PCEG Newsletter Volume 13 Number 2

Incorporating Minutes of the 72nd Meeting on the 12 January 2003 at St Marks with St Margaret‘s Church

Correction from the November Newsletter

Make A Difference Day (MADD) 26 October 2002 (p 9-10) Nick Day, in his report, unfortunately confused Rockliffe Manor School with another school. He has written a letter of apology to the deputy head, Jane Lawson. We value our special relationship with the school and very much look forward to this continuing.

Announcements

Annual Membership Renewal
A reminder that for those of you who have not yet renewed, this is now due. Please send or bring £4. 00 (waged), £2. 00 (unwaged) or £1. 00 (children under 16) to JC.
Cheques should be made out to Plumstead Common Environment Group or PCEG.
NB If you have joined within the last 6 months, or just recently renewed your membership, you need not renew again until November 2003. Once again, a tremendous thank you to those who have been including donations with their membership renewals. These are, as always, much appreciated.

PCEG Party

Anji writes: "Many thanks once again to the hosts Julia and Alex for a great party. Every member at the meeting who attended said they thoroughly enjoyed the evening. It was nice to have the time to mingle and chat with people whilst not out in the wind, mud, rain and other treacherous conditions we often all meet in! There was a mouth-watering array of food and drink spread out - and apparently not enough of your wonderful Kiwi Pavlova Julia!"
JC adds: Alex and I enjoyed the party too and were pleased to see some new members as well as younger members of the group.

Dates for your Diary

Slade Ponds Work Days

The 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month, weather permitting, at 11am:-
Sunday 26 January
Sunday 9 February
Sunday 23 February
Sunday 9 March
All members welcome to join Pond Group on any work day.
Contact: Chris Day 020 8473 5932.

Nature Reserve Gardening Group

meets each Tuesday at 10. 30am, weather permitting. Location: the wooded ravine behind Blendon Terrace. More members are needed! Please contact JC on 8854 5167 G

raffiti Removal Group

Weather permitting, the next session will be at the rugby club - hopefully the final session at this site! Sunday 9 February at 1pm. Meet at the rugby club on Plumstead Common (near Plumstead Manor school on Old Mill Road). Contact Anji on 8317 7663

Talk by Barbara Fitch, Corn Artist.

Barbara delivers a lecture titled "My World of Straw" explaining and demonstrating her specialist craft. It is hoped a date of this will be set in April/ May - confirmation at the March meeting.

An Inspector Calls

- JB Priestley's Classic Thriller. Stephen Daldry's National Theatre show is going out to major venues all over Britain on a six month tour and Nick Day has landed the terrific part of the Inspector. He'll be appearing on stage at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley, from Tuesday 18 to Saturday 22 March. Some members have expressed an interest in going to see Nick and cast in action - please contact JC if you would like to join the party (date to be confirmed).

Sponsored walk to help save Severndroog Castle.

Sunday 16 February at 10am. Meet at the castle. Minimum donation/ entry fee is just £1

Date of the next PCEG Meeting

— Saturday 15 March, 3-5pm St Mark with St Margaret‘s Church - meeting in the Sunday School room at the back of the hall. (On Old Mill Road, past the Old Mill and Prince Albert pubs)

News Items

Conservation Area Secretary, Danny Nicol writes: "The Council are still not very good at sending me details of each and every planning application relating to the Conservation Area, so if members see details of anything significant - they are often posted on little notices on lampposts - perhaps they could let me know. My email is: Drdanicol@netscape. net and my phone number is 8317 2884."

