Winter 2019

Dear Readers

“We’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet…”

It’s the season to celebrate – and to be charitable which is why, with Christmas so close, we met with local SVP members who are particularly busy reaching out to those most in need.

One of the biggest occasions in life is your wedding day, and we took a peek inside the doors of The Clarendon Hotel at Blackheath, revamped and now a perfect venue for a wedding. Another major life decision is choosing to be the proud owner of a pet. Just last month, PAAW House, a new local business was launched in Bermondsey. Friend to both pets and pet owners alike, we’re delighted to welcome them as a new feature for the year ahead.

We also have a first contribution by international artist David Taborn who reviews the outstanding work of Nam June Paik on show at the Tate. Paik first coined the phrase “Electronic Superhighway” and his visual premonitions made decades ago (back in the 1970s) eerily echo the world today.

No doubt we’ll all make plenty of resolutions come Hogmanay, with commitments to a fresh start, a healthy body and a positive mental attitude. One thing is certain, being close to animals can be very rewarding, so let’s raise a glass and toast ‘Companions’ – whether on two legs or four!

Yours

Angela Webb

• Love at the PAAW House Where every pet has a right to a loving home and every human deserves the right to love a pet
  Category: WINTER Edition – December 2019
• Albion Street Market A diverse community united by shared values, local trade and marvellous food
  by Owen Rice | Category: WINTER Edition – December 2019
• Blackheath, A Romantic Setting Recently refurbished by top local interior designer, the Clarendon Hotel now offers fabulous luxury interiors that match the splendour of its views over Blackheath.
  Category: WINTER Edition – December 2019
• What About The Workers? Tensions in the workplace are all too common and the impact on individuals and the organisation as a whole can be damaging, so swift and fair mediation can be a very useful resolution for all parties.
  by JOHN WEBB | Category: WINTER Edition – December 2019
• London Art Fair 2020 Opening the international art calendar for 2020, the London Art Fair takes place in Islington between 22nd and 26th January.
  Category: WINTER Edition – December 2019
• An Overdue Guide for the Perplexed Almost as if to celebrate the last actual Blockbuster store in the world, the careful, thoughtful and beautifully curated ‘blockbuster’ exhibition of the late Nam June Paik at Tate Modern offers a virtual VIP ticket to an emporium of nourishing perplexedness.
  by David Taborn | Category: WINTER Edition – December 2019
• Entertainments Theatre Theatre Listings for Winter 2019
  Category: WINTER Edition – December 2019
• Entertainments Galleries Gallery Listings for Winter 2019
  Category: WINTER Edition – December 2019
• Working with the SVP You can do more to support your community this winter than sign the occasional petition or 'like' a moral message on social media - you can help make a real difference.
  by Winston Waller | Category: WINTER Edition – December 2019
• Tech Workouts in Surrey Quays General Manager and former Elite runner Benjamin Ayling provided us with an insight into how technology and innovation is essential to every members’ journey at the state-of-the-art Fitness Space club in Surrey Quays.
  Category: WINTER Edition – December 2019
• Winter & Sciatica Suffer from low back pain? You are not alone,
  by Bethany Elliott | Category: WINTER Edition – December 2019
• back on your feet 'Tis the season to be jolly but lingering coughs, colds and the winter blues can get in the way. Natalie Li explains how reflexology can help to alleviate these winter woes.
  by Natalie Li | Category: WINTER Edition – December 2019