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Greenwich news and information

Penrose Market returns for second year

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Penrose Market returns to Greenwich Peninsula next week for its second consecutive year.

The market gives students from Ravensbourne College the chance to showcase their creative talents in a one-day event which they will plan and manage themselves.

Hundreds of one-off products will be available on the day, such as bespoke jewellery, greetings cards, custom made bags, backpacks and laptop cases and lots more innovative gift ideas.

This year’s market always includes a trade show where students will pitch business ideas to industry professionals to forge partnerships or gain funding.

Penrose Market takes place at Ravensbourne, next to The O2, on Tuesday 22nd November. Find out more at www.penrosemarket.co.uk

Penrose Market from Sheldon Stewart on Vimeo.

Daily Photo: 10/11/2011 – Greenwich on a cake

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These stunning paintings of Greenwich by artist Anne Christopherson were reproduced, along with others, on top of sixteen Victoria Sponges and presented to her on the occasion of her 90th birthday.

The surprise edible artworks were arranged by her godson, local actor/hotelier/presenter/raconteur/biscuit tin expert Robert Gray.

On seeing the cakes, Anne was bemused as she thought her paintings were solely in galleries but Robert explained they were about to eat the remainder of her life’s work.

“How absolutely marvellous,” she said.

After more than 50 years in Greenwich, Anne is now residing in Cornwall in what Robert describes as her “maximum security twilight home for the gently distressed.” He tells her that everytime he visits her and she absolutely loves it there, he says.

If anyone would like to send belated birthday wishes to Anne, add it as a comment below and Robert will pass it on when he next visits.

Photos taken by Mary Alice Pollard.

St Alfege Park: Friends banned from working in park as photo raises new questions

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THE FRIENDS of St Alfege Park have been banned from undertaking “any work whatsoever in the park,” while a new photo has raised questions about when headstones were first smashed.

The decision to forbid the Friends from working in the park was taken by the Cabinet member responsible for parks, Cllr John Fahy, and relayed in an email from Chair, Tim Delap, which has been seen by this website.

The email from Mr Delap says:

“I think that we are being made a scapegoat for the destruction of gravestones by the Probation Service community payback team, who did the actual destroying. It was never our intention as a Friends group to damage gravestones, only to move them to make way for the community garden facility and then reuse them as paving in another project.

“I have as you know issued a public apology both personally and on your behalf, and had hoped that that would be sufficient. It appears not, and I am afraid that we are to be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency.”

Doubt will hang over the future over the group with it confined in future only to promoting events in the park. The Chair goes on to say in his email:

“In banning the group, I personally think that the baby is being thrown out with the bathwater and that John is doing more harm to the park than by allowing us to continue under closer supervision, which we would have welcomed.”

Following the outcry at the destruction, Councillor Fahy ordered the removal of the broken headstones and their storage at a secure location while consideration is given to creating a “memorial heritage path” or a rockery, in consultation with groups such as English Heritage, The Georgian Group and the Mausolea and Monuments Trust.

An Extraordinary General Meeting is being called by the Chair of the Friends to discuss the future of the group.

Question marks remain

Uncertainly lingers over the chronology of events in St Alfege Park which led to historic headstones in the deconsecrated churchyard being smashed to smithereens.

In his email to Friends, the Chair says it was the Payback Workers that “did the actual destroying” but the Probationary Service has suggested they were continuing work that was already under way.

They say that other than one day in July, they only worked on the headstones in SEPTEMBER but Greenwich.co.uk has obtained a photo of smashed headstones taken in AUGUST.

A spokesperson for the London Probation Trust told Greenwich.co.uk:

“Work began on the Community Payback project in St Alfege Park in June 2011 and consisted of clearing an area to create a new raised flower bed.

“Aside from one day removing headstones in July no other work took place regarding removal/breaking up of stonework until September.”

This photo showing a pile of smashed headstones in the park was taken on August 30th by local illustrator Sarah McIntyre for her blog.

Council officers are currently investigating the incident to ascertain exactly what happened.

The controversial destruction of headstones in St Alfege Park caused outrage and made headlines on websites around the world, and was featured in the Daily Mirror, Private Eye, the Evening Standard and this month’s edition of Family Tree magazine.

Read all of Greenwich.co.uk’s coverage of the St Alfege Park controversy

UPDATED 26th January 2012

An FOI request was submitted to the London Probation Trust asking them to provide a log of all their activities and visits to St Alfege Park during 2011. The results are published below:

St Alfege Church

Local Tories back Greenwich constituency split

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Proposals to split Greenwich between two different constituencies have received the backing of local Conservatives.

The plan to divide the town between two new constituencies forms part of the Boundary Commission’s review, which was initiated by the Government to reduce the number of MPs and make constituencies more uniform in size.

Under the proposals, west Greenwich would join a new parliamentary constituency called Deptford & Greenwich, and east Greenwich would join a new constituency simply called Woolwich.

A statement on the Conservatives website says:

“Greenwich Conservatives would strongly encourage residents to support the Boundary Commission’s proposals which seem to us to strike the right balance and give poorer communities a stronger voice.”

Current MP, Nick Raynsford, has opposed the plans, calling them “nonsense” in an article for this website and speaking out against them at last month’s public hearings held at Lewisham Town Hall.

Labour’s alternative plan would see the existing Greenwich and Woolwich constituency retained, with the addition of the rest of Blackheath and also the Kidbrooke and Hornfair ward.

The closing date to comment on the Boundary Commission’s proposals is December 5th.

Councillors respond on Twitter…

Greenwich West councillor, Matthew Pennycook, and Eltham North councillor, Nigel Fletcher, responded to this post via Twitter.

