1

The Battersea SocietyNewsletter

Summer 2006Registered Charity no 1103560FREE

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS

In Celebration of Battersea Communities.because the elderly peoplethemselves actually have a reallygood time as well as a good Xmaslunch. Housebound or frail peopleare collected from their home andtaken back with the help of amassive transport operation. If youthink you have ‘operationaldifficulties’ arranging your familyXmas dinner, image the challengeswith cooking for 450 all at once!Also, in December, the BatterseaPolice Ball provided an entertainingevening for 1,300 people. This, bynow annual event, is not just a wayof giving an opportunity for 1,300local people to have a good time,but it is a valuable fundraiser. In

2005, £44,000 net was raised tohelp fund the programme of theCrime Prevention Panel inBattersea.Are there any social or communitygatherings or events that you knowof in Battersea that are going“unsung”? If so, why not let us knowabout them and we will do an articlein the next Newsletter?

Tony Tuck - EditorLetters to the Editor, or suggestedarticles should be either emailed toTony Tuck at tony.tuck@tesco.netor snail-mailed to him at 12, CyrilMansions, Prince Of Wales Drive,London SW1 4HR (020 7622 0485)

The Battersea Society has alwaysenthusiastically supportedBattersea communities and socialgatherings & events. We believethat we should all do more to affirmthe vibrant things going on in ourcommunities. Below we celebratetwo such events.Thus, on Xmas day last year inBattersea Park, the Rotary Club ofBattersea Park put on a dinner andentertainment for some 450 elderlypeople of Battersea. This is a majorcommunity exercise involving notonly members of the Rotary Clubbut some 200 volunteers in total.This is a remarkable annual eventand worth celebrating, not least

CONTENTSPage Item1. From the Editor - Battersea Communities2. Chairman’s Report3 Ralph West Hall - Update4. What Chance Orbirail?5. The Albert Palace6 More Powers For The Mayor of London7. The Fred Wells Gardens8. A Tribute to Len Bridge9. Dr. Susie Morrow - Award9. The Battersea Ranter / Competition10. Clapham Common11. Local People - Bob Dove12. Tarmac Paving13. Battersea Fashion Show / Business Party14. The Keepers of History15. HACAN Clearskies / Community Grant16. Avertisements17. Dates for Your Diary18. Membership Application Form

IN THE WRONG PLACE (or the good and the bad and ugly)

A Date for your diary

The Battersea Society Summer Partywill be on: -

Thursday the 6th of July from 6.30 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. atSt. Mary’s Church, Battersea Church Road

Admission will be at the main entrance and will cost £8each. (There will be no advance tickets this year.) The costwill include a free glass of wine and delicious food.Previously we have held the party in the autumn, but thisyear we have brought it forward to the height of summer tomake the most of long summer evenings.So, if you enjoy good company in perhaps the mostdelightful setting in Battersea,

DO please come and bring your friends

WHALE IN THE PARK EYESORE IN THE PARK

2

CHAIR’S REPORT FOR 2005/06

2005/2006 has proved to be a veryactive year where we have madeprogress on all our basic objectives.Last year we set a target ofincreasing membership by 25% andthis has now been achieved, with apaid up individual membership of294, plus numerous groupmemberships, giving us a de factomembership of over 1,0000. Oneresult of this is that our finances arerelatively healthy, with anaccumulated surplus of over £4,000at the end of 2005. For this we haveto thank the officers, who achievedthese results through sheer hardwork in contacting people to join.However we are not resting on ourlaurels. Firstly, we are activelyexploring setting up an interactiveweb site for the Society - many civicsocieties have one already - whichwill improve our prof ile. Itsimplementation will need carefulthought and professional input.Second, we also have established amarketing committee under thechairmanship of Rachel Davies. Thecommittee has again set a target ofa further 25% increase in individualmembership in the coming year withthese new initiatives in mind.Back in February 2006, our treasurer,John Garvan, suffered a stroke. Weare pleased to report that he hasmade remarkable progress. We aredelighted that John will remain as ourtreasurer.Our Planning Committee under thechairmanship of David Lewis has hadan active year. We have beenvigilant on developments along theriverside and, with many others,objected to the present form of

developments at Battersea Reach(formerly Gargoyle Wharf), 1Battersea Square, and the proposalsto knock down and rebuild theBattersea Power Station’s Chimneys.On the latter we would have muchpreferred that the 20th CenturySociety’s report had been adoptedby the Council. Since the decisionwas taken, we have had a meetingwith WBC’s Chair of Planning (March2006) and have entered into furthercorrespondence with him. We arestill concerned with the feeblearrangements made to ensure therebuilding of the chimneys. We alsojoined forces with Ethelburga Estateresidents to successfully object to theRalph West Hall proposals andsubmitted written evidence to thePublic Enquiry in June, where wehope we will be successful again. Wehave also made a donation of £50 tothe Ralph West Hall Fighting Fundto help assist with legal costs.As reported last year, Harvey Heathhad represented the Society at theLots Road public enquiry.Unfortunately, the Secretary of Statesaw fit to reject the inspector’s findingand has given permission for thedevelopment to proceed. An appealhas been lodged in the courts by ourformer patron, Lady Dido Berkeleyon specific grounds, and we havedonated £100 towards the funds tosupport this appeal.During the year we becamemembers of HACAN - the nightflights pressure group (see pg. 15)Our Open Spaces committee havemet regularly, and the chair AnitaJackson had an article in theWandsworth Borough Newsoutlining our views on maintainingMetropolitan Open Spaces and toresist encroachingcommercialisation. We have hadmeetings with Jennifer Ullmanconcerning various issues to do withthe park and we are delighted thatJennifer gave a talk on BatterseaPark at this year’s AGM. Weobjected to the retention of the liquorlicensing at the British Genius Sitein Battersea Park and Harvey Heathrepresented these views at the

Licensing Hearing. We are now inthe process of appealing to thecourts against the decision.We entered substantial evidence toeach of the Wandsworth BoroughCouncil’s consultation exercises forthe Local Development Framework(LDF), and the TransportConsultation exercise. We havebeen active members of theWandsworth Environment Forum,the Clapham Junction Town CentrePartnership, the Power StationForum, and WBC’ s Planning andEnvironments Forums.Our Events Committee has had asuccessful year. During the year wehave held lunches, our usualSummer party (this year it will beThursday 6 July,) visits (Royal OperaHouse backstage, Crosby Hall, TateBritain Private Visit, and to come on29 June, Lambeth Palace.) Wehave also had public meetings withtalks (Monet, Turner Whistler byNicola Moorby of the Tate,Huguenots by Michael Gandy, andthe Environmental Impact ofBuildings by Sam Heath.) We nowlook forward to our meeting onFriday 14 July 2006 on ‘What canbe done about Clapham JunctionStation?.’All our sub-committees are open tomembers though the dates &venues are perhaps not alwayseffectively advertised. If you haveany concerns or just want to becomepart of the action do get in touch.The contact details for our sub-committee chairs are on the backpage of this Newsletter. Over theyear, we have issued fourNewsletters, which have beengenerally well received.We do consider that there is a realneed for more active members toparticipate in and help direct ouractivities.So do come and join us and getinvolved.

