Deptford events coming up...

The big event this weekend is the London Marathon on Sunday which Crossfielders can watch from the end of the road – unless they're running of course. Get down to Creek Road at around 9.15am to see the elite runners or catch the charity runners from 11ish. But before that, there's...

New Cross & Deptford Free Film Festival 
Friday 24th April – Sunday 3rd May 
37 free films in 17 different venues over 10 days, run by volunteers with more than 40 people curating events. Most of the larger venues or most popular films are already booked up (the first night in particular), but check to see what's left at the website – some events can't be booked so it's first come, first served. One such film we would recommend for loyal Deptfordians is Hide and Seek, a children's film shot in Deptford in 1972, showing on Wednesday 29th at the Big Red Pizzeria (but don't be fooled, it'll be in the container in their back yard, not in the pizzeria itself). Otherwise see you in the queue at the Job Centre on 3rd May...

Deptford Food Festival
Saturday 25th April, 9am–5.30pm, Giffin Square 
The first of what is now to be a weekly street food market. The Deptford Dame points out this is the third time it's been tried and fears there may still be not enough demand to make it worthwhile for the traders themselves. Not being an evening event, it's certainly not as trendy an event as Lewisham Model Market which returned to Lewisham High Street last week, but as a food-orientated attraction it's not as poncey as the Deptford Brunch Club and you can do a bit of shopping as well.

Co-incidentally, The Secret History of Our Streets – featuring Deptford High Street in the first episode – is being repeated on BBC4 (catch it on i-Player). The documentary uses film footage from Hide and Seek (see the Film Festival above), funnily enough. When Secret History was first broadcast in 2012 it caused controversy locally. We had our own critical opinion of the episode's inaccuracies (here, here and here) having originally helped contribute to its making in 2011. Also see Deptford Misc's take on it. But it's worth watching to hear how Deptford High Street was once the "Oxford Street of south London".

That reminds us of the meeting held back in early February at The Albany for shopkeepers and market traders, convened by local councillors (who all happen to be Lewisham Labour) to discuss how to increase trade in the high street (or rather, combat the decrease). Traders think business is lost because of parking charges – it's free to park on a Saturday after 1pm but they'd like free all day parking ("like what you get at supermarkets"). Maybe the new Asda can pay for the free parking...

Another demand was for public toilets–  the Lounge was built on the site of the previous public loos and doesn't open until 10am. Most demands were led by People Before Profit (in an open attack on the Labour councillors); PB4P touched on a subject that was of no interest to legitimate businesses when they called for an end to frequent harassment from the UK Border Police.

Everyone present thought better signage was needed and one lady shopkeeper bravely suggested that the 47 bus takes a detour (presumably up Frankham Street and down Giffin Street) which is a brilliant but probably impractical idea. The Chair of the High Street Traders Association – who got the anchor removed and to which most traders do not belong – suggested French foods or farmer's markets in Giffin Square. So here you are! Not French cheeses, but lovely street food! Make the most of it! Naturally, you'll be walking or catching the bus to our famous high street, since there's still no all-day free parking. That's probably just as well since Deptford Church Street is usually gridlocked on Saturdays with people trying to get to Surrey Quays and Lewisham shopping centres – or Millwall FC at home...

Watch the London Marathon at the bottom of our road...

This is the interactive map of the race provided by virginmoneylondonmarathon.com (click to go to the interactive map). It appears Virgin Money don't actually have enough MONEY to update the map to 2014. Presently, many of the captions refer to the Olympics 2012 and apparently the Cutty Sark is still undergoing reconstruction.

But the times will probably be the same. So if you're thinking of not going any further than joining your neighbours at the bottom of Creekside just after the 7-mile stage, you'll need to be there roughly between 9.45 and 10am to see the Elite Women, Wheelchair and Paralympic (IPC) athletes; followed by the Elite Men at 10.30, and the first runners in the Mass Race at 11am.

