Peckham Rye - creating a space for playing cricket

[Lee Scoresby]

With the advent of sunshine and dry ground comes a situation on the Rye which I recall from last year, and has probably occurred for some years now.

With that sure application of Euclidian geometry to the very human wish to avoid time and effort, a path has developed from the lower corner once known as Kings on the Rye, cutting over and up the hill to the park's edge at Solomons Passage.

The problem is that chaps, clearly Pakistanis or Afghans, regularly take over this axial space as an ideal ground on which to play cricket. The path is 'unofficial' but the latest (rather whimsical) round of mowing on the Rye has cut a width of short grass along either side of the path - which only increases it attraction for cricket.

Now, before people start bleating wildly that I'm being racist, just let me say: I'm really happy they're playing in this green public London space, it's all good. But it's just not really convenient or right that the path is blocked in this way. One can walk round the game, but flying cricket balls are fairly lethal, not least if one isn't watching the batsman.

What I'm suggesting is that perennially dozy behind-the-curve Southwark parks management welcomes this community onto the Rye by creating one or two proper cricket pitches somewhere appropriate. It's a big space. Will be good to hear from the councillors on this.

Lee Scoresby

[ultraburner]

It was great watching the Aussie rules today:)

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Lee,

I'll make some enquiries,

Renata

[SteveUK1978]

Sorry to digress almost immediately from the topic of the post - but I did see the Aussie Rules as well. Is there is a local team?

[Bonfire2010]

SteveUK1978 - local team is the South East London Giants. See website for more info: http://www.afllondon.com

[katesonic]

While we're on the subject of encouraging sport, can we have the Lido north of Nunhead lane/ East Dulwich Road reinstated for those of us who hate the noise and heat of swimming in enclosed spaces and perhaps want to be fashionable and train for a triathalon while showing off how hardy our kids are, especially when they're capable of attacking the local dogs in the park totally unprovoked (sic)? What is just 'not cricket' is the insidious concreting over of the common between top of Rye Lane and East Dulwich Road. Would love to see boules played on the bit of land outside the Nags Head not because thats what the Trotters would do but just it seems like a good bit of land do it. But hey do any of you know where the Nags Head is or have tasted the best Sunday roasts in South London in The White Horse? No. You're all too busy being distracted by an expensive consultation on park improvements. Yah! How cool is that? Well I'll tell you how cool from my experience - it's a dodge. The council have lobbyists chucking money to greenback every available green space. The spaces that have made the area cool are direct results of local campaigners foiling 'politicians'. So I wish you well in finding space for cricket. I would welcome it. Ruskin Park has always been my favourite space for batting...

[ultraburner]

I see.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Katesonic, I agree a lido would be lovely in hot weather, but unfortunately the cost would be prohibitive.

Renata

[Huggers]

Brixton Lido has become profitable and fashionable, as has London Fields. would be fab!

[PeckhamRose]

Yeah, see that? Profitable.

As for cricket, too dangerous, health and safety yadayada, would need to be fenced / netted in to prevent stray cricket balls killing people dogs and so on.

Now, about a second and maybe third table tennis table??? Mind you, those table tennis balls can do damage when I whack 'em.

[Sue]

katesonic Wrote:

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But hey do any of you know where the Nags

> Head is or have tasted the best Sunday roasts in

> South London in The White Horse?

xxxxxxx

"Best Sunday roasts in South London in The White Horse"?

Eh?

They're certainly cheaper than most others round here, so you could make a case that they were "best value Sunday roasts", maybe, but "best"?

Not the Sunday I was there :(

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Cricket has been played on the Rye since at least 1748. No recorded incidences of death and mayhem that I can find.

[Bussey xi]

Hello All

I am speaking on behalf of a club based in Peckham called the Bussey XI. We were formed due to playing alley way cricket next to the old cricket bat factory called the Bussey Building and have been playing since 2010.

We are in the process of bringing back cricket to Peckham Rye. We had the first game on the rye last year and caused no incidents. Cricket is played in some of the most popular parks in London (Victoria, London Fields, Regents Park etc etc)

And as stated above has a long history of being played on the common.

We are planning to re build a wicket, and nets, as such keeping people off the paths and as such playing the game in a controlled and safe manner.

If any one is interested in helping return cricket to the rye please contact us at [email protected].

[nxjen]

Speaking as someone who is not into sport at all, I think this is an excellent idea. Good luck!

[Help-Ma-Boab]

Good luck with that bussey XI, sounds like a great project. Im a non cricketer but overlook the common and often watch the ad-hoc games of cricket that go on on a Sunday early evening. Those guys Im sure use a tennis ball, not a propper cricket ball which could cause serious damage if it went astray.

