Water buts and self-watering demo at Streatham Community Garden

Streatham Community Garden (located next to the Rookery at the top of Streatham Common) is holding a demo of self watering containers and water buts this Sunday, 29th July.

The demonstration starts at 1pm - a useful guide for hot and dry periods, and if you're going on holiday. Plus they'll be setting up our water butts (and showing you how) with help from Iain Boulton from Lambeth Council. You can also get tips on what you can plant now. If you can, those coming are also asked to bring: plastic bottles; a shallow, watertight tray; an old towel/tea-towel; small bag of sand.

Streatham Community Garden is open for community gardening every Sunday 12-4pm until the end of August.

With the new hot weather, they are also in real need of more helpers to assist with weeding, watering, planting out, and harvesting so do go along. You can turn up anytime between 12-4pm, and do as much or as little as you fancy.

You'll find them through the door in the wall at the bottom of the Rookery. You can drop by any time 12-4pm any Sunday. They have tools and gardening gloves, but if you can bring your own (especially gloves), please do in case they run short. Wear sturdy footwear and clothes that are suitable for gardening and weather-appropriate. Kids are welcome.

Save the Thameslink Service from Streatham Station

You may have have received one of several thousand personal letters that we have sent to Streatham Residents, about the new proposals for Streatham Station's Thameslink service.

We are urging people to act now to Save Streatham Station’s Thameslink Service.

If you want to see Thameslink services from Streatham Station continue to run beyond Blackfriars to the City, St Pancras and Luton Airport then please take action.

Network Rail is proposing that the service is cut, so that all trains from Streatham will terminate at Blackfriars. As well as causing longer journey times and inconvenience, it will also make travelling much harder for many including older people, and those with buggies and prams who may have to change and negotiate additional stairways between platforms.

The Government has launched a consultation. The deadline for responses is Thursday 23rd August 2012.

Whilst transport is usually considered a Green issue, we feel that this should be above party politics and a cross-party campaign.

You can email your views to: thameslink@dft.gsi.gov.uk or you can write to:
Combined Franchise Replacement, Department for Transport, Zone 3/15, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 4DR

You can find out more information at: www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-23

The local service is called the ‘Wimbledon Loop’. All you need to say is that you want Thameslink services to be retained between Streatham and the City of London, King’s Cross and Luton Airport.

How long are you likely to live in Streatham?

The Guardian website today has an interesting tube map showing life expectancy across the capital, illustrating well the link between areas of deprivation and life expectancy.

As Streatham isn't on the tube (which in itself speaks volumes) I thought it would be fun to dig up the stats on life expectancy in each of Streatham's four wards.

This is what I found courtesy of the latest data here.

Life expectancy by ward:

Streatham Hill

Male: 76.5
Female: 80.3
Average: 78.4


St Leonards

Male: 75.6
Female: 81.4
Average: 78.5


Streatham Wells

Male 75.2
Female 77.8
Average: 76.5


Streatham South

Male: 80.1
Female: 83.3
Average: 81.7

This gives an overall average for Streatham of 78.8

According to the Guardian life expectancy tube map the average life expectancy around the nearest stations are Brixton at 78, Tooting Bec at 79 and Balham at 80.

Progress on accessibility of Streatham High Road

The Streatham Guardian have today covered our report on accessibility on Streatham High Road. We found that around two thirds of shops on the High Road are inaccessible. But we are urging the council that the new money from the mayor's Outer London Fund which has been earmarked for improving Streatham's shop-fronts be used to address this issue.

The response from councillor Lib Peck, the Council's Cabinet member for regeneration was disappointing at one level but also encouraging at another:

“Unfortunately we can’t make businesses comply with disability access laws, but we do have some power around the Outer London Fund we will use it to make sure that those properties given money are already compliant.”

It is true that the council can't force local businesses to be accessible. But there is a lot councils can do. Indeed, it has a duty to do them under the Equality Act 2010 which places a responsibility on councils to eliminate discrimination and advance equality of opportunity for disabled people.

The council can, for example, take into consideration access issues when planning applications are submitted. It could run a campaign to raise awareness among local businesses. It could have included these issues in the Streatham Masterplan, but it did not. The fact is that the council has sadly not been proactive in addressing these issues.

One small element of progress however which is encouraging is that we are now getting these issues on the agenda. We now have the promise that money will only go to DDA compliant (accessible) premises, which means if businesses want the money they will need to shape up.

But this is of course different from giving money to shops so that they can become accessible, as part of the programmes of shop-front improvements.

Safer Neighbourhoods Street briefing tonight - Mount Ephraim Lane/ Woodfield Grove

There will be an outdoor street briefing tonight (Wednesday) for Streatham residents, by St Leonard's safer neighbourhoods team at the junction of Mount Ephraim Lane and Woodfield Grove.

This is a meeting that any member of the public can attend. It begins at 7.00pm and will last around half an hour.

Streatham Vale Farmer's Market continues

Streatham Vale's farmer's market continues to be open for the next two Saturdays, 10am-2pm, at Granton Primary School, SW16 5AN.

This Saturday looks as if it will be a treat, and will include a star turn from the White Lion's Oz Bayldon.

The market expects to have: Brambletye Fruit Farm, Crumbs Bakery, The Giggly Pig, Fish Tale fresh fish, Natural Origin natural fruit juices, Backyard Bakery, The Mersham Shoot, Alex Dos Santos, Wild Country Organics, HotShot hot and cold drinks and St Mungo's Veg.

Gary Mercer runs a home bakery in Addiscombe, Surrey, where he bakes Real Bread - no commercial yeast, no additives, nothing artificial. His loaves are all naturally fermented with wild yeast, they take time to make, which gives them more flavour and makes them better for you.

Fish Tale stock a wide variety of fresh fish, as well as freshly prepared vegetable dishes.

Brambletye Fruit Farm have their usual biodynamic apples & juices and also now their first summer lettuces & salads.

Dos Santos Foods are producers of a wide range of high quality authentic Goan soul food & specialist caterers. Besides shipping of their renowned sausages across the UK & Europe, their Goan Chorizo was recently featured on the BBC "Indian food made easy and Market Kitchen"

Wild Country Organics is run by Dr Adrian Izzard, who has pioneered growing organic vegetables and oriental leaves from Green in snow to Komastsuna, in glasshouses without using artificial heating.

The Giggly pig co was formed in 2007 by Tracy Mackness from Romford. Made from their hand reared, outdoor rare breed British saddleback pigs, their sausages are available in 75 different varieties.

The free Dr Bike maintenance engineer will also be there to look over your bike as well as the Metropolitan Police Lambeth Safer Transport team to security register bikes and give out safety advice.

Also this week the market will have a special visit from Pandemic Steel band orchestra and Oz Bayldon of the White Lion, Streatham High Road, who will be performing on behalf of the music4Children charity.

Meeting on future of Streatham Library

The Streatham Society are holding a meeting tonight on the future of Streatham library service.

It comes as fears grow among many Streatham Residents that Streatham Library will be moved from the historic building given to the community in 1890 by Henry Tate.

The meeting will be held tonight (Monday 16th July) at "Woodlawns", 16 Leigham Court Road, Streatham, London, SW16, beginning at 8.00pm. All are welcome.

You can join a new Friends of Streatham Library Group on Facebook here.