The Clapham Society Newsletter Issue 400 September 2017 Our meetings are held at Omnibus, 1 Our next Green Plaque Clapham Common North Side, SW4. On Wednesday 6 The bar at Omnibus is open from 7 pm, September at 6.30 pm join and meetings commence at 8 pm. Our us for the unveiling of the guest will normally speak for about Clapham Society’s 11th 45 minutes, followed by around 15 Green Plaque on the former minutes for questions and discussion, Plough Brewery at 516 and the bar will remain open after the Wandsworth Road, SW8 talk. Meetings are free and open to non- 3JX. The unveiling, by Anya members. Non-members are invited to Hindmarch, will be followed make a donation. by a tour of the building PLEASE ARRIVE IN GOOD TIME and a drink in the courtyard. TO ENSURE ENTRY. THERE IS Free, but you MUST reserve A LIMIT ON THE NUMBER THE your place in advance with THEATRE CAN ACCOMMODATE Joy Breen joy.breen@ AND YOU WILL NOT BE marstonproperties.co.uk or 020 7736 7133. ADMITTED WHEN THAT NUMBER IS REACHED. Clapham Old Town Fair On Saturday 2 September Clapham will be in Monday 25 September festive mood when Clapham Old Town Fair returns Architectural Icons. Julia to The Polygon from 12 noon to 6 pm. There will Barfeld of Clapham-based be traditional fairground activities, food and drink, Marks Barfeld Architects music, a dog show, craft and local interest stands. will talk about the history The Clapham Society stand will highlight some of and design development the recent concerns of our planning experts, who of the practice’s iconic will be available to answer questions. London Eye, Brighton’s i360 Lambeth Local History Fair Tower as well as some local Also on Saturday 2 September from schemes. 10.30 am to 4.30 pm some of the Clapham Society local historians will be manning Monday 23 October the Society’s stand (with a historical Annual General Meeting. display) at the Lambeth Local History Following the business Fair at St Leonard’s Church, Streatham meeting the guest speaker High Road, SW16 1HS. There will be is James Le Fanu. For tours of the church crypt throughout the all the many impressive day, talks, displays and Lambeth local Speakers for 2018 achievements of modern medicine, there society stands. This is the opening event During September we shall be planning is growing concern at the progressive of Lambeth’s Heritage Festival, a month the programme of talks for 2018 ‘medicalization’ of people’s lives to no of talks, walks and events throughout the meetings. We welcome suggestions good purpose. Daily Telegraph medical borough provided by Lambeth Archives from members. If you have heard a columnist and Vauxhall GP James Le and member societies of the Local particularly good speaker or know Fanu will explore the ramifcations and History Forum. The full programme can anyone who speaks on a subject you the reasons behind the massive threefold be picked up at Lambeth Libraries or think members might enjoy please increase in drug prescribing over the past Omnibus or downloaded at lambeth.gov. contact the Events Organiser, Christine 15 years and its many potential harmful uk/heritagefestival. Armstrong, details back page. consequences. Acting Secretary: Maev Sullivan Published by The Clapham Society, a registered charity No 279595 2 Fitzwilliam Road, SW4 0DN Member Society of the London Forum claphamsociety.com Printed by PowerPrint 020 7223 8953 Walks in September Clapham Common Updates Wednesday 13 September. Planning application for use for temporary events. Despite the Society’s Old Clapham: People and Places. A objections, regrettably the planning application for use of the Common for temporary guided walk around central Clapham events was approved. This is sadly yet another example of Lambeth Council ignoring focusing on the stories of notable people the reasonable wishes of residents; we didn’t think it appropriate that the council can and buildings. Led by Peter Jefferson now wave through events for up to 5000 people without going through a specifc Smith. Meet outside Omnibus, 1 Clapham planning approval process so residents can scrutinise each event on a case-by-case Common North Side, SW4 0QW for 2.30 basis. The Society is not blind to the benefts events on the Common can provide pm start. the community, nor is it unaware of the need for the council to seek commercial revenue. We will continue to adopt a balanced, pragmatic approach to the use of the Friday 15 September Common for commercial gain, and we feel this step is dangerously in the wrong Clapham Common Bat Walk. Dr Iain direction. Boulton, of Lambeth Parks and Open Winterville. Whilst we have objected in principle to Winterville, we suspect that its Spaces, will lead another of his popular approval is a foregone