Southwark News - May 25th 2023

millwall ExclusivE

why iRish foRwaRd chosE lions

Page 30 Issue 1635

Established: 1987

50p

May 25 2023

southwarknews.co.uk

See page 3

BulliEd as a child But thiRd of England's council homEs now in Running dEl's caR foR salE Built in BoRough foR miss london See page 4

See page 8

ship ahoy!

£25 million super boat arrives in london amid uproar in Bermondsey over event plans

See Page 4

2 NEWS www.southwarknews.co.uk/news Contents NEWS NEWS Pages Pages 2-17 2-17 OPINION OPINION Pages 18-19 Pages 18-19 Arts Arts Page 21 Pages 20-21 Classified & Family Classified announcements Page 22 Page 22 Public notices Public notices Pages 24-26 Pages 23-26

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

Party animals rejoice as Route 35 buses up nighttime service

By Herbie Russell

an evening out.”

It’s not just night owls benefitting from the change. Customers using the service to access rail connections from Liverpool Street are also reaping the rewards.

Sunday day-trippers heading home from days exploring Borough Market, The Shard and Sky Garden, will also be pleased.

Geoff Hobbs, TfL’s Director of Public Transport Planning, said: “We keep our bus network under constant review, which allows us to be agile and make changes that reflect the evolving ways customers use our services.

“Route 35 is a vital cross-river bus link connecting thousands of people living south of the river with attractions in central London and these new frequency changes are cutting waiting times at stops, making the bus an even more convenient, not to mention cost-effective, way to travel.”

herbie@southwarknews.co.uk Party animals crossing the river from south London into Shoreditch are loving the Route 35 bus’s increased frequency, according to Transport for London (TfL).

London’s public transport body found that people living in Camberwell, Elephant and Castle and Borough often travel to enjoy north London’s nightlife.

So the Route 35 bus from Clapham Junction to Shoreditch has increased from four to five buses per hour between 7.45pm and 12.30am.

London Night Czar Amy Lamé said: “London’s life at night plays a vital role in our economic and social recovery and it’s fantastic that Route 35 has increased in frequency, giving more opportunities for Londoners to get to and from evening and weekend shifts or make the most of

SPORT SPORT Pages 27-32

Photo of James after transplan

Revolutionary pill-swallowing school opens at Evelina

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk An eight-year-old boy is ecstatic after swapping his “horrible” tasting liquid medication for tablets thanks to a revolutionary Pill School at Evelina Children’s Hospital.

Contact us if you have a story on 07973175511 or email

James Nichols, who had a kidney transplant aged five, is one of hundreds of children who will benefit from the service at the Waterloo hospital.

The school teaches children to take tablets by getting them to swallow small hard sweets that get progressively bigger.

While some children prefer liquid medication, tablets are cheaper, easier to store and reduce the risk of dosage mistakes.

James said: “I find it easier taking tablets now. It was horrible before because I had lots of liquid medicine to take and they didn’t taste nice!”

James’s mum Samantha Nicholds said: “Every morning, James needs to take a number of different drugs to protect his

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Issue 1634

Established: 1987

50p

May 18 2023

southwarknews.co.uk

See page 14

Editor: Kevin Quinn Reporters: Herbie Russell; Isabel Ramirez Sports Editor: John Kelly Sports reporter: Alex Jones Arts Correspondent: Michael Holland Digital Transformation Editor: Katherine Johnston Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips Advertising: Clarry Frewin, Sophie Ali Design: Dan Martin, Ann Gravesen Finance: Em Zeki - Tel: 0779 883 3758 Subscriptions/Announcements: Katie Boyd Managing & Commercial Director: Chris Mullany Managing & Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn Published weekly on a Thursday at: Unit A202, The Biscuit Factory, Drummond Road, Bermondsey, London SE16 4DG. News and Sport: 020 7231 5258 Advertising: 0792 203 4598 News: news@southwarknews.co.uk Advertising: ads@southwarknews.co.uk Finance: em@southwarknews.co.uk Printed by Iliffe Print. Tel: 01223 656500 www.iliffeprint.co.uk

TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO VOTE FOR THIS YEAR'S BLUE PLAQUE WINNER

13 LONDON BRIDGE HERO FINALLY GETS BRAVERY MEDAL

See page

FIGHTING SPIRITS Tribute to Steve Page 24

Bermondsey mourns the loss of legendary boxing coach Steve Hiser and indomitable community campaigner Coral Newell, who both passed away last week

Tribute to Coral Page 8

kidney, and being able to take them in the tablet form has made things so much easier.

“As the dose of his medication meant that he was having to drink quite a lot of liquid medicine, which was not pleasant!”

The school has been launched following a successful trial in 2019 which saw 26 out of 30 children, aged three to fourteen, successfully complete a short course.

Dr Asia Rashed, pharmacy project manager at Evelina London Children’s Hospital, said: “We start children off using a small hard sweet approximately 3mm wide, and slowly increase the size to be approximately the same as the tablet, normally about 1cm to 1.5cm.

“Children will swallow food bigger than these sizes, so the training provides tips on how to angle their head and to provide reassurance.”

Following the trial a feasibility study found that, for every discharged child that continued using tablets instead of liquid medication, the Trust would save over £1,000 a year.

The Southwark News is proud to be the only independent, paid for newspaper in London Southwark News started life as the Bermondsey News in 1987, as an A-4 photocopied sheet of paper and rapidly grew to cover the entire borough and the surrounding area. As the borough grew, so did the newspaper.

It is owned and run by Chris Mullany and Kevin Quinn.

Former reporters for Southwark News, they bought the title in 2002, after the founder Dave Clark died suddenly from cancer four years earlier.

A dedicated team of staff work tirelessly to cover as much of what is going on as possible and strive to ensure that a community-led, independent newspaper can survive and excel in a market dominated by national and multinational media groups.

Follow our social media to be updated on local news

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We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint, please contact 0207 231 5258.

If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors’ Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 3

Bullied as a schoolgirl, franceska murati is now representing Southwark in the Miss London final

By Isabel Ramirez isabel@southwarknews.co.uk After escaping war-torn Kosovo with her family as a child, a Bermondseybased woman, who says she was 'severely bullied' at school, could become the new Miss London.

Franceska Murati, 27, moved to the UK as an asylum seeker when she was just four years old. "My family fled war-torn Kosovo and came here," she told the News. "They came in a dinghy with two children, just trying to survive and make sure we were safe."

The family settled in Bermondsey, where they have lived most of Franceska's life and she says that she and her family love the area, despite a difficult time at school.

"I always felt different and liked to express myself," she explained.

"But kids at school didn't like me for it.

When I was a teenager I was severely bullied."

She recounts a time when girls from her class approached her on a bus and cut her hair. "They chopped half of my hair off. And they used to follow me home.

"I'd reported it to the teachers and they did nothing. I was scared of going to school. It was a vicious cycle - I'd always taken pride in my appearance but that knocked my confidence completely.

"I remember it upset my parents because

they didn't want everything they sacrificed to be a waste."

Fortunately, she said life started to get better when she finished school.

"I started to realise everything I had been taught was so wrong. Being different is good."

Years later she said she's learned to 'love her individual self', and is now a finalist in the Miss London pageant.

"I was never confident enough to enter until now," she said. "Being my individual self is so amazing and now I realise I have so much to contribute to this world.

"I think beauty pageants have a bad name - it isn't just about how you look.

"There are multiple sections, including brains and raising money for charity."

The mother-of-one said although she is up against nine other women, the best thing about the competition is the female support.

"I hated women when I left school because of my experience going to a girls' school. But pageantry has changed my opinion of that so much - they are all so supportive.

"I want to tell younger girls who may be being bullied that it gets better."

If Franceska wins the Miss London competition on Saturday (May 27), she will go on to compete for the title of Miss Great Britain.

"I'm proud to be representing Southwark," she added.

4 NEWS www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

£25 million super boat arrives in London amid uproar in Bermondsey over event plans Watch the video

nline

© Robert Firth

southwarknews.co.uk

Oceandiva moored at the Royal Docks in Newham on May 22

By Robert Firth Local Democracy Reporter A £25 million super boat, longer than the world’s biggest commercial jet, has arrived in London amid uproar over its plans to hold latenight events for up to 1,000 people on the River Thames.

Luxury party yacht Oceandiva docked at moorings in Newham’s Royal Docks at the weekend after being towed 300 miles from a shipyard in the Netherlands, where it was under constructions.

The mega boat – which locals have branded an ‘eyesore’ – hopes to play host to high-end weddings, conferences and exhibitions when it launches in the coming months. But the superyacht has been beset by opposition some residents in Shad Thames and local politicians, who fear the boat will be a magnet for antisocial behaviour and harm the

environment.

The vessel will be based at Newham’s Royal Docks but Oceandiva ultimately wants to make stop-offs at six piers in Greenwich, Southwark and Tower Hamlets as it transports revellers along the Thames.

At present, privately-owned Butler’s Wharf Pier near Tower Bridge is the only place the super boat is understood to be able to hold events and drop off passengers.

It is also believed to have permission to disembark passengers at West India Pier, but not to remain there for events.

Many of the other piers Oceandiva wants to use are managed by Transport for London (TfL). As of January, TfL had yet to grant Oceandiva permission to unload passengers at any of its piers on the Thames. In a response to a Freedom of Information request, the City Hall body said it hadn’t granted the boat a

licence as it was “yet to see the vessel in London.”

Kathleen Ehrlich, chair of Shad Thames Residents' Association – many of whose members’ flats overlook Butler’s Wharf Pier – said the boat would ruin the city’s skyline.

“This will be an eyesore of a vessel impacting on the world famous views along the Thames," she said, "not just around the Tower of London and Tower Bridge where it plans to hold up to 140 events a year.

"It will bring a huge disruption and disturbance to riverside communities.”

Rachel Bentley, Liberal Democrat councillor for North Bermondsey, where Butler’s Wharf Pier is located, said: “The owners and operators of Oceandiva have been trying to bring their super luxury events vessel to London for many years and need to respect residents’ repeated message that it is not wanted.”

Oceandiva currently can’t serve booze onboard. Smart Group, the entertainment company that owns the vessel, withdrew a licensing application to serve alcohol until 2am in February after hundreds of people sent objections to Newham Council.

If the council had approved the application, the licence would have allowed the boat to serve alcohol anywhere on the Thames.

Oceandiva is expected to make a fresh application to Newham in June.

While berthed at Royal Docks, Oceandiva is undergoing a £1.8 million fit-out.

When the boat’s trial period on the River Thames begins, events on the vessel are expected to be initially limited to 400 guests.

Smart Group has dubbed Oceandiva the first carbon neutral vessel on the Thames.

The company says the boat could add up to £77 million to the capital’s economy over the next five years.

Chloe Jackson, managing director of Smart Group, said: “We are thrilled to have the vessel arrive in London, and we look forward to sharing our vision of revolutionising the events industry with a sustainable, carbon neutral venue on the River Thames.

“Our commitment to consultation with the communities in which we will operate is a top priority, and we are excited to work together to create a project that benefits London and everyone in the community.

“Consultation with riverside communities, local groups, and responsible authorities is critical to our approach. Our ambition is to create a project that delivers real benefits to the communities in which we operate and that we can all be proud of.”

By Herbie Russell

dolls, only to discover they’ve been filled with explosive gas.

The package even includes a roof rack with a market suitcase and a ‘Tax in the Post’ sign in the window.

The 1972 vehicle was once owned

by BBC director John Mansfield but later fell into the hands of a private collector.

According to Classic Car Auctions, Mansfield owned another version, which sold for £41,625 in 2017.

JPL 725K had recommissioning works done a few years ago to ensure it was roadworthy but has not been used since.

The refurbishment included new tyres, overhauled breaks and the fuel system was checked through.

The 1972 Reliant Regal Supervan III will be auctioned off at Warwickshire Event Centre on June 17 with no reserve.

Del Boy's Reliant Regal from Only Fools and Horses is up for auction herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

© Duncan Cumming (Creative Commons)

Del Boy’s yellow three-wheeler, from the nation’s favourite sitcom Only Fools and Horses, is going up for auction.

A version of Del Boy's Reliant Regal. This is not the version being auctioned.

The iconic Reliant Regal van, loved

by British TV fans throughout the '80s, was famous for transporting goods and services for Trotter’s Independent Traders.

Now viewers have the chance to drive it home, complete with Sir David Jason’s red fluffy dice hanging from the mirror.

The original motor is one of six versions. It goes up to 55mph and has 97,000 miles on the clock.

As well as the fluffy dice, it comes with an inflatable doll in the back, a reference to the now iconic episode where Del Boy acquires a haul of sex

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 5

By Robert Firth

Local Democracy Reporter An abandoned Dulwich milk depot that has been left to crumble for over 30 years will become home to 23 new flats.

The former Express Dairy depot building in West Dulwich has been empty since bottled milk stopped getting delivered from it in the 1980s.

Since then it has become a hotspot for squatters and fly-tippers, with graffiti covering its walls and shrubs growing from the roof.

But the building is now set to be converted into flats and a nursery after Lambeth Council approved a developer’s plans for the site on Rosendale Road at a meeting on Tuesday May 9.

The depot’s locally listed arts and crafts style frontage will be preserved and cleaned up under the proposals.

The buildings hidden behind the facade will be bulldozed and replaced with a fivestorey block.

Of the 23 new homes, five will be available at the cheapest social rents.

Another two will be available through shared ownership, where buyers purchase a share of a property’s mortgage and pay

rent on the remaining amount.

Previous plans brought forward for the site by the developer were rejected by an inspector last year over concerns that ground floor flats in the proposals wouldn’t be of high enough quality.

In the new proposals accepted by the council, the developer replaced the flats on the ground floor with space for a nursery, creche or healthcare service.

Local resident Caroline James told the planning meeting that the derelict storage building had become a magnet for antisocial behaviour and needed cleaning up. She said: “I canvassed local opinion recently and found universal approval.

"There was a general relief that someone had come up with a practical funded solution.

"It’s a haunt for socially undesirable activities and it pulls the whole of the area down.”

Ms James, who has lived in the area since the 90s, added: “I’m very much in favour of the applicant’s proposed development.

"Over the years we’ve seen many changes in the area, mostly for the better as the area has evolved. However, in stark contrast, this site has been allowed to deteriorate badly.

“We can see shrubs growing from

the roof, the walls are graffitied. Water gets in, windows are smashed and the surrounding land is used illegally as a dump for unlicensed cars and fly-tipping.”

Alfie Yeatman, the developer’s planning advisor, said the proposals would improve a local “eyesore.” He told the meeting: “Key elements of the proposals and benefits of the proposals include retaining and restoring the front facade to create a significant improvement in the public realm.

"You could see the site is currently a really bad eyesore and could do with being refreshed.

“Each [home] has been carefully refined to ensure it will provide exceptional quality of living accommodation.

"The high-quality flexible commercial space at ground floor will most likely be used as a nursery, which was a direct request by the local community.

"The applicant has confirmed there is a strong demand already from potential occupiers.”

No one spoke against the plans for the depot at the meeting on May 9.

A council planning committee made up of six Labour councillors and one Green councillor voted to approve the project unanimously.

WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE ONCE DEVELOPED:

CGI of how the restored frontage of the Express Dairy building would look HOW IT LOOKS NOW:

The Abandoned Milk Depot as it is today

Damp Proofing and Mould Inspection

© KLambeth Council planning documents

crumbling Dulwich milk depot abandoned 30 years ago to become a block of flats

6 NEWS www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

Berkeley's massive Rye Lane shopping centre redevelopment goes back to the drawing board Exclusive

ACA’s petition opposing the plans received over 7,000 signatures. In an unusual move, even Southwark Council said the proposals had “significant issues”.

The new design brief suggests Berkeley could deviate from its original plans in some aspects.

Berkeley initially planned to build fourteen blocks, with some rising 27, twenty, eighteen and fifteen storeys.

Now it's saying it wants to build blocks with 'heights up to twenty storeys'. But this appears to be contradicted on a later

page, where ‘buildings of 20+ storeys’ is listed as an ‘objective’.

Southwark Council has previously said it would consider one building above twenty storeys but that “beyond that none of the buildings should generally exceed ten storeys in height”.

Berkeley initially said it wanted to build 1,050 homes, with 35 per cent let an affordable rate - significantly over the site’s indicative capacity of 850.

In its design brief, Berkeley has listed ‘indicatively 850 new homes’ as an ‘objective’. Southwark Council has

previously said this figure is 'flexible’.

Berkeley said 35 per cent of these homes will be affordable with 25 per cent social rent and ten per cent intermediate - meaning 80 per cent of market rates.

Much of the brief suggests plans remain the same. This remains a major redevelopment of a site encompassing the shopping centre, Morrisons supermarket and Peckham Bus Station.

There will be new retail space, new public realms, a revamped Morrisons and office space.

Campaigners already look set to

challenge Berkeley on some key aspects of the new design brief.

ACA has said it wants to “discuss” the 35 per cent unaffordable housing provision, which many see as too low, and the “ambition to build at least 850 homes".

Mr Allchin said: “Big questions remain about the amount of open space, building height, mix of retail, workspace and housing. What is critical is that the homes that get built are a decent quality for families to live in."

“The development needs to be integrated into the town centre, not a separate quarter, in terms of the shops, routes and architecture and heritage,” he added.

According to The Architects’ Journal, architect Sheppard Robson has left the project - meaning Berkeley will need a new architectural firm to take on the scheme.

Berkeley will begin its community consultation this autumn and hopes to submit a planning application to Southwark Council in mid-2024.

Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, said: “We join local residents in welcoming this fresh start. Their continued engagement will be a top priority for the new design team and crucial to their success. We all want to see a scheme come forward that the majority of the local community can get behind, delivering on their needs in line with our adopted planning policies.

"Local residents, groups and businesses should all have their say on the future of the Aylesham Centre, so we encourage everyone to engage with the new design team once they’re appointed.”

Berkeley Homes declined to comment.

Actors like Mark Stanley (Happy Valley), Nabil Elouhabi (Unforgotten, The Tower) and Kerry Godliman (After Life, Whitstable Pearl) will return this series.

New cast members include Natalie

Simpson (North Sea Connection, Outlander) who plays DS Helen Morgan, Julian Ovenden (Bridgerton) who plays Commander John Francis and Tomiwa Edun as Alex (Young Wallander, Trying).

ITV’s Head of Drama, Poly Hill, said: “I'm delighted to have commissioned a second series of Trigger Point and to be working again with Vicky McClure and the HTM Television production team.

“It's the most compelling of dramas

and I can't wait for the audience to see what we have in store for series two.”

Trigger Point will air on ITV1 and ITVX. There is no confirmed release date but rumours suggest it will be late 2023 at the earliest.

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk Berkeley Homes has promised to revise its Aylesham Centre redevelopment plans - six months after its original designs prompted uproar across Peckham.

Local residents had complained the 1,050-home development, on the site of the Rye Lane shopping centre, would be a ‘citadel looming over historic Peckham’.

