CAMBERWELLCAMBERWELL QUARTERLYQUARTERLY The magazine of the Society The magazine of The Camberwell Society NoNo 202 205 Winter Autumn 2019 2020 £1.50 £1.50 (free (free to to members)members)

www.camberwellsociety.org.ukwww.camberwellsociety.org.uk

Green light for new station entrance – p4

Camberwell’s black music hall stars – p5

Is Covid making GPs remote and anonymous? – p7

Burgess Business Park Development stopped by resi- dents – p9

St Giles’ Churchyard and its haunted passage – p12

New walk: through Camberwell’s black history – p6

More a gent than an agent Colin Lowman obituary – p15

Remembering Conrad and Marilyn Dehn – p14

Camberwell’s food bank – p18 Gazette

LOCAL SOCIETIES, VENUES AND EVENTS Contents We recommend checking details Report from the Chair...... 3 Open Gardens...... 3 Denmark Hill Station – green Brunswick Park Neighbourhood Society light for second entrance...... 4 Tenants and Residents Association Peter Frost Steppin’ out with black music Patricia Ladly 020 8613 6757 hall stars...... 5 020 7703 7491 www.peckhamsociety.org.uk [email protected] Black history walk...... 6 Ruskin Park, Friends of COVID is making GPs remote Brixton Society Doug Gillies and anonymous...... 7 www.brixtonsociety.org.uk 020 7703 5018 Victory for Burgess Park Burgess Park, Friends of SE5 Forum campaigners...... 9 www.friendsofburgesspark.org.uk SE5Forum.org.uk Tomb raiders do the gruesome [email protected] [email protected] paperwork to restore St Giles’ Churchyard...... 10 Butterfly Tennis Club South Gallery www.butterflytennis.com 65 Peckham Road SE5 The haunted passage...... 12 Open: Tuesday to Sunday – The box in the attic...... 13 Camberwell Arts 12pm-6pm, closed on Monday Promoting the arts in Camberwell and www.southlondongallery.org Remembering Conrad and Marilyn Camberwell in the Arts Dehn Obituary...... 14 [email protected] St Giles, Friends of More a gent than an agent www.camberwellarts.org.uk 16 Sears Street SE5 7JL Colin Lowman Obituary...... 15 [email protected] Camberwell Gardens Guild www.stgilescambewell.org Planning – Denmark Hill Station Membership enquiries to: & Blue Shop Cottage...... 16 Pat Farrugia St Giles Churchyard, Friends of Under Fire...Camberwell’s black 17 Kirkwood Road SE15 3XT StGilesChurchyardFriends@ British heroes...... 17 gmail.com Carnegie Library, Friends of Local people – Felicia Boshorin of [email protected] or Wells Way Triangle Residents Camberwell’s food bank...... 18 [email protected] Association Letters, plane noise...... 19 (for membership queries) Andrew Osborne [email protected] Directory...... 19 Concerts in St Giles’ Church Camberwell Church Street [email protected] THE CAMBERWELL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP & EVENTS Dulwich Picture Gallery College Road SE21 7AD Membership is open to anyone 020 8693 5254 who lives, works or is interested www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk in Camberwell. The Executive Committee is elected annually at Herne Hill Society the Society’s AGM. Meetings of the Jeffrey Doorn Executive Committee are usually held 020 7274 7008 on the first Thursday of the month. Membership: Herne Hill Society Members are welcome to attend as PO Box 27845 observers with prior notice to the SE24 9XA Secretary. www.hernehillsociety.org.uk Planning, the environment, traffic and transport, publications and local Maudsley Learning history form an important part of ORTUS learning and events centre the Society’s work. Members are 82-96 Grove Lane SE5 8SN welcome to involve themselves in www.maudsleylearning.com areas of interest. Minet Conservation Association Cover photo: Liz Cook www.camberwellsociety.org.uk 020 7737 8210 Anna Kompiets opens Camberwell’s www.minet.fsnet.co.uk virtual open gardens day. The views expressed in the Make your own floral facemask at: Camberwell Quarterly are not Nunhead Cemetery necessarily those of the Society www.camberwellsociety. Linden Grove SE15 unless clearly stated as such. Friends of Nunhead Cemetery (FONC) org.uk/rw_common/plugins/ The Camberwell Society is a 020 8693 6191 stacks/armadillo/media/ registered charity (No 264751). www.fonc.org.uk FacemasksinMyattFieldsPark1.mp4 2 Chair’s Report /Environment Camberwell transport: Changes in line

he budget is being finalised for the new entrance to Denmark Hill station in TWindsor Walk – see article page 4. And it will have a sculpture of some considerable size. This commission (to the value of some £25,000) will have none of the anodyne sogginess of much public art. The artist’s brief, skilfully crafted by Camberwell Arts, called for something that, appropriately, ‘would stop people in their tracks’. Like it or loathe whatever comes, you will not ignore it! Do donate as funds are still needed. King’s, Huge thanks to the supporters of the pop-up plant shop at Govia Thameslink and Network Open Gardens Day – photo Liz Cook Rail have done their part – can now, we should thank those involved not a football you help? www.crowdfunder. in caring for our parks. Park parties supporter co.uk/2nd-plinth have their attraction, but less so I have You will be walking more – and if their empties. Well done the Council thoroughly you have taken to bipedal locomotion employees and volunteers who clean enjoyed all then why not try Stephen Bourne’s yesterday’s binges. How much poorer the matches I outstanding Black History walk on would be our lives if these urban have watched page six of this issue? Thanks to Jane green lungs were removed? there and Moxham for the excellent pictorial And if you believe in the value of am adamant map. Having learnt about the work of parks then we hope you will have that the club community leader and popular local enjoyed the Virtual Open Gardens should go from doctor, Harold Moody, you might ‘event’ online. A huge thank you to strength to strength. The current want to sign the petition members and friends who supported to erect a statue in his name at: our pop-up plant shop and helped proposal, at the expense of MOL, www.change.org raise badly needed funds for the is not the answer. It will be your Because we are now walking more Benhill Road food bank. If you can multiple strong voices that will carry help with donating plants next year the day, if needed. I urge you to be STAINED GLASS please do contact Liz Cook. Who ready if called upon. WINDOWS could have believed the richness And if E is for Environment of an online event? The videos, then surely A-Z is for Camberwell photos and text made for the closest Arts and their highly visual online thing to the ‘real thing’ especially is delivery of the longest standing local your cake and tea were of the usual Arts event in England. The online Camberwell quality. You can still offering did as much as could be relive the event as you wait for next done to continue this tradition that is summer: www.camberwellsociety. at the very heart of Camberwell. org.uk/open-gardens C stands for Camberwell and sadly And if you liked the virtual open for both Covid and Coronavirus. gardens you will certainly like the The ongoing threat of the virus has Camberwell Environment Instagram led to the cancellation of Camberwell account – a visually stunning Fair. But we will all be celebrating catalogue of Camberwell green on the Green again on Saturday 4th For New Windows crops. Depending on how you take September 2021 – save that date! A in Traditional and your social media, Mr Zuckerberg’s Contemporary Designs Facebook is not far behind. special Covid donation of £1,000, and And if you like the environment plus the proceeds of virtual Open Restoration and Repairs you will be keen to lend your voice Gardens (£358.50) will be given to Central Southwark Community Hub, and strongly counteract any move 07791 620011 that Southwark Council might which runs the Benhill Road Food [email protected] make by trying to develop on the Bank and is featured on page 18 of Angidriver.co.uk Metropolitan Open Land.Surely this this issue of CQ. space is unique in London? Though Nick Mair

