FoDL: LAMBETH WALK - THE PLAY! MONDAY JULY 20

MONDAY JULY 20
LAMBETH WALK - THE PLAY!

Kat Joyce is (among other things) writer in residence at Vauxhall City Farm. A recent project, sponsored by a local organisation, Spread the Word, involved workshops with local people in and around the organisation's HQ in Lambeth Walk. Their stories have been developed into a performance – ‘One Mile Away’– with professional actors. This will be FREE, local and soon - 27 July to 1st August. Come to hear Kat explain all!

One Mile Away is a unique free performance in public spaces between Elephant and Castle and Lambeth Walk. Come along and join the trail, walk the route and discover the narratives that unfold. Performances take place at 7pm on Thursday 30 July, Friday 31 July and Saturday 1st July. Meet us at the Community Warden's Office, 1st Floor, Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre. All performances are free but you need to reserve a place email info@onemileaway.org.uk or text/tel 07976 459405

www.onemileaway.org.uk/performances for full details of the performances.

DURNING LIBRARY
167 Kennington Lane SE11 4HF
(020 7926 8682)
6.45 for 7.15pm
Suggested donation £2. Refreshments

Friends of the Durning Library

Allan Border: Steve Harmison can rekindle attack

Cricket

Allan Border: Steve Harmison can rekindle attack

Tom Collomosse
14.07.09

Australia great Allan Border believes Steve Harmison is the man to revive England's lifeless bowling attack during the second Ashes Test at Lord's.

Harmison has been recalled to the squad - ostensibly as cover for Andrew Flintoff, who is a doubt for the match with a right knee problem - and is a strong contender to play on a wicket which is likely to offer far more to the seam bowlers than the Cardiff one did last week.

England took just six Australian wickets in the drawn first Test and Border, who captained his country from 1985-93 and was at the helm when the Aussies regained the urn in 1989, insists Harmison makes the home attack a far more dangerous proposition.

"If Harmison is bowling at full tilt, he adds something to the side - no doubt," said Border. "It seems as though he gets a bit homesick when he travels but he likes playing in England. If he's bowling anywhere near his best, the Aussies rate him highly and he can be a real problem.

"He might not be taking many wickets at his end but he creates enough pressure, especially if the England boys are bowling as a pack."

* Allan Border spoke to the Evening Standard from Lillian Baylis Technology School in Kennington, where he conducted a Red Dust Role Models cricket clinic with Year 7 pupils. For more information visit www.reddust.org.au or www.vodafonefoundation.org

Ethelred Children's Centre - Summer Holiday Club

Street Athletics festival (music, dance)

Pitbull ‘weapon dogs’ seized as police handlers swoop on gangs

News

Top prosecutor probes phone hacking..... Parents: 'Taunted teacher snapped'..... Bodies of five soldiers flown home..... 'Briton' gored to death by bull..... Soldier's mother in legal challenge..... PM: Abducted child plea to Gaddafi..... Fewer are dying from common cancers..... Major General's BlackBerry stolen..... Motherhood is 'devastating' to pay..... TV host's flu scare as toll hits 14.....

Snarling: officers restrain one of the dogs

Pitbull ‘weapon dogs’ seized as police handlers swoop on gangs

Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent
09.07.09

Twenty pitbull-type “weapon dogs” were seized in police raids in south London today.

In one of the first operations of its kind officers swooped on the homes of known gang members and captured dogs which have been terrorising local communities.

All the animals seized in the raids in Kennington — including a litter of six puppies — are suspected of being banned pitbulls.

Specialist officers from the Met's newly-established Status Dogs unit were trying to identify the breed of the animals.

The aim of Operation Navara was to target “weapon dogs”, which are believed to be used for fighting or intimidation. In some cases police smashed down front doors as the animals barked loudly inside.

Wearing protective gear, padded sleeves and carrying fire extinguishers to deal with any aggression, specialist handlers dragged snarling dogs into cages using restraining poles.

The animals will be examined by the Met's Status Dog Unit before a court hearing to decide their fate.

Two adult dogs were seized along with six four-week-old puppies from a three-storey house in Renfrew Road, Kennington. Officers suspect the home was being used for breeding.

Puppies believed to be used for breeding

The majority of raids were based on intelligence about dangerous dogs being used by gang members — though some were responding to complaints from neighbours.

The raids came as figures revealed the scale of pitbull ownership in London. Sergeant Ian McPartland, who heads the Status Dog Unit, said his officers had seized 273 dogs since the squad was established three months ago, 240 of which were pitbulls.

He revealed that criminals in the capital were breeding Staffordshire terriers with Bull Mastiffs to recreate the original American Pitbull breed.

He said: “This is how pitbulls were first created 200 years ago and it is happening again in London today, though we are also coming across some brought in from Southern Ireland and Eastern Europe.

“We are looking for dogs involved in anti-social behaviour, crimes or used for protecting criminal assets.”

