Okay first of all I should nail my colours to the mast. I did not attend the event nor do I own a car. I did however notice that Devonshire Road was very busy.

The organisers of this event could learn a lot of lessons of regular sporting events. I normally attend the Crystal Palace Athletics, which is of a similar scale, and rugby at Twickenham, which is obviously much larger. At both these events there is dedicated parking, and marshalls at railway stations giving out directions and also return timetables of trains. Parking is the key issue, and there is Dulwich and Sydenham Golf course just up the road. Getting agreement to use this is, I would suggest, going to be somewhat problematic.

Food and drink should be controlled in that what you buy in the area, you consume in the area. You could have people on entrance and exits to the park stopping people taking food outside and thus controlling most of the litter problems.

Publicity is very important so that people know exactly what to expect at the venue.

All the above would cost, but if you are going to have an event on this scale then it needs to be done professionally, and you consider charging an entrance fee.

Not to worried about the crime element. I feel its very much luck of the draw in London. For example the front door of the office where I work is literally 30 yards from where there were shots fired at police recently near Waterloo.

Finally on a really controversial note is could be spread across 2 days since it is would be unlikely for people to attend the same event 2 days running. But then again they might

I visited the Jerk festival last Sunday and had a fantastic time - long may it reign in Forest Hill

Thistleblower - apologies for giving the director a sex change!

However, I do know that they charge for renting out the conservatory for wedding receptions - when I enquired nearly 15 years ago they quoted ?6,000 for the evening (you could have scraped me off the floor with a feather! erm, mixed metaphor, but you get the gist). Naturally, I took my business elsewhere, out of Forest Hill, together with all the other spending - florist, car hire, catering, cake etc. But that's another story....

How much more for most of the gardens?? If we're misinformed, could someone please enlighten us?

They need to make money to cover the running costs (not small!) somewhere and other similar organisations would do so by charging for premises hire etc. for events to subsidise the free museum. While I'm sure they get lots of grant funding and donations, commercial activities are, I'm sure, a part of their funding stream e.g. gift shop, tea room. Note also that they charge for their special exhibitions e.g. Robot Zoo.

There WAS knife crime at the Jerk Festival - all those poor, dear slaughtered animals being carved up.

Cellar Door feels it is about time that someone mentioned this appalling-ness that is carried out on our doorsteps every year. Somebody has to speak for the animals.

I'll be the one hugging a tree in the Horniman Gardens next year weeping through my gas mask to control the fumes of cooking flesh reaching my very sensitive nose and causing my empathy to spin out of control.

We also enjoyed the jerk cook out - got there about 12.30, left by about 3.30 and managed to sample a fair amount of food without queues. Was amazed by the large numbers of people coming in as we were leaving, and by some foolhardy traffic manouevres at the London Rd end of HO Road. Agree there should be more encouragement of public transport use and some level of parking controls, but am glad to have something popular in FH.

afraid that I cannot share the enthusiasm of others for the festival. My own experience was rather negative - in the space of 10 minutes my wife was verbally sexually abused twice, and after I protested the second time I was told to "keep out of it, whitey". Based on others' comments this would appear to have been an isolated negative experience, which is great. To be clear: I can only talk about what happened to us, and I am sure that the vast majority experienced no problems whatsoever. In any event we headed for Dulwich park and had a great afternoon.

I'm given to understand by a Council employee who is a friend ( I could be wrong) that this event would have needed a special entertainment and alcohol licence from the Council which has to be applied for every year by the organisers of the Cookout. This might be another way in which to register protest ie by objecting to a reissue of the licence assuming that there are indeed grounds within the licencing act to do so.

I also actually wonder how satisfied some of the people were who seemed to be driving around the streets for hours trying to find somewhere to park- perhaps they would also prefer a larger and more convenient venue!

Some friends of mine also enquired about the conservatory for a wedding reception for their daughter and were quoted similar prices for a reasonable number of guests- extortionate. The Horniman appear to have delegated everything to Suzanne James Ltd who are retained to provide all services. They were hoping to provide their own catering but it came as a package so no choice ther.
They were long standing residents of Forest Hill and supporters of the museum who felt that some discount could have been given to local people at least to the extent that the prices charged were fair and competitive. I think its time the Horniman realised how important community support is as despite their international and national status, I am sure that the majority of their business still comes from local people- I know many people who are up there several times a week with their kids spending money in the museum shop and cafe and for many local childminders it is a home from home.

Roz said:

"This might be another way in which to register protest ie by objecting to a reissue of the licence assuming that there are indeed grounds within the licencing act to do so."

Shall we see what else can be done before going 'nuclear'?

I repeat (from Post #157):

".....please can those most angry about it try to be calm and rational about how you make your complaints.

If there is to be a parting of the ways, let's try to ensure it is an amicable one.

It would be really sad if, when asked by other event organisers about their experience of using Horniman Gardens, the Jerk Cookout Management's response were to be "Oh God... don't do it! The locals are really stroppy and they chased us out after a few years...". Forest Hill has so much potential, and the last thing we need is to get ourselves a rep as a Nightmare NIMBYland."

(emphasis added, for Roz's benefit)

I'd also like to remind people that nothing is 'free' and that our parks and museums are paid for out of taxes, donations and grants.

