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27 March 2012
This Shirley poppy grew on Rev. Wilk’s grave in St. John’s graveyard , Shirley
Marzia Nicodemi-EhikioyaEditor, linguist, outspoken campaigneron local and national issues. Loves opera,
books and libraries.
Russell ElliottPassionate believer and advocate ofalternative - Just ‘cos something hasalways been done a particular way
doesn’t make it the best!
Andrew PellingFormer Shirley resident, Councillor,London Assembly Member & MP.Investment Banker & commentator
for insidecroydon.com
Robert DilGraphic Design Consultant and
Co-owner of TD Studio in Addiscombe.Loves playing music & diving.
Giovanna RicciardelliTravel Consultant specialised in Events.Loves entertaining, swimming, cookingItalian food. Seriously interested in
architecture and interior design.
Andrew DunsmoreTop London photographer, runsPicture Partnership in his ShirleyStudio or on location. He helps
you take better pictures.
NOG aka Neil O’GormanEcologist and charities champion.
Stuart CollinsShirley resident, former Mayor ofCroydon and Councillor. Loves
music and cats.
Nadia NazirIT Consultant and Interior
Decorator, loves to sew, knit andbake.
Peter Howard72 this year, in Shirley since 1971. Myinterests are politics and Elder Abuse. Ibelieve in holding politicians to account.This does not endear me to them. Oh
dear!
Helen Campbell-MacDonaldPractitioner of alternative medicine
and regular contributor toAlternatives page.
Jill LatterMiniaturist, Shirley resident formore than 50 years, makes
beautiful cakes.
Tom DunsmoreFamily man. Retired engineer. Hasworked abroad. Speaks Spanish.
Enjoys travel.
Interested inbeing part of our
online magazine?Please contact us
Charles Parkof Planning Partnership Ltd, Shirley.The man to look for if you wantsomething special for your home.
3
ContentsShirley Life 5No knobs, yet and Croydon Samuel Coleridge Taylor Festival at BH 9Some facts by Jeffrey Green, Historian 12Posters against the incinerator 15Council Report by Andrew Pelling 19Giovanna’s Column 22Shirley Open Gardens 25Introduction to Energy Awareness from CNC course 26It is our money: let’s stand up for our rights by Marzia 28Hall Grange 31No incinerator near people by Editor 32New theatre show in Croydon 41Shirley Community Centre 42St John’s Flower Festival and FloFest Concert 45Save the David Lean Cinema Campaign 46About Andrew Dunsmore of Picture Partnership 48Shirley Library: April Activities 50SPEAK UP for Libraries Event Report 52Marriage. Your views, please by Tom Dunsmore 57Easter Services 64
Front Cover: Olive trees in the Getsemane Garden
Editorial TeamTom Dunsmore, Jill Latter, Marzia Nicodemi-Ehikioya (Editor), AndrewPelling, Russell Elliott (Advertising Consultant), Robert Dil (Graphic DesignConsultant) and Nadia Nazir (Website Administrator).
ContactsT: 07940 415532 • E: [email protected] • W: www.shirleylife.com
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Is Life too short to do-it yourself?• Garden maintenance & grass cutting• Painting and decorating• Flat pack furniture assembly• Shelf, mirror, picture hanging• Jet washing of drives, patios, decking
• Changing of light bulbs• Garages and sheds cleared
NOG Property Maintenance
Free estimates and no call out feeJust call NOG for a no obligation quote on
07909 948118 or 8776 1909 or email [email protected]
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Shirley Life January front coverreceived a lot of attention andpositive comments. We will continue
raising awareness regarding the incineratorin Croydon. Email us if you wish to displaya poster against the incinerator. We have 3versions available: with Labour websitebanner, with Greens website banner andwith no banner. It is not just a political
game: it will seriously affect our health and we are in it together. Furthermore,house prices around the site will drop. Would you buy a house near it?
SKANSKA CroydonThe new street lights are going up in Shirley. We are promised betterillumination, fewer faults, increased road safety and help in reducing crime.Really? Read the story on page 24.Open garden
Mrs Olive Bowyer will open her garden on Sunday 6 May from 14to 17 hours at 106 Shirley Way, Shirley. It is an organic gardenwith wild flowers and shrub borders. There will be plants for sale.
The garden is not suitable for wheelchair users or children under 12.Entrance fee £2. All proceeds will go to St. Christopher’s Hospice.
Wasting waterWe should all be aware that Thames Water will impose a hosepipe ban on5 April 2012. Yet, there are people around us who furiously clean theirdrives wasting a lot of water. The same people will, later on, water theirgardens at night. The same people think they are very smart because theydo not have a water meter installed.
Would you not agree that water metersshould be made compulsory and thatCEOs in water companies should beheavily fined when they allow water leaksto go unckecked for days?By the way, we have had a water meterfor a few years and pay less than before.Our household reuses, recycles anddoes not waste water.
Bridle Road, May 2010
TD STUDIO353 LOWER ADDISCOMBE ROADCROYDON - SURREY CR06RGT - 020 8656 0555 / 0888E - TDPR INT@BTCONNECT .COM
Your Local FriendlyPrinters
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Libraries: a painful charade
Croydon Council is still silent and residents are still waiting for a clearanswer. Shirley Life “lens” is still on libraries, 15 months after the farcestarted. Please read more on page 50.
Stats, surveys and pollsI read everything because I am curious to understand what makes peopletick. I was baffled when I stumbled upon a poll which had been drawn fromthe answers of 12 participants. Hardly worth the effort to present it.I distrust many of the statistics I read about because “experts” twist themaccording to their whims or agendas. I am also suspicious of surveys and polls of any kind because, cynically, Ido not trust the people who devise them and then carry them out. My Mac is part of my life, I use Facebook and Twitter but I know lots ofpeople who live happily without a computer, an android phone and socialfeeds. These people are excluded from any “consultation process” and theirvoice is not registered.
Refuse and recycling collectionThis month our wheelie and boxes, duly placed on the curtilage of ourdriveway, were not emptied. It seems that, this time, our household wassingled out for unknown reasons. There was a furious complaint (I aminnocent) and two separate trucks came the following day to do the job. Myheart bled but I understand that it is sometimes necessary to make a point.We pay for services and services should be rendered.
Happy EasterShirley Life wishes you a happy and peaceful Easter. As customary, wepublish the details of all Easter Services in Shirley. St. Marks is ShirleyParish Church.We warmly encourage all faiths to send materials for publication.
Editor
Now Online at www.shirleylife.comand very soonin print
SAVE OURLIBRARIESand make yourvoice heard!!!
27 January 2011
If you stay silent
CLOSED
see page 18
You are warmly invitedto attend
Friday Peer Group Sessionsevery Friday
between 2 and 5pm at
The Shirley Community Centre
SHRUBLANDS AVENUESHIRLEY, SURREY
CR0 8JA
We aim to create a welcoming place for Older Adults to meet with their peer group, and make friends,
socialise, play games (Bingo sessions and other games),
listen to music, sing along and reminisce.We also plan to offer health advice and information,
exercise classes, and ComTea (relaxed computer basic training) sessions.
Free tea, coffee and snacks
Call us on 8776 2562 or 07590 202547
for further details.
9
No knobs, yet ... but put Braithwaite Hall in your diary andtell the Council the doors need attention.
A splendid chance to visit The Braithwaite Hall on 24 May 2012 for TheCroydon Samuel Coleridge Taylor Festival on the centinary of his death.
Coleridge-Taylor was was born in Holborn in 1875 and was 37 when he diedof pneumonia a few days after collapsing at West Croydon railway station in1912. He was buried in Bandon Hill Cemetery, Wallington, Surrey (today inthe London Borough of Sutton). The inscription on the fine carved headstoneincludes a quotation from the composition Hiawatha, in words written by hisclose friend and poet Alfred Noyes:
Too young to diehis great simplicityhis happy couragein an alien worldhis gentleness
made all that knew himlove him.
TToonnyy CCoolllliinnss && SSoonnss LLAANNDDSSCCAAPPEESS
Specialists inpaving, natural stone, crazy paving,
concrete and shingle drives,brickwork,
turfing, fencing& garden maintenance,shrub and tree planting
NO VAT !