Four years ago the Met recovered 40 dangerous dogs from the streets. Last year it seized 719, of which 600 were pitbulls. Lambeth North Superintendent Clive Wakeley said: “Gangs carry knives and guns and keep pit bulls as a weapon and as a status symbol.”

“If you target them and take 20 out, it is undermining their position and undermining them in terms of having a weapon they can use.”

Kit Malthouse, the deputy mayor for policing, said: “Weapon dogs are not fluffy pets. Do not be fooled by the wagging tail. They are kept to intimidate and cause injury or death, no different from a knife or a gun.

“The rise in use of these unfortunate animals has caused fear and alarm in neighbourhoods across the capital. Many people, parents, elderly people and other dog owners will breathe a little easier this morning.”

Met raids seize 20 'weapon dogs'

Met raids seize 20 'weapon dogs'

Twenty dogs have been seized from the homes of suspected gang members in south London during police raids.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8142485.stm

The mostly pit bull terrier type dogs, which included a litter of six four-week-old puppies, were taken from 12 addresses in Lambeth.

Operation Navara targeted 'weapon dogs', which the Metropolitan Police believes are used for fighting and for intimidation purposes.

Since March this year the Met's Status Dog Unit has seized 273 dogs.

Officers from Lambeth Police said the operation was in response to complaints from neighbours.

'Status symbol'

Specialist officers wore protective gear with padded sleeves as they forced their way into the houses and tackled the animals using special poles.

Two adult pit bulls and the litter of puppies were seized from the house of a woman in Renfrew Road, Kennington, who was previously warned about the dogs.

“ Gangs carry knives and guns and they keep pit bulls as a weapon and as a status symbol ”
Supt Clive Wakeley

The dogs would be examined before a court would decide their fate, including the possibility they could be put down, the Met said.

Sgt Ian McPartland, who heads the Status Dog Unit, said: "Our concerns are over the way they will be used by the gang member who is associated with the address.

"If you have got a pit bull at the end of the leash the potential for it going seriously wrong does rise.

"I spent 25 years as a dog handler and now I'm out there taking dogs off people who really don't know how to treat them."

Lambeth North Supt Clive Wakeley said: "Gangs carry knives and guns and they keep pit bulls as a weapon and as a status symbol."

Please send your comments to yourlondon@bbc.co.uk

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/8142261.stm

Published: 2009/07/09 12:11:27 GMT

'Weapon dogs' are seized by police

• Press Association, Thursday July 9 2009

Twenty dangerous dogs have been seized by police in one of the largest operations of its kind.

Specialist officers gave suspected gang members and owners of illegal dogs early morning wake-up calls during raids on 12 addresses in south London.

The aim of Operation Navara was to target "weapon dogs", which were believed to be used for fighting or to intimidate people.

A total of 20 pit-bull terrier-type dogs, including a litter of puppies, were taken out of properties across Lambeth.

Two adult pit bulls were seized along with six four-week-old puppies from a three-storey house in Renfrew Road, Kennington.

In another raid, a two-year-old female red and white pit bull terrier and a five-month-old brindle were removed from a house in Shakespeare Road.

In some cases police had to smash down front doors to get into the homes as the animals barked loudly inside.

Wearing protective gear, padded sleeves and carrying fire extinguishers to deal with any aggression, specialist handlers dragged snarling dogs into cages in the back of cars using special poles that hooked around the animals' necks.

The animals will be examined by the Met Police's Status Dog Unit before a court hearing to decide their fate.

Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2009, All Rights Reserved.

• guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2009

The pups of war: Police seize 20 vicious 'weapon dogs' in raid on suspected gang members

news

Friday, Jul 10 2009

The pups of war: Police seize 20 vicious 'weapon dogs' in raid on suspected gang members

By Rebecca Camber
Last updated at 11:18 PM on 09th July 2009

• Comments (24)
• Add to My Stories

THEY may look cute and helpless, but these puppies could turn into the devil dogs that can be as dangerous as a gun or knife.

Pit bull terriers are trained by criminals to terrorise neighbourhoods, inflict horrific injuries on their rivals and intimidate all who meet them.

These four-week- old puppies were among 20 pit bulls seized yesterday as police launched one of the biggest operations of its kind.

Metropolitan Police dog handlers remove pitbull puppies during a raid on an address in Kennington, south London, as part of operation Navara

Specialist officers wearing protective padded gear smashed down the doors of several suspected gang members in early morning raids on 12 addresses in South London.

Some of the older dogs were dragged snarling from their homes by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Status Dog Unit.

The unit was set up in March following a surge in complaints from members of the public about 'assault animals' being paraded as trophies by lawless thugs. Since March, there have been 273 dangerous dogs seized across London, with pit bull terriers making up the majority.

Pit bulls were banned under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, but they have not disappeared.

Known as weapon dogs by the police, they are a must-have for gangsters and young street thugs.

