Ale Festival, Apple Day, Incredible Edible Festival, Urban Bees, AGMs - events this weekend and beyond

This is a late post, but I'm hoping some of you might catch it in time to attend some of the following events.  This weekend is a good one to stay south of the river unless you're inclined to join demonstrations because it's going to be tricky to get north of the river by road.  Trafalgar Square and surrounds will be unpassable on Saturday due to the Stop the War Assembly, and Westminster Bridge will be blocked on Sunday due to the anti-Health and Social Care Bill Block the Bridge event.

But there are plenty of autumnal ways to eat, drink and be merry in Kennington this weekend:

There's the Garden Museum's Incredible Edible Big Harvest Party.  The Garden Museum is over in SE1, in the old church next to Lambeth Palace.  They're celebrating local food growing with community stalls, seed bomb making, an Incredible Edible scrapbook(!?) and the opening of an insect hotel.  Visit (and bring your own seeds) on Saturday 8th October from 10:30am - 4pm

Then there's the annual autumn Roots and Shoots Apple Day 2011 where there will be over 100 different types of apple to sample, along with juicing and fruit preservation workshops.  That's at the top of Walnut Tree Walk, just off of Kennington Road.  There will also be activities for children; apple bobbing, corn dolly making, story telling etc. - This is one of my favorite days.  Go and visit on Sunday 9th October from 11am - 4pm.

Then the Old Red Lion pub (42 Kennington Park Road) Ale and Food Festival with stalls, music, a hog roast and a fine selection of ales.  It's held on Saturday 8th October and Sunday 9th October from 12 noon.

Also, some future dates for the diary...

Don't forget on Monday both the Kennington Association and the Vauxhall Civic Society are holding their AGMs on Monday 10th October (oops!).

The Kennington Association AGM will be held at the Durning Library, beginning at 6:30pm.  Their special guest is Val Shawcross, member of the London Assembly for Lambeth and Southwark.

The Vauxhall Society AGM will be held at St Stephen's Church, St Stephen's Terrace, SW8 1DH at 6.30pm to begin at 7pm.  The guest speaker will be Sue Foster, Lambeth's Director of Housing.  She'll be speaking on regenerating Vauxhall.

On Saturday 15th October, there's an Urban Bee open day and Foragers Walk, starting at noon from St Agnes Place Keeper's Lodge (in one corner of the park).

Then, on Sunday 16th October, Keyworth Primary School in Kennington (that's Faunce Street in SE17) is to be turned into a pop-up restaurant by food writer Philip Dundas in aid of "Magic Breakfast".  You'll need to book, but for £30, you'll receive a three course meal (with wine).  To attend, please RSVP philip@pip-dishes.co.uk or call 07764 336 220.  Magic Breakfast is a charity that provides free health breakfasts to schools in which over 50% of children receive free school meals and who might not otherwise eat a health breakfast.

Film at Roots and Shoots, pub quiz at Old Red Lion, Free Tai Chi and volunteer bus-painting in Kennington Park

There will be a screening of Forest of Crocodiles at Roots and Shoots this week on Wednesday 6th April at 7pm. Entry fee is £5 and you'll need to book (call 0207 587 1131).  It's a 52 minute documentary on the fears of white South Africans.

A once a month quiz night is now taking place at the marvellous Old Red Lion pub on Kennington Park Road.  I think it's probably my favourite pub in the area.  They have an outside yard, and a naturally-lit conservatory area for when it's colder, and little cubby holes off to the side for small groups, and food...  I believe the Campaign for Real Ale people support it as they're visiting in April.  The quiz will take place on the second Thursday of the month, at 8pm (but arrive at 7pm onwards to be guaranteed a table) and the next quiz will be held on April 14th.

Anybody interested in volunteering to repaint the children's bus in Kennington Park in the playground this Saturday should contact:  chloejocasta (then insert the at symbol) gmail (then insert a full stop) com.  The Friends of the Park are also eager to review the new children's fitness equipment in the park, and they'll be there on Saturday to collect people's views.