3

Transport Green light for second entrance to Denmark Hill

onstruction of the new entrance to the station should begin in August. CThere had been a problem about the budget, but that seems to have been overcome. The final go-ahead is expected before the end of this month. If all goes to plan, expect the grand opening in April 2021. Jim Sutherland of Studio Sutherland, who designed the Camberwell Identity branding, has kindly donated the time to look at tiling and decoration of the new entrance. He has drawn on the palette of colours that were selected for the identity project. These colours We are confident of reaching our were based on the landscape of initial target and may even achieve Camberwell. Unsurprisingly, when our stretch target of £35,000. That put together they evoke the landscape would allow us to add better finish of Camberwell. and detail to the piece. The picture above is of the panel But we still need your help. A that is proposed for a corner of the donation portal is open until mid- entrance hall that you will see when August at: crowdfunder.co.uk/2nd- you arrive. There would be two plinth/ panels, each two metres wide and the We are also very grateful to full height of the room. individuals who have contributed The entrance hall also has three to a guarantor fund to help make large windows that require safety sure the project happens. If you are reveal etching. The Camberwell interested in becoming a guarantor ‘C’ is being proposed for one of please contact me at: transport@ the windows as shown below right. camberwellsociety.org.uk The other two windows will have All donors and guarantors will something uplifting etched on them have their names on a plaque on the designed to raise the spirits of those plinth unless they opt for anonymity. going to the nearby hospitals. Sketch of plinth for the new sculpture We are also still working on Three days after asking for developing the garden at the old proposals for the artist’s brief, entrance. We have applied for a we received our first one. There licence for the land from Network is no dearth of suggestions. The Rail and we hope to hear from them deadline was the 11th of July. By in September. In the meantime, Govia the beginning of August we expect Thameslink is tendering works that to have shortlisted the proposals will help us to create something of received and begin to interview for fascination. We are planning a place the final selection. An exciting time is to display scientific curiosities, art in prospect. installations and school competition Thank you to all those who winners on a rolling basis. We will responded to our endorsement know we have succeeded in making Illustrations Sutherland & Co exercise for the theme of Health and something stand out when we start to Wellbeing. We had 259 responses see people using it as a background green up the walk from the station of which 91.5% had clicked “like”. for their selfies! to the town centre. So, after posing Over 150 left email addresses for for their Instagram shots, our new We want to make the station a follow up. visitors can refresh themselves at one destination in itself by encouraging of Camberwell’s bars and cafes and We are progressing well on people to make journeys to help our high street to prosper. funding. Many individuals and local Camberwell who otherwise would organisations have given generously. not. Southwark Council has plans to Tony Coleman 4 Arts Steppin’ Out: Camberwell’s black music hall stars

tephen Bourne remembers home here. In London in 1902 she some of the trailblazing became one of the first black women black stars of Camberwell’s to have her voice recorded when Smusic halls. she took to a microphone to sing ‘The Honey-Suckle and the Bee’, Before the existence of radio, one of the most popular music hall television and ‘talkies’ (movies with sound), the British public enjoyed songs of the day. She toured Britain seeing a variety of entertainers extensively from 1901 to 1918 and live on stage in music halls, and appeared in music hall tours that took Camberwell had two of the most her all over the country. In London popular. Mary Boast described them she topped the bill in many music in her book The Story of Camberwell halls including Brixton, Walham (1996) as two of the grandest, Green and Clapham. Belle made the purpose-built theatres that existed in first of several appearances at the many London suburbs in the 1890s. Camberwell Palace of Varieties on 24 They almost faced each other across November 1902. She returned there Denmark Hill. On the east side, many times. on the corner of Denmark Hill and London-born Cassie Walmer Orpheus Street, was the Camberwell was another favourite of music hall Palace of Varieties. It opened in audiences in the Edwardian era 1899 with seating for over 2,000 and, like Belle Davis, she continued people. Some of the legendary music working all through the First World hall stars appeared there including War. Born in 1888, she began her Marie Lloyd, Harry Lauder, Nellie stage career as a young child in the Cassie Walmer Wallace and Harry Tate. Said Mary 1890s. Her father, George Walmer, Varieties. By the end of the 1920s Boast: “Only a small street named was an established stage actor who, she had retired from the world of after the Orpheus, the musician of in the Victorian era, had played entertainment. Cassie died in London ancient Greek legend, marks the site the slave Uncle Tom in numerous in 1980 at the age of 92. of Camberwell’s own music hall.” stage adaptations of Harriet Beecher Across the way was the famous Stowe’s famous anti-slavery novel Gordon Stretton (1887-1982), Metropole, known as the Camberwell Uncle Tom’s Cabin. He was seen all who was born in Liverpool of Irish Empire from 1906 to 1916. It was over Britain in these productions but and Jamaican parents, was just nine situated on the corner of Denmark Cassie didn’t get to know him well years old when he joined the Eight Hill and Coldharbour Lane. After it because he died in 1897, when she Lancashire Lads, a clog-dancing was demolished in the 1930s, it was was just eight years old. Her mother troupe which toured music halls for replaced by a cinema. encouraged Cassie to continue many years. In Edwardian Britain Belle Davis was one of many black working and she developed her he was also a member of a Jamaican stars to become successful in music talents as a comedienne, eccentric choir that was popular with British halls in the Edwardian era. She was dancer and singer. Surviving concert audiences. After serving in an American expatriate, born in New photographs of Cassie from the the army in the First World War, Orleans, of European and African period show a glamorous young Gordon resumed his career as a ancestry. The tall, beautifully dressed woman. Hundreds of newspaper music hall entertainer. He devised soprano spent most of her adult reports of the First World War a show called Black and White life in Britain. She stood out from period mention Cassie’s stage Revusical Comedy which opened other black or blackface singers/ appearances and reveal that she was at the Camberwell Empire on 22 entertainers of the Edwardian era by extremely popular with audiences May 1916. He lived at 18 Brixton performing songs that did not come all over the country. Reviews were Road, Lambeth. After 1918 Gordon from the minstrel show tradition. always favourable. Some critics became a pioneer of jazz music Belle sang graceful melodies and described her as ‘The Popular in Europe and made his home in comic numbers. On stage she Comedienne’ or ‘The Eccentric Argentina. presented herself as a sophisticated, Contralto’. Her eccentric sand dance Smith and Johnson (Augustus elegant woman of the world, not was considered innovative for its ‘Gus’ Smith and Connie Johnson) time. the stereotypical bandanna-wearing were a popular double-act who left ‘mammy’. Throughout the war, Cassie America for Britain in 1895 and Belle first toured Britain in 1897- travelled from city to city. Her 1917 never went back. They married in 98 but, when she returned to the UK tour included a London engagement Liverpool in 1902. They found plenty in 1901, she decided to make her at the Camberwell Palace of of work in music halls, and appeared

5 Arts

Steppin’ Out – continued in Camberwell’s two theatres many black actors and actresses in Britain. times. They are claimed to be the first Pauline Henriques, who worked black artists to perform the ‘cake- with Connie in the 1940s and 1950s, walk’ in Britain. This was a popular remembered her as “Wonderful. dance craze of the Edwardian era. On stage she had this presence even Their duets – with Augustus in white though she was very small and very gloves on bass and Connie playing quiet. She had discipline and a the piano – claimed encore after subtle way of playing a role. I encore. would say she was the first black After Gus died in 1927, Connie professional in the theatre I ever kept on working and eventually met. She would always be on time she made a successful transition to for rehearsals, and never missed a character actress. In 1956, at the age cue.” of 80, she joined the distinguished Connie is buried in an unmarked English Stage Company at London’s grave in the Variety Artists’ section Royal Court. Brook Drive in of Streatham Park Cemetery. Pauline Lambeth was her home from the commented: “It doesn’t surprise me 1930s until she died in 1970 at the that Connie is buried in an unmarked age of 95. grave because she underplayed In the latter part of her long career, everything. She would be perfectly Connie was an inspiration to younger happy with that.” Smith and Johnson

