Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
18 July 2011
3
ContentsShirley Life 5NOG’s Column 9Stuart Collins’ Column 10Andrew Pelling’s Column 11Trends: More on Picquot Ware by Marzia 14Considering Alternatives:Holistic Therapies 4U by Cheryl Cockcroft 16Significance of Ramadan by Nadia Nazir 18The David Lean Cinema Campaign: Notes by Evergreen 20Why one should do politics by Stiletto 25Copy of transfer of title of ‘Out of Great Tribulation’ by CM Barker 27Giovanna’s Column: Journeys from Shirley 28Shirley Community Centre 31Focus on Nadia Nadir 34Andrew Dunsmore of Picture Partnership, Shirley 36Shirley Library: August Activities 39Shirwood Eagles by Colin Thomas and Wanted by Mike Jackson 41Croydon Heritage and An interview with Juliette by Tom Dunsmore 43But why That Woman? by That Woman 46Update on Ashburton Playing Fields by Raj Chandarana 48Appendix: What is autism? 51
Front Cover: Juliette Purkiss, née Simpson, a model for C M Barker
Editorial TeamTom Dunsmore, Jill Latter, Mike Jackson, Marzia Nicodemi-Ehikioya(Editor), Andrew Pelling, Russell Elliott (Advertising Consultant), PeterHacker (Financial Consultant), and Robert Dil (Graphic Design Consultant).
ContactsT: 07940 415532 • E: [email protected] • W: www.shirleylife.com
4
TDPRINTFOR ALL YOUR PRINTING NEEDS
• Colour & B/W Photocopying• Graphic Design• Letterheads• Business Cards• Order of Service• Typesetting & Fax Service• Brochures & Leaflets• T-shirt printing
IF YOU NEED ANY QUOTES, INFORMATIONOR TO RECEIVE OUR BROCHURE CALL:
020 86560555/0888
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]
5
DonationWe are most grateful to Georgina fromCroydon Council who sent a copy of thetransfer of the title letter for the donation ofthe mural painting ‘Out of Great Tribulation’by Cicely Mary Barker to Central Library on
Monday 6th October 1986. We are publishing the letter on page 27. Thepainting is still in storage 25 years later! Perhaps we should call on CroydonCouncil to organise a public display in the Clock Tower Museum of all worksby Cicely Mary Barker, a Croydonian, well known in the world.We met Juliette Simpson Purkiss, who had been a model for Cicely MaryBarker’s religious paintings. Read Tom’s interview on page 44. I am convincedthat the young lady in uniform in ‘Out of Great Tribulation’ was Juliette.
HyperlinksShirley Life introduced hyperlinks last month. In plain English: when you seea website in blue, click on it and you will be taken directly to the website. Youcan try it straight away by clicking on www.shirleywindmill.org.uk orwww.shirleycca.com
More bins to come....Shirley Life is collecting opinions on the new proposals and will report backnext month. The feedback to date is extensive and mostly negative.
LibrariesThe saga of the Libraries is continuing. Please read about it on page 46.
Council Tax
6
The Evening Standard wrote, on 27 June 2011, that Croydon Council failed tocollect £6.4m in council tax in the last financial year (£35m since 1993 whencouncil tax was first introduced). Croydon Council is the 2nd worst offender. Ifthe figures are correct and the money had been collected, the Libraries, theYouth Centres and the David Lean Cinema would be viable. Why should we notconfront the councillors when they fail in their duties? We are all accountable.
RamadanShirley Life welcomes the celebration ofother faiths and we wrote in April that wewould publish contributions from our readers.Nadia Nadir has kindly sent the article onpage 18 and has shared the significance ofthe month of Ramadan with us all. This year,Ramadan in the UK begins on 1 August.Regional customs or moon sightings maycause a variation of the date for Islamic
holidays, which begin at sundown the day before the date specified for theholiday. The Islamic calendar is lunar and the days begin at sunset.The 5 Pillars of Islam are: Shahada (Creed), Salat (daily prayers), Fastingduring Ramadan, Zakat (almsgiving) and Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca). Muslimsbreak the fast at sunset with dates and water. The picture on the left showsthe breaking of the fast at an Enoc service station in Dubai. Last year theydistributed 100,000 boxes containing dates and prayer beads at Iftar (sunset).Burglaries in ShirleyWe wrote last month that we were aware of four burglaries in our area in onemonth and that it is important that we all take better care of our properties and,if possible, review our security measures for improvements. More burglariestook place and the Met admitted to a 14% rise.
PicquotwareOur article took us to Scotland and Hong Kong. Look it up onFacebook. The search is on for the elusive P9 Percolater. Can youhelp? Details on page 14.
The David Lean Cinema CampaignEvergreen sent poignant notes on the first public meeting of the Campaign andStiletto, our new (perhaps) contributor and reader of Inside Croydon, has senta zesty note for us all to reflect that there are always two sides of the medal.Shirley Life will report about about the Council meeting on 18 July next month.
Editor
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 Adultsto 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 or07590 202547
for further details.
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
NOG’s ColumnA friend of mine moved the other week andbefore he left his old house, he invited me roundto look into his garage to see if there wasanything in there that I wanted. Anything thatdidn’t get a new home was destined for a oneway trip to the tip.Well you all know me; I took the trailer and had tomake 2 trips to get all the goodies home.Unfortunately I didn’t manage to find a suit of armouras Kim went totally bonkers, when I got it all home.One ear bashing, but I got lots of great stuff. Now this may sound a bit nerdy but mywhite spirit container originally came from Texas
Homecare, you may remember them. They were bought out by ‘Do It All’ who werebought out by Focus, that recently went bust. Well, I remember buying that 2.5 litrecontainer of white spirit in Wandsworth in 1985. I can remember it cos I was paintingmy sister’s first flat at the time. It’s a bit like a genie’s beer bottle, it never runs dry. Notbecause I use it wisely, but people keep giving me half used bottles and I top it back up.So that got me thinking about all the stuff in people’s garages. I tied a rope round mymiddle and with Sam holding the other end in case I didn’t return, I ventured in to thedark recesses of my garage.With what I have dug out, we have, so far, painted the garage, front fence, bathroomand kitchen ceilings. And we have identified all the stuff we need to decorate theremainder of the bathroom and kitchen. If everyone used up all the paints that aresitting in their sheds, the DIY barns would close down. I think you get spellbound whereyou go shopping and feel obliged to fill your trolley with whatever is on the shelves.We had four semi-used containers of green fence paint but they were all differentshades. But Kim is a true artist and with the aid of a bucket and a broom handlemanaged to mix them all in to one colour. Picasso would have been proud... to see herslapping it on with a 4” brush.So WE decided. I use the big WE as in I wasn’t there when the decision was made: WEwere going to have a Garage Sale before the garage loft crashed unto us under theweight of the stuff up there! So, in conjunction with other householders in Palace View,we are planning a joint sale in the near future. Shirley Supporting Charities Christmas Event #4.This year, the Shirley Supporting Charities Christmas Community Fair will be held at StJohn’s Parish Hall, Wickham Road, on Saturday 19th November 2011. Please makesure you put this date in your busy diary.
9
10
Stuart Collins’ ColumnWhen it comes to getting value for money foryour Council Tax, it is the weekly bincollection that springs to mind as one of theobvious services you pay for.It is therefore galling to hear that the Councilare going to reduce that service tofortnightly, especially as they promised theywould keep it weekly before the May 2010elections.Now we face having an extra two recyclingboxes for perishable waste, making a totalof five bins, just how much room do theCouncil think we have in our homes andfront gardens. The environmental impact willbe significant with the health risks
associated with flies and rats as our rubbish builds up.Just how ugly will Shirley start to be with all those bins bursting with plastic sacksand bins that will spoil the appearance of our streets and gardens.It is arguable that the Council will not make any savingseither as they pay for the cost of supplying householdswith two extra bins.Why not encourage people to use the recycling serviceswe already have and leave our main bin collection weekly?It’s the least Council Tax payers deserve; only the rats willbe happy with the Council if the fortnightly collection goesahead.
It really happened...on 5/7/11 as I walked out to add somerecycling, I saw the refuse collection man,who had emptied the green refuse bags,using the lid from the rather full paper boxto hold down the bags. Had I not been therecan you imagine the whirlwind of recycledpaper this would have created ...!!
