The Nursery.

The photo above shows what used to be one of the offices inside the old Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith. Currently the office space is being used as a giant greenhouse / plant nursery for seedlings. The large windows on two sides of the space allow large amounts of sunlight into the room, making for an excellent growing area for small plants. When the seedlings are larger and more robust, they will be planted in the garden to the rear of the old library building, adjacent to The Bookstore Cafe. Indeed most of the seedlings are vegetables and herbs that once fully grown and harvested, will be used in the meals cooked in the cafe kitchen by head chef Marina Power and her staff, and served to customers. Plans are afoot to eventually have both chickens and at least one beehive in the garden - free range organic eggs and fresh local honey will be added to The Bookstore Cafe menu in due course. If you would like to see more of the former library building, which is now operated by not for profit group The Exchange, you can sign up here to join one of the regular, free behind the scenes tours of the building which are run every Saturday afternoon at 3pm by myself. The need to book is to regulate numbers; there is no charge for the tour. You can also see other activities taking place in the former library by clicking here. The Carnegie Library is really coming to life with a great many community events already taking place - with more still to come. There are some vacancies at The Exchange - both in volunteer and in paid roles. You can see the volunteering opportunities by clicking here. You can see the paid roles by clicking here. 

Now for part two of the three part essay on the state of the local train services by former rail worker and now landlord of The Kentish Belle micro pub, Nick Hair. Nick continues:- "When private companies order trains, much like when airlines order planes, they are buying not just the actual train but also the ‘slot’ in the production line. One train could become ready in, say, March 2020 for testing and training but then the next two might be earmarked for a totally different franchise so the second train for South Eastern might be stuck until August 2020 and so on. In short, a continued postponement of the South Eastern franchise is enough to allow other franchises across the country (and based on recent developments, other countries and their railways) to ‘steal’ construction slots and therefore distend the time taken to get a new fleet ‘online’ for the passengers to enjoy. With this in mind, we at the Lewisham and Bexleyheath Community Rail Partnership feel that the Government must, at the very least, determine the rolling stock strategy for the local Metro network and therefore ‘buy’ the production slots for these trains. If they do not, it could take until April 2020 for a new franchise to be installed and then, with about a 2-year lead time, procure trains. Realistically, we don’t have the time and trains are being crush-loaded further daily as more and more houses are built. Pensions. This is important: the BBC actually led on the relevant day this week that Stagecoach had miraculously been barred from all franchises in Britain as they refused to accept the Government’s ludicrous demands that new companies ‘plug’ the gap in pensions that currently total a despicable £7.5 Billion on a national basis (split then into companies / regions respectively). Stagecoach had submitted vastly more conservative bids, it is understood, than others that were aggressively pitching to take on new franchises; and given that the South Eastern area alone has thus far experienced 3 iterations of privatised / public company since privatisation in 1996 to today (that’s Connex South Eastern, a private firm; Southeastern, a Government subsidiary due to the failure of Connex and South Eastern, the current incumbent as a subsidiary of Govia), it is genuinely unreasonable to feel that the new franchisee should have to stump up all of the money to cover a deficit that could have existed since British Rail. Indeed, our view is that if a failure of the national, then privatised, then national and then privatised railway (again) in pensions has created the relevant share of the total £7.5Billion national gap in pensions, then it is the Government that must step in and ‘pay up’ and then simply ensure new private companies bother to regularly moderate the gap between theory and reality in pensions. Stagecoach’s exit from the modern privatised railway scene is bad for the railway: it simply removes yet more options from the competitive tender. Are we heading for a summer of discontent? Well, our understanding from the ASLEF Drivers’ Union is that the pay gap between South Eastern and other companies locally has been caused by South Eastern being unable to negotiate any more than an inflation pay rise annually due to not having many years left on their franchise. Indeed, as mere ‘tenants’ on a repeating short-term basis, they seem to have allowed such a significant pay lag that many drivers have gone elsewhere! Whilst we don’t wish to get political about train driver pay and whether or not they deserve their salaries, it is fair to say that a train driver on an urban railway is a train driver on an urban railway: in short, if a London Overground driver is worth almost £61,000 then so is a South Eastern driver; not the £53,000 they currently get. The £8,000 difference is, lets be honest, a decent incentive to cut your loyalties and move to a company that not only gives you more but also gives your family an Oyster card and such instead of mere leisure travel to somewhere like Hastings…" The final part of Nick's analysis of local train woes will be published next week. 

