Tomilyn

Surrey Canal station is considered a "critical enabler of 8,400" new homes.

But developers aren't waiting.

@tomilyn.bsky.social finds a new neighbourhood forming ...

www.salamandernews.org/surrey-canal...

Construction on the A2 today effectively demonstrates how much safer Amersham Road feels w a bit of redesign. Construction is mostly on white marked lines where vehicles not allowed, but when just paint cars speed through dangerously. Today they slow! @london.gov.uk and @lewisham.gov.uk take action!

A nice day to admire the Royal Naval Allotments in New Cross
#newcross #londongardens #allotments

Blackheath station car park: the perfect site for car-free homes? Developer Acorn wants to build 45 homes on the brownfield site, but celebrities are leading a fierce opposition campaign, arguing it will harm Blackheath's "traditional low-rise, village character".

My article up on @salamandernews.org about why Blackheath Station Carpark is a perfect brownfield site for new homes, & an example of the pressure and opposition Lewisham faces at even gentle density increases, despite housing crisis
www.salamandernews.org/blackheath-s...
#Blackheath #housingcrisis

Car dependency is not the answer for our climate- and this doesn't even account for tire particle pollution!

"I smiled blackly through the windscreen, my mind on the neon lights of the West End. That illuminated cemetery."

Enter Ghost, by Isabella Hammad

Lovely existing 4 and 5 story buildings in Blackheath, & carpark where millionaires launched a celebrity campaign saying building a 5 story building and 3 story townhouses would ruin historic Blacheath...(don't worry, the farmers market wouldn't go in the development). What's Jude Law so afraid of?!

Did the evicted Elephant and Castle restaurants stand a chance? One topic has really dominated the London Centric inbox this week: The eviction of a group of Caribbean, South American, and African restaurants in south London’s Elephant and Castle by developers in ...

Really enjoyed this thoughtful piece of reporting on the eviction of small businesses in Elephant and Castle at @londoncentric.media. Retaining businesses was one of the regeneration promises, but backdated electricity bills used to wiggle out of the deal
www.londoncentric.media/p/elephant-c...

A treat to visit a similarly urbanism minded friend in Dublin, and get new cycle & pedestrian infrastructure and freshly planted street trees pointed out on a sunny weekend walk.

Please to have a new piece of fiction out with The Table Review today! Second in my series of short stories set around Overground Stations, this one starts on the CS4 with very length waits at traffic signals.

thetablereview.org/2025/09/18/s...

#shortstories #booksky #litmags

Deptford Church Street - Lewisham's newest cycle lane already in use The protected cycle route is due to be completed in November, but cyclists couldn't wait to start using it.

New story @salamandernews.org about cycle lane in Deptford: despite not opening till November, it is already abuzz with journeys. It connects to the C4 and C10, and could form part of 'Lewisham spine' cycle path www.salamandernews.org/deptford-chu...

#londoncycling #cyclinginfrastructure #deptford

UK could raise nearly £2bn by taxing SUVs in line with European countries, study shows Thinktank says an ‘SUV loophole’ means UK buyers pay up to 20 times less tax on biggest models than in neighbouring nations Taxing Britain’s SUVs in line with other European countries could raise almost £2bn a year for the public finances, research has shown. The Transport & Environment thinktank has urged the government to use the autumn budget to bring in a levy on the largest vehicles, which it said would reflect the damage they caused to the environment and infrastructure. Continue reading...

UK could raise nearly £2bn by taxing SUVs in line with European countries, study shows

Offered to be a cycle buddy to a colleague and neighbour who's nervous but curious about commuting by bike, with strike as perfect opportunity to break the routine and try.

Alas, the lift being out at Greenwich foot tunnel still has put her off, as we would have to carry bikes several flights.

I wrote up a few of the excellent options for #openhousefestival and some bonus sites not listed.

Surprising how few participating sites there are in Lewisham, despite a lot of great architecture. Still, grab your cycle and see some very cool self-builds.