London Marathon

The London Marathon is on Sunday. Check out the excellent interactive map to find out where and when to watch. Here's the times for watching the runners from Creekside and Creek Road: 9.40am Elite women; 9.45am Wheelchair racers; 10am IPC runners; 10.35am Elite men; 11.05am Mass race

If you know someone who's running, it's quite feasible (we've done it) to cheer them on in Deptford, then jump on a train (if they're working) and cheer them again at another part of the course. More 2013 race information here (including details on road closures).

Oh, and please wear red and hang a banner to save the NHS and Lewisham Hospital if you feel so inclined. It's a photo opportunity.

Focus on Royal Greenwich

The London Marathon this weekend marks the start of all the big events happening in Greenwich this year and seems to have provided a soft deadline for preparations. First, though, here's that Marathon route again...

Next Wednesday 25 April, the Queen and Prince Philip will re-open the Cutty Sark. Spectators who want to oggle the Queen are invited to assemble in Cutty Sark Gardens from 10.30am (see the Greenwich Council website). The £50m refurbished monument opens to the public the following day, and last weekend finishing touches were in progress – presumably the surrounding new square will be open on Marathon Day. Some raked seating was being erected, hopefully just a temporary stand for the Queen's visit (since it ruins the view). *

There are some lovely, if regimented, new raised flowerbeds on the west side, and after months of inconvenience, the new pier entrances are looking efficient and hopefully smooth running, although the new ticket office wasn't open yet and the foot tunnel entrance was still a disgrace last weekend. Three of the four cafes and restaurants (which all seem to have been transplanted in a different form from the cinema car park at Surrey Quays) were up and running in the new riverside buildings and look to be a roaring success with visitors. Nandos opens next week.

From the riverside, looking northwest, you can view the construction work on the luxury flats taking place at Greenwich Reach (below, far left), Paynes & Borthwick Wharf (recently restarted, where the cranes are), and in the distance to the right, the almost completed Shard at London Bridge (OK, not all luxury flats). The flat bit in the middle is Convoys Wharf, site of King Henry VIII's Royal Dockyard and John Evelyn's Sayes Court Gardens. Plans are under review by Terry Farrell & Partners after the previous masterplan for 3,500 flats was rejected since it failed to acknowledge the enormous historical heritage of the site. See local blog Deptford Is..., whose vision for the site (building a 17th century warship and restoring Sayes Court) if realised, would be a short river walk from Greenwich to the place where Sir Francis Drake was knighted on the Golden Hind, where ships left to engage the Armada and the Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar, and where Sir Walter Raleigh laid down his cloak for Queen Elizabeth I.

Meanwhile, in the grounds of the Royal Naval College, yet another set for Les Miserables has been constructed with filming going on this week. 81 year old Don Simms, a guide at The Painted Hall (opposite the set) likes to tell tourists he body doubled for Johnny Depp when Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed here last year.

For film fans, there's a Film Location Tour at 2pm on April 26th-29th. There is also a free exhibition about Charles Dickens at the Visitor's Centre until 15 July. In June, the ORNC will host a Big Jubilee Lunch and the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival. If you have friends or relatives visiting for the Marathon, take them to The Old Brewery, a microbrewery, cafe and restaurant tucked into the east of the Royal Naval College. 

We note that a brand new exhibition opens at the National Maritime Museum on 27th April (not free!). Royal River (Power, Pageantry and The Thames) is guest curated by mad royalist David Starkey to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and will run until 9 September. The Thames Jubilee Pageant takes place on Sunday 3rd June and promises to be spectacular – and although the Queen will disembark at Tower Bridge, many of the 1000 boats taking part will come as far as Greenwich to disperse.

With its new Sammy Offer Wing opening out onto the Royal park, the Maritime Museum is always worth a visit, as is the Royal Observatory and Planetarium – see the Greenwich Phantom's new post about a trip to the Planetarium. As s/he notes, when you're a local, you rarely bother to go and see these things that you wouldn't dare miss if you'd come here on holiday.

