Lenny Henry talks about Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

In a recent article in The Guardian Music Section, Lenny Henry talks about the composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, “Classical music belongs to us all. Just look at Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.”

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor lived in SE25 and is commemorated with a blue plaque in Dagnall Park. We have included his plaque as part of our South Norwood Heritage Trail.

Samuel Coleridge Taylor

Read more about Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and other local people commemorated by a plaque here

Read The Guardian article here

Reporting our AGM

We had a great turnout on a Saturday morning last month and a detailed report on our activities was presented by Paul (Chair) and Chris (Treasurer).

Our report enthused several new residents and we are looking forward to more volunteers joining us in making our neighbourhood a green, clean and happy place to live.

If you were unable to attend click on this link to view our slides.

AGM slides 2018

Poppies On Lampposts

PPR is joining The Royal British Legion in saying “Thank You” to the First World War generation who served, sacrificed and changed our world. 100 years ago, the guns fell silent and the First World War ended. The example and experience of those who lived through it shaped the world we live in today. In 2018 The Royal British Legion is leading the nation in saying “Thank You” to all who served, sacrificed and changed our world.

                           

During the weekend of 11-12 August volunteers from PPR installed poppies on lampposts in and around Portland Road, Station Road and South Norwood High Street. These will remain until Armistice day on 11 November.

You can find out more here

A big day on Saturday 17 March

To begin with, weather permitting, there’s a morning session at the Portland Road Community Garden, from 10am.

Then at 2.30pm there’s the launch of the latest addition to the PPR Heritage Trail.
The Dean of Winchester, Catherine Ogle, is coming all the way up to South Norwood to unveil a special plaque, designed by Ken Baker, on the exterior of 118 Portland Road, once the home of William Walker (1869–1918).

So who was this William Walker? Only the local man who saved Winchester Cathedral from collapse!

A professional deep-water diver, he spent more than five years propping up the cathedral’s water-logged foundations with concrete, working in total darkness in trenches as much as 6 metres deep, shifting thousands of bags of cement and concrete blocks. Heavy work, especially  wearing lead boots, a bulky diving suit and a huge round copper helmet. But he’d still find the energy to cycle the 70 miles home to his family in South Norwood at the weekend.

Walker has long been celebrated in Winchester, where they’ve even named a pub after him. Now, thanks to the sterling work of local historian John Hickman and designer Ken Baker, PPR is about to put Diver Bill on the South Norwood map.

We Love SE25

A Community Economic Development Plan for South Norwood

In June 2016, PPR applied for and won a modest grant that enabled us to develop what is known as a Community Economic Development Plan for South Norwood. Thousands of local groups bid for this. We were one of only 20 successful applicants!

The idea behind this is that local people work together with businesses and other ‘stakeholders’ like the council, to find ways of improving and regenerating the local area for local community. So often, when an area changes for the better this results in ‘gentrification’: many local people are then priced out and the area is totally changed. We want to improve South Norwood while protecting all the many good things about it.

One key way of doing this is encouraging more wealth generation that stays in the local area. This can be done through encouraging and supporting local entrepreneurs to set up new businesses and create new jobs. They could then occupy the empty shops that blight our local high streets. New and improved businesses will then encourage more local residents to shop, play and socialise locally, generating income for local businesses.

A working group was formed including local residents, councillors, businesses and representatives from Croydon Council. Under the banner ‘We Love SE25’ meetings were held at the Stanley Halls where a succession of conversations was held with residents and businesses, rather than any formal presentation. We also floated the idea of a community hub and asked for people’s ideas about what they’d like to see take place there. Surveys were completed both for residents and businesses to understand what was loved and what was wanted in South Norwood.

As of summer 2017, we are collating the information and putting together a ‘Plan for South Norwood’ and intend to carry on using our branding ‘We Love SE25’ as the recognisable logo of this activity.

You can read the final version of the plan here

Consultation meeting in Stanley Halls

Consultation meeting in Stanley Halls

We Love SE25 banner on display

We Love SE25 banner on display

Economic development plan title page

Economic development plan title page

South Norwood Country Park

South Norwood Country Park is an amazing and unique nature reserve with 125 acres of wetland, lakes and meadows, it is home to a huge array of plants and animals. We have the countryside on our doorstep in SE25!

Friends of South Norwood Country Park was formed in November 2014 to help maintain the park for the benefit of the plants and animals and to ensure the park is a place where all the community can enjoy nature.

They work closely with the park wardens and have monthly workdays on the second Saturday of each month, meeting at 10am at the Visitor Centre. They also hold regular wildlife walks throughout the year, looking at birds, bats or butterflies.

If you love this park, why not join the Friends of South Norwood Country Park? You can do this by going to their website