11
London Assembly Sketch by Andrew PellingIt's not like Parliament is it? LondonAssembly Meetings hardly ever start ontime as Members leave it to the lastmoment to come down in the lifts to theAssembly floor. It takes an age to getdown in the small lifts from the floors withthose best views at the top of City Hall. There are only couple of members absentwhen things do get started, including ourvery own six-figure Steve, whom we hopewill be back as a bionic man in the Autumnafter his June knee replacement. The SixMillion Dollar man perhaps even if Cllr.O'Connell's annual political salaries areonly the mere six figures of £ 118,000. It's unlike Parliament as well in that the
elected representatives actually attend the meetings and the star of the showBoris is ready to take Mayoral Questions. Andrew Boff, a matey but fashionable East End Conservative, who cast awayhis ties long before this was de rigueur for Tory spin doctors, gets in first though.He reveals the perils of tweeting as he accuses the Labour chair of theAssembly for tweeting that she was looking forward to an apology from theMayor for belittling the need for police hacking enquiries last year. Not muchimpartiality from the chair claims Boff but chair Jenette Arnold OBE flicks thecomplaint aside as ‘noted’, dismissed in a manner that only a former seniornurse can muster. Of course there's no apology from Boris either.Boris is on fine form as he teases Jenette about her ‘famed Olympianimpartiality’ and then treats the Assembly as if he is the House master at Eton. ‘Who knows the right term for my three week Arab Weeks celebration?’, hebarks at the boys and girls. A long silence ensues as it's the Assembly that'smeant to be asking the questions. Rather sheepishly Labour's Murad Qureshivolunteers ‘Shubbak’. ‘Well done Murad’- darts Boris - ‘Well done for paying attention.’You have got to admire an Etonian education for its ability to let you poke funat others and get away with it without the offence and ridicule being understoodby the recipient until it's too late for them to respond. Suddenly, though, the Assembly comes into its own - this only happens abouttwice a year.
The serious subject of how the police let News International get away with somuch is put to the man who oversees the London Met, Boris. It's too seriousa subject for Boris to act the buffoon so as to defuse matters in his normalfashion - well for five minutes anyway when he puts down Caroline Pidgeon, aLib-Dem Member who always sports a Blake's' 7 Servalan haircut, for yawningduring another Member's Question.The Questioner is the Labour heavyweight Len Duvall and there are seriousquestions to pose. Boris says that even though he'd described the calls forfurther investigation of hacking ‘codswallop’ last Autumn, he'd always said thatthat was subject to further developments. This all looks contradictory on paperbut the Old Etonian panache in person persuades you otherwise. Duvall doesthough pin down the Mayor for not asking questions of the Met about the issueand only receiving informal briefings on the matter. One would think that Borisas the Met's boss would be on top of this and his mock forgetfulness of factsand timelines looks bad in answer to these potent questions. He can't recallwhat the contacts were with Coulson either. Boris confides that he is pleased that he wasn't used in the previous trial abouthacking as he didn't want his personal life trailed in public. So even the greatbeast Boris was frightened by the media that is the Murdoch press - adepressing indication of just how cowered politicians are by the Press, evenBoris.Tory Members boost Boris' spirits by saying it's all Labour's fault for the suckingup to the 'dirty digger' in the first place and much to Labour's distress anddenial the Conservatives claim that Ken at City hall gave a huge contract toMurdoch's people and (not denied) that Ken wrote twenty-five articles in thepapers of the US/ Antipodean media mogul. Boris says he hopes that Ken didnot receive a fee.But the ever colourful, controversial and brave High Tory Brian Coleman showsthat Assembly Members can be Rottweilers when he pushes the Mayor on hisresponsibilities and decries police officers who spoke about hacking theprevious day to the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee. He says theylooked like second hand car salesmen and that Yates of the Yard has formhaving allegedly according to Coleman given inappropriate briefings weekly tothe Press about the cash for honours investigation and that Yates should go.The Mayor retreats into saying he doesn't have the right to direct officers onoperational matters but Coleman says he has the job to judge the quality ofsenior officers working for him. Boris has come badly out of this encounter with the Assembly - a very rareevent. So it's a relief when for Boris when we get back to subjects like cyclehelmets and does he or Green Mayoral candidate Jenny Jones wear one. Not
all the time apparently. Boris prefers bobble hats for protection in the wintercold. So many black cab drivers live in North-East London that the straight forward,right wing and personable Tory Member there Roger Evans is rather type-castas he's on about the dangers of licensed cabs again. Boris is in his comfortzone now and for the second time this year pretends he can't find Evans afterhe's been moved in the 25-seat chamber as he's no longer the Tory Leader.The condescending OE tone is back in full flow as he says, ‘You are full of good ideas today Roger’ and when Mr. Evans says he'll put theMayor's remarks on his blog, Boris mockingly contends that Evans is acompetitive new version of the Huffington Post - I suspect Boris must havebeen to that darling Arianna's UK Huffington Post launch party this past week. Now we're lost in the experiences of the Mayor installing Franchi locks (all thefashion in desirable central London homes these days apparently) to combatburglars and Boris telling Valerie Shawcross (Ken's running mate) to get on abike in response to her concerns about rising pedestrian accidents in OuterLondon. We all know how bad the pedestrian facilities are along the Wickham Road atthe library and Bridle Road junctions and this is all really a pitch by Ken's teamto show they care as much about Outer London as Inner London. Shawcross,a Croydon resident, says the increased accidents may be to do with Borisreducing the times to allow pedestrians to cross roads at traffic lights. TheMayor manages to get in a reference to Roxanne and red lights (those whoknow The Arctic Monkeys will understand the reference - I don't).And finally the bit that's censored. Knife crimes are up a lot after some previoussuccess by the police and Labour underlined this in their questioning but whenformer BNP, now independent, Assembly Member Richard Barnbrook raisedthe issue the camera was taken off him by order of the chair for fear he wasgoing to pull a stunt on the subject regarding a petition of 38,000 signatures hehad in his possession calling for mandatory prison terms for carrying a knife -a promised sanction from before the last election that the local MP and DavidCameron gave, a promise now broken. The Assembly always goes very quietwhen Mr. Barnbrook speaks as he is treated as a pariah most of the time. Mr.Barnbrook gives a halting and nervous performance and the camera wouldhave revealed that. Mr. Barnbrook was elected like any other Assembly Memberso turning away the cameras seems a bit harsh and counterproductive butthere's one good thing about the censorship for sure - Mr. Barnbrook alwayswears those kinds of dapper summer beige, olive or light brown (no jokes aboutbrown shirts thank you) safari suits that our man in Havana might wear and sothe nation was mercifully spared that particular fashion statement on theParliamentary channel.
13
TRENDS: ANTIQUES OF THE FUTURE
The R6 Original tray, TC4 Teapot andJC4 Water Jug have finally arrived
and the collection is almost complete.There is stil l an elusive P9 Percolater(sic). In my quest I found a good pictureon Facebook and posted a request.I also wrote to Picquot in Scotland and
received the following answer by Paul Webster,the owner of Picquotware UK: ’The percolator was introduced in 1970 byprevious owners and was a manufacturingnightmare with only around 300 good ones everproduced. They are now so rare they go inexcess of £700.00 at auction houses. You canview the history and current items I stil lmanufacture on my website www.picquot.co.ukhistory page and order form page. I also refurbishall items of picquotware to looking like new againfrom the 1940s to present day.I wish you luck in your search for the percolator Ihave been looking for over 20 years and still havenot got one. Robin MacGregor, my salesmanager, was looking longer than that. Hemanaged to acquire one on eBay but,unfortunately, it has the internal coffee basketmissing. Thank you for the article in yourmagazine. I enjoyed reading your magazine on my
coffee break. If you require further pictures please let me know.’
14
TC4 Teapot
JC4 Water Jug
JA6 Original Tray
Marzia
15
16
CONSIDERING ALTERNATIVES
Hello, I’m Cheryl Cockcroft, a Complementary Health Practitioner. My businessis Holistic Therapies 4 U and is based in Shirley.
Holistic Therapies 4 U offers:• Aromatherapy, Holistic & Swedish massage,• Reflexology, Indian Head Massage,• On – Site seated acupressure massage,• Work Place Therapies, Mini Pamper Parties.
