I too was in favour of demolishing the old pool buildings and Louise House and selling the site for development, with the proceeds used to build a new pool in Willow Way. I now think I was wrong about the pool, but am keeping an open mind about Louise House - architecturally undistinguished as it is, it might still (but when?) come good as a 'community resource'.

Hillview, no one is forcing anyone to do anything here!

But please tell me if you know of a better way of advertising FREE local events than in local shops (and in their windows & on A frames outside, so you don't actually have to go inside) & via social media. I would love to know because if there's a better way to get local info out there than this I'm all ears.

I was in favour of demolishing Louise House and the front of the pool. I was also in favour of keeping the library in council control.

I don't mind admitting I was wrong about the first one, but my priority was always about bringing back swimming to the town centre, and I'm pleased that this was achieved.

Louise House still has some accessibility and heating issues (including a rather wobbly floor) before it can be a major community resource. My understanding from V22 is that work is progressing on these issues and the community room will be available once the work is complete. However, we were able to hold the Forest Hill Society AGM in the room back in October.

The "alt-library" is probably not as good as having paid staff running the library. But your elected councillors and mayor took a decision to withdraw staff support from this facility. As a result V22, Forest Hill Society, and Traders including P1971, were able to step in to ensure it has a future.

We are open to ideas about how we can improve the library and I would invite anybody on this forum particularly interested in the library strategy to contact me (michael@fhsoc.com), and join our community advisory board. Alternatively you can provide feedback on this forum, or to councillors, or in ward assemblies. It is really important that the library is the resource that the community want and that customers provide their feedback to us.

Brilliant, thank you Michael.

Completely agree with what Michael has said re the library & V22 community space.

Myself & Michael fought to keep our library Council run right up until the decision was made by Mayor & Cabinet for it to become a community library.

But once that decision was made we decided along with a few others to put a community bid together (as a not for profit organisation) so we could keep our library a library for the local community.

We very much welcome all feedback (good or bad) about how we can improve the library in anyway - So please do contact us.

Advertising in local shops is fine but promotion needs to be in as many different forms as possible because people read and see different things. For example, I read leaflets that come through the door so that works for me but a lot of people put them straight in the bin. Advertising in local publications is good - I think there are some that don't charge. Notice boards also good, sometimes schools playgroups and surgeries will let you use theirs and there are of course the shop ones. Handing leaflets out will reach some people though of course you have to have the time to do it. Posters in windows and outside buildings ... and so on!

Thanks for your feedback Melissa, much appreciated:-)

Let's hope for lots more in Forest Hill!

Couldn't agree more Melissa, and if this Spacehive venture hits its target we should see lots more going on in FH

https://www.spacehive.com/leafandgroove

Now that seems like a splendid idea.

Are you suggesting Lewisham council had much choice about this?
Or all the other councils that are taking similar actions?

The council don't get any credit here for sure, but even the most hardened Libdem would surely acknowledge the Government's fierce cutbacks as a large factor in any summing up of events.

It might be that regardless of cuts, secretly the council were always going to trade the costs of running a swimming pool (they did not want to provide) against the costs of staffing the library. I can believe that if that is what you are hinting.

If it had been clear that was the choice we were making - between semi clothed lifeguards or bespectacled librarians, then sorry I'm with the librarians every time, although I can understand those who feel the opposite, and Smiths fans who might have mixed feelings. Didn't they write a song about that?

Perryman, would you like to have a meeting with us to discuss your concerns about our library?

I would welcome this, so please let us know.

I would just like to add that since our group have taken on the running of FH Library that the visitor numbers have increased.

Perryman you can email me to arrange a meeting at sugarmountain.info@gmail.com or email Michael michael@fhsoc.com or email us via the library http://www.fhlibrary.com

Thanks