Telephone 020 8776 1378Mobile 07958 639 472Email [email protected]
Established in 1981
11
Some facts by Jeffrey Green, historianThe London-born composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor has been the subject ofbiographies, articles, web sites, CD booklet notes, a novel, and entries inencyclopaedias. Yet he remains elusive as a person, misunderstood as amusician, and a victim of the innocent prejudices of commentators. This articleuses some often overlooked documents to reveal something of the truth.His birth registration states he was born in 15 Theobalds Road, Holborn, Londonon 15 August 1875. Details of that house and his English family can be recoveredfrom the census. That of 1861 shows 15 Theobalds Road was the home ofBenjamin and Sarah Holmans with four children: John, Daniel (born around 1854),their sister Sarah (born around 1848) and the oldest child, Benjamin Jr., bornaround 1840. The children had been born in Dover, Kent, and their parents in ornear that port town. The census of 1871 for 15 Theobalds Road has BenjaminHolmans and his wife Sarah, their son John (age 16) and ‘daughter’ Alice (aged14). Alice Holmans was to be the mother of the composer. There were two otherfamilies living in the property. By 1877 road-widening had led to the demolition ofthe row of houses and Holmans, Alice and young Samuel moved to Croydon .They were noted at 67 Waddon New Road, Croydon, in the 1881 census.It was in Dover, in September 1856 that Alice had been born – her mother’sdeclaration to the registrar of births named no father. It is almost certain that the
father was Benjamin Holmans Sr. His affair with Alice’s mother Emily Ann Martinwas not fleeting. She was to move from Kent to Croydon, and visited her bastarddaughter into the 1900s. She provided money; Benjamin Holmans provided thehome, into the 1890s. This support was crucial in the composer’s childhood.Alice Hare Martin, known as Mrs Alice Taylor, took her black baby to be baptised atSt George the Martyr, Queen Square in Bloomsbury, central London on 7 November1875. It was the parish church, but when Coleridge (as the family called him) wentto school in Croydon from 1880 he attended the British School in Tamworth Road- it was Nonconformist. The head teacher told choirmaster Herbert Walters thatColeridge-Taylor could sing, and Walters enlisted him into St George's PresbyterianChurch choir (younger brother Stanley Walters was the organist). Around 1889
Walters relocated to St Mary Magdalene,Addiscombe where the choirmaster was J. H.Wallis (probably John Henry Wallis whoseworks for both piano and organ werepublished from the 1880s). Coleridge-Taylorsang in Wallis's choir for over ten years,through his seven years at London's RoyalCollege of Music (1890-1897). He was
exposed to the extensive heritage of Anglican choral music at Addiscombe.
The musical childhood of Coleridge-Taylor takes on a new perspective when wesee that the London census of 1861 shows that Benjamin Jr was a ‘professor ofmusic’. Two decades later he was listed as a ‘musician’ at Cheriton (nowSandgate) near Folkestone, Kent. In 1891 the Cheriton census shows two of hischildren were musicians. Here we have clear evidence that the uncle and twocousins of Coleridge-Taylor earned their living as musicians. That young Coleridge(as he was always called in the family) had violin lessons from the man he calledgrandfather has been known, but not the extent of this musical family.Another influence of the composer’s childhood was his African father. And herethere has been confusion, stimulated by the first (1915) biography stating that hisfather was a London-qualified doctor from Sierra Leone whose medical practicein Croydon failed due to racism, forcing Dr Taylor back to Africa and leaving wifeand son in Croydon. This is a lie.Daniel Peter Hughes Taylor had progressed from Freetown to a private school inTaunton, Somerset in 1869. He then studied medicine at King’s College, Londonwhere he qualified M.R.C.P. in November 1874. He left England in early 1875.From Freetown on 18 February 1875 he sent an application to be employed in themedical service of the colony. The application is indexed in file CO 368/9 at theNational Archives in Kew, which notes that it was received in London on 12
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March. As his son was born on 15 August, it is probable that Dr Taylor did notknow his English girlfriend was pregnant.Dr Taylor was dismissed from the colonial medical service in 1876 but as hisreplacement was an African (who had also attended that school in Taunton, andKing’s College – and had married an Englishwoman) a charge of racism seemsunjustifiable. Taylor, whose two brothers were wealthy merchants, scratched aliving, moved to Banjul (then called Bathurst) in the Gambia where he hadoccasional work as a government coroner, had a daughter and died in 1904, fromdysentery. His gravestone was erected by the daughter.Dr Taylor escorted a group of invalid soldiers of the West India Regiment toJamaica, and may have sailed from Kingston to London but we know of no otheropportunity for him to have returned to England. It seems safe to conclude thatDr Taylor was totally absent from his son’s childhood.Other aspects of the composer’s life get into focus when documents are studied.The woman who became his wife, Jessie Walmisley of Croydon, is generallyregarded to have shared his life at the Royal College of Music, London. Her file thereshows she left in 1893 (before his seventeenth birthday) and we prefer to think thatit was music-making in Croydon that brought them together in the later 1890s.The Royal College of Music mounted the first performance of Hiawatha’s WeddingFeast by Coleridge-Taylor in November 1898. Regarded as both a triumph for thecomposer and for the College, a document in the library of the University of Leedsconfirms that the plan had been for Nicholas Kilburn and his musical friends inSunderland to premiere that work later in November. That programme states itwas the premiere. Coleridge-Taylor’s professor of composition, Charles VilliersStanford, had snatched it from Kilburn. That explains why the premiere was sopoorly performed. And also reveals that its composer had a reputation as acomposer of great interest in the summer of 1898.A study of the adverts in the London musical press confirms that well before thatfirst public performance of Hiawatha the music of Coleridge-Taylor was attractingcritical praise and public demand. Pieces he had written to be played by violin andpiano were re-written for solo piano, and for larger groups (generally violin, viola,piano, and cello) and then both small (20-25 instruments) and full orchestra (45-60 instruments). Four Characteristic Waltzes is one example: and the pianoversion was still in print in the 1960s.At this time, 1897-1899 there was no doubt that Samuel Coleridge-Taylor waswidely seen as a new musical star in Britain. Two additions to the Hiawatha choralcantata and its full performance by the Royal Choral Society in the Albert Hall,London, in March 1900 confirmed his status. Within months Edward Elgarovertook him, despite his rural origins (Worcester), lack of formal music education
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(his father ran a music shop), and three previous failures to interest London criticsand entrepreneurs in his music. That Elgar recommended Coleridge-Taylor to thecommittee of the Gloucester musical festival in 1898 (a group Elgar doubted couldread music) reflects Elgar’s local achievement in the nearby Worcester festival,and should not be seen as the gracious support of the ‘coming young man’ by anational figure. Elgar’s fame was to come; and it was to dwarf Coleridge-Taylor’sin the 1900s and 1910s, but that was just not true in 1898-1899.Coleridge-Taylor was not poor – his estate was valued at over £1000 when hedied in September 1912, and a suburban London house cost less than £300 then.£100 was an annual income for most working men. Nor was he unable to affordholidays, for the 1915 biography mentions several seaside holidays and his half-sister told me that their mother had taken Coleridge to the seaside as a child.It is true that composers were seldom paid royalties. Indeed, the absence of aperforming rights system was universal. The cost of setting a page of music madethe purchasing of new (and untried) works a dangerous investment by thepublishers, and the much criticized contract he signed with Novello and Co overHiawatha did not allow for royalties – in other words, he did not get a percentageof the income when the work sold by the thousand. That was true of allcomposers at his time, with Elgar selling outright a piece that would have madeElgar fabulously wealthy had he secured a royalty contract. The music publishershad warehouses with shelves groaning with unsold music, a statement that issupported by a study of the music press which announced work after work bymen and women who failed to achieve any lasting (and sometimes no) success.The publishers owned the weekly and monthly music magazines (Novello ownedthe Musical Times) and were naturally biased towards their own composers.Coleridge-Taylor was published by several London composers, who felt that hissongs, his works for solo piano, and for violin and piano, would sell to the music-making British public. They also had different sections of the market (Novello wasthe leader in choral music).