Local historian Stephen Bourne has researched and written a walk through Camberwell’s black history. An hour’s stroll takes you through 400 years from John Primero, buried in St Giles’ Churchyard in 1607, to actor who plays Finn in the Star Wars films. The map is illustrated by Jane Moxham. The Society, Camberwell Arts and SE5 Forum are asking Southwark Council to put a map of the walk, and other green walks on the Green with a paving stone trail so locals can walk and learn. Download the walk here: www.camberwellsociety.org.uk/rw_common/plugins/stacks/armadillo/media/ camberwellblackhistorywalk2020_2.docx

6 Health

Covid is making GPs remote and anonymous

y the middle of March the Street Medical Centre formed one for virus was ripping through people in the north of the borough Camberwell. People knew and one was formed at the Lister Bthat some form of lockdown was Centre on Peckham Road for people coming. in the south. The GP surgery that was located at the Lister had to move to Many started stocking up with another site. everything they imagined they might need: food, bottled water, The people who GPs thought were alcohol, toilet rolls, face masks, hand not managing at home were brought sanitisers and medicines. Not just to these clinics in black cabs which the medications they regularly took were decontaminated after each for chronic conditions, but pain- journey. These were really triage killers, inhalers, antibiotics. ‘It was clinics, to sort out the very sick from incredibly stressful,’ says Dr Julia the not so sick and the just plain Hodges, a worried. Indeed, some people who resident of came because they were finding it Camberwell difficult to breathe were not suffering who is a from Covid-19 at all, but were having GP at the a heart attack. The main purpose Villa Street of these clinics was to reduce the Medical number going to hospital. Now that Centre. Covid cases have fallen, these clinics Covid Art on Denmark Hill Post Dr Julia Hodges ‘People made have closed. Office hoardings by Deanio and up stories to get antibiotics. It added Tasnim Mahdy of Stay Strong Now if you are not managing at immensely to our workload. That Collective who create public murals home with Covid, you’d get a home was a time when many of our GPs to raise support for marginalised visit from a GP or be examined were sick with the disease.’ workers and communities in the UK. remotely. The patient rings his GP to www.tasnimmahdy.com Then, suddenly, it ceased. People say he is breathless or whatever, or stayed at home. In the country as a rings NHS 111 which in turn rings in Camberwell into which you whole, the King’s Fund estimated, the GP; the GP sends a text to the could walk, ask to see a doctor, GP appointments fell by 30 per cent, patient with a link; by clicking on the hang around in the waiting room about the same as the drop in A&E link the patient or some member of before seeing the doctor. Those attendances. In Camberwell it was his family can connect the patient on days are gone, perhaps for ever. much greater, perhaps as much as 90 video with the GP. Even before the coming of the virus per cent. GP surgeries and hospitals Consultation by video has taken some practices, Camberwell Green became no-go areas: venture there, off in the past couple of months Surgery, for example, had introduced and you’ll come back sick, people and is here to stay. A lot can be telephone triage: you ring the surgery thought. done remotely in this manner. The speak to the receptionist, the doctor Of course, people who actually GP can, for example, see how fast calls back, resolves the problem or had symptoms of the virus were not patients are breathing. They can be gives you an appointment to be seen. supposed to go to their GPs. They examined climbing the stairs. The GP Now all appointments are made on were supposed to stay at home and, can get a better idea of the patients’ the telephone or by email or online. if they did not recover, to call 111. mental state by seeing them speak. All practices in Camberwell have But there was a problem: it is not And they can upload pictures, for installed an app called eConsult clear when someone who has been example of an affected area of skin, that enables you to consult the GP, suffering from Covid-19 should to help the GP diagnose the problem or find out about your condition or go to hospital or even whether and prescribe a remedy. Of course, refer yourself to other services if the symptoms have an altogether for this to work, the patient has to appropriate. different cause. Remember, this was have smart phones or tablets and the But for some conditions, face-to- a time when there was no testing for skills to use them; also, to be able face consultation is unavoidable, for people in the community. to speak English: remote three-way example, conditions where the GP consultations with an interpreter do So Southwark Clinical needs to manipulate the patient’s not work well. Commissioning Group, which is body in order to reach a diagnosis. responsible for the 46 GP practices The need to reduce face-to-face Some practices are seeing patients in the borough, asked GPs to form consultation to the barest minimum they have to see at their own a couple of Covid clinics to meet has led a rapid adoption of digital surgeries, others, such as Camberwell the needs of these people. The Villa consultation. There is no GP surgery Green Surgery, at another site. 7 Health

Covid is making GPs remote and anonymous – continued

In either case, it is a very slow and cumbersome process, far removed from the human and friendly encounters of pre-Covid days. Consider the case of J, a woman in her early 20s who lives in Camberwell. She got a rash in May and rang her GP who is based on Commercial Way, but is part of the Aylesbury Partnership which has seven other practices in Southwark. After a telephone consultation with her doctor, she was sent a text with a link to a site where she could upload pictures of the rash. The GP prescribed a cream after inspecting the pictures. Church Street in lockdown – collage Niki Borowiecki The cream did not work. She contacted her GP again, anxious about getting the infection. that lockdown is being eased, she and the whole process was repeated. ‘It’s absolutely overwhelming,’ says sometimes meets her sister in the Another cream was prescribed. It Dr Hodges. Many people who had park. Her mum brings her food and didn’t work either. The third time mental problems have gone over other essentials, but she remains the GP (not the same one) decided the edge, but there are also many anxious. ‘I want to go out,’ she says, J should be seen by a doctor. She who never had problems before. ‘but I am scared of getting ill. I am was asked to attend a surgery Pre-Covid, such people would have not going to send my daughter back in Bermondsey. At exactly the come to their GP, and talked, often to school till the virus is completely appointed time she was let into the presenting with physical symptoms, gone.’ building by a masked woman. She but actually suffering from stress, Southwark Council has been in took J’s temperature, then led her depression or anxiety. Now such talk the forefront among local authorities to a basin to wash her hands. J was is not possible and there is little GPs in giving importance to mental already wearing a mask. There was can offer. no one else in the waiting room, but health. Before Covid it opened she was told to sit on a specific chair, Consider another Camberwell Nest, a drop-in centre in Peckham which would be decontaminated resident, R. She is 27. She lives in where young people can get support later. Then she saw the doctor. a flat with her 6-year old daughter for their mental health difficulties. She was in full PPE gear – scrubs who has autism. When she became There is also a Wellbeing Hub to and a visor. The doctor prescribed aware of the virus about three months help people find the right support. another medicine and referred J to ago, she says she ‘became very Unfortunately, all these services are a dermatologist at King’s. ‘Don’t scared.’ She locked herself in with now remote: telephone, email and expect to be seen anytime soon,’ the her daughter and kept away from on-line. What anxious and depressed GP told J, ‘but he might contact you everyone. They did not go out for people need is human contact. In by phone.’ exercise, though they did get some early June Southwark with three fresh air because their flat has a other boroughs joined the Maudsley From the beginning of June, balcony. She lost a lot of weight. Her in a virtual Urgent Mental Health patients began coming back to daughter, she says, ‘was climbing the Prevention Summit (sic). Amongst GPs. ‘There is a shopping list of walls.’ other actions it resolved to track ‘the problems,’ says Dr Hodges. But apart levels of psychological distress in our from old problems for which people She has suffered from anxiety and communities as a result of Covid-19’. put off seeing their GP, now there panic attacks in the past and has a It is difficult to see these levels is something new: mental health. therapist, but she did not contact falling in the coming months. People are suffering from the effects her during this lockdown. She has of the lockdown and are extremely had several panic attacks. Now Shekhar Das 8 Planning Burgess Business Park development stopped by residents

