I would like to start a (personal) campaign to raise the profile of Forest Hill within the 'corridors of power' in Lewisham to ensure we get appropriate levels of support in 2008 to "make Forest Hill an even better place to live and work" (borrowed and adapted from the Forest Hill Society).

In the spirit of our concerted efforts with Southern and their nonsensical closure of the Perry Vale entrance to the station, I thought it might be useful if we could all write to Sir Steve and express our frustrations at not being a higher priority for the borough.

I suggest we all send Sir Steve a lovely Christmas card or email to wish him all the best for 2008, and to ask him to pay more attention to Forest Hill next year. This is pester power, not a complaint. I hope to keep the tone positive and in the spirit of the season.

My own text is below. Feel free to copy, adapt or ignore, but do let me/us know if you too have sent him a note.

=======
Sir Steve

My family and I wish you, your family and everyone at Lewisham Council all the best for Christmas and the New Year.

We are proud residents of Forest Hill and we were not surprised that Forest Hill and the Horniman Museum were recently voted Lewisham's top 'Pride of Place'. However, there are still too many empty shops, we desperately need our pool back and we would appreciate your active support in helping to regenerate our sadly neglected station area.

The best gift we could hope for would be for you and Lewisham Council to make Forest Hill a much greater priority in the coming year.

Wishing you a happy 2008
==========

I'm sure others out there can word their notes better, but a few cards like this might just make the difference, you never know.

Please send your cards or emails to:

Sir Steve Bullock
Mayor of Lewisham and Forest Hill
Mayor's office
Civic Suite,
Town Hall, Catford
SE6 4RU
Tel: 020 8314 6193
E-mail: steve.bullock@lewisham.gov.uk

Great idea - I've sent mine!

Great idea but I wouldn't be all that optimistic.

Lewisham is notable for a consistent lack of leadership and imagination when it comes to regeneration.

Forest Hill will always remain right at the bottom of the priority list, when there is always the bottomless pit (in more ways than one) of Deptford, central Lewisham etc to pour money into, leading to the type of glad-handing, baby-kissing, photo-opportunity events that all politicians love so much, as yet another ill-conceived "centre" or "project" is launched for those terminally unable to help themselves.

All the while, the more affluent areas of the borough (relatively speaking) still have their needs - but you can be fairly confidentthey will be ignored.

I have sent mine too - worth doing. I always say if you don't ask you don't get....the only problem with the LA's you have to hound constantly to get anything done

On a side note - Merry Christmas to you all too!

We can but try!

Thanks everyone.

Anyone know where I can get a Christmas Card with a picture of the Pools on the front? Maybe I will make one.

I think you're going to have to. Amazingly, there isn't much of a market for them...

I had some nice cards made from a digital photo of mine (not of the pools) by bonusprint - it's a nice 'n' easy online service and not that expensive.

Great idea Rob! I'll send him a card.

You could always hand deliver it to his house on Tyson Road.....

yes, but this is supposed to be a pester power campaign, not stalking

Legally, I think you'd have to deliver twice to be a stalker!

Legally, I think you'd have to deliver twice to be a stalker!

so the postman always knocks twice, but the stalker delivers twice (presumably without knocking)

no wonder the Post Office is suffering from the competition

Don't drop one through the door of that really shabby house on Tyson, then... isn't that a certain politician's mum's, bought in the expectation of making a profit from getting it knocked down to enable the despoilment the woods behind for housing?

What a wet load of dribble !!

He will read your xmas cards and do nothing. If you want to get things done in FH, make up some banners, get a few people together and have a peaceful protest outside of Steve's and/or local MP's home's on a Sunday morning. That's the only thing these useless do nothing local overseer's will understand and that's direct action, force them into doing something. Even get the SLP to come along to cover the story.
Maybe get the self elected mouthpiece the Forest Hill society to organise something, I'm sure they would be happy to do so as they want to make FH a better place.

If that fails, vote them out at the next election.....easy !

Ian - Becoming an anarchist in my old age.

Ian

I am not stopping you from starting your own direct action campaign - feel free to start your own thread looking for volunteers (if that isn't too 'organised' for an anarchist campaign).

However, in the absence of such an "active" plan, I think that this is still worth doing as it only takes a few seconds of your time, and if enough people get involved, someone might take some notice.

As for the Forest Hill Society, I think they (or I should saw 'we' as I am proud to say I am also involved) are doing a great job and dedicating a lot of our own time to do it. This isn't to say that some more energetic campaigners on key issues would not be useful too.

Can we put you down to make some banners and a couple of weekends to stand on the streets extolling the virtues of Forest Hill past if not present?

I hate to inject a positive note into all this doom and gloom and negativity but must just mention that the Forest Hill Library has re-opened this week and looks great - on time and very user friendly. Beautiful building too.
Also, you have to admit that the recycling initiative in Lewisham has been a great success. Our bins are collected on time every week and the rubbish collection is equally reliable - not always the case in the past!
Yes it would be nice to have the pool(s) re-opened though with hindsight I think that Forest Hill would have been better served by a new purpose-built facility rather than trying to re-vamp the old pools in their rather unattractive building, but that's another topic.
I have seen many improvements since I moved to the borough 20 years ago and overall it's a great place to live.
If you don't like your elected politicians then stand yourself! Let's see the manifesto!!

Yep, I'll do it, all you have to do is start the action and get people together, I'm not affaid of giving these elected people a 'bit of stick' even though I won't use the pool if it re-opens and I don't travel by train, but if it improves some peoples life's and get's things done in FH then I'm all mouth and all action. The more direct action against town hall people the better I say !!

You try getting Generalissimo Bullock out... 38% of the vote on a 34% turnout - what a mandate. As long as there are enough who would vote for a donkey with a red rosette...

The regular LBL wage would be very nice.

For a start:
I would remove all sleeping policemen from FH roads.
Open Manor Mount so it is two way traffic again to stop the traffic jam down Honor Oak Road and surrounding roads.
Remove the residents parking bay's and parking meters from all roads/streets that have them to boost local business
Free car parking at Sainbury's to also to boost local business.
Remove all of the wheelie bins from outside of shops.
Lean very heavy on the people holding the purse at LBL to get something done about the swimming pool.

Of course the power might go to my head like it does with all local councillors, I would have a feeling of self importance and then I could look down on people who are paying my wages. I only have to knock on their door every four years to beg to be voted back in again.
Then there's the extra money I could make...nudge, nudge, wink, wink, it could pay for a nice four wheel drive or a second home in France.

Want to put the money up for me to do it ??

Great and simple idea. Cut and paste and another voice is represented.

I'd add that it's well worth addressing it to our MP too - who, lest we forget, chaired the Commons All Party Small Shops Group which fought the good fight for vacated high streets such as ours (to little effect in F Hill it must be said).

jimdowd.newlabour@care4free.net