Consultation on change of name for the Naborhood Centre

[Monica]

Call it what you want, I say, but perhaps put some effort into making it look less like the crack den it does now? Even if it was called Sydenham Crack Den, it wouldn't be so bad if just didn't look so horrible.

[poppy]

I also quite like Sydenham Neighbourhood Centre because despite everything negative about the high street's appearance the people are really friendly around here.

I live in an extremely neighbourly road, for example, which I have not experienced since I was a child, and have got to know lots of people in the area in a short space of time. So promoting this would be great.

Agree, no mosaic and renovating the building are the priority though!

[Juwlz]

I also quite like Sydenham Neighbourhood Centre because despite everything negative about the high street's appearance the people are really friendly around here.

I live in an extremely neighbourly road, for example, which I have not experienced since I was a child, and have got to know lots of people in the area in a short space of time. So promoting this would be great.

Yes I agree- and if it was called 'Sydenham Neighbourhood Centre' it would retain some link with the old name (though better spelt!).

[ALIB]

I agree too. Not that my opinion counts for much.

Also the suuggested name could be abbreviated to the SyNC. Or 'Sin' Centre.

[Flowergirl]

This is my first post on Sydenham Town - and felt I had to give my opinion. There are far more important things in Sydenham that need to be changed, rather than the re-naming of a council building which most of us do not use. The Sydenham Assembly should be discussing far more pressing issues for Sydenham rather than this !! The Assembley is making good progress with Youth Projects, the Arts Festival and much more. Why is this even on the agenda and being consulted on. Please stick to the IMPORTANT THINGS.

[goonerchamp]

I agree with Flowergirl

I'd like the council to look at more important things like the piles of dog $hit outside Ghurkas/superdrug that I had to slalom through on my way to the station this morning,

don't the council employ street sweepers anymore? - I'v not seen one in ages

[Robin Orton]

This may not be a very important matter in the overall scheme of things, but it's quite interesting. If others want to raise more grown-up issues, why don't they open new threads about them (or post on existing threads if there are such) and leave the rest of us to our fun?

[Annie]

Welcome Flowergirl,
Please don't start on a sour note,
the people on here have been discussing many issues over the years,some may deem them important some not so, but everyone has different opinions about things,
as in life,
so have patience, and either contribute something constructive to the subject or click on another subject you want to talk about.

[Juwlz]

I think some people are forgetting that if the building is to get the makeover that many of us desire, then presumably now's the time to change the name, since the name would presumably feature fairly prominently on the building.

At least things are being done in the right order.

[Flowergirl]

Apologise for my negative posting maybe I should have given more detail on why I feel like this. I have lived in Sydenham all my life and the Narorhood Centre is a place that I have visited since the 70’s my Grandmother worked there and I often popped in and even helped out in the kitchens from time to time. This was when Meals on Wheels were made there and went out for delivery, it was a vibrant building used by many senior citizens in the local community and from surrounding areas. If the building was to have a change of use then maybe a change of name would be appropriate to reflect this. I am not opposed to change, just don’t understand the point of this one. To me it will always be the Narbourhood Centre in the same way Cobbs Corner will always be Cobbs Corner, maybe I just getting old.

[Annie]

Thank you Flowergirl,
I think the name it has is ok, and I also remember those "meals on wheels" days,
It could be brought back into the community by serving that community which it doesn't appear to do at the moment.
It could be a meeting place for all sections, Ie Scouts/dance/youth centre/mums to be tea and chat/jumble sales
It would be great to bring back meals on wheels and encourage the "older and much more wiser" part of our community to meet,greet and eat,
(gis a job) pop in centre for health advice/job advice/child advice.
etc etc
and of course to continue the role of caring for the disabled,In fact it would be good to integrate them more into the local community.

[Steve Grindlay]

...presumably now's the time to change the name...

Juwlz, you and others have not convincingly explained why the name should be changed at all, other than describing it as "silly". The name (with that spelling), has been in use for 70 years so why change it?

At the risk of repetition, in 1910 an Edwardian cinema, The Queens Hall, was built on the site. In 1939 the cinema was renamed "The Naborhood Cinema". It was demolished in 1953 and a new building, "The Naborhood Centre", was built.

"Naborhood Cinema" was a generic name given by a small company (Monk's Circuit Cinemas) to a group of south London cinemas they acquired in the late 1930s. The Naborhood Cinema, Queens Road, Peckham (demolished 1941) was part of this group. The choice of spelling was probably (and I've discussed this with several knowledgeable people) because the parent company felt that, given the overwhelming American influence on film at the time, it sounded more 'modern'.

So why bother to change it? And, incidentally, it should be pronounced "Nay-borhood".

[Juwlz]

...presumably now's the time to change the name...

Juwlz you, and others, have not convincingly explained why the name should be changed at all, other than describing it as "silly". The name (with that spelling), has been in use for 70 years so why change it?

At the risk of repetition, in 1910 an Edwardian cinema, The Queens Hall, was built on the site. In 1939 the cinema was renamed "The Naborhood Cinema". It was demolished in 1953 and a new building, "The Naborhood Centre", was built.

