The end of the world comes to Telegraph Hill

There was a strange light at Telegraph Hill upper park (Kitto Road SE14)  earlier this week, with the night artificially brightened with floodlights to create a hyperreal landscape. The reason was that filming was taking place of a new BBC drama, Hard Sun, set in a pre-apocalypse world with only five years left. The series stars Agyness Deyn and Jim Sturgess - did anybody spot them?

Telegraph Hill Festival

I understand that the production company made a donation to the Telegraph Hill Festival, which opened yesterday and runs until April 9th. As always there lots of music, comedy, arts and other events taking place, check out the programme.

Andrew Clarke's sculpture in the grounds of St Catherine's Church, Kitto Road, SE14 as part of the 2017 Telegraph Hill Festival. Thanks to Andrew too for the photos of the floodlit Telegraph Hill Park.

Opposition grows to London Schools Funding Cuts

Government proposals to introduce a new natonal funding formula for schools from next year are expected to lead to big reductions in funding for local schools. Essentially the formula would result in funding being redistributed from schools in urban areas to other parts of the country, with schools in inner London particularly badly hit. 

Teaching unions estimate that funding for Lewisham schools could be reduced by more than £27m over the next two years, equivalent to the salary of 582 teachers.

Source: School Cuts.

Opposition to these plans is growing. Last night there was a packed meeting for Lambeth parents at Sunnyhill Primary School SW16, called by the National Campaign for Fair Funding for All Schools.

Last night's meeting @FairFundLambeth

Tonight (Thursday 16th March 2017), there's a similar event for Lewisham parents taking place at Edmund Waller Primary School, Waller Road, SE14. They say:

'The National Fair Funding for All Schools Campaign is holding a public forum for parents, teachers, head teachers, governors and councillors in Lewisham to raise awareness about the proposed cuts to schools’ budgets. The event will be attended by Vicky Foxcroft MP, Cllr Luke Sorba, Nicky Dixon (CASE Lewisham), Matt Dykes ( National Fair Funding For All Schools Co- Founder), Philipa Harvey (NUT). Other speakers to be confirmed.

Our aim is to build a local coalition of parents, teachers and leaders in support of the National Fair Funding Campaign to stop these proposed devastating cuts. Lewisham parents, teachers, and heads we'd love to hear from you, please join us. This is not yet a done deal as the consultation closes on 22nd March 2017; the government must hear our voices' (event details here)

London schools have generally got better over the last 20 years, and funding has played a significant part in that. More money means more teachers, more support staff and better resources. No doubt schools in other parts of the country could benefit from a rise in funding, but the pot of education funding needs to be increased to enable this rather than taking the money away from London schools.

School funding cuts protest by Queens Road Peckham station, 25 February 2017

Enter Selecta - 45 RPM night at Telegraph pub SE14

Tonight - and every second Wednesday - it's 45 RPM night at the Telegraph at the Earl of Derby, the pub at 87 Dennets Road SE14. The format is simple enough, bring along a few 7 inch singles - actual vinyl only - and take a turn. Decks will be set up in the back of the pub from around 8 pm. I even had a go myself last time.

my selection at 45 RPM night last time

The pub is under new local management, with a plentiful supply of food and beers (other drinks of course available!).

Stan Firm inna Inglan at Tate Britain

 Tate Britain gallery is currently displaying 'Stan Firm inna Inglan: Black Diaspora in London, 1960s-1970s', featuring images by 'eight photographers who documented Black communities in London: Raphael Albert, Bandele 'Tex' Ajetunmobi, James Barnor, Colin Jones, Neil Kenlock, Dennis Morris, Syd Shelton and Al Vanedenberg'.

There are a number of outstanding South London images to be seen, including Syd Shelton's photographs from the New Cross/Lewisham anti-National Front protests of 1977...

A smoke bomb in New Cross Road, August 1977 © Syd Shelton

..and Neil Kenlock's early 1970s photographs of the British Black Panther movement, particularly in the Brixton area, including this one of girls with Black Panther bags.

© Neil Kenlock

Recent street art: Captain America, Sweets and Ganesha

New piece by Artful Dodger on Peckham Road by Southamton Way junction, a Trump era lamentation featuring Captain America and referencing Simon and Garfunkel's Mrs Robinson too 'Where have you gone, Captain America? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you'. The same artist painted the nearby Carrie Fisher mural

'Money can't buy love, but it can buy sweets, I like sweets' by Dope, on Penge High Street.

Not sure if a statue of Hindu deity Ganesha counts as a street art, but its on Tooley Street SE1 outside the new Lalit Hotel.

Lucifer Over Lancashire - the Pendle Witch Trials

This Thursday night (March 9th 2017), South East London Folklore Society will be examining The Pendle Witch Trials of 1612 - some of the best recorded and famous witch trials of the 17th century.

SELFS host Nigel Hoyle has a rather fine folk music project, The Cunning Folk, and they have written a song about the Pendle trials entitled Lancashire, God's Country.  So I wouldn't be surprized to hear a tune or two on Thursday.

SELFS meets in the upstairs room of The Old King's Head off Borough High Street SE1, from 8 pm. £3/1.50 concs -walk-ups are very welcome however you may wish to email cunningfolkmusic@gmail.com to book a place.

All of which reminds me that the very first post on Transpontine, back in October 2004, was for a SELFS talk (then at the Spanish Galleon in Greenwich), with Kathleen Blackmore talking about one of the last witch trials in England. In 1701 Sarah Morduck was accused of causing a neighbour's illness at Bankside (near the site of the Tate Modern). Even though she was found not guilty, she was beaten up and left for dead.



Oh and happy 60th birthday to Mr Lucifer Over Lancashire himself