The Dulwich Society Journal for Winter 2023.
Controlled Parking Zone
One of the key planks of the Council’s new ‘Streets for People’ strategy is to introduce a borough-wide Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) rather than the piecemeal implementation which has been the case up to now. Several local public engagement meetings were held with residents during July and August and an online consultation closed on 10 September.
At the Southwark Cabinet Meeting on 17 October, there was a delegation from Nunhead, Dulwich and Queens Road, together with a 500+ signature petition about the CPZ proposals. Council Leader, Cllr Kieron Williams said there had been a very large response to the consultations and it would take the council a few weeks to produce a proper response to all the submissions they had received.He also admitted that, as a result of the responses, they would be making changes to the scheme though he didn’t clarify what the changes would be, nor could he confirm when a full council response would be distributed. He said that they were continuing to talk to stakeholders, and James McAsh, Cabinet Member for the Climate Emergency, Clean Air and Streets, reiterated that the scheme was not revenue raising but in support of Southwark’s strategic goals and clean air.
The delegation then spoke and confirmed that a further delegation would present a 3000+ petition at the Council Assembly in November.It also raised queries over the legality and fairness of the proposals citing poor consultation and low PTAL ratings etc. and there was a question about the legal letter sent to the Council which had had only a cursory response.
Dulwich Estate
In September the Estate introduced its new web portal which moved billing and property services online. Freehold residents, leaseholders and business owners are now able to access a secure internet service which provides property and Estate information and payment options in one place. Details were included with the annual Scheme of Management charge letter. The Estate has subsequently issued an explanatory letter to explain the substantial increase in the charge.
Horniman Museum
The Horniman was awarded £5.7m in July from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This will allow it to upgrade some of its buildings and transform other areas like the garden and nature trail. The project cost is approximately £10m, so they will need to do additional fundraising. Further details are on the Horniman website in the News section, dated July. www.horniman.ac.uk/story/major-grant-for-nature-love
Dulwich Community Patrol in Village Ward
The pilot of the new Dulwich Community Patrol scheme started on 6th November and will run until Christmas. It is based on a well-established scheme in Enfield, which has helped to reduce youth robberies and anti-social behaviour.
Following a well-attended public meeting at the Charter School North Dulwich on 12th October, and with the full support of the local police, the scheme has been actively recruiting volunteers. The aim is to give additional on-the-ground support to the local Safer Neighbourhood Team, to provide assurance to school children and help reduce fear of crime - a visible but non-confrontational adult presence on the streets. The volunteers, wearing blue hi-vis jackets, will initially patrol well-known school dispersal routes. For information on volunteering visit https://forms.gle/ivkAVrXMF3KPProq8
New Speed Limits on South Circular
Following an online ‘engagement’ exercise held earlier in the year and after an initial delay, TfL has introduced a reduced 20mph speed limit along Dulwich Common and Thurlow Park Road. The new limit is a part of the Mayor of London’s ‘Vision Zero Action Plan’.
JAGS new Pre-Prep site
JAGS is planning to move its Pre-Prep School from the large Victorian house at 2 Dulwich Village to a new site adjacent to the main school. This involves redevelopment of the two empty 1960s houses at 152-154 East Dulwich Grove. The proposed new school will have a three-storey main building. A public exhibition was held in November and the school intends to submit a planning application to Southwark Council by the end of the year.Further information is at www.jagspre-prepproject.org.uk/consultation
Southwark Land Commission
The Southwark Land Commission, the first in a London borough, was established in September 2022. The Commission’s final report was published in September 2023 and consists of 25 priority actions falling under seven key recommendations, with an action plan included at the end of the report which sets out high-level timeframes and responsibilities. The seven recommendations are:
1. Put social purpose at the heart of land use
2. Map what’s there and what isn’t
3. Take control of our land and assets
4. Defend and extend affordable accommodation for all
5. Cherish our natural capital and decarbonise our land
6. Give the community real power and voice
7. Disrupt the status quo to unlock bigger change
Road Gully Cleaning and Council Action
Residents in the south of the Estate have raised concerns with councillors about the failure of both Southwark and Lambeth to keep road drainage gulleys clear of leaves, particularly in Dulwich Wood Park and Dulwich Wood Avenue. This has resulted in flooding at Paxton Green and Gipsy Hill. Southwark has a ‘Leafing Schedule’ which can be found at www.southwark.gov.uk/street-care/leafing-information-and-schedules
Dulwich Village Christmas Stocking
The festive fair in Dulwich Village will be held on Sunday 3rd December. PopChoir and local school musicians will provide Christmas music and there will be a stocking competition for children along with festive food and drink.