"Naborhood Cinema" was a generic name given by a small company (Monk's Circuit Cinemas) to a group of south London cinemas they acquired in the late 1930s. The Naborhood Cinema, Queens Road, Peckham (demolished 1941) was part of this group. The choice of spelling was probably (and I've discussed this with several knowledgeable people) because the parent company felt that, given the overwhelming American influence on film at the time, it sounded more 'modern'.

And, obviously, it should be pronounced "Nay-borhood".

Steve
I know the history, it is interesting, but from your own post you can see its not at all obvious how the name should be pronounced. You and the experts say it should be pronounced one way, and yet, someone who seems to have fond memories of using the place (Flowergirl) appears from their post to pronounce it 'Narborhood' (as if with a 'r').

It does sounds from Flowergirl's and other people's posts that the building's glory days are somewhat in the past and its a bit run down and an injection of interest couldn't do any harm - I think many people are agreed on that. Perhaps people might feel more fond of a place if they have a say in renaming it, which involves people in a way that redecorating might not do.

I suppose you can say one thing in favour of keeping the name and that is that the confusing spelling means the history of it keeps having to be raked up! Also in favour you could say it has more character than a bland correctly spelled, obvious name.

Personally I wouldn't mind if it was renamed or not, (I favour knocking the whole block of buildings down and making a town square) But I certainly think its nice to be asked! Some people have said 'there are more important matters' which maybe true but I don't agree with people who say that changing the name doesn't matter or is too trivial to have time wasted on it. And its not as if the council has employed a company to go out with clipboards and do focus groups at huge tax payer expense – imagine the uproar then! This is for free as far as I'm aware.

I suppose if there's a huge warehouse somewhere choc-full of 'Naborhood Centre' Stationery that'd need to be pulped if the name was changed, then I'd definitely agree its best to keep the name, otherwise I think its worth a discussion at least.



P.S – The original name derives from America's attempts to simplify and clarify the English language, so presumably they'd approve of us doing just that. Surely keeping the word 'Neighbourhood' keeps enough of a link to the past and anyway would be pronounced the same (correct) way.

[Fatbackfour]

It is a very interesting debate, I wonder what the residents of Sydenham know the building as. The reason I raise the point is that you could change the name of the building and find people continue to call it by its old name.
This happens with pubs that either change name or become McDonalds fast food drive throughs. People who know the area continue to call the site by its old name.

[Ulysses]

I agree nimbyboy. Not that I have any affiliation with Eltham but the Yorkshire Grey roundabout will always be just that for me, despite it now being a honking great McDonalds.

I have to admit that if McDowel's (nod to Coming To America film there) had ever opened in Sydders before all these changes for the better I'd have simply moved.

I've nicked these from someone else...perhaps he'll come on and show us some more of the great pics of Sydenham Road he has?

[leenewham]

I always misspell the neighbourhood/naybourhood/naborhood/nabourhood centre.

I posted the what if of the naborhood centre on myspace and got comments back about the name like 'why the gangster spelling? It made my eyes bleed'.

Unless you know the history of the name it seems like a mistake.

Having said that, much as many seem to hate the name, people will call it what they call it irrespective of the name change.

I still call Snickers a Marathon. I use Jif, not cif. Opal Fruits, not 'whatever they have called them now'.

J Sainbury changed because more people called them Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer now call themselves M&S. Most people called the National Westminster Bank 'Natwest', so they changed their name.

If everyone calls the Naborhood Centre by a different name, or spells it differently, then there is a strong case to change the name or spelling.

[Ulysses]

I do agree leenewham. Talking seems such an effort these days. Everyone seems to want to shorten/simplify everything in sight with Three Letter Acronyms or the like. TLA's are eveywhere. Same with re-brands. I still call it a snickers etc. Although didn't they try to call a twix a 'raider' some years back but public outcry forced a reversion?

ANYWAY - I don't think we should keep Naborhood. It puts me in mind of the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor centre near to Crystal Palace's ground all the way over in deepest darkest SE25. Given I have no classical music leanings, no real interest in black history and am not a Croydon local I had no idea of who or what. I doubt I am alone.

How many SE26 residents know or care as to why it is called Naborhood? Not many I'll wager. I don't care. I don't like it. I'd say Sydenham's majority demographic is elderly and white so I wonder if they know or care either. After all it is a fairly Gangsta name.

Get rid of it.

[Seifer]

I'd tend to agree with Juwlz's point here. If renaming it gets rid of the "Amerification" of our genteel language, I'm all up for it.

A name only has prestige to my mind, if people know the heritage and value to it. Burberry was quite the brand before the Croydonian Chav got their hands on it apparently.

I'd be up for a change.

[Trawlerman]

A change is as good as arrest, eh?
How about 'da Hoodie centah' ?

[Eagle]

How the Tattoed 24/7 drinking centre, as the gentlemen concerned seem to take route outside.

Please please please Mr Darling raise the minimum price of alcohol.