Lewisham

Brockley photographer Joel Knight has provided this review (and shot) of the Gaza Halal Food Centre, 173 Lewisham Way: Never judge a book by its cover; The Halal Meat Centre on Lewisham Way is really well stocked and managed little Brockley Gem - if you enjoy cooking middle eastern/north african/spanish/moro food then this is the place for you - Well priced dried beans and lentils, olive oils, stuffed vine leaves, the best and freshest pitta breads, date filled cookies (better than fig rolls...Read Full Story

The Mayor of Lewisham has given approval to consult on proposals with to add junior school places in 2013 by extending provision at Prendergast Ladywell Fields College , Crofton Park, so that it becomes an all-age school offering two forms of entry in the primary phase. This is part of Lewisham's strategy to accommodate a bulge in pupil numbers, which is putting severe pressure on school places. A mini baby boom occurred in the borough and if Lewisham was relying on the traditional exodus of...Read Full Story

Eagle Eye Perry has spotted an application to convert the former home of George the barber on Brockley Road in Crofton Park into a cafe. The paperwork is for: The alteration and change of use of the ground floor of 340 Brockley Road SE4, from retail (Use Class A1) to cafe (Use Class A3), together with the installation of an awning to the front elevation, an external ventilation flue and new gate for access to bins at the rear. Great to see more action in Crofton Park and we look forward to...Read Full Story

Nigel Tyrell , Head of Environment for Lewisham Council, would like your feedback on possible changes to the way in which the Council charges business for waste disposal. It matters not only to local business owners, but to all of us, because the Council is now in a position to profit from waste recycling, as well as because an effective business waste management strategy means less dumping and fewer scenes like this . Nigel says: Our new recycling contract means that we now can get an income...Read Full Story

A Brockley woman has pleaded guilty to the theft of a war memorial from St Mary the Virgin Church, near the Ladywell section of Lewisham High Street. It's a pretty sad tale all round , and means the names of some who lost their lives in the First World War may be lost forever. Rising metal prices mean that metal theft (like the copper cabling theft that occasionally wipes out telecommunications in the area) is becoming more common and as many as 100,000 memorials are thought to be at risk...Read Full Story

It's like the summer riots of 2011 all over again, when one issue dominated BC coverage and debate for days and Brockley Kate provided front line reporting. Ah, great days. Here's her report from the 180 Brockley Road consultation: - The murals will go, but there is a plan to photograph them, blow them up really big and put the pics under the railway bridge to brighten it up. I suggested that they could commission Known (the graffiti artist who created them) to re-do them under the bridge...Read Full Story

We've had a few enquiries about the status of the Brockley Cross redevelopment project , which is due to start this month. Lewisham Council's contractors were on site recently, investigating drainage in the area, in preparation for work to begin in earnest. When we spoke to the workmen at that time they said they expected work to begin shortly, as planned. We'll update the site when we have a confirmed start-date.Read Full Story

Less a park than a self-contained Green Chain walk, Ladywell Fields is a collection of green spaces - dissected by rivers and railway lines and linked by the route of the Ravensbourne River - with each part offering a different experience. Ladywell Fields has been transformed by a project called QUERCUS, which began in 2008 with the aim of making better use of the river to improve the park and design-out crime and anti-social behaviour. QUERCUS was completed earlier this year and the result...Read Full Story

Batty: I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die. - Blade Runner Brockley's artist laureate Mike Hall has created a new illustrated map of Lewisham, which you will be able to buy at Brockley Market on December 3rd or online via his site  here .Read Full Story

Yvonne, who runs the SE4 Book Club , writes:Our new location is the Brockley Jack pub and we now meet every 2nd Monday of the month, with the next one on February 13th. We had 12 people at our first session and 15 at out second. Roughly a third of those attending learned about it via Brockley Central, so BCers will be in good company.Our next book, (as suggested by one of our members) is Stephen R. Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever .Read Full Story