News
Pupils get planting in Burgess Park 31 Jan 2013 southwark.gov.uk/newsA group of green-fingered pupils from nearby Cobourg primary school and Sacred Heart secondary school swapped the classroom for an alfresco lesson planting real trees in Burgess Park. In the next phase of redevelopment of the park, which reopened in July 2012, a national standard 400-metre BMX track will open later this year. The new trees have been planted to replace those that will have to be removed to accommodate the track, which will feature a starting hill, banked hair pin turns and a variety of jumps. ...
Greenspaces Burgess Park - 13 Oct 2012 brockleycentral.blogspot.co.uk
The £8 million redevelopment of Burgess Park in Southwark was completed earlier this year and has turned a large, flat, scraggy and unremarkable park framed by the Aylesbury Estate in to one of London's best. ...
Park reopens after £8m refurbishment 1 August 2012 South London Today
by Ben Morgan SCORES of families took advantage of the hot weather during the official reopening of a park following its £8million facelift. After months of work, Burgess Park was reopened with a day-long programme of family entertainment, sporting events and music on Saturday of last week. ...
Burgess Park reopens 28 July 2012 thisissouthwark.com
In addition the Olympic Flame arriving in London, this past weekend also saw the reopening of Burgess Park. Burgess Park, located between Camberwell, Walworth and Peckham, it is one of the largest parks in South London. The park has been closed and under rehab since we arrived eleven months ago. This past Saturday saw one half of the park open with lots of fanfare. Of course I went to check it out, and I wasn’t disappointed. The park looks great. I really enjoyed the view from this hill. ...
Burgess Park transformed 28 July 2012 visitlondon.com
Last week Burgess Park finally re-opened to the public after an £8m transformation project.
At 46 hectares, Burgess Park is one of the largest parks in South London, and has been undergoing a radical transformation since spring 2011. This has included new walkways, woodland, lawns, BBQ areas and a bridge.The wow factor comes from several new “hills” which provide panoramic views to the north, as well as two 30ft fountains in the extended lake. ...
The New Burgess Park 27 July 2012 DulwichOnView.org.uk
... I was looking forward to seeing the new changes. So I went to visit the park on a sunny afternoon. The park was packed with so many people! It was nice to see everyone enjoying themselves and all the exciting areas the park had to offer. Burgess park now features a new layout, a variety of plants, outdoor gym, an extended lake, a fun adventure playground and go-karts, sports centre, tennis court, cafe, a nice picnic area, 5 new hills and a new barbecue area around the lake, which is a very good idea. I think the transformation has been great. Burgess Park was really green, spacious and there was lots to see and do. It’s definitely a park worth visiting this summer.
Southwark Council invites expressions of interest for Burgess Park Café 19 June 2012 Southwark.gov.uk
Southwark Council is inviting ... experienced catering businesses to take over the running and management of the Burgess Park Café. ... The opportunity is offered as a concession contract and lease for a period of five (5) years, extendable for two further periods of one year each at the discretion of Southwark Council to provide a high quality catering service to the local community, visitors to the park and users of the many facilities, including the state of the art sports pavilion which is regularly used by the local community and young people. Closing date for expressions of interest: 13 July. ...
Burgess Park to reopen after £8 million transformation 13 June 2012 Southwark.gov.uk
One of South London's biggest parks will reopen its gates to the public with a fun-filled open day on 21 July following an £8 million major transformation, Southwark Council has announced. ...
Hot dip galvanizing company South East Galvanizers provided 27 tonnes of steel to create a new boardwalk that will form a centre piece of the £6 million transformation of Burgess Park in Southwark, South London. ... The steel was used by lake and reservoir engineering specialists Miles Waterscapes to construct a 74 metre long, 2.5 metre wide pedestrian pathway that will run over a realigned lake at the park when the overhaul is completed later this summer. ...
BMX track makes jump to Olympic standard 9 April 2012 South London Press
CONTROVERSIAL plans for an Olympic-standard BMX track have been granted planning permission. ...
The revolution will be composted: the permaculture show garden 5 April 2012 Guardian blog
From wasteland to productive plot: Ruth Jamieson on the rise of a new community garden in south London. A freshly-cleared patch of wasteland on the edge of Burgess Park in south London is about to become a flagship for permaculture in community gardening. Introducing this month's rebel gardening project: The Glengall Wharf Garden.
When Sue Amos got a dog six years ago she started coming to Burgess Park in south London every day. In one corner of the park, just visible through a fence, crouched the overgrown remains of a pallet wharf that once served the now defunct Grand Surrey Canal. Having already worked on several smaller community garden projects, Sue immediately saw the growing potential of this unloved plot, measuring some 2600m squared. She joined the Friends of Burgess Park, formed the Burgess Park Food Project, secured a soil donation from Capital Growth and £46,000 of funding from Community Spaces, a Big Lottery fund. And now Sue and the rest of the Burgess Park Food Project volunteers are months from opening what will be one of London's most ambitious community gardens yet. ...
