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Now Online at www.shirleylife.comand very soonin print



14 February 2011


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ContentsShirley Life 5Care Direct UK 6Focus on Jill Latter 8

NOGs Column 11Peter Howards Column 12Stuart Collins Column 13Women only ... from www.realage.com 14Its raining consultations in Croydon 18How to get the best of your local politician 19Charles Park answers your questions 21

Giovannas Column: Journeys from Shirley 24Shirley Community Centre 27Putting Photography in the frame 30Wheelie Clean Bins Ltd 32

Editorial Team Tom Dunsmore, Jill Latter, Marzia Nicodemi-Ehikioya (Editor), RussellElliott (Advertising consultant), Peter Hacker (Financial consultant), andRob Dil (Graphic Design Consultant).

Contacts Telephone: 07940 415532Email: [email protected]: www.shirleylife.com

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Fish Frames 34


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Thank you for the warm welcome toour first issue of Shirley Life . Pleasecontinue to send your feedback andtell your friends about us. Giovannas newcolumn, Journeys from Shirley, was quite a

hit. Residents seem to enjoy trying out localvenues. Charles Park has joined us this month and will answer yourquestions on planning, extensions and the perils you may encounter if yougo ahead without professional advice. He has years of experience and anincredible eye for the small details that can enhance your property. We arealso happy to welcome a new column from Stuart Collins, not as aCouncillor, but as a Shirley resident. Tony Collins, a local gardener whoestablished his business in 1981, has sent beautiful local pictures. Tom willinterview him soon. We are also happy to publish a contribution of an oldfriend, Andrew Pelling. We hope that many others will follow.Shirley Life is about a broad vision of life in Shirley, without ideologicaldogmas. We do not sing from one hymn book but embrace real life andreal people from every walk of life. Feel free to send your contributions. Weare not afraid of controversy but no personal attacks will be tolerated.

There is a wealth of skills in Shirley. Our website was designed by a young

professional, Sarah Molkenthin of Selmo Web Designs, who had alsodesigned websites for other local groups.Each month Shirley Life will be uploaded around the middle of the month.Being an online magazine has a lot of advantages but we understand thatmany of you would welcome a hard copy because you do not have internetaccess at home or at all. We hope to achieve that goal soon. All funds willcome from advertisements and it takes time to build up a data base of

advertisers. Shirley Life will not accept funds from third parties. You will find an Appendix to Shirley Life this month. Evergreen posted acomment in the website Forum . There was a link and I read a speech givenon 20 January 2011 by the writer Philip Pullman in defence of Oxfordshirepublic libraries. I may not share many of Mr. Pullmans beliefs but found hisarticle powerful, inspiring and, above all, applicable everywhere in thecountry. Yes, we can say to Croydon Council too: Leave the libraries alone.You dont know the value of what youre looking after. It is too precious todestroy.Enjoy the full glory of Picture Partnerships tulips on St. Valentines Day.

Editor


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Care Direct UK Ltd provides practical support to you at home. We offerour services to self-funders and individuals with direct payments.We supply care/support workers to Care Homes and live-in carers.

Practical tasks that we provide include:

Cleaning and vacuuming/dusting, Laundry and ironing Organising Wardrobes and Cupboards Help with general shopping & paying bills Gardening and taking rubbish out Collecting prescriptions Thorough clean or one-off blitz cleans of your house Help with meal preparation .

PERSONAL CARE SERVICES.

We pride ourselves on our high quality personal care services.Services available to you are: Help and support with bathing/washing, dressing/grooming Assistance with feeding Help with continence management

A palliative Care Service Dementia Care Care of the physically & mentally disabled Care of physically & mentally frail adults Care of adults with learning disabilities Care of adults who misuse substances & alcohol

Provide convalescence care services & care of people dischargedfrom hospital. Prompting & assistance with medication


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Job OpportunitiesCare Direct UK Ltd is a staffing and recruitment Care agency providingexcellent care services and support to residents across Croydon andneighbouring Boroughs.

Positions: Part Time or Weekend Work.

Salary: Competitive Rates.

Qualifications: Free NVQ2 if you are not yet qualified.

Induction: An effective introduction to your clients and other keypersonnel .

Training and Development: Comprehensive training courses.

What Do You Need To Have To Join Us?

A Valid Passport/Visa/Right to work in the UK. Four Passport size photos. Three Proofs of address. A CRB Disclosure will also be required.

Commitment, energy, patience, humour and motivation.If you are interested and want further details,

please contact Care Direct UK

By Telephone on 020 8665 4266

or Mobile on 07590 202 547

Alternatively, visit us at Care Direct UK Ltd102-116 Windmill Road,

Croydon, CR0 2XQ.


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Focus on Jill Latter,Miniaturist and part of Shirley Life Editorial Team

A hearty welcome to Jill Latter, the latest memberof the Shirley Life Editorial Team. Theemphasis is certainly on Shirley for Jill is a sure 4 th

generation (and maybe more) of Shirley residents. The original intentionof this interview was to highlight both her experience of editing in another

journal and details of her fascinating work in miniature soft furnishings forcollectors of which she said: I design and make 1 12 scale miniature softfurnishings for both the dolls house enthusiast and dolls house shops. Iam proud that all my products are handmade, using the best possiblematerials to give the very best quality at an affordable price. However, Iwas equally fascinated by the long association of Jills family with ourShirley and Jills recollections of it and decided to postpone the article onminiatures.

