28 February 2014

by Marzia Nicodemi-Ehikioya
These Shirley poppies
grew on Rev. Wilks grave in
St. Johns graveyard, Shirley
Marzia Nicodemi-Ehikioya
Editor, linguist, outspoken campaigner
on local and national issues. Loves opera,
books and libraries.
Russell Elliott
Passionate believer and advocate of
alternative - Just cos something has
always been done a particular way
doesnt make it the best!
Robert Dil
Graphic Design Consultant and
Co-owner of TD Studio in Addiscombe.
Loves making music & diving.
Andrew
Dunsmore
Top London photographer, runs
Picture Partnership in his Shirley
Studio or on location. He helps
you take better pictures.
Nathalie Baron
Ayurvedic therapist, loves natural
remedies, nature, books & writing
Nadia Nazir
IT Consultant and Interior
Decorator, loves to sew, knit
and bake.
Helen Campbell-MacDonald
Practitioner of alternative medicine
and regular contributor to
Alternatives page.
Jill Latter
Miniaturist, Shirley resident for more
than 50 years, makes beautiful
cakes.
Tom Dunsmore
Family man. Retired engineer. Has
worked abroad. Speaks Spanish.
Enjoys travel.
Charles Park
of Planning Partnership Ltd, Shirley.
The man to look for if you want
something special for your home.
3
Contents
Shirley Life 5
Lets Talk about FGM by Editor 11
A picture from Venice 16
Did you know? from realbuzz.com 19
5 foods that can affect your mood 20
The blackboard 23
Equality 24
Useful websites 26
Should we go organic? 28
TripAdvisor 31
Slimming World 32
Hypocrisy and Prejudice 34
Police Matters 38
Shirley Shops Update 40
I-522: Your Right to Know 42
Save the David Lean Cinema Campaign 44
Andrew Dunsmore, Picture Partnership, Shirley 46
Shirley Library: March Activities 50
About Hair 53
Two Shirley Women at Work 54
Front Cover: Patches in Shirley
Editorial Team
Nathalie Baron, Tom Dunsmore, Jill Latter, Marzia Nicodemi-Ehikioya
(Editor), Andrew Pelling, Russell Elliott (Advertising Consultant), Robert Dil
(Graphic Design Consultant) and Nadia Nazir (Website Administrator).
Contacts
T: 07940 415532

E: shirleylife@rocketmail.com

W: www.shirleylife.com
Blog: http://shirleylifeblog.wordpress.com
4
http://www.gardenofpomegranates.com/
February
February was a difficult month and we all witnessed the wrath of nature.
What many still do not accept is the fact that we are the cause of it all
with our irresponsible planning behaviour. The wind took my beautiful
tree, my morale was low but the crocus planted by Shirley Library
cheered me up. However, just heard we might get some snow soon!
Smart meters
I was writing my editorial when I received an email from the ever vigilant
Russell about smart meters and a lecture on Friday 14 March. Mike
Mitchamwill be investigating the hidden dangers of Smart technology,
which is quietly invading our homes through meters and other devices,
yet threatening health and security in ways which are not being admitted
to by the authorities. Many people are now concerned by the Smart
revolution and its implications, and Mike, who leads the UK Stop Smart
Meters Campaign, is a very qualified and informed campaigner. The
lecture starts at 8.00pm PROMPT at The Scout Centre, Station Road,
Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9EN. Admission 7. I am planning to
attend and there will be more about it next month. Please refer to
http://www.changingtimes.org.uk in the meantime. Prevention is always
better than cure and one cannot buy health once it fails.
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TD STUDIO
353 LOWER ADDISCOMBE ROAD
CROYDON - SURREY CR06RG
T - 020 8656 0555 / 0888
E - T DPRI NT @BT CONNECT . COM
Y
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Recycling boxes
We have 4 recycling boxes and only 2 lids
because 2 vanished in the wind a couple
of weeks ago. The lids never fitted
correctly so we use bricks to keep them
down. After a formal complaint, we will
receive new lids in 4 to 6 weeks.
How much does the replacement cost?
Could it be avoided? Yes, it could if
contractors used due care and attention
and, perhaps, if their work was monitored.
Just look at how the boxes, the lid and the
brick were left by the Council contractors
on 25 February 2014.
We were
lucky because, unusually, there was only a
single piece of plastic left in the box and
nothing was scattered around. There was
a box in the middle of the pavement farther
up in the road.
Christmas trees
Incredible but true, Christmas trees are still
uncollected on 26 February 2014 at the messy Neighbourhood Recycling
Site of Monks Orchard Green, Monks Orchard Road, Shirley.
Visitors from the Bromley
and West Wickham area
cannot form a positive
first impression of Shirley.
Just opposite, there is a
weedy and forlorn verge.
Not a nice view after all
the money wasted on
the crossroad from hell.
Should our Council not
be closely monitoring its
contractors? We do pay
Council Tax for that. Picture taken on 26 February 2014
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8
Editor
What would you do with 25 pounds?
Political propaganda knows no shame.