Tony Tuck - Chair

3

RALPH WEST HALL - UPDATE

Members will be aware that thedeveloper Instyle Investments hasbeen attempting to redevelop theRalph West Hall site in AlbertBridge Road. An application wassubmitted in June 2005 for abuilding three times the size of theexisting one, with 128 f lats,extending over the green spacefronting Albert Bridge Road.The Society set out its concerns inthe Summer 2005 edition of theNewsletter. As we said at the time,the proposal was: “… a hugeoverdevelopment. It is too bulky,too high, too intrusive in its setting,pushed right to the margins of thesite with an ‘introverted’ innercourtyard and fortress like exteriorwalls”.The application was refused by thePlanning Applications Committee inAugust 2005 on the grounds ofoverdevelopment. The Committeewas particularly concerned aboutthe encroachment of the proposedbuilding on the walkway south ofthe site connecting Albert BridgeRoad to Ethelburga Estate.A second planning application wassubmitted in October 2005. This

application was almost identical tothe first, with no overall reductionin the number of flats or sitecoverage. Following a furtherobjection from the Society, and alobbying campaign by localresidents groups, the secondapplication was refused theCommittee in December, by anincreased majority of 7 to 2.Instyle has now appealed to theSecretary of State against therefusal and there will be a publicinquiry which is due to start onTuesday 13th June 2006 and willlast for 4-6 days. The inquiry willtake place at the Town Hall, but theresidents groups will be requestingan evening session to be heldlocally.The local residents groups (nowformally known as the “Ralph WestHall Site Protection Group”) haveobtained “Rule 6” status” to appearas full participants at the inquiry.The Group has engaged GregGooper of the Halpern Partnershipto advise on planning matters, andhope to engage a legal adviser aswell.Society members wishing to

support the residents’ campaignshould make cheques payable toRalph West Hall Fighting Fundand send them to: GuillaumeSimonnet, Secretary, Ralph WestHall Site Protection Group, 35Ethelburga Tower, Rosenau Road,SW11 4AA.For more information on theresidents’ campaign, see:www.ralphwesthall.com

Keith Garner - PlanningSub-committee

4

David Lewis, who is on theExecutive of the London Forum ofAmenity and Civic Societies wrotethe following art icle for theirNewsletter “Newsforum”’. It isreproduced below with permissionbecause we consider it will be ofinterest to Society members.A key transport project, mentionedin policy 3C.11 of the London Planbut with no date for completion, isOrbirail. All the attention andinvestment has normally gone tothe railway routes radiating fromcentral London. Orbirail will link andupgrade the Cinderella lines thatencircle inner London: the North,East, South and West LondonLines. At the moment these havesubstandard stations, relativelyinfrequent trains, poor connectionswith other routes and modes, andoften inadequate capacity at peakperiods. Improving them will easepressure on public transport incentral London and make a numberof town centres and regenerationareas more accessible.Some pieces are falling into place.The East London Line fromShoreditch to New Cross and NewCross Gate, previously part of theUnderground, is being converted toa metro-syle Overground service,

and extended to Dalston Junctionin the north and Crystal Palace andWest Croydon in the south.Completion is scheduled for June2010.In February it was announced thatTransport for London (TfL) hastaken responsibility for the Northand West London Lines (betweenStratford and Richmond/ClaphamJunction) and other inner suburbanservices hitherto operated bySilverlink. These will be known asthe North London Railway, and willbe covered by a new franchisegranted from November 2007. TheMayor has promised additional staffat stations, and that Oystercardswill be accepted. Over the next fiveyears TfL’s plans include new trainsand £25 mil lion of stat ionimprovements.Meanwhile, Network Rail, whichowns and controls the lines, hasbeen consulting on a draft CrossLondon Route Utilisation Strategyto accommodate both passengersand freight up to 2016, and theLondon Forum has responded tothat. We have criticised theabsence of any discussion of howthe different orbital services willconnect with each other, and howthe revamped East London Line will

WHAT CHANCE ORBIRAIL?fit in. This is a glaring omission inrelation to phase 2 for the EastLondon Line, which (although notyet programmed) will extend it toHighbury & Islington in the north(over the North London Line) andto Clapham Junction in the south(over the South London Line).The good news is that TfL andNetwork Rail seem able to agreethat services will be more frequent,with a total of 5-6 trains an hour onthe West London Line and 8 trainsan hour between Stratford andWillesden Junction. On the centralsection of the East London Linethere will be 12 trains an hour. Butno changes are proposed to thetwice an hour South London Line,except to divert it at the western endfrom Victoria to Clapham Junction.The London Forum has welcomedthe major improvements TfL isplanning, but will press for a firmcommitment to phase 2 of the EastLondon Line project. But thepotential of Orbirail will only berealised when there are high-qualityorbital services on all sides of innerLondon, with attractive stations andeither through trains or easyinterchanges. David Lewis - Chair of Planning

