Victoria Line closed this weekend 2 and 3 October

Yes, the entire line is out of service. Replacement buses will operate in both directions.

Jubilee Line from Waterloo to Stanmore is also unavailable.

Al Malikat Dancers perform at the Stockwell Festival London 2010

Al Malikat Dancers specialise in the folk and urban styles of Egyptian dance and perform at festivals and various dance and community events. The dancers Laura Correa, Audrey Dumanoir, Eve Rastouil and Edwina Twum are trained and managed by Juliana Brustik.
(www.julianabrustik-dance.com)

I hope to have more on Stockwell Festival here soon. Send in your photos if you want to see them on the blog: email to bathsheba99@gmail.com

Stockwell Labour's bikes petition is online

http://www.gopetition.com/petition/39225.html

Labour campaign for Boris's bikes at Stockwell launched

A hundred and twenty people signed a petition launched by local Lambeth Councillors Alex Bigham, Imogen Walker, Peter Robbins and Pete Bowyer outside Stockwell tube this morning. The petition calls on the "Mayor of London to extend the Barclay's Cycle Hire Scheme to Stockwell at the earliest possible convenience".The campaign is continuing to collect signatures and has been backed by Councillor Steve Reed, the Leader of Lambeth Council.
Left to right: Alex Baker, Morgan McSweeney, Cllr Peter Robbins, Cllr Pete Bowyer, Cllr Alex Bigham, Cllr Imogen Walker and Jack Sutcliffe

Man smashes bus in South Lambeth Road

Last night at 3am a man smashed the glass of the rear doors of an N2 bus when it was stationary at a stop in South Lambeth Road, Stockwell, jumped inside and attacked a male passenger. Police believe the attacker had  previously been  involved in an argument with a passenger on the bus. The attacker was white, with short dark hair, wearing a dark V-neck top and light-coloured trousers. Apparently he spoke with a foreign accent.
Anyone with information on the attack in Stockwell on Sunday March 21 should call Dc Barnard on 020 3054 5406 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The Evening Standard has pictures taken from CCTV.

Stockwell Labour campaign for Boris's Bikes in Stockwell

Tomorrow (Tuesday 22 September), Stockwell Labour launch a campaign to bring the TFL Barclay's Cycle Hire scheme to Stockwell.

Local Labour councillors plan to be outside Stockwell tube station from 7.30am asking local people to sign the petition calling on Boris Johnson to "extend the Barclay's Cycle Hire Scheme to Stockwell at the earliest possible convenience".

There are currently cycle hire docking stations in Vauxhall, Kennington and Oval.

Musicianship classes at Stockwell Community Resource Centre

Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodály is the inspiration behind a series of three elementary musicianship classes starting on Sunday 24 October at the Stockwell Community Resource Centre at 1 Studley Road. Kodály inspired the development of a systematic and holistic approach to musicianship training, based on unaccompanied singing. The classes run from 11am-1pm and cost of tuition is £60 for all three classes. 

For more information, e-mail Christine Wrigley at christine.flute@hotmail.com.

Following each class there's an opportunity to sing with the London Kodály Choir, conducted by David Vinden. To find out more about the choir, visit its website.

Stockwell Community Resource Centre
1 Studley Road
London SW4 6RA

I've stolen this from the Vauxhall Society website, but they don't mind...

Papal visit to Vauxhall - another photo

Martin Keiffer sent me this close-up shot of the Pope on his visit to Vauxhall's St Peter's Residence earlier today.

The Pope in Vauxhall - more photos

These excellent shots of the Pope were taken by Finn from the vantage point of Sirinham Point.

Pope leaving St Peter's Residence Vauxhall - photos

Photos courtesy of  dukest31

Pope leaves Vauxhall - watch on YouTube

dukest31 sent me this excellent footage (taken on his iPhone) of the Pope leaving St Peter's Residence in Meadow Road earlier today. Some photos to follow in the next post.

The Pope in Vauxhall - blink and you've missed him

...actually you missed him, blinkage nor no.

We waited behind crash barriers in Meadow Road. People were a little bit tense but generally friendly. Eventually the cavalcade zoomed past. We didn't see Il Pape but feel confident he was in the Mercedes. My friend later said she watched live coverage on Sky and it showed him going into the toilets (her father-in-law was resident in the home so she knows the layout). He's only human, after all.

Many of the crowd had little flags but had had no opportunity to wave them. We saw no protesters. The police were friendly. A helicopter circled overhead. We didn't wait for him to come out again as the police officer we talked to said we wouldn't see him. Then we went home. My photos are rubbish. Little bit of an anti-climax.