The group had some specialist knowledge, Lessons for objectors: but it would have been impossible to Objecting to planning applications, keep up with both the making representations to the planning committee and taking substantive detail and part in an inquiry was not easy. procedure without Winning the first round, when the legal support. This planning application was refused, was provided to us required community action. by Southwark Law Planning officers rely on the Centre. The help developers’ reports, which usually The winning team at the enquiry was freely available present a subjective assessment as because Southwark he Secretary of State’s objective fact. Sometimes they are Law Centre receives charitable plainly misleading. Our campaign decision this April to dismiss funding from United St Saviour’s encouraged objections before the appeal by Peachtree Charity. the report went to the planning TServices to redevelop Burgess committee, utilised local networks Our fundraising effort was Business Park is a great victory for and built broad support, shared the local residents. extremely successful. We raised workload of detailed comments and £5,780 to pay our excellent barrister, It is the culmination of a long influenced local councillors. On Esther Drabkin-Reiter (of Francis the night our arguments focused on process going back to June 2017 Taylor Building) and specialist planning policy and facts. when Peachtree, which owns the site, consultants to give evidence on proposed its Camberwell Union plan transport, right to light, townscape There are general lessons. A and held its first public exhibition. and character. We would not have campaign has three phases. First, try to influence the plan itself. Engage Following a major revision in succeeded without local support. This with developers and get local August and September 2018, the came from people who objected to people and groups involved. Tell scheme went before Southwark’s the original planning applications and ward councillors your views and Planning Committee. Although a wide network of local community encourage others to contact them. planning officers recommended groups beyond the six named. Some Find out about the relevant planning consent, the Planning Committee came along to the inquiry to show polices, local strategic plan of the heeded residents’ representations community interest. I have written borough and the London Plan. Learn and refused the application. In about my impression of the inquiry from other groups outside your area. in: www.friendsofburgesspark.org. March 2019, Peachtree appealed to Second, if you still oppose the uk/diving-into-the-details/. Secretary of State and an inquiry was plan after it has been submitted, held in August. The application and The Inspector’s Report that you need to subject it to forensic objections to it were discussed in our accompanied the Secretary of analysis. Look at the elements last issue. State’s verdict stated that “rather which are of most concern. The key document is the Design and Access In order for the local communities’ than optimising the use of the land resources the scheme has Statement. There are all sorts of views to be heard at the inquiry, issues where objections are valid, six community groups opposed sought to maximise it” resulting in poor quality development. You such as light, density, affordability, to the application joined together can see the Inspector’s Report in impact on listed buildings. to form The Local Group. They full by clicking on: https://acp. Finally, mitigation: if the scheme were Brunswick Park TRA, The planninginspectorate.gov.uk/ does get permission to go ahead, Camberwell Society, Friends of ViewCase.aspx?caseid=3225548. what would make it more acceptable? Burgess Park, Vital Old Kent Road, Modifications to design might still Wells Way Triangle TRA and 35 Whilst this planning application be possible, the builders might agree Percent. has been dismissed, the future to abide by certain codes of practice development of the whole area Taking part in the planning during the work, the developers remains uncertain. As discussed in might make a financial contribution inquiry was a daunting task. At our our last issue, there are three other to develop infrastructure in the first meeting, Jonathan Welch, the planning applications for sites on surrounding area. lawyer from Southwark Law Centre, Parkhouse Street, with tall towers and Friends of Burgess Park, with other told us that we had to raise at least high density. The overall approach local groups, have acquired collective £3,000 in the next month. Each to this area needs a complete re- knowledge about planning over the organisation had different objections think. Plans for more homes and jobs last few years with the support of to the Camberwell Union proposal, should enhance the character of an Southwark Planning Network. but there was a consensus that the area that contains Burgess Park and proposal should be rejected. St George’s Church. Susan Crisp 9 Local History Tomb raiders do some gruesome paperwork in churchyard ow St Giles’ churchyard South London Press, its condition was restored, described by had “produced many outbursts from Donald Mason and Elaine nearby residents, who complained HClarke.1 bitterly of broken headstones, open tombs and the general air of decay.” Elaine Clarke has recently found documents in the London Photographs from 1932 show the Metropolitan Archives which give sort of state the burial ground was in. a fuller account of how St Giles’ One looking west along Churchyard churchyard was transformed from a Passage (pretty well invisible) towards derelict and overgrown burial ground Camberwell Grove appears to show into a pleasant public park. the low sides and left-hand end of an opened tomb. A slab leaning against The churchyard in 1932 By the middle of the 19th century, the right-hand end could be a stairway Southwark Local History Archive the number and shallowness of going down – the larger family plots burials in London’s churchyards The outcome then was that the had vaults entered by staircases. were of public concern, leading to legible gravestones would all be the 1852 Burial Act. An Order in moved and placed “on the northern Council of 13 August 1855 forbade boundary” of the churchyard and all burials in St Giles’ churchyard against its east wall. The illegible after 1 March 1856. stones would be used for paving footpaths. The ground would be The churchyard became untended. levelled and turfed as necessary, with The obscure areas of Nunhead a fairly simple layout of paths. The cemetery demonstrate the effect proposed cost was £2,220. There was nature can have. An untended area a particular condition, of which we quickly becomes an obstacle course don’t know the origin, that the Bourne of young trees, brambles, ivy, wild tomb, near the church and fenced clematis and more. then as now, was not to be disturbed. St Giles’ churchyard was not Two requirements of the Open alone in reverting to wilderness. Spaces Act were that all legible The Metropolitan Public Gardens gravestone inscriptions should be Association (MPGA) was established An open tomb recorded; and that those records, in 1882 for “the protection, Southwark Local History Archive along with the work that was preservation, safeguarding and proposed, should be advertised for acquiring for permanent preservation The conversion process was public inspection and comment. for public use, of gardens, disused triggered in June 1937 by a claim burial grounds, churchyards, open from the Parochial Church Council There are 481 entries in the list spaces, areas of land likely to be used of St Giles’ to the Borough for the of gravestone inscriptions, some for building purposes, etc…” repair of railings of on either side of complete, some fragmentary – and the graveyard section of Churchyard many more probably illegible. Most So St Giles’ Vestry approached Passage. This led to a high-powered of the inscriptions record multiple the MPGA in 1896, but nothing site meeting between the vicar, the burials. No.171 is one of the more was decided. The Open Spaces Act works committee chair, the town extreme examples, and may serve as 1906 gave local authorities powers clerk, the borough engineer and an illustration of what prompted the to acquire disused burial grounds surveyor. The project was discussed 1852 Burial Act: (and other spaces) to be made into at the site meeting and approved at a parks. But the Metropolitan Borough Elizabeth Harris, died November full council meeting. of Camberwell (which replaced 27 1812, aged 58 years. the Vestry) was not moved to any It entailed three main steps: Also Sarah Goring, sister to immediate action. agreement between the church and Elizabeth Harris and late wife of the Borough about what work was Finally, and owing mainly to George Forbes Goring of this Parish, to be undertaken; conveyance of the impetus from the vicar, Rev H.P. Mason, died September 29 1815, land from the church to the Borough; Lindsay, the process of conversion to aged 56 years. and then a “Petition” from the a public park began in 1937, under Borough to the Diocese of Southwark Also Martha Goring, second wife the Open Spaces Act. permission to make the change and of the above George Forbes Goring By the late 1930s, according to the move the gravestones. died May 30 1822 in her 53rd year.

