Bust.

 

The two photos above - click on either to see a larger view - were taken by me on Wednesday afternoon. They show two Bexleyheath businesses that have recently gone bust. They are both physically and socially at the opposite ends of the local spectrum. The upper photo shows Bulgaro, which was an exttremely high-end kitchen fitting company that designed and installed very expensive bespoke kitchens for wealthy customers, located in the western end of Bexleyheath Broadway, close to Crook Log. The large building was their headquarters and showroom for their designer kitchen fittings business, which opened in October 2016. I have been made aware by another nearby local business owner that the proprietor of Bulgaro had told nearby residents and businesses that they were remodelling and redesigning the shop interior. That was nearly six months ago and the place has been deserted, boarded up, empty and closed ever since. I cannot say that I am surprised by this, as I regularly walked past the shop when it was open, and I never once saw a customer inside. The lower photo shows the Home Land store, which has been located in the Bexleyheath Broadway shopping centre for only a couple of years. The shop has sold budget home wares, cooking implements and soft furnishings. The double unit store was in my opinion far too large and must have cost a lot of money in monthly rent. The shop was also seriously over stocked and the owners had great difficulty in shifting such a large amount of goods, which must have tied up a huge amount of financial capital. Almost since it first opened around two years ago it has had a sale on almost continuously. I would imagine that the owners have lost a huge amount of money. I am always keen to see local independent stores succeed, but this store was in my opinion doomed from the outset. It will mean yet another empty shop double unit in the shopping centre not long after the Body Shop outlet closed for good. It is a shame to see these two independent local businesses fail. These are just two examples of many in Bexleyheath. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

If you own a mobile smartphone, it will almost certainly use either Apple's iOS operating system, or Google's Android operating system. What many people are unaware of, is that these two, massively successful competing operating systems are both based on the same foundations. You may think that your smart phone is state of the art, and a very high tech piece of kit, but the base software that runs it is actually fifty five years old this week. Both iOS and Android are based on the venerable computer Unix operating system, which was released fifty five years ago this week. The Unix project was initially an unapproved spin - off of an unsuccessful operating system called Multics. Unix and Multics were products of Bell Labs - part of AT and T, the gigantic American phone company. The burgeoning development team happened to be in precisely the right environment for Unix to flourish. Bell Labs, which was funded by a portion of the monthly revenue from nearly every telephone line in the United States, was not like other workplaces. Keeping a handful of programmers squirrelled away on the top floor of the research and development complex was not going to bankrupt the company. Leaders of the Unix project were two programmers - Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson. During the summer of 1969, Thompson, Ritchie, and their ostensible supervisor Rudd Canaday hashed out the basics of a file manager that would run on a DEC PDP-7 mini computer that they had "borrowed" from Bell Labs acoustics department. This was no simple task. Batch computing—running programs one after the other—rarely required that a computer be able to permanently store information, and many mainframes did not have any permanent storage device (whether a tape or a hard disk) attached to them. But the time-sharing, multi user environment that these programmers had fallen in love with required attached storage. And with multiple users connected to the same computer at the same time, the file manager had to be written well enough to keep one user’s files from being written over another user’s. When a file was read, the output from that file had to be sent to the user that was opening it. Eventually when they had the file management system more or less fleshed out conceptually, it came time to actually write the programming code. The trio—all of whom had terrible handwriting—decided to use the Labs’ dictating service. One of them called up a lab extension and dictated the entire code base into a tape recorder. And thus, some unidentified clerical worker or workers soon had the unenviable task of trying to convert that into a typewritten document. Of course, it was done imperfectly. Among various errors, “inode” came back as “eye node,” but the output was still viewed as a decided improvement over their assorted scribbles. The DEC PDP-7 did not have a tape drive or a hard drive at the time—the system was “booted” by feeding a punched paper tape into it. Without an attached drive, the file system they had worked so hard on had to wait. At least they had a functioning multi-user time-sharing environment to play around with. Still, the team felt this was an accomplishment and christened their operating system “UNICS,” short for UNIplexed Information and Computing System. Eventually, word leaked out about this operating system, and businesses and institutions began contacting Bell Labs about their new operating system. The Labs made it available for free—requesting only the cost of postage and media from anyone who wanted a copy. By this time the operating system name had been changed to Unix. The rest has quite literally made technology history. By the late 1970s, a copy of the operating system found its way out to the University of California at Berkeley, and in the early 1980s, programmers there adapted it to run on PCs. Their version of Unix, the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), was picked up by developers at NeXT, the company Steve Jobs founded after leaving Apple in 1985. When Apple purchased NeXT in 1996, BSD became the starting point for Apple OS X / later Mac OS and iOS. The free distribution of Unix stopped in 1984, when the government broke up AT and T and an earlier settlement agreement that prohibited the company from profiting off many Bell Labs inventions expired. The Unix community had become accustomed to free software, however, so upon learning that AT and T would soon be charging for all copies of Unix and would prohibit alterations to the source code, programmer Richard Stallman and others set about re-creating Unix using software that would be distributed to anyone free of charge—with no restrictions on modification. They called their project “GNU,” short for “GNU’s Not Unix.” In 1991, Linus Torvalds, a university student in Helsinki, Finland, used several of the GNU tools to write a Unix based operating system kernel that would run on PCs. And his software, eventually called Linux, became the basis of the Android operating system in 2004. So if you have an Android or iPhone, you are actually using something based on Unix - the best operating system that many people have not heard about.

