The Herne Hill Society blog

Village Way railway bridge

At Village Way, the road traffic closure was scheduled for 8 to 23 February. But work was called off on Friday due to gale-force winds. Because of the way the train service disruption is calculated, this means that the replacement works have to be rescheduled from scratch over a future weekend, as the train services can’t be disrupted during the week.

The Network Rail manager of the project has said that they will clear the road along Village Way completely by Sun 23 February, then schedule a new slot to come back and do the full replacement works over a weekend, whereupon all the equipment will be brought back in as before.

At the moment there are rail repair works scheduled for a weekend ‘some time’ in March so they are going to try to move the bridge replacement into that slot when the trains are already due to be cancelled.

In the meantime, National Rail are going to leave the temporary Britelights in place until Southwark can book EDF to reinstate the streetlights. Network Rail are going to leave the scaffolding up along the tracks where the balustrades have been removed, but they will take away the access towers and alert the British Transport Police to the exposed location. If anyone sees any suspicious activity phone 101 or 999, depending on the urgency.

Thanks to Cllr Robin Crookshank-Hilton for the information.

Apparently this is a very rare situation…

Herne Hill in 2013

2013 has been an interesting year...

Commiserations to those badly affected by this summer's awful flood, especially the traders who have still been unable to open.

In other respects, Herne Hill has gone from strength to strength. The year began with the welcome announcement that Thameslink trains calling at Herne Hill will continue to run north of Blackfriars post-2018. Our Sunday market is now well established, while several new businesses (and a primary school) have opened. The Velodrome benefited from major infrastructure improvements.

The Lambeth Country Show was held in fine weather and attracted a huge crowd. Brockwell Park has been beautifully renovated, with the Bristowe bust installed in the Hall. The Clock Tower Appeal reached its target quite quickly, owing to the vitality and generosity of local people.

It has also been a successful year for the Society. Our website won the Walter Bor Media Award from the London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies, while the Henry Bessemer book was commended and is selling well. We welcomed a considerable number of new members.

Always a highlight - with animals, food, entertainment and lovely Herne Hill folk to meet (including our committee) - the annual Christmas Fair on Sat 14 December was very well attended. Here's a taste; watch for a famous gourmet passing by.

Now to 2014: for those interested in the history and built heritage of the area, January's event will preview the completely revised edition of the Herne Hill Heritage Trail.

First produced in 2003 as an 88-page guide to sites of interest in the area, our new Trail will feature 157 entries on 160 pages, with 97 illustrations, 28 of them in colour.

Wed 8 January 2014, 7:45pm
“Herne Hill Heritage Trail Preview”
Herne Hill United Church
London
SE24 9PW

Admission free. We hope to see you there.

London Forum at City Hall

On Wed 17 July, Colin Wight (Chair) and Sheila Northover (former Chair) attended a reception on the top floor of City Hall - known as 'London's Living Room'.  This event, hosted by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, was a celebration of the London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies' 25th anniversary. Guests included Griff Rhys Jones, President of Civic Voice.

The Forum represents the views and interests of amenity and civic societies in London and their members on issues that are important for the living and working environment of Londoners. The Herne Hill Society is a member organisation.

It was a very hot day, one of the hottest of the year, and it was wonderful to take in the breeze and the view from the open terrace that runs around the top of the building. If you get the chance to go, take it!

Above: Tower Bridge as you rarely see it!

Above: locals and tourists flake out or take a stroll along the Thames

It was good to exchange news and views with people from similar groups, such as the Brixton, Putney and Streatham Societies. Conversation revolved around the perennial themes of how to get younger people interested, and how to take advantage of social media and web technology to get more support and, frankly, raise much-needed funds. Some of us were further ahead in some aspects (e.g. use of Facebook, Twitter etc.), others had made significant progress in different areas (selling publications via eBay).

As well as some excellent chilled white wine and canapés, we were treated to a typically rambling and occasionally amusing speech from the inimitable Boris. It is gratifying to be thanked for one's efforts to make our capital a better place to visit and live in.

Thanks are due to the Mayor, and the hard-working Peter Eversden, Chair of the London Forum.

Lambeth Country Show 2012

So what did you think of it?

Last year's event took place in July; this year it was in September. This time the weather was so much better, and the crowds came out to enjoy it.

On the Village Green, Devonian cider was once more to the fore, with #chucklehead trending on Twitter... Then it ran out and we were obliged to seek out other thirst-quenchers including Hook Norton and, horribilis dictu, fizzy cider.

Sunday was duller and cooler, but even then it perked up and stayed dry.

That cliche about something for everyone epitomises the Country Show for me. I like the way the country aspect has been retained over the years (Morris men, birds of prey, sheep-shearing, pig racing, fruit & veg display, Vauxhall City Farm etc.), albeit with a reggae session on the main stage to end with. It was great to see some big names, including the almost-legendary Janet Kay

For those of you who've never had a go at sheep-shearing, or even seen it in action, watch Billy Kinghorn...

Thanks to everyone who came to the Herne Hill Society stand and bought something. Or even just came to talk. If you didn't, and you want to know what we sell, here is our publications page.

Scott of South London?

This winter Lambeth council is looking for community-minded volunteers to help clear snow and ice from local streets and help keep the borough moving during periods of bad weather.

They say they are looking for individuals  to become Lambeth’s first snow wardens and make our pavements safer.

During the winter months our focus is on keeping public services and main transport routes running. We’re continuing with our usual winter maintenance service this year, but this still means that many quieter residential roads don’t get gritted. This is why we are offering you the opportunity to get involved and make a real difference in your local area.
 
We will give our snow wardens all the training and tools they will need, including;

• shovel
• hi-visibility jacket
• gloves
• grit bin
• a supply of grit!

We will provide community groups with additional equipment which can be shared amongst members.
 
Training sessions will be held during the weeks beginning 10 October and 24 October, with some sessions during the early evening and some during the day.

To find out more about the scheme, telephone 020 7926 0524

www.lambeth.gov.uk/snowwarden