Lambeth's Bandstand Performances this summer

I haven't found a convenient page listing this summer's performances at Lambeth's three bandstands, so I've collated them here should you be looking for events to cycle to for a free afternoon's entertainment:

JUNE
Saturday Afternoons at The Ruskin Park Bandstand
14th at 3pm -  London Saxophone Choir
21st at 1pm -  Friends of Ruskin Park Summer Fete
28th at 3pm -  Lambeth Wind Orchestra

Sunday afternoons at Myatt's Fields Bandstand
8th at 3pm - The Trouser Band
An eclectic music performance of country, rock, blues, reggae, cowboy and folk. The Trouser Band breathe new life into some unjustly forgotten ditties of yesteryear.
15th at 3pm - Crystal Palace Band
A traditional brass band appealing to a wide audience performing light classical and popular music for all
22nd at 3pm - South London Saxophone Quartet
A mixture of medleys, marches, show tunes and classical pieces

Clapham Common Bandstand
Saturday 14th at 3pm - Southwark Concert Band
A varied programme of rousing marches, Broadway & West End show tunes and modern interpretations of classic works
Sunday 15th at 3pm - Lewisham Concert Band
Light classical, waltzes & marches, with a selection from musicals and film
Saturday 21st at 3pm - South London Concert Band
A merry mixture of medleys, marches, show tunes and some classical pieces


JULY
Saturday Afternoons at The Ruskin Park Bandstand
5th at 3pm New Foxtrot Serenaders – Dancing with Slightly Ballroom
12th at 1pm - OUR BIG GIG King Groovy and the Hornstars, Pandemonium Drummers – Dancing with Slightly Ballroom
19th at 3pm - Lewisham Concert Band
26th at 3pm - Norwood Wind Ensemble

Myatt's Fields Bandstand
Saturday 5th at 3pm - Alvarez Theory
Americana/folk with originals and covers from Bob Dylan/Neil Young, Instruments include guitar, fiddle, concertina, mandolin bouzouki & vocal harmony singing
Sunday 6th at 3pm - Incredible Sax Band
An eclectic mix of styles from swing, through to funk and blues, to pop and classical with music performed consisting of original compositions and arrangements by members of the band
Sunday 27th at 3pm - Sisra Sukra
Javanese Gamelan music

Clapham Common Bandstand
Saturday 5 July at 2pm - DJ Chico
Live art & poets with modern dance and dj performances
Sunday 6 July at 3pm
New London Concert Band
A mixture of medleys, marches, show tunes and classical pieces
Saturday 12 July at 3pm
Spiral Saxophone Quartet
Variety of pop, jazz, classical and show tunes performed by energetic saxophone quartet

AUGUST
Saturday Afternoons at The Ruskin Park Bandstand
2nd at 3pm - Crystal Palace Brass Band
9th at 3pm - Bloomsbury Music Group

Myatt's Fields Bandstand
Saturday 16th at 3pm - Zoe Konez
Sunday 17th at 3pm - No Frills Ceilidh
Brixton based six piece with international sound of uplifting music and impressive and foot tapping instruments – fiddle, banjo, mandolin, mandola, double bass, melodeon, Hurdy Gurdy, Darbuka and voice.

Clapham Common Bandstand
Saturday 9th at 3pm - Merton Concert Band
A free musical performance consisting of mixed concert band repertoire, specialising in big band and show music.
Sunday 10th at 3pm - No Frills Band
Brixton based six piece with international sound of uplifting music and impressive and foot tapping instruments – fiddle, banjo, mandolin, mandola, double bass, melodeon, Hurdy Gurdy, Darbuka and voice.
Saturday 16th at 3pm - Here to Havana
Brass and percussion based orchestra playing afro –Cuban selection with original arrangements
Sunday 17th at 3pm - Performance Group Flute Ensemble
From piccolo to brass, a stylish and exciting mixture of classical with a touch of jazz to engage all ages
Saturday 30th at 3pm - Junction Jazz
Seven piece jazz band with guest vocalist


SEPTEMBER
Saturday Afternoons at The Ruskin Park Bandstand
6th at 3pm - South London Jazz Orchestra – Dancing with Slightly Ballroom
13th at 3pm - TBC
20th at 3pm - Incredible Sax Band

Myatt's Fields Bandstand
Sunday 7th at 3pm - London Saxophone Choir
A variety of music arranged for saxophones- from baroque to pop, classical to jazz, music of other cultures and everything in between!
Sunday 28th at 2pm - Junction Jazz
Seven piece jazz band with guest vocalist

Clapham Common Bandstand
Saturday 6th - The Clapham Society present an afternoon of music including the Dixie Strollers
Sunday 7th at 2pm - London Consorts of Winds
Combining ancient music with contemporary instrumentation playing popular and light classical pieces
Sunday 13th at 2pm - London Gay Symphonic Winds
A free and varied music performance of classical, show tunes, pop arrangements and film music scores
Sunday 14th at 3pm - London Metropolitan Brass Band
Traditional British brass band with a varied repertoire of music suitable for families
Saturday 20th at 2pm - Crystal Palace Band
A traditional brass band appealing to a wide audience performing light classical and popular music for all
Sunday 21st at 2pm - Merton Concert Band
A free mixed concert band repertoire, specialising in big band and show music
Sunday 28th at 3pm - London Saxophone Choir
A variety of music arranged for saxophones from baroque to pop, classical to jazz and music of other cultures

Clapham Old Town Regeneration Launch Event

 Clapham Old Town's new Town Square was launched today, with Cllr Lib Peck, Lambeth's Council Leader, and others making brief speeches.