Jill remembers her mother often talking of her grandmother in Shirley,and she remembers visiting her own grandmother who lived in a 2-bedcottage which boasted a kitchen but no running water and had anoutside toilet; the road was Sandpits Road. At the end of the road wasa yard known locally as Bennett's Pit. In one of the large houses on theopposite side of the road lived Albert Bennett, who ran the business

Albert Bennett & Sons, and after his death hiswidow continued to live there. She

kept two goats which Jill wouldfeed with carrots given her by

her grandmother! Jillsgrandfather, who died in the

Spanish flu epidemic after theFirst World War, was employed in

a local farm, (Thrales?). Hergrandmother, widowed at 36 with 3

young children to support, worked

as a waitress in Dean's Caf onShirley Hills. This was a regular stop

for horse-drawn charabancs on theJills grandfather Tom Coomber


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way south from London and, as the caf had an outside toilet, her unclewould stand outside with a clean towel over his arm and collect a penny!

Her great grandfather was a thatcher by trade and lived in Badgers Holein the Shirley Hills, a small area around the Sandrock puban area and always referred to by her mother as The

Village. It boasted a bakery, Dean's, from whomthey purchased freshly baked bread daily. In herearly days the vast development of Shirley in the30s had yet to encroach on the surroundingfarmland and a trip to Croydon, by lift on a pony-and-trap or walking, was an excursion.

Moving on a generation, we talked of the SecondWorld War. Jills parents lived in Sandpits Road andher aunt and uncle lived in Shirley Church Road onthe opposite side of the road to St. Johns Church and near to MissDorothy Burnett to whom her uncle was a Chauffeur/Gardener. She wasalways addressed as Miss Dorothy as her father was a Baronet andformer Lord Mayor of London.

Jills father, prior to his call-up, was in the Home Guard and they used topractice firing in the Sandrock Gardens a familiar haunt of her forbears.On one occasion, there was an air raid during which many incendiarybombs were dropped in the vicinity of Shirley Church Road and Jills

Jills grandmother Clara

Coomber on her 90 th Birthday at the Shirley

Community Centre

Jills Parents Ted and Lizzie at Home


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father and uncle, who were on leave together at the time, assisted indealing with these and the effects of them. It is recorded in family historythat her uncle was busy dealing with one at the vicarage when one fell onhis own house. During this period, until Jills brother was born, her motherwould don a siren suit and take her turn at Fire Watching on Shirley Hills.

Before the Second World War, there had been a Ladies Golf Clubbehind Links View Road and one for the Gentlemen, still flourishing, inShirley Church Road. During the war, the area was commandeered andwas home to Anti-Aircraft and Barrage Balloon Units and the shelters tohouse and protect the men. However, after the war, due to the acuteshortage of housing, it was decided to erect pre-fabs. These werehouses that arrived on lorries in three or four fully fitted sections andready for occupation as soon as water, electricity, gas and sewage wereconnected. I had been told that the authorities were adamant that thesepre-fabs were temporary, that the golf course would be restored andthat aerial photographs were taken to ensure that this would happen.Promises! Promises! Nothing changes! However, we now havesomething that embraces a whole flourishing Community of Spring ParkPrimary School, the Shrublands Estate and the Shirley Community

Centre Association of which Jill is a Manager.Jill said that her parentswere married in St.Johns Church on 17 thSeptember 1938 andthat both her maternalgrandparents are buried

in the churchyard.Recently, at a localCroydon Rotary Clubfundraising event, Jillwas seated near to

several current residents of Sandpits Road, one of whom had boughthis house from the grandson of Albert Bennetts widow. Thus began a

long series of reminiscences, augmenting and confirming each othersrecollections and thus brought the story round full circle.Shirley Life welcomes you, Jill.

10

Tom Dunsmore


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NOGs Column There is an old Salvation Army hymn, whichgoes along the lines of if everyone brings

just one new person into the church, then in no time the whole world will be members.If you are a Salvationist and know the hymn,email me the name please.Well, that is the way I live my life. No, I amnot in the Army, although I think I would lookgood in a uniform. But if I can get one otherperson to do something good and then thatperson does the same, I then believe thatthe world will be a better place without a lotof effort.But what can we all do? It doesnthave to be anything big, cost anything or put

you to too much trouble. But it can have a big change on the fabric of thecommunity. When I am out I will always stop and offer my assistance if I see anyonewho I think needs my help.Last year Kim and I were out in West Wickham, when we saw an elderly lady tripand fall over. We stopped and I gave first aid while Kim phoned the ladysdaughter to tell her what had happened. She arranged to come over and pickher up. When we first started to talk to her she was very upset and didnt wantus to call anyone, but when I explained that we were concerned about hergetting home safely, she started to calm down. By the time the daughter arrivedwe were chatting like old friends. The daughter said to me that this was her

mothers second fall and that she was very worried about her going out on herown. She was scared that this fall would make her mother too scared to go outalone any more. A month or so later, I was in West Wickham when the daughtercrossed the road to talk to me. She said that her Mother was still having trips outon her own. She was telling everyone about the nice people who had helped asif it was part of a day trip. We still see the woman and her daughter and I amproud that, by giving a few minutes of our time, we have in a small way helpedto keep this lady active and a part of our community.