Politicians seem to think that we are stupid
and that we believe that pigs can fly.
Last week, whilst driving along Shirley Church Road, I hit a nasty
pothole and I feared for my tyres. I was lucky but 25 could not have
bought a single tyre. Just look at the cheapest prices around:
In the leaflet I had read: What
did we do with your Council
Tax? Resurfaced roads instead
of patching them up.
I looked at my road and cringed.
Please look at the cover of
Shirley Life and you can see 4
patches and another one,
perhaps soon, to appear:
number 39, presumably in
Shirley alone. How much of my Council Tax is spent in patching up my
road? It might be cheaper to resurface it. And there is another pothole
growing by the day nearby. The same sorry story is repeated right
across Shirley, for example, West Way, Pleasant Grove, Langland
Gardens, Temple Avenue to name but a few.
Back to the initial question. After careful consideration, I think
that twenty-five pounds would not change anybodys life for
the better but, taking into account the number of households
in Shirley, the collected sum could make a huge difference for
a community project to be enjoyed by us all. Perhaps a total
refurbishment of the Shirley Community Centre or Community
Cafs in the Recreation
Ground and in Parkfields
or perhaps residents
would just like to travel on
properly maintained roads?
We have a truly philistine Council
without vision and heart.
9
Editor
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LETS TALK
ABOUT
FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a form of child
abuse which has devastating physical and
psychological consequences for girls and women. The
World Health Organization describes it as: procedures that involve partial or
total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female
genital organs for non-medical reasons (WHO, 2013). Since 1985 it has been
a serious criminal offence under the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act to
perform FGM or to assist a girl to perform FGM on herself. The Female Genital
Mutilation Act 2003 tightened this law to criminalise FGM being carried out on
UK citizens overseas. Anyone found guilty of the offence faces a maximum
penalty of 14 years in prison.
I first heard about FGM many years ago from my gynecologist in Italy
who assisted a Somalian woman in giving birth. He was shocked and
refused to re-infibulate her after childbirth. He received physical threats
and abuse from the womans family. He is still practicing.
There has been an international effort since the 1970s to eradicate the
practice, culminating in a unanimous vote in 2012 by the United
Nations General Assembly to take all necessary steps to end it. It has
been outlawed in most of the countries in which it occurs, but the laws
are poorly enforced. Some anthropologists view the eradicationist
position as cultural imperialism. Eric Silverman writes that FGM is one
of anthropology's central moral topics, raising questions about
pluralism and multiculturalism within a debate framed by colonial and
post-colonial history. Well, he is a male. I would make him spend a
period of time at The Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa so that he could
understand what FGM really means for a woman. The practice involves
one or more of several procedures, which vary according to the ethnic
12
www. shi r l eyel ect r i cal . com
A contemporary cafe with great food
served in a pleasant and friendly
atmosphere at 219 Wickham Road,
in the Library Parade
13
group. They include removal of all or part of the clitoris and clitoral hood;
all or part of the clitoris and inner labia; and in its most severe form
(infibulation) all or part of the inner and outer labia and the fusion of the
wound. In this last procedure, which the WHO calls Type III FGM, a
small hole is left for the passage of urine and menstrual blood, and the
wound is opened up for intercourse and childbirth. The health effects
depend on the procedure but can include recurrent infections, chronic
pain, cysts, infertility, complications during childbirth and fatal bleeding.
Around 125 million women and girls in Africa and the Middle East have
undergone FGM. Over eight million have experienced Type III, which is
predominant in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan. The
practice is an ethnic marker, rooted in gender inequality, ideas about
purity, modesty and aesthetics, and attempts to control women's
sexuality. It is supported by both women and men in countries that
practise it, particularly by the women, who see it as a source of honour
and authority, and an essential part of raising a daughter well.
FGM is usually carried out on girls between infancy and age 15, with the
majority of cases occurring between the ages of 5 and 8 years (HM
Government, 2011). Because of the hidden nature of the crime, it is
difficult to estimate FGM's prevalence, but a study based on 2001
census data in England and Wales estimated that 23,000 girls under
the age of 15 could be at risk of FGM each year; and nearly 66,000
women are living with its consequences.
In the UK, FGM tends to occur in areas with large populations of FGM
practising communities. These
areas include London, Cardiff,
Manchester Sheffield,
Northampton, Birmingham, Oxford,
Crawley, Reading, Slough and
Milton Keynes. However, FGM can
happen anywhere in the UK, in
Shirley too.
People are finally talking about it
and a young woman, Fahma
Mohammed, supported by
Integrate Bristol (a charity that
works towards equality and
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15
integration), launched a petition to create awareness in schools. We
could put an end to the silence around FGM in this country, she
said. So many young women are
not aware that they may undergo
mutilation when taken on holiday by
their parents or relatives for the
cutting season.
News of the Guardians campaign to
end FGM has attracted the
attention of the international press
and Erik Ravelo, the creative
director of Fabrica, the company
behind Benetton, has volunteered
his services to her cause and
created the razor blade image for
the End FGM campaign.
I want my art to serve these girls.