It is difficult for us to remember that during Coleridge-Taylor’s lifetime access tomusic was usually through amateur performances. Local groups would mounttwo or three concerts a year, there were festivals, and concerts in major cities. Butrecordings were few, radio was in its infancy, and the parlour piano, amateursingers and fiddle-players were numerous. And that was the musical backgroundof Coleridge-Taylor, with his grandfather and his violin, his uncle and cousins nearFolkestone, and the hundreds of thousands of men and women who purchased,played, sang, and enjoyed the tuneful music of Coleridge-Taylor.Jeffrey Green published a biography of Coleridge-Taylor entitled Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, aMusical Life in May 2011 by Pickering and Chatto of London. (Amazon.co.uk)
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27 January 2012
NO INCINERATORNEAR PEOPLE
NO INCINERATORNEAR PEOPLE
16
Desi
gnby
Shirl
eyLi
fe
NO INCINERATORNEAR PEOPLE
NO INCINERATORNEAR PEOPLE
www.noincinerator.org
17
Desi
gnby
Shirl
eyLi
fe
NO INCINERATORNEAR PEOPLE
NO INCINERATORNEAR PEOPLE
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stoptheincinerator/
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Council Report by Andrew Pelling
No place for the normal Council sketch thismonth as a report on the Council's seriousdiscussion about the August riots is moreappropriate.
The Conservative majority on the Council hadcommissioned an investigation from WhitgiftFoundation governor and QC William Barnettand his report was up for discussion.
Sadly the meeting degenerated into a shoutingmatch with the ruling Executive accusing theopposition of being party political in asking aboutthe ruling groups' performance in the run up to theriots.
Coincidentally, the meeting took place after the release of the rather more substantivereport from the Met about the August riots called “4 days in August”.
The latter report provided much more information that the Barnett report which wasrather stymied by the friendships that existed between the panel's members and thepoliticians involved or perhaps not involved in the two days running up to Croydon'sconflagration.
The Met report revealed that trouble started well before the Monday night riot with 200youths dispersed on the Sunday night but who then went on to loot, car-jack andgenerally reduce West Croydon to a state of lawlessness well before the main riots onthe evening of August 8.
This revelation, not reported in the Barnett report, meant that the debate was boundto get involved in a debate as to what the politicians had done to ask for moreresources for Croydon. As early as early Sunday morning the Met had decided thatCroydon was a target.
Social media traffic justified this view. The Gold meeting at 9am on Monday morninginvolving the Council and the police would have informed the Council of the overnighttrouble.
The local MP Gavin Barwell did call the Home Secretary's private office to raise hisconcern on the Monday and local London Assembly Member, Steve O'Connell calledKit Malthouse, another London Assembly Member who is the Mayor's deputy onpolicing to seek extra police on the evening of the main Monday riot as fires took hold.
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O'Connell, who was the Metropolitan Police Authority's liaison member for Croydon,was criticised by his Labour opponent in the London Assembly elections, LouisaWoodley, She accused O'Connell of being indolent. The phrase “asleep on the job”was used. Woodley speculated that either O'Connell did not seek the appropriateintelligence or did not act on it.
The highly charged debate saw Labour's leader, Tony Newman, seek to justify usingthe debate to call politicians to account.
“Politics is at the very heart of protecting citizens” Newman asserted. He called forCroydon's panel to sit again and seek comments from politicians about theirperformance “under oath.”
Newman accused the Conservatives of leaving Croydon to burn with the Councillorresponsible for public safety described by the Labour Leader as watching the riothelplessly in the Council's cctv room after the Conservatives failed to seek proper policingnumbers earlier in the day after being warned of trouble.
The Council Leader and Shirley Councillor, Mike Fisher, was keen to blame the policefor leaving Croydon “horribly exposed.” He referred to holidays taken in August bypolice and the decision to move all Croydon based riot trained police elsewhere thatfateful day.
He, however felt very strongly that police numbers dedicated to Croydon was not aconcern for him. He regarded that matter as “an operational matter” outside thepurview of politicians. It was not for the Council or Conservative politicians to ask thepolice not to move police officers away. Fisher was opposed, on principle, to what hesaw as such politicisation of the police.
By contrast, Labour’s Newman said O’Connell was to blame for either not makinghimself a consultee regarding the departing police or if he was consulted, letting thepolice go without protesting.
O’Connell said that it would not be appropriate for him to respond to such pettypersonal complaints and that residents did not want to hear shallow political points. Heinstead felt those culpable were the Met’s senior officers who had provided “poorleadership.”
Labour then found themselves walking into an error of their own making by referring toother concerns about the town’s decline and were thus mocked by Conservatives forwidening the debate for what they felt was calculated political advantage. Poor refusecollection was mentioned by Labour as a symptom of neglect.
Some Conservatives went beyond derision, taking the view that the issue of Croydon'sburning was so serious that the debate should have been a consensual one withoutopen, direct criticism.
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Cllr. Hoar, the hapless Councillor in the cctv room on the night, called Newman’sspeech “a disgrace”.
Cllr. Tony Pearson, a Conservative Councillor from New Addington questioned “whetherit was morally right for Cllr. Newman to pose concerns” about Cllr. O’Connell’sperformance. Better Pearson felt to contrast the disreputable behaviour of the youngrioters with the bravery of the young soldiers who lose their lives in Afghanistan. In thiscontext Pearson felt “This is not the time for Tony to play politics.”
Cllr. Pollard, a Conservative Deputy Leader, said that Labour engaged in “rants anddrivel.”
Summing up, Cllr. Fisher said that Labour support criminals and do not thank thepolice. Cllr. Newman had spoken of the police’s bravery. Fisher felt that Labour hadjust lowered the quality of the debate.
Not the whole debate was about what politicians did not do to protectCroydon from riots.
Cllr. Winborn looked forward to the sign of recovery that was represented by the April15 South End food festival.
Cllr. Fisher thanked His Honour Judge Barnett for having produced a short report ofless than 50 pages. “It would have been easy to produce a 400 page report,” saidFisher. Fisher added to his blame piled onto the police, by condemning them for notpaying out Riot Act compensation monies. Fisher also attacked private insurers.
Cllr. Fitzsimons worried about the amount of support that had been given to wards innorth-west Croydon to help them recover from the riots.
Cllr. Perry said that £5 million would be spent to refurbish and improve West Croydonstation and £7.1 million spent in London Road.
Cllr. Gray put the events of 8/8 in the context of the Scarman report of old. Herimplication was that the Barnett report was a pale and weak replica.
Cllr. Bee was concerned about the results of £2 million cuts to youth services whichwould reduce diversionary work to keep younger people from disillusion of socialdisorder.
Cllr. Mohan decried Malcolm Wicks MP’s criticism of the calibre of the Barnett reportas being “derogatory.” Mohan also described the voluntary sector as needing to becontrolled by Croydon Voluntary Action and Croydon BME Forum so that they couldact as key points of communication to provide community leadership in any future riot.Mohan saw the voluntary sector as being far too diverse and not properly controlledor directed by the public sector and Croydon's two appointed local agents.
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Giovanna’s ColumnBack to Italy this month with two traditional Eastercakes: Colomba and Pastiera napoletana. The firstis from the north and the second from the south ofthe country.I suggest you buy the Colomba Pasquale (Easterdove) because it is not easy to make it at home andit would take far too long. It is now sold in England,in Italian shops but also in supermarkets.It was launched by a great sweet maker from Milan,
Angelo Motta, who created an Easterversion of the Panettone. However, if weinvestigate more carefully about itsorigins, we find cakes in a shape of adove in ancient Rome: it was a symbolof peace and made with bread. We canalso find sweet bread in the shape ofdove in the year 500 in Pavia and in theyear 1000 in Legnano (both towns arenear Milan).
Pastiera napoletanaThe modern pastiera, was probably invented in a peaceful and secretNeapolitan convent. An unknown nun wanted that cake, symbol of theResurrection, to have the perfume of the flowers of the orange trees whichgrew in the convent’s gardens. She mixed a handful of wheat to the whitericotta cheese, then she added some eggs, symbol of the new life, some waterwhich had the fragrance of the flowers of the spring time, cider and aromaticAsian spices.We know for certain that the nuns of the ancient convent of San GregorioArmeno were considered to be geniuses in the complex preparation of thePastiera. They used to prepare a great quantity for the rich families duringEaster time.Every good Neapolitan housewife considers herself to be the one and only tohave either the authentic or the best recipe of the Pastiera. There are two different ways of preparing the Pastiera: the oldest one mixes thericotta cheese to the eggs; the most recent and innovative one recommendsto mix thick pastry cream which makes the Pastiera softer. This innovation wasintroduced by Starace, a Neapolitan confectioner who had a corner shop inMunicipio Square.
