DID YOU SNOG YOUR INTENDED IN THE BACK SEATS OF THE RIALTO?….
Or did you attend the kids club at the cinema at 25 Church Road, Upper Norwood when it became the Granada?
If so, the Picture Palace Campaign – which wants to bring a cinema back to 25 Church Road – would like to hear from you.
The Campaign, now in its fifth year, is seeking peoples memories of the cinema for a feature on its newly-revamped website.
“Cinema can evoke powerful memories, freeze framing moments in our lives and dropping us back into a time, a place or social situation”
say the Campaign. “These memories can provide a rich source of historical and cultural information – and they are fun to read too!
“If you’d like to leave your memories – even if it’s walking out of the cinema because the movie was so bad – please go to our website
cinema4crystalpalace.org.uk and leave a reply on ‘Latest news’ under ‘Your cinema memories.’
“We’ve started to go through our old website and are already featuring some of the memories of the cinemas on Church Road ( in their various incarnations) which we have collated so far – with more to come.
“And if you would like to know a little about the cinemas in the area back in the day, check out the article ‘The Silver Screens of Crystal
Palace’ in our community blog.”
…OR IN THE SUBWAY UNDERNEATH CRYSTAL PALACE PARADE?
An Open House weekend – including a tickets-only to chance to see the historic subway which runs underneath Crystal Palace Parade – being staged by the Friends of Crystal Palace Subway on September 20th and 21st will also mark the culmination of “a year of hard work” to capture the stories of the subway.
‘Inspired by the Subway’ – the group’s research and oral history project aimed at recording how the subway has changed over the years and what it means to local people – has attracted considerable interest, say the Friends.
“A broad range of subway users have been interviewed by our trained volunteers, and their stories preserved in audio or video recordings. “Materials have been donated to the project ranging from personal photographs, home video, flyers and music.”
( See separate story – Crystal Palace Subway opens to the public)
BROWN AND GREEN CAFE’S NEW VENTURE – WITH MAYOW-NNAISE!
THE BROWN AND GREEN CAFE chain’s latest venture officially opens in Mayow Park, Sydenham on Sunday 31st August.
The chain, run by sisters Laura and Jess Tilli, opened with a cafe at Gipsy Hill station. The Mayow Park cafe will be their fourth venture –
they have another cafe in the ticket hall at Crystal Palace station while a third has recently arrived on platform one of the same
station.
Mayow Park sits between Mayow Road and Silverdale. Originally named Sydenham recreation ground, it is the borough’s oldest municipal park.
A Lewisham council press release states: “It has been the aspiration of all involved with Mayow Park in recent years to transform the
former Pavilion into a vibrant café with changing room facilities on the upper floor.
“The reintroduction of cricket at the park enabled officers to secure external funding from Sport England ‘Inspired Facility’ Olympic Legacy fund together with section 106 planning contributions and make the dream a reality.
“Cricket is now a major pastime in the park with the banking round the side especially designed to accommodate spectators” the release adds.
On Thursday (27th August) at 1pm, the Jimmy Mizen Foundation will officially open their new venture in Ladywell Fields – the third café
to be run by young people from the Foundation.
The café, Ten Thousand Hands, has been project managed by young people who have gained skills in recruitment, finance, refurbishment and marketing.
Both Mayow Park and Ladywell Fields were recently awarded Green Flag status by Keep Britain Tidy, bringing the total number of flags
awarded in Lewisham to 14.
CAT PICTURES AT THE BOOKSELLER CROW
IN 1871 the first cat show competition ever was held in the Crystal Palace – so the Bookseller Crow on Westow Street have decided to have a cat show of their own!
Draw a cat on an A4 size piece of paper and they will show them off in their window until the end of August.
CALLING ALL SHOWER WARBLERS, CAR CROONERS AND HAIRBRUSH DIVAS – Crystal Palace Community Choir wants you!
Crystal Palace Community Choir (CPCC) starts its autumn term on Tuesday 9th September. So if you’ve ever thought of joining a choir, now’s a great time – giving you the maximum run-up to Christmas performances.