You may think nothing of keeping a eye on an elderly neighbour, but it may actuallyhave a massive impact on their life, letting them stay in their home longer before


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moving in to sheltered accommodation or a care home. The upshot of doinggood deeds for others is that if ever there is a time that you or someone youcare for is in need then there may be someone there to offer their help. If youcan spare a few hours on a regular basis you could have a massive positiveimpact in the area. Many groups need help and will close if helpers do not

come forward.

Peter Howards ColumnControversial issuesWhere does your money go? Well,around 33,000 is paid by theMetropolitan Police Authority (MPA) torun Croydon Community PoliceConsultative Group (CCPCG). TheSecretary of this Group is an employeeof the London Borough of Croydon,and the computer used by the Groupis [email protected] 7 of the Data Protection Act

allows anyone to see what informationis held by public bodies, ie those fundedby Government with your money.It is a vital right for the citizen to ensurenothing incorrect is written about them or held on records. However, itis the view of the Council that CCPCG is not a public body although itsentire funding comes from your taxes. The only Appeal is through the

Information Commissioner, but that takes time. However, the MPA hasnow decreed that the CCPCG is subject to the Act and must comply. Donot take official rejection on its face value, always double-check!

Talking about funding through taxation: things are pretty hard financiallyat present, so WHY do we need 3 Councillors per Ward, not only inCroydon but elsewhere. MPs cover a wide area, as does a member of the Greater London Authority. So, as Ive said, why do we need to payfor loads of Councillors and their expenses? Why can their job not bedone by one person, like MPs and the GLA Member plus the Euro MP, andsave millions in pay, expenses and offices?


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Are 3 Ward Councillors per Ward a luxury we can afford, whenParliament is trying to reduce the number of MPs? Think about it, themoney saved may pay for many needed operations in the NHS!!! Youmay not agree with me, but that is your privilege. Just a thought!

Stuart Collins Column As a former Mayor of Croydon I know there are many interesting andvibrant local communities in Croydon and that Shirley can definitely bedescribed as such. The passion andinterest shown at the public meetingabout the Councils option to close theShirley Library proved local people docare about their local services.

There are many opinions about thedeficit many countries find themselvesin, a deficit being given as a reason tocut local services across the UK. Wasthe recession a result of pastgovernment policies or was it the faultof the worlds banking industry?Whatever or whoever was at fault weneed to move on and I feel growthand optimism rather than cuts anddespair are the way forward.Shirley Library provides a service thatall age ranges use, it is the hub of the High Street and its survival will

ensure that those who use it will continue to use the local shops andbusinesses. As Shirley residents we pay our Council Tax. If we lose thelibrary we are only left with the refuse collection, and I for one feel wedeserve better value for money.It was announced on the 8 th February that the Government has increasedthe levy on the banks to 2.5 billion, enough to increase councilsettlements across the U.K. and more than enough to save our libraries.Its now their choice how to spend this money. Ill be lobbying our MP tosee that this money is spent on libraries and grants for voluntary sectorservice providers. Hopefully you can join me.


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Acute Symptoms in Women Although chest pain is considered to be one of the classic signs of a heartattack in both women and men, the sudden, violent chest convulsionsportrayed on TV or in movies may not be experienced by all women.Fortunately, we now know of several more moderate signals a woman's bodysends to alert her that she is having a heart attack.Severe chest pain may occur during a heart attack, but women also report painor discomfort in other areas of the body before or during a heart attack.Pressure, tightness, aching, or burning in your upper back, neck, shoulders,and arms, or even in the jaw or throat can be signs of heart distress. Womenhave also described the discomfort as a sharpness, a fullness, or a tingling.Shortness of breath, fatigue, stomach pain, cold sweats, dizziness, indigestion,or nausea also may occur during the acute phase of a heart attack.Learning about the many different acute symptoms of heart attack can helpensure that you seek emergency care when you need it. Keep in mind that notall of these symptoms occur in every attack, and some symptoms may go awayand then return.Reduce Your Risk of Heart Attack

As a woman, after 40, your risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) starts to riseas your body stops producing estrogen naturally and your cholesterol levelsincrease. Although taking estrogen through hormone replacement therapy was

initially thought to protect against CHD, clinical trials have found that it does notoffer cardiac protection and may increase the risk of heart disease and ovarianand breast cancers.So what can you do to protect your heart and reduce your risk of heart attack?Plenty. Controlling your cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight can greatlyreduce your risk of heart attack.Start with these seven steps:

Check your blood pressure regularly. If it's high, and you are prescribedmedication, take it exactly as directed, even if you feel fine.Stop smoking, if you smoke. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grains, and low-fat dairy toget your daily dose of calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Choose healthful unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats.Reduce stress levels at home and at work.Limit your alcohol intake to no more than one glass per day.Get 30 minutes of exercise every day, and keep your weight within healthylimits.


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Don't Ignore How You FeelResearch shows that women tend to ignore signs of illness or attribute theirsymptoms of cardiac distress to something else. If you are feeling unusualfatigue or pain and discomfort, don't dismiss it. The fact that warning signsmay occur as much as 1 month before an attack gives you valuable time toseek medical care that may save your life.