In a statement, Berkeley said the new design brief “sets out the vision and expectations… for a proposal that considers the local needs and aspirations for the site”.

But local campaign group Aylesham Community Action (ACA) questioned whether the brief was materially different from Berkeley's original proposals.

ACA member Chris Allchin said: “Any reading of the design brief would be 'isn't this the same thing?'.... it's hard to see where the substantial difference is, particularly on affordable housing or sustainability.”

The Aylesham Centre has been poised for redevelopment ever since Tiger Developments and hedge fund Blackrock revealed their plans to build flats and shops on the site in 2016.

In July 2021, Blackrock sold the site to Berkeley Group whose proposals, published last November, caused outrage among many local residents.

Many said 1,050 apartments were an ‘overdevelopment’, that towers of up to 27-storeys were too high, and the scheme disregarded the area’s ‘Peckhamness’.

Hit ITV drama Trigger Point filmed in Burgess Park

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk Hit TV crime thriller Trigger Point was being filmed in Burgess Park last Thursday, May 18.

The ITV show, starring Vicky McClure, was the best-performing drama of 2022 and was commissioned for a second series earlier this year.

Camera crews were gathered by the tunnel leading into the park’s western side for several hours.

McClure plays bomb disposal expert Lana Washington, an Afghan war veteran working as a bomb disposal expert in London.

She said: “After such a great response to the first series of Trigger Point, we are so pleased to be back! The scripts are filled to the brim with twists, turns, those explosive moments and along with our returning cast and brilliant new cast members it’s set to be an exciting shoot!”

The show is created and written by Daniel Brierley who also worked on Line of Duty and Bodyguard.

ITV said, in episode one, Lana is just back from training Ukrainian bomb disposal teams but has not returned to active duty.

The series then starts with a bang when there is a bomb attack in the heart of the capital.

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

council paRks tuRnEy Road closuRE The Dulwich Village junction has been closed to traffic since council installed LTN in June 2020

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk southwarK CounCil has scrapped plans to close turney Road to traffic after local residents gave them the thumbs down.

The Dulwich Village junction has been closed to traffic, except emergency vehicles, since the council installed a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) in June 2020.

Closing Turney Road would have further restricted motor traffic but the council's consultation received over 600 comments opposing it.

Councillor James McAsh, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Clean Air & Streets, said: “After careful consideration of local traffic data, we have made the decision to retain vehicle access at the Turney Road location for now."

However, Southwark Council was keen to emphasise that the consultation was “broadly supportive” of the overall

LTN. This has been hotly disputed by local campaign group One Dulwich, who said the consultation “shows the complete opposite”.

For example, the council asked respondents if they were in favour of the scheme's three main objectives of safety, community and connection.

The council has admitted "there was limited support for all three objectives”.

When asked what other objectives should be considered, the top three responses were ‘displaced traffic’, ‘access for key workers', 'equality of access for disabled people’ and ‘opposition to junction changes’.

A spokesperson for One Dulwich said: “It’s time the council admit that they have failed to persuade people of the merits of this disastrous traffic experiment and come up with a better and fairer scheme that doesn’t displace traffic, discriminate against vulnerable road users or damage local businesses.”

Clive Rates, the former Conservative

candidate for Dulwich Village ward, described it as a "victory for local businesses" and urged the council to end the scheme entirely.

Some residents had previously threatened the council with legal action over its handling of the consultation.

However, there is evidence that the Dulwich Village LTN has successfully reduced traffic since its introduction.

According to the Southwark Council’s data, the majority of main roads in the vicinity have seen a significant reduction compared to pre-Covid levels.

Traffic on Croxted Road is reportedly down 8.8 per cent, Grove Lane by 12.7 per cent and Townley Road by 18.1 per cent.

Only Burbage Road and East Dulwich Grove East have seen increases, according to the data.

The 2022 local elections in Dulwich Village were seen also seen by many as a referendum on the controversial LTN measures.

Labour dominated the final ballot, taking 44 per cent of the vote.

Councillor James McAsh, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Clean Air & Streets, said: “To be clear, this is not a new low-traffic neighbourhood scheme but a continuation of an existing programme of works at the site.

“We remain steadfast in our boroughwide commitment to improving air quality and lowering emission levels; reducing traffic levels; and promoting alternative travel options such as cycling and walking, but understand the importance of striking the right balance that takes into the views of our diverse community.

“We will now pursue other opportunities to improve the Turney Road environment between Boxall Road and Dulwich Village to support the needs of local pupils, pedestrians, and cyclists. We hope to do this in collaboration with local people to make sure new arrangements work for Dulwich residents”.

By Herbie Russell

are a serious public health pest and they have rapid breeding cycles, which means infestations require swift action as they can escalate quickly.

“Unfortunately, being unable to afford pest control increases the likelihood of people either ignoring infestations or attempting DIY pest control methods, which can make the issue worse and endanger other people or non-target species.”

Most pest control is free for Southwark Council tenants. For other residents, rodent treatments costs £226.98 although less for those on benefits.

Dan Simson, Head of Direct Line Home Insurance, said: “Mice and rats pose a real risk to the home and people’s health.

“We recommend that anyone with an infestation contacts either their local authority or an extermination service to have it taken care of professionally.”

To stop furry neighbours from moving in, it's recommended that people keep their bins properly sealed, ensure surfaces are clean and fill in their homes' cracks and crevasses.

©(Creative Commons)

The shocking extent of Southwark's rat problem revealed herbie@southwarknews.co.uk southwarK resiDents are among the most likely to encounter a rat scurrying across their floors according to some hair-raising statistics.

Insurance company Direct Line’s Freedom of Information request found Southwark Council dealt with the second most rodent infestations (16,664) in the UK in 2022.

The City & County of Swansea beat Southwark by a whisker - seeing 16,767 infestations last year.

Other places with notable rat problems included Birmingham, Liverpool, Glasgow and Sunderland.

According to the British Pest Control Association, rats have “rapid breeding cycles” making them a “serious public health pest”.

Rodents can also do structural damage to homes by gnawing through floorboards, stud walls and drywall linings.

British Pest Control Association Chief Executive Ian Andrew said: "Rodents

NEWS 7

Cyclist rushed to hospital after Camberwell traffic incident

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk a CyClist has been hospitalised following a traffic incident in Camberwell.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “Police were called at about 07:15hrs on Wednesday, 17 May to reports of a car in collision with a cyclist on Loughborough Road, SE5.

“Emergency services attended. The cyclist was taken to hospital; we await an update on his condition.”

The road was partially closed to traffic.

Local man charged with 'assisting a suspect' after fatal stabbing

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk

a rotherhithe man has been accused of protecting a suspect from justice following the fatal stabbing of an eighteen-year-old in Kent.

Nineteen-year-old Abdul Yussuf, of Rotherhithe New Road, was charged with assisting a suspect with intent to impede his apprehension or prosecution on Thursday, May 11.

Chris Enaruba, also aged nineteen, of Beaconsfield Road, Greater London, has already been charged with murder.

Yusuff’s charge comes a month after police discovered a victim who’d been stabbed to death in an alleyway in Dartford on Friday, April 14.

Kent Police were called at 9.05pm to Suffolk Road following reports that a man had sustained injuries consistent with stab wounds. Tragically, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police launched an investigation and two men were arrested in Gillingham on suspicion of murder and taken into custody. Enaruba was charged with murder the following Monday.

He appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, April 18, where he was remanded to reappear at a hearing Maidstone Crown Court hearing on Thursday, May 25.

Yusuff appeared before Medway Magistrates’ Court on Friday, May 12, where he was remanded to reappear at a Maidstone Crown Court hearing on Friday, June 9.

Any witnesses who have not yet spoken to officers can call Kent Police on 01474 366149, quoting reference 46/68778/23. Motorists with dashcam and owners of private CCTV are also asked to check for relevant footage.

8 NEWS www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

southwaRk is Building thiRd of England's council homEs But critics of local authority's housing record have pointed out that more council homes doesn’t mean the number of available properties has increased

By Robert Firth

New council homes on Welsford Street in Bermondsey finished in 2021

We are now building council homes on a scale not seen in our country since the seventies

- Council leader Kieron Williams

Local Democracy Reporter southwarK, one of england’s most crowded boroughs, is building one in three of the country’s new council homes, new stats show.

Work started on 726 council homes in Southwark last year, according to government figures - despite the borough already having crammed in a lot of housing, and the council being the biggest local authority landlord in London.

Across all of England, construction began on 2,234 new council houses in the same period. It means a third of all council homes started last year are in Southwark, which is the seventh most densely populated area in England.

Southwark Council hopes the new properties will help house some of the 17,200 people currently waiting for a council house in the borough.

Jordan McLaughlin, 24, moved into one of 10 newly built council homes on Welsford Street in Bermondsey last year.

Mr McLaughlin, his mother and sister had previously been sharing a cramped two-bedroom council flat around the corner and needed somewhere bigger. He said: “We’re just really happy as a family that these new builds came to fruition.

"It makes life a lot more comfortable. We needed the space.

"This place has four bedrooms and two bathrooms. It’s perfect for us.

“It has made our family life easier; we aren’t on top of each other. We aren’t arguing about space.

"We have separate bathrooms to get ready and there’s enough space in the kitchen so that we can do what we need to do.”

He added: “Every single part of this house is an improvement. The only thing we don’t have which we did at the old place is parking. I’m having to use visitor permits at the moment.”

Rajni, 34, moved into another of the

Newly finished council homes on Ivy Church Lane behind the Old Kent Road.

Welsford Street homes with her husband last year. They had previously been living in a third floor council flat near East Street Market in Walworth, but it had become unsuitable after her husband had a stroke which left him paralysed and reliant on a wheelchair.

She said: “Everything is better here. It’s much more suitable for my husband.

"He couldn’t access the third floor in the flat after the stroke. He spent a year and a half in hospital and eight months in a care home.

“We had only one room in the previous flat. There was no life, no nothing. He has hope now.

"We have a garden here and two bedrooms and a bathroom. It’s much better for a wheelchair.”

Her neighbour Debbie Hastilow, 63, downsized from a council flat on nearby Camilla Road. She said: “It’s lovely. I was living on an estate before and we had problems with antisocial behaviour. There were youths outside the kitchen window and had a big knife at the bottom of our garden.

“I was looking to move for three to four years. I couldn’t believe when these came up, especially for council tenants. I thought they would be private.”

Southwark Council claims it has the most ambitious council house building programme of anywhere in Britain, according to its website.

Labour, which controls the council, promised to build 11,000 new council homes by 2043 in the run-up to the 2014 local elections.

But a council report from February cast doubt on whether this would be possible. The document said the council didn’t have enough money to build 11,000 homes by 2043 and blamed the apparent sidestepping of the pledge on surging construction costs and the rising cost of borrowing.

The 11,000 pledge remains on the council’s website.

Building more council homes also doesn’t mean the number of council properties in Southwark is increasing.

Government figures show there were 1,346 fewer council homes in the borough

Council homes under construction on Galleywall Road in Bermondsey. as of 2022 than in 2014 when the 11,000 pledge was made.

Right to buy, a government policy that allows council tenants to purchase their property, as well as council homes being knocked down as part of estate regeneration programmes in the borough has resulted in a net loss of homes.

But for the residents who have moved into the new council homes built by Southwark, the properties have been life changing.

Mum-of-three, Zohra Chahuoat, and her family moved into one of 17 new flats built on the Goschen estate in Camberwell last July. She said: “In our old flat we were overcrowded. It was small and one bedroom. This has three bedrooms. I was waiting for about four years to find somewhere bigger for us. The space is very good.”

Councillor Kieron Williams, leader of Southwark Council, said: “Having a home is not an optional extra in life, it’s an essential. That’s why we’ve made building genuinely affordable homes our first priority in Southwark, with over three

thousand new council homes built or under construction across our borough, more than any other council.

“We’re investing in these new council homes because we know they’ll transform lives for generations to come with their low rents and lifetime tenancies standing in stark contrast to London’s broken and unaffordable private rented sector.

"It’s been hard work to get here, but we are now building council homes on a scale not seen in our country since the seventies.”

Cllr Victor Chamberlain, leader of the council’s Liberal Democrat opposition, said “The reality here in Southwark is that only 17.6 per cent of the houses built since 2016 were social or affordable rent, while the housing waiting list has rocketed to over 17,000. In the meantime, thousands are forced into unaffordable and often inadequate private rental sector.

“Since Labour took over Southwark council, we have lost over 2,000 council homes and have the highest number of vacant dwellings. That will not strike anyone as a record to be proud of.”

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Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

Dulwich mum is sharing her story after having stroke at just 35-years-old

By Isabel Ramirez

isabel@southwarknews.co.uk A Dulwich mum and selfconfessed health freak, who had a stroke at 35, is now telling her story to raise awareness to help others before it's too late.

Danielle Stephen is currently still recovering from the stroke she had ten months ago and is urging people to get checked out.

The mother-of-two said she never expected it to happen to her. "I'm a health freak - I went to the gym, I'm a vegetarian, I take lots of vitamins.

"Even just before it happened I was out all day - everything was normal," she said.

Danielle had been at Brockwell Park with her daughter when she felt a pain in her leg. "I went home that night and then it was in the morning I had the stroke.

"I didn't know what it was - my brain wasn't working properly and I just couldn't get up."

Staff at King's College Hospital did two brain scans before they found the bleed which led her to be admitted for surgery on her brain.

She had surgery shortly after, which

By Robert Firth Local Democracy Reporter

Residents living near a branch of the fast food chain fear noise and waste problems they say the takeaway attracts will get worse now it is allowed to open until midnight.

Southwark councillors approved an application by Nine Food Group – which operates the branch on Vestry Road – to sell pizza and drinks until late at a licensing meeting last Thursday, May 18) Lee Millman, operations manager at Nine Food Group, said the extra hours were needed to help the business cope with rising costs.

But local resident Natalie Foster said she feared rubbish and noise she claimed were linked to the takeaway would get even worse if it was allowed to open later. She said: “People have had to put padlocks on their bins. [But] the main issue is about the bikes coming and going.

"We can’t control Deliveroo and Uber

Man in critical condition after 'brutal' assault in Bermondsey

stroke.

"I am worried I'm going to have another one. But you just have to hope for the best.Never stop hoping."

This Friday, May 26, there will be a pop-up stall at King's to raise awareness of the risks and provide information about the prevention of strokes.

Stephanie Drysdale, ward manager for the Hyper Acute and Stroke Unit at King's College Hospital said: "I genuinely believe my role is not only to treat but also to prevent.

"As a unit, we support the southeast London area with stroke care treatments, so getting residents aware of the risk factors is important. These include high blood pressure, diabetes, an irregular heart rate, and smoking amongst others.

"Getting health checks and treating these health problems will more than likely reduce their risk of having a stroke with potential life changes," she added.

They will be doing blood pressure and pulse checks, as well as games with prizes and goodies.

It will take place on Friday, May 26 from 9 am - 4 pm at the Golden Jubilee Wing Atrium, at King's College Hospital in Denmark Hill, SE5 9PJ.

Camberwell resident claims Pizza Hut causes so much rubbish that neighbours padlock bins

Eats. [Other] Pizza Hut outlets in the area are on much busier roads. They are not on a quiet, residential street like this… we’re talking about delivery drivers talking on their phone.

“I think what the residents are saying

is while we may not be very happy with the current situation, we would be very unhappy with this disturbance and noise and scooters on the zebra crossing continuing until the early hours.”

Ms Foster added that the impact of

the Pizza Hut couldn’t be compared to a fish and chip shop that was previously run out of the building. She said: “This is different. This is serving a much wider area.

"This is mainly about bikes and it’s mainly about deliveries. It’s essentially a dark kitchen in a residential street.”

Ian Wingfield, the local Labour councillor for the area, echoed her concerns about noise. He said: “I want to reiterate the fact that this is a residential area. They are quiet streets. […] This business with its later hours would impact on the quietness and create disturbance in the area.”

Cllr Wingfield added that a number of local residents had complained about people littering pizza boxes in the area and said they were filling up rubbish collections.

Lee Millman, from Nine Food Group, said he realised local residents’ concerns about the takeaway’s bid for later

By Herbie Russell

Tuesday, May 16, and found the victim.

He was rushed to hospital where he remains in a critical but stable condition.

Police are appealing for witnesses and are keen to speak to anyone who saw anything out of the ordinary in the area at the time.

Detective Inspector Yasser Awad, from Central South BCU, said: “This appears to have been a brutal attack and one which has left the victim in a very serious condition in hospital.

“We are carrying our urgent enquiries to try and establish exactly what happened but we would like to hear

© Google Street View

A Camberwell resident living near a Pizza Hut has claimed neighbours have had to put padlocks on their bins because the takeaway causes so much rubbish.

meant she could talk again. "I was unable to talk for just over a day, but when I did start talking it was very limited," she said.

Danielle believes her speedy recovery is a testament to her positive mindset.

"My recovery has been better because I'm determined to not accept the new normal.

"I was walking three days after surgery and I was driving again a few months later - even though someone has to be in the car."

Danielle now volunteers in the stroke ward at King's to help motivate other people who have been through the same thing. "I want to build people up and encourage them," she explained.

"People need to listen to their doctor.

If you're told you have high blood pressure, listen and do something about it. You can't think you're invincible."

In Danielle's case, months later they found that the stroke can be traced back to the hole in her heart. "It was never picked up before - I even had an ECG and no one spotted it," she told the News.

"So I would urge anyone to always get a second opinion if you get a test like that.

Who knows, if the hole in my heart had been picked up I may not have had the

The Pizza Hut takeaway is located in a former fish and chip shop (pictured in January 2022) on a residential road in Camberwell.

herbie@southwarknews.co.uk A “brutal attack” has left a man in his 40s with serious head injuries in Bermondsey.

Police were called to Janeway Place, off Jamaica Road, at around 6.25pm, on

hours but said he would do his utmost to prevent extra nuisance. He said “I realise it’s a very emotional subject for the residents who live there but I do everything in my power to make sure we are good neighbours and not to cause any unnecessary angst.”

Millman added: “I think it’s important to realise that in relation to this application, the issue of litter is a non point.

"We are not going to do anything differently. […] We provide jobs to local people.

"I might have made a small chuck away phrase that it [extra hours] is a few more coins but to coin a Tesco phrase ‘every little helps’.”

Under conditions imposed by Southwark Council, the takeaway will have to close to walk-in customers at 11pm.

Orders will only be able to be made through Pizza Hut’s delivery app after this time. from anyone who has information that could help our investigation.

"This includes anyone who might have CCTV or doorbell footage in the surrounding areas.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police via 101 with reference CAD 6220/16May.

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 11

Youth scheme recovers after 'catastrophic' blaze

By Isabel Ramirez isabel@southwarknews.co.uk A Bermondsey workshop, where young people struggling to get a job are taught to make furniture to better their chances, is recovering from a recent fire which risked them having to close down the scheme altogether.