Stockwell Forum meeting - Tuesday 21 September

Tuesday 21 September
7 – 8.30pm in the Stockwell Community Resource Centre
Stockwell Community Resource Centre
1 Studley Road
London SW4 6RA

Welcome
Steve Griffin, Stockwell Partnership

Grass Routes – Streets for People / Streets Ahead
Talk by local resident Elaine Kramer and Lambeth Council Transport Officer George Wright

Stockwell Mapping Exercise 
A chance for you to identify the most important issue where you live on a giant map of the neighbourhood, led by Gerry Evans, Lambeth Council

‘Get to Know Your Community’
The Ethiopian community members of the Ethiopian community, led by Ms Tsegay, Sophia Ibrahim, and Radia O Ahmed from Stockwell Partnership will give an introduction to the Women’s Association of Tigray and its aims, followed by dancing in cultural costume

Break
Free Ethiopian food/refreshments

Local Planning Update
Some key developments and planning applications which will – or might – affect the local neighbourhood – Ian Beever, local resident

Local Projects Update
Open session for Forum members to update others

Stockwell resident Jason McIntyre jailed

Jason McIntyre, 35, of Stockwell Road, who raped a woman in a Watford flat in February 2010 has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years imprisonment.  Police think there may be more victims who have not yet come forward.

Anyone who thinks they may have been a victim can contact the 24-hour confidential referral centre on 0808 178 4448.

Alternatively, contact the Sexual Offences Investigation Team on 0845 33 00 222.

Stockwell skate park kicks off Lambeth peace week

A week-long celebration of diversity in Lambeth starts today, Saturday 18 September, with a community event for cyclists and skateboarders at Stockwell skate park. There will also be an inter-faith picnic on Sunday 19 September in Windrush Square from 3pm to 5pm, a sponsored bike ride by the Tulse Hill safer neighbourhood team from Lambeth to Brighton and a Voices of Youth event at the South London National Centre in Bernay’s Grove.

For more information visit lambeth.gov.uk/peaceweek.

Pope: 5pm at St Peter's Residence, Vauxhall

Someone told me that there were helicopters and police all over Meadow Road yesterday but the action is, apparently, all happening today at 5pm. Send me your photos and I'll put them up. bathsheba99@gmail.com

Road closures for the Pope's visit Friday 17 September

12noon - 9pm

Lambeth Rd between Kennington Rd and Lambeth Palace Rd
Albert Embankment
Lambeth Palace Rd (access maintained to St Thomas's Hosp)
Lambeth Bridge
Horseferry Road (between Milbank and Marsham Street) Milbank
Old Palace Yard
St. Margaret's Street
Parliament Square (and all approaches)
Parliament Street
Whitehall
Bridge Street
Broad Sanctuary
Victoria Street
Westminster Bridge and Victoria Embankment should remain open and only close if required during the event.

There may also be closures of roads leading onto the processional route including:

Victoria Embankment (from Southwark Bridge and at
Blackfriars Bridge and Northumberland Avenue)

Westminster Bridge Rd (at St Georges Rd and Baylis Rd)

York Road (At Waterloo Road)

Parking Suspensions Lambeth Road (between Lambeth Palace Rd and Pratt Walk) Great Smith Street, Great Peter Street, Great College Street, Tothill Street, Storeys Gate

More information at www.met.police.uk/events/papal_visit.htm and www.tfl.gov.uk

Cruse Bereavement Care to open Lambeth

The Lambeth branch of Cruse Bereavement Care will be official launched today. Cruse offers free face-to-face support and counselling for anyone affected by the loss of a loved one. Volunteers come from all walks of life and have all undertaken an nationally accredited Cruse bereavement training course.

From their branch in Lambeth, Cruse provides the local community with one-to-one support. You can contact Cruse at any time in your bereavement journey - however, wherever and whenever your loved one died.

You can contact the Lambeth Branch on (020) 8939 2532.

If you are asked to leave a message, someone will call you back as soon as possible.

National helpline 0844 477 9400
Email Helpline@cruse.org.uk
www.cruse.org.uk

Street crime in Liberty Street/Isabel Street, SW9 on Monday

Elaine Kramer from Streets Ahead has been informed that a neighbour of hers was mugged on Monday morning at 8am. The mugger was on a bike, and approached the victim to ask for money outside Horizons gym in Liberty Street. He then cycled off but returned and  followed on his bike, pushed her to the ground and stole her handbag. The only description is black male late 20s -early 30s, on an ordinary road bike.If you saw anything or know anything about or spot  the mugger please ring Brixton Police.

streetsaheadenews@gmail.com

Vauxhall Expo today

Don't forget - Spring Gardens hosts Vauxhall Expo today . More details at Vauxhall Society website.

