning permission granted under Part III of the Act by the Council under local planning authority reference 20/AP/1189

COPIES OF THE ORDER AND THE RELEVANT PLAN MAY BE INSPECTED FREE OF CHARGE by way of appointment at 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2TZ by calling 020 7525 2135 and referring to the Joan Street Stopping Up Order A copy may also be viewed on the Council’s website at https://www southwark gov uk/transport and roads/traffic orders licensing strategies and regulation/highway stopping up closure orders?chapter=4&article

Any person aggrieved by the Order and desiring to question the validity thereof, or of any provision contained therein, on the ground that it is not within the powers of the above Act or that any regulation made thereunder has not been complied with in relation to the Order may, within 6 weeks of 13th October 2022, apply to the High Court for the suspension or quashing of the Order or of any provision contained herein Doreen Forrester Brown Director of Legal Services

THE SCHEDULE

‘Redevelopment

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (CHAMPION PARK, BARGE HOUSE STREET, WALWORTH ROAD) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC AND BUS/CYCLE LANE SUSPENSION

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

2 Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload in: (a) Champion Park between Denmark Hill and Windsor Walk (b) Barge House Street No’s 28 No’s 34 (c) Walworth Road, (north side) suspension of bus and cycle lane, between Fielding Street and Macleod Street

3 The alternative route for affected traffic (2a) as indicated by the signs displayed (2b) Upper Ground (2c) not applicable

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

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

The works will be in operation for (2a) 29th 30th October with back up dates of the 5th 6th November (2b)

October

back

of the

publicity

160 BLACKFRIARS ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 8EZ (Ref: 22/AP/3402)

Alterations to the facades of the office building with removal of the cladding, introduction of a fire escape door at roof level and upgrading the existing plant equipment (including addition of louvres) Reason(s) for publicity: AFFECT (Contact: Victoria Crosby 020 7525 1412)

32 LOVE WALK LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 8AD (Ref: 22/AP/3428)

Minor material amendment of planning permission 21/AP/3468 dated 12/01/2022 'Demolition of the existing building and redevelopment to provide 5 residential dwellings, together with associated landscaping, refuse, cycle and plant stores' for the following changes: Alterations to the internal layout Infill of first floor rear facing window to Unit 4 Increase in the size of the flank window to Unit 5 Reduction in number ofn front rooflights from 4 to 3 Replacement of rear skylight with a Velux rooflight Application Reference Number: 21/AP/3468 Date of Decision: 12/01/2022 Condition Number(s): Minor Material Amendments Please See Schedule in Attached Statement Conditions(s) Removal: Please see attached statement for details Please see attached statement for details (Within: Camberwell Grove Conservation Area CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Abbie McGovern 020 7525 0254)

74 PECKHAM HIGH STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE15 5ED (Ref: 22/AP/3420)

Display of shroud with replica of building façade

and advertisement banner to front elevation (Within: Rye Lane Peckham CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Glenn Ruane 020 7525 5447)

ARCH 205 STONEY STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 9AD (Ref: 22/AP/3408)

Display of x1 internally illuminated fascia sign, x1 internally illuminated projecting sign and x12 window vinyls Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Winnie Wing Tse 020 7525 0662)

11A ADDINGTON SQUARE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 7JZ (Ref: 22/AP/3328)

Proposed lower ground basement level rear extension, patio and reformation of garden steps, floor plan redesign and all associated works (Within: Addington Square CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Tracy Chapman 020 7525 1948)

15 WEST SQUARE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE11 4SN (Ref: 22/AP/3508)

Cladding of existing main entrance steps and front lightwell steps in natural limestone; Installation of new conservation area roof light to London roof (Within: West Square CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Athena Hylton Thompson 020 7525 2161)

14 BEAUVAL ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE22 8UQ (Ref: 22/AP/3504)

Construction of a rear dormer extension and the addition of three roof lights to the front roof slope

(Within: Dulwich Village CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Agneta Kabele 07548097486)

