I keep thinking that whatever symbol might be decided upon, it will stick (hopefully not like mud) and will effectively represent Sydenham for a very long time in people's minds who've seen it or will see it, whether their experience be good or bad.
As someone mentioned the Catford Cat in an earlier post, I doubt many would forget it if it were taken down. I'm thinking that "you" only get one chance at these things intended to be memorable. It's great fun to laugh at some logos where they've got it just soooooo wrong, pictorially or by implication. Associations form very quickly and rarely are forgotten.
A SYMBOL FOR SYDENHAM
sydenham symbol
Mosy, why would CP always be above Sydenham? I am sure it has not always been like it is now. Anyway, I have only ventured up there in the evening once, about eight years ago, and was pretty unimpressed with it, and I have never been back. I only ever drive through it to get to Ikea. To me it just seems traffic clogged and the one way system makes it feel definately more like a drive through area, even more so than Sydenham.
I do agree about this logo business. And whether it is the right time to be putting so much thought into it, while the high street looks so awful.
I would much rather any available money was used in the short-term to tart up the Narborhood centre (I think that planter has recently been planted up, but the plants are pretty awful- just look like weeds)
And can't anyone put any pressure on Lloyds bank to tackle that weed infested concrete area outside its premises? I have emailed them with no response, but why a global company like that, can't invest a few hundred pounds to sort that out is beyond me!
I do agree about this logo business. And whether it is the right time to be putting so much thought into it, while the high street looks so awful.
I would much rather any available money was used in the short-term to tart up the Narborhood centre (I think that planter has recently been planted up, but the plants are pretty awful- just look like weeds)
And can't anyone put any pressure on Lloyds bank to tackle that weed infested concrete area outside its premises? I have emailed them with no response, but why a global company like that, can't invest a few hundred pounds to sort that out is beyond me!
Following on from Poppy's post, has it actually been decided that money shall be spent at this time on a symbol? I got the impression that it had and that it was only what the symbol should be and where displayed that was under discussion.
If a decision hasn't yet been taken, then I wonder why this thread has received c.seven hundred views in the last day, yet only 27 people have voted. Therefore, can I ask Admin to kindly amend the poll to include the following option, which is perhaps a little skewed as it stands,
- No symbol at this time; spend funds otherwise
If no or few further votes come in, then it would seem that the spend and the actual symbol could be adopted on the strength of 21 votes?
If a decision hasn't yet been taken, then I wonder why this thread has received c.seven hundred views in the last day, yet only 27 people have voted. Therefore, can I ask Admin to kindly amend the poll to include the following option, which is perhaps a little skewed as it stands,
- No symbol at this time; spend funds otherwise
If no or few further votes come in, then it would seem that the spend and the actual symbol could be adopted on the strength of 21 votes?
Poppy, I do agree with you about CP's Westow Hill being no better in reality. Parking is perhaps their biggest nightmare, whilst Sydenham's free Girton Road carpark is definitely a bit of one-upmanship 
If you look at the Virtual Norwood site, you'll see that its members have almost identical concerns to those of this site.
However, relatively, CP has traditionally (well, for the thirty years I remember) been thought to offer a lot of choice of restaurants. That's true to some extent, although theirs are more or less next door to one another, so that if you collected all Sydenham's together in a short distance, there'd appear to be as many good places here.
My opinion is that Sydenham doesn't have the head start CP does re reputation for eating out so has to try harder with its image overall. Incidentally, I don't remember ever thinking there were posh shops at CP, nor particularly do I think that now. Just my views of course.
If you look at the Virtual Norwood site, you'll see that its members have almost identical concerns to those of this site. However, relatively, CP has traditionally (well, for the thirty years I remember) been thought to offer a lot of choice of restaurants. That's true to some extent, although theirs are more or less next door to one another, so that if you collected all Sydenham's together in a short distance, there'd appear to be as many good places here.
My opinion is that Sydenham doesn't have the head start CP does re reputation for eating out so has to try harder with its image overall. Incidentally, I don't remember ever thinking there were posh shops at CP, nor particularly do I think that now. Just my views of course.
