Firefighters rescued ten people from blaze on block’s first and second floors in Upper Norwood News | London Ten people were rescued from a major fire at a block of flats in south London early on Wednesday morning Around 60 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze at a block on Church Street in Upper Norwood at around 3.30am They rescued ten people from the first and second floors using ladders, while the Met Police also helped to escort another six people from the lower ground floor Six of those rescued were rushed to hospital by paramedics The Brigade said both it and the Metropolitan Police were investigating the fire with 999 control operators delivering fire survival guidance to those in the building before they were rescued Norbury and surrounding fire stations to the scene with the fire deemed under control by 5.10am Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin Rihanna shows off baby bump at star-studded Met Gala 2025 as singer's third pregnancy with A$AP Rocky announced Rihanna debuts baby bump on star-studded Met Gala blue carpet Stacey Solomon 'regrets doing reality show with Joe Swash' for tough reason Stacey Solomon 'regrets reality show with Joe Swash' for tough reason Firefighters rescued a man from a fire at a ground-floor flat in West Norwood London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called to Gipsy Road at 9.16pm on Saturday Four fire engines and 25 firefighters fought the blaze for about an hour and rescued a man who was taken to hospital Control officers mobilised crews from Norbury The cause of the fire is under investigation An LFB spokesperson said: “Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled a fire on Gipsy Road in West Norwood.  “Part of a three roomed flat on the ground floor was damaged by the fire One man was rescued from the building by firefighters and taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service.  “Control Officers took the first of three calls at 2116 and mobilised crews from Norbury Brixton and Tooting fire stations to the scene The incident was over for firefighters at 2217 “The cause of the fire is under investigation.” We'll never send you spam or share your email address Find out more in our Privacy Policy Please enter your username or email address to reset your password Six people rescued from a fire in a block of flats in Upper Norwood were taken to hospital after half of its first floor was badly damaged Eight fire engines and about 60 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze in Church Road in the early hours of this morning The six people were escorted from the lower ground floor of the building by Met police officers and firefighters rescued 10 people from the first and second floors using two ladders we found multiple people who required rescue from the first and second floors of the building Working incredibly hard in challenging conditions firefighters used ladders to bring 10 people to safety crews worked closely with the brigade’s control officers lifesaving fire survival guidance to those still inside the building awaiting rescue “It is a testament to the hard work of crews and control officers that there was no loss of life or serious injury at this incident.” One of the brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders was used at the scene as an observation tower to help fight the fire from above Control officers took the first of six calls shortly after 3.30am and delivered fire survival guidance to people who were in the building before they were rescued Firefighters had the fire under control by around 5.15am The cause of the fire is under investigation by the brigade and the Met Pictured top: Crews in action in Church Road this morning (Picture: LFB) Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Nick Abbot is Leading Britain's Conversation The London Fire Brigade said around 60 firefighters tackled the fire which erupted in a first floor flat in Upper Norwood on Wednesday morning Seven people were rescued using ladders and had been treated at the scene by the London Ambulance Service A statement read: “Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters have been tackling a fire at a block of flats on Church Road in Upper Norwood Seven people were rescued from the building by firefighters using ladders and were treated on scene by London Ambulance Service.” The LFB said a 32-metre turntable ladder was used to fight the fire Norbury and surrounding fire stations were among the eight engines to attend the scene It comes after four people were arrested after a fire at a ski resort hotel in Turkey left at least 76 people dead Ali Yerlikaya told reporters 'our pain is great' as he described the toll of the devastating fire at the Kartalkaya resort around 170 kilometres (100 miles) northwest of the capital Ankara He said at least 51 other people had been injured from the fire Four people have since been arrested by Turkish authorities The fire broke out at around 3.30am on Tuesday in the restaurant of the 12-storey Grand Kartal hotel in the resort of Kartalkaya in Bolu province See more More Latest News See more Latest News See more The News Explained See more Royals See more Highlights & Opinion See more More Topics Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayohits radiolondonnewsSeven rescued from flat fire in south LondonAbout 60 firefighters were tackling the blaze in the early hours of Wednesday Firefighters rescued seven people from a fire on the first floor of a block of flats in south London The London Fire Brigade said around 60 firefighters tackled the fire They said the seven people were rescued using ladders and had been treated at the scene by the London Ambulance Service They said a 32-metre turntable ladder was used to fight the fire First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app. Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) Students at Harris Academy’s joint Beulah Hill and South Norwood sixth form are celebrating a fantastic set of A-level results Performances were very strong across the board at the school with more than 50 per cent of grades at A* to B and particular successes in subjects such as A-level history results in vocational subjects were exceptional with 85 per cent of results at A*/A equivalent in vocational tech awards A number of students achieved amazing outcomes including Dylan and is pursuing creative writing at the University of Warwick Dylan said: “I am really excited to be starting university on the course I wanted and is off to study interior design at Middlesex University said: “The staff are so supportive when you ask for help “It’s a mark of strength that the school works hard to support all students to achieve their best.” Principals Billy Goldsmith and Rob Hitch issued a joint statement of appreciation of the students’ efforts It said: “Students worked extremely hard to prepare for the summer exams combined with brilliant support from our excellent subject specialists is reflected in the stellar results we are celebrating today “We would like to thank families for their support and wish all students future success at the university or on the apprenticeship of their choice We wish students success at the next stage of their education.” Pictured top: Dylan and Keira enjoying the moment after getting the good news (Picture: Harris Academy Beulah Hill/South Norwood) Detectives have named 25-year-old Ramane Wiggan as the man killed after being shot in West Norwood earlier this week 27 March by London Ambulance Service to reports of a man in a critical condition in Friar Mews Police said that although ‘formal identification will take place on Monday the family are content for the deceased to be named’ A post mortem examination was conducted at Greenwich Mortuary on Friday 28 March and found the provisional cause of death to be a gunshot wound The Homicide and Major Crime Command lead the investigation Police said that enquiries into CCTV and witness accounts are ongoing but  they are still keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the shooting or has information Any witnesses and those with information should call the Homicide and Major Crime Command Incident Room on 020 8721 4868 Tweet @MetCC or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 Two 27-year-old men were arrested on suspicion of murder but both have been released on police bail to a date in late April pending further enquiries A councillor is calling for action from Croydon council to make use of a block of flats which has stood empty since last summer Eight families living at South Bank in Grange Road were moved into temporary accommodation by the council after a fire broke out in the building in June 2024 The block was then boarded up by the council and has remained uninhabited since Liberal Democrat councillor for Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood residents and people living nearby deserve answers from the council and assurances that plans are in place to get people back into their homes “Croydon council spends millions of pounds each month on housing families in temporary accommodation so it’s imperative that empty council properties are brought back into use as quickly as possible” Cllr Bonham said she had sent two official enquiries to the council about the future of the block since December 2024 There are almost 8,000 households waiting for social housing in Croydon with just 800 lettings available each year Cllr Bonham said: “We are in the midst of a housing crisis and I am concerned at the lack of action from Croydon council in getting this block of flats back into use.” A Croydon council spokeswoman said “the majority” of South Bank residents had been permanently rehoused She said: “We are working with the remaining families “Significant works are needed following the fire The safety of our residents is our main priority “We are working hard to meet the demand for affordable housing in the borough we have recently purchased Zodiac House which will provide 73 new homes.” Pictured top: Cllr Claire Bonham stands in front of the empty South Bank block in Grange Road (Picture: Cllr Claire Bonham) News | Crime Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice A labourer has been found guilty of killing a “vulnerable” young man whose dismembered body parts were dumped in bin bags in a park Dajour Jones, 27, subjected 20-year-old Jamie Gilbey to a “sustained and vicious” attack before cutting up the body and distributing the remains in undergrowth at South Norwood Lake and Grounds in south London Jones claimed he had hit the victim with a broom in self-defence after Mr Gilbey confronted him with a knife and stole his phone A jury deliberated for more than six hours at the Old Bailey to reject his explanation and find him guilty of murder on Thursday Suspected Russian spy claimed to be working for Interpol Met Police officer destroyed bathroom door with wife and baby locked inside Drug smugglers jailed after £200m of cocaine found in banana boxes Consultant felt rogue surgeon’s mastectomies were ‘not adequate’ Mr Gilbey’s mother and aunt appeared tearful in court, but Jones had refused to attend court by video link from Belmarsh jail Jurors had been