The Links

At the meeting, Danny spoke about the links building, saying the signage at the Co-op has improved and he wants to see Carpet Corner and Spice Island come into line with this. He has written two letters trying to get the council to enforce their regulations but has not had a response yet. Members are urged to write to their local councillor and cc. it to the planning dept. / leader Chris Roberts. Orange, the mobile phone company, have erected scaffolding around the clock tower whilst they install a cable tray. Alan Read asked why they would need a tray for cables if their proposal for installing telecommunications equipment was refused? It appears the council have not responded to PCEG's objection letter so we do not know the outcome of that application - it seems it was successful. Members are concerned that the clock will not work due to electro-magnetic pulses from Orange's equipment hidden inside the clock tower. Please write to your local councillor or MP about this - we have waited so long for the clock to be in good working order but thanks to Orange (and the Co-op) it might never work again!

Cars for sale on Plumstead Common Road: Alan Read has taken the on-going situation under his wing. After unsatisfactory responses from the Council he wrote to Clive Efford MP and has recently received the following response from Cllr Vicky Morse: "Trading Standards Staff attempted to resolve this problem which is borough wide. Unfortunately it appears that warning stickers and referral of untaxed vehicles is having a limited effect on the situation. Therefore, meetings have been held between the Council, police and vehicle removal contractors with a view to organising a series of vehicle seizures from key locations in the borough - including Plumstead Common Road. Planning of the operation is in hand and seizure of vehicles will commence in January. Investigations and prosecution of local traders alleged to be responsible for a large proportion of the problem will be pursued at the same time in order to reduce problems in the long term. I hope the problem will soon be resolved. " Alan reported that after this response, the cars vanished overnight as if the owner(s) had received a tip-off!

Mark Campbell, writer and PCEG member, was featured in an article in the News Shopper late last year. When asked of his favourite place in London he said the Slade Ravine and mentioned PCEG.

The Greenwich Community Network (GCN) No one from recent meetings has come forward to stand as a representative for PCEG and nominations are already in. Voting takes place at the end of January. Anji has heard that Ann Hutchinson may be standing. The group should get a chance to make a vote. More information on this as it becomes available.

PCEG founder members Anita and Colin Parfitt, who now reside in France, are keen to organise a short visit to Greenwich for around 6/8 local councillors from their village (Montrollet in the Limousin) in October. Colin is a member of his council and it would be good if some councillors in Greenwich could meet with French colleagues, also members of PCEG, to exchange ideas.
Accommodation would be the biggest problem, and if anyone knows of any local youth hostels, please let JC know on 8854 5167 or email: juliacowdell@pceg,fsnet. co. uk

WW1 Memorial: Tony Robin from the Shooters Hill Local History Group, to which we're affiliated, contacted JC to say he has a 1st World War Memorial which originated in St Margaret's Church. It is like a cupboard and designed to hang on a wall. It has a list of names in manuscript on card (Atkins to Jenkins) on the left hand side but the right hand side has been lost. He is arranging a meeting with the vicar to see if St Mark with St Margaret's would like to hang it up. Tony wants to be put in touch with any people who might remember what year it was dedicated in (definitely after 1920, so possibly between 21 - 23), or who could help him track down the other names. Erica says that he might be able to find out this information through the church records.

Snow! JC writes: There were wonderful scenes on the common at Blendon Terrace during the recent snow, reminiscent of the 1909 snowballing photograph which featured as the PCEG Christmas card last year (and the Mayor's this year). The children of St Margaret's school were once again snowballing, only this time of course dressed in anoraks and scarves, their squeals of delight ringing across the common. So much has changed, but some things are timeless - and having fun in the snow is clearly one of them." Some members have taken photographs of the various snow scenes in Plumstead, including Zoë Elford's beautiful pictures of snowball fights on the common and the plum tree planted in the Ancona Road community garden. Members might like to start thinking about (or snapping) photographs suitable for next year's PCEG calendar???

We have received a wonderful letter written by pupils of Plumcroft School: "Dear Plumstead Common Environment Group, Our class recently went on a litter hunt to Shrewsbury Park. We were sad and disgusted at what we saw. We found all sorts of rubbish including nappies, shoes, bottles, cans, roadsigns, car batteries, pieces of carpet and a door! The worst area was Dothill Road near Clothworker's Wood. Please could you suggest ways that you could help us to tidy up this area.
Thank you very much, yours sincerely Poppy Taylor and A12."
Maybe this could be a spring clean site for April? If any members are interested in organising a work day there, please ask JC to add it to the agenda for the March meeting.