Picture by Picture Partnership, Shirley
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The Pastiera has to be cooked with some days advance, no day later thanMaundy Thursday or Good Friday, in order to allow the fragrances to mixproperly and have, as a result, that unique taste. The Pastiera is not onlycooked but also sold and served in appropriate pans called "ruoti" because it’svery fragile, so it would easily crumble up if removed from the "ruoto".
LegendsA legend narrates that Partenope, a mermaid, lived in the gulf which stretchedfrom Posillipo to the Vesuvio. She was enchanted by its beauty. Every Springshe would emerge from the water to greet all the happy people who lived there,and brighten their days with her love chants.One day her voice was so melodious, so pleasant that all the people werefascinated: they all ran towards the sea, moved by the sweetness of the songand the words of love the mermaid had dedicated to them. To thank her, theydecided to give her the most precious gifts they had.Seven of the most beautiful maidens were picked to give Partenope gifts: flour,symbol of the strength and richness of the land; wheat boiled with milk, symbolof the two reigns; ricotta cheese, a present of the shepherds and sheep; eggs,symbol of a new life; water with orange flower fragrance; spices, whichrepresented people who lived far away in other continents; sugar, which bestgave the idea of the sweetness of Partenope’s call.The mermaid was happy with these gifts and decided to take them to the godsand goddess who lived in the sea. They loved these gifts, and decided to mixthem all together with heavenly art. The result was the first Pastiera whichexceeded even the sweetness of the Mermaid’s call.Another legend has it that Queen Maria Teresa of Austria, wife of Ferdinando IIof Borbone, had a nickname "the queen who never smiled". One day herhusband, who was an outgoing person and loved eating, convinced her to trya new recipe. As soon as she tried her first piece of pastiera, she could notresist smiling, and, at this point, her husband shouted: "I’ll have to wait till nextEaster to see my wife smiling again!"
Ingredients for a Pastiera for 12 people:� 1 kg pre-packed frozen short pastry � 700 gr ricotta cheese, � 600 gr sugar, � 400 gr of boiled wheat (you can easily find cans in any good Italian shop), � 80 gr crystallized lemon, � 80 gr crystallized orange, � a dash of cinnamon, � 100 gr milk
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� 30 gr butter, � 5 eggs and 2 egg yolks, � a spoonful of vanilla, � a spoon of orange flavoured water,� 1 lemon (unwaxed)
Preparation:� Let the short pastry defrost in room temperature (if you make your own shortpastry, you may like to add a little limoncello for extra flavour);
� pour the wheat, the milk, the butter and 1 lemon grated peel in a casserolepan;
� let it cook for 10 minutes and often stir the ingredients till they becomecreamy;
� In another pan, whip the ricotta cheese, the sugar, 5 eggs, 2 egg yolks, aspoon of vanilla, a spoon of orange flavoured water, and a dash of cinnamon;
�mix everything until the dough is very thin;� then add some grated lemon peel and diced crystallized orange and lemon;�mix everything to the wheat; � spread either the homemade or frozen short pastry with a rolling pin until it’s½ cm thick;
� put the short pastry in a 30cm wide pan, but make sure you spread somebutter on it beforehand;
� cut the exceeding edges off, spread them with a pin and cut the short pastryin strips;
� pour the mixture of the ricotta cheese and the other ingredients in the pan,and fold the borders of the short pastry inwards;
� then put the short pastry strips on the cake; � cook the pastiera in the oven for 1 hour at 180 degrees;� dust the Pastiera with icing sugar before serving.
25
Shirley Open GardensDear Resident,
My name is Jenny Hayden and I am organising thisyear’s Shirley Open Gardens event on behalf of
the Shirley Neighbourhood Care Scheme.
There are to be two weekends this year,
June 23 and 24 and
September 1 and 2.
We are always looking for more garden owners inShirley to come on board and to think of opening their
gardens.
Please contact me on 020 8776 1389 oremail: [email protected]
I look forward to hearing from you.
RegardsJenny Hayden
Design by Janice Green and Shirley Life
26
Introduction to Energy AwarenessCroydon Council received funding from theDepartment of Health’s Warm Homes Healthy PeopleFund and Croydon Neighbourhood Care Association(CNCA) organised courses to train volunteers on howto raise awareness and provide advice to residents on
energy efficiency, keeping warm and how to apply for winter-warmgrants. Here are the top tips for energy saving within the home. Some areplain common sense but too often ignored!
Cooking�Always use the right sized pan for the hob.�Use the right sized hob ring for each pan.�Defrost food in the fridge overnight rather than in the microwave.�Keep the oven door shut as much as possible; make sure the glassdoor is clean so you can see what’s going on. Every time you open thedoor, you lose heat.
�Keep lids on pans as much as you can to reduce heat loss - turn theheat down when it reaches the boiling point.
�Ensure warm foods cool down before placing them in the fridge.�Cutting food into smaller pieces often speeds up the cooking time.�Use a microwave to cook or reheat food where possible as this isusually a much more efficient method of cooking.
�Covering food with a microwave-safe lid or pierced cling film will holdmoisture and speed up cooking times in the microwave.
�Only boil the water you need in your kettle and de-scale it from timeto time (or buy a jug with a lid and heat the exact amount of water youneed in the microwave).
�Cooking big batches of food at once is more energy efficient. Storingspare portions in the freezer gives you a supply of prepared meals(and you save buying in bulk).
Fridge/Freezers�Make sure air can circulate around the back of your fridge and freezer.�Make sure your fridge and freezer are set to the right temperature, nottoo cold and not too warm. This ensures food is kept effectively andensures energy is not being used to keep the appliance running attoo low a temperature.
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�Don’t keep the fridge or freezer door open for longer than necessary.�Try not to put the fridge or freezer next to a heat source such a cookeror radiator, or in direct sunlight.
Washing clothes�If possible, save on your energy bills by line-drying clothes wheneverpossible, even on dry winter days, rather than using the tumble dryer.Your clothes will feel and smell fresher and probably dry more quicklythan you expect.
�Spinning your clothes on the washing machine’s highest spin cyclywill remove as much water as possible, so they will dry more quicklyon the line or in the tumble dryer.
�Make sure your tumble dryer’s filters are fluff free.�Don’t dry for longer than needed - it wastes energy.�Switch your tumble dryer off at the plug socket when not in use.�Sort out the washed clothes to make sure only the ones that need tobe tumbled dried get included on the drying cycle.
�Washing clothes at 30 degrees rather than higher temperatures usesaround 40% less energy. Modern washing powders and detergentswork just as effectively at lower temperatures so, unless you have verydirty washing, bear this in mind.
�Wait until you have a full load before putting on a wash - two half-loadsuse more energy than a single full load.
�If possible, make sure that the machine is turned off at the socketwhen not in use. If any lights are on, then the machine will still be usingelectricity.
Living room�Draw the curtains at dusk to keep the heat in.�Make sure items that are not in use are unplugged or switched off atthe wall.
�Only turn on the lights when you need them.�Don’t leave things on standby - this could save around £40 per yearon energy bills.
�Close internal doors to keep the heat in the rooms you are in.�Consider putting on an extra layer of clothing before turning up theheating.
�Energy efficient lightbulbs save on average around £2.50 a year each.to be continued
It is our money: let’s stand up for our rights
SKANSKA Croydon sentaround Shirley an undatedcircular titled “ImportantNotice. Street lightingimprovements in your area”.It was received on 28February 2012 in Links ViewRoad. We never got it.Residents were informedthat street lights in our areawere being replaced orupgraded. It was a majorproject designed to save onthe increasingly expensivebills that arise from inefficientlights and the repair of agingcolumns and wiring. This is an investment ofsome £80 million carried outby Skanska, one of the UK’sleading construction anddevelopment organisationsthat will also be maintainingthe lights for the next 25years.