Mosy - This is still an idea - not a firm proposal. We don't have a symbol. Lee ran a Green Dragon up the pole and got quite a few salutes.mosy wrote:Following on from Poppy's post, has it actually been decided that money shall be spent at this time on a symbol?
If he can come up with an attractive and popular logo then it is up to those who wish to promote Sydenham to adopt it and when - or not. The thing is to have it ready and waiting if and when Lewisham put new street furniture in the high street or this website gets redesigned or SydSoc want to ditch their TV mast.
I don't know whether Lee has yet had time to think through the ownership of such a symbol. I would rather it were not an authority or organisation but released under some sort of Creative Commons licence for all to freely use.
I'm assuming Lee will get his reward in heaven (aka The Dolphin) rather than from Lewisham Council
HTH
Admin
Thanks Admin for the clarification. I was assuming from what Lee wrote that it would be somehow in tandem with Lewisham council, so replacing their signs as Lee particularly mentions them, perhaps replacing litter bins (as elsewhere suggested) and putting the sign on those etc, which process I'd imagine could easily eat away our "available funds" long before anything actually materialised, being the cynic that I am
Ok, to clarify:
I am local.
I am not being paid.
The council has funds available to regenerate the high street. This will mean new street furniture etc. This street furniture will be new, it will have a logo on it, if we do nothing it will have a logo of the borough of Lewisham.
I'm not proposing we push something through at great extra cost to the tax payer.
Members of the council have been pointed towards this thread to see public reaction to the idea. If we stand against it it will not happen.
There are many local people who want to help, giving up their valuable free time (not just me) to improve the area in which they live.
I'm not asking for anything. I think we need a symbol, I think it's right, people I have spoken to think it's right, from the postings in here the vast majority of people seem to agree.
I am local.
I am not being paid.
The council has funds available to regenerate the high street. This will mean new street furniture etc. This street furniture will be new, it will have a logo on it, if we do nothing it will have a logo of the borough of Lewisham.
I'm not proposing we push something through at great extra cost to the tax payer.
Members of the council have been pointed towards this thread to see public reaction to the idea. If we stand against it it will not happen.
There are many local people who want to help, giving up their valuable free time (not just me) to improve the area in which they live.
I'm not asking for anything. I think we need a symbol, I think it's right, people I have spoken to think it's right, from the postings in here the vast majority of people seem to agree.
Off topic - but isn't it a sure sign of a Sydenham inferiority complex if we have to knock CP to make ourselves feel better?
CP is a lovely area, and has a great centre. It's not without problems (traffic etc), but as regards restaurants its fantastic - Numidie, Tamnag Thai, Torres (sp?) etc etc etc .
Syd has a few as well, but lets not waste time knocking CP - its great to have it on our doorstep.
CP is a lovely area, and has a great centre. It's not without problems (traffic etc), but as regards restaurants its fantastic - Numidie, Tamnag Thai, Torres (sp?) etc etc etc .
Syd has a few as well, but lets not waste time knocking CP - its great to have it on our doorstep.
I personally wouldn't knock CP - they have the same problems as Sydenham in this competitive world (in my view, as I mentioned). It's always good to have "somewhere else" on one's doorstep and Sydenham has lots, e.g. CP, Penge, Forest Hill, Dulwich, Bromley etc - all within a stone's throw in a car. Nowt wrong with that.
sydenham symbol
I was not knocking CP deliberately, just pointing out that I can't quite see what all the fuss is about, personally. I was responding to a comparison with Sydenham. Some people prefer CP I happen to prefer Sydenham. When I moved here from north London I could have looked at properties to buy there but to me it felt too far out and the transport links not as good.
I just feel more of an affinity with Forest Hill, East Dulwich and Dulwich Village it's just the way it is for me....
I just feel more of an affinity with Forest Hill, East Dulwich and Dulwich Village it's just the way it is for me....
It's the same amount of money to put Lewishams logo on new street furniture as it is to put a bespoke symbol for Sydenham.
No money is being spent on this yet. Signs are not expensive, enamel signs are a few hundred pounds.
The idea is that we are trying to make the best of the current opportunities. It wont stop planters being done up, it wont stop shopfronts being done up.
