It probably goes without saying that if you organise a public meeting calling for the reinstatement of the Tramlink extension to Crystal Palace, the majority of people who turn up are going to support the idea.

So it was with last week's Labour party-inspired meeting held in South Norwood.

The message from the meeting was by and large a positive one.

Although it might have been even more emphatic had the organisers held it in the Upper Norwood/Crystal Palace area which will benefit the most from any extension.

Certainly, Labour councillor for Upper Norwood, Pat Ryan was a bit bemused by the choice of venue - Stanley Halls, in South Norwood Hill.

He wasn't convinced by the argument that the halls were largest available meeting place.

Despite Cllr Ryan's understandable concerns, the important thing is the meeting put talk of the extension back on the rails.

Hopefully it will act as a catalyst to other organisations - the council springs to mind - to redouble efforts to persuade London Mayor, Boris Johnson to reinstate the extension plans.

The Mayor has hinted he may just have left the door open to further persuasion - the job now is for everyone to act together to push that door off its hinges.

The other encouraging thing to emerge from the meeting was an agreement that approaches to Boris had to have the kind of cross-party support which saw Tramlink get off the ground in the now dim and distant past.

That support was evident at the meeting with Labour and Conservative councillors present.

As a sidenote, John Payne, chairman of the Crystal Palace Community Association, turned up to voice his dislike of the scheme.

Almost as soon as he arrived he confronted meeting organiser Cllr Gerry Ryan about the whereabouts of a petition opposing the extension to go alongside the one expressing support.

Undaunted by the reply that there wasn't one, he signed the pro-Tramlink one anyway accompanied by a prominent handwritten message proclaiming: "Do not support the extension to Crystal Palace."

WHILE on the subject of cross-party harmony, there is some on display at the London Mozart Players (LMP), who held their 60th anniversary concert at the Fairfield Halls on Wednesday.

A recent addition to the LMP's board is Malcolm Wicks, Labour MP for Croydon North.

Mr Wicks, apparently a devoted fan of Baroque music, is a keen supporter of the orchestra and joined the campaign last year against the Arts Council decision to cut its financial support.

Recognising this support, Tory councillor Dudley Mead, who chairs the board, invited the MP to join its ranks.

Initially the invitation was turned down because of Mr Wicks' workload as energy minister.

But now, on his recent return to the back benches in the House of Commons, Mr Wicks has taken up the offer in time for this year's special celebrations.