They are brutalised by their irresponsible owners and some are put on treadmills to bulk up their muscles and hanged from the branches of trees by their teeth to strengthen their bite.

Many will be used in muggings and other robberies or train o take part in illegal dog fights. Others are let loose in parks where they are encouraged to attack other dogs and their owners, so that their masters can show who runs the neighbourhood.

Enlarge Twenty potentially dangerous dogs were seized by police today in one of the largest operations of its kind

Enlarge

Operation Navara targeted 'weapon dogs', which were believed to be used for fighting or to intimidate people

The number of victims needing hospital treatment after attacks by dangerous dogs has increased from 4,328 in 1999 to 5,943 last year.

There have been several cases of children being killed by the dogs.

London magistrates are being given lessons on how to tell the difference between illegal pit bulls and legal Staffordshire bull terriers.

London Deputy Mayor Kit Malthouse said: 'Weapon dogs are not fluffy pets. They are kept to intimidate and cause injury or death, no different from a knife or a gun.'

The animals seized yesterday will be examined by the Status Dog Unit before a court hearing to decide their fate. Many will be put down because they cannot be rehabilitated.

But if the puppies are deemed in court not to be dangerous they could be returned to their owners as long as the owners agree to conditions.

These include having the animals neutered, and keeping them muzzled and on a lead.

Enlarge

Enlarge

Dog handlers struggle to control one of the animals. Right, more of the puppies discovered

Garden Museum Launches Annual Horticultural Internship

Garden Museum Press Release – 8^th July 2009

Garden Museum Launches Annual Horticultural Internship

The Garden Museum is delighted to announce a new Horticultural Internship that will provide a recently qualified horticulturalist with a unique opportunity for training and career progression.

The Scheme will combine a part-time gardener’s role with the opportunity to shadow some of the country’s top gardeners and designers, providing an exclusive overview of Britain’s horticultural industry. The Intern will also work closely with the Museum planning a variety of horticultural events ranging from plant and nursery fairs to symposia, debates and lectures, which at the same time will introduce the individual to many of the country’s top horticulturalists.

In return for an allowance towards living expenses and the privilege of shadowing top designers such as Tom Stuart Smith and working on exciting projects such as a major Chelsea Flower Show garden construction, the Intern would be expected to work for 20 hours each week under the supervision of the Museum’s Head of Horticulture and alongside garden volunteers.

This initiative has been developed in direct response to current concerns about the training and recruitment of professional gardeners. The Museum is committed to supporting the excellence of British gardening and believes this unique scheme will form a bridge between high quality horticultural education and full-time work. The Intern would leave at the end of the year with an exciting portfolio of experience, and the Museum’s ambition is that in future years Garden Museum Interns will be working in top class gardens throughout the country.

Garden Museum Director, Christopher Woodward says: 'We meet a lot of talented horticulturalists finishing college or a training course with huge enthusiasm but uncertain about what to do next. We think that a year at the Museum will give someone a range of opportunities - and hands-on experience in an iconic garden. It will be exciting for us to engage with a new talent each year'.

Applications will be invited from top-class candidates who fit the criteria of the scheme. The scheme will commence in Autumn 2009.

Information for Applicants

For more information about the role and a Job Specification, please visit our website: http://www.gardenmuseum.org.uk/aboutthemuseum/vacancies.html

To apply for the role, please send CV and a covering letter explaining why you believe you would be a good candidate for the Internship to sophie@gardenmuseum.org.uk marking the subject box ‘HORTICULTURAL INTERSHIP’.

In addition we require a reference from a recent college tutor or similar mentor.

The closing date for applications is 17^th August 2009.

We regret that we are unable to respond to all applicants and you will only
hear from us if we wish to invite you to interview.

First interviews will be held in September 2009.

No agencies please.

ENDS

For Press Enquiries please contact:

Sally Hamlyn, Head of Communications, Garden Museum on:

Tel: : +44 (0)20 7401 8865 ext *831. Email: sally@gardenmuseum.org.uk

About the Garden Museum

Opening Times

Museum, temporary exhibitions gallery, Café, Shop and Garden Daily*10.30am-5.00pm

*Please note the Museum and café will be closed every first Monday of the month and the Café will only serve light refreshments, hot drinks and cakes.

