Sydenham Recital Series

Today (Sunday 29) at 3pm marks the beginning of a new series of recitals at St Bartholomew's on Westwood Hill, SE26 6QR.

Led by soprano Rosie Lomas the group Literary Music, brings alive the music of literature; from the drawing rooms of the Regency era and fashionable concerts of Georgian Bath to the factories of the industrial Victorian cities, performing songs and arias of the period with quotations from the novels, historical background and entertaining anecdotes.

This will be followed by the Albany Piano Trio on 27 October performing Haydn and Brahms.

On 24th November, the Palomino Quartet, described as ‘exuberant and energetic’, are a fresh and dynamic emerging talent in chamber music. Formed in 2011, the quartet comprises former members of Southbank Sinfonia from England, Ireland and New Zealand.

All concerts are from 3-4pm, and followed with tea and homemade cakes. Tickets are £8 (£5 Concessions) on the door or please contact the box office at info@sydenhamrecitalseries.com or 07761923176. Sydenham Recital Series are also on Twitter (SydenhamRS) and Facebook (Sydenham Recital Series).

October Food Fair - 6th October

Dacres Wood Nature Reserve Open Day

This Saturday, 28 September, Dacres Wood Nature Reserve will be open (as usual on the last Saturday of each month) from 1:30 to 4pm.

We will also be holding our seventh Bring and Take event. This time, we will be at the Dacres Wood Nature Reserve in the Field Centre which is accessed via the driveway between Catling Close and Homefield House - you can just take if you so desire, you don't have to bring anything.

Simply Bring any good quality items for somebody else to reuse and Take anything you fancy; all for free.

We cannot accept the following items:

• NO Electrical items larger than a toaster
• NO DVD/VHS/CD recorders / players
• NO TVs, PCs or monitors
• NO printers or scanners
• NO VHS or cassette tapes
• NO vacuum cleaners
• NO Furniture or carpets
• NO Jumble or broken items

as Lewisham Council will not be taking away the unwanted items this time.

Oktoberfest

Come along this Saturday for a local Oktoberfest, Bavarian style, at the German Church in Dacres Road, Forest Hill! It will be great fun! Entry only £5

The church is located just next to the footbridge over the railway line, between Forest Hill and Sydenham.

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Fashion Week - What's On - Wednesday

8pm-11pm It's a Wrap - FHFW closing party

Where better to celebrate the end of FHFW in style than at our established friendly, trendy and central Forest Hill favourite The Sylvan Post, who have created a special FHFW cocktail in honour of the event with a 2-4-1 offer on it all night!! Other £5 cocktail deals and a special snack menu are on offer alongside regular menus. Add a local DJ playing House/electro tunes all night, friendly locals and local fashionistas and this is definitely "THE" closing party to be at! All of drinking age welcome!

Host: Forest Hill Fashion Development Project
Venue: The Sylvan Post, 24-28 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3XZ
Tickets: Free
penelope@foresthillfashion.com // sylvanpost.com

Become a Skills Coach

Over 55? - Volunteer Centre Lewisham is setting up an exciting new project called Helping Hands which will offer services such as gardening, minor DIY, handyperson, home technology help and shopping assistance to anyone living in and around Lewisham. They are looking for volunteers aged 55 or over to become Skills Coaches who will provide basic training sessions and guidance for the volunteers going out to perform the service. These roles would suit someone who can commit to at least 4-5 hours per week (within office hours), has had practical experience in the services to be provided and the confidence to train small groups of volunteers.

The project aims to work specifically with unemployed young people (16-25) and disabled people living in the borough who will provide the services as volunteers in order to increase their employment skills through the volunteering and training which Volunteer Centre Lewisham and other organisations can provide.

They are looking for Skills Coaches with DIY, handyman, gardening and IT support skills as well as those willing to help run a shopping. If interested, please contact Lauren Banks on 020 8613 7113 or 4Gdigital@volunteercentrelewisham.org.uk.

Further volunteering opportunities can be found at do-it.org.uk

Fashion Week - What's On - Tuesday

7pm-8.30pm Do we need fashion trends?

Expanded anatomy of fashion trends – a fun workshop combined with some examples of seasonal trends for 2013 and 2014, during which we will discuss whether we need fashion trends. There will be some quizzes that will help us see trends in a clearer light. During the workshop participants will learn more about how trend forecasting companies work, about the history of trend forecasting, different types of trends and how trends can be used either for their own outfits or for designing for customers.

Host: Marlena Woolford of Inspiration Trend Analysis Ltd
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking advised)
marlena.woolford@inspirationtrendanalysis.com // foresthillfashion.com/trendsworkshop

A scrumping we will go

A new foraging and community harvest group called SEplentyFREE has started locally.