London Reclaimed is an employment charity that helps young people in Southwark step up into paid work in one of two charity-owned enterprises: Goldfinch Furniture, in Bermondsey and Lumberjack Cafe, in Camberwell.

"The young people we work with often find it difficult to access the world of work because of reasons such as criminal records or mental health challenges for example," Director, Mike Biddulph explained.

But they recently had a close shave that risked the end of the operation altogether.

"On Sunday, 9th April a catastrophic fire ripped through the back unit of our Bermondsey workshop completely destroying that half of our

building," Mike said.

The back unit was being rented by a motorbike business, which was caught up in the blaze.

"Thankfully, given that it happened at 7 pm on the eve of Easter Sunday, no one was in the building at the time."

The fire brigade treated the incident as accidental, believed to have been caused by a failed lithium battery pack that was charging for a cordless power tool.

Mike explained that if the fire had spread, it could have been the end of

the charity.

"It would have been too costly to carry on," he said.

"But miraculously, the front of the unit, which is where the furniture is made, didn’t burn," Mike continued, "but it has sustained water, smoke and electrical damage."

The damage on their side, he said, has taken over a month to fix. But now, as they recover from the near-disaster, they have a plan.

"Due to the damage and the time it will take the insurance company to get

the building back to a usable state, the motorbike shop will move out, making this space available.

"For years we’ve dreamed about using the space for our young trainees to practice what they're learning with us, but up to now haven’t had the opportunity, finance or infrastructure to make it work."

They are now raising money to make that dream a reality.

"In total, we aim to raise £45,000 to cover the costs of fitting out the space to become the training hub.

"We also need £20,000 to cover the initial six months of rent, which is a big jump to what we were paying before."

If they raise the funds to create it, this training hub will mean they can help even more young people in the local community.

Sasha Johnson day: Still no justice two years on for hospital-bound mother as family pleads for witnesses

By Isabel Ramirez isabel@southwarknews.co.uk The family of Sasha Johnson, who was shot in the head in Peckham leaving her with permanent damage, have launched a new appeal two years on, urging for people to finally 'break the silence' on what happened.

Two years ago, on May 23, 2021, Sasha Johnson was shot in the head at a party, leaving her barely able to talk or walk.

The mother-of-two, who is also a black equal rights activist, is said to be making steady progress in the hospital - but the family continue to fight for justice to ensure her name is not forgotten.

On Saturday, May 20, which they are now coining as 'Sasha Johnson Day', they hosted an event in Peckham Square, with music from a live choir and drumming, as well as prayers and guest speakers.

Her close friend and former assistant, Andrew Morris, told the News: "We are holding this event for three reasons."

Sasha He explained that as well as promoting awareness around the increase in gun and knife crime, they are hoping it would lead to finding the perpetrator(s).

Shortly after the incident, police reported a 'disappointing' response from everyone at the party who were potential witnesses - which led to the case being closed.

"The perpetrators of this heinous crime have not been brought to justice," Andrew said.

"We are hoping this event will prick the conscience of anyone who may have new significant information that could lead the case to be re-opened in a meaningful way."

Shakera Williams, Sasha's sister, said: “Sasha deserves answers for what happened to her on the 23rd of May. "The pain and the scars will never go away but she is determined to rebuild her life to be there for her children. I would ask people who were there to come forward. Anything, no matter how small it is - talk and break the silence and stand up against gun violence. We appreciate all the love and support."

They also wish to reinvigorate her GoFundMe page to reach and exceed the desired £20,000 to support her two children whilst she is away. To donate to her fundraising page go to 'support Sasha Johnson' on GoFundMe. It is hoped that any witnesses or those with new evidence are prepared to contact the police or Crimestoppers in the strictest confidence.

"We really believe in what we do - providing young people with their first job, and a safe space to learn what it means to be employed, and how to act in the workplace, really does change the trajectory of people’s lives.

Mike added that since starting the programme, their trainees have gone on to work in the construction, retail and hospitality sectors and pursue further training at prestigious crafts colleges and universities.

To donate go to their crowdfunding page 'London Reclaimed.'

You can read a full interview with Goldsmith in our summer edition of Bermondsey Biscuit & Rotherhithe Docker, out this week.

Visit: www.southwarknews.co.uk

Elephant and Castle crash: cyclist taken to hospital

By Herbie Russell

herbie@southwarknews.co.uk A cyclist has been rushed to hospital after a crash involving a car near Elephant and Castle on Friday morning.

Police were called to Westminster Bridge Road, near the junction with St George’s Circus, at 4.32am, on May 19.

The cyclist, aged in his 40s, was taken to hospital where, thankfully, his condition was considered nonlife threatening.

No arrests have been made as police continue their enquiries.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “Police were called at 04:32hrs to Westminster Bridge Road, junction with St George's Circus SE1, to a collision involving a car and a cyclist.

“The cyclist, aged in his 40s, went to hospital; his condition is not lifethreatening.

“No arrests, enquiries continue.”

12 NEWS www.southwarknews.co.uk/news Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

NEWS 13

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023 www.southwarknews.co.uk/news ADVERTORIAL

New state-of-the-art eye clinic opens

PATIENTS WAITING for eye and vision tests that could lead to sight-saving treatment have welcomed a new “state-of-theart” NHS eye clinic. Specialists from St Thomas’ Hospital eye clinic now also work at Minnie Kidd House Community Eye Clinic in Clapham to assess and monitor people with glaucoma and retinal conditions. These problems can lead to irreversible vision loss.

It is estimated that around 57,000 extra appointments are needed each year to meet the current demand for assessment and monitoring of glaucoma and medical retina conditions across south east London. Minnie Kidd House Community Eye Clinic is staffed by consultant ophthalmologists and ophthalmic technicians. High quality state-ofthe-art equipment is used to assess visual function and the structure of the eye in detail. This allows fast and accurate assessment to make diagnoses for new patients and to monitor conditions already diagnosed.

Some patients may be identified as needing specific treatment, with laser, intraocular injections

An ophthalmic technician with a patient

or ophthalmic surgery. These treatments are carried out at the main eye service at St Thomas’.

David Norris, 50, the owner of a printing company from Bexley in Kent, was assessed at the Minnie Kidd House Community Eye Clinic in January 2023. David

Cancer Survivors’ Day

had previously been diagnosed with retinal vein occlusions at St Thomas’ in July 2021, and was regularly monitored by the hospital team. His assessment in January showed changes in the eye that needed laser treatment.

David received this treatment at

St Thomas’ Hospital Outpatients in early February.

Speaking about his experience at Minnie Kidd House Community Eye Clinic, David said: “You’re walking into a relaxed, calm environment which is brand new and welcoming. It also feels quite

state-of-the art. But you are sitting [in your consultation] and you’ve got a window looking out on to a garden, so it feels less clinical. All the staff are really nice. The fact that it’s part of St Thomas’ adds great credibility because they have such a good reputation.”

Professor Ian Abbs, Chief Executive for Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “It’s fantastic that Minnie Kidd House Community Eye Clinic is now open. This means we can care for more patients currently waiting for diagnosis or monitoring, and creates a significant opportunity to treat even more patients, with the potential of saving the sight of many people across south east London.”

There is increasing demand for eye services across the whole country, made worse by a backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are working together under the South East London Acute Provider Collaborative to provide Ophthalmology Diagnostic Hubs to meet increased demand and reduce waiting times for the treatment of glaucoma and retinal conditions.

NHS 75 and Windrush 75 – share your stories TO CELEBRATE the 75th birthday of the NHS on 5 July, we want to recognise our incredible staff and patients. Maybe you share your birthday with the NHS or several generations of your family have worked at the Trust?

We are also making plans to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush on 22 June.

We’d love to recognise the significant

contributions our black and other ethnic minority staff make to Guy’s and St Thomas’. Perhaps you’re related to a staff member from the Windrush Generation and want to tell their story?

If you’re happy for us to share your stories on our websites and social media channels, please send your details and a short summary to communicationsteam@gstt.nhs.uk

COVID-19 spring boosters JOIN US in celebrating our sixth Cancer Survivors’ Day on 25 June 2023 and the brilliant work that Guy’s Cancer does to help our patients and families, every day.

The day is a celebration of hope and survivorship as we offer support to each other, share our gratitude to our carers, and value the extensive clinical skills offered. On the day there will be a fashion show, live music, market stalls, children’s activities and much more.

Register your place at: Guyscancersurvivorsday.eventbrite.co.uk

OUR FRIENDLY staff in our new vaccination centre at Guy’s are offering extra COVID-19 booster vaccines this spring.

Protection from the virus fades over time so spring boosters will be available for: • adults aged 75 years and over • residents in a care home for older adults • people aged 5 and over who have a weakened immune system.

COVID-19 vaccinations are also available for those who have not completed their original course.

Book your appointment now at www.nhs.uk/covidvaccination.

Walk-in appointments are also available but please check the COVID-19 walk-in website at www.nhs.uk for opening times.

For further details please visit guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/covidvaccination.

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 13

Free cricket for kids in Southwark Park

By Isabel Ramirez

isabel@southwarknews.co.uk The cricket season has now begun in Bermondsey and the club's founder is determined to make it accessible to all - by continuing to provide most of the sessions free of charge.

The Southwark Park Cricket Club is in its 10th year - and founder and director Martin Kovats said it was set to be the most exciting one yet.

"We started with a handful of men who wanted to play and it has built up from nothing," he said.

"If you live in Dulwich for instance, there are tonnes of opportunities to play cricket - but around here there wasn't."

It may be surprising to some to hear there was a lack of cricket in the area, given that Southwark Park itself is a historic cricket ground - it's where Rotherhithe boy and former England legend Bobby Abel first learned to play.

Martin was keen to build on this and set up the club with the whole community in mind.

"It doesn't matter how good you are we guarantee everyone a game."

Now they have 140 men signed up, as well as regular kids' matches and in the last few years, they've started cricket for women.

"This really is community cricket - people love how inclusive the club is. It's very open and friendly - and it

doesn't matter how good you are."

He mentioned that the team now even includes a few Afghan refugees, who despite not speaking English, went from hanging around the wicket watching them play to being fullyfledged members.

In terms of the sessions for kids, there is Street Cricket for 8-14 year-olds on Friday after school and Youth Hardball for all ages on Friday evenings - these are free to all.

They also have 8-week programmes for various age groups starting in June - free for low-income families. "We recognise the social barriers many people face - whether it be a lack

of space and resources to practice," Martin explained.

"We want to get as many people out here as possible and move kids into a proper cricketing pathway.

"Cricket can be quite snobby with too much focus on having to meet a particular standard - but here, we guarantee everyone a game."

Their other focus is on getting women to play what Martin said continues to be a largely male-dominated sport.

On Saturday mornings women are invited to take part in free two-hour sessions to try a new game or brush up on their skills.

Keen to show locals what they've

created and the opportunities on offer - the club is holding a Community Cricket Festival on July 22 - 23 in the park.

The two-day event will include a children’s softball match, a children’s hardball match, a women’s match and a men’s six-a-side tournament.

"It will be a great opportunity to showcase local community cricket," Martin explained, "and build the club so we can develop a new generation of stars that can emulate local legend, Bobby Abel."

For more information on how to get involved contact southwarkparkcc@ gmail.com or go to their website.

14 NEWS www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

Councillor gets shock deputy cabinet role two years after resignation for anonymous Twitter antics Exclusive

By Herbie Russell herbie@southwarknews.co.uk Councillor Leo Pollak has been given a Southwark Council deputy cabinet position - just two years after resigning for using an anonymous Twitter account to 'harangue local residents'.

Residents and opposition politicians reacted with disbelief to the appointment - which sees Cllr Pollak return to a key housing position despite receiving a 'golden goodbye' payment worth almost £5,000.

As housing boss, Cllr Pollak used his ‘SouthwarkYIMBY’ account to brand local people “pathetic” if they opposed the council’s housing schemes.

Two years ago, an independent report found he’d breached the council’s code of conduct by running the anonymous account, but he was still entitled to a ‘golden goodbye’ payment.

As a deputy cabinet member, in charge of housing allocations, Cllr Pollak can now expect a yearly package worth £9,753 on top of his basic £12,736 allowance.

Opposition politicians and locals have slammed Council Leader Kieron Williams’s latest appointment as showing “utter contempt” for the people of Southwark.

The council leader has hit back saying Cllr Pollak has 'nationally recognised expertise' for the new job and pointed out he was re-elected by his own constituents.

Cllr Pollak told the News that he was "grateful to have been appointed to a deputy cabinet role" and that hewais now looking "forward to working with colleagues across the community and council in refreshing our housing allocations scheme, and developing new ways of meeting housing needs where over 17000 families are being held back in life while sat housing on our housing waiting list".

The reshuffle also sees Southwark get a new mayor and changes to existing cabinet members’ portfolios.

The context surrounding Cllr Pollak’s Twitter scandal helps to explain why the situation spiralled out of control.

Southwark Council’s controversial infilling programme, which is ongoing, has meant building council homes on existing estates. Between 2020 and 2021 it was gaining momentum. Residents on roughly thirty estates were furious about the plans, arguing that they would suffer from loss of light, privacy and open space.

As housing boss, Leo Pollak supported infilling. Through the anonymous Twitter account, he targeted protesting residents.

For example, in tweets directed at a campaign run by Priory Court residents, Cllr Pollak blasted their concerns as “pathetic”, “shabby attempts to

concoct an anti-infill movement”, and a “campaign of distortion”.

In early 2021 it was revealed that Cllr Pollak was behind the account.

Southwark Council launched an investigation using an external firm which found the former housing chief had breached the council’s code of conduct by running the anonymous account. However, the investigation found the content of his tweets had not broken the code.

A Freedom of Information Request submitted by the News would later reveal the investigation cost the taxpayer £14,614.80.

Cllr Pollak resigned from his cabinet post in February 2021, apologising for his “serious error of judgement” but remained a councillor for South Bermondsey ward.

Accepting his resignation, his boss, Council Leader Kieron Williams said at the time: “Whilst it is right that Cllr Pollak has resigned following a serious error of judgement, we will miss his huge passion for improving the lives of everyone who lives in council housing.

“From driving forward our plan to build 11,000 new council homes, to championing local estates through our Great Estates programme, to campaigning tirelessly on issues like right to buy and land reform, Leo has worked relentlessly to improve the lives of our residents.

“However, in order to gain and retain our residents’ trust, it is essential that all politicians carry out their work in a completely transparent way.

“In this case, unfortunately Cllr Pollak’s behaviour risked compromising that trust, and that is why I have accepted his resignation as cabinet member for housing.”

Leo Pollak stood again and was reelected in the 2022 local elections with an increased majority. Now, two years after the scandal Cllr Pollak, although not taking up the top housing post, is back in a housing hot seat. As member for housing allocations, a deputy cabinet member post, he will be responsible for helping tenants into new council homes.

Responding directly to this paper’s questions about the appointment, Cllr

Williams said: "Local residents have reelected Cllr Pollak to serve the people of Southwark and I’m glad he will be doing just that in this role.

“He joins a new strengthened housing team within the Cabinet, and will be using his nationally recognised expertise to help improve the way we let our homes, so many more local people can move into a council home."

Reacting to the appointment, Southwark opposition leader Lib Dem Victor Chamberlain said: “Labour seem determined to treat the people of Southwark with utter contempt.

"In 2021, this councillor was found to be anonymously haranguing residents online, attempting to shut down any criticism of council policy with personal attacks against campaigners.

“Now, just two years later, the leader of the council thinks he can sneak him back into the fold… This appointment is an insult to residents and we urge them to rethink.”

Lewis Schaffer, who led the Priory Court Campaign against infilling, and argued with Cllr Pollak’s account online, said: “What Leo Pollak did to our estate… and to every person who lives in this borough is unforgivable.

"He subverted democracy and open government to get his agenda through.

He put us, the Priory Court Estate, through months of pain with his phoney Twitter account.

“When it was exposed it was one of the most painful things that we’ve been through because it meant we could have no trust in this council.

“The fact that Southwark Council has given him this position shows that they place their own agenda over the needs of residents of the borough.

“It’s basically a great big middle finger to our estate and to estates everywhere in the borough."

In a statement Cllr Pollak said: “I’m very grateful to have been appointed to a deputy cabinet role overseeing housing allocations in Southwark, where I can continue the fight to rehouse as many families and individuals as possible struggling with their housing situation.

Work I’ve developed across London and England looking more closely at

in other political changes Alice Macdonald has officially resigned as a councillor to focus on her bid to become Labour MP for Norwich North.

A by-election for her Newington ward seat will be held in due course.

Council leader Kieron Williams thanked Cllr Macdonald for her “hard work” highlighting her efforts “improving and expanding our libraries, supporting our LGBTQ+ community, welcoming Afghan and Ukrainian refugees and so much more”.

This has opened up a space for Cllr James McAsh to take on a permanent position and he is now Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Clean Air & Streets.

He was previously doing maternity cover for Cllr Helen Dennis who is

back and is the Cabinet Member for New Homes & Sustainable Development.

Cllr Catherine Rose previously had ‘streets’ included in her portfolio, which often saw her embroiled in dramas surrounding LTNs particularly in Dulwich Village.

There have been rumours that she has lost the ‘streets’ aspect of her role because of an alleged deterioration in her relationship with TfL staff, as previously reported by this paper. But a Southwark Council spokesperson said that was wrong and that this was simply a way of “balancing” Cllr Rose’s portfolio which “was very large”.

There is also a new mayor with Cllr Michael Situ taking over from Cllr Sunil Chopra.

the patterns of allocations lettings and occupancy in social housing has found that there may be significant nonconstruction methods for rehousing many more people on our housing waiting list, and I’m hoping to help develop this approach in Southwark.

"I’m looking forward to working with colleagues across the community and council in refreshing our housing allocations scheme, and developing new ways of meeting housing needs where over 17000 families are being held back in life while sat housing on our housing waiting list.

"Too often in my work as a councillor the voices of people who are homeless, overcrowded or suffering medical or welfare issues linked to their housing are drowned out by well housed people who are more content to play games and frustrate efforts to tackle the housing crisis.

"For Victor Chamberlain and his group of Liberal Democrats, I find it pitiful that rather than engage with an important area of policy that affects some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents,

the Southwark Lib Dems instead feel they need to distract from their having no answers and no ideas to solve the housing crisis. They also appear to have learned nothing from having tried to monster me personally during last year’s council election only to see South Bermondsey voters return me with an increased majority.

"I’m confident that the vast majority of Southwark News readers will know who and what I stand for based on my actual record as a councillor, whether it be creating the Great Estates programme, playing a central role in developing Southwark’s now nationally-leading council house-building programme, initiating a major expansion of private rented licensing and our empty homes action plan, or leading national campaigns to benefit Southwark residents, such as the now-successful campaign for land compensation reform which we launched here in Southwark.

Residents in our borough want their councillors to be focused on solving their problems, and that’s what I intend to continue doing.“

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 15

Nunhead school students chosen to perform at the National Theatre

By Isabel Ramirez isabel@southwarknews.co.uk Students from a Nunhead school, many of whom have never appeared on a professional stage before, have been selected to perform a new play at the National Theatre next month.