5

THE ALBERT PALACE

We frequently walk throughBattersea Park from Sun Gate toChelsea Bridge. This entailsnegotiating a route around theBritish Genius site which,surrounded by iron railings, houseswhat looks like a building from anindustrial estate (see pg.1) withadjacent car park. The site offersno amenity to the general publicwhatsoever and is for much of thetime a totally dead area.The following account of TheAlbert Palace might provide someideas for a more imaginativeapproach to providing this kind offacility, despite that building’s shortlife in Battersea.When the 1851 Exhibition closedthe Prince Consort proposedto “transfer Sir Joseph Paxton’sfairy like building to BatterseaPark, but ultimately the breezyheights of the Surrey hills werechosen as a more eligible site.”Thirty one years later in 1882

arrangements were made forthe transportation to South WestLondon of a handsome structure ofglass and iron” from Dublin, whereit had housed the NationalExhibition. The nave was 60 ft. high, 473 ft.long 84 ft. wide with an annexe157 ft. long and 118 ft. wide with adouble gallery all round,admirably adapted for musicalentertainment. A grand organ wasinstalled, stated to be superior toany in the world. Reading andsmoking rooms and a picturegallery were provided as well as anenormous kitchen capable ofcooking for 5,000 persons!The Palace was closed in 1888 butit’s auction was postponeduntil 1890. Sadly no bids werereceived and in 1892 a committeewas formed for the purpose ofacquiring the building for public use.The estimated sum required was£20,000. An anonymous donor

offered £10,000 and the Vestry ofthe Parish Church of St. Mary’sagreed to contribute £5,000 afterseeing a deputation headed byJohn Burns and Percy Thornton,provided that “the L.C.C. found theremaining £5,000 and becameresponsible for the maintenance ofpremises free of costs to theVestry”. However the L.C.C. wereonly prepared to manageand maintain both building andgrounds if it were handed over “freefrom expense and encumbrances.”It appears to have beendemolished between 1893 and1894 and the site built over. All thatremains to remind us of thisextraordinary venture is AlbertPalace Mansions in Lurl ineGardens.

Brian and Cynthia Newman

PROJECT PARIDISUM

In our last Newsletter we advertised a concert of choral and string music given by the choir of St. Mary’sBattersea and the KensingtonSinfonietta. The concert was greatly enjoyed. It was organised to raisemoney for World Aid’s Day as part of the country wide Project Paradisum and was supported by theBattersea Society.A total of £700 was raised for the country of Malawi, where one in every seven people suffer from aids.

6

MORE POWERS FOR THE MAYOR OF LONDON?

‘The views of the London Forum ofAmenity and Civic Societies’David Lewis, the chair of thePlanning sub-committee of theBattersea Society, is also a memberof the London Forum of Amenityand Civic Societies. Reproducedbelow is a recent article that Davidwrote giving that organisation’sperspective on a recentconsultation exercise on the powersof the Mayor of London.Following a commitment in theLabour Party manifesto to reviewthe powers of the Mayor of London,Ken Livingstone made a pre-emptive bid for more powers in July2005. The government publisheda consultation paper at the end ofNovember, covering nine differentpolicy areas and setting out a rangeof options. The London Forum hasbacked some proposals, butstrongly opposes others.

HOUSING

The government wants to transferto the Mayor the role theGovernment Office for London hashitherto played in drawing up ahousing strategy for London anddistributing Housing CapitalAllocations. We support that, as adesirable rationalisation; andbelieve the Mayor should be freeto make the distribution withoutseeking the approval of Ministers.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

We also back the Mayor’s view thatthere should be a single wastemanagement authority for London.That does not mean we back whathe has so far said about wastemanagement; the London Forumhas criticised the draft Alterations

to that part of the London Plan,which will be the subject of anExamination in Public later thisyear. But there is a pressing needfor more effective policies and moreeffective organisation to increasethe proportions of waste recycledand phase out dumping in theground. We believe this requires aunified approach across London,and that giving the Mayor executiveresponsibility for managing wasteswill ensure he gives this issue thenecessary priority and takes arealistic approach; the boroughswould remain responsible forcollecting wastes.

PLANNING

We are opposed, however, to givingthe Mayor sweeping new powersover planning. At the momentboroughs have to refer a limitedcategory of large planningapplications to the Mayor, who candirect them to refuse an application.The Mayor wants to be consultedon a wider range of planningapplications, and have power todirect the borough to grant planningpermission. He also wants a powerof direction over boroughdevelopment plans. And he isseeking a review of thegovernment’s role in the planningof London, although he has notbeen specific about changes in thatrespect. The government’sconsultation paper floats the furtherpossibility that some ‘strategic’planning applications might gostraight to the Mayor.

THE EXERCISE OF POWER

The London Forum wants a reviewof the way the Mayor exercises hispresent powers. We want to makesure he keeps his role in promotingdevelopment separate from hisquasi-judicial responsibility inplanning. We are concerned at thelack of effective scrutiny by theLondon Assembly in this respect.We have come down stronglyagainst the draconian new powersthe Mayor is seeking, or any

fundamental change in the presentbalance of responsibilities betweenthe Greater London Authority, theboroughs and the government.There is no precedent anywhere forthe proposed powers of direction -they would sweep away legalsafeguards and democraticaccountability, and sow the seedsfor bitter conflicts in future.We have emphasised that planningresponsibilities for waste facilitiesshould be kept separate fromresponsibility for wastemanagement. The locationselected for waste facilities must akesense in terms of land use planningand comply with general planningcriteria. The Mayor’s strategicplanning responsibilities alreadycover waste. We are stronglyopposed to giving him powers toallocate actual sites for new wastefacilities and decide the relatedplanning applications.

TRAINING

The London Forum also opposesthe Mayor ’s bid to takeresponsibility for training from theLearning and Skills Council (LSC).This has not been properly thoughtthrough. We back moves toimprove co-operation and co-ordination between the LSC,employers and the economicdevelopment role of the LondonDevelopment Agency. But theLSC’s responsibility for adulttraining needs to remain attachedto its responsibility for training andeducation at 16-19, includingfunding of school Sixth Forms.

ENERGY

There are some other fields inwhich the London Forum thinks theMayor should take moreresponsibility. The strategy heproduced for London’s use ofenergy ought to become a statutorydocument, linked to his otherStrategies. His key instrument forimplementing it is Supplementary

continued on next page Col. 1)