This is not a small village in Devon where community spirit means that Mary and Mark can rent the village hall for ?500 for their wedding reception. I believe the Hornimans and its gardens are the most important asset the residents of Forest Hill have. The community benefits in many ways and I cannot understand why we should detract any possible form of income the Museum manages to generate ( if any) with an event like the Jerk Cookout. It is one day of the year. Those of you who are inconvenienced the most for that particular day are the same people who for the remaining 364 days have this beautiful place on their doorstep. Surely they could spend some time and energy searching for ways to improve on what is already a successful and happy day for residents and neighbours alike. I can t see the Hornimans declining to liaise with the residents to find a solution.

Well lets see what happens next year shall we? - I take it you're up for some street/road marshalling Millesens?

A few years ago I served refreshments behind a table inside the Museum at an event gingernuts and of course tidied up and cleaned as well after people had gone home. So, your point is ?

Well done you!

The point being I'm not sure it's just the responsibility of those residents who live near the park to find a solution. The park's there for everyone to enjoy - just not so many at the same time.

Let the cookoff stay, despite the traffic problems stretching even over my side of the border on Lordship Lane.

However public transport was stretched, I was delayed on the 356 coming back from Bell Green Sainsburys because of Cookoff visitors, I've never been on a packed 356 before! And the main buses which use London Road were all packed, even at 4pm when the event had only two hours left to go.

I'm not actually clear how gridlock and people driving around for hours and not being able to park and get in to the event is meant to help attract people to Forest Hill or to help its economy. Traffic congestion is well known for doing the exact opposite. The reports on various websites by those who attended are also saying that people were complaining about the music not being loud enough or the stage not being large enough and could have they louder music next year? Cue another venue, I think? I can't see the Tewkesbury Lodge folk agreeing to that; I am already aware that of concerns in that department already

Reports I have read suggest that 20000 people attended; others say 10000 so I am not sure which is correct. I understand that last year 5000 attended. Clearly the venue is now too small for what is a burgeoning and successful venture and I am still of the opinion that any traffic management solution can only tinker around the edges. I suspect therefore that the organisers are already searching for a new venue that will bring them even more income. Good luck to them. I would like to suggest Crystal Palace Park as a suitable option as it has loads of space, great transport links and lots of car parking within the site and is designed for large scale events.

Please note that I for one have no intention of being 'marshalled' into my own street, or to have to have proof of address before being allowed home.

The best interests for FH are surely to let it go and ask that the Horniman run events that are more appropriate for the scale of the venue. I am sure that they can manage to do this. Sorry, but I don't see it as my responsibility to find a solution to the problems of a commercial venture who clearly made a mint out of the event at the expense of local people without considering the impact upon them, and I really don't give a flying hoot whether other potential companies think its NIMBYISM or whatever. There are countless other events at the Horniman which manage to bring home the bacon without alienating large numbers of people.

The success of the Horniman Triangle play area and the continuing success of the museum mean that non-local people park in the streets regularly. Surely we should close down the museum and both parks to protect local peoples' right to drive and park their cars to other places which do value their amenities.

There are a number of schools in the area that do nothing more than cause traffic problems twice a day. Let's close the schools to prevent people driving their children in the local area. There are plenty of other schools in London where they can drive their children to school without using our local roads.

Finally can we stop people from Sydenham sitting on the trains that come through Forest Hill, taking seats away from local people. These are our trains and nobody else should be allowed to use them.

I agree with roz on this one. Although the cook-out is a nice idea, it has become a victim of its own success and has outgrown Horniman Gardens. It now needs to find a more suitable venue. Last year was just about ok, but there were too many people this year and forest hill/ horiman can no longer cope very well. I'm not sure that marshalling is going to be enough ...

I should add that I did attend the cook out, but left about 4 when it started becoming really crowded, so I'm not objecting to the idea of the cook-out per se. If it moved to Crystal Palace it would Still be easy for Forest Hillers to attend so I think that would be a good solution all round.

What a load of whingeing nimbies. Half the comments on here are borderline racist and tinged with a 'not in my back yard' element. No one called you 'Whitey', you're just paranoid. If this was some kind of Rick Stein sells books and fish cakes for ?15 a go type event you'd all be salivating at how wonderful it was even if 30,000 people turned up.

The cook out was fine, we need more events like that, it makes Forest Hill feel like a real hub as opposed to an 'in between' kind of place.

I also agree with Michael, local seats for local people.

if you think that 23,000 people (that is the officially coroborated figure of attendees) descending on a small area with NO parking marshalls provided, police given no estimate of visitor numbers, and numerous other failings in the organisation of this event (which bears no resemblance to the 'pilot' jerk-cook out of 2006 - see Horniman Trustees report from 2007) is good, well, i have to say that i think you are totally deluded!
With all this in mind what if a fire had broken out either within the Museum area or within one of the gridlocked local streets and a fire engine/ambulance could not get through? I think it is sheer good fortune that a serious incident did not occur due to the appalling lack of accountability in the organisation of this event. Sorry, i would not like to see this event continue in Forest Hill or be transferred elsewhere under the current organisers, which is to say nothing about the lack of responsibility taken by Lewisham Council and the Museum Director Ms Vitmayer.
Please don't patronise me with the 'put up with it it's only once a year' nonsense - if this really is a community forum, i am amazed that people are being so blind towards the divisive efffect that this is having on the area....