Burgess Park BMX track given the green light - Southwark Council 30 March 2012 Southwark.gov.uk
Planning permission for a national standard BMX track in South London's Burgess Park has been given the go-ahead by council leaders. The 400-metre track will feature a starting hill, banked hairpin turns, a variety of jumps - some as high as 2.5m - and will be floodlit so it can be used all year round and it has been designed to cater for riders of varying experience - from novice to expert and will be free for the community to use. ...
Plans unveiled for BMX in Burgess Park 3 February 2012 Southwark News
Plans to create London's first national standard BMX track in Burgess Park to host races for some of the world's best riders were revealed on Monday by Southwark Council. The 400-metre track will feature a starting hill, banked hairpin turns, a variety of jumps - some as high as 2.5m - and will be floodlit so it can be used all year round. ...
A BMX track with the most daring courses and jumps in London is to be built as part of a £6 million revamp of a family park. Southwark council wants to create the capital's first "national standard" track. The floodlit 400-metre track in Burgess Park in Camberwell will feature a starting hill, hairpin turns and 2.5 metre jumps. The Mayor's office paid £2 million into the Burgess Park makeover, with the council and regeneration body Creation Trust contributing £4 million. Southwark's payment includes £250,000 transferred from its road maintenance budget. The track, which the council says will be built on a "derelict play area" and existing rundown BMX track, must receive planning permission and be approved by British Cycling. It is hoped the facility will be open this summer. ...
Heart Garden blog 9 January 2012 Art in the Park
Burgess Park tennis club shines with new £170,000 floodlights 13 December 2011 Southwark.gov.uk
Tennis fans in Burgess Park are beaming thanks to new floodlights installed by Southwark City Tennis Club to increase year round play at the centre. The new floodlights were installed as a jointly funded project between Southwark Council's Cleaner Greener Safer fund, the Lawn Tennis Association, The Foundation for Sport and the Art, Aylesbury NDC and the London Marathon Charitable Trust.
Roger Draper, chief executive of the LTA, and Harriett Harman, local MP and shadow minister for culture, media and sports were among the crowd to celebrate the formal opening of the lights. Secretary of Southwark City Tennis Club, Tom Ulicsak, said the lights would make a huge difference to the club ...
Buried diesel tanks to delay park reopening 17 November 2011Southwark News
Huge industrial-sized diesel tanks have been discovered buried deep in the ground in Burgess Park as Southwark Council carried out a major redevelopment of the site. The two chambers leaked the toxic fuel into soil and the ground water for years before being found and the clean-up bill is expected to be more than £1million.
'Whirlwind' rugby fan trains Tigers 16 August 2011 South London Press
A RUGBY fanatic who dedicates his free time to bringing the sport to inner-city kids has been nominated for a South London Press Our Heroes Award.
Vernon Neve-Dunn, 49, started Southwark Tigers Rugby Club in 2000 while working as a teacher at Charlotte Sharman Primary School in West Square, Elephant & Castle.
He started the club from his car boot, holding training on an open patch of grass at Burgess Park in Camberwell and often first having to clear debris including broken glass.
Mr Neve-Dunn, from Tulse Hill, said: “I really thought the kids would benefit from playing because of the sport’s core values of discipline and respect.
“There was nothing in the area – no rugby club that was accessible to the kids from that area and it needed to be done.”
Since its modest beginnings, the club has expanded and now has a clubhouse, pitches with posts and storage at Burgess Park.
Father-of-one Mr Neve-Dunn said: “We have three adult teams and six juniors, with a total membership of around 250 people of all ages.
“Girls and women are involved and we have about 12 parents who are volunteer coaches. I am really proud that we have shown kids from Southwark, mainly Peckham, can behave themselves and compete on the field. ...
Superimpose magazine asked Penny about her love of foraging, and what tips she could offer to anyone interested in trying it for themselves... [includes video of foragers in Burgess Park / join Friends of Burgess Park on 31 July 2011 at Glengall Wharf for nature walk and foraging - more info]
Burgess Park takes massive step towards major transformation 22 July 2011 southwark.gov.uk/news
... Kulveer Ranger from the Mayor of London's office, Charlotte Benstead from Creation Trust, Cllr Barrie Hargrove from Southwark Council, and contractors Balfour Beatty and other community groups assembled at Burgess Park this week to celebrate the start of works. ...
Mayor Funds New Scheme to Bring Touch Rugby to the Workplace to Help Boost Sporting Participation Across the Capital
20 June 2011 vadvert.co.uk
... The new scheme, called Touch London, is part of the Mayor’s £15.5 million drive to deliver a sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and get Londoners out and about in healthy activity. ... The Mayor’s Commissioner for Sport, Kate Hoey MP said: ‘If you head down to Southwark Park, or Burgess Park, or Finsbury Park this evening, you are bound to see a game of touch going on somewhere. It’s a growing sport and one that works really well in London. This programme that we are funding will bring the game to many thousands of Londoners and play a key role in ensuring that we see a real grass-roots sporting legacy right across this city.’ ... People wanting to sign up or find out more about Touch London should contact Peter Macaulay or Jo Martin at the RFU on petermacaulay@rfu.com or jomartin@rfu.com and a new web page is in development on rfu.com to support the programme.
