Charlton Rail Users Group co-convenor David Gardner has some words for you:

Come to the Charlton Rail Users’ Group Open Forum with Southeastern, Network Rail and Greenwich Council next Tuesday 3 July at Charlton Liberal Club, 59 Charlton Church Lane SE7 at 7pm for 7.30 pm.

We have begun to make a big impact but much remains to be done. Come to have your say on a new entrance, a station community garden, what train service we want from the next franchise and getting improved bus links.

And anything else you want to raise, including trains stooping up the platform.

Hope to see you there. It’s our station and rail service. Together, we can make our voice heard.

There’s already a consultation out on the next rail franchise for the area, which Transport for London wants to see (at least in the capital) transformed into a London Overground-style service under its control. But Tuesday’s talk will be more about the here and now issues – has anyone spotted the station canopies have been cleaned?

Only a month to go until the Olympic Games land on our doorstep – here’s a few things you should know about trying to get around the area…

1) Kidbrooke with Hornfair councillor Hayley Fletcher has been in touch to say…

On Monday 25th, works will begin on Charlton Park Lane to remove the road humps in preparation for July 25 when the Olympic Route Network (ORN) gets up and running. Works will be done in off peak time and should be completed by the following Saturday.

As an interim measure to stop speeding and calm traffic in the area, some signs displaying the 30mph limit will be put up. The humps will be replaced after the Paralympics. This is not a permanent measure.

There should be further works in the next couple of weeks in the area and I will update you as soon as I know any further details.

Thanks to Hayley for that, and she’s happy for people to email her with questions. I wonder how many local motorists will wish the humps’ removal were permanent?

2) If you haven’t already, stick your postcode into www.2012gamesparkingpermits.com – if you’re in SE7, you’ll need a parking permit if you don’t have one already, and existing parking zones will be enforced into the evenings and weekends (and extended into streets where permits aren’t needed). More details here.

3) Transport for London has released this leaflet detailing changes across Greenwich borough during the Games.

There are also Get Ahead of the Games roadshows over the next couple of weeks. Stops include: Sat 30 June, General Gordon Square, Woolwich (10am-6pm); Sun 1 July, Blackheath Farmers’ Market (in station car park – 10am-2pm); Sun 8 July, Cutty Sark Gardens, Greenwich (10am-4pm); Thurs 12 July, Cutty Sark DLR station, Greenwich (12noon-7pm). More details here, click on “transport changes in London boroughs”.

Incidentally, there will be three local “live sites” where you’ll be able to watch the events on a big screen – in General Gordon Square, Woolwich; on the Greenwich peninsula (on the patch of land next to the Pilot pub); and on Blackheath, by All Saints Church.

Get your shorts on a week on Sunday…

After the success of 2011’s ‘holiday camp theme’ the annual Horn Fayre (whose origins date back to the middle ages) is back again to resurrect more happy memories with interactive games and social activities This summer’s event will be inspired by The Sports Day and the London Olympics. Remember the egg and spoon race, Ice cream relay, pram races and the obstacle course? The organisers of Horn Fayre 2012 also plan recreate competitions of yesteryear, including, knobbly knees and glamorous granny.
Also on stage ‘The Generation Game’. Get up, have a go and win a prize!

If you wish to participate in, Glamorous Granny, Knobbly Knees or Showcase please register your entry at Charlton House (020 8856 3951 / charlton.house[at]greenwich.gov.uk). Registration is free.

For more on the history of the Horn Fayre, read this post from Alan Palmer.

Claire Williams from the Charlton Community Gardens project sends us more details for the edible window box competetion.

Charlton Community Gardens are calling all novice and experienced Charlton Gardeners to take part in an edible window box competition.

Enjoy creating sustainably planted containers while reaping the rewards of homegrown healthy and delicious plants and being in with a chance of winning generous prizes donated by local shops Ottie and the Bea, Marnells, G. G. Sparkes and Well Bean.

Ideas for edibles can include flowers such as nasturtiums, violas and lavenders, as well as the more traditional tomatoes, peppers,  herbs and many more. 

Entry is free, to both the under 16s and over 16s categories  and judging takes place in the first week of September.   For more details and an entry form, please contact Barbara by 30 June on  windoxboxcompetition[at]gmail.com or call 07594 107607. 

After months of hard work the Charlton Parks Reminiscence Project is up and running.

This is a lottery funded project that aims to archive information about Charlton’s parks including stunning photographs, historical documents and recordings of local people’s memories.

A final open event is being held on Monday 25th June to Friday 6th July 2012 at Charlton House, Grand Salon between 10am – 4pm (Thursdays 2 – 8pm).

However if you can’t wait that long then their associated website is ready now.

There you can see dozens of photos and can listen to scores of interview extracts, with local people talking about the bandstand during the war, memories of the lido, clambering around Gilbert’s Pit and much more.

The website will be hosted initially for five years and archived with the Greenwich Heritage Centre and maybe even the British Library. Discussions are underway as to how the site can be kept up to date during that time and possibly further into the future.

At the forthcoming exhibition school groups as well as the general public are welcome. There will be special activities for visiting pupils to encourage them to actively participate in exploring their local history and further interviews will also take place.