Prices

£6 Adults

Concessions: £3 Art Fund Members, £5 Senior Citizens

Free children under 16, full time students and carers of disabled visitors

How to get to the Museum

Buses

To Lambeth Road 3 & 344

To Lambeth Palace Road C10, 77, 507 (507 Mon-Fri only)

Underground: Vauxhall, Lambeth North, Westminster or Waterloo

Trains: Vauxhall, Waterloo, Victoria

Address and contact numbers

Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7LB

Phone: 020 7401 8865 Fax: 020 7401 8869

Website and contact email

www.gardenmuseum.org.uk, info@gardenmuseum.org.uk

Celebrating 75 years of Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park 18 July 11am - 6pm

Celebrating 75 years of Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park

10 years of the Tibetan Peace Garden

10 years of the Soviet Memorial

Lots to celebrate in Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park on 18^th July 2009. From 11am to 6pm a variety of events will take place. The aim is to celebrate with all the regular park users and enjoy this special park. Bring a picnic with your children and grandchildren. Surrey Docks Farm will be there all day with farm animals and their young, face painting and Punch and Judy in the children’s playground, a fire engine, world arts in the Tibet Garden. The One O’clock Club is open holding a teddy bears’ picnic – drop by and find out more about their activities. The Tibet Foundation is holding a picnic in the Peace Garden during which the Snow Lion may appear and there will be a dance display by the local children’s dance class. Other world arts will run an arts workshop – bring your own t-shirt and get a Wind Horse Prayer design printed for you to take home. The restored mandala will be blessed.

For the many dog owners who use the park Southwark are providing FREE DOG CHIPPING. We shall have an adviser on dog training, a GMH dog parade followed by a fun dog show.

For the sports enthusiasts, there will be coaching sessions in football and tennis and we hope the football coaches will come from Millwall FC.

An exhibition, held in the pavilion will show the development of the park over the last 75 years and there will also be exhibition in the Peace Garden displaying the development of the sculptures.

The park was donated by Viscount Rothermere in honour of his mother, Geraldine Mary Harmsworth and we are delighted that the present Viscount Rothermere will join us and unveil the original plaque that has now been restored to the park, commemorating its opening.

It will be a fun day for all being organised by the Friends of Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park and supported by Southwark Council.

Further information can be obtained via e-mail from TMTJohnston@hotmail.com

Royal Vauxhall Tavern: Kennington Association’s July 2 for 1 special offers

Kennington Association’s July 2 for 1 special offers.

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern in its continued commitment to the local communities and its drive to establish a new cultural hub within Vauxhall is pleased to offer Kennington Association the following 2 for 1 offers for the month of July.

We have very exciting and varied shows to leverage you away from your TVs and see some of the new and exciting talent emerging on the London Cabaret scene. So get off your sofa and head on down to the RVT for an evening of fun, food and drink. We like to think of our weekends as mad, mad, mad, the weekdays more cultural, social and relaxing element of our busy entertainment schedule.

The RVT is open 7 days a week with a varied and exciting programme of comedy, cabaret, drama and more, from sedate to eye popping, whatever takes your fancy. We have a very strict censorship policy, any customer who finds the shows to hard hitting can leave!

For details of all events (not just the 2 for 1) at the RVT please visit www.rvt.org.uk

To redeem your 2 for 1 offer give us a call (020 7820 1222) or drop an email to damian@rvt.org.uk.

We also have an amazing festival commencing on Monday July 27^th Monday to Friday for Five weeks, The RVT Hot August Fringe www.hotaugustfringe.co.uk, with up to four amazing performances a night. If you have ever been or want to go to the Edinburgh Fringe well here is your chance to revisit or see what you have been missing. Visit the Website and see the amazing line up.

Details of your 2 for 1 July offers:

Tuesdays 14^th and 21^st of July*

TENOR LADIES

A concept band manufactured by leading London performers Scottee and Sami Knight.

The Tenor Ladies are here to save music from its self - what happened to putting on the ritz and showing a bit of thigh? Since when did we all become emotional folk artists writing songs about the trees?! There's a time and a place for that kind of thing but the Tenor Ladies aren't interested.

Come see their debut shows at Royal Vauxhall Tavern in July before their debut EP, world tour, perfume, TV show and autobiography. Welcome to the world of Big band, Big hair, Big voices from Big fat girly boys.

Scottee has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious galleries & theatres including: Tate Britain; Tate Modern; ICA & Royal Festival Hall, as well as gracing the pages of Dazed & Confused, i-D, Paper, W and Time Out. Musical Director Nigel Stewart

Cast: Scottee, Sami Knight, Nigel Stewart

"PECULIAR" – METRO

"LONDON'S MOST REVOLUTIONARY PERFORMER" – TIMEOUT

"MEDIOCRE" - BROADWAY BABY

"MY FRIEND FROM L.A SAID ITS THE BEST THING SHES EVER SEEN" - KELLY OSBOURNE

Doors 7pm, Show 9pm, Tickets £5.00

* Offer Limited

Wed 8^th, 15^th, 22^nd of July

Wed 8^th

TIFFANY STEVENSON – ALONG CAME A SPIDER

Is she a spider or a fly trapped on a glittering web? The host of Edinburgh hit Old Rope spins a tangled web of jokes about her journey into stand up. Funny, dark and personal the show is part existential, part arthropod. * This show does not contain actual spiders.