told it was a “deeply disturbing” case in which the victim was a “defenceless” man Mr Gilbey was last seen alive going into Jones’s room at a hostel where they both lived in Upper Norwood on the evening of January 27 2022 Prosecutor Simon Dennison KC said: “Jamie Gilbey was never seen alive again “The defendant murdered him there in a brutal and particularly disturbing attack in which he inflicted multiple blunt force injuries to Jamie’s head and he stabbed him multiple times with a sharp weapon.” The victim sustained stab wounds to the soles of his feet after he had been killed the defendant inflicted the severe head injuries when Jamie was alive; he inflicted stab wounds when he was alive and he inflicted stab wounds when Jamie was dead and not wearing his clothing “I said at the start that there were aspects of this case that were particularly disturbing Only the defendant knows exactly what he did Jones acquired a large purple suitcase that he took back to his room Jones kept the body parts in a crate and disposed of them in two trips to Cantley Gardens with the suitcase Jones deposited the suitcase containing clothing and heavily blood stained bedding at Love Lane Green Jones also carried out a “remarkably thorough” clean-up operation in his room and seemed “extra ordinarily relaxed and cheerful” five days before Mr Gilbey’s body was found by police in undergrowth Mr Dennison said Mr Gilbey was an “innocent victim of a highly dangerous man” and had been “too trusting” and “too eager to please” physically unimposing 20-year-old man who above all wanted to have friends” Mr Dennison dismissed the defendant’s claim of self-defence saying Mr Gilbey was “incapable of presenting any physical threat to the defendant let alone taking out a knife and threatening to stab him with it” Mr Gilbey had been on bail for an attempted robbery but otherwise had no convictions Jones denied he dismembered Mr Gilbey’s body claiming he took it away from the hostel in one trip and handed it to three people to dispose of He also denied stabbing the victim’s feet after he was already dead blaming the people who handled the body for the injuries Jones had a history of violence and had admitted a glass attack on a member of staff at a cycling shop in London Bridge He had been released from prison on licence before the murder Judge Nigel Lickley KC adjourned sentencing until December 13 In 2019, twins Liv and Daisy launched Salad Days Market transforming a modest library space in Upper Norwood into a lively hub of local creativity and community.  “We saw a poster in our local library which advertised the room above the library for sale It felt like a sign that we should use it to host something cool in our local community,” Liv told Eastlondonlines was packed with friendly faces and eager shoppers filling the space with an energy they described as “magic” the twins have built Salad Days Market into a celebrated platform for local artisans attracting over 60 events at London venues The name “Salad Days” was inspired by a vintage theatre booklet Liv discovered during a difficult period It reminded them of a carefree phase when things seemed simpler but full of potential a feeling they wanted to encapsulate in their events.  But behind the vibrant atmosphere of markets like Salad Days lies a growing issue: the threat of design theft by fast fashion giants like Shein and Temu who are accused of replicating unique designs from small businesses and selling them at a fraction of the price For artisans who pour their time and creativity into their work the risk of seeing their designs stolen can be devastating leaving creators without credit or compensation “It’s been an issue the whole time we’ve been running the business “As more brand owners become aware this can happen and the threat looms large for those who haven’t experienced it especially in an increasingly digital retail space “I think it undermines the talent, hard work and dedication that goes into making the designs, especially because they sell it so cheap. It costs a lot to send things out and people can just get lesser quality products for a pound,” Harry from Created by Harry told Eastlondonlines “[The time it takes to make designs] can range from about five minutes And these big companies can just screenshot it Designers like Claire Paul of Claire Paul Illustrations are scared of what could happen if their designs got stolen “I’ve not had my design stolen as far as I’m aware but I know of people that have “It also seems like there’s not much that anyone can do about it once they’re stolen It’s such a huge legal process to try and stop these huge companies.” Liv and Daisy advise vendors to watermark their designs online to protect them from theft but they acknowledge the limitations of these measures the best defence lies in cultivating strong local communities like those at Salad Days Market where personal connections help build loyalty and trust the threat of having designs stolen online makes selling at real-life events more appealing,” said Daisy “It’s much less likely that a big brand like Shein will steal designs from a small local event like ours.” Salad Days Market celebrates independent creativity and sustainable practices the market provides an antidote to the disposable culture of fast fashion “Spending with makers who are local to you directly feeds money back into your local economy and community,” said Daisy “It helps create more opportunities and a thriving neighbourhood local makers and designers are key to fostering connection and community.” This mission is woven into every aspect of the market