Follow us on Twitter @DulwichSociety
Dulwich Society Annual General Meeting - April 2013
Executive Committee Reports for 2012
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
2013 is the Society’s fiftieth anniversary. While the year’s celebratory events will be covered in more detail at the next AGM in 2014, the year started with the ‘Dulwich 63’ exhibition in the Dulwich College Library, a series of talks and walks held in conjunction with the Picture Gallery, and the first two (of twelve) World War II memorial plaque installations – these will continue through the year. These commemorate multiple deaths of civilians by enemy action in the Second World War and involved very considerable research, mainly by Brian Green, while our secretary, Patrick Spencer, negotiated permission to install them with the property owners – the next one, in Burbage Road, is on Saturday 13th April.
The Society has continued to support the Dulwich Estate in the planning applications to refurbish and extend the Crown and Greyhound as a small hotel or ‘pub with rooms’, and to redevelop the old dairy site in West Dulwich for housing and a doctors’ surgery. Unfortunately little further progress has been made and both projects are still being considered by the relevant Local Authorities.
The Society is playing an active part in the Council’s consultation to produce a flood prevention strategy for the Dulwich and Herne Hill areas and has been heavily involved with the replacement for the stolen Barbara Hepworth statue (the chairman sits on the steering group). We also took part in the discussions on the Council’s ‘south of the borough’ events series (the follow up to its original, but very unwelcome proposal, at the end of 2011). The results will be seen at the Dulwich Festival in May.
Despite strenuous efforts the Society has not been able to come to an agreement with the Council about taking over Rosebery Lodge in Dulwich Park as the ‘Dulwich Archive’. The Council seems to want to dispose of the property on a full repairing lease and the Society cannot take on that level of responsibility.
We continue to monitor the Estate’s implementation of the Scheme of Management through the Advisory group, which met three times during the year. The Society has also been actively lobbying the Estate to make sure that broken fences and posts and chains are repaired. We are pleased to say that some progress has been made particularly in College Road and along Dulwich Wood Avenue. We have now turned our attention to Dulwich Common.
The Society put in bids at the end of 2012 for Cleaner Greener Safer funding (CGS) and projects include the re-installation of a central pedestrian refuge at the end of Burbage Road. CGS works from previous years were completed in 2012, including the renovation of the white fingerposts and replacing the two in Croxted Road which had disappeared.
A short ceremony was held on 22 September to celebrate renaming the lane between College Road and Gallery Road as ‘Lovers Walk’. We were lucky to be able to have two pupils from Alleyns School to help us recreate the well-known Edwardian picture postcard views.
With its wide range of articles on all aspects of local interest, the Society’s Journal continues to be regarded as one of the major benefits of Society membership. To assist the Dulwich Estate in their consultation over new solar panel guidance notes, the Society carried out a membership consultation through the Journal.
The demand for the Society’s annual booklet on ‘Dulwich gardens open for Charity’ continues. The current editor, John Ward, whose idea the booklet was, is retiring, and we are looking for someone to take over this important project. I would like to thank him for the considerable effort he has put in over the last five years.
Once again I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of our Executive Committee and the Chairs, and members, of our sub- committees for the time they dedicate to the Society and its activities - continuing to do their best to maintain Dulwich’s unique ambience. I would also include the members who deliver the Journal around Dulwich and welcome the new volunteer deliverers and co-ordinators who have joined us over the last year.
Ian McInnes, Chairman
HON. SECRETARY’S REPORT
The Executive Committee met six times during 2012 and the Advisory Group, three times.
Following the theft of the Hepworth statue from Dulwich Park we discussed the upgrading of the security for the Edward Alleyn Statue and have put in hand a more sophisticated system for the hours of darkness. It is designed to operate a spot light and CCTV camera if anyone gets very close to the statue.
At our instigation we are delighted that a Southwark Civic Association award was given to Stella Benwell who for many years chaired the Trees sub-committee and remains a dedicated promoter of all things arboreal and is still, literally, active in the field.
Patrick Spencer, Hon Secretary
MEMBERSHIP REPORT
Despite the economic pressures our numbers held up well in 2012. We lost 42 members but gained 40 new members. In early 2013 numbers seem to be rising well and our current total of 1082 Ordinary and 6 corporate members is very much our usual size in recent years. Our 50th Anniversary celebrations may help to increase these levels this year.
We claimed £2045.67 in Charity Gift Aid for the financial year 2011-12. This is a slightly smaller figure than in recent years and represents a change in income tax rules rather than a decrease in the number of members who signed declarations. As always, we are grateful to over 80% of our members who do so.
I shall be retiring as Membership Secretary shortly and, after nearly 20 years, will miss the many pleasant conversations I have had with members via e-mail, the telephone and by letter. I wish you all well.
Wilfrid Taylor, Membership Secretary
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PLANNING & ARCHITECTURE GROUP
Dulwich Estate Licence Applications: The Planning and Architecture Group continues to make monthly visits to the Scheme of Management office at the Old Grammar School - this year 190 license applications were commented on. Loft conversions with rear dormers remain popular and garden sheds have become far more prevalent, but there are now very few applications for solar panels.