One of the Frequently asked questions was:
Q. Will the new street lighting be located in the same position?A. In many circumstances the roads undergo a complete re-design andtherefore the positions of the columns must be changed. It is notalways possible to integrate the existing column positions in the newdesign layout.The new design parameters indicate that where possible we are tolight the footpaths in addition to the highway, this means that themajority of the lighting columns where possible shall be positioned atthe back of the footpath. (sic)
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1
One fine morning, looking out of my bedroom window, I noticed men atwork very near our wall. I went and asked them what they were doing.They were not very friendly and answered that they were erecting thenew street lights abutting on our wall.I phoned Skanska number and tried to explain the reasons for myconcern: they said that they could not deal with the matter but thatsomebody would call me back because “they were not the Council”.Skanska’s Customer Liaison Officer eventually phoned after three days.I explained to him that we had had a wall built because of intrudersjumping over the fence. The new street light pole would help intruderswho could easily climb it to get access to our garden. Furthermore, thesecond street light was positioned in such a way that intruders could geteasy access to the flat roof of another property. The Customer Liaison Officersuggested anti-climb paintor wire. He then told me thatI could write to the Head ofAuthority Team inBeddington Lane and sendpictures.We agreed that I would sendpictures via email and wouldwrite. This was on 15 March2012.On 20 March 2012, thestreet light abutting on theflat roof was removed andpositioned on the pavementopposite. I wrote again to theHead of Authority Team andsent a picture to theCustomer Liaison Officer,who promptlyacknowledged receipt of theemail. Nothing, at 26 March2012, from the Head ofAuthority Team.
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2
30
On 20 March 2012, I also wrote to the local Police, Shirley SNT. On 21March, a PCSO wrote that “Unfortunately we will not be able to assist onthe advice of my Sargeant. You will need to contact Croydon Counciland peak to them about the matter.” (sic)Fortunately, there was a Croydon Community Police Consultative Groupmeeting on 21 March, so I decided to put the matter to the groupbecause it is in the interest of the community to prevent burglaries. Inthe meantime, I had noticed that our predicament was shared all overShirley (and probably beyond).
Croydon Police Chief Superintendent took a greatinterest in the matter and told me to write to him sohe could follow the matter up.On Friday 23 March, the sign on the left appeared butno workmen were about until the afternoon ofMonday 26 March. I thought that the street lightabutting on our wall would be repositioned too. Workstarted just before 7pm.
The picture below shows how the site was left for the night. No workwas going on at noon on 27 March 2012 when Shirley Life went to bed.The story will be continued.
Hall GrangeShirley Life reported about the proposed re-development of Hall Grangeas part of the upgrading and redevelopment of the existing outdated carefacilities on the site in the January issue.
Application Number: 11/03135/P for Full planning permission was refused byCroydon Council on the following grounds:• The development would be out of keeping with the character of the localityand detrimental to the visual amenity of the street scene by reason of its formand prominent siting and would thereby conflict with Policies SP3, UD1,UD2, UD3 and UD15 of the Croydon Replacement Unitary Development Plan(The Croydon Plan) 2006 Saved Policies.
• The development would involve the loss of two buildings on the Local List ofbuildings of special architectural or historic interest and would thereby conflictwith Policy UC9 of the Croydon Replacement Unitary Development Plan (TheCroydon Plan) 2006 Saved Policies.
• The development would be detrimental to the residential amenities of theoccupiers of the adjoining property by reason of visual intrusion and loss ofoutlook and would thereby conflict with Policies UD2 and UD8 of theCroydon Replacement Unitary Development Plan (The Croydon Plan) 2006Saved Policies.
• The development would put at risk or result in loss of protected habitats andwould be harmful to the Site of Metropolitan Importance for NatureConservation and therefore conflicts with Policies NC1, NC2, NC3 and NC4of the Croydon Replacement Unitary Development Plan (The Croydon Plan)2006 Saved Policies and Supplementary Planning Guidance No. 5 NatureConservation.
31
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Viridor says that views are being sought from residents and interestedparties across the four London Boroughs of Sutton, Croydon, Mertonand Kingston about proposals to develop an Energy Recovery Facility(incinerator) to treat their residual waste diverting it from landfill andgenerating energy. Did you know about it?On Monday 26 March 2012, there was a public exhibition at CroydonCentral Library. Did you know about it?On 30 January 2012, Full Council in Croydon was asked to adopt a revisedversion of the South London Waste Plan (SLWP). There was no meaningfuldebate because the ruling party just pushed it through after refusing to sharepaperwork outside Cabinet members. Croydon residents had not beenconsulted. Indeed, the Tory administration had promised, only two yearsago, that they did not support incineration at all and would absolutely nothave an incinerator in Croydon or support one close to Croydon’s borders. Following adoption, there is a six-week legal challenge period. SinceSutton was the last borough to adopt, on 5 March, the legal challengeperiod runs from 6 March to 17 April 2012. Any person aggrieved by theSouth London Waste Plan may make an application to the High Courtunder Section 113 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004on the grounds that the document is not within the appropriate powersor that a procedural requirement has not been complied with. From Viridor’s Newsletter. Issue 1. March 2012.Although we have drawn up detailed plans of our proposal for consideration,we are still in the early stages of a planning application.We need your views so that we can fully consider them in the developmentof our planning application.Although the proposed facility would receive residual waste collected by theLondon Boroughs of Croydon, Kingston, Merton and Sutton, it will be Suttoncouncil – as the planning authority – to consider whether to grant planningpermission as the site for the development is located within its boundaries.At the end of our public consultation period, which concludes on 31 May2012, we will analyse the feedback received and feed this into ourapplication documents before being put forward to the council.Sutton council will then have up to 16 weeks to determine it.If the application is approved, work on site will start soon after the decisionhas been made and construction and commissioning would take three years.
Fait accompli? NO.
NO INCINERATOR NEAR PEOPLE
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From Viridor website
Community consultation on proposed Energy Recovery Facility begins(copied on 22 March 2012)
Last December, after a thorough three-year procurement process, theSouth London Waste Partnership, which incorporates these four Boroughs,selected Viridor as the preferred bidder to provide an alternative to landfilldisposal for its residual waste for the next 25 years.Viridor is proposing an Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) at its existing landfilland recycling site on Beddington Lane, Sutton where currently the vastmajority of residual waste collected by the four partner Boroughs is safelydisposed of.In order to build and operate the facility, Viridor is preparing a planningapplication for submission to the London Borough of Sutton, as the localplanning authority, in mid-June. An application to the Environment Agencyfor an Environmental Permit will also be made at this time.As part of the development of the planning application, Viridor is nowembarking on a programme of community consultation to ensure that peopleliving and working close to the site, as well as the wider community across thefour partner Boroughs have the opportunity to learn more about the company’sproposals, ask questions and importantly provide feedback on the plans. Over 50,000 newsletters will be sent out to residents and businesseslocated close to the site with information about the proposed scheme andhow to engage in the consultation process, including a freephoneinformation line 0800 298 7040 and details of the brand new onlineengagement hub at www.viridor.co.uk/beddington-erf.
Public exhibitions are also being held between 3pm and 7pm on:• Tuesday 20 March at Holiday Inn, Gibson Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 2RF• Wednesday 21 March at Bedzed Pavillion, Sandmartin Way, Hackbridge,Wallington, Surrey SM6 7DF
• Friday 23 March at The Vestry Hall, London Road, Mitcham, Surrey CR43UD
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• Monday 26 March at Croydon Central Library, Katharine Street,London CR9 1ET
• Tuesday 27 March at Richard Mayo Hall, Kingston United ReformedChurch, Eden Street, Kingston, KT1 1HZ
Victor Perez-Mares, communications manager for Viridor said: “Since beingappointed preferred bidder, we have been further developing our proposalsto present them to the local community so that they can get a betterunderstanding of our plans and provide us with their views to fully inform thedevelopment on our application. We have created an online hub to ensure transparent and easy access toinformation and to further encourage local residents to engage in thediscussions about our proposals. We’re confident this will complement ourwritten correspondence and face to face engagement programme tomaximise the reach of our consultation work.“We’d like to encourage the local community to join us at one of the localexhibition events and the online conversation throughout the consultationperiod which concludes in May, to discuss our proposals and contributetowards the development of our plans.”Recovering value from what society throws away and maximising landfilldiversion is a priority to all councils across the country. Whilst landfill disposalhas traditionally been a safe option to deal with residual waste – that iswhat’s left after recycling and composting has taken place – it is notsustainable in the long-term for environmental and economic reasons.Landfill tax alone will amount to £80 per tonne by 2014 and it is estimatedthat the landfill tax bill for the South London Waste Partnership boroughswould escalate to £17 million by 2014 if nothing is done to divert its residualwaste from landfill.An Energy Recovery Facility is a safe, proven and efficient way of dealingwith this residual waste, diverting over 95 per cent of waste inputs fromlandfill and generating electricity and potentially heat for local users. Theproposed facility at Beddington will generate around 26 megawatts ofelectricity – enough to power itself and export to the National Grid theequivalent energy requirements of over 30,000 homes.