Onions are good for youWhether you're noshing on a lean turkey with tomato or a veggie delight, addthese to your sandwich to reduce your risk of stroke. Onions are brimming withflavonols, and new research suggests that these nutritional goodies coulddownsize the risk of stroke by as much as 20 percent.Fabulous, Flavourful Flavonols

The key flavonol compounds for stroke prevention appear to be myricetin, apigenin,luteolin, kaempferol, and quercetin. But don't worry about pronouncing them. Justknow that they have inflammation-cooling effects, especially the quercetin, and thattranslates into a lower risk of stroke-inducing blood clots. Flavonols also appear torelax and dilate blood vessels, another buffer against strokes.

Top your grilled veggies, fish, and sandwiches with this easy-to-make Red andWhite Onion Relish. Take red and white onions and simmer with vinegar,sugar, and aromatic cumin seeds to create a tangy-sweet alternative to

traditional pickle relishes. Since it needs to marinate for several days, this relishshould be prepared at least a week before you want to serve it.Ingredients360 gr chopped red onion - 360 gr chopped white onion - 240 mls distilledwhite vinegar - 120 gr sugar - 1 2 teaspoon tricolored peppercorns, crushed - 1 2teaspoon cumin seedsDirectionsCombine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to theboil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook the onions for 15 minutes. Coolcompletely. Place the relish in a covered container and let marinate, in therefrigerator, for 1 week. Store refrigerated in a covered container for up to 3 weeks.

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

More Foods with Flavonols Tea seems to be the major source for flavonols in many people's diets, but if you're not a tea drinker, no worries. Onions contain a much more bioavailableform than tea does. Or get your flavonol fix from apples, broccoli, dark leafygreens, or berries. Here's a long list of flavonoid-rich foods: apples (flavonoidsare in the skin), blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, capers, chocolate (dark, notmilk) and cocoa, onions, strawberries, red grapes, red wine, tea (all kinds).

Men only next month...


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Its raining consultations in CroyShirley Life is registered with Croydon Council as a Community magazineand, on 7 th February 2011, we have officially received the news that the

Cabinet Member for Communities has brought us, the residents, the firstedition of the Bigger, Stronger Society e-bulletin.He also sent a circular letter, without a date, that reads: Have your say on

growing a bigger, stronger society in Croydon. We are seeking your views around how best to support and strengthen Croydons communities during a sustained period of spending reductions. The consultation paper growing a bigger, stronger society in Croydon was submitted to the CouncilsCabinet in December 2010. The paper aims to provoke ideas locally about

concepts such as the Big Society and decentralisation.We already know about the consultation on the closure of Libraries, the

phasing out of Neighbourhood Partnerships but some might be interestedin reading the following, published as sent:

The Big Debate on the Big SocietyThe 13 December Cabinet report included a draft consultation paper on'Growing a Bigger Stronger Society in Croydon. This paper aimed to

stimulate debate and feedback on how best to support and strengthenCroydons communities during a sustained period of spending reductions.It is also designed to provoke ideas locally about concepts such as the BigSociety and decentralisation, so that Croydon is able to develop an

approach that is practical, widely owned, and that reflects Croydons needs, aspirations and good practice.www.croydon.gov.uk/contents/documents/meetings/546596/910708/2010-12-3/bigsociety.pdWe very much want your reaction to this consultation on building a bigger

and stronger society in Croydon. Please see the following link to aquestionnaire, which offers the boroughs residents and organisations a firstopportunity to express their thoughts and ideas:www.surveymonkey.com/s/lbc3-biggerstrongersociety

The deadline for contributions is Thursday 31 March .For further information, call 020 8726 6000, ext: 62530.

Transfer of public assets to community management

The Council is part of a national programme exploring ways to transfer the responsibility for managing publicly owned land and buildings to community organisations. The pilot programme for transferring small plots of land is


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information about whats worrying their residents its much easier for themwhen residents contact them than the other way around.

The House of Commons letter-head or a phone call by the MP or his officeoften gets unfeeling and awkward bureaucracy moving.So what are the tools in MPs, London Assembly Members and Councillors

lockers to help you lobby on a personal or political policy matter ? In basicform, but with more detail next time, they are:MPCatching ministers in the voting lobby Letters to the Minister Meetings with ministers or officialsQuestions in the HousePetition to the HouseSecuring a debate in the Commons or Westminster Hall Lobbying a Select Committee to pursue a line of enquiry Supporting an Early Day MotionMoving a ten-minute rule bill Securing a private members bill

Attending planning meetings on major applicationsLondon Assembly MemberBuses, trams, underground, strategic roads, policing, strategic planning and

housing, skills training, economic development and London issues are the main concerns for Assembly Members only MPs can do immigration matters properly. You can go to your local Croydon and Sutton Member and/or London-wide MembersLetters to GLA, TfL and Police officialsQuestions to the Mayor Petitions at the Assembly

Meetings with the Mayor Lobby for a scrutiny committee to study a policy issue

Attending planning meetings on major applicationsLocal Councillor - You normally have three local CouncillorsLetters to Council officialsPetitions to Council Questions at Council Helping you ask questions at Council Local ward debates at Council Lobby for a scrutiny committee to study a policy issue

Attending planning meetings Andrew Pelling


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Giovannas Column A friend told me to go to Chinatown in London on 6 thFebruary where celebrations for the Chinese New Year,the year of the Rabbit, were taking place. It was a great

experience that we all enjoyed immensely. The festivitiesincluded both a traditional and a contemporary Chineseentertainment in Trafalgar Square with performances byfamous artists from China. There was a contagious,

joyful atmosphere and local people were making surethat everyone had a great time. We saw the Wishing Tree and we all tried ourluck by throwing an orange at it. For centuries, Hong Kong people used tomake wishes at Lam Tsuen. They wrote their wishes on paper, tied them to an

orange and threw them into the wishing tree if they caught in the branches itwas said that the wishes would come true. We all ended up going into aChinese local restaurant and ate a lovely meal. Something to keep in mind fornext year, when we will repeat this enjoyable experience.