Local History Talks Online
The popular online monthly talks will continue into the New Year:
- 5 December: Labour Party politicians in Dulwich since WW1 (Duncan Bowie)
- 2 January: East Dulwich Pubs, 1860-1960 (Ian McInnes)
- 6 February: More Dulwich Then and Now (Brian Green)
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By Dr Martin Heath, of the Belair Park Ecology & Education Group
The history of Belair House has been well researched by the Local History Group of the Dulwich Society. Parts of the House date back to 1785, the reign of George III. The American War of Independence (1776-1783) had just ended. The French Revolution would shortly occur (1789-1799), and ahead lay the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815).In this article, however, I focus on another dramatic transition in human history. It is less well-known than these wars and revolutions, but arguably even more important. This is the so-called “Great Acceleration”, flagged up by the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (1987 to 2015). This programme analysed data illustrating the impact of human activity on the Earth system, for example, population growth, energy and water usage, increases in carbon dioxide and methane, rising temperatures, ocean acidification and loss of tropical forests. Since 1950, that is, during our lifetime, there has been a marked acceleration in these changes. It was during this time that the history of Belair Park, as such, began, as a fenced-off sports area became a public green space in 1965.
All of the human activity that we see around the park, in the roads, the railway, in the sky, as aircraft head for Heathrow and other destinations, and out in space, as we watch satellites pass over at night, can be understood as part of this Great Acceleration. In addition to advances that make modern civilisation possible, we face human-driven climate change and immense ecological and societal problems.
Since the mid-1980s, I and a group of associates have focused on Belair Park, as a location where we can seek to turn around or minimise the threat to a small part of the ecosystem on Earth. Needless to say, one of the most attractive features of the park is its ornamental lake fed by groundwaters from the “lost” River Effra. Looking like a real stream, it is held in place by puddled clay, and constructed uphill of the natural water flow. The railway embankment constructed in 1863 by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, defines the Park and also impedes the natural water flow.
With support from the park staff, we created marginal plants and islands in the lake. In places, these islands have become overgrown, so restoring them will be a task for the future. I recall that when the park opened, one would expect to see sticklebacks and minnows in the water. Have these once common fish disappeared from the Lake? The Dulwich Society used to hold bat watches in the summer, along hedgerows, but also across the Lake. Have we since lost bats, thanks to external forces?
In terms of grasses and trees, we have been successful. Back in the 1960s, a lawn descended from the house to the lake, where there was little more than bamboo and alders. Beginning in the mid-1980s, we made a substantial difference. I am grateful to park staff for allowing me to develop a narrow wildlife zone, and over the years, it spread. In 1992, at the instigation of a Southwark Ecology Officer, we planted juvenile black poplars from the London Wildlife Trust Centre for Wildlife Gardening, Marsden Road (East Dulwich). A stake picked up from a park dump to help hold a tree, actually grew into another black poplar. Over 30 years later, these, and various other trees from around this time, have grown huge. After the flood relief work almost a decade ago, goat willows have been allowed to proliferate beyond the original here, so tree cover has expanded.
It has been a pleasure to act in the role of catalyst.
Also a triumph are the beautiful and eye-catching hedgerows, along the park's western and northern railway margins. This greatly transformed a much smaller row of trees beside the railway embankment fence. We are grateful for the involvement of the Dulwich Society, with whom we shared Angela Wilkes and the late David Nicholson-Lord as members. It was they who devised this fantastic project. I think about them every time I walk along the hedgerows.
