Britain’s most expensive houseWhat could you buy for price of Kensingtonpad set to break the bank at £280million?

Cash crisisin mentalhealth carefor children

TOOTING is one of theunhappiest places to live inLondon, according to an ITVsurvey.

The town found itself at thebottom of the ‘happy scale’alongsideNineElms andEle-phant & Castle amongothers, while South WestLondon cousins, Parson’sGreen and Fulham, werevoted among the happiestplaces to reside.

Kadri Berisha,manager ofKennedy’s fish shop inTootingHigh Broadway, was rathermore optimistic though.

“That’s strange because Iam very happy,”he said.

Mr Berishamoved toToot-ing 18 months ago afterworking in a Fish & Chipshop inCoventGarden for 17years,andhas seen apositivechange since then,

“Nowwhen I look around,Ican see the area hasimproved,there are opportu-nities inTooting”he said.

“This company only hadbranches in Central London,one is in Clerkenwell, so weopened here in Tooting soother people could experi-ence our fish and chips.

“I am very happy to behere.Tooting ismoving up!”

Tooting MP Sadiq Khan isrunning for London Mayor,and has championed thearea’s inclusive multiculturalenvironment.

Hewrote onTwitter:“Unri-valled community spirit,bestcurries in London, the lido,and a great MP to boot – toomany reasons to LoveTooting.”

YOUNG people experienc-ing mental health problemsface an uncertain future aftercarebudgets in Lambeth andWandsworthwere slashedbymore than £250,000.

Figures exclusivelyobtained by SouthWest Lon-doner show thatWandsworthand Lambeth Clinical Com-missioning Groups (CCGs)cut their Child and Adoles-centMental Health (CAMHS)budgets in 2014/15.

Wandsworth CCG decre-ased their budget by £71,741and Lambeth CCG by£182,134, despite pledgesfrom politicians that youngpeople’smental healthwas atop priority.

Dr Nihara Krause, founderand CEO of mental healthcharity STEM4based inWim-bledon, said: “It’s not goodnews at all. The threshold toreceive assistance onCAMHS is so high already.

“Unless you have verysevere mental health issuesyou will have no chance of

accessing the service. Fur-ther budget cuts are creatinga huge problem.”

In March 2015 ChancellorGeorge Osborne confirmedan extra £1.25 billion wouldbe spent on mental healthservices for people,with theConservatives promising an£8 billion windfall for theNHS in apre-electionpledge.

Despite these assurances,mental health budgets forchildren’s services havefallen by 6% in real termssince 2010.

Dr Krause, who has morethan24years’experienceasaclinical psychologist, said:“There was a major promisefor further funds for youngpeople and to battle eatingdisorders.We haven’t seenanything so far.”

STEM4 aims to improveteenagemental health issuesand has a strong focus oneating disorders, self-harmand depression.

The workshops run byqualified medical profes-sionals are becomingincreasingly popular withschools.

Dr Krause said: “We’vehad loads of schools comingto us from all round thecountry.

“Previously wewere just aservice around London butthere is a lot of need.”

According to the RoyalCollege of Psychiatry, half ofall mental illnesses begin bythe age of 14 and three-quar-ters by mid-20s, makingearly intervention a key bat-tleground for future fundingrequirements for mentalhealth services.

Dr Krause said:“If youpickup these issues early you canmake a huge difference.”

WandsworthCCGsaid theslight reduction in fundingwas part of a Cost Improve-ment Planwhich reduced thenumber of managerial staffwithout reducing clinicalteams.

Lambeth CCG said theycontinue to recognise thecritical importance of emo-tional well-being for youngpeople and are investing inadditional frontline servicesin 2015/16 to improvequalityand provision.

�EXCLUSIVE ByJOE MIDDLETON

‘Unhappy’Tooting ispositivelyon the up

By JANE KIWANUKA-MUSOKE

WILD IN LONDON

PAGE 2

>> Iconic clubshut down

PAGE 6

>> No parking: Angerat new scheme

PAGE 8

>> Never forget: JeanCharles de Menezes

@sw_Londonerwww.swlondoner.co.ukMonday, July 27, 2015

IN A FLUTTER:Butterfly numbers arefalling

CREDIT: Iain H Leachand Sarah Walters

>> page 2

PAGE 8

Monday July 27 20152

DJS have slammed the possi-ble closure of the iconic 414club in Brixton.A planning application

was lodged on Monday June22with LambethCouncil for achange of use for the night-club and an adjoiningproperty.A petition launched by

Bernadette Connolly fromEpsom to save the club, hasalready gained more than2,000 signatures.DJ SterlingMoss,who reg-

ularly plays at the club, said:“The venue has always sup-ported a lot of undergroundmusic when nobody elsewould give it a chance.“Brixton has always been

edgy.It matches the vibe ofthe area.“It’s one of my spiritual

homes.A lot of peoplewouldbe really upset to let it go.”London nightclubs are

facing a perfect storm ofthreats that have forced theclosure of a number of popu-lar venues including theiconic Club Colosseum inVauxhall and Madame Jojo’sin Soho.Samantha Bagg, strategy

and planning director at BigFishMusic Partnerships andaDJ and Producer, said:“It’s abrilliant venue and a com-plete institution. You can’trecreate a place like that.“It’s very sad to see pock-

ets of culture being torn upand flushed down the toilet.”

Pleasedon’tstop themusic

Perils ofrace onThames

ADISTRAUGHT family havestarted apetition urgingBat-terseaDogs &Cats Home tocontact pets previousowners after their dogswereput down.Maxzine Ward, who was

no longer able to care forherdogs,Bailey andSevena,which she owned for eightyears, thought the well-respected rescue centrewould be the best destina-tion for them to be cared forand rehomed.However, just days after

reluctantly handing over thedogs,MrsWardwas told thatthey had been put downafter calling to check howtheywere getting on.MrsWard said:“Wechose

to put them in Batterseabecause we felt that theyhadnoquality of life and thatthey deserved better.“I can't see myself ever

gettingover this,not ever.It'sthe first thing I think of andthe last thing I think of,I can'teat or sleep properly.”Mrs Ward has started an

online petition, which hasmore than 750 signatures,urging Battersea Dogs &Cats home to contact previ-ous owners giving them achance to make otherarrangements.

The rescue centre say it isnot procedure for them tocontact former owners underthese circumstances and thatthey did fully explain the sit-uation whenMrsWard got intouch.Mrs Ward’s daughter,

Shann, 16, also took to Face-book to express her angerand grief, she said: “I havehad these twodog since Iwas8years old.Bearing inmind I

average stay for a dog is 36days with the centre foster-ing around 300 at any onetime.David Ryan of theAssocia-

tion of Pet BehaviourCounsellors said that when

circumstances change, adog’s behaviour can alsochange drastically, addingthat this is taken into accountwhen experts at rescue cen-tresmake these decisions.Jacqueline Young, of

Uppingham, East Midlands,commented:“Nohealthydogshouldbeput to sleepwithoutevery avenue beingmade torehomeor contact ex ownersto check if they want themback.”

Anger afterBatterseaputs downfamily pets�By JAKE

ALEXANDER

�By JOEMIDDLETON

�By JOEMIDDLETON

SHOCK DOG DEATHS: Family distraught CREDIT: Facebook

Protesting cyclists and residents clash over Brixton road closure

PROTESTING cyclists andresidents argued over theplannedLoughborough Junc-tion road closures onTuesday evening outsideLambethTownHall.At a specially ordered

scrutiny committee council-lors decided to stickwith thedecision made at cabinetdecision topush forwardwiththe experimental road clo-sures at LoughboroughJunction.