41 LYNDHURST WAY LONDON SOUTHWARK SE15 5AG (Ref: 22/AP/3512)

Removal of wall at lower ground floor level and replacement of stair wall at raised ground floor level with handrail to match (Within: Holly Grove CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Catherine Jeater 020 7525 5375)

15 WEST SQUARE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE11 4SN (Ref: 22/AP/3507)

Cladding of existing main entrance steps and front lightwell steps in natural limestone; Installation of new conservation area roof light to London roof (Within: West Square CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Agneta Kabele 07548097486)

41 LYNDHURST WAY LONDON SOUTHWARK SE15 5AG (Ref: 22/AP/3511)

Demolishion of existing rear stairway from upper ground floor to rear garden, single storey rear extension and installation of a replacement stair following rear extension with garden and bike storage under the stairs (Within: Holly Grove CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Anna Poulose )

Dated: 11 Oct 2022 comments to be received within 21 days of this date

STEPHEN PLATTS Director of Planning and Growth

Lionesses rattle off sixth win in a row

By Jeff Burnige at Horley Town FC sport@southwarknews.co.uk

mi LLwa LL L ioN e SS e S

remain top of the London & South east regional women’s football League after a hard-fought 2-0 victory over aFC acorns at horley Town FC last sunday. the Lionesses are targeting promotion back to the National League, and this was their sixth win in a row.

Still without Sophie Chapman, Grace Seely and Gemma Bryan, it was a blow that centre-back Jade Keogh was only fit enough for the bench. This opposition was always going to be a test after Millwall’s 9-0 masterclass at Bromley FC Women. But the Lionesses started strongly, and after three minutes, the returning Kaydence Kabadaki brilliantly combined with Angel Reid on the left, only for Reid’s shot to crash off the crossbar.

Mindful of that 9-0 result, Acorns opted to defend deep in their box, and made many interceptions to frustrate the Lionesses into shooting from long range. It was scoreless at half-time, and manager Jack Wheeler called for the players to work their way more into the penalty area. Acorns surprised the Lionesses by coming out on the front foot, and forced several corners, but they were confidently dealt with by young goalkeeper Serena Head and her defenders.

On 52 minutes, Wheeler brought on striker Lucy Jellett for Kabadaki, and on 70 she opened the scoring with a first-time finish from eight yards. This was her first goal for the club after signing in September. The goal broke the Acorns’ resistance and two minutes later Jellett added a second. Millwall were now completely on top and Wheeler was able to make use of all his substitutes. Keogh and Sophie McCormick came on in midfield for the all-action duo of Millie Penfold and Jas Auguste. The excellent Acorns goalkeeper kept the score down to two. This weekend, the Lionesses play New London at Barn Elms in Barnes.

Meanwhile the under-18 team kept up their 100 per cent record with a 2-0 victory over Fulham in New Malden to stay top of their section of the Junior Premier League. Skipper Ellie Hinckley and Millan Shakespeare-Simms got the goals.

Photo by Rob Avis It was a more even game than the league positions suggested it would be

h amlet lose lead as darts hit target

Teddy Sheringham’s son nets visitors’ winner

By Wilf MacDonnell at Champion Hill sport@southwarknews.co.uk

hiGh-FLyiNG darTFord edged past an unfortunate dulwich hamlet side last weekend to earn their fifth win in a row. The away side came away with a 2-1 victory as the teams met in front of a full capacity Champion hill crowd of 3,334.

The home side couldn’t have dreamt of a better start to the game. The tireless Kreshnec Krasniqi broke from central midfield before finding space on the right. His swift cut-back to the edge of the box was met by Nana Owusu and the winger kept his composure to slot nicely into the bottom-left corner from eighteen yards.

Dartford had a side packed full of Football League experience and didn’t

let the early shock upset their game plan. Six minutes later they were nearly level. Samir Carruthers clipped a delicate ball over the top into the path of Jack Smith who smashed his volley onto the crossbar. The rebound came out to forward Davide Rodari but astonishingly his header came back off the post.

Up the other end, Dulwich continued to look a threat from set-pieces. Former Dartford man of over ten years, Ronnie Vint, nearly scored but he couldn’t keep his header down.