Today Lewisham Council has cancelled planned part-time pedestrianisation of #Deptford High Street, focusing instead on graffiti removal.

"Life had been unkind to her, but I didn't come to this country to be a parable, an example or comparison. I didnt take the long journey to be put in a museum for English people to come to remind themselves that life could be harder."

The Seers by Sulaiman Addonia, an absolutely transfixing text

Bakerloo Line extension - can London "stand on its own two feet"? After hopes of government funding were dashed, the GLA Budget and Performance committee are exploring alternative methods for funding the long-awaited Bakerloo line extension through to Lewisham and o...

The London Assmebly @londonassembly.bsky.social invited a panel of experts in late July to discuss funding options for infrastructure (i.e. Bakerloo extension) that don't require a grant from Central Gvmt. I report brainstormed solutions @salamandernews.org

www.salamandernews.org/bakerloo-lin...

What a thrill to see Sofrito performed at Greenwich Theatre last night as part of Deptford Scratch! Amazing team that made Ayesha and I's script come to life, and another sold-out show.

Deptford Scratch - Greenwich Theatre Following a successful sell out show at Deptford Lounge, Deptford Scratch is coming to the Greenwich Theatre studio! We are thrilled to be sharing new work in such a prestigious venue. The pieces bein...

Love, loss, and parsley.

Come see my play Sofrito next Sunday at Greenwich Theatre, part of The Albany's very fun Deptford Scratch Night. It's showing alongside 5 other excellent shorts.

greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/deptf...
#Greenwich #Londontheatre #newwriting #southlondon

New article out! Could this long boarded up stretch of New Cross finally see change? Goldsmith's Vision of becoming open to the community with an enterprise hub permanently shuttered. #newcross #goldsmiths

"for whatever reason, in that concrete coffin of a room, curtain drawn across the door, across the day, no company but for the occasional tiny arms of those portentous twins next door - I'd watched and watch and watch this man buy and sell and buy and sell"
Goodlord by Ella Frears is fierce + great

New article up. This time on the disappointing Healthy Street Scorecard results: Lewisham has dropped several places and falls behind everywhere but school streets. Particularly grim on cycle casualties! Time to do better.

Great list! If you havent read it, On the Greenwich Line by Shady Lewis is one of my favourite London set books (tied with My Friends already on your post!)

So pleased Spfrito got its first review and a positive one at that!
"Deft" and an "admirably light touch and just the gravity needed"
Come see it in August at Greenwich Theatre!

Really disappointing if the council has a U-turn on this, especially in light of the investment to the Silvertown tunnel and design to make that impossible for cycles too.

Most depressing might be the lack of progress on Vision Zero over a five year period, which aims
to reduce fatalities and serious injuries from road collisions.

5 key takeaways from Lewisham's Active Travel Strategy The goal of the plan is to create "a safer, more accessible borough where everyone can easily walk or cycle to their destination." New Cross writer, cyclist and road safety campaigner Tomilyn Rupert ...

Lewisham Council is consulting on a new active travel strategy, & I pulled out a couple of interesting bits for @salamandernews.org if 60 pages of documents is too much work for you (although Lewisham did a great job making the strategy readable)
www.salamandernews.org/5-key-takeaw...
#activetravel

Sat in on rehersal last night, very excited for these actors and director to share their version of Sofrito next week at Deptford Lounge. Plus always a thrill for a bookworm to sit in a library after closing.
www.thealbany.org.uk/shows/deptfo...
Come watch on July 3!
#scratchnight #newwriting

Hopes for Bakerloo line extension dashed by Rachel Reeves' spending review Lewisham mayor Brenda Dacres joined the call for government funding to deliver the project. But today's announcement excluded London from UK transport infrastructure spending. Lewisham will be gettin...

Immediate fallout from Rachel Reeves' spending review for Lewisham. (But we will get the Bakerloop bus.)

www.salamandernews.org/bakerloo-lin...

"To hell with God," Fern said. "I'm worried about the Internet."
- The Candy House by Jennifer Egan