SE23 Forum

Yes noticed graffiti on Sunday ,was removed by Tuesday ! Well done

Yes the graffiti removal is impressive...but have they really paid off the contractors despite the incomplete cladding?

In danger of sounding like a cracked record but I do not believe the job is finished. Goodness knows how many decades it will be before it gets its next facelift. Anyone know anything?

Cladding incomplete and one of the lights doesn't work...

Also, is that dome camera actually wired in?

Shame its not finished up, was almost getting there for a moment.

But a vast improvement all the same

There is still work to complete, once Skanska have replaced all the lights. This is not scheduled to take place until July. It seems like a long time to wait, but probably because they wanted to ensure the lighting work wasn't scheduled too early! It is difficult to time these things perfectly, but after years of waiting it is nice to see it is finally done (almost).

Ok, so July came and went without any work being done. Does anyone know how to rattle the right cage to finally get the subway finished?

Thanks

What a shame that this work has been finally finished. Paintwork is still incomplete where lights have been put up and taken down again. The bannister rail on the right hand side from the back comes off in your hands. I don't think that the infills have ever been put in place.

Sorry with reference to my previous post should have said "what a shame that it has NOT been finally finished"

They haven't installed the lift either.

The panels are also dirty and haven't been cleaned for 6 months. I reported it on Love Lewisham but nothing was done. Shame they spent a significant amount on money and this is the outcome.

Last week I was informed that the final panels had been manufactured and were now with Skanska. They should be fitting them 'over Easter', so it is possible that the final work will be undertaken in the next few weeks (possibly days).

I've come to like the strips where the lights used to be, it is like looking through a wormhole in time to a bygone era. And a reminder that the subway is significantly better than it was a couple of years ago.

May be jumping the gun, but I think the subway might be "finished"..!

A nice finishing touch would be picture frames around the remaining two pieces of the Connex mural which survived over painting by virtue of being concealed behind the old lights.

Haha I agree Erekose, that would be a fun thing to do. Remind us of how colourful it all once was.

Not been down there for a few weeks, I shall have to look at the finished product.

It is lovely to see this work so very nearly finished. I think that there is still one item outstanding. The handrail on the right hand side of the steps coming from the Perry Vale side is still detached at the bottom. Unless this is secured, the whole thing will come away and the cycle of deterioration will begin again. Just one last push please!

Am I the only person who thinks the subway looks a bit rubbish? Part of it looks like the inside of a fridge (or one with a roof that isn't straight) and that manky green colour is very drab. It's a huge improvement on the graffiti so I won't be too hard but it lacks any style.

They'll uncover that graffiti in 2000 years time, and carefully move it to the British museum, next to the Elgin marbles. Maybe.

JUst claim it's a "Banksy" and we can sell it for £500,000!

It's all been painted over now.

My kids (now in their teens) were really upset when the mural was painted over. They loved it, and considered it a landmark in their neighbourhood. If it had been presented in a different and inventive way along with the refurbishment, that would have been rather nice. But it's gone now. I don't think the paint-stripping techniques used in art conservation will be a match for industrial strength vile green!

I have photos of all the artwork before the painting went ahead.
Over the 15-20 years it was there, it had not lasted well and it was time for a change. It is not impossible for space to be made available for graffiti art in the subway but the paint work was one of the few bits done in a hurry (no idea why, but it did take months to stop running).

Offered the choice of white or grey or purple or orange, a few of us reached a consensus that Green was the right colour for the Forest Hill subway. You'll notice roughly the same colour is used at the Dartmouth Arms, on the background of this website, the Forest Hill Society website, and Southern Trains. (I would have gone for a slightly lighter shade of green, but I don't feel the shade used is too oppressive).

I would be interested in other suggestions for the subway colour scheme, in case a chance comes along again. Is there a colour that is more acceptable than 'industrial strength vile green'?