“Had me in stitches” What’s on Stage

John Gordillo
SEX. MAN. CONSEQUENCES. COST.
***** Daily Record
***** Metro
***** Chortle

'Brilliant. Poignantly funny.' Scotsman
'A grown up comic who combines emotional intimacy with high quality gags. You may not find a more accomplished fringe show.' Guardian
‘The kind of show that makes you delighted to be at the Fringe’ Times
Brilliant, heartfelt and hilarious” Times
‘an inspiration, a consummate performer with an amazing talent, passion and intellect’ Chortle

Wed 15^th

Piff the Magic Dragon (John Van Der Putt)
Piff the Magic Dragon is 'an inspired and gloriously grumpy' (chortle.co.uk) stand up magic act unlike any other. Combining stunning Magic, delightfully deadpan humour and a penchant for princesses. Award winning magician, John Van Der Putt is fast making a name on the scene. John will be presenting his Edinburgh show 'Pifftacular' at RVT and beware he's dressed as a dragon and he's angry.... well, just really irritated.

Ava Vidal
Ava presents her one woman Edinburgh show at the RVT.

Wed 22^nd

Zoe Lyons
MISS MACHISMO
Zoe Lyons makes a triumphant return to the Edinburgh Festival for the third year after her last year’s show ‘Mangled Mantra Of The Mixed Up Modern Mind’ and her win for Funniest Joke of the Fringe voted by Dave TV

This year’s show ‘Miss Machismo” is a brand new hour of punchy comedy that explores amongst other things, arming the elderly, human soup, and the Pope’s remarks about the blurring of the genders.

“…top one liners…this is a smart, tight, well written show…” SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE
“…a distinctive originality….” SCOTSMAN
“…a fast paced gutsy show…it contains a world-class spoonerism that may be worth the ticket price on its own…” SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY
“…an affable style puts the audience at ease…an hour of easy refreshing fun…” - CHORTLE
“…well seasoned gags throughout…” INDEPENDENT

Barry and Stuart

POWERED BY DEMONS

The Scottish BAFTA nominated magicians return to the Edinburgh Fringe after their sell-out five star run in 2008. Stars of Channel 4’s ‘Dirty Tricks’, ‘The Magic of Jesus’ and ‘Tricks from the Bible’, Barry and Stuart bring their devious all-new jaw-dropping show to the Edinburgh Fringe following their completely sold-out debut show “Part-Time Warlocks” last year.

In 2009, Barry and Stuart present an astonishing array of bizarre tricks in Powered by Demons. They will teach you where you should never stick a polo mint, filter a drink through both of their faces for a thirsty audience member, teach you the ultimate party trick (if you’re courageous enough to try it) and show you how to impress a date with the use of a razor sharp needle.

“Darkly brilliant...Pure magic” The List

“Hugely enjoyable, funny and engaging” MUST SEE SHOW, The Stage

“Genuinely remarkable” Sunday Telegraph

“Subversive magicians Barry and Stuart boldly go where others fear to tread. Watch and Marvel” Scotland on Sunday

“Undeniably inventive” Sunday Times

“Ingenious and genuinely impressive” ThreeWeeks

“The most consistently original, creative and exciting force in British magic” Derren Brown

Door: 7pm, Show: 8:30pm, Entry: £6

Thursdays 9^th, 16^th, 23^rd July*

KHE KITTEN CLUB

Come join The Kitten Club Burlesque Cabaret at The Famous Royal Vauxhall Tavern for a glamorous night of song, dance, satire, comedy, magic and more (or less as the case may be - miaow!). With a modern twist on Vaudeville and a hint of ‘Carry On’, The Kitten Club are London’s most original and diverse troupe offering a glorious trip back in time to the true roots of Burlesque Cabaret at its purest, finest and cheekiest! Come and spend an evening with The Luxurious Delores Deluxe, The Tantalising Songstress Tempest Rose, The Terrifying Vicious Delicious, The Fearless Fire Eating Vixen de Ville and various delightful special guests!

The show is expertly interwoven with magic and comedy from our compere, Mr Christian Lee. Let The Kittens entertain you with their hilarious parodies, sassy singing, delightful dancing and some good old-fashioned magic!

Dress to impress or come as you are... but do come play with The Kittens!

With our compere Tomcat Mr. Christian Lee

“Pure gold” - TNT Magazine

“a real burlesque style show in the heart of London’s West End with fine performances from four multi-talented ladies of the stage…Brilliantly self-choreographed…A brave departure from the other offerings available in the West End, this sassy little show is packed full of neat routines and self-assured performances, as well as the odd strip-tease along the way…” - What’s On stage

“With their delightful takes on songs such as the White Stripes' Seven Nation Army, hilarious lyrics loaded with double meaning, bold and well choreographed dancing, excellent impersonations and a variety of risque yet tasteful stage outfits, the talented, beautiful, and very funny Kittens display many, if not all of the hallmarks of class. Ranging from solo kitten spots to double acts and full dancing and singing in a similar vein to Little Britain. Held together by the mighty magical talents of the excellent Jools Holland-esque compere 'Tomcat' with his seemingly incompetent magic tricks, the show dispenses with any seedy stigma that might be associated with the word 'burlesque' and becomes pure, good old fashioned cabaret entertainment at its finest and its cheekiest” - This Is London

“The king of comedy magic” - Time Out

"I loved it! – the girls are wonderful." - Mel Smith

Doors 7pm, Show 8.30pm, Entry: £10

* Offer Limited

To book your 2 for 1 entry, send an email to damian@rvt.org.uk or give us a call on 020 7820 1222 stating your organisation name. Don’t forget to ask for a table too, food platters served from 7pm.

“Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), the pioneering alternative venue in South London, which launched Lily Savage and Amy Lamé’s Duckie.” (The Times), Performance Powerhouse (Out Magazine), Roundhouse of the South (Evening Standard), Shakespearean Bear Pit (Evening Standard) It is World famous pub-theatre that presented Paul O’Grady, Julian Clary, Diana Dorrs, Ken Livingstone and Graham Norton. Our long running nights include: Timberlina's Bingo Pub Night on Mondays, BrouHaHa Alternative Comedy Nights on Wednesdays and our signature club nights: Duckie on Saturdays and S.L.A.G.S Chill Out on Sundays. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are wild cards and feature the stars of London's alternative cabaret, drag, burlesque and performance scene with regular guests such as David Hoyle, Scottee, Dusty Limits, Jonny Woo, Scott Capurro, Topping & Butch, Loe Lyons and many others.

The RVT welcomes business parties and private events, for more details please give us a call 0 20 7820 1222 or email paul@rvt.org.uk.

See you soon!

Damian Bitowt

www.facebook.com/ Rv Taverners

www.twitter.com/thervt

Sports Action Zone: Summer Holidays Sports Programme 2009

Sprint king Usain Bolt in South London

News

Sprint king Usain Bolt in South London

Monday, 06 July 2009

Usain Bolt races away in front of kids

THE fastest man on the planet was in South London yesterday, hoping the weather is as warm when he returns for the 2012 Olympics.

Jamaica’s record-breaking sprinter Usain Bolt was at the old Lilian Baylis School in Lollard Street, Kennington, leading a sports science class for around 50 youngsters.

Usain, who recorded a world record time of 9.69 seconds in the 100m sprint at the Beijing Olympics last year, said: “It’s nice to be in London and the weather is wonderful.

“If it’s like this at the Olympics in London then that’s good for me.

"I like it because it loosens up the muscles and it’s easier to stay warm.”

The youngsters were from the not-for-profit organisation Sports Action Zone, which promotes the benefit of sport, nutrition and social inclusion throughout north Southwark and Lambeth.

With his well-known love of fast food, Usain admitted he was an unlikely role model.

He joked: “Yeah, I’ve been telling them not to follow my love of fast food.

"I’ve been trying to cut down on that anyway.”

The sprinter will be back in South London for the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace on July 24 and 25.

Email: newsdesk@slp.co.uk

Ashes 2009

Graeme Swann struggling to keep calm before the storm

With the raucous memories of England's Ashes triumph in 2005 still fresh in his mind, the England off-spinner is hoping to be a big noise this time round

• 
• • Kevin Mitchell
  • The Observer, Sunday 5 July 2009

England's Graeme Swann is eager to play a large part in this summer's Ashes series. Photograph: Matt Dunham/AP

Edgbaston is silent but for the hum of mowers rolling across the rich green grass, and the flit and flap of insects in the summer haze. The white seats are clean and empty, and the sun beats down on a pitch that will be the very centre of the cricket world in a few weeks time.

This will be Graeme Swann's office for five days when England arrive for the third Test against Australia on 30 July, and his tour-weathered face breaks into a smile at the prospect. He knows the Birmingham ground well, knows its fabulous history, and what is expected of him.

Swann, who'd blown an early career chance with England 10 years ago in South Africa – "because I didn't get enough runs and wickets" – was 12th man for the first two days of the unforgettable Test here in 2005, Flintoff's Match, the game, as the off-spinner rightly says, "where that Ashes series came alive".

It's serene as a nursery now, so different to the scene drowned in tumult that first week of August four years ago. "I took the drinks on as Freddie got [Ricky] Ponting out, and I just couldn't believe the noise from the stands. It was the most incredible noise I have ever heard at a cricket ground. I go to watch a lot of football and it was louder than any Premier League game I've ever been too. Phenomenal.

"Matthew Hayden was out first ball of the innings. I remember on the first day [Marcus] Trescothick just smashed it everywhere. The Lord's Test match was obviously an easy victory for the Aussies. But it was a phenomenal series after Edgbaston. I thought we'd win it once we won at Trent Bridge. In sport, you just get a gut feeling. But then I'm an eternal optimist. Every time England get to the World Cup finals I think they're going to win the whole thing. And they never do."