In an example of amazing serendipity, a new organisation, New Leaf, appeared beside West Dulwich Station in 2006. The founder, Vinnie O'Connell (Fellow of the Linnean Society), started a small botanical garden illustrating the evolution of plant life over geological time. Vinnie has organised essential volunteer work in our park.
There was a key moment on October 23, 2010, when Southwark Councillor Barrie Hargrove cut the ribbons on the new hedgerows, recognised by Southwark as a worthy contribution to the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity and spoke with passion of the need to preserve biodiversity and steward our national environment. We are deeply indebted to Rebecca Towers and Paul Highman, former Parks Managers and also the excellent Jon Best, who was Ecology Officer for more than 25 years, until a few months ago.
As readers may have discovered, a sad event occurred at the end of September 2023, when a huge oak tree fell. Its boughs had all grown in the same direction, towards the west, and it had been leaning. I acted fast to engage with Southwark Tree Officers, who were keen to provide wood to rot down and create eco-habitats in the Wildlife Walk across the Lake.
Today, our job is still to work with park staff, notably the wonderfully supportive Robert Roach, and volunteer bodies, to keep the project ticking, but without heavy-handed management. We hope that the Belair Wood Meadow, currently being created by Southwark, will be a new opportunity for the public to get involved in eco-work and we will let everyone know how to participate.
With the perspective of a geographer, I understand that Belair Park is not an island, and that energy, air, water, nutrients and life flow through it. It is a node within which a network of wildlife corridors criss-crosses London and so, is part of the global ecosystem. What we do here will carry consequences to distant places.
Belair Park is a place where we can make a stand for Planet Earth.
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Alison Venn explains the role of volunteers at King’s College Hospital
Have you spotted the team of orange polo shirts at KCH and wondered what they do? Zoom in on a friendly guide in the Golden Jubilee or Hambledon Wing and you’re likely to find the location of your appointment or the ward you want to visit more easily. In A&E they explain and make sure you know where you are in the process and support you at anxious times. On the wards they’re helping staff serve lunch, listening and making conversation at the bedside. Signing in at outpatient clinics is easy when a volunteer is there to show you. Good at admin? Introducing the Entertainment portal? These are other ways in which you can help to transform patient experience. You get so much in return.
The KCH Staff team, Amber, Faye, Lovia, Roger, Zoe and Luke, are there to nurture you and to ensure that you enjoy a range of opportunities and training, and that you feel rewarded and appreciated. If they get a whiff of your musical skills, you could be giving impromptu performances on a ward. Happy with words and you’ll be writing and delivering Valentines and Christmas messages to patients, to show we’re thinking about them as individuals. Faye connects us with a weekly newsletter and, in the office, Roger keeps our spirits high. He’s King’s King of Cracker Jokes.
King’s currently has 850 volunteers across the five hospitals in the Trust. Last year we provided over 70,000 hours of support, equivalent to £837k at the London living wage. KCH volunteers are as diverse as the South London streets where we live. You can be under 18, over 65 and anything in between. The eldest is 88 years old! You train and mix with people of all backgrounds drawn from local communities. The induction on site is for every newbie - volunteer, porter or consultant. You really do feel part of the King’s family, pulling together and sharing the King’s values to be a kind, respectful team.
This could be you. How about making it a New Year’s resolution? It might steer you towards a new career in the NHS or just brighten your day. Visit: www.kch.nhs.uk/about/get-involved/volunteering/
Jean Hedden - former Occupational Therapy Assistant at King’s
“I opted for a Meet and Greet role because it meant I was ambulatory. It was much more interesting to be walking about and taking people to where they needed to be, because for a few brief moments, as you walk together, you chat to them and get their life stories. The biographer, Claire Tomalin, said ‘One life is not enough’ - it’s a bit like that for me - I can live vicariously through other people’s lives. My kids always tell me I’m nosy, so it’s perfect!
