Introducing the Greenwich Forum

The final piece of the South East Central puzzle* has fallen in to place today, with the creation of the Greenwich forum.


This weekend, Greenwich will celebrate becoming a Royal Borough for the Diamond Jubilee with firework displays in Woolwich on Friday night, Eltham on Saturday night and Greenwich town centre on Sunday night.

Crosswhatfields also notes:

On the Sunday there will be free entertainment and children's art workshops in and around Greenwich Market and the Maritime Museum from 10am – 5.30pm, and the document confirming the borough's royal status will be on show at the Discover Greenwich visitor centre.

The formalities take place on February 3rd and Greenwich Council has already got itself a new coat of arms, started changing street signs and jumped the gun by rechristening its Twitter feed Royal_Greenwich.

Coupled with its role this summer as an Olympic host borough, Greenwich's stock has rarely been higher.

As a republican son of Greenwich, Brockley Central cannot help feeling conflicted. It's wonderful that Greenwich - and by extension, South East London - is getting this sort of recognition, it's just a shame it's accompanied by such forelock-tugging, property-price speculating naffness.

South East Central's own tribute to Greenwich will no-doubt retain the property-speculation bit, but hopefully encourage broader exploration of a place which is arguably South East London's most important centre for culture, tourism, heritage, education and commerce.

Right now, the centre of Greenwich is one big construction site, as projects to restore the Cutty Sark, repave Cutty Sark Gardens and rebuild Greenwich Pier race to meet the Olympic deadline. On the peninsula, glacial progress by developers doesn't stop it being a fascinating live study of community building and urban design.  And, despite Inc's best efforts, it still boasts some of the area's best pubs.

Greenwich is beautiful, squalid, industrial and sedate in almost equal measure - and that's before you've begun to explore the varied delights of Charlton, Woolwich, Thamesmead, Plumstead, Eltham and many other names to conjure with.

But South East Central's Greenwich forum is devoted to the bit of Greenwich closest to Brockley, from Blackheath Hill to Westcombe Park. The closest bit to Brockley also happens to be the best bit. That's probably just a coincidence.

*Alright, there might be one more piece of the puzzle at a later date.