Whose teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

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juliantenniscoach
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Whose teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby juliantenniscoach » Fri Dec 04, 2020 1:01 pm

Hi there,

For months now the Bowling Green pavilion has been subjected to persistent graffiti including sexual imagery and foul language, litter mainly broken alcohol bottles and drug leftovers.  Furthermore, the pavilion has been broken into causing damage to the electrics, windows smashed and toilets vandalised.  Today two youths came out of the disabled/baby change facility leaving it stinking of dope and filthy having trodden on the toilet area and sink with mud.   This was at midday!

These are not "kids from the estate" or "the wrong side of town".  They are on the whole white teenage males with expensive (North Face invariably) clothing. It is clear from their accents and clothing, that they are local and unfortunately with an entitled, thoroughly selfish attitude.  Police have been informed by myself, Alex who runs the cafe and Lambeth Council but there is little interest despite the high cost of the damage.

So whose kids are they?  Interesting question but we have photos and can identify many of them.  Most of the damage has been in the early evening up to about 10pm.  The council have had to board over the entire front of the pavilion. It would be very helpful if they can be identified to change this behaviour.  They all leave the pavilion stinking of dope so there's a start.  If they are your children or you know them then can you please help with this? 

I don't think anyone is too bothered about the dope smoking, though midday when other kids and Playball groups are around isn't appropriate.  It's the rest of it that causes Alex problems and reduces the facilities available for the rest of the public, plus takes away essential funding from the Council.

Thanks for your help.

Julian
 
Last edited by juliantenniscoach on Fri Dec 04, 2020 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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chorister
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Re: Who's teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby chorister » Fri Dec 04, 2020 3:02 pm

I don't know who these kids are, but this is a really interesting question for those who oppose the Putt in the Park proposals (with which I have absolutely no connection).  This is what happens when facilities become derelict - so to those who oppose PitP, what do you propose realistically, given how little cash is available?
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juliantenniscoach
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Re: Who's teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby juliantenniscoach » Fri Dec 04, 2020 4:11 pm

This has been going on long before lockdown where the staff had little 'ownership' because of the contracting out.  We've had at least one break in per year with the associated graffiti and damage throughout the year.  The lockdown and furlough of staff only gave them free reign. 
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Mskizzy
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Re: Whose teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby Mskizzy » Sat Dec 05, 2020 10:46 am

Hello Julian,

I am confused what the difference between boys from the estate and white boys means? You tryna say there aren’t white kids at estates? Understand ur concerns with the bowling green weird way of identifying who it is. Can you post the pics of the children
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juliantenniscoach
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Re: Whose teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby juliantenniscoach » Sat Dec 05, 2020 4:00 pm

Mskizzy wrote: Sat Dec 05, 2020 10:46 amHello Julian,

I am confused what the difference between boys from the estate and white boys means? You tryna say there aren’t white kids at estates? Understand ur concerns with the bowling green weird way of identifying who it is. Can you post the pics of the children

Hi there,  I've not suggested that there are no white kids who live in public housing estates.  However I know that often kids from poorer backgrounds, whatever their race, are the soft target for such crimes.  This is clearly not the case here as I've tried to emphasise.  I'll speak to Police regarding the posting of photos.
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muddyboots
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Re: Whose teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby muddyboots » Sun Dec 06, 2020 10:36 pm

Hi Julien,
what a shame this is going on! I walked past the other day and wondered why it was boarded up, assumed because of the discussed sale/lease of the bowling green.

I’d name and shame if possible!
If you have pics are you allowed to show people and ask ? Not online but in person ?
Maybe ask local schools if they can identify ?

I know you have informed police but they rarely do a thing!

Hope it gets resolved soon. It’s a shame as after the first lock down the toilets were thoroughly cleaned and looked the best ever.
Not been since.
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this_is_cat
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Re: Whose teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby this_is_cat » Mon Dec 07, 2020 7:03 am

Chorister makes an extremely good point.

There was a very simple way to have stopped this antisocial behaviour and to not let the facility become the go-to place for bored teens to smoke and get drunk, and the local NIMBY squad protested against it.

Be careful what you wish for - by crying ‘what if’ about a licensed venue serving within clearly-defined hours being a potential cause of noise and drunken behaviour, you’ve created a derelict playground for bored kids to create actual noise and far far worse.

Just think, it could currently be an tidy and well-fenced facility with enough adult footfall until early evening to stop any teens wanting to congregate there.

