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To save money, Southwark Council is terminating forthwith the employment of several school crossing patrollers across the borough. This will affect the patrols at the junctions of Red Post Hill and Townley Road with East Dulwich Grove. Parents are organising protests, including emailing Ward Councillors, relevant Council Executive Members and Council officers.
The Dulwich Society supports this protest, and believes that the Council’s decision to do away with the much loved lollipop people is misjudged. We are sure that many of our members will agree. The Society urges its members to email their views to the Council. The addresses for such emails are as follows:
The Village Ward Councillors:
Our Member of Parliament, Tessa Jowell:
Our London Assembly Member, Val Shawcross:
The Executive Member of Southwark Councill responsible for Transport:
Cllr Barrie Hargrove:
Southwark Council’s Head of Public Realm, Des Waters:
Alastair Hanton
Chair of the Society’s Traffic and Transport Committee
June 29 2011
Trustees Required
The Herne Hill Velodrome is the oldest cycle track in Britain and was the venue for cycling for the 1948 Olympic Games. It is an important community asset contributing to the health and cultural prosperity of South East London. A vigorous campaign has been mounted to save the Velodrome from possible closure.
A charitable trust has been formed to lease the Velodrome site from the freeholders, The Dulwich Estate, create new facilities and manage the operation of the Velodrome. Trustees are needed with professional skills and/or ability to relate well with the track cycling and local communities. These challenging voluntary appointments will provide opportunities to serve sport and the local community.
To express interest or to find out more, contact one of the three initial trustees, Hillary Peachey, Peter King and Alastair Hanton, at:
THE DULWICH SOCIETY
MINUTES OF THE 47th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Held on Tuesday, 25th May 2010 at the St.Barnabas Centre, SE21 7DG
PRESENT: Vice-President (Chairman) HH. Michael Goodman, and
approximately thirty members.
Apologies: President: HH. Michael Rich QC, Vice-Presidents: Dr.Colin
Diggory, Marion Gibbs, Peter Lawson, Dr. Joseph Spence. Bernard Nurse, John Ward, Angela Wilkes, Sylvia Daniels.
PREVIOUS MINUTES: The minutes of the 46th AGM held on 2nd April 2009 approved and signed. There were no matters arising.
REPORTS FOR THE YEAR 2009: were available on the website from the end of February & at the meeting. The following is a summary of points highlighted by the Committee member presenting each Report:
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT: (Ian McInnes)
Highlights of a successful year included the first edition of ‘Dulwich Gardens Open for Charity’, the management of a bid grant for fencing at Marlborough Cricket Ground on Dulwich Common, and the Local History Day at the Dulwich Picture Gallery.
The Journal maintains its high standard and some 200 residents attended the Public Meeting we arranged to hear from, and question, the Dulwich Estate Trustees. We also organized a meeting with other local residents’ organisations to share information and problems.
Velodrome - we are pressing all the bodies involved with this to come to an agreement so that this facility is properly used.
We remain concerned with the Estate’s approach to their shop tenants.
Representatives of the Society and the Dulwich Estate Trustees meet 3 times of year as the Scheme of Management Advisory Committee and we hope that relevant decisions of the Trustees will be made public on their website during the coming year.
We persuaded Southwark to renovate some of the fingerposts and verge posts & chains in the Village.
We were pleased to note that Dulwich won further medals in The London in Bloom, and Britain in Bloom competitions.
The whole Society is very grateful to those members who serve on the committees and deliver the Journal.
SECRETARY’S REPORT: (Patrick Spencer)
The Executive Committee met 9 times in the year.
We were delighted that Dr. J Spence, Master of Dulwich College, agreed to become a Vice-President.
Margaret McConnell has, after many years, retired from organising the distribution of the Journal and we owe her a debt of gratitude, but are pleased that she will continue to recruit advertisers which greatly reduce the cost of producing the Journal.
A happy and historic event was the registration of the Post Office handcart by the Lord Mayor of London at Guildhall Yard under the auspices of the Worshipful Company of Carmen. We were able to re-site the Society’s notice board to the more prominent position adjacent to the Post Office and are grateful to those that gave permission.
To improve security of the Edward Alleyn statue we have had a CCTV camera installed, and the figures treated with ‘smart water’.
MEMBERSHIP: (Wilf Taylor)
Membership numbers averaged 1070 during the year. A membership drive is planned in certain roads. Charity Aid contribution amounted to £2606 and we urge members who have not completed the requisite form to do so.
We hope members will try and recruit amongst their friends and neighbours.
PLANNING & ARCHITECTURE: (David Roberts)
We continue to check on Planning and Scheme of Management applications and to comment as we consider appropriate, and these were generally upheld.
The saga of the collapsed listed wall in Red Post Hill continues but hope in the coming year to see it rebuilt.
Dulwich Millpond - The Estate has commissioned a report on its condition. The first of a series of articles has appeared in the Journal dealing with energy generation and conservation.
We are working on the production of an Architectural Poster to inllustrate examples of house design in the area.
TRAFFIC & TRANSPORT: (Alastair Hanton)
Matters considered included road safety, reduction of traffic congestion, improvements for walking & cycling, and better public transport.
Work in progress or completed for which, with others, we have pressed for include the Court Lane entrance to the Park, and the Herne Hill junction project.
We continue to work on a safe walking and cycling network.
Cleaner, Greener, Safer Bids were obtained for renovation of the Webster fountain at the south end of the Village (£2000) and for the car park at the Herne Hill end of Stradella Road (contribution of £10000).
Car Clubs: Southwark is making progress in implementing the scheme to make available cars for short time hire.
LOCAL HISTORY: (Bernard Nurse)
Collaboration with the Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery resulted in 2 very successful events: ‘Dulwich House Detective Day’ (talks on the development of the area, display of archives, and information to research the history of your home), and ‘The Dulwich Assembly- a Georgian Entertainment’ devised by Brian Green and based on the diaries of Richard Randall, organist at the College in the late C18.
A number of articles on relevant subjects were published in the Journal, and the Gazette of Dulwich Road names was revised and put on our website.
The War Memorial at Dulwich Hospital was researched by members, and has now been renovated.
GARDEN GROUP: (John Ward)
The first edition of ‘Dulwich Gardens open for Charity’ listed 40 garden openings. 4,000 copies were distributed.
The annual talk was on ‘London’s ‘secret’ parks & garden, and the visit was to the late Lord Beaverbrook’s garden at Cherkley Court and then on to Denbies Wine Estate.
TREES: (Jill Manuel)
The Dulwich Festival Tree Walk was in Horniman’s Gardens and about 50 attended. We have also planted 6 beech trees in the field opposite Horniman’s Museum
The Copse in Dulwich Park prospers.
For the London Squares weekend we arranged guided tours of the Picture Gallery garden.
The leaning Zelkova continues to give great concern, and we hope that a means of preserving it will be found.
WILDLIFE: (Angela Wilkes)
Grants from Southwark were obtained for signage for the wildlife areas in Dulwich Park (£3000), and working with Friends of Belair Park for hedgerow and wildflower planting in Belair (£8000).
Members have been amongst those weeding in the Copse area of Dulwich Park.
A number of interesting birds, butterflies, bees and insects were noted. Four species of bat were recorded on a July visit to Belair Park. Articles and report of sightings were included in the Journal.
TREASURER’S REPORT: (Russell Lloyd)
Audited accounts for 2009 were circulated. The excess of income after expenditure and donations was £750 (previous year £4018). Income fell by £889 principally due to low interest rates. Operating expenditure was higher but it included the cost of planting the beech trees opposite Horniman’s Museum and security work for the Edward Alleyn statue.
