Peckham town centre historic restorations

[Eileen]

The original square in front of Peckham Rye station (see picture attached) is to be restored. This is made possible by funding coming this year from the London Mayor via the GLA to add to funding agreed by Southwark Council for a few years? time. Discussions on the details for all this are now starting. Meanwhile the work on restoring the Old Waiting Room (OWR) above the ticket hall is about to become visible again with the unbricking of the windows on the ground floor to reveal the wonderful original stone and metal staircase. That will be followed by extending the staircase by half a flight to reach into the Old Waiting Room.

The scaffolding, that has just gone up, is to repair the leak in the roof and then to repair the floor damaged by the leak. Then folks, the OWR will be accessible again from the forecourt without having to go through the station. We (Peckham Vision) have exciting plans and proposals to complete the restoration of the room, and to restore some of the other historic buildings in the town centre.

These and other plans will achieve some of the transformation many of us locally have discussed and explored for so long. But without those discussions we would not have been ready to take advantage of the new funds when they unexpectedly became available. Always faithful to the Girl Guide motto - Be Prepared!

There will be an exhibition, from 4pm on Wednesday 14th March 133 Rye Lane, (in the Bussey building - also part of the current renaissance), which will give visitors the chance to get the background and catch up on all the news. The meeting that evening 7-9pm will update us all, celebrate the significant achievements over the last year, and discuss the future developments and opportunities. Further info on the event here. Please come and support our community effort.

Posting queries or comments in this forum topic will help to contribute to the discussion. To join the local residents mailing list to keep up to date, please email [email protected]

[Eileen]

hi - does anyone know how to post a picture in the thread so it is visble? I have emailed admin on the forum but can get no reply. If you do please PN me so I can get some pics on display. Thanks

[Huggers]

fantastic! I hope we won't have to wait too long for the results.

[ibilly99]

Wow what a great space and a lost treasure - I fear though given Peckham as a whole it's a bit like lipstick on a pig.

[Eileen]

http://www.peckhamvision.org/wiki/images/a/a8/Rye_Lane_Station_1880.jpg

Here is Peckham Rye station as it was when built in the 1860s. The front of the building as seen here is almost intact but many don't even see it as it is so obscured by the buildings and clutter in front. This space will be reopened now sometime in probably the next 2 - 4 years' time, revealing the building like this. The details are not yet even on the drawing board. But what is known will be reported at the meeting on 14th March. The reopening of the space will be accompanied by redesign and improvement of the whole street scene and street furniture in that central part of Rye Lane between Elm Grove and Blenheim Grove and possibly further.

As you look at this picture, see the ground floor windows to the left of the station entrance. These are the ones that will be unbricked in the next few weeks to reveal the listed stone and metal original staircase.

[ibilly99]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rsKn0_3pFyU/TrrZvWKR6BI/AAAAAAAAASM/lnJUQIDm84s/s1600/lipstick-on-pig.png

[DulwichFox]

I seem to remember the old waiting room from back in the mid 50's

Old Fox

[Undisputedtruth]

ibilly99 Wrote:

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> http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rsKn0_3pFyU/TrrZvWKR6BI/

> AAAAAAAAASM/lnJUQIDm84s/s1600/lipstick-on-pig.png

Seems Ibilly99 is being silly again.

[Jeremy]

I see what ibilly means by his "lipstick on a pig" comment (let's face it, Rye Lane is rather unattractive). But if you want to improve the area, you've got to start somewhere... and restoration of period architecture seems like a pretty good start to me. This work will also make the station area feel more open and safer.

[Otta]

I think this is great. Except it has no doubt bought Bozza a few votes in the SE15 area.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I think it would be wonderful.

On a selfish aside, where will my dentist be going? (It's the one right opposite the present entrance)

[Undisputedtruth]

Rye Lane is now a designated conservation area, Jeremy. Hopefully, we should see the real Peckham in future.

The picture posted by iBilly as a knee jerk reaction is rather unhelpful to what is actually going on in Peckham at the moment. Perhaps reading up on the Peckham and Nunhead Area Action plan & the English Heritage report provides insight to his mind.

I've been inside the Old Waiting Room and it's such a wonderful space.

[Otta]

Beautiful as it is, do you reckon anyone will actually bother using it once it's done? Serious question, as I just can't really see myself bothering, so have to wonder if it's a bit of a waste of money.

[ibilly99]

Don't get me wrong I love the space and look forward to seeing and also am dying to see the Bussey Building - but all in all Peckham has precious little going got it ig you don't like unidentified dreid fish or Poundshops that is ..

[Otta]

But surely this sort of project is the kind of thing that will draw more and more middle class people to the area. That will price out the people that live there now, and before you know it, you'll have "Rye Village", complete with Organic butcher, cook bars full of annoying people, and lots of independent shops selling random stuff.

[ibilly99]

And then we could moan about the old Peckham and the heaps of African grass cutings we could get for a quid.Has anybody ever had one of these frightening looking dried fish - I once saw dried rat like creatures on a stick

http://www.bigriverfish.com/images/large/Herring.jpg

[Undisputedtruth]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> But surely this sort of project is the kind of

> thing that will draw more and more middle class

> people to the area. That will price out the people

> that live there now, and before you know it,

> you'll have "Rye Village", complete with Organic

> butcher, cook bars full of annoying people, and

> lots of independent shops selling random stuff.

Peckham has a growing reputation on the London arts circuit. It won't be too long before Peckham becomes the next Hoxton. ;-)

The money being pumped into Peckham now is small change compared to billions pumped in elsewhere.

[edhistory]

Extract from clearer photo.

This give a better idea of the decorative metalwork.

John K

[Undisputedtruth]

On what year your picture dates back, Ed?

[DJKillaQueen]

I think it will be great to finally see this work happen and great praise should be heaped on Eileen and Peckham Vision who have fought very hard and for many years to bring improvements to Peckham and to protect the historical aspects of the area too. I do think some are unfair in their complete dismissal of Rye Lane as something not worth bothering with. I love Rye Lane...I can get mostly what I need from there, and love the cultural and ethnic diversity. I can get many things I need from ED too but find Lordship Lane totally bland in comparison. Horses for courses I guess.

[maxxi]

ibilly99 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> And then we could moan about the old Peckham and

> the heaps of African grass cutings we could get

> for a quid.Has anybody ever had one of these

> frightening looking dried fish - I once saw dried

> rat like creatures on a stick

> http://www.bigriverfish.com/images/large/Herring.j

> pg

You get the same thing in ED billy - it's just packaged differently...http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQc4cQoNZpylinqJ--Vt4HL817TN_Fgxhyy983DpCF_nPwceNTFKw

[Eileen]

Undisputedtruth Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/file.php?20,file=44636

> On what year your picture dates back, Ed?

The copy I have is labelled 1870 but that can't be taken as gospel. It was probably near the early part of its life after it became operational in 1865/66.

[edhistory]

This one from the bridge shows the roof and entrance decorative metalwork better.

c1870?

John K

[Eileen]

edhistory Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Extract from clearer photo.

> This give a better idea of the decorative

> metalwork.

> John K

Hi John - thanks for producing this picture. Would you post the whole picture so that we can see it all? I'd like to have a copy to add to our collection as clearer than the ones I have.

[PeckhamRose]

Here you are.