24

I n London

Near S hi rl ey A ne w res tauran t, Chom Chom, has recen tl y op

ened in Beckenham. I t has

Chinese, European, Indian and Thai bu f fe ts . The food is go

od and the choice

is wide. I t is also child friendl y. Mon- Thu the lunch bu f fe t

cos ts 8.95 adul t

and 4.95 child and dinner bu f fe t 12.95 adul t and 7.50

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u f fe t 14.95 adul t

and 7.50 child. For more in forma tion, please go to

w w w .c h o m c h o m .c o.u k

LOV E I T ? H A T E I T ? EM AI L I T !

Share your opinions wi th me a t [email protected].

I am wai ting to hear from you. G i ovanna


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Shirley Community Centre (SCC)

What and When at the Centre

Shrublands Christian Fellowship Sundays 10.30 to 12noonStreetz Mon. to Fridays 3.45 to 5.45pm

Youth club Mon. and Wednesdays 7 to 9pmWardens Wed. and Thurdays 4.30 to 6pmZumba (see pages 28&29 for details) Tuesdays 1.30 to 2.30pm

Tenshin tsunami Ryu Tuesdays 7 to 9pmLegs, Bums and Tums Thursdays 7 to 8pm

South Eastern Road Club Thursdays 8 to 10pmFit n Funky Thursdays 2 to 3pm

GKR Fridays 6 to 7.30pm Tenshin tsunami Ryu Fridays 7.30 to 9.30pm

The main hall is complemented by an up-to-date kitchen, with two other roomsadjacent, and a separate room suited to smaller committee meetings.

Currently used by a cycling club, a church, martial arts groups and danceand exercise groups, these premises are ideally placed on the join betweentwo differing housing areas. Well served by two bus routes, and with some on-site parking, the Centre is available most mornings and the early part of eachafternoon. It is also very popular for private parties at weekends.

To hire the Centre, please contact 020 8777 4298 on Thursdays between9.30 and 11.30am or email [email protected]

Midweek charges are 10 per hour (40 for the whole morning or afternoon,50 for a whole evening) or 250 for private parties on a Saturday or 350 ona Sunday. The small Meeting Room cost is 5 per hour at any time.We look forward to welcoming you as a new user

27


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ZUMBA FITNESS. MOVINGTHE WORLD TO A NEW BEAT

Are you ready to party yourself intoshape? Thats exactly what theZumba program is all about. Its an

exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow,Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dancefitness-party thats moving millions of people towards joy and health.Who We AreZumba Fitness is the only Latin-inspired dance-fitness programme thatblends red-hot international music,

created by Grammy Award-winningproducers, and contagious steps toform a fitness-party that is downrightaddictive.Since its inception in 2001, ZumbaFitness has grown to become theworlds largest and most successful dance-fitness program with more

than 10 million people of all shapes, sizes and ages taking weekly Zumbaclasses in over 90,000 locations across more than 110 countries.Our StorySometimes, great things happen by accident. Penicillin, X-rays, Post-it Notes,even ice cream cones were all serendipitous accidents. From these happyaccidents came a world of good innovations that changed things. In the mid-90s, no one could have predicted the success of the Zumba programme, noteven Alberto "Beto" Perez, who created the Zumba programme, in what manyhave called a true happy accident.The Original Fitness-Party

As a fitness instructor in his native Cali, Colombia, Betos life took anunexpected turn one fateful day in the mid-90s when he darted off to teach anaerobics class and forgot his traditional aerobics music. He improvised usinghis own mix of music from tapes he had in his backpack (salsa and merenguemusic he grew up with). Spontaneously, he created a new kind of dance-fitness, one that focused on letting the music move you (instead of countingsteps over the music). Energy electrified the room; people couldnt stop smiling.His class loved it! And on that day, a revolutionary new fitness concept wasborn the Zumba Fitness-Party.

INTO

CONTACT YOUR LICENSED ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR:

Angelinaat Shirley Community CentreShrublands Avenue, Shirley

Tuesdays 1.30pm - 2.30pm

4 FIRST WEEK FREE


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you are talking about Christmastoys, dont photograph them onthe garden lawn because it is anice, summers day!Out on a London visit, be clearwhether you want a picture of thewhole Tower Bridge, a particularconstruction detail or just proof that you, your family or friendswere there. These would betotally different pictures.

Ferret beer and the ferret This was a general media event

for newspapers, radio, andtelevision. The organisers had anumber of ferrets race throughtubes and pipes to make goodradio commentary and TVfootage of ferrets racing with theprize being a print of their newly launched beer named 'Firsty Ferret' for thewinning ferret - whether they liked it or not. This was carried out inside a hall

and it was not very good for a strong still photograph. Picture Partnershipsuggested taking the picture outside with a ferret climbing the side to take a sipof his winnings. This picture was then used by The Daily Star newspaper andthe brewery turned it into a beer mat.