The choir meets every Tuesday, from 8-9.30pm. The first session will be held at Christ Church Gipsy Hill, while the choir’s usual home at the Goodliffe Hall next door is being renovated.
Crystal Palace has had a thriving choir since early 2010, when local actor and musician Zubin Varla advertised his new venture on Bookseller Crow’s noticeboard. The response was beyond all expectations, with the first meeting filling Antenna Studios to bursting.
Zubin had to leave the choir when he landed a major role in Warhorse, but a hard core of members remained to continue what he’d started.
Today, CPCC has a name, committee and constitution, and many public performances under its belt. As well as appearing at the Overground Festival for the last two years, the choir has sung at St Christopher’s Hospice, Nightingale House, West Norwood Feast, Sing for Water, Living Water Satisfies, The Alma, The Secret Garden, The Grape and Grain, All Saints Church, and the choir’s hosts, Christ Church Gipsy Hill… in fact it’s probably easier to say where they haven’t performed!
A genuine community organisation, self-funded and run by volunteers, CPCC welcomes people of all ages, backgrounds and musical ability. No singing experience or audition is required.
While the vibe is friendly and informal, the choir nevertheless gets to sing some pretty advanced stuff, and that’s largely down to Musical Director Peter Warren. A professional choir member himself, Peter has a knack for enabling complete beginners to tackle multi-part music of all genres – pop, classical, international, folk and more.
And true to its community ethos, CPCC is cheaper than most choirs; just £3 a session on a pay-as-you-go basis.
You can just turn up on any Tuesday, but if you’d like to find out more, contact [email protected]; see/join the facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/CrystalPalaceCommunityChoir/; or visit the website www.crystalpalacechoir.org.uk. (Source: Crystal Palace Community Choir)
NEW ARRIVAL AT THE HORNIMAN’S ANIMAL WALK
Visitors to the Horniman museum and gardens can meet a new addition to its Animal Walk following the birth of an alpaca.
On Sunday 3 August, Peep, the Horniman’s black Huacaya alpaca, gave birth to a fawn girl weighing 6.7kg.
The baby, or cria as they are called, is yet to be named and is under the watchful eye of staff at the Horniman’s animal walk as she settles into her new surroundings.
Catherine Basford, the Horniman’s animal keeper says: ‘We are delighted with the birth of our beautiful cria. “Peep is proving to be an attentive mother and both mum and baby are doing well. We hope our visitors enjoy this new addition to the Horniman’s animal collection.’
The Horniman’s Animal Walk is also home to goats, sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, a golden pheasant and a rooster.
Redeveloped and opened in August 2013, visitors can walk through the centre of the enclosure for a close up view of the animals. There are also information and interpretation boards which look at the connection between domesticated animals and their wild relations.
The Horniman animal walk is open seven days a week between 12.30 and 4pm. Entry to the animal walk is free.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens opened in 1901 as a gift to the people in perpetuity from tea trader and philanthropist Frederick John Horniman, to ‘bring the world to Forest Hill’
The Horniman first developed an animal enclosure 40 years ago. “It has remained a popular attraction for young visitors to the Gardens, providing a connection to the natural world in an urban setting and further brings to life founder Frederick Horniman’s vision of an outside space reflecting the Museum’s collections” said a Horniman spokesperson.
“Today the Horniman has a collection of 350,000 objects, specimens and artefacts from around the world. Its galleries include natural history, anthropology, music and an acclaimed aquarium. Indoor exhibits link to the award-winning display gardens – from food and dye gardens to an interactive sound garden – set among 16 acres of beautiful, green space offering spectacular views across London.
“Our visitors come time and again to participate in our exciting range of events and activities, sample the tasty delights from our popular cafe, and shop for interesting gifts in our gift shop.
“We also make our spaces available for hire including our stunning Grade II listed Victorian Conservatory built in 1894 and newly built Gardens Pavilion.” (Source: Horniman museum press release)