7

.........from previous page

Fred Wells Garden provides agreen link between Lombard Roadon the riverside and Battersea HighStreet. It is named in memory ofalong-serving member of theWandsworth Borough Council, andwas opened in 1983 with a greatflourish. Henry Cooper and DenisWaterman arrived by helicopter tobe greeted by a reggae steel band,the party being hosted by clownsand a good time was had by all. Theidea was that the gardens wouldbecome a community enterprisewith locals pulling together to helpthe park to develop and realise itspotential.Let’s have a look at the gardens(sic) just over twenty years later.Two acres containing neglectedshrubs, overgrown trees withbranches dipping down to theground, grass areas churned up byunsuitable heavy mowers, a run-down tennis court and a children’splayground that splits the wholearea in two. The only sign of “agarden” are the flourishing daisiesand flowering weeds that springrampantly from the so-called lawns.The Council recently announcedthat they have been given £180,000to revamp the place, and theycalled a “consultative meeting” togive local residents an opportunityto express their opinions as to what

should be done. However, all theydid was to announce a faitaccompli. The park is to be dividedinto two sections - one for childrenand the other for dog-walkers, and£125,000 is to be spent onproviding an infants’ playground. Allvery well, since the money wasdonated to provided facilities forchildren, but what about the rest ofus?Many people would welcome anecologically planned garden withflowers, shrubs and trees plantedto attract the birds and bees, wherethey could sit on clean seats - notthe filthy broken benches there now- and have a quiet half-hour ofcontemplation. Many of the newresidents in the nearby huge blocksof flats springing up along the river,who must pay vast sums of counciltax, would surely welcome anenvironmentally friendly place inwhich to stroll along with the rest ofus.Come on Wandworth. You can dobetter than that!Mount a competition for gardendesign, get sponsorship like theydid in 1983 and provide us withsomething for the wholecommunity.

Gloria Cottesloe

THE FRED WELLS GARDENS

Planning Guidance (SPG) onSustainable Design andConstruction. This was originallyscheduled to appear in April 2004;it has now been promised for thisspring, and we hope it will not befurther delayed. But issuing SPGmay not be enough. We thinkconsideration should be given toenabling the Mayor to set higherstandards of energy efficiency forall new buildings in London thanwould be required by the nationalBuilding Regulations.

HEALTH ISSUES

We also believe the Mayor ’sexisting statutory duty to promoteimprovements in the health ofLondoners should be reinforced byrequiring him to produce and keepunder review, jointly with the newLondon Strategic Health Authority,a Health Improvement Strategy forLondon. As Health Adviser to theMayor, the Regional Director ofPublic Health should be appointedjointly by him and by the LondonStrategic Health Authority.

CULTURE

In the case of culture the two pointsthe London Forum has emphasisedare the need to reflect a wide rangeof viewpoints and the vital role ofnon-professionals in the communityin organising and undertakingcultural and sporting activities.

This is a summary of key pointsfrom a more detailed submission bythe London Forum; until ourwebsite is commissioned, anelectronic copy of that can beobtained by emailing

london_forum@blueyonder.co.uk

The Mayor’s proposals are on hiswebsite, and the government’sconsultation paper is on the ODPMwebsite.

David Lewis

8

BATTERSEA REACH 1975

British prisoners of war from jail.Len later joined the CoastalForces Voluntary Associationand in 1983 became it’s NationalSecretary, a post he held until hisdeath.Len married Peggy Pulford, aBattersea girl in December 1946. Although war ended in1945Peggy recalls that he was part ofthe “forgotten forces” waiting toreturn home via Sumatra whilstmost people were celebrating.Although they had no children oftheir own, much of their livesrevolved round young people.They ran Scouts, Youth Clubsand even took part in helping witheight school journeys withchildren from St. George’sSchool.The fact that both Len and Peggywere born and brought up

A TRIBUTE TO LEN BRIDGE

Members of the Battersea Societygreatly miss the presence of Mr.Len Bridge at our events. A truegentleman, courteous and kindwith a quiet good humour, alwaysready to assist us with practicalhelp or answering questions onlocal history and leading informaltours of St. Mary’s Church.Len was born in Battersea in1925.He joined the Navy twomonths after his eighteenthbirthday and was drafted toCoastal Forces. He was presentat the Normandy Landings and inOctober 1944 took part inthe Burma Campaign. His flotillasailed from Milford Haven andafter a long passage to theMediterranean, India and Ceylon,arrived at Vizagapatnan in April1945.He was in Rangoonimmediately after the Japanesewithdrawal and helped liberate

in Battersea and were happyliving all their lives in the Boroughmade them an authority on lifehere. St. Mary’s was a churchwhich he greatly loved and wherehe served by both performing thehumblest of tasks to holding thehighest lay office. We as aSociety are grateful to Len for allthe help he has given to us and toSt. Mary’s for allowing us to usethis beautiful and historic buildingfor many of our events. We hopethat Peggy will continue to fill inmissing bits of the jigsaw of Lifein Battersea.

Cynthia Newman

9

The Battersea Society encouragespositive campaigning to seek toachieve improvements in the fabricof our lives. We were delightedtherefore to see that a localcampaigner, Susie Morrow, wasnominated for the prestigiousSheila McKechnie Foundationawards. These awards, which arein their inaugural year, were set upto recognise excellence andinnovation in campaigning and tohelp support those who are usingcampaigns to stir people into actionand address injustices.Dr Susie Morrow, along with theWandsworth Cycling Campaign,was nominated for the Transportcategory, along with one othernominee, at an awards ceremony

LOCAL CAMPAIGNER DR SUSIE MORROW NOMINATED FOR NATIONALAWARD

held in the South Bank Centre.Among the achievementscelebrated were the campaign tointroduce cycle paths inWandsworth and TootingCommons, a report into makingClapham Junction more bicycle andpedestrian friendly and an operaperformed on pedal cycles inTrafalgar Square.The awards had the high profileendorsement of the Right HonGordon Brown MP, Lord Puttnamand Muriel Gray, all of whomattended on the night and talked ofSusie and the Wandsworth CyclingCampaign’s contribution towardsthe local community.Susie said: -

“ I am delighted to be nominatedfor this award and for WandsworthCycling Campaign to be recognisednationally for its efforts. All of us arevolunteers and do what we can tohelp in our local community and Ihope that this nomination and thepackage of support associated withit helps us to further improveconditions for cycling inWandsworth”In the end Susie was pipped at thepost by another very worthy causeand came in as a runner up.However, she will receive apackage of mentoring, training andshadowing opportunities which willhelp equip her to bring the joy ofcycling to even more people inWandsworth.

THE BATTERSEA RANTERSo summer has arrived - finally, inthe Brighter Borough. With itsaccumulated dog mess on thepavements, overflowing garbage inthe streets, graffiti and appallingplanning decisions - supposedlyarrived at after consultation with thepublic. Hah! What that means isthey let us shout a bit and do exactlywhat they decided to do before theprocess started (They’ve just

demolished the old Spiers andPond Laundry - a good lookingbuilding with historical interest). Welive in a lovesome spot God wot!Cyclists continue to speed downpavements with scant regard for thepedestrian, scooters park on thepavements to obstruct the unwaryor sight-challenged, cars speedpast with sound systems boominglike some demented disco from

Hades and ‘Summer is a icumenin, Lhude sing cuccu’! (plenty ofthose about in the Town Hall)Meanwhile Local councillors sithappy and insulated and ignoretheir email requests for a meeting(I have the proof, dear reader) andthese are the lacklustre andindolent rascals we (or somebody- not me) voted in again torepresent us.Sigh..........