Burgess Park is set to get a new BMX track as part of its multimillion pound improvements. Consultants Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB), who last year completed a national standard BMX track near Birmingham, have been appointed to work on the project.
It is hoped that the new track will be nearly three times the size of the existing Burgess Park track.
The council is already working closely with local people to ensure the design is the best possible one for the park and its users.
Plans for the new track will be submitted to the council for approval later in the year.
Cllr Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for transport, environment and recycling at Southwark Council, said: “I believe a BMX track like this one could play a huge part in making the redevelopment of Burgess Park a success story. It’s a sport that has proved really popular in our borough, and I think this new track, together with the current facilities for tennis, rugby, cricket, and football, will make Burgess a stand-out sporting destination.” ...
Peter Crouch and Theo Walcott back Just Play campaign 7 June 2011 thefa.com...
Tough times for grassroots football 8 June 2011 bbc.co.uk ... Theo Walcott and Peter Crouch were drafted in to help launch the Mars Just Play scheme at Burgess Park in Camberwell. Funded by the Football Foundation, the facility's excellent, all-weather pitches and modern changing facilities just off the run-down Old Kent Road are sadly the exception to the rule in inner-city Southwark. Like most of London, the borough suffers from a chronic shortage of decent, well-maintained, public football facilities. ...
Rockcorps Burgess Park 14 May 2011 rockcorps.co.uk
Bursting with energy and determination, the OrangeRockCorps volunteers descended upon Burgess Park on a rain-free Saturday afternoon. Their mission, because they chose to accept it, was to pull together and make new home's for the highly endangered stag beetle. As well as creating the new homes, or "loggeries" as their known, we also cut back brambles, cleared paths and cleared up a small mountain of litter. Group one focussed on foraging and sawing logs to create a "loggery" as well as clearing the woodlands. Group two dug holes to create three "loggeries" – a great environment for the stag beetle larvae to make their home! The transformation of the park was outstanding and by the time the volunteers had finished the park looked amazing and ready to house many a stag beetle Not overwhelmed by the workload the volunteers found time to sing and dance in the May sun.
'Majority' of park to be closed for £6m works 21 April 2011 Southwark News
The ‘majority’ of Burgess Park will be closed to the public for eight months to allow work to begin on a £6million revamp from next month.
Contractors have been employed to create two new wetland habitats, lay 92,000 plants and 164 trees, and remove redundant roads and footpaths. They are expected to begin at the end of May.
ONE OF the community's outstanding cricket sons is to be honoured by way of a memorial match on April 24.
Tony 'Mr Cricket' Leslie passed away in January 2010 and will be remembered by family, friends and the cricket fraternity when a Tony Leslie XI take on Burgess Park Colts in south east London.
Leslie was one of the most popular and respected men on the cricket circuit. Also known affectionately as 'T-Les' by many, Leslie had the sport he loved running through his veins. ...
Running London (A Marathon Endeavour): Leg 24 - Surrey Quays to Rosebery Avenue 6 April 2011 guardian.co.uk Dave Hill's blog
... At the end I bore right then left into Verney Road, plotting a path to Burgess Park, and found that I had already left Lewisham and was back in Southwark again. No offence, Sir Steve. Verney Road took me on to the broad avenue that is the Old Kent Road, where Romans and Chaucer's pilgrims once walked. Being there gave my heart a lift - I love Monopoly names, perhaps especially low rent ones.
Cobourg Road led me into the park, with its listed mosque and large lake, which I jogged the length of, enjoying the tranquility of yet another London lung, before turning north and exiting on to Albany Road which forms the southern border of Walworth....
Lumberjack Boris can't see the good for the trees 24 March 2011 London Evening Standard, Will Self
Back in the early 1980s I worked for the GLC as a playleader (don't laugh), and reported to the department that ran adventure playgrounds from a ratty prefab office at Burgess Park in Camberwell.
I thought Burgess Park pretty much the arse-end of the universe, an oppressively thin ribbon of an open space which still showed the scars of the houses and factories that had been cleared to create it. A mere stripling, I had yet to appreciate the necessity of a park for urban dwellers, nor how even the most unprepossessing and debatable of lands can be a source of pride and joy. ...
Boris Johnson honours crime fighters in city's green and pleasant parks 18 March 2011 London Evening Standard
More than 30 parks across the capital have been singled out by Boris Johnson for their work tackling crime.
Mr Johnson said: "London boasts some of the most sublime green spaces in the country, and everyone deserves to enjoy their local parks without fear of crime.