Erith based bagpipe expert Chic Mackie is in the news; he will be appearing on a forthcoming episode of BBC One TV show "The Repair Shop" at 4.30pm on Tuesday the 7th May. Chic will be playing a set of pipes recovered from the trenches of WW1. They have been refurbished by bagpipe maker ‘Blue’ MacMurchie. You can see Chic to the left in the photo above - click on it for a larger view. 

A reader sent me details of a fascinating story that until now I had been completely unaware of. Over sixty years ago, one of the most widely witnessed and studied UFO sightings of the 1950’s occurred locally. On the 17th of July 1955 at around midday an incident was reported in King Harold's Way between Upper Belvedere and Bexleyheath; a 30-foot-wide saucer-shaped object was allegedly seen to hover a few feet above a street in broad daylight by local resident Margaret Fry and her doctor on a very hot cloudless day. Car engines located nearby were said to have cut out. It was seen by around thirty people; the craft made a humming noise and landed at the junction of Ashbourne Road and Whitfield Road. It hovered over Bedonwell Primary School (now Bedonwell Junior School) for around one minute. It finally shot off into the sky. Another UFO had allegedly landed a few streets away at the same time. A similar object had been seen in Bexleyheath in 1952, and had been reported in the popular press of the time. Surprisingly for such an incident, it has not received the coverage of other sightings such as the famous multiple sighting at Rendlesham Forest in December 1980. I can note that both incidents occurred at times of high cold war paranoia, which may possibly have contributed to misinterpretation of events. I must say that I have personally seen an unidentified flying object in bright daylight – I am not saying that it was of extra-terrestrial origin, just that it was flying and did not resemble any kind of craft I had seen before. It all happened in the spring of 1994; I was walking along Picardy Road in Upper Belvedere, heading towards Belvedere Station. I had just passed Venmead Court when I saw something in the sky; I looked up and saw an object that initially I took to be a dark grey hot air balloon. Upon closer examination, I soon realised that the object was far bigger than a balloon and higher up in the sky, and was actually triangular shaped. It was flying slowly Northward, towards London City Airport. The object was visible to me for over ten minutes – long enough for me to reach the station and point out the object to others. It turned out that hundreds of people in the area saw the craft, and many reports were made – the story made the London Evening Standard. I am now of the opinion that the UFO may possibly have been an American B2 “Spirit” Stealth Bomber flying to RAF Lakenheath from a training mission – I doubt that I will ever know for sure. If you have a story to tell, Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

It would seem that the story I featured last week about the pedestrian crossing over the Angerstein Wharf Branch Line near Charlton has hit a nerve with local residents and commuters alike. Network Rail announced that the widely used and almost unique pedestrian crossing was due to close on the 13th April, after being open to the public since 1852. Locals were only given eight days notice of the impending closure. After this was announced, a campaign to keep the popular crossing open was started, and the MP for Greenwich and Woolwich, Matthew Pennycook contacted John Halsall, Network Rail’s Route Managing Director for the South East. The outcome of this was a summary of the meeting by Matthew Pennycook, which reads as follows:- "Aside from apologising profusely for various mistakes made in terms of communication, primarily the letter that went out to residents which appears to have been drafted by an engineer rather than anyone with a passing familiarity with public affairs, the following is what we touched on during the call: - The temporary postponement of the crossing closure should not be interpreted as a shelving of it, merely a temporary reprieve. Network Rail are very clear they need to overhaul the outdated signalling system that is currently in place on this line as it has contributed to regular (in their world) freight derailments over recent years. It is the installation of this new signalling system that would bring freight closer to the crossing point. This is what would present a danger to pedestrians not, he was at pains to argue, because they are likely to be hit by 5mph freight trains but because (he pointed out this has tragically happened elsewhere) there is a real risk on an open crossing that people try to cross underneath stationary freight and are injured/killed when trains start moving. If the number of freight is set to increase (see below) the risk in this regard increases too. Network Rail are also responding to a projected increase in freight along the line up from one or two per day to 20 or so. This is in itself a good thing in that it means less aggregate transported by road and therefore less air pollution but I pressed Halsall on whether it was a definitive increase or merely an aspiration on the part of the aggregates. Network Rail are clear they have a legal right to undertake a closure if necessary. Halsall told me the walk to Westcombe Park station was a comfortable five minutes from the PA2 polling district in Peninsula south of the Woolwich Road (Farmdale Road, Fairthorn Road, Gurdon Road etc). I set him straight with regard to the journey time on foot as well as pointing out what a dangerous, unpleasant walk it is compared to the existing crossing. Where are we now? Halsall agreed to send out regular updates to residents and his team will have oversight of what now goes out in terms of communication. More importantly, he agreed to carry out a proper review pending a final decision. This review will determine not only whether the projected increase in freight is definitive or merely aspirational but also for him and his team to give further consideration to whether there are alternative measures that can be taken rather than installing the proposed new signalling system. He mentioned the possibility of new, upgraded tracks (in order to prevent derailments) which may obviate the need for the new signalling system. In turn, I suggested (if the new signalling system proved to be a necessity) the installation of a small pedestrian walkway over the line. I strongly made the case for either of these options, or indeed any others that may be feasible, even at increased cost, if the alternative is an outright closure". The final outcome of this campaign against closure is unclear; it would be a real shame if the only pedestrian railway crossing in Greater London* was lost due to petty bureaucracy. *Actually it is not the only pedestrian rail crossing in Greater London - see the end video for an explanation and a view of the other crossings.