Jamie Splatt then turned cleverly on the edge of the Dartford box but had his shot closed down by Connor Essam.

The first half then looked to be fizzling out with Dulwich managing the game well, passing the ball around comfortably. But a lapse in concentration cost them just a minute before the

whistle for the break. Dangerous young winger Marvin Herschel cut into the box and Owusu, who was back to help out his defence, tripped him to concede a penalty. Former Aston Villa man Carruthers stepped up to dispatch the spot-kick down the middle of the goal, sending the teams in level.

The second half was an equally tense affair, with nothing at all to suggest one side were seventeenth and the other up in third.

The Darts had the next chance as Carruthers put in a dangerous corner which was headed over by skipper Tom Bonner.

Dulwich had half-chances up the other end, too. Joe Felix whipped in a trademark cross and Danny Mills climbed highest but his header was just too high. Then left-back Will Wood blasted wide from 30 yards, doing well

to keep his effort down but not finding the accuracy required.

Passages of pressure for both teams followed in an incredibly even game. Sadly for the home fans, it was Dartford who eventually made their persistence count. With eight minutes left, another good Carruthers corner was headed emphatically past Charlie Grainger in the Hamlet goal by Charlie Sheringham.

The 34-year-old striker, son of Teddy, had come off the bench to show he is still a difference-maker at this level.

The Hamlet nearly drew level at the last. Ashley N’Zala, who signed in the week, was so close to latching onto a Mills flick but Dartford keeper Joe Young beat him to the bouncing ball.

Dulwich currently sit 20th in the National League South table. They next play Hungerford Town at Champion Hill on October 22.

Coach hails huge potential of champions Surrey’s squad

By Mark Baldwin sport@southwarknews.co.uk

there iS not much about cricket that azhar mahmood either hasn’t seen or doesn’t know. surrey’s highly-experienced 47-year old bowling coach, however, who played 21 tests and 143 one-day internationals for Pakistan in a globe-trotting career, still cannot quite believe the potential he sees bursting from the squad of english cricket’s new county champions.

“There is a real challenge now for us as management here at Surrey,” Mahmood said, reflecting on a second championship title in five years for Rory Burns’ team.

“We as coaches need to get better and better, as much as the players need to get fitter and stronger still, because there is so much more to come from this group.

“Yes we are now county champions but, if we all get it right, what you will see in the coming years will be special.

There is a tremendous amount of talent in this squad, and in particular a lot of young and very exciting young players. And, several times this season, the team had to respond during games when we went a bowler down through injury – and, every time, they did. That also shows real desire and togetherness.”

Mahmood played for seventeen different domestic teams across the cricketing world, most of them in the subcontinent but also in South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand and England. And, although he only returned to the Kia Oval in a coaching capacity in March, he is already steeped in Surrey’s recent history. He knows the club, and the club well knows him, from his two spells as a combative all-rounder – the first from 2002 until 2007, and then from 2013 until 2016 following a fiveseason stint at Kent.

“I’d been trying to get Azhar back here at Surrey for quite a while, so I was delighted when he joined us again earlier this year,” said Alec Stewart, since 2013 the director of cricket.

Remarkably, Surrey’s title triumph was achieved following an almost total change of team management last winter, with the redoubtable Stewart the only constant in a winter of offfield disruption following the exits of Vikram Solanki, the head coach, and Richard Johnson, the assistant coach. Solanki left to take up the post of head coach at the Gujarat Lions and Johnson was appointed as Middlesex first team coach.

Gareth Batty, the former Surrey captain only promoted to assistant coach last October following his retirement as a player, was elevated to head coach in an interim role, while Jim Troughton was recruited as an interim batting coach and Mahmood also took on his job on an interim basis. All three positions were due to be reviewed after the end of the season, but the trio could not have given a better ‘job interviews’ this year.

Batty having been fully involved at Surrey as a senior player and in various coaching roles since returning from an

eight-year sojourn at Worcestershire for the 2010 season, also knows that they must not fall away as they did after becoming county champions in 2018.

