INSIDE THE LATEST CAMBERWELL QUARTERLY

Chairman Nick Mair's report

Enjoy the spring in Camberwell

It was wonderful to meet face to face at the Society Christmas party. Our thanks to the Camberwell businesses who kindly donated prizes and to the lottery ticket buyers. Their contributions raised £810.The money will go towards the restoration of the St Giles’ Church clock.

How good too to be able to celebrate the 90th birthday of our illustrious president Nicholas Roskill and to recognise the contribution that he and Julia have made to Camberwell.

I hope you are enjoying Tony’s funicular railway at Denmark Hill Station and that the Christmas tree, built by design technology A-level pupils at Dulwich College, brought you some festive cheer. The station was recently awarded third place in the Network Rail Community Rail Awards.

I hope that by the time you read this that covid will have passed (which is pretty much what I wrote a year ago). If it has not, why not take your exercise at the corner of the station next to the Run sculpture / Blue Shop Cottage Gallery and walk the Solar Walk? The sun and planets are represented on the railings in their correct relative size and astronomical distance.

On a similar note, I hope you will be inspired by the Burgess Park public art walk supplement in this issue. The Trees and Green Spaces Group is planning an active year ahead, including a new series of volunteering activities in the spring. One such activity will focus on planting in tree pits. Is there a tree pit outside where you live?

These are some of the good things in Camberwell. Less good are the large, illuminated banners – thankfully no longer with advertising - even if we manage to avoid collisions with the scaffolding poles peppering the pavements.

Remember that you can still comment on changes on the Valmar Estate which now intends to provide facilities for King’s outpatients in place of a hotel. You will also want to consider commenting on Seavington House (an article on which is in is issue, as is one on the new KCH building in the old car park).

The Quarterly Team have listened and responded to your wide range of comments about design and layout. See the inside back cover for interesting things to do in Camberwell over the next few months.