Organic baby food A national newspaper wanted a picture of the lady above pushing a pram alongthe tow path on the river Thames, as she lived in Hammersmith, to illustrate thestory. When Picture Partnership arrived, she had no pram, no baby. In fact shewas not married and had no children. So the only solution was to picture herin her flat where the appointment to meet had been made. The article wasabout her range of organic baby food which she started as a small business,based up in Norfolk! What could we do? As it happened, she had a smallselection of products in the freezer. . . GREAT! So, find a baby spoon and letsphotograph the lady behind the new Organic Baby Food range. We clearedthe front room, laid the product on the coffee table, moved the settee and thelady sat on the floor behind the products. Out of a range of pictures, one wasthen selected and published in the Money section of The Times that week.The point is... be clear on what is required and what the picture is to illustrate.

Next month: More top tips for using photography effectively 31


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Fish Frames is owned by Lynn MacAskill, GCF (Guild Commended Framer), and their new premises were opened in October 2005 on theShirley Inn Parade on the Wickham Road. Fish Frames is a member of the Fine Art Trade Guild and the Federation of Small Businesses. Lynn

gained her Guild Commended Framer qualification in November 2007,which means that her framing skills are recognised by the Fine Art TradeGuild. This also means Fish Frames is proud to offer you a high quality,

professional and knowledgeable framing service, to suit your every need.

As well as award-winning bespoke framing, Fish Frames offers a fine selection of originals, limited editions and prints in its contemporary art gallery. There are also beautiful hand-made cards by Ann Purt and a selection of good quality ready-made frames in wood and aluminium.

You name it, We frame it Testimonial from a happy customer: Lynn did a beautiful job of framing my father-in-law's medals, along with his regimental cap

badge, a short extract from his service record and a photograph of him in his army uniform. We gave the finished product to Mike's mum for Christmas and she was so moved, she wept.

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Open Tuesdays to Saturdays 10 am to 5 pm

Lynn MacAskill, GCF182 Wickham RoadShirley, CroydonSurrey CR0 8BGt: 020 8654 0073

f: 020 8656 3360e: [email protected]

www .fishframes.co.uk Open Tuesdays to Saturdays 10 am to 5 pm

Picture Framers & Art Gallery


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Lynn framed an original print of the Shirley Poppy Fairy by Cicely Mary Barker, a Croydonian artist born in 1895, who is famous all over the world for her enchanting Flower Fairies. Every fairy costume echoes the characteristics of the flower featured in a meticulous way. Each picture fuses fantasy and reality

in a unique portrait of fairy child and flower.Shirley Life is looking to borrow any Cicely Mary Barkers memorabilia for anexhibition to be held at Fish Frames Art Gallery in May 2011. Please contactus through the website if you can help put Shirley on the map. Thank you.

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Ha p py V ale


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n t ines Day


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A P P E N D I X

L e a v e t h e l i b

r a r i e s a l o n e .

Y o u d o n t u n d e r s t a n d

t h e i r v a l u e .


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Leave the libraries alone.You dont understand their value.

Best-selling author Philip Pullman spoke to a packed meeting on 20January 2011, called to defend Oxfordshire libraries. He gave thisinspirational speech, which we are very pleased to co-publish withopenDemocracy.

You dont need me to give you the facts. Everyone here is aware of the situation. The government, in the Dickensian person of Mr Eric Pickles,

has cut the money it gives to local government, and passed on the responsibility for making the savings to local authorities. Some of them have responded enthusiastically, some less so; some have decided to protect their library service, others have hacked into theirs like the fanatical Bishop Theophilus in the year 391 laying waste to the Library of Alexandria

and its hundreds of thousands of books of learning and scholarship.

Here in Oxfordshire we are threatened with the closure of 20 out of our 43 public libraries. Mr Keith Mitchell, the leader of the county council, said in the Oxford Times last week that the cuts are inevitable, and invitesus to suggest what we would do instead. What would we cut? Would we

sacrifice care for the elderly? Or would youth services feel the axe?

I dont think we should accept his invitation. Its not our job to cut services. Its his job to protect them.

Nor do I think we should respond to the fatuous idea that libraries can stay open if theyre staffed by volunteers. What patronising nonsense.Does he think the job of a librarian is so simple, so empty of content,that anyone can step up and do it for a thank-you and a cup of tea?Does he think that all a librarian does is to tidy the shelves? And who

are these volunteers? Who are these people whose lives are so empty,

whose time spreads out in front of them like the limitless steppes of central Asia, who have no families to look after, no jobs to do, no

responsibilities of any sort, and yet are so wealthy that they can commit

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hours of their time every week to working for nothing? Who are thesevolunteers? Do you know anyone who could volunteer their time in thisway? If theres anyone who has the time and the energy to work for

nothing in a good cause, they are probably already working for one of thevoluntary sector day centres or running a local football team or helping

out with the league of friends in a hospital. Whats going to make them stop doing that and start working in a library instead?

The council is hoping that the youth service, which is also going to lose 20 centres, will be staffed by volunteers. Are these the samevolunteers, or a different lot of volunteers?