On Friday 23 June, St Thomas the Apostle School and Sixth Form will appear at a festival at the National Theatre in Waterloo that celebrates young talent.

The school is one of ten companies representing the talent of young people across the UK at the 2023 Connections Festival.

They will perform Model Behaviour by Jon Brittain, which has been described as "a fast-paced comic ride through the rollercoaster of personal (playground) politics played out against the backdrop of the world stage."

For many of the pupils, it will be the first

time they have appeared on a professional stage.

For many of the pupils, this will be the first time they have performed on a professional stage.

Steph Biggs, group leader at the school, said: “Being part of the Connections Festival has been a wonderful opportunity for young people across the country to

work in a professional theatre.”

The annual nationwide youth theatre festival, now in its 28th year, celebrates young talent with 5,600 young people aged 13-19 performing one of ten new plays from established and emerging playwrights.

Participants are involved in all aspects of the theatre-making process both on and

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off stage. This includes getting involved with costume, lighting and set design.

Kaisen Anderson, a young participant aged 15, said “Connections is a festival for everyone. It celebrates the diversity of the UK and gives young people a voice they never knew they had. The National Theatre has taught me the importance of engaging with young people that are

different to me, and Connections is a testament to the National’s motto for showcasing diversity.”

All performances will be captioned.

Tickets are £5 each, or £8 for both shows each evening and are on sale now. To book tickets go to nationaltheatre.org.uk The play will take place on Friday, June 23 at 7 pm.

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Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 17

Camberwell kids met Princess Kate at Chelsea Flower Show

By Isabel Ramirez

isabel@southwarknews.co.uk Kids from a Camberwell primary met the Princess of Wales when they attended the Chelsea Flower Show this week.

St George's C of E Primary School received an exclusive royal invitation to the first-ever kids' picnic at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Alex Hales, Deputy Head of the school, told the News: "We were delighted. It's just so exciting for the children.

She explained that they chose ten children to attend, "most of whom volunteer their time to garden on a Saturday."

At the event, which took place last Monday May 22, the children got to meet Princess Kate and ask their burning questions.

Nine-year-old Goodness even made national headlines when she asked her: "What's it like being a princess?"

Goodness later told the News: "She said it's very hard work but the best part is meeting kids like us.

"She was so nice. After I saw her on TV at the Coronation it was strange to be next to her."

Another pupil, Hardy, 8, even got to

hold her hand and his teachers joked he should 'never wash it again!'

The students who attended along with Goodness and Hardy were Ada (7), Magali (8), Trayvon (8), Samuel (7), Praise (9), Charlotte (10), Annie (9) and Valentina (10).

They were accompanied by their 'proud' teachers Philipa Bougeard, Sam Kavanagh and school gardener Pascale Vassie.

The Camberwell school were selected because they were the recent recipients of a bee garden from last year's show, which was installed in January.

It was part of the school's commitment to teaching children about the environment.

As we're nearing summer, the garden is almost in full bloom.

Teacher, Philippa Bougeard, said: "We are going to write to Kate to ask if she can come and visit the garden to show her what we've been growing.

"We hope she can make it."

Along with their royal meeting, the children were excited to share the other famous faces they spotted at the show, which included reality star, Gemma Collins and Strictly Come Dancing judge, Bruno Tonioli.

18 OPINION www.southwarknews.co.uk/letters

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

Comment

‘Southwark builds record numbers of council homes’ w

hen it comes to building new council homes southwark is leading the way. national data published this month shows just how far ahead we are. so how do we compare?

One fact stands out. Of all the new council homes started across the country last year a third are being built here in Southwark. To put that in context there are over three hundred councils in England, yet we started one in three new council homes.

You can spot these homes all around Southwark, as they rise out of the ground on over forty-five sites, big and small. We’ve handed over the keys for over a thousand homes since 2014, with over two thousand more on site being built today.

One estate that is worth a special mention is the Aylesbury, which is now home to the country’s largest council homes building site. With 581 new council homes under construction next to Burgess Park.

These homes are much more than

bricks and mortar. One of the joys of my job is getting to meet the people who move into them, and hearing how their low rents and lifetime tenancies allow families to put down roots, make ends meet and get on at school and work.

It’s not just council homes that we are delivering. Since 2010, over two thousand new low rent housing association homes have been built in Southwark. Plus over two and a half thousand other kinds of affordable homes, including shared ownership and shared equity. Few boroughs have come close to these numbers.

We’re also tackling empty homes.

Thanks to our Empty Homes Action Plan, the number of unused flats and houses in Southwark is down by a third over the last four years.

The biggest reduction in London and the second biggest in the county. We’ve achieved this by helping owners to let unused properties to local families. As well as charging double or triple council tax to those who allow

homes to sit empty long-term.

There is lots to celebrate, but also much more to do.

Rents in the private sector are spiralling ever more out of reach.

The average rent in our city is now over £30,000 a year. That is a number that shows just how broken the housing market is.

We need fundamental change.

Yet the government has not even delivered on the small promises they have made. In 2019, the Conservative Party said they would end no fault evictions, where tenants are kicked out despite having done nothing wrong. Four years later and nothing has changed.

I’m calling for much bigger change.

Government needs to give our city the power to set fair limits on rents, so landlords can’t impose huge rent hikes every year. With new rules that means once you’ve signed a tenancy it can only go up by a fair amount that reflects the reasonable cost to your landlord of looking after your home.

It’s something that’s a norm in many

KIERON WILLIAMS

Southwark Council leader other countries, and I’m working with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to win this basic right for Londoners too.

It’s not just private renters who are being hard hit. It’s homeowners too. The Conservative Party’s disastrous ‘mini-budget’ last year has pushed thousands of families to the edge, with over £1 billion added to mortgage payments since the Tories crashed our economy.

For families on the lowest incomes it’s worse still. Successive Conservative and Liberal Democrat governments have cut housing benefits so low that it is impossible for a family on universal credit to find a private rented home they can afford locally. As a result we are seeing homelessness rocket.

Now we are seeing house building across the country stall, with brick factories being mothballed, and the government abandoning their pledge to build the extra homes our country need.

It’s clear that so long as the Conservative Party is ruling

the country the housing crisis is only going to deepen.

In contrast, Labour has pledged that in government we will build more homes people can afford. So this month I was delighted to welcome Lisa Nandy, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for housing to Southwark. To show her the new council homes we are building and to discuss how a Labour government can help us do so much more.

We all need a home. It’s not an optional extra in life. Yet thousands of people across our country have been locked out of having one. In Southwark, Labour is determined to change that. We’re already building record numbers of new council homes, more than at any time since the 1970’s. Now we need a Labour government that shares our determination, so we can solve Britain’s housing crisis together.

‘Liberal Dems are a local electoral force, Labour can’t keep taking Southwark for granted' VICTOR CHAMBERLAIN Leader of the Southwark Lib Dems

o

n 4th may, voters in 230 councils across england headed to the polls. 24 hours later, the tories had lost over 1,000 seats.

The results came as a huge relief for anyone in this country that believe in progressive, compassionate politics.

It was a brilliant result for any party trying to oust this shambolic and uncaring Conservative government, but it was a particularly excellent result for the Liberal Democrats.

The Liberal Democrats gained over 400 council seats across England, and took majority control of 12 councils. Now with 29 councils under its control, the Liberal Democrat Party has made it clear it is an electoral force to be reckoned with.

Although my party’s efforts are rightfully focused on ousting Tories wherever they can, Labour should also take heed of rising Liberal Democrat support – especially here in Southwark.

Although Labour now have the most councillors of any party, these results

in no way suggested that voters are flocking to Keir Starmer’s side. Liberal Democrats took seats off Labour in Liverpool, and strengthened their hold in Hull after taking control of the council from Labour last year.

So, in these results, there is a key message to Labour here in Southwark – do not take it for granted. The residents of our borough are no fools, and know that there is a real alternative ready to take control when they have had enough of Labour’s failings.

And there are no shortage of issues that our Labour council is failing to deal with. This month alone they have been ordered to pay £10,000 by the Housing Ombudsman for two disgraceful cases of housing disrepair not being addressed.

Labour has overseen a staggering degradation of housing repairs service. How can a pregnant mother be left without heating over one of our coldest winters? How can young children be left in freezing, damp rooms for nearly a year and half?

These failings are only possible because we have a complacent executive that is neglecting their duty of care to the residents of Southwark, especially the most vulnerable. My Liberal Democrat group has demanded reform of the repairs service for years but we still see no progress.

The voters of Southwark know they deserve better, and the Liberal Democrats have made it clear across the country that they are ready to take control.

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

www.southwarknews.co.uk/letters

OPINION 19

Let's be clear - council home building is excellent news

S

outhwark Council has announced that it is building a third of England’s council homes - an oversimplification of a muddier picture. But let’s be clear - we desperately need new homes and bricks on the ground is good news for local

people.

When the council announced it was “bucking the national trend” by beginning work on 726 council homes between 2021 - 2022, it raised eyebrows. Yes, this was a third of the 2,234 council homes started nationally, but what about all the demolitions?

Opposition politicians and campaigners quickly pointed to more troubling data recorded by London Tenants' Federation (LTF). Its research, released in January, showed that Southwark had demolished over 4,000 social rent homes since 2012 - the second worst of any London borough.

On the other hand, Southwark Council can rightly point to factors beyond its control that have depleted the housing stock. Things like right to buy, stagnating budgets and the paucity of free space to build on in a central London borough.

These political debates about historic decisions are undoubtedly needed. But at the same time, it’s easy to get bogged down in politics while missing the immediate situation. The fact is there are 17,000 people on the housing waiting list who need a home right now.

So let’s celebrate the fact that Southwark is currently one of the nation’s biggest council house builders.

Tenants’ accounts on our page eight story, highlight how life-changing a decent home can be.

However, we’re nowhere near the finishing line. There are so many obstacles lying in the way of social housing projects. Tasks like holding developers to their 35 per cent obligations, up-keeping existing estates, and all while keeping costs down, conjure images of a set of perpetually spinning plates.

Newly appointed Deputy Cabinet Member for Housing Allocations Leo Pollak has referred tantalisingly to “significant non-construction methods for rehousing many more people on our housing waiting list”.

This sounds interesting and could be the sort of creative thinking needed at times like these. It could also be a chance for him to make up for errors of his own making, as covered on page fourteen.

Three years ago, the News did an extensive piece explaining how many homes were in the pipeline in each ward. Expect a follow-up article sometime soon explaining how these projects have progressed since.

cryptic Puzzle Clues Across 1 Had port with fish (7) 5 The one right belonging to them (5) 8 To the Italian it's hard work (4) 9 They are made from salt and rice (8) 10 Not heavyhanded and with taking ways (58) 13 Soon to be unknown? (4) 14 But a veto could be in support (4) 17 Ghostly sleuth reformed carelessly (13) 19 Narrative poem sure to upset people of taste (8) 20 Did he have a beastly mother? (4) 21 Sails are made from, it (5) 22 Like hundreds of flights of steps? (7)

Clues Down 2 The coat I'm changing is very small (6) 3 Adolph loses his head but gets in very fishy (7) 4 Tease a little bird (9) 5 Night changes singular 9 (5) 6 Gleaner subject to blowup (7) 7 Regret about possibility of side being left (7) 11 But theirs are not the only new books (9) 12 Is of importance to the substances (7) 13 For ages on I was having extreme pains (7) 15 Having a will of one's own (7) 16 Easily bent, I get taken in by the false clue (6) 18 Strain the porridge (5)

Quick Puzzle Clues Across 1 Tedious (7) 5 Top film award (5) 8 Move (4) 9 Providers of food (8) 10 Without escort (13) 13 Extinct bird (4) 14 City on the Tiber (4) 17 Ceremony of remembrance 19 Overcome (8) 20 Midday (4) 21 Song (5) 22 Slander (7)

Clues Down 2 Grading (6) 3 Hot dusty wind (7) 4 Little world (9) 5 Musical drama (5) 6 Woman's shirt (7) 7 Remainder (7) 11 Concludes a speech (9) 12 Shut in a box (7) 13 Fault (7) 15 Afternoon performance (7) 16 Punctuation marks (6) 18 Black wood (5)

Solutions to last week’s crossword Cryptic Across: 4 Prudes 8 Approve 10 Accused 11 Hanoi 12 Reams 13 Swaggered 16 Insurgent 19 Lyric 20 Again 22 Misrule 23 Precise 24 Sadden Down: 1 Pathos 2 Open 3 Moving picture 5 Record breaker 6 Distance 7 Sadism 9 Eager 14 Apprised 15 Plumes 17 Steep 18 Tender 21 Avid Quick PUZZLE Across: Arrest 8 Ali Baba 10 Reptile 11 Largo 12 Eerie 13 Paragraph 17 Nominator 19 Geese 20 Irish 22 Elevate 23 Rallies 24 Sadist Down: Gallop 2 Liar 3 MajorGenerals 5 Reprehensible 6 Emigrant 7 Theses 9 Arena 14 Reverend 15 Egress 17 Maker 18 Rehash 21 Iris

20 ARTS www.southwarknews.co.uk/arts

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

Photo by Helen Murray

what’s on

in Southwark

The Dumb Waiter and A Slight Ache

With the drawn out days of the start of summer Greenwich Theatre puts on a pair of dark comedies. Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter and A Slight Ache are the evenings tragicomedy double bill, writes Christopher Peacock...

Both plays are from Pinter’s earlier works and many claim

The Dumb Waiter to be one of his most complete from that stage of his career. But kicking off the entertainment is A Slight Ache, a hour in the life of Flora and Edward, a middle-aged, upper middle-class couple. Their day is disturbed by an old match seller who seems to hang around their property daily without ever selling any matches and never

saying a word.

Originally a radio play, the role of the match seller was thought of as a mere imaginary character in the heads of Flora and Edward that they offload their woes and concerns onto. With its transfer to the stage, having the character involved in the action - though still mute - does change this dynamic but the role

is not depreciated when holding a mirror up to these two people who inevitably tie themselves in knots.

The Dumb Waiter is certainly the better known of the double bill. Two hitmen wait in a basement room for their victim to walk through one of the doors. At the back a dumb waiter occasionally springs into action with notes demanding food orders be sent

Framed in the familiar tropes of Dickens, Bleak Expectations takes us through Pip Bin’s extraordinary life.

We find ourselves in church, in court, in graveyards, in mansions and in hovels in this topsy-turvy tale When Pip’s father dies, Gently Benevolent (an evil dastard) becomes the family’s guardian and immediately plans to marry one of the young daughters, get the widow sectioned and send Pip off to boarding school where Wackwell Hardthrasher, the Head, will ensure Pip dies on his 18th birthday so that the cunning Benevolent inherits the family fortune instead.

At St Bastards School, ‘What?

And Sewage Soup’ is on the menu, which leads to the boys trying to eat themselves or each other before they die in a ‘freak accident’ when they come of age.

Evans has written the perfect melodrama farce with fiendish plots and devilish plans, and characters to match: Rev. Praygood Hardthrasher; Bakewell Havertwitch, Flora DiesEarly, plus sundry others of a hilarious nature.

There is a story of sorts with men seeking young wives, women seeking rich husbands, fortunes robbed and

regained; sisters lost and found, but it is difficult trying to keep up with such a madcap tale when there is so much hilarity to contend with. Oh, how we laughed when the stage was littered with dead bodies. Philip Bin finally lives up to his name and Havertwitch comes back to return the favour Pip afforded him as a boy, drawing us to a conclusion where ‘Evil, cruelty and malice have been vanquished’.

The courting ritual of the time is ripped apart and a wedding is described as ‘a funeral for Flora’s

innocence’. As well as the jokes (that often had the actors corpsing) there are visual gags aplenty, but it is the characters and the actors that bring them alive that reign supreme here.

Marc Pickering and John Hopkins stood out for me, but each of those on the stage put in great performances under the superb direction of Caroline Leslie.

In Bleak Expectations you will recognise bits of Hard Times, Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist,

up even though there is no working kitchen. Naturally more sinister that A Slight Ache, there is definitely more humour and has a cleaner resolution as a piece.

The cast of three certainly tried their best to get comfortable with Pinter’s style. Jude Akuwudike had the most to do, playing Edward in A Slight Ache and Gus in the Dumb Waiter. At times I felt there was a tendency to overplay the pauses and with a couple of fumbled lines thrown in it made what should be two pacy one act plays drag a touch. Tony Mooney as Ben in The Dumb Waiter certainly captured the quirks and mannerisms so typical of Pinter’s working-class characters; however, of the three, Kerrie Taylor as Flora in A Slight Ache was the pick of the performances. She pitched the well-to-do frustrated middle-class housewife perfectly and garnered quite a few laughs.

As a double bill production the set was utilised well and was swiftly altered in the interval. If anything the stage at Greenwich Theatre feels a little large for this style of show and these two plays could possibly benefit from a more intimate space.

For fans of Harold Pinter, this production doesn’t fall short in delivering what you would expect and I think with more performances it will tighten up nicely.

Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, London, SE10 8ES until June 3rd.

Times: 7.30pm; matinees 2.30pm.

Admission: £22 - £29.

Booking: www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

Extraordinarily Good Expectations Bleak Expectations comes with high expectations as it follows on from a very successful Radio 4 series, writes Michael Holland..

Photo by Manuel Harlan

So successful that the team were able to attract top names to guest as the narrator through this West End run. This week it is the excellent Sally Phillips.

Sir Philip Bin introduces himself and goes on to tell his life story, right from the moment of his conception when his parents kissed.

The young Philip became known as Pip, and he had two sisters, Pippa and Poppy. Their father bought them a pipe and a puppy, which created a lot of tongue-twisting dialogue. Oh yes, he also bought one an anvil, which became a rather heavy but crucial prop.

This is the 19th century when women had to have their ankles covered and be married with children before they reached 28 or prepare for a life of spinsterhood, plus other ridiculous Victorian conventions of the day. Or, that is the view according to Mark Evans the author, whose ideas of that era came from reading a couple of Dickens books and seeing the ‘pomposity of TV costume drama’.

Pickwick Papers and more, all gently mocked but without taking away their importance to English literature.

Mark Evans has written a wonderfully comic play; I can’t remember a theatre so full of laughter.

Criterion Theatre, 218-223 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1J 9HR until September 3rd.

Times: 7.30pm; matinees 2.30pm.

Admission: £17.59 - £93.19.

Booking: 033 33 202 895 www.criterion-theatre.co.uk

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

www.southwarknews.co.uk/arts

ARTS 21

Arts

Frankie Lucas: The Golden Boy of South London

Frankie Lucas was a middleweight boxer from Croydon who fought during the 1970s. He had come to the UK from St Vincent as part of the Windrush Generation when he was nine and joined the Sir Phillip Game Boxing Club in Croydon. That was the beginning of a story that is only now being told, writes Michael Holland.

