Is that music the Gala festival already?

[Abe_froeman]

It's pretty antisocial to start it so loud during working hours FFS!

[Guest]

Be worse during sleeping hours!

[malumbu]

Went through the Rye today and they were playing music through the PA, with the sun shining it wasn't quite Glastonbury but felt like summer.  More like summer than the endless building work going on  around me.  I wont be going but  I think it is great that we can use our public space for mass entertainment. 

[first mate]

12 hours ago, True Brit said:

Be worse during sleeping hours!

I hope those closer to the Rye don't have too hard a time this weekend. I live much further away but could certainly hear it.

If you love the music then good for you but if you don't it must be pretty grim to have it pumping out for three days solid.

[Nigello]

You can hear it much farther away - the Dulwich end of Barry Rd (at least when I passed there around 5pm F). 

[Mystic Mog]

Only 3 days to go....!

[rch]

I live at the Lordship Lane end of Melbourne Grove South and I could hear it all day and until 10.30pm at night inside my house (it was louder outside in the road).

So, I got so fed up that I called the noise complaints line (020 7525 5777) at 9pm, whereupon a really helpful engineer called me back.

He was really interested in my noise experience as I’m approx 1.4 miles away and I’ve experienced this every year. So, he’s logged it and is going to request that the noise team travels along Melbourne as part of their monitoring rounds. He noted that my complaint was the only logged complaint, which was unusual… so I explained that the most people don’t bother to call because the system is dysfunctional.

Whereupon, he stressed that more logged complaints gave them the stats to address the problem now and in the future… so, he asked me if I could communicate to as many people as possible that they should call 020 7525 5777 when the noise can be monitored and confirmed.

He also asked if I could email Environmental Protection and Licensing as a back up, which I’ll do eventually.

[alice]

I live 100 yards away and couldn’t hear it. I need to go to Specsavers.

[cookie]

I don't think the background noise of music from 3 to 10:30 for 3 days a year is a huge deal in London.  I went to the festival yesterday and it was a beautiful event with thousands of happy well behaved people. I get building noise every single day in my garden, including being overlooked by builders, but I wouldn't suggest people stop improving their homes.

[first mate]

If it stays at only three days then we may have to grin and bear it (personally I am not overly bothered but it is a well known fact that unwanted noise is incredibly stressful.

As you may know, the council have granted a premises licence for next year for a 6 day event, which pretty much doubles the time that very large section of the park will be taken out of public use and be boarded off. If it goes through, I can guarantee it will just be the beginning and before long, as is happening in Brockwell Park, the Rye will simply become a summer events base for hire. I and many others do not want to see that happen.

Quite aside from the noise, events like this seriously affect the park ecosystem. The council cannot be trusted to be accurate and honest about those effects because they are desperate for money.

[Penguin68]

2 hours ago, alice said:

I live 100 yards away and couldn’t hear it. I need to go to Specsavers.

Two things in particular may impact sound transmission - the way the wind is blowing (and its force) and what stands between the source and you - trees, particularly in leaf, or evergreens, act as a surprisingly effective sound baffle, as of course do buildings. Its very possible for someone quite close to a sound source to be less impacted than someone quite far away depending on these issues. And some surfaces may in fact reflect sound towards you (trees in the main don't).

[wordsworth]

I'm loving it. 

[yeknomyeknom]

I can deal with the noise, as some others say, it gives off a summery vibe. But as a close resident, people peeing on the bushes, trees and walls is grim.  An increase in randoms scoping out local vehicles and side returns at night is common as well.

[cactus]

I walked through the Rye earlier, and the music didn't sound particularly loud, but once home and in my garden, which is further away, it seems a lot louder, Background noise for me, but I imagine it must horrible for those living closer.