60 Dulwich Village: A further application to extend the original Georgian semi-detached house was refused by Southwark Council after taking into account the reasons for refusal of an appeal for an earlier scheme. A new reduced scheme was submitted in December.
The Crown and Greyhound, 73 Dulwich Village: The scheme submitted in October 2011 to provide a restored public house, function rooms and 20 bedroom hotel was withdrawn by the Dulwich Estate. New plans were submitted in August 2012 with additional information in December. There is, as yet, no decision to date.
Dulwich College, Science Block: A planning application was made in November for a new science block to replace the existing two storey one with a part 2 and part 3 storey block. The new building is shown as being 10 metres closer to College Road and 2 metres higher. The new accommodation is considered to be well planned and no objection was made to the scheme in principle but the Society is very concerned about the use of grey concrete as the principle facing material towards College Road, - which would clearly detract from the setting of Barry Building. The building now has planning approval subject to detailed information on materials.
Hillside, 9 Fountain Drive: The planning application for five new dwellings was made in August 2012 and granted in December. Local residents, the Dulwich Society and College Ward councillor, Lewis Robinson, made representations against the application at a meeting of the Planning sub-committee in Tooley Street. Despite a large number of objections, including Councillor Robinson pointed out that the Council’s own Traffic Section considered parking provision inadequate, the application was granted with 21 conditions! This extraordinary number of conditions indicated serious unresolved problems within the application and a lack of resolve by the Planning sub-committee, which has no Dulwich councillors on the committee, to refuse the application.
The West Dulwich Dairy Site: The site has been semi-vacant since 2001. The Dulwich Estate’s most recent application was made in November and included a mixture of retail units, a doctor’s surgery and nine residential flats. The doctor’s surgery would provide replacement accommodation for the Rosendale surgery, which has to relocate in 21 months. Lambeth Council has yet to make a decision.
The Concrete House, 549 Lordship Lane: Restoration work to the Grade II listed building is well under way to provide five 1 bedroom and two 2-bedroom flats. Completion is due later this year.
Dulwich Mill Pond: Work commenced in December in line with the Dulwich Estate’s programme. The cleaning out and improvement scheme is to be completed in April with new planting and installation of a filter unit.
St Peter’s/Deeper Life Bible Church – Boundary wall Restoration: Southwark’s Project team have taken the CGS scheme forward by appointing conservation Architects for the proposed restoration works. However, there is now a stand-off between the church and the Council’s planning department who want to restrict the number of car spaces on the site to five. This is not acceptable to the church (whose members are generally not local) and up to thirty cars can be parked there on Sundays. The Church has appointed its own conservation Architect and proposed seventeen cars paces but there is a risk that Council intransigence will mean that the scheme fail to go forward.
Architectural Poster: The brief for the poster is to be re-written along the lines of providing a Heritage map to have a wider appeal by including local notable non-domestic buildings.
David Lloyd Roberts, Chair
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT COMMITTEE
Consultation on the combined Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern Franchise: The Herne Hill Society, Southwark Council and the Dulwich Society all campaigned strongly for the continuation of direct trains from Herne Hill Station to St Pancras International. Everyone is now delighted that the Department for Transport has agreed that the proposed alteration will not now take place. This would have required passengers to change trains and platforms at Blackfriars.
Herne Hill Velodrome: Following the resurfacing of the track and the signing of a 15 year lease by British Cycling, lighting is being installed to enable the track to be used for longer hours and more weeks in the year. A junior track is also being built, which will provide training for young cyclists and space for cyclists with disabilities. These improvements are being funded by the Southwark Olympic Legacy Fund.
Paxton Green Gyratory: This roundabout is on the border between Southwark and Lambeth and Southwark Council has responsibility for the roads there. The roundabout is frightening for cyclists and, despite Boris Johnson’s desire that roads should be made as safe as possible for cycling, Southwark Council has funds for only limited changes to the road layout. Following a consultation event held in January 2013 the Dulwich Society has stressed the need for a drop-off/collection point for patients visiting the health centre which fronts on to the gyratory. Changes to the traffic lanes might free up space for a small number of restricted short term parking bays.
Access to West Dulwich and North Dulwich Railway Stations: Following consultation with a representative of Network Rail it has been accepted that lifts at North Dulwich would involve major and extremely expensive structural changes, so their installation at the present time is not practicable. However, it would appear that the installation of ramps to give improved access to the platforms at West Dulwich might be possible. Network Rail and Southwark Council are considering a feasibility study and means of funding, with local support from the Society.
