Wassail 2016

There's not been much action recently but one event that does continue is the annual Wassail at Hilly Fields! This year it will take place on Sunday 7th February, 4pm.

We will meet by the Stone Circle adjacent to the orchard.

To see details and reports of previous wassail events please click here

Trip to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

A book group made up of some Transition Brockley members went to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Sunday to discuss 'Feral' by George Monbiot. They met up in the Unity Cafe in Timber Lodge and then joined a tour of the park led by Simon of @hackneytours. Their next book is Naomi Klein's 'This Changes Everything' and they will meet up to discuss this in January and combine it with a local walk.

Anyone else interested in joining the boo group should email us at: transitionbrockley@hotmail.co.uk

Garden Update

Thank you to all for their hard work on the garden this morning. It's looking much tidier and we're happy to report that it seems to be fine shape.

With the garden in a more permanent state these days and the planting now orientated towards herbs which won't change each season, one of the things which we would like to do in the future is to get a proper sign installed. Our current sign is looking a little sorry for itself and we could do with something a little more substantial to match the effort that has gone into creating the garden.

Transition in Brockley - An open letter

 We hope you’re enjoying the summer and making the most of the sunny weather in your gardens and beyond! The reason for the email is to remind everyone of current activities and take stock of where we are and also try to drum up some more interest in the group and the transition movement in Brockley/Lewisham in general. I think it’s fair to say there has been a bit of a lull in the transition movement in Brockley and Lewisham in general in the last couple of years however there is still plenty going on.

What are we doing at present? 

The garden down at Brockley Common next to the station continues to thrive and much credit must go to Valerie and her assistants for maintaining it and ensuring that it continues to compliment the excellent work of the Brockley Cross Action Group. We also have a book group who meet regularly and of course there is still involvement with the orchard at Hilly Fields. Other projects that are still bubbling in the background but without much actual action at present include: Brockley Gardenshare and fruit harvesting. It’s also worth mentioning the newly-created South East London Community Energy group who are a separate group from us but exactly the sort of thing that the transition movement is all about. All projects mentioned could do with extra pairs of hands so just because the flowers are blooming and the apples hanging from the trees don’t assume that we couldn’t do with extra help! 

As a group we haven’t been meeting regularly for the last year or so which reflects the changing nature of members lives and interests. As many of you know one of the founding members of the group, Fran, passed away earlier this year and the absence of her enthusiasm and determination has been a great loss. It would be good to get regular meetings up and running again and to build on the work that has been done previously but in order to that we desperately need some new faces and people who can dedicate the time and effort to projects. We receive many emails from local residents and others expressing an interest in getting involved but unfortunately this rarely manifests itself in anything other than a passing interest and whilst we’re grateful for that, ultimately at the heart of the transition movement is the need for action and the act of doing! At present there is a core group of perhaps 5 people who all have busy lives and can’t necessarily dedicate the time required to keep the momentum going.

If you are interested in getting more involved in one of our projects, starting a new one or just want to offer opinion then please let us know! You can respond to this email (suggest direct responses rather than copy all in) or comment on the blog where this will be posted up as an open letter. Conversation and debate is a step in the right direction and if it leads to a continuation the groups activities then it will have been worth it. So, friends, local residents, interested passers by - this is your chance to help reinvigorate the transition movement in Brockley!

We hope to hear from you and spread the word!

Brockley Common Update

Many of you will have passed by our garden at Brockley Station which is now looking much better with the addition of edging to the beds and like the rest of Brockley Common is coming into bloom nicely for the summer. Much of the credit for this year's splendid appearance must go down to Valerie and those who have helped - thank you!

Brockley Garden Share: available in Brockley SE4

Some of you may be aware of the Landshare initiative started in 2009. Here in south east London we activiely promote this sort of thing because it seems that everyone is a winner! Our Brockley Gardenshare project continues and we've received an email from a local resident who has a garden available for someone to grow vegetables in.

The garden is located on Tyrwhitt Road SE4 1QE. If you are interested in finding out more we can put you in touch with the owner and you can take it from there.

Local events coming up...

A public talk about swifts has been arranged  for TUESDAY 1st APRIL in the St Peter's Church Hall on Wickham Road, 7.30-8.30pm.
 
Swifts are a fascinating and mysterious bird, one of the sights & sounds of a quintessential British summer. They are annual visitors to Brockley, arriving each May, and breed in many of Brockley's old Victorian houses. However they are in decline and need our help if they to continue gracing the skies above Brockley each year. Come and discover more about these wonderful birds from one of our foremost swift experts Edward Mayer - and find out how you can help them! The talk is aimed at anyone with an interest in birds and looking after our wildlife. The talk is free, but we are asking for a voluntary donation of £3 to cover our costs. Any profits will go to swift conservation in Brockley! We have plans to create new nesting sites for swifts in Brockley. Refreshments will be served and all are welcome to attend! Please arrive between 7.15 - 7.30 on the night.


Brockley Tree Conference
Such is the importance of trees not just in Brockley but the wider urban context, the Brockley Street Trees team have organised a free conference on the subject with aims to promote awareness of the many threats to urban trees, and to encourage the maintenance of old ones and the planting of appropriate new ones, whether in streets, parks or gardens.

More details including an agenda can be found here