3. Vera

In May I was elected and then handed a Cabinet role that hasn't existed here in this form before the year 2000. So I now sit in an executive that is twenty-six years old, in a ward that traces the edge of a much older parish, in a borough named during an argument from 1963, in a district first organised for tax and justice by people who spoke Old English.The current workings of the council were essentially set in the Victorian era. Every part of it has been replaced since then, every officer, every desk, every form. And it is still, in every way that matters, the same machine.That's the Ship of Theseus, more or less: swap out every plank over the years and you may still have the same ship. There is, as it happens, a ship on the Lewisham coat of arms.A short explainer on Theseus, if you haven't come across it: https://www.britannica.com/topic/ship-of-Theseus-philosophyYou can read about Mural Crowns here: Mural Crown - Livius

Some thoughts on doorsteps and a threshold on a leftover bit of Brookdale Road next to the Broadway.It's been 109 days since the last episode, a lot has happened.Here's a link to the documentary Another Catford - https://youtu.be/6jZ_PFgUdF4?si=Z_KpRq9Tw6ZrZiHTThe future of Catford arrived with a monkey...

I started off with a vague idea for an episode on staircases, based on what my toddler likes around the house, and ended up with this.A staircase is never just a staircase, because small steps, done properly, really can shift the mood of an entire neighbourhood.Here's an article about the missing Catford Green bridge - https://ladywell-live.org/2021/01/17/austen-steps-up-campaign-for-catfords-missing-bridge/and another - https://www.salamandernews.org/is-catford-station-links-project-moving-at-last/This is the book I mention by Jos Boys - https://disordinaryarchitecture.co.uk/start-learning/doing-disability-differently-book

Ciarán is a Lewisham based creative director and founder of Renegade Production, a digital media and content studio. He has over twenty years of experience spanning photography, videography, music production, digital strategy, editorial work and campaign development. He is also central to the Keystone initiative, helping to drive its community focused vision and direction.In general,and in this episode, Ciarán and I keep returning to Milford Towers for different reasons. Keystone will be launching through a special event on June 25th. Follow their progress here: https://www.instagram.com/keystone.selondon/ and here: https://www.renegadeproduction.co.uk/keystoneHere's a video he made for Team Catford: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CKt0Dw1n-MxHere's a music video he made in Catford for Sonny Green: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zxvQxepzMM&list=and here's the promo clip for the boxer he mentions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlEXZKr27SAYou can find a more negative take on Milford Towers here, including a link to the 2011 report I mention - https://www.salamandernews.org/milford-towers-residents-voices/However, you'll struggle to find many designers who can take the following statement seriously:'Milford Towers has limited aesthetic merits and architectural interest, however it is not a fine example of brutalism, nor innovative in terms of its design or concept. It is considered that Milford Towers does not possess the architectural quality or historic interest to meet the listing criteria.'Catford deserves more imagination than the assumption that any change is automatically progress.

I am running for the Green Party in Catford (Rushey Green) in the local elections on May 7. You can follow me here - https://www.instagram.com/catfordreamsThe choice is simple. More of the same with Labour, or the kind of change I talk about in this episode. Only Labour or the Green Party can win this election.If you live in Catford, there's a good chance you live in the Rushey Green council ward. The map can be found here: https://lewisham.gov.uk/mayorandcouncil/elections/ward-mapsHere is an article covering Zack Polanski’s recent visit to Lewisham: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/05/green-party-lewisham-zack-polanski-labourYou can register to vote here: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-voteand apply for a postal vote here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-voteMy running mates are Samantha Gardiner and Claire Wills. Here are their Instagram accounts for the election:https://www.instagram.com/samanthagardinerforrusheygreen/https://www.instagram.com/clairewillsforrusheygreen/Promoted by Daniel Dream, Green Party, PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ.

There are yellow bricks all over South East London, forming our homes and the school walls opposite my house. These bricks were once dug from the brickfields that used to stretch across Lewisham.A wall marks where responsibility lives.Things mentioned:The essay on the Berlin Wall by Rem Koolhaas: https://www.scribd.com/document/235581097/The-Berlin-Wall-as-ArchitectureThe BFG appears next to Holbeach Primary School in this advert:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaF1my5h-OsA 360-degree view from above Blythe Hill Fields:https://maps.app.goo.gl/1WVzRmHjKt5iDUMq5Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah was a student at Holbeach Primary School who died as a result of air pollution aged nine. Her mother's campaigning can be supported here:https://www.ellaroberta.org/about-ella--Since beginning work on this episode, I have been selected to run as a candidate in Catford (Rushey Green) in the May local elections. With the possible exception of one episode, this will not change the podcast, as this is who I am regardless. Legally, I have to say: Promoted by Daniel Dream, Green Party, PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ.

I’ve been seeing a lot of parakeets in a lot of different places recently, and thinking about how we can turn Goldsmiths moving to Catford from a good idea into an absolutely outstanding one.Here’s the Instagram account linked to the podcast: https://www.instagram.com/catforddreams/And here’s a short piece on the artists being displaced as a result of the Goldsmiths move: https://lewishamletter.co.uk/artists-face-being-forced-out-of-capital-due-to-council-studio-eviction/The five principles mentioned are:Radical OpennessProtecting Legacy BusinessesCommunity WealthRenter ProtectionGround-up CultureThere’s a huge amount of material online about the work of Stuart Hall (1992-2014), worth exploring.Shepherds, not sheep.

Uploaded at sunset on January 5th, 2026, Twelfth Night.Huge thanks to the Black Cat pub in Catford Shopping Centre for hosting us.A quick fact check: Bill accidentally said he had lived in Catford for 14 years. He actually meant he has lived here since 2014.The postman keeps walking, and Catford keeps dreaming. Happy New Year.

Some thoughts from Vera, who has lived in Milford Towers, Catford, for the past five and a half years. She makes Catford a better place.

The forest in the floorboards, the river beneath the road. Stories are not decoration, they are direction.