Parents protest Lambeth Council decision to sell off of Wincott Street school site for housing

Two days ago I received a press-release stating that local parents would protest on the 5th April at the Shelley School Site on Wincott Street about Lambeth Council's decision to sell the site.  The schools issue is quite complex in Lambeth.  Essentially, Lambeth maintain that in the north of the borough (which includes Kennington, Oval and Vauxhall), there is no shortage of school places.  Whilst I imagine that's technically correct, the problem for local parents is that they perceive that the quality of schooling on offer in the north of the Borough is not up to scratch.  Whilst Archbishop Sumner School and Walnut Tree Walk have Ofsted ratings of Excellent and Good, some of the other local primary schools in the area have only just emerged from special measures.  (I've updated my post on the most recent Ofsted reports for SE11 schools).  To be fair, it must now be maintained that all local schools are rated "Good" or above except for Charlotte Sharman and Henry Fawcett, which are both judged Satisfactory.  But "Excellent" is excellent, and Kennington parents are presumably incredibly aspiring.

Archbishop Sumner and Walnut Tree Walk are both "one form entry" schools, and have a total of 60 places each year between them.  Govenors at Archbishop Sumner are hence carrying out a feasibility study on extending their premises and making Archbishop Sumner a two form entry school in order to meet "demand" for places.  Lambeth Council of course maintain that there is no pressure on places because there is plenty of room at other schools.  Unfortunately, (according to the press release I received, and whose roots I've failed to trace), that means Lambeth are apparently unwilling to wait for the outcome of the fesaibility study and have put the Shelley Site up for sale.  Parents received notification about whether their children received school places on April 5th and protested at the Wincott Street site on the same day.  Many parents think that there is both demand for an expanded Archbishop Sumner School and the building in which to expand into.  It should be noted though that a 2006 Lambeth site review concluded, "The main block is brick built and of single storey construction, dating back to 1972. There are significant condition issues with the external fabric, internal electrical and mechanical systems."

Cllr Pete Robbins responded on the SE11 Action Team blog by acknowledging the frustration of parents whose children missed out on places at Archbishop Sumner, but noted "However, other good primary schools in North Lambeth are not oversubscribed and have places to offer."  Cllr Robbins argues that pressure for school places in the south of the borough is high due to an "explosion" of pupil numbers in Norwood and Streatham and that assets must be sold to fund extra capacity in the south of the borough.

There are a number of sites that the Council plans to sell (the Shelley site, the Beaufoy Institute, the parts of the former Lilian Baylis not being used for Sports Action Zone etc.) that could be used for primary education were there a will, but without capital funds (most of those buildings are in a bad state of repair) and the agreement of Lambeth council, nothing is likely to happen.  Of course, if local anger were particularly focused, parents might attempt to start up a local free school, but it would probably still need council backing.

The issue of quality of education is fraught in Lambeth.  Such questions always are, because everybody wants the best for their children.  However, it's not clear that income from the sale of the Shelley site would directly fund schools in the south of the borough (why not sell off the former Lilian Baylis first?) and consequently, the sale of the Shelley site need not be considered a "done deal" if parents were to campaign hard enough.  Alternatively, of course, parents could put their energy into helping improve the "Satisfactory" schools in the area.

However, one question remains; do the Princes Ward Councillors (Steve Morgan, Mark Harrison and Lorna Campbell) support Pete Robbins and the Labour administration's line that money from the sale of assets in north Lambeth should fund south Lambeth, or do they support Princes ward residents who want to see a local school expanded?  This is an important question.  Residents vote for councillors who will support them and argue their case before the Council, rather than simply acceding to a party line.  If the Princes Ward Councillors are merely supporting the party line, then many local parents will find that their views are not adequately represented.

City & Guilds London Art School to support Japan and Tsunami Relief Fund

The City & Guilds of London Art School on Kennington Park Road (just off Cleaver Square) are to host an art event (Art / Unity / Hope) to raise funds for the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.  It will be held on 14th April from 5-8pm with the sale of art to begin at 6pm. 