Now for a bit of an appeal for information; can anyone provide me with details of the old barge that used to be moored in the small dock at the Western end of Erith Riverside Gardens? It was there for years, and I believe it was the home of the local Sea Scouts. Secondly, from around the same period (the early 1990's if my memory serves), the small minesweeper that was moored on a buoy on the Thames off Erith, which I believe was used by the sea cadets and the Royal Navy Reserve. I think it was moved away or scrapped in around 1997, but I cannot be certain. Can anyone advise? These two vessels seem to have been lost in the mists of time, even though they were important landmarks back in the day. If anyone has any memories, or better still, photos of these two vessels, I would be extremely grateful for any information that you can provide. 

A new radio station launched yesterday. Maritime Radio, a Greenwich based station aimed at the population of Greenwich, Woolwich, Blackheath and Lewisham is now on air. You can see their website here. They broadcast on 96.5 FM and online. The signal in Erith is not great - but then, we are outside of their primary coverage area. The signal in Upper Belvedere is considerably better - due not only to the slightly closer proximity to the transmitter site, but also due to the fact that Upper Belvedere is located on a hill, and the height helps the low power VHF FM signal. If any readers can supply reception reports from their location, that would be greatly appreciated. Please email your findings to hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

You may have seen the trailer for a new British film that came out on Friday; an espionage thriller called Red Joan, starring Dame Judi Dench. The film is loosely (and I use the term advisedly) based on the life of Melita Norwood (pictured in the lower of the two images above), who many experts believe was the most important Soviet spy in Britain during the Cold War. The reviews of the film have been lukewarm, at best, and from what I can make out, the film bears very little resemblance to actual historical events - the protagonist has a different name for some unknown reason, and many of the incidents in the film either never took place, or if they did, the circumstances were dramatically different. Critics have written that the film is everything from "preposterous" to "inaccurate". Long time readers may recall that I wrote about long time Nursery Avenue in Bexleyheath resident, British communist and covert KGB spy Melita Norwood, also known as "The Bolshevik of Bexleyheath" and "The Spy who came in from the Co-Op" back in October 2011. At that point it was thought that she was not really very important and that MI5 had not had her arrested as they felt that she was not a high risk to security. This was before The Mitrokhin Archive relating to Soviet espionage over the last eighty or so years was released. The archive has been the property of the Churchill Archive Centre at Cambridge University since they were handed over by MI6 after they had been analysed in the late 1990’s. At over two thousand closely hand written pages, The Mitrokhin Archive is the largest academic record of Soviet era spying known to exist. It was created by KGB Major Vasili Mitrokhin during his thirty years as a KGB archivist in the foreign intelligence service and the First Chief Directorate. When he defected to the United Kingdom in 1992 he brought the archive with him. One of the conditions of Vasili Mitrokhin’s defection was that the documents were to be released into the public domain when they were no longer likely to endanger any operations. This has now happened, and much historical detail concerning KGB operations in the West is now open to public study. MI5 had only found out about her spying activities in when the Archive reached their hands, by which time Norwood was an old lady (she died in 2005). Melita Norwood was a civil servant at The British Non – Ferrous Metals Research Association (a research organisation that conducted work ostensibly into areas such as the effects of corrosion in pipes and seawater cooled condenser tubes used in warships; there is also some debate that the organisation was a cover for British nuclear weapons research, though there is contradictory evidence regarding this). She had access to the safe that contained documents graded as secret and above, and photographed thousands of pages which were handed over to her KGB masters. The Mitrokhin Archive says that Norwood, far from being a minor and not very significant figure in Soviet espionage, was actually the most important and highly regarded female spy in KGB history. She had been secretly awarded the Order of the Red Banner and granted a lifetime pension of £20 a month. It seems to me that the KGB would not have given her this very prestigious award simply for passing them information on rusty warships. The Order of the Red Banner was the highest award of Soviet Russia, subsequently the Soviet Union, until the Order of Lenin was established in 1930. Recipients were recognised for extraordinary heroism, dedication, and courage demonstrated on the battlefield. The order was also awarded to individuals as well as to military units, cities, ships, political and social organisations, and state enterprises. In essence the award was not given lightly. Despite the contradictory evidence, I find the claims that Norwood stole many of Britain’s nuclear secrets and enabled the Soviets to create their own nuclear weapons to be very credible; it is ironic that this person, acknowledged by the KGB as their finest female spy would live for much of her life in a comfortable if unremarkable semi detached house situated in Nursery Avenue in Bexleyheath. After her story came out and Melita Norwood gained a degree of infamy, my Mother saw her on a local bus on a couple of occasions, and felt sorry for the old lady who was often the target of loudly whispered gossip by fellow travellers. She did what she did for ideological reasons, and was quoted as saying “I did what I did, not to make money, but to help prevent the defeat of a new system which had, at great cost, given ordinary people food and fares which they could afford, a good education and a health service”. It is not known if at the time of her active spying career if she knew of Stalin’s state sponsored programme of mass murder or the millions he consigned to Gulags, or indeed the incredible repression and shortages undergone by all but the political elite in the corrupt Soviet system. It may well be that she was naive and credulous – as many Europeans were prior to World War II. Whatever the reason, she went to her grave knowing that communism was dead and the belief system it engendered was thoroughly and thankfully discredited.