I thought it would be nice to share a little about the history of Aromatherapy:The name Aromatherapy has only been used since the 1930s; up until thenthe term aromatics was used. Aromatics date back in history as far as 4500BC. The Egyptians were the forerunners of the sciences, including medicine,aromatics and cosmetics preparations. Aromatic products were found in thetomb of Tutankamen when it was discovered in 1922. He ruled from 1361 –1352 BC. In the 10th century AD the famous Arab Physician Avicenna perfectedthe use of distillation, extracting essences from plants which were used to treatailments. In the 15th century the Europeans learned the art of perfumery, whenCatherine De Medici went to France to marry King Henry II, taking her personalperfumer Cosimo Ruggieri with her. In France, in the 1920s, Chemist ReneGattefosse, who is regarded as the father of aromatherapy as we know it today,after burning his hand and plunging it into a container of lavender oil, discoveredits remarkable healing properties. Doctor Jean Valnet trained in plant basedmedicine in conjunction with orthodox medicine, treating soldiers in World War2. He went on to publish ‘The Practice of Aromatherapy’.
Holistic Therapies 4 U offers an individual consultation and aftercare service,ensuring each clients time is their special ‘Me time’ away from their busy,demanding and stressful lives, using only the best quality essential oils.Lavandula angustifolia is one of my favorite essential oils.
Holistic Therapies 4 U offers a work place therapies service where I canarrange to come into your work place and offer you and your colleagues mini
Holistic Therapies 4 U
Cheryl CockcroftComplementary Health Practitioner
Raworth, ITEC & I I H H T DiplomasMICHT MIFPA MRGG
2 The Glen, Shirley, Croydon CR0 5ENMob: 07721 864 774 Email: [email protected]
www.holistictherapies4u.co.uk
17
treatments in their break times. This service is tailor made to each businessindividual needs, with the frequency and length of visits to suit your business.If you would like to book a free no obligation discussion about improving yourbusiness colleagues’ performance by reducing stress in the work place, pleasegive me a call and I will arrange a meeting.
Did you know?• In the UK 128 million work days were lost due to sickness at an estimatedcost of 12.24 billion pounds.
• 60% of all visits to health care professionals involve stress related illnesses.• Under the Management of Health and Safety at work regulations 1999.Employers are obliged to risk assess and apply the principles of preventionto protect employee health, this applies to stress related illness as much asto other types of ill health.
• Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers have a legal dutyto ensure, so far as it is reasonably practicable, the health of their employeesat work. This applies to stress related illness as much as to other types of illhealth.
• The introduction of the non smoking legislation effective from 1st July 2007has created potential stressful situations for both employees and employers.
• Illness caused by stress in the work place has increased 500% since the mid1950s.
• 1 in 5 Britons use a complementary therapy or alternative medicine.• Work related stress costs society about 3.7 billion pounds every year.
How much is stress related illness, poor performance and lost days of workcosting your business?
For more information please visit my website.
Holistic Therapies 4 U
Tel: 07721 864 774 · Email: [email protected]: www.holistictherapies4u.co.uk
2 The Glen · Shirley, Croydon · CR0 5EN
Cheryl CockcroftComplementary Health PractitionerRaworth, ITEC & IIHHT Diplomas
MICHT MIFPA MRGG
18
Significance of Ramadan and Eid-Ul-Fitr
Ramadan is the month of fasting for all the Muslims who are followers ofIslam. Ramadan is the ninth month of Islamic calendar and is the month of
devotion of self to Allah.Ramadan fasts prepare us forEid-Ul-Fitr, the celebration thatfollows the payment of theobligatory charity called ‘fitrah’.
If Ramadhan stresses thereligious aspect of Islam, Eid-Ul-Fitr stresses its social aspectthat is the importance of givingto the poor and needy. It is thefestival of charity. The poor, theorphans, the ailing are allremembered. On Eid day theMuslim gives generously.Sadness and suffering arerelieved by kindness and love.
I have been observing fast during the month of Ramadan since I was 10 years old.Fasting in Ramadan is one of the 5 Pillars of Islam and hence it is obligatory. I getup before suhoor (dawn) and eat with my family, then refrain from eating, drinking,and watching TV or listening to music for the whole day till Iftar (sunset). Justbefore Iftar I read the Quran and recite Ramadan duas (prayers or supplications).After Iftar and prayer we all sit together and chat the time away till Taraweeh, theprayer after Isha (fifth and last obligatory prayer of the day). Although I was exempted from fasting because I was below 12 years of age, Ienjoyed it. I would tease my sibling and then, before he could get angry at me, Iwould remind him of his fast. Iftar was the best time as my mom would prepareeveryone’s favourite food. I always had a long list for her. In the last 10 days ofRamadan we would go shopping for Eid (Festival after Ramadan). As the years passed by, I realised the true significance of Ramadan. It was notabout just staying hungry or thirsty, it was to be thankful for all the food we get. Istarted to feel about poor people who sadly sleep hungry. It was not about justreciting Quran and duas before iftar. It was to get nearer to Allah. The blessing ofAllah is multiplied this month. Quran was revealed in one of the last 10 days of themonth (Laylatul Qadr), so that we can become the righteous ones. In the daily
19
routine we may find itdifficult to recite a fewverses of Quran butRamadan is the monthwhen we take time out torecite, learn and share it atnight, especially during thelast 10 days of the month. It is a time to perform gooddeeds by helping others.Therefore I prefer to giveZakat (Charity, another pillarof Islam) during this month.I try to recite the whole Quran during this month.Upon sighting of the new moon, the month of Ramadan begins. I read Taraweehafter Isha Prayer and do the Niyaah (Intention) that I will be fasting next day. Iwake up 2 hours before dawn, prepare food and eat Suhoor with my family. Ipray and recite Quran in translation. I refrain from any food, drink, smoke, evil-deed, and bad thoughts or intention etc (any unlawful or prohibited act) till sunset.I also avoid watching TV or listening to music. Instead I listen to Nasheeds (Islamicoriented songs). Before iftar (sunset), I make as many duas for all Muslims as I canand ask for forgiveness. I break my fast with my family at iftar (sunset) with datesand water. I pray and have dinner. The same routine is followed till the odd numbered nights of the last 10 days ofRamadan. During these odd nights, I go to sleep early and wake up after midnightto pray and ask for forgiveness till Suhoor to avail myself of the benefit of LaylatulQadr (The Night of Power, 27th night of Ramadan, where we receive forgiveness).The Night of Power is a very important occasion in Islam. Everyone is asked tolive it and to enjoy it. This Night is a night of Mercy, a night of Blessing, a night ofPeace and a night of Guidance. It is a night of Unification between the finite worldof ours and the Infinite Universe of the Unseen). Throughout the month I shareinformation on Islam with my family and friends. Sometimes we recite Quran andpray in groups. In a nutshell, Ramadan is a month of mercy, forgiveness and salvation from hellfire. Allah does not accept the fast if we don’t refrain from forged speech and evilactions. If we strive to be better human beings during the month of Ramadan,then we can do the same throughout our life.
Nadia Nazir
Report on the first public meeting of Save the David Lean Campaign at TheGreen Dragon on 22nd June. (Approximately 100 attended – a great turnout!)
Adrian Winchester opened the meeting. He told us that the David Lean Cinemaopened early in 1995. He saw ‘Heavenly Creatures’ there in the first programme.He then shared with us what the cinema meant to him: like many other regularattendees, Adrian had his own favourite regular seat,(his was G10). This cinema,housed in an elegant building, was a haven from the busy commercial town centre.The cinema’s programme suited the more discerning film lover. It comparedfavourably with many London art house cinemas yet was much more accessible. Itoffered a ‘special experience’. Indeed, the cinema had been the most southern venuefor the London Film Festival: a significant honour.Some time before the closure, Sunday screenings had ended(unusual for a cinema) and those on Tuesday evenings. TheKatharine Street box office had closed.Adrian told us that he had attended some of the final programmeof films and that the penultimate night had featured a screening of‘Brief Encounter’, chosen and introduced by local resident, RonnieCorbett. That night, Ronnie had expressed his sorrow that such a
20
CAMP
AIGN
T H E !"#$!%&'"(%)$('*"%!
!
SSAAVVEE !
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
S %%
!
!
!
ASSASAASA %%
!
!
!
VVAA %%
!
!
!
EVVEVEEVE %%
!
!
!
%%!
!
!
SS %%
!
!
!
T H E
ASASAAS %%
!
!
!
T H E
VVAA %%
!
!
!
EVEVEE %%
!
!
!
%%!
!
!!"#$!%&'"( %%
!
!
!
T H E!"#$!%&'"()$('*" %%!
!
!
T H E!"#$!%&'"()$('*" %%!
!