This time, Surrey’s squad is far younger in average age and, as Mahmood points out, multi-skilled across all formats. Burns, captain now as then, was an ever-present too in 2018, with the three seasons in between coinciding with his regular absences on England Test duty.

Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes, Ryan Patel, Sam Curran and Will Jacks all played between six and 13 games in the 2018 campaign, as very young men, but since then the likes of Jamie Smith, Tom Lawes, Gus Atkinson and Ben Geddes have all emerged too from the prolific Surrey Academy. In a professional playing staff of 30 last season, no fewer than nineteen are homegrown – with most graduating through the club’s age group teams – while an eye-catching fifteen players, including Pope, Patel, Curran and Jacks, are under 25.

mi LLWa LL re C orded their fifth win of the season by beating middlesbrough 2-0 at the Den.

After a string of unconvincing performances, manager Gary Rowett opted to switch to a back four against Rotherham United earlier in the week.

While the result was no different, the Lions looked much better as they left South Yorkshire with a point after their 1-1 draw.

It wasn’t a surprise to see that Rowett named the same team to face Middlesbrough, albeit that he had discussed reverting to his preferred back five that had proved to be incredibly successful at The Den over the last few months and years.

But in this new 4-2-3-1 formation, Millwall were able to get an extra body into the final third in order to pile more pressure onto their opponents. That was evident after just five minutes when Paddy McNair upended Tom Bradshaw down the left flank, giving away the first foul of the game.

Zian Flemming stood over the ball from a seemingly impossible angle, and it looked like the Dutchman would have to cross it into the box for one of his teammates instead. However, he ended up scuffing his shot on goal, with his low effort deflecting off the wall and bobbling past Zack Steffen in the Middlesbrough net.

It was a deserved lead, albeit in incredibly fortuitous circumstances. Flemming looked to double the advantage seconds later, but he couldn’t get his powerful header on target.

McNair, clearly frustrated at giving

f lemming’s brace downs b oro at t he den

Lions continue strong home form with convincing 2-0 win

away the first goal, looked to imitate the Ajax academy graduate when the visitors won a free-kick soon after. His effort also smacked the wall, but Murray Wallace was on hand to clear

the danger before Boro could push more bodies forward.

Australian international Riley McGree tried to do all the work himself as the half wore on, firing a long-range

effort over the crossbar. Six minutes later, he stung the palms of goalkeeper George Long with a fierce free-kick, forcing a late corner.

It was Millwall who came closest to

grabbing the second goal of the game in first-half stoppage time when Andreas Voglsammer’s powerful strike was met by the gloves of Steffen, but the Man City loanee could only parry the ball into the path of Bradshaw. With the whole goal to aim at, he managed to smack the rebound straight at the Boro ‘keeper, giving Leo Percovich’s side a massive let-off as they went into the half-time break.

Flemming’s confidence seems to have finally arrived in SE16, and he was in no mood to let Middlesbrough off the hook. The Lions won a freekick early in the second half, which Shaun Hutchinson dinked into the penalty area. Jake Cooper was able to head the ball down into the path of the Dutchman, who calmly tucked his shot into the back of the net to make it 2-0.

At this point, Middlesbrough were already waving their metaphorical white flag to surrender, and Rowett’s men weren’t interested in punishing them any further. Flemming went looking for his hat-trick, while Bradshaw came close to scoring his first goal of the season, but neither were able to put the game beyond doubt before being substituted later in the half.

Matthew Hoppe came off the bench for Middlesbrough in the dying stages, forcing a good save from Long before clipping the post from a corner. It wasn’t enough to get his side back into the game, however, with Millwall securing yet another win at The Den.

Millwall: 4-2-3-1: Long; McNamara, Hutchinson, Cooper, Wallace; Mitchell, Saville; Voglsammer (Bennett 83’), Flemming (Honeyman 82’), Burey (Styles 57’); Bradshaw (Afobe 66’)

Middlesbrough: 3-5-2: Steffen; McNair (Dijksteel 65’), Fry, Lenihan; Jones, Crooks, Howson, McGree (Hackney 51’), Bola (Giles 51’); Akpom (Forss 65’), Muniz (Hoppe 75’)

win against off-form

By Alex Jones alexj@southwarknews.co.uk

miLLwaLL are back on the road this weekend as they head to ashton Gate to face Bristol City.