" We are a NEW small South East London based group of foraging enthusiasts based primarily in SE23, SE26, SE4, SE6, SE13, SE14, SE19 & SE20 (or wherever the fruit trees call us to). We are now also part of the national Abundance Network. If you are interested or live locally, you can join us by emailing Vera at: SEplentyfree@gmail.com for more information.

Fashion Week - What's On - Monday

It's been a hard weekend and all our models are worn out, so there is nothing planned for today, but they'll be back tomorrow.

It's hard work being fashionable @fhfashionse23

Fashion Week - What's On - Sunday

11.30am-1.30pm Express nail art afternoon

Bunka is bringing the nail art phenomenon to Forest Hill, ladies. Pop in and relax as our artiste turns your nails into a work of art. Come with unpolished nails, leave with a design of your choice.

Host: Ayshin Demirci of Bunka
Venue: Bunka, 4 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3XU
Tickets: Free, but booking required. Call or come into store to reserve your place
020 8291 4499 // facebook.com/bunkafh

Midday-1pm Make a stylish leather cuff

Learn how to make a simple and stylish leather cuff of your own, courtesy of the genius behind N'Damus Bags. Materials will be provided but it helps if you can bring some too!

Host: Nneka Onyenakala of N'Damus London
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3HN
Tickets: £10 for materials (spaces limited - booking advised)
leather@foresthillfashion.com // ndamus.com

Midday-1pm Customise clothes with structured frills

Learn how to upcycle an old top with structured frills to give it that VaVaVoom. This great fashion detailing can be used in so many ways! Please bring a metre of silky fabric, a top you would like to upcycle, fabric scissors, matching thread and pins.

Host: Molly Quest
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking advised)
mollyquest@gmail.com // mollyquest.blogspot.co.uk

Midday-2pm The Tie’s the Limit!

Join us at Stag & Bow for a very special Forest Hill Fashion Week workshop, showing you how to work drab old ties into something special… SE23 will be ringing with the cries of - “Oh no! I haven’t seen your ties in ages dear!”

Host: Pascale Spall of Stag & Bow
Venue: Stag & Bow, 8 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3XU
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking required) Details on request or our website.
info@stagandbow.com // 020 8291 4992 // stagandbow.com

2pm-5pm Re-fashion your Fashion

Take something old and turn it into something completely different, with the help of the upcycling genius of your host Paulina. Bring your own project or get experimental with our abundance of preloved clothes.

Host: Paulina Palian & Frockcycle
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free
pen@frockcycle.co.uk // frockcycle.co.uk

4pm-5pm Get the bra right to get your fashion right

This is a bra-fitting workshop for fuller-busted females who struggle with ill-fitting bras. A correctly-fitted bra can make you look pounds lighter and boost your body confidence. Join us for our demonstration of the world of a well-fitted bra, then ask questions and share your bra-fitting problems - maybe some solutions can be found. Our free individual bra-fitting will let you understand how a properly fitted bra should look and feel: marvel at how different you look in your clothes.

Host: Kyra Pitter of The Fitting Studio
Venue: The Fitting Studio, 16 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3XU
Tickets: Free
help@thefittingstudio.co.uk // 020 8613 8038 // thefittingstudio.co.uk

4pm-6pm Beads & Kids

A children's jewellery-making workshop. Upcycle everyday objects to create something unusual.

Host: Marcin Giebultowski
Venue: Doopo Doopo, 15 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free
info@doopodoopo.co.uk // 0203 632 5041 // doopodoopo.co.uk

5pm-6pm Five beautiful ways with bra straps

Bra straps can be the bane of the stylishly-inclined, especially for the most wellendowed amongst us. Come and discover ways to disguise, replace or remove them altogether, beautifully! Bring your problem bra and/or top to explore solutions.

Host: Penelope & Kyra
Venue: The Fitting Studio, 16 Dartmouth Rd, SE23 3XU
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking advised)
brastraps@foresthillfashion.com // foresthillfashion.com/brastraps

7pm-8pm Artsy clothes swap

Are you bored with your clothes? Do you own things you don’t wear? Do you fancy something new and exciting? Bring along 3 pieces of artsy, colourful, exciting clothes & accessories that you would be proud to pass onto a fellow Swapper. Take home 3 new items. Swapping is the new shopping! It’s Frugal! It’s Eco Friendly! It’s Fun!

Host: Agata Zielinska-Hryn of Doopo Doopo
Venue: Doopo Doopo, 15 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HN
Tickets: £3 on the door
info@doopodoopo.co.uk // 0203 632 5041 // doopodoopo.co.uk

Horniman Market

Hot on the heels of the successful Forest Hill Food Fair, we bring you details of a new weekly market in the local area.

