Saving Southwark’s sparrows

By Leo Hornak

Sparrow Watch, a month-long program to highlight the dramatic decline in London’s bird population, drew to a close this week at Southwark’s Bernie Spain Gardens – but for bird-lovers the fight to save the species is far from over.

‘Fuel poverty trap’ threatens Southwark carers

By Leo Hornak

 A Southwark charity criticized the council’s approach to carers for elderly or disabled, saying it encourages a ‘fuel poverty trap’. This week Southwark Carers contacted every councilor about challenges they face in the coming winter, as part of their “Making the Most of Your Money” campaign, launched this month.

Taking Talkaoke to the streets of New Cross

By Leo Hornak

Artists, filmmakers and students had an unusual opportunity to discuss the future of New Cross yesterday, in a special ‘talkaoke’ forum at Dagenham Town Hall.

Hosted by conceptual artist commune We The People, Talkaoke New Cross was an ambitious attempt to combine the vibrant excitement of karaoke with in-depth discussion of local government funding dilemmas.

Participants were seated round a specially designed talkaoke table, containing a built in sound system, neon lights and video cameras. But rather than swapping renditions of Staying Alive or My Way, each member of the group used the microphone to express opinions about the political future of New Cross. To create a positive atmosphere, the debate was accompanied by a faint soundtrack of 90s house music and ambient beats.

“This is the first time I’ve done a Talkaoke event on such a serious topic,” explained Jesse Darlin, who chaired the evening. “Usually, it gets quite lairy and people just start chatting about sex and personal hygiene by the end.”