[legalalien]

In case you're unaware, an AstroTurf wicket and new nets were installed at Brockwell Park last year. Might be worth touching base with friends of brockwell park / Lambeth who presumably dealt with similar health and safety issues?

[Lee Scoresby]

Far be it from me to suggest that sports fans have trouble keeping to a subject . . .

To echo the welcome for a return of cricket to the Rye - in an appropriate setting. As I said to Bussey in a PM, this development needs to ensure an invitation is extended to the gentlemen who commandeer this pathway.

And Ms Hamvas, the authorities need to reassert the integrity of this path, official or not - it is heavily used. Last summer I saw a vanload of coppers physically restraining a bloke who was stubbornly refusing to stop driving golf balls on the Rye. I'm certainly NOT calling for heavyhandedness, just pointing out that a bottom line for safe, considerate behaviour CAN be asserted when the authorities do chose to move.

For those sanguine about about the velocity of tennis balls, an experiment: have someone whack one at YOUR face, eh? People walking on a pathway should not have to accept such a risk.

Ms Hamvas, I'm sure others concur with my gratitude for your prompt attention to our EDF posts, but your reference to 'prohibitive costs' regarding a lido, though correct in 2014, masks a long, inglorious history of mismanagement and waste by Southwark. Why was the original lido demolished? The planning shambles that is downtown Peckham is a gigantic reproach to 'our' local authority, even by comparison with other south London LAs.

Lee Scoresby

[Help-Ma-Boab]

Oh come on Lee, whack you in the face. Are you sniffing the bat or something? I am an ex squash player and this smarts..but it's set up, I wouldn't walk across and say chaps, gonnae smack me in the face..

Lee Scoresby Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Far be it from me to suggest that sports fans have

> trouble keeping to a subject . . .

>

> To echo the welcome for a return of cricket to the

> Rye - in an appropriate setting. As I said to

> Bussey in a PM, this development needs to ensure

> an invitation is extended to the gentlemen who

> commandeer this pathway.

>

> And Ms Hamvas, the authorities need to reassert

> the integrity of this path, official or not - it

> is heavily used. Last summer I saw a vanload of

> coppers physically restraining a bloke who was

> stubbornly refusing to stop driving golf balls on

> the Rye. I'm certainly NOT calling for

> heavyhandedness, just pointing out that a bottom

> line for safe, considerate behaviour CAN be

> asserted when the authorities do chose to move.

>

> For those sanguine about about the velocity of

> tennis balls, an experiment: have someone whack

> one at YOUR face, eh? People walking on a pathway

> should not have to accept such a risk.

>

> Ms Hamvas, I'm sure others concur with my

> gratitude for your prompt attention to our EDF

> posts, but your reference to 'prohibitive costs'

> regarding a lido, though correct in 2014, masks a

> long, inglorious history of mismanagement and

> waste by Southwark. Why was the original lido

> demolished? The planning shambles that is downtown

> Peckham is a gigantic reproach to 'our' local

> authority, even by comparison with other south

> London LAs.

>

> Lee Scoresby

[Lee Scoresby]

HMBoab, I repeat, people have to be able to walk freely in a public space, more especially on a well-used path, without even having to think about flying projectiles (including bikes BTW), keeping an eye on someone hitting balls, wondering if the balls ARE hard or soft, etc etc.

Because this IS a path NOT a cricket ground, so the analogy with a squash court falls down.

En passant, I have seen squashistas with lattice-welted kissers. Is this you, HMB? (smiley face).

Space for all and everything, if everyone is reasonable: the Rye as small boo-tiful universe, if you will.

Lee S

[sean dillion]

Come Come people am sure the rye park is big enough to keep all parties happy? what is needed is calm heads and wise people to talk and come up with a plan to suit all.

[PeckhamRose]

I have to agree with Lee Scorsby on this. More and more it is difficult at weekends to walk across the common as there are so many official and unofficial football games. Fine, football is not so bad and as pitches are large the inconvenience is negated by the fact it is not dangerous. But a whacked cricket ball is very hard and just because no such incidents have been recorded since 1745 does not mean it could not happen. Golf balls similarly are dangerous. A very good friend of mine was walking down a road near a golf course, a golf ball struck him on the side of the head and now he is a vegetable in a hospital. As we walk through the common we should not have to follow the line of any cricket balls being played just to stay safe. Cricket shd be played in a netted area and the Bussey VI have a safe area side of the building. A public heavily used common is not the place.