I was sitting on my sofa in Pewty Acres (see photo above - click for a larger version) quietly listening to American radio station WBCQ streaming online via my Ubuntu Linux netbook PC earlier this week, when the door bell rang; this is a fairly unusual occurrence, as I discourage most kinds of casual callers, door to door hawkers and tinkers. I answered the door and a young woman was standing there, wearing a tabard annotated with a logo. Inwardly I groaned - this could mean only one thing. A Chugger. On my doorstep. You can read my thoughts on this peculiar life form from back in 2006 by clicking here. Suffice to say I was not best pleased to see that the first visitor to my property since the completion of my magnificent new bespoke perimeter fence was an individual worthy of inhabiting the lower planes of Gehenna, and even there, they would only be allowed to clean the toilets.I spluttered "On my doorstep?" unable to conceive that a parasite thought only capable of lurking on the less winsome portions of some high streets, usually found ready to pounce somewhere between Primark and Iceland could be despoiling my property, with the temerity to solicit cash donations to some rather less than salubrious charity. Fortunately the said individual could immediately see my consternation, and her resolve crumbled before I could really get my spleen fully vented in a Bill Hicks like rant; she turned tail and exited my front garden, not even pausing to close my new wrought iron front gate. A battle only half won, I feel.
The sky above Erith, recently photographed by me. Click for a larger version; it might make a good computer desktop wallpaper graphic - you never know.
The street light outside of my house has now finally been replaced, following the unseemly demise of is' predecessor during the recent lorry crash. Whether responsibility for the post and lamp belongs to Bexley Council, or to the electricity company EDF, planting a new lamp post is not the same as providing light - the bloody thing is still dark, now two weeks since the nutter in the seven and a half ton truck wrote off the old lamp post. I think a diatribe to the council highways department, and maybe the News Shopper for added spice may be on the way. I have also Emailed the Environmental Services department of the council in regard of the air pollution monitoring unit that has been in the front garden for the last few years; it was missed in the recent crash by no more than a foot or so. The thing has not been working for some months, and I am unaware of any efforts by the council to get it fixed. I have given them notice that they either get their collective digits extracted, and get it operational again, or I will give them notice to remove it forthwith.
It looks like the long standing Bexley branch of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) is in trouble - they have just issued the following announcement:
Bexley Branch In Crisis (1975 – 2009???)
Notification of Extraordinary General Meeting
Dear Bexley CAMRA Member
At the AGM of CAMRA Bexley Branch held on Wednesday 17th June the Branch was unable to elect a committee. Without the support of its Members the Branch will have to wind up. Volunteers are needed for the following committee posts:- Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary and Pubs Officer. An Extraordinary General Meeting has been arranged for 9th September at the Crayford Arms, Crayford High Street, Crayford, Kent. DA1 4HH at 8:30PM. At this meeting, if the above posts can not be filled, the Branch will have to be wound up. What will this mean to the Branch Members? The biggest and most obvious loss is probably the Bexley Beer Festival, affecting both local member's enjoyment and CAMRA Finances. Second will be the loss of Bexley Pubs from the Good Beer Guide.
I will leave individuals to determine what else they might lose.
Please contact the Branch if you are prepared to take on one of these posts. It is vital that all are filled if the Branch is to survive. Please don't sit back and think someone else will step in, step up to the plate yourselves, others might not.
The street light outside of my house has now finally been replaced, following the unseemly demise of is' predecessor during the recent lorry crash. Whether responsibility for the post and lamp belongs to Bexley Council, or to the electricity company EDF, planting a new lamp post is not the same as providing light - the bloody thing is still dark, now two weeks since the nutter in the seven and a half ton truck wrote off the old lamp post. I think a diatribe to the council highways department, and maybe the News Shopper for added spice may be on the way. I have also Emailed the Environmental Services department of the council in regard of the air pollution monitoring unit that has been in the front garden for the last few years; it was missed in the recent crash by no more than a foot or so. The thing has not been working for some months, and I am unaware of any efforts by the council to get it fixed. I have given them notice that they either get their collective digits extracted, and get it operational again, or I will give them notice to remove it forthwith.
It looks like the long standing Bexley branch of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) is in trouble - they have just issued the following announcement:
Bexley Branch In Crisis (1975 – 2009???)
Notification of Extraordinary General Meeting
Dear Bexley CAMRA Member
At the AGM of CAMRA Bexley Branch held on Wednesday 17th June the Branch was unable to elect a committee. Without the support of its Members the Branch will have to wind up. Volunteers are needed for the following committee posts:- Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary and Pubs Officer. An Extraordinary General Meeting has been arranged for 9th September at the Crayford Arms, Crayford High Street, Crayford, Kent. DA1 4HH at 8:30PM. At this meeting, if the above posts can not be filled, the Branch will have to be wound up. What will this mean to the Branch Members? The biggest and most obvious loss is probably the Bexley Beer Festival, affecting both local member's enjoyment and CAMRA Finances. Second will be the loss of Bexley Pubs from the Good Beer Guide.
I will leave individuals to determine what else they might lose.
Please contact the Branch if you are prepared to take on one of these posts. It is vital that all are filled if the Branch is to survive. Please don't sit back and think someone else will step in, step up to the plate yourselves, others might not.
The missive is signed by Alan Boakes, the retiring chairman. Reading between the lines, I suspect that there has been some internal conflict, and no - one wants to pick up what has become a poisoned chalice. I would like to become involved, but at present I have too many personal and professional commitments; basically however much I would like to get involved, I just don't have the spare time.
Charlton Blogger Darryl has had an interesting week; he's been on a special trip on a restored 1938 tube train along the Jubilee line from Charing Cross to Stanmore - you can read about his exploits and see some photos of the journey if you click here.
The video clip this week is from the aforementioned Bill Hicks, late and much lamented. I don't view him as a stand up comedian; to me he was a moral philosopher with jokes.
That's long been the problem with the Bexley branch, although membership is very healthy few people will commit any spare time to the committee. When still living in the area I held several posts over the years. To be fair any branch meeting could have been a committee meeting as that's all that attended.
ReplyDeleteI think that the problem will be if the branch does close, where the members will be absorbed, the South East London branch covers too much area already. They could go to the Dartford branch but even though the Bexley branch is under the control of the Kent regional director, there is a history of arguments that it should come under Greater London.
Lets hope they can sort this.
Barney