Liv and Daisy aim to show shoppers that buying local isn’t just a duty “We like to tell people why it’s more exciting and wonderful to shop small,” said Liv The journey to create Salad Days Market wasn’t easy Liv and Daisy started with no event-planning experience leaning on their passion for community and their vendors’ feedback to craft an experience that stands out They even weathered the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic by pivoting to online markets helping their vendors stay afloat during lockdowns but its founders remain committed to their original vision: maintaining a community-focused spirit over unchecked growth “Our events are more than just markets,” they emphasised “They’re a space for people to gather Evening Standard analysis of key seats in London for the July 4 General Election News | Politics Millions of voters across London went to the polls on July 4 to elect the new Government The Standard looked at key battleground seats in the capital and published an interactive map of the results Top five candidates (in alphabetical order): Area: This constituency has the five Lambeth wards of Coldharbour, Gipsy Hill, Herne Hill, Knight’s Hill, and Thurlow Park, as well as three from Southwark including Champion Hill, Dulwich Village, and Dulwich Wood. I’m not sure if I’m in this constituency: Here’s how you can check Upper Norwood Library has always had a quirky nature it has always had the feeling of a distinct community in itself which is perhaps why the transfer to a community-run building has proved so successful and felt so natural the Upper Norwood Library Trust took over management of the building from Lambeth Council (although the library service is still joint funded by both Lambeth and Croydon Councils) It was an innovative move and one that has proved successful with visitor numbers and book lending both increased Lambeth Cabinet Member for Equalities & Culture said: “With Lambeth’s funding from central government cut by around 56% from 2010 every area of council work has seen budget cuts Our library budget was no different and we had to find imaginative solutions An Asset Transfer of the building saves the council spending money on running costs and the library is supported by the fantastic Trust staff alongside a full time Lambeth librarian.” The Trust is both rooted in the local community and passionate about protecting and improving the library Years of hard work in preparation for the Asset Transfer led to the handover being successfully completed and new programmes of activity still takes up the vast majority of the building It still provides a comprehensive stock of books that is regularly updated a reading group and the ever-popular Wriggle & Rhyme session for under-5s And it still attracts the diverse mix of regulars said: “It’s important that the library is still the main focus of the building people feel safe coming here and we still see the same faces as before the community I think feels an even greater sense of ownership now.” Lambeth Council paid for a comprehensive refurbishment of the building to ensure the Trust wouldn’t be met with any unforeseen costs and to make the building fit for an exciting future not only because it made the space feel new and enables us to hire out space easier and generate income but also because it showed faith in the building and the Trust and the good vibes that come with that.” and to make the project financially sustainable the Trust have massively expanded the building’s offer There is a studio room downstairs available for hire that is being used for activities such as mindfulness There is also another space in the basement that has just got a long-term tenant in place ideal for large artistic activities such as life drawing The front library space comes alive in the evening and can be used for dancing classes As well as the physical spaces that can be hired out to generate income the Trust run a whole range of events and services for the local community including ConnectingU free home-visit advice sessions for vulnerable people and energy advice sessions There are also educational and skills based activities for young and old such as English for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) classes a free homework club on Wednesdays and Thursdays “Obviously there is business potential but it’s also important to keep it linked to the core values of the Trust and the library.” Margaret said with and for the local community and alongside the library staff We are constantly fund raising and looking for sponsorship.” A match-funding grant was recently awarded by the Mayor of London for a ‘Library of Things’ in the Hub A space at the front of the building has already been set aside to allow people to come and pick up all manner of things from power tools to musical instruments A bike hire scheme is also being established with the support of Cycle Confident and Lambeth Council’s cycle training team Another attractive feature of the new Hub is Norville’s coffee shop open right at the front of the ground floor the coffee shop began life as a pop-up offer after Pett taught herself how to make great coffee “I’ve always loved coffee and I’ve always loved talking to people – community really is at the heart of what I want to do,” explained Pett “I used to be a social worker/probation officer It was after a trip to Jamaica where I was introduced to Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee – that was my first experience of drinking real coffee My coffee drinking habit changed from then It’s gone down well and my customers seem happy – good