Lambeth have published proposals to convert some existing regular parking spaces to exclusive use for electric vehicle charging.

This is intended to meet demand for electric vehicle charging places and to “aid the transition to electric vehicles”, given the Council’s commitment to install over 200 charging points by 2022. As they quite credibly point out, the current lack of charging facilities is a barrier for people wishing to buy electric cars (unless of course they have off-street parking) – so by providing more charging places, they would give potential users more confidence that they will be able to access charging facilities when necessary.

The proposals extend across the whole borough, but in Herne Hill the Council intend to capture one parking slot in Kestrel Avenue adjacent to no. 78 Herne Hill, and another in Herne Place.

Removing just one parking space from general use at these locations is not likely to cause too much distress, but it will be worth monitoring future stages of this programme to make sure that council taxpayers who have invested in conventional cars are not unnecessarily penalised.

The Station Underpass Mural is progressively being filled in, bit by bit.  Loads of local colour.

But there are still many opportunities for all of us to drop in there for a short time and do some more colouring.  Victor would be very grateful!

It looks like the excellent Victor could do with some extra helping hands to boost the colouring-in task: there’s still loads to do.

Anyone who has an hour to spare would be very welcome  –  Victor says  –   to drop by, grab some colouring pens, kneel down and fill in some of the uncoloured sections.  Time is short before the big launch!

And he still needs to borrow some more heaters. It’s cold up there,  over the station, and the old-fashioned radiators aren’t working. At all.

Readers of our earlier post from this morning should probably re-visit it to register the note of caution now introduced, following the response of a well-informed reader.

The Herne Hill Forum have reported this morning that 2,332 children from 8 schools alongside local residents all came together to set what they believe is a new world record last week for the world’s most contributions to a colouring by numbers challenge.

With a reservation, helpfully added by Rachel in the second comment below this post: She warns that it’s “very important to note that we have not yet had confirmation from the Guinness Book that we have broken the record.  They have to go through footage and other stringent protocols before they deem the record actually broken.  This could take a couple of months. So let’s keep hoping.”

Previous record holders in Mexico achieved 1,119 participants across 3 days, Herne Hill kids and residents have doubled this to 2,332 in just two days. Herne Hill’s long, dark and grotty underpass between between Station Square and Milkwood Road will be transformed in the coming weeks with the painting.

The Forum’s full report is here.

And here is a photo of Mark Rylance persuading his dog to make a contribution.

Yesterday saw a major event in Herne Hill’s modern history: hundreds of people, many of them schoolchildren, mobilised to colour in the the Station Underpass mural, which will be installed in the next week or two.

It was also an attempt to break the Guinness world record for the most people involved in a ‘colouring in by numbers’ event.

A wonderful day, which saw our community uniting in a friendly lively atmosphere to create something worthwhile and lasting.

Congratulations to the Herne Hill Forum for their outstanding organisation of a complex event, and of course to artist Victor Szepessy.

And thanks to the Mayors of both Lambeth and Southwark for their attendance, and also to Sir Mark Rylance to coming along with his two small dogs.