Instead, the NIMBYs got what they wanted, and I hope are therefore happy to live with the consequences

And that’s before we got onto Julian’s abhorrent assumptions about the class and skin colour of the kids involved
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juliantenniscoach
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Re: Whose teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby juliantenniscoach » Mon Dec 07, 2020 8:27 am

this_is_cat wrote: Mon Dec 07, 2020 7:03 amChorister makes an extremely good point.

There was a very simple way to have stopped this antisocial behaviour and to not let the facility become the go-to place for bored teens to smoke and get drunk, and the local NIMBY squad protested against it.

Be careful what you wish for - by crying ‘what if’ about a licensed venue serving within clearly-defined hours being a potential cause of noise and drunken behaviour, you’ve created a derelict playground for bored kids to create actual noise and far far worse.

Just think, it could currently be an tidy and well-fenced facility with enough adult footfall until early evening to stop any teens wanting to congregate there.

Instead, the NIMBYs got what they wanted, and I hope are therefore happy to live with the consequences

And that’s before we got onto Julian’s abhorrent assumptions about the class and skin colour of the kids involved
I'm not sure you've read the post correctly.  It can't be an assumption if the culprits have been witnessed many times by myself and others, as recently as last Friday.  That's a fact.  Are you suggesting that white, middle class kids don't commit crime?  Perhaps you misread or misunderstood what I wrote?

As for your other points, where do you get the idea that there would have been a football pitch to replace the bowling greens?  It's my understanding that it would have been a pitch and putt development, similar to the one at Battersea Park with the addition of an alcohol licence.  Football is played on the common backing onto the tennis courts throughout the year as it is, using the light from the floodlights.
 
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chorister
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Re: Whose teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby chorister » Mon Dec 07, 2020 8:41 am

First of all Julian, you have misread this - it said 'footfall' not 'football' and I think the point remains.

this_is_cat:  I know Julian, though I'm anonymous here.  I simply don't believe he makes 'abhorrent assumptions about class and skin colour'.  We've already got enough trouble in the world without that kind of stuff being raised in every context.
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juliantenniscoach
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Re: Whose teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby juliantenniscoach » Mon Dec 07, 2020 8:43 am

chorister wrote: Mon Dec 07, 2020 8:41 amFirst of all Julian, you have misread this - it said 'footfall' not 'football' and I think the point remains.

this_is_cat:  I know Julian, though I'm anonymous here.  I simply don't believe he makes 'abhorrent assumptions about class and skin colour'.  We've already got enough trouble in the world without that kind of stuff being raised in every context.

Thanks for the correction.  Maybe I need some readers!
Last edited by juliantenniscoach on Mon Dec 07, 2020 8:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
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this_is_cat
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Re: Whose teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby this_is_cat » Mon Dec 07, 2020 8:49 am

Julian,

I think you mis-read my message
I said ‘footfall’ not ‘football’

Because nothing puts teens off convening for nefarious activities like a steady stream of adults walking past
Which is exactly what would have been achieved by a well-managed and legally-licensed premises.

But by whipping up fear with all the scaremongering and getting the planning application, this situation has been created.
It was blindingly obvious to most people who had seen the teens drinking all summer that this was the obvious path if the pavilion wasn’t brought back into proper use
But the NIMBYs ploughed on regardless and must now reap what they have sown
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juliantenniscoach
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Re: Whose teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby juliantenniscoach » Mon Dec 07, 2020 9:04 am

@this_is_cat  Correction noted.  However your timeline isn't accurate.  As previously posted this has been going on for years, but worsened over the last 2, for some reason.  There were staff on site but chose to stay in the booking office rather than take any interest in anything else.  It was certainly better when the staff where directly employed by Lambeth.  And again to re-iterate, once the staff were furloughed from Lockdown 1, the problem really took off.   Whoever had the lease would have had the same problem, as the facility would have been shut (and probably not ready to open).   Whether the 'pitch and putt' option is best for the common is probably best suited to a separate post perhaps?

 
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juliantenniscoach
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Re: Whose teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby juliantenniscoach » Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:37 pm

Unfortunately yes.  Two arson attacks to the disabled toilet have rendered it unusable as it requires total renovation.  The women's toilet was wreaked but is now open.  Last night there was an attempted break in to the pavilion.
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Re: Whose teenage kids are these? Persistent vandalism and drug use at the Bowling Green.

Postby AbbMum23 » Sun Sep 26, 2021 10:04 pm

If you’ve got photos. Take them to all of the local high schools and they will identify them and contact their parents.
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