“The whole point is to make people feel that their visit to King’s is a good experience. The hospital is big, it can be frightening and I can make people feel more comfortable. They might be late and nervous. They are unwell. They rely on people to be compassionate, kind, sympathetic. Some people don’t have much English and produce scraps of paper. It’s reassuring to have help. I love the satisfaction that I’ve helped someone. It’s a win, win. They need help, I like helping.
“For this role you need to be engaging, friendly, smiling. You make a connection, get on their wavelength and perhaps see them again next week. Sometimes it’s more. You are problem-solving for people who are too stressed to do it themselves. I’ve found that the Volunteers Office is great in support. I’m going to carry on while I can.”
Deborah Twist and Scruffy, 12-year-old pet therapy dog
“I knew Scruffy would be a good therapy dog because of his temperament and he passed the behavioural assessment just before Covid. I knew I’d enjoy it too. It’s nice to come in and make someone’s experience of hospital better. I started on the children’s wards, but people on other wards can also request to see a therapy dog. It’s always ‘Here’s Scruffy’, he leads the way, not me. I’m just incidental! He’s got a big fan club of staff too. We don’t get anywhere quickly!
“Patients can cuddle him if their nurse in charge confirms it’s allowed. It’s about the comfort it can bring people having a dog near them. Some patients are missing their dog at home. Some are here quite long-term so you build up a relationship and I think Scruffy senses people are happy with him. They might not have a dog now but stroking him takes them back. It takes them out of themselves too. It’s not all about machines and wires and bleeps for those minutes; they can forget those and it’s a different face, not medical. If the patient’s quite thrilled to see the dog and gets a bit emotional…that’s made their day.”
Zeke Ortiz - A&E Volunteer and Ward Befriender
Zeke has been volunteering for 18 months, squeezing in time once a week, even though he works long, demanding hours in hospitality. He’s already been involved in health care and studied biomedical engineering. With two degrees already in the bank, Zeke has just submitted his application to join an accelerated course into graduate medicine. He wants to see medicine on the front line.
“I saw that I was eligible for volunteering in A&E. You need the ability to listen, to think fast, manage stress and to communicate. Mostly the role was just orientating people, making sure that they knew what the process was that was going on around them, communicating between patients, who need support, and staff, who are very busy. There are different levels of patient distress and mobility, there can be language issues to manage.
“I now volunteer for three hours, currently on Byron Ward for elderly people, helping from 12 noon, first to give out soups, then I help to distribute the meals and help patients to eat. They have different needs which can bring confusion and stress. Mostly I just listen. People like to talk about their lives, about what brought them to hospital. I like caring for people.”
Natashia Clarke - Ward Befriender and former in-patient
Natashia is just months into her volunteering journey, following recovery from a terrible accident in 2018 when she fell six floors off a building. She was paralysed from the knees down and has almost lost count of the number of surgeries she’s faced, but jokes that her body is full of titanium.
“King’s not only saved my life but improved its quality. They operated on my lower spine, now I can walk and use a treadmill. I had bleeding on the brain and was in a coma but my intellect and my speech are back. They had to reconstruct my shoulder and my ankles.
“Volunteering is my way of saying thank you to King’s College Hospital, because I wouldn’t be alive without them. The staff are wonderful. If I can see that someone needs a bit more help or encouragement, I will say to them ‘I was a patient on Trundle Ward’ and tell them why. It’s a blessing to be here. I was saved to serve other people.
“I enjoy meeting people, engaging with them and seeing them improve. I go to whoever needs attention. It’s about giving and receiving. Everyone’s happy.”
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By Jim Belben, Chair of the Bell House Pottery Planning Group
Two years ago, in a forgotten corner of the Bell House courtyard, hidden behind the period coach house was an unpromising patch of concrete, home to an enormous wheelie bin and some garden waste. Yet just over the nine-foot wall, hidden from view, was the wonder of the Bell House garden, just recovered from its deep surgery to install the ground source heat pump.