customer service is key “Well we want more and more activities and groups here hiring out the space and bringing new things for the local community,” Margaret said “There is still more we can do and we need a lot of support to do this To achieve the stability and sustainability we want for the library hub and for our community contributions from corporates and sponsorships All of this will help us invest in things our local community want to keep the library running and to boost our local economy.” With support from organisations Power to Change, Society for Chief Librarians and Locality as well as the government’s Libraries Taskforce the Trust have established a National Network for community managed libraries and are keen to spread best practice across the UK There are a number of exciting learning events taking place plus the first national conference for Community Managed Libraries which will be held in Sheffield in March 2018 The Trust are also on the look-out for new members Upper Norwood Library Hub is certainly a pioneer in its field and could prove to be a solution to public funding cuts that are affecting every local authority in the country To join the Trust visit our blog page, you will also find links to the learning events on their blog page including links to how to book for an event: https://communitylibrariesnetwork.wordpress.com/ or email communitylibs@unlt.org To contact Emily or Margaret email them at info@unlt.org Get email updates about things happening in Lambeth Explore our topics and pick the ones that matter to you updates and opportunities and stay updated on what's happening in Lambeth with its unreconstructed caffs and kebab spots Not every square metre of London is swarming with oligarchs hepcat hipsters and buy-to-let investors from Hong Kong Wedged between Croydon and Upper Norwood (so posh it likes to call itself Crystal Palace these days) is a huge That’s not to say there aren’t sublime spots: the Norwood Lakes The unrelenting strips of pebbledash could get claustrophobic were it not for the geography the landscape folding this way and that in the foothills of the alps of Crystal Palace There are some rather gloomy patches and some of the housing can be a bit drab (lots of pebbledash; and I like pebbledash) Trains: seven or eight an hour from Norwood Junction to London Bridge or London Victoria (17-34 mins) Overground: every 15 mins to Canada Water (23 mins) and Shoreditch (33 mins); or to West Croydon (five minutes) Hang out at… The cafe at the fabulous Edwardian Stanley Halls Also look west via Whitehorse Lane towards Grangewood Park; and the Victorian terraces and semis around Alber Road Bargain of the week Two-bedroom terrace house; needs updating. £315,000 with northwoods.co.uk Jon Pelluet “Monthly film club at the renovated Stanley Halls A fantastic spot which is building great momentum – we love SE25.” Libby Hamilton “Mantanah: the best Thai restaurant I’ve been to in London Do you live in South Norwood and Thornton Heath Do you live in Lynton and Lynmouth, Devon? Do you have a favourite haunt or pet hate? If so, email lets.move@theguardian.com by Tuesday 17 May How had it come to this? It was only two or three years ago that I pieced together what Zola enthusiasts have known all along: that he was on the run. interviewing low-lifes and writing their answers in a black leather notebook – had actually spent months in the UK And there was one word that explained everything: Dreyfus Captain Alfred Dreyfus was an army officer who had been found guilty of espionage on the basis of one document – in French the bordereau – which supposedly proved that he had leaked information about a gun to the Prussians He was sentenced to imprisonment on Devil’s Island One view of this was that of course Dreyfus was guilty: he was Jewish Another was that Dreyfus was innocent because the bordereau was not written in Dreyfus’s handwriting but in the handwriting of someone else Alfred Dreyfus (far left) on his release from prison Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesBy this time the affair was dividing France down the middle: on one side a monarchist There were probably several reasons why Zola got involved but the reason Dreyfus’s supporters approached him was that Zola had written a ground-breaking article “Pour les juifs” (“On behalf of the Jews”) This was an article written against the folly of antisemitism at the height of nation-wide hysteria against Jews What’s more it was in a sense written against his former self the author of L’Argent (Money) a novel which had reproduced many antisemitic stereotypes Zola’s intervention on the pro-Dreyfus side was sensational He and the editor of the newspaper L’Aurore wrote a long article which was headlined “J’Accuse …!” – in truth an open letter to the president of France which accused the army top brass of conspiracy and trial-fixing Zola’s libel was made in the full knowledge that it would be likely to bring down the power of the state on his head all the most recent discoveries proving Dreyfus’s innocence would be heard in court It was not to be so: the state restricted the evidence to nothing more than Zola’s words par ordre (“by order of”) – an order that Esterhazy was found innocent only because the court martial had ordered it Zola was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment and a fine of 3000 francs he had fled and by Christmas had been in England for five months The Queen’s Hotel in Upper Norwood Photograph: Émile Zola/© Association du Musée Émile ZolaExile had made Zola’s web of relationships even more complicated Zola had two wives: Alexandrine