Thanks to all for a great meeting of the Crystal Palace Community Association at the Jackdaw in Coopers Yard on 23 November.
The meeting started with a vintage 50s short film, which gave us a glimpse of Crystal Palace’s Upper Level Station before its demolition, as well as some wonderfully eccentric characters and a dog with angel wings (don’t ask!).
The Annual General Meeting business saw Mark Green, Teresa Fritz and Len Blomstrand nominated as CPCA Chair, Treasurer and Secretary respectively for the coming year, and last year’s accounts approved.
Martin Tempia from the Crystal Palace Park Trust then gave us a detailed and very positive account of its activities and plans, following Bromley’s grant of a 125 lease on the park to the Trust. Whilst the regeneration of the park is being led by Bromley Council, Martin was confident that the Trust could facilitate progress – as well as making improvements in the day-to-day running of the park. He stressed the imagination and capacity to explore opportunities that an independent trust offers, together with access to experts and community goodwill , as compared with the constraints of local authority ownership.
We heard about specific forthcoming initiatives, including restoration of the Italian terraces and the dinosaurs, the impending opening of the subway underneath Crystal Palace Parade, and work to de-silt the drainage system that serves the Park’s lakes.