They cant buy huge billboards -
they cant buy advertising space.
Their pain happens in the darkness
and if I can use my skills to help
them in anyway I can, then I will.
Fahma Mohammed is a very very
brave girl to challenge this head on
said Ravelo.
Fahma and her friends are indeed
brave and they will need our support
now more than ever because the press is fickle and the FGM Campaign
must continue beyond today and tomorrow. No more blades. Watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4RGTpvgF_Q
Editor
A police officer in Piazza San Marco, Venezia, January 2014
A police officer in Piazza San Marco, Venezia, January 2014
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Did you Know?
Chocolate can be healthier than fruit
Research published in the Chemistry Central Journal pitted dark chocolate
against fruits such as cranberries, blueberries, and pomegranates, and
found that dark chocolate actually had the highest antioxidants content of
them all. If you want to stay healthy, though, youll need to stick to pure
dark chocolate that contains no added sugar or milk.
Your food could contain insects
FDA guidelines allow for a worrying number of natural defects in a series
of foods. That includes up to 30 insect fragments per 100g of peanut
butter, five fly eggs per 250ml of citrus juice, and 60 mites per 100g of
broccoli.
Bananas are berries
Blueberries, cranberries, gooseberries, strawberries, bananas; which of
those is the odd one out? Strawberries. Whilst commonly thought of as
berries, strawberries are in fact technically accessory fruits, as they are
not produced directly from a single fruits ovaries. For that same reason,
bananas are actually berries, despite looking nothing like the conventional
idea of one.
Your bread could be made with human hair
These days foods are packed with many additives: one additive, L-
Cysteine, is a flavour enhancer commonly added to bread, and its origins
are disturbing to say the least. This amino acid is commonly found in hair,
and is sourced by the food industry from human hair, duck hair and hog
hair.
Sugar is as addictive as cocaine
Researchers at Connecticut College examined brain activity as a response
to sugar and compared it to the activity caused by cocaine, and found
the two to be equal. Food companies have cottoned on to this, and often
use brain scans when tweaking their products during testing to achieve
the biggest neural reaction.
Coffee may have been discovered by goats
Second only to oil as the most valuable product traded around the world,
the origin of coffee usage amongst humans is a hotly debated topic. One
Ethiopian legend claims that coffee was in fact discovered by a goat
herder in the 9
th
century. He noticed his goats were acting strangely and
traced the cause to a coffee plant they had been eating from. He sampled
the plant himself, and the rest is history.
adapted from realbuzz.com
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5 foods that can affect your mood
Crisps can make you feel depressed
A YouGov poll found that a third of British children
eat crisps every day. The other two-thirds of UK
children eat them several times a week. In fact, the
British eat six billion packets a year the equivalent
of one ton of crisps every three minutes or almost 100
packets per person. Snacking on a packet a day can
add up to the equivalent of drinking almost five litres of
cooking oil per year to their diet. Snacking on crisps is bad for your
body, and now scientists have proven that its also bad for your mood.
According to research from Spain presented in the journal PLoS One,
foods like crisps that are loaded with trans fat and saturated fat can
lead to a startling 48 per cent increase in the risk of suffering from
depression. The study found that even if only 0.6 per cent of your diet
is made up of trans fat, you still risk feeling depressed. This is due to
the inflammatory effects of trans fats and saturated fats, which can
interrupt the neurotransmitters in the brain that produce serotonin.
Avocados can make you feel alert
Avocados are naturally high in the amino acid tyrosine,
which your brain needs to produce the alertness-
boosting neurotransmitters norepinephrine and
dopamine. The journal Brain Research Bulletin
published the research to back this up. The study
found that tyrosine can improve both concentration and
alertness even in extremely stressful situations; in this
case, an army training course. Researchers at the Pesacola
Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory also discovered that
tyrosine can help improve the cognitive performance
of people who have been deprived of sleep.
Chocolate can make you feel happy
A study published in the Journal of
Psychopharmacology found that participants who
consumed a chocolate infused drink every day felt
happier and calmer than a control group who didnt
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have the drink. The reason chocolate makes you feel so happy is it
increases the production of serotonin in your brain, which is a hormone
commonly found in antidepressants. If you want this mood boost
without feeling guilty, opt for healthier natural dark chocolate without
added sugar or milk.
Brown rice can make you feel calm
Brown rice is the perfect food for people who regularly suffer from
mood swings, and that is because it is high in soluble fibre. Fibre
slows the absorption of sugar into the
bloodstream, which serves to stabilise your
mood and decrease mood swings. Mood
swings commonly occur during high-stress
periods of your life, and can severely impact on
both your career and personal life. If you are not
a fan of brown rice there are plenty of other foods
whose high fibre content means they are great for
calming your mood, such as oats and Brussels
sprouts.
Sugar can make you feel angry
Just as fibre can calm you by stabilising your blood sugar, consuming
too much sugar can cause fluctuations in your blood sugar and have
the opposite effect. Although you might crave sugar and experience
an initial mood boost when you first have it, over time
it will lead to mood swings and make you feel angry.