This has dismayed resi-dents who feel that theyhaven’t been properly con-sulted and that therewill be anegative impact upon thebusinesses located there.Bob Campbell,

spokesperson for the StopLoughborough Road Clo-sures group said:“Thewholeprocess felt like a total stitchup.”Mr Campbell said that

rather than new investmentcoming to the area,thegroupfear the loss of jobs fromestablished local businesses.

On the picket line, DianeMarsh,67, teacher,of Lough-borough Road said:“I’m notagainst cyclists, but theschemewill causemayhem.“All the cars will come

down Cold Harbour Lane. Ifyou close the road the wholeareawill be gridlocked.It’s amajor artery.”However the London

CyclingCampaign and Lam-beth Cyclists believe thechanges at LoughboroughJunction will be better forcyclists and pedestrians.ChrisTownsend,27,Facili-

tiesManager,fromStreathamand a member of the Lam-beth Cyclists, said: “It willmakeanice route for cyclists.Currently people use the

area as a rat run.The roadcanbe very dangerous.”The London Cycle Cam-

paign made this a keypriority in their ‘Space forCycling Campaign’ whichaims to improvequality of lifefor all.Kate Thomas, 43, a web

editor from Brixton andmember of the LondonCycleCampaign, said: “If people

are safer andmore confidenttheywon’t use their cars.”Cllr Jennifer Braithwaite,

Cabinet Member for Envi-ronment and Sustainability atLambeth Council said: “Wehad a useful discussion onTuesdaywhere awide rangeof viewswere expressed.As a resultwehave agreed

anumberof newconditions inrelation to the scheme.“Once the first six months

is up,we can decide how wewant to proceed, and willtake into account all repre-sentationsmade.”

BATTERSEA ROW: Dogshome put down pets

am now 16, we have hadthem a long time.“They were a part of our

family.“We never wanted this to

happen to our dogs, if weknew Battersea was going toput our dogs downwewouldhave got our dogs back in aheartbeat and made otherarrangements.“This is truly heart-break-

ing, as a family we loved ourdogs.”Battersea Dogs & Cats

Home, founded in 1860 andfinanced by voluntary dona-tions, replied to Mrs Wardsgrief-fuelled messages, butlater removedher commentson their page.They said:“Thedogswere

very stressed and actingaggressively during theirtime with us. Our experi-enced and expert team didall they could to helpwith thestress but to no avail.“Battersea is a re-homing

organisation and it simplywould not have been safe torehome them with our exist-ing concern.“In certain cases we do

have tomake the unfortunatedecision to put a dog or catto sleep for medical orbehavioural reasons only,notbecause it is taking too longto find the animal a home.”Before finding a home the

THE Port of London Chal-lenge takesplaceonMondayafternoon,covering a 4.4milecourse from HQSWellingtontoChelseaHarbour,and fea-tures traditional cutter boatson a dangerous modernThames.Joe Lane, competing

member of the Thames Tra-ditional Rowing Authoritysaid: “Entering the pool ofLondon can be a bit hair-raising for even the mostexperienced of rowers withwake from motorised ves-sels, currents as youapproach and leavebridges.”RogerGould,the secretary

and treasurer for the TTRA,said that on oneoccasion oneof the Thames Watermen’sCutters collided with a largecommercial Thames vesselthat failed to see the boat. PROTEST: Cyclist fury

Monday July 27 2015 3

Start-up expert predictsend of the greasy spoon

turing company CascadeDesigns announced it wouldmove 100 jobs – a fifth of itsworkforce – to a new plant inReno,Nevada.

In response to the mini-mum wage hike in Oakland,California, from $9 to $12.25in March this year, somerestaurants raised their foodprices by up to 20% andmade service chargesmandatory.

Mr Bischof suggested thatthe swelling running costs ofculinary start-ups, such asgreasy spoons, could be toomuch.

“Runninga 'greasy spoon'-type cafe may be a thing ofthe past as the pricescharged for food – includingcost of labour – may notmake it profitableunless it's inthe best of locations withgreatmarketing.”

Professor Blackburnagreed that location iscritical.

“Firms in south westLondon might be able tocope, while those in poorerparts of the UK such as theNorth andWales,where aver-age wage rates are lower,may struggle,”he said.

LONELINESS and depres-sion are being combatednationwide by the emer-gence of“Men in Sheds”groups, the latest of whichlaunched in Battersea lastweek.

Themovement,whichoriginated in Australia,enablesmen to cometogether socially to under-take practical tasks.

Battersea had its firstmeeting onTuesday July 21at Dimson Lodge,141 Bat-terseaChurch Road,andwas attended by 14 enthusi-

astic whittlers and aspiringcarvers.

Sheltered HousingOfficerforWandsworth Council,GeoffreyCox,spoke of theneed for such societies.

He said:“Men are under-represented inmany of thegroups that we run. Wewere looking for ameaning-ful way to includemen inactivities. We heard aboutthe impact that theMen inShedsmovement had beenmaking across the countryand thought wewould see iftherewas an interest for it inWandsworth.

“Oldermen are often iso-lated since retirementespecially (but not exclu-

sively) if they live alone. Weknow that isolation can be amajor cause of ill-health,bothmental and physical,sowe hope potential newmembers get in touch andbecome part of the projectfrom the very beginning.”

MrCox assuresme thatwhile they aremainly target-ingmen over 55 to join,women arewelcome if theyalsowant to take part.

The first project is to builda shed as a group.Some ofthe participants havemorecreative ideas such asmaking recycled gardenfurniture or bird boxes andrepairing boats.

MrCox said:“We asked

what peoplewanted fromthe project and theywantedtowork together andmeetnewpeople.”

The plan is that the‘shed’will become awell-usedcommunity resource andthatmembers will work onprojects that benefit thecommunity together as wellas working on individualprojects.

According to UKMen’sSheds Association, twosheds open everyweekacross the country and thereare already 3600members.

The group is deciding ontime and location.ContactGeoffreyCox on 020 72235335 formore information.

Battersea shed group tackles male loneliness

�By CHERTHORNHILL

�By ELIZABETHCULLIFORD

�By HELENAGUMLEY-MASON

ABRIXTON-BASEDentrepre-neur says the budget couldsee the demise of the greasyspoon.

GeorgeOsborne's budgetpromised a climb in thelivingwage for over 25-year-olds up to a minimum of £9an hour in 2020.

But Mr Dirk Bischof,Founder of One Planet Ven-tures and HATCH incubator,said start-ups in the foodsector,which typically rely oncheap labour, already facefierce competition.

“It is questionablewhether minimum wageincreases or the implemen-tation of a livingwagewill begood for start-ups as itincreases set-up costs andmargins are worse,” said MrBischof.

“This could mean start-ups take longer to reachprofitability.”

