Atlas One.

The images above - click on either for a larger version, show a leaflet that has been posted through the front doors of residents of parts of Upper Belvedere, Northumberland Heath and Erith. The bus service will operate on weekdays only, and will run between Harrow Manorway outside of Abbey Wood Station, and Carlton Road in Northumberland Heath. The service will somewhat inappropriately be called The Nuxley Navigator - as previously covered, "Nuxley Village" does not exist - it is properly named Belvedere Village, or Nuxley Road, Upper Belvedere. The roads that the new private bus service will cover are as follows:- Towards Abbey Wood Station (mornings only) - Carlton Road, Brook Street, Parsonage Manorway, Swaylands Road, Matfield Road, Stream Way, Bedonwell Road, Orchard Avenue, Bedonwell Road, Glenview, West Heath Road, Brampton Road, Knee Hill, Harrow Manorway. Towards Erith (afternoons only) - Harrow Manorway, Knee Hill, Brampton Road, West Heath Road, Glenview, Bedonwell Road, Orchard Avenue, Bedonwell Road, Stream Way Matfield Road, Swaylands Road, Parsonage Manorway, Brook Street, and Carlton Road. The Crossrail service will be opening at Abbey Wood Station at the end of this year, and many of the roads covered by The Nuxley Navigator are currently not covered by any existing bus service. The Nuxley Navigator features a reserved seat and, in London, standard rides are £2.40, though the introductory price is £1.60. A standard bus fare is £1.50. Chariot works by being pre-bookable but with predetermined stops, similar to a bus route. The real reason for the service is to connect the Erith Quarry housing development with Abbey Wood Station. The developers of Erith Quarry are aiming the new development primarily at second or third time buyers who want larger, family sized houses - for people who intend to "put down roots" in the area. In order to attract middle class professional people into the local area, they need so show that there are good commuting connections into London - something that The London Borough of Bexley has lacked up until now. The fact that we have no DLR or Tube services in the Borough has been a factor that has discouraged some people from moving into the area. Providing a purpose built mini bus link between the Erith Quarry site and Abbey Wood Station will do much to convince people that they should move into the area, as housing is significantly cheaper than in other parts of London, and the commuting issue will be at least partially answered by The Nuxley Navigator - even if the name of the new bus service is inaccurate. On Bank Holiday Monday I Emailed Chariot to let them know of a couple of errors in their flyer, which I felt that they should be notified about. If you examine the flyer above closely, you will no doubt spot that there are a number of inaccuracies and factual errors on it. The leaflet refers to "Lessness" instead of the historically correct "Lesnes" or the also correct and more contemporary spelling of "Lesness" - this is a fairly minor issue when compared to the other one - which regular readers will be aware of. The promotional leaflet repeatedly to "Nuxley Village" - which of course does not exist. The correct name is Belvedere Village, or Nuxley Road, Upper Belvedere. The name "Nuxley Village" is a fiction created by Estate Agents who know nothing of the area, or its history. The name "Belvedere" has been in existence since at least 1235AD, when the first details of it were recorded. The name Nuxley was sometimes spelled Naxley, which in turn is a corruption of Knocksley, meaning a small hill. Nuxley Road was originally named Bexley Road, until March 1939 when it was renamed as Nuxley Road, which it remains to date. There is no record of Upper Belvedere ever having been named "Nuxley Village", and parish records for the area date back to 1235 AD, and survived the reformation, when ownership of the parish was transferred from Lesnes Abbey to the owners of Parsonage Farm (on what is now Parsonage Manor Way). During the late 19th century, Parsonage Farm was owned by the Vinson family, who were at the time rich and powerful enough to issue their own trade tokens (a kind of informal local currency). There are records that beer houses such as the Fox, and full pubs such as the Eardley Arms took trade tokens for payment for food and drink until sometime around 1900. The farm buildings, which were  constructed in the Middle Ages (principally to provide food and drink for Abbot and Monks at Lesnes Abbey) lasted until the end of WWII, when it was used to house an auxiliary fire station. After the war the building was so derelict it was demolished. Thus, the name “Nuxley Village” is a construct – a fictional creation of local estate agents who have no knowledge of the history of the area. Upper Belvedere has been so called for at least the last 783 years, and the thoughtless action of a handful of ignorant house peddlers is not going to change facts any time soon. What do you think about the whole situation? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Earlier last week I was sent the historical photo you see above - click on it for a larger view. The photo was taken some time in the late Victorian era - probably around 1898 - 1899; Businessman William Cory had been seeking a way to avoid high wharf charges when bringing coal from colliers which sailed down the North Sea from Tyneside and into the Thames to be unloaded at Erith. Cory came up with the idea of unloading the colliers in the middle of the Thames, and trans - shipping the coal onto barges and lighters, thus avoiding the wharf fees that taking the coal directly ashore would bring. In order to do this, he bought and converted an old salvage vessel called the Atlas One, which you can see above. I was a hodge podge of part ship, part steam powered, floating industrial estate as can clearly be seen. It was part of the original inspiration for the modern "Steam Punk" movement (more on this later - who says I don't plan these things?) Atlas One was very successful, and let to the creation of Atlas Two and Three, all of which operated on the Thames around Erith for several decades, until shortly before the outbreak of World War One, where they were broken up and sold for scrap. I would imagine that the river front at Erith must have been quite an experience in the late Victorian era; smoke from innumerable coal fires and ships' boilers, along with the smell of raw sewage being pumped downstream from Crossness, and the general pollution that filled the Thames at the time must have created an absolutely terrible stink. I do know that on one occasion some years prior to this period, a young Queen Victoria was being taken on a guided tour of Cambridge, as she walked on a bridge over the then heavily sewage polluted River Cam, she saw pieces of paper on the surface of the water, when she asked her guide what the papers were, her quick witted guide tactfully replied- "They are notices saying that it is forbidden to bathe, your Majesty!" Quite. 

The third Crossness Steampunk Convivial is due to take place on the 1st of September. More on this popular annual event later on in the update.

I have had messages from several readers enquiring about the building work that is currently being undertaken in the South Eastern end of Morrison's car park in James Watt Way, Erith. After some enquiries, I have discovered that there is going to be a new car washing facility - you will be able to leave your car whilst you shop in the supermarket, and when you return it will have been washed and valeted. I also understand that there will be some kind of tyre replacement facility, though the details are still somewhat vague and sketchy. I have heard that locals have complained about the noise from the existing car washing facility located parallel to Crescent Road, next to the Morrison's petrol station. Apparently the loud hissing noises from the car wash have been disturbing local residents both early in the morning and late at night. On another Morrison's related note, the supermarket chain have done one of their periodic headline - grabbing stunts; last time it was giant Yorkshire puddings containing pizza fillings. This time it is an absolutely gigantic full English breakfast, served in their cafe's. The giant breakfast consists of 19 pieces, including three rashers of British bacon, three British pork sausages, three hash browns, two half slices of fried bread, two fried eggs, two half tomatoes, two black puddings, baked beans and sliced mushrooms. Priced at £6, the fry-up has eight items more than Morrisons’ standard big breakfast and is double the size of some other supermarket cafe offerings. I think that Morrison's is making a mistake with this food offering; I feel that they are sending out entirely the wrong message in this age of obesity. Still it has done exactly what it set out to do - get the supermarket chain lots of column inches in both newspapers and online.

