There will now be a short intermission

If you love Catford so much, said J, why are you always leaving it?

The Man From Catford riposted:
a) I do love Catford.
b) I'm not always going away.
c) You're just peeved because you aren't going with me.

J counter-riposted, is that why you are called The Man From Catford because you are always going from it. TMFC counter-counter-riposted, no it is because you can take the man from Catford but you can't take Catford from the man. J threw a cushion at me.

The Man From Catford will be away but returns after the late May Bank Holiday. Go easy pilgrims.

The good, the good and the good.

Three post offices are closing in the Borough of Lewisham, at Hither Green Lane, Burnt Ash Hill, Lee, and New Cross Road. The mayor of Lewisham 'Sir' Steve Bullock said: "This battle is not over yet. "I will look at what further options are open, including legal action, and an investigation of other ways in which those post offices can be kept open." Good for him.

Following my post of 14 April it Catford girl Kertreena Williams (23) took part in the Miss Universe finals at the Cafe de Paris in central London. Unfortunately she did not win the title but upheld the honour of Catford by winning the award for best hair. And by taking part she helped raise more than £35,000 for the The Joshua Foundation charity which arranges family holidays and days out for children suffering from terminal cancer. Good for her.

Apparently the guerrilla gardening movement carries on brightening up London. It seems to be about planting where no one has boldly planted before. Anyway, from this article in The Mirror it seems that someone will be planting tulips around Catford this weekend. Good for them.

Sweet home...Catford

The Man From Catford was taken with the account by Grace Goes Abroad of her return home from New York to Catford. Anyway, on Tuesday morning as TMFC ambled to the station in his usual half asleep stupor he did notice how many people were about. Loads. Shed loads. And it was so noisy. The youth were louder, the traffic bumper to bumper on the South Circular was clanging and hiccuping, more car windows were down to expel thumping bass laden music, huge coaches were disgorging lots of tourists in eye-bashing multicoloured clothing, even babies in buggies were extremely vocal. (More than usual that is). It was the obviously the uncommonly fine sunny morning that produced this result. TMFC came to his full senses and felt stimulated by the Catford cacophony. There is no place like home indeed. (J who was with me said it's like the beginning of the film Falling Down just before Michael Douglas starts to go beserk. J can be a wet blanket sometimes.)

The votes are in

Well it's all over and Boris is in residence. Though looking at the votes in the super constituency of Lewisham & Greenwich the majority of people (42.83%) voted for Ken Livingstone as opposed to Boris (34.75%). Which is interesting. Also in the area vote in Lewisham and Greenwich the majority of people (36.21) voted for the Labour candidate. Which is also interesting. So congratulations to Len Duvall. If you want to know more about him you can find something here and here and here. TMFC did a straw poll of friends and neighbours and one the main comments he picked up about the election was how little party literature came through the letter box and the dearth of people knocking on their doors to make personal contact. Perhaps that's not the done thing anymore but they all thought it would have been nice to have seen a human face.

Talking of winners the second monthly winners in News Shopper's Wow Factor competition have been announced. In the girls' category the clear winner was 24-year-old Sarah-Ann Boner from Catford. And a fine example of Catfordian pulchritude she is too.

Bingo Catford

The Man From Catford has not done a lot of things in life; paragliding, knitting, archery, homicide, rode a giraffe, gone loco down in Acapulco, share holding, small holding, holding or gone to a bingo hall. In the centre of Catford though is Mecca Bingo, marooned on what is referred to as The Island on Plassy Road. Apparently that is the place to go to to win. More than £80,000 have been won there recently, including a jackpot of £78,740. The winner said, "I jumped for joy when I found out how much I'd won. I was so excited, my husband and I couldn't believe it - we were both in shock." Here is a little older news on other winners at Catford. TMFC would be fascinated to see who goes there and what goes on (bingo is a sub-culture of its own as evidenced by even a cursory glance at the internet) and if people really do leap up and holler, "Bingo!." Perhaps one year TMFC ought to go to Mecca in Catford and then to Mecca in Saudi Arabia just for the sake of symmetry. Perhaps. After he has ridden a giraffe of course.