Fast forward to October 2023 and this scrapyard has been transformed into a state-of-the-art pottery: a community ceramics studio, open to all, laying on classes every day of the week, for all abilities and for all budgets, to further broaden the Bell House creative curriculum. A massive picture window looks out onto the splendid kitchen garden, which buzzes with life (bird, insect, human) and floods the studio with light and colour.
This studio is one of the many transformations achieved by Bell House and one of the most eagerly anticipated.The Bell House Pottery existed as an idea well before the architect’s plans were drawn up. Angus and Fabienne Hanton had experienced the therapeutic power of working with clay in their own family life - weekly pottery classes had helped their son overcome depression in his student days. They also knew from consulting with similar historic house charities that their pottery classes always sold out.
The demand was there. The desire was there. So, the investment followed and, under the careful eye of Burgess architects, a sustainably-sourced, energy-efficient, low-carbon building rose from the London Clay and now graces the courtyard - topped with Dulwich Estate-compliant solar panels, subtly blended to their environment. An enormous new see-through gate made of pre-rusted Corten steel allows glimpses of the garden from the courtyard. It’s a triumph.
It proved the ideal venue for our recent pottery launch party on a balmy October evening. Dulwich residents and neighbours, students and donors were there to see the ribbon cut and the bell rung; yes, Bell House now has two bells - one in the bell tower, of course, but the second is in the studio where proud potters can alert their fellow students to a breakthrough in their practice.
Classes started in September. As expected, ‘Throwing on the wheel’ is a big draw. All the five-week throwing courses and the 2-hour taster sessions have been fully booked. If you want to join in, you can find the full offering on the Bell House website (https://www.bellhouse.co.uk/pottery).
We have four experienced teachers plus a technician who also teaches the ‘Taster’ sessions. Our teachers are notable potters in their own right with their own practice. For example, Birgit Pohl won Best Thrown Exhibit at the London Potters Annual Members Exhibition 2022 and is a Selected Member of the Craft Potters Association. Joanna Szwej-Hawkin won Best Hand-built Exhibit at London Potters Members Exhibition 2022. One of her ceramic pictures has been selected for 2023 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Feedback from the first students has been so positive.
Do come and visit. We have open studio first Saturday of each month, to coincide with the monthly open garden.
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By Jack Hartshorn, General Manager and Co-Founder
Kingswood Arts, a not-for-profit arts centre is breathing new life into Kingswood House, Dulwich. Designed to support its local community through creativity, the building has been redeveloped to offer a range of free and affordable activities for young people and families.
Built in 1814, Kingswood House holds an impressive legacy. Architect Henry Lanchester with James Lawson Johnston, the mastermind behind Bovril, reinvented the building’s style in the 1890s. The house was later used as a convalescent home for Canadian soldiers during World War One and in the 1950s, the surrounding grounds were transformed into a housing estate - a collection of 691 flats with Kingswood House at its heart. The impact of Covid-19 forced the closure of the house, and some rooms fell into disrepair. Over the last year, Kingswood Arts have worked to sensitively restore many of the key spaces back to their former glory.
There are now several beautiful spaces available for all types of events, from weddings to rehearsals, from christenings to conferences. Longer-term plans to refurbish and preserve the house are well underway. This includes urgent repairs to the exterior stonework, alongside renovating and restoring the original floors.
Kingswood Arts works to support and give voices to marginalised communities and those who face barriers to accessing arts and culture. Our programme is, and always will be, co-created with our local community to ensure each project or activity is relevant, affordable and accessible. Since the doors opened in April 2023, we’ve worked closely with residents, local groups, and the council to develop a model where Kingswood Arts will be accessible for all whilst generating enough income to support the significant running costs and maintenance of the house.
Our core year-round programme of activities focuses on free art, music, theatre and dance classes for local young people, many of whom wouldn't otherwise access these types of activities. However, we also have a focus on food and have recently launched our own little community garden. During this year's Black History Month, we held a community kitchen every Tuesday, which celebrated different cuisines, including Nigerian, Jamaican, Ghanaian and Trinidadian.