Will England win? He won't say. Swann, like most athletes, is gripped by superstition. He can only hope. And, whatever the result, he thinks it will be just as big and exciting an occasion, just as important. "I don't think it matters, to be honest. I think you could pick 11 guys off the street in England and 11 guys off the street in Australia, and it would still be the Ashes.

"It would have massive media speculation. It will be a brilliant series. It obviously helps if you've got 11 cricketers in the team rather than Joe Bloggs off the street! But it's going to be huge, and I don't think it matters who played in 2005, or who played in 2007. This Ashes series is this Ashes series."

But, if ever a sporting experience was both a burden and a blessing, it surely was the summer of '05. It was cricket's '66 World Cup moment. It will not go away, a dream with the power to kill all rational daylight thinking.

Dwell for a second on that first morning at Lord's, where acceptable belligerence took on the bloodied sheen of proto-war, as one Australian bone after another was crunched, but not to the point of surrender. It is only a memory, albeit a warm one to cherish over a pint, and it refuses to fade.

We are prisoners of our reminiscences, and none in recent times was sweeter for the success-starved friends of English cricket than that of beating Australia in the finest Ashes series there can have been, or ever will be. But nostalgia distorts judgment dangerously.

Ponting losing his rag with a gloating Duncan Fletcher after being run out by the super-sub Gary Pratt at Trent Bridge is a delicious slice of cricket history. The captain has grown up, though; the coach has moved on; Pratt, still only 27, is in his third season with minor county Cumberland. There is a vastly different cast now, new attitudes, some old bones creaking, some new ones raring to go.

The '05 phenomenon should have as much bearing on this summer's cricket as will Harold Larwood felling Bert Oldfield that heated Monday at Adelaide Oval 77 years ago, before Fred Perry had conquered Wimbledon even. But it's tough to shake off history.

Brett Lee on his knees at Edgbaston, consoled by Andrew Flintoff? A nice photo on the wall, surely. But how will they "front up" this time, both older, both slowed by time and injury?

Shane Warne dropping Kevin Pietersen at The Oval, with half the country, it seemed, watching from rooftops all around the ground, led on to a perfectly English conclusion to a series of five truly great matches that could only be contrived under drizzled September skies in the shadow of Kennington's long-stopped gasometers. If Flintoff can remember anything of the victory celebrations that night, it will be with the help of his pals, of whom he had more than 50 million at the time.

But surely we must put those images of Freddie happily slaughtered in the sunshine of Trafalgar Square where they belong. That was then; this is this.

Forgetting makes sense but is never that easy. You can be sure the Australians have wiped their memory disc clean but the numbers they remember are '06-'07. And 5-0.

"It's been tough since 2005," says Flintoff, back from his umpteenth operation, but mired still in his vagabond ways after managing again to cock things up on their war-grave trip to Flanders, this time sleeping in.

"What keeps you going is you want to play again in an Ashes series. And I'm not far away from that now. As you get older, you don't want to miss much cricket, because you don't know how much you've got left in you."

Swann, whose off-breaks are first-choice for new-look England, will go into the first Test of this series on Wednesday with a fresh, uncluttered mind against another changed team with a similarly sharp perspective. He has other recollections from the period, ones that might be more relevant. He remembers playing alongside Mike Hussey at Northamptonshire, both subsequently latecomers to a stage only recently vacated by legends with different baggage.

"He's a class player," Swann says of the batsman who could be caning him all over Cardiff in a few days' time. "We always used to joke that I'd bowl at him in a Test match one day. He's a good friend of mine and he's obviously a lynch-pin in their middle order.

"He scored millions of runs for us over two or three years. We all knew it was only a matter of time before he was playing for Australia. He's the best player I've played with, just pipping Matthew Hayden. I can't wait to play against him. Hopefully, I can wheedle him out."

Would Swann, then, be indulging in more civilised exchanges with these Australians than did, say Hayden and Simon Jones (or Hayden and anyone)? "I think we all know there is no such thing as friendly banter with the Aussies. Anyway, you can never, ever win as a spinner. No point trying. It's more for the after-dinner circuit, than anything else. I haven't heard any genuinely funny ones for a long, long time."

And he knows how to laugh – especially at himself. "I don't think I was ever construed as arrogant," he says in answer to a question about his youthful temperament, "an idiot, more likely. When you're touring at 18 or 19 you generally are an idiot, because you haven't got a clue what's going on around you.

"I was as wet behind the ears as anyone else. It takes a lot of cricket and a lot of living to find out who you actually are. I'm certainly a better cricketer now and probably a more rounded individual... but I've still got streaks of idiocy in me." Just like Freddie four years ago. Not to mention last week.

Swann, not long turned 30, is a big enough kid, still, to keep his place as a singer in a Nottingham band that glories in the name of Dr Comfort and his Lurid Revelations. (Swann believes, as he was told by one of the guys in the band, that there really was a Dr Comfort, a psychologist in the Fifties who wrote about his patients' sexual fantasies.)