And finally... on a related note, Free Tai Chi (it's free, thanks to funding from the Kennington Association, but donations are welcome), will recommence in Kennington Park on Thursdays from 14:00 - 15:00 and Saturdays from 11:00 - 12 noon.

Roots and Shoots Spring Open Day - Sounds Alive for Spring

It's that time of year again...  The daffodils and crocuses are out, and Spring always seems to come slightly earlier in Kennington.  (According to members of the Kennington Gardens Society, Kennington has its own unique climate, allowing warm termperate plants that might not grow in other parts of London to flourish here).  Anyhow, the arrival of Spring heralds another open day at Roots and Shoots.

This coming Sunday, from 11am-4pm, Roots and Shoots are holding "Sounds Alive for Spring", where they'll be specially celebrating Spring noises such as croaking frogs, dawn choruses etc.  They'll have a story-teller-in-residence telling tales from Lambeth Walk and all sorts of other fun things to do for the family.  More info at the Roots and Shoots website. 

I've lost count of the number of Roots and Shoots events that I've attended, and they're always great fun and a fantastic chance to go and have a look around the Roots and Shoots Garden in Walnut Tree Walk.  (It really is possible to find a tranquil haven and escape from the traffic noise in SE11).

Photos from Roots and Shoots Apple Day 2010 - Autumn is here

The changing of the seasons is easily missed in a large metropolis such as London.  In Kennington, during autumn, the leaves take the same course from the trees as they do in the countryside.  It just seems easier to miss the seasons it if you spend three quarters of your week cooped up in an office (as I do).  But Roots and Shoots Apple day always makes me feel as though autumn has arrived properly...  Except, of course, that today was so warm, that you might have missed the autumnal cheer had it not been for the apples.  This post forms the second part of a belated series started in 2009 on "Reasons I love SE11".  Apple Day really is a great opportunity to meet local people, and do something a little bit different.

Whilst we're on the topic of apples (and cider), you should all go and take a look at Sid Boggle's post on beer in Kennington.  That, of course, was a failed attempt at word association, just to promote his blog post about Kennington beers, but do take a look any way as I think he'd appreciate comments from local piss-heads (erm, beer appreciators etc).

In the meantime, I want to share with you the miles of wonderful apples I saw today.  I bought one of the "Pitmaston Pineapple" variety, but I'm afraid I lack the developed sense of taste possessed by wine appreciators (and apple describers too).  It was delicious, but just tasted  like apple :

A bathing falcon and a cat.  No, it's an owl.  Or maybe it's a cat.  Today I learned that any owl with yellow eyes is diurnal (awake during the day), although the eyes on this one are hard to see on account of the fluff:

The falcon mid-launch.  We were treated to a fantastic display of falcon flight and owl handling.  The falcon was considerably better behaved:

The apple trees pictured (top) are dwarf trees that only grow to 6 feet, and are thus possibly suitable for a balcony (my main growing arena).   The dwarf variety labelled "Cellini" is apparently local to Vauxhall:

Naturally, I could neither resist the lure of the barbecue nor the apple juice.  The fuzziness of the barbecue is due to the smoke from the sausages.  The leaves on the wall were as lovely as they appear:

The woman in charge of the corn dolly instruction was great, and the children looked to be having fun.  Example corn dollies can be seen in the photo just below.  The chap at the bottom was at Roots and Shoots representing Solar Aid, a charity that is working to enable local entrepreneurs in the developing world to build and sell solar powered products under a franchise named SunnyMoney.  Their solar products eg. lights and phone chargers should reduce CO2 emissions and benefit the people who buy and sell them (they're much safer than kerosene lamps).  

I'm guessing that the solar people were present on account of the fact that the electricity in Roots and Shoots is generated, in part, from solar panels.  I also had a chat with a guy representing SolarCentury, a company that install solar panels and photovoltaic cells on private houses and on behalf of Housing Association.  If you install photovoltaic cells on your roof, they'll take between 7 and 12 years to pay for themselves.  They will last at 100% capacity for about 25 years, but will continue on at 80% until they eventually decay and need to be replaced.