In the USA, Seattle’s $15minimum wage claimed itsfirst casualty even before itwas implemented. In Febru-ary this year, the outdoorrecreational gear manufac-

SLIPPERYSLOPE: Greasyspoon cafesface toughtimes as thebudget wagehikes squeezerunning costs

CREDIT: Preater

Kids urgedto pledgeUK loyalty

SCHOOLCHILDRENshould pledge loyalty tothe country in assemblies,said a southwest LondonMuslimgroup thisweek.TheAhmadiyya

MuslimYouth Association(AMYAUK), which has itsheadquarters in South-fields FazlMosque inWandsworth, said nation-al loyalty is part of Islam.The suggestion follows

DavidCameron’s counter-extremismspeech onMonday, inwhich heblamed a lack of integra-tion for hundreds ofBritons joining IslamicStatemilitants.Merton-basedAMYA

UK spokesperson JamalAkbar said:“I believe ifyou are a British citizenthere is no harm ininstalling a sense of loyal-tywithin schools to unifythe youth.”The government’s five-

year plan to defeathome-grown extremismacknowledged that theidentity crisis of someBritish-bornMuslimsneeds attention.MrCameron said:“We

have to confront a tragictruth that there are peopleborn and raised in thiscountrywho don’t reallyidentifywith Britain – andwho feel little or no attach-ment to other peoplehere.”However, while AMYA

UKwelcomed the govern-ment’s focus on thedangers of extremism, ithadmixed feelings aboutthe primeminister’s latestmessage.MrAkbar said:“It was

necessary to comeupwitha plan on dealingwithextremist ideologies but Ifelt therewas an under-tone that the governmentbelieves that there is asecret support of ISISamongMuslims.This isincorrect.”MrAkbar’smain con-

cernwaswhat he calledthe‘double standards’nowapplied to free speech.He said:“It seems okay

to print derogatory car-toons about theHolyProphet (peace be uponhim) in the name of freespeech, but someonecannot speak theirmind ifthey have an opinion onthe causes of 9/11 otherthanwhat the governmentthinks.”AMYAUK spokesperson

FarooqAftab,writing intheHuffington Post thisweek, also said:“TheGov-ernment also has aresponsibility to ensurethat in its drive to tackleextremism it providesspace for discussion.”SHEDLOADS: Practical skills will combat isolation

Maxine Cooper, managerof the Polka cafe, an inde-pendent franchise cafe inWimbledon, said the rise inthe minimum wage wouldobviously affect her.

“I might not be here by2020.We’re only a small busi-ness and we're based inWimbledon and have rent topay,”she said.

Professor Robert Black-burn, director of the smallbusiness research centre atKingston Business School,said:“I think it’s easier forstart-up greasy spoons.Theywon’t have known anythingelse.

“If we sat down to write abusiness plan we wouldfactor that in.”

Jerry Irving, chief execu-tive of theKingstonChamberof Commerce, said theimpact of the budget wouldbe small.

“The increase in the per-sonal allowancegivespeoplemoremoney in their pocketsto spend with the retailsector. Halting the rate ofduty on petrol will help andthe cost of supply won’tincrease, which will helppurchasing,”he said.

only marginally profitablenow, but saw no disasterahead.

He said:“It’s the only wayto recoup – a small inflation-ary effect.”

Others may alter the agemake-up of their staff,according to Professor Black-burn.

“A lot employ olderwork-ers, for example part-timestaff in their 50s,”he said.

“They may not want toemploy these any morebecause they’re expensive.”

Mr Bischof said the risingprice of man-hours couldalso spell good news forunder 25-year-olds, as theirchances of finding employ-ment inside start-ups willincrease. It will, however,force more start-ups to turnto automation, such as self-checkouts.

A report from accountan-cy firm Deloitte and OxfordUniversity said last year thatcomputers and robots coulderase 10million – that is, onein three – British jobs in thenext 20 years.

The London-focused studysuggested low-earning jobsaremost vulnerable.

Professor Blackburn saidefforts to improve productiv-ity when you have fewworkers are incredibly diffi-cult.

Role-playing theownerof acafe under financial pres-sure, he asked: “What canwedo? We can’t employ arobot.”

Kingston Council empha-sised its support for localbusinesses and start-ups.

A spokesperson forKingston Council said: “Werecognise that encouragingand supporting start-ups iskey to a thriving localeconomy.

“The borough is a hotbedfor start-ups, with KingstonUniversity producing moregraduate start-up companiesthan any other higher educa-tion institution in the UK.”

“The Council is proud ofits reputation for supportingthe local business communityand its commitment to pro-viding a full range of supportservices for establishedbusi-nesses, start-ups and inwardinvestors.

“We are detemined tomake the borough a firstchoice for businesses.”

He said finances will betight for cafes but other fac-tors aremore important.

He said: “Greasy spoonshavebeen around since afterthewar.They satisfy a partic-ular clientele.Whenbuildersdo badly, they will do badly.When it does well, they willtoo, if it’s the right location.”

Professor Blackburn saidcompanies with small profitmargins aremost at risk.

“For firms already strug-gling, this increase in thenationalminimumwagemaybe the final straw that pushesthemover the edge,”he said.

Mr Bischof pointed outover recent years accommo-dation and food service jobshave already suffered fiercecompetition

“Many of these industriesare already under siege.Thehospitality sector, for exam-ple, has had Airbnb eatingaway market share, and fast-food chains now have to sellmore expensive foods tothose sections of societywhoeat it most or reduce foodquality evenmore.”

Mr Irving agreed somebusinesses will increaseprices, especially if they are

Monday July 27 20154

Foodivalreturns

THE Big Butterfly Count isproving a hit this summer asvisitors flock to the LondonWetlandCentre in Barnes insearch of butterflies.The countrywide event,

launched at the WetlandCentre by David Attenbor-ough last Friday,is in urgentresponse to the rapidlydeclining population of thenation’s butterflies.Members of the public

haveuntilAugust 9 tohead totheWetlandCentre,pick upa spotter sheet to help iden-tify the different varieties ofUK butterflies around theirhome and upload their find-ings online.A LondonWetlandCentre

spokesperson said: “Asalways it’sbeenverypopularand it’s been agreat thing tosuggest to familieswhohavealready broken up for thesummer.It’s also a greatwayto get people interested incitizen science.”

Butterflies are one of theUK’smost threatenedwildlifegroupswithmore than a thirdof species in significantdecline over the last decade.The biggest contributing

factor to their diminishingnumbers is thedestruction ofhabitat and the extremelyvariable weather conditionsBritish summers have seenin the past few years.A lack of butterflies is just

as important to spot as anabundance, as they are vitalindicators of a healthyecosystemandenvironment.There is lots amateur but-

terfly conservationists couldbegetting onwith accordingto Sir David,who has beenPresident of Butterfly Con-servation since 1998.Sir David said:“Plant a few

pots in your garden or onyour window ledge with theright plants and you can pro-videbutterflieswith a lifelineof food and shelter.”Hannah Roberts, 35, from

Tooting,whowas counting at

appear in any great numberaccording to Liam Creedonfrom Butterfly Conservation.Mr Creedon said:“Butter-

flies like warm sunnierclimates and so far theweather hasn’t been goodenough for significant num-bers. We shall be doing apreliminary count of thecensus next week.”Members of thepublic can

simply pick a sunny spot,either in their own gardensor when out and about, andset asideamere15minutes tototal up the number of eachbutterfly species they see.This year the first Brown

Hairstreak sighting has beenreported and only the ScotchArgus remains to be seen.An identification spotter

sheet can be downloadedfrom the Butterfly Conserva-tionwebsite,or thosewishingto partake can head down tothe LondonWetlandCentre.Sir David said: “Make

yours a butterfly summer bygetting out for theCount.”