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a report from Barnehurst ward:- "We are pleased to report there have been no burglaries in the past week, In fact we have had a really positive month so far with only one residential burglary at the beginning of April. There has been one theft of motor vehicle in Hillingdon Road on Wednesday 10/04/2019 between 22.00 and 0130 hours. A screw cap from the number plate and cards belonging to the victim were found in The Chase off Long Lane and the vehicle was later found in Thamesmead and recovered by Police. The original number plates were missing from the vehicle. Between Monday 01/04/2019 and Wednesday 17/04/2019 in Birling Road a rented garage was broken into. Details as to what or if anything has been taken is unknown as yet. Our next community contact session is on Tuesday 23/04/2019 at 11.00am in Barnehurst Golf Club". Belvedere ward:- "On Wednesday 10th April there was an incident involving a group of male youths that had gathered in Picardy Road and were observed in possession of weapons. The team took part in a search for this group however they had left the area prior to the arrival of Police. You may recall that the team had identified several youths that had been acting in an anti-social manner across the ward recently. As we had referred the group to Bexley Council, the decision has been made to offer Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABC's) to those that have been identified. These contracts are discussed with the individual and certain ‘conditions' are considered in an effort to curb anti-social behaviour. The team are in the process of visiting the remaining three members of the group that we have now identified and once spoken to, they will also be referred to Bexley Council. There was a burglary in Norman Road overnight from Saturday 13th into Sunday 14th April. Car keys and a vehicle were stolen from the property. There was an attempted break in in Elmbourne Drive overnight from Monday 15th/ Tuesday 16th April. Damage was caused to the frame of a window to the rear of the property. Entry was not gained to the property. Further to this, there was a burglary in Harold Avenue in which a property that is currently being renovated was broken into. The owner of the property challenged those responsible who then ran from the location. If anyone has any information in relation to these incidents, please contact the team on 0208 721 2050 or via email at Belvedere.SNT@met.police.uk. Our next Community Contact Session/ Drop in surgery in due to take place on Friday 26th April from 10am at All Saints church hall in Nuxley Road". Bexleyheath ward:- "There has been one report of a burglary that had taken place on the Tuesday 16/04/2019 between the hours of 8.30am and 1530hrs which was along the Broadway. Scooter was taken from the porch. Between Saturday 06/04/2019 and Monday 08/04/2019 – A indicator light were stolen from a vehicle along Meadow Close Bexleyheath. Patrols have been and still will be conducted in and around the Premiere Inn car park and including the cinema car park to help tackle anti-social behaviour. The team have had reports of youths riding motorbikes at Bursted Woods, as a result the team shall be continuing to patrol this area. If you do wish to pass on information to Police then please contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111. Please do not hesitate to contact us via Twitter, Facebook, email and the ward phone. If you are after crime prevention advice, please look at the Met Police website which has lots of information that you may find useful. Remember in an emergency please dial 999 and 101 for non-urgent reporting". Crayford ward:- "Thankfully there have been no residential burglaries, please don't be complacent about home security though, especially with the lovely weather forecast for the days ahead. In this last week there have been mainly vehicle related crimes. On Monday 15th April, number plates were stolen from a vehicle whilst parked at Crayford BR Station, these should be on a Citroen DS3. A White Ford Transit with the registration plate YS12 ETX was stolen whilst parked in Shearwood Crescent, there is reason to believe this vehicle may now be on different plates. Between 1800 on Saturday 13th April and 20.00 on Tuesday 16th April there was an attempted theft of a vehicle whilst parked at Alcock Crescent, the lock was drilled, the ignition barrel damaged and the steering column pulled down. Two vehicles were damaged by youths in Heath Road on Sunday 14th April between 20.40 – 21.10, a blue Peugeot and a Black Mercedes, the youths were seen to run off towards an alleyway nearby. A grey Nissan XTrail parked on a driveway in Mayplace Road East was broken in to between 19.00 on Friday 12th April and 10.00 on Saturday 13th April, the glove compartment was opened and golf clubs and a sports holdall had been removed from the boot of the vehicle, it was believed the vehicle was locked. A blue Ford Transporter was stolen between 17.10 on Friday 12th April and 05.50 on the Saturday 13th April from Maiden Lane. Between 23.00 on the Thursday 11th April and 08.00 on Friday 12th April a significant amount of items were stolen from a green Honda Civic whilst parked in Stephen Road, items include bank cards which were used locally, Photographic equipment including tripods, microphones, headphones and a playstation were stolen, the vehicle was believed to be locked. Between 16.40 on Thursday 11th April and 09.15 on Friday 12th April a Blue Hyundai Tucson was entered whilst parked in Mayplace Road East, it doesn't appear that anything was stolen. An elderly lady had her bank cards stolen whilst she was shopping in Sainsburys between 14.30 – 16.00 on Wednesday 10th April, a significant amount of money was withdrawn from her account. Please be vigilant when making card transactions, ensure no one can see the pin number you are entering and take time to put cards away safely before leaving the till area. On Wednesday 10th April between 13.30 – 13.35 a rock was thrown at a rear door in Crayford Way, causing the glass to shatter, there were young children playing nearby and thankfully no one was hurt. Between 18.15 on 9th April and 08.50 on 10th April small change was stolen from a black Nissan Qashqui whilst parked in Stephen Road, it is unknown how the vehicle was entered. Our next community contact session will be at Crayford Library on Tuesday 23 April between 11.00-12.00, please come along and speak with us if you have any concerns, or we can be contacted on our ward phone or email".