It's organised by Takayuki Hara, a graduate and tutor of the college.  Artists have been invited to donate works, and they will all be for sale at £50 each.

It has its own Art / Unity / Hope Facebook page, if you want more info.

See poster for further details:

Royal Wedding Street Party at Tea House Theatre in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens

The yet-to-open Tea House Theatre will be holding an all-day (9am - 6pm) Royal Wedding Street Party on Vauxhall Walk on Friday 29th April.  There'll be tea, cake, jelly, icecream, cricket, special guests, animals from Vauxhall City Farm, bingo and free entry to the after party at the Black Dog pub.  What more could anybody possibly want?  Oh, and local residents are invited to bring a cake for the cake-judging competition.  (The day is held in association with VGERTA, The Friends of Spring Gardens, The Vauxhall Society, Black Dog pub, Vauxhall City Farm, PJ Frankland (our local butcher) and Blueberry Hill Cakes.)

The Tea House Theatre is situated on the corner of Laud Street and Vauxhall Walk and can be accessed from Kennington Lane by strolling across Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens (formerly Spring Gardens).  The theatre is based on the site of the old Queen Anne pub.

See poster below for the same info in a more attractive format:

I also understand that there's a Royal Wedding Street Party taking place in Cleaver Square, but it's only open to those who hold tickets, and tickets were only distributed to neighbouring residents associations, so if you're looking for something open to the public, it would be better to head to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens!

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.

Photos from the Unveiling of the Royal Scarecrows at Cottington Gardens

On Saturday I dropped by the Cottington Gardens community garden to visit their new royal scarecrows and had the opportunity to meet some very small Cottington gardeners!  It's great to see people gardening and growing flowers and vegetables in an urban setting, and the community garden has an immense variety of wildlife, flowers and herbs.  Feel free to visit, as it is open to the public!  The weather was unseasonably warm, and the Cottington Gardens residents enjoyed a barbecue :

Meet the bridge, Kate Middleton, the Royal Scarecrow.  Look carefully and you'll see a chain around her waist.  She's chained to the lamp post with her back to William.  A subtle comment on the state of marriage today or a security precaution?  There's no getting out of it now...

And here's William, not looking terrible comfortable, preparing for the big day.  I do love this subversive SE11 commentary on the Royal Wedding:

Lovely flowers in one of several "allotment" style community boxes:

Pink tulip close-up.  Beauty with a concrete backdrop.  This box belongs to the Little Starz nursery on Whitehart Street:

And here, there's an entire herb garden:

The sparkling, shiny new green house, opened on Saturday will allow the community to cultivate their plants:

This is a willow house (funded by the National Lottery).  The willow will grow up around it, and provide a tiny green space for children to play:

It looks like an load of old crates, but this is actually an upmarket bug hotel.  Diversity is taken seriously in this garden in this thriving haven for bugs...

Spring 2011 Lady Margaret Hall Settlement newsletter and call for Committee Members

The Lady Margaret Hall Settlement has a long history within the SE11 area and was set up in a house in Kennington Road back in 1897, with the intention of being an organisation that would "help bridge the gap between rich and poor and the parochial and other organisations operating in North Lambeth and the Vauxhall area".  At the moment, they're based a little further south, working from the Co-op centre in Mowll Street and particularly focused on an adult education programme, All Sewn Up.  This year, they also helped complete the sale of Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre at 100 Vauxhall Walk.

They're currently recruiting for new Council of Management members, so if you're interested in supporting local projects (meetings are reported to be about once a month) and helping a local organisation, there are several that you might consider.  Lady Margaret Hall Settlement is one of them.  They're asking for anybody "with passion who cares about South London" to give them a call on 0207 7931110.  (To be completely fair, I should note that there are at least 3 local organisations that could use committee members, so I'm happy to promote others too.  Just ask!)

In the meantime, do draw the organisation to the attention of Lady Margaret Hall graduates, and take a look at their new Spring 2011 newsletter.

The census 2011: to complete or not to complete, that is the question.

