5 Ways to Enjoy National Unplugging Day Published: 26/06/2016 It’s National Unplugging Day, the day when parents around the UK pledge to spend the entire day without technology. Whilst the aim of this day … Read this article
Bellingham
Bellingham is a district in south east London, in the London Borough of Lewisham. Its neighbouring districts are Catford, Sydenham and Downham. The Ravensbourne River runs through the centre of Bellingham, and to the west and east it is bordered by railway lines working south from Catford.
The real name Bellingham means ‘the water-meadow owned by Beora’s people’, and was the true name of the medieval manor in the area. The name was preserved by the farm in the region, Bellingham Railway Station and the Bellingham Estate. Various other historical names have already been preserved by the street titles of the estate, which are connected with King Alfred, who was simply thought to have already been god, the father of the manor of Lewisham, and were extracted from the true names of mills, houses and fields in the certain area.
Bellingham was farmland until the Bellingham Estate was built, between 1920 and 1923. London Town Council built about 2600 houses and flats in this time. Bellingham Estate was one of many large estates constructed by London City Council after the First World War to aid with slum clearance and reduce overcrowding. As there is plenty of land available most of the dwellings built were two-story houses, and there was plenty of green, open space.
Today, Bellingham is a localised city centre. Its high street is Randlesdown Road, which includes a supermarket, a gym, hairdressers and multiple restaurants and food outlets. It has a sixth form college also, and a church and a library. Bellingham boasts many famous former and present residents, like the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the previous Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.