Donations included £1873 to the Horniman Garden Development Project (£1000), Dulwich Going Greener (£500), Community Space (£273) and London Wildlife Trust (£100).
Bank balances at the end of the year amounted to £25,690.
Approval of the accounts was proposed and seconded and passed by the meeting.
We are very grateful to our Honorary Auditor, Sally-Anne Jeffries, who was re-appointed.
ELECTIONS FOR 2010/11:
The following, having been proposed and seconded, were elected:
Officers: Chairman Ian McInnes
Vice-Chairman Kenneth Wolfe
Hon.Secretary Patrick Spencer
Hon.Treasurer Russell Lloyd
Membership Secretary Wilf Taylor
Executive Committee:
Brian Green Editor of the Journal
Alastair Hanton Traffic & Transport sub-committee
Jill Manuel Trees sub-committee
Bernard Nurse Local History sub-committee
David Roberts Planning & Architecture sub-com.
John Ward Gardens sub-committee
Angela Wilkes Wildlife sub-committee
Bill Higman
Adrian Hill
Barbara Richardson
Honorary Officers:
President HH. Michael Rich QC
Vice-Presidents Ian Dejardin MA
Dr.Colin Diggory (to 31 August)
Marion Gibbs BA Mlit
HH. Michael Goodman
Peter Lawson FRIBA FRSA
Dr.Joseph Spence
ANY OTHER BUSINESS:
Queries were raised regarding the proposed Music Centre at JAGS; this will also be available for community use but concerns were raised about car parking space although an area off Green Dale is to be made available.
The Meeting ended at 8.45pm and wine etc was served.
DULWICH SOCIETY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - 2011
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORTS
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT - 2010
After persistent pressure from the Society, the Dulwich Estate has finally published the monthly schedule of planning applications to the Scheme of Management on their website and also, perhaps more importantly, the results of those applications.
The Society was very pleased to support the considerable local interest in the Herne Hill Velodrome and we agreed to give a grant of £5000 to assist in setting up the new charity - the Herne Hill Velodrome Trust.
The Society promoted six successful projects which secured Cleaner Greener Safer (CGS) funding from the Council. Five of these are complete including the replacement circular bench in the Village, alterations to the gate to Cox’s Walk to enable mothers with buggies to have easy access, a new bench outside Barclay’s Bank, the installation of the Red Post sign at the junction of Herne Hill and Red Post Hill, and the re-turfing of the grass areas between the St Barnabas Church Hall and the Crown and Greyhound in the Village. From last year we can also confirm the successful completion of the new fence to the Marlborough cricket Club, only the refurbishment of Rosebery Lodge is outstanding and initial work on preparing plans and specifications has started.
Amongst other successes, with which we have been involved indirectly, were the conversion of College Lodge in Dulwich Park into a communal facility, the completion of better parking and the new changing rooms for Belair Park, and the new pavements and kerbs in Gallery Road. We have also tried very hard to facilitate a successful conclusion to the Burbage Road roundabout saga – only time will tell whether the final agreed solution is the right one.
The Society has continued to monitor the situation regarding the Village Post Office and we understand that a new tenant has come forward and that he should be in place shortly.
Following a constructive meeting with the new headmaster at Dulwich College, we have recently heard that new architects have been appointed to prepare a master plan for the school’s future development and look forward to seeing the results.
There was a huge demand for the second edition of the Society’s booklet on ‘Dulwich Gardens open for charity’. The third edition published in March (2011) has more pages and an increased print run.
Our work on the Zelkova tree at the Dulwich Common/College Road junction will be covered in other committee reports as will the successful retention of the large tulip tree outside the Picture Gallery.
With its wide range of articles on all aspects of local interest, the Journal continues to be regarded as one of the major benefits of Society membership.
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 newsletter around Dulwich and welcome the new volunteer deliverers and co-ordinators who have joined us over the last year.
Last, but not lease, I want to record my thanks to His Honour Michael Rich QC who is standing down at the next AGM as the Society’s President. He has held this position for ten years and for many years before that was an active vice-president. His legal knowledge has been a great help to the Society as has his efficient chairmanship of the Society’s AGM.
Ian McInnes, Chairman
HON. SECRETARY’S REPORT - 2010
The Executive Committee met 9 times during the year.
The Society lost a good friend when Ken Jeffries died on 6th January; he was a link with the birth of the Society, and had been our Honorary Auditor from 1964 to 2006 – 42 years!
For a considerable time we had pressed for the re-erection of the War Memorial at Dulwich Hospital and this resulted in its restoration and re-dedicated on 19th March, and adjacent to it we have had a bench installed.
At the AGM we bid farewell to one of our Vice-Presidents, Dr.Colin Diggory who was retiring from the headship of Alleyn’s School at the end of the summer term.
A major topic during the year was the fate of the Zelkova tree; at the last moment, for better or worse, it was partially saved and on 21st August lopped from some 100 feet to 20 feet in height; we now await to see whether it will re-generate.
Another important event was the ‘unveiling’ on 2nd October of the red painted fingerpost at the head of Red Post Hill which we had initiated, followed by a small celebration in the adjacent church hall.
On Remembrance Sunday the bench at the corner of Dulwich Village and Calton Avenue was dedicated to the memory of Lt. Mark Evison, a local resident, who was killed whilst serving in Afghanistan.
Patrick Spencer, Hon Secretary
MEMBERSHIP REPORT - 2010
Membership: 2010 was a good year for membership, with 58 new members joining (including 10 recruited as the result of a localised membership drive). This enabled us to maintain the total number of members at just below 1100 throughout the year. We will consider another membership drive in the less well-represented areas in Dulwich during 2011. I would like to encourage our members to introduce the idea of membership to friends, neighbours and, in particular, newly-arrived residents. The more members we have the greater the clout the Society has as the only amenity society in the local area.
Charity Gift Aid: We claimed and received £2590.83 in Charity Gift Aid in 2010. This is a valuable addition to our funds each year and we are grateful to the 84% of our members who signed Gift Aid declarations.
Journal Distribution: We have recently re-organised some of the 'zones' for distribution of the quarterly Journal. We are grateful to those members who did in the past or who do now help to deliver Journals. I know from messages I receive how much it is appreciated. New volunteers are always welcome.
Wilfrid Taylor, Membership Secretary
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PLANNING & ARCHITECTURE GROUP - 2010
Dulwich Estate licence applications: The Planning and Architecture Group continues to make monthly visits to the Scheme of Management office to comment on licence applications. This year has seen a gradual increase in the number of applications reviewed.
Planning Applications:
39 Alleyn Road: An appeal against Southwark’s refusal to allow demolition of the existing house and construction of a much larger new one was upheld by the Planning Inspector. However, the licence application to the Dulwich Estate was turned down until the design had been amended to comply with Estate guidelines. In this instance the objections we raised during the consultation process were addressed by the ‘safety net’ of the Guidelines and the actions of the trustees of the Scheme of Management to enforce them.
11A Fountain Drive: The appeal against Southwark’s planning refusal was also allowed by a Planning Inspector.
8 Frank Dixon Way: The appeal against Southwark’s planning refusal was also for extensive demolition and large extension with a huge basement was allowed by a Planning Inspector.
60 Dulwich Village: A planning application for part demolition and a large side extension to this listed house was withdrawn after considerable local opposition. A reduced scheme submitted in December to which the Society has also objected.