Butterflies in thestomach overnumbers drop innative species�By ALEXANDER

HOLMES

�By ELIZABETHFINNEY

UK bats rule roost as Winged Wonders eventspreads its wings at Natural History MuseumBATS are on the agenda attheNocturnalWingedWon-ders event at The NaturalHistoryMuseum.The event is part of Bat-

fest 2015, a collaborativeproject between the NHMand the Bat ConservationTrust,with the Internation-al Bat Weekend takingplace onAugust 29-30.Kit Stoner, Joint Chief

Executive of the BCT, said:“Although bats are nowprotected by law, they stillface many pressuresincluding the loss of roost-ing sites in buildings andtrees, a reduction in feed-ing habitats and greencorridors like hedgerows

and treelines, and fallinginsect numbers.”The public consultation

phase two of the EuropeanCommission’s review ofthe Birds and HabitatsDirectives closed lastweekend and more than370,000 people haveresponded to the call.The directives protect

vulnerable species andhabitats while balancingthat need with social andeconomical requirements.A total of 53 threatened

bat species across Europeare protected and dilutingthis legislation will harmbats and otherwildlife.Wimbledon Common

and Putney Common areboth well-known for hous-ing soprano, Nathusius’

and common pipistrellespecies as well as NoctuleandDaubenton’s bats.MsStoner said:“Bat pop-

ulations have declinedsignificantly over the lastcentury,most likely due toa combination of agricul-tural intensification, toxictimber treatment chemi-cals and pesticides, andhabitat and roost loss.”However, thanks to

recent measures, many ofthe 18 species of batsbreeding in the UK havegrownby 40% since 1993.Twitter user DaveYoung

said on Wednesday: “TheSouth London skies arealive with wildlife I’ve notseen in theseparts before.”The Bat Conservation

Trust encourages UK

residents tomake gardensmore bat-friendly, by pro-vidingwarmbat boxes andplanting plants to attractmoths and insects.The Royal Horticultural

Society has released a listof plants to attract night-flying insects on theirwebsite, specifying thatwhite or pale colouredflowers are significantlymore likely to be seen bynocturnal insects.Visitors to the Natural

History Museum’s eventwill enjoy crafts, facepainting,batboxbuilding,ameet and greet with batsfrom Sussex Bat Hospitalandmore.To learnmore about how

to help bats in your area,visit bats.org.uk.

the centre on Thursday, saidthis was the second year sheand her daughter had joinedinwith the Butterfly Count.Their worry for butterflies

grewafter attending an exhi-bition on the insects last yearand now theyplan to do theirbit to help conserve them.Mrs Roberts said: “We’ve

got quite a big garden thisyear and we went to thegarden centre and boughtlots of big,brightly colouredplants that attract butterflies,bees and birds.“We have been doing our

own little bit in our gardenbut in London it is difficult.“The garden centres are

really good because theyadvertise which plants aregood for butterflies andbeesso that helps a little bit.”Oregano,Catmint,Cranes-

bill, Lavender andEchinaceaare all excellent nectarsources for butterflies to feeduponandareeasilyplanted inpots or window ledges.The butterflies have yet to

Long-Eared Bat CREDIT: Hugh Clark/www.bats.org.uk

TOOTING’S annual Foodivalfestival returns to celebratehome grown produce for aneighth year this September.The volunteer-run event

began in 2008 at BroadwayStudios and had a turnout of300 foodie visitors last year.MalsaraThorne,director

of the Foodival festival,said:“Miraculously it all comestogether.We do it becausewe love it.“It’s about getting people

to really think about wheretheir food comes from.”The free festival raises

public awareness of scarceresources,climate changeand the enormous impacthuman activity has on theenvironment.Theweekendwill feature

live entertainment includingthe ugly food competition.Visit:www.tootingfoodiva

l.blogspot.co.uk.

PRETTY ADMIRABLE: Red Admirals CREDIT: Will Langdon & Butterfly Conservation

Monday July 27 2015 5

Brixton Green targetof campaign bullies

one of the five Brixton wardscan purchase a share in theproject for £1 which allowsthem to vote on any of Brix-tonGreen’s decisions.A video surfaced online

last week of a group of resi-dents protestingoutsideNo.6Somerleyton Road followingthe claim that access to thecentre for some residentshad been refused.Maria Santos,organiser of

Come Together Brixton,stated that she had beenlockedout of the centrewhenhoping to use the space.Ms Santos said: “People

have been treated with norespect what-so-ever andsomeof their tools are lockedaway from them and workcouldn’t be carried out.”A statement from Brixton

Green states that Ms Santoswas frustrated after beingtold she was not able to hireother office space in the

building as well as the mainspaces.Following this altercation,

Mr Carroll claims he wasaccosted in the street by aman brandishing a mobilephone who repeatedlyaccused him of being a liar.In reference to the Brixton

Green finances, Mr Carrollsaid:“It was all printedon thewall.We’re not a small cliquecommunity group,we set outfrom thebeginning to ensurethat the whole communitycould be a part of this.”The site in question is a

temporary centre which willremain in place until furtherurban developments beginearly next year.Brixton Green are at the

forefront of the developmentand aim to ensure that all theresidents get the most out-standing results possiblefrom the development.

FORMULA E could return toBattersea Park next yearamid Wandsworth CityCouncil’s public consultationand residents’outcry.FIA World Motor Sport

Council announced earlierthis month that London willhost twoof the11 racesdue totake place across the globein 2016 with Battersea Parkthe prefered location.However, Battersea resi-

dents are rallying against apotential deal and an onlinepetition against Formula Ereturning to Battersea Park

has already received morethan 2,000 signatures.AWandsworth City Coun-

cil spokesman said: “At themoment there’s noguaranteethat it will be in BatterseaPark again.“Obviously, there’s a

chance itwill,but at this stagewe don’t have a cast ironagreement with Formula E.”The spokesman also clari-

fied that both sides have abreak clause after one year,meaning that Battersea Parkmay not necessarily be theevent’s future home.The council are looking to

hearwhat people think aboutthe race before a finaldecision ismade.

However, the decisioncould see the super-speedyelectric racing cars return foryears in a row.The public consultation

which is running at themoment lasts until Septem-ber 6, after which it will behanded to a committee thatlooks at Formula E.The final decision on

whether or not Battersea Parkwill host a race next yearwillbemade inOctober.Several residents have

vocalised their objections tothe proposed plans.Susan Lofthouse, of War-

riner Gardens, said: “It’s aVictorian Park,which meanswe should take special care

with it, it is not suitable tobuild a temporary race track.“It looked like a prison

everyday.”Some industry experts

believe that Formula E is thefuture ofmotor racing.Consultant motorsport

engineer, Chris Gorne, 53,said: “It is bringing motor-sport to the masses and Ithink it’s gearing it moretowards the young as well,which is very good.“Mybest analogy is to use

electric racing to produce orto increase the knowledgeand the development time ofelectric motors like the air-craft industry in timesofwar.”Mr Gome addressed the

Battersea Park Formula E return sparks angry backlash

�By CIARÁNSTEWARD

�By ALEXANDERHOLMES

�By LAURA ONITA& CIARÁN STEW-

COMMUNITYbenefit societyBrixtonGreen has hit back atcritics following online andreal world altercations in thepast fewweeks.Brixton residents rallied

outside No.6 SomerleytonRoad, a community led pop-up space, last week afterclaims residents had beenlocked out of the centre.Brad Carroll, director of

Brixton Green, has deniedthese claims andbelieves theorganisation has become thetarget of bullies.MrCarroll said:“I was told

‘we’re going to teach you alesson’ and there are goingto be five videos about you.”Since beginning in 2008,

Brixton Green has encour-aged residents to becomeinvolved in the community.Those that live or work in

A mural recently surfacednear the site which featuredpopular children’s characterPinocchio appears alongsidethe words ‘The Naughty LiesOf BrixtonGreen’.The mural, painted by

Brixton resident Boyd Hill,also includes apoemcriticis-ing the way in which BrixtonGreen operates.MrHill has also publicised

his grievances about beinglocked out of the space.He said: “There are many

issues surrounding this ven-ture by Brixton Green andthis won’t be the last.”The location of Somerley-

ton Road divides gentrifiedareas of Brixton from homesthat have stood for decades.Brixton Green is run by

volunteers who have a firmunderstandingofwhat is bestfor the community.The current plans for

Somerleyton Road includemore than 300newhomes forrent, half of which will meetthe government’s affordablehomes standards.It will also feature creative

projects such as an outsidegym,children’s nursery andasatellite school and trainingrestaurant for a state of the artUK chef school.The development will be

leased to a new,overarchingcommunity body for 250years.MrCarroll said“Notmany

community organisations areable to run for seven years,keeping people enthusedabout one issue.“We’ve done something

quite extraordinary and theonly way to have done thatwas tomake sure all the timewe were nice and solid –we’re accountable to ourshareholders.”