Elizabeth Barrett Browning may have pretended to “love thee better after death” (if God choose), but thisquarter’s Competition is to find the best clutch of reasons or factors why YOU like to LIVE (or work) inBattersea.An early competitor said simply “I like Battersea because it is so easy to get away from” – but I disqualifiedthem.But email or write to the Editor on why Battersea for you is “simply the best place to live or work in London”and a prize of a copy of BATTERSEA PAST by Patrick Loobey goes to the best entry – editor’s decision isfinal. The winner and others will be published in the next Newsletter.

Tony Tuck - Editor

Battersea – “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”

10

CLAPHAM COMMON

If the above title seems an off-limitarea for this Newsletter, it may bethat you do not realise that about halfof Clapham Common in actually inBattersea. This misunderstanding isnot surprising since the common isadministered by our neighbouringborough of Lambeth, but in fact theeastern boundary of Battersea runsnorth-south across the common fromWix’s Lane to Clapham South tubestation, doing a little shimmy in themiddle to slide neatly between theexcellent Italian run café and the(currently being refurbished, butsoon to be again resplendent)Bandstand.The common has a long history frombeing recorded in Doomsday Bookto its importance in World War Twofor anti-aircraft fire, shelters and dig-for-victory vegetable growing – aswell as its present use for an amazingnumber of activities. The Friends ofClapham Common list some thirtydifferent activities – all of themsalubrious, though a determinedlateral thinker could doubtless comeup with a few more, some perhapsless so!The common hosts fairs, circuses,outdoor screenings and much more.The circus area on Westside was,until fairly recently, our ownSpeaker’s Corner, although therewere probably other parts of thecommon also in regular use for thedemonstration of rhetorical arts.There is an amazing account of suchSunday afternoon orations in theearly twentieth century to be foundin P G Wodehouse’s novel “Psmithin the City”. In terms of importantpolitical and social campaigning thearea around the common, and Trinitychurch on it, is associated with

Wilberforce and friends in their fightto end the slave trade.Presently there may be big thingsahead for the common. Theregeneration around the Bandstandhas been mentioned above, andshould soon be back in use for morethan just a landmark. The café too,as well as having greatly improvedits services and atmosphere in recentyears, should also soon look evenbetter. (Here, as elsewhere, securitymay be an issue – the graffiti vandalmust be defeated.) But more thanthis, Lambeth Council has been andis considering the future of thecommon as a whole. It has heldpublic consultations in January inTrinity Church and in March in StAndrew’s on ‘our ’ side of thecommon. It may seem a big area,but there are competing uses for thespace, many of which co-exist quitehappily, but others may not. Thus,an increase in the number of eventsand concerts can make the commonless of a ‘green lung’ for people.Some may wish to have barbecues(currently illegal) which could

damage the environment. Sportspitches can multiply and take on theprairie look of acres of scoredground.Put crudely, it will be a balancing actof three options. Firstly, a morenatural, but still managed green area.Second, more specific facilities forspecific groups of people. Or, third,roughly the same old common as wesee today. At the time of writing thejury is still out. Something for us towatch out for, since there may besignificant change on the way.Simply as an open space though, thecommon is a highly beneficial localamenity. We seem to have endureda longer winter than usual, but thespreads of daffodils were particularlywelcome this year. It is good to seenature in the middle of the city and,with the environment currentlyeverywhere at risk, it is ever moreimportant to defend this oasis in ourmidst.

David Rathbone

11

LOCAL PEOPLE - BOB DOVE

There has been a Dove’s Butchersshop at 71 Northcote Road sincethe beginning of time - or moreaccurately, since the street wasbuilt in the 1870s. And Bob Dove,grandson of the founder HenryGeorge Dove, still displays intoday’s shop the Indenture (lease)dated 1877. Of course all the oilshops, dairies and bread shops thatexisted in those days have longsince gone but the H.G.Dove’sButcher’s shop remains. It is anextraordinary story, especially whenone considers the disappearanceof most independent and evenchain butcher shops that occurredin the last few decades of the

twentieth century, and the BSEscares of that period.So what are the facts: HenryGeorge Dove seems to havefounded the shop in 1889, somaybe he was not the proprietor in1877, and his son Arthur Dove tookover the running in 1968, withgrandson Bob succeeding in 1978.. In those days there were 14butcher shops and 5 baker’s shopsin this most famous of Batterseamarkets. Always a shop famousfor good quality meats, but it is Bobwho since taking over has had themost difficult circumstances toovercome with the rise of thesupermarkets , and the subsequent

collapse of thewholesale marketat Smithfield andalso of course theBSE scare and itseffects on meatsales.But not only has hesurvived, he hasp r o s p e r e d .Dove’s meat is abyword in the areafor quality betweenthe Commons aswitnessed eachChristmas with thelong queue aroundthe block thatremains the wholeday. (See photo)How has this beenachieved? Bob’sexplanation is,”Quality Meat, andquality butcheringskills”. Hissuppliers are directfrom Scotland and

English farmers providing organicpoultry, scotch beef and Englishlamb, bought on the bone and notin boxes. He makes a vast rangeof pies and he employs a team ofskilled butchers, by paying goodwages. And the public notice thedifference, giving Bob a continuoussolid turnover even though he isslightly more expensive than thesupermarkets with their importedmeatsBob also pays tribute to what hecalls “luck” - the “luck” to be situatedin the Battersea “between thecommons” with its discerningcustomers.And the future? It is unclear at themoment whether his son wishes tobecome a butcher, and if Bob hasto sell the business for hisretirement the premises is unlikelyto remain as a butchers. So enjoythe produce of this Batterseainstitution while you can.His greatest difficulty at the momentis parking for his suppliers. Histen ton trucks find the greatestdifficulty in parking in the Northcote.And the wardens are so ready togive out their tickets. Already twosuppliers have been lost becausethey cannot bear the hassle or thecost of fines. Now you wouldexpect WBC to support a localinstitution now wouldn’t you?