James Allen’s Girls School (JAGS): A planning application for a Community Music Centre was submitted to Southwark and the Society wrote in support.
Concern about parking, particularly during evening events, was an issue but a draft planning permission has been agreed subject to a series of conditions which would satisfy local residents.
Listed wall on Red Post Hill: This has now been rebuilt. New concrete foundations and concealed concrete piers have been included to provide stability to the re-instated brickwork and the leaning section of the old wall. The original bricks, or bricks of a similar age, have been used as has the correct lime mortar.
The Society acknowledges Southwark Council’s planning enforcement officer’s efforts in taking out legal proceedings against the site owners, Hausman Hughes Ltd. The successful conclusion to this five year project also involved local residents Peter Flaherty at Lyndenhurst, Simon Pimblett at 9 Red Post Hill, the Council’s Conservation officers, and Village Ward Councillors.
Belair Changing Rooms: The new changing rooms and community meeting room have now been completed and were officially opened earlier last year by Southwark Councillors.
Gallery Road: The heritage additions to the new lamp posts have been completed. Meetings were arranged by Southwark’s Public Realm Officer, John Howe, with all interested parties in the road to finalise a scheme for installing granite kerbs, re-surfacing the footpaths, creating indented parking and a section of combined pedestrian and cycle footpath. Work was in progress towards the end of last year until halted by the early snow. The road will be resurfaced shortly.
Edward Alleyn Statue: Signs warning that the statues are now under 24hr video surveillance has been installed. Discreet signs in the surrounding gravel also note that the statues have been sprayed with forensic ‘smart water’.
Dulwich Mill Pond: The Dulwich Estate has experienced slow progress in receiving the detailed scheme for cleaning and managing the pond. The works are now expected to take place in 2012.
Streatham & Marlborough Cricket Club: The new oak paling fencing to replace the unsightly wire mesh fencing was completed last February by Chestnut Products Ltd using sustainably managed oak from the Hever Castle Estate. The Dulwich Estate kindly provided all tender documentation and obtained the prices. The cost of the work was paid for by a combination of a CGS grant from Southwark Council, and contributions from the Society and the club. The unsightly graffiti-covered container in the car park has been moved sideways
in line with the tree screen, and painted dark green. A combined effort by all the parties has achieved a substantial improvement to the visual amenity of this section of Dulwich Common.
Cox’s Walk: A Cleaner Greener Safer grant was obtained to adapt the railings and gate at the bottom end of Cox’s walk to allow easier access for push chairs. The adaptation work and repainting was completed within a day by local metalwork fabricators, E Smith Metal Fabrication Ltd.
St Peter’s Church Lordship Lane – The Deeper Life Bible Church: The Society, assisted by Michelle Pearce, has been in discussion with Pastor Sunday Okenwa regarding our desire to see the boundary wall and railings reinstated along Lordship Lane. We are also concerned over the derelict church hall.
We have made a successful application to the Heritage of London Trust for a contribution to the works but further money needs to be raised. The church and hall are on the English heritage ‘Buildings at risk’ register.
Architectural Poster/Map: Local artist mark Ashmead has provided a series of excellent watercolours of selected houses to illustrate the poster. Vic lee has been commissioned to prepare the actual map
David Lloyd Roberts, Chair
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT COMMITTEE - 2010
Much has been achieved in the year to improve the quality of the environment in and around Dulwich. Road safety, a reduction of traffic congestion, improvement of facilities for walking and cycling, and better public transport have been under constant consideration during the twelve month period.
Herne Hill Junction: The £2 million regeneration scheme has proved to be most successful and the official inauguration ceremony took place on 4 December.
Herne Hill Retail Improvement Project: Whilst the work on Norwood Road is substantially complete, the Society, along with the Herne Hill Society, is pressing for the speedy implementation of the work which remains to be done on Half Moon Lane.
Traffic calming in Dulwich Village: The work on the footways of Gallery Road is in progress and will be followed by the resurfacing of the carriageway. Some alterations to the gyratory at the end of Burbage Road have been approved and work has started on modifications to the junction of Calton Avenue, Court Lane and Dulwich Village.
Changes at the junction of Village Way and Red Post Hill, initially recommended by the late David Hollis, a former member of the Society’s Traffic and Transport Committee, have now been implemented and have proved very satisfactory.
Herne Hill Velodrome: The company to eventually take responsibility for the Velodrome, the Herne Hill Velodrome Trust, has been incorporated and been registered by the Charity Commission. The Velodrome Committee is deeply grateful for the Society’s financial support, which is vital to enable preliminary professional work to be undertaken on the lease and the governance structure.
Agreement has been reached between the Dulwich Estate and British Cycling, enabling the latter to resurface the track.
Plans for the possible replacement of the buildings by the architects for the Stratford Olympic Velodrome, have been shown to representatives of local interests and to the volunteers who have kept the Velodrome operating for the past few years.
A reception for fund raisers and others who may have influence in moving the project forward has taken place, as has a further public meeting which was held at Dulwich College in March.
Walking & cycling network: Elements of our walking and cycling network involve the both the Velodrome Project and the work on Gallery Road, and we are delighted with progress so far.
Road danger reduction: We have worked with Ward Councillors to press Transport for London for measures to prevent the frequent over-running onto the footway by westbound vehicles going too fast at the junction of Alleyn Park and the South Circular. We are also in discussion with the Police about their use of the hand-held speed surveillance devices provided for them through the Dulwich Community Council, especially on Half Moon Lane, East Dulwich Road and Gallery Road.
Jags Community Music Centre: The Council has now granted planning consent, subject to conditions, which have been published in draft. We will discuss with the school and Council officers the conditions related to traffic.
Trains: Recently a substantial improvement has been made to the frequency and duration of evening services between North Dulwich and London Bridge stations, and frequency of services to Crystal Palace on Sundays. Surprisingly, the train operator Southern has not publicised this welcome change.
There is a long-standing issue still to be resolved with Network Rail and South Eastern Trains over disabled access to the platforms at West Dulwich Station.
Car club: The Traffic and Transport Committee is keen to support an event proposed by Dulwich Going Greener, to promote the new Car Club. This is under discussion with Southwark Council and the operator Streetcar.
Dulwich Festival 2011: The Festival Committee is keen to extend the Festival from the park into Dulwich Village by excluding vehicles from the Village for part of one of the two Sundays of the Festival. Support for this idea was expressed by Councillors at a Dulwich Community Council meeting and by an extensive consultation with local residents and businesses. The proposal is being pursued.
Alastair Hanton, Chair
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE LOCAL HISTORY GROUP – 2010
The main event of the year was the unveiling of the red signpost at the top of Red Post Hill. This marks the former signpost which gave the road its name and was an unusual feature in London. Financial support from Southwark Council and the Herne Hill Society is gratefully acknowledged. About 70 people attended the ceremony, including the Deputy Mayor.
The annual summer walk took place in May during the Dulwich Festival and was led by Brian Green along the ridge of Sydenham Hill. A second walk in October led by Brian Green and Stephen Humphrey along Bankside featured places associated with Edward Alleyn, the founder of Dulwich College. Harvey Sheldon showed the group the excavated remains of the Rose Theatre where Alleyn had performed. Both walks were well supported.
One of the committee’s longest serving members, Mary Boast, died in June. She had been the Local Studies Librarian for Southwark and wrote “The Story of Dulwich”. A street in Camberwell has been named after her, and a full obituary published in the Dulwich Society Journal.