Researchers at Princeton University found that
these mood swings are amplified by the fact that
sugar can be as addictive as some drugs. They
found that the body can become dependent on
sugar if enough is consumed, which leads to mood
altering cravings. And when you finally give in and have a
sugary snack? The whole cycle starts over again, and your mood
swings worsen.
I am always interested to read about food. I cannot stand crisps and prefer to eat
potatoes baked. I eat one small avocado a day. I am now addicted to dark
chocolate. I have always eaten brown rice and I drink my espresso without sugar.
22
www.riverford.co.uk
23
Be not
afraid of
going
slowly,
be afraid
only of
standing
still
Chinese Proverb
Equality
The ethnicity, religion or sexuality of
my friends are totally irrelevant to me.
I connect with them because we
share convictions. We may well
disagree on various issues but the
link is there. I am puzzled when
somebody introduces himself or
herself with the announcement: I
am gay. I used to remain silent but
now my answer is immediate: So
what? or And ...? or Is it
relevant? according to my gut
reaction towards them as persons. I
do not have to like people just because they are gay. Just like people do
not have to like me because I am straight. We are equals.
I spent my life campaigning for equality and I am exceedingly proud of
it. However, equality does not mean that we were all born the same. We
come in two genders; tall or short; dark or fair; thin or fat. We can change
the colour of our hair, become thinner or fatter but we remain females or
males, African, Asian or Caucasian and tall or short. Transgender people
have a right to choose to be members of the sex opposite to that
assigned to them at birth, and to desire to live and be accepted as such.
Life is simple when there is mutual respect for one another.
I am horrified when I read about persecution on the basis of race, religion
or/and sexuality. It is wrong. We are who we are.
www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/feb/25/us-evangelical-missionaries-gays-uganda-video
The bigots in the world are now united: the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality
Act, 2014 (aka Kill the Gays Bill) was passed by the Parliament of
24
25
Uganda on 20 December 2013 with the death penalty proposal dropped
in favour of life in prison. The bill was signed into law by the President of
Uganda on 24 February 2014. A special motion to introduce the
legislation was passed a month after a two-day conference was held in
which three American Christians
asserted that homosexuality is a
direct threat to the cohesion of
African families. #shame
However, in the UK, we had the
Marriage (Same Sex Couples)
Act rushed through Parliament
as if there was no tomorrow and
we are now witnessing a
shambolic effort to remove the
terms of husband and wife.
A lot of resources will be
deployed to resolve this
legislative mess created by
incompetent politicians who
wanted to score points with part
of the electorate. Resources that
could be better spent.
I defy homophobia and prejudice
but think it is wrong to rewrite a
language and the laws of a
country for an Act that was and
is not widely supported.
I believe that marriage is
between a man and a woman
and did not need redefinition.
I also believe that civil
partnerships afford couples of
the same sex the status
heterosexual couples enjoy.
I do fear for my freedom of
speech and do not feel
comfortable when some want
to shout me down.
Marzia
26
USEFUL WEBSITES
NEWS AND BLOGS
If you want to know what is really going on in Croydon
insidecroydon.com/
If you are interested in police matters
http://inspectorgadget.wordpress.com/
If you are interested in checking facts
http://fullfact.org
FOOD AND HEALTH
Bradleys for the best frozen fish around
(quality, price and great choice)
www.frozenfishdirect.co.uk
For books and health products that might change a few things
in your life for the better
www.credence.org
For organic food on your doorstep, check
www.riverford.co.uk and discover, once more, what real
food
tastes like
For a fun and inspirational blog full of gluten free recipes
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.co.uk/p/site-index.html
If you want to make a difference about better prices, decent
working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade
for farmers and workers in the developing world
http://www.fairtrade.org.uk
Subscribe to www.thealternativedaily.com to receive your
daily source for alternative health news and tips. You can really
learn a lot from this website.
Get the latest natural health news and information from
www.drmercola.com and discover long-term health solutions
to improve your wellbeing
LIFESTYLE AND BEAUTY
For Ayurvedic theraphy, enter the peaceful world of
www.gardenofpomegranates. com and enjoy beauty, the
natural way
When you need a freelance make-up artist, check
www.mimidmakeup.com
For a hairdresser with a difference
www.wickhamstudio.co.uk/
WEBSITES
If you are looking for a reliable person to build your own
website, check www.nadianazir.com
TRAVEL
Before travelling and planning an outing, DO check
www.tripadvisor.co.uk for real feedback
SERVICES
For superb and traditional shoe repairs
www.traditionalshoerepairs.co.uk
For electrical work
www.shirleyelectrical.com
27
28
Should we go organic?
A few years ago the nation seemed in the grip of an
organic revolution, fuelled by celebrity fans and the
common assumption that an organic label on your
Granny Smiths guaranteed both added nutrition and
extra taste. Then, a few years ago, the revolution petered
out. The recession may have been partly to blame, given
the premium price of most organic foods and because of a series of
studies that offered no definitive proof of organic foods health or taste
advantages.