Reporting Environmental crime: An article appeared in the News Shopper (dated 08/01/03) about the Met Police introducing a policy on dealing with crime - if what you report does not qualify for investigation, it will be logged but no further action taken. Crimes that qualify include rape, murder, hate crimes or a crime that is a deemed a priority within a borough. According to DCI Grigg of Lewisham police, the new policy merely formalises a system already in place. The group certainly has experience of reporting vandalism and anti-social behaviour to the police with little effect already. Christine Smith pointed out that members could contact Chief Supt. Sharon Kerr (based at Plumstead) to find out what priorities and objectives have been set for this area.

Reports

Plumstead/ Winns Common

John Bryant reported several concerns he had about the area. Firstly, damage to trees on the triangle between Winns Common and Lakedale Road. It seems a man is training his Alsatian dog to attack the trees. Rob Poole said the council were aware of this problem which is borough-wide and that he would arrange for the tree officer to look at them. Beryl suggested we inform the local press so they cover the story and perhaps shame the person responsible. John's second concern was a missing bollard on Winns Common at Bleak Hill Lane. It was originally removed to allow a truck access for works but has not been reinstated. This means cars can get through the gap and race around the common. John reported that the last two burnt out cars dumped on the common were removed within an impressive two days. Unfortunately, any glass and debris was not swept up at the same time. The lights on the steps leading down to the pond have been out of order for months now making the area unsafe for people to use particularly during the winter months - less daylight and icy, slippery surfaces. The council are aware so let's hope no one sues them if they have an accident on the steps!
Cable boxes and fly posting
The cable boxes by the pond have a new generation of graffiti tags on them. Anji hopes to clean these one Sunday whilst the pond group are working. Erica mentioned the fly posting on cable boxes along Waverley Crescent. These had been removed on the MAD day in October, but are back. Shirley said these had also been placed on the recycling bins and as the paste was still wet, she was able to remove them easily. Anji also removed a poster from the rugby club last month which had been put up in the small hours.

Slade Ponds

Chris Day writes: "Very little to report - the group continues to meet on the second and forth Sundays at 11am to clean rubbish from the pond and surrounding areas. Reasonable water levels have been maintained despite fairly extreme weather conditions. The Mallards today were swimming happily between the ice flows. The Heron appears to be still visiting, reported by a local resident, to be there most days at 6 am. This week saw yet another bale of 'Mercurys' deposited in the pond - the situation is reported to the paper's distribution department but identification of the culprit is difficult once the bales are sodden."
Roger reported that the drain by the zebra crossing and playground at the Slade appears to have been removed. Will this create another pond in the road when we have more downpours?!

Community Garden

Zoë thanked the twelve members and residents who turned up in the heavy rain to plant bulbs and a Victoria Plum tree. The tree is still standing and the hyacinths are coming up. Zoë was successful in gaining £1,000 (the maximum amount available) from Greenwich Pride to pay for plants and equipment. Some members said they had plants they could donate to the garden. A planning and design event is now due followed by another work day possibly in mid March (which will include painting out the graffiti on the garages nearby). If you want to get involved please call Zoë on 8265 7790.