The Journal has expanded its coverage of local history with well illustrated articles publishing new discoveries, and it is particularly pleasing to see new contributors researching and writing. In 2010, the articles ranged from Christ’s Chapel in the early 17th century to the use of Dulwich Hospital as a military hospital in the First World War and a rocket attack in the Second World War. A number of local buildings, estates, architects, builders and local people have been featured in depth.
Contacts through the Society’s website from as far away as Australia, have provided information on local residents such as Charles Drake, the builder of the early concrete house in Lordship Lane and Lionel Logue, George VI’s speech therapist. A variety of queries have been also answered, such as the location of the former Samuel Jones Sports Club (where the rock group Status Quo played their first gig) and the house of Hiram Maxim.
Bernard Nurse, Chair
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GARDEN GROUP - 2010
The group produced the 2010 edition of ‘Dulwich Gardens open for Charity’, which for the first time included colour photographs of some of the gardens. We also printed more copies of the booklet (5000) because of strong demand the previous year. The new edition was widely welcomed by both garden owners and visitors.
The first event of our year was a really interesting talk by one of the country’s leading experts on Auriculars, Bill Lockyer. The event was very well attended and plant sales were a record.
In May, we arranged a full day tour to Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens. We were very lucky – it was a glorious day and the gardens were at their best with masses of Azaleas and Rhododendrons in full bloom.
A few days later we went on a private visit to Buckingham Palace gardens. It was a good day with fine weather and the staff were very helpful, but there wasn’t a lot of colour in the garden. It seems that it is designed to be at its best for the Royal Garden Parties – we were a little too early.
John Ward, Chair
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TREES COMMITTEE - 2010
The Festival Tree Walk was again led by Letta Jones, visiting Peckham Park, largely unknown by Dulwich locals. The weather was deplorable, and in 9 degrees C only about 10 people turned up to see this excellent park, with its NZ Kowhai tree in full brilliant yellow (Letta was not phased by this rare flowering).
The Zelkova at the College crossroads was the cause of much anxiety and variety of opinion. Its ‘lean’ had finally been judged as unsafe by Tfl, and local feeling wanted the tree saved, by means of pollarding the main canopy, with a hope that growth would regenerate in the Spring. This view was supported by expert voices, including those from the LBS. The Dulwich Estate, and their experts preferred that the tree be removed, and another planted as replacement. Time will tell whether any new growth will prove acceptable, but at the moment it is rather a stark statue.
The run of large trees along the east side of College Road is thought to be causing subsidence to the adjacent houses. At least two trees have already been felled, and this year the DE agreed to provide a root barrier beside a very large Tulip tree near the Park gates. The cost of this will be appear on our individual Scheme of Management accounts, but at least the potential threat to our local streetscape of magnificent trees has found an alternative response.
A visit to see the Autumn colours at Sheffield Park, and at Nymans, was well attended and much admired. Another NZ rarity, the newly discovered Wollomi pine, is settling in well.
The Beech Grove in the Horniman Triangle has not had a happy start, with extremes of drought and ice. The café was vandalised, but a proper water source (and toilets) have now been provided, so watering is at least a possibility.
The Tree map continues to sell well (especially through the Pavilion Café) and a copy is given to each new member of the Dulwich Society. Members of the Tree Committee continue to contribute profiles of ‘Interesting Trees in Dulwich’ to the Journal.
Jill Manuel, Chair
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE WILDLIFE COMMITTEE - 2010
Detailed, expert ecological surveys of our natural surroundings are the key to preserving and improving habitats - and hence preventing species sliding off the map in the face of increasing human population pressures. Only by discovering and laboriously cataloguing everything that is living in one hedgerow, stand of trees or span of unimproved grassland can we hope to hang onto our biodiversity heritage, let alone enhance it.
To that end, the Society’s Wildlife Committee commissioned a number of plant and wildlife surveys, focusing on plant life in Dulwich Park and along the Gallery Road corridors, and on bird species locally during the year. The Committee also tapped into the considerable natural history expertise within its own ranks and, as a result, proved the continued existence of hole-nesting Little Owls within Belair Park, and tawny owls in Dulwich and Sydenham Hill Woods.
This, in turn, fuelled a Dulwich Community Council grant for new owl nest boxes in key areas. Migrating swifts, which rely upon returning to known nesting areas each year, have also been given a conservation boost by the upcoming installation of nest boxes on one of the Dulwich Park lodges. Visiting Redwings descended in “startling” numbers during an early year cold snap, both nationally and locally - some 250 were spotted in Dulwich Park. The continued presence of particular birds, of course, “ticks all the right boxes”, conservation-wise, because it shows that the food (whether insects, seeds, berries or bought-in dried mixes of same) and shelter required for successful breeding continue to be in place in sufficient abundance in the Dulwich area, both in private gardens, and on public and Estate lands. Likewise, Dulwich parks have been shown to support a number of Biodiversity Action Plan bat species - locally recorded species include both kinds of Pipistrelles, Leisler’s and Daubenton’s; all use the locality for feeding on insect prey and Daubenton’s are believed to use Dulwich Park as a breeding ground.
The Society’s thanks for their work and advice during the year go to Wildlife Committee “birdmen” Dave Clark, Stephen Robinson and Dr Peter Roseveare, for their observations and enthusiastic campaigning, and to Southwark‘s Ecology Officer, Jon Best, and Head of Parks, Paul Highman, for “making things happen“.
Former Natural History Museum curator of flowering plants, and a specialist in the folklore and uses of plants, Dr Roy Vickery, was “frankly surprised and delighted” by the number of traditional plant species he recorded in Dulwich Park on a number of surveys sponsored by the Dulwich Society. He was equally impressed by the variety of native “countryside” plants he found alongside Gallery Road (where the old hedgerow has been enhanced through whip-planting with the help of Alan Scott Ecology and the London Wildlife Trust). Dulwich Park’s areas of rough grassland yielded meadow grass species with such fascinating names as Timothy, Mouse-ear, Cocksfoot and Yorkshire fog, and its pastureland heritage ecology has been incorporated in the new signage for this park’s Woodland Walk perimeter and Village Copse. A full list of the recorded plants is available from the South London Botanical Institute, 323 Norwood Road, London SE24 9AQ,
The Society also supported a successful £10,000 Dulwich Community Council grant bid by the Friends of Belair Park for a removable silt trap and reed bed filter to improve water quality in the lake. Work on this is ongoing and will be combined with tree works that will let more light into the water, following an ecological survey commissioned by Southwark.
A half-dozen disease-resistant English Elm whips were planted in the Gallery Road area, donated by Butterfly Conservation. Elms provide food for the scarce White-letter hairstreak butterfly, still “hanging on by its fingertips!” in the Dulwich area, says Malcolm Bridge, recorder for the charity’s Surrey and south London areas.
Most Dulwich residents welcome the wildlife “on their doorsteps”, but the Committee provided some useful humane deterrence tips in the Autumn Journal for those who draw the line at fox soiling and urine marking on those doorsteps. Finally, the Committee’s representatives were invited to advise Natural England on how best to manage visitor access Sydenham Hill Woods and to tackle problems of trampling and over-use by professional dog walkers in this Nature Reserve.
Angela Wilkes, Chair.
January 2011
Sunday 9th Dulwich Picture Gallery Bi-centenary Celebrations – THE BIG BANG - from 11am onwards. Fireworks display 5.15pm.