In 1972 Frankie won the ABA title but was strangely overlooked by England selectors for the Olympic Games. In 1973 he won the ABA title again but was once more ignored for the 1974 Commonwealth Games.

Knowing he was the best boxer in his weight, and now spurred on to prove it, Frankie, with a little help from his friends, went to the Commonwealth Games representing St Vincent and came home victorious, with the gold medal, just as he predicted.

The tale of the kid from the streets who fights his way to the top has been told many times in films but this boxing legend became the forgotten man instead.

Until, that is, writer Rose Hollingsworth remembered Frankie Lucas and his win at the Commonwealth Games because he used to come into her mum’s shop next to the Noble Art gym and buy his lunch (‘Ox tongue rolls’). Rose was motivated enough to write a short story about him which then turned in to a film - Going for Gold.

Local actors were involved: Bermondsey’s Eddie Webber starred as Frankie’s trainer George Francis. and Christos Liberos from Walworth played the legendary boxing pundit and writer Steve Bunce.

Going for Gold was entered into a number of film festivals in Canada and the US, and went on to win seven awards and special mentions, including one for Best Actor. It was also shown on London Live and will be released on MFM Short Film Channel on YouTube.

L-R Lisa Lintott, Jazz Lintott, Frankie Lucas, Frank Skully

Up until this time Rose did not know Frankie Lucas was alive and had a son, but managed to make contact with his son Michael when she found out. Michael took the film to show his father.

‘Frankie saw the film and thought that it was a realistic portrayal of his life so he agreed for us to turn the film into play,’ says Rose.

Researching the stage version of Going For Gold, the writer discovered the hard truth about those missing years which followed Frankie Lucas achieving Commonwealth fame. She picks up the story: ‘I found that Frankie was forgotten because he suffered from a mental breakdown and was sectioned… He was in and out of mental health institutions for the next thirty years, believing the devil lived in his left hand, so he closed it shut never to open it again.’ Rose pauses

to let that sink in. It does. The author continues: ‘After a while, because no one saw him, people presumed him dead. But he was in contact with his son.’

They heard that Lucas, sadly, was now recovering from cancer and in a care home in Kentish Town being looked after by his son. ‘We were lucky enough to visit him on a few occasions, remembers Rose.

‘He gave us a list of people to interview: Clinton MacKenzie, who is providing boxing coaching for the actors at his boxing gym in Denmark Hill; John Conteh, Winston MacKenzie, Michael Bovell, Gene Bovell, Ken Rimmington, Bruce Baker, Tony Chapman…’

So now the hard work began. 'We spent three months researching and interviewing all these people and then set about writing the play about Frankie’s life.’

There will be no ‘nil points’ for SEA LIFE London Aquarium as the South Bank attraction pays homage to the worldfamous song contest by releasing an alternative track titled ‘EuroFISHion’ – comprised entirely of sounds made by creatures from competing countries.

ALL ABOUT THE BASS sounds using specialist hydrophones placed deep into several tanks including the Ocean Tank and the Coral Kingdom.

From this, the team pulled out amazing noises made by species found in the seas around some of the countries competing in this year’s contest. Creatures making their musical debut included the Gilthead

Seabream, found along the coast of many Western European countries, and the Clown Anemone Fish, found throughout Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef.

The sounds were later collated, pitched and mixed by the team at Abbey Road in a studio that has been graced by musical icons including The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Lady

© INhouse images

Following a series of recording sessions in the attraction, the track was then mixed at the world-famous Abbey Road studios in London. The resulting unique and catchy tune features a funky beat which, in a world first, is made up entirely of the sounds projected by the Aquarium’s talented, yet noisy, European (and Australian) residents.

To celebrate the return of the famous song contest to the UK after 25 years, SEA LIFE London Aquarium joined forces with Prof. Steve Simpson, Professor of Marine Biology & Global Change at the University of Bristol and a featured scientist on the BBC’s landmark show, Blue Planet II. Prof. Steve and his student, Emily Lane, recorded the underwater

How far along with the project are you now? ‘The play is currently in rehearsals in Camberwell and will preview at the Brighton Fringe on May 29/30th May before transferring to the Chelsea Theatre on 5/6/7/8th June. It is very exciting.’

With no arts funding the team are trying to raise funds for the production and have already attracted some attention from the media and boxing world, who are themselves just hearing the sad truth about the boxer who was once so admired. Some offering their help.

‘The Sun’s chief boxing correspondent Colin Hart is interviewing us, says Rose excitedly. ‘and Steve Bunce is gonna do a podcast for his BBC show, highlighting Frankie’s story and the journey of the play.’

Gaga, to name but a few. Speaking of SEA LIFE London Aquarium’s new release, Prof. Steve Simpson said: “It’s so exciting to be working with SEA LIFE London Aquarium and to work on this project bringing the sounds of the ocean to the public, showing that fish really can sing! EuroFISHion is a real earworm – ever since I heard the final cut, I can’t get it out of my head!

“The more we listen to the ocean and its amazing host of animals, the more we learn.

“Everything from whales to dolphins to fish to lobsters, and even seagrass and seaweed, pitch in to the ocean orchestra of sounds. We can hear biodiversity, we can track the fate of habitats as they decline and recover, and we can measure the sounds of breeding and feeding activities from coral reefs to rock pools to the deep ocean.

“It is so exciting to work with SEA LIFE London Aquarium and Abbey Road Studios to bring some of these amazing sounds to the public’s attention.”

SEA LIFE London Aquarium first teamed up with Prof. Steve in 2019

But that is not all: ‘We hope, after these first six performances, to take the show on tour and have a four-week London run.’

This is the recognition that Frankie Lucas, twice ABA Champion and Commonwealth Gold medallist, deserves. First in film and now on the stage.

‘Alas,’ begins Rose, ‘Frankie passed away on 8th April 2023, just weeks away from the Brighton premier. He was suffering from terminal cancer and although his prognosis was just two months left to live, he fought on for another fourteen to hear the play and know that his story and his life was being honoured… It is very sad he will not be around to see it.’

However, this tragic tale will be a catalyst for a lot of good: ‘We have partnered with Health Perks who deliver Mental Health First Aiders training and outreach at boxing clubs, and we are also fundraising for the Ringside Charity Trust who help retired boxers in need and are working to open a care home specifically for retired boxers who need help.’

This is not just a boxing story, this is much more than that.

The play is being produced by Lisa Lintott, Frank Skully and Jazz Lintott. It stars Jazz Lintott, Frankie Wilson (The Gold) Daniel Francis Swaby (Small Axe) Cyril Blake and Marissa Joseph, and will be directed by Betsy Robertson and Seb Senior.

The Rotunda Theatre, Regency Square, Brighton, BN1 2FG 29th - 30th May. Admission: £10.

Booking: www.brightonfringe.org/events/ going-for-gold/ Chelsea Theatre, 7, World's End Place, London SW10 0DR from 5th - 8th June.

Times 7.30pm. Admission: £15.

Booking: www.goingforgoldplay.com

on a remake of the Christmas classic Jingle Bells, which was made up of the underwater sounds heard at the London Aquarium mixed on top of the catchy beat. After much success, SEA LIFE London Aquarium’s team of expert aquarists joined forces with Prof. Steve again to create ‘EuroFISHion’ - a tune that wouldn’t feel out of place in any European nightclub.

Catherine Pritchard, General Manager at SEA LIFE London Aquarium, said: “We’ve known for some time that our residents are singing superstars, so ahead of this weekend, we just knew we had to join in on the fun and unleash their talent on the world.

“It’s been great to get back in the studio with Prof. Steve and create this, a world first. So, make sure you stream EuroFISHion and let’s get it to number 1!”

SEA LIFE London Aquarium, situated on the South Bank, is open seven days a week. For further details on the latest opening times, feeding times, prices and more, please visit www.visitsealife.com/london

22 CLASSIFIED www.southwarknews.co.uk

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

CLASSIFIED AND COMMUNITY NOTICES Southwark Pensioners’ Centre Supporting older people in Southwark for over 35 years.

Offering advice, support, activities, rooms for hire and a voice for older people.

ScotsCare is here to help and support Scots and their families in Greater London

Contact us on 020 7708 4556 or info@southwarkpensioners.org.uk

Our services include: Financial Support | Advocacy | Counselling | Sheltered Housing | Homelessness | Job Coaching | Social Events | Volunteering

Or pop into 305 -307 Camberwell rd, Camberwell Green, SE5 0HQ

Elim House Day Centre

YOU MATTER TO US programme started Tuesday 9th May. 100 Day programme combating loneliness within our elders

To find out more, visit

www.scotscare.com or call

0800 652 2989 to speak with a case worker to see how we can assist you.

We are accepting walk-ins

Contact us on 020 7358 9502 or elimhouseoutreachworker@gmail.com Or pop into 86-88 Bellenden Road, Peckham, SE15 4RQ Website: elimhousedaycentre.com

Registered Charity No.207326

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• Learning Disabilities Service • Youth Adventure Project • Starfish, Domestic Abuse Project

www.bedehouse.org Tel: 0207 237 3881 A local charity supporting our neighbours in Southwark since 1938 Registered charity number: 303199 Registered company number: 420386

Send in your FREE

Father’s Day messages To be included in the June 15th edition of the Southwark News.

One message per email please (no photos)

Send to Katie on katie@southwarknews.co.uk

by June 12th

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Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (EMPRESS STREET, ALBION STREET, OMEARA STREET, REDCROSS WAY)

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (COPPERFIELD STREET, CRIMSCOTT STREET, MILLSTREAM ROAD, STONES END STREET, TALFOURD ROAD, UPLAND ROAD, WYNEHAM ROAD, BURRELL STREET, HOPTON STREET, COPELAND ROAD)

(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC)

(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC)

1.

The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that to enable various works to be carried out, it made, an order, the effect of which will be to prohibit vehicular traffic from entering part of the above named roads.

1.

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time in:

The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that to enable various works to be carried out, it made, an order, the effect of which will be to prohibit vehicular traffic from entering part of the above named roads.

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time in:

(a) Empress Street,10m either side of railway bridge, located at it’s junction with Fielding Street to it’s blocked end (b) Albion Street, between Renforth Street and Neptune Street (c) Omeara Street, between Southwark Street and Union Street (d) Redcross Way, at it’s junction with Union Street 3.

The alternative route for affected traffic will be as indicated by the signs displayed

4.

Exemptions will be provided in the Order to permit reasonable access to premises, so far as it is practical without interference with the execution of the said works.

5.

The restrictions will not apply to any vehicle being used in connection with the said works, or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes or anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform.

6.

The works will be in operation for (2a) 29th – 30th May (2b) 30th – 31st May (2c) 30th – 31st May (2d) 30th May

7.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Road Network Management at ttmo@southwark.gov.uk

(a) Copperfield Street, at it’s junction with Sawyer Street (b) Crimscott Street, between No’s 20 and Nos 20a (c) Millstream Road, between Druid Street and Stanworth Street (d) Stones End Street, between Borough Road and Great Suffolk Street (e) Talfourd Road, between Peckham Road and No’s 24 (f) Upland Road, between No’s 283 and No’s 313 (g) Wyneham Road, Frankfurt Road, Elmwood Road, located between Danecroft Road and Elfindale Road (h) Burrell Street, at it’s junction with Southwark Street (i) Hopton Street, north bound lane of carriageway closed between Southwark Street No’s 7 (j) Copeland Road, north side, convert existing single yellow line outside No’s 133 to ‘at any time’ waiting restrictions (double yellow lines) from the end of the existing permit holders/paid parking bays to the end of the existing double yellow lines, in a southerly direction.

3.

The alternative route for affected traffic will be (2a) as indicated by the signs displayed (2b) Grange Road, Dunton Road, Willow Walk (2c) Druid Street, Tanner Street, Maltby Street (2d) Borough Road, Borough High Street, Great Suffolk Street (2e) Peckham Road, Bushey Hill Road, Lyndhurst grove, Talfourd Road (2f) Dunstans Road, Goodrich Road (2g) Wyneham Road, Beckwith Road, Elfindale Road, Herne Hill, Danecroft Road (2h) not applicable (2i) Hopton Street, Holland Street, Sumner Street (2j) not applicable

4.

The existing ‘one-way’ working in Crimscott Street, will be made ‘two-way’ for access and egress purposes for (2b)

5.

Exemptions will be provided in the Order to permit reasonable access to premises, so far as it is practical without interference with the execution of the said works.

6.

The restrictions will not apply to any vehicle being used in connection with the said works, or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes or anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform.

7.

The works will be in operation for (2a) 5th – 8th June (2b) 5th – 8th June (2c) 5th – 6th June (2d) 8th – 22nd June (2e) 8th June (2f) 5th June (2g) 6th June (2h & 2i) 5th – 23rd June (2j) 2nd June 2023 – 4th November 2024

8.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Road Network Management at ttmo@southwark.gov.uk

Dated this 18th May 2023 Ian Law Traffic Manager London Borough of Southwark Network Management Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529 London SE1 5LX Ref: (2a) 6500/ HHH-02-19-290523 (2b) 6498/LBSCR12943 (2c) 6506/BMJ-01-16-300523 (2d) BMJ01-16-300523 LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (RYEDALE, CORNFLOWER TERRACE, ATHENLAY ROAD, BROCKLEY WAY ALMA GROVE) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF VEHICLES) 1.

The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that to enable various works to be carried out, it intends, to make, an order, the effect of which will be to prohibit vehicular traffic from entering part of the above named roads.

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time in: (a) Ryedale, ‘at any time’ waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced on the north east side between No’s 54 – 48 located between Balchier Road and Cornflower Terrace (b) Cornflower Terrace, ‘at any time’ waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced on the north east side between No’s 22 – 24 near the junction with Ryedale (c) Athenlay Road, ‘at any time’ waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced on the north and south side between No’s 43 – 49 located between Homeleigh Road and Brockley Way/Merttins Road (d) Brockley Way, ‘at any time’ waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced at the side of No’s 43 opposite the side of No’s 43 near the junction with Brockley Way/Merttins Road (e) Alma Grove, between Southwark Park Road and Lynton Road will be closed (f) Alma Grove, between Southwark Park Road and Lynton Road all parking bays will be suspended on both sides of the road

3.

The alternative route for affected traffic will be(2a) (2b) (2c) (2d) not applicable (2e) & (2f)

4.

Exemptions will be provided in the Order to permit reasonable access to premises, so far as it is practical without interference with the execution of the said works.

5.

The existing ‘one-way’ working, will be made ‘two-way’ for access and egress purposes

6.

The restrictions will not apply to any vehicle being used in connection with the said works, or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes or anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform.

7.

The works will be in operation between (2a) 13- 15 June (2b) 13th – 15th June (2c) 12th – 14th June (2d) 12th – 14th June (2e)& (2f) 12 June – 22 September, the works will be carried out in sections

8.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Road Network Management at ttmo@southwark.gov.uk

Dated this 25th May 2023 Ian Law Traffic Manager London Borough of Southwark Network Management Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529 London SE1 5LX Ref: (2a )6486/ MCW-SOWA-SL-012524 (2b) 6486/MCWSOWASL012524 (2c) 6487/MCW-SOWASL-012519 (2d)6487/ MCW-SOWA-SL-012519 (2e) & (2f) 6481/BER8-ALMA280-01

24 PUBLIC NOTICES www.southwarknews.co.uk

Dated this 25th May 2023

Ian Law Traffic Manager London Borough of Southwark Network Management Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529 London SE1 5LX Ref: (2a) 6540/NK104CIV100409617-Virginmedia (2b) 6476/SEC50/CRIMSCOTTTSTSTDCivils/meadbld (2c) 6507/XTD-02-36-050623-NR (2d) 6551/P101705N0014695/R5- NECLTDPOn (2e) 6505/LPPAT2122/0289/JS-Thames (2f) 6456 LPPAT2122/0290/JS-Thames (2g) 6549/LPPAT2122/0233/JS-Thames (2h) 6547/P100826TBC/R4-NECLTD-POn (2i) 6548/P100826TBC/R2-NECLTD-Pon (2j) 6550/DYL MARINE AND COASTAL ACCESS ACT 2009 APPLICATION FOR LONDON BRIDGE CITY PIER EXTENSION, MLA/2023/00105 Notice is hereby given that Uber Boats by Thames Clippers, 3rd Floor Clipper House, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London, E14 0JY, has applied to the Marine Management Organisation under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, Part 4, for a marine licence to undertake works to extend London Bridge City Pier by installing two extension pontoons.

Copies of the application and associated information may be viewed online in the Public Register at www.gov.uk/check-marine-licence-register.

Representations in respect of the application should ordinarily be made by: - Visiting the MMO public register at https://marinelicensing.marinemanagement.org.uk/mmofox5/fox/live/MMO _PUBLIC_REGISTER/search?area=3 and accessing the `Public Representation? section of case reference MLA/2023/00105; However, we will also accept representations via the following formats: - By email to marine.consents@marinemanagement.org.uk; or alternatively - By letter addressed to Marine Management Organisation, Lancaster House, Hampshire Court, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7YH In all cases, correspondence must: - Be received within 28 days of the date of the first notice; 25.05.2023 - Quote the case reference; and - include an address to which correspondence relating to the representation or objection may be sent.

The Marine Management Organisation will pass to the applicant a copy of any objection or representation we receive.

A c c e s s a l l p u b l i s h e d n o t i c e s : w w w. s o u t h w a r k n e w s . c o. u k / p u b l i c - n o t i c e s

To p l a c e a public notice, please email em@cmm e d i a . c o. uk Our weekly deadline is 2pm every Tuesday

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK TOWN & COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 (as amended) PLANNING (LISTED BUILDINGS AND CONSERVATION AREAS) ACT 1990 (as amended) The planning applications listed below can be viewed on the planning register at https://planning.southwark.gov.uk/online-applications/ You can use facilities at your local library or 'My Southwark Service Points' to access the website.

How to comment on this application: You should submit your comments via the above link. Comments received will be made available for public viewing on the website. All personal information will be removed except your postal address. Online comments submitted without an email address will not be acknowledged and those marked 'confidential' will not be considered. Written comments can be submitted to; Southwark Council, Chief executive's department, Planning division, Development Management, PO Box 64529, London SE1 5LX. Reason for publicity. The applications are advertised for the reasons identified by the following codes: AFFECT - development affecting character or appearance of a nearby conservation area; OR development affecting setting of a nearby listed building(s); DEP - departure from the development plan; EIA - environmental impact assessment (these applications are accompanied by an environmental statement a copy of which may be obtained from the Council - there will be a charge for the copy); MAJ - major planning application; STDCA - development within a conservation area; STDLB - works to or within the site of a listed building; 72 BERMONDSEY STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 3UD (Ref: 23/AP/1071) Replacement of existing windows at ground floor to single-glazed timber framed sash windows. (Within: Bermondsey Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Sandy Ng ) 1 TOWNLEY ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE22 8SW (Ref: 23/AP/1382) Change of use of first floor and second floor residential unit to dental surgery in association with existing dental practice located at ground floor (Within: Dulwich Village CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Mumtaz Shaikh 020 7525 0585)

the existing signage of the defunct Tibits Restaurant with new signage and illumination in the same position and similar style. 1x Over entrance signage "board" in the logo of the new occupiers 2x "flag boards" to replace the existing signage in position. Several Minor Amendments to the existing signage lettering / wording describing the restaurant and functions within. Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Sandy Ng ) 53 COBOURG ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 0HU (Ref: 23/AP/0936) Listed Building Consent: External and internal works to existing Grade II listed building including the installation of an air source heat pump to the rear and replacement of windows.