"The scheme recognises the tireless work many unsung local heroes put into making green spaces more pleasant for everyone.
"I hope this inspires others to get involved to deliver real change to run-down areas. Each one has found its own way to turn around the often low-level crime that scares people away."
Wide open spaces the winners: ... Burgess Park ...
31 London parks receive safety awards from Mayor 17 March 2011 london.gov.uk
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson today revealed the 31 parks across the capital chosen to receive a Safer Park Award for their hard work to combat crime and improve green spaces. ... Working with boroughs, the Mayor’s Safer Parks Award scheme provides opportunities to revitalise public space, making a big difference to London’s quality of life and helping create a safer city. ... Burgess Park / Southwark / Bronze ... The Mayor’s Safer Parks Award is designed to ensure that Londoners can be proud of their local parks, participate in their development and feel confident to suggest improvements that increase safety in London’s public realm. ...
Park friends group chief defends felling of trees 15 March 2011 South London Press
The felling of trees in a popular park has been defended by the chairwoman of its Friends group.
More than 60 people attended a public meeting held by the Friends of Burgess Park after council workmen began cutting down the trees at the beginning of this month. The axeing is the beginning of a £6million Southwark council plan to redevelop the Walworth green space. ... The park will be levelled, nature reserves increased, old roads
removed, play areas moved, allotments created and sports facilities
improved. ... Speaking afterwards, Friends chairwoman Sue Amos told this newspaper that the felling would lead to a better park. ... “These changes are of long-term benefits. That doesn’t mean there is not short-term impact, but we bite the bullet and go for it because we want a better park. People are understandably upset by the loss of trees and we were happy to hear their opinions. But we don’t support their views nor do we support a judicial review suggested. A review would hold the project up for three to four months. This would mean all the trees would have come down for nothing and there will be no improvements to the park.”
Councillor Barrie Hargrove, [Southwark] Labour cabinet member for the environment, said: “We are planting nearly double the number of trees that are being removed. These plans were originally shown to the public over eight months ago, and were widely supported by the community, and by wildlife and environmental groups.”
Revitalisation March 2011 8 March 2011 se5forum.org
Extensive tree felling has taken place in Burgess Park, as part of the initial phase of the "Revitalisation" project ... Council Email regarding Trees ... from Rebecca Towers, Parks and Open Spaces Manager, Southwark Council
In order to improve the park including enhancing its biodiversity we do need to make some changes. A total of 331 new specimen trees will be planted, and these will be heavy standard trees up to 5m in height. The trees that will be planted will be more varied in species and will include more mature specimen trees with longer life spans. Unfortunately to make the changes it is necessary to remove 167 open grown 'specimen trees' and a further 283 smaller, immature and lower amenity value stems found within scrub areas. In total 6,600m² of scrub will be planted, 4,300m² of scrub will be removed (including these 283 stems), which will mean a net gain of 2,300m². Where possible trees that are marked for removal will be transplanted. ...
The price of Burgess Park 8 March 2011 peoplesrepublicofsouthwark.co.uk
Many local residents and groups had grave concerns about how the £6M awarded to Burgess Park was going to be spent, as maintenance has historically been the biggest issue with the park.
Some of the figures have only now become available, through a Freedom of Information Request made by a local resident.
The council has spent £409,262 on the lead consultant; £148,850 on the quantity surveyor; £146,183.04 on engineers; £42,487.10 on planning fees; £24,825 on the art consultant; £20,000 on competition fees; £18,685.00 on management and maintenance; £7,950 on pre-qualification evaluation; Total: £818,142.14
As there is no other information available, we have to assume that these costs relate to the period up until 7th March 2011. Some of you will remember that signs telling everyone that the park is being redeveloped cost some £18,000 but it is impossible to say which, if any, of the above cover that. ...
At present, it is still not at all clear whether the 'improvements' can ever have any meaningful future beyond the initial photo-opportunity once the project is completed.
In the light of that, it is not surprising that many local residents are shocked and angry to wake up to what they see as unjustifiable destruction of the park many have spent decades enjoying and looking after.
Burgess Park 450 trees being felled now! 7 Mar 2011 london se1
... All the material will be recycled in the park - logs to become informal seats or for climbing on, stag beetle loggeries and heaps of wood to be used in wildlife areas, chippings as mulches. ... thats good news.the children in london need every opportunity to interact with nature, and for the chance to climb on something not made of concrete! ... Had this in response to my emails to the councillors. Thought I'd post it here for info. Also wanted to say thanks to all those involved in the consultation on the public's behalf. Hope the push for continued, proper maintenance is successful. ... Although regretfully there will be tree loss as part of the initial works to this project, overall we will be planting more tree and scrub and there will be a net gain in trees. The trees that will be planted in Burgess Park will be more varied in species and will include more mature specimen trees with longer life spans and we will be reusing trees where possible. We are committed to working with the community and using wildlife and environmental experts as well as council officers. ...