Erith ward:- "On Sunday we were at the Sikh temple in Belvedere handing out smart water kits. Saturday night we patrolled around the ward in all crime hot spot areas. Crimes from the week: Theft from motor vehicle on Wednesday 10/04/2019 Larner Road; Theft from motor vehicle on Friday 12/04/2019 Compton Place, and Shoplift >£199 on Saturday 13/04/2019 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, James Watt Way". Northumberland Heath ward:- "Another short report this week. We are pleased to say that we have had no reported burglaries. One report of criminal damage to a motor vehicle in Shinglewell Road. The vehicle, a Fiat Punto was left locked and secured on Wednesday April 10th at 8.30pm. The following morning Thursday April 11th at 7am the owner of the vehicle discovered the passenger window and windscreen had been smashed. A brick was found by the car and it is believed that this was used to damage the vehicle. It is unconfirmed if any items were stolen. We are aware of some recent reports of motor cycle ASB, in and around Northumberland Heath Recreation Ground. We are working on this issue and hope to have some news to share with you on this topic soon in relation to long term prevention of this. We will continue to patrol the park on the lookout for this and anyone we identify riding on the field will be issued with a Section 59 Warning (Police Reform Act 2002) meaning if they are caught committing a similar offence again within 12 months, their vehicle will be immediately seized. We plan to issue one of these warnings to a motorcycle which was recently seen being ridden in the park over the weekend. There has been a burglary in Redleaf Close, Belvedere between Sunday 14/04/2019, 2300 hours to Monday 15/04/2019, 0420 hours. The suspect has gained entry by forcing open the rear patio door. Property stolen from the burglary includes gold jewellery and a car which had been parked on the driveway, a Green FIAT 500, registration LX16VCE. We are aware that several residents have seen a male walking the local streets approaching properties on the same night of the burglary. The investigating officer has been made aware of this. We continue to get reports of theft of number plates and also some theft of motor vehicles". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "The only crime of note was a van broken into in Frobisher Road at 0830 on Friday April 12. An iPad and other items were taken. Please do not leave any valuable items on display. PC Mark was walking towards Appold Street on Friday afternoon when he saw a moped being ridden by 3 males in balaclavas. The males jumped off the bike and ran off before Mark could get close to them. The bike was recovered and reunited with a very grateful owner. We assisted our colleagues from Belvedere SNT on Saturday with a plain clothes operation. No arrests made but a good operation. On Sunday 14/04/2019 a male was found in possession of cannabis near to Morrison's in Erith. He will be back for interview soon". Thamesmead East ward:- "PC Nana was invited to a women's conference to talk about youth violence and internet safety among young people by a church organisation which was well received. PC Pruden arrested a male who was wanted in the Barking & Dagenham area for a serious