About a month ago, I received an email from Mr H13208 who is our local 2011 Census Co-ordinator for Stockwell North and Vauxhall, whose job it is to "maximise coverage" of the census to ensure that Lambeth get their fair share of central government cash.  He asked me for ideas on distribution and publicisation of the census.  I note that the Prince's Ward SE11 Labour Action Team blog did a quick promotional "Remember to fill in your census form" post a few weeks ago and I've been pondering what to say (hence the delay).

Lambeth Council believes that it has historically missed out on central governent cash, recording only 272,000 people in the Borough in the last census in 2001.  Apparently, Lambeth had the 10th lowest census completion rates at 79% for 2001.  I'm speculating that there are a variety of reasons for that... Lambeth has an annual 20% population churn, multiple languages are spoken throughout the borough, I suspect that literacy may not be high amongst recent migrants, and finally, Lambeth residents likely avoid filling in official government forms, especially if they don't have leave to remain or do not wish to draw their presence to the attention of the Council, fearing that the central Government is not their friend for one reason or another! 

Even the Office of National Statistics noted that "the population, particiularly in London, is less compliant and less likely to respond to surveys than it was 10 years ago".  All in all, the Lambeth population is not an easy one to count and that doesn't bode well for Lambeth Council in its efforts to ensure that it receives a fair share of the central government pot.  But if the Council can get an extra 10,000 people to complete the census, Lambeth could receive something in the region of £60 million over the next 10 years.  Consequently, the Council has been putting on a variety of events to try and persuade a whole variety of groups (elderly, Portuguese speakers, Muslim mothers, youth, African language speakers etc.) to fill out their forms.

The problem is that whilst I really want Lambeth to receive all of its cash, I'm am not happy that our previous Labour government awarded part of the contract for the 2011 census (and the 2001 census, although I didn't know it then) to one of the world's premier arms dealers, a US company named Lockheed Martin.  This presents two issues; firstly, the profits made from the completion of the UK census will go to Lockheed Martin and could contribute to furthering weapons production.  The second issue is that the US Patriot act makes it possible for the US government to obtain information from any US company, and the UK government has not done much to reassure citizens that UK census data couldn't end up in the hands of the USA.

This presented me with something of a quandry when it came to mentioning the census on Lurking about SE11.  Whilst I very much want to ensure that our local services are not cut back any further than they should be, I did not wish to support Lockheed Martin.  The Guardian ran a useful article on Boycotting the 2011 census.  What to do?  I've not said anything at all until now (and I'm presuming that quite a number of readers will have submitted already).  Fortunately, I was sent a useful "how to fill in your census form" link from Peace News which suggests a multitude of fun and annoying ways to submit the census truthfully, help the local authority collect its money and at the same time reduce Lockheed Martin's profits and encourage them to employ people for additional hours (a good thing in the current economic climate).  If you've still to submit your census form, and benefitting a major arms producer is a concern for you (which I recognise it won't be for many), do consider their suggestions

New Gym to open at Kennington Business Park, Canterbury Court, SE11

A new budget 24 hour gym is to be opened in Kennington by Pure Gym in June this year.  After making enquiries, I've found that it will be located at Kennington Park Business Centre, Canterbury Court at the top of Brixton Road.  That location should generate business for both the gym and the business park and will be a very welcome addition to the area.  However, they're being slightly cagey about releasing the "final" location, so don't assume that it's 100% definite until it actually happens.

I've always felt that there's a bit of a gym "gap" in SE11, and I've found trying to get across Vauxhall interchange under the subways to be a major dis-incentive.  (Yeah, yeah, I wasn't exactly enthused about gym-going in the first place!)

The fees (if similar to Wandsworth) will be £20 per month, with no contract and a £20 joining fee.  That's slightly pricier than the Gym group site at Vauxhall, but I've heard recently that there's a waiting list at Vauxhall now, so demand is clearly high.  Also, they've not officially launched their price list or anything, I'm just surmising.