(Within: Cobourg Road CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Hajnalka Kurti 020 7525 3701)

METRO CENTRAL HEIGHTS 119 NEWINGTON CAUSEWAY LONDON SOUTHWARK (Ref: 23/AP/1349) Listed building consent: New external seating area with loose furniture enclosed by free53 COBOURG ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK standing planters with 2x millboard FE gates.

SE5 0HU (Ref: 23/AP/0935) Remove existing double set of entrance doors Retrospective: External and internal works to and replace them with new doors located existing grade II listed building including the slightly forward to match the existing shopfront installation of an air source heat pump to the line. New double FE door to the far left-hand rear and replacement of windows (Within: Cobourg Road CA) Reason(s) for publicity: bay to replace existing sliding doors. Existing STDCA (Contact: Hajnalka Kurti 020 7525 3701) hinged doors are to be www.southwarknews.co.uk replaced with sliding doors. New metal plate with hole for boiler flue THE VILLA STREET MEDICAL CENTRE 47 through external existing louvre Internal refurb 47A VILLA STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK and re-fit throughout Reason(s) for publicity: SE17 2EL (Ref: 23/AP/1396) STDLB (Contact: Sandy Ng ) Replacement of existing double glazed timber windows in west elevation of the building with 124 - 128 SOUTHWARK STREET LONDON double glazed timber windows of matching SOUTHWARK SE1 0SW (Ref: 23/AP/1386) types. (Within: Liverpool Grove CA) Reason(s) Listed Building Consent: Direct replacement of

PUBLIC NOTICES 25

for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Anna Poulose ) 72 BERMONDSEY STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 (Ref: 23/AP/1072) Listed Building Consent for replacement of existing windows at ground floor to singleglazed timber framed sash windows. (Within: Bermondsey Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Sandy Ng )

Dated: 23 May 2023 - comments to be received within 21 days of this date.

STEPHEN PLATTS - Director of Planning and Growth

45A GROSVENOR PARK LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 0NH (Ref: 23/AP/1019) Construction of a mansard roof extension.

(Within: Grosvenor Park CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Hajnalka Kurti 020 7525 3701) SOUTH LONDON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE WILSON ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 8PD (Ref: 23/AP/1354) Replacement of the existing sloping glazed conservatory roof with a roof that is part flat and solid and part sloped glazing. (Within: Camberwell Grove Conservation Area CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Chloe Rimell 0207 525 1397) 28 HONOR OAK RISE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE23 3RA (Ref: 23/AP/1359) Replacement of the existing upper floor conservatory timber framed glazed structure with a new conservatory structure of similar appearance in aluminium Alitherm Heritage frames. (Within: Honor Oak Rise CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Sean Gomes 020 7525 0666)

Notice of Application to Vary a Premises Licence made under Section 34 of the Licensing Act 2003

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (GILKES PLACE)

Please take notice that I / we Shaun Ryan Treasure, The Thirsy Bear Ltd have made application to Southwark Council to vary the Premises Licence in respect of The Thirsty Bear, 62 Stamford Street, SE1 9LX

(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF VEHICLES)

The proposed variation is as follows: Extension of opening times for an extra 30 minutes

1.

NOTICE IS HERBY GIVEN that to enable development works to be carried out by Aquinna Homes Plc or it’s appointed contractor, the Council of the London Borough of Southwark intends to make an order the effect of which would be to temporarily:-

2.

Prohibit vehicles from entering, proceeding, stopping, waiting and loading in a section of carriageway on Gilkes Place. The prohibition applies to 25 metres of carriageway from the junction of Gilkes Crescent.

Days

Start time

Finish time

The retail sale of alcohol:

Monday to Saturday Sunday

07:00 10:00

01:30 00:00

The provision of regulated entertainment:

Monday to Saturday Sunday

07:00 10:00

01:30 00:00

3.

The provision of late night refreshment:

Monday to Saturday Sunday

23:00 23:00

01:30 00:00

The alternative route for affected traffic will be via Dulwich Village, East Dulwich Grove, Gilkes Crescent.

4.

Opening hours:

Monday to Saturday Sunday

07:00 10:00

02:00 00:30

The Order will come into force on the 12th June 2023 and it is anticipated that the works will be completed by the 12th October 2023.

5.

The restrictions will not apply to any vehicle being used in connection with the said works, or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes or anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform.

6.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Road Network Management at ttmo@southwark.gov.uk

A register of all applications made within the Southwark area is maintained by: The Licensing Service, Hub 1, 3rd Floor, 160 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2QH A record of this application may be inspected by visiting the office during normal office hours by appointment on 020 7525 2000; details are also available on our website at http://app.southwark.gov.uk/licensing/licenseregister.asp It is open to any interested party to make representations about the likely effect of the application on the promotion of the licensing objectives. Representations must be made in writing to the Licensing Service at the office address given above (or by email via licensing@southwark.gov.uk) and be received by the Service within a period of 28 days starting the day after the date shown below.

Note: It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. A person guilty of such offence is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

Date of application: 22nd May 2023

Dated this 25th May 2023 Ian Law Traffic Manager London Borough of Southwark Network Management Regulatory Services Environment and Leisure 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529 London SE1 5LX Ref: 6568/LBSHO12085-1newTTO

To place a notice, please email em@southwarknews.co.uk. Cut off is 2pm ever y Tuesday

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (DARTFORD STREET, MORECAMBE STREET, TALFOURD ROAD, TYRRELL ROAD) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) 1.

The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that to enable various works to be carried out, it intends, to make, an order, the effect of which will be to prohibit vehicular traffic from entering part of the above named roads.

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time in: (a) Dartford Street, between Pelier Street for 46m east (b) Morecambe Street, between East Street and Townley Street (c) Talfourd Road, between Peckham Road and Talfourd Place (d) Tyrrell Road, between Oakhurst Grove to it’s blocked end

3.

The alternative route for affected traffic will be (2a) Pelier Street, John Ruskin Street, Dartford Street (2b) East Street, King & Queen Street, Browning Street, Brandon Street (2c) ) Peckham Road, Bushey Hill Road, Lyndhurst grove, Talfourd Road. (2d) not applicable

4.

Exemptions will be provided in the Order to permit reasonable access to premises, so far as it is practical without interference with the execution of the said works.

5.

The restrictions will not apply to any vehicle being used in connection with the said works, or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes or anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform.

6.

The works will be in operation for (2a) 15th – 16th June (2b) 13th – 17th June between 20:00hrs and 05:00hrs (2c) 14th June (2d) 13th -16th June

7.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Road Network Management at ttmo@southwark.gov.uk

Dated this 25th May 2023 Ian Law Traffic Manager London Borough of Southwark Network Management Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529 London SE1 5LX Ref: (2a) 6508/HHH-02-21-250523-NR (2b) 6450- 000812493470045-001-re-a-Thames (2c) 6505/LPPAT2122/0418/JS-sapphire/us (2d) 6478/00812097960325-001-thames LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK SCHOOL STREETS PROGRAMME: SURREY SQUARE PRIMARY SCHOOL TRIAL The London Borough of Southwark (Pedestrian and cycle zones) (Surrey Square Primary School) Experimental Traffic Order 2023 1. Southwark Council hereby GIVES NOTICE that on 25 May 2023 it has made the above experimental Order under sections 9 and 10 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

2. The effects of the experimental Order, the intention of which is to trial the provision of active travel measures to encourage road safety and improve air quality in the areas surrounding primary schools, as part of the Council’s School Streets Programme, will be to: introduce a pedestrian and cycle zone in SURREY SQUARE, in the vicinity of Surrey Square Primary School. All motor vehicles except permit holders would be prohibited from entering or proceeding in the part of Surrey Square which lies between the south-western kerb-line of Flinton Street and its southwestern extremity (which includes the entirety of Alsace Road, Alvey Street and Surrey Grove), between 8.30 am and 9.15 am and between 3.00 pm and 3.45 pm (Monday to Friday, during school term time, as determined by Surrey Square Primary School).

Permits allowing vehicles to enter the ‘School Streets’ pedestrian and cycle zones would be available to residents of premises located within the zone, to registered carers or residents of premises located within the zone, to disabled person’s blue badge holders who are school staff, carers or dropping off and/or collecting pupils to the school and to SEND vehicles, by application to the Council. Exemptions would also apply in respect of emergency service vehicles.

3. For more information on the background and implementation of the experimental Order contact the Council's Highway team - Highways@southwark.gov.uk 4. Copies of the Order, which will come into force on 2 June 2023 (and can remain in force for up to 18 months from that date), this notice, and a statement of the council's reasons for making the Order may be found online www.southwark.gov.uk/trafficorders; paper or digital copies of plans showing the location and effect of the Order and the supporting documents may be requested by emailing traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk, or inspected by appointment only at: Highways, Southwark Council, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth Department, 3rd floor hub 2, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH. Email traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk (or call 020 7525 3497) for booking details.

5. The Council will in due course be considering whether the provisions of the experimental order should be continued in force indefinitely, by means of a permanent order made under section 6 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Anyone wishing to object to the making of the permanent order or make any other representation regarding the scheme would have 6 months to do so, from the date the experimental order comes into force (or, if the order is varied by a subsequent order or modified pursuant to section 10(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, from the date that variation order or modification comes into force), and may send a statement to traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk or to: Traffic Order consultations, Highways, Southwark Council, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth Department, P.O. Box 64529, London SE1P 5LX; or use the form labelled 'Parking - Road traffic and highway schemes - responding to statutory consultation notices' at www.southwark.gov.uk/statutoryconsultationnotices quoting reference ‘TMO2324-EXP03_SSP Surrey Square PS’. Please note that if you wish to object to the scheme you must state the grounds on which your objection is made.

6. Under requirements of current access to information legislation, any letter or e-mail sent to the Council in response to this Notice may be subject to publication or disclosure, or both, including communication to other persons affected.

7. Anyone wishing to question the validity of the Order or of any provision therein on the grounds that it is not within the relevant powers of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, or that any of the relevant requirements thereof or of any relevant regulations made thereunder have not been complied with in relation to the Order may, within 6 weeks of the date on which the Order were made, make application for the purpose to the High Court.

Dated 25 May 2023 Dale Foden - Head of Service, Highways

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK MINOR TRAFFIC SCHEMES – 22/23 Q4 The London Borough of Southwark (Charged-for parking places) (MTS 2223-Q4) Order 202* The London Borough of Southwark (Free parking places, Loading places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping restrictions) (MTS 2223-Q4) Order 202* The London Borough of Southwark (Pedestrian and cycle zones) (Camelot Primary School) Traffic Order 202* The London Borough of Southwark (Prescribed routes) (Comber Grove) Traffic Order 202* 1. Southwark Council hereby GIVES NOTICE that it proposes to make the above orders under sections 6, 45, 46, 49 and 124 of and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended.

2. The effects of the (Pedestrian and cycle zones) Traffic Order would be to change an existing ‘no motor vehicles’ restriction to a ‘pedestrian and cycle zone’, as part of the Council’s School Streets Programme, and extend the restriction to cover that part of BIRD IN BUSH ROAD which lies between its junction with Green Hundred Road/Naylor Road and a point 35 metres west of the north-western kerb-line build-out of Commercial Way. All motor vehicles, except permit holders, would be prohibited from entering the pedestrian and cycle zone in BIRD IN BUSH ROAD in the vicinity of Camelot Primary School between 8.15 am and 9.00 am, and between 3.00 pm and 4.00 pm on Mondays to Fridays, during school term time (as determined by the school).

Permits allowing vehicles to enter the ‘School Streets’ pedestrian and cycle zones will be available to residents of premises located within the zone, to registered carers or residents of premises located within the zone, to disabled person’s blue badge holders who are school staff, carers or dropping off and/or collecting pupils to the school and to SEND vehicles, by application to the Council. Exemptions would also apply in respect of emergency service vehicles.

3. The effects of the (Prescribed routes) Traffic Order would be to change an existing ‘pedestrian and cycle zone’ to a ‘no motor vehicles’ restriction and introduce a two-way cycle track for the use of cycles only in that part of COMBER GROVE which lies between a point 75m south of the south-eastern kerbline of Wyndham Road and a point 30m north of the northern kerb-line of Blucher Road (limited exemptions are provided to make space for pedestrians and cyclists, no exemptions are made for emergency services vehicles).

4. The effects of the (Charged-for parking places) Order would be:(a) within CPZ 'C2' (i) in GLASSHILL STREET south-west side, o/s No. 38 remove 5m existing 'shareduse' parking, and (ii) in WEST SQUARE north-west side, south-west of its junction with St George's Road remove 5m existing 'pay' parking; and (b) within CPZ 'K' in COMBER GROVE east side, north of its junction with Blucher Road, remove 18.5m existing 'permit' parking.

5. The effects of the (Free parking places, Loading places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping restrictions) Order would be:(a) in NUNHEAD GREEN formalise (i) 2 existing DPPPs (each 6.6m in length) south-west side o/s No. 5 Nunhead Green, and (ii) an existing 'goods vehicle only' loading bay (9m in length) north-west side o/s No. 15 Nunhead Green which operates every day of the week (max stay 40 mins, no return within 2 hrs); (b) to add two lengths of 'school keep clear' restrictions (16m each) operating Mon - Fri between 8am and 5pm (i) in BELLENDEN ROAD west side one o/s No. 52 and one opposite No. 43 Bellenden Road, and (ii) in HAWKSTONE ROAD both south-east side o/s No. 59 Hawkstone Road; (c) in COMBER GROVE relocate southward an existing 'school keep clear' restriction (26m in length) west side o/s Comber Grove Primary School (operating Mon - Fri between 8am and 5pm) to accommodate kerb changes; (d) relocate existing free 'short stay' parking (11.5m in length) in HARPER ROAD north-west side, o/s Nos. 100-102 to a new location in COUNTY STREET north side, side of No. 98 Harper Road; (e) convert existing SYLs into DYLs in COMBER GROVE east side opposite Comber Grove Primary School (10m), in COUNTY STREET on both sides west of its junction with Harper Road (24m total), in HARPER ROAD north-west side either side of its junction with County Street (16m), and in HAWKSTONE ROAD south-east side either sidewww.southwarknews.co.uk of its junction with Hodnet Grove (27.5m); (f) remove all existing SYLs on both sides and an existing ‘school keep clear’ restriction on the west side in COMBER GROVE within the proposed 'no motor vehicle' restriction, and add 5m new SYLs in GLASSHILL STREET south-west side, o/s No. 38 Glasshill Street; (g) add new DYLs in BARRY ROAD south-east side o/s Nos. 21 and 23 Barry Road (5m), in CALTON AVENUE north-west side o/s No. 7 Calton Avenue (5m) and south-west side o/s No. 91 Calton Avenue (8m), in COMBER GROVE east side north of its junction with Blucher Road (18.5m) and either end of the 'no motor vehicle' restriction (total of 12m), FOUNDRY CLOSE on both sides (total of 96.5m), GOODRICH ROAD north-east side o/s Nos. 69a and 71 Goodrich Road (8m), NAYLOR ROAD northeast side either side of its junction with Studholme Street (total of 12m), PECKHAM HILL STREET on all sides of its south-west to north-east arm (side of No. 126 Peckham Hill Street, a total of 64m), ROTHERHITHE STREET north-west side opposite its junction with Swan Road (32m), STUDHOLME STREET on both sides north-east of its junction with Naylor Road (total of 12m), and WEST SQUARE north-west side south-west of its junction with St George's Road (5m); (h) in CHANDLER WAY north-east side o/s No. 18 Chandler Way formally relocate 8m existing DYLs to accommodate kerb-line changes and free cycle parking; (i) HARPER ROAD north-west side, o/s Nos. 100-102 Harper Road, add 11.5m DYLs and DKBs; (j) add new DKBs to existing DYLs in ALICE STREET on both sides north-east of its junction with Green Walk (total of 12m), in CALTON AVENUE south of its junction with Townley Road north-west and west side (15.5m) and east and south-east side (11.5m), and GREEN WALK on all sides of its north-westernmost extremity (20.5m); and (k) add new DKBs to new and existing DYLs on both sides and on either side of the junction in COUNTY STREET (a total of 44m) and in HARPER ROAD (a total of 100m).

NOTES: (1) ‘DPPP’ refers to disabled persons parking places which may only be used by vehicles displaying a valid disabled persons 'blue badge'. (2) ‘permit’ refers to parking places for holders of valid parking permits within the Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) listed; ‘shared-use’ refers to parking places in which holders of a valid permit for the CPZ listed or ‘pay’ paid ticket holders are permitted to park within the permitted hours. (3) ‘SYLs’ refer to timed waiting restrictions, ‘DYLs’ refer to 'at any time' waiting restrictions and ‘DKBs’ refer to 'at any time' loading restrictions. (4) All measurements are in metres ‘m’ and are approximate. (5) Parking charges are listed on www.southwark.gov.uk/parking.

6. Southwark Council hereby GIVES FURTHER NOTICE under sections 90A to 90I of the Highways Act 1980 and in accordance with the provisions of the Highways (Traffic calming) Regulations 1999, propose to construct speed tables of flat-top construction having a maximum height of 100 millimetres and covering the entire width of the carriageway, in COUNTY STREET either side of its junction with Harper Road (i) extending 10m west of its junction with Harper Road including both ramps, and (ii) extending 5.5m east of its junction with Harper Road including both ramps.

7. For more information about these proposals please contact Katie Houselander of the council's Highways – Transport Projects team Highways@southwark.gov.uk.

26 PUBLIC NOTICES

8. Copies of the supporting documents (this Notice, the proposed Orders, and a statement of the Council's reasons for making the Orders) may be found online at www.southwark.gov.uk/trafficorders; paper or digital copies of plans showing the location and effect of the Orders and the supporting documents may be requested by emailing traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk, or inspected by appointment only at: Highways, Southwark Council, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth, 3rd floor hub 2, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH - from the date of this Notice until the end of a period of six weeks from the date on which the Orders are made. Email traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk (or call 020 7525 3497) for booking details.

9. Anyone wishing to make any representations either for or to object to the proposals, may use our consultation portal at https://consultation.appyway.com/southwark; or send a statement in writing to: Traffic Order Consultations, Highways, Southwark Council, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth, P.O. Box 64529, London SE1P 5LX or traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk quoting reference ‘TMO2324001 MTS Q4’ by 16 June 2023. Please note that if you wish to object to this proposal you must state the grounds on which your objection is made.

