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The Odyssey

Title: The Odyssey
Location: Oxleas Woods
Link out: http://www.londonbubble.org.uk/fanmadetheatre
Description: London Bubble’s acclaimed promenade performances take audiences on a journey through parks or woodlands, involving them in an unfolding story. Hugely popular with a wide range of ages, previous shows have included Greek myths, classics such as the Arabian Nights, the surreal The Crock of Gold as well as Alice in Wonderland, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Dates
Tuesday 14 July, 7:30pm
Wednesday 15 July, 7:30pm
Thursday 16 July, 7:30pm
Saturday 18 July, 7:30pm
Sunday 19 July, 7:30pm
Monday 20 July, 7:30pm
Tuesday 21 July, 7:30pm

Ticket Prices
Full Price: £15
Concession: £8*

*Concessions available to children under 16, students, over 60’s, disabled people, unemployed family credit and leisure cardholders (proof must be shown).

Group discounts are available for parties of 6 people or more. Please call the Box Office on: 020 7237 1663.

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Review: Digging Dad's Army

ww1 gun emplacement against zeppelin attacks
Andy Brockman, Shooters Hill's very own archaeologist at the eaglesfield ww1 gun emplacement

Well this is not exactly hot off the press, and the digging dad’s army blog gives the full scoop (groan, shameful pun) on what transpired, but the main message I got from the Eaglesfield dig was that the ww1 gun emplacement for bringing down zeppelins could perhaps be put on display, with an information panel like the one at the mayplace lane bronze age barrow.

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Photo Version

the site header now contains some great photos of the hill. the titles and photographers have been listed wth their flickr details. all the photos were originally tagged with the shootershill label on flickr:

IMG_3500 - Oxleas Meadows
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stopher/3223309059/
oxleas meadow
Shooters Hill
wharf in a storm

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Digging Dad's Army

Digging Dad’s Army, a group of conflict archaeologists affiliated with birkbeck and negus are digging up various parts of eaglesfield park this week as part of their ongoing investigations into wartime archaeology in this part of london. they have chosen their digging spots based on some aerial photos and some geophysics, which indicated where wartime trenches might have been dug, and thus where they might find evidence of what was happening in the last two world wars. they also used geophysics to look for anomalous features relating to magnetic fields and other physical properties of the ground, and apart from using this to look for concrete and metal associated with military installations, they did on the dig for time team stumble on some late bronze age early iron age remnants of iron smelting activities, which was a bit odd considering that there’s no iron in the area, plus why would whoever was working with it wish to carry all the ore to the top of a hill? anyway, this was written up in a wessex archaeology report as the time team dig it was found on didn’t really have scope to include this in the program. significantly however, this discovery also gives shooters hill the interest of being one of the few if only parts of london with evidence of human activities stretching back to this epoch 2-3 thousand years ago.

they can be approached all week, but they will probably have the most to talk about when then get to the end of their dig on saturday during the treasures of eaglesfield park day. this event is also being staged to support the refilling, fencing and educational use of the lilypond as a natural habitat for various local species and is not unrelated to the wild london scheme with its fondness for ponds, which are being promoted as being good for london and its inhabitants.

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The Treasures of Eaglesfield Park

Title: The Treasures of Eaglesfield Park
Location: Eaglesfield Park Lily Pond
Link out: www.foep.org.uk
Description: Find out more about the history of this fantastic park from the
Bronze Age to the present day and be part of shaping its future:

* A new wildlife pond for Eaglesfield Park – what do you think?
* Displays, pond restoration plans and information
* Guided walks of the park will begin at 2pm and 3pm: look at the history of the park, it’s wildlife and proposals for restoring the pond
* Children’s Nature Activities – seed planting, bark rubbing, colouring and more
* Dress up in 1940’s costume and join in the fun!

Free entrance / disabled access: Via ramp at the corner of Foxcroft Road and Cleanthus Road, SE18

Organised by: The Friends of Eaglesfield Park, Froglife, Groundwork London, and Digging Dads Army Project

Working in partnership with Greenwich Council Parks and Open Spaces
Start Time: 12:30
Date: 2009-06-20
End Time: 16:00

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Review: Woodlands Farm Summer Show

down at the woodlands farm today it was bliss: as we lazed around on straw bales in the back field the sun streamed down on us and we tucked into ice creams and watched the sheep getting their summer haircuts. the golden fleeces would have pleased jason and the argonauts i’m sure.

the bromley beekeepers were out in their masses selling jars of woodlands honey for £4 a go which the local hayfever sufferers were snapping up in readiness for next year. aside from it’s rumoured medicinal benefits, woodlands honey is also extremely sweet.

the woodlands willow grove was also getting a haircut today with garden obelisks on sale for £8 which would make a lovely gift for a sweet pea or a clematis. fine willow baskets were also on offer.

there were all sorts of other things going on too; wool spinning, kid crafts, an adventure playground, pony rides, owl stroking, giant rabbits, tugs of war, and information on the history of the farm, which is, i believe, london’s last real farm.

this was a bit more low key than previous events, such as the last lambing day, which was a complete roadblock and had all the atmosphere of oxford street on christmas eve; but perhaps that’s not such a bad thing as it was a very calm and enjoyable way to spend a lazy sunday afternoon.