Especially since the council is hoping that the youth service, which by a strange coincidence is also going to lose 20 centres, will be staffed by guess what volunteers. Are these the same volunteers, or a different lot of volunteers?This is the Big Society, you see. It must be big, to contain so many volunteers.

But theres a prize being dangled in front of these imaginary volunteers.People who want to save their library, were told, are going to be allowed to bid for some money from a central pot. We must sit up and beg for

it, like little dogs, and wag our tails when we get a bit.

The sum first mentioned was 200,000. Divide that between the 20 libraries due for closure and it comes to 10,000 each, which doesnt seem like very much to me. But of course its not going to be equally divided. Some bids will be preferred, others rejected. And then comesthe trick: they generously increase the amount to be bid for. Its not

200,000. Its 600,000. Its a victory for the volunteers. Hoorah for theBig Society! Weve won some more money!

Oh, but wait a minute. This isnt 600,000 for the libraries. It turns outthat that sum is to be bid for by everyone who runs anything at all. All

those volunteers bidding like mad will soon chip away at the 600,000. A day care centre here, a special transport service there, an adult learning course somewhere else, all full of keen-eyed volunteers bidding

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away like mad, and before you know it the amount available to libraries has suddenly shrunk. Why should libraries have a whole third of all theBig Society money?

But just for the sake of simplicity lets imagine its only libraries. Imagine

two communities that have been told their local library is going to beclosed. One of them is full of people with generous pension

arrangements, plenty of time on their hands, lots of experience of negotiating planning applications and that sort of thing, broadband connections to every household, two cars in every drive, neighbourhood watch schemes in every road, all organised and ready to go. Now I like

people like that. They are the backbone of many communities. I approve

of them and of their desire to do something for their villages or towns. Im not knocking them.

But they do have certain advantages that the other community, the second one Im talking about, does not. There people are out of work,there are a lot of single parent households, young mothers struggling to

look after their toddlers, and as for broadband and two cars, they might have a slow old computer if theyre lucky and a beaten-up old van and they dread the MOT test people for whom a trip to the centre of Oxford takes a lot of time to organise, a lot of energy to negotiate, getting thechildren into something warm, getting the buggy set up and the baby stuff

all organised, and the bus isnt free, either you can imagine it. Which of those two communities will get a bid organised to fund their local library?

But one of the few things that make life bearable for the young mother in the second community at the moment is a weekly story session in the local library, the one just down the road. She can go there with thetoddler and the baby and sit in the warmth, in a place thats clean and

safe and friendly, a place that makes her and the children welcome. But has she, have any of the mothers or the older people who use the library got all that hinterland of wealth and social confidence and political connections and administrative experience and spare time and energy

to enable them to be volunteers on the same basis as the people in thefirst community? And how many people can volunteer to do this, whentheyre already doing so much else?

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What I personally hate about this bidding culture is that it sets onecommunity, one group, one school, against another.

What I personally hate about this bidding culture is that it sets onecommunity, one group, one school, against another. If one wins, the

other loses. Ive always hated it. It started coming in when I left theteaching profession 25 years ago, and I could see the way things were

going then. In a way its an abdication of responsibility. We elect peopleto decide things, and they dont really want to decide, so they set upthis bidding nonsense and then they arent really responsible for theoutcome. Well, if the community really wanted it, they would have put

in a better bid Nothing I can do about it My hands are tied

And it always results in victory for one side and defeat for the other. Its set up to do that. Its imported the worst excesses of marketfundamentalism into the one arena that used to be safe from them, theone part of our public and social life that used to be free of thecommercial pressure to win or to lose, to survive or to die, which is thevery essence of the religion of the market. Like all fundamentalists who

get their clammy hands on the levers of political power, the marketfanatics are going to kill off every humane, life-enhancing, generous,

imaginative and decent corner of our public life. I think that little by littlewere waking up to the truth about the market fanatics and their creed.Were coming to see that old Karl Marx had his finger on the heart of the

matter when he pointed out that the market in the end will destroy everything we know, everything we thought was safe and solid. It is the

most powerful solvent known to history. Everything solid melts into air. he said All that is holy is profaned.

Market fundamentalism, this madness thats infected the human race, is like a greedy ghost that haunts the boardrooms and council chambers and committee rooms from which the world is run these days.

In the world I know about, the world of books and publishing and

bookselling, it used to be the case that a publisher would read a book and like it and publish it. Theyd back their judgement on the quality of the book and their feeling about whether the author had more books in

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him or in her, and sometimes the book would sell lots of copies and sometimes it wouldnt, but that didnt much matter because they knew it took three or four books before an author really found his or her voice and got the attention of the public. And there were several successful publishers who knew that some of their authors would never sell a lot of

copies, but they kept publishing them because they liked their work. Itwas a human occupation run by human beings. It was about books, and

people were in publishing or bookselling because they believed that books were the expression of the human spirit, vessels of delight or of consolation or enlightenment.

Not any more, because the greedy ghost of market madness has got

into the controlling heights of publishing. Publishers are run by money people now, not book people. The greedy ghost whispers into their ears:Why are you publishing that man? He doesnt sell enough. Stop

publishing him. Look at this list of last years books: over half of themwerent bestsellers. This year you must only publish bestsellers. Why are

you publishing this woman? Shell only appeal to a small minority.Minorities are no good to us. We want to double the return we get oneach book we publish.

