18 June 2007

It's been a while, hope you're all ok. My time on the net can be counted in minutes these days so this blog has seen some neglect. My apologies for losing touch with everyone, but I've lost daytime access and evenings seem to vanish in the blink of an eye! Let's pretend none of that has happened and attempt a post.

Lewisham represented in Big Brother

LEWISHAM lass Charley remains in Big Brother after the first eviction. The unemployed 21-year-old, who lives at home with her mum in Lewisham, entered the Big Brother house 18 days ago. She describes herself as trendy, wild and argumentative.

Black Britain speaks - 'Dear Jamaica, wi homesick!'

On one side of a red-brick roadway, in a place called Lewisham on the south-east side of London, England, is a small, colourful food shop. A yellow and black sign above the front door says 'Honey's Caribbean Take Away Bakery'.

Prolific bicycle thief is caught

A prolific bike thief who stole up to two machines every day, has been arrested after going on the run. Daniel Westrop, aged, 27, from Bromley, south-east London, had failed to turn up for a court hearing on 24 May. The labourer was found in Catford, south London, and had been wanted for cycle thefts at stations in the South-East.

Man talked down from rooftop

A FIRE crew was called to an address in Sydenham following reports a man was threatening to jump off the roof. The crew, who brought an aerial platform as a rescue precaution, was called to the house in Devonshire Road at 8.15am by police.

Sainsbury's asbestos fear after coughing outbreak

STAFF at a Sainsbury's store are complaining of coughs because of dusty building work. The shop in Lewisham Shopping Centre,Lewisham High Street, is being refurbished but one worker said this had led to a layer of dust settling on foods and fine particles floating in the air.

End of the line for train yobs

POLICE have targeted nine stations along the crime "hot spot" route of the Lewisham to Dartford railway line. Eleven arrests were made on Thursday evening by British Transport Police and officers from the Met's Safer Transport Team. Offences include carrying a knife, possession of class-A drugs, trespass and public order offences.

20 May 2007

£12,000 payout after back injury

A COUNCIL employee has received £12,000 in damages after injuring his back in an accident at work.

Craig Lewis, who has worked for Lewisham Council for 20 years, injured his back in September 2004 after a chair he was sitting on gave way.

Alleyway clean-up

POLICE and council officials today teamed up to clear fly-tipped rubbish away from an alleyway.

Rushey Green Safer Neighbourhood Team and Lewisham Council workers armed themselves with brooms, overalls and gloves to tackle the alleyway in Blythe Hill Lane, Catford.

Wheelie Bins Made Smaller

Councils are cutting the size of residents' wheelie bins in an attempt to encourage recycling.

Local authorities are to introduce new "baby bins" which will give householders 180-litre containers instead of of the 240-litre versions previously provided.

One of the first councils to do this is Lewisham, but several authorities in London look set to follow.

Three charged over teen robbery

A police search of the area resulted in a double-decker bus being stopped on Bromley Road, Downham, where a group of 10 men and women were asked to get off.

The victim's handbag and mobile phone were found nearby.

A 15-year-old girl from Greenwich, a 14-year-old from Lewisham and an 11-year-old from Lewisham were arrested on suspicion of robbery.

Archbishop to Open £60m Lewisham Hospital Extension

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is to perform an official opening ceremony at the £60m ‘Riverside’ extension to Lewisham Hospital in London, on 21st May 2007. Carillion completed and handed over the facility in November last year and is now providing hard facilities management services at the hospital under the terms of the 30-year PFI contract.

Department for Communities and Local Government urges councils to sell disused public buildings to community groups

The report on Community Management and Ownership of Assets by Lewisham Council chief executive Barry Quirk concludes that transferring public assets to local people leads to more responsive services and more confident communities.

Quirk said: “Community ownership can bring people from different backgrounds together; it can foster a sense of belonging and play a role in enhancing the local environment, alleviating poverty and raising people’s expectations.”

Offenders snub fines

Councillor Simon Carter, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for community safety in Lewisham, says if the police issue fines, they need to follow them up.

He said: "The police need to make sure these fines are being enforced.

"The Liberal Democrats believe to tackle anti-social behaviour, a greater police presence is required on the streets.

"This will have a greater impact instead of issuing on-the-spot fines."

Student to bare all

Chantal Goodey, 29, of Mount Pleasant Road, Lewisham, will be joining campaigners from around the world in Pamplona on July 5.

