Buzzed: Lambeth Council struggles to manage housing budget as overspend of £11.6m forecasted
“The Council claims that the main drivers of this overspend are within Housing Services. There is a massive £5.4 million pressure on legal cases and disrepair compensation.”
The morning swim at Vauxhall came close to being shit. But there’s no such thing as a shit swim. Apart from at Brixton Rec of late.
There was a breast stroke boy in the fast lane, completely oblivious to his own speed and surroundings. He wasn’t wearing underwater headphones, but I did have to check.
I was twenty lengths in before his swimming etiquette finally kicked in. He shifted lanes so the other three swimmers in the fast lane could at least live up to the naming expectations of this side of the pool.
I pressed stop on my Garmin twenty more length later. There. 7km in seven days, all under twenty minutes.
A neighbourly catch up followed back at base with one of the fellas in the flat below:
“Why are there so many crazy people around here?”
…he asked.
I pointed out that South Lambeth Road is a sea of calmness compared to twenty five years ago. Actually, compared to ten years ago tbh.
As if to prove the point, a GoCycle G4i rolled out along South Lambeth Road.
Here Be Gentrifier, etc.
Bloody LOVELY bicycle, mind.
To Herne Hill! I walked through the Sunday Farmer’s Market which was in full swing. There was actually a stall selling nothing but smocks.
#peakhernehill, etc.
They were rather fetching.
I baulked at the idea of paying £5 for a loaf of bread.
There was a couple of Sunday shoppers wearing Dulwich Hamlet scarves. The women’s team were at home, kicking off three hours later. Seeing folk around the patch wearing the pink ‘n’ blue makes a very pleasant change from Premier League half and half scarves.
I stopped off at the Herne Hill Oxfam. It’s got the best secondhand CD selection in S Ldn. I had to limit myself.
For £14 I walked out with The Ramones, Alabama 3, Jarvis, Bellowhead (blimey), Weather Report, Dylan and erm, Dire Straits.
To le Velo!
The main purpose of being around this patch was the ThunderCross event at le Velo. Cyclo cross is the type of activity I can watch but never take part in. All that mud; all that OCD obsessing rather than focussing on the racing.
It was ACE. The Fun Bike race reminded me of It’s a Knockout – in a good way. My Raleigh 20 wouldn’t have looked out of place on the course.
I had the Garibaldi Red podcast in the AirPods whilst watching the cycling. I was catching up with a preview and predictions piece ahead of the Newcastle home game last Friday.
Hindsight…
Back in the bloody Estuary Wilds and news dropped of our new walking football home kit. It’s an absolute BEAUT. Red and black stripes is probably my fave football colour combination.
To Champion Hill!
I had arranged to meet up with D to watch Dulwich women at home to Enfield Town. I locked my bicycle outside the ground, watching another geezer lock his bicycle to someone else’s. I hope he knew them.
There was some serious pre-match huddling taking place from the Enfield women ahead of KO. It must have gone on for almost three minutes. The ref had to blow his whistle to get the players lined up for the start.
A superb lob put Dulwich ahead. I feared the goal gates would open for Enfield. I wanted a home win, but no one likes to see humiliation.
Enfield fought back and kept the game competitive. Shout out to the away ‘keeper who looked slight and fragile, but was very dominant.
It was good to hear a very vocal section coming out of the Toilets Opposite stand. The crowd was given as 276 and four dogs. This was very much old school Dulwich. I loved it.
The final score of a 3-1 pink ‘n’ blue home win seemed about fair.
My watch pinged saying I had won a Tudor Sports cycling top for the grand price of 99p. I did put an offer in for £5 earlier in the week. The seller turned it down.
Oh dear.
I watch the Man Utd Vs Fulham Cup match. The two minutes of madness from Fulham was NUTS.
A little Gilles listening ended the weekend. He dropped a track by rarelyalways – a new name for me.
Links for Sunday 19th March, 2023
“This is probably why I over compensate now, and take photos of almost everything. The present becomes the past very quickly.”
Cycling UK takes council to court over “unlawful” decision to keep rat-run open