Last week I wrote an article on the history of Beasley's Brewery, which used to be located in Plumstead. Since I published the piece, a reader has contacted me asking if I could write an article on the history of Reffells Brewery, which used to be located in Bexley Village.  Reffells Brewery. Founded in 1874 by Henry Reffell, this brewery not only quenched the thirst of locals but also contributed significantly to the economic and social fabric of the area for nearly a century. The story of Reffells began as a family venture. Henry Reffell, having left his previous brewery, established a new one on a green field site in Bourne Road, Bexley. This proved to be the most successful of the Reffell breweries, although ultimately it would slip from the family's control. Around the turn of the century, the brewery expanded and modernized, leading to the registration of Reffells Bexley Brewery Limited in 1898. This move brought much-needed financial support, but also marked the gradual separation of the Reffell family from the business. Despite initial challenges, the brewery thrived under new leadership, becoming renowned for its quality beers and winning numerous awards. For over 75 years, Reffells beers were a staple in local pubs and homes. However, the post-war era brought new challenges. Like many small breweries, Reffells faced increasing pressure from larger competitors. In 1956, the brewery was acquired by Courage Ltd., marking the end of an era. Brewing ceased the following year, and the buildings were repurposed for industrial use. The Reffells trade mark and name is now owned by Marston's, but it is currently not used.  Today, while the brewery itself is no longer operational, its memory lives on. The buildings, now part of an industrial estate, stand as a testament to the brewery's past. Comments to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

I was in Bexleyheath on Wednesday afternoon, and I was shocked by the number of school children who were openly using vapes. The fact that legally a person cannot purchase a vape or cigarettes until they are eighteen seems to have escaped many local children. Vaping damages young people’s lungs as much as smoking, according to research that has prompted fresh debate over the health risks of e-cigarettes. The study compared vapers and smokers in a strenuous exercise test and found both groups emerged as being less fit and much more out of breath than people who have neither habit. Dr Azmy Faisal and colleagues at Manchester Metropolitan University asked 60 people in their 20s to have their lung capacity recorded by spending time on a static exercise bike. Twenty were non-smokers, 20 others had vaped for at least two years and the other 20 had smoked for at least two years. The vapers had an average “peak exercise capacity”, which, at 186 watts, was similar to that of the smokers (182 watts) but much lower than that among the non-smokers or vapers (226 watts). The test measures the maximum amount of physical exercise that someone can achieve. In addition, the vapers and smokers were less able to take in oxygen – at 2.7 litres and 2.6 litres a minute, respectively – than those who neither smoked nor vaped (3 litres). Medical researchers have found evidence that vaping increases the risk of cancer, because it changes their DNA, and also that it may damage the brain and vital organs because e-cigarette aerosols and liquids can contain traces of toxic metals such as lead and uranium.

Virtual reality (VR) has been on the cusp of mainstream adoption for years, with promises of immersive experiences that would revolutionise gaming, entertainment, education, and even the way we work. However, despite these lofty expectations, VR remains a niche technology, confined to a small group of enthusiasts and specific industry applications. One of the most significant barriers to VR adoption is the high cost of entry. While the price of VR headsets has come down in recent years, they still represent a significant investment for most consumers. Additionally, setting up a VR system can be complex, requiring powerful computers and dedicated space, further limiting its appeal. VR headsets can be uncomfortable to wear for extended periods, causing motion sickness, eye strain, and neck pain for some users. Additionally, the bulky nature of VR systems can make them inaccessible to people with limited mobility or those in smaller living spaces. While there are some impressive VR experiences available, the overall library of content remains relatively small compared to traditional gaming and entertainment platforms. This lack of compelling content can make it difficult to justify the investment in VR hardware and software. VR's immersive nature can lead to social isolation, as users become disconnected from the real world. This can be particularly concerning for younger users, who may find it difficult to balance their virtual and real-life social interactions. Despite these challenges, VR still holds immense potential. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see improvements in comfort, accessibility, and content offerings. Additionally, the rise of augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies could offer new opportunities for VR to integrate with the real world, creating more engaging and seamless experiences. I think in many ways the failure in take up of virtual reality mirrors the failure of 3D televisions, which around twelve or thirteen years ago were said to be "the next big thing", but whilst many sets were sold, they were almost exclusively used in 2D mode. There were several key reasons behind this. The gimmick soon wore off - one key issue was the novelty factor. The initial excitement of watching objects seemingly pop out of the screen eventually subsided. For many viewers, the novelty was not enough to sustain long-term interest, especially when it came with inconveniences. The need for special glasses was a major drawback. Many found them uncomfortable, cumbersome, or even headache-inducing, you also had to be sitting directly in front of the 3D television screen to be able to see the images. The availability of 3D content was another stumbling block. Despite early efforts by broadcasters and studios, the amount of compelling 3D programming remained limited. 3D TVs and compatible glasses were initially expensive, adding a premium to an already significant investment. The rise of streaming services and the focus on improving picture quality through 4K and HDR further diluted the appeal of 3D. With viewers having more choices than ever, 3D struggled to stand out. The failure of both 3D television and Virtual Reality serves as a reminder that technological advancements alone do not guarantee success. Consumer adoption hinges on convenience, content availability, and affordability. 

The end video this week comes from BBC children's news programme Newsround from the 16th of June 1999. It features a story on the then newly discovered prehistoric forest which had been discovered buried in the mud near the banks of the River Thames close to Erith Yacht Club. Comments and feedback as always to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.