Thursday 13th Dulwich Picture Gallery Lecture – Masterpiece of the Month – Sir John Soane by Thomas Lawrence by Alan Read. Linbury Room 7 for 7.30pm £10
Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society Lecture – Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves; the Working Classes in Art by Linda Smith. 8pm James Allen’s Girls’ School 6th Form Lecture Theatre.
Wednesday 19th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery Lunchtime Concert by students from the Dulwich Foundation Schools - From Blues to Bach. Christ’s Chapel 1.30pm to 2.00pm. Admission free. Entrance from Gallery Cloister.
Dulwich Subscription Concerts –Chamber Concert in the Old Library, Dulwich College at 7.30pm Haydn, Bartók and Dvorak String Quartets. Tickets £15 Concs £10 Students £5 Tel 020 8761 6659 or on the door.
Sunday 23rd Christ’s Chapel, Dulwich Village – Organ Recital on the George England Organ by Marilyn Harper at 7.45pm
Wednesday 26th From Blues to Bach (see above)
February 2011
Wednesday 9th From Blues to Bach (see above)
Thursday 10th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society Lecture – Petra and the Naboteans: the Arabs before Islam by Sue Rollins. 8pm James Allen’s Girls’ School 6th Form Lecture Theatre.
Saturday 12th “The Wizard of Oz” – a special adaptation by Tricia Thorns In aid of St Barnabas Church. Two performances 11.30am and 3.00pm at St Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village Tickets £10 concs £6 children under 12 £3 from The Art Stationers, Dulwich Village.
Wednesday 16th From Blues to Bach (see above)
Wednesday 23rd From Blues to Bach (see above)
Thursday 24th Dulwich Picture Gallery Lecture- Masterpiece of the Month – The Bufón Velásquez by Peter Scott. Linbury Room 7 for 7.30pm £10.
Sunday 27th Christ’s Chapel, Dulwich Village – Organ Recital on the George England Organ by Simon Johnson, organist St Paul’s Cathedral at 7.45pm.
March 2011
Tuesday 8th Dulwich Picture Gallery – Contextual Lecture Series – ‘It will not quite eclipse Napoleon’: John Nash’s plans for London. David Watkin. Linbury Room 10.30am £10
Thursday 10th Dulwich Picture Gallery – Masterpiece of the Month Lecture – Vermeer – The Music Lesson by Desmond Shaw-Taylor. 7 for 7.30pm Linbury Room. Tickets £10
Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society Lecture – The Art of Conversation: painting & family life in 18th century England by Catherine Parry-Wingfield. James Allen’s Girls’ School 6th Form Lecture Theatre 8pm.
Saturday 19th Dulwich Helpline Antiques Discovery Day/Arts and Crafts Sale from 10.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. at Herne Hill Baptist Church, Half Moon Lane, SE24 9HU
Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery – Flamenco music, dance and supper – Juan Ramirez St Barnabas Hall, Dulwich Village at 6.30pm £17 (under 16’s £10)
Wednesday 23rd Dulwich Subscription Concerts – Accordion music from all eras and countries. 7.30pm The Old Library, Dulwich College. Tickets £15 (concs £10, students £5).
Thursday 24th Dulwich Society Garden Group – Talk – ‘The work of the Metropolitan Gardens Association, past and present’. Speaker Mrs Joyce Bellamy. 7.45 for 8.00pm at the St Barnabas
Centre, Calton Avenue SE 21. Admission free.
Tuesday 29th Dulwich Picture Gallery – Contextual Lecture Series – The Cockney Moment: Metropolitan Art and Literature in the Regency. Gregory Dart. Linbury Room 10.30am £10
April 2011
Saturday 9th Dulwich Society visit to Buckingham Palace garden and Trees walk. 3.30pm (see page ?? for booking form)
Sunday 10th Christ’s Chapel Organ Recital – Marilyn Harper, Organist Christ’s Chapel 7.45pm
Thursday 22nd – May 8th. Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery. Friends Easter Open Exhibition. Linbury Room.
Thursday 14th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society Lecture – Emma, Lady Hamilton: scandal, celebrity & art in 18th century Britain by Kate Williams. James Allen’s Girls’ School 6th Form Lecture Theatre 8pm.
Dulwich Picture Gallery Masterpiece of the Month – El Greco. Lecture by Rosalind Whyte Linbury Room 7pm for 7.30pm £10 (includes glass of wine)
Saturday 16th Meridian Brass – Concert – in aid of Practical Action, the international development charity. Music of Haydn, Ravel, Gershwin and Brubeck. St Faith’s Church, Red Post Hill SE 24 7,30pm Ticket £12 020 8670 4800
Tuesday 26th Dulwich Picture Gallery – Contextual Lecture Series – The Peninsular War: the End of the Beginning? Charles Esdaile. Linbury Room 10.30am £10
Wednesday 27th Friends of Dulwich Park Annual General Meeting - 7pm in the Francis Peek Centre, Dulwich Park. Following the meeting there will be a talk by Edward Mayer from Swift Conservation about helping to protect swifts and reducing the threats to them. All welcome.
May 2011
Sunday 8th Dulwich Festival – Woodwarde Walk- architectural walk conducted by Ian McInnes. Meet junction of Calton Avenue/Woodwarde Road 2.20pm.
Thursday 12th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society Lecture – Art in Paris 1850 – 1900: the most decadent city in the world! By Linda Collins. James Allen’s Girls’ School 6th Form Lecture Theatre 8pm.
Saturday 14th Dulwich Festival Trees Walk conducted by Letta Jones for the Dulwich Society. Meet at the Old College Gate, Dulwich Park in College Road at 2.30pm
Sunday 15th Dulwich Festival – The Life and Times of Richard Randall – a talk by Brian Green with musical illustrations by Marilyn Harper on this eighteenth century professional Dulwich musician. Christ’s Chapel, Dulwich Village 3pm. Tickets £4
Monday 23rd Dulwich Society Annual General Meeting St Barnabas Centre, Calton Avenue
SE 21 at 8pm
Tuesday 24th Dulwich Picture Gallery - Contextual Lecture Series – Jews in Britain under the Georges. Rabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbok Linbury Room 10.30am £10
Wednesday 25th Dulwich Subscription Concert – The Bozza Ensemble (wind and piano ensemble) Mozart and Poulenc quintet and sextet. The Old Library, Dulwich College at 7.30pm. Tickets £15, concs £10, students £5
Tuesday 31st Dulwich Picture Gallery – Contextual Lecture Series – The Founding of the Dulwich Picture Gallery 1811: Dulwich College and ‘the Bourgeois Gallery’. Jan Piggott, Linbury Room 10.30am £10
June 2011
Sunday 5th Organ Recital by Robert Wooley Christ’s Chapel, Dulwich Village at 7.45pm
Sydenham International Music Festival Concert – Endellion String Quartet Haydn, Mendelssohn, Schubert. 7.30pm St Bartholomew’s Church, Westwood Hill SE 26 Tickets £16.50 concs £12.50 Tel: 020 8778 4701
Thursday 9th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society – Lecture – The Amish People: their history, culture and quilts. By Jan Jefferson. James Allen’s Girls’ School 6th form lecture theatre at 8pm.
Sydenham Music International Festival concert – Sir Willard White, bass/baritone: Sylvia Kevorkian, soprano: Eugene Asti piano – Schumann. Liszt, Mozart, Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein. St Bartholomew’s Church, Westwood Hill SE 26 at 7.30pm Tickets £19 concs £13.50 tel: 020 8778 4701
Saturday 11th Dulwich Picture Gallery - tour of the Gallery’s architecture, alterations and extensions of the past 200 years. 10.15-11.15am. led by Ian McInnes tickets £8 booking required from Gallery desk.