Creative Connect is another regular event which brings together creatives for networking, live music and discussion, and on Thursday 19th October the topic was ‘Celebrating Our Sisters’, black women working in creative industries. We’ve recently started Life Drawing Sessions every Monday from 7pm - 8pm, run by Louise C Galizia, and at the start of November, Dulwich Players took over the Great Hall for their production of Macbeth.
Our mission is to nurture a safe and welcoming environment where everyone can participate, learn and grow together. Our House was a consultation project we ran this summer designed to find out what our local community wants from the space, with engaging activities at its heart. Eight local groups participated in arts projects, including Kingsdale High School creating a short film about their futures, and Dulwich Wood school children building their ‘Plane of Dreams’. In all, this project has engaged with over 700 local residents and demonstrates the importance of creativity in our everyday lives.
Kingswood Arts strives to infuse new life into this historic house, impacting the current and future generations of South Londoners. We aim to nurture skills, encourage confidence and create connections, as Kingswood House reclaims its role as a vibrant heritage resource for its community.
We would love to welcome you through our doors so you can see the impact of Kingswood Arts first-hand. Our community café is open Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm, and all proceeds go into funding our activities and the restoration of Kingswood House. If you would like to find out how you can support us or would like to receive regular updates about our upcoming activities and events, please visit our website at www.kingswoodarts.com
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Subscriptions for 2024 are due on January 1st. They remain at £10 per household. Most members pay by standing order or direct debit and do not need to take any action. If you pay by cheque (or cash), please send it, payable to The Dulwich Society, to the address below. To save on costs of posting reminders, please pay promptly. If the Society has not received payment by the end of March, then names will be removed from the membership list.
For members who live outside our local area, the cost to post the Journal has gone up over the years. We would therefore appreciate a voluntary contribution of £5 from all members who receive their Journal in the post. This can either be paid by increasing your standing order to £15 or increasing your cheque value to a similar amount.
The monthly members’ eNews is now a popular source of up-to-date local news. If you are not receiving this, please send your email address to the membership e-mail address below.
A Happy Christmas and New Year to all our members.
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The Sleeping Beauty, Tchaikovsky
Saturday, 2nd December, 7.30pm
All Saints West Dulwich, Lovelace Road SE21 8JY
Tickets via Eventbrite or on the door £12 / £10 (concessions), under 16s free
A newborn Princess, a wicked fairy, the prick of a finger and final rescue by a handsome Prince. All the ingredients to add some magic to your Christmas.
Join Dulwich Symphony Orchestra for an evening of music and storytelling as they perform Tchaikovsky’s glorious Sleeping Beauty.
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Chairman's comments
Whilst the editors usually give me the privilege of talking to you from the first article in the quarterly Journal, they have moved me to the centre of the magazine for this special 60th Anniversary Edition to create a pull-out section. This section includes a couple of articles, one looking at the first year of the Society and another at some of our activities over our life. The final pages comprise a decade-by-decade view of the activities of the Society put in the context of the big national and international events of the time. These decadal histories were presented at our recent Diamond Anniversary Party and are reproduced again here by popular demand.
How things change over a period of 60 years! I know, I am 61 years old. But equally, when you learn of the reasons our founders had for setting up the Society, one realises sometimes how little things have changed. We still acknowledge that living here is a pleasure and a privilege and there are still people who are prepared to spend time and effort in maintaining and enhancing the amenity of Dulwich. Of course, we are not alone in those worthy aims. The Council, with the implementation of conservation areas, and the Dulwich Estate, with the Scheme of Management, have both been instrumental in sustaining our corner of London as an oasis.
Here I want to let you know a bit more about what we want to do in the future. Sixty years of experience tells us that there is still a love of our unique built environment, our abundant green spaces and our cultural heritage. We will continue to do what we are so good at. Our planning and licensing teams work closely with the Dulwich Estate Scheme of Management and the Council to develop the area in a way that retains its unique atmosphere. Our gardens, trees and wildlife teams are tireless in their work to enhance the flora and fauna of our area. Our local history team documents and informs us of our heritage both ancient and modern. We also engage with our community of members through events, talks, walks, trips, this Journal, the eNews and our website. However, it is neither desirable nor possible to preserve Dulwich unchanged. We are faced with a climate crisis and most of what we do is now impacted in some way by it. Climate change, and how we, as a community, approach mitigation and adaptation to it, will be the defining issue for the next 60 years.