Safe Routes to School: The Traffic and Transport Committee believes that safety on Dulwich roads is of major importance and has pledged to support the Safe Routes to School Group in any way it can. There are approximately 5,000 children attending many schools, both state and independent, in this very small but heavily trafficked area. The physical layout of road junctions, zebra crossings, green man lights and the length of their pedestrian phase, the sequence of traffic lights, the provision of lollipop personnel and 20 mph speed limits are all vitally important in making Dulwich safer. The Society is collaborating with the Safe Routes to School Group in order to optimize the benefits of changes being planned at the junction of East Dulwich Grove and Greendale, and to developing a network of safe routes for pupils to get to and from school by cycle or by walking.
Road Safety: A few months ago a local resident and a member of the Society was hit by a speeding motor cyclist at about 7am on a weekday on Gallery Road, near Lovers Lane, suffering a broken leg. We are now seeking support for the installation of a raised zebra crossing linking the new pedestrian entrance to Belair Park with Lovers Lane.
Traffic Speeds: The Traffic and Transport Committee has also summarized information on vehicle speeds measured by Council speed monitors, and this information shows speeds at danger levels on some roads, in spite of slower speeds observed by police enforcement teams. Consultation with the police continues.
Gallery Road Roundabout: A 20 mph speed limit is to be imposed on Gallery Road. Southwark Council is seeking approval from the Department for Transport to install a ‘Stop’ sign at the northern end of Gallery Road, although the Council warns that such approval is rarely given.
Pigeon droppings beneath the railway bridge at Herne Hill: There is a high footfall under this bridge and, when it rains, pigeon droppings cause problems for pedestrians as the pavements become very slippery. Responsibility for this bridge lies with Lambeth Council but contact is proving to be very difficult. We have asked ward councilors in both Lambeth and Southwark to intervene. We are also seeking action from the Chair of Health and Well Being at Lambeth, as from the beginning of April health issues will become the responsibility of the local authority.
Alastair Hanton, Chair
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE LOCAL HISTORY GROUP
2012 has been a very active year for the Local History Committee. In the spring, two walks during the Dulwich Festival, led by Brian Green and Ian McInnes, proved so popular that it was difficult to control the numbers. In November, Nicholas Reed gave a fascinating talk on his father’s MI5 activities during the last war - the family lived for over 30 years in Dulwich.
Spies on Dulwich Common also featured in an article in the Society’s Journal. Articles on famous past residents and the lost houses of Dulwich have ‘On the Street where you live’, have continued. All issues have included the results of new research into local history. Articles on Dulwich in World War II have been especially prominent because of the project to commemorate multiple civilian casualties in the area with a series of plaques. The first two were erected in January 2013.
Much planning has also gone into other events in 2013 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Society. In particular, the exhibition at Dulwich College and the series of three talks at the Dulwich Picture Gallery.
The Post Office cart is still in temporary storage awaiting the location of a suitable place to display it; as is a group of First World War memorials from Christchurch, Barry Road found in Wellingborough prison.
Bernard Nurse, Chair
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GARDEN GROUP
Our year got off to a splendid start with a talk by Gordon Lucas, Head Gardener of the Horniman Museum Gardens. He gave a detailed description of the major, partly lottery funded, re-development of the Gardens that was currently taking place. This was our first meeting in the excellent, new, Belair Recreation Centre.
In March, our annual publication – ‘Dulwich Gardens open for Charity’ was published. In it over 40 local gardens were illustrated and described. Between them, they raise substantial funds for a range of charities including the National Gardens Scheme (which raises money for cancer, caring and gardening charities), St. Christopher’s Hospice, Dulwich Helpline and many others. Although 5000 copies were distributed, demand for the booklet was stronger than ever.
In June, 53 of us packed a coach for a visit to the Savill Garden in Windsor. It was a fine day and the garden was at its best. We spent two very enjoyable hours there. After lunch we went to Runnymede to board a boat on the Thames to Windsor and back - one of our most successful outings ever.
John Ward, Chair
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TREES COMMITTEE
The Dulwich Festival Tree Walk in May was again led by Letta Jones and sponsored by the Society. On a sunny Saturday afternoon well over 100 people, including families and children, joined the group walking up and down College Road from the Park Gate to the traffic lights, carefully inspecting the long line of trees. Letta’s descriptions were as interesting as ever, helped by the use of the megaphone.
The Tree map continues to sell well – over 120 copies this year, mostly through the Gallery and the Pavilion Café. The Committee has been undertaking a full review of trees that have been lost in the last several years and new ones planted, noticeably the Silk Tree outside the Crown and Greyhound. A new up to date edition is being planned. The design and drawings by Rosemary Lindsay make the map particularly attractive.
Members of the Committee continue to contribute profiles of Interesting Trees in Dulwich to the Journal, usually calling on Brian Green for excellent photos. These included the Silk Tree, the Bhutan Pine, the Monkey Puzzle and Ashes.
The autumn outing took us to Audley End House and Garden where there are some very tall Cedars and an oak specimen unique to that area.
A number of Black Poplars were planted in Long Meadow, and we joined the Wildlife Group in planting whips along Gallery Road. In recognition of the Queen’s Jubilee the Society has provided £800 for the planting and subsequent care of two trees in Dulwich Park, beside the Lake and near the Café. These will be a Sweet Chestnut and a disease resistant Huntingdon Elm.