1 A few years ago Donald Mason contributed an article to the Camberwell Quarterly which sketched the history of St Giles’ churchyard from early in the 18th century (CQ No.192, Spring 2017). 10 Local History

not mind the removal of her stone but On 23 December 1938, after all asked that it remain recumbent, and the stages had been completed, the not be placed against a wall. diocese registrar sent the town clerk The present state of the churchyard the Faculty – the document giving shows that what was planned is very permission for the changes. This largely what was carried out. The led to some pleasing bureaucratic gravestones are still to be seen on spikiness. The Registrar incorporated the north boundary. There are only his bill into the letter: Court Fees of 5 a few against the east wall, and this guineas and a further 1 guinea for the may have been because of a minor certified copy of the Faculty. But he change in the plan. The layout is as added, “May I also suggest a further in the 1938 plan; the Bourne tomb fee of 3 guineas, to cover the extra remains where it was; and beside it correspondence and perusal of the lies recumbent Jane Dance’s stone. draft petition etc”. The graves themselves were not The town clerk settled the bill disturbed, so we are walking above in full immediately, but the extra them as we walk in the churchyard, amount may have irked him. On not just above the graves but above 21 January he wrote, “...the vicar’s the brick vaults with their steps going solicitors have drawn my attention down. to the fact that in three places of The question of trees remains page 2 of the faculty the vicar’s unanswered. There must have been second Christian name is wrongly many in 1938, of differing ages. It spelt...and at the foot of that page is plausible that before work started reference is made to “subsections (1) a selection would have been made: and (3) respectively of section 11” those that seemed to fit in well with instead of to “subsections (1) and (4) the planned layout to be kept, the respectively of section 11 ...” remainder to be removed. But he was a little hasty. The Unfortunately, the 1938 plan is of Registrar was able to reply on the Also Mr. George Forbes Goring, no help. We do not know what the 23rd, doubtless with satisfaction, “I husband of the above, died July 22 black dots on it mean. There are far have duly corrected the slight errors 1827. Aged 65 years. George Goring, too many of them to be trees. But you mention, but in returning the two grandson of the above, died October those on either side of the graveyard documents herewith may I mention 22 1847, aged 36 years. section of Churchyard Passage seem that in preparing them your petition to correspond well to the current Also Eleanor Goring, sister of the was followed.” (and possibly then existing) avenue above George Forbes Goring, died of limes. Further investigation of the Churchyards change, but February 3rd 1848, aged 67 years. trees remains work in progress. professional needling stays the same. Also Mr. George Goring, son of the above George Forbes Gering, died March 6th 1851, aged 63 years. Also Mrs. Sarah Ann Bothell, daughter of the above Mr. George Goring died August 28th 1851, aged 39 years. The plans were duly advertised in the South London Press and in the South London Observer, Camberwell and Peckham Times on 12, 19 and 26 August 1938. There is a record of only one response to the advertisements. Alfred C. Dance wrote on 20 September. He described himself as “the fifth grandson of the late Jane Dance”, who was “a great christian [sic]”. He did The 1938 Plan (Copyright: Met Archive) 11 Local History A passage through haunted times ased on his own research, the incident was reported in the local Eddie Brazil’s book press and, subsequently, others came Haunted Camberwell relates forward to claim that they too had Bmany spooky instances of local seen the spectre of the cleric. paranormal activity. Once again, following the 1970’s Churchyard Passage runs between sightings, there was a lull in reports Camberwell Grove and Camberwell of the ghostly priest. However, one Church Street through the graveyard night in July 1984, a young man of the church St Giles’ Church. The returning home through the passage church was constructed in 1844 on was a bit perturbed to find a figure the site of a medieval building which in black walking some distance had burned to the ground three years behind him. Mindful of late-night earlier. It is a suitably eerie location street crime he increased his speed illuminated by sparsely positioned yet, before he had reached the exit lamps and infrequently used after he heard footsteps behind him and dark. Just the place one would expect getting closer. Expecting to be to find ghosts, and ghosts there are. mugged he turned but was surprised During the 1930s it was believed to see that the passage was empty. that the phantom of an elderly priest He later reported that there was haunted the passage. Thought to no way that anyone creating the Haunted Camberwell, Eddie Brazil, have been a former vicar, he would footsteps could have got out of sight Marsh Publications £7.50p available have used the route to return to the so quickly. Since then reports of from: [email protected] clergy house in Camberwell Grove, the phantom vicar have once again a building long since demolished. ceased but it is entirely possible that and the wickedest man in the world. Following the initial sightings there in the years to come his spectre will During their five-year marriage he was a period of several years when be seen again. drove his wife to clinical insanity reports of the apparition ceased. But who or what is the ghost? In and had her committed to an asylum. However, in the winter of 1970 1904, Rose Kelly, the daughter of She died in 1932. Does the ghost of two people walking through the an Edwardian vicar of St Giles’, Reverend Kelly walk in perpetual churchyard at night were shocked decided to marry the occultist, and grief for his daughter’s fate? Or to encounter the apparition of the black magician, Aleister Crowley as could it be the tortured soul of Rose, phantom vicar and were even more a protest against her father’s chosen eternally regretting her choice of terrified when the ghost vanished in suitor. Crowley, who styled himself husband? front of their eyes. Their account of ‘The Great Beast’, was said to be evil Eddie Brazil