Graffiti

Anji writes: "At the last session the group tackled Lenton Path (between Tuam and Macoma Roads). We soon realised the scale of the task - all the brick was graffitied, as well as the lamp posts, signs and side gates. We used two full tins of paint stripper and cleared the tags from the side wall of 66 Macoma Road. We also removed litter and most of the charred remains of a chair that had been set on fire. (Martyn reported to the council that one of the lamp post lights was not working but this still has not been dealt with. ) Thanks to Alan Read for liaising with the residents and of course, many thanks to Danny Nicol, Jason Ward, Anette Petersen and Martyn Handley (who suggested the site) for all their hard work on that bitterly cold Sunday in December. It seemed to me that it would be far easier (in the long run) to paint the alley - then as soon as a tag appears (as it will) it is removed until the vandals are worn down. PCEG have experience of this removal method and we find it works. I sent a letter the following day to all the residents who live next to the alley asking what they thought of the idea. Reactions were mixed and so at present, along with Deborah O'Boyle (a recently reinstated member and resident next to Lenton Path), we are looking at alternatives.
Danny Nicol reports that more graffiti has appeared in the alley at the Tuam Road end.
Any members who want to join us or suggest locations for future graffiti sessions, please contact Anji on 8317 7663 or email anji@my-desk.co.uk

Recycling

Christine Smith reported the good news that the concrete base for the bins has finally been approved. It is due to be installed in the first week of February. In November, Christine spoke to recycling officer Lorraine Cooper about the council checking the bins on a daily basis by the bin men (who empty litter bins into a yellow open backed truck) as a "drive-by" check. Christine also spoke to her about making use of the notice board nearby to give information about recycling facilities in the borough. Lorraine had forgotten about this, but hopefully is on the case again.
Alan Read urged members who do a shift on the rota to be careful when removing litter by the bins - he badly cut his finger recently. Rob Poole said that he would advise the council on some specifications that the concrete base should have (e. g. be flush and edged to the pavement (to prevent glass falling in the gap), be self draining and of sufficient depth to prevent cracking whilst loading the bins back on it). He will also inform the relevant department about the broken concrete post at the site. Shirley Newton reported of some tags appearing on the bins. She, with the help of Callum and Paul managed to remove some of graffiti whilst they were passing.
Many thanks to all who monitor the recycling bins.

Severndroog Castle

At a recent Time to Listen meeting in Eltham, a local resident asked the council about the future of the castle. He was told that the council would not allow a car park to be built in the woods. When Dr Barry Gray asked a question, they told him they could not comment on the planning application (even though they already had!) We are having a sponsored walk event starting at the Castle on Sunday 16 February at 10am. Minimum donation/ entry fee is a mere pound. Why not get friends and family to sponsor you to enjoy a walk around ancient woodland for a good cause? We can provide you with a sponsor form. The exact route on the day is dependant on weather conditions.
For less effort, you can support us just by buying one of our t-shirts. They are priced at £7.00 (available in M, L and XL sizes) showing Severndroog Castle in black on white cotton. Please contact us below and we will be happy to deliver to local addresses.
If anyone wants to get involved in the campaign, please call Anette or Anji on 8317-7663 or email Severndroog@campaigner. co. uk

PCEG Calendar

At the last count, we have made a profit of £268.40 on our calendar sales - it looks like we should completely sell out.
JC writes: "The calendar has been enthusiastically greeted by all who've seen them and we even have names of people who want to be informed about any future PCEG products. Also there have been lots of enquiries about the book (Our Common Story) in the run up to Christmas and requests for us to reprint it."
Many thanks to all members who have bought and sold copies of the calendar - Anette Petersen, Barbara Fitch and Erica Atkins (who sold 150!) were particularly good salespeople. Also, thanks were given to Nick Day who liaised with the printers, organised distribution and promoted the calendars on the website.
Beryl Read suggested the Calendar Committee got together again to discuss designing another one for 2004. Feedback from sellers and buyers varied - some wanted a larger calendar (A4) with space to add notes, whilst some preferred it as it was. Erica said that the current format and price was good - she thought less people would buy the calendar if it cost much more. Zoë suggested that we have a small group that dealt with PCEG merchandise - maybe the calendar committee could expand to include other sale items?

