Vauxhall One's Christmas tree unveiled

Local business group Vauxhall One has arranged for a fantastic Christmas tree to cheer up the entrance to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens over the festive season.

Kate Hoey MP switched the lights on at a ceremony on Wednesday evening. She was joined by Richard Tice, Chair of Vauxhall One, and councillors Jackie Meldrum and Mark Harrison.

Support your local pubs this Christmas

The Ship on Kennington Road emailed us asking to help support them by publicising their Christmas offering.

We thought we would help the other pubs in the ward by getting their Christmas offerings as well!

Below are details of all the pubs in the ward and links to their websites/Christmas menus.

The Duchy Arms, 63 Sancroft Street SE11 5UG

The Grand Union, 111 Kennington Road SE11 6SF

The Prince of Wales, 48, Cleaver Square SE11 4EA

Tamesis Dock, Albert Embankment, SE1 7TP

The Black Dog, 112 Vauxhall Walk SE11 5ER

The Old Red Lion, 42, Kennington Park Road SE11 4RS
The Rose, 35, Albert Embankment SE1 7TL

The Ship, 171, Kennington Road SE11 6SF

The Tommyfield, 185 Kennington Lane SE11 4EZ

The Black Prince, 6 Black Prince Road SE11 6HS
020 7582 2818

Little Apple, 98 Kennington Lane SE11 4XD
020 7735 2039

The White Bear, 138 Kennington Park Road SE11 4DJ
020 7793 9193

The Windmill, 44 Lambeth High Street SE1 7JS
020 7820 1802

The Dog House, 293 Kennington Road SE11 6BY
020 7820 9310

Zeitgeist, 49-51 Black Prince Road SE11 6AB
020 7840 0426

Christmas tree for Vauxhall courtesy of Vauxhall One

Local business group Vauxhall One are sponsoring a 10 metre Christmas Tree to be sited outside the Royal Vauxhall Tavern at the entrance to the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The tree will be in place for the festive season with the lights being switched on by a very important local person.

Come and see who it is at 7:15pm on Wednesday 28 November and celebrate the start of Christmas with Vauxhall One.

This is just one of many improvements introduced by Vauxhall One - which include refurbished railway arches, hanging baskets, and patrolling street wardens.

Kennington won't be left out - the Tree of Hope continues to be lit up outside St Anselm's Church during the dark evenings. The Tree of Hope was set up in 2009 by the Kennington Association, with help from local councillors' 'Ward Purse' fund.

Photo from Freefoto.com

Christmas at Vauxhall City Farm

Vauxhall City Farm - the much-loved community farm that gives local people a chance to meet ponies, pigs, cows and sheep - is holding a special Christmas open day on Saturday 20 December.

Between 11:30am and 4:30pm the farm will host Christmas activities, stalls, refreshments and Santa's grotto. Come along to the farm's entrance on Tyers Street, next to Spring Gardens, to enjoy the fun!

Christmas comes to Lambeth- but Lib Dems try to ban it again!

It seems the Lib Dems haven't learned their lesson from 2005 - back when they made Lambeth an international laughing stock by attempting to rename Christmas lights as 'Winter lights'.

This year Labour have insisted on proper Christmas celebrations for residents across the borough. A German Christmas market has been set up on the South Bank, and on 3 December Father Christmas travelled from Waterloo to Streatham on a motorised Christmas sleigh, turning on Christmas lights in each town centre.

The events have been a huge success - but that hasn't stopped Lib Dem councillors kicking up a fuss. One councillor has been campaigning to shut down the market, whilst others tried to ban the Christmas sleigh! It seems the Lib Dems just refuse to enter into the festive spirit!

Roots & Shoots Christmas market

Make sure of a special Christmas tree this year, get yours from Lambeth charity Roots and Shoots. Gorgeous trees and all kinds of interesting and unusual presents will be on sale at this year’s Christmas Fair on Sunday 7 December.

Mulled apple juice, roasted chestnuts, mince pies and sizzling sausages will add to the festive spirit and among the gifts on offer will be elegant silver jewellery, floral printed fine fleece scarves, out of the ordinary crafts, outdoor plants to bring colour to a winter garden and the latest in Roots and Shoots’ successful Wild Garden card collection. As well as Christmas cakes and puddings, organic fruit and veg, jams and chutneys and traditional bread, this autumn’s pressing of Roots and Shoots’ famous own label apple juice will be available, plus exotic honeys and honey products.

And while the grown-ups shop, the children will be entertained with candle making and Children’s Christmas cinema. Carol singing, twinkling lights (powered, of course, by Roots and Shoots own photovoltaic panels) and the friendly welcoming atmosphere for which the charity’s open days are well-known, will add up to a really Christmassy day out.

ADMISSION: £1 for adults; free for children. Refreshments will be available. Roots and Shoots is accessible from Walnut Tree Walk or Fitzalan Street. Lambeth North is the nearest tube station.

It’s best to pre-order Christmas trees for collection at the Christmas Fair. To order please call 0207 587 1311 or email admin@rootsandshoots.org.uk.

For more information visit http://www.rootsandshoots.org.uk/