A group of locals are involved in developing a new community garden in Burgess Park. This project is in its early stages and is looking for people living locally to get involved in the planning, consultation, fundraising and day to day running of the community garden.
They have a planning day on 5th March where they will be sketching up the sight and discussing ideas.
Southwark Council gives consent for £6m Burgess Park makeover 11 February 2011 Horticulture Week
Plans for the revamp include the introduction of new access paths and the removal of disused or overgrown surrounding roads and paths to create new wildlife habitats.
The park's lake will also be improved and expanded under the scheme. The new plans are in addition to an existing £1.2m investment in Chumleigh Gardens in the centre of the park.
... Creation Trust director Charlotte Benstead said: "... that improving the park was a major aspect of attracting investment to regenerate the nearby Aylesbury Estate. "We hope that this adds impetus to getting the area action plan fully implemented," she added.
The mayor said the planning consent represented an important step forward. "Now the work can really begin," he added. "The park will be transformed with better layout, colourful gardens and wildlife areas for local people and visitors alike."
Work is expected to begin in April or May with the first phase of improvements scheduled to be completed by March next year.
Burgess Park – another step forward 5 February 2011 James Barber mycouncillor.org.uk
Earlier this week the next step in creating a destination Burgess Park we can all be proud of took place – granting of Planning Permission.
I was first involved when the chair person of Southwark Cyclists when we obtained significant funding for the central avenue. My great aunt’s drapers shop is under Burgess Park along Albany Road and my great grandparents were born on streets where Burgess Park now is. ...
Burgess Park has the green light 5 February 2011Elephant & Castle News/ TownTalk.co.uk
Burgess Park has got the green light for its £6m makeover, after planners at Southwark Council approved the project. ... Charlotte Benstead, director of Creation Trust, added: "These plans will make Walworth a destination and reason to visit rather than a cut through for the residents of Southwark, we have already seen more use of the park with our outside free gym.
"Improving the park is a major aspect of attracting more investment to help regenerate the Aylesbury Estate. We hope that this adds impetus to getting the Area Action Plan fully implemented."
The park will have a better layout and colourful gardens, says the mayor of London. A south London park is to undergo a £6m transformation nearly 70 years after work first started. Burgess Park, in Walworth, will undergo changes such as improved entrances, an expanded and improved lake and a variety of different wildlife habitats. The makeover was given the go-ahead by Southwark Council's planning committee. It will complete work started in 1943, when the park was first created. There have been changes since but this will be the first large-scale improvement.
'Once in a lifetime' The park received £2m from the mayor's Priority Parks scheme in March 2009 and a further £4m from the New Deal for Communities, now Creation Trust. Earlier this week, Councillor Barrie Hargrove, at Southwark Council, said: "This planning approval is a massive step towards a new and exciting Burgess Park. "The opportunities presented by these plans come around once in a lifetime, and this is great news not just for users of Burgess Park but for Southwark as a whole."
The mayor of London Boris Johnson said the park will be transformed with "better layout, colourful gardens and wildlife areas for local people and visitors alike to enjoy". Other changes include removing redundant roads and pathways. It is hoped that the first phase of the park's improvements will be completed by March 2012. The £6m revitalisation project is in addition to more than £1.2m that has been invested in the Chumleigh Gardens open space, play area and cafe in the centre of the park.
BURGESS PARK GETS GO-AHEAD FOR £6M OVERHAUL DESPITE TREE LOSS 3 February 2011 Southwark News
A £6million overhaul of Burgess Park was given the green light on Tuesday evening, but plans still received a mixed reaction from community groups. Work can finally get underway on changing the layout of the park, involving work on expanding the lake, revamping entrances, removing redundant roads and footpaths and creating new wildlife habitats.
Burgess Park heading for £6m revamp 2 February 2011 net-lettings.co.uk London Property News
A multimillion-pound revamp is in store for Burgess Park, which may improve the appeal of property to rent in the London borough of Southwark. Southwark Council has granted its approval for a £6 million project to makeover the park by improving entrances, creating a range of wildlife habitats, removing unused pathways and extending its lake.
The Burgess Park refurbishment plans have been given the green light2 February 2011 Londonist
Burgess Park gets go ahead for multimillion pound revamp 2 February 2011 Southwark.gov.uk
Burgess Park has got the green light for its £6m makeover, after planners at Southwark Council approved the project.
In March of 2009, it was announced that Burgess Park had won £2m from the Mayor of London under his 'Help a London Park' programme. The park also received match funding of a further £4million from the Aylesbury New Deal for Communities (now Creation Trust).
Tigers take a prowl over to Lewisham 27 January 2011 Southwark News
Southwark Tigers descended mob handed to Lewisham last Sunday to take part in an intensive coaching session at Old Colfeans Rugby Club.
Around 45 youngsters from the Burgess Park club learnt the final details of Rugby, with sessions concentrating on passing and defensive organisation which the boys and girls then put into action in full contact sessions.