East SheenWWII air raidshelter opens

Eye-sore? Battersea Park course CREDIT: Formula

WWII CREDIT:Cathy Blake

A WWII air raid shelter inEast Sheen designated ‘atrisk’ by Historic Englandis to open to the public onSeptember 20.

A steerage group of vol-unteers painstakinglycleared out the air raidshelter in May, which hadbeenusedasa storageunitfor decades by mainte-nance staff of a block offlats nearby.

Although meticulouslycleared of clutter, it stillfaces an uncertain futureas potentially seriousbuilding issues remain.

Sophie Harman, Her-itage Project Manager atEnvironment Trust, whoadvises the shelter’s steer-ing group said: “We arewaiting to get some small-er amounts of funding tocarryout someexploratorywork.

“Some of the work willbe stabilising the roofwhich is in immediateneed and checking thevery old war-time tankingsystem which keeps theunderground part of theshelter waterproof.”

The air raid shelter wasoriginally for the residentsof St. Leonards Court, athree-story block of flatson St.Leonards Road.

The sitewas intendedasa communal shelter for 70residents, half thenumberof those living in the flats.

The half submergedshelter has a red brickentrance that almostresembles a dovecote.

Ms Harman said: “It’sprettyunique, it consists offour underground roomsand a central corridor andstill has quite a lot of origi-nal features suchas theoldchemical toilets andall the

numberedcoatpegswhichrelate to the bunk beds.

“All the shelves that hadlittle individual electriclights fitted to it are stillthere.”

An aim of the commu-nity is to conserve theshelter as an educationalresource for children.

Ms Harman said: “Wewant to show it as a placethat wasn’t really a niceplace to be, it was verybasic.

“We want to be clear tochildren it was war timeand things were difficult.”

An Historic Englandspokesperson said the

shelter represents amemorial to the past.

It is an example of thephysical remnants peopleleave behind.

St. Leonards Air RaidShelter provides a tangibleconnection to the past andthat’swhy it’s importantwelook after it.

Members of thecommu-nity are encouraged tohead down to the open dayon September 20.

Ms Harman said:“People can see the stateit’s at now, see the changesthat have been done andthe conservation workhappen.”

Get involved inheritageby visiting ukapt.org.uk.

public’s concerns but statedthat he believed everythinghadbeen restored to normal.This year’s race was the

first international motorracing event to be held inLondon for 43 years.About 60,000 spectators

gathered at Battersea Park towatchBrazilianNelsonPiquetJrwin the inaugural raceby asingle point.The battery-powered cars

make very little noise aswellas being emission-free,which means cities havebeen willing to lend theirstreets to the competition.You can sign the petition

against Formula E onIpetitions.com.

UNREST: Themural site in thecentre of Brixton

Monday July 27 20156

Top ofthe table

JEAN Charles de Menezes’family gathered outsideStockwell tube station onWednesday to commemo-rate the tenth anniversary ofhis death and gain supportfor their ongoing campaignfor justice.A minute’s silence was

held to mark the momentthat an innocent 27-year-oldBrazilian man was shot bypolice at Stockwell tubestation after beingmistakenfor a terrorist in theaftermath of the Londonbombings.Mr de Menezes’ cousin

Vivien Figueiredo spokebriefly thanking people forcoming and their support.Softly spoken and wear-

ing sunglasses, with aclearly identifiable Brazilianaccent, her voice began tobreak as she reached theend of her speech.MsFigueiredo said:“It is a

really emotional difficult dayformeand formy family,butalso a very special day aswe’re here to rememberhim.”Describing Mr Menezes,

who left Gonzaga in Brazil towork as an electrician, shesaid:“For me,he is an inspi-ration. He left his home cityto find a better life.”

She described the ongo-ing legal case,which has nowbeen taken to the EuropeanCourt of Human Rights(ECHR), as a ‘big battle foraccountability’.Standing in front of the

colourful mosaic memorial,Ms Figueiredo said: “Hisname can’t be forgotten.“I thank Jean so much for

thememories left and I hopehe rests in peace.”Mr Menezes was killed

‘His name can’t be forgotten’:Ten years after tube shooting�By CHARLOTTE

SEXTON

�By LEANNEPHINIKAS

�By LEANNEPHINIKAS

TEN YEARS ON: Jean Charles de Menezes’ cousins pledge for justice

Plans for London’s first tea-total pub brew up a storm in Balham

A TEA-ONLY pub is set torevolutionise the humblecuppa in south westLondon from September,while its crowdfundingcampaign has alreadysmashed its £180,000target.

Poured loose-leaf teawill replace pulled pints atBrew, in Balham, whichwill also serveupalcoholictea cocktails including theEnglishBreakfastTeaMar-tini and theBrandyMasalaChai.

Brew’s Crowdcube cam-paign nailed itsfundraising target just fourand a half weeks afterlaunch day.

Director Jonathan Blisssaid: “We’re very, verypleased. For a brand newconcept, the start-up hasdone really well.”

He added that Brew will

deliver tea in the rightway,employing traditionalmethods unseen for gener-ations, selecting highquality leaves and enforc-ing a strict ban on teabags.

Light bites and cakes tomatch the teas’ flavourswill also be offered in thepub,whichbeganas apop-up in Brixton Market lastDecember.

Brew believes that mosttea is consumed at homebecause decent varietiescannotbe foundon thehighstreet in the same way thatcoffee can be purchased.

Brixton resident AlexHolland, Brew’s founderand CEO, is on a personalmission to help restoreprestige to our nationaldrink.

Alex said:“Lots ofBritishtea experiences havebecome a bit of a joke,moreabout thedoilies thandelivering on taste. Brew

will treat tea like a seriousdrink.”

Aiming to lead theway inproducing teas from ethi-cally sourced suppliers,while championing smallgrowers, Brew will bejoined by world-leadingexpertsMayfair’s PostcardTeas who will act as theventure’s advisors.

The serious drink alsohas serious catering expe-rience behind it, withbacking fromheavyweightLondon entrepreneursGiuseppe Mascoli, whobrought us the FrancoManca pizzeria chain, andIqbal Wahhab, founder ofThe Cinnamon Club andRoast.

Iqbal,whohasmentoredAlex and is also on Brew’sboard of directors, said:“With the combination oftea andcocktails, Brewhasthepotential togrowacrossthe whole of the UK and

beyond.”While Balham is

planned to be the firstplace todeliverquality tea,east London is already inthe team’s sights for thegreat British tea takeover.

And theyarehopeful thatthey won’t face an initialbacklash experienced bynew concept start-ups,such as that of last year’sopening of the CerealKiller Café, and the viewthat it will be another ‘hip-ster’ fad.

“Not everyonewill agreewith Brew, of course,” saidJonathan.

“There’s sometimes afeeling of start-ups tryingto do something like that, afad, but all we’re trying todo is make good tea avail-able to everyone atcompetitive prices, likewhat already exists withcoffee on the high street.”

KILLED: Jean Charlesde Menezes (above)

TEA-TOTALLER: Brew founder Alex Holland

He said:“Thebig questionis why it takes so long forfamilies to get justice anddignity?”Freddie Charles, a Stock-

well resident who attendedthememorial,said:“Myheartgoes out to the familywaitingfor justice.”He said he was surprised

that the Menezes family’splight for justice was takingso long and expressed frus-tration that the case had to goto Europe.Talking about the attitudes

of parts of the Stockwell com-munity towards the police,the 52-year-old said:“Peopleare together in this, togetherinmistrust.“There is definitely anger

in the community.“Without justice,wheredo

people put that anger?”Many see the case’s hear-

ingat theECHRasachance toscrutinise the process in theUK by which police are heldaccountable, not just for thedeath of Mr Menezes, butalso formany others.However, while many feel

the perceived injustice ofMrMenezes’ death acutely,others living in Stockwell donot feel it so strongly.Brenda, a fruit seller, who

had been working on a stallthe day of Mr Menezes’death, said: “A few peoplecome here to see the memo-rial, but notmany now.”