March for the alternative: round-up of photos

I noted on my previous post, You can take Kennington Common from the Chartists. that I wouldn't be attending the March for the Alternative.  Thankfully, a number of SE11 residents were present and did take photos, so thanks to the kindness of one of my Twitter followers, @AdamF81 I've a couple that can be displayed on the blog (including one of the defiant Trojan horse).  I must add that I don't condone violence of any type, nor the minority of violent march-participants, but I hope it's clear from these photos that the people taking part are a completely mixed bag.

The protestors left Kennington Park at about 11:30am:

There's also a video of the march on Facebook here, and if you want to view the photos or make any comments on the march, there's a Facebook page set up and dedicated to Kennington here.

There are more photos of spitfires and tanks also processing up from Camberwell Green to Kennington Park over here which notes that the props (including Trojan horse) were created by art students at Camberwell.

Also, take a look at the photos from Peter Marshall, showing the range of different people at Kennington Park, from Latin American community groups to Councillor Kingsley Adams (local independent Labour councillor) and families to Ted Knight (old Lambeth leader).  Lots of Unison members, teachers etc.

And (edit 6:4/2011), I've added some more photos of the march gathering in Kennington Park, with permission from Indymedia from whom they're sourced:

 (Photo originally from Indymedia)

(Photo originally from Indymedia)

(Photo originally from Indymedia)

 (Photo originally from Indymedia)

 (Photo originally from Indymedia)

 (Photo originally from Indymedia)

Celebratory Feast at Oval Famers Market and Royal Scarecrows, Peter Tatchell on Environmental Campaigning, Vauxhall Easter Egg Hunt and more...

A few diary dates... I'm trying to keep up and add them to my Lurking about S11 calendar, but I'm not brilliant so will summarise them here.  As ever, there's a lot going on...

Vauxhall Gardens Estate Residents and Tenants Association AGM
Thursday 31st March, 6:30pm - 9pm at the Carmelita Centre (corner of Jonathan St and Vauxhall Walk)

Celebratory Feast at Oval Farmer's Market
Saturday 2nd April, 10am - 3pm at Oval Farmer's Market (grounds of St Mark's church in Oval)

Unveiling of royal scarecrows at Cottington Community Gardens
Saturday 2nd April, 12 noon at Opal Street, Kennington Lane, SE11 4HZ

Peter Tatchell to be interviewed on human rights work and environmental campaigning
Tuesday 5th April, 7:45pm at Oval House Theatre

KOV Forum
Thursday 7th April, 7pm - 9pm at St Anne's Resettlement Hall, 40-46 Harleyford Road.  (Entrance in Vauxhall Grove, SW8 1TD)

East Egg Hunt in Vauxhall Park (for children aged between 1 and 10)
Saturday 9th April, 10:30am (registration) for 11am start.  The event is for children aged between 1 and 10 only.

Kennington Gardens Society Spring Show
Saturday 16th April, 9am - 3pm at St Anselm's Hall

Royal Wedding Street Party
(This one isn't certain yet, but it looks to be fun if they manage to pull it off...)
Friday 29th April (time TBA) at Tea Hosue Theatre (formerly Queen Anne pub in Spring Gardens)

You can take Kennington Common from the Chartists, but you can't take the Chartists out of Kennington Park

I'm sure that if you're interested, you'll already have heard from another source, but tomorrow is the day that the March for the Alternative is taking place in London and one of the feeder marches leaves from Kennington Park at 11am.

The first aim of the march (which is organised by the TUC) is to give a national voice to those affected by the ConDem deficit-solution programme and to demonstrate peoples' opposition to the extent of the cuts.  The second aim of the march is to reject the government's argument that there is no alternative option to deep cuts.  The marchers will demonstrate against the swingeing cuts which they argue are not the most effective way to ease the country out of the recession.

The Guardian expects the following folk on the March for the Alternative; students, mums/toddlers, pensioners, a football supporters union named "the Spirit of Shanky", campaigners against domestic violence, medical personnel from "Keep our NHS public", off-duty police officers (as well as those on duty), journalists, a national anti-cut alliance, a group called Resist 26 who intend to occupy Hyde Park, a group of campaigners who are inspired by protests in the Middle East and intend to occupy Trafalgar Square for 24 hours and finally... anarchists/communists and militant workers who think the TUC have sold out.  The anarchist/communist/militant group are the ones organising the feeder march from Kennington Park.

