I've been to so many places in Sydenham and done so many things over the years. It's like I've known someone down practically every road at one time or another. I went to nursery at Shaftesbury House in Perry Rise; I was treated in the Children's Hospital that used to be in Champion Road; I've even rolled tyres down a hill!!! Now, let me share another one of my amazing experiences with you guys...
In the late 80s, when I was a wee lad, we were taken on a trip right inside the heart of the Bell Green Gas Works before most of the buildings were destroyed in favour of the Savacentre development close by. The purpose of our visit was to be educated about the dangers of fire; I believe firemen were present as well. Several of the buildings were used as studios, and fire was simulated in each of them. I remember entering different buildings--with paperwork at hand--to be educated on different aspects of fire safety. It was quite an experience really, and I bet most of us here are not even aware such events took place there? Anyway, I've been trying to remember the name of the company that organised this educational event; I reckon several schools must have visited there during the 80s. If I heard the name again I would recognise it instantly; it consisted of 2 very distinctive words (not much help I know). Perhaps Steve or Pat might know?
Any help would be much appreciated!
Bell Green Gas Works
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Pat Trembath
- Posts: 613
- Joined: 2 Oct 2004 10:54
Sorry cannot help re the company who organised your educational visit.
However, from 1977 to 1983 the annual Sydenham Community Festival carnival procession started from within the gasworks site. At its height four or five bands, drum majorettes, twenty or so floats and many walkers used to muster there before marching up Sydenham Road to Wells Park for the Gala Day.
Just imagine - the police used to hold up traffic at each junction to allow the procession right of way - about twenty minutes to get around Cobbs Corner! So has anything changed here, you may well ask!
Was Falkor old enough to remember Gala Day in Wells Park, or the Pram Race visiting all the pubs starting at the Talma and ending at the Bell?
However, from 1977 to 1983 the annual Sydenham Community Festival carnival procession started from within the gasworks site. At its height four or five bands, drum majorettes, twenty or so floats and many walkers used to muster there before marching up Sydenham Road to Wells Park for the Gala Day.
Just imagine - the police used to hold up traffic at each junction to allow the procession right of way - about twenty minutes to get around Cobbs Corner! So has anything changed here, you may well ask!
Was Falkor old enough to remember Gala Day in Wells Park, or the Pram Race visiting all the pubs starting at the Talma and ending at the Bell?
hello pat
i remember those galas in wells park!
they were brilliant,do you remember the man who was dressed as a red indian[that would be native american indian these days!]he had a huge wigwam on the grass,i remember the fancy dress competition too.
i remember the floats but not the pram race!
oh the good old days eh?
i remember those galas in wells park!
they were brilliant,do you remember the man who was dressed as a red indian[that would be native american indian these days!]he had a huge wigwam on the grass,i remember the fancy dress competition too.
i remember the floats but not the pram race!
oh the good old days eh?
Oh wow! Flashback!! I remember the days of the floats. I was actually on one. It was for the Children's Hospital and I had to sit in a wheelchair and pretend to be injured!! I had a nice, groovy pink quilted dressing gown bought especially for the occasion. Those were the days.........
Why can't we bring this back? It was be really good for the community.
Why can't we bring this back? It was be really good for the community.
Hey Annie,
I think Ken is about the only person 'in charge' who actually makes sure money IS put back into things that matter ie. public transport being the main example. (okay i am going off topic now) . I remember seeing Ken travelling around the tube and handing out leaflets ten years ago when I lived in north west london and I was impressed...
I'm not saying everything he does is perfect - but here is someone who walks the talk. For example I am a fan of the congestion charge - even though I have been fined a couple of times for forgetting to pay after going through 'the zone'- because I have see how the money has been pumped into public transport ( ie the buses) and my god the bus network has improved an incrediable amount over the last 3 or 4 years - I know because I use it all the time.
Am I the only one who is ecstatic than Ken might be in charge of the ELLX? Get with the plan, this can only be good thing.
Let's write to Ken - I'm sure he would give us the money for a Sydenham Community Festiva Carnival - if by some unlikely chance he has been given the power to do so. If not - I suggest we take the initiive and try to raise some money ourselves. I have applied to run the London marathon in 2007 and I have just decided that if I get in I am willing to volunteer to raise money for the 'Annual Sydenham Community Festival Carnival'.
I will keep you posted - you could be my first sponsor.
I think Ken is about the only person 'in charge' who actually makes sure money IS put back into things that matter ie. public transport being the main example. (okay i am going off topic now) . I remember seeing Ken travelling around the tube and handing out leaflets ten years ago when I lived in north west london and I was impressed...
I'm not saying everything he does is perfect - but here is someone who walks the talk. For example I am a fan of the congestion charge - even though I have been fined a couple of times for forgetting to pay after going through 'the zone'- because I have see how the money has been pumped into public transport ( ie the buses) and my god the bus network has improved an incrediable amount over the last 3 or 4 years - I know because I use it all the time.
Am I the only one who is ecstatic than Ken might be in charge of the ELLX? Get with the plan, this can only be good thing.
Let's write to Ken - I'm sure he would give us the money for a Sydenham Community Festiva Carnival - if by some unlikely chance he has been given the power to do so. If not - I suggest we take the initiive and try to raise some money ourselves. I have applied to run the London marathon in 2007 and I have just decided that if I get in I am willing to volunteer to raise money for the 'Annual Sydenham Community Festival Carnival'.
I will keep you posted - you could be my first sponsor.