AWIMBLEDON restaurant’snumber oneonline status hasthwarted its plan to remain aquiet neighbourhood eatery.Holy Smoke, on 21

Leopold Road,Wimbledon,regularly reaches the covetednumber one spot amongonline review site Trip-Advisor’s 18,000 Londonrestaurants.The 24-seater restaurant

sources all produce fromWimbledon for its smokeddishes, wild meats, and amenu with a ‘healthy con-tempt for convention’,whichchangesweekly.Cameron Standal, who is

from South Africa and ownsthe restaurant with hispartner, Jane Mercer, said:“It’s been fairly overwhelm-ing and somewhat out of thebusiness plan.”

after being shot at closerange by police on July 222005, the day after a failedbomb attack and two weeksafter the 7/7 bombings.The organisers of the

event, the Newham Monitor-ing Group, said:“Our heartsgo out to the survivors and allthe relatives of those whodied because of the 7/7bombings in London.“There will be no official

recognition or ceremony,however,marking the brutalexecution of Jean Charles deMenezes just two weekslater.”The Justice4Jean campaign

took their fight to bring thepolice officers that killed MrMenezes to account to theEuropean Court of HumanRights, after the Crown Pros-ecution Service decided thatno police officers should beprosecuted over the killing.Both Mr Menezes’ family

and family spokesman MrRehman made references toother campaigns againstinjustices experienced byethnicminorities at the handsof the police.Londoner Saqib Desh-

mukh was there tocommemorate Mr Menezes,but also to represent a cam-paign from another grievingtobringpolice to justice overthe death of Habib ‘Paps’Ullah in 2008.

Monday July 27 2015 7

that humanbeings shouldbedoing with each other on aday-to-day basis.”One of Lora’s former stu-

dents, Paul Southwood,started queer tango threeyears ago.The 29-year-old integra-

tive psychotherapist fromPutney also competed inballroom for theUniversity ofLondon and won the groupdance title inWeston-super-Mare ten years ago.His dance background

includes Strictly staples suchas the foxtrot, quickstep, chacha cha and jive, but hewanted to try out same-gender tango for achallenge. It was also achance to partner anddancewith his friendTom.“The uniqueness of queer

tango comes from the fluidityof roles throughout. Theleader can change severaltimes,”he said.

“Tango is a historicaldance that has a present res-onancebecausebydancing ityou increase your mindful-ness — embracing thepresent moment and themusic to express yourself.”Paul says it is about time

that Strictly bosses includedsame-sex couples.He explained: “I think it

would be a good public rep-resentation that it is fine todance with whomever youlike and it can be done.“At the end of the day,

dance is about expressionand creativity.“You can’t be creative if

you are only dancing withinconfines, be they gender orsomething else.”Lora agrees it is a good

move, but is a little moresceptical as she believes theshow is a superficial take onthe reality of the ballroom.

ALEADING disability charityhas praised Wimbledonbosses for adding a wheel-chair singles competition tonext year’s line-up at SW19.Scope, which campaigns

for equal opportunities onbehalf of disabled people,commended theAll EnglandClub’s decision to include theevent from the 2016Champi-onships onwards.“This is great news for dis-

abled sportspeople,” saidRichard Lane, head of cam-paigns at Scope.“We hope this new tour-

nament at Wimbledonencourages disabledpeopleto play sport and exercise.”The charity hopes that the

inclusion of wheelchairtennis singles events willinspire disabledpeoplewhodon’t play sports profession-ally.Thewheelchair tennis sin-

gles events come just a fewyears after the success of the2012 Paralympics, whichstarted to change percep-tions of disability in sport.The Paralympics included

wheelchair tennis for the firsttime in 1988.However, Scope says dis-

abledpeople still struggle tofind inclusive sports clubs or

exercise classes, while onlyone in ten Britons have takenpart in a sport or fitness activ-ity with a disabled person.Mr Lane said: “Too often

people assume that beingdisabled means you can’tplay sport or get fit.”

Scope is encouragingdisabled people and non-disabled people alike to getactive by taking part in itsannual fitness fundraiserSteptember.Meanwhile,the announce-

ment marks ten years sincespectators were first able toenjoy wheelchair doubles atSW19.Current wheelchair dou-

bles champion JordanneWhiley said: “I’m reallypleased that there will be asingles tournament at Wim-bledon next year.“I love playing atWimble-

don and am already lookingforward to playing both sin-gles and doubles in 2016.”

Disabled charity serves praise on wheelchair Wimbledon

�By GAH-KAILEUNG

�By CHARLOTTESEXTON

�By CHARLOTTESEXTON

BBC HIT StrictlyComeDanc-ing will introduce same-sexcouples from next season,but same-gender tango hasalready been thriving insouth west London for years.The city’s same-gender

tango circuit, also known asqueer tango, was started byLora Hudson,57, in 2005.She teaches Argentine

tango in both regular andsame-sex varieties inClapham and was votedDance Teacher of theYear in2008 by industry magazineBusiness & Leisure.Lora,who has been doing

regular tango for 16 years,believes the closeness of theembrace is key to the suc-cess of the dance.“You speakwith thewhole

of your body,”she said.“It is full of all the things

“I know professionaldancers whowouldwipe thefloor with those on Strictly,”she said.Both stress the benefits of

queer tango for everyone,nomatter what their sexuality.Paul believes queer tango

gives the LGBT community away to interact, while alsoallowing heterosexualpeople to express them-selves without the need forgender-specific roles.“It is the dance that offers

the most freedom of expres-sion,” he added.As well as the health and

social benefits which extendto any dance, Lora adds thatqueer tango has an aestheti-cally-pleasing quality andthat the challenge of thedance itself is rewarding.“You can’t do a course in

six weeks and expect to be atango aficionado,”she said.

As for advice on takingthose first steps into queertango, Paul urges timidwould-be dancers to releasetheir inhibitions andgo for it,especially as most tasterclasses are free.He said: “I would recom-

mend it to anyone.Dance hasgot something to teacheveryone.”Meanwhile Lora’s ambition

is to get the whole countrydancing tango.“Iwant to see tangoevery-

where, not just in salons.People from every back-ground, every age,”she said.“I would love that!”Lora holds classes in the

Plough Studios, on Park HillRoad just off Clapham ParkRoad.For more information on

the tango-tastic classes con-tact Lora on 07891 132346 ortangoheat@hotmail.co.uk

Deen’s coupfor chickensTHE MAYOR of Merton,Councillor David Chung,opened a home for rarechicken breeds at DeenCity Farm last week with-out ruffling any feathers.After eightmonths’con-

struction, farm workersand volunteers put the fin-ishing touches to two ofsevenplannedenclosures.They will protect four

types of chicken from theRare Breeds SurvivalTrust watchlist.One undecided breed

will join 24 other varieties,including the impressive-ly-named Crested CreamLegbars and Silver Span-gledHamburgs.All of the chickens are

born and bred south westLondoners. Some of themwere bred onsite, others

werehatched fromeggs atVauxhall City Farm.These are no ordinary

cages. Instead the enclo-sures boast facilities tokeep the birds in top phys-ical and mental conditionsuch as climbing framesand sand pits.Visitors can purchase

eggs produced by thechickens from the farmshop or sample them incafe dishes.Deen City Farm gives

urbandwellers the chanceto get first-hand experi-ence of farmanimals.It received help with

funding the project fromvarious charities.However, it is seeking

more sponsorship andvol-unteers to help completeits poultry plans.Email the farm formore

information at: chickens@deencityfarm.co.ukSTRIKE: Whiley on court

The difficulty of playingwheelchair tennis on grasscourts has previously beengiven as a reason for the lackof a singles competition.Ms Whiley, 23, added: “It

will be toughon thegrassbutit is a challenge the playerswill take on.“This is a great opportuni-

ty to showcase our sport atthe highest level.”The Birmingham tennis

star became Britain'syoungest ever nationalwomen's wheelchair singleschampion at the age of 14.For more information on