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12 Local History Box in the attic tells a story hat led Bill Hoare from Camberwell to volunteer to fight in the Great WWar? His story was rediscovered in an attache case in his aunt’s attic . At 5:45am, on 13 November 1916, the men of the 10th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers (10/RWF) attacked the German trenches before the village of Serre in northern France. Conditions for an advance were abysmal. In the thick, wet fog the lines quickly lost their shape and the men lost touch with each other. So deep was the mud in ground which had been pounded by artillery wealthy. In 1901, eleven members many young men like Bill to enlist: a since July, that those advancing of Bill’s family were living in one of longing for adventure, boredom with frequently sank to the calf, if not to the area’s many six-roomed houses life at home, the chance to travel, the knee, and had continually to pull which were squashed between a the pay, patriotic fervour and peer- themselves free. More, the Germans railway line and the various factories. pressure. had learnt of the attack in advance, The youngest of whom, Lily, was and in hard fighting they pushed the Bill had been in France for almost aged just six months. Lily died British soldiers back. By 8:30am it when she was just two. In fact, three a year when he was wounded. was clear that the assault had failed. of Bill’s brothers and sisters died Unfortunately, during the afternoon Approximately 280 men from the while they were still children. This of 13 November he slipped into 10/RWF were killed, wounded or was far from unusual. In places like unconsciousness and at 5:15pm he missing. Among the wounded was a Camberwell in the 1890s, babies had died. That evening, one of the nurses young private called William Hoare, a one in five chance of dying before from the Casualty Clearing Station known to his family as Bill. He had their first birthday. wrote to Eliza Hoare explaining that suffered gunshot wounds to his face they had done all they could for her and chest and he was evacuated to a Many who lived in Camberwell son and expressing her sympathy Casualty Clearing Station. worked in the gasworks at at Bill’s death. Along with Bill’s Kennington, in the tanneries at personal effects, this letter was Bermondsey, or for one of the placed into an attaché case. The businesses alongside the canal. family were reluctant to discuss Working in the printing industry what had happened to Bill and the appears to have been something of case remained hidden for decades. a tradition in Bill’s family and it is, Certainly, no one from the family therefore, no surprise that in July visited Bill’s grave, and as Bill’s 1908, aged just fourteen, Bill started a seven-year apprenticeship with a service record was among those that printing firm near Chancery Lane were destroyed during the Blitz of in London. This apprenticeship, 1940, it was hard to learn much of had Bill completed it, would have his story. finished in July 1915. He never did. However, in 1980 Bill’s sister, Shortly after Christmas 1914, five Queenie, died, and the case was months after Britain had declared war discovered among her possessions. on Germany, Bill, then twenty years Since then, it has been possible to Bill, the seventh child of eleven old, walked into an army recruitment shed some light onto Bill’s service born to Charles and Eliza Hoare, office at Holborn and enlisted in history. This has, in turn, encouraged had been born on 26 April 1894 in the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Bill had Bill’s family to learn more about his Beresford Street, now John Ruskin no obvious Welsh connections, he war service and several members of Street, in Camberwell. At that time, simply joined the regiment recruiting the family have visited his grave. with its population of six million, closest to his place of work. Why There is still a great deal of history London was the biggest and richest did Bill join the army when he had which can be told through boxes city the world had ever seen. In just seven months of a seven-year which we find in attics. Camberwell, however, where about apprenticeship to go? The answer is a quarter of a million Londoners probably the same combination of Dr Ian Stone. His film about Bill at: lived, it would have felt far from both push and pull factors that drove https://youtube/qwMDQNsm9Dc 13 Obituary Conrad Dehn: Skilled lawyer generous with his time for others onrad Dehn, vice-chairman and later president of The Camberwell Society 1996- C2006, died, aged 93, on 26 April 2020. Marilyn, his wife of 40 years, died four weeks earlier. The Dehns came to live at 38 Camberwell Grove in 1977 and together made a great contribution to life in Camberwell, especially their generous hospitality to friends and neighbours. During his tenure as president of the Society they opened their large garden for tea for those visiting Open Gardens Day, and later hosting supper to the garden owners. Conrad was a successful QC who used his skills to help find outcomes to issues such as redeveloping Mary Datchelor School and keeping the tennis courts. Marilyn, his second wife, was active at St Giles’ Church. A friend who knew her for 50 years says: “Marilyn was one of the apoplexy and killed him? Would when I became chair of The warmest and most faithful friends I it be manslaughter or professional Camberwell Society and he was, as have known, adept as a mimic, fun, misconduct? Fortunately, he survived we used to joke, my ‘Vice’. It was at kind and living life with Conrad to and we still won.” a time of great local unrest and much the full.” Conrad is remembered as ill feeling due to problems with roads “charming, urbane, extremely bright Conrad was committed to public and rail, and Conrad gave unfailing and at ease with himself.” His keen service, being a recorder and deputy support and guidance. intellect got him to quickly grasp High Court judge. He was a large the core of any issue and “could benefactor to both the National He also enlisted me and be combative and stimulating in Theatre and the National Gallery. Hania Hardinge, my successor discussion -- but never attacked the He once stirred a south London as Chairwoman, to his beloved individual, only the argument.” auction house by creating a legal Reform Club. He was always a precedent. He wanted to buy the Conrad remained in Fountain great supporter of women and was garden and garage next to number Court, his “happy set of Chambers” influential in the Reform Club 38, when it was put up for auction. for more than 50 years. He took becoming one of the first London He demonstrated that one can legally silk in 1968, becoming a bencher of clubs to admit women members. submit sequential bids in separate Grays Inn and later its treasurer. At envelopes, each one stating that it Unfailingly kind, he visited each the height of his formidable powers was the final bid unless exceeded. of our daughters during their first Conrad was one of the most feared Thus he avoiding having to pay a term at university and took them (by opponents) advocates at the Bar, high price. The auctioneer had never out to lunch. Our elder daughter known for his meticulous preparation come across this process before! spent a week in his chambers, where and command of his brief and the she attended court and heard him, courtroom. It was very sad that his final years when trying a drug case, ask the were badly affected by dementia. His incredibly varied practice immortal question “and what is Conrad and Marilyn are greatly allowed him to appear in numerous ecstasy?” We stayed in his French missed, none more so than by landmark cases. Of many amusing house, and were pleased to do small Conrad’s three children, Hugh, Guy stories I like this: “My most house repairs. Later, when he was and Kate frightening moment arose out of unwell, Marilyn managed to keep the appearance of the judge, a law Nicholas Roskill him in his familiar environment of lord, who said with his face purple home and Camberwell, with outings Selina Hamilton-Eger offers a and hands shaking with rage ‘you’re to the Reform. It must have been a personal recollection of her and threatening me Mr Dehn’ – which considerable effort for her who was her husband John’s neighbour for in a way, on instructions, I was. I also unwell. Eventually they both many years. wondered what my responsibility needed a greater level of care. We would be if my advocacy gave him I first really got to know Conrad miss them enormously. 14 Obituary Colin Lowman: more a gent than an agent lient Rupert Maas and colleague Felicity Blair Cremember Colin Lowman. The Silver Fox, as we knew him, slipped silkily through the leafy suburbs of Camberwell. He knew every door, every corner, and his canny eye missed nothing of note. His little black book contained the names and numbers of every one of his customers going back generations, and he always seemed to know the ages of your children. Every year or two he’d call up and say ‘How are things?’ Inevitably, in a market that seemed to rise for ever, house prices were discussed and before you knew it you’d moved again. Colin Lowman’s 80th birthday celebration at Belair House. Most people I know locally are Left to right: Nicholas Roskill (Camberwell Society President), living happily in houses sold to them Ann Kenrick (Society Chair), Colin Lowman, Robin and Jo Simon. by Colin, that they didn’t know they and famous ‘tell it like it really is’ Camberwell firm within six months could afford at the time, or even estate agent in Kensington. Brooks’s and was back doing the business. wanted. ads in the Observer and Sunday For a further 15 years, Colin Times were required and enjoyable Likeable, engaging, subtle and continued to work for local firms reading every Sunday. alert, he was the precipice to many a selling Camberwell homes until, during landslide. I think there was a slump Colin recalled that agents’ work the downturn of 2008, Colin went ‘full in house prices in Camberwell when was then very different. They never circle’ and re-joined Roy Brooks Estate he retired. He is missed. took photos and property details were Agency, based in East Dulwich. He Rupert Maas run off on a duplicator, if at all, and only retired in 2016 at the age of 82 house keys were just handed out to because he tired of the drive from his Hilary Lowman has asked me to would-be buyers. “We always got home in Cobham, Surrey. let Camberwell residents know them back,” he said. If two buyers that Colin, our long-serving estate arrived on a Monday morning and Clients and buyers read like a list agent, died peacefully on 21 May made identical bids, “we just tossed a of household names, from former at the age of 88 because it was ‘his coin. We never thought about sealed prime minister Clement Atlee, to time’. bids.” an un-named Chancellor of the Exchequer, literary luminaries and Colin was a gentleman among Brooks called Colin Lowman and stars of stage, film and televison. estate agents. Over 64 years, he Tony Halstead his ‘right-hand men’ Colin and Hilary had two children, found and sold homes for some 6,000 for 30 years until he died in 1969. Karen and Nicholas and grand- home-movers, and for their children Colin and Tony bought the firm and it daughter Yara. and latterly, their children’s children. was ‘business as usual’.for 20 years Many residents would see Colin until Tony suggested they ‘cash in A private cremation was held on 5 walking past and call him in for a their chips’. June, and a celebration of his life will quick update on property values. be held at 2.30pm on October 3rd at Their wives set out their slippers. St Andrew’s Church Cobham. After leaving Kingston Grammar But Colin never felt comfortable in 1950, he began his long career at in his. Missing the world of estate Felicity Blair the office of Roy Brooks, the candid agency, he joined an established Roy Brooks Estate Agents