and Jeanne had been together for 28 years but had no children Zola and Jeanne Rozerot had been together for 10 years She was 27 years younger than Zola and they had two children In the sudden and dramatic turn of events that had led to Zola living in the Queen’s Hotel he would find himself one moment frantically scanning the papers for news of the Dreyfus case the next trying to get on with what he hoped would be the first of a new kind of novel one that offered solutions to the plight of France Jeanne with Jacques and Denise at Summerfield Photograph: Émile Zola/© Association du Musée Émile ZolaMore than anything else Zola would have liked to have been with his children and their mother for Christmas and especially so on this particular occasion had bought toys for the children’s Christmas presents in France before coming out to join him on 22 December A sprig of mistletoe in the room – nothing else – marked the season The family moved to Aix-en-Provence where Zola père designed the town’s water supply and they would have prospered had he not died when Zola was seven the boy and his mother later moved back to Paris and lived in poverty until Zola’s writing earned a fortune; his breakthrough novel was L’Assommoir – sometimes loosely translated as The Gin Palace Zola’s worldwide fame rested on the “Rougon-Macquart” cycle of novels set in the era preceding the time in which they were written a new method of writing which aimed to go beyond realism to a point where no state of the human condition was too sordid for consideration According to the methodology of naturalism such scenes and dramas had to be based on scientific observation and documentation and presented without a moralising commentary Whether it was due to the upheaval of the Dreyfus affair or that the life cycle of naturalism had run its course Zola in England was writing something very different The proofs of the first chapters of Fécondité (Fruitfulness) a story which proposed a solution to France’s declining birth rate were now sitting on one of the five tables cluttering the hotel room Zola’s first step on arrival in England had been to take a room in the Grosvenor Hotel round the corner from Victoria Station and with the help of his old friend the artist Fernand Desmoulin and his English translator Ernest Vizetelly he started to get his bearings and clarify the legal situation regarding extradition Vizetelly and his lawyer friend Frederick Wareham argued that Zola needed to get out of the centre of London where he was easily recognised Partly as a result of Vizetelly spreading misinformation all over the world produced “evidence” that Zola was in Norway visiting a novelist friend Zola meanwhile was having trouble enough buying himself a pair of socks and some underpants but in the end got taken to the Oatlands Park Hotel in Weybridge Desmoulin had brought over some of Zola’s cameras and he was off out along the Thames pursuing what had become his one great hobby Zola is one of the first great amateur photographers posed portraits and thousands of pictures of buildings and landscapes Alexandrine Zola Photograph: Émile Zola/© Association du Musée Émile ZolaHe also needed the great stack of papers and books that would provide the documentary material for Fécondité as he wanted to reveal in detail how contraception wet nursing and false foundling hospitals were ruining France This would be contrasted with an alternative view of a fecund breast-feeding woman raising many children while she and her husband grew in prosperity and travelled to Africa to teach the natives the wisdom of this way of life Though Christmas 1898 was on the bleak side Jeanne and the children had spent an idyllic summer in a house called Penn in Walton-on-Thames these weeks would turn out to be the only time that they would live together Zola wrote adoring letters to Jeanne and the children encouragement and jesting is a rare insight into a man of this era “talking” to his children Emile Zola at work on Fécondité Photograph: VR Vizetelly/© Association du Musée Émile ZolaAs for his state of mind propping up an injustice with a state conspiracy and unleashing the forces of racism against a minority The Dreyfus affair was proving to be a testing ground for the socialists Antisemitism was winning recruits: the antisemitic papers said that Jews were a “syndicate” who had brought France to its knees through the Panama crisis so some socialists asked why the fate of a rich Jewish army officer should be of any concern to them It was largely through Zola’s articles making a strong impression on the socialists’ leader that one of the few visitors whom Zola met while he was in England was Jaurès For reasons that are not quite clear, Zola didn’t meet up with any of his English literary admirers other than the Irish novelist George Moore Bernard Shaw and Henry James were both keen on Zola’s work Thomas Hardy – whose attitude to Zola was at best contradictory at worst hypocritical – doesn’t appear to have made any effort to track him down either I discovered that even as Zola was sitting in the Queen’s Hotel Madame Tussauds was displaying a waxwork of him the Fabians were holding meetings on him and the Social Democratic Federation was discussing the ideological content of his novels Only when it was certain that Dreyfus would get a retrial but it was a juridical fudge – an amnesty for all – which Zola loathed He died of carbon monoxide poisoning on 29 September 1902 while in bed with Alexandrine The exile is an extraordinary episode in Zola’s life in which he lifted himself out of the turmoil of Paris and dropped into the