Pope to visit convent in Meadow Road on 18 September

The Pope - yes, Benedict XVI - is to visit Vauxhall/Oval on his state visit to the UK. His itinerary will take him to St Peter's Residence at 2a Meadow Road, London SW8 1QH on Saturday 18 September. He will visit the Little Sisters of the Poor, who run residential home for the elderly and a day centre there.

Sign the Stockwell War Memorial petition to care for the names

The names are eroding through pollution and wear and tear

A petition calling on Lambeth Council to renovate the names on Stockwell War Memorial has been launched online.

Sheila Dartnell has already collected 190 signatures on the paper version.

She says:

"This is an important Grade 2 listed building and it bears the names of 574 men - including my great uncle -  who were killed in the Great War.  These soldiers and sailors came from all types of backgrounds and all had a connection with Stockwell, although many came originally from outside the area. The names are now eroding and need attention. To help me save the precious memory of these men who gave the ultimate sacrifice, please sign my Petition to Lambeth Council to provide a plan for the restoration and maintenance of this memorial. Thank you for your support.

The appeal is as follows:
"We, the undersigned, are concerned about the state and deterioration of the above war memorial and urge Lambeth Council to take action in restoring the Memorial."

Sign the petition now: www.gopetition.com/petition/38985.html

Fabio Costa and Kevin Dixon sentenced to 10 years for cab driver robberies

Community Safe has released information about Fabio Costa, 19, and Kevin Dixon, 28, who on Friday 3 September were both sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. The pair ordered cabs to the Wandsworth Road area and then violently robbed the drivers on arrival. In one case a gun was placed to the victim’s head, in another, a flick knife was held victim’s neck and in a third, a knife was held to the victim’s throat. Judge Lees said, “In all of the robberies the victims suffered from gratuitous beatings. The robberies were carefully planned and the level of violence was increasing and the sentence reflects that.”

Vauxhall Expo 11 September 2010

The Vauxhall Expo is on Saturday 11 September 11am to 5pm at Spring Gardens (Kennington Lane end).
Highlights include Vauxhall City Farm animals, Brazilian football skills, competition for tickets for London Eye, jazz singing. The Vauxhall Society will have a stand.

50 advertising apprenticeships up for grabs

Vauxhall’s School of Communication Arts (SCA) reopens this month and is offering 50 young adults the opportunity to serve an apprenticeship and find work as creatives in advertising.

The School is a not-for-profit social enterprise whose aim is to widen diversity in the creative sector, and with the help of advertising agency sponsorship can offer 15 scholarships to help out the hard up.

SCA’s Dean is Marc Lewis, himself a former SCA student. There are no staff teachers, but the school can call upon a network of 200 advertising industry creatives, up to six of whom mentor students daily. The school’s ‘classroom’ is St Peter’s Church in Kennington Lane.

SCA Students will launch their own advertising agency at a party for mentors and Vauxhall businesses on 5 November 2010. The agency seeks briefs from local businesses and charities, asking clients to donate what they think the work is ‘worth’.

School governors include adman Tim Bell, knighted by Mrs Thatcher and ennobled by Tony Blair.

http://schoolcommunicationarts.com
http://schoolcommunicationarts.com/files/2010/07/Directory15-EdSection03.pdf
http://schoolcommunicationarts.com/files/2010/06/Creative-Review-Graduate-Guide.pdf

(Taken from the Vauxhall Society website)

Calling all women with film and TV ideas

Are you a woman with a great idea for a film, tv series or internet drama?

Then come along to The Big Pitch on Friday 10 September, 7.30pm at The Lost Theatre, 208 Wandsworth Rd, SW8 2JU.

Pitch to a panel of experts for no longer than 3 minutes. Receive valuable feedback from an expert panel and a cash prize will be given to the winner.

Running as part of the filmdirecting4women international film festival. 4 days of films directed by women.

Go to www.filmdirecting4women.com to book

New weekend play centre at Munchkins, Dorset Road - opening on Saturday

'Munchkins Playtime' children's play centre open day, 11 September, 10am-3pm

A new weekend play centre is opening in the Turners Function Centre on the corner of Dorset Road and Meadow Road, London SW8 1EX and there's a FREE open day there on Saturday 11 September from 10am till 3pm.