!!"#$!%&'"()$('*" %%
!
!
!!"#$!%&'"( %%
!
!
!
%%!
!
! )$('*" %%
!
!
! )$('*" %%
!
!
! )$('*" %%
!
!
!
T H E !"#$!%&'"(%)$('*"%!
!
SSAAVVEE !
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
%%!
!
!
S %%
!
!
!
ASSASAASA %%
!
!
!
VVAA %%
!
!
!
EVVEVEEVE %%
!
!
!
%%!
!
!
SS %%
!
!
!
T H E
ASASAAS %%
!
!
!
T H E
VVAA %%
!
!
!
EVEVEE %%
!
!
!
%%!
!
!!"#$!%&'"( %%
!
!
!
T H E!"#$!%&'"()$('*" %%!
!
!
T H E!"#$!%&'"()$('*" %%!
!
!!"#$!%&'"()$('*" %%
!
!
!!"#$!%&'"( %%
!
!
!
%%!
!
! )$('*" %%
!
!
! )$('*" %%
!
!
! )$('*" %%
!
!
!
21
‘pleasant’ and ‘cosy’ place for film viewing was closing and suggested a campaignto save it.
Adrian attended the last afternoon screening at the Cinema whichwas ‘Goodbye Mr Chips’. At the end of that film, the sense of losswas tangible: people were lingering, reluctant to leave; takingphotos; attempting to take it all in for one last time. Thiscontributed to his motivation to start a campaign.The David Lean was closed with undue, indecent haste andwithout due respect to its loyal customers. They mourn its loss.The cinema had a special audience in the afternoons when it was
frequently packed out: these were our more mature citizens. They enjoyed the ‘cosyatmosphere’ and viewed it as a safe haven. Indeed, the first speaker of the eveningwas an octogenerian who had been a cinema goer all his life and remembered thesilent movies. He had not seen a film since the cinema closed: Grants Vue has toomany stairs for him. Like many others, he liked the DL because itwas easily accessible. It was a safe haven and ‘it was nice to havea seat booked and waiting for you’. (Note: This more matureaudience should not be marginalised).Lord Julian Fellowes, the Conservative peer and Oscar winner haslent his support to the campaign. Whilst he acknowledges the needfor cuts, he believes that any savings in relation to shutting the DavidLean would be minimal and would not justify the loss of such a well-loved amenity.The campaign has got off to a swift start: there are already 70 registered campaignmembers; 46 Facebook supporters; 48 on Twitter and 135 had already signed theonline petition at this point.Someone pointed out that Croydon is once more applying to become a city. At thesame time, cultural opportunities are being discarded.The council have suggested that the David Lean will open within the Ashcroft Theatre.However that would only be workable during the day since the theatre is used atnight. It’s also a very different environment from the more intimate DL and would bedifficult to fill. The FH is receiving a substantial grant form the council; it seems thatthe council would rather give the FH more money than save the DL. It was noticedthat here seems to be a ‘cosy’ relationship between FH and the council: we were toldthat Fairfield Croydon Ltd is a charitable company and that Jon Rouse who is chiefexecutive at the council, has also been on the board of this company (since 2009).(A conflict of interests here?)We learnt that the cinema’s digital projector is owned and paid for but it is not suitablefor a larger venue like the Ashcroft Theatre. The first David Lean‘re-branded’screenings there are expected in July. The council claim to have listened to the publicand are offering a viable alternative.
Relocation to Fairfield Halls would be a retrograde step anyway: they have shownfilms in the past there and the acoustics are bad.Someone asked it Fairfield Halls might adopt/sponsor the cinema since Fairfield nowhas the funds?John Gowlland suggested that the DL might be taken over and be run as a privateenterprise. The council have suggested a ‘tender process’ (which will probably takea long time). He is going to put forward a business plan and asked those present ifanyone could help him with the figures and statistics. He advised that we ‘work withthe council’ and ‘don’t upset them’ – the solution has to be seen to be coming fromthe council so that they can take the credit and be contributing to the government’s‘Big Society’.We were urged to make use of ‘Ask Croydon Question Time’ to raise the issue of theCinema closure and our objections.We were also advised that the next council meeting takes place on 18th July – weneed to submit our questions by 4th July and ask them the questions they don’t wantto answer. John Hickman told us he was at the council meeting where the closure decision wastaken. He said that it was closed on a nod’, as part of an option: the option leastfavoured option by our community. He said this was ‘a disgrace’ and that we shouldput forward a ‘memorial’ at the next council meeting.It is ‘ridiculous’ that this ‘small but perfectly formed’ cinema should be dismantled bythis council almost on a whim.
Terry Philpot mentioned acinema in Sevenoakswhich is run by a charityand works well. Maybe amix of volunteers and
people with expertise would be a good way forward? The present artistic directoralready had an exciting new website lined up – we could keep him and the websiteon board?On the basis of running costs alone, the DL must have been making money. Buildingmaintenance costs will still exist even if the cinema isn’t there. It is therefore pointlessto close the cinema whilst the building is still there and maintenance costs still needto be met. We should pin the council down on this point.We need to compile a list of questions to ask the council: attendance figures; staffpay and other statistics are needed. (Note: some of the staff are still employed by thecouncil so their input is a bit sensitive).It was pointed out that we’re all represented by three councillors: we need to let themknow how we feel and threaten to vote them out next election if they don’t support
22
23
us. Addresses can be found on the council website.Someone asked if the David Lean Foundation had been contacted. Yes, they had andhad stated that it was ‘beyond their scope’ to be supportive.Someone issued a cautionary note: the council could point to the fact that sometimesthere might only be one person in the audience on some evenings. Why was this? Perhaps there needed to be a mix of more commercial films as wellas the more ‘worthy’ educational/less commercial. Parking has been more restrictedin recent times. The town centre is not welcome to the elderly at night. The cinemawasn’t promoted enough: many Croydonians don’t even know it exists! The presentwebsite was difficult to use. It was agreed that the marketing could be improved; thecinema’s publicity has declined over the years. (Note: the new, improved websitewhich has already been constructed would help here).‘Live Streaming’ is another way forward and had already begun in the cinema. Thisis a way of increasing revenue since ticket prices can be double. E.g. the screeningof a performance of ‘Frankenstein’ at the National Theatre could have sold out severaltimes.A film club was suggested. Members would get benefits and there would be theadded bonus of a mailing list to aid marketing. Themed evenings were alsomentioned. A David Lean season of films perhaps?
It was also suggested that The Duke of York in Brighton couldbe followed as a successful model of an independentcinema.
We should write to our councillors during a set timed period – this would be moreeffective in a mass-coordinated way.JH suggested that we have an ‘agitation’ en masse at the next council meeting: fillthe public gallery so that they have to rearrange the meeting. It won’t be directconfrontation; just agitation. Then, we can negotiate and look at options. We justneed to wake them up! He asked where Sara Bashford was. It was pointed out thatshe was not formally invited since this meeting was primarily an opportunity for thesupporters to discuss the campaign, but she could be invited to a subsequentmeeting.Can we make the council do a U turn? Facts and figures are needed. Is it simply cost cutting or is there something underlying? Did they choose this optionto close the cinema because they didn’t think there would be a fight? Also they don’tlegally need a cinema so it is an easy public amenity to cut.Croydon is applying to be a city and a city needs a cultural centre of excellence. When people mobilise then the council will be forced to take notice. (A previousexample of this is the parking zone meeting where the council actually had to find abigger room before they could proceed). Evergreen
24
The Goat1-3 BRO O M ROA D
SH I R L EY · CROY D O N
Recently refurbished family-run pub offeringa wide range of beers,
ciders, real ales& wines
C&CPLANNING PARTNERSH IP LTD
8 Ash Road, Shirley, Croydon,
Surrey, CR0 8HU
MOB: 07796 777700TEL: 020 8777 9999 (OFFICE)TEL: 020 8777 7000 (OFFICE)
EMAIL: [email protected]
PLANS FOR LOFTS, EXTENSIONS, HOUSES,& STRUCTURAL CALCULATIONS
FOR COUNCIL APPROVALS
35 YEARS EXPERIENCEFREE CONSULTATIONS
25
Why one should do politicsHow many times have you heard: ‘I do not do politics’? It seems that, for mostpeople, politics is something that is done by others for all, in a system with which themajority feels little or no connection. The connection becomes apparent when thedecision makers impose, without any consultation, something that hits one in theface. Booktoken Sara (yes, I am guilty of reading Inside Croydon) is reported to havesaid: ‘The campaigners are a group of people who are getting themselves worked upabout a decision which has already been taken, has been implemented and won’t bechanged.’ Her arrogance is breathtaking. So much for democracy orgovernment of people by people for people. The PM would not dare say thatbut everything in Croydon goes. The arrogance of her colleagues isbreathtaking too. They found £1.5 million for Fairfield Hall. They found £35.5million to build ten new centres for SEN children. (Winging it as usual? Theytalk, excitedly, about huge savings to the taxpayer but mistakes are expensivein more ways than one.) Where does all this money come from if the Councilis so strapped for cash? More to come, if allowed to continue.