Jill Manuel, Chair
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE WILDLIFE COMMITTEE
We have made the protection and enhancement of the natural habitats for wildlife our priority and we are therefore coordinating our activities with other environmental groups in the area in order to make a bigger and more long-term impact. Some of our work has been hands-on and on site, the rest has been behind the scenes, lobbying and raising awareness and enlisting the expertise of professional environmentalists. During the last year we have concerned ourselves with creating specific areas for bumblebees and other wild bees, as well as butterflies, in both Dulwich and Belair Parks. This work is ongoing. We are also taking a particular interest in the water bodies in the area to increase their value for fish, amphibians, water birds – and bats. In Dulwich Park, beefing up the reed beds has brought a result: last year for the first time a reed warbler, which is a rarity, was seen on site.
2012 was not generally a good year for wildlife – and London was no exception. Prolonged wet weather and lack of sun for weeks on end, for example, meant that there was a significant fall in numbers of bats recorded locally. This was a bad sign. Dulwich, with its enhanced and monitored hibernaculum in the Woods, and its good lake feeding areas in Dulwich and Belair parks, its wealth of green spaces, trees, hedgerows and “meadows”, has hitherto attracted several bat species, including both types of Pipistrelle and Daubenton’s . But last year there was a dramatic drop in activity – up to 75% down for one common species. But Dulwich does provide good habitat, so even when Nature has temporarily withheld its larder, all is not lost.
This is why our Committee will continue to focus on increasing good natural habitats for bats along with good quality hedgerows, with meadows alongside, to boost insect breeding and feeding, and reductions in artificial light nearby, as this prevents foraging - because what works for bats will also benefit all other species, including our own. Increasing natural homes and feeding areas for all kinds of wildlife are we believe the optimum conservation tool. Research by bodies, such as the British Trust for Ornithology and the Wildlife Trusts, has shown that this is more effective in the long term than introducing artificial nest/roost boxes, etc.
We will continue to work closely alongside Park Friends’ groups, the London Wildlife Trust and Southwark Council’s ecology and parks staff, to enhance our local environment and to introduce, or reintroduce, new habitats.
Angela Wilkes, Chair.
7:30pm on Monday 4th March
Location: Michael Croft Theatre at Alleyn’s School, Townley Road, Dulwich, SE22 8SU
The Dulwich Society is hosting an open meeting with the local Southwark councillors - all three political parties will be represented. This is an opportunity for residents to question the Council’s current and future policies and how they impact on our locality.
On 21 January the Rail Minister, Simon Burns, announced that the Thameslink ‘through’ trains calling at Herne Hill will continue to run through north of Blackfriars after the completion of the major Thameslink programme in 2018. This is excellent news. The Traffic and Transport group have argued strongly, with many others, for this result over many years. Unfortunately, the process of re-franchising the train operation is still on hold, so it will be some time before a new commercial operator is in place. However, it is, likely that the bidders in the franchising process, when it happens, will be happy to include the busy/crowded Herne Hill Thameslink through services in their plans.
Over 150 members and guests attended the opening party for ‘Dulwich ‘63’, the Society’s 50th anniversary exhibition, at the Dulwich College Lower Hall. They were warmly welcomed by the chairman, Ian McInnes, and the president, Dr Colin Niven. The exhibition, outlining the history of Dulwich over the last 50 years, is held in the Archives Centre in the library. It will be open again on the afternoons of Saturday 23rd February and Sunday 24th March, but anyone can visit during school days as long as they obtain a visitor pass from the College’s reception area first.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, the Local History Group is giving three Sunday afternoon talks in the Dulwich Picture Gallery. Bernard Nurse will speak on the 17th February on 'Setting the Scene 1850-1920’ and Ian McInnes will talk on 17th and 24th March on ‘Wates and Re-invention 1945-1969’ and ‘Leasehold Reform, Conservation and Wealth 1979-2013’. Tickets can be booked through the Picture Gallery’s website or at the Friends’ desk in the lobby.
Southwark Council is now consulting on an updated version of the Dulwich SDP. There will be two public consultation meetings on Saturday 24th March and Wednesday 10th April, locations to be confirmed. It is important that both the Society and other amenity groups have a positive influence on the document as it will guide planning in the area over the next 5-10 years.