Sunday 12th Dulwich Garden Safari in aid of Dulwich Helpline. Five beautiful gardens to explore 2pm-6pm. Ticket/map on the day from 22 Court Lane SE 21 7DZ. Adults £5, children under 16 free. No Dogs Tea and home made cakes available.
Tuesday 14th Dulwich Picture Gallery Contextual Lecture series – The Tyranny of the Left and of the Right: Georg Hegel’s Unintended Legacy by George Rousseau. Linbury Room 10.30am
Thursday 16th Dulwich Picture Gallery Lecture – Rembrandt (Masterpiece of the month) by Jessica Saraga. Linbury Room 7pm for 7.30pm
Thursday 23rd Dulwich Society Garden Group. Full day visit to Pashley Manor and Scotney Castle Gardens. Price £28 includes transport, tips and admission to Pashley Manor. Bring your National Trust card for admission to Scotney Castle. Reservations via Ian Pulleine, 1 Perifield SE 21 8NG. Telephone 8670 5477 (after 11.00am)
Sunday 26th Sydenham International Music Festival Concert – featuring BBC Young Musician of the Year – Lara Melda. Festival Orchestra conducted by Robert Trory. Weber Overture ‘Der Freisch_tz’, Thomas Hyde ‘ Sinfonia minuscola’, Mozart Concerto No20 in D minor, Beethoven Symphony No 5 in C minor. St Bartholmew’s Church Westwood Hill SE 26 at 7.30pm. Tickets £19 concs £13.50 Tel: 020 8778 4701
Tuesday 28th Dulwich Picture Gallery Contextual Lecture series – The Keys of Spain: The Duke of Wellington and the Peninsula Campaign in 1811. by Kenneth Wolfe. Linbury Room 10.30am
July 2011
Saturday 9th Dulwich Symphony Orchestra – Concert Programme includes Ginastera Harp Concerto with soloist Elizabeth McNulty and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade”.
at All Saints' Church, Lovelace Road, West Dulwich, SE21 8JY at 7.45pm. Ticket prices £8, concessions £5 and children under 16 free, and includes an interval drink.
Wednesday 13th July – Saturday 16th The Dulwich Players present ARCADIA by Tom Stoppard at 8pm Edward Alleyn Theatre, Dulwich College. Tickets : £8 Available from Box Office : 020 8670 0890 or from The Art Stationers, Dulwich Village or on the door
Thursday 14th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society – Lecture – Spirituality in 20th Century Art by Rosalind White. James Allen’s Girls’ School 6th Form lecture theatre at 8pm.
Dulwich Picture Gallery Lecture – Ingres (Masterpiece of the month) by Alan Read. Linbury Room 7pm for 7.30pm.
September 2011
Sunday 11th In aid of Dulwich Helpline - Concert by James Allen Community Orchestra. The programme will include Elgar’s Cello Concerto (soloist Paul Brunner) and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 4. Tickets £7 (concs £5) Send stamped addressed envelope to Music Dept., JAGS, East Dulwich Grove SE 22 8TE
Thursday 15th Dulwich Community Council Meeting - The Future of Dulwich Libraries. 7pm Dulwich Library, 368 Lordship Lane SE 22.
Thursday 22nd Dulwich Picture Gallery Masterpiece of the Month - Presiding Genius Lecture - Gainsborough: Mrs Sheridan - National Gallery of Art, Washington DC 7 for 7.30 pm Linbury Room £10 (includes glass of wine)
Saturday 24th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery - Jazz in the Garden with the Charles Cary-Elwes jazz group. Tickets £18 (students £5) 6.30pm-9.30pm. Bar available, bring a picnic.
Tuesday 27th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery. Lecture - What is Romanticism? by Val Woodgate. Linbury Room 7.45pm £10
October 2011
Tuesday 4th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery Lecture - Airy Visions painted with Steam: The art of JMW Turner. by Frank Woodgate Linbury Room 7.45pm £10
Thursday 6th Dulwich Picture Gallery Masterpiece of the Month - Presiding Genius Lecture - John Constable: The Leaping Horse - Royal Academy of Arts, London 7 for 7.30pm Linbury Room £10 (includes glass of wine)
Tuesday 11th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery - Lecture: Madmen or Visionaries? By Jo Walton Linbury Room 7.45pm £10.
Thursday 13th Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society Lecture - When we were Young: a Social and Design History of Children’s China James Allen’s Girls School 6th Form Lecture Theatre 7.30 for 8.00pm
Wednesday 19th October-Saturday 22nd October at 8pm - “Nuts” by Tom Toper directed by ?Isabelle Manevy and David St Clare Nelson? Set in a courtroom in New York's Bellevue Hospital, the story follows a?high-priced call girl incarcerated on a charge for killing a violent client.?The State, represented by a court appointed psychiatrist and an aggressive prosecutor,?say Claudia Faith Draper is unfit to stand trial. As testimony from experts, physicians? and her parents unfolds, with her psyche and childhood dissected, she attempts to prove?that she isn't "nuts" - and claim the right to trial for manslaughter. At the Edward Alleyn Theatre, Dulwich College . Tickets £8 from The Art Stationers, Dulwich Village
Tuesday 25th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery Lecture - Truth and Nature: The Landscapes of John Constable by Rosalind White. Linbury Room 7.45pm £10
November 2011
Tuesday 1st Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery Lecture - Gothic Nightmares by Peter Scott. Linbury Room 7.45pm £10
Thursday 3rd Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery In Town Series Lectures - Gerhard Richter at Tate Modern 7 for 7.30pm Linbury Room £10 (includes a glass of wine)
Sunday 6th Dulwich Society - ‘Covering Shakespeare and McKellen’ David Weston talks about, and performs cameos from the literature of the Bard, and about his new book ‘Covering McKellen’. Linbury Room Dulwich Picture Gallery 3pm. Dulwich Society member households free but ticket required (email:
Tuesday 8th Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery Lecture - Neo- Romanticism by Linda Smith. Linbury Room 7.45pm £10 (includes glass of wine)
Thursday 10th Dulwich decorative & Fine Arts Society Lecture - A Crisis of Brilliance: Young British Artists 1908-1919 James Allen’s Girl’s School 6th Form Lecture Theatre 7.30 for 8pm
Thursday 24th Dulwich Picture Gallery Masterpiece of the Month - Presiding Genius Lecture -David Hockney: Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy - Tate Britain. 7 for 7.30pm Linbury Room £10 (includes glass of wine)
Saturday 26th Dulwich Symphony Orchestra - Concert - Mendelssohn Overture: Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Op 27. Alban Berg: Violin Concerto soloist: Amanda Lake. Butterworth: Rhapsody: A Shropshire Lad. Elgar: Enigma Variations Op 36. Guest conductor - Leigh O’Hara. The concert starts at 7.45pm All Saints Church, Lovelace Road SE 21. Tickets £8 concs. £5, children under 16 free. All available on the door.