Harvey Heath

12

TARMAC PAVING – A RETREAT FROM CIVILIZED LIFEWhat are the pavements like infront of your house? Paving stonesor asphalt?Early in December last yearCouncil workers arrived in one ofthe streets in the Triangle where Ilive and started digging-up thepaving stones and laying tarmac.Only a few houses in this streetreceived a letter on the day fromthe Council informing them that thiswork was being carried out. Iimmediately contactedWandsworth Council and wasinformed our Triangle had beenchosen as a “test case” and thatthe other streets would receive thesame treatment in the comingmonths. We were not consultedat any time.Residents were circulatedimmediately asking them totelephone, e-mail or write to theDirector of Technical Services ifthey objected, and needless to saythe Council was inundated withprotests. At an emergencymeeting of the Residents’Association it was decided topresent a petition to the Council.The petition containing 98% ofsignatures collected over threedays was presented at the CouncilMeeting on the 13th December byour local Councillor, as a result ofwhich work was stopped pendingfurther investigations.Our next step was to send aDeputation to the Regeneration &

Transport Overview & ScrutinyCommittee, who are responsible forthis work, where we pointed out ourdisappointment at not having anyconsultation with WandsworthCouncil prior to work being carriedout which we consider to bedetrimental to our homes andenvironment. We also stated thatblack tarmac is dark, depressingand a blight on our area of Victoriancottages and is aestheticallyunpleasant and architecturallyincorrect. Furthermore, tarmac isenvironmentally unfriendly as it hasan effect on drainage patterns;paving stones allow percolation ofsurface water through the gapsbetween them into the subsoil.Replacing paving stones withasphalt material would be a movein the opposite direction. WBC’sother argument that it wouldprevent tree roots cracking thepavements is incorrect as, wherethey have removed cracked pavingstones around trees and patchedwith tarmac, already there are largecracks showing.Furthermore, in hot weather itbecomes tacky and sticks to shoesand when trodden onto carpetsbecomes impossible to remove.And, the heels of ladies’ shoes sinkinto tarmac in hot weather!Reference is made also to theEnglish Heritage publication“Streets for All”. In this Ministersare quoted as saying “Too many

pavements made frominappropriate materials destroy theestablished character” - “Generalprinciples and good practice -900mm x 600mm paving slabsshould be adopted by all Londonboroughs as standard pavingmaterial”. Transport for Londonhas produced “StreetscapeGuidance” along similar principles.Although a Report from the Directorof Technical Services on theoutcome of our protest was due onthe 25th April, this meeting wascancelled due to the local elections,and was re-scheduled for the 13thJune under it’s new name thePlanning and TransportationOverview & Scrutiny Committee. However, we are now told there willbe a further delay as the Directorof Technical Services is conductinga review of all aspects of highwaymaintenance and the re-surfacingof footways is one part of that. Itis hoped that the review can becompleted in time for a report togo to the next Planning &Transportation OS Committeescheduled for early September.And so it drags on! Watch thisspace!There is no doubt this is a cost-cutting exercise and as the Trianglewas being used as a test case,Wandsworth Council’s intention isto tarmac other parts of theBorough.

Maureen Larkin

For further information contact 020-7228-4873or e-mailMaureen.larkin2@btinternet.com.

BEFORE AFTER

13

BATTERSEA FASHION SHOW

GETTING BUSINESSES TOGETHER AROUND BATTERSEA PARK

Social cohesion is not delivered through the internet. It flows from meeting people and exchanging views. It isalso encouraged by eating and drinking incompany. We are delighted to celebrate theinitial meeting of the network of the ‘Businessesby Battersea Park’. An inaugural meeting inApril brought together a range of local peopleand businesses at Teamwork Hair Salon at220, Battersea Park Road (020 7622 9034) -and was a huge success.Local businesses and their clients met eachother for the first time swapping ideas whilstsipping on delicious cocktails and tasting exoticcanapés. Food was provided by BatterseaDelice and Chada Thai and proved a hit withall that attended. The informal atmosphere wasan excellent vehicle for people to introduce theirbusinesses to each other and more events areeagerly anticipated.

The Battersea fashionistas wereout in force for the Twice As Nicefashion show at Dovedale Houseon the twenty-second of March.The event was, naturally, crammedto the ceiling and we all waited inexpectation as busy folk hurriedabout making final adjustments. Itmust have been interesting behindthe scenes! They managed toeventually kick off the proceedingsonly forty minutes late which is, Iwas told, ‘absolutely nothing for afashion show’!To much flashing of cameras andpounding of music the modelsappeared in quick succession andparaded the wares. Consideringthat these ladies were volunteersand not professionals, they gave avery creditable performance. Therewas all the designer labels any trueaficionado would expect -Macdonald, Mui Mui, Westwood,Prada, Chanel and Dior - all sweptpast in a fast paced and colourfulpanoply of modern couture.Amazingly there were no slip-upsand the whole show hung togetherseamlessly (!) and Maxine, theproprietor of Twice as Nice inBattersea Park Road, was awardeda deserved ovation at the end offorty-five minutes and presentedwith a large and suitably luxuriantbouquet.

After the main show we wereinvited back to the shop premiseswhere drinks were on offer and themore seriously fashion consciouscould browse through the hangersfor that little something for nextweek.Anyone who wants to wear thelabel, but pay considerably lessthan the market price, should have

a look round the shop. There arebargains to be had and top brandsto be worn for even those of a lowlybudget.Twice As Nice is at 228, BatterseaPark Road (020 7720 2234) and isa Dress Agency with all the latestdesigner styles - who can also sellyour unwanted designer clothes.

Mike Marchant

14

KEEPERS OF HISTORY

Last year the Wandsworth BoroughNews published a profile of theBattersea Society in its CommunityAction section. This provides a goodoverview of the work of the Society and,for those who missed the WBN piece,we reproduce it below.