Admission will be FREE on this day and children will receive a helium balloon and special sticker for being the first at the centre. The centre will be open every Saturday and Sunday from then on. Inside will be a bouncy castle, ball pit, lots of play equipment, weekly activities (such as arts and crafts) and face painting. Hot and cold refreshments will be sold throughout the day. The centre is also available for children's parties.

After the open day admission will be £2.50 for under 1s and £3.75 for over 1s. There's a loyalty scheme - visit 4 times and get the 5th visit free. Parents are free to join in an arty activity with their children and they can enjoy a cup of coffee and a homemade cake from the café. There are also plasma screens and magazine.

For more information contact Carla Agius on 077 4265 5031 or carla@turnersfunctioncentre.co.uk

Crack house in Boatemah Walk closed

A message from the Community Safe people:

Lambeth Borough Police together with Lambeth Council and the Housing Partnership have worked together to shut down a property that was used for drug dealing.

The crack house in Boatemah Walk, Angel Town Estate Brixton, SW9 was today served with a closure notice by Coldharbour Safer Neighbourhood’s team following reports of anti-social behaviour, noise nuisance, prostitution and the dealing of class A drugs.

Officers from the Coldharbour SNT monitored the property and gathered evidence regarding who was coming and going, and the frequency to be used in Court.
On Thursday 2nd September Camberwell Green Magistrates Court granted the crack house closure notice. The SNT served this on the occupier the same day.

Sergeant Anton Menzies of Coldharbour Safer neighbourhood’s team said,
"This is a culmination of months of hard work by the SNT officers. The disorder and nuisance caused here has been considerable. This closure sends a clear message that the Community will not tolerate drug dealing. Our partner agencies are fully supportive and I am proud of all the hard work everyone has put in.”

O Moinho reviewed at Visit London

Visit London blog has a piece on the Portuguese cafe O Moinho at 355a Wandsworth Road, reviewed by Catherine Lencastre Cabral.

These Were Our Sons: Publication day today

Well, the book is out! These Were Our Sons: Stories from Stockwell War Memorial is published today. 256 pages of stories of the 574 men on Stockwell's First World War Memorial. A vague musing on the identities of these forgotten men who perished in droves has turned into a real book. It has been a great pleasure to do - thank you to all who helped and who gave me information and encouragement.

There's a story in the current Lambeth Life and will go into South London Press later (November, probably). Meanwhile I am trying to get it into local bookshops. However, if you would like to order online you can do so via PayPal (you don't need a PayPal account - just a debit or credit card) at www.elefantbooks.com.

Charles Holden exhibition coming to the V&A

The V&A in partnership with RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) is hosting an exhibition of work by Charles Holden (1875-1960), the Modernist designer of many tube stations on the Northern Line. The exhibition opens on 2 October 2010 and runs to 3 April 2011.

It will include Charles Holden's original drawings, photographs, posters, film, journals and models. Charles Holden designed 40 of London Transport's 270 stations, including Arnos Grove, Boston Manor and Southgate, and many of the Northern Line stations south of Clapham South. The exhibition will look at his first designs (for stations such as Westminster and Stockwell), through to his latest designs and will also include a section on his tube fixtures and fittings.

More information at Dexigner

V&A South Kensington
Cromwell Road
London SW7 2RL
020 7942 2000

Reading

Bright Underground Spaces: The Railway Stations of Charles Holden by David Lawrence, published by Capital Transport Publishing (Jun 2008)

Durand Primary School becomes Academy

Durand Primary in Hackford Road is to be one of the first of the new-style academies - quasi independent state-schools - being created by the Coalition Government. Durand is unusual in that it will be the first primary to change status in this way (it is currently a foundation school and therefore not in Lambeth Council control).

In a press statement, Greg Martin, Executive Head of Durand Academy, said:

"Becoming an Academy is so important for us at Durand.  We are proud to deliver an outstanding education for our pupils, in an area with one of the highest levels of social deprivation in the UK. The freedom that Academy status brings will allow us to deliver and develop a flexible curriculum to ensure that these children reach their full potential and achieve the very best.  We look forward to using our Academy freedoms to work with other schools to raise levels of attainment across the board.”

The Blitz on Kennington Park

Tonight at 7.30pm BBC1 is showing Tales from the Blitz in which Pauline Harrison, 81, recalls the  bombing of the air-raid shelter in Kennington Park, Lambeth. On the night of 15 October 1940 a 50 pound (23 kilos) bomb fell on the Kennington Park trench, a temporary shelter designed to protect people caught out in the open when bombing started. More than 100 are thought to have died in the blast but not all of the bodies were recovered.

If you miss it, I'm sure it will be on iPlayer...