Steptember, check out:www.scope.org.uk/charity-events/treks/steptember

Not so strictly ballroom:Clapham’s same-sex tango

IT TAKES TWO: Lora(left) with dance part-nerCREDIT: FACEBOOK

RULING THEROOST: CllrDavid Chung

Monday July 27 20158

SHOPPERS in Richmond willfind a few extra coins in theirpockets after it wasannounced thatmotorists cannow park for free for 30 min-utes in the town centre.Zac Goldsmith,Conserva-

tive MP for Richmond,recently announced themove on Twitter, claimingthat it was being made in abid to save struggling highstreets and small shops.Mr Goldsmith argued that

the move is being made inorder to help local inde-pendent shops competemore fairly with large super-markets,many ofwhich offertheir customers freeparking.Mr Goldsmith said: “Our

small and independentshops are struggling to stayafloat, and we need to sup-port them.”He added that rolling out

30minutes of free parking toshoppers was one tangible

Parkingfees athing ofthe past

A KNIGHTSBRIDGE housethat is fit for a Saudi Prince isclose to being sold, and ifthe offer of £280million isaccepted, the property willbecome themost expensivehomeever sold in theUnitedKingdom.The palatial building,

which sits at 2-8a RutlandGate, boasts 60,000 squarefeet of living space,45 bed-rooms and a swimmingpoolin the basement.The late Sultan bin Abdu-

laziz Al Saud, who was theCrown Prince of SaudiArabia until his death in2012,was the former ownerof the property and it hasbeen on themarket since hepassed away.The eye-watering offer is

still under consideration andthe bidder is yet to benamed,but it would be safeto assume thatmoney is cer-tainly no object to them.So, if your asset portfolio

already boasts a 45-bed-room, £280million mansionin one of the most affluentneighbourhoods in London,what else is out there thatyou could spend your cold,hard cash on?Stickingwith the themeof

‘most expensive ever’, inAugust last year a 1962 Fer-

rari 250 GTO became themost expensive car to everbe sold at auction when itwent for almost £23million.The car is one of 39 ever

built, and one of even fewerthat are actually still in exis-tence – so if it’s exclusivityyou’re after, this could beyour ticket.If our maths is correct, the

Knightbridgemansion couldbuyyou12of these incredibly

Got a sweet tooth? If so,£280million would certainlybe able to keep your sugarycravings satisfied for at least acouple of lifetimes.In fact, with a 215g bag of

Haribo Tangfastics going for

just under £1 atWaitrose,youwouldbeable topickyourselfup around 622 tonnes oftangy,chewydeliciousness ifyou decided to spend yourhefty wad on sweets insteadof an opulent palace in the

posh Knightsbridge area.That being said, however,

youmay findyourself in needof some serious dental workas a result – and dental billsaren’t cheap.You may be inneed of another £280million.

Got a spare£280m andneed helpspending it?�By SIMON DAVIS

�By SIMON DAVIS

�By CARLYMINSKY

EXTRAVAGANT: The 45-bed Knightsbridge home CREDIT: Google Streetview

Campaigners call for pollution restrictions on Putney High Street

A CAMPAIGN will tacklePutney’s air pollution on a‘Car-free’dayonAugust 2.The Putney Society is

calling for the centralLondon Ultra Low Emis-sion Zone (ULEZ) toincludeWandsworth Bor-ough and the wholecongestion charge zone.If this fails, the society

suggests a local ULEZ inthe Putney High Streetarea to offset Putney’s

building layoutwhich trapsharmful vehicle emissionsat street level.On Sunday August 2,

when roadswill be car-freefor a London cycling festi-val, the societywill set upastall onLacyRoad, Putney,to promote their petition.The deputy charmain of

the Putney Society group,Jonathan Callaway, said:“We recognise the solutionlies only to a limited extentwith theCouncil.“We hope to see them

join a much more vocal

campaign in the run-up totheMayoral elections nextyear,”he added.Wandsworth Council

committed to introducingrestrictions on lorry deliv-eries toPutneyHigh Street.Further steps suggested

by the Putney Societyinclude a trial of electricbuses and tighter regula-tions on new buildingdevelopments in Putney.Mr Callaway explained

thatPutney suffers fromairpollution due to prevailingeasterly winds trapping

emissions at street levelbetweenbuildings – called‘the canyon effect’.He said that the addition-

al usage of Putney HighStreet as a major route inandoutofLondon increasesemissions to twice the EUlimit and harms residents.Keith Hawkins, from the

Better Putney group, saidthe council must do moreto address Putney’s specif-ic pollution issues.He suggested planting

more trees to improve airflow on the high street.

“One thing is certain -puttingunsightlybigbuild-ings on either side of theHigh Street is not going tohelp - and certainly willcause a deeper canyon toexist,”he said.Both Mr Hawkins and

MrCallaway insist that lifein Putney would not sufferif a ULEZwas imposed.Mr Callaway admitted

that some local vehicleownerswould incur costs ifthey had to replace theirvehicles to comply withemissions restrictions.

PRICELESS: Ferrari,Greek island, or both?

rare cars. Seeing as pricesare only going up, this maynot be such abad investmentidea.For those of you who may

not have petrol runningthroughyour veins,howdoesowning your very ownGreekisland sound?One such island that could

be yours for the taking if youhad hundreds of millions isthe Isle of Gaia – which islocated in the Ionian Sea.The Isle of Gaia is a part of

the Echinades, which isamong the Ionian Islandgroup,and canbepurchasedoutright for £3million.The 43-acre island comes

with permission to build sixvillas, and to subdivide theland into six individual plots.With cash-filled pockets,youwould no doubt be able tobuild yourself a fairly impres-sive island retreat.If you have a passion for

art, you would be able tosecure yourself some seri-ously iconic pieces to hangon your walls.The record for the most

expensive painting ever soldat auction was smashed inMay this year when PabloPicasso’s masterpiece LesFemme d’Alger went for acolossal £116million. With£280million lyingaround,youcould have two.

thing that local authoritiescould be seen to be doing inan effort to help preserve theare’s local shops, and thatKingston was expected tofollow suit soon.However, the decision has

beenmet with some opposi-tion,with a number ofTwitterusers voicing their concernsin response to Mr Gold-smith’s announcement.Jack Fortescue said:

“Rolling out better cyclingprovisions would be more inline with your green creden-tials and [would help to]boost business.”Rosalind Readhead, an

independent 2016 LondonMayoral candidate, said:“Really are you encouragingmore people to drive? And Ithought youwere an environ-mentalist? Shame.”When asked if allowing

free parking in Richmondwent against his green cre-dentials, Mr Goldsmith said:“Clearly we need to mas-sively accelerate take up ofzero emission cars, and toreduce dependence on carsgenerally.“But we need to meet

peoplewhere they are.” POLLUTED: High Street

OBSOLETE: Shopperswill save a few pounds

CREDIT: SomeGuy (Art)

CREDIT:Gloumouf

CREDIT:Ronald Saunders,

CREDIT:MagnusD

Monday July 27 2015 9

Kicking up a stormfor women’s football

women’s football is reflectedin a thriving game at thegrassroots level.

Clapham Kicks playersfind time to play alongsidejobs and the social side is asimportant as the practice.