So decisions are made for the wrong reasons. The human joy and pleasure goes out of it; books are published not because theyre good books but because theyre just like the books that are in the bestseller lists now, because the only measure is profit.

The greedy ghost is everywhere. That office block isnt making enough money: tear it down and put up a block of flats. The flats arent makingenough money: rip them apart and put up a hotel. The hotel isnt makingenough money: smash it to the ground and put up a multiplex cinema.The cinema isnt making enough money: demolish it and put up a

shopping mall.

The greedy ghost understands profit all right. But thats all he

understands... He doesnt understand libraries at all. That branch how much money did it make last year? Why arent you charging higher fines? Why dont you charge for library cards?

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The greedy ghost understands profit all right. But thats all heunderstands. What he doesnt understand is enterprises that dont make

a profit, because theyre not set up to do that but to do somethingdifferent. He doesnt understand libraries at all, for instance. That branch

how much money did it make last year? Why arent you charging higher fines? Why dont you charge for library cards? Why dont youcharge for every catalogue search? Reserving books you should charge a lot more for that. Those bookshelves over there whats onthem? Philosophy? And how many people looked at them last week?Three? Empty those shelves and fill them up with celebrity memoirs.

Thats all the greedy ghost thinks libraries are for.

Now of course Im not blaming Oxfordshire County Council for the entirecollapse of social decency throughout the western world. Its powers are

large, its authority is awe-inspiring, but not that awe-inspiring. The blamefor our current situation goes further back and higher up even than the

majestic office currently held by Mr Keith Mitchell. It even goes higher up and further back than the substantial, not to say monumental, figure of Eric Pickles. To find the true origin youd have to go on a long journey

back in time, and you might do worse than to make your first stop inChicago, the home of the famous Chicago School of Economics, which

argued for the unfettered freedom of the market and as little government as possible.

And you could go a little further back to the end of the nineteenth century and look at the ideas of scientific management, as it was called, the idea of Frederick Taylor that you could get more work out of an employee by splitting up his job into tiny parts and timing how long it took to doeach one, and so on the transformation of human craftsmanship into

mechanical mass production.

And you could go on, further back in time, way back before recorded

history. The ultimate source is probably the tendency in some of us, partof our psychological inheritance from our far-distant ancestors, thetendency to look for extreme solutions, absolute truths, abstract

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answers. All fanatics and fundamentalists share this tendency, which is so alien and unpleasing to the rest of us. The theory says they must do such-and-such, so they do it, never mind the human consequences, never mind the social cost, never mind the terrible damage to the fabricof everything decent and humane.

Im afraid these fundamentalists of one sort or another will always bewith us. We just have to keep them as far away as possible from the

levers of power.

But Ill finish by coming back to libraries. I want to say something about my own relationship with libraries. Apparently Mr Mitchell thinks that we

authors who defend libraries are only doing it because we have a vested interest because were in it for the money. I thought the general customof public discourse was to go through the substantial arguments beforedescending to personal abuse. If hes doing it so early in the discussion,

its a sure sign he hasnt got much faith in the rest of his case.

No, Mr Mitchell, it isnt for the money. Im doing it for love.

I still remember the first library ticket I ever had. It must have been about1957. My mother took me to the public library just off Battersea Park Road and enrolled me. I was thrilled. All those books, and I was allowed to borrow whichever I wanted! And I remember some of the first booksI borrowed and fell in love with: the Moomin books by Tove Jansson; aFrench novel for children called A Hundred Million Francs; why did I likethat? Why did I read it over and over again, and borrow it many times?I dont know. But what a gift to give a child, this chance to discover that

you can love a book and the characters in it, you can become their friend and share their adventures in your own imagination.

And the secrecy of it! The blessed privacy! No-one else can get in theway, no-one else can invade it, no-one else even knows whats going on

in that wonderful space that opens up between the reader and the book.

That open democratic space full of thrills, full of excitement and fear, full of astonishment, where your own emotions and ideas are given back to you clarified, magnified, purified, valued. Youre a citizen of that great

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a big room with a lot of books and I was allowed to range wherever I liked and borrow any of them.

One final memory, this time from just a couple of years ago: I was tryingto find out where all the rivers and streams ran in Oxford, for a book Im

writing called The Book of Dust. I went to the Central Library and there,with the help of a clever member of staff, I managed to find some old

maps that showed me exactly what I wanted to know, and I photocopied them, and now they are pinned to my wall where I can see exactly whatI want to know.

The public library, again. Yes, Im writing a book, Mr Mitchell, and yes, I

hope itll make some money. But Im not praising the public library service for money. I love the public library service for what it did for me as a child and as a student and as an adult. I love it because its presence in a town or a city reminds us that there are things above profit, thingsthat profit knows nothing about, things that have the power to baffle the

greedy ghost of market fundamentalism, things that stand for civicdecency and public respect for imagination and knowledge and the valueof simple delight.

I love it for that, and so do the citizens of Summertown, Headington,Littlemore, Old Marston, Blackbird Leys, Neithrop, Adderbury, Bampton,Benson, Berinsfield, Botley, Charlbury, Chinnor, Deddington, Grove,Kennington, North Leigh, Sonning Common, Stonesfield, Woodcote.

And Battersea.

And Alexandria.

Leave the libraries alone. You dont know the value of what youre looking after. It is too precious to destroy.

From http://falseeconomy org uk/blo ip pullman

Documents

SL February 11