Conjecture as to what business would occupy the ground floor, former bar area of the refurbished White Hart building in Erith High Street has now come to an end. The speculation had included it becoming an Indian restaurant, or alternatively a Gelato parlour. Both of these turned out to be incorrect. The place is actually going to be an African restaurant and bar. I don't currently have much in the way of details, but by the look of the place, it is going to be a little more upmarket than the existing K's Spice African Restaurant in Pier Road. There is certainly more than enough business for two restaurants in the town. I do have one reservation, however. As I have written in the past, the proliferation of African restaurants in Erith, Plumstead and Woolwich has been noted, but they seem to restrict their advertising and publicity to within the African community – they don’t seem to make any efforts to encourage other customers to try them out. Back in the early 1960’s a large number of men migrated to the UK from mainly Bangladesh and Pakistan. Initially they opened small cafes to cater for their desire from food from home. Never people to miss the main chance, some of the more entrepreneurial of them realised that they were sitting on a huge, untapped market of British people who were used to a fairly bland diet, and who might well find the novelty and diversity of a foreign cuisine a real attraction – as most definitely turned out to be the case. The food served in what became the high street curry house might not have resembled what you would be served in a respectable family abode in Lahore, as the dishes were tweaked both for the relatively untutored British palate, and were also made easier to make in large quantities with cheaper ingredients. By this clever tailoring of the food to appeal to the British, many curry house owners went on to earn vast fortunes, both from restaurant chains, and the later move into chilled ready meals, tinned curry sauces and a plethora of other “Indian” style comestibles. The market in the UK alone is now worth hundreds of millions of pounds per year. It strikes me that the African restaurants could take a similar approach – tweak the menu to appeal to the Brits (who nowadays are a lot more open to experimentation than back in the 1960’s) and welcome them in – the tills might then start ringing. To be honest, it may be difficult for the independent African food outlets to gain a toe in a more general market, as big business has already seen the gap. You might be wondering what chain already sells African food? Nando’s – it is marketed as “Piri Piri” style food, but it is basically a watered down version of Southern / West African cuisine. For example, what Nando’s call their “Spicy Rice” is called “Jollof Rice” in Nigeria and much of Africa in general. Nando’s has been an astonishing success in the UK – it is one of the fastest growing food brands, and it has an amazingly high brand value and level of recognition. Unlike many fast food outlets, it has fan sites and even has a UK wide website for reviewers.

It is now almost exactly ten years since work initially began on what was to become an illegal nightclub based in an empty and unused warehouse unit in The Europa Industrial Estate in Fraser Road, Erith. Efforts to covertly convert the dilapidated and abandoned warehouse building began many months before it was due to open to the public, almost certainly in an effort to operate "under the radar" of the authorities. I am happy to say that I had a small part in getting it closed down. Back in November 2008 GC’s Nightclub opened in an old and abandoned industrial unit in The Europa Industrial Estate - the historic photo above shows the place just before it opened for the first time. The club had no fire certificate, insurance, drinks licence, or indeed any form of legal standing. The shady people behind it hid behind an obscure law which states that unlicensed premises can be used to hold entertainment events up to twelve times per year. The law was intended to allow youth clubs and scout / guide troops to hold cabarets and pantomimes in their village halls without needing to get council approval. Unscrupulous operators pervert and misuse the law to set up "pop - up" nightclubs in old and often unsafe buildings; they set up the club, then just before opening to the public, they apply for planning permission and an entertainment licence. In most instances, this prevents the council from closing them immediately – they have to wait for the often lengthy legal process of licence approval / denial to go through. In the meantime the club operates with virtual impunity – usually over the Christmas period. The owners know that they have no realistic chance of getting their application approved, and this really is not the point – they get to open over the lucrative Christmas period, only to close up shop as soon as the licence application is thrown out. They then disappear without paying any bills. This is exactly the situation that nearly happened with GC’s Nightclub, but so much negative publicity was generated via both the Maggot Sandwich, and the News Shopper that the venue only opened for three nights before the operators pulled out. It was just as well, as I understand the place was full of blue asbestos, the wiring was condemned and it had no fire escape. The operators disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared, leaving unpaid suppliers, and nothing has been heard of them since. I am all for new leisure and entertainment facilities in the local area; there is very little to do in and around Erith in the evenings at the moment (though this is soon to change), but they need to be legal and safe, and GC’s was neither. Relics of the abortive GC Nightclub can still be seen in Fraser Road, if you look carefully; the black plastic "GC" sign still hangs over the double doorway, though all other evidence of the short lived and illegal club has now long gone.