From the new wing of the NMM, you can get the measure of the Olympic Equestrian site, which has taken over the Queen's Field. The entire park will be closed to the public from 7 July to 4 August (except for the Flower Garden and Children's Playground).

There has been much opposition to the park's use for the Olympics and a new gallery has opened on Creek Road featuring photographs of the park. At Made in Greenwich, Greenwich Landscape Artists are still campaigning against the Olympics being held here, fearing it will herald the loss of the park as we know it, in a flood of future corporate or brand sponsored events.

Finally, Marmoset has news via reader San that there will be fireworks at Greenwich Reach on Saturday 5th May at 9.45pm. We've absolutely no idea why since it doesn't coincide with any big events...but the picture below was snapped when cruise liner the Seabourn Sojourne slipped in to dock here fairly unannounced in June 2010. Now that the Greenwich Reach development has totally obscured all views of the river from Deptford Bridge, head to Millennium Quay if you want to see 'em.

* UPDATE 24/04/12: We have since ascertained this is a permanent structure which houses lifts and air conditioning. A critique of the "restored" Cutty Sark ("Disney Sark") and the vandalism of the park caused by the Olympics, written by Greenwich resident and infamous journalist Andrew Gilligan, can be found here.

News catch up

Thames Tunnel
Deptford Misc reported earlier in the week the encouraging news that the present Mayor Boris Johnson has called for the re-examination of five sites in the Tunnel project – including Deptford Church Street. "This site is adjacent to a school and on one of the few open spaces in this deprived area of London. The site will also impact on a busy section of the road network which is also an important bus route. I think there is more scope for alternative sites in this area, including the options examined in the first phase of consultation and again I urge you to search for a site that has lower impact."

A border row has now broken out, with Nick Raynsford (Labour MP for Greenwich & Woolwich) wading in to defend the "thousands" of residents at the alternative (and initially preferred) site at Borthwick Wharf. Perhaps it is time for Joan Ruddock to step in to defend Deptford and for Labour's Livingstone and Len Duvall to match Boris Johnson, with a promise to challenge Thames Water who have chosen to favour a privileged gated community over a poorer one and use HGVs on a busy road rather than use the river.

Or did Boris frame this one to set the cat among the pigeons, with the Tory revision of parliamentary boundaries set to have the Greenwich (Labour) consituency swallow most of (Labour) Deptford and Raynsford possibly taking the Deptford crown from Dame Joan (whilst its citizens remain in the very unroyal borough of Lewisham)? Unfortunately this Tunnel row news came too late to put the question to Joan personally when she was humbly knocking on doors last night and today reminding us to vote for Ken and Len.

New development starts work
The Deptford Dame reports on "The Movement" – Cathedral's new development on Norman Road which we wrote about in March 2011 when the planning application was submitted. We noted then that we were not consulted despite being in the consultation catchment area. Too late now. Your view east is about to be ruined.

Defeating the developers
Deptford Misc also reported that the Lord Clyde pub in Wotton Road was celebrating the defeat of developers who wanted to turn it into flats. The story goes some way to explain why developers have such a bad reputation: their planning application stated "The current use does not provide any positive contribution to the local area and therefore it’s replacement with a residential building is the most appropriate form of development." This prompted the landlord, who hosts a successful boxing club at the pub, to gather local support to object to the proposals. Read more at Deptford Misc. We also wrote about the Lord Clyde in March 2010 in the context of CAMRA's campaign to stop pubs being turned into flats.

New Cross & Deptford Free Film Festival
Both the Deptford Dame and Transpontine have flagged up the upcoming Free Film Festival (27 April–6 May). More details at www.freefilmfestivals.org. We note that among the offerings, there will be a screening of The Tunnel, a film about the late comedian Malcom Hardee and his infamous club, in the new 40-seater 'cinema in a lorry' at the Big Red Pizzeria.

Virgin London Marathon
On your doorstep Sunday 22 April. Check the website for more details of times and route plus new sponsors Virgin Money have plenty of merchandise to sell you! And The Duke will be serving breakfast from 9am.