However, according to figures just released by the Soil Association, 2013
saw a sharp rise in demand for organic fruit, vegetables and dairy
produce. Not only is the sector back in growth, but businesses that
carry the Soil Association organic logo are experiencing relatively
buoyant year-on-year growth of 5.3%, said Bob Sexton, chief executive
of certification at the Soil Association. There is great potential in the
organic sector and, in particular, a growing public demand for organic
and food logos that they can trust.
This news comes on the back of figures from the organic fruit and
vegetables delivery company Abel and Cole, which showed sales of 38
million in the eight months to May 2013, a 24% increase on the same
period a year before. Tesco, meanwhile, says that sales of organic dairy
produce, in particular, are booming.
So whats behind this sudden change in organics fortunes, and is
organic food worth it after all?
Health: a mixed picture
Originally, organic food was prized for its supposed health benefits. For
many of us it stood to reason that food grown or raised free from
unnecessary chemicals and often using less intensive farming methods
would be healthier than traditionally farmed counterparts. Organic
seemed to offer a guarantee of safe, nutritious food.
Unfortunately, the evidence has generally failed to substantiate many of
these claims. To take just one example, an analysis of 250 studies by
researchers at Stanford University in the United States found little to
choose between organic and traditional foods in terms of nutritional
content.
29
The researchers discovered slightly higher phosphorous levels in many
organic foods, and a higher omega-3 fatty acid content in organic milk
and chicken, but in other measures there was little difference between
the two. However, organic did have a clear advantage: it was associated
with 30% lower pesticide residues than conventional food, though in
both foods, pesticide traces were within legal safety limits.
Taste the difference?
Again, the evidence is mixed. A small study by Which? found that
conventionally grown tomatoes were sweeter, had a stronger flavour and
were juicer than organic tomatoes. On the other hand, food scientist
Harold McGee has argued that, because it is not protected from insects
and disease by man-made chemicals, organic produce has to ramp up
its own internal chemical defences. These defences equate to more
flavoursome food, he believes.
Taste should be the primary motivation for choosing organic. The organic
ethos of slower grown meat and fish with more space to free range and
naturally develop flavour, fewer chemical inputs, older and tastier
varieties, slightly less emphasis on yield at any cost should result in better
flavoured food.
Clearly there are a large number of factors responsible for developing
flavour, and while producing to organic standards is going to profit from
many of these, it is perfectly possible to produce locally grown
conventional tomatoes that are far tastier than anything grown organically
in Spain for example.
Should we go organic?
At the moment the evidence points to some slight health benefits, and
food that is tastier but only when organic also means less intensively
produced. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesnt.
If you want to eat some organic food but cant afford to go completely
organic, you should consider a list of the worst offenders in terms of
pesticide use. So as well as milk which is consistently shown to be
higher in omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids when produced organically
you may want to consider organic when buying the following fruit and
vegetables: apples, celery, cherries, grapes, lettuce, nectarines,
peaches, pears, strawberries and sweet bell peppers. Experts say that
you can safely eat non organic bananas and avocados!
Marzia
30
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Sharing your
experiences can
help
others
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Drop in at
Orchard Way Primary
School, Shirley, on
Wednesday at 7:30pm
or
Shirley Methodist
Church Hall, Eldon
Avenue, Shirley, on
Tuesdays at 9:30am
Call Orla on
07888 745169
Real food for real
people.
No starvation diets!
34
Re: The Moat at the Goat
It is fascinating to read a copy of a handwritten letter that the
Chairman of the Shrublands Residents Association sent to the Vicar
of All Saints Church following the publication of the article The Moat
at the Goat in the Parish Magazine in August 1986.
Before we let the missionaries across the moat may I tell you that
the natives are now subdued many have bought their houses and
flats. So you see the area is no longer a Council estate - dare I say it
is no different to the surrounding area the Shirley Ward to which we
are a part.
The irony is biting but the tone is friendly and gentlemanly. He goes on
saying that Yes, we have certain priority problems caused by the
London Borough of Croydon not maintaining the estate according to
the beautiful surrounds.
Nothing seems to change: the London Borough of Croydon is not
maintaining the estate now. They were then trying to push one parent
families up here out of sight out of mind which doesnt help to get a
settled estate. Nowadays it is not clear what they are trying to do but
many residents no longer wish to live in Shrublands and try to move
out as soon as they can. It is a trend that must be reversed:
Shrublands needs TLC but has great potential and can be the
Shrublands Garden Estate with a slightly rural atmosphere that
Croydon Council wanted to build in 1955.
Mr. Plummer goes on saying that the Church of England, on the other
hand, was trying to cross the moat .. to open a home for young
delinquents and were hurt and surprised when we turned them
down.
Well, the NIMBY concept is not a modern one and has always existed.
The fact is that Shrublands is part of Shirley and whatever afflicts one
arm will affect the body.