Naturally, there is a certain amount of "establishment" opposition to radical folk all getting together to protest, so the Financial Times has an ex-commander from Scotland Yard warning that "extremist" groups might be planning violence.  I wonder whether they'd be referring to the mums/toddlers or the pensioners??  But... it seems that this intelligence emerged from the stable of "The Policy Exchange", a right-wing think tank, and actually, the current Met Police are aware of rumblings but aren't so concerned.  The ex-commander thinks the police aren't aggressive enough at rooting out troublemakers early, and he seems to be agitating.  The TUC apparently intend to have a peaceful family day...

Don't be afraid that the Kennington Park demonstrators will be hardcore anarchists, they're going to be ordinary folk too.  Urban 75 say South London will be assembling at Kennington Park, and the march will be supported by, "Lambeth TUC, Southwark TUC, Lambeth SOS, Southwark SOS, Wandsworth Against the Cuts, Lewisham Anti-Cuts Alliance, Latin American Coalition Against the Cuts, Goldsmiths Students’ Union, Defend Southbank Defend Education, Lambeth and Lewisham Right to Work.".  They can't all be anarchists!

Simon Jenkins, of the Guardian's "Comment is Free" (which hit my radar on account of his mention of Kennington Park) thinks British people attempting to identify with protesters in the Middle East is "insulting" to those suffering under quasi-facist regimes.  He thinks protests are outdated.  But I've never believed that solidarity meant that one had to assume similarities of regime.  It's perfectly obvious that Britain under Cameron is not Libya under Gaddafi, but I'd have thought that the Middle Eastern protesters would welcome British folk promoting two causes.  Me?  I love a good protest.  Unfortunately, I'm already committed elsewhere tomorrow, but would be there if I could.  In my view, protests and demos are a way of building solidarity for a cause, making a point a a creative manner, and discovering new friends.  Jenkins though, thinks demonstrations do not make much difference and

 "are mostly boosts to group morale, childish song festivals, obsessions with the media and desperate attempts to cause a genteel nuisance without breaching the law".

But isn't that missing the point?  I mean, demonstrations do make a difference, but sometimes they make more of a difference to those who are on them than those who observe them.  The London Million Women Rise march numbers nowhere close to one million women, but it provides a much-needed space for women to get together and affirm that male violence against women is wrong.  It's a space to say, "violence exists, behind closed doors, and we want to talk about it".  Maybe it makes no difference to Jenkins, but it does to the women who march who have stayed silent for many years.  Pride marches used to be a form of protest and solidarity, but when they'd achieved most of their goals, they became a carnival and a way of demonstrating that London has room for a diversity of views.  Do these things make any difference? Undoubtedly, but that doesn't necessarily mean they lead to legislative change.  Are they still needed when we have Twitter and Facebook and blogs and television?  Yes, absolutely.  Demonstrations and protests are more important in a society that has weakened social and familial ties because they offer citizens a protection (a very weak protection, admittedly) against the coercive nature of even democratic states.  (Indeed, that any journalist can label Britain "peaceable" whilst it appears to be at war with three countries rather demonstrates that many people fail to recognise how coercive Britain actually is).


Protests may not necessarily achieve their stated aims, but this does not prove that they "do not make much difference".  The demonstration against the Iraq war certainly didn't stop Tony Blair taking the country to war, but the political cynicism it created in the eyes of a younger British public may be behind demands for thorough-going parliamentary reform.  They may not, of course.  But one cannot know what the outcomes would have been had nobody marched.  Protests are much more than "the venue of withdrawal of consent when all else has failed," they are actually a means for creating a different society.  They're a place for forming a body politic and for shaping political opinions.  What Tahrir and Trafalgar Squares have in common is that the people who occupy them long for a politics that will include the ordinary bodies that are missing from the Westminsters of the world.

