Thursday 13th August 2026
I'd been looking forward to attending the groundbreaking ceremony of Phase 2 of Calverley Close. It's one of my leaflet delivery routes and I'm starting to feel quite maternal towards the residents I meet, whose estate is being demolished and who, over the course of the 10-year project will be moving into brand new homes.
What I did not expect was to be handed the spade and asked to do the honours. It wasn't made clear that I was actually expected to dig a hole, and days later I'm still fretting that I didn't actually do this. In the picture it sort of looks like I did, though, which is something.
I felt a little uncomfortable about being Bromley Council's representative at the ceremony. The Council granted planning permission but the funding is from the GLA. And I'm an opposition councillor of course, so making a speech - my first as ward councillor! -about how proud I am to be making the regeneration possible would have been dishonest and disingenuous. I did, however, feel very comfortable talking about how the new foundations are not just bricks and mortar, but are about establishing friendships and and a community of mutual support.
Afterwards I did myself no favours by tripping ands falling on a low step in full view of one of the residents, and getting confused about the names of the people I was talking to. There are too many Robs, in my view, and we should definitely go back to giving out business cards like they did in East Asia in the 1980s, though these days I expect that cards are digital and on people's phones.
My pride might be a little bruised but I was delighted and honoured to attend and speak and I hope that the new building when finished in 2028 will be a place of warmth and security for its residents.
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