The moat is in the mind and we need to fill it with common sense and
empathy. The once more affluent parts of Shirley are feeling the pinch
under this governments sustained attack on welfare. This might lead
to a better understanding and community cohesion.
to be continued
Editor
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The Chestnut Clinic
Specialising in the Identification &
Treatment of Allergic Disorders
Home Visit Service
Tel: 01959 572055
Email: Chestnuthomeopathy@virginmedia.com
Website: www.chestnuthomeopathy.co.uk
63 Steeple Heights Drive, Biggin Hill, Westerham, TN16 3UN
Tel: 020 8688 0844 Mobile: 07860 795836 Email: paul@ccrltd.co.uk
6 Commerce Way Croydon Surrey CR0 4XA
37
38
Police Matters
The Shirley Ward Crime Rate is average
in Police speak but it is not average if
you are a victim of crime. When did you
last meet with a member of the Team?
You might have never met them.
You have now a chance to do so on
Wednesday 9 April at Shirley Methodist
Church in Eldon Avenue at a Public
Meeting. Put the date in your diary.
If you have pressing concerns, contact
them on Shirley.snt@met.police.uk. Do
not keep your fears to yourself. They are there to help you.
39
http://content.met.police.uk/Team/Croydon/Shirley
Petition
Shirley has no car parks and red lines
make motorists lives a misery.
Furthermore, TfL, in its wisdom and
without consultation, has set different
times for parking in Wickham Road.
30 minutes are not sufficient to shop,
have a cup of coffee or a hair cut.
As a result, shopkeepers complain that
their trade is suffering because residents
shop in West Wickham or beyond for fear
of heavy fines.
For the love of Shirley, sign the
petition for parking times to be
extended to 1 hour
along Wickham Road at:
Shirley Cafe, 219 Wickham Rd
Picture Partnership, 213 Wickham Rd
Mona Pharmacy, 246 Wickham Rd
42
43
Vote with Your Pocket,
EVERY DAY
Remember, the food companies on the left of the
graphic spent tens of millions of dollars in the last two
labelling campaignsin California and Washington
Stateto prevent you from knowing what is in your
food.
You can even the score by switching to the brands on
the right; all of whom stood behind the I-522 Right to
Know campaign.
Naked Juice
Gerber
Kashi
Ocean Spray
Green & Blacks Organic
Del Monte
Du Pont
Bayer
BASF
Burts Bees
STOP
BUYING THEIR PRODUCTS.
Voting with your pocket, at every meal, matters.
It makes a huge difference.
These
items
are sold
in the
UK
44
Cinema campaign announces return to the Clocktower,
with first David Lean screenings since 2011
Nearly three years after the cinema closed in April 2011, the Save the
David Lean Cinema Campaign has announced a major breakthrough.
Following negotiations with the council, weekly screenings staffed by
Campaign volunteers will commence on Thursday 27 March. The
launch film will be Basically, Johnny Moped, the acclaimed story of
Croydons lost legend of punk rock. It will be followed by a Q&A
featuring director Fred Burns, Johnny Moped and Captain Sensible.
Following two 7.30 pm screenings of Basically, subsequent films
will be at 2.30 pm and 7.30 pm on Thursdays.
They will be very much in the David Lean tradition, and will include 12
Years a Slave and the Italian film The Great Beauty, both of which are
Oscar-nominated.
Campaign chairman Adrian Winchester said: This represents the
culmination of an enormous amount of work by our committee. The
David Lean isnt fully reopening yet, but our screenings will be an
important step forward and we hope to expand the programme in future.
We appreciate the councils willingness to collaborate with us and we
particularly thank facilities, Interserve and community partnerships staff
for their help and enthusiasm. Everyone clearly wants this venture to
succeed.
THE FULL PROGRAMME:
Thursday 27 & Friday 28 March: Basically, Johnny Moped (2013 UK)
Thursday 3 April: 12 Years a Slave (2013 USA/UK)
Thursday 10 April: The Great Beauty (2013 Italy)
Thursday 17 April: Inside Llewyn Davis (2013 USA)
Thursday 24 April: Short Term 12 (2013 USA)
The David Lean Cinema is an intimate, 68 seat venue within Croydon
Clocktower, which over its 16-year history became associated with the
very best in British and World cinema. It was closed in April 2011 as a
result of Croydon councils arts-related cuts.
For more details, email savedavidlean@gmail.com or telephone 020
8656 0168.
Shirley Life has always supported the
Campaign and congratulates the hard
working Committee of


SAVE THE DAVID LEAN CINEMA CAMPAIGN
183 SHIRLEY ROAD, CROYDON, CR0 8SA
Tel: 020 8656 0168 Email: adrianw_8-16@tiscali.co.uk


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cinema campaign announces return to the Clocktower, with first David Lean
screenings since 2011
Nearly three years after the cinema closed in April 2011, the Save the David Lean Cinema
Campaign has announced a major breakthrough. Following negotiations with the council,
weekly screenings staffed by Campaign volunteers will commence on Thursday 27 March.
The launch film will be Basically, Johnny Moped, the acclaimed sory ol Croydon's los
legend ol punk rock." It will be followed by a Q&A featuring director Fred Burns, Johnny
Moped and Captain Sensible. The Captain was a Johnny Moped guitarist before he came to
fame in The Damned, bu he also has pernl lneres as lred's lher.