Now for the weekly local safety and security reports from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "The Barnehurst Team are pleased to report there have been no burglaries on the ward this past week. We continue to remind our residents to ensure all doors are double locked by lifting the handle and turning the key. Having a low front boundary may steer burglars away as they will not want to be overlooked. Make climbing difficult by using trellis and spiky plants to the sides and rear boundaries. A gravel driveway can prevent a silent approach and where possible wheelie bins and recycle boxes should be stored away to prevent them being used as a climbing aid. With the summer holidays approaching we urge residents to speak to family and trusted neighbours when going on holiday to ensure wheelie bins are taken in on collection day, post is pushed through letter box and where possible lights are turned on and off and curtains drawn. If you do not wish to discuss your plans of being away from home there are a number of crime prevention gadgets on the market which can be useful whilst you are away on holiday. Over the past week the only crime reported was one of criminal damage to motor vehicle in Parkside Avenue which occurred between the 23/05/18 at 11.00am to 24/05/18 at 10.00am. After parking the vehicle the victim returned and found a crack to a rear window and a dent in the roof of the vehicle. The victim believes this was caused by a rock that was found by the vehicle. Thank you to the residents who joined us at Barnehurst Golf Club this week. Our next date is scheduled for Tuesday 5th June 2018 at 11.00am so please come and meet the team to discuss any matters you need raised". Bexleyheath ward:- "Our next contact session is going to be at the NHW AGM at Geddes Place between 7.30pm and 9.30pm, just to make you all aware. Another reminder, as part of Bike Week we have been invited to be a part of this initiative which is on Saturday 9th June along the Broadway between 10am and 2pm. Where be lots of stalls etc. and we will have our bike marking stall as well as the MSC holding a recruitment stall. There is no charge for this so please pop along if you are available with your bikes and get them marked, feel free to mention to others who may not get this information. As usual we are continually patrolling the ASB areas on our ward at various times which includes open spaces, car parks and areas you have informed us of. We have had various reports of ASB around the ward involving, youths in Martens Grove Park, drugs and involving motorbikes and cars. We have had recently had a report of an attempted burglary on the 28/05/2018 along Haslemere Road Bexleyheath and a residential burglary reported on the same day along the Broadway Bexleyheath. We have had two arrests along the Broadway last Wednesday. One was for criminal damage and another for obstructing Police. Also there was another arrest for shop lifting at LIDL including assault on Police and shop staff. A motorbike had been reported stolen on the 29/05/2018 from the Broadway Bexleyheath Any NHW members that now come under our team because of the new ward boundaries. Please feel free to make contact with us so we are aware to help aid communication".  Crayford ward:- "Thankfully, there have been no residential burglaries this week but please don’t become complacent. Keep your home totally secure when you leave it and close all downstairs doors and windows when going upstairs, even for a short time as burglars are usually opportunist. The same for being in our back gardens during lovely weather, keep all front windows closed and front doors locked and secure. You would be amazed how often we have knocked on doors, front windows wide open and can actually see the family playing and enjoying a BBQ in their garden, so easy to climb through an open downstairs window, please don’t become a victim of this type of crime. Crimes this week has mainly been vehicle related. On 21st May between 09.30-10.00 a white Ford Transit was broken in to at Stadium Way. A laptop, water pump and clothing were stolen. On 22nd May at 23.35 the victim was returning to his Toyota Prius parked at Church Hill, where he saw a Male by his car, heard a shattering sound and saw the Male run away, he realised that his work PDA was visible on the dashboard. On 21st May it was reported that the Green Ford Transit school minibus at Shenstone School had been interfered with and all the associated pipework to the Diesel Particulate Filter had been stolen. Overnight 21st May to 22nd May a lorry parked up overnight at Acorn Industrial Park was broken into whilst the driver was asleep in his cab, the doors were left open and boxes had been removed. Between 16th May and 24th May the premises of Thames New Services at Thames Road were broken in to, the locks were forced and then changed and fly tipping also took place, no CCTV at the location. On 25th May at 1.30 a resident was woken by noise in the street, saw two youths who then kicked the wing mirror off a silver Citroen Saxo. A white Vauxhall Corsa was stolen from outside Lyles Court between 10.25 on 21st May and 09.00 on 24th May. A neighbourhood Watch member in Woodside Road reported last week that a house there was raided by armed police. It can be