marianik

In response to the recent clearance in the wooded area of the cemetery along Underhill Road, and in the interest of getting involved in future decisions concerning the area, local residents are proposing re-forming the Friends of Camberwell Old Cemetery group. One idea is to have the area designated as a local nature reserve, as it is already listed as a Site of Nature Conservation Interest. A number of us met with the cemetery manager and other council staff on April 7 2014 to discuss our concerns over the current works, and have been told that a public consultation over future development of the cemetery should begin this July. We have also drafted minutes of the meeting and had replies from the council which I have pasted below. If you are interested in joining the proposed Friends group, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or PM me here on the forum, and we will add you to the e-mail list. In line with preserving the biodiversity in the cemetery, we have been in touch with the London Wildlife Trust. Daniel Greenwood of the LWT will be leading a bird walk on Monday June 16 from 19-21h30 in the cemetery. The meeting point is inside the Forest Hill Road gates. For further information, contact [email protected] / 0207 252 9186 *** From: Deborah McKenzie Sent: Thursday, 10 April 2014, 13:40 Subject: Camberwell Old Cemetery Dear Residents, Thank you to those of you who were able to meet with us on Monday 7th April. We thought it would be useful to provide a summary of what was discussed in relation to Camberwell Old Cemetery. Emergency Wall Repairs ? Avril Kirby (Cemetery and Crematorium Manager) provided a background to the current work being undertaken to repair the Ryedale section of the boundary wall. The work was prompted by a resident reporting that the wall at the rear of his garden was in imminent danger of falling down. Once the emergency repairs began it became clear that the wall was in such poor condition that the re-building work would have to be extended along the full length of the wall to ensure its integrity and safety. This has required some vegetation clearance at the foot of the wall to enable access to construction vehicles and excavation to build foundations for a new retaining wall. Feasibility Study ? Deborah McKenzie (Service Development Officer) responded to enquiries about the wider plans for the section of Camberwell Old Cemetery that lies between the Ryedale and Underhill Road boundary. From within the cemetery this area has been fenced off from public access for several years and the council have been looking at how to bring the space back into public use. In doing so a feasibility study is underway to assess conditions at the site. This has included conducting the following site investigations: 1. Topographical Survey - Ground levels within the fenced section are very uneven, there are sharp dips in some spots and a steep mounded area at the centre. It is not considered safe for the public to use the space. As part of the feasibility study a survey was completed last year to measure land levels across the site to determine the volume of soil that would need to be re-configured to create more level ground across the site. 2. Soil Survey - The condition of the soil and its chemical make up was investigated in order to inform any strategy to move soil around. Some reduction of vegetation was required at this stage to allow access for digging machines to collect soil samples from different depths. 3. Tree Survey - It was immediately recognised that it was essential to understand the condition, species and value of the trees within the fenced area as part of the feasibility and to inform a conservation management plan. Two attempts were made to conduct a tree survey last year but the surveyor found the terrain at the time was such that it was unsafe to continue due to the extent of ground cover coupled with uncertain ground levels underfoot. Consequently, our gardening team needed to reduce undergrowth around the site to provide access for the surveyor to get close enough to trees to survey them accurately. 4. We are in the process of commissioning a phase 2 habitat survey to determine the ecological value provided in this section of the cemetery. This will inform the feasibility study. Conservation Management ? Biodiversity and habitat loss is always a consideration with any vegetation reduction and advice was sought from the borough's Ecology Officer, Tree Services manager and the Senior Planner responsible for Trees before undertaking clearance for these investigations. Restrictions were placed on the extent of reduction so that it was limited to cutting back ground cover, scrub and small saplings. Under advice from the ecology officer, vegetation was retained on site for wildlife habitats and work took place after the bird nesting season. He was satisfied that factors such as the; the time of the year; the significant regeneration expected and retention of dead wood on site would not result in a significant loss of habitat. ? Japanese Knotweed - we are currently carrying out a 5 year rolling programme for the eradication of Japanese Knotweed with regular inspections to identify any new areas of growth and treatment required. ? A conservation management plan is in place that shapes the management and future development of Camberwell Old Cemetery whilst ensuring that its best and most valuable features are protected and restored and its distinct character is enhanced. ? In response to the final paragraph of Anne's email seeking examples of any increase in bio-diversity achieved by the team's management of the cemetery. We consider that works delivered in 2012 at the Wood Vale end of the cemetery, produced a gain in biodiversity. The following gains were delivered as part of the redevelopment: ? ? 