There is a Chinese proverb thatstates one generation plants thetrees and another gets the shade.This sentiment is at the heart ofwhat the Battersea Society is tryingto achieve.In the words of its current chairman,Tony Tuck, it aims to encourage thebest of the new and preserve thebest of the old.The society was formed in 1965 toprotect the character and traditionsof Battersea, following the mergerof the former Metropolitan Boroughof Battersea into the presentBorough of Wandsworth.After a period of inactivity thesociety was revived in 1998 andtoday has over 1,000 de factomembers.Tony, who has chaired the groupsince the revival, says: “The societyhelps to bring an awareness of ourenvironment, how we came toinherit it and what we can pass onto the future.“I think it draws a lot of things

Tony Tuck and Secretary Harvey Heath. Behind them is the Barbara Hepworthsculpture by the lake in Battersea Park.

together - architecture, history,community, conservation - and wetry to examine what is good forBattersea and what is detrimental.”The society, which became aregistered charity last year, aims topromote and stimulate a wealth ofactivity across the whole ofBattersea. This includesencouraging good architecture andcivic design, conserving andmaintaining open spaces, androusing interest in the history,character and traditions ofthe area.“We also try to do various thingsso that we record the passing of oldBattersea, such as takingphotographs of parts that might orare threatened with change,” Tonyadded.The charity has a number ofsubcommittees, including one forplanning and transport. Thesefocus on specific issues, such asthe Battersea Power Stationdevelopment.As well as the serious work ofsafeguarding the heritage of thiscorner of Wandsworth, the societyalso lets its hair down at a numberof varied events throughout theyear.Lectures, concerts, walks andparties are all a common feature of

the group’s busy social calendar.A quarterly newsletter also keeps Imembers informed of issues andupcoming events.Tony says: “We’ve got a party andquiz night planned and a visit toTate Britain.”The society’s three patrons - LordDubs of Battersea, John BowisOBE MEP and Baroness Prosserof Battersea - are, perhaps,indicative of the bringing togetherof different people for their commoncause - Battersea.Tony adds: “We try to take thewhole habitat as it effects people.It works through co-operation,social togetherness and inclusion.“The society is all the things avoluntary group ought to be. It’svery difficult to get some people tothink we can change things. Butsometimes, if we work together, wecan.”For information or to join, contactmembership secretary MaureenLarkin on 020 7228 4873.

15

Last year we reported that theWandsworth CommunityEmpowerment Network (WCEN)faced closure because its centralgovernment funding was toterminate in April this year. At thattime, while applications were beingmade for further grant aidedfunding, Wandsworth Council, theGovernment Offices for Londonand the Neighbourhood RenewalUnit were each asked to assist withtransitional support. None wasforthcoming.The Battersea Society hassupported the Battersea Forum andhas been an enthusiastic advocateof the work of the WCEN.The Society has also sponsored a

piece of research on the feasibilityof setting up a Time Bank inBattersea, with a community grantfrom the WCENHowever we are pleased to reportthat WCEN will not close.It has been awarded a grant forthree years as part of theConnecting Communities PlusProject, which is administered bythe Race Equality and Cohesionand Faiths Unit of the Home Office.In addition, other small grants fromthe Primary Care Trust and othersources have been secured andmajor grant applications can nowbe made.This is really good news for the

communities of Wandsworth andthe Battersea Society looks forwardto working closely with WCEN inthe future, as we have in the pastfew years.Necessarily the actual work of theWandsworth CommunityEmpowerment Network willchange, depending on thecontracts which it is now able tosecure. But its work will be directlyinvolved with local communities andensuring they have a voice in localdecision making. We shall publishfurther details later in the year oncethe WCEN relaunches.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT ORGANIZATION GETS A GRANT FOR 3 YEARS

HACAN CLEARSKIES

The Battersea Society recentlyjoined HACAN Clearskies (HeathrowAssociation for the Control of AircraftNoise), an organisation representingresidents adversely affected by theincreasing number of aircraft flyingin and out of Heathrow airport. Theyare the largest voluntary organisationin Europe dedicated to campaign onbehalf of those who suffer becauseof the disruption caused by aircraftlanding and taking off.HACAN ClearSkies is a vibrantcampaigning organisation with manythousands of members. They are anindependent lobbying group thatcampaigns for quieter, cleaner andsafer conditions for residents livingunder Heathrow’s flight paths.Noise has been the big concern ofthe residents they represent, but inrecent years as flight numbers haveincreased, there have been growing

concerns about air pollution, safetyand the impact of Heathrow on thesurrounding area.HACAN ClearSkies is not opposedto aviation, but it does aim to give avoice to people under the Heathrowflight paths. They campaignalongside national, regional and localpressure groups for an approach toaviation that acknowledges thosewho suffer because of aircraft.Their website’s resources sectionholds a wealth of information onairport expansion and theenvironmental and noise pollutionconsequences of air travel. Take alook at the Fact file: a single pagewith information on airport expansionand the airport industry.Please consider joining HACANClearskies on an individual basis, as

you will be in good company. A lot oflocal information is available on theweb site at www.wandsworth.gov.uk/aviationThe Wandsworth Councill websitehas information on the impact offlights over the Battersea area.Several councils (cross-political)have joined together to try toinfluence Government decision onthe adverse affect on the life andhealth of residents living under theHeathrow flight paths.HACAN are seeking volunteers tosupport in their activities whichinclude joining peacefuldemonstrations, delivering leafletslocally, letter writing campaigns,supporting your local area unit;providing voluntary time and makingdonations. Contact details are: Tel/fax 020 8876 0455. Website:www.hacan.org.ukemail: info@hacan.org.uk

16

If you would like to advertise in future issues, the rates are: £10 per issue or £40 for 5 issues For more information orto place an advertisement, please contact the Editor on 0207 622 0485or email tony.tuck@tesco.net

Our distribution is approximately 1,000 per issue and concentrates on the Battersea area.

ADVERTISEMENTS

ENewsletterMembers wishing to receive their copy of the newsletter via email should send an email to: battsoc@aol.com.

They will then receive the Newsletter as an Adobe Acrobat™ PDF file in full colour!

WINDOW CLEANING SERVICESEstd 1987

BYAPPOINTMENT ONLY

PAUL BALOGH‘Serving the Battersea Area’

Mexperience is your definitive guide to Mexico on the web.Visit our website, read the travel guides, browse over 2,000pictures of Mexico’s beaches, colonial cities, archaeologicalwonders and areas of outstanding natural beauty. LetMexperience help you create and realise your perfect travelexperience in Mexico. www.mexperience.com

R i c a r d o & Lu i sFa mily Bu tche rs

164 Battersea Bridge Road

London SW11 3AW

Tel: 020 7228 8187 Mobile: 0781 0293826

Bus Stops: 345, 319, 49

Home delivery within 10 mins. travelling time

Top Quality meat from the Best Small Farms.Beef, Pork, Chicken, Lamb, mutton, Bacon, Sausage,

Roast Beef, Roast Pork.Other meats to order.