Clapham Old Town and Clapham Common tube station areas have been undergoing a major regeneration to create a new open space for all to enjoy, in a scheme costing £2.6 million.

The improved area now includes: a new town square, wider pavements, new zebra crossings,  new cycle paths and cycle stands, extensive landscaping with over 100 new trees planted and new seats throughout.

The cycle parking was full to over-flowing

and hundreds of people were present, enjoying entertainment and refreshments as well as the speeches

and there was a queue for the Dr Bike

 It was good to talk with several of the newly elected Councillors who are biting at the bit to improve cycling in the borough. I also spoke with one of the speech makers, Ben Plowden who is a local resident and TfL's Director of Planning, Surface Transport.

All agreed that, while it is fair to launch it, the scheme isn't yet finished and needs to become more cycle friendly.

This was apparent by the temporary structure (before a more permanent one) cutting down the amount of traffic that had been rat-running through the scheme.

The inclusion of a cycling route to permit east-west cycling (in some measure as TfL have, to date, refused to permit a much desired crossing from Clapham Park Road) was a late addition to the scheme, following criticism from Lambeth Cyclists of its omission.

Lambeth deserve a lot of credit in the first place for a scheme which, overall, is a vast improvement on what existed before, and secondly, for adapting their scheme to include cycling measures at a late stage in the process.

However more needs to be done here rapidly given the new Labour administration's intention that Lambeth becomes London's most cycle friendly borough. I took a school group on their bikes along The Pavement contra-flow today and, suffice to say, they didn't enjoy it.

Clapham Old Town features in my free London Festival of Architecture Ride on Sunday June 22nd

A cycle friendly route to school in Clapham

Crescent Lane in Lambeth runs, one-way, between Clapham Common (on which not many people live) and Abbeville Roads and a cluster of streets off it, on which many people live. There is a primary school, shown on the map, on Crescent Lane that people from the Abbeville Road area travel to. 

 Here is a photo of Crescent Lane between Abbeville Road and the school - as you can see it's wide

As Crescent Lane is one-way, away from the Common, parents and pupils cycling from Abbeville Road can either ignore the No-Entry signs

as the lady and child above, and the lady and child below have chosen to do

 or they can be 'respectable' citizens and dismount and push their bike

 or their bike and trailer

I am sure that Lambeth Council, dominated by Labour which pledged in its election manifesto to make Lambeth the most cycle friendly borough in London, will rapidly make this wide street with its primary school truly splendid for the children to cycle independently along in either direction.

Kids need bikes to do cycle training - can you help

Calling out to Kennington (though this probably applies nationwide!)

Summer is peak cycle training time in schools but some local schools are struggling to fill all their places on cycle training courses because not all the 10 and 11 year olds have bikes.

So this is a quick call out - if you have a bike in reasonable condition* sitting around that your children have outgrown please can you offer it to a local primary school to give to a pupil or use as a pool bike.

If you own a business and are looking for ways to support local schools and pupils, perhaps you could talk to a local school or two about providing some bikes?

*Don't worry if the tyres aren't pumped up or if it has a puncture as the instructors can fix that and a number of other little mechanical glitches. What they can't do is replace missing parts.

Streatham MP People's Question Time on Cycling: Wed 23 April

Just received details of this event - a chance for you and/or your children to talk to some of the movers and shakers who can make Lambeth the best place for people of all ages and abilities to cycle. 

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From: Chuka Umunna

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People’s Question Time on Cycling – Wednesday 23rd April 7-8:30pm at the Grand Union Acre Lane

 I’m writing because I know you have contacted me in the past about cycling and I wanted to invite you to a ‘People’s Question Time’ I am holding next week to talk about the issues you and other constituents have raised with me about this - particularly safety, infrastructure and support for cyclists.

I hold these People’s Question Time events on a variety of issues that there is a lot of concern about locally – they are designed to be an opportunity for residents to raise concerns directly with those who have the authority to improve the situation. I have invited Lambeth Council and Transport for London, and the Cycling Commissioner Andrew Gilligan, a representative of Lambeth cyclists, and the Metropolitan Police Cycle Taskforce Safety lead, have all agreed to speak on the panel at the event.