26
Wickham Studio offers professional Hairdressing and Nail services in a relaxing andfriendly atmosphere. We have a member of the team to suit any individual andwelcome all clients from one to one hundred.
As well as being passionate about hair and offering honestand professional advice to help you make the best of yourlocks, we offer BioSculpture gel manicures and mini, classicand luxury manicures.
Also on offer is Fake Bake spray tanning only £18.00 the best value for miles around.We are the only local salon to have the wonderful Flabelos exercise machine, theultimate 10 minute workout.
In 2009 Wickham Studio were awarded 4 Stars in the prestigious GoodSalon Guide.
Please call 020 8777 2714 to book an appointment.
We look forward to welcoming you to our salon.
Four top summer hair tips.1 Remember condition condition condition because the sun damages thehair as much as the skin. Use a treatment once a week to keep hair intip top shape.
2 If you colour your hair, remember that the sun will lighten it. This will lookgreat with a tan so when it’s time to re-colour why not ask your stylist toopt for a lighter shade or alternatively have a few sun kissed hi-lightsadded.
3 For that beautiful beach babe look on longer hair: separate the hair intosmall sections and plait whilst damp. Once the hair has dried, remove theplaits and loosely pin the hair up. Not only will this protect some of thehair from the harmful rays of the sun but will also add instant glamour.
4 Finally why not tie a bright headscarf reminiscent of the forties. A big bow atthe front and you’re away. Not only will this look fab and protect your hair butit will also go with this season’s must have, the 40s tea-dress.
Sacha and Team
27
Giovanna’s Column
28
LOVE IT? HATE IT? EMAIL IT!
A special treat for children and adults. Share
your
opinions with me at [email protected] Giovanna
Euro Disney
I shopped around to find the best deal and the best
deal, as a friend had
suggested, was offered by Eurostar. Just by calling their line
, they put you through
their agents, very professional I must say, and you will be given
the best package
rate according to your budget. Our package included h
otel accommodation+
Eurostar tickets + Euro Disney pass tickets for all of us. Th
e journey by Eurostar
is something I would definitively suggest to anyone. It started
at St Pancras
International, one of the greatest Victorian buildings in Lo
ndon, with impressive
Grade I Victorian Gothic architecture. St Pancras is n
ow the new home of
Eurostar, featuring a brasserie, Europe’s largest champagne bar, daily farmer’s
market, and quality shops and cafes; it is the perfect place to
start a journey from.
I would suggest you get there early to walk around some 60 fashionable shops
and restaurants.
The journey on the Eurostar was a real pleasure, so rela
xing and comfortable;
we had 4 seats with a nice table where kids could eat and
draw. We went through
the tunnel in 20 minutes and reached Eurodisney park in 2.30 hours. There
is a
happy and joyful atmosphere on the train with all kids with their parents explorin
g
and reading the park maps to get ready for this unique adventure.
I was amazed when I realised that the station there is just outside t
he main gate
to the park. We jumped on a shuttle bus to reach our hotel in 10 minutes to be
able to leave our luggage. By 1.30pm we were ready to start ou
r amazing
experience of fun. At Eurodisney you will be walking troug
h the big three magical
areas: Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Studios Park and Disney Village.
29
As soon as you step into Disneyland Park you can
explore the five themed Lands: Adventureland,
Fantasyland, Frontierland, Discoveryland.
We entered first the Magic Kingdom of shows and
parades: there is one in particular not to miss. It is on
daily and it lasts for more than 1 hour. You meet for the
first time all Disney Movie stars, on show in front of
your eyes.I was told to go to
Café Mickey for dinner
and I must say it was
great. We all loved it! This restaurant is completely
styled to Mickey Mouse. Colors and decoration
are all straight from the Mouse. It has two floors
both looking out over the big lake and the Sequoia
Lodge on the opposite site.
The restaurant is open all day and offers character breakfa
st, lunch and dinner. Be
sure to make a reservation so you will avoid the long queues.
Once inside you are dining with Goofy, Pluto, Mickey, Donald Duck. They com
e to
each table and shake hands with the kids and have pictur
es taken with them. The
food is nice and service is just right, do not miss it as it is worth a visit. Eve
ryone
enjoys it, adults and of course kids!!!!!
One of the attractions of the park not to miss
is located in Fantasyland and it is called ‘It’s
a small World’. It is a peaceful and happy
cruise through a musical tour of the world.
Our last ride was probably one that each of
us will remember for a long time to come.
Here you are in Adventureland and it is called
‘The pirates of the Caribbean’, an exciting
trip through secret caverns.
This picture above shows the outside setting for the much-beloved Pirates of the
Caribbean ride at Disneyland Paris, which has seen a stro
ng surge in popularity
following the release of the hit film starring Johnny Depp.
Before we realized it, our 2 day trip came to an end and it was time to jump on the
train to make our way back. We reached St Pancras late in the evening, so tired
but still full of the excitement we had gone through during this trip. The only thing
I would change is the length of the trip: next time I would stay at least 2 nigh
ts in
the park rather than one, to be able to catch my breath and have time to explore
more exciting rides.
30
Shirley Community Centre (SCC)
31
What and When at the CentreShrublands Christian Fellowship Sundays 10.30 to 12noonYouth club Mon. and Wednesdays 7 to 9pmWardens Wed. and Thurdays 4 to 5pmZumba Tuesdays 1.30 to 2.30pmTenshin tsunami Ryu Tuesdays 7 to 9pmLegs, Bums and Tums Thursdays 7 to 8pmSouth Eastern Road Club Thursdays 8 to 10pmGKR Fridays 6 to 7.30pmTenshin tsunami Ryu Fridays 7.30 to 9.30pm
The main hall is complemented by a well equipped kitchen, there are twoother rooms, and a separate room suited to smaller committee meetings.The Centre is available most mornings and the early part of eachafternoon. It is also very popular for private parties at weekends.These premises are ideally placed in a residential area and are well servedby two bus routes. There is some on-site parking,The Centre is currently used by a cycling club, a church, martial artsgroups and dance and exercise groups. Care Direct UK and Living Hope Project are now running activities forOlder Adults in the south end part of the Centre each Friday afternoon.To hire the Centre, please contact 020 8777 4298 on Thursdays between9.30 and 11.30am or email [email protected]. There is also anew website, www.shirleycca.com, to keep you abreast of events .Midweek charges are £10 per hour (£40 for a whole morning or afternoon,£50 for a whole evening) or £250 for private parties on a Saturday or £350on a Sunday. The small Meeting Room cost is £5 per hour at any time.
32
www.shi r leyelect r ica l .com
Nadia Nazir
A freelance website developeravailable to assist you within your budget.
Businesses, Individuals,Students , Non-Profit
From small to big projects,tailor-made as per your
requirements.Contact for free enquires on
www.nadianazir.com
www.
33
at ShirleyCommunity
Centre
Join Angelinaon Tuesdaysfrom 1.30 - 2.30pm
Pict
ures
by
pic
ture
par
tner
ship
Shirl
ey
USE IT OR LOSEIT!