Rosy in the Mix 21 January 2011 Chocolatefilms.com
In August 2010 an unusual structure appeared in Burgess Park - 'Rosy the Ballerina', an inflatable bubble-like pavilion that has been touring London's parks and green spaces providing an extraordinary arts space for local communities. This short documentary commissioned by Tate Modern follows Rosy's day at the Mix Festival at Burgess Park and the DIY instrument making workshops run by Juneau Projects and Tate Modern taking part inside.
Tate Collection | Burgess Park SE5, Planted 1983, Destroyed 1988 18 December 2010 Tate Britain online
New cafe in Burgess Park gets a name – Park Life Cafe 8 December 2010 Southwark.gov.uk
Local residents gathered at Burgess Park on Saturday to discover the name of the park's brand new cafe.
Councillor Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for transport, environment and recycling at Southwark Council, announced that the name chosen for the Chumleigh Gardens site was "Park Life Cafe."
Tree Dressing in Burgess Park - and an Igloo 2 December 2010 Transpontine blog
More Winter Tree Dressing this weekend (Saturday 4th December), this time in Southwark's Burgess Park. There will be mulled wine, mince pies and a choir ... The day will also feature the announcement of the name of the new cafe in the park, right by the playground next to Chumleigh Gardens. Park was looking beautiful today, complete with an igloo.
Snowy Burgess Park 1 December 2010 Art in the Park's blog
Many London commuters battled and slipped their way to work today, finding frustration in late trains and frosty footpaths. At least here in Burgess Park, it has been transformed into a winter wonderland. Here are some pictures taken yesterday and this morning,
Out for a duck 28 November 2010 Birding etc
... there was a Ferruginous Duck in Camberwell, south London, an
excellent find by Rich Bonser on one of his urban patches. What's more,
it's the first to appear in the capital since I started a London
year-list in earnest ... Before long I was taking a hasty trip down
Memory Lane, as the lake the bird was on in Burgess Park ... The light
was fading when I got there, but the bird was a done deal as I parked
up, swimming among Coots close to the edge of the lake and only a few
metres away from its admirers. In the circumstances the 'noisy' images
here aren't the best, but they show the key features of the species.
What you can't see here, but which I saw in flight as the bird took off
and circled twice around the lake before landing again, was a full set
of flight feathers and a pure white, broad and striking wing-bar
extending almost the entire length of the wing to all but the outermost
two or three primaries. The bird even called several times, a quiet,
rasping croak, and though confiding was no more 'tame' than nearby
Tufted Ducks and Mallards. It's interesting that it has appeared on the
same day as the first Smew has returned to the London Area, and with
many lakes and ponds icing over perhaps it will herald the start of an
influx of interesting wildfowl. ...
Also noteworthy in Burgess Park was the regular wintering adult
Mediterranean Gull, originally also found by Rich and back for another
season.
Burgess Park Food Project 28 November 2010burgessfoodproject.posterous.com
Are you interested in developing opportunities to grow and harvest food from Burgess Park? Foraging and scrumping, forest and guerilla gardening and a new community food growing area are on the agenda. There will be space to learn how to grow, eat and enjoy fresh local food. There will also be lots of other opportunities to learn about plants, permaculture, sustainability, composting and more!
Samba moves in sarf London 28 November 2010 The Sydney Morning Herald
... It's the 12th annual Carnaval del Pueblo - Europe's largest outdoor celebration of Latin culture and a kind of Latin American Notting Hill carnival. I join the thousands of spectators following the parade into Burgess Park, a sprawling green space that fringes the usually unexciting suburbs of Walworth, Peckham and Camberwell.
Who should run Greenwich Park 26 November 2010 853 blogspot
Hats off to Peninsula ward councillor Mary Mills – one of a tiny, tiny minority of Greenwich Labour representatives comfortable with speaking publicly to constituents – for letting us know about a meeting she had about Greenwich Park. One of the many topics she raises could be a big issue in the years to come, since City Hall is eyeing up the Royal Parks…At the moment, Greenwich Park is run by the Royal Parks Agency, which is run by the government. ... While perhaps London’s most important parks should be run on behalf of all Londoners – Blackheath, Burgess Park and Crystal Palace Park were run by the old GLC, for example – this could submit these parks to political turbulence. ...
Playable Landscape ... The project creates a striking new entrance November 2010 Landscape institute Picture copyright Shape Architects... where playable sculpted landforms make the transition in scale between the urban blocks of the Aylesbury Estate and the more intimate space of Chumleigh Gardens and its listed almshouses. Wide paths rhythmically cut through a series of dramatic mounds and dips, leading to a new café forecourt with fountain jets, an under 5's play area, and the park. This contemporary civic space swept away what used to be a tangle of parking and site storage, invasive trees, polytunnels, and tipped debris. Landform was designed to incorporate spoil from this brownfield site, as part of the project's sustainability strategy.