Time to listen meeting

Anji Petersen and JC attended this meeting on 4 December 2002 at Woolwich Town Hall. Anji reports: There were several presentations including one on neighbourhood renewal (which didn't tell the audience much), the success of the Clean Sweep initiative and the proposed Crossrail scheme. The meeting focussed on the Woolwich area and many questions raised were left unanswered. I left the meeting feeling that listening is an area the council still need to work on.

Any Other Business

Volunteer hours: A timesheet is attached to the back of Newsletter for members to use if they want to record the time they spend doing PCEG activities. Anji hopes to collect the total hours of the group (divided into activities) and publicise this when appropriate e. g. in the local paper, at council meetings, on the website etc.

Dot Lawrence told the group about Doug Johnson, from the Shooters Hill Local History Group who has archive films of Plumstead including the first Make Merry and St Margaret's church. Both Dot and Beryl Read agreed it would be good to organise a private PCEG viewing showing these films to interested members. Dot to speak to Doug and plan an evening soon - perfect for a cold winter night.

Wildlife sightings: Anji saw two or more field mice (or voles?) bouncing around the trunk of a lime tree towards the pavement and litter bin next to the 53 bus stop on Waverley Road as she waited (dead still!) for a bus before Christmas. Linda Armstrong reported on a fat Robin visiting her garden prompting others to agree they had see lots of Robins, including one that sings all night on the Slade steps says John. Dot says there are fewer Sparrows about and Alan told us about flocks of 10 to 12 Long-tailed tits that fly about the Macoma Road area.

Organic produce: If your new year's resolution is to buy more organic fruit and vegetables, why not try Capricorn Organics? For deliveries or more information, contact 020 8316 2786 or email Alison@capricornorganics. co. uk. Wesite: www. capricornorganics. co. uk

Gardening Tips January 2003 by Monica Meeneghan

Winter Preparation. The busy gardening season is just around the corner so this is the last chance to complete jobs that will lighten the load later on. However, soil should not be walked on when it is waterlogged or frosty as this leads to compaction and an inability of the plants to breathe. If it is essential to get on the garden the damage can be reduced by laying down boards on which to walk.

Indoor jobs. Wash pots, make labels and drainage holes in cartons. Oil and sharpen tools, get lawn mower serviced. Order or buy seeds and sort them into order of sowing. Order fertilisers and slug deterrents. Copper tape has been discovered to be an efficient barrier that slugs do not cross but take care that there are none within this barrier. It's obtainable from "The Organic Gardening Catalogue. " Tel. 01932 253666. www. Organic Catalog. com Avoid using slug pellets. They are harmful to pets and there have been sad cases of guide dogs for the blind being poisoned by them.

Outdoor jobs. Maximise light levels by keeping glass (or alternative) clean in greenhouse and cold frame. Make sure greenhouse is in order. Ensure that trees and shrubs are well anchored in the soil. Newly planted ones are inclined to get loosened by the frost. Check that tree ties and supports are in good order. Generally tidy up garden and spread compost.
After flowering feed spring bulbs, separate and space out any that have formed large clumps for they will cease to flower when they get too crowded. This includes snowdrops. In icy weather make holes in ice on pond so that pondlife can breathe. From late February or March according to weather, divide hardy perennials once growth has started. Prepare seedbeds and warm soil with polythene or cloches for early sowings.

Some perennials for exposed sites. Artemisia absinthium, Centranthus rubber, Festuca Glauca, Kniphofia caulescens, Lavatera maritime, Phlomis russeliana, Sedum spectabile, Stachys byzantina.

Botanic Names. Foetidus, -a, -um=bad smelling. Eg. Helleborus foetidus. Foetidissmus=Very bad smelling. Eg. Iris foetidissmus. However, these smells are only noticeable if you crush the leaves and the plants are well worth having.

What do you know 2003?
When would you take softwood cuttings?

November Answer. The slug and snail eggs are round, transparent and about 5mm diameter. They are found in clusters near the surface of the soil. It helps to control slugs by hoeing regularly so that eggs are exposed and eaten by birds.