34
Focus on Nadia NazirThere is far more to life of an ITfreelancer than it seems. However, forsuccessful independent consultantslike Nadia Nazir there is one keyfactor involved in success – her loveof what she does. Nadia says: ‘Even years before taking
my Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Systems, I often spenthours as a child trying to decipher the personality of a website developer,by deriving hints from the lay-outs, formats, fonts and other designelements that he/she crafted in an assigned digital page.’ This is very evident in Nadia’s work, which always manages to more thanplease her clients while also having a hint of the site’s creator in it.Nadia’s leap into freelance IT consultancy began over a year ago, thoughshe had worked in the industry for seven years in Dubai and has doneso for two years in the UK. These nine years in the industry, married toher dedication, have seen her learn to develop in programmes as variedas CSS, HTML, and Flash among a huge array of others, as well asrecently adding 3DS Max 7.0 and Adobe After Effects 7.0 to her enviablelist of development skills.‘Fulfilling my childhood wish of dropping the barriers between thewebsite developer and the website visitor, so clients can see theirwebsites as the product of a real human being - she says - was one ofthe main factors behind her decision to take these skills to the field alone. So aside from a vision and a real sense of dedication to succeed inmeeting clients needs, what else makes an excellent IT freelancer?Well one of the primary things is the keenness to keep abreast of asmany new of the new developments as is possible – new coding andprogrammes for creating sites pop up frequently and learning these isone of the optimum significance. Nadia’s versatility is seen in her recentforay into data base work and self marketing to compliment herdeveloping skill set. An eye for detail and for aesthetic impact is also thoroughly important;this is a natural ability to an extent, but can be honed with some work.Nadia’s previous work and diploma in interior design gives her an edge
35
when it comes to deciding on what looks first-rate visually and whatprovides the necessary impact for web banners and pages.As most people will testify going freelance in any work involves peoplehaving to pick up a new set of skills and even a new outlook on theirwork. Working for yourself involves a new sense of dedication anddiscipline as well as requiring an understanding of what you can offer inthe market place.Fortunately for Nadia the aforementioned, combined with her personaltouch, has seen her business grow with a repertoire of more than satisfiedcustomers. Her 100 per cent 5 star rating on the freelance websitePeople per Hour is a testament to this satisfaction and her success. Clientfeedback from the site speaks of Nadia ‘delivering in record time’ and the‘great bid and great job’ she has done on numerous occasions.Freelance also involves a whole array of financial and otherresponsibilities, so managing accounts, organising and prioritising is ofthe upmost importance. However, Nadia’s principles are what bring her to the fore. Her belief in
creating a websitewith a lively andoutgoing personalityis seen at its clearestwhen one looks at hermulti-faceted sitewww.nadianazir.com.The site offers peoplean insight into Nadia’slife, allows them todiscuss social issuesand also performssocial a function by
allowing people to chat and share knowledge online.Nadia’s dedication, beliefs and skill-set, along with all the other admirableabilities she has, are the essence of what makes a good IT freelancer.These abilities and a dedication to learn and adapt have seen Nadia reallymake an impact and a name for herself in the short space of a year asa self employed IT professional and she is a fine example of herprofession.
Andrew Dunsmore of Picture Partnership, ShirleyPhotography is a great hobby, a great job and a very powerfulreminder. Snap shots may help to jog your memory but greatphotographs will capture the moment, the fun, the laughterand the occasion for all to share in years to come. The start oflife with little feet and showing how the little one grows is bestcaptured through the Cherubs Scheme which we operate at
Picture Partnership. The first of three shoots as early as four months should capture theability to lift one’s head, with the second shoot 3-4 months later when your little one issitting up unaided, followed by the third shoot around the 1st birthday when the child shouldbe standing up on his own two feet. All three pictures chosen by the parents, placed in anart deco leather folio will be treasured for years, and all for only £75.00 from PicturePartnership. Your shoot, your baby, your memories... don't let them pass you by.
www.picturepartnership.co.uk.
36
37
wwwwww..ccaarriiaaddddoollllsshhoouusseeffuurrnniisshhiinnggss..ccoomm
Bookstart Bear Club
Rhymetime/Wiggle & Jiggle – everyFriday from 10 to 10.30am
Storytime – every Friday from 11 to11.30am.
Games Club - Do you like playing cards,dominoes, chess and other board games?Come and join us every Tuesday from 2.30to 4.30pm.
Card making Workshops (£3 charge tocover the cost of materials) on Tuesday 16August from 2.30 to 4.30pm.
Knit & Natter - Get together with otherknitters for a cup of tea and a chat.Beginners welcome. Friday 12 and 26August from 2.30 to 4.30pm.
Stories and Craft Sessions - For 4-9year olds and their parents and carers.Saturday 16 July: Under the sea themefrom 11-12noon and 2.45-3.45pm.Six Book Challenge for Adults - Read 6books and get a free DVD hire voucher.
Book Trail - Summer reading scheme forchildren and teens. Enjoy reading lots ofgreat stories and get rewards for takingpart, from 25 July until 3 September.
Police Surgery: Saturday30 July, 2-3pm . Come andspeak to Shirley’s SNT.
Remember you can dial 101 for non emergency calls!
Jill LatterJill LatterJill LatterCariAdDolls House Furnishings
DOLLS HOUSE FURNISHINGS
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
Bookstart Bear Club
Rhymetime/Wiggle & Jiggle – everyFriday from 10 to 10.30am
Storytime – every Friday from 11 to11.30am.
Games Club - Do you like playing cards,dominoes, chess and other board games?Come and join us every Tuesday from 2.30to 4.30pm.
Card making Workshops (£3 charge tocover the cost of materials) on Tuesday 16August from 2.30 to 4.30pm.
Knit & Natter - Get together with otherknitters for a cup of tea and a chat.Beginners welcome. Friday 12 and 26August from 2.30 to 4.30pm.
Stories and Craft Sessions - For 4-9year olds and their parents and carers.Saturday 16 July: Under the sea themefrom 11-12noon and 2.45-3.45pm.Six Book Challenge for Adults - Read 6books and get a free DVD hire voucher.
Book Trail - Summer reading scheme forchildren and teens. Enjoy reading lots ofgreat stories and get rewards for takingpart, from 25 July until 3 September.
Police Surgery: Saturday30 July, 2-3pm . Come andspeak to Shirley’s SNT.
Remember you can dial 101 for non emergency calls!
More in danger
than ever!
40
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] Open Tuesdays to Saturdays 10 am to 5 pm
Picture Framers & Art Gallery
Shirwood Eagles FC Young Eagles Win First Trophy
Shirwood Eagles, the u14 boys footballteam that started up from scratch lastseason, has won its first trophy.The team beat Southwick Rangers 7-0 tosecure the cup held in Brighton on the 4th
June. Playing in the Tandridge league, theteam came 7th in its first season.
The team based in Shirley was started in June 2010 to help a few boysplay competitive football and things have snowballed from there. TheCoaches, Colin Thomas and Corrado Vulpio have been so proud of theboys for the work they have put in this year to achieve this success.If any boys who are currently in year 9 wish to join this flourishing footballteam, please come to training at Ashburton Playing Fields on Saturdaysfrom 10am to 12 noon or email [email protected]
Colin Thomas, Manager, Shirwood Eagles FC
If you have any information or pictures about:
1. Pinewood and the Bowers family (J Arthur Bowerscompost)2. The (Great) Shirley Bed Race. Beds of all shapes andsizes on a Sunday racing from The Swan in West Wickhamto The Sandrock in Shirley: each pusher drinking either apint or a half at each pub on the route. I think at the timethere were 8 pubs. We watched near the Library and itwas fun!
Please contact me [email protected].
Thank you. Mike Jackson
41
42
43
CROYDON HERITAGEMiss Juliette Simpson, (1950)27, The Waldrons, Croydon, Surrey, England
Above, a picture of Miss Juliette Simpson and a detail from ‘Out of GreatTribulation’, a mural painting donated by the Reverend C Kirkwood ofSouth Norwood Methodist Church to the London Borough of Croydon’sart collection in 1986. It is still stored, with other works by the worldacclaimed Croydonian artist Cicely Mary Barker, in the Council’s basementin Katharine Street.
44
INTERVIEW WITH JULIETTEAfter reading a biography, or perhaps an obituary, of someone who hasmade an outstanding contribution to our knowledge of the world and itspeople, or perhaps developed a natural talent to an extraordinary degree,I often muse a little on what a privilege and humbling experience it wouldhave been to meet one of them face to face and talk with them of theordinary things in life.