I fundamentally disagree with having large scale ticketed events/festivals in our green spaces. I accept the downsides of choosing to live in London, for example the traffic, pollution, crowds etc, but I don't feel that events like Gala should become the norm in our city.  Precious parks should be looked after and enhanced for all, not trashed by adult only events which frankly raise derisory amounts of money considering the disruption to the local community. Smaller, family friendly days are the way to go. Our children and young people get a raw deal in this country (IMO) and having beautiful green spaces for play and recreation is priceless. I also feel very sorry for the young ones studying for GCSE's and A levels this weekend, if they happen to live along the park boundaries.

I suggest we lobby our councillors and local MP to try and ensure that there isn't an increase in these kind of events in subsequent years, although possibly too late.

[Clifton]

The comments above from Melbourne Grove and the Dulwich end of Barry Road show how loud this event has been.  Imagine what it’s like if your house is directly over the road from the stages (as ours is).  It’s good that people enjoy themselves, but the noise level and the vibrations mean that we are effectively obliged to go away (either for the 3 day period, or for much of each day).  Next year, the company will apply for a licence for two 3 day events rather than one - they did the same this year, but withdrew the second application.  If that is allowed, it will become the norm.  Please object and help us avoid yet more disruption to our summers.

[first mate]

In the Park yesterday, other bits of the park sectioned off with metal barriers making them inaccessible (also ugly).  An elderly lady using sticks was advised by someone with her to turn back; it was apparent she had wanted to visit the garden run by FOPR, but it was closed off. 
 

It seems clear the additional random barriers are there to protect areas of the park from vandalism while Gala is on, but it is yet another unwelcome aspect of this event that affects park users who just want to visit their local green space on a bank holiday weekend.

 

[Lynne]

I thought the group of lads who got off the 37 bus at the junction then proceeded to p.ss along the wall of the white painted flats added tone to the proceedings

[Spartacus]

1 hour ago, Lynne said:

I thought the group of lads who got off the 37 bus at the junction then proceeded to p.ss along the wall of the white painted flats added tone to the proceedings

I read that as "Pass" but obviously missed the silent "i" 😳

[malumbu]

In the midst of time I used to go to a hippy CND festival with a few tens of 1000s of others.  Cheapskates, new age travelers and then later on drug gangs used to jump the fence leading to larger crowds and a bit of aggro.  Every year locals used to complain and the local authority threatened to not give a new license.  Fast forward 30 years and it is probably the best festival in the world, with 200,000 punters, almost doubled in number by workers, about the 15th biggest settlement in the country for a few days.  It may have lost it's hippy roots but a massive success.

Criminality and anti social behaviour is down, traffic congestion is horrendous, and I expect a few people to upset the locals by peeing in the petunias.  Even festival goers will get peed off by drum and base from 10 to the early morning.  Like it or loath it the people in Shepton Mallet, and local villages have come to accept it.  Many will see the cultural value, economic boost to the area and some young and less young will be thrilled at the chance to get a free day ticket.

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by malumbu

[first mate]

..."Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof"

In response to Lynne: given there are facilities on site pissing up residential property is revolting, anti social and plain uncalled for.

As I have said, if this event is kept at 3 days a year I am sure we will cope but S'wark and Cllr Rose want more, much more.

[Spartacus]

Is today the last day as they seem to have started Friday ? 

[chrisclack2001]

In my opinion the event should be moved to the common. Gala are against this because the advertising for the event gives gives the impression of idilic surroundings which it is untill they put a metal wall around it. Once the wall is up it may as well be on the common from the perspective of those inside it.

[first mate]

Yes, noticed they describe the event as " nestling" in the beautiful Peckham Rye, conjuring visions of Arcadian delight, where revellers enjoy music while being at one with the natural world. 
 

Tomorrow the big clear up begins. 

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

9 hours ago, malumbu said:

Many will see the cultural value, economic boost to the area

Tell me more about the economic boost this festival provides to Peckham vs. the loss of amenity, the environmental damage, the cleanup costs, the noise pollution, and the piss...

[Nigello]

A bloke in the Tesco local was mugged (by two males) at the cash point there on Saturday afternoon, according to two staff members. Maybe the festival enticed chancer crims, maybe not…