houses and hotels of south London He struggled to keep the three strands of his life connected to their place back home: his loves at others he felt a sense of calm and hope Mock-up of the front page of l’Aurore newspaper is hung on a wall of the National Assembly in Paris Photograph: Michel Gangne/EPAHe didn’t need to get involved in any of this He was achieving new success with collaborations with the composer Alfred Bruneau he threw himself into the middle of France’s maelstrom one of the first people in the socialist movement anywhere in the world to give it a clear steer towards anti-racism The Disappearance of Emile Zola: Love, Literature and the Dreyfus Case by Michael Rosen is published by Faber on 5 January. To order a copy for £13.93 (RRP £16.99), go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846 the 10-minute egg of the world of hard-boiled detectives The clue was in the name: while the rumpled hungover but noble detective would have looked “about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food” in Edwardian Norwood he was christened Marlowe in honour of Chandler’s house at his old school while he was a day student at the college preparing for his civil service exams said the connection came as a surprise to many “Chandler seems Californian through and through but he was born in Chicago and educated in London He took two very important things from Dulwich: a grounding in the classics that protected him against pretension which made his writing so very much better than most of his contemporaries and a chivalric code of patriotism and honour very much the ethos promoted in public schools of the day Chandler described his Marlowe as “a shop-soiled Galahad” and Williams pointed out that he studied in Dulwich library under a painting of the Arthurian hero by the Victorian artist GF Watts “Every Marlowe story is essentially a grail quest,” he said Chandler kept up the connection with the school long after he returned to the US making a friend for life in a San Francisco coffee shop because they were both wearing their old school boaters and sending back food parcels in the second world war to one of his teachers Raymond Chandler came to London as a boy with his Irish mother after his father abandoned the family Photograph: Bettmann/CORBISChandler came to London from the States with his Irish mother after his father abandoned the family: an uncle paid for their accommodation and his school fees but refused to pay for him to go on to university Chandler had already tried journalism and poetry but took up writing again in the Depression after losing his job with an oil company He published The Big Sleep in 1939 and found his true vocation said: “Chandler’s Philip Marlowe may speak with a Los Angeles accent but his syntax owes more to Virgil and Livy than to any later writers.” Chandler overlapped by a term but never met another improbable old boy Although Jeeves would never have allowed Wooster out wearing Marlowe’s “powder-blue suit black wool socks with dark little clocks on them I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be I was calling on four million dollars” – many critics have suggested both authors owe much to their solid grounding in the classics at Dulwich The historian David Cannadine once invited readers to judge whether Wodehouse or Chandler wrote the sentence “A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained glass window” Chandler’s blue plaque joins those of other stars of the detective fiction world including Agatha Christie in Holland Park and Arthur Conan Doyle in South Norwood This article was amended on 7 October 2014 It originally attributed the quote “about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food” to The Big Sleep By 2021-11-12T10:39:00+00:00 Nearest rivals: Aldi 1.2 miles, Asda 3.4 miles, Co-op 0.2 miles, Iceland 0.2 miles, Lidl 1.1 miles, M&S 2.2 miles, Morrisons 2.9 miles, Sainsbury’s 1.3 miles, Tesco 0.4 miles, Waitrose 2.5 miles Source: CACI. For more info visit www.caci.co.uk/contact Notes: Shopper profiling is measured using Grocery Acorn shopper segmentation You are located in a very busy part of London surrounded by rivals The key for me is the service which we deliver within the store It’s vital we really empower our colleagues to be themselves at work and lead their own service and I truly believe that is what makes the difference between good and great service amongst our competitors How do you cater to the specific Crystal Palace demographic which is slightly more affluent than average We’ve got a great range of products across the Sainsbury’s estate to cater for all kinds of demographics and I think it’s vital our core Sainsbury’s range delivers fantastic quality which will meet everyone’s needs Our Taste the Difference range is our real selling point Our shopper highlighted the display in the produce section that offered a ‘greengrocer’ feeling Have you revamped the store layout recently We’ve recently had some small works carried out in the store over the summer and that emphasis has really gone into us putting food first – changing our produce display really puts the emphasis behind our mission in winning in food We had a general small refresh just to really lift the store as well as some new painting around the store Have you changed your lighting system to 100% LED as part of Sainsbury’s net zero ambitions Tell us about your Big Packs section you’ve recently expanded Our Big Packs range has become really popular It consists of large products which will cater for families and other people that are looking for that bulk buy We’ve given it extra space