AROMATHERAPY MASSAGEDEEP TISSUE MASSAGE

REFLEXOLOGYWith Lisa Dobinson VAI NVQ

07906 140674Wednesdays at Battersea Back Clinic35, Parkgate Road SW11 4NPIntroductory offer:- £10 off first

treatment

MARBELLA, S. Spain

Small one-bedroomed apartmentavailable for holiday lets in the villageof La Campana. Ideal location fortrips to Gibraltar, Morocco, Ronda,Malaga, etc. Village amenities, localbus services. Private pool withgardens.

Tel: 020 7223 1328 for details.

17

Thurs. 6th July. SUMMER PARTY at St.Mary’s Church, Battersea Church Road.6.30 - 9.00 pm Entry: £8.00 to include first drink and canapés.

Pay at the Door.

Thurs. 14th Sept. Visit to the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London,11.00 am - meet Apothecaries Hall, Black Friars Lane, London, EC4. (near Blackfriars10.45 am Underground Station).

(The Society is unique in that it is both a Livery Company of the City ofLondon, with a Royal Charter dating from 1617, and is also a memberof the only non-university medical licensing body in Britain, the UnitedExamining Board. It’s history can be traced back to 1180.)

Numbers are limited so please apply as soon as possible (see below) -£8.00 each.

Sat.16th Sept. ST.MARY’S CHURCH SUMMER FAIR - We will have Bric-a-BracStall there. (Part of the Open House Weekend).

Thurs.26th Oct. Illustrated talk by Julia Beaumont-Jones of the Tate Gallery entitled 7 for 7.30pm “Classicism & Decadence in the 1890’s - artists such as Aubrey

Beardsley”. At St. Mary’s Church (part of the Wandsworth Festival).

Thurs.9th Nov. Illustrated talk by Brian Bloice “The Thames and it’s Shores -7 for 7.30pm Chiswick to Vauxhall”. At Thomas’s School, Battersea High Street.

———————————————————————————————————————————————PRIVATE VISIT TO APOTHECARIE’S HALL

Number of tickets required @ £8.00 each - Members…….Guests………..TOTAL: £……..

I enclose cheque for £.…. made payable to BATTERSEA SOCIETY.Send to:

Maureen Larkin, 90 Knowsley Road, London, SW11 5BL, together with SAE please.

Name……………………………….............. Address:…………………………….......................

………………………………...........................................................................................................

Tele:……………………………................... E-mail………………………………........................

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY - 2006

18

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

BATTERSEA SOCIETY OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Minutes Secretary: Cynthia NewmanPhone: 0207 228 3612Email : briancynthia@waitrose.com

Newsletter Editor: Tony TuckPhone: 0207 622 0485Email : tony.tuck@tesco.net

Chair of Open Spaces: Anita JacksonPhone: 020 72283502Email: anita-focus@tiscali.co.uk

Chair: Tony TuckPhone: 0207 622 0485Email : tony.tuck@tesco.net

Secretary: Harvey HeathPhone: 0207 585 3788Email : harvey.heath@virgin.net

Treasurer : John GarvanPhone: 0207 738 9350Email : john.garvan1@btinternet.com

Membership Secretary : MaureenLarkin.Phone: 020 7228 4873Email:maureen.larkin2@btinternet.com

Chair Planning, Urban Design &Transport s/c: David LewisPhone: 0207 622 8017Email : drlewis27@yahoo.com

Chair Exhibitions & Design: BrianNewmanPhone: 0207 228 3612Email : briancynthia@waitrose.com

Chair Events: Wendy DeakinsPhone: 0207 223 5999Email: wendy@deakins.co.uk

THE BATTERSEA SOCIETYRegistered Charity No: 1103560

Patrons: Baroness Prosser of Battersea John Bowis, OBE MEP Lord Dubs of BatterseaPart 1) APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP/RENEWALI/We would like to join / renew Membership of THE BATTERSEA SOCIETY (Please use BLOCK capitals):Name: ……………………………….................................................................................................................................Address: ………………………………................................................. Post code...................................Home phone………………………………........Work phone………………………………...................................Mobile……………………………….................E-mail ………………………………............................................Special interests …………………….................................................................................................................................Date ………………………………....................Type of Membership: Annual cost Individual £ 7.00

“ “ Family (up to 4 members) £10.00 “ “ Voluntary Groups/Businesses £10.00Life Membership £70.00Donation £______Total £______

Annual Membership is for the calendar year and subscriptions are due for payment on 1st January. Fornew members joining in November and December, their subscription covers them up to the 1st January after the oneimmediately following the start of their membership (ie: 14 months).

Part 2) PAYMENT This can be by cheque (payable to THE BATTERSEA SOCIETY) or by Standing Order. In eithercase a completed form with cheque or Standing Order instructions should be sent to The Membership Secretary, MaureenLarkin, 90 Knowsley Road, Battersea, SW11 5BL. On receipt new applicants will be sent our welcome pack. If you wishto pay by Standing Order (which simplifies administration and reduces the Society’s costs) please complete the followinginstruction to your Bank. (This can be cancelled at any time by your instruction to the Bank.)

STANDING ORDER (Please use BLOCK capitals):Member’s Bank: Name………………………………...................................................................................

Address………………………………...............................................................................…………………………….............................Post code…………………….....................Account Name: ………………………………..Account No:…………………………Sort Code…………..

Please pay to BARCLAYS BANK (20-80-14), 349 Kings Road, London, SW3 5UT, for the account of THE BATTERSEASOCIETY (Account No: 30563285) the sum of £……….to be paid at today’s date and thereafter on 1st of January next andeach year until further notice. However, if this payment is made in the months of either November or December, then thesecond payment is to be made NOT on the 1st January next but on the one following that. That is to say a subscriptionfirst paid in November or December is not renewable until up to 14 months later.

Signature:……………………………..............................................................Date:…………………………….....

Part 3) GIFT AID DECLARATIONMy signature below confirms that I want THE BATTERSEA SOCIETY to treat any/all of the following as a Gift Aid Dona-tion, viz: my annual subscription, my one-off life membership (if I opt for this form of membership), any donations I havemade since 6th April 2000, and all donatons I make from this date. I understand this enables the Society to reclaim tax onmy payments to them.

I confirm that I am a UK tax payer and that the tax I pay will be at least equal to the tax reclaimed by the Society on mypayments to them. If my circumstances change and my tax payments no longer equal my payments to the Society, I cancancel this Declaration simply by notifying the Society. I also understand that if I am unsure whether my payments qualifyfor Gift Aid tax relief, I can clarify the position with the Society.

Signed………………………………..................................................... Date……………………………….............