From today (21st September), the Horniman will be bring you a Farmers' Market every Saturday between 9.30AM and 1.30PM on the Horniman Museum and Gardens' Bandstand Terrace.

You'll find seasonal meat, fish, fruit and veg, bread, dairy and eggs, cakes and other baked goods, street food, plants, herbs, flowers and much more. 

In addition to providing you with the convenience of buying fresh, high quality produce in a beautiful setting, all the stallholders are based within 100 miles of the Horniman, so go along and support British farmers and producers and lower your food miles!

Although this market is not run by the Forest Hill Society, we do of course wish them every success and will use it to supplement our purchases from our hard working independent traders in the Town Centre.

The next Food Fairs will be on Sunday 6 October, 3 November and 1 December.

Fashion Week - What's On - Saturday

10am-1pm Make a unique necklace from ribbons, lace & beads

Learn the techniques involved in making a necklace out of ribbons, beads and lace and then make a beautiful confection of your own.

Host: Jane Gardner of Tattered Stones
Venue: Stag & Bow, 8 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3XU
Tickets: £3 for basic materials to learn the techniques, or £10 to take away a finished necklace using Jane's gorgeous selection of trimmings and beads. Spaces limited - booking advised.
tatteredstones@hotmail.co.uk // 020 8291 4992 tatteredstones.yolasite.com

11am-1pm Bead It jewellery workshop - fix, improve or create

Bring along some of your jewellery to improve it or make something totally new and exciting using our Jewellery Bank. A workshop with a fantastic jewellery designer, and an intro to our jewellery making course starting on Sat 28 September.

Host: Marcin Giebultowski
Venue: Doopo Doopo, 15 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free
info@doopodoopo.co.uk // 0203 632 5041 // doopodoopo.co.uk

11:30-1pm Making a living from Fashion Pt 1

The 12 steps to success

Two inspirational workshops presented by Alison Lewy, founder of fashion business accelerator, Fashion Angel and author of Design Create Sell – a guide to starting up and running a successful fashion business. Find out more about the fashion industry and what it takes to start and run a successful fashion or accessory label.

Host: Alison Lewy of Fashion Angel
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking advised)
fashionangel@foresthillfashion.com // fashion-angel.co.uk

Midday-6pm Personal styling session by Divine Couture

We are excited to offer every female a personal styling session, so if you want some new ideas, inspiration or simply some general styling advice feel free to come down. You can even bring with you that outfit you've been wanting to wear but still unsure of how to work it...

Host: Chantel Wedderburn
Venue: Best of Both Boutique, 71 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HT
Tickets: Free
info@bestofbothboutique.co.uk // 020 8699 2753 // bestofbothboutique.co.uk

2pm-3.30pm Making a living from Fashion Pt 2

Routes to market - where to sell your product

The 2nd part of the workshops presented by Alison Lewy, founder of fashion business accelerator, Fashion Angel and author of Design Create Sell.

Host: Alison Lewy of Fashion Angel
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd SE23 3HN
Tickets: Free (spaces limited - booking advised)
fashionangel@foresthillfashion.com // fashion-angel.co.uk

4pm-6pm Embellish your clothes by hand

Bring along a garment and add your own personal touch using handstitch. Come and play with stitches, threads and trims in this 2 hour workshop with Rowena Ardern, expert designer/maker and embroidery teacher.

Host: Rowena Ardern
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd SE23 3HN
Tickets: £3 for materials
rowenaardern@googlemail.com // rowenaardern.com

4.30pm-6pm Fabric design workshop

Covering the basic aspects of fabric design and printing, this workshop demonstrates how layout can make or break a pattern. Come along to discover the difference between half-brick and half-drop, and the chance to design your own basic repeat.

Host: Madeleine McIndoe
Venue: The Montage, 33 Dartmouth Rd SE23 3HN
Tickets: £3 for materials
madeleine.mcindoe@gmail.com // 07930 205559

Fiver Fest - check out the offers

It's your lucky weekend in Forest Hill. There's so much happening that the traders have decided to run a Fiver Fest with 30 of them offering special deals. Not only that, but if you buy today's issue of the South London Press (SLP), you'll find further special offers inside.

Simply click on the picture to download a copy of the Fiver Fest flyer, but you'll have to buy a copy of the SLP for those offers

Fashion Week - What's On - Friday

6pm-9pm Fashion Late at the Horniman Museum

The FHFW launch event - a night of fashion in association with the Horniman Museum.

Catwalk shows, dance, exhibitions, tours, talks and much more. Horniman Lates are for over 18s only.

Host: Forest Hill Fashion Development Project & Horniman Museum
Venue: Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ
Tickets: £3 - pre-booking tickets advised. Call 020 8699 1872 or book online foresthillfashion.com/fashionlate

Forest Hill Fashion Week - 20-25 September