While the Lions have improved their performances recently, they still have the fourth-worst away record in the entire division, picking up just two points from six matches on their travels.

Of course, that means that Gary Rowett’s side are still looking for their first away win of the season, and Bristol City seem to be the perfect opponent for them to end their barren run.

The Robins started the campaign incredibly well, occupying a place in the top six while scoring goals for fun.

After their 3-2 win against Blackburn Rovers at the start of September, they sat third in the Championship, having found the back of the net 16 times in just eight games.

That impressive patch of form has evaporated in emphatic fashion, with Nigel Pearson’s side now winless

in their last five matches, drawing one and losing four. Their 3-0 defeat against Birmingham City in their last game has forced some supporters to start looking down the table rather than up.

Rowett opts not to look at the form table, however, instead highlighting the Robins’ incredible attacking

strength that they’ve become renowned for in recent years.

“Nigel Pearson is an incredibly experienced manager,” he told the News

“I think he’s been one of the top managers around for a long, long time, and he knows the Championship inside out.

“For me, I don’t really read too much into form, I never really judge a team on their form. What I would always do is look at any team’s strengths and look at where our strengths can give them some problems.

“Ultimately, they’ve got good players. Andi Weimann scored a hatful of goals, I had him at Derby. Chris Martin, had him at Derby, a very good technical player. [Antoine] Semenyo, lots and lots of clubs were wanting to sign him.

The likes of Nakhi Wells, who’s done brilliantly, they’ve got some really good young players coming through as well. They’ve not a really nice balance to their squad.

“I think we’ve got enough on our plate to consider what we do away from home, and what we need to do is reflect the same commitment that we did against Rotherham to see if we can get that first win on the road.

“Bristol City are a good side, they can score goals against anyone, so therefore we’ll be incredibly respectful of what they can do.”

Given their improved performances against Rotherham United and

Middlesbrough, Rowett is likely to start with the same team for the third successive game barring any late injuries. The Millwall boss has seemingly found a winning formula, and it might just help them to pick up that elusive first away win. Their lineup and formation may be dependent on Bristol City’s shape, however, with Pearson preferring a 3-4-3 that features three out-andout strikers up front. The Lions have looked much better at the back recently and will be confident that they can shut out their opponents, but this will undoubtedly be their biggest test since switching to a back four.

MATCH DeTAIls

Zian Flemming now has four goals in his last four games

Millwall haven’t secured an away win since the start

Bristol

Millwall

‘i’m striving for better’

Murray Wallace wants more from himself

EXCLUSIVE

By Alex Jones alexj@southwarknews.co.uk

four weekS ago, murray wallace told the News that he believed millwall’s fortunes would change very soon.

It was shortly before the Lions’ 2-1 win at home to Blackpool, their final match in September. They returned from the international break with a 2-1 loss away to Blackburn Rovers, and it felt like there was a significant regression on the progress that they had made earlier in the campaign.

However, Gary Rowett’s decision to switch to a 4-2-3-1 has seemingly become the catalyst for a positive change, with Millwall picking up four points from their last two games while putting in much improved performances as well.

“I obviously don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves, but we’ve performed well in the last couple of games and got some good results out of them,” Wallace explained.

“I think what was positive was our away performance against Rotherham, we were coming away from that game disappointed that we hadn’t won it, and I think that’s one of the first games away from home where we’ve performed well and deserved to take more points.”

Wallace admits that the formation needed to change in order to spark some improved results, although he’s reluctant to say that it’s the sole reason for Millwall’s refined performances. Instead, he highlights the fact that the team have

managed to cut out needless mistakes in their last two matches, something which has often been their downfall away from home this season.

“It’s difficult to put your finger on exactly what it is,” the defender claims.

“Obviously it was worth looking at changing it up because our performances away from home, regardless of shape, weren’t good enough. Changing to a back four freshened it up and gave us a different dynamic in the team.

