WHAT’S GOING ON IN SYDENHAM?

Quite a lot recently (more recently than the picture above!).

We haven’t added to this blog for a while as we have been really busy.

Soon in addition to the excellent Bobs Wines, we will have a craft beer shop ‘Bottlecave’. The sign is up and it looks like it wont be long until it’s open.

Talking about BOB Wines. they will be selling a selection of gluten free salami, like pancetta, fennel and spicy sausage; organic pecorino sheep’s milk cheese, cow and goat’s cheese, pane carasau & bottarga from http://www.capocaccia.co.uk this Saturday.

The new comedy Club, ‘The Poodle Club‘ is having rave reviews locally. We must try to check it out, especially as it’s just around the corner. It used to be the Beer Rebellion, which we liked. They also have a bar, so after the acts have finished, it’s essentially a bar. It’s great that interesting businesses are opening near our doorstep.

Opposite it should be helped by the new, rather swanky looking housing development to replace the old building contractors place, which is looking a bit tatty as it’s been empty for ages. Work should start soon. There are lots of new builds in Sydenham, like the Dylon Factory next to Lower Sydenham Ststaiion and the old blind factory in the high street.

Rather closer to Fairlawn Park is the new refurbished school ‘Our Lady and St Philip Neri’. We had a look around the site recently and it looked great inside with a great lightwell to bring daylight into the centre of the building (which will be the library). We do well down in this part of Sydenham for schools, some of have generously made over recently, like Adamsril which we hear is much improved, the Ofsted rated outstanding Haseltine school, plus a Montessori primary just up the road in Forest Hill. We have seen a lot of school locally, if you want some feedback on them, please comment below. Quite a few of our neighbours, like us, have started their families in the street.

The Greyhound Pub is coming along nicely. We can’t wait to visit this place once it’s open, especially as we were involved in in the mural on the back of the building. Hopefully it shouldn’t be long. We had a look at it this week after having an amazing breakfast in On The Hoof.

Lastly, and the main reasons we were inspired to write another post, we heard that the Cinema Campaign in Crystal Palace has been successful and a cinema is returning to Church Road. We have been involved in the campaign (to a small degree) and are proud to have contributed a little towards saving the building for its intended purpose. It’s great news and it’s just a few minutes from our favourite restaurant, The Crystal Palace Market. Whooohoo!

Our next post will be adding to the various family friendly places we visit at weekends within an hour and a half drive. It’s one of our most popular posts which we often get feedback on and we have been a loads more places since we last added to it!

Sunset

There are some lovely sunrises and sunsets over the allotments in Fairlawn Park:

Schools & Nurseries

When we first moved to the area, we had just got married. And I mean JUST!

Top tip, NEVER, EVER do major things in your life, like buying and selling a home and getting married at the same time!

It was long before the pitter patter of tiny feet came along. But they did. Before long, after the inevitable lack of sleep turned us into walking zombies with a bad case of irritability and parental pride, we started looking into nurseries and then schools. Initially, we looked after him at home, the local Library offered some really good events for young parents and its’ got a great community feel, plus it’s right next to the playground and gym.

There are loads of them around. Some good, some not so good. We were impressed with Happy Little Bunnies which is just up the road. For the younger age groups, it is really good, but the outdoor space isn’t as big as other places for when they get older. They serve the food there so you don’t have to prepare anything.

We saw the Montessori school in Cator Park which was also really impressive. It’s well worth a visit, it’s right in the middle of the park and a great nursery and pre-school just up the road.

After a trip to Rose House St Georges on Woolstone Road (about a 20 minute walk from Fairlawn Park) we were smitten. It seemed a country mile better than all the other nurseries we had seen. It’s in a church hall with high ceilings and loads of light with a great outdoor play area and garden. Kids from different ages played and learned together. It was also the same price as the other nurseries, although the hours were slightly shorter and they had to take a packed lunch.

They have opened another site in Sydenham too, which is even closer to Fairlawn Park. But we are beyond the nursery age now and into primary age.

Just up the road is Haseltine School. They are Ofsted outstanding and people rave about the place. There is St Michaels just up the road in Champion Road which is also very good. We were amazed at how good the food was there and the outdoor space looked good. All the children seemed engaged in their classes, we were impressed and some people we know who went there speak highly of it. At the end of Fairlawn Park is Our Lady & St Philip Neri, a Catholic School which as big plans for rebuilding the school, which look really impressive. It should be a much-improved school in the future.

Can you recommend any other places? What are your views on local schools? Or are you new the area and need some tips?

Just down the road in Penge

While there is a lot of development going on in Sydenham, it’s just down the road in Penge that seems to be on fire at the moment. The Alexandra Nurseries, Bluebell Cafe, Pengetout Pop-up shop showcasing local designer makers and mid-century furniture, the Goldsmiths pub which is run by Antic, the new bar which Antic are opening called Lipman and Turner, the Alexandra pub has just reopened which looks incredibly cool inside and the high street is getting a makeover.