1890 m2 of native shrub planting along Wood Vale. ? 85 Trees planted including 45 native standards ? Bat boxes were placed in suitable trees and all the works were delivered outside nesting season and with input from the ecology officer. ? Wood from felled trees were retained for stag beetle habitat creation in other parts of the cemetery. ? Other measures have been introduced that benefit bio-diversity such as relaxing our mowing regime where the herb rich grasslands are found. Of course we would also welcome any suggestion from residents on how we can continue to improve in this respect. Consultation ? Once the feasibility report into bringing the site back into use becomes available, a full public consultation will begin. We expect that consultation on proposals will start in June and will be ongoing during the summer. Consultees will have access to the full range of investigation reports above. ? It was suggested that residents may wish to form a Friends of Camberwell Old Cemetery and the council can provide guidance with how to go about this. We shall ensure that you receive further information about the consultation as soon as dates are confirmed. In the meantime, if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact Avril Kirby on [email protected]. Kind Regards Deborah Deborah McKenzie Service Development Officer (Parks) Tel: 020 7525 0870 Mob: 07903 261 253 *** IN REPLY to our response asking for more information, Ms. McKenzie wrote the following Answers to our questions: From: Deborah McKenzie Sent: May 22 We are seeking to confirm dates for the consultation once the council cabinet resumes in mid June and now intend to begin consulting in July. Feasibility study. Can you let us know what sort of " public use " is envisaged by the Council in respect of the section of the Camberwell Old Cemetery which lies between Ryedale and Underhill Road. ANSWER: The proposal is to return the area to use for burial. 1. Topographical Survey. As this survey has been completed could we please be given a copy of it now? All survey reports will be compiled for inclusion in the consultation pack and released when we begin consulting in July 2. Soil survey Please could you confirm in writing that no trace of any asbestos now remains. ANSWER See above 3. Tree survey Presumably this has now taken place and we should also welcome seeing a copy of it. ANSWER See above Conservation Management Please may we see a copy of this plan which you state is in place. ANSWER The draft plan will be released for consultation in July. For instance does it make provision for an annual inspection of the bat boxes? See above Can you also specify what type of programme/method you are using to eradicate Japanese knotweed and ensure it does not spread to areas outside the cemetery. ANSWER Please see my previous email. Further info can be supplied during the consultation Wood Vale bio-diversity Can you tell us where the wood felled from the trees was put. For instance was it put in the woodland area currently under discussion? ANSWER Details to be discussed during consultation. Could you specify what "other measures " you are taking to benefit - bio-diversity? For example what sorts of grasses would you use in the future. ANSWER See above Regarding the mowing how much of the previously mowed areas will be allowed to develop into herb rich grasslands? ANSWER See above Other issues. 1.At our meeting Avril did say that there was a hot line we could ring if we saw any activity in the cemetery which could be a cause for concern. Could you let us know what this number is and during what times it would be answered by somone. ANSWER Cemetery Office: 020 7525 5600 (office hours 9 - 5); Call Centre: 020 7525 5000 (out of hours) 2.We would like to apply for local nature reserve status for the wilder part of the cemetery so please could you tell us which council officer would be the decision maker in this matter. ANSWER Please seek advice from Jon Best (LBS Ecology Officer) We would also request that you do not carry out any more destruction of habitat in this area. As stated in my last email I am happy to set up a Friends Group. Any help you can offer with this will be much appreciated. ANSWER Please see the attached info for setting up a Friends group. Kind Regards Deborah Deborah McKenzie Service Development Officer (Parks) Tel: 020 7525 0870 Mob: 07903 261 253