10.Under requirements of current access to information legislation, any letter, form or e-mail sent to the Council in response to this Notice may be subject to publication or disclosure, or both, including communication to other persons affected.

Dated 25 May 2023 Dale Foden - Head of Service, Highways

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

www.southwarknews.co.uk/sport

SPORT 27

Surrey 362 & 58/0 beat Kent 278 & 141 by ten wickets (Surrey 22 points, Kent 4)

Kia Oval side outclass Kent in County Championship

By Mark Baldwin sport@southwarknews.co.uk tom lawes dismissed both Zak Crawley and sam Billings in dramatic fashion early on day three, finishing with a career-best five for 22 to set up a crushing surrey victory by ten wickets against outclassed Kent at the Kia oval last weekend.

Crawley fell for 34, adding just three runs to his overnight score, and Billings bagged an agonizing pair as Kent slumped to 141 all-out, leaving Surrey needing just 58 to complete their fourth win in six LV= Insurance County Championship matches this season.

They got there at 58 without loss from 11.3 overs, ending the match just before the scheduled lunch interval, with Rory Burns reverse-slapping Jack Leaning’s off spin for six over third man in a run-aball 36 not out. Dom Sibley was unbeaten on sixteen, and the 22-point haul strengthens champions Surrey’s position on top of the Division One table.

For Kent it is a third defeat of a summer which for them looks like bringing only a desperate fight against championship relegation, and it took Surrey only sixteen overs on the third morning to take the last six Kent second innings wickets for 61 runs and give themselves their modest victory target.

All-rounder Lawes, still only 20, underlined his huge potential by adding the scalps of Billings, Crawley and Joey Evison to those of Tawanda Muyeye and Leaning late on day two after Kent had resumed on 80 for four.

It was his first five-wicket haul in firstclass cricket, and Lawes – who broke through into Surrey’s senior side midway through last season – now has 36 red-ball wickets from ten matches at an average of 20.22 in a stellar start to his career. His spell this morning was 6.2-1-20-3, adding to the 2.4-1-2-2 of the previous evening.

Billings, who initially faced the final two balls of Lawes’ third over when play resumed – Leaning having been bowled by what was the last ball of day two – only lasted six balls in all before edging

Surrey celebrate a sharp lifter to keeper Ben Foakes. The Kent captain is enduring a miserable season so far, with only 92 runs from ten championship innings and a top score of 31.

Lawes, having struck in his first full over of the morning, then removed Crawley in his second full over. The England Test opener pushed defensively at a fine ball which left him just enough to take the edge on its way into Ollie Pope’s hands at second slip.

And another excellent piece of bowling soon earned Lawes his third scalp of the day, a pacy in-swinging near-yorker plucking out Evison’s off stump on five to

leave Kent 107 for seven.

Sean Abbott, replacing Dan Worrall at the Vauxhall End, then had Jordan Cox caught down the legside by Foakes for fifteen, fending off a short ball, and it was left to Jordan Clark to replace Lawes at the Pavilion End and apply the finishing touches to Kent’s sad rout.

Clark’s fourth ball saw Grant Stewart (6) edge to Pope at second slip and last man Michael Hogan lost his off stump, wafting at Clark in the big seamer’s next over, to go for two.

It gave Clark second innings figures of 3 for 36, and six wickets in the match, while Abbott took 2 for 17 in what was

a brilliant and relentless performance throughout by Surrey’s five-pronged pace attack.

Lawes said: “It was a very special moment for me to get my first fivewicket haul in first-class cricket and it is something I’ll never forget.

“In particular, walking off the field at the end of the Kent innings, in front of the Oval pavilion and crowd and with all my teammates around me, will be a wonderful memory for me in years to come.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to get on to bowl last night, so when I was thrown the ball I just wanted to steam in and try

to make something happen. There was a real intensity out there in the field when Sean [Abbott] and I took those three wickets in the last three overs of the second day, and we took that into this morning too.

“That’s how we want to play our cricket, and we reckon there is still more to come from us as a team so we will be looking to keep on improving during the rest of the season. But this win is a great way to finish this first block of six championship games and we have played this block as we planned to do. It sets us up for the next two matches in June, which will be played with a Kookaburra ball.”

loss of two early wickets to Harvey Booth.

Kaif Ramzan joined the attack, and picked up the third wicket in his second over to make it 62-3 after thirteen overs.

Lodwick brought himself on for the sixteenth over and struck in each of his first two overs to reduce Walton to 80-5 in the eighteenth over. Only ten runs came off the next five overs before Ramzan claimed his second wicket to make it 90-6 in the 23rd over.

A spell of eight overs for just 21 runs by Salaar Waqar kept the batsmen in check, but it was Jack Oughtred who took the next wicket with a return catch to make it 123-7 in the 32nd over.

Hopes that Dulwich would be able to mop up the tail quickly were thwarted

by Chris Cole and Evan Beck, who added 47 in ten overs before Booth returned to

bowl Cole with the first ball of the 42nd over.

Ramzan picked up his third wicket in the next over to make it 171-9, but Dulwich were again thwarted as Beck and Ben Monk put together an unbeaten partnership of 41 for the last wicket to take Walton to 212-9 after their 50 overs.

Booth finished with 3-50 off ten overs, Ramzan had 3-39 off his ten, and Lodwick 2-28 off nine.

The Dulwich reply got off to a disastrous start when overseas player Apoorv Wankhade was caught behind off the last ball of the first over. With the rest of last week’s top five all unavailable, this brought together Tom Bishop and Moin Khan, both of whom were playing just their second innings for the first team.

But they proved up to the task, adding 78

in 22 overs for the second wicket before both gave return catches (though to different bowlers) with the score on 83.

Khan had led the way with 39 off 70 balls, while Bishop made 29 off 72.

Ramzan and Harms thus came together with the score on 83 in the 24th over.

The pair added 39 in ten overs for the fourth wicket, with Ramzan leading the way with 25 off 28 balls. Waqar went for a single to make it 130-5 after 36 overs, leaving 83 required off 14 overs.

Harms and Booth added 35 in 8.3 overs for the sixth wicket before Booth fell for 23, scored at exactly a run a ball.

Lodwick thus joined Harms with 48 needed off 5.3 overs. Three singles completed the over, but the next four overs yielded eleven, nine, eleven and twelve runs respectively as Lodwick laid

into the tiring pace bowlers. Only two runs were required from the last over, and Lodwick hit a boundary off the first ball to secure the victory. His 35 had come from just eighteen balls and contained two fours and three sixes. Harms had played a vital support role to keep one end secure throughout the second part of the innings, and finished with 44 not out off 77 balls.

Remarkably, no team in the division has won both of their completed matches, so they are separated by the bonus points gained in the matches they lost. This leaves Dulwich in fifth place, level on points with three other clubs.

This weekend, Dulwich travel to Chipstead, Coulsdon & Walcountians, who are in ninth place but only one point behind.

lodwick helps Dulwich to astonishing victory in last over Dulwich 215-6 (49.1) beat Walton on Thames 212-9 (50) by four wickets

By John Lewis sport@southwarknews.co.uk a DynamiC unbeaten innings by stand-in skipper Jon lodwick, well supported by keeper michael harms, saw a depleted Dulwich side, lacking four first-team regulars, pull off an astonishing four-wicket victory in the last over of their aJ fordham surrey Championship Division 1 match at home to walton on thames last weekend.

The visitors won the toss and raced away at a rate of five an over despite the

Photo by Mark Sandom

SuRREY lAY DOWN THE lAWES

28 SPORT www.southwarknews.co.uk/sport

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

Surrey skipper reveals what is driving title defence

By Mark Baldwin

sport@southwarknews.co.uk RORY BURNS has revealed that he and his Surrey players are using the memory of what happened after they became county champions in 2018 to fuel this season’s drive to win successive titles and underline their ambition to be the best red-ball team of the era.

“I think it’s fair to say that the previous time we won the championship we didn’t then back it up in the next few seasons,” Burns said. “It’s important we play some really good cricket this summer because we didn’t play as well as we could have done after 2018. This time, after winning the title last year,

we want to keep on improving and we’re working really hard to do that.”

Surrey have started this season impressively, with four wins and two draws from their opening block of six LV= Insurance County Championship matches. They are 25 points clear at the top of the Division One table, although second-placed Warwickshire do have a game in hand.

Burns is in his sixth season as Surrey captain, and the 32-times capped former England Test opener is bidding for a third title under his leadership.

“It’s very enjoyable captaining this team,” Burns said. “We have a great bunch in that dressing room and to be where we are after the first block of six games is just what we were

Quade Taylor

aiming for at the start of the season.

“But we certainly don’t want to get complacent and there is a real determination to keep driving on and keep improving. I still feel there is much more to come from this group and, as champions from last year, we all want this time to keep working hard and keep improving our games.”

Surrey fell away to sixth in 2019, following the 2018 triumph – which was the club’s first championship win for sixteen years – and in the Covidshortened 2020 season they came only fifth in a six-county South Group.

In the experimental conferencedivisional hybrid structure in 2021, a sluggish start to the campaign saw Surrey finish only fourth in an initial six-team Group Two and thus fail to qualify for Division One and a chance

to lift the title again that year.

This season has so far seen Surrey overwhelm most opponents with their batting depth and five-pronged pace attack, in a repeat of the on-field strategy which took them to the 2022 title.

Eight players average 35 or more with the bat, with seven of those scoring 200 runs or more. Ollie Pope (379), Burns (357), Jamie Smith (312) and Dom Sibley (299) lead the run-scoring list, while Dan Worrall (24 at 20.41) heads the wicket-takers.

Next come Jordan Clark (21 at 20.80), Kemar Roach (18 at 26.94) and Sean Abbott (16 at 27.81), but it is the eye-catching returns of Tom Lawes and Gus Atkinson, from only three appearances each, which stand out even in that company.

Lawes, still only 20, destroyed Kent last week with career-best innings and match figures of five for 22 and eight for 63, respectively, and has fifteen wickets at 17.80 while the pacy Atkinson, at 25 predicted to break into England’s squad in the near future, has fourteen at just 14.92 runs apiece.

Both Atkinson (12) and Lawes (10) have played relatively few first-class games and yet already look proven match-winners at county level.

“In even a short career so far Tom has shown he is the sort of bowler who has spells where he keeps on picking up wickets, and that’s a great knack to have,” Burns said. “Gus is quick, he hits hard lengths for batsmen to play and he’s going really well at the moment.

Hamlet start rebuilding work

Experienced defender among those to depart

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk

Photo by Rob Avis

DULWICH HAMLET have started their rebuilding work ahead of their return to the Isthmian League Premier Division in 2023-24 – with the experienced Quade Taylor leaving after eight seasons.

Will Wood

Taylor, 29, is joining league rivals Carshalton Athletic after 238 appearances and eleven goals over two spells with the Hamlet.

Defender Taylor made his debut in 2010 after coming through the academy before joining Crystal Palace. A number of non-league loan spells followed before he re-joined Dulwich in 2016 and helped them reach National League South for the first time in their history in 2018. He was the only Hamlet player to feature in all five seasons in the sixth tier.

Bourke out to ‘make proper money’

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk CHRIS BOURKE says he back “chasing titles” and aiming to “make some proper money” after his recent win against Kevin Trana at York Hall.

McGoldrick, he’s got the British and Commonwealth [belts]. But if that fight can’t be made I want international titles that are going to get me a world ranking so I can aim for that world title.

“I believe I can beat any bantamweight in the country and I’d give any bantamweight big problems.”

Bourke, who previously put out a call for sponsorship to enable to him to train full-time, is hoping to be in action again this summer.

He said: “As soon as possible, really.

Hopefully Frank can keep me busy.

Last year I only had one fight and the year before that I wasn’t active. So I need as many fights as possible and just stay busy.

“I can push on for bigger titles and start to make some proper money in this sport. I’ve been in there a long time – I need to start making some money.”

coach Andy Smith is stepping down after one season.

Smith was brought to the club from Bracknell Town last September by former Dulwich manager Paul Barnes.

Smith worked with goalkeepers Charlie Grainger, Aaron Jones and Toby Colwell last season and was retained by Barnes’s successor Hakan Hayrettin, who was appointed manager in March.

Dulwich said: “Everyone at the club would like to thank Andy for his time with us, always incredibly welcoming and friendly, and extremely dedicated to his profession, too. We wish him, and fiancée Lisa, the very best for the future. Both are always welcome to come down to the ground.”

Meanwhile, Dulwich have confirmed their first friendly of the summer as they will travel to National League South Tonbridge Angels on July 15.

Lionesses end on low note

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk MILLWALL LIONESSES ended their London & South East Regional Women’s Football League Premier Division campaign on a disappointing note as they lost 5-0 to Worthing at St Paul’s last weekend.

After their derby win against Dulwich Hamlet the previous week, the Lionesses were brought back down to earth with a

thump.

The Lionesses were 4-0 down by halftime, after goals from Chloe Winchester, Katie Cooper, Samantha Quayle and Gloria Tibble.

Rebecca Bell added the fifth in the last minute for second-place Worthing, who will win the title if they defeat AFC Acorns this week.

Jack Wheeler’s Lionesses finished sixth with 32 points from 22 games, three points and two places behind Dulwich.

Millwall finished sixth in the league this season

Photo by Brian Tonks/Millwall FC

Millwall supporter Bourke, from Streatham, won on points in Bethnal Green to take his professional record to 13-1.

Bourke, whose promoter is Frank Warren, suffered his only defeat last year against Marc Leach in their clash for the vacant British superbantamweight title.

Bourke, 28, defeated English champion Michael Ramabeletsa in December 2020 but his most recent outing was just his fourth since then.

A broken hand forced Bourke to miss eleven months of action before he returned to the ring in February and

defeated Darwin Martinez.

Bourke was satisfied with the workout but is targeting bigger things.

“I’m not that happy with the performance but I’m thankful to Frank and BT Sport for getting me active and chasing titles again now. I had a good, hard opponent in there and they were rounds I needed,” Bourke said.

“There was a part in there when my team was [saying], ‘why aren’t you boxing? Make it easy for yourself.’ I sort of realised that’s what I have to do against these boys, you’re not going to be able to knock everyone out.

“My last fight was only three rounds, I needed more rounds, really, and I got them that.

“I feel like I’m past English [title challenges], I beat the English champion at super-bantam, won a WBC at super-bantam.

“I’m looking for, ideally, Sean

The club paid tribute to Taylor, saying he is “a humble, polite and hard-working person, who never gave less than his all for the Hamlet badge. Quade departs as one of the most popular figures to have played for us over the last decade, and everyone at the club would like to thank him for his services, and wish him the very best at Colston Avenue.”

Will Wood is also departing Champion Hill but staying in National League South as he moves to Welling United.

Left-back Wood spent one season with Dulwich after joining from Ebbsfleet United in the summer of 2022. He made 34 appearances last season and scored three goals, one of them against the Wings in January.

Wood came through at Southampton and is former Northern Ireland international Warren Feeney’s first signing at Welling.

In a backroom change, goalkeeping

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

www.newsatden.co.uk

MILLWALL 29

young lions chin BladEs

Skipper nets extra-time winner as Kevin Nugent’s side claim national crown The young Lions celebrate

Chin Okoli scored the titleclinching goal

Senior boss Gary Rowett, left, was at the game as Kevin Nugent, right, led his charges to victory

By John Kelly

johnk@southwarknews.co.uk millwall’s Professional Development squad ended the season not only with two trophies and an unbeaten home record, but also after giving senior manager gary rowett plenty of positives to contemplate over the summer.

Kevin Nugent’s young Lions defeated Sheffield United 2-1 after extra-time at The Den on Monday evening to add the Professional Development League national title to their southern section crown.

Romain Esse put the hosts in front in the first half of normal time before Sydie Peck equalised for northern section winners United.

Captain Chin Okoli scored the winner in the added 30 minutes when he headed home Nino Adom-Malaki’s free-kick.

Rowett has already given senior debuts to Esse, Aidomo Emakhu and Nana

after impressive seasons. The Lions have triggered options on the contracts of Adom-Malaki, Kamarl Grant, Lawson, Leahy, Okoli, Kyle Smith and George Walker.

Also from that age-group, Alfie Allen, Tyrese Briscoe, Jordan Gillmore, Arthur Penney and Ryan Sandford will leave the club.

The under-21s had to show real resilience and composure over seven days, with Nugent praising the way they took responsibility at half-time before they came back from 3-1 down to beat Hull in the semi-final.

Millwall took the lead against United after Allen and Lawson combined to set up Emakhu whose shot was palmed out to Esse who finished.

Esse, who made his senior debut as a seventeen-year-old last season, was increasingly influential. Esse sent in a cross that went just behind Abdulmalik as the Lions pressed for a second.

The Blades had a chance to level

before half-time as Andrew Brooks went through one-on-one but his shot came back off the crossbar before Wright tipped over the follow-up.

Emakhu and Nana Boateng, who has also played for the first team, worked a good move but the former struck the post from the latter’s cross when he probably should have scored.

The Blades equalised after William Osula’s curling shot from 25 yards came back off the post and hit the unfortunate Wright, with Peck left with an easy task to tap home.

Wright then brilliantly denied Sai Sachdev and Osula to send the game into extra-time.

Millwall were on top in the added period and deservedly got the winner through their centre-back skipper Okoli.

The youngsters go on a well-deserved break after an outstanding season – but with thoughts about breaking into Rowett’s first-team squad in 2023-24.

Boating, with the three all impressing against the Blades. Rowett will be keen to give that trio action in pre-season to see if they can do enough to be part of his firstteam squad for 2023-24.

And there are plenty of others who staked their claim to also feature in preseason, including the likes of sixteen-goal top-scorer Abdul Abdulmalik, Sha’mar Lawson, Okoli, Adom-Malaki, Seb Drozd and Tom Leahy.

Although, it would be unfair to only pick out a handful of players from a squad that went the last eleven games of the campaign unbeaten, scored three or more goals in ten separate games and then showed resilience and, as Nugent said, “maturity” to see off Hull City and the Blades after both games went to extra-time.

Rowett and his staff have begun preparations for a seventh consecutive season in the second tier, the best run this century, after agonisingly missing out on the Championship play-offs following

their 4-3 final-day defeat to Blackburn Rovers at The Den earlier this month.

Rowett has shown he has no hesitation in throwing youngsters into the fray, giving Emakhu his debut in the 1-1 draw against champions Burnley in February a month-and-a-half after the attacker’s move from League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers.

Several of the squad have also spent time out on loan with Millwall seeing that as a way to try to progress their development towards the first team in the manner of Danny McNamara.

Rowett has started another summer of rebuilding as Millwall aim to take that final step into the top six. Scott Malone and Mason Bennett have both been released, but Ryan Leonard has been offered a new deal, as has current thirdchoice goalkeeper Connal Trueman.