The Dulwich Society is to unveil a commemorative plaque to World War II victims of Court Lane on Sunday 6th January 2013 at 12 noon (at the junction of Court Lane and Dovercourt Road)
In commemoration of those killed there by a V2 rocket on 6th January1945
ETHEL CARTWRIGHT 55, JAMES CARTWRIGHT 59, PEGGY GOULD 20, WILLIAM GOULD 58, EMILY HOLLAND 54, PATRICIA HOLLAND 6, JOSEPH STONE 59
The Dulwich Society will unveil a commemorative plaque to World War II victims of Lytcott Grove, Playfield Crescent and Melbourne Grove on Saturday 12th January 2013 at 12 noon (at the junction of Melbourne Grove and Lytcott Grove)
In commemoration of those killed in an air raid on 16th September 1940
GRACE BUSBY 68, ANNIE HINTON 41, ELLEN HINTON 64, JANET HINTON 36, KATHLEEN HINTON 34, WILLIAM HINTON 69, OLIVER PITCHES 60, SARAH PITCHES 61, CHARLES WRIGHT 48
And those killed in an air raid on 17th January 1943
EMILY AYERS 62, CHARLES BRACE 60, CHRISTOPHER DIX 31, EVAN EVANS 46, LILY EVANS 41, GERTRUDE MASON 62, WILLIAM PHEASANT 60, ETHEL ROBERTS 58, WINIFRED ROBERTS 30. ETHEL SPELLER 55, HARRIET WALES 65
January 2013
Sunday 6th the Dulwich Society: Unveiling at 12 noon of a commemorative plaque to seven civilians killed by a V2 rocket in Court Lane on 6th January 1945. Junction of Court Lane and Dovercourt Road.
Thursday 10th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society Lecture – The Schroder Collection of Renaissance Silver by Tim Schroder. James Allen’s Girls’ School, 6th Form Study centre 8pm
7.30pm Friends of Dulwich Park - A Homage to Hepworth an event to celebrate the artist and her work. Iin the Michael Croft Theatre at Alleyn’s School.
Saturday 12th The Dulwich Society: Unveiling at 12 noon of a commemorative plaque to the nine civilians killed in Lytcott Grove, playfield Crescent and Melbourne Grove during an air-raid on 16th September 1940 and the eleven killed in an air-raid on 17th January 1943. Junction of Lycott Grove and Melbourne Grove.
Sunday 13th Christ’s Chapel Dulwich Village – Organ Recital by Tim Harper 7.45pm
Saturday 26th The Dulwich Society’s 50th Anniversary Reception and Exhibition , Lower Hall Dulwich College at 6.30pm. Admission by ticket (see application form with this Journal)
February 2013
Saturday 2nd The Allegri Singers Concert – JOSHUA a rarely heard work by Handel. Soloists and orchestra, conductor Tom Ballard. 7pm All Saints Church, Rosendale Road SE21. Tickets available at the door
Sunday 10th Christ’s Chape Dulwich Village – Organ Recital by Peter Wright 7.45pm
Sunday 17th Peckham Society 3pm - Recent archaeological discoveries in Southwark Christopher Constable Archaeological Officer Goose Green Centre, St John’s
East Dulwich Road, London SE22
Wednesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday 21st-24th The Dulwich Players present – Ladies Day by Amanda Whittington directed by Jane Jones. Edward Alleyn theatre, Dulwich College at 8pm. Tickets from the Art Stationers, 31 Dulwich Village SE 21.
Thursday 14th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society Lecture – From Posset Pots to Pew groups – the Fashion for Early English Pottery by Jane Gardiner. James Allen’s Girls’ School 6th Form Study Centre 8pm.
Sunday 17th Dulwich Society 50th Anniversary series – talk by Bernard Nurse 'Setting the scene' - covering the period in Dulwich between 1850 and 1920. Dulwich Picture Gallery, Linbury Room 2.30pm in conjunction with Friends of DPG.
March 2013
Sunday 3rd Dulwich Society 50th Anniversary – Local history walk - Dulwich Common Old & New led by Ian McInnes. Meet corner of College Road and Dulwich Common at 2.30pm
Monday 4th Dulwich Society - A Public Meeting with Councillors and representatives from all three main political parties. It should give local residents an opportunity to hear what the Council has planned for our area and to ask questions on any aspect of the council’s work.
Wednesday 6th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery - El Greco (1541 – 1614) Lecturer: David Davies, emeritus professor of the history of art, University of London 10.30 -11.30am Linbury Room tickets £10
Wednesday 13th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery Lecture - Velasquez (1599 – 1660) Seville and beyond . Lecturer: Gail Turner, independent lecturer, lecturing at V&A and Courtauld 10.30am-11.30am Linbury Room. Tickets £10
Thursday 14th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society Lecture – The Phillips Collection : the First Modern Art Collection in America by Hilary Hope Guise. James Allen’s Girls’ School 6th Form Centre 8pm
Friday 15th 7.30 - 9.30 p.m. In the Holst Hall at JAGS, East Dulwich Grove. Dulwich Helpline and Southwark Churches Care (DH&SCC)
“ALL THAT JAZZ”
An Informal evening of sing and swing, blues and brass, big band, bebop and barbershop jazz by the talented pupils of Alleyn's, Dulwich College, Charter School, Dulwich Prep, JAGS and Kingsdale.
Tickets in advance from DH&SCC 020 8299 2623 or www.dulwich-helpline.org.uk or s.a.e. DH&SCC, Dulwich Community Hospital, East Dulwich Grove, SE22 8PT
Tickets £10 including glass of wine. Children under 16 £5 including soft drink. Wine, soft drinks and snacks for sale.