Ella Cahoon, 22, a Health-care PR Account Executivesaid: “We are a competitiveside but we are also a clubthat are passionate aboutwomen’s football and wewant to get as many peopleinvolved in the sport as pos-sible.”

Venue manager,LizWilks,29, who joined the team lastyear,said:“Clapham Kicks tome is all about putting theeffort in for 90 minutes,enjoying playing football andhaving fun!

“We tend to go out aftermost training and match ses-sions and organise days oractivity nights out. TheChristmas social, secret

Santa and the end of seasonawards social is always ahighlight!”

Ella and Liz agree that pos-itive changes in the way thesport is portrayed has helpedencourage people to getinvolved.

Winger Ella agreeswomen’s football is muchmore respected by the oppo-site sex in particular sinceshe began playing 14 yearsago.

She said:“I still think thereis a long way to go for certainpositions such as goalkeep-ers who have a stigmaattached to them, more thanothers,and women officials.”

Striker Liz said: “When Istarted playing football thereweren’t that many ladiesteams around, and noencouragement or positiveattitudes were given towomen playing football.

THE co-owner ofTheTrouba-dour, Susie Thornhill, set therecord straight on Thursdayby confirming that it will notbe closing.

This follows recent reportsof The Troubadour beingthreatened with closure, asthe owners struggle to keep itopen due to falling trade andnoise complaints from neigh-bours.

However, Mrs Thornhilland her husband havereceived some neighbourlysupport. She said:“I do havesome nice neighbours.

“One of my nice neigh-

bours has started a petitionwhich will shortly be postedon the Royal Borough ofKensington Chelsea (RBKC)website, once it has beenapproved by council offi-cers.”

In 2001, Royal Borough ofKensington and Chelsea offi-cers received 15 complaintsand said they had witnessedthe nuisance for themselves.

However, the complaintsrelated to noise from thegarden, not from the base-ment venue.Mr and MrsThornhill voluntarily offeredto close the garden from10pm.

The Council consideredthat 9pm would be a more

reasonable time but offeredto review this at a later date.

A council spokesman saidthat owners had not yet takenup that offer.

Mrs Thornhill counteredthis and said that in 2012 theychanged the closing timefrom 10pm to 9pm.

In December 2012 councilofficers contacted herrequesting a managementplan for the noise.

She confirmed that therewas no noise during thatperiod as the garden wasshut during the Christmasperiod.

In February 2013, it wasserved with an ‘AbatementNotice in respect of Noise

Nuisance’.MrsThornhill con-firmed it had taken £150,000each year of their income.

Mrs. Thornhill confirmedthat the decision to put TheTroubadour on the marketfor sale was not a result ofbeing served the NoiseAbatement Order but admit-ted it was a factor.

She said: “You’ll knowmore towards the end of nextweek and The Troubadourwill go on.”

Mark Davyd, CEO of theMusic Venue Trust, said heaccepted that residentsmight have some validity totheir complaints but ques-tioned what RBKC had doneto seek that balance.

Petition launched to support historic Earls Court venue

�By CATHERINELUND

�By CARLYMINSKY

THE public vote to put USAWorld Cup winner AlexMorgan on FIFA 16’s coverwith Lionel Messi shows thesuccess of the Women’sWorld Cup (WWC) atmaking the sport a game tobe enjoyed in its own right.

In Canada Christine Sin-clair will make the cover andAustralia Stephanie Catleywill feature.

The players of ClaphamKicks a women’s team, com-peting in the Greater LondonWomen’s Football League(GLWFL) since 2013, wouldalso agree.

Winger, Ella Cahoon,22,said:“Few other women haveto put up with like for likecomparisons.Women sprint-ers are never compared tomale sprinters.

This positive focus on

“Now we can watchwomen’s football on TV, readabout teams and follow play-ers in their development,andeven follow teams furtherafield in the US or Europe.”

Nonetheless,they are frus-trated that women’s footballseems to be put under scruti-ny in a way that does nothappen with other sports.

Ella, said: “Few otherwomen have to put up withlike-for-like comparisons.Women sprinters are nevercompared to male sprinters.

“No-one watches awomen’s 100m race in theOlympics and says ‘that wasslow and boring.’”

Her thoughts are echoedby Liz who thinks that thewomen’s game can beenjoyed on its own terms.

She said:“There are differ-ences between the male andfemale games but that’s the

interesting point of women’sfootball; you are seeing thegame played differently,mentally and physically, andsometimes more technically.”

If you’re concerned thatyou don’t have the technicalskills yet,do not worry.

Liz said: “That’s why wetrain, we have fun, play foot-ball and develop together asa team and support eachother.”

Ella said:“The girls are allreally lovely and made mefeel right at home straightaway and I know they will dothe same with any newmember that joins.”

Clapham Kicks train onWednesdays 7-8pm and Sun-days 10-11.30am.

Contact the team atclapham.kicks@gmail.comorTwitter @claphamkicks orhttps://www.facebook.com/ClaphamKicks

Kew friendsraise £10k forinjured boy, 8

TROUBADOUR: Everybody needs good neighbours

DANGER: Fallen trees

MORE than £10,000 hasbeen raised in 10 days forthe family of a child criti-cally injured by a fallingbranch on a school trip toRichmondParkon July 10.Updates on the fundrais-

ing page explain thatSacha suffered brokenlimbs, ribs, pelvis and afractured skull and is nowoff the critical list but hasbeen moved to an Oxfordhospital for specialistcare.The money will cover

income loss, travel andaccommodationexpenses,to allow the Saucek familyto stay with Sacha - whoturnedeight onWednesday- as he receives ongoingcare in hospital.

“It is a long and scaryroad fromhere,withmanyunknowns,”wrote Sacha’smother, Jo Saucek, on thepage onWednesday.“All thoughts and

prayers will help him andhis family.We remain ter-rified but positive that wecan get Sacha throughthis,”she added.The fundraising target,

originally set at £10,000,was raised to £14,000 tocover increased expensesof travel toOxford.The anonymous coordi-

nator of the fundraisingpage said that Sacha’srehabilitation in Oxfordwill last for the foreseeablefuture due to the bone andbrain damage.Sacha has opened his

eyes and seems to beaware of familiar voices,but the extent of his neuro-logical recovery remainsuncertain.The coordinator has

asked for more donationsand support.

They said:“Themove toOxford increases the dis-tance from home, familyand thewider support net-work of friends.“Any financial assis-

tance we can providetogether makes a positivedifference andenables theSaucek family to focus onreturning Sacha to fullhealth.”The £10,638 has so far

been raised from208dona-tions. The page wascreated on July 15 and isregistered to Jo Saucek atan address in Kew, nearRichmondPark.Mrs Saucek praised her

other two children for theirstrength and positivity.She said that her older

child Luka was on first-name terms with hospitalstaff and has decided tobecome an air ambulancepilot, after Sacha was air-lifted fromRichmondParkand taken for surgery onJuly 10.She added: “Absolute

heartfelt thanksand love toall our friends and familywhoare supportinguswithlove, encouragement andwonderful food.“We couldn’t do this

without you.”To donate, visit

www.gofundme.com/supportforsacha

He said:“The loss of eachTroubadour represents a sig-nificant decline in our abilityto create the new talent of thefuture, and it’s important thatlocal boroughs understandthat when considering how todeal with it.”

Mr Davyd confirmed thathe will meet with RBKC inAugust.

Mrs Thornhill added:“Support live music,supportmusicians.”

TheTroubadour opened in1954, launching the careersof Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix,Adele and Ed Sheeran.

Christie & Co are market-ing it with a guide price of£225,000.

CLAPHAM KICKS:Taking their footballseriously

PICTURE:Christopher Bulle

By JANEKIWANUKA-MUSOKE