Greenwich charity hosts World Aids Day conference

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Greenwich’s Metro Centre sexual health charity is organising south London’s first World Aids Day conference.

The conference, entitled “The Direction of HIV in the 21st Century”, will be held at the new Woolwich Centre on December 1st and will bring together people directly affected by HIV and those providing or commissioning services to share knowledge and experiences.

Metro, based in Norman Road, Greenwich, has obtained funding for the conference from the Big Lottery Awards for All scheme. Attendance is free to all those affected by HIV, those who provide or commission HIV services as well as students, academics and policymakers interested and engaged in the field.

Marguerite McLaughlin, CEO of Metro said:

“Metro is delighted to be hosting this inaugural South London World AIDS Day Conference. Thanks to the generosity of the Big Lottery, we are able to offer places free of charge and we want to encourage as many people directly affected by HIV to register as possible.

“Metro has been providing HIV services in Greenwich and across South London for over 17 years now and we know how important it is to continue to support the communities most affected and to learn from them the best ways to do that. We hope that by bringing people affected together with service providers and commissioners, we really can move together in the right direction for HIV in the 21st Century.”

Information on how to register for attendance can be found on the Metro Centre website.

Greenwich will be first London borough to see Olympic Torch Relay

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THE LONDON 2012 Olympic Flame will arrive in Greenwich on July 21st next year, it has been revealed.

The Torch Relay will start the London leg of its journey at the Prime Meridian in Greenwich and spend the rest of the day snaking round the other Host Boroughs – Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest, where there will be an evening celebration.

The torch will go on to visit the rest of London’s boroughs before arriving at the London 2012 Opening Ceremony on July 27th.

Councillor John Fahy, Greenwich Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Olympics, said: “Greenwich is delighted to be the first London Borough to witness the fantastic spectacle of the Olympic Torch Relay. It will provide a unique chance for Greenwich residents to share in the excitement of the Olympic spirit – to mark the countdown to the start of the 2012 Games.”

Although Greenwich will be the first Host Borough to see the Olympic Torch Relay in action, the flame will arrive in London the preceding evening and be kept overnight at the Tower of London, leaving Greenwich and Tower Hamlets councils both staking a claim for the bragging rights.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said: “It’s fantastic that Tower Hamlets’ residents will be the first in the capital to celebrate the arrival of the torch in London. It gives everybody in the borough the chance to get involved in the excitement surrounding London 2012. ”

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: “We are thrilled to confirm that Greenwich will act as a host location for the Olympic Flame on 21st July, extending an invitation to people across the Borough to welcome the Olympic Torch Relay during its journey around the UK.”

Up, up and away over the Greenwich Peninsula

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A NEW helium balloon attraction is promising to take people to new heights on the Greenwich Peninsula.

The tethered balloon ride, details of which have been submitted to Greenwich Council for planning consent, would rise above 100 metres in the air before being winched down.

Groups up to 30 in size will be able to board the wheelchair-accessible gondola to enjoy spectacular views from high above North Greenwich.

Future Leisure Aviation, who also run the DHL Hong Kong Balloon, want to set up the ‘HiFlyer’ attraction on land currently used as a management office car park south of North Greenwich underound station.

20 part and full time jobs would be created by the scheme, and the operator is in talks to find a sponsor to lend its name to the balloon ride.

If Greenwich Council backs the proposals, it will complete a trio of attractions on the peninsula for fans of heights, with the Emirates Air Line cable car and O2 Sky Walk also due to be ready next year.


Illustration of how new balloon ride might look.

Blackheath Fireworks 2011

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A crowd of up to 100,000 is expected to gather for the annual Blackheath fireworks spectacular this weekend.

The action kicks off on the heath at 8pm on Saturday 5th November, and there will be food stalls and a licenced bar available.

The popular event, which is free to attend, is now funded by Lewisham Council with the help of public donations and these larger sponsors:

Further donations are sought by the council, online and on the night, to help fund the event which was previously financed by jointly by Lewisham and Greenwich councils.

2011 Poppy Appeal gets under way

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Greenwich Poppy Appeal organisers – Ashley Dyer and Cllr Matthew Pennycook

The Poppy Appeal has got started with shops and businesses around Greenwich supporting the annual fundraising drive.

The fate of the Poppy Appeal in Greenwich was thrown into doubt earlier this year when organisers said they needed new local organisers to come forward following the death of Greenwich’s Honorary Poppy Appeal Organiser, Malcolm Smith.

That call for help was answered by local ward councillor for Greenwich West, Matthew Pennycook, and fellow volunteer, Ashley Dyer.

“I have always been a big supporter of the Appeal and as a councillor took part in the remembrance services throughout the borough last year so I thought I would sign up,” says Pennycook.

Matthew and Ashley were out collecting at Greenwich station yesterday (pictured above) for London Poppy Day. Poppies and collection boxes can be found at the following local businesses in the town centre:

  • EM SABU newsagents (Stockwell Street)
  • Students Union (King William Walk)
  • Waterstones
  • Superdrug
  • Peter de Wits cafe
  • Post Office (Greenwich High Road)
  • Soma dry cleaners
  • The Cheese Board (Royal Hill)
  • Stitches and Daughters (Greenwich South Street)
  • Bert and Betties (Greenwich South Street)
  • Pharmacy (near train station)
  • Heaps Sausages (Nevada Street)
  • Boots
  • Greenwich Picturehouse

Donations can also be made online. Anyone else that wishes to help collect funds for the appeal can get more information by emailing Councillor Pennycook.