​Guest post by Claudia Griffiths for work experience

They were clearly active in the community as they set up events called the Goldsmiths Gardeners Society Flower Shows. This was an annual event dating back to at least the 1950s. The Flower Show in 1954 was opened by the newly appointed Mayor of Lewisham at the time, Charles Tucker Braithwaite. The Society is described as one of the ‘largest and best known in the borough’ by this 'Lewisham Borough News' paper from July, 1954.

These posters are from the Flower Shows held by the society for their 50 year anniversary in 1987. A lot of the trophies previously mentioned were given out at these events, such as The Garden News Shield For Floral Art, The Goldsmiths Society Trophy, The K.White Sweet Pea Cup, The Arthur Cranfield Trophy and more.
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We are calling on Lewisham residents and our wider group of friends and supporters to back one of our groups in their quest to win top prize in a nationwide competition – and with it £5,000.

The Downham Men’s Group and Shed, based at Goldsmiths Community Centre,  is one of 12 finalists from around the UK going before a public vote in the Selco Community Heroes competition, which attracted nearly 2,000 entries.

Leading builders merchants Selco Builders Warehouse – which has a branch in Catford, on
Bromley Road - has organised the competition, designed to support charities and community
groups during the financial turmoil.

A team of Selco judges selected a dozen causes to receive £500 worth of building materials
and now the shortlisted groups will be aiming to top a vote and land a cash windfall.

A second prize of £1,000 is also available the runner-up.

To vote click here 

Voting is open until midnight on February 28.

The Downham Men’s Group helps men with their mental health by giving them a safe space
in which to meet and talk. The group meet regularly to carry out refurbishments to the
Goldsmiths Community Centre while building relationships and sharing problems.

A £5,000 windfall would allow the charity to embark on new projects, including work in the
centre’s gardens and interior painting.

What does central Catford mean to you? The same space can mean a very different thing to different people and the changes to the road and regeneration of the Catford Gyratory area has provoked a series of conversations about the past, to inform the future.

Led by St Laurence Church, the Catford Gyratory Project was funded by the Heritage Lottery, to explore the meanings of the spaces we all love, and some of the quirkly, rich and sad histories of Catford. Our approach was informed by Chimamanda Ngozie Adiche's famous TED talk on the danger of a single story.
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We would love it if people would continue to add their own favourite Catford Gyratory spots to the History Pin that we have produced, linked to the Walk.

Local Resident Sheila Warr first visited the park in 1948 - she shares her memories below
 
My very first memory of Forster Park is when I was about four years old.  My parents, brother and I had just moved into the newly built houses opposite the park in Whitefoot Lane in 1948.  Several young families had moved into these houses and my mum used to take several of the neighbour’s children and myself up to the park.  Where the Academy is now used to be a meadow with long uncut grass and on one occasion my mum took us up to play there and she kept hiding from us so as I couldn’t see her and me, only being 4 started to cry.  However she soon appeared again so all was well.
 
Then as I got older we were allowed to play in the park and at the Whitefoot Lane side there was a bank with lots of trees on so we used to play up and down the bank hiding from each other among the trees.
 
When I was about 8 or 9 Mary Bennett who lived right opposite my house became a Play Leader and we used to go up to the park and do all sorts of activities.  The boys played football and the girls played netball and we used to play matches with other parks such as Chinbrook Meadows at Grove Park, Home Park at Lower Sydenham and Southend Park in Southend Lane.  Other activities included Scottish and Irish dancing and gymnastics, doing displays jumping over a box.  Sometimes we  did displays at other venues, such as the Ladywell Centre and I have a picture of Mary’s daughter, Pat and I way back in about 1956.  Also as I was growing up Mum always told me that she and my dad did their courting in Forster Park which must have been in the mid-1930’s.
 
My next memories are of when my son was born and I used to take him to what was called the One O’clock club, although it did run from about 10.00 in the morning till about 4.00pm.  It was for pre-school children and their parents/carers and again there were lots of activities for the children and of course it gave the parents/carers time to chat with other parents/carers.  I can also remember there was a paddling pool too which was great on a hot day.
 
It was great when the Sports Pavillion was erected in memory of Mary Bennett as she had been such an inspiration to so many children as they grew up.
 
Now I am in my seventies I walk in the park whenever I can and during Lockdown in 2020 I made sure I walked there every day for an hour.
 
Yes, Forster Park has many great memories for me.
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Local resident, Michelle Byrne, shares her childhood memories in the podcast below

Local resident, Robert Garlinge, shares why the park and linked walking group are so important to our communities.

Bring Me Sunshine, Goldsmiths Dance Academy, Lewisham Positive Ageing Council and Goldsmiths Community Centre were delighted when we were awarded Arts Council England funding to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. 

​We worked in partnership to deliver an intergenerational project which culminated in three exciting cabaret performances over the weekend of 11th and 12th of June 2022!
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After the event, we undertook a participant evaluation to see if we had met our objectives - you can read results below.

The club has been based in Goldsmiths Community Centre since the 1970s. Founded by Senei Jimmy Patterson, the shotokan club has produced national and world champions, including Elwyn Hall.

The club teaches a strong and traditional form of Shotokan Karate in a fun and family friendly environment.

Thames Karate International was formed in the 1960s, wehn Sensei Ray Fuller opened the first club in Dartford, with the famous Japanese Instructor, Sensei Keinosuke Enoeda.

Sensei Ray Fuller had trained under a number of famous Japanese Karate masters and set up Thames to spread what he had learned about traditional karate to young people across Kent and South East London.

In the 1970s and 1980s many students entered the national team, with some such as Elwyn Hall going on to win European and World Championships. Many students who started as chidren are instructors today.

The spirit and commitment to tradition endures today through the committee and club instructors and, until recently through the late Chief Instructor, Val Patterson. It is this rich history of spirited karate that motivates the club as they look to train a new generation of students in this ancient Japanese art.

Further information is available on the club's website or email or call 07973 340402 (Keith) or 07736 711684 (Chris)

Following the murder of a local teacher, we worked with Friends of Forster Memorial Park and Peace of Cake to plant a tree in her memory. We are delighted that so many local people, including her family,  joined us to celebrate her life as well as mark our outrage about men's violence against women.