“You would think that by playing a back five that we’d be able to at least grind out clean sheets and build from there, but our performances haven’t been great and we’ve been conceding soft goals, mistakes, and goals that are sort of unlike us.

“I don’t want to put it down to the shape, because when you look at some of the goals we conceded, it’s nothing to do with shape. It’s lapses in concentration, individual mistakes as such that have put us on the back foot.

“We’ve just got to keep working hard and keep our concentration levels up. That’ll be the biggest thing for us.”

It means that Wallace is playing in a slightly different role at left-back rather than his natural position as a left centre-back. It doesn’t faze the 29-yearold, however, even though he has to contribute more in attacking areas by offering extra width.

“It maybe gives you a bit more of a licence to attack. Defensively you end up more open to defending higher up than in a three where you stay quite central and quite compact.

“I’ve played plenty of games there,

plenty of games at left wing-back and plenty of games at left centre-back. They’re all minor adjustments but they are different positions.”

In turn, as a natural centre-back, Wallace prefers to occupy a deeper space than Scott Malone or Callum Styles, for example. This allows the winger ahead of him, which in this case has been Tyler Burey, more freedom to attack in the final third without needing to constantly think about tracking back.

“If you’re trying to get balance, if you’ve got an out-and-out attacking winger and want to give them the licence to be a bit more creative and play a bit higher, it makes sense to have me as a natural centre-back at left-back.

“It’s more in my nature to let the attacking players do what they do best and I’ll try to defend, but when I’m playing left wing-back I’m more than happy to go and help out with attacks. I think sometimes you’ve got to let the attackers do their thing and that’s what I’m best at, giving space for them to do what they do so well.”

Another reason for Millwall’s improved performances is the fact that the club’s experienced defenders have all been playing at the same time. Wallace, Jake Cooper and Shaun Hutchinson boast well over 600 appearances for the Lions between them, so it’s no surprise that Gary Rowett’s side look stronger at the back when they all start in the same team.

“It’s obviously going to help that we’ve played so many games together and have been at the club for such a long time. We’ve all played a lot of games and we’ve all got that understanding with each

other, so it’s understandable that it’s a bit more natural.

“We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, we know each other inside out, so we might look a little bit more comfortable.”

Club-record signing Zian Flemming has also helped to improve Millwall’s attacking output, scoring four goals in his last four games. Wallace believes that it was always a matter of time before he hit the ground running in the Championship and backs the Dutchman to continue his impressive run of form in the coming weeks and months.

“It’s brilliant for him and I think that’s just what he needed to ease himself in.

“We see the quality day in, day out at training. The goal he scored at Rotherham, he scored a few of them in training, so it’s not as much of a surprise to us as it was for the fans getting to see that moment of magic.

“He’s a player with loads of ability, a great work rate, and I’m delighted that he’s getting the goals and the recognition he deserves because he’s a great player.

Asked what it’s like to defend against the mercurial forward in training, Wallace laughs. “It’s a bit of a nightmare,” he admits.

“He’s good with both feet, he’s strong, athletic, a hard worker. He’s everything that you want from a teammate.

“You want to have him in your team, you don’t want to be defending against him. He’s got great ability and can strike the ball really well with both feet as you’ve seen with the goals he’s scored.”

Wallace has seen many summer transfer windows come and go at Millwall, and

he claims that this year’s might be their strongest yet. The Scotsman believes that the reason behind this isn’t necessarily because of the physical attributes that his new teammates have brought to South Bermondsey, but rather the fact that they have the right mentality to fit in at the club.

“It’s a unique club, a unique group of players, and that’s why I think the recruitment is the most important thing to get right. It’s about the characters you bring in.

“You look for ability but you’ve also got to have that right mentality and character to fit in with the current squad and the team that Millwall is. The recruits that have come in this summer have all been excellent, they’ve fitted into that mould and are gelling really well with the team.

“I think we’re getting to see the best of some of them now.”

