Mo, Aug 22, 2005A message from Bridget Prentice MP
It
was October 2002 (year 0 of the Bullock era), and in spite of Lewisham
Council's reassuring words, the residents of Downham were not
completely at ease with the plan to demolish their library as part of
the Downham Lifestyles project.So, Bridget Prentice MP took pen and paper and wrote a message to the Downhamites.
A soothing message, for them to read before going to sleep.
Interestingly, this letter was published 9 months before a contractor to carry on the works to build the centre was even identified.
It contained these words:"...Of
course, the old will have to make way for the new, and the library
which is currently available to Downham residents will soon have to be
demolished so that work can begin on the new development.
I think
it is crucial that residents are able to continue to use library
facilities whilst the work is going on, and the council has agreed to
provide a mobile library, which will serve local people for the
duration of the works.
I have heard that there are some in our
community who have been saying that Lewisham Council will not be
providing this interim service, and am therefore pleased to reassure
Downham's library users and readers of the SLP that these rumours are
not true and that library provision will be maintained whilst the new
development is built..."
The library is now gone, it flew to heaven where it re-joined the old Downham pool that had disappeared many years before.
But Downham residents have now enjoyed for a few years a fabulous third-world style mobile library, as Bridget Prentice MP had told them.
Picture: Lewisham resident Bridget Prentice MP tells it as it is
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