Bellenden Rd & North Cross Rd ‘High Streets for People’

[bels123]

Two local ‘High Streets for People’ events happening today: -

Southwark celebrates High Streets for People

On Saturday 21 June, Southwark Council is bringing residents, families, communities and businesses together to celebrate our High Streets.

On Bellenden Road, Peckham, there will be a community event from 11am to 4pm with children’s games, face-painting, live music including a samba band and DJs, food from local businesses, cycling activities and much more.

The road will be temporarily shut to vehicles between Danby Street and Choumert Road from 7am to 7pm, with buses diverted during this time to make space for community and family activities.

Councillor James McAsh, Cabinet Member for Clean Air, Streets and Waste, said: “What a great way to celebrate the first day of Summer! Streets for People is about putting people first — making our neighbourhoods places where communities can connect, businesses can thrive, and everyone can enjoy cleaner air and safer streets.”

Partners in the event include Bellenden Road businesses, London Play, Peddle my Wheels, JoyRiders, Community Cycleworks, the London Samba Band, OurBike, Poetic Unity.

North Cross Road market will also be extended on Saturday 21 June, with extra traders taking part. Vehicle access will be restricted up to Lacon Road between 8am and 5pm to accommodate this.

Local communities are also organising a number of play streets and street parties to mark the start of summer. The council has approved 18 road closures in June and July, allowing communities to enjoy their streets without traffic for the day.

All these activities support Southwark’s Streets for People strategy, which seeks to make streets across the borough cleaner, greener, safer and more welcoming.  Investments are being made in walking and cycling routes, improved air quality, and creating more space for community use. Find out more at www.southwark.gov.uk/highstreetsforpeople

As part of its commitment to do something each year that brings residents, community groups and businesses together to take climate action, Southwark Council has also arranged a number of free events as part of London Climate Action Week. You can view the full list of events at www.southwark.gov.uk/climate-week

[Penguin68]

1 hour ago, bels123 said:

Councillor James McAsh, Cabinet Member for Clean Air, Streets and Waste, said: “What a great way to celebrate the first day of Summer!

What planet is this man from? June 21st it literally the height of summer, from tomorrow the days get shorter. If people are looking for a 'first day' the general choice is either 1st May ('hooray, hooray, the first of May, outdoor f***ing starts today') or 1st June (assuming the summer months are June July and August).

[Spartacus]

Is North Cross Road the High Street now ? 😅

Shame that this wasn't publicised wider and earlier IMHO 

[alice]

I think the choice of Bellenden and North Cross roads  shows which people McCash  thinks the streets are for. 

[exdulwicher]

1 hour ago, Penguin68 said:

What planet is this man from? June 21st it literally the height of summer, from tomorrow the days get shorter. If people are looking for a 'first day' the general choice is either 1st May ('hooray, hooray, the first of May, outdoor f***ing starts today') or 1st June (assuming the summer months are June July and August).

Meteorological summer starts on 1st June: June / July / August is meteorological summer, autumn starts 1st September.
Astronomical summer, which is connected to Earth's tilt & rotation around the sun, begins on 21st June and ends on 22nd September.

Summer solstice, the longest day of the year is today, 21st June.

So he's right, even if it's a sentence that doesn't really sound correct.

Edited June 21 by exdulwicher
spelling

[Spartacus]

4 minutes ago, exdulwicher said:

Meteorological summer starts on 1st June: June / July / August is meteorological summer, autumn starts 1st September.
Astronomical summer, which is connected to Earth's tilt & rotation around the sun, begins on 21st June and ends on 22nd September.

Summer solstice, the longest day of the year is today, 21st June.

So he's right, even if it's a sentence that doesn't really sound correct.

Thanks James, sorry I mean Ex 😅

[ctovey]

I know its a whinge, but it would have been good if the Bellenden event had been in one of the side roads - Coplestone or Choumert or even in the park, so that the P13 didn't have to be diverted via Peckham Rye.

[Penguin68]

55 minutes ago, exdulwicher said:

Astronomical summer, which is connected to Earth's tilt & rotation around the sun, begins on 21st June and ends on 22nd September

Nobody actually in real life uses that definition, other than astronomers. That places the start of winter at the winter solstice, and spring running until yesterday. Normal people don't think like that. But that, I suppose makes sense.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

2 hours ago, Penguin68 said:

What planet is this man from? June 21st it literally the height of summer...

I think you should stand in local council elections. You've got very strong opinions and a lot of time on your hands. Being a councillor would be a great way for you to work for the community and channel your frustration into productive action. There'd be no technically incorrect references to seasons on your watch.