"We had a gig two days after I got back from the West Indies and I haven't seen any of them since. I can't be seen to be going off and doing gigs while the cricket season is going on. I can compartmentalise my life pretty well. I've got to be very careful." He should have a word with Freddie.

Kevin Pietersen – without whom, says Warne, England can't win the series – has an heroic link, of course, with the deeds of '05, but has parked the memories over there somewhere. Would he not like to be captain? "No, there was never going to be a hassle with Andrew Strauss. Nice guy. He's very clever, very intelligent the way he goes about his business."

And so on. He is clipped, impatient, a little tetchy, and utterly predictable. He does not think this series can possibly match, "the best series that's ever been played. I'd be stupid to say we can match the intensity of 2005."

Let's hope he turns out be seriously stupid.

• guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2009

From The Times

July 3, 2009

Bidding war breaks out as the housing market shows signs of recovery

Auction houses are reporting house prices are climbing but does this signal that the property slump is over?

Judith Heywood

Can the property market really be all slumped out? Unexpected indications that the worst of the price falls may be over include reports of newly emboldened buyers bidding it up in the auction room. This is not merely bottom-of-the-barrel bargain hunting. Six months ago, auctions were the preserve of steely investors with privileged access to cash and a taste for unprepossessing but rentable repossessions. But now auctioneers report that fewer distressed sales are ending up in catalogues and bidders include a healthier range of potential buyers — not only property companies and buy-to-let investors, but also owner-occupiers, even including those elusive first-time buyers.

Gary Murphy, of the auctioneer Allsop, has discerned a measure of urgency as house price indices begin to record some growth. He says: “Now people believe that the market has stabilised and unless they buy the available stock, it will have evaporated by the end of the year.”

Successful buyers remain united by their access to cash, as lenders remain reluctant to lower demands for sizeable deposits or high income multiples for mortgages. But with interest rates yet to edge higher, the cash-rich are shunning paltry savings accounts in favour of real estate.

Rents are reported to be falling in some markets, as landlords feel the chill wind of more potential renters in unemployment. But David Sandeman, of the Essential Information Group (EIG), which tracks auctions, says: “You can get a yield of 8.6 per cent on a rented property, or put your cash in the bank and earn 1 per cent.”

And auction attendees are buying. Data from EIG suggests that the average sales rate at auction has risen from 55 per cent in August to 69 per cent now. Some auctions have hit more than 85 per cent.

These figures are not being achieved through knock-down prices. Savills reports that buyers are now less intent on securing a below-guide-price deal. Now 96 per cent of Savills properties are selling above the guide price — typically about 20 per cent above. Christopher Coleman-Smith, head of auctions at Savills, says: “Sentiment in the auction room has turned since October, November and December. A lack of supply is underpinning prices, with some lots seriously outperforming expectations.”

Take Greenacre Close, a street of terraced houses in Northolt, northwest London. The names of nearby streets — Field End Road and The Farmlands, to name two — may give a rural impression, but Greenacre Close is deep in London’s suburbia, near Harrow. Homes are small but a share of green space remains and the Tube — and jobs elsewhere in the capital — are close by. Two unmodernised properties here sold for £152,000 and £159,000 in Savills’ December sale. Little more than six months later, homes on the street sold for £175,000 and £176,000.

In the same auction last month, an end-of-terrace property — divided into four flats — at 119 Camden Road, in Camden, North London, sold for £813,000, more than 54 per cent higher than its £525,000 guide price. Likewise, there was strong demand for 174 Shakespeare Crescent, a three-bedroom Victorian terrace in East Ham, East London. Bidding reached £227,000 — 22 per cent above the catalogue price of £185,000.

Owners are again becoming more willing to go to market with landmark properties. Allsop’s next auction, on July 14 and 16, includes charming cottages in Kennington, South London, and Woodstock, Oxfordshire. But the most intense interest is expected to be directed at an unmodernised apartment on Cadogan Place in Belgravia, Central London. The owner of the maisonette, which is close to Sloane Street, will be among the few with access to Cadogan Gardens. The guide price has been set at £1.4 million to £1.5 million.

But premium properties such as Belgravia flats cannot disguise that, while the bottom of the market may appear to be in sight, it is too early to say whether this good mood will evaporate over the summer.

Richard Donnell, of Hometrack, the property data company, warns that a glut of properties on the market could dilute any price gains. While the Council of Mortgage Lenders has revised its forecasts to predict fewer than expected repossessions this year — 65,000 rather than 75,000 — David Sandeman, of EIG, believes that many market-subduing distressed sales may have been merely delayed.

With the Government applying pressure on banks to avoid repossessions, it now takes up to 12 months for a repossession to appear in the sale room, up from six. If more such homes appear in auctions, will there be enough demand from able buyers to absorb them?