From Nugent’s Professional Development squad, Abdulmalik, Boateng, Drozd and goalkeeper Joe Wright have all been offered new deals

starts across three-and-a-half seasons after initially joining on loan from Derby County in January 2020 before the move was made permanent the following summer. Former England underage international Bennett made 103 appearances for the Lions and scored eleven goals.

Millwall remain in discussions with versatile midfielder Ryan Leonard over a new deal. Leonard, who turned 31 this week, is due to be out of contract on June 30. Leonard has played 128 times for Millwall and scored five goals.

The Lions have also offered a new contract to goalkeeper Connal Trueman, who has yet to make a firstteam appearance after spending the 2022-23 season as back-up to George Long and Bartosz Bialkowski.

Out-goings and new deals for 2023-24

Experienced duo depart as Millwall release retained list

By John Kelly

johnk@southwarknews.co.uk sCott malone and mason Bennett will officially leave millwall at the end of their contracts on June 30.

Malone, 32, had three spells with the Lions, making a total of 189 appearances and scoring fourteen goals.

The former Derby County defender played 34 times in all competitions last season but as a natural wingback was in and out of the side after manager Gary Rowett switched to 4-23-1 in early October.

Bennett, 26, was unfortunate to suffer a series of injuries that impeded him making a consistent impact on the side. Bennet was limited to 57 league

first team offered new deals: Connal Trueman, Ryan Leonard released: Scott Malone, Mason Bennett Loans finished: Charlie Cresswell, Jamie Shackleton, Callum Styles, Oliver Burke Professional DeVeloPment sQuaD

offered new deals: Abdul Abdulmalik, Nana Boateng, Seb Drozd, Joe Wright options triggered: Nino Adom-

Malaki, Kamarl Grant, Sha'mar Lawson, Tom Leahy, Chin Okoli, Kyle Smith, George Walker released: Alfie Allen, Tyrese Briscoe, Jordan Gillmore, Arthur Penney, Ryan Sandford UNDER-18S

offered professional deals: George Evans, Finley Cotton, Oliver Evans, Henry Hearn scholarship extension triggered: Arezki Hamouchene released: Ernie Cheeseman, Laquay Coleman, Kallen Donaldson Scott Malone

Mason Bennett

30 MILLWALL www.newsatden.co.uk/

Lions target on the move

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk one of millwall’s January transfer targets is set to be on the move this summer.

Hibernian striker Kevin Nisbet, 26, was close to joining the Lions after the clubs had agreed a fee and even travelled to London before the move fell through.

Nisbet has a year left on his contract but admitted that the midweek Scottish Premiership match against champions Celtic could have been his last one at Easter Road.

“It could, yeah,” Nisbet told local media. “But for me it's just about focusing on the game and then focusing on the Hearts game (a[t Tynecastle this Saturday].

“All the other stuff is put to the side until after the season and then we’ll take it from there. For me, it’s just about putting a good performance on against Celtic and trying to get three points.

“My agent and [Hibernian] are in good dialogue with each other and I’ve said I kind of want to stay out of it. I just want to focus on finishing the season well.”

The reported fee agreed between Hibs and the Lions was over £2million. Nisbet wants his current club to be suitably recompensed if he leaves this summer.

“Of course I do,” he said.

“This is my third season here and I’ve got a good connection with the club. They’ve been great to me so if I can return the investment, that would be great for all parties.”

Nisbet has scored ten goals this season after returning from a long-term cruciate ligament injury in December.

“I wanted to come back and stay and play well,” Nisbet said.

“I’ve been there before where January moves have fallen through and I think I didn’t deal with it previously as well as I did this time. I wanted to come back and enjoy my football – and I have.

“I don’t think a lot of people expected me to come back the way I did. I’ve probably come back a better player as well. I knew in my head I would but there were a lot of doubters so it’s good to silence the doubters a bit as well.

“There’s been a wee bit of ups and downs between me and the supporters. But after coming back from the injury, I think I’ve created that connection back with the fans which I’ve been delighted about because it did hurt me a lot when I didn’t really have that connection with the fans. I love the club.”

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

wisE hEad on young shouldERs

ireland forward had trials with chelsea and Manchester United – but decided to finish his education first Aidomo Emakhu gets a shot away in the under-21 play-off semi-final against Hull City last week

ExcluSivE

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk as well as having serious talent in his feet, aidomo emakhu has always had a mature head on young shoulders.

Millwall’s Irish attacker Emakhu, 19, has had the attention of football people both in and beyond his home city of Dublin for almost half his life.

Chelsea brought Emakhu on trial when he was just eleven years old. There were other trials at fifteen and sixteen, including with Manchester United.

You’d imagine plenty of youngsters wouldn’t have given it a second thought.

But Emakhu saw the bigger picture.

“I was never going to go [to England] because I was way too young,” Emakhu tells the News. “I know people have gone away young but it wasn’t for me, you know?

“It wasn’t for me because I knew I would get homesick straightaway when I was fifteen, sixteen. I just thought that what was best for me at the time was to finish my education and just crack on with football full-time and knuckle down.

Once my education and my Leaving Cert (equaivalent of A levels) exams were out of the way it was time to look at football fulltime.

“I know lads personally that went away at fifteen, they’re back home now. I know lads that went away at fifteen, sixteen and are

still over in England. I know lads that went over at fifteen, came home at nineteen but will definitely go back [to England]. It’s a personal preference, everyone is different.

There’s no right or wrong.”

The continuing growth and strength of the League of Ireland has meant that players such as Emakhu are confident they can stay in it for longer and still get a move abroad later. In previous decades Irish players were leaving home at fourteen or fifteen years of age.

There’s also the attraction of European football. Last season, Emakhu played and scored for Shamrock Rovers – one of Millwall legend Eamon Dunphy’s former clubs – in Champions League and Europa League qualifiers. He also played against Ferencvaros, whom the Lions met in the UEFA Cup in 2004.

Those kinds of experiences, playing in front of packed houses, helped with the transition to The Den. They also put him in a unique position in the Millwall dressing room.

“It’s come up one or two times with the lads at breakfast but it’s not something I’d go in bragging about,” Emakhu says. “If they know they know, if they don’t they don’t.

“That’s a credit to Irish football as well because there is a pathway there that most players don’t get, to play European football.

It shows that Irish clubs are up and coming and they’re competing.

“Playing back in Tallaght in front of 8,000plus fans, playing in Europe as well in front

of 20,000 fans, it definitely helped when I made my debut. I was able to keep myself calm, it was a lively crowd.

“Previous experiences playing in front of big crowds definitely helped me when I was coming on against Burnley.”

Interest from clubs abroad in Emakhu intensified in 2021 when he also scored in the Europa Conference League.

Millwall won the race for the attacker and signed him on a long-term deal for an undisclosed sum, with the move officially going through on January 1.

Emakhu explained the attraction of the Lions.

“If there’s interest in you from clubs in England you’re definitely doing something right,” Emakhu says. “It’s a credit to myself and my coaches in Ireland and everyone that helped me back in Ireland.

“I knew they were fighting for something.

I knew there was a pathway for the young players to go through.

“You’ve seen the likes of Danny Mac, Billy Mitchell coming through the academy. I knew the pathway was there.

“It’s similar to Shamrock Rovers, really, a passionate club, great fans. They always want to fight for something and get better. They have similar characteristics to Shamrock Rovers and that’s the environment I want to be in.”

Emakhu was hampered by injury in January before coming back and, to some, getting a surprise debut against Vincent Kompany’s Clarets.

But it wasn’t a surprise to Emakhu.

“To be fair, I expected it to come sooner,” he says. “Before the injury my eyes were set on Sheffield [United] in the FA Cup. My eyes were on getting a run-out there. I’d had a good two, three weeks with the lads to get embedded in. Unfortunately I got the injury.

“When my debut came around it was a surreal moment. Everything came so quickly because just a month or so before that I was still playing football in Ireland.

I couldn’t have asked for a better game to come on in.

“There was loads of love from the fans, my team-mates, staff, previous team-mates, everyone really was giving me support, family as well, of course. There were texts from everyone and it took a while to get through the messages. I enjoyed reading them.”

With the Professional Development League national trophy

Southwark News, Thursday May 25 2023

www.newsatden.co.uk

MILLWALL 31

Crucial summer for Lions to take next step

Millwall have gone close to the top six in four seasons under Gary Rowett – what do they need to do to bridge the gap?

Manager Gary Rowett, second from left, CEO Steve Kavanagh, left, are planning for next season with the recruitment department

ANALYSIS

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk MILLWALL CONTROLLED their own destiny in the race to finish in the Championship’s top six from the 37th game of the season to the 43rd and given arguably the most favourable run-in of the play-off contenders, no Lions supporter could have been called deluded for thinking about postponing whatever plans they had made in May to instead make contingency ones for the two semi-final dates.

After Gary Rowett’s side won 2-1 against Swansea City on March 14 to go sixth, their remaining fixtures were: Huddersfield Town (then 24th), (West Bromwich Albion (ninth), Luton Town (fourth), Hull City (seventeenth), (Preston (seventh), Birmingham City (seventeenth), Wigan Athletic (24th), Blackpool (23rd) and Blackburn Rovers (ninth).

Yet the Lions won only two of their last nine games, dropping out of the play-off places not just on the last day but in the second half of their last game as they lost 4-3 to Blackburn.

It meant Millwall narrowly missed out on the top six for a fourth consecutive season under Rowett.

For a club of Millwall’s relative size – particularly compared to the ones that drop out of the Premier League with bags of money through parachute payments – those are good achievements.

But Rowett and the club want more.

A drastic overhaul would obviously have been required had Millwall won promotion to the Premier League for the first time.

But is one now needed? And if so, what would it look like? We discuss

what we think should be next if Millwall want to break into the top six.

goals in the side could have been the difference.

Millwall broke their transfer record last summer when they paid £1.7million to Fortuna Sittard for Zian Flemming.

The Dutch attacker was an unqualified success in his first season in English football, scoring fifteen goals.

Recruitment is always trickier for Millwall than most of the clubs they are competing with in the top half of the table due to budget differences. Can the Lions discover at least a couple of gems somewhere, at budget prices?

It can be done. Look at one of the Lions’ top-six rivals in 2022-23, Coventry City, who are into the play-off final. Despite all the turmoil around them in recent years including not having their own ground to play at, their recruitment has been creative. Viktor Gyökeres, Gustavo Hamer and Jamie Allen were hardly household names when they joined from Brighton, FC Zwolle and Burton Albion, respectively. But they have combined for 36 Championship goals between them this season and could add to it against Luton Town in the final.

Hamer and Allen’s contributions from midfield have been fifteen goals. Those numbers are particularly pertinent when you compare them to Millwall’s. In the next line behind Tom Bradshaw and Flemming (including in the wing-back system earlier in the season), no player had scored more than one goal before the final day.

That put huge pressure on Bradshaw and Flemming to keep on scoring. That Bradshaw was the only out-and-out striker at the club after January, following Benik Afobe’s departure, only adds to the sense of a missed opportunity. Kevin NIsbet’s proposed move from Hibernian collapsed on January 27. There was little time to go for an alternative and we’re only left to wonder if five or six more

Millwall had no goal contributions from their full-backs this season. The Lions will surely be assessing that this summer.

No one can doubt the qualities that Danny McNamara brings to the team.

This reporter was in the Dockers Stand for the 2-0 win over Preston in April.

It was at a time when McNamara was shipping a little bit of criticism from fans for perceived below-par performances.

But there were a couple of moments when a McNamara tackle raised the noise levels on a strangely subdued afternoon. That’s what McNamara does, that fearlessness in putting his body on the line creating that connection to the stands.

When McNamara was brought back from St Johnstone in January 2021, Millwall had two out-and-out right-backs competing for the spot. McNamara won out over Mahlon Romeo. This season McNamara hasn’t had that competition.

Would the addition of an attacking right-back lead to McNamara improving his game again? McNamara went from National League to an established Championship player in two years, so there is no doubting his capacity for improvement. He and Millwall need that competition next season.

And it’s the same on the other side of the defence (in a back four). Neither Murray Wallace nor Scott Malone hit the heights of previous seasons from the point of view of a goal threat. Millwall could be prioritising the full-back positions this summer.

Be bold in the transfer market

Full-backs

Breaking down defences

This is linked to all of the above. In 2022-23, the Lions beat Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, West Bromwich Albion,

Watford twice, yet at home failed to defeat Reading, Queens Park Rangers, Hull City, Wigan Athletic, Bristol City, Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City, all of whom finished in the bottom half of the table.

That’s a big expected haul of points dropped.

Millwall didn’t have enough creative players to break down deep defences.

The Lions’ attackers are suited to breaking into space on the transition. If defences are packed they want Millwall to go wide and cross, because they are set up to deal with that. In that scenario Millwall didn’t have a 6ft-plus target man to call on, either. It all added up to several frustrating afternoons and evenings at The Den. Another top-six rival, Sunderland, also operating on a modest budget, had Amad Diallo and Jack Clarke in the wide attacking areas in their system. Not only are they adept at creating in tight spaces, but they scored thirteen and nine league goals, respectively, across the 46-game campaign last season. The Black Cats had a variety of attacking midfield options, including playmaker Alex Pritchard and another wide player, Patrick Roberts.

There was a gap between what some rivals produced from that line behind the attack and what Millwall did. The wide players recruited – Andreas Voglsammer, Oliver Burke and Duncan Watmore – didn’t offer anything like the same goalscoring threat.

Millwall need to try to bring in players in those areas with a knack for scoring goals.

Academy

‘Play the youngsters.’ You hear it every season, read it on the forums.

It’s understandable for teams with nothing to play for late on in the season. Billy Mitchell was given his senior competitive debut on the last day of 2018-19 after the threat of

relegation had been seen off in the previous game.

But generally players will make themselves unignorable, as Zak Lovelace and then Romain Esse did in the last two seasons.

Millwall’s academy has produced impressive results in recent seasons, especially as there is so much competition in the fabled south London football scene. Unfortunately, the downside is getting picked off by bigger clubs. Lions fans never got to see Darko Gyabi or Samuel Edozie play for their team, though the upside was they generated over £3million in compensation when they joined Manchester City, and Millwall again benefitted financially from sell-on clauses when they moved on to Leeds United and Southampton, respectively.

The real frustration was when Lovelace left for Glasgow Rangers for a pittance.

But the evidence is there of hard work paying off, in first finding these players and then successfully developing them.

They are national champions this season.

Esse has shown serious promise and perhaps he will look at Lovelace’s experience this season – one senior appearance, totalling two minutes, after making four for Millwall in the previous campaign when he became their second-youngest ever player – and stay put if and when there is interest in him.

The hope is that Esse will push on and then be joined by one or two more next season. Young players who have come through the system and into the first team always excite fans. It creates a buzz and hope for the future.

We’ve been here before, in each of the last four summers, in fact, and as ever the next transfer window will shape the season ahead as the Lions finally hope to break into those play-off positions.

INSIDE

Sport Southwark

pagE 28

Emakhu lEads nEw BREEd

Aidomo Emakhu tucks home a penalty in the under-21 play-off semi-final

ExcluSivE

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk aiDomo emaKhu has outlined his determination to be a regular in Millwall’s first-team squad next season – and follow in lions teammate Danny mcnamara’s footsteps with ireland.

Emakhu joined Millwall from Dublinbased League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers in January and was handed his debut a month later by Gary Rowett as a substitute in the 1-1 draw against Burnley.

A couple of niggling injuries hampered his chances of more first-team involvement, but Emakhu ended the

Attacker outlines club and international ambitions season on a high as he was part of the under-21 side that won the Professional Development League national title, scoring in the semi-final against Hull City.

Emakhu is one of a number of exciting, attacking players from Kevin Nugent’s under-21 squad with real ambitions and realistic chances of regular senior involvement next season.

Emakhu knows what’s at stake when the Lions return to Calmont Road in June.

“Pre-season is a big one for me,” Emakhu said. “It’ll be my first pre-season in England. I’m looking forward to it and trying to get better.

“I want to hit the ground running.

I’m going to work hard and hopefully it rewards me with a spot in the squad next season.

“I really like playing out on the left.

Even as a centre-forward I can drift wide and get at them. I think that’s my strongest attribute, going at players and being direct. That’s what I enjoy doing the most and hopefully next season I’ll be able to show that a bit more.”

Emakhu landed in his home city of Dublin on Tuesday evening for a welldeserved break and to catch up with family and friends.

But he won’t be putting his feet up just yet. Emakhu has been capped four times at under-19 level, scoring once.

Sidcup’s McNamara, whose parents are Irish, has been capped for the under-21s and this month was called up by senior boss Stephen Kenny for a training camp in Bristol ahead of Euro 2024 qualifiers in June.

Visit www.newsatden.co.uk for all the latest Millwall news online

“There’s an Irish under-21 camp coming up,” Emakhu said. “If I’m in it I’m in it, if I’m not I’m not. But I’m just going to keep myself ready for what might be coming. I want to try to stay ready and as fit as possible.

“I’ve spoken to Danny Mac, we’ve spoken at lunch after training a couple of times. He’s been in a few squads. He’s in a four-day training camp in Bristol with the senior squad. I sent him a text and said, ‘well done’. He has had a great season, he played very, very well. Even the way he trains as well.

“I like having someone there [at Millwall] coming from the same place, though I know obviously he was born in England, but he’s representing the same international side. It’s nice to have someone there like that to talk to. “

HAMLET START REBUILDING WORK Rom aims to keep building

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk romain esse is already looking forward to continuing his development next season – and helping millwall with another tilt at the Premier league.

Esse, 18, capped a remarkable campaign in which he came from the proverbial nowhere to make thirteen senior appearances. Then in the space of seven days from last week, Esse scored a goal in both the semi-final – in the 95th minute for a 3-3 draw against Hull City to send the game into extra-time when Millwall won 4-3 – and in the final against Sheffield United as the Lions clinched the Professional Development League national title, again after extra-time.

Captain Chin Okoli scored the hosts’ winner.

Esse is potentially one of the most exciting attacking talents to come through the academy in some time and he is not alone as Kevin Nugent’s under-21s went the entire campaign undefeated at home.

The Millwall youngsters were roared on by a crowd of more than 2,000 on Monday.

“It’s a lot and it means a lot to the boys,” Esse said. “You see before the game, everyone was telling everyone to come down and support us.

“You see it showed a lot, when we’re down, under the cosh, defending for our lives, the fans have our back and making noise as always.

“It feels great, the lads are happy, I got a goal, we got that goal in extratime. We all thought they were growing into the game but we got that goal from Chin and it shows we can score whenever with the crowd behind us.”

Esse, who signed a long-term deal in January, has yet to start for Gary Rowett’s senior side but is determined to make an impact as the Lions aim to mount another top-six challenge.

“I’m hoping to carry on this form into next season and we’ll see where it goes,” Esse said. “Already [looking forward to next season]. It’s been a great eight months and I’m happy to continue this success and just see where it takes me to next season hopefully.

“You know what the big aim is for next season – the Prem.”

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