[spider69]

Think the same could be said of you re Council Elections

1 hour ago, ctovey said:

I know its a whinge, but it would have been good if the Bellenden event had been in one of the side roads - Coplestone or Choumert or even in the park, so that the P13 didn't have to be diverted via Peckham Rye.

Quite agree. Could have been further up Bellenden Village towards ED

[malumbu]

This thread just shows what has happened to the forum, somebody posts some events that look excellent, then the first post is a complaint. I'm not commenting on the start of summer.

Shame it wasn't advertised earlier, and that it isn't a bit cooler today.  I'm off to the solstice do at One Tree Hill a little later.  Looking forward to hearing loads of complaints.  Think it is just Southwark side of the border, perhaps that could be discussed 😃

[exdulwicher]

3 hours ago, Penguin68 said:

Nobody actually in real life uses that definition, other than astronomers. 

It's still a factually correct definition and given that Stonehenge, and every other significant henge, were built around astronomy, you could argue that it's the original one.

You must be furious that the schools haven't started summer holidays given that we are (apparently) in "the height of summer".

 

1 hour ago, malumbu said:

This thread just shows what has happened to the forum, somebody posts some events that look excellent, then the first post is a complaint.

To be fair, for once the complaint wasn't about road closures or disruption but the much more important definition of "summer"... 😉 

[malumbu]

You are being to kind.  complaint is still a complaint.  Some use anything and everything as a stick to beat Southwark with. 

Anyway it would be interesting to hear how the events went. I fear that many of us never participate in community events.  Same can be said about my Street WhatsApp.

I  put many nature reserve, cemetery, park community group, open house/gardens on my calender.  We are spoiled for choice here.

[Sue]

4 hours ago, malumbu said:

You are being to kind.  complaint is still a complaint.  Some use anything and everything as a stick to beat Southwark with. 

Anyway it would be interesting to hear how the events went. I fear that many of us never participate in community events.  Same can be said about my Street WhatsApp.

I  put many nature reserve, cemetery, park community group, open house/gardens on my calender.  We are spoiled for choice here.

Ruskin Park summer fete was good!

[OutOfFocus]

9 hours ago, Penguin68 said:

Nobody actually in real life uses that definition

I do. Clearly I don't belong to "real life".

[malumbu]

1 hour ago, Sue said:

Ruskin Park summer fete was good!

Damn, saw a poster but then forgot....

44 minutes ago, OutOfFocus said:

I do. Clearly I don't belong to "real life".

A classic album by Magazine in 1977.

Although I do use your definition.

[Insuflo]

I’m not getting into this. I don’t want to be Shot by Both Sides.

[malumbu]

Well you will be fine as that was only on the re-released longer album.  

[Sue]

On 21/06/2025 at 11:12, Spartacus said:

Is North Cross Road the High Street now ? 😅

Shame that this wasn't publicised wider and earlier IMHO 

There wasn't much to publicise (unless you mean publicised to potential stall holders).

An additional stretch of road was closed off, but there were  only a couple of stalls on it.

Otherwise the market seemed much the same as usual.

[Insuflo]

3 hours ago, malumbu said:

Well you will be fine as that was only on the re-released longer album.  

I beg to differ; it was on the original pressing.

[sandyman]

23 hours ago, malumbu said:

Damn, saw a poster but then forgot....

A classic album by Magazine in 1977.

Although I do use your definition.

Real Life was released in 1978.

Yes it is a classic album.

[Cancerian]

Hope all the ‘high streets for people’ events went well! Very short notice probably for people living in the area and on a very hot day!  James McAsh just doesn’t know what to do next with Southwark Council Tax payers money. He advocates the few streets in the area that has a bus service and then shuts the routes down! Very annoying for people who want to go about their daily business and have already had restrictions brought in by McAsh. 

[sunbob]

For the North Cross Rd one, other than this post on the day,  the only sign I saw was a few papers on lampposts saying no parking due to an event.  It didn't say what the event was. On the day at around 1.45pm all the parked cars were still there and there was just 1 unusual stall (an info stand about a children's activity group).

[Sue]

2 hours ago, sunbob said:

For the North Cross Rd one, other than this post on the day,  the only sign I saw was a few papers on lampposts saying no parking due to an event.  It didn't say what the event was. On the day at around 1.45pm all the parked cars were still there and there was just 1 unusual stall (an info stand about a children's activity group).

Yes, it was a total non event.

My understanding was that it was supposed to be to give potential stallholders a chance to try out a stall there, but either nobody was interested or available, or possible people were never actually asked.

Or stallholders bottled out due to the heat.

[Spartacus]

What a pity as, if managed correctly, it would have been a good thing. 

Sounds potentially like too little publicicity and not enough advance discussions and invitations to traders. 

But thats only my observation.