Daniel Greenwood, Conservation Officer at the London Wildlife Trust will be leading a bird walk on Monday 16th June 2014 from 19:00-20:30 at Camberwell Old Cemetery. It will be a chance to discover the amazing diversity of birdlife in this Victorian cemetery. The meeting point is inside the Forest Hill Road gate. There is no need to RSVP, but for more information, please contact [email protected] / 0207 252 9186. **Edited to show amended end time: 20:30 rather than 21:30

Just to add our recommendation for London Grounds. Charlie and a colleague worked on our garden this past weekend, clearing out many bags of heavy dirt and old patio stones, bringing in a ton of fresh topsoil, and laying new turf. They carried most of the soil through the house and hardly left a trace, worked non-stop and were remarkably cheerful on the hottest day of the year so far. We were very impressed, and are happy with the new lawn.

I would recommend Shaun Owens as well, he upgraded all the electrics in our renovated house and was by far the most reasonably priced of the people who quoted for us, as well as being very helpful, nice, and quick to come round to sort out any problems. I've posted a longer recommendation for Shaun here: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?30,1012574,1012574#msg-1012574

I can also highly recommend Marcus-- he tiled our bathroom floor & walls, WC floor and kitchen walls for us, and it all looks fantastic. He also came back later to fix a few odds and ends for us (issues caused by another tradesperson), and is always a pleasure to have around, he gives great advice and does excellent work.

Plastering, electrician, painting, tiling, plumbing, etc, etc,: We bought and completely renovated our terraced Victorian house in East Dulwich this past autumn, and used the forum to find almost all of the tradesmen who did the work for us. We had to re-plaster the entire house, upgrade the electrics, and put in a new kitchen and bathroom, all in 6 weeks. We didn?t have a project manager, and in organizing things ourselves sometimes got tasks out of order, so the workers had to cope with some chaos. Every person we found through the forum was excellent: friendly, hard-working and very flexible?so I just wanted to add our own recommendations here. FYI - I usually got quotes from 3 different people for each job, and only contacted people for quotes who had had at least 3 recommendations on the forum. Feel free to PM me if you?d like more information. Plastering: John McCann 07905 044912? I posted a recommendation for our plasterer on the forum back in September so won?t repeat here, but he finished our walls beautifully, and regularly pointed out where we could save money on the work. Electrician: Shaun Owens 07974 943346. Shaun is great, really conscientious and extremely helpful. The first two electricians who quoted for the work recommended a complete re-wire (without looking at the electrics)?Shaun checked first, found we didn?t need the re-wire, and saved us about 2000? by just bringing the system up to code. Decorator/Painter: Eddie 07522 523415 ? Eddie painted the entire interior of our house on his own, including the woodwork and stairs, at an extremely reasonable daily rate, and he also took on all kinds of other odd jobs, like hanging our curtains, fixing a window frame, pouring cement on a damp patch and more. He is meticulous, very tidy, and wants things done right, and we were very pleased with the final result. He had to work around me and my toddler for a couple of weeks as we only finished the plastering once we?d moved in, and it went very well?he is pleasant to have around the house, and very hard working. Plumber: Maurice Yeoman 07837 168978 ? I found Maurice on the forum to fix a leaking pipe that another plumber (recommended by a friend) had put in. Maurice gave us excellent advice on bathroom fittings, saving us a lot of money but with good-looking, quality products, and did all the plumbing for our bathroom and kitchen, as well as fixing the radiators. He was extremely helpful and very flexible, rearranging his schedule when our own plans were running late, picking up supplies for us, and even searching through the giant rubbish heap in front of the house to find the radiator brackets that had somehow gotten thrown away. Tiler: Marcus Woloch 07817 050159. Again, a super nice, helpful guy. Marcus tiled our bathroom floor and walls, WC floor, and kitchen walls, and did a fantastic job. He gives great advice too, helping me decide on how to tile the kitchen. He also came back weeks later to re-grout where a carpenter had left gaps between the wall and door frame, and fix new door sills for us. Kitchen: Andrew Robertson at Puccini Kitchens 07901 880334. I saw an ad for Puccini Kitchens in Living South magazine, and called after considering an Ikea kitchen and meeting with other kitchen fitters. I wanted something that looked more design, but at a reasonable price in case we ended up extending the back of the house one day and destroying the current kitchen. Andrew understood our expectations right away, and came up with exactly what I wanted (blue wooden cupboards, integrated appliances, wooden counter) for a great price. Very happy! Cornices ? Simon 07761 006002. Simon was recommended by our plasterer. Our cornices were beyond repairing, as there was substantial cracking all around the front room and bedroom. Other cornicemen suggested ripping them out (and risking the entire ceiling falling down in the process) but Simon ran off new cornices that were large enough to fit over the originals, but with a similar pattern. We were so pleased with the result that we had Simon design a plaster picture rail for us and fit that in the front room as well. Bricklayer ? Alan 07988 666569. Alan lay a new outdoor window sill for us, and charged half of what he?d quoted since the job took less time than expected. Looks great. Appliance repair ? Dave Nichols ?Cookerman? 07506 104882. Incredibly nice guy, very good at his job and happy to explain all his repairs to you. We got a second-hand Smeg cooker that looked to be in terrible shape, but with Dave?s repairs (and a professional clean?see below) it is now a super machine! Oven cleaning South East Oven Cleaners? Sy 07976 705693. We were almost ready to throw the cooker away until Sy and Dave got their hands on it. Sy does all the heavy duty cleaning in his van, so no toxic chemicals directly in the house, and the cooker looks like new now. I think that?s it! Marie-Annick