With this in mind, we are currently reinforcing our environmental team and recruiting expert volunteers to facilitate our aims. Difficult compromises will be needed as we strive, on the one hand, to preserve our special heritage and, on the other, to decide what we need to do to limit the impact of climate change. Although the Society has interests on both sides of the debate, this debate is not the sole preserve of the Society. We need to decide as a community what compromises are acceptable and needed. We aim to animate the public debate that will be needed between the residents, businesses, schools, the Council and the Estate. Behaviours will have to change; inaction is not an option. The solutions for our area will be tailored to take account of our special situation. But our desire to preserve and avoid change in one facet means that we will have to redouble our efforts in another.
Internally, we continue to modernise the Society. At the next AGM we will be proposing an update to our rules. Our objects will not change but we need a new set of rules for the modern age. We have now finished a 6-month period of consultation and the final draft proposal will be published well in advance of the AGM in May next year.
To finish, I would like to recognise the work of so many past and current officers and volunteers over the years. Many have been visible to you as members but many have not. In addition to our expert teams charged with delivering on our objectives, there are others who stuff envelopes, produce and deliver Journals, look after our finances, communications, IT and membership. It is a team effort and we are all grateful for the contribution of every one of them.
As volunteers and members, we all look forward to serving our community for a long time to come.
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By Sharon O’Connor
The Society was formed in 1963 by several Dulwich residents who saw the need for an amenity society, non-political in nature, which had the aim of promoting and safeguarding local amenities, fostering the interest of residents in their surroundings, and encouraging a sense of community. All residents were then leaseholders and some were concerned at what was perceived to be the Estate Governors’ ‘feudal’ approach to estate management. They were keen to see common areas maintained to a higher standard and many residents were becoming dismayed at the lack of consultation on the demolition of old houses and the development of the mid-century estates. Concerns came to a head over a number of issues:
• the loss of woodland, in particular the grounds of Lapsewood, a large house on Sydenham Hill on the corner of Cox’s Walk, built in 1861 by Charles Barry Jr as his own house. Camberwell Council wanted to build council housing and residents were keen that the Estate should instead preserve the woods;
• the increase in traffic. Train services in the early 1960s were poor and commuters would drive into London. Dulwich was becoming a rat-run - in those days for example, you could cut through Dulwich Park from Dulwich Common to the Village;
• 96-98 Dulwich Village (now the Real Greek) was painted bright yellow in preparation for new tenants, which was completely out of character with the area.
In October 1963, the South London Observer reported that, at its first meeting, the new Society had pledged to preserve the amenities of Dulwich, including its greenery and character. At the meeting, local MP Robert Jenkins, described Dulwich as ‘the last oasis in London,’ while Alan Mason, the Chair, pointed out that through-traffic spoilt Dulwich: ‘I like to visualise Dulwich as perhaps a pedestrian precinct.’ From over 120 founder members, a 12-strong interim committee was formed. It drafted a constitution and initiated contact with various authorities including the London County Council and the Dulwich Estate. The South London Press reported that the Society was providing a firm basis to protect amenities in Dulwich, including trees, wildlife and buildings of distinction, as well as promoting good design in buildings and streets. Within a year there were over 200 members and Lord Shawcross became the Society’s first president.
From the start, the Society kept a close watch on Dulwich, but Alan Mason stressed that it was not a preservationist movement: ‘We must not stop change at all costs. There must be change in this day and age.’ Sub-committees were set up for planning and development, open spaces, traffic, recruitment of members, and special areas such as Dulwich Wood. The Society’s particular concerns were mostly traffic-related: road dangers at the Village traffic lights, the junction of Gallery and College Roads and the southern end of South Croxted Road, and cars in Dulwich Park.