Today's politicians won't be out of a job (at least for a few years) as a result of the cuts they voted in, and they won't be surviving on State pensions alone when they leave Westminster.  But joblessness and fuel poverty and the failure of adequate healthcare might  be experienced by millions of ordinary people if the cuts bite deep, and the NHS is crushed beyond repair.  That matters.  Occupying a square is something an ordinary woman or man might do.  Occupying parliament is not.  March onwards!

In the beginning...The future of St Agnes Church, Kennington Park and the end of an era

It's difficult to know how to write about certain matters because to write seems to risk trampling upon private grief that one ought not be privy too.  St Agnes Church, Kennington Park is one such case.  However, it's local to our patch, so it would be an omission to say nothing.  A reader drew my attention to an article in last week's South London Press about the Kennington church to ask about the story.  The article states that Fr Christopher Pearson, and half of the congregation of St Agnes' (Anglican)  joined St Wilfrid's, Lorrimore Road on Ash Wednesday to begin their journey into the Roman Catholic Church.  There's a brief mention on the Independent Catholic News site too.

St Agnes was until 2010 under the care of the Bishop of Fulham, but when the Church of England voted in favour of women bishops, the Bishop of Fulham stated his intention to become a Roman Catholic. A number of parishes (St Agnes among them) likely considered that having a woman appointed as their bishop risked breaking the line of apostolic succession.  That  means that they do not believe that women bishops can be validly ordained and therefore, cannot have the gift of ministerial priesthood conferred upon them and therefore that their sacraments aren't valid, and thus consequently, they aren't fully "church".  Parishes with such views could always rely in the past, upon the validity of the Bishop's orders (and just sort of ignore women priests, whose ministerial priesthood they didn't accept).  However, the possibility of a woman bishop (or several) made it impossible for some parishes to continue in that vein, and many of them joined the personal Ordinariate, a group set up by the Pope in 2009 to welcome Anglicans.  (Of course, that annoyed a few Roman Catholics who would want their denomination to accept women priests, but the Pope has the final say...)

Most outsiders, many insiders and a few with one foot in the door simply look on in an entirely bemused manner and label the refusal to accept the ministry of bishops and priests on the basis of their gender "misogyny".  There is reason indeed to believe that many Christians are misogynists.  However, Fr Pearson claimed not to be in the SLP article, stating, "I have no real problem with women priests or civil partnerships, but they are a bar to unity...".  One might wonder whether the Pope would share the "no real problem" view, but that's another matter.  What should be noted is that an exit from  their beloved and cherished denomination is heartbreaking for many Anglicans, who believed they would still be assured of a place in the Anglican church, even after the decision to ordain women in 1992.  That's what I mean about this article being an intrusion on their grief...  Disagreements amongst communities sometimes tear those communities apart, and within small parish settings, seem to divide close neighbours...  Sky News recorded a piece at St Agnes' Church, recording the views of those who intended to leave.

I had been wondering for a while what might become of the church building, and the rest of the congregation (presuming that they weren't all to become Roman Catholics).  Their website wasn't informative, so I was hoping there might be a notice outside.   This being the Anglican church, the offline guess proved correct.  It seems that St Agnes have formed a new parochial church council (PCC) and appointed new officers and hope to appoint a new vicar, but are (unsurprisingly) missing many congregation members who would perform such duties as Readings and Intercessions on a Sunday morning.  They want to contact any old members who have slipped away and would wish to return.  In the highly unlikely event that there are people reading Lurking about SE11 who either wish to return to St Agnes or wish to join a church, it's likely that St Agnes would very much welcome your gifts at the current time.  (And in the interests of fairness, I should probably say that it's likely St Wilfrid's would extend a welcome too).