Sunday 17th Dulwich Society 50th Anniversary series – talk by Ian McInnes Wates and reinvention 1945-1969. Dulwich Picture Gallery, Linbury Room 2.30pm in conjunction with Friends of DPG.
Wednesday 20th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery Lecture - Picasso (1881 – 1973)
Lecturer: Gijs van Hensbergen, author of Guernica: The Biography of a 20th century 10.30am-11.30am Linbury Room. Tickets £10
Sunday 24th Dulwich Society 50th Anniversary series – talk by Ian McInnes Leasehold Reform, conservation and wealth 1979-2013. Dulwich Picture Gallery Linbury Room 2.30pm, in conjunction with Friends of DPG.
April 2013
Tuesday 9th Dulwich Society 50th AGM 8pm Crown & Greyhound, Dulwich Village (upstairs) to be followed by the showing of the restored film of the Millennium celebrations to mark Dulwich’s 1000 years of history in 1967.
Thursday 11th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society Lecture – Isabella D’Esate, Collector and Patron of Art: by Fair Means or Foul by Shirley Pamela Smith 8pm James Allen’s Girls’ School 6th Form Study Centre.
Saturday 13th Dulwich Society World War 2 memorial ceremony. Unveiling of a plaque at the junction of Burbage and Turney Roads at 12 noon.
Thursday 18th . Dulwich Society Garden Group
Evening talk by Mr Paul Cooling, Chairman: Cooling’s Garden Centre
7.30 for 8.00pm at the new Belair Recreation Centre, Gallery Road. Admission free. Non members welcome. Refreshments served at 7.30pm
Paul Cooling will tell us how to get the best from our plants and gardens. He will suggest suitable plants and shrubs for the smaller garden which give both interest and colour. His talk will be illustrated with examples of many of the plants that he will be talking about. Plants will be available for sale after the meeting.
Saturday 20th Dulwich Helpline and Southwark Churches Care (DH&SCC)
Antiques Discovery Day in association with Rosebery's Auctioneers 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Herne Hill Baptist Church, Half Moon Lane. Experts will identify and value pictures, ornaments, jewellery, small items of furniture and other antiques. Stalls selling cakes, books, bric-a-brac and handcrafts. Refreshments
Tickets available on the day.
Tuesday 23rd Dulwich Park Friends AGM and Review of the Year - speaker Letta Jones, tree specialist. Francis Peek Centre 7pm.
May 2013
Monday 6th - 1.00pm – 4.00pm- Old Alleynian Club, Dulwich Common. Parents at Dulwich Village Pre-school are holding a Jubilee Barbecue to celebrate the opening of the original group, Dulwich Village Playgroup, fifty years ago. They hope that lots of parents from the Playgroup era will see this invitation and come to join current parents to share their memories. www.dulwichvillagepreschool.com , or phone 0208 693 2402.
Thursday 9th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society Lecture – The Musée D’Orsay and its Collection by Margaret Davis. 8pm James Allen’s Girls’ School 6th Form Centre.
Friday 10th – Sunday 19th DULWICH FESTIVAL
Sunday 12th 2:30 pm Dulwich Society ‘Wates in the Woods’ – A walk led by Ian McIness
The 1960s saw the Dulwich Estate and Wates Homes build a number of innovative housing developments in the woods between College Road and Sydenham Hill. Sensitively designed and landscaped to respond to their wooded locations, and still largely unchanged, they remain excellent examples of mid-century modern housing aspiration.
Meet at the Tollgate on College Road and please note we will be walking up steep hills and there will be some rough ground in the woods.
Wednesday 15th Dulwich Society - Illustrated talk by Brian Green – Dulwich and World War Two: Evacuation, Air raids, Rationing, Civil Defence, Spies – Dad’s Army and real bombs. 2.30pm Dulwich Library Lecture Hall. Admission Free
Sunday 19th Dulwich Helpline and Southwark Churches Care (DH&SCC) Garden Safari 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Explore four lovely private gardens plus the famous Lettsom Gardens near Camberwell Grove (by kind permission of the Lettsom Gardens Association, an active community group) Plant stall, tea and homemade cakes.
Programmes/maps available on the day from 189 Camberwell Grove SE5 8JU
Adults £5 children under 16 FREE
2.30pm Dulwich Society - Delving Further into the history of the old village of Dulwich – Local History Walk led by Brian Green. Meet Belair Car Park.
June 2013
Tuesday 4th 'Beyond Words' poetry venue is pleased to invite Hylda Sims to read her poetry and sing for us. Hylda spent much of her life performing jazz and skiffle and was a member of The City Ramblers in the 60's(and still performs with The City Ramblers Revival ). On the same evening prize winning poet Jill Abram, the Director of Malaika's Poetry Kitchen will read some of her poignant and satirical poems. The Gipsy Tavern, Gipsy Hill SE19 8pm.
Saturday 8th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery - Walk - Dulwich Common and Beyond led by Ian McInnes 2.30-4pm £6. Tickets from the Gallery
Wednesday 12th Dulwich Picture Gallery Exhibition A CRISIS OF BRILIANCE 1908-1922 Paul Nash, CRW Nevinson, Stanley Spencer, Mark Gertler, Dora Carrington and David Bomberg opens
Thursday 13th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society lecture - BANKS, BURGUNDY AND PIRACY : the Fifteenth Century artists of Bruges by Christopher Herbert. James Allen’s Girls’ School Sixth Form Lecture Theatre, James Allen’s Girls’ School 8pm
Saturday 16th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery Walk - Hidden Herne Hill led by Ian McInnes 2.30-4pm. Tickets from the Gallery
Sunday 23rd 6-8pm The Dulwich Society Wildlife Group SWIFT WALK led by Steven Robinson and Dave Clark. Meet at 5.45pm at Dulwich Park, College Road entrance. Bring binoculars.
Monday, June 24. A date for your diary. Dulwich Society Garden Group.
Full day visit to Parham House and Garden
July 2013
Tuesday 2nd. ‘Beyond Words’ poetry venue presents - 'LiTTLe MACHiNe' - Poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy said of them "the most brilliant music and poetry band I've seen in decades!" From Ovid through Shakespeare to Larkin and the present day their range of work is 3000 yrs long and their musicianship is powerful.
Local poet and editor of South Bank Poetry Magazine Peter Elliot will be there too reading from his brand new first collection. The Gispy Tavern, Gipsy Hill SE 19 at 8pm.
Friday 5th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery - AN EVENING OF RUSSIAN OPERA
6.30pm Reception with sparkling wine included in the price. 7.15pm Performance in the Gallery with long interval for picnics. £40
Thursday 11th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society lecture - TWENTIETH CENTURY WOMEN COLLECTORS: their influence and legacies by Marina Vaizey. James Allen’s Girls’ School Sixth Form Lecture Theatre 8pm
Saturday 13th All Saints Church, Rosendale Road. Concert - The Ionian Singers, conductor Timothy Salter, and Nephele Ensemble (flute, harp, violin, viola, cello). French and English music from the late 19th century to the present. Pre-concert illustrated discussion at 6.15pm with Nephele Ensemble included with ticket for concert at 7.30pm. £15 (students £8) at the door or from 0208 693 1051
Advance notice - Tuesday 3rd September ‘Beyond Words Poetry’ brings Ros Barber, author of three previous collections of poetry, who will introduce his 'The Marlowe Papers',
a thrilling novel in verse that brawls and loves its way through Christopher Marlowe's alternative life. The Gipsy Tavern, Gipsy Hill SE 19 at 8pm.
September 2013
Saturday 7th Friends of Dulwich Upper Wood - Fungi course - a day course of Identifying Wild Mushrooms & information about edible & poisonous species. £40 with all monies going to help manage the Woodland. Contact Jim Murphy on
Sunday 8th Dulwich Society unveiling of a WW2 memorial plaque in Albrighton Road, Dog Kennel Hill at 12 noon
Tuesday 10th Dulwich Picture Gallery Contextual Lecture Series– From Darwin to DNA – Professor Peter Holland.
Linbury Room 10.30am Ticket £10
Sunday 15th Dulwich Society unveiling of a WW2 memorial plaque in Quorn Road, Dog Kennel Hill at 12 noon
Saturday 21st 12-5pm. Rosebery Lodge, Dulwich Park.Dulwich Vegetable Garden Autumn Open Day,
Sunday 22nd Dulwich Society unveiling of a WW2 memorial plaque at Dulwich Library for Woodwarde Road victims 12 noon.
Dulwich Picture Gallery – exhibition – A Crisis of Brilliance closes
Tuesday 24th Dulwich Picture Gallery Contextual Lecture Series – Our debt to Plato – Baroness Mary Warnock Linbury Room 10.30am ticket £10
Sunday 26th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery – Walk – Baroque the Streets – led by Ingrid Beazley. Meet outside the Gallery café 2pm. Walk ends 4.30pm tickets £10
October 2013
Tuesday 1st Dulwich Picture Gallery Contextual Lecture Series– 200 Million and Counting – Dr Khalid Khoser. Linbury Room 10.30am Tickets on the door £10
Wednesday 2nd Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery – Lunchtime concert – From Blues to Bach. Christ’s Chapel 1.30-2.00pm – entrance from the Gallery cloister
8pm Italian Supper with Italian Opera. 7.00 for 7.30pm in the Gallery Café. Arias sung by Alexandra Carter accompanied by Serge Pachine. £10 per person (including a glass of Prosecco), menu £17-£20
Saturday 5th Dulwich Helpline - Come and Sing a mixture of choral classics and rousing hymns and raise funds for a local charity supporting isolated older people. Afternoon rehearsal and evening performance. Open to everyone who loves singing at any level. More details on DH&SCC website www.dulwich-helpline.org.uk or ring 020 8299 2623
Tuesday 8th Dulwich Picture Gallery Contextual Lecture Series – Secularisation: or not? Dr Grace Davie. Linbury Room 10.30am Ticket £10
Thursday 10th From Fresco to Frame: Artists' Techniques from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century, James Allen's Girls' School Sixth Form Centre, 8pm; see www.ddfas.org.uk
Saturday 12th Dulwich Society 50th Anniversary Party. St Barnabas Hall 7.30pm Tickets in advance £7.50
Tuesday 15th Dulwich Picture Gallery Contextual Lecture Series– The World in which we live: religious ideas and belief - Rev. John Bowker. Linbury Room 10.30am Ticket £10
Wednesday 16th Dulwich Picture Gallery Exhibition – An American in London: Whistler and the Thames opens
Saturday 19th Dulwich Society unveiling of a WW2 memorial plaque for Dovercourt Road victims, Alleyn’s School railings Townley Road 12 noon
Thursday 24th Dulwich Society Trees Committee Autumn Colour Trip (see booking form page ?)
