macroban

Forest Hill is a deceptive. Some parts are only a few feet higher than the Crystal Palace Tavern. But most parts of Forest Hill should still be above water until around 2038. So, Renzon, have you actually checked the height above sea level of your home? And, Keef, you're probably right about Sydenham, but do you include drinking 100 feet under water as one of your skills?

Probably no-one gave a thought of the consequences when all local pubs had been gastrated.

In an idle moment I discovered that the Crystal Palace Tavern in nearly exactly 100 feet above sea level. On a straight line projection the sea will be lapping around its doors in around 2027.

Dulwich Hill looks to be a suitable candidate. I'd be happy to make an all expenses paid research trip to prepare a feasibility report.

Many thanks for the information about the St John's pond, David Mc. I thought that St John's wasn't on Goose Green but adjacent. There had to be a reason for building the church on an unsuitable site. Could it be the land was unsuitable for housing development? I wonder if Mr Selwyn also owned what is now Marsden Road! Did Mr Beasley have anything to say about the alleged Goose Green ponds?

> Have you been reading too many of Louisa's posts sean? > Record stylus? luxury, we used to have to play our indie music with coal. EDF: another day, another attack. Mockney, I'm afraid your knowledge of recorded music technology is not sound. The organic material used to play records was the thorn needle. They could be purchased at Follet's record store at the bottom of Lordship Lane.

> all welcome here (as long as you went to school in ED). Misquotation methinks.

The current (post 2001 Census) projections for the whole of Southwark are here. There are, or will be, more than 950 secondary school boys within a mile radius who can't be placed in existing schools?

Must have been news to the folk who lived in the Herne Hill settlement in 1805.

The data show: Ages 0-14 = 1686 persons Ages 10-19 = 1020 persons [Note the age cohort overlap for the above] Only if all these persons are male and Southwark intends to shut down all other secondary school places for East Dulwich boys will the Academy even approach being full. I can only conclude that the Academy is not being planned as a secondary school for East Dulwich.

Yes, Etherow Street was devastated, and there was one in Eynella Road. There were others too. The Summer and Autumn of 1944 was a bad time for East Dulwich. It was only in the late 1980s we discovered why there was such a concentration of flying bomb hits. British Intelligence was feeding the Germans false "telemetrics" reporting overshoots North of London. The Germans changed their targetting parameters to adjust for this and the missiles landed short of central London thus saving many lives. I believe what is now the London Borough Bromley had the most damage from misdirected flying bombs.

My earliest memory of that part of Lordship Lane is the shanty-town of small one-storey temporary shops that the Co-op built over the bomb site. Family shopping was done at The Plough where there was a full range of local shops. There was only rarely a need to shop that far down Lordship Lane.

From the planning notice: "[...] alterations to existing highway and creation of new pedestrian accesses including provision of servicing and parking access off Friern Road." A little vague, but clearly they plan to have changes made outside their perimeter. Does anyone have details?

I've found this personal account which I have not read before.

Oh! (I think) the original post by jackangel is a clever piece of humorous writing; might even be classed as satire. But sometimes satire passes by the target of the satire. I certainly had a broad grin. My reflection was prompted by the content: war-time = when rescued leather suite = location boarded up shop-fronts = event Saturday = time I doubt whether there are many left who walk down Lordship Lane and reflect on the event. Probably the only present day impact is when houses are renovated and there is some irritation about having to spend extra un-budgeted money for unexpected structural repairs. It's difficult to think of a present day equivalent. Perhaps a very large terrorist bomb set off in Somerfield on a Saturday which reduces the entire building to rubble.

I'm sorry, Asset, I don't know the point. It was just a personal reflection on one of the saddest days in East Dulwich in the context of jackangel's post about East Dulwich at war.

Footbridge? Perhaps not. A modern pedestrian road footbridge with stairs and access ramps is a massive structure. It would obscure the archtitect's vision of the frontage of the new Academy and the pavements are too narrow for the footbridge supports that would be needed. A subway? Well, maybe. I could be mistaken (perhaps someone could check) but, the architect's front elevation has the main academy entrance directly aligned with the Peckham Rye Park Avenue, and the local topography has the Avenue at the new Academy basement level.

On Saturday 5 August 1944 you might have been doing your family shopping at the Lordship Lane Coop or standing at the tram-stop outside.

TimJM is the first(?) to write about the finances that lie behind the deal to create this Harris Academy. These are normally "commercial in confidence" and hidden from the residents. It's a great deal for a private organisation to get valuable public assets at such a knock down price. I understand that these deals include the private ownership of the buildings and the land. "Knock down prices" reminds me of Carpetright. Financial journalists regard the Carpetright CEO to be a very smart operator. A handful of web searches will confirm this. We know that East Dulwich does not have a shortage of 950 (or 750) school places for secondary school boys, nor will the age cohorts coming through nor the demographic changes since the 2001 Census create the need for an extra 950 school places for boys. The demographic data can be checked here. The only way the extra 950 school places can be filled is bringing in boys from further North in the London Borough of Southwark. When the East Dulwich Academy is full there are likely to be schools further North with significant vacancies for boys. These schools can then be downsized and and surplus land and buildings can be sold to developers for economic regeneration. I know from personal discussions that a Harris Peckham Academy for Girls would have some support from Peckham residents who prefer single sex schools. Needlework anyone?

I don't think the London Brough of Southwark issues battle licences.

Sorry. Whoops again! "The youngest age your child can work part-time is 13 years old, with the exception of children involved in television, theatre, modelling or similar activities"

Whoops! "Employers should not include age limits in job adverts, and should avoid using words which could suggest they are looking for applicants from a particular age group. For example an advert which states that the company requires a ?young, enthusiastic? person could be used as evidence of age discrimination."

A little while ago Amelie wrote about possible plague pits under Peckham Rye. So what is buried under Peckham Rye? That's Peckham Rye proper, not Peckham Rye Park where the remains of Homestall Farm and the big mansions are well documented. I can think of these: The foundations of the bandstand. The basin of the boating lake. The public air raid shelter The remains of the open air swimming pool. Is there anything else? The last time I walked down Forest Hill Road some of the remains of the swimming pool still protruded from the ground. It was quite interesting to try to work out what all the visible bits and the landscaped mounds once were. But it's a bit of a cheat when you remember the pool in its full glory.

Snorky, I'd be grateful if you would ask John Beasley a supplementary question about the possible St John's pond. In c1866 when a site was being selected for St John's there was a wide choice of undeveloped agricultural land where the church could be built. Why did the builders choose to build such a substantial structure over an old pond? Thank you.

Why not look on the bright side? There's a business opportuninty to sponsor new bus shelters outside the East Dulwich pubs and bars.