Installation of Cycle Hire docks at Cleaver Square, Vauxhall Station and Kennington tube

I've been contacted by the amazing Dawn Rahman of Lambeth Council and asked to inform readers that the new Cycle Hire docks will be installed at Cleaver Square by the 31st of March, but won't be usable until two weeks after that date on account of resourcing issues at TFL.  It seems that extensive remedial works (including re-paving the area) are to be carried out by TFL, but they've not quite got the timing right, so the docking stations won't be accessible until after the paving works have finished!  I don't suppose most people will lament the additional two week wait if the area around Cleaver Street is improved as a result, but I'm grateful for the heads-up from Lambeth. 

The new Cycle Hire docking stations appear to have been started in the tunnel adjacent to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, extending provision at Vauxhall Station (great news), but they're not yet finished.  Also, I think I spotted that new (ordinary) cycle stands had been installed nearly opposite Kennington tube station (always a good thing as there's never enough places to lock bikes), but we're still waiting for the new Cycle Hire docks to be added at that location.  Also, I noticed an article on a piece of kit, the Cyclehoop, which can be used to transform a piece of street furniture into a secure place to lock a bike.  Does anybody know whether we have any of them in SE11?

I'm certain that there's been a very definite rise in the number of cyclists using Kennington Park Road and Clapham Road and the CS7 Cycle Superhighway.  I expect numbers to rise as we enter summer and as a cyclist, pedestrian and driver, I'd call for more cautious road use from everybody to prevent further accidents.  Also, it would be very useful to have a bike shop in Kennington, as there's rather a dearth between Waterloo and Brixton...  Any entrepreneurs out there?

Harleyford Road incident: woman threatened to jump from building

Harleyford Road, between Oval and Vauxhall was closed by police between 11pm last night (21st March) and 1:30pm today (22nd March) as a female resident threatened to jump from the window ledge of a building in the vicinity.  After shouting at passerby for most of the night, the resident was eventually talked down to safety, and the road re-opened.  The incident caused traffic chaos throughout the vicinity of Kennington, Oval and Vauxhall until midday.

There was a rumour on Twitter earlier that the road had been closed due to a murder. Thankfully, that doesn't appear to have been the case, and further rumours should be put to rest.

Vauxhall Square overhead walkways - CLS Design competition results

CLS Holdings have received all of their competition entries for the design of the proposed new (and somewhat controversial) Linear Walkway in Vauxhall, which will form part of the Vauxhall Square "twin towers" development.  The linear walkway would enable residents and commuters to traverse Vauxhall in the air, as opposed to focing everybody to trek across the interchange.  Some local residents are arguing that raised walkways were a feature of sixties architecture that should be abandoned on account of their inaccessibility and inhospitality and through suggesting that they can be crime hot spots.  CLS disagree and maintain that since (if granted permission), they'll own and maintain the Vauxhall walkway, it can be designed in such a way that anti-social behaviour can be minimised.

Today CLS have announced that they've shortlisted 5 companies, all who've created different Linear Walkway designs and they're showcasing all of the designs on the Vauxhall Square website.  I've given them all rude nicknames.  I think I slightly favour "Hire-a-forest", but since I'm not in favour of an aerial walkway and would rather TFL abolish the interchance, I'm not sure whether it matters too much.  However, I'm happy to have my mind changed....  Can you make arguments in favour of "Futuristic Crystal Jubille Line" or do you prefer "Rollercoaster Speedtrack"?

First up, we have the "Starfish Slinky" design from Explorations Architect.  I remain unconvinced that running a giant slinky (remember the 1980s?!?) through Vauxhall is quite the way forward:

Secondly, there's the mysterious "Grassy Swiss Cheese" design from Heneghan Peng Architects.  The design is so abstract that it's difficult to tell quite what it is from the drawings....

Next, take a look at what I'm calling "Futuristic Crystal Jubilee Line" design from Knight Architects.  I'm not convinced that converting a straight walkway into an undulating walkway really helps with the 300 metre bridge issue, but nevermind:

Now we'll move on to "Hire-A-Forest" from Marks Barfield architects...  Involves lots of trees.  Never knew that it was possible to import greenery in quite this way.  Wonder what it would look like in autumn ;-) :

Finally, here's "Rollercoaster Speedtrack" from RFR architects.  I do hope it wouldn't be orange!!: