Flower beds in Mayo Park?

[Tim Lund]

At their meeting last night, Friends of Mayow Park were told that the Council had found money to get the pavilion in Mayow Park to a point where next year it would put a concession to run a café there out to tender. The Council's money will go to restoring the fabric of the building, and installing toilets and showers required by the Disabilities Discrimination Act and the use of the first floor for sports changing rooms. I'll see if I can get hold of the actual floor plan we were shown for posting here.

[love-sydenham]

Tim, this is a Fantastic news!!!

[cockneyrebel]

I loved those flower beds when I lived next to Mayow Park (am on the other side of Sydenham now so don't go there). To be honest I'm all for people getting involved but a lot of these voluntary schemes just seem like a cover for cuts. Flower beds and annuals do require more effort and money, but they often look far nicer.

To be blunt a lot of voluntary schemes are ok for middle class people with a lot of time on their hands, but a lot of people don't have the time and these kind of things should be provided by the public sector. A lot of the rubbish that Lewisham and Lambeth are coming out with (I work for Lambeth and they are now saying they want to create a "Cooperative Council") are just exactly the same as Camerons Big Society.

[Tim Lund]

I loved those flower beds when I lived next to Mayow Park (am on the other side of Sydenham now so don't go there). To be honest I'm all for people getting involved but a lot of these voluntary schemes just seem like a cover for cuts. Flower beds and annuals do require more effort and money, but they often look far nicer.

To be blunt a lot of voluntary schemes are ok for middle class people with a lot of time on their hands, but a lot of people don't have the time and these kind of things should be provided by the public sector. A lot of the rubbish that Lewisham and Lambeth are coming out with (I work for Lambeth and they are now saying they want to create a "Cooperative Council") are just exactly the same as Camerons Big Society.

Your bluntness is appreciated. Middle-class meddling was identified in another thread I started in January relevant to contracting out Council services and Mayow Park and I admitted a share of the blame

Most of the "middle classes" that gave it support (and helped it win contracts from the council) only saw the principles behind the project, and were blind to how the company was being run or the work practices.

Ouch

My thinking has moved on since then, and is expressed in another posting I did on this Forum "Wanted: Gardeners", which is mainly a critique of Lewisham's ill thought through encouragement of 'community gardens', but concludes by saying we need:

More people who know what gardening involves – which is perhaps a reason for urban local authorities to encourage young people to take on allotments as a way of helping them learn about developing the experience for gardening professionally, in the same way rural councils have small holdings to help people into farming.

I have no ideological objections to the rhetoric of a "Co-operative Council" or Cameron's Big Society, but in practice I think you are right - they will be used as a cover for cuts. I don't really mind if such gardening, in public spaces, is done by Council staff or not. I do care that whoever is in charge, knows what they are doing.

[ksyd]

When did the Pavilion Cafe close down? Why did it close? Maybe there is not much need for a Cafe there, not much passing trade, maybe it would be better as a youth centre as its near to schools?

[Tim Lund]

I'm not sure when it closed down, but there are plenty of groups interested in running a café from there. See how successful cafés are in other parks in Lewisham, e.g Manor Gardens.

[ksyd]

Maybe it will be turned into a Chick n Chippy Chip ina Box Cafe, to catch the passing trade from the school, a Cafe in Mayo Park might do better if it was next to the small childrens play area where there are also picnic tables?

[Tim Lund]

I don't think so. The Council will require and find better tenants than that.

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[Tim Lund]

Congratulations to all those responsible for Mayow Park winning its Green flag



Photo thanks to Mayow Park blog