Wednesday 30th – Saturday November 2nd The Dulwich Players present Rope a play by Patrick Hamilton at the Edward Alleyn Theatre, Dulwich College at 8pm. Tickets from 07582 002559 or The Art Stationers, Dulwich Village (£8 in advance, £10 on the door)
November 2013
Saturday 2nd Dulwich Society unveiling of a WW2 memorial plaque in Friern Road (corner of Lordship Lane) 12 noon
Wednesday 6th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery – Concert – Leonore Piano Trio 7.30pm in the Gallery. Tickets £15 including a glass of wine during the interval.
Tuesday 12th Dulwich Picture Gallery Contextual Lecture Series – Human Evolution: Ancestors and relatives you never knew you had – Dr Bernard Wood. Linbury Room 10.30am ticket £10
Thursday 14th: Great Photographs of the 20th Century, James Allen's Girls' School Sixth Form Centre, 8pm; see www.ddfas.org.uk
Tuesday 26th Dulwich Picture Gallery Contextual Lecture Series – The Future of (artificial) intelligence – Dr Stuart Russell. Linbury Room 10.30am Ticket £10
December 2013
Thursday 5th Friends of Du;wich Picture Gallery lecture – Margaret Drabble – in her own words. Linbury Room 7 for 7.30pm. £16 (incl a glass of wine and a copy of her latest book, published price £16.99)
Sunday 7th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery – Children’s Puppet Show – Small fables. Linbury Room 10.15am-11.45am £5 adult or child
Thursday 12th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society – Lecture – In the Bleak Midwinter: artists’ responses to snow. Brian Stater. James Allen’s Girls’ School 6th Form centre. 8pm.
Wednesday 18th The Dulwich Players present – Cinderfella – a traditional family pantomime by Lydia Dickie and Mike Foster. St Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village 7.45pm tickets £8 & £5 (under 18’s) Box Office 07936 531356 or The Art Stationers, Dulwich Village.
Friday 20th Dulwich Players – Cinderfella at 7.45pm
Saturday 21st Dulwich Players – Cinderfella – Matinee 3pm, evening performance 7pm
Much to many people's surprise, a 'pop up' art gallery has appeared in the heart of Dulwich Village. Taking advantage of the short delay before fitting out work starts on converting the former wine shop into a Gails Artisan Bakery, Londonart.co.uk will be occupying the unit until Monday 24 December.
The exhibition will be constantly changing reflecting the online gallery's vast choice, the 200 works on display include sculpture, painting and photography with all manner of subject matter represented, from intriguing abstract art through to exquisite still lives and glorious landscapes to intimate portraits.
Londonart Pop-Up will be showing works by artists with South London connections, including the vibrant Kate Kessling, a former Goldsmiths graduate who is aptly showing among other prints her witty and colourful Village People. There is more formal work on show from Gerry Hunt, who taught at Camberwell School of Art for many years.
Unfortunately the response to the survey was very disappointing. Only 35 members came back to us, just over 3% of our total membership. While this level of response could not be considered representative, of those that did respond:
- A small majority thought that solar panels should never be installed on front roofs
- A large majority thought that solar panels should be permitted on side roofs with no restriction
- A large majority thought that solar panels should be permitted on rear roofs with no restriction
- A large majority thought that solar panels on brackets should be permitted
- Most people thought that the period and character of a property should be taken into account when assessing applications for solar panels but a number said that this should only apply if a building is listed.
The survey results have been sent through to the Estate Scheme of Management Office.
Talk by Nicholas Reed, author of ‘My Father, The Man Who Never Was’ – the story of Ronnie Reed, Dulwich Society member and MI5 officer and handler of the spy and double-agent Eddie Chapman during WW2. A fascinating first hand account of this extraordinary man by his son. Sunday 4th November at the Francis Peek Centre, Dulwich Park at 2.30pm. Dulwich Society members free, visitors £5, concessions £3. (tickets available on the door)