 The event is being held at The Grand Union Bar (123 Acre Lane, SW2 5UA) between 7pm & 8.30pm on Wednesday 23 April 2014. There’s no need to RSVP though do email me if you have any queries about the event.

Ask prospective Councillors for Space for Cycling at Oval Farmers' Market today

Meet prospective Councillors and ask them whether they will sign up to the LCC / Lambeth Cyclists ask:

Install protected cycle lanes on South Lambeth Road

South Lambeth Road is a residential road with shops and cafes, it is also a motor traffic corridor linking Vauxhall and Stockwell. In order to redress the bias favouring through-traffic, as opposed to local usage by adults and children, we want to see it made attractive to cycle on through the provision of protected cycle lanes.

The Oval Hustings will be held On Saturday 12th April at the Oval Farmers’ Market (10:00 to 15:00)  in the grounds of St Marks Churchyard and is being supported by the Oval Partnership, KOV Forum, City and Country Farmers’ Markets and the Friends of St Marks Churchyard. Candidates will be around the market from 10:00 to 15:00 canvassing but the key times are:

• 10:00 Candidates arrive and set up
• 11:00 Electoral speed dating
  (This is as an opportunity to meet and talk to each candidate)
• 12:00 Oval Speaks
  (Members of the community will be invited to say a few words about what they think is important  – no speeches just a few words)
• 12:15 Candidates speak and answer questions
  (Each candidate will be invited to talk briefly about themselves and what they stand for followed by questions)

The Oval Ward is where South West London meets South East London.  It includes much of Vauxhall and Kennington and has been of strategic importance to London since Roman times and remains so to this day.  The councillors for this area are not only important to those who live there but also the many thousands who work in or pass through this area every day.

Improving conditions for walking and cycling in Bishops Ward

A few weeks ago several people wrote, following a blog I wrote, to object to the consent of planning permission to a new Merlin Entertainments attraction within County Hall unless cycling conditions there were improved.

The particular improvements sought were cycle parking and improvements to the cycle route behind County Hall. As I wrote in my blog, "I would suggest that the transition from the road to the cycle path here exemplifies pedestrian / cyclist conflict and street clutter."

I am delighted that Lambeth Council's Planning Committee took on board the points we made and permission was granted subject to the following items (among others) recommended by Council Officers in their report:

11.13 The proposals do not include the provision of any additional cycle parking, but do include staff shower and changing facilities which are welcomed. However, additional staff and visitor cycle parking should be provided. The Transport Statement does not contain any assessment of the modal split of the expected visitors, or give any indication of the numbers of staff and visitors expected to cycle to the site. Applying the cycle modal split from the TRAVL sites contained within the Transport Statement Appendix equates to some 12,000-14,000 additional cycle trips to the site each year. However, as stated in the Transport Statement, these surveys are very out of date and cycling is expected to have increased since the time of the surveys, while the location of County Hall on National Cycle Route 4 (Belvedere Road) is also likely to encourage greater use of cycling. On average the above annual number of cycle trips would equate to up to 40 cycles arriving at the site per day. The installation of 20 Sheffield stands in the immediate vicinity of the site would therefore be considered an appropriate response and would be secured by way of condition. 

 11.14 Furthermore, the private section of Belvedere Road behind the County Hall requires interventions to improve permeability for cyclists, and to tie in with improvements to the National Cycle Route, via the proposed cycle grid / spine route improvements on the remainder of Belvedere Road. This is particularly important given that Queen’s Walk would become even less suitable for cyclists as pedestrian numbers further increase. There is an outstanding S106 obligation on the owners of County Hall to make various improvements to this road, including improvements to cycle access, while TfL’s Better Junctions team have begun looking at possible solutions for the junction of Belvedere Road / Westminster Bridge Road, and Lambeth plans to extend improvements to the junction of Chicheley Street. A contribution towards these improvements should also be secured. 

As we approach the local elections the request, decided at a local level, to improve cycling in Bishops Ward is:

Make a virtually traffic-free cycle route along the South Bank, linking attractions along the riverside

The South Bank is one of London's premier tourist and cultural attractions, but has poor provision for cycling. Belvedere Road and Upper Ground run parallel to the riverfront and could be a world-class cycle route for locals, tourists, adults and children. Measures should limit motor vehicle access to Belvedere Road and Upper Ground, with Waterloo Bridge to be made suitable for cycling by all abilities.

I hope that prospective ward Councillors from all parties will sign up to support this measure - one that will allow people to send their children independently to journey on their bicycles from the South Bank Centre to Tate Modern and beyond in one direction, and to Battersea Park and beyond in the other, as well as to Covent Garden over Waterloo Bridge.

Improved allocation of space and quality of design will not only give people of all ages and abilities a welcoming environment to cycle, but will also enhance the river front for pedestrians, and with less motor traffic, the streets behind too.

Find out about the 'Asks' for each London ward to improve conditions for adults and children wishing to travel by bicycle at http://action.space4cycling.org/