The next best thing is to havethe opportunity of talking tosomeone who did have someconnection with them and ininvestigating Croydon bornCicely Mary Barker (CMB), theauthor and illustrator of ‘TheFlower Fairies’, I was fortunateenough to talk to JuliettePurkiss (née Simpson) who, as
a child, was a neighbour and not only had some contact with her butwas also a model for some of her illustrations and paintings.Juliette’s earliest recollection of this famous artist is that of an eight yearold girl. Known to her and her brothers and sisters as Miss Cicely, shewas ever dressed in dark clothes of a style more suited to an elderly ladywhile her sister, Miss Dorothy, although older seemed younger - but sheagrees that to an eight year old anyone past their teens seemed veryold. Nothing changes! The Barkers, Miss Cicely, Miss Dorothy and their mother, lived oppositeJuliette in the Waldrons in West Croydon and although Juliette had seenMiss Cicely walking in the street, it was not until her mother was askedif Juliette could ‘sit’ for her that they both met.She knew, as did her friends, that Miss Cicely painted but no one wasaware of the extent of her fame and she regrets to this day that at thatage she didn’t realise, nor was she even interested enough to ask, whatshe painted. Even after modelling for her she never felt inquisitive enoughto ask to see the results! She did ‘sit’ several times, on one occasionholding a doll, and thinks that some of these were for sketches ofanatomical parts, perhaps faces and their expressions or the position of
a baby’s head or the falls and folds of a headscarf or shawl, to be puttogether to form a whole later, but doesn’trecollect ever wearing a special costume. Miss Cicely seems not to have kept any recordsof who provided ‘the face’ for her fairies butfrom a close examination of ‘The FlowerFairies’, Juliette can be recognised as the mostlikely person in some and one of her sisterreading a book in another. She recalls alsositting for religious themed pictures, includingone being painted as a ‘one-off’, no copies to
be made prior to its being sent to America. She is also, most certainly,the young lady in uniform in Miss Cicely’s mural ‘Out of Great Tribulation’recently gifted to the London Borough of Croydon’s Central Library bythe Rev. Cameron Kirkwood.During the sittings, Miss Cicely would show an interest in the localgoings-on which probably kept her up to date as her poor healthprevented her from taking part in outside activities; in fact Juliettedoesn’t recall the Barkers mixing a lot. The local children all seemed quitehappy to ‘sit’ and on one occasion Miss Cicely gave her 3 pounds offlour to take home, no doubt appreciating that Juliette had severalsiblings and that this would be of help to the family.Juliette spent the war years in Scotland after which she returned toCroydon via Littlehampton and now expresses her own artistic talents invarious ways. She is particularly interested in Croydon Dolls House andMiniaturists Group. Juliette is also an indefatigablecharity worker: she crochetsblankets for Mayday and SuttonRoyal Marsden Hospitals andruns a computer stall and a saletable for the UNACC (UpperNorwood Association forCommunity Care) twice a weekat the South Norwood Leisure Centre.Thank you, Juliette, for this insight into MissCicely’s background and for your vitality.
45
TOM DUNSMORE
But why That Woman?
46
That Woman was born through a growing frustration over the lack ofgenuine engagement Croydon Council has with residents, the lack oftransparency and the ever increasing amount of ‘spin’.
It was sparked by the issues surrounding the handling of the LibrariesConsultation. These include:
• Residents being misled by Conservative Councillors and at least one MPwho were informing residents that libraries were in some way a discretionaryservice.
• Councillors and MPs have also actively promoted, during the consultationprocess, the Big Society model of volunteer run libraries under the threat of‘sign up or lose it’.
• Not one advertisement was placed in the local press and only a single A4black and white notice displayed in each library which the staff wereforbidden from pointing it out to library users. Despite assurances fromCouncillors that the Libraries Consultation had been advertised, it was onlyby contacting the papers directly that it was confirmed that no advertisementhad in fact been placed. The Deputy Leader of the Council advised that itwas too expensive to advertise in the local press which is clearly laughablewhen you consider how much the Council must spend on self promotion.This includes four page colour wrap-around advertising features in localpapers, ever changing poster campaigns and shed loads of glossy flyersadvertising the things on which the Council do want residents to focus, alongwith the production of Your Croydon colour magazine, a twitter account, amyriad of websites and even its own blog!
• Library campaigners were actively discouraged from promoting theconsultation and actively encouraged to enlist volunteers.
• The statistics from the consultation were delayed and the goal posts haveregularly changed throughout, as have the messages given.
• The consultation document was confusing and one question was completelyignored from the analysis; the very question that gave the residents theopportunity to vote for keeping the libraries as they were, the message thatwas heard very clearly by campaigners in all areas of the borough.
• The lead cabinet member Sara Bashford has advised that losing so manystaff in the recent internal reshuffle (supposedly a separate issue) had noaffect on the level of service on offer. Yet, on more than several occasions,libraries have failed to open as expected and staff are obviouslyoverstretched and not always in a position to fully meet the demands of busylibraries. The stress this puts the staff under must be immense.
The latest insult is that, despite requests and with access to so many avenuesto do so, the Council will not publicise their decision to ‘market test’ all 13
47
libraries and not just the six that were the subject of the consultation; not evenan A4 notice in each library, leaving many residents unaware. Even nationalcampaigners have picked up Croydon’s reticence to advertise. Public LibrariesNews wrote, ‘Croydon also appear to be going down the privatisation routebut doesn't appear to be proud about it. Their ‘market sounding exercise’document is almost impossible to find on their website and, also, there is onlya fortnight for private companies to register an interest.’
Similarly, residents are expected to believe that this decision is based on thefindings of the consultation, yet campaigners who have worked closely withcommunities refute this. A Freedom of Information request for the breakdownof the responses has been denied, surely an admission that no real analysis orconsideration of the views of the residents who responded has taken place.
Residents are becoming ever more distrustful of the ongoing and everincreasing messages of Croydon Council drip fed and repeated (andrepeated...) at every opportunity:
You said, we listened, we are still listeningYour Croydon, Your say!
Proud to Serve
But why That Woman?The name That Woman simply reflects the dismissive attitude the ‘decisionmakers’ in Croydon hold of residents at this present time. It is not me as such,but it is the resident. Anyone daring to question anything is considered anuisance, a pest, someone to be dealt with rather than a concerned orinterested resident or group with a genuine query, or offering healthy challengeand a chance for the Council to engage positively with the community that itserves. That Woman is about raising awareness of the issues and providinglinks to other sites and articles of interest. It seeks to provide a forum fordiscussion as anyone is welcome to make comment or to contribute ideas fora post.It reflects the increasing frustration amongst residents as the spin and lack oftransparency escalates. Had there been more open engagement, clarity,honesty and transparency, the likes of That Woman would never have beenborn following on from the local blogs Croydon’s Future and the wellestablished Inside Croydon.The real challenge for Croydon Council is to drop the spin and restore residents’faith in a Council that not only professes to listen and is proud to serve but thatdemonstrates this through genuine engagement and actions.
48
http://thatwomansblog.blogspot.com/ That Woman
47
Dear Resident,Thank you for attending the public meeting organised by MORA inrelation to the Crystal Palace Supporters' Trust proposals to build atraining facility on Ashburton Playing Fields.At the presentation, we mentioned that there was another site which wewere looking at, in SW16 (Norbury), and that we would be monitoringdevelopments on that site, as it was about to be put on the market atauction. The site went to auction with a guide price of £150,000 lastweek. This was an extremely attractive price. However, I can confirm thatat auction, the land was sold for an amount in the region of £600,000,which was beyond our reach at this time. However, we will still monitordevelopments on that site in case the new owners are unable to fulfiltheir obligations to the planning authority (London Borough of Merton).We also mentioned that we intend to hold some further consultationmeetings, and that one would be held on Wednesday 13th July 2011.As there has been little further to report at this stage, whilst we werewaiting to see if developments on the SW16 site could be progressed,we have decided not to go ahead with the proposed public meeting on13th July.We are now beginning the process of ‘pre-planning’, and intend topursue meetings with planning officers at Croydon in the coming weeks.We hope to be in a position to come forward with a proposal inSeptember, and will therefore aim to have a public forum then.Yours sincerely,Raj ChandaranaProject ManagerCrystal Palace Supporters' Trust
Ashburton PlayingFields: Update fromCrystal PalaceSupporters’ Trust
50
WHAT IS AUTISM?
A MYTH THAT MUST BE
EXPLOITED
51
One is becoming more and more awareof autism. It is mentioned in the localpress when there is a good photoopportunity and the PM’s wife and a wellknown television presenter open aschool. However, parents’ and carers’pleas are often ignored by their LocalAuthority (LA). They have to fight for anassessment of their children and to placetheir child in an appropriate school thatwill address their needs. Many childrenare simply labelled ‘difficult, disruptive,antisocial’ and suffer prejudice andignorance.
Shirley Life has been approached bylocal parents and asked to highlight suchplea. We are not specialists and did alittle research, first of all. Her is a brief
synopsis from www.autism.org.uk . Do go to the website to learn more.