Beckenham have their own welcome signs. I understand that these are to be redone as part of the current high street regeneration anyway. Even if they are not we are not talking about vast sums of money. This isn't the olympic logo or BA (both of which were wrongly reported about in the press regarding cost).
No money is being spent on this yet. Signs are not expensive, enamel signs are a few hundred pounds.
The idea is that we are trying to make the best of the current opportunities. It wont stop planters being done up, it wont stop shopfronts being done up.
Beckenham have their own welcome signs. I understand that these are to be redone as part of the current high street regeneration anyway. Even if they are not we are not talking about vast sums of money. This isn't the olympic logo or BA (both of which were wrongly reported about in the press regarding cost).
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Steve Grindlay
- Posts: 606
- Joined: 4 Oct 2004 05:07
- Location: Upper Sydenham
I was hanging about the Lewisham Shopping Centre some days ago, looking at the large mural (unveiled by Spike Milligan in 1997). The mural is composed of images reflecting important events/ personalities across the whole borough. Sydenham is represented by, amongst other things, Eleanor Marx, WG Grace, Syd Soc's logo (CP mast and boundary oak)... and the Green Dragon.
Another thing; I'm fairly sure that the creatures on the roof of Forest Hill Pools are dragons, not griffins (which, apparently, have the head and wings of an eagle attached to the body of a lion):
Original here: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3002/258 ... 5fd3_b.jpg
Should the fact that Forest Hill already has dragons on one of its most significant buildings affect Sydenham's choice of a dragon symbol? I think not.
Another thing; I'm fairly sure that the creatures on the roof of Forest Hill Pools are dragons, not griffins (which, apparently, have the head and wings of an eagle attached to the body of a lion):
Original here: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3002/258 ... 5fd3_b.jpg
Should the fact that Forest Hill already has dragons on one of its most significant buildings affect Sydenham's choice of a dragon symbol? I think not.
I'm surprised people associate the transmitter with Sydenham - to me, it's always been the "Crystal Palace Transmitter".
That's what I like about the dragon idea - because it's not really a current local symbol, there's no confusion. If we want to call it the symbol of Sydenham, it's the symbol of Sydenham - it takes on whatever meaning we want it to have.
That's what I like about the dragon idea - because it's not really a current local symbol, there's no confusion. If we want to call it the symbol of Sydenham, it's the symbol of Sydenham - it takes on whatever meaning we want it to have.
admin wrote:Something I didn't know ... according to Wikipedia:
"Green Dragon is an alcoholic beverage made by leaching the leaves of the cannabis plant in a high-proof alcohol, most commonly vodka. The THC dissolves into the alcohol resulting in a dark green or brown liquid. Sugar is often also dissolved in the alcohol to mask the extremely bitter taste of the dissolved cannabinoids."
Admin
Is they why drug taking is sometimes known as "chasing the Dragon"?I'd just like to add (further to all my other rambling postings above!) that I am originally from Portsmouth and the entire city is peppered with the city's crest (the star and crescent). I think it is great that when I am down there visiting, it seems that every lamppost, bin cover, bus-stop, drain cover and street-sign and even railings have this crest embedded on it (um, found this to illustrate the point! : http://flickr.com/photos/monster/6080193/ ).leenewham wrote: I'm not asking for anything. I think we need a symbol, I think it's right, people I have spoken to think it's right, from the postings in here the vast majority of people seem to agree.
It certainly makes for an inclusive feel to the community and marks the territory! One thing that is important about this Sydenham symbol is that it is used throughout Sydenham and not just limited to the highstreet (I'm thinking for example, of eventually, every street sign having the symbol rather than "SE26" suffixed).
sydenham symbol
Lee, have you got any photos of the Beckenham symbol/signs?
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Brockley Nick
- Posts: 4
- Joined: 19 Jun 2008 08:57
- Location: Brockley
I think it's a great idea and Sydenham's initiative has prompted a lot of debate in Brockley too...
http://brockleycentral.blogspot.com/2008/06/el-syd.html
http://brockleycentral.blogspot.com/2008/06/el-syd.html