Drinking and voting

The Man From Catford has noticed another twist in the continuing saga of the old Rutland Arms. The developers have it seems finally made up their mind and a pub will be a component of the rebuilt site. Nigel Blakelock, 57, a former Rutland regular, says "Potentially it's good news.
"The pub we want is ideally a replacement for the old one, a proper community pub." Let's hope there will be no more shilly-shallying (a phrase not heard much these days but it's quite descriptive) and that a pub will rise phoenix-like from the embers of the old one. Now if only the closed Rising Sun in Catford would rise again. ( J thought it was not likely. TMFC is faintly optimistic).

The Man From Catford has received London mayoral election material through his letterbox and is considering them maturely. Election day is May 1st and it will soon be here. Ken or Boris or Sian or Brian? Etc. TMFC always votes because a) people died for universal suffrage in this country b) some countries around the world don't have universal suffrage and c) there are countries where they have had elections the results of which have never been recognised by the oppressing regime. It's such a privilege to vote. Does it change things and is it worth it? That's another debate but it is better to do it than not to do it. Well that's what TMFC thinks.

Tickets and faces

The Man From Catford is recovering from the excitement of last week's commuting. For the first time in an aeon there were ticket inspectors at Catford station. Not only in the morning but in the evenings too and throughout the week. You wait months for a ticket inspector and then loads turn up at once with a sprinkling of police. It was mainly a peaceful affair with a few dissenters ("But I've been travelling on this ticket for years" or "That's what the man who sold me the ticket told me.")

It is good to see that the The Catford Cat Appreciation Society is growing on Facebook. It is also heartening to see that I attended Catford Girls' School and im not pregnant!!! has 89 members. TMFC presumes most of them are ladies, but these days who knows? TMC was also beguiled by Bring Anna Jeffery back to Catford which has...1 member. There are photos of Anna on the site and TMFC agrees too. Come back to Catford Anna. You know it makes sense.

Global Catford

The tourists have returned to Catford. On the town bound trains at present one finds large parties of European and Japanese young people and in the fair streets of Catford are parked wide colourful coaches from Germany or Italy or beyond. It would be interesting to find out how many visitors to London use Catford as a base for discovering the delights of the metropolis. This might not be possible as it is difficult to work out who is or is not a visitor. The Man from Catford is all for integration and harmony but not uniformity. With globalisation all around the world people are wearing the same clothes, the same shoes, eating the same food and shopping in the same stores. Not only that but with the proliferation of labels and large lettering on the backs of jackets people have been conned into becoming walking adverts, for free. In the old days it was an unskilled underpaid bloke with a sandwich board but now millions do it. Manufacturers must be laughing up their sleeves. TMFC wants to see lederhosen, sarongs, grass skirts and longyis. Etc.

Beer and ball

After an unforseen hiatus (not as painful as it sounds) The Man From Catford is back. And what does he find. That the development of the Rutland Arms site might not have a pub after all. The director of Metroliving Ltd, Raj Kang, says that if a flats complex includes a pub it might be difficult to sell the flats to occupiers. Mr Kang said: "Who wants to live above a pub?" Well, the only answer is, me, me, me!

Out of Catford but more news on the beer front, a brewery dating back to the 18th Century will start producing beer again if plans go ahead. It will be at at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich. The Meantime Brewing Company has struck a deal with the Greenwich Foundation to make the application to Greenwich Council. As long as the beer is good TMFC gives his blessing.

Sports-wise a lad born in a Catford family worth looking out for is Jem Karacan of Milwall who is impressing with his pace and technical ability. And more sporting news, Kertreena Williams (23) of Catford has made it to the Miss Universe UK finals. TMFC only mentions this (apart from the Catford connection) because he thought things like this had died with Benny Hill and with the Carry On films or like dinosaurs or dodoes. Anyway, good luck to both.

A good night in Catford

Yesterday evening The Man From Catford spurred on by the current International Beer Festival at Wetherspoon pubs went to the London & Rye in Rushey Green with A and C to sample the beery delights on offer. For a Wednesday it was quite lively. One end of the pub was showing the live European Cup game, Man U against Roma and the bar end of the pub was awash with manic laughter and the slurping of ale. The atmosphere was the best TMFC has experienced there for a long time and the bar staff were unusually excellent. TMC consumed the Yo-Ho Tokyo Black (thick and strangely sweet), Hydes' Trojan Horse (a thin beer which was supposed to be "full of secrets" but certainly didn't let TMFC in on any of them) and Robinson's Top Tipple (which was so tasty it was probably brewed in heaven, but was actually brewed in Stockport.) On top of that the burger was succulent. Surprisingly then a good night out at the London & Rye. Let's hope they keep it up.