Waste PreventionWaste prevention is a priority for all of us, but where this can’t be achievedreuse and recycling are always preferable to disposal.As a committed resource management company, we are investing heavilyin new facilities that prepare and supply high quality recyclates to
35
reprocessors for making into new goods.Waste prevention, recycling and recovery starts with the individual, butGovernment, industry and other sectors and organisations all have a role to play.There are a range of measures being implemented and developed at alllevels to prevent waste and move towards sustainable consumption andproduction in the UK.Viridor partners Local Authorities in developing structured approaches towaste prevention in order to stabilise and reduce waste volumes in the longterm. We also offer waste audits, helping commercial customers to identifywaste prevention, recycling and cost saving opportunities.
Renewable power and energy from wasteRenewable power technologies include anaerobic digestion, Energy fromWaste (EfW) and landfill gas power plants.Viridor is currently investing in a number of developments to process non-recyclable, non-hazardous household and commercial wastes into re-useable energy.This includes six anaerobic digestion plants both under construction andplanned, and 30 power plants generating ‘green’ electricity at operationaland closed landfill sites.Our total power output now exceeds 100 megawatts with further capacitycoming online. This would provide for the domestic needs of a city the sizeof Bristol or most of Edinburgh.Energy from Waste (EfW) generates both electricity and useable heat in theform of steam or hot water for local industry, while safely treating non-recyclable residual wastes.It helps local authorities meet their landfill diversion targets (LATS) and canform an important part of their overall waste management strategies.EfW is a safe, proven and robust form of resource recovery and iscomplimentary to high levels of recycling. By producing renewable energyit can help deliver a reduced carbon footprint and improve resourceefficiency.The bottom ash that remains after combustion in EfW plants can berecycled as secondary aggregate for use in construction and engineering.The Lakeside EfW facility at Colnbrook, near Slough has been built under ajoint venture agreement between Viridor and Grundon. Using advancedtechnology, this plant can process 410,000 tonnes of residual waste peryear, generating 37MW of power.Viridor operates two other EfW facilities and further plants are planned.
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But the matter is closed for Croydon Council, is it?
Viridor Discussion Forum
37
At the Croydon exhibition, we were told that Viridor had resolved allproblems and had sent 53 thousand consultation letters to residents. I received, on my return home, an email that read: “As per yourrequest at the Viridor exhibition today in Merton please see attachednewsletter for your information.” It looked like the 8 page paper I hadalready been given, but it was not! Nice meadow on the front page.Pity it was only an artist’s impression.Do I trust sleek salesmen? NO, I do not. Was I impressed? NO,it was not a great exhibition, given what is at stake.
38
The Goat1-3 BRO O M ROA D
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Surrey, CR0 8HU
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PLANS FOR LOFTS, EXTENSIONS, HOUSES,& STRUCTURAL CALCULATIONS
FOR COUNCIL APPROVALS
35 YEARS EXPERIENCEFREE CONSULTATIONS
The picture below was taken on 26 March 2012 at Croydon Central Library.Around 5pm there seemed to be more Viridor staff than visitors. Of course, thiscan be blamed on the fact that the exhibition did not seem to have received anypublicity in Croydon.The document that was distributed at the exhibition was well put together froma graphic perspective and words were carefully chosen so that a picture ofheaven on earth was presented of the Beddington site, a new cyclewayincluded. Bliss! The I word was mentioned only on page 6: “Modern ERFfacilities operate under the strictest environmental standards in accordancewith the European Waste Incineration Directive and other regulatory demands.”
39
Editor
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41
Do you want to take part in one of the most exciting theatrical events of 2012?Iranian theatre director Hamid Pourazari is coming to Croydon to create an incredible new show, which will be performed in a central Croydon multi-storey car park this summer.
Hamid is looking for Croydon residents who want to get involved as performers, musicians, helpers, stewards, set dressers and tea makers; in fact, anyone who really wants to be part of a fantastic theatrical experience. The event will showcase everything that’s amazing about Croydon and the people who live here. It’s the opportunity for you to meet other local people and have an experience you’ll never forget.
Hamid and his team would love to meet you... It doesn’t matter if you have never acted before, doesn’t matter if English isn’t your first language or if you don’t have any experience working on events - all you need is an open mind and a willingness to take part and we’ll do the rest...
Where & When?Rehearsals are taking place at Croydon Clocktower (on Katharine Street) starting on April 2 until June 23. You can come as little or as often as you like.
ALL AGES welcome (including families).
Times: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm Saturdays 10am to 5pmPlease note, it’s important you are available for ALL the performance dates, which are June 21-24 & June 28-July 1.
For more information and to let us know you are coming please contact Oliver Tipper on 020 8253 1034 or email [email protected]
Charity No 1116925
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Care Direct UK and Living Hope Project are now running activitiesfor Older Adults in the south end part of the Centre each Fridayafternoon. Please contact them on 8776 2562 or 07590 202547 forfurther details.
ACTIVITIES at the CentreDay AM PMMonday FOR HIRE Youth Activities 7.30 - 10pmTuesday FOR HIRE Zumba with Emma 6 - 7pm
Tenshin Tsunami Ryu 7 - 9pmBible Study Group 7.30 - 8.30pm
Wednesday FOR HIRE Racquet Club 4 - 5pm Shirley Table Tennis Club 7.45 - 9.45pm
Thursday FOR HIRE Fit ’n Funky 2 - 3pm Racquet Club 4 - 5pmFOR HIRE 6 - 7pmFOR HIRE 7 - 8pmRoad Cycling Club 8 - 10pm
Friday FOR HIRE GKR Karate 5.30 - 7pm
Saturday FOR HIRE FOR HIRE
Sunday SCF FOR HIRE
The Committee Room is for hire from Monday to Saturday
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What the Centre offers...The main hall is complemented by a well equipped kitchen, there aretwo other rooms, and a separate room suited to smaller committeemeetings.
Where to find us...We are at 28 Shrublands Avenue, Shirley CR0 8JA.These premises are ideally placed in a residential area and are wellserved by two bus routes, 194 and 198.There is some on-site parking.
Availability...The Centre is available most mornings, the early part of each afternoonand some evenings. It is also very popular for private parties atweekends.
To hire the Centre, please contact 020 8777 4298 from Monday toFriday between 9.30 and 11am or email [email protected].
For any other purpose, please email [email protected].
There is also a website, www.shirleycca.com, to keep you abreast ofevents.
Charges...Midweek charges are:£10 per hour until 5pm and £12.50 thereafter (£40 for a whole morningor afternoon, £50 for a whole evening)
Private Parties£250 on a Saturday or £350 on a Sunday or Bank HolidayChildren Parties on Saturdays £70 + caretaker’s servicesThe cost of hiring the Committee Room is £5 per hour at any time. It isideal for small business or committee meetings.
The Shirley Community Centreis under used. Consider holdingyour meetings or activities in theCentre. Come and see us.SOS
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www.shi r leyelect r ica l .com
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4455
St John's Flower Festival & FloFest Concert
St John’s Church and the community of Shirley present the
SHIRLEY FLOWER FESTIVALin the picturesque historical Grade II listed church of
St. John the Evangelist,Shirley Church Road, Shirley, Croydon, CR0 5EF
from 18th to 20th May 2012.
FRIDAY 18th May : 10am to 5pmSATURDAY 19th May : 10am to 5pmSUNDAY 20th May : 12noon to 4pm
Tickets £2.50 (accompanied children free)
First 65 visitors on each day receive a free handcrafted tote bag
CRAFT and PLANT STALLS
FESTIVAL TEA ROOM every day
LIVE MUSIC every hour during the festival
including St John’s Primary School, Benson Primary School, Shirley High School, Stagecoach Theatre Art School,
Shirley Singers, Steve Lock String Quartet and many more.
