Bermondsey Daily Message 171

Bermondsey Daily Message 170

Bermondsey Daily Message 169

Today's service

South London Sketch

The London School Board buildings, designed by E.R. Robson, of which Alexis Street is one, feature in this poem by John Betjeman which also mentions Bermondsey.

 South London Sketch by John Betjeman

From Bermondsey to Wandsworth
So many churches are,
Some with apsidal chancels,
Some Perpendicular
And schools by E.R. Robson
In the style of Norman Shaw
Where blue-serged adolescence learn'd
To model and to draw.

Oh, in among the houses,
The viaduct below,
Stood the Coffee Essence Factory
Of Robinson and Co.
Burnt and brown and tumbled down
And done with years ago
Where the waters of the Wandle do
Lugubriously flow.

From dust of dead explosions
From scarlet-hearted fires,
All unconcerned this train draws in
And smoothly that retires
And calmly rise on smoky skies
Of intersected wires
The Nonconformist spirelets
And the Church of England spires.

 

E.R. Robson 1836-1917

Bermondsey Daily Message 168

Bermondsey Daily Message 167

Lighthouse on Alexis Street

Discover the remarkable story of the Alexis Street premises of St James's school, the vision of the architect, and the message that this building has conveyed for 144 years - in today's Bermondsey Daily Message:

Bermondsey Food Tour

 Here is the Bermondsey Food Tour which featured in our recent Community Harvest Festival

 

School assembly, through the roof

Bermondsey Daily Message 165

Today's service

Bermondsey Daily Message 164

Getting ready for Remembrance

Today we continued to film for our Bermondsey Community Remembrance Service, with a call to the UK Homes for Heroes day centre in Rotherhithe, to hear from Pearly King and Queen, Jimmy and Michelle, about their charity's amazing work among homeless ex-servicemen. 

Their love and commitment to the people they call their boys is truly amazing and heartwarming. Find out more when the video comes out over the weekend  of 7th/8th November or pop over to their website. 

Another aspect of the care for military families, this time in the case of bereavement, was the theme of our visit ealier in the week to interview Jon Dyer at FA Albins about their repatriation work for the Ministry of Defence, when members of the British Armed Forces die overseas.

This work which involves great care, tact and compassion will also feature in our Remembrance video special.

Congratulations Sir Tommy

Church Assembly

Bermondsey Daily Message 162

Today's service

Arise, Sir Tommy

A real Bermondsey hero has today been awarded a knighthood by the Queen. 

Here is the young Tommy Steele signing autographs outside his house in the shadow of St James Church. The houses are long gone but the block of flats in Frean Street that replaces them, Hicks House, bears Tommy's (real) family name. 

Congratulations, Sir Tommy, from everyone in Bermondsey.

Bermondsey Daily Message 161

Bermondsey Daily Message 160

Bermondsey Daily Message 159

Harvest church assembly

Bermondsey Daily Message 158

Bermondsey Community Harvest Festival

Bermondsey Daily Message 157

Teachers praised

 Good article in Southwark News about last week's events at St James's School. You can read it here