within the store now along our back wall and we’ve got a great range of products We’ve really seen great uplift in that section of the store What are the most popular festive lines in store at the moment It’s evident this year that customers are certainly shopping earlier with seasonal lines and we’re expecting to trade really well on these this year from bakery Christmas lines to seasonal gifting and seasonal confectionery We’ve got some really exciting products from our autumn additions range and also our new product ranges which will come through our customer food ordering so we’re seeing a real uplift across that side of the business at the moment What do you expect Christmas trading to look like this year at your branch I expect Christmas to trade really well this year Most of our Christmas planning is done now so that gives me real confidence over the next few months to trade my store well and continue to focus on our standards Do you think any products or categories will be particularly affected by the supply chain crisis Our colleagues and suppliers are working really hard to make sure our customers can find everything they need when they shop with us this year Sign in to comment on this article Site powered by Webvision Cloud Learn moreExplore related questionsDiscover more about the topics that matter most Browse our suggested questions or ask your own to find out more Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news Sign up for our email to enjoy London without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush) Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. London Move to… Upper NorwoodWe've crunched the data to find the best bits of the capital that don't cost the earth (yet) Here's why this south-east London spot is quite so hot Though you may not have heard much about the area locals rated their neck of the woods overall a nicer place to live in than Stoke Newington Camden and even Notting Hill in Time Out's recent City Living Survey Partly this is a happy quirk of geography; its hilltop location affords views every bit as lovely as Primrose Hill but without the selfie-stick swarms of NW1 The area scored well with locals for eating and drinking options: they're spoilt for choice with bars and eateries on the popular 'Triangle' And while some residents might sneakily pretend they live in Crystal Palace the diverse population and steadily rising (but hardly outrageous) house prices make this one leafy enclave that's doing very nicely without the hipsters • Overground and national rail from Crystal Palace station • Properties to rent from £1,000 a month* *For a 1-2 bed property. Data courtesy of Rightmove 'Without wanting to come over all Samuel Johnson if you're tired of the "Upper Norwood Triangle" you really are tired of life The Triangle – three streets of amazing pubs restaurants and coffee shops – caters for pretty much every taste Friendly French/North African fusion joint Numidie on Westow Hill is my go-to for a steamy tagine Then it has to be Mu Cocina Estuya for delicious Venezuelan food especially the tequeños (crispy fried dough with white cheese) check out The White Hart: it's good without being gastro conveniently situated next-door to an off-licence so popping out for more pinot is not too much of a problem 'Living in Upper Norwood isnít just about stuffing your face Weíre blessed with enough parks and green space to walk off those calories in style Westow Park even hosts the annual Crystal Palace Overground Festival: our own little Glastonbury there's the lovely Church Road Market – itís the perfect place to go for a relaxing stroll on a Sunday afternoon The banter between the stall holders is entertainment in itself though I couldn't repeat much of it here!' 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Find a corner of town that suits you with Find Your London – Time Out and Rightmove's patented postcode pickerRead moreBeen there tiktokfacebooktwitteryoutubeAbout us Contact us Croydon Council will be handed £2.5 million worth of debt when a Catholic girls’ school closes its doors for good Virgo Fidelis Convent School in Upper Norwood will close from August this year The majority of the buildings are unfit for purpose according to the council and Year 10 pupils are currently being taught at St Mary’s Catholic High School as a result While girls currently in Years 8 and 9 will be offered places at other schools Year 10s will be enrolled as St Mary’s pupils for Year 11 remaining in a single-sex location away from the rest of the school It will be the second school in 12 months to close for good following St Andrew’s which closed last summer after a falling number of pupils The school has a projected deficit of £2.5 million by the end of August 2021 The director of education at Croydon Council said it is in regular contact with the school to keep the cost down and is also seeking legal advice in relation to this acknowledged that the closure will mean education for some children will be impacted Girls who are at the school may be offered places at the two other girls’ schools in Croydon Ms Davis added: “Moving children is never the easy option we worked very hard with the Archdiocese of Southwark in coming to this difficult decision and we will ensure those families are able to move swiftly and promptly.” as a voluntary-aided school the Archdiocese of Southwark contributes to running costs and has influence over how the school is run the buildings will remain with the Trustees of Our Lady of Fidelity Established at Upper Norwood which will look to maintain the historic buildings where possible