15 Draft comment on: 20/AP/0929 | Raising of the roof height by 1.45m with the construction of a ground floor rear extension of 1.6m and associated internal alterations. | 113A Grove Lane London Southwark SE5 8BG The proposal is for an infill development between the Listed 113 Grove Lane on top of the side infill building to 115 Grove Lane known as 113A which will severely compromise the setting of the listed building pair 111/113. 113A as with 117A were single storey side infills to the pair of non-Listed properties 115/117. The gaps between the properties being an important part of the character of Grove Lane on this West side of the Camberwell Grove Conservation Area, rather than all reading as one terrace. 113A was allowed to be extended with a very subtle first floor extension, carefully set away from 115’s staircase and landing side window. 04/AP/1117 | “Erection of a two- storey rear extension to existing shop to form a live/work unit. | 113A GROVE LANE, LONDON, SE5 8BG”. Only that this was granted is available on the Southwark website with no documentation now accessible (a ten-year cut off I believe). As I recall this was a carefully negotiated approval as the present subtle extension shows. See photo below. The owner of 115 has already objected to this new application as to the effect that the proposed extension will have on the side window, incorrectly drawn on the plans, they say, to make this look smaller than it really is, and that the proposed building up and around this window will take essential natural light from the hallway, staircase and landing areas. Whilst one might be sympathetic to an owner’s wish to extend their property this proposal severely compromises the adjoining pair of Listed Buildings 111/113 and even those of 115/117 in the Conservation Area. The same would apply to 117A should they ever wish to extend. Planning As the proposal will be detrimental to the integrity of the adjoining Listed Building and compromise the daylight received by the adjoining 115 Grove Lane, the Camberwell The Society’s commentsSociety objects on torecent this proposal. planning applications The Society looks at all planning applications for SE5 and significant developments in adjacent post codes. Owing to limited space only a selection of the applications on which the Society has commented are printed here. For the full list Mid 1950s when the tram tracks were being removed. The last trams ran in 1952. 113A Grove Lane see: www.camberwellsociety.org.uk/ Mid 1950s when the tram tracks were being removed. The last trams “Jean’s Café” to the right. planning/ ran in 1952. 113A Grove Lane “Jean’s Café” to the right. weather. Building and ramp designs side infill building to 115 Grove Lane match those on Champion Park, would remove gaps between the using the same simple forms and neat properties. detailing to avoid competing with These are an important part of the the Victorian gothic of the original character of Grove Lane on this station. west side of the conservation area, The Camberwell Society supports rather than all appearing as one the application. (also see page 4) Existing boundary wall to terrace. This proposal also severely Windsor Walk and location for compromises the adjoining pair of proposed new station entrance 20/AP/1194: 11 Flodden Road SE5 listed buildings 111/113 and even Change of Victorian family house those of 115/117. The same would 20/AP/0745: New railway station to five flats. apply to 117A should its owners entrance at Windsor Walk Despite a lack of clarity about ever wish to extend. As the proposal Ramp and step connection to existing whether and which planning rules will be detrimental to the integrity access for all footbridges. Includes apply in this conservation area, The of the adjoining listed building and new canopies to eastern end of Camberwell Society has decided compromise the daylight received by platforms 2, 3 and 4. to support the respected Minet adjoining 115 Grove Lane. The new entrance building is Conservation Society, and a number The Camberwell Society objects to designed to relieve congestion in the of immediate neighbours, in its this proposal. existing station entrance in Champion opposition to this application. Park at busy times, and will help We have also suggested Southwark the 60 per cent of passengers who Planning should make an early approach from the north. inspection to check the facts given in The building is clad in folded both the application and in comments. aluminium with a mono-pitch roof and PV panels and will contain four 20/AP/0929: 113A Grove Lane pedestrian and two wheelchair- SE5 8BG Existing street view accessible gates. Set into the existing Applicant wishes to raise the brick wall on Windsor Walk, the new roof height by 1.45m with the brickwork will match the existing in construction of a ground floor rear colour and detail. extension of 1.6m and associated New canopies over platforms 2, 3 internal alterations. This proposal for and 4 should encourage passengers an infill development between the to move down the platforms in bad listed 113 Grove Lane on top of the Proposed street view

Retrial for Champion Hill Southwark Council is to hold a ‘retrial’ for its highly controversial one-way-but-not-quite experiment on the south-north leg of Champion Hill, from and to Denmark Hill. It was closed to traffic from the east-west leg some 22 months ago in spite of protests by some 700 householders on the road, plus Champion Hill and Cleeve Hill estates, and Grove Lane residents who bear the additional traffic discomfort and pollution. In a letter to protest leader Sandra Simpson, Southwark Council transport Cabinet member Cllr Richard Livingstone says: “We recognise that the Champion Hill trial still needs further time...before we can fully assess... whether this change should be made permanent.” Other residents claim that: “for the trial to be a fair and accurate, it must return to the prevailing two-way traffic before the ‘trial’ was thrust upon us. The council should conduct proper research on traffic use.”

16 Book Review / Planning Camberwell’s black British heroes Under Fire – Black Britain in chief of Northern Nigeria, no less, inclusion Wartime 1939 – 1945 came to Britain in 1937 to attend of the by Stephen Bourne the coronation of King George VI, Canadian and (The History Press, £12.99) the Queen’s father. He brought his Trinidadian tephen Bourne’s latest daughter along and then decided she bomber pilots book belies the notion that should stay in the UK to train as a sitting next we don’t have enough black mid-wife. She went on to qualify as to each other, SBritish heroes to celebrate or a state registered nurse and when war having a enough resources to teach broke out she subsequently stayed to belly laugh, black British history in our help the UK war effort. deep in schools. Under Fire is extraordinarily hard conversation. This is a book you can dip in and to put down because of its attention One can to detail gathered through direct out of. Learning about new people, only wonder quotes, interviews and press cuttings, learning more about well-known what they which Bourne has researched favourites like Camberwell’s own were saying to each other. Did they meticulously. The wonderful Dr Harold Moody, a local GP and perhaps know that their lives were photographs bring these people to the leader of the Congregational about to be cut short? Sergeant Church in Wren Road, founder of the life. This is not fiction. This is real life. When I was growing up in Gilkes, the Trinidadian pilot, was political League of Coloured Peoples. killed in action in August 1943. Five of his children served in the Peckham and Camberwell, family I learnt about people I had never armed forces in WW2. members used to tell me of ancestors heard off such as the bandleader Ken Then there were women like Una like this. My Uncle Olu used to ‘Snakehips’ Johnson who was killed Marson who was the first to crack the tell me of his days in the UK from in the London Blitz.I remember glass ceiling of the BBC, becoming Sierra Leone working in Lyon’s tea its first black woman programme house whilst training as a lawyer but our very own Camberwell RAF maker and presenter. A woman who, because of the negativity and people hero, Mr Fairweather, who served on arriving in the UK in 1932, was treating him as if he was the first in the war and returned to the UK given a home and a job by none other person of colour they’d seen, it was on the Windrush. I recently had than Dr Harold Moody. Thereafter, easy to dismiss these reminiscences the privilege to meet up with him in searching for alternative as fairy tales. at the Golden Oldies day centre in opportunities, she was offered some Now I know better and younger Camberwell a few months ago. freelance work by a BBC producer generations of all races need to know Bourne also includes a photo he and made history with her wartime about the contributions and sacrifices took of the African and Caribbean radio series Calling the West Indies. that black people, in spite of racial War Memorial in Windrush As Una said, “I know too well discrimination, have made to the Square, Brixton. This is the first that we would never allow it to be UK. In Under Fire we have local to honour African and Caribbean said of us that when the freedom people like the late former Mayor of men and women who served our of the world was at stake we stood Southwark, Sam King, ex RAF, to country. aside.” whom I presented the Freedom of the Books such as Under Fire open I mentioned the Nigerian princess, Southwark shortly before he passed the door to respecting and honouring away in 2016. Ademola, in a speech at a Southwark the diversity in Britain’s war effort Council meeting highlighting her However, despite the racial and, for that alone, Bourne should be achievement as the first black discrimination and tension, there congratulated. nurse to train at Guys Hospital. was friendhip between the races in Her father, a very important man, wartime. I particularly like Bourne’s Cllr. Dora Dixon-Fyle MBE

Planning proposal of developers MJW

Butterfly Walk proposed development Local architect Peter Cooke, of Adam Architecture, noted that in the current proposal the access to the flat and the private balcony is combined. As this is contrary to Council policy, he has worked out how the access and balcony could be separated. The sketch is how this would appear from Denmark Hill, using features familiar to Camberwellians.