The first newsletter in 1964 covered the activities of the various sub-committees, future projects and social events. The same year, the Society was warned off its plan for a private ‘speed cop’ force to flag down speeding motorists in an attempt to reduce the number of crashes. The Chair, Alan Mason, commented ‘I am afraid the police were not at all enthusiastic. They thought it might cause some bother on occasions. There are also practical considerations. How can we force a car to stop, and what would happen if it startles someone and makes him crash.’ Instead, members kept watch on various roads with the aim of getting non-residential traffic diverted from the area. ‘We hope members will take statistics, maybe with a stopwatch, and then we can present the facts to the police,’ said Mason, ‘We wish to keep Dulwich a pleasant area.’
The Society also worked towards Dulwich becoming one of the newly designated ‘conservation areas.’ It felt that the proposed area - from the Village to the College - did not go far enough and pressed Southwark Council to extend it, as development within the zone would only be permitted if no existing amenities or buildings of special character would be adversely affected. Today Dulwich is protected by two large conservation areas, from Herne Hill to Sydenham Hill and from Croxted Road to Lordship Lane, and two smaller ones, the Casino Estate and the Springfield Estate.
The concerns of the Society’s first year, green spaces and traffic, remain issues in its 60th, even if the threat of bright yellow buildings has abated. That Dulwich is still a very attractive area to live in is in part due to the hard work of the many Society volunteers over the years and to the support of the members, now numbering over 1,150 households. Dulwich remains popular for its village feel, green spaces and architecture, all of which the Society is committed to preserving and promoting. Here’s to the next 60 years.
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By Ian McInnes
When considering what the Society has done for Dulwich, one perhaps thinks first of the obvious things like new trees, benches, information signs and the memorial bomb plaques. Then there is the Edward Alleyn statue in the grounds of the Old College, or the reconstruction of the Concrete House in Lordship Lane (with the Heritage of London Trust). But its impact has been far greater. Few will now remember the important part the Society played in the setting up of the Dulwich Estate Scheme of Management in 1974, and even fewer will recall how the then committee worked hard to save to it, when the Dulwich Estate wanted to pull out of it in the early 1990s. Perhaps the most successful Society contribution was the £5,000 seed funding it provided to the Herne Hill Velodrome Trust. In 2010, the future of this important local facility was in doubt and our donation allowed the new charity to set itself up legally so that it could later secure substantial levels of funding from other sources to reinvigorate the site and make the Velodrome what it is today.
Its various subcommittees have influenced the area hugely, making sure that, overall, the Dulwich Estate controls any development in the area in a positive way. The Society has actively supported the retention of a range of independent shops - and once led a public protest to prevent the closure of the post office. It has campaigned for more general improvements to the area, like better public transport, reduced speed limits on local roads, and the introduction of pedestrian crossings - who remembers that the main crossing in Dulwich Village, at the junction, has been there for less than 20 years?
More recently, the Society has had a more formalised approach to grant-giving and while it continues to support small additions and improvements to the area, like additional tree planting and the maintenance of the posts and chains and historic finger post signs, it has also made larger donations to a number of different organisations. These include the London Wildlife Trust, to support its work in Sydenham Hill and Dulwich Woods, Dulwich Village Infants School and the Goose Green Primary School for their green screens, and the Horniman Museum for its Wall of Voices. The Society has funded a new defibrillator, set up in the old telephone box outside the shops in Dulwich Village. It has also supported several projects in Dulwich Park, working with the Dulwich Park Friends, and contributed towards the refurbishment of the Rosebery Lodge there and the expansion of the children’s playground.
Some years ago, the Society was left a legacy of £10,000 by Mary Boast, the former head librarian at Southwark Local Studies, and this generous gift has most recently funded the installation of the two listening posts in the Old College and Cox’s Walk. Money from this gift was also used in the digitisation of the historic Dulwich Estate Maps and the Court Rolls (in conjunction with Dulwich College), all now available free online.
We continue to look for other opportunities to support local projects which enhance the environment in Dulwich and more information on our criteria for funding is shown on our website.
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