You can't beat locally sourced food.  As you'll likely be aware, I can never resist photographing cupcakes.  The food from Arfa's kitchen was absolutely delicious.  If you see Arfa around, I recommend sampling her chicken curry:

Apple day always offers an opportunity to purchase bulbs and seeds.  I didn't buy any tulips, but I'm hoping for a crop of Lambeth-produced daffodils and crocuses in spring, and the Lambeth Horticultural Society (with whom the Kennington Gardens Society is affiliated) were very helpful in giving instructions about how to plant and look after the bulbs:

That's all folks, until next year...

Roots and Shoots Apple Day on Sunday October 10th (this week)

Roots and Shoots (Walnut Tree Walk, SE11 6DN) are holding an Apple Day this Sunday, from 11am - 4pm.  I've been to a couple of these over the last couple of years, and they're always offer a great way to experience a taste of the countryside in central London. 

It's a fun day for all of the family, and there's plenty of activities for both adults and children.  There's usually a chance to watch fresh apple juice being pressed, make a corn doll, sample a variety of different types of apple and meet some wildlife (be it bees or owls).  More info at Roots and Shoots website.

Kennington Gardens Society - 12th August - Guerrilla Gardening Talk

Just a quick post to note that on Thursday 12th August (this week) at 7:30pm, Kennington Gardens Society are hosting a talk from Richard Reynolds, who is a local founder of the Guerrilla Gardening movement.  There's a £2 fee on the door and the venue is Roots and Shoots on Walnut Tree Walk (see poster below)

I've been to KGS talks in the past, and they usually prove fascinating, even if your garden is only as extensive as a patio.  I'm definitely attending this one, since I'd be interested in hearing whether there might be local sites that could benefit from beautification.

Diary dates: Kennington and Vauxhall summer fetes, fairs, garden shows and auctions

The summer season is about to begin here in South London (or Old North Surrey, if you prefer).  That means Pimms, scones and more tea vicar, in some rather attractive squares and gardens. 

I particularly recommend the North Lambeth Parish fete because the parish has been given permission by the Arcbishop of Canterbury to hold it in the Palace grounds, which are beautiful and not usually open to the public.

Kennington Gardens Society Summer Show - Saturday June 12th - 09:30 - 15:30
Roots & Shoots, Walnut Tree Walk, SE11 (Plant/flower entry fee at £0.50 per entry with cap of £3)

Albert Square and St Stephen's Association Summer Fete - Saturday June 12th
Albert Square (A bit out of SE11, but is always well attended).

Cleaver Square Fete - Sunday June 13th - 12:30 - 16:00
Cleaver Square

Open Garden Squares at Roots and Shoots - Sunday June 13th
Roots and Shoots, Walnut Tree Walk, SE11
(Entry £7.50 in advance and £9 on the weekend to see all of the open garden venues)

Portugal Day - Sunday June 13th - 11:00 - 17:00
Kennington Park

Friends of Vauxhall Park Summer Fair - Sunday June 20th - 14:00 - 17:00
Vauxhall Park

North Lambeth Parish Fete - Saturday June 26th - 14:00 - 17:00
Lambeth Palace Garden (Entry £3.00, concessions £2, families £5)

Kennington Association Bazaar - Saturday 17th July - 11:00 - 13:00
St Anselm's Church Hall

Lambeth Country Show - Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th July - 11:00 - 19:00
Brockwell Park

Kennington Association Charity Art Auction - Thursday 16th Sept (early viewing on Wednesday 15th Sept)
City & Guilds of London Art School

SE11 goes green for the summer

Vauxhall City Farm

I'd just like to draw people's attention to the fact that Vauxhall City Farm now have a new website. Also, somebody from the farm emailed me to say:

We do a few new things - we have a new baby anglo-Nubian goat who lives with Lulu the lamb and a gosling, called Norman all very cute and occasionally bottle fed...

We also have a sheep and wool day on the 27th of June which is part of the Love London festival and there should be some shearing among other activities!

Roots and Shoots

Stockwell News have posted information about the Roots and Shoots Open Days which will take place this weekend (6th and 7th June). Saturday is the garden open day and Sunday is the childrens' day (with bee keeping demos).