Following two 7.30 pm screenings of Basically, subsequent films will be at 2.30 pm and 7.30
pm on Thursdays. They will be very much in the David Lean tradition, and will include 12
Years a Slave and the Italian film The Great Beauty, both of which are Oscar-nominated.
Campaign chairman Adrian Winchester said: This represents the culmination of an
enormous amount of work by our commlee. 1he uavld Lean lsn' fully reopening yet, but
our screenings will be an important step forward and we hope to expand the programme in
future."
e added: We appreciate he councll's wllllngness o collabore with us and we
particularly thank facilities, Interserve and community partnerships staff for their help and
enthusiasm. Everyone clearly wants this venture to succeed."
The full programme:
Thursday 27 & Friday 28 March: Basically, Johnny Moped (2013 UK)
Thursday 3 April: 12 Years a Slave (2013 USA/UK)
Thursday 10 April: The Great Beauty (2013 Italy)
Thursday 17 April: Inside Llewyn Davis (2013 USA)
Thursday 24 April: Short Term 12 (2013 USA)
For more details, email savedavidlean@gmail.com or telephone 020 8656 0168.
Members will be advised of online booking arrangements and Croydon Visitor Centre at East
Croydon will provide a walk-in box office service. Tickets will also be available at the
Clocktower Arts Bar, from an hour before screenings.

45
Back in the David Lean! Some of the Campaign committee responsible for launching
screenings there.
46
Andrew Dunsmore,
Picture Partnership,
Shirley
Mothers Day
We are always well aware in advance of important feasts and
special celebrations, like Christmas and Easter, Mothers Day and
Fathers Day, Valentines Day and Birthdays and other personal
special dates to celebrate; and our good intentions to prepare in
good time to buy that particularly suitable gift that we saw earlier
and know will be much appreciated just fade away as the event
rapidly overtakes us.
Let me remind you that you have about four weeks till Mothers
Day. So, ACT NOW. Have you in mind a box of chocolate? Or a
bouquet of flowers? Or a week-end away? Or perhaps a more
durable reminder in the photographic field? The choice here is
endless, from taking your own at home, in the garden or a local
park, or hiring a studio for these more controlled lighting effects,
to having them taken professionally in all the same locations.
Consider the options of a portrait, a group, a collage highlighting
the progress of the family down the years; or maybe of a
grandchild in a romper suit or displaying a special talent in their
Ballet dress or Football kit or playing a musical instrument or with
a special outfit or toys that were originally a gift to them.
A collection in an album is another choice, or a slideshow to be
viewed on TV or a computer; maybe an opportunity to introduce
them to a slideshow?
All of these options, and more, can be accomplished for you
professionally in Picture Partnerships well equipped studio at 213
47
Wickham Road, Shirley Croydon, CR0 8TG. We are six doors
away from the Co-op.
But dont delay, book now on 020 8656 4024! the clock is ticking
away.
P.S. Whatever you decide, take a picture of Mum for yourself.
Memory and nostalgia work both ways.
@PPPictures
www.picturepartnership.co.uk
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SHIRLEY LIBRARY
March 2014
Free Regular Childrens Activities and Events
Storytime: Every Thursday from 2.15 to 2.45pm .
Rhymetime: Every Friday from 10 to 10.30am.
Once upon a Rhyme: 10 to 10.30am on the following Saturdays: 1 and 15.
Saturday Crafts: 2.30 to 4pm on the following Saturdays: 8 and 22.
Teen Reading Group: is for children aged 11-19 and takes place on Thursday from
4.30 to 5.30pm. Please ask the Library for the date of Marchs group.
Free Regular Activities and Events for Adults
Board games: Do you like playing Scrabble, Monopoly, cards, chess and Battleship?
We have a selection of games which can be used in the library any time.
Monthly Craft Workshop: Card Making on Tuesday 11 from 2.30 to 4.30pm.
Stitch, Knit and Natter from 2.30 to 4.30pm Friday 14 and 28.
Computer sessions for beginners: Learn to set up an email account, use Facebook,
do online shopping, use Word, Excel and Powerpoint or improve your typing skills.
These sessions are offered on Mondays and Tuesdays in the morning and afternoon
and on some Saturday mornings. Please contact the library for further details.
Free Wifi - the library now has free Wifi access.
Display boards
Our display boards are available for use free of charge to advertise your club or
society. Please contact Fiona or Irene at Shirley Library on 020 3700 1019 or email
croydon.shirleylibrary@carillionservices.co.uk
Croydon.shirleylibrary@carillionservices.co.uk
Free monthly talks fom authors or speakers
This month's illustrated talk will be on Waterside Birds and the talk will be given
by two members of the RSPB. It will take place on Monday 17 March from 2.15
to 3.30pm. Tea and coffee will be served afterwards. Please reserve your place
at the library.
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READING
GROUP
FOR ADULTS
The group will discuss Solar by Ian McEwan on Thursday 20 March from 6 to
7pm.