What is autism?Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a personcommunicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how theymake sense of the world around them.It is a spectrum condition, which means that, while all people with autismshare certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways.Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent lives butothers may have accompanying learning disabilities and need a lifetime
of specialist support. People with autism may also experience over- orunder-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours.Asperger syndrome is a form of autism. People with Asperger syndromeare often of average or above average intelligence. They have fewerproblems with speech but may still have difficulties with understandingand processing language.
Some people live with autism for their entire life without ever getting aformal diagnosis. Often this is simply because autism wasn't widelyknown or understood when they were growing up. For adults, adiagnosis of autism can help to explain why they have always foundcertain things difficult. For children, it can mean that the right support isput in place from an early age.
How do people with autism see the world?People with autism have said that the world, to them, is a mass ofpeople, places and events which they struggle to make sense of, andwhich can cause them considerable anxiety.In particular, understanding and relating to other people, and taking partin everyday family and social life may be harder for them. Other peopleappear to know, intuitively, how to communicate and interact with eachother, and some people with autism may wonder why they are 'different'.
About autismAutism is a lifelong developmental disability. It is part of the autismspectrum and is sometimes referred to as an autism spectrum disorder,or an ASD. The word 'spectrum' is used because, while all people withautism share three main areas of difficulty, their condition will affect themin very different ways. Some are able to live relatively 'everyday' lives;others will require a lifetime of specialist support.The three main areas of difficulty which all people with autism share aresometimes known as the 'triad of impairments'. They are:
• difficulty with social communication
• difficulty with social interaction
• difficulty with social imagination.
It can be hard to create awareness of autism as people with the
52
53
condition do not 'look' disabled: parents of children with autism oftensay that other people simply think their child is naughty; while adults findthat they are misunderstood.
All people with autism can benefit from a timely diagnosis and access toappropriate services and support.
Who is affected by autism?Autism is much more common than most people think. There are overhalf a million people in the UK with autism - that's around 1 in 100people.
People from all nationalities and cultural, religious and socialbackgrounds can have autism, although it appears to affect more menthan women. It is a lifelong condition: children with autism grow up tobecome adults with autism.
What causes autism?The exact cause of autism is still being investigated. However, researchsuggests that a combination of factors - genetic and environmental -may account for changes in brain development.
Autism is not caused by a person's upbringing, their socialcircumstances and is not the fault of the individual with the condition.
Is there a cure?At present, there is no 'cure' for autism. However, there is a range ofinterventions - methods of enabling learning and development - whichpeople may find to be helpful. Many of these are detailed at:www.autism.org.uk/approaches
DiagnosisA diagnosis is the formal identification of autism, usually by a healthprofessional such as a paediatrician or a psychiatrist. Having a diagnosisis helpful for two reasons:
• it helps people with autism (and their families) to understand why theymay experience certain difficulties and what they can do about them
• it allows people to access services and support.
People's GPs can refer them to a specialist who is able to make a
54
diagnosis. Many people are diagnosed as children; their parents andcarers can ask GPs for a referral.
Different names for autismSome professionals may refer to autism by a different name, such asautism or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), classic autism or Kannerautism, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) or high-functioningautism (HFA).
AUTISM NEAR US
In 1997, in response to the growing need for support for parents ofchildren with autism Anna Kennedy founded the registered charityHillingdon Care and Support (HACS). Two years later in 1999 after beingturned away by no fewer than 26 special needs schools when searchingfor appropriate educational facilities for her sons, she remortgaged herhome and transformed a derelict council building in Middlesex, WestLondon into Hillingdon Manor School. The school, which is now a centreof excellence, has earned considerable recognition for its outstandingwork, and caught the imagination of Esther Rantzen who is now itspatron.
In 2008 Anna co-authored her best selling biography ‘Not Stupid’ whichpoignantly portrayed her struggle to find appropriate provision for herboys – a story which will be familiar to many parents who feel they couldnot get what they felt their children needed from the local educationauthority.
53
Baston House School is an independent special school for children agedbetween three and a half and nineteen years, whose Statement ofSpecial Educational Needs describes their Primary need as being on theAutism Spectrum.
Their goal is to break down the barriers to learning that their studentsencounter and to help them to equip themselves for as independent alife as possible outside of school.
Their approach is based on an eclectic fusion of child-centred andautism-specific strategies and techniques, with a clear focus onimproving communication and interaction skills through positiveinterventions.
Their Mission Statement is: ‘Baston House School will strive to provideeffective specialist education and support to pupils on the AutismSpectrum and to their families, enabling pupils to achieve their fullpotential in education and in life outside school.’
In 2010 Hillcrest Autism Services, who run the award winning HillingdonManor School in Middlesex, acquired Baston House School set in 5acres of grounds in Bromley, Kent.
Following major refurbishment, this impressive new facility now providesan excellent environment for education and development of childrenaged between 5 and 16 years. Pupils/Students will have a Statement ofSpecial Educational Need that describes their primary need as being onthe autism spectrum or having a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome.
Hillcrest Autism Services is a pioneering leader in education for childrenwith autism, and has successfully developed a unique learning anddevelopment approach to help children with this condition to achievetheir full potential.
Assessment and Admission Policy
Referrals• We accept referrals from Local Authorities (LA).
• We are able to give parents information regarding our assessment andadmission process.We encourage parents to engage in a dialoguewith their local authority and make a joint application.
56
Assessment Process1 Once a referral has been received from a LA, the paperwork will beread by a senior manager and discussed at the monthly Referrals,Admissions and Assessment meetings. If the pupil does not meet theadmission criteria (Appendix 1) or there are no places available, a letterwill be sent to the Local Authority to inform them that the referral isnot going to be followed up.
2 If the referral is suitable for assessment, a date for an Initial ContactMeeting will be made by contacting the Local Authority SEN officer.This will consist of a tour around the school for parents and childtogether; a discussion between parents and the Principal, while theprospective pupil spends some time in the designated classroom. Amember of staff will accompany the child to a classroom to ensurethat they feel secure at all times.
3 After the Initial Contact Meeting, if both the school and the familywould like to go ahead with an assessment, a date will be set for anAssessment Period.The Local Authority will be contacted with datesso that transport can be arranged by them.
4 The assessment will typically consist of:
a 1 week of pupil attendance at the school in a suitable class group
b observations by the class teacher, a speech and language therapistand a member of the management team
c a visit to the family and child at home
d a visit to the current educational placement
e a multi-disciplinary meeting at school where all professionalsinvolved share information about the assessment
5 Once the assessment process has been completed and all relevantinformation has been gathered, an assessment report will be compiledand a decision will be made as to whether Baston House School willbe an appropriate placement for the child.
The decision will be made in line with the Code of Practice:
a Special Educational Needs – can the school meet the child’s needs?
b Resources – would the placement be an inefficient use of resources?
c Current pupils – would the placement be incompatible with theefficient education of the other children with whom the child will beeducated?
The LA will be notified in writing of the outcome of assessment within 10working days of completion of the assessment process. NB.The processis deemed to be completed when all information has been gathered,which may or may not be the date of the assessment appointment.
If Baston House School is able to meet the child’s special educationalneeds, an offer of a place, a start date and the proposed fee will besuggested to the LA. When the LA confirms that the offer of a place isgoing to be taken up, Baston House School will send a letter confirmingthis to the LA and to the parents.
The LA is responsible for making transport arrangements with theparents and will inform the school accordingly.
Transition plans will be made with the LA, the current school placementand the parents. This will typically include a social story for the pupil toprepare them for the relevant class group and communication withparents over any issues or worries they may have. A home-schoolcontract will also be agreed by both parties.
Why Baston House School?Baston House School has been in the Croydon local news in recentweeks. Pictures of the PM’s wife appeared with a Shirley resident and herchild. Why? Because Sally Pettitt took Croydon Council to tribunal andspent her money in court fees in order to secure a placement for her sonat the school. The Cabinet member for children, young people andlearners has allegedly admitted that there is a disproportionate numberof Croydon-resident children with SEN who are currently educated inschools outside the borough, due to a mismatch between the educationavailable and the needs of some of the most vulnerable children.
Autistic children and young people have specific needs and cannot beplaced with children and young people who have behavioural problems.
Read on next month...
![[Synopsis SL] - No. 11 Abril 2011](https://img.dokumen.tips/doc/110x75/568bf49b1a28ab89339eacf7/synopsis-sl-no-11-abril-2011.jpg)