17 Local characters

Running Camberwell’s food bank e lost count of the come. One 24-year old man arrived, Road. It runs food banks at each number of people looking haggard. “I never thought church and children’s holiday clubs. coming for help,” that I was going to lose my job or During lockdown, the Hub has been “Wsays Felicia Boshorin, CEO of would ever use a food bank, but I providing lunch and dinner parcels Central Southwark Community have been on the phone to Universal and activity packs for these children Hub, recalling how it was back in Credit for 11 hours a day for the past who otherwise would go short of February. “It was getting scary. three days and have no other option.” food when schools are closed. Could we keep going? We did Felicia was a Camberwell girl. In non-Covid times, referrals come not know how we were going to After Vauxhall Manor School, she from local schools, Mums Space manage. I worried about paying won an engineering scholarship at at the Salvation Army and local for food which was costing over Kingston and a prized placement agencies such as the St Giles’ Trust £1,000 a week and face masks at at Plessey. But one morning with and Citizens Advice Bureau. Clients £10 each from a local chemist.” a phalanx of men in white coats are assessed, given a week’s food Then help arrived. A supply and helped to deal woman in her late 20s left with any underlying issues two packs of disposable — paying bedroom tax, masks at the Hub’s HQ in St debt, budgeting, refusal or Giles’ Parish Hall, Benhill delay of benefits. One recent Road. Another donated beneficiary, a woman in her packs of disposable gloves. mid-30s, too ill to work, lost Councillor Kieron Williams her benefits and had no food phoned with news of funding to take with her medication, from Southwark, followed leading to incontinence. by a grant from the London The Hub provided food for Community Foundation. nine months until, with the CAB’s help, her benefits The table outside the hall were restored. started mounting up with food donations. “I remember As a charity, the Hub standing outside when a runs on volunteers, from woman and her 12-year an ex-Post Office catering old son rushed past, asking manager recovering from when we closed. At 2pm, losing all her money to I said. In half an hour they church workers. A typical were back, running with two day will see someone cry, shopping bags full of food.” overwhelmed. Volunteers Many locals rallied round. understand what clients are Vestry Road Mews held a going through, help to sort relay marathon which raised out problems and encourage over £3,000. By the end of them to take one day at a May the Hub’s volunteers time. had increased from 25 to 75. Felicia had her own Referrals had tripled, from was enough. She fled. After a series tragedy during Covid. Her former 305 households in February to 1,035 of management jobs, from the husband, childhood sweetheart and in May. The Hub now has funding to Post Office to Head of Borough father of her two children, died of run the foodbank till July and to pay Services in Merton, she started a coronavirus. “In a way, being so staff for the first time. property business. When the 2007 overwhelmed here, the work helped Covid has widened the Hub’s recession hit, Felicia rethought her me through it,” she says. clientele. Cleaners and caterers of life and volunteered with her local What next for the Hub? “We need Latin American heritage from the church. This led to managing the to recruit a volunteer administrator Elephant Shopping Centre, people Pecan food bank from 2011 until to keep us straight and get regular on furlough who have not been paid, 2016. Then she set up the Hub with donations to keep us going,” she self-employed window cleaners and Father Nick of St Giles’ Church, says. electricians, those who have lost jobs Mother Kate of St Paul’s Church in Marie Staunton and are waiting for Universal Credit Lorrimore Square, Pastor Mark at claims to be processed — all now Calvary Temple, Pastor Oyekan of The Camberwell Society has receive weekly food parcels. Even Foursquare Church on the Walworth donated £1000 to the Central young people, who are normally loth Road and Pastor Atinuke Omisade of Southwark Community Hub. to be seen near a food bank, now New Covenant Church in Old Kent www.cschub.co.uk/ 18 Letters / Directory

CAMBERWELL SOCIETY Quiet skies over Camberwell OFFICERS From Bridget Bell Plane together to pressurise the Department Hell Action for Transport to de-concentrate President: Nicholas Roskill flightpaths, share across all 020 7703 4736 t has not gone unnoticed by communities the blight of noise and (Licensing) 56 Grove Lane SE5 8ST many in Camberwell that, as a particulate emissions, and ensure that Chair: Nick Mair result of the Covid-19-imposed no one community should benefit to Ilockdown, there have been fewer 07557 868 159 the disadvantage of another in airspace 156 Camberwell Grove SE5 8RH planes and much reduced noise around airports and where planes fly pollution throughout the area. at low altitude (below 7000 ft). Noise Vice-Chair: Isabel Begg Although Heathrow is still open reduction should be paramount. 07785 221 470 for business, during the recent The current consultation on so- 31 Camberwell Grove SE5 8JA fine weather, the wind has blown called ‘modernisation’ of airspace, predominantly from the east and predicated on an expansion that Secretary: Robert Wainwright planes have been arriving over now seems unlikely, is based on a 07775 858 765 55 Grove Lane SE5 8SP Windsor. This has produced the procedure called “Performance Based noise levels that I remember pre- Navigation”, which in layman’s Treasurer: 2016 before the overnight shock Kim Blackwell terms is satnav for planes and based 07767 232 122 of an unconsulted change in the on the notion of a few, concentrated, 78 Camberwell Grove SE5 8RF flight path, concentrating low-level, flight paths, rotated. We are certain noisy, arrivals for 19 hours almost that this is not the answer. Heathrow Asst Treasurer: Liz Allen daily (as it can seem at times). can give no indication of how many 07796 302 645 Steps supposed to minimise the or where these paths will be nor how 78 Camberwell Grove SE5 8RF impact of arriving flights have in fact they will be rotated – apart from meant incremental concentrations in confirming that Camberwell will COMMITTEE SE London year on year since 2014, always hear noise, either overhead or Tony Coleman (Transport) such that had the overall resulting in the intrusive vicinity. 020 7564 016 change taken place in a single stage a Finally, it is not possible to know [email protected] consultation would have been required. how the aviation industry will Liz Cook (Membership) In effect, the Civil Aviation Authority respond to the impact of Covid-19. 07973 760 529 has enabled an airspace change to Rather than return to ‘business as Tim Gaymer (Planning) take place without a consultation. usual’ now is the opportunity to 020 7737 1059 Camberwell is particularly affected consider how to implement a fairer, Barbara Pattinson by aircraft noise because it is under healthier approach to the operation of (SE5 Forum & Community Liaison) the flightpaths of both Heathrow and Heathrow and London City airports, 020 7274 8045 London City arrivals. London City We are asking all those affected has said that it is looking to change LOCAL HISTORY to write to their MP and Ward [email protected] the 2016 concentration that caused an Councillors to support this, outcry. Pressure needs to be kept up see our newsletter: MEMBERSHIP to ensure they do. https://mailchi.mp/9d05d00c8901/ Annual membership costs: We are asking our MPs to work consultations-12263367 • £20 (household) • £15 (individual) • £10 (concessionary) Membership form available online: www.camberwellsociety.org.uk

PLANNING [email protected]

CAMBERWELL Heathrow Flight Paths on Westerlies over SE London (Red) QUARTERLY Chartered Accountants Pilates Editorial Team: K A Jeffries & Company – p12 Artichoke Pilates Studio – p12 Marie Staunton, Shekhar Das 020 8693 4145 020 7358 5454 Jonathan Hunt, Helena Rhodes Garden Centres Stained Glass Contributions to the Quarterly are Dulwich Pot & Plant Garden – p12 Stained Glass Windows – p3 welcome. Please email: 020 7733 3697 07791 620011 [email protected] Newsagents Local Information Advertising: R K News – p15 South London Guide. Website on all aspects Liz Allen 020 7703 2784 of South London, including shops, services 07796 302645 and property: www.southlondonguide.co.uk

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