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Pat Trembath
- Posts: 613
- Joined: 2 Oct 2004 10:54
Sydenham Community Festival was funded in part by Lewisham Council.
However the major funding was a year round effort by the participating organisations with fund raising events, school fetes, Children's Hospital Fete (middle weekend - the Festival ran for two weeks for about six years) and jumble sales. The Festival organisers were invited to run a "wine spin" to fund raise funds at all local events. Advertising was also sold in the 10,000 free Festival programmes delivered throughout SE26.
There was an inter primary school five-a-side football competition, an inter school netball competition and an inter pub tug o'war in Mayow Park.
It was great fun and very hard work - we had to raise funds because we never knew until mid-April whether funding would come through from Lewisham and a well run Festival has to be planned in advance.
We (I was on the Exec of the festival organisers for the first 10 of the eleven years) even ran a Donkey Derby in Home Park to raise funds - does anyone remember this?
Gala Day in Wells Park was equally hard work - no mobile phones or texts to send messages from the gate to the Admin tent and a primitive PA system which just about provided enough volume to announce the events in the arena. It was a matter of running up and down the field as a routine to deliver messages - I used to lose a stone each year during Festival fortnight!
In eleven years we only had one wet Gala Day. In the drought year of 1976 we chose the only wet weekend and it was the year we had the Capital Radio bus in and broadcasting from the park. The competitions for the kids that they had planned were washed out, but they generously gave us half a dozen t-shirts as compensation!
Gala Day always ended in a "womble" - probably one of the most popular events for the children.
From 2.30 in the afternoon a stream of children would arrive at the Admin tent asking "what time is the womble?". At 4.30 when the womble was announced the children would arrive to collect their black sacks and start to clear the rubbish. Every sack returned would earn its litter picker a penny lolly. At the end of the womble there would be no trace of litter in the park - even the bins had been emptied!
The park keepers loved Gala Day - overtime from Lewisham, a bit of beer money by way of thank you from the Festival organisers and a thoroughly clean park - they were amongst the first to arrive at the Talma at the end of the day - the Festival organisers a close second!
However the major funding was a year round effort by the participating organisations with fund raising events, school fetes, Children's Hospital Fete (middle weekend - the Festival ran for two weeks for about six years) and jumble sales. The Festival organisers were invited to run a "wine spin" to fund raise funds at all local events. Advertising was also sold in the 10,000 free Festival programmes delivered throughout SE26.
There was an inter primary school five-a-side football competition, an inter school netball competition and an inter pub tug o'war in Mayow Park.
It was great fun and very hard work - we had to raise funds because we never knew until mid-April whether funding would come through from Lewisham and a well run Festival has to be planned in advance.
We (I was on the Exec of the festival organisers for the first 10 of the eleven years) even ran a Donkey Derby in Home Park to raise funds - does anyone remember this?
Gala Day in Wells Park was equally hard work - no mobile phones or texts to send messages from the gate to the Admin tent and a primitive PA system which just about provided enough volume to announce the events in the arena. It was a matter of running up and down the field as a routine to deliver messages - I used to lose a stone each year during Festival fortnight!
In eleven years we only had one wet Gala Day. In the drought year of 1976 we chose the only wet weekend and it was the year we had the Capital Radio bus in and broadcasting from the park. The competitions for the kids that they had planned were washed out, but they generously gave us half a dozen t-shirts as compensation!
Gala Day always ended in a "womble" - probably one of the most popular events for the children.
From 2.30 in the afternoon a stream of children would arrive at the Admin tent asking "what time is the womble?". At 4.30 when the womble was announced the children would arrive to collect their black sacks and start to clear the rubbish. Every sack returned would earn its litter picker a penny lolly. At the end of the womble there would be no trace of litter in the park - even the bins had been emptied!
The park keepers loved Gala Day - overtime from Lewisham, a bit of beer money by way of thank you from the Festival organisers and a thoroughly clean park - they were amongst the first to arrive at the Talma at the end of the day - the Festival organisers a close second!
I'll sponser you Juwlz. "what have i agreed to"haha,
to be honest i don't like the idea of the free child passes. while i not only have to pay tax to pay for it all but i also have to pay more on the bus!
I feel it could spread the petty crime around because children can hop on and off buses as and when they feel like it,(not all children i know)
when they had to pay they stayed closer to home as well.I have been on the bus to orpington twice lately and groups of young boys (13-15 yrs)have been extremely rude to elderly people on the bus where i have had to step in and tell them off,for which i got a tirade of foul language.
Thanks Annie,
Well, I'm sure you'd pay those taxes anyway - they'd just find something else to spend it on... like a few more NHS managers or world war 3 for example, so probably better that it goes on free travel for kids on balance.
As far as I'm aware the kids get their free travel taken off them if they are found causing 'antisocial behaviour' - though that's hard to police I'm sure. Bring back conductors on the buses!
Well, I'm sure you'd pay those taxes anyway - they'd just find something else to spend it on... like a few more NHS managers or world war 3 for example, so probably better that it goes on free travel for kids on balance.
As far as I'm aware the kids get their free travel taken off them if they are found causing 'antisocial behaviour' - though that's hard to police I'm sure. Bring back conductors on the buses!
Talking of Bell Green gas works, the last posting I saw on the public enquiry suggested that the decision on the proposed development would have been made by now. I’ve searched the web but haven’t found anything. Does anyone have an update? Will the site to remain derelict or will Sydenham to get new facilities?
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Pat Trembath
- Posts: 613
- Joined: 2 Oct 2004 10:54