Southwark Cyclists' view of Burgess Park revitalisation 12 November 2010 Southwark Cyclists Yahoo Group
... the new plans for the park are much much better....more organic growth of what's best already, more trees retained and on the way, better lake enlargement, much better entrance from Walworth Road and Old Kent Road. All the work needs to be done by March 2012. The Albany Road car park goes, the play area on Albany Road stays and the petrol gokarts will either go or be electric. Good. The dirt biketrack we created 6 years ago goes and gets amalgamated into a national (not Olympic, good...too exclusive) 24/7 bmx track that's 100mx60m on the site of the derelict playground ... That open access is a huge step forward..it'll be BMX club only at times and open to all the rest of the time. Still trying to work out how Brenton's workshops and street bike base stuff can carry on. Got some good improvements in at the meet yesterday.....including dumping of needle-style new bike racks...
Sokari Douglas Camp "Relative Pelican: An Installation of Steel Sculptures" 28 October 2010 New York Artbeat
STUX Gallery, New York, with Independent Curator/Scholar Kunbi Oni, a specialist in Contemporary African Art present an exhibition of sculptures by Sokari Douglas Camp. Sokari is a prominent sculptor whose work, NO-O-WAR-R NO-O-WAR-R, was short-listed for London’s Trafalgar Square Fourth Plinth in 2003. Sokari’s current major public commission, All the World is Now Richer, for Burgess Park, London is to mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. ...
Fortean London: A Ghost in Every Borough: Lambeth to Wandsworth 28 October 2010 Londonist.com
... The Surrey Canal could be said to already haunt this
part of Peckham and Camberwell. It has left a deep trench in the
landscape and bridges that cross over nothing, and walking along its
former route is a strange sensory experience. However on some nights
there’s more, the sound of water and the ‘thump, thump, thump’ of
ghostly children’s boots jumping from canal boat to canal boat. The
sounds are the ghosts of children who played a canal boat hopping game
when the canal did flow here but who fell into the water and drowned.
Now they haunt Burgess Park, playing their games forever as ghosts. ...
Derelict pub becomes gym at Burgess Park 27 October 2010 Southwark.gov.uk news
An outdoor gym has been unveiled on the site of the old William 4th pub in Burgess Park. The gym, which cost over £75,000 to install and includes fitness and
weight training equipment, is designed for use by all ages.
Dulwich Park Friends: hands off our park 22 October 2010South London Press
Southwark council is considering holding its annual Mix Festival in Dulwich Park in August. ... Traditionally it has been held in Burgess Park but the council is considering other venues including Dulwich, Southwark Park and Peckham Rye because of plans to redevelop Burgess Park next year. The proposal has ruffled feathers in the affluent neighbourhood and the park’s 350 family-strong “friends group” has begun a campaign against its use for that event. ...
Hitz rugby team plays first ever match in Southwark 12 October 2010 RFU.com news
A major milestone in the Hitz rugby programme in London was achieved when a set of boys who had never played the game before last summer took part in their first organised match in Southwark’s Burgess Park. The new Southwark Tigers Under-16 team was made up of participants in the Hitz sessions which run at Bacon’s College and Burgess Park on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
Mayor on track to transform ‘London’s Great Outdoors’ 1 Oct 2010, london.gov.uk
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson’s vision to improve public spaces across the capital was boosted today ... £2 million to Burgess Park in Southwark through his Help a London Park scheme. The ten parks were chosen after a public vote and the scheme aims to make the winning parks safer and better places to relax and play in. For more information go to: www.london.gov.uk/parksvote/ Help a London Park is part of 'London's Great Outdoors - A Manifesto for Public Space’ - the Mayor of London’s vision for improving streets, squares, parks, and green and water spaces in the capital. Over the next three years £220 million from Transport for London, the London Development Agency, London’s boroughs and others will be invested in over 50 public realm improvement projects.
60 Orange RockCorps volunteers waged war on the undergrowth in Camberwell’s Burgess Park 5 Sep 2010 Orange Rock Corps news Volunteers cleared and defined paths, picked up litter and fearlessly tackled brambles and other plant life that had taken over the nature area. The result: brand spanking new paths for Camberwell’s local residents and visitors alike to explore the nature area and hope to catch a glimpse of the wildlife that lives there.
Guide to Filming in London, August 2010 - Burgess Park Film London
Getting from one side of London to the other, in the rush hour, in a hurry, is a challenging prospect to say the least. That's why it's especially useful if you can get a lift from a Red Bull X-Fighter freestyle motocross racer with a taxi sign on his back. The new viral campaign from the Red Bull X-Fighters, designed to promote the London leg of their new European tour, demonstrates how this approach deals with the predicament perfectly...
Algal bloom causes fishkill in South East London ... Environment Agency
Fish were also found distressed and dying as the result of an algal bloom at nearby Burgess Park lake, Camberwell on Friday (31 July 2010). Environment Agency officers visited Burgess Park this morning where local anglers continue to man the aeration equipment and monitor the site. ...