It’s only a short walk/scoot/bike ride/car drive away and definitely worth checking out what’s going on there.

If you live nearby, do you visit Penge? Where do you normally go out?

Click to find out more of what is going on in Penge here.

The Alexandra Pub

Alexandra Nurseries

Pengetout Pop-up shop

http://goldsmithsarms.com/

Amazing Family Days out 1.5 hours away from Fairlawn Park

There are quite a few families in the road. On the local forum much has been written about places to take your kids at weekends like Bedgbury (shown above).
You can read about them here:

https://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=10131

Please add more in the comments below if you have any recommendations. Or if you want an update, just ask.

BEER REBELLION OPENS

Great News!

Just around the corner from Fairlawn Park, the Penge based craft Late Knights Brewery brings Beer Rebellion to Sydenham. Despite last minute panics to get enough tables and chairs the bar opened bang on 5pm on Thursday 22nd October at 167 Sydenham Road. It was supposed to be a ‘soft launch’ but the small queue at the door soon ballooned into a massive invasion as the evening progressed. Hardly room left to lift a glass to sample a range of ales from 3.9% to a very wobbly 6%, from very dark ‘milds’ to fruity pales.

At this rate they are going to need larger premises. There is a building available on Cobb’s Corner!

Late Knight Brewery: Website
Sydenham Town Forum: Discussion

Source: Beer Rebellion Opens

BAKERLOO LINE LATEST

It would mean the loss of network rail services from Lower Sydenham, but 27 trains per hour from Lower Sydenham, so far more frequency.

For more information you can click on the link can be seen here:

https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/tube/bakerloo-extension?cid=bakerloo-extension

BAKERLOO LINE COMING TO LOWER SYDENHAM?

Plans for the long-awaited extension of the Bakerloo line are set to take a significant step forward next month.

Transport bosses will start a ten-week public consultation on extending the line to parts of south-east London historically poorly served by the Tube.

Proposals to build the line by 2040 at a cost of £2.6 billion have been included in the Mayor’s infrastructure plan outlining essential transport projects to be delivered by 2050.

The line, which currently runs from Harrow & Wealdstone to Elephant & Castle, would be extended via Old Kent Road and Lewisham to Hayes and Beckenham Junction. It would operate a peak service of 27 trains per hour as far as Catford Bridge, with 15 trains per hour to Hayes and 6 trains per hour to Beckenham Junction.

Rumours are abound that the new Lower Sydenham Station will be moved so it’s nearer Sainbury’s (and could be renamed ‘Bell Green’). But don’t hold your breath. 2050 is a long long way away and it’s rare that these schemes happen on time!

FULL STORY HERE

BAKERLOO LINE COMING TO LOWER SYDENHAM

 

 

 

 

 

LINK TO ARTICLE ON SYDENHAM SOCIETY WEBSITE

Network Rail’s London and south-east Rail Utilisation Study (a plan for future rail projects) published a few days ago announces an extension of the Bakerloo Line.

 

The proposed route will take the line  from Elephant & Castle through New Cross Gate, Lewisham, Catford then to Lower Sydenham and along the existing the current mainline route to Hayes. This ends many years of speculation as to a proposed route  – many of which would have not resulted a route anywhere close to this area.

 

The proposed route would include a station at Lower Sydenham (the existing station would be re-sited closer to the Sainsburys store at Bell Green). It would also include an interchange at New Cross Gate which would allow access for those travelling from Sydenham on the East London line or on mainline trains to London Bridge.

 

Although it may take many years for the line to be built, this proposal is of huge importance to this area – it means a steady and improving rail future for our part of the world and an opening up of lower Sydenham as an interchange on the London Underground.

For a full copy of the Rail Utilisation Study see:

london and south east – route utilisation strategy

 

 

 

 

 

SAVE SYDENHAM LIBRARY

Friends of Home Park showed this video at the family Fun Day recently. It’s about a boy from Malawi in Africa. He taught himself how to build a windmill to help irrigate his families land by reading books at a local library. Be built the windmill. He saved his family from starvation.

Sydenham Library is under threat of closure. If it is shut it’s gone forever. The library is an essential part of the regeration of Home Park. The library have been incredibly supportive of the improvements that have been made in Home Park, especially with the Family Fun Day.

Recently we have seen two terrible tragedies in Fairlawn Park. One problem young people face is not having things to do, being bored and not seeing the opportunities that life can bring. Taking away a valuable local asset like the library would be a massive mistake. It’s well used and an important part of Home Park and the regeneration of the area.

Even if you don’t use the library that much, if you believe in the library system, please support the campaign to save it:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savesydenhamlibrary/