Come early and stay all day
FloFest ConcertSaturday 19th May 7pm
Tickets £6.00 (including refreshments) available in advance from the Church or
contact Janet on 01689 841040 or [email protected]
For more information see www.stjohnshirley.org.uk
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Dear Friend,The next two months could seem relatively quiet, as there may be no majorClocktower-related developments and there's a break between our David Leanfilm season and the following season in May. However, we will consider ways inwhich we can use the time productively. Since the Campaign began, thecommittee - with considerable assistance from some of our members - hasmanaged to accumulate a substantial amount of information concerning theDavid Lean Cinema and the equipment used there, and this can potentially bea very useful resource for all working towards making the cinema viable andsuccessful in future.
Save the David Lean Cinema Campaign
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David Lean season ends Our season of six (including the launch at Clyde Hall) David Lean films at theSpreadeagle ended on 28 February with 'BLITHE SPIRIT' (1945). Admission was FREE- all you had to do was to buy a drink and take a seat in front of the screen upstairs.The success of this season has surpassed all expectations and we thank all ourregular attendees, both for their support and for the donations which haveprovided us with much-needed funds. We have also gained a substantial numberof new members and a generally higher profile. 'Hobson's Choice' on 14February amazingly broke our attendance record twice in one day, with 36 atthe afternoon screening and 45 at the evening one. The latter number was acomplete surprise as all the previous Spreadeagle screenings had attracted alarger attendance in the afternoon. We are now in danger of outgrowing theSpreadeagle's 'cinema' before long, which reinforces the need to re-open our 68seat 'home' further along Katharine Street!
Second film season at the Spreadeagle As announced in the previous update, we will organise a second Spreadeagleseason in May, which will include screenings on all five Tuesdays commencing1st May. Regarding the content of this season, we will announce the result of thevotes received from members at the Spreadeagle tomorrow. If you have not yetvoted and wish to do so, you still have time to make a selection from one of theoptions below, as long as you let us know by 12 noon tomorrow. a A season that will mark it being a year since the DLC was closed, by featuringrecent films that may well have been selected for DLC screenings during thelast 12 months.
b A season featuring a mixture of modern and older films that should appeal toDLC audiences.
c Another season of classic films, possibly including one or more David Leanfilms not already screened.
Facebook and TwitterEven if you consider Facebook and/or Twitter to be little more than sources ofirritation, you may be pleasantly surprised to find out what they can offer in termsof Campaign-related information.Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Save-the-David-Lean-Cinema-Campaign/235352359813053
@SaveDavidLeanAdrian Winchester
About Andrew Dunsmore of Picture Partnership, Shirley
Happy Easter
As you celebrate the joy of Easter and see the re-awakening of nature thisSpring, why not capture these happy events with your babies, children, petsand even adults at Picture Partnership with a special portrait session.We have a special Easter Offer for you and your fluffy friends on our facebookpage from which you can download a voucher, valid from 2 to 16 April, and bymentioning Shirley Life you will get a further 25% off your third picture.Some of our favourite animal pictures are shown, but others are alwayswelcome, even if they don't smile!
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www.picturepartnership.co.uk.
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Now Online at www.shirleylife.comand very soonin print
SAVE OURLIBRARIESand make yourvoice heard!!!
27 January 2011
If you stay silent
CLOSED
see page 18
We hear that outsour
cing is going ahead
with “punters” bidd
ing to run them.
Libraries do not ma
ke money,
so how will they ope
rate?
What is going to happe
n to
Croydon Libraries?
POLICE SURGERY
The Shirley Safer Neighb
ourhood
Team’s Drop-in Surgery on Frid
ay
13 from 11am to 12noon and
Saturday 28 April
from 3 to 4pm
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April 2012Teen Reading Group We are planning to start this in the next few months. If you would liketo join this fun and exciting group, come in and complete a form to let us know what day andtime would be best for you to attend.Monthly Adult Reading Group meets on 2nd or 3rd Monday in the month from 7pm.The group will discuss Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens on Monday 16 AprilSaturday 14 - Why not also join in our Victorian Day events here at the library when wewill celebrate the bicentenary of Dickens and all things Victorian. We’ll enjoy a day-longcelebration with a Victorian inspired Once upon a Rhyme at 10am, a reading from OliverTwist at 11.30am and a Victorian craft session for families from 2-4pm. Please book yourplace for this at the library. We’ll finish our celebrations on that day with a Victorian familyfancy dress competition at 4.15pm. Tuesday 17 - This is part of our month of celebrations to celebrate Dickens Bicentenary.This is an adult drop in event.Rhymetime Singing for babies and their parents and carers on Fridays: 13, 20 and 27at 10amWiggle and Jiggle stopped and no longer runsStorytime Stories and crafts for 3-7 year olds on Thursdays: 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 2.15to 2.45pm. We will have a Beatrix Potter Storytime on Thursday 12 as part of our monthof celebrations to celebrate Dickens’ Bicentenary.Once upon a Rhyme A mix of rhyme, stories and a colouring sheet on Saturday 14 and28. We will have a Victorian Once upon a Rhyme on Saturday 14 at 10amStories and Craft Sessions For 4-9 year olds and their parents and carers on Saturdays:7 and 21. We will have an Easter session Saturday 7 and will also have a Victorian sessionon Saturday 21 Chatterbooks is a fun, monthly reading group for Years 3 to 6. Make new friends and chatabout the books you have read as well as taking part in games and quizzes. Thursday 19,4 to 5pm. The theme will be Horrible Stories.Games Club Our games include Scrabble, Monopoly, cards and chess. They are keptat the library, so come in and play at nay time! Come and join us on Tuesday 3, from 2.30to 4.30pmCraft Workshops: Card Making on Tuesday 10 from 2.30 to 4.30pm. Quilling (AVictorian paper crafting technique). This is part of our month of celebrations to celebrateDickens Bicentenary. This is an adult drop in event. Fan making craft – 2.30-4.30pmStitch, Knit and Natter Get together with other knitters for a cup of tea and a chat.Beginners welcome. Friday 20 from 2.30 to 4.30pm
Ancestry Library Edition for beginners One off, one to one sessions will be offered onThursday mornings 9.30-10.30am. Please contact the library to reserve your place.Computer sessions for beginners Learn to set up an email account, use Facebook, shoponline, use Word, Excel and Powerpoint or improve your typing skills on Monday, Tuesday andSaturday mornings. Please contact the library for further details.
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Free monthly talk – Ian Porter will give a talk entitled Dickens – a walk through Londonon Monday 2 from 2.15 - 3.30pm. In addition, Dr Nicholas Cambridge will give a talk on Benjamin Franklin – God healsand the Doctor takes the fee: Benjamin Franklin & Medicine on Tuesday 24 from 2.15 - 3.30pm. Please contact the library to reserve your place for these talks.
Do people want their children to learn how to read books or do they think that illustratedclassics, abridged versions or a movie is all they need? I am inclined to believe so when Iread what many people write. I wonder how much and what those who want to closelibraries read.
From Philip Pullman’s article “The fight against stupidity”:
The benefits of reading for pleasure include improvement in writing, in text comprehensionand grammar, in breadth of vocabulary... There is nothing more valuable in the war against stupidity than the public library. Theseare hard times, but you are each guarding a beacon, and I have every confidence that youwon’t let that beacon go out.
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First delivered at The Library Campaign Conference, 22 October 2011
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A new campaigning alliance Speak up for Libraries* sent the government astrong message that support for libraries was long overdue, as people fromacross the country met for a rally and lobby in central London.
Speak up for Libraries called on the government to give libraries its backing,warning that the service faces a bleak future due to drastic cuts, underfunding,and the lack of a clear vision for the future.
The group Called on Ed Vaizey MP, Minister with responsibility for libraries, whowas giving evidence to the Select Committee, to recognise the crisis hitting theservice and to take urgent action.
More than 100 libraries across the country have either closed, are now run byvolunteers, or have been turned into social enterprises since April 2011. A
survey by UNISON reveals that those that remain open arebeing pared to the bone by cuts to book budgets, openinghours, mobile and outreach services as well as to jobs.