Solar is an engrossing and satirical novel which focuses on climate change. It
is a stylish new work by one of the worlds greatest living writers about one
mans ambitions and self-deceptions.
Michael Beard is in his late fifties; bald, overweight, unprepossessing a Nobel
prize-winning physicist whose best work is behind him. Trading on his
reputation, he speaks for enormous fees, lends his name to the letterheads of
renowned scientific institutions and half-heartedly heads a government-backed
initiative tackling global warming. An inveterate philanderer, Beard finds his fifth
marriage floundering. When Beards professional and personal worlds are
entwined in a freak accident, an opportunity presents itself, a chance for Beard
to extricate himself from his marital mess, reinvigorate his career and very
possibly save the world from environmental disaster.
Dan Franklin, Publisher, comments: Solar is a novel about one of the most
serious threats to our world global warming but is also very, very funny. It
shows a fresh side to Ian McEwans work, that hes a comic writer of genius.
Savagely funny... Enormously entertaining...a stellar performance - Sunday
Times
A stunningly accomplished work, possibly his best yet...both funny and serious,
light and dark, morally engaged and ironically detached - Financial Times
A satirical masterpiece...it will come to be regarded as a classic - Lorna
Bradbury Daily Telegraph
Wonderfully enjoyable... He shows a side to himself as a writer - a puckishness,
a broadness of humour, an extravagance of style - that we haven't seen before
- Sam Leith, Spectator
52
http://www.wickhamstudio.co.uk/
52
Sasha is probably the best
hairdresser in town.
She is a true professional.
53
About hair
A little follow up on my clients hair
who climbed Kilimanjaro to raise
money for the Alzheimer's charity.
In order for Lorna (my client) to have
as little fuss as possible with her long
blonde hair throughout her climb, I
decided that the best thing would be
to put lots of scalp braids throughout
so that she didn't even need to worry
about brushing.
Lorna's hair was shampooed and
braided the day before she left and
she took out her braids two weeks
later when she had successfully
completed her mission and was in
the comfort of her hotel with a
wonderful hot shower.
I asked Lorna what her hair condition was like and her words were
dirty, smelly, and gross, my hair has never been so bad. However I
must report that, having cut and styled Lorna's hair on the week of her
return, her scalp looked remarkably good (she does have a patch of
eczema at the back which I keep an eye on but even that didn't look
too bad).
My verdict on not shampooing your hair and letting the natural oils
cleanse the scalp is this:
If you are not in a heavily polluted area and are not putting lots of styling
products on your hair it might be ok. In my professional opinion I see
so many people with scalp complaints created by using the wrong
products and not shampooing their hair correctly and often enough. I
believe a good shampooing and conditioning regime with the expert
advice of your hairdresser is the way to go.
Just answer two questions:
Would you consider not washing your face and body for
weeks???? I do not think anyone would.
What is the difference between the skin on our head and the skin
on our body????
Sacha
54
Two Shirley women at work at the
J
ill asked me if I would take her to
the City of London Dollshouse
festival and I happily agreed
because I had always wanted to see
what went on behind the scenes in a
fair. We left Shirley pretty early and
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56
followed Wendy and Bryce Parkinsons car. We were
amongst the first to arrive at the Tower Hotel, just by
Tower Bridge.
I received an Exhibitors Badge and tried to help as
much as possible. There were many stalls in two
large rooms and hardly any room between stalls. The
organiser had, obviously, used every inch of the floor
plan.
I had never realised how much work goes into
setting up a table and how many bits one needs for showing the
items in the best light. Neither had I realised how patient one must be
with customers who move every item around and, sometimes, move
on without buying anything.
Wendy had her stall nearby. I had never seen her work and was
impressed. Lifes Little Miniatures take pride in producing a variety of
hand crafted 1/24 and 1/12 scale miniatures which are made to the
very highest quality. All the fabric printed designs are chosen to
complement the right scale. Wherever possible she uses 100%
cotton, or silk fabrics. Read more on http://www.lifeslittleminiatures.com/
It was a very good day and I learned a lot about trade and fairs. We
had an adventurous return journey because I lost Bryce just before
getting to Lewisham and then I took the wrong turning at Lewisham
Shopping Centre. We did manage to reach Shirley, eventually.
Marzia
GB GARDENING SERVICES
All aspects of garden maintenance undertaken
LAWN CARE AND CUTTING
WEEDING, PLANTING AND PRUNING
HEDGE TRIMMING
LEAF CLEARING
FENCE AND SHED TREATMENT
JET WASHING OF PATHS AND PATIOS
NO JOB CONSIDERED TOO SMALL
All your gardening needs catered for using our own
tools. Removing all debris from site and leaving
your garden clean and tidy
ALL AT COMPETITIVE PRICES
FREE NO OBLIGATION
QUOTATIONS
Contact Greg:
Mobile: 07968 404 448
Email: greggiebrown@yahoo.co.uk
Jill Latter Jill Latter Jill Latter
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olls H
ouse
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urnishings
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Soft Furnishings
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jilllatter@aol.com
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