The Dreary Christmas Lights of Sydenham Town

gillyjp · Post by **gillyjp** » 30 Nov 2012 22:31

Once again Lewisham Council have excelled themselves in giving the town the same old dreary, depressing Christmas lights. Out they come, wrapped limply around the lamp posts, some with the odd replacement yellow bulb not matching the others on the same lamp post. In fact I can't quite work out what the colour scheme is supposed to be - some being all blue, some being blue and white and some only half way up the lamp post where they have either run out of lights, or just got bored with it all.

What an uninspiring job lot they are. Compare them, as I did last year, with the pretty and imaginitive lights twinkling in Penge, Beckenham, Bromley and Croydon and other far flung areas on the outskirts of London and beyond. Honestly we are truely the poor relation in the Christmas lights stakes that is evident. Even in deepest darkest Brittany, where Christmas is not celebrated with such fervour as it is in this country, they manage to put on a pretty, sparkling display.

If that's all they can conjure up for Sydenham then perhaps they will do us all a favour and give it a miss next year. It's time they relegated that motley lot of lights to the recycling bin..... and good riddance.

Rachael · Post by **Rachael** » 30 Nov 2012 22:44

I said it last year, and I'll say it again this year - I'd rather have no lights than that miserable lot.

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Annie. · Post by **Annie.** » 1 Dec 2012 11:10

Perhaps Chris Best could comment on why? Theses awful lights are continually used.
Where's all the Santa,holly,angels etc etc that used to be used to signify Christmas? Even Beckenham have forgotten! And although theirs are better than ours they are still only plain frost or whatever they are supposed to be, are we afraid we might upset someone?

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biscuitman1978 · Post by **biscuitman1978** » 1 Dec 2012 15:39

I really like them!

To me they look very smart. I'd rather have what we've got than the tacky lights you often see elsewhere.

gerispringer · Post by **gerispringer** » 1 Dec 2012 17:25

They are just a few dreary bulbs hardly very inspiring. I agree that nothing would be better than this.

Annie. · Post by **Annie.** » 1 Dec 2012 17:56

Why should we put up with Nothing?
What's the difference between Beckenham and Sydenham? Apart from Lewisham Council.
What are the lights like in Lewisham Highstreet?

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Rachael · Post by **Rachael** » 1 Dec 2012 18:13

A couple of years ago we had some new lights - those pretty white triangular pennant style ones. At last, I though, some decent lights to replace the random mishmash of coloured stars we had for ten years. If you want to see those nice lights again - Forest Hill has them. FH is in Lewisham. Have they got our lights? Is there some sort of time share scheme on Lewisham's lights? Why have we got the 'this place is so run down we can't even be bothered to do more than string up a few bulbs' lights again?

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Annie. · Post by **Annie.** » 1 Dec 2012 19:26

Maybe the councillors think it matches the shops? Who picks these people? Not me. That's for sure!

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Columbus · Post by **Columbus** » 1 Dec 2012 19:30

I like the lights too biscuitman, though seems we're in a minority (on here at least).

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Chris Best · Post by **Chris Best** » 2 Dec 2012 08:09

Christmas lights, like public art, provide a good topic of conversation. What I can say is that we have included the cost of the installation as part of the street lighting PFI but not the cost of replacement. This means Lewisham has some very old "frame" lights that regularly fuse in the rain. The last time we had the frame lights 5 lights were out for the Christmas period as we didn't have the staffing level to keep sending out the cherry picker to replace the bulbs and fix the frame.

We have been changing to the wrap around lights because they are safer and easier to maintain. Officers have proposed a further cut to replacement and renewal of £21k in the budget savings for next year.

We have been able to secure funding for the Christmas tree and lights from JB Riney and we will be turning the tree lights on at 5pm Friday 7 December outside the Post Office. Please come and hear the Sydenham Singers, join in the carol singing and get into the spirit of Christmas.

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Rachael · Post by **Rachael** » 2 Dec 2012 09:19

Chris - is it my imagination that we had some nice lights three years ago, the same as the lights that are now in Forest Hill? How did that come about? Did we borrow them from elsewhere in the borough?

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Annie. · Post by **Annie.** » 2 Dec 2012 12:21

I am surprised that the installation of the lights were budgeted for but not the renewal of the lights, it has been evident over the last few years that we needed new ones.
Surely it would have been cheaper to renew than to have to send out said cherry picker and various men to replace the lights also the cost of the "wrap"around ones that are there now.

It nice to know about the Tree though, and I would like to thank JB Riney for their community spirit,and would have liked to see all of the shops contribute to new Christmas lights,as they do/used to do in Dulwich Village.