confirmed that the suspect was followed home where he was intercepted and arrested by specialist officers, a large scale search was made of the address and items of interest removed. A Male was found collapsed near McDonalds on Saturday and Crayford officers assisted him. It became apparent that he was wanted for a breach of a court order, he was arrested, conveyed to hospital to be checked over before being taken in to custody. The team have issued two mobile phone tickets this week and assisted with the recovery of a stolen vehicle". Erith ward:- "Bike marking was carried out marking almost 20 bikes across Erith. More NHW area have been set up including 2 new ones in Erith Park, a part of the ground we have only just started to cover so this is very good news. Some Contact Session dates for you: Thursday 7/6/18 – Erith Library 2pm, Thursday 14/6/18 – Erith Library 3pm. Feel free to pop along and speak to us". Northumberland Heath ward:- "Over the last week the team have been assisting colleagues from Northend with a large scale operation in Darent Industrial Park. A number of businesses were checked simultaneously resulting in immigration arrests, stolen vehicles were recovered and a premise was closed down. The team have also been busy conducting stop and searches which have resulted in several cannabis warnings being issued. We are pleased to announce that there have been no residential burglaries reported to us yet again over the last week, which is great news .One commercial burglary at the BP garage in Bexley Road. A water compressor was stolen from an external cupboard in the car wash, the door was forced to gain entry. This took place on Monday May 21st between 5pm – 6pm but was not reported until Thursday May 24th. Following the warrant which was executed in Brook Street earlier this month, police have now concluded the investigation. As a result we have issued three fixed penalty £90 notices. One theft of a transit van in Hengist Road overnight on Wednesday May 30th. One report of criminal damage to a fence in Parsonage Manorway on the evening of Sunday 27th May. The team have been assisting the Erith ward with patrols and stopped five males who were initially stopped when officers saw a cannabis joint on the ground next to them. During a search for drugs, a large knife was found along with other property of interest to police. The group of males are known to police and a full investigation is now under way. Further updates regarding this will follow. The next drop in Police Surgery will be held at the library in Mill Road Erith on Thursday June 7th at noon". Slade Green and North End ward:- "Overnight last Weds/Thurs, 23/24 May, 2 vehicles were broken into. A wallet was stolen from a car in Leycroft gardens and a phone stolen from a vehicle in Bridge Road. Please try and remember to remove all your valuables from your vehicles when you are home for the night. Please pass this on again to all visitors to you. If anything valuable is on display, there is unfortunately a high chance it may get stolen. A child's pushbike was stolen from a communal area in Agate Court, Rainbow Road on Sunday evening. Details are still a bit sketchy at this time as it was reported a day after the event but it seems the owner gave chase but we don’t know if the bike was recovered. Any further updates will be sent out accordingly. No other notable crimes to report in the last week". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglaries - On Wednesday 23/05/18 at 11:20 pm a shed burglary occurred in Harrow Manor Way, items to the value of £600:00 were taken. Crime Prevention: First off, check that your insurance covers the contents of your shed or outbuildings from theft. Lock it, hide it or mark it. Don’t give them the opportunity or the tools to commit a crime. Lock everything away securely. Tools can be locked inside a locker or box or secured with a chain. Secure your bike to the ground or a lockable stand within a locked shed or garage. Visit Sold Secure to search for ground anchors and other locks designed to fix to floors and walls. It’s always worth draping an old sheet or blanket over the top of mowers or bikes to keep them covered from view. Invest in a garage door stop. Although it might sound like stating the obvious, never leave your garage or shed door unlocked if you’re not around. Property marking your items is advisable and some tools can be painted with your name or postcode. Forensic marking is also an option and you can register some items on the Immobilise website for free. For more information visit Immobilise and our detailed page on property marking. Motor Vehicle Crimes - Between the hours of 06:45pm on Friday 25/05/18 and 05:00am on Monday 28/05/18 a motor cycle which had broken down was stolen from a lay-by on the Eastern Way. Have a Say event - Tuesday 05/06/18 between the hours of 2:00pm and 3:00pm the team will be attending The Link Bazalgette Way. An opportunity for members of the community who prefer face- to – face contact, to speak with a Dedicated Ward Officer".

The end video this week shows some of the events that took place at last years' Crossness Steampunk Convivial, as the next event was mentioned earlier in this update - I do plan these things. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.