skateboarding at the Grove Pub car park

[Matil]

Just adding a related topic (main thread here)

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,2174022

One of the local skaters recently launched a photo book (?7 - for fund raising) featuring the pics from the build phase in the summer of 2020. Please see attached jpg image for a flavour. All profits will suppliment the cost of materials to allow us to continue with builds & improve the quality of the spot.

Should you be interested, please visit our official website: https://thegrovediy.com/

Thanks!

[lilithangel]

I live opposite the Harvester and it is an eyesore. Every day I walk around the park and I?ve been monitoring the skaters. To begin with I was angry at the damage they did but as the months have gone by I?ve seen how they are caring for the space. Tidying up and clearly have a set of rules regarding what happens there. Yesterday 2 parents were there with their young daughter who had a skateboard for Christmas. They were watching her closely whilst others were teaching her tricks etc. I have no issues with the skaters. They are making excellent use of a derelict space, and making it work for them. As long as they keep it clean and tidy I don't see the issue. People would be moaning if they were skating or hanging around the street. This way they have somewhere safe to go and they clearly look out for each other. If the council or estate want to remove them they should do something constructive with the land instead of letting it rot away.

[KidKruger]

Keeping it clean and tidy perhaps shouldn?t be a condition - was the site clean and tidy before the skaters moved in ?!

[nivag]

KidKruger Wrote:

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

> Keeping it clean and tidy perhaps shouldn?t be a

> condition - was the site clean and tidy before the

> skaters moved in ?!

The place was a dumping ground before the skaters decided to make good use of it.

[KidKruger]

Exactly my point.

[Matil]

Skaters by default need reasonably tidy surface to skate, so it's in our own interest to keep the place (at least the tarmac bit) litter free :) All work is done voluntarily by local skaters, so it might get messier at times but it'll be cleared eventually. Local business is also helping us by taking bin bags, so it's truely a community effort. It might not be always picture perfect but we have system in place to keep the spot functional and maximum number of people happy!

[NewWave]

Matil Wrote:

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

> Skaters by default need reasonably tidy surface to

> skate, so it's in our own interest to keep the

> place (at least the tarmac bit) litter free :) All

> work is done voluntarily by local skaters, so it

> might get messier at times but it'll be cleared

> eventually. Local business is also helping us by

> taking bin bags, so it's truely a community

> effort. It might not be always picture perfect but

> we have system in place to keep the spot

> functional and maximum number of people happy!

I think its great what you're doing.

That spot was a derelict tip and now you're actually utilising it and giving local kids a place to hang out and exercise and meet their mates.

Well done!

[Metallic]

lilithangel Wrote:

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

> I live opposite the Harvester and it is an

> eyesore. Every day I walk around the park and I?ve

> been monitoring the skaters. To begin with I was

> angry at the damage they did but as the months

> have gone by I?ve seen how they are caring for the

> space. Tidying up and clearly have a set of rules

> regarding what happens there. Yesterday 2 parents

> were there with their young daughter who had a

> skateboard for Christmas. They were watching her

> closely whilst others were teaching her tricks

> etc. I have no issues with the skaters. They are

> making excellent use of a derelict space, and

> making it work for them. As long as they keep it

> clean and tidy I don't see the issue. People would

> be moaning if they were skating or hanging around

> the street. This way they have somewhere safe to

> go and they clearly look out for each other. If

> the council or estate want to remove them they

> should do something constructive with the land

> instead of letting it rot away.

"hanging round in the street". like the ones using the closed junction by the shops in Dulwich Village.

[Red Jumper]

Love what you've done with the place!

Walked pasted for the first time in years and so happy this dump has been transformed into a community based project that most people are on board with.

Bulldoze the pub and get some funding for an full sized skatepark I'd say - bring some much needed money into the area and diversify a little bit. Dulwich doesn't need another pub or a overpriced eatery.

[ruffers]

I supported it then and I support it now - https://www.greyskatemag.com/post/the-grove-diy-an-overgrown-pub-carpark-transformed-during-lockdown/

Have a read..

[Earl Aelfheah]

It?s great. A really positive use of a previously derelict space. Everyone should support it imo.

[Matil]

Hello ED!

The Grove DIY skaters recently had a collabo session with a work wear brand Dickies. We had a proper film crew and all that for our build day, and this is the uplifting 2mins footage they produced in the end.

This sparkling footage wouldn't have been possible without the huge community support we received in the summer of 2020 and since. We thank you!!

[Rockets]

Superb, well done to you all. This is a fantastic project, you should all be incredibly proud.

[legalalien]

Awesome. I didn?t realise it was so big / well attended! Must pop by and have a look.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Good on you, matil

[Cora]

Fantastic 😊🎈

[JamesRixon]

Just saw this article in the RIBA Journal.

[nivag]

JamesRixon Wrote:

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

> Just saw this article in the RIBA Journal.

Thanks for posting that.

[Matil]

Hello! A video here!!

For your enjoyment, the team GB Olympian skateboarder Alex Decunha and his crew graced our spot back in Aug 2021. We didn't ask them, they just decided to come in :) It's a great recognition of our local spot, and we're very excited to see their excellent tricks in our familiar scenery!

[LemonMarzipan]

Thank you for uploading this , enjoying watching with my morning coffee 🤙

Matil Wrote:

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

> Hello! A video here!!

>

> For your enjoyment, the team GB Olympian

> skateboarder Alex Decunha and his crew graced our

> spot back in Aug 2021. We didn't ask them, they

> just decided to come in :) It's a great

> recognition of our local spot, and we're very

> excited to see their excellent tricks in our

> familiar scenery!

[heartblock]

This is great - I hope this stays and gets some funding from the Council.

[Metallic]

heartblock Wrote:

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

> This is great - I hope this stays and gets some

> funding from the Council.

But sadly the land belongs to the dreadful, uncharitable, look-after-themselves Dulwich Estate. They have been coining rents from that derelict site for years, from the former Grove Tavern landlords who just retained their lease without doing anything to the property. Something fishy? Surely not? It is a scandal.

[heartblock]

Maybe they should remember that their founder Edward Alleyn was all about offering opportunities to the youth of the day.

[Glemham]

Here's a link to an excellent account of the Grove Tavern Saga which in 2022 will ?celebrate? its 10th anniversary. This Saga has it all: a brewery owned by a hedge fund, incompetent landlords, a toothless local authority, and an amenity society so enamoured of Dulwich's past that it has seemingly little interest in its future.

Meanwhile the Grove DIY skateboarders put them all to shame.

https://www.dulwichsociety.com/journal-archive/130-spring-2020/1872-the-grove-tavern-saga-by-mike-foster

[Matil]

Thanks for the Dulwich Society's link! I might join the society so that I can gauge views on the skatepark & have a dialogue with the local people directly. I'll look around their articles first.

The skatepark is still in limbo in terms of survival but even so / because of it, we're determined to make the spot as good as it can be. An Olympian & his crew visiting the Grove on their own accord is a testimony to what we've been trying - a skate spot built by the skaters with love & passion ;)

Glad to hear the vid is enjoyable to watch!

Glemham Wrote:

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

> Here's a link to an excellent account of the Grove

> Tavern Saga which in 2022 will ?celebrate? its

> 10th anniversary. This Saga has it all: a brewery

> owned by a hedge fund, incompetent landlords, a

> toothless local authority, and an amenity society

> so enamoured of Dulwich's past that it has

> seemingly little interest in its future.

> Meanwhile the Grove DIY skateboarders put them all

> to shame.

>

> https://www.dulwichsociety.com/journal-archive/130

> -spring-2020/1872-the-grove-tavern-saga-by-mike-fo

> ster