They will be protesting against bullfighting and the running of the bulls, an annual event in which the animals are set free in the streets and people have to try to avoid them.

Campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), which aims to end the exploitation of animals, started the Running of the Nudes event in 2002.

Teens jailed for smashing teeth

ROBBERS who smashed out a man's front teeth to steal a lighter worth £1.50 have been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Two teenagers, a 16-year-old from Orpington and a 14-year-old from South Norwood were imprisoned at Croydon Crown Court last Friday.

A 15-year-old from Lewisham and a 16-year-old from Streatham Hill were also each given a four-year supervision order.

Lawyer: 'Rape' girl should be 'glad of attention'

A barrister provoked outrage yesterday by claiming that the victim of an alleged gang rape was so fat she would have been 'glad of the attention'.

Sheilagh Davies, defending one of three boys accused of raping two girls, said the 16-year-old girl had 'slimmed down a lot' since the alleged attack.

The defendants, all from Catford, South- East London, allegedly told the girls they would be killed if they called police.

Hate crime crackdown arrests

NINE people in Lewisham and Greenwich have been arrested in dawn raids cracking down on domestic violence and hate crime.

The London-wide operation today was "aimed at putting the fear back on to the offender", said a police statement.

07 May 2007

Life is busy, updates have been thin, as always - I apologise.

Residents calling for prefabs to be saved

Eighty-three homeowners and tenants have signed an online petition on the Downing Street website, calling for their prefab estate in Catford, built after the Second World War, to be saved.

Honouring wartime servicemen

An ex-servicemen's club in Catford is organising a memorial event to remember the men killed aboard HMS Hood.

Canal Approach burns!

A fire which broke out in the early hours of this morning at a warehouse on Canal Approach in Deptford. A number of gas cylinders including two acetylene cylinders were reported at the scene of the fire which caused substantial damage to the two storey warehouse. A 200 metre hazard zone was put in place to ensure public safety, as some cylinders can explode when exposed to heat.

Additional Report Report Report

Looking at how to combat guns

More than 200 people attended a conference held in Catford looking at what action can be taken to solve the problem of gun and knife crime. The Community Call to Action conference was held to look at the problems of gangs, guns and knives on the streets.

Poll says area is not family-friendly

LEWISHAM and Greenwich are among the worst places in the UK to bring up a family, according to a survey. The borough of Lewisham came 400th out of 408 areas in a Reader's Digest poll. Greenwich borough was ranked 393rd, according to the survey of 1,162 parents.

Council rejects mayoral motion

CALLS for a consultation about holding a referendum on Lewisham's directly-elected mayoral system have been rejected. A joint motion, put forward by Liberal Democrat Councillor Mark Morris and Green Party leader Councillor Darren Johnson, was voted down at full council last week.

Warden takes council to tribunal

A STREET warden has taken a council to a tribunal over allegations of outstanding payments. Mark Whyte, of Sunninghill Road, Lewisham, appeared at an employment tribunal in London Road, Croydon, on January 19 to present his £6,000 payment claim against Lewisham Council.

CCTV misses bus robbery

VITAL CCTV footage of a steaming gang attacking bus passengers cannot be used because the camera failed. The eight-strong gang raided a 188 bus in Surrey Quays.

The thugs, believed to be members of the Lewisham-based SFX Boys gang, cornered their young victims on the top deck before making off with cash and mobile phones.

Terror suspects to face trial

A TERROR suspect from Lewisham was among eight men who appeared in court on Friday. The suspects, who were arrested last year after a series of anti-terror raids across the south east, are expected to stand trial later this year.

They are charged on a 32-count indictment which includes charges of soliciting murder, providing training for terrorists and possessing terror documents between March and June last year.

Rise in number of dumped animals

News Shopper reported in October how the Celia Hammond Animal Trust was in danger of grinding to a halt because too many abandoned cats had been left at its doors.

The situation has not really changed at the centre in Lewisham Way, Lewisham. It currently has 115 cats which need to be rehomed. Tust founder Celia Hammond said: "It is sickening and very upsetting so many cats are still being abandoned.

Blackheath - Super Villain?!

Plantman (Samuel Smithers) aka Blackheath is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in Strange Tales vol. 1 #113.

23 April 2007

Apologies. It's been far too long but the real world got in the way. Apologies also for missing the blog meet, glad to see it went well. Gutted to miss out meeting many of you and saying hello again to some of you. Next time (sigh). Onwards!