Algal bloom kills fish in London lakes ishnewseu.com
Fish were also found distressed and dying as the result of an algal bloom at nearby Burgess Park lake, Camberwell, on Friday (31 July). Environment Agency officers visited Burgess Park yesterday, where local anglers continue to man the aeration equipment and monitor the site. f
The bid was part of the annual Latin American Festival in Burgess Park, dubbed the largest in Europe. Leigh Adams, of London Salsa, said he thought the timing of the event was not quite correct.
He added: "We only got 316 couples together unfortunately but we will go for it again next year.
The Information: Finds from amateur digs ... Financial Times
Over the past month in Burgess Park, south-east London, dusty
schoolchildren have been scraping away at the earth more than a metre
below ground level, as part of the Museum of London’s fifth community
dig. ...
Southwark responds to Burgess Park complaints The South London Post
Southwark Council caused something of a storm with its proposals to redevelop Burgess Park. Well, it’s done some listening at least, and has now listed the changes it’s going to make to the proposals. ... The original post from the Friends of Burgess Park on this issue is worth your time.
Museum of London community dig in Burgess Park Read the blog"The first visitors on day 1 of the Burgess Park Community dig were local mothers taking their children to school and dog walkers out enjoying the morning sunshine. After hearing unfounded rumours over the weekend of new offices being built and the large horse chestnut tree being removed I was pleased to tell them that these things were definitely not happening, but that the local school children were going to be learning about local history through archaeology. ..."
Park plans opposed ITV.com
Community groups fear London GlastonburyPollstar.com
Park lovers and nature groups in the London borough of Southwark are up in arms because they fear the local Burgess Park may soon be hosting festivals the size of Glastonbury. ...
Burgess Park amphitheatre slammed South London Press
Regeneration plans that could see an inner-city park hosting “Europe’s largest music festivals” have been slammed by community groups. ...
Campaigners 'angry' about Burgess Park open-air venue BBC News
Vast swathes of green spaces in one of south London's biggest parks will be "bulldozed" if an open-air music venue is created, campaigners have said. ...
Burgess Park makeover South London Press
DONNACHADH McCarthy stands at the top of a grassy mound that was once the site of a popular slide and gestures to the derelict adventure playground fringed with flowering shrubs and trees.
Once teaming with kids, this is one of many improvements fought for by the community but now being torn down and rebuilt elsewhere. “Everything is here, everything,” he said. “It’s perfect. The landscaping has really matured, it’s set back from the road. Why can’t they build on what they’ve got?” ...
First piece of Burgess Park slavery memorial to be displayed in Potters Fields Park, Wednesday 7 July 2010. london se1 community website A bronze sculpture by Southwark-based artist Sokari Douglas Camp is to be displayed in Potters Fields Park next to City Hall for a year. ... The figure is the first in a series of six works which are intended eventually to be installed in Burgess Park as a memorial to the abolition of the slave trade. ...
'Canal may re-open' in new look Burgess Southwark News
A canal is in the first phase of new plans for Burgess Park, as the council begins to release final details of how it will spend £6million on the green space. ...
A shameful waste of fundsSouthwark News
Editorial: When £6m was secured for the transformation of Burgess Park, we all celebrated.
So to hear that a quarter of this hard won funding has been spent on plans and surveys is infuriating, to say the least. Of course proper plans need to be drawn up, but this should cost in the low thousands, not £1.5m.
Right from the outset, those in charge of this project should have made it clear that as much of the funding as possible was retained for the actual works to the park, rather than seeing it wasted on bureaucracy. ...
Quarter of £6 million Burgess Park grant spent on planning surveys Southwark News
A quarter of the £6million grant awarded to Burgess Park for major redevelopments has been spent on planning and surveys.
A dispute has now broken out about how to spend the remaining £4.5million, which will be used on physical projects, as planners wish to level mounds around the lake so it can be seen from the Old Kent Road. ..
A sculpture of Keib Thomas, Southwark community activist, was unveiled by Simon Hughes, MP, at Chumleigh Gardens (March 2010).
The
statue commemorates Keib's contribution to Southwark over many years,
always working with local communities to make sure that their voices
were heard.
The
statue, funded by the local community, show that his contribution is
not forgotten and his approach to community cohesion lives on in a
number of other local events and lectures to bring people together,
convened by Community Action Southwark.
Report on the Friends of Burgess Park 6 April consultation event
Southwark News
Hitz - inner city rugby programme
Guardian local
Rugby comes together to launch inner city Hitz Programme
Everything Rugby
BBC
Budget cuts could see park and community wardens merge
Southwark News
Appeal at the House of Lords for a new sports clubhouse in Burgess Park
Southwark News
See the proposed clubhouse design.
Base for the UK 2012 boxing squad
Southwark News
LED lighting in London helps cut light pollution, Southwark Council test in Burgess Park
LEDs Magazine
Mayor plans a great outdoors for London
GLA press release