The rally in Methodist Central Hall heard from speakersincluding authors Kate Mosse and Philip Ardagh, DavePrentis, UNISON General Secretary and Ruth Bond, chair ofthe National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) as wellas Dan Jarvis MP. Visitors also had a chance to visit a popup library staffed by fully trained librarians.
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Elizabeth Ash, Croydon’slibrary campaigner, said:“As a library campaigner Iam proud to be a foundingmember of the Speak Upfor Libraries coalition. Theidea of this rally and lobbywas born from an ideamooted by those attendinga Library CampaignersConference, which wasorganised by Voices for the
Library and The Library Campaign, held in London last October, at which PhilipPullman spoke.We have heard Ed Vaizey say this morning at the CMS libraries enquiry that hehad the utmost respect for those campaigning for libraries. Well, I have newsfor Mr Vaizey. This belief is not always reflected by local authorities, such as mylocal authority Croydon, and I know we are not alone.We so value libraries that communities across the country have been pressuredto accept a lesser service or to volunteer to run libraries themselves in order to‘save’ them. BUT we must not lose sight that what makes a library a library iswhat people value most - the expertise, care, guidance and advice offered byqualified and experienced staff who deal with the public, without agenda orprejudice, and who cater for the needs of the whole community.If I have one message to give, it is the message from all library campaigners thatcame from the Library Campaigners' Conference back in October. It is essentialthat we see campaigning for libraries on a national level rather than the divideand conquer approach currently in place, fed by poorly constructed and leadingconsultations and short-sighted cuts by local authorities who are not reallylistening to the communities that they serve. An open door, a set of books, does not a library make.We must press for the Secretary of State to use his power to ensure thatstatutory obligations are met. We must make local authorities sit up and take notice.”
For more Croydon updates, please go to: http://soslibrary.blogspot.co.uk/
Marriage YOUR VIEWS, PLEASE. by Tom Dunsmore
“Marriage is a great institution - no family should be without it”. How welaughed at this as kids for this was the norm then, when adults wereeither married or single; when divorce was rare and barely acceptable –King Edward having been forced to abdicate through marrying adivorcee; when we had yet to hear the phrase “unmarried mother” andbarely knew what abortion or pregnancy was – let alone teenagepregnancy. Yes, these things all happened but were not blazoned all overthe media as now. We children seemed quite immune from it – then. Thiscomfortable child’s view has been radically altered, not just throughgrowing up and entering the adult world, but through the many changessince the end of the Second World War in a society that now accept asnormal what was once considered taboo or deviant or sinful.
In the current, complex controversy about the definition of marriage,about which the media is inclined to mislead by quoting statements outof context or misunderstanding the issues, I would like to give my viewsas a practising Christian and invite those practising other faiths – or none– to give their views.
The accepted definition ofChristian marriage is “Thevoluntary union for life of one manand one woman to the exclusionof all others”. The vow “till deathus do part”, made by eachperson, is no idle one, and notintended to be, but underlines theindissolubility of the union. Theexclusion of all others in thissacramental union is reinforcedby, and implicit in, the TenCommandments, the guidingprinciples of the Christian faith
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which point the way to perfection to which we should all aspire, althoughaware of our own human frailty; fornication and adultery are forbiddenand sinful. Quotations from the bible or elsewhere to support or justifythese views are not part of this article, which is just a statement to clarifythe position of Christians.
Any attempt to change the definition of marriage in the interests of“gender equality” is ridiculous. You may change the definition of“pregnancy” to say it is the bodily changes that a man and a woman gothrough prior to the birth of their child. It may be politically acceptable,but is patent nonsense. Similarly with marriage. Civil partnerships copequite adequately with the legal, financial and other effects of two peopleof the same sex living together, but they can never be considered“married” without prostituting the word and making a mockery oflanguage. The current attempts to do so smack more of attempting toundermine Christian beliefs and practices than further spurious equality.If such “marriage” unions are made legal, what surname does anadopted child take if brought up by two men (or women)? Which “parent”gets custody if they separate? Will divorce be permitted? Will “bigamy”still be a criminal offence? If someone in line to the throne goes throughsuch a travesty, will we have two kings, or two queens.
I look forward to others’ views.
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All Saints Church, Bridle Road, ShirleyMaunday Thursday 5 April8pm Maunday Eucharist and footwashing.Good Friday 6 April12pm Children's service, 12.30 children in hall for Hosanna,12.30pm Stations of the cross, 1.30 Good Friday LiturgyEaster Sunday 8 April 10am Easter ceremonies and Easter Eucharist
Our Lady of The Annunciation Catholic Church, Bingham Road, AddiscombePalm Sunday 31 March Masses at 6pm on Saturday, then 8.30am, 10am (with procession at9.30am) and 12 noon on Sunday. Stations of the Cross at 3pm.Monday 2 April Eucharistic Service at 10am Reconciliation Service at 7.30pmTuesday 3 April Mass at 10amWednesday 4 April Mass at 9am Stations of the Cross at 3.45pmMaundy Thursday 5 April Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 8pm, with watching until midnight.
EEAASSTTEERR SSEERRVVIICCEESS
Good Friday 6 April Family Stations of the Cross at 9am Solemn Liturgy of the Passion at 3pmHoly Saturday 7 April Office of Readings and Morning Prayer at 10am Easter Vigil 9pmEaster Sunday 8 April Masses at 8.30 and 10am and 12 noon.
Shirley Methodist Church, Eldon Avenue, ShirleyPalm Sunday 1 April 10.30am Service led by Alan Youngs & Ruth Tayler.Good Friday 6 April10.30am Service led by a Team Ministry.Easter Sunday 8 April10.30am All Age Service with Communion, led by Revd. NigelCowgill. 6pm Circuit Service at Downsview Methodist Church.
Shrublands Christian Fellowship, ShirleyGood Friday Reflection 10.30am at 7 Broom Road, Advice and Coffee Shop, Easter Sunday Service10.30am Shirley Community Centre
St. Georges Church, Elstan Way, ShirleyApril 1 Psalm Sunday Holy Communion 8am (Said) and 10am (Sung) Passion Play 6pmMonday April 2, Tuesday April 3, Wednesday April 4: Morning Prayer 7 45am Evening Prayer 6 30pHoly Communion 8pm
April 4: Maundy ThursdayMorning Prayer 9 30am Passover Meal and Commemoration of Last Supper 7pm and Vigil to midnight from 9.30pm
Saturday 7 AprilLighting of Paschal Candle, Renewal of Baptismal Vows, FirstCommunion of Easter 9pm
Sunday 8 April: Easter Day: Holy Communion 8am (Said) and 10am (Sung)
St. John's Church, Shirley Church Road, ShirleyPalm Sunday10am Dream Dreams - Drama, Dance and Music on a dream theme6pm From Zero to Hero: Simon Peter's Passion - Readings andMusic for Holy Week Monday 2 April 7:30pm The Way of the Cross - in the churchyard
Tuesday 3 April 7:30pm A Service of Anointing for Healing and Wholeness
Wednesday 4 April 10:30am Eucharist and Reading of St Mark's Passion7:30pm A Christian Celebration of the Passover - please bookbeforehandMaundy Thursday8pm Eucharist of the Last Supper - with Washing of FeetGood Friday11am Family Service12pm Celebration of the Cross: Talks and Music 2pm Celebration of the Cross: Jesus' Last Hour
Easter Eve8pm Lighting of the New Fire and Renewal of Baptismal Promises
Easter Day8am Eucharist of the Dawn10am Family Eucharist - with a talk for the children
St. Mark’s Church, West WickhamPalm Sunday of the Passion 1 April Masses at 9am (Convent), 10am, 11.30am and 6.30pmHoly Thursday 5 AprilMass of the Lord’s Supper at 8pmWatching until 10.15pmGood Friday 6 AprilLiturgy of the Passion at 3pmStations of the Cross at 8pmHoly Saturday 7 AprilEaster Vigil at 8pmEaster Sunday 8 AprilMass of Easter 10amMass of Easter 11.30amMass of Easter 6.30pm
West Wickham and Shirley Baptist Church, Wickham Road, ShirleyTuesday, 3 April7.45pm Easter preparationWednesday 4 April7.45pm Easter preparationThursday, 5 April7.45pm Maundy CommunionSunday 8 April10.30am Easter Family CelebrationSunday 8 April 6.30pm Easter Celebration