ITV gets local in Lewisham with Local London Online TV.

Strike threat over post office closures in WH Smith

The Royal Mail is facing the threat of a strike today after announcing that scores of flagship Post Offices are to close with services transferred to WH Smith stores. The Post Office said that following a trial in six areas, a further 70 so-called Crown Post Offices are expected to move to the high street stores group by the end of summer next year.

The full list of the 70 Crown Post Office branches announced today to be relocated into nearby WH Smith stores include:

Bexleyheath, Bromley, Charing Cross, Forest Hill, Lewisham, Woolwich.....

Vision of the future

SIX sites in Lewisham have been earmarked as “major development opportunities”, attracting extra jobs and houses.

Three areas in Deptford – Convoys Wharf, Deptford town centre and Seagers Distillery – plus Lewisham and Catford town centres, and Millwall, have been named in the Lewisham regeneration strategy.

Lewisham joins slavery apology calls

The Mayor of Lewisham, Steve Bullock, has joined calls for British institutions to apologise to the descendants of slaves for their involvement in the ‘evils’ of the slave trade, at a commemorative service hosted in Lewisham Town Hall last weekend.

Bullock told The Voice that he had a personal responsibility to find a way to “express the sorrow and regret so many of us share.”

‘Despicable’ theft of crematorium’s roof

THIEVES have stolen the roof from a crematorium. Part of the copper roof was discovered to have been taken from Lewisham Crematorium on the morning of April 10, when workers returned after the Easter break.

Obese Lewisham residents too fat to be cremated

Rising obesity levels have caused crises in some crematoriums which are finding many coffins are now too big to fit in standard sized furnaces.

Some councils have been forced to invest up to £130,000 (Dh949,000) in outsize incinerators able to cope with expanding waistlines.Among them is Lewisham council, which has ordered a 44-inch furnace from the United States.

Lewisham worst place to raise a family?

Reader's Digest polled 1,162 parents with children under 16 and asked them to rate the characteristics of family-friendly locations - giving these a rating from 1 to 10, depending on their importance.

The factors were then weighted depending on the importance parents gave to them. Reader's Digest also used official data, such as Home Office crime figures, and Land Registry house price figures, to rank each area.

'WORST' FAMILY PLACES
399. Oxford, Oxfordshire
400. Lewisham, London
401. North Lincolnshire
402. Rother, East Sussex
403. Kingston upon Hull
404. Haringey, London
405. Hastings, East Sussex
406. North East Lincolnshire
407. Waltham Forest, London
408. Reading, Berkshire
Source: Reader's Digest

09 April 2007

Shoe fetishist feels like a 'monster'

A SHOE fetishist says he felt like a "monster" when he realised the impact his high heel muggings had on his female victims. Omar Abd-el-Gowad got a sexual thrill when he pounced on strangers in the street and ripped the shoes from their feet, it is claimed.

The 26-year-old crept up on a seventh victim, who cannot be named, in New Cross on November 9 last year as she returned home with a friend, prosecutor Toby Fitzgerald said on Tuesday.

Lewisham Primary Care Trust denies forcing nurses to take Easter break

Lewisham Primary Care Trust has hit back at claims by the GMB union of a possible shortfall in nursing cover over the Easter break. The union’s sister organisation, the Community & District Nursing Association (CDNA), said its member nurses were being forced to take a holiday over Easter by the trust’s HR team – leaving a potential shortfall in nursing cover.

Demand for answers on 'bankrupt councillor'

LEWISHAM Labour group is calling for answers over the position of a former Liberal Democrat councillor. Labour group chairman Councillor Alan Hall demanded a statement over Councillor Sera Kentman's status at Lewisham Council's Annual General Meeting following her expulsion from the Liberal Democrat party.

FBI investigate discount shop credit card scam

SHOPPERS at discount shop TK Maxx could be victims of the world's biggest credit card scam affecting 45 million people. The FBI are currently investigating stores in Dartford, Bexleyheath, Bromley, Charlton, Lewisham and Farnborough.

Colleges meet their match

"The CBI has won the debate and there's an open market in training," says Dame Ruth Silver, principal of Lewisham College, in south-east London. Lewisham is one of many colleges that have been talking to neighbours - in its case, Greenwich College and Bexley College - about the possibilities of snuggling up.