The Mystical Forest

South East London Folklore Society, 11th September: Jack Gale – London's Green Web

Jack Gale is a pagan and magickal writer on much experience, warmth and wisdom and tonight he shall be discussing London's "mystical forest". South London features heavily in the talk and Jack in an expert in the magickal history of south-east London. At the Spanish Galleon in Greenwich at 8 pm.

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Autum walk from the wood to the River

On Sunday 17th September there will be a chance to explore the sites of ancient rites, apparitions, folklore and natural wonders with Pagan Federation South East London and South East London Folklore Society. Join them for a Sunday afternoon picnic and stroll along part of the Green Chain Walk, from Oxleas Woods to the Thames Barrier.

The walk starts at Oxleas Wood (meet by the café at 1pm) and finishes by the Thames, and will wander through the ancient woodland of Oxleas and the hideaways of highwaymen before taking in the site of Charlton's notorious Horn Fair (where apparently men `quite frequently wore women's clothes and amused themselves by striking women encountered on the fairground with sprigs of furze') and stopping to picnic near Charlton House, haunted Jacobean mansion. Then onwards for deer and peacock-spotting and over a Roman hill fort before passing a modern stone circle on the way to the Thames.

It's also international Chalk4Peace weekend, so people are encouraged to bring chalks if they feel so inclined.

For further information contact [email protected] or [email protected].

Reservoir Reservations

At the top of Telegraph Hill, on Jerningham Road in New Cross, there is a walled off covered reservoir site. The reservoir is apparently now redundant, and St James Homes is planning to build 13 houses on the site. In the mean time, the site is a nature reserve in all but name. Human visitors are not encouraged, which for me makes it somehow more appealing as a kind of Secret Garden (I must scale the wall before they build on it). Anyway not everyone's happy with the loss of this green space, and there's a public meeting on the 11th September at 8 pm to discuss the plans. It takes place at the Telegraph Hill Centre (next to the Church at the top of the hill), where the plans are currently on display in the foyer.