conclusion given the council’s support for almost any event on bat walks. Bat detectors and information the Common that generates revenue. We have therefore requested that the council and will be provided, but please bring a torch Winterville work with the Society and other resident groups to agree a comprehensive if you have one. Warm outdoor clothing and detailed programme of preparation and remediation work in the area of the and sensible footwear are advised. Meet at Common covered. An abridged version of our letter to the council can be found on the Clapham Common Bandstand for a 7.30 council’s planning portal. pm start. Litter. For many residents, including myself, the litter situation on the Common, especially during busy summer months, is an absolute disgrace. The Society has been Saturday 16 September working with CCMAC and other interested parties to improve the situation. We are The Rocks and Waters Beneath Our glad to report that the council has fnally given a number of undertakings to improve Feet: a geological and hydrological the situation, including better litter receptacles and cleaning equipment and, crucially, study of Clapham Common with Dr Iain the recruitment of weekend park attendants whose primary role will be litter collection. Boulton. A guided hands-on walk look- They will be on duty each weekend between 7 am and 8 pm from July to the end of ing at the rocks and soils that have made October. After a pretty rocky start in early July, things seem to have improved over the Clapham Common, and how we have past few weekends. Time will tell. changed them or used other rocks and Clapham South Deep Shelter. The Secretary of State has given approval for the minerals to mould the landscape we see redevelopment of the rotunda of the Clapham South air raid shelter for a café and today. A chance to look into the earth and exhibition space. fnd out what the rocks and waters are up Park Run. An application has been made for not-for-proft ‘Park Runs’ to be to beneath our feet. Start at 2 pm at the given permission to use the Common each Saturday from 9 am to 10 am for a weekly Bandstand. volunteer-led 5km run. These park runs are already very popular in a number of other London parks. Whilst there are a few issues to be clarifed with regard to route and Bandstand Beds possible damage to the Common from potentially such a large number of people using Since its humble beginnings with a few the circular track of the main part of the Common each week, at this stage the Society is raised beds next to La Baita café on the minded to give the application its support. Common, Bandstand Beds has blossomed Andrew Summers into the biggest food growing project in Convenor, Common and Open Spaces Sub-committee Clapham. The community garden morning there is a table in the community on Windmill Drive is garden on Windmill Drive with a plethora a hive of activity on of produce – probably the freshest Saturday mornings. As veg you’ll fnd in Clapham! There are well as sowing seeds and also delicious pickles homemade with growing veg, the group ingredients from the garden. All the has been working fat out money donated for the food on offer is to build and fll beds in going towards the crowdfunding project the extended part of the for safer pathways. garden and build a kitchen If you are unable to make it to the in the new shipping garden on Saturdays to pick up produce container. but would still like to help Bandstand With this done, the aim Beds achieve its target you can pledge a for the coming year is to donation by visiting spacehive.com/safe- set up regular gardening paths-for-clapham-community-garden. sessions for people over 50 To fnd out more about how to get who want to get outdoors, involved with Bandstand Beds food get active, and have fun growing in the heart of Clapham food growing and meeting kitchen. To make this facility safe and Common, visit bandstandbeds.org.uk or people. Trial sessions are already running accessible to everyone we need to raise email [email protected]. in the safer areas, but the new pathways just over £5000 for pathways. will enable us to open up the whole To achieve this goal, we have set up David Dandridge, garden and make full use of the container a crowdfunding project. Each Saturday Chair of Bandstand Beds Black Cultural Archives London Symphony At our last meeting before the summer break Victoria Northridge, Collections Manager This brand new silent flm offering a of Black Cultural Archives (BCA) in Brixton, gave us an interesting talk about the poetic journey through the capital will history of Black people in England, and about the foundation and development of BCA, be screened at Clapham’s Shambhala Britain’s frst National Black Heritage Centre.