Sunday 27th In aid of Dulwich Helpline - an illustrated talk by Brian Green: Three Spies and an Invention: a different account of wartime Dulwich. Linbury Room, Dulwich Picture Gallery at 3pm. Tickets £7 (concs £5) from Dulwich Helpline tel no. 020 8299 2623
December 2011
Saturday 3rd at 7.30pm. Dulwich Choral Society and Dulwich Festival Orchestra CONCERT conducted by Aidan Oliver. Fantasia on Christmas Carols – Vaughan Williams, Hansel and Gretel Overture – Humperdinck, In terra pax – Finzi, Gloria – Polenc. Soloists: Caroline MacPhie soprano, Marcus Farnsworth baritone . All Saints Church, Rosendale Road SE 21. Tickets £16 (£8 for under 17’s) from The Art Stationers, 31 Dulwich Village SE 21 7BN, South London Music, Grove Vale, SE 22 8DY or call 0207 274 6159
Thursday 8th Dulwich Picture Gallery Masterpiece of the Month Lecture – Domenichino: The Adoration of the Shepherds by Jessica Saraga. Linbury Room 7.30pm £10 (includes glass of wine)
Dulwich Decorative & Fine Arts Society Lecture – Arms and the Man: Heraldry Old and New by Peter Dewar. 8pm James Allen’s Girls’ School 6th Form Lecture Theatre.
Tuesday 13th Dulwich Picture Gallery lecture - Soane and After revisited by Giles Waterfield 7pm. Linbury Room. Tickets £10 (concs £9) includes a glass of wine.
'Save the Velodrome’
An alliance of residents and cyclists has been formed to save a former Olympic stadium from closure. The Herne Hill Velodrome is the oldest cycling track in the country and the home of the 1948 Olympic Cycling Championships. But now it faces closure due to deterioration and lack of funding. There is no alternative track in London for the hundreds of children who ride and race there. In the past, that has included Bradley Wiggins, the three-time Olympic gold medalist, who began his competitive cycling career at Herne Hill.
The Campaign is the brainchild of Hillary Peachey, a local resident whose children use the site regularly. She says, “It seems shameful that, with 2012 approaching, London cannot even sustain the facilities it has. That is why we are calling on Londoners as a whole to save this precious resource.”
The Campaign kicks off with a public meeting at Dulwich College at 7.30 pm on
Wednesday 6th October. But Londoners are asked to register their support on www.savethevelodrome.com or www.facebook.com/savethevelodrome
Campaigners aim to secure the future of the site and make it a viable long-term facility for all, including local residents and schools. Hillary adds, “We are going to find a viable, sustainable and environmentally sensitive solution. The only given is that dit must be cycling-led, inclusive and work for the entire community.”
EDWARD ALLEYN & BANKSIDE – HISTORY WALK
SUNDAY 3rd OCTOBER 2010 AT 2:30PM
Edward Alleyn, the founder of the Dulwich Estate and celebrated Elizabethan actor, performed at the Rose Theatre on Bankside and was also Church Warden of St Saviour’s Southwark (now Southwark Cathedral). Southwark history expert Stephen Humphrey will relate the history of this ancient church and its connection with Alleyn. Archeologist Harvey Sheldon, who discovered the site of the Rose Theatre, will talk about the Elizabethan Stage, and local historian Brian Green will discuss the political and social tensions which overshadowed the staging of plays at that time.
Meet at the south door to Southwark Cathedral
Nearest tube - London Bridge
Tickets £5 – payable on the day
The Dulwich Society Commemorates the Sign of the Red Post
The Dulwich Society, in conjunction with The Herne Hill Society, will unveil a red-painted fingerpost in front of the Herne Hill United Church at the top of Red Post Hill on Saturday October 2nd at 11.am. The new fingerpost will replicate the former ‘cross of direction’, known as the ‘Red Post’, which stood nearby, from at least the middle of the eighteenth century to around 1840, and which gave its name to Red Post Hill early in the nineteenth century; originally the road had been called Aspole Lane, probably meaning Ashpole, and is mentioned in Dulwich’s fourteenth century Court Rolls.
The Red Post, then standing in the middle of the road now named Herne Hill/Denmark Hill, was marked on contemporary maps and appeared in the text of early guide books to the environs of London.
Fingerposts began to appear in England after 1697 when legislation enabled magistrates to order directional signs to be put up at cross-highways. There is a tradition that red-painted fingerposts (which still exist in small numbers in the West Country) marked the route to prisons for convicts sentenced to transportation.
The new red fingerpost, which was awarded a Dulwich Community Council grant under the CGS Scheme (Cleaner Greener Safer), will also have an explanatory plaque.
ZELKOVA
Many residents will have noticed that the huge Zelkova tree on the north-western side of the junction of College Road and Dulwich Common (South Circular) has been pollarded. The work was carried out by Transport for London (TfL) tree surgeons on Saturday 21st August.
The Zelkova, which dates from around 1780, had been a cause for concern for some years because of the way its enormous branch canopy leant over College Road unbalancing the tree. Over the last year two independent expert reports have confirmed that the tree was starting to lean more and more and that there was a growing risk that it would present a serious threat to the safety of both pedestrians and traffic – several hundred boys from Dulwich College walk past it every day in term time.
After considerable discussion over many months between all the interested parties, TfL, Southwark Council, the Dulwich Estate and the Dulwich Society, it was finally confirmed, at a meeting on 14th August, that the tree should be taken down.
Over the next few days both John Welton of the Dulwich Society Trees Group and Oliver Stutter, Southwark Council’s Tree Officer, continued to argue that the tree should be pollarded, rather than removed entirely. After further last minute negotiations, the Dulwich Estate, the actual owner of the tree, agreed subject to TfL giving an assurance that, with the removal of the heavy overhanging branches alone, the tree would be left in a safe condition, which they did.
The tree is a sad sight at the moment but expert advice is that it will start to grow back in the spring. However, it will need active management by the Dulwich Estate over the next few years to make sure that any branches do not grow over the road again.
London South Bank University Sports Field, Turney Road
The Society has been told that the London South Bank University is likely to cease active management of their Sports Ground in Turney Road in the very near future. The ground is currently leased from the Dulwich Estate and the lease has seven years still remaining.
The LSBU Clubhouse Manager has confirmed that the ground staff expect to be made redundant shortly with the ground closing w/c 30 August. If the ground remains closed for the duration of the lease, it will be made secure and a minimum amount of maintenance will take place to keep it from becoming totally overgrown and run down.
Andy Powlesland, Director, Academy of Sport, at the university has informed the Turney Road Residents Association (TRRA) and other site users that a consultation period is under way which will end on 31 August. At the end of this period it will be decided what will happen to the ground. Apparently it is no longer financially viable for the University to keep the ground open for the remainder of the lease - this would cost the university in excess of £1 million. Mr Powlesland has told site users that it was extremely difficult to use the facilities at the ground to their full potential, due to local restrictions and local opposition to the use of, for example, floodlit pitches, artificial surfaces and late licences for the bar. These are potential areas which could increase the profitability of the ground and its facilities but have not been an option for the university. They feel that it is not justifiable for them to provide sports facilities for local clubs who are based mainly in the Lambeth and Southwark areas. Students no longer use the facility. There are now no University sports teams who play at the ground. From the university's perspective, this makes it unreasonable for them to keep the ground open, given the cost that would be involved in doing so.
Mr Powlesland has said he was not at liberty to disclose whom the university is in consultation with and it is unclear whether the consultation process involves parties who may be interested in taking the lease over. He raised the possibility of the grounds re-opening sometime after Christmas with someone else taking over the lease. At present this must be treated as pure speculation.
The encouraging news is that one of the cricket clubs has told us that a consortium of major site users including the cricket clubs, football and schools’/LSBU sports’ sections has met in the past couple of weeks and agreed to develop a business plan to manage the site. The University has been open with their financials to the consortium who believe that LSBU would welcome a formal approach to run the site. The consortium is meeting with legal advisers, Southwark Council and LSBU to actively progress their plan but it is early days. At this stage it is unclear whether the proposal is financially viable or indeed, will be acceptable to the Dulwich Estate.