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leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 3 Dec 2012 16:41

If we don't like the lights or think there is something better then why not take a lead.

The better high streets, the successful ones listen to residents and businesses.

I can probably find out about some other schemes that have happened as part of the Outer London Fund, but why not form a committee that can work with the traders, civic groups and the council to get us some better lights.

http://www.festivelighting.co.uk/ourproducts.htm

This website has prices:
http://www.festive-lights.com/commercia ... -lighting/

Also:
http://www.qbis.co.uk/

And
http://www.springfielddecorations.com/p ... tsets.html

Posting on a forum can help raise and issue, but acting on the feedback is better. That changed Home Park and got things like Billings branding shop frontage designed.

Cost is always an issue and the council as a whole will want to treat the borough as generically as possible. Obviously our local cllrs and councils officers (which I'm sure Chris Best will agree with) will want to do the right thing and treat each area bespokely, to make them feel unique and special more 'welcome to Sydenham instead of welcome to a bit of Lewisham's borough'.

There is a lot of GLA funding available for high street projects flying around at the moment.

If we want to change why not form a group and make it happen?

If we can't get the council or other funding for them, then why not try crowd funding. Spacehive is a good example and I know the *drum role* AMAZING PEN *cymbal sound* was talking about crowd funding a little while ago. http://spacehive.com/

Here are some other images of what other areas have done as part of the Outer London Fund:
HOUNSLOW (we worked on shop fronts here with the council)
http://www.hounslowchronicle.co.uk/west ... 264084/#18

If we have trees on the high street perhaps we can have lights on those, Harrow did this and they told me who did the lights and how much they cost.

Chris Best · Post by **Chris Best** » 3 Dec 2012 23:41

Great contribution Lee - happy to discuss the lights for next year and maybe put in a bid to the Sydenham Assembly Fund

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leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 10 Dec 2012 10:39

These guys worked with Harrow:
saimollights.com They put lights in trees (LED) which look amazing.

These guys worked with Hillingdon Council:
http://www.lite-ltd.co.uk/

The Forest Hill society got in contact and I sent them these details. Lets see who is first, Forest Hill or Sydenham!

If I get any more info I will gladly share it here. There is no reason who we can't have bespoke lights per town centre if we want it and more importantly, if the traders and public get behind it.

Rachael · Post by **Rachael** » 10 Dec 2012 14:01

Crystal Palace have lights that wrap around the lamp posts, but they are pretty LED lights. I can't believe they cost much more than our very last-century incandescent bulbs, and they probably cost a lot less to run and maintain.

gerispringer · Post by **gerispringer** » 10 Dec 2012 14:30

I was quite impressed with the Penge lights- pretty twinkly colours and nice ones that go in the trees.

goonerchamp · Post by **goonerchamp** » 10 Dec 2012 21:49

Correct me if Im wrong but last time I went into Musti's Pound world he had red and green bulbs for £1 each (would guess they are less at cost price !) - also what of the this portas lark? - some of the money for that could have been spent on the decorations/lights? - instead of pop up shops all of which are closed by the time I get home from work so Im still to see what they are all about.

multisync · Post by **multisync** » 10 Dec 2012 22:28

I agree with that Goonerchamp, the lights are a disgrace and the pop up shops don't give the oppurtunity for "working people " to have a look and as for Alhambra they are trying to get in on everything !!!!

leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 11 Dec 2012 09:38

Blimey, what a negative bunch!

Alhambra should be a good role model for other shops. They should get in on everything (but they don't, I don't understand what you are tallking about Multisync!), they should be promoting themselves. Good on them.

There are plenty of shops for working class people. The pop up shops have been really well received, have thrown a spotlight on this part of SE London and offer something different. A healthy high street has to cater for all pockets. Blimey, it's not like bloody Harrods has opened in Sydenham!

Pop up shops are a good thing. They offer the people who open them a taste of the high street, trading and financial shelter when they are at their most vunerable. The pop-up butcher in Forest Hill wants to stay there. That's the whole point of pop ups. Look at Brixton Market. Look at Willesden Green (12 shops were pop ups, 13 months later all the previously empty units are still full of exciting, vibrant businesses). Brixton Market has been an incredible success.

Who knows what the long term will be, but the pop ups and the Portas Pilot are one of the most important things to happen to Sydenham and Forest Hill in years.

As for the christmas lights, see my other posts. If you want better lights, do something about it. Go to the traders meetings, offer help or start a survey for what people want. Perhaps there should be a Friends of Sydenham Road group. Look at how that has transformed our local parks.

Rather than moaning, how about we offer some solutions and use this forum in a positive way?

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