I've been before and will try to go again because there is usually a plant sale. Last year we bought an oxalis triangularis which I thought we'd killed over winter but surprised us by re-emerging a few weeks ago. It looks like this, but without the flowers yet:



It's summer now, so SE11 is a hive of activity and Roots and Shoots have finally posted to their blog... It's good news and the bee population at Roots and Shoots is stronger than in previous years.

I've also spotted a number of bees (sometimes three at a time) taking the pollen from some of the flowers I've gown, which I'm very pleased about. I know the bee population is under threat in the UK so bee keepers are doing a fabulous environmental duty. I need to try to get around to getting a bee box (a sort of place for bees to rest) and would be interested to hear whether these are advisable for people who live in a flat or whether they're more appropriate for gardens.

Kennington Garden Society

On 11th June at 7.30, Kennington Garden Society have the television gardener, Gay Search, coming to do a demonstration on planting window boxes and containers. Kennington News blog has more information for anybody interested in attending. It promises to be quite an exciting night!

Friends of Groups in Kennington, Oval and Vauxhall (includes SE1, SE11 and SW8)

If you ever visit one of the SE11 fetes, fairs, festivals, events in the park etc. there are always numerous tables, staffed by a number of determined looking people, who run "friends of..." groups in the area... If you've only just arrived, you could do worse than joining one of the groups. However, you should be cautious in your choice as if you're persuaded to join all of them, you could find yourself without any time whatsoever!

I've made a list of the current "Friends of" groups in SE11 (and a few on the borders in SE1 and SW8) that I currently know to exist, and a little about what they're currently doing. I don't quite know who is still operating and whether the "friends" are historical remnants or currently active. Please do leave a comment if I missed your group and want it added or have furthur current information:

Friends of Kennington Cross - (Website is a shell at prseent (Sept 2010). They're currently working on the ArtsLav project - reviving the disused lavatory on Kennington Cross).

Friends of Spring Gardens -   An old site from 2004 which was replaced in 2010 by the Friends of Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens (the original name for Spring Gardens)

Friends of Lambeth Open Space (SE11) - The website/blog has not been updated since 2005. I don't know whether they are still active.

Friends of Durning Library (SE11) - The link is generic and takes you to a library website with contact details for all of the "friends of" library groups in Lambeth. I know that there are regular talks which are put on by the Friends of Durning Library, but there are currently no details online. If you're local, the best thing to do is check the library notice board.

Friends of Roots and Shoots (SE11) - A direct link to their website. Joining provides a newsletter, pre-arranged access to the garden etc. The website provides a calendar for up and coming events.

Friends of Kennington Park (SE11) - A very active group who support and look to improve Kennington Park.

Friends of Imperial War Museum (SE1) Lots of information on their website.

Friends of Archbishop's Park (SE1) - New(ish) website.  I updated this post in September 2010.

Friends of Vauxhall Park (SW8) - Website is back up again.

Friends of Lollard Street Adventure Playground (SE11) - (No web site as yet, but much of their activity is co-ordinated in conjunction with the Kennington Association

Friends of Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground (SE11) - Formed approx. March 2010,

United Friends of Oval (SW8) - This group appears no longer to be active (September 2010).  Website (July 2008) reports that they're actively attempting to resist the development of badly thought out plans for a hotel at The Oval, but would welcome better a thought-out hotel

Friends of Kennington Green - (Doesn't currently exist, but has been mooted according to Google, July 2008)

Roots and Shoots

I visited Kennington yesterday for a presentation (with lots of good slides) on small gardens, organised by the Kennington Garden Society, and given by Virginia Kennedy. The event was held at Roots and Shoots, the wildlife garden / training centre in Walnut Tree Walk. The organisation have a fabulous building, but due to the talk, I didn't get to go and have a proper look around the garden. That is definitely a trip for another day. In the meantime, I've added the Roots and Shoots blog to the Blog-roll at the side.

On the way over, I walked from Vauxhall station, where I noticed Kennington Lane Cafe, which I'd never spotted before. I didn't have time to peer in, or look at menus, so that will need to be reviewed at a later stage. It is on the map now.

Also, I finally finished adding all of the estate agents! Yay.