The TRRA have asked the site manager and cricket club chairs to keep them posted of developments, and confirmed that residents would welcome a continuation of sports at the ground – to avoid the grounds lying fallow and at risk of being fenced off, poorly maintained and insecure.
Local councillors have been approached and are taking an active interest. The Society has also contacted the Dulwich Estate who have stated that they are not aware of LSBU’s proposed departure.
The most favourable outcome would be for the Sports Ground to be taken over by a consortium of current users who would maintain the current position of an actively used and well maintained Sports Ground.
The Fox Problem
Several local residents have voiced concern about foxes in Dulwich Park and in their own gardens.
Foxes, like other wild British mammals, are protected by law against cruel treatment and also against the use of poisons and illegal traps or snares.
Non-lethal deterrent strategies are the answer, not culling – see this statement from DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs): “Recent events have heightened public concern about urban foxes, however, attacks of this kind are extremely rare and we have no records of any other such attacks in recent years. In light of this, we have no plans to carry out a government-led cull of foxes...
Previous attempts to kill urban foxes to achieve a sustained population reduction have not been successful in the long-term because of the mobility of foxes and their ability to produce offspring in large numbers; territories made vacant by culling resident foxes are rapidly colonised by new individuals. The most effective strategies to resolve fox problems have primarily relied on non-lethal methods, focusing on preventative and deterrent strategies. The availability of food is likely to be a key factor in limiting urban fox populations.”
The Society’s Wildlife Group suggests the following tips for avoiding problematic inter-species encounters.
Firstly, take a good look around your local “territory” (garden, patio, back yard) and see what lies within that could attract a fox to visit. Bear in mind that any creatures living “wild” will be looking for the same things – water, nutrition and shelter from the elements and from enemies. Foxes aren’t, by nature, nocturnal, as their physiology shows, but tend to forage by night as a result of centuries of human persecution.
Do you have a pond or other fresh water that an animal would want to drink from (especially during this last summer’s bouts of extreme heat)? You may wish to make access a little harder if you don’t want foxes as regular callers, e.g. put in a prickly vegetation surround, wobbly stones, etc., in much the same way you might protect pond fish from cat or heron predators. But do be sure to still provide access to fresh drinking water for the birds (and any hedgehogs you may be lucky enough to have in your area), by positioning water sources accordingly (e.g. suspended bird bath, small water dish under a low plank across two bricks).
Do you offer a fox a meal? You may not be deliberately feeding a local fox group, but inadvertently triggering their hunting and scavenging instincts by having in your garden an inadequately protected outdoor-living prey species, such as a pet rabbit or guinea pig (i.e. not housed in suitably tough galvanised metal caging or run that’s too heavy for a fox to lift. It would need to be underwired below the soil to a distance far enough for the pet not to be dug out). Perhaps there is uneaten catfood around, or spilt bird food. Any wild rodents using your garden or living in and around your premises will also be attracting foxes hunting for food. (The mice will have been raiding the spilt bird food first and the rats will have been chasing the mice...it’s amazing what goes on in the garden at night, when you’re not around ). If you are a keen gardener, be aware that certain fertilizers (blood, bonemeal, manure) will all attract foxes. They will dig into the treated soil because their ultra-keen sense of smell will be telling them – falsely – that tasty carrion lies buried below. All members of the dog family routinely “cache” (hide/bury) surplus prey as a kind of wildlife larder.
Has your garden got the ideal spot to shelter a breeding earth? Foxes will lie up under any vegetation, or sunbathe on flat rooves, and rotate their open-air sleeping quarters, but pregnant vixens usually seek out a dry, secluded spot (e.g. under a garden shed) which offers a ready-made roof and protection from predators (such as an unneutered tom cat or inquisitive family pet dog) who might kill and eat her cubs. So block off such zones if you don’t want fox cubs in your garden.
Damage and soiling problems in gardens are usually the result of young foxes practising digging (which uproots your treasured plants in the process), “playing” to hone their hunting and other survival skills in adulthood, or of territorial marking with faeces or urine which has been impregnated with oily pheronome-rich excretions to send signals to other mammals. Faeces are often placed deliberately to act as visual, as well as scented, markers. Many deterrence methods exploit this – for instance, using dog (male or female) urine can be highly effective in telling a visiting fox that a bigger, fiercer animal has already tagged the territory as their own, so the intruder had better beat it. Human urine is also a good deterrent – but for hormonal reasons, it must be male.
Other methods rely on the scarecrow effect – lights, noises, vibrations, jets of water, etc. But any unexpected object, even one as simple as a large plastic container in the middle of the garden, will put a fox off – until the animal has got used to its presence and no longer views it with suspicion.
Then you can find an alternative objet trouve and place it in a new site – cheaper than some other deterrents. John Bryant, a wildlife consultant who advises on non-lethal solutions to urban wildlife problems, is based in Tonbridge, Kent, and offers advice over the ‘phone and on-site consultations, if necessary, at around £80-£90. (Humane Wildlife Deterrence 01732 357355, www.jbryant.co.uk). Foxolutions.co.uk, 0844 8040630, www.foxolutions.co.uk, based in Beckenham, offer a range of deterrents and repellents for all kinds of sites. The Fox Project charity, admin 01892 824111 offers advice and a DIY deterrence helpline 01892 826222.
Southwark Council Advice:
Southwark Council has also put advice on their website. It does not offer a pest control service in regard to foxes, as they are not categorized as pests and are offered protection by the law.
They suggest taking the following practical steps to deter foxes from entering property:
* Remove potential food sources.
* Keep rubbish in bins - closed wheelie bins are fox-proof.
* Don't leave bagged rubbish outside.
* Remove piles of garden clippings.
* Fill gaps under garden sheds (a fox can squeeze under a 10cm or 4 inch gap and like to shelter under sheds).
* Only leave bird food in bird food dispensers.
* Protect small pets like rabbits and guinea pigs in sturdy hutches (chicken wire isn't strong enough to keep foxes out, use strong welded mesh instead).
* Tidy up an overgrown garden
* Repair any damaged air bricks (don't block them up - houses need ventilation).
Wallpaper - An Exhibition at the Cuming Museum
1 July to 28 August 2010
This exhibition is a rare chance to see some of the finest examples of the Arts and Crafts wallpaper design of the late 19th and early 20th century as well as contemporary wallpaper designs created by students from the London Collage of Communication surface design degree course.
Programme of events:
Thursday evening talks at 6pm
July 15 - Dr Christopher Jordan “An introduction to the exhibition”.
July 22 - Tony Roche “Contemporary print making”.
July 29 - David Mabb “William Morris Interventions”
ALSO: Activities for children and families
July 24 Wonderful wallpaper! Family art day. 2012 Open Weekend (london2012.com/openweekend). Look at the historic wallpapers and have a go at making your own. Learn some printing techniques and design your own wallpaper.
August - Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10.30am
Summer holiday craft activities for holiday clubs.
The Cuming Museum
Old Town Hall
151 Walworth Road
London SE17 1RY
Tel 020 7525 2332
www.southwark.gov.uk/cumingmuseum
Transport Train and Tube: Elephant & Castle
Bus: 12, 35, 40, 45, 68,171, 176, 468, P5
Admission free
Opening hours
Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm
The museum is fully wheelchair accessible.