We are renovating a Victorian house in East Dulwich, and have used the forum to find most of the tradespeople working on the project. We?re getting towards the end of the job and I wanted to recommend our plasterer John McCann to anyone considering having similar work done. The house was structurally sound but looked terrible when we started, and John has done a fantastic job re-plastering the entire house. He organized workers to strip the walls back to the original plaster, and then himself: overboarded and skim plastered the ceilings where needed; fixed some pretty substantial cracks throughout the house; hacked-off and re-rendered or plaster-boarded the worst-affected walls; and did a beautiful job with the skim plastering. The walls have a great finish to them, looking really smooth and solid. Apart from doing great work, John is also cost-conscious, tidy, and extremely trustworthy. We left the keys with him throughout the work, and always felt that the house was being well-looked after (locking up when he left, taking in mail, accepting deliveries for us). To date, everything is on budget and running smoothly. He?s also a pleasure to have around, very friendly, and great at dealing with our toddler running around the site. His number is 07905 044912, and if you have any questions feel free to PM me.

Je n'ai vraiment pas de chance avec ces rencontres! Maxim etait malade hier soir et dormait trop bien pour que je ne le reveille cet apres-midi. A la prochaine fois j'espere-- Marie-Annick

Je suis libre jeudi prochain aussi, je vais essayer de (finalement) vous rencontrer! Marie-Annick

Allo Julie, Joane et autres-- J'aimerais bien me joindre a vous demain apres-midi si mon bebe ne dort pas--on revient de vacances et il souffre toujours du decalage horaire, donc difficile de connaitre son horaire d'avance. Vous vous rencontrez ou sur Lordship Lane, et quand? Merci! Marie-Annick (maman de Maxim, 10 mois)

Hi ladies, My baby has come down with a cough, so I won't be coming to the cafe today-- have fun, let me know if you meet up again. Marie-Annick

Allo, j'y viendrai aussi, see you Thursday- Marie-Annick

Thursday at the French Cafe works for me, mid-afternoon would be a good time for us because my baby usually sleeps in the mornings but whatever time suits most people is fine. I have an 8 month old. Marie-Annick

Hi, I'd also like to meet up next week, after Tuesday if possible. I live close to the French Cafe or The Garden Cafe if those are convenient places to meet, but am happy to go elsewhere too. Marie-Annick

Bonjour tout le monde-- I've just moved to East Dulwich and would love to be included in any future meet-ups of French-speaking moms. My husband and I are bilingual, from Quebec, and have a 7 month old son. I was glad to find out about the Cadet Rousselle group, and will be sure to drop by. Marie-Annick