assault which was Domestic related. PC Nana arrested a female who assaulted her whilst on duty at a bus stop on The Broadway Bexleyheath whilst waiting for a bus back to Thamesmead. Investigation still ongoing. The team conducted joint door knocking exercise with Peabody Housing to speak to residents at Penton and Osney Houses to find out if they have any concerns especially around ASB-related issues. Crimes reported in the last week: Racially Aggravated Harassment after Road transport collusion outside Lakeside medical centre, Yarnton Way. Criminal damage in a dwelling Domestic related at Kinder Close, SE28. Theft from motor vehicle in the early hours of Saturday 13/04/2019 on Mangold Way. Window smashed and property taken. Theft from BP garage Harrow Manor way, Drive off. Criminal Damage to property. Landlord/Tenant dispute at Ormesby Close. Criminal Damage to Payphone on Yarnton Way". West Heath ward:- "Motor vehicle crime - Wednesday 10th April at around 7.30am a van was broken into and tools stolen on Brampton Road; Saturday 6th April at 2am a male was seen on CCTV trying a car door handle in Berkeley Ave; Wednesday 6th April overnight someone attempted to break into a vehicle by removing the window sill in Shakespeare Road; Sunday 14th April overnight a scooter was stolen from an address in Langley Road; Monday 15th April overnight in Woolwich Road the spare wheel cover of a car was taken. Burglary - We have had three attempted residential burglaries, one actual and a garage burglary. Saturday 13th April at 10pm in Canberra Rd someone attempted to gain entry through a rear kitchen window. Suspect made off when disturbed by the house alarm; Saturday 13th - Sunday 14th April overnight in Heath Avenue there was an attempted where garden items were moved and trellis broken, no entry gained; Sunday 14th April at 10am in Heath Avenue a male gained entry into a conservatory but was chased off whilst trying to break into inner door leaving the tool they were using stuck in the door. Entry was not gained and nothing was taken; Sunday 14th April around 2pm a male was seen on CCTV doorbell trying a porch door handle and peering into the property in Berkeley Ave. Male was wearing a green jacket with fur edged hood; Monday 15th April overnight in Osborne Road a garage was broken into by cutting off the padlock and tools taken. The team have carried out several plain clothes patrols around the The Pantiles this week resulting in several stop & Searches all with negative results. We have also conducted arrest enquiries for offenders. Our street briefing held in Brabourne Crescent on Saturday 13th April was well attended, main issues arising were parking and littering. Our next street briefing will be on Saturday 20th April in Exmouth Road at the junction with Seaton Rd at 7.30pm. The ward panel met on 10th April, the promises remain the same ASB / drugs, Burglary and Motor vehicle crime". 

As mentioned earlier, the Angerstein Wharf branch line pedestrian crossing in Charlton is not actually the only pedestrian rail crossing in Greater London, as had previously been assumed. The short video below shows the other crossings and gives some background information about them. Do feel free to leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.