On a personal level, despite becoming one of the most dependable and consistent members of the first-team squad, Wallace is disappointed. Simply put, he expects his performances to be better than they have been in recent weeks, although he backs himself to turn it around as the team looks to improve collectively as well.

“If I’m being honest, my performances this season haven’t been as good or consistent as I’d want.

“I’m striving for better but I think as a bare minimum, setting the bar, I think I haven’t been performing up to my standard at the minute.

“Hopefully that’ll improve, but it’s obviously nice to be playing regularly and be part of this team. I’m happy playing.”

Murray Wallace has been one of the Lions’ most consistent performers since moving to The Den

Gary Rowett remains open to changing the formation again if things don’t work out in the coming weeks

inside hamlet lose lead as darts hit target

l ess is more for the l ions

Millwall boss admits team are thriving with fewer defenders on the pitch

By Alex Jones alexj@southwarknews.co.uk

Gary rowett believes that his side look better defensively after moving away from their preferred five-at-the-back formation.

Millwall have ditched their 5-3-2 system in favour of a 4-2-3-1, using it in their last two games against Rotherham United and Middlesbrough. The Lions picked up four points from a possible six, but crucially look to be playing with a lot more confidence than they have in previous weeks.

This defies the notion that using a back five always makes a team stronger in defence, with Millwall making fewer mistakes while also threatening more with an extra body further up the pitch.

Rowett agrees that the change in formation has certainly raised his side’s performance level, but he also believes that the players’ attitudes have changed for the better since switching to a more attacking style of play.

“I think the way you have to look at it sometimes is that there’s different spaces available sometimes if you play against a five,” he told the News

“The biggest thing for us playing a four, first and foremost, is that I think we’ve

worked a lot harder in the two games. That’s the first thing that’s noticeable, and statistically it’s noticeable that the team has worked harder.

“I think that, if you play the formation correctly and the team works hard and moves together, then there’s less space. If you put it down on a piece of paper, there’s less space than if you write a 5-21-2 down for example.

“There’s so many nuances with it, there’s so many reasons, but I think that’s been the biggest thing. I think it’s a more compact shape, you’ve got two players down the sides of each pitch, two players down the middle, then you’ve got a no.10 and a no.9. It’s quite an evenly spread formation.

“Again, if the players don’t work hard, we’ve played it before where our front three haven’t defended that well and there’s lots of space against us.

“It’s how you play it, how the players take it onto the pitch and how they interpret it. What I’d say is that, in the two games, there’ve been really encouraging signs.

“It’s not that I’m reserving judgement because I think it’s worked for two games, but I don’t know whether that’s going to be the same in ten games, just like any formation.

“Until we’ve played those games, it’s hard to know.”

Millwall to host international friendly during World Cup

EXCLUSIVE

By Alex Jones alexj@southwarknews.co.uk

miLLwaLL have announced that they will host danish superliga side brondby if at the Den during the World Cup break.

The match will take place at 1pm on Saturday, November 26, a week before the Lions return to Championship action with their away match against Sunderland.

Brondby boast eleven league titles and have lifted the Danish Cup seven times. They’ve also been a regular in European competitions, reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1991.

However, they sit ninth in the league after a poor start to the season, nine points behind current leaders Nordsjælland.

Millwall boss Gary Rowett believes that they will still provide a tough test for his side while also exposing the players to a different style of play to what they would face in the Championship.

“We wanted a couple of games so we don’t go too long without one,” he told the News

“I know the Sunderland match has been moved to that earlier week, which means we’re only potentially three weeks without a game. Nevertheless, I don’t like international breaks where it’s two weeks, so for it to be three weeks feels too long.

“We wanted a match on that weekend. I think Alex [Aldridge] has asked around and Brondby were looking for a game.

“It should be a really good test, it’s a different type of test and a good experience. Hopefully it’ll capture the imagination of one or two of the fans, that’s the main thing.

“We’ll probably try to look at another game at some point as well, but it might be behind closed doors.

“We wanted a game and that was really it. We’re happy that such a traditional and successful club are going to come over and play us.”

Brondby will be the second Scandinavian side to visit The Den this year after the Lions’ pre-season friendly against Hammarby

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