Festival.

Many thanks to the numbers of readers who contacted me following last week's blog update. Unfortunately, I made a couple of errors in my reporting, mainly due to me being housebound since mid January and therefore having little ability to physically check certain issues and facts. Firstly, it would appear that some works have been made to repair the damage caused to the De Luci fish roundabout sculpture but serious work still needs to be undertaken to fully repair the damage caused when it was hit by and out of control vehicle some months ago. When I passed the sculpture on the roundabout last week, my chauffeur went around part of the roundabout which showed the undamaged and slightly repaired section but did not show the still remaining damage. Unfortunately, I assumed that the whole thing had been repaired, which turns out to be incorrect as you'll see from the attached photos above. Please click on either to see a larger version. Thanks very much to the person who sent me the image and updated me with the latest news about the situation. Secondly, on the same day when I visited Erith hospital and wrote the article about the wartime bomb shelter which had been used as the X-ray centre for many decades. I stated that the underground facility was still in regular use. A number of readers have now corrected me to say that the X-ray department has now moved into the main body of the hospital building and is now located adjacent to the phlebotomy centre. This is somewhat ironic as I visited the phlebotomy centre for blood tests but as I wrote recently I was in and out very efficiently within about 10 minutes and did not notice the new X-ray centre as I had little time to look around before my appointment. My experiences of the hospital were extremely positive and you can read more about it from a contributor below, who holds a senior position in the Community Hospitals organisation:- 

“Community Hospital” is the more modern terminology for what used to be called “Cottage Hospitals”, and because of their easy access within their local communities they can play an enormously valuable role in supporting Community Health services which is where about 80% of NHS health activity takes place.   https://communityhospitals.org.uk  Unfortunately it is the acute hospitals that receive most publicity (and soak up something like 80% of the NHS funding) and community health is so often overlooked. Your experience at the Erith Community Hospital (which I have actually visited myself) is very typical of the discovery patients make of these “little gems”, and with the development of technology (on which you are an undoubted expert) many, many diagnostic tests can now be undertaken in these community hospitals without the need for a lengthy & difficult trip to a large acute hospital.  Community Hospitals are often the ideal settings for creating diagnostic hubs and this is a developing trend. Erith Hospital seems to be formally known as “Erith & District Hospital”, but it is clearly no longer an “acute” large District General Hospital … though it may have been some decades ago?  So no A&E; no major surgery will take place there; no hospital consultants based there. What it seems to now major on is the following: An Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) where Advanced Nurse Practitioners will offer “Minor Injuries” care, but there will also be a GP type doctor there.  It is a good option for urgent treatment that does not require the advanced level of an acute hospital “Accident & Emergency” unit…..  and can save patients many hours of waiting and also take pressure off the local A&E units. The UTC is run by Hurley Group. A Radiology Department (ie: a diagnostic centre as I mentioned below) run by Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust. Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust are the main local NHS provider, and have 2 large acute hospitals (Queen Mary, Sidcup & Darenth Hospital, Dartford).  They also have 3 Community Hospitals (Gravesham Community Hospital, Erith & District Hospital, North Kent Diagnostic centre which also includes Livingstone Community Hospital within its site) all three of which will function as satellite sites around the 2 main hospitals".

There have been several occasions in the past where have written in detail about Erith pop in parlour. It closed over a decade ago and the building has been empty and unused ever since. There have been several occasions where I have contacted local ward councillors for an update on the situation as the ownership of the building has been unclear for a very long time. In this period several people have claimed ownership but the disputes and arguments have left the situation very much unresolved. There have also been occasions where so-called urban explorers have entered. The building and taken video footage which has appeared on several online channels including YouTube. It was determined at one point that Erith Construction had a claim on the building, and it was alleged that at one stage they had plans to demolish it and replace it with a four-story block of flats which would have been located next to their headquarters in what was originally the Erith job centre. For reasons unknown this never happened. The building is still empty and unused many years later. In recent times, arsonists have caused a major fire in the abandoned and unused building as can be seen from the upper photo attached, which was taken by a long-term reader and occasional contributor who wishes to remain anonymous. If you have any information about the situation, you can contact me in complete confidence at hugh.neal@gmail.com and I will action accordingly. 

Over the years, one particular event has become something of a priority for me to attend. In fact I have made A point of attending every single year since the event first started 18 years ago. As you were probably guessed from the poster above this is the annual Bexley Beer Festival which is held at the Old Dartfordians rugby club adjacent to the A2 in Bourne Road, Bexley village. Until this year I have always made it to the event and for me it is one of the highlights of the social year. as well as the selection of usually over 100 well kept real ales available. It also offers a chance to catch up with friends and acquaintances who I might only see once a year at the event. I also usually get to meet a number of my readers which is always pleasant. Unfortunately, this year for the very first time, I will almost certainly be unable to attend the event through no fault of my own. As many readers are already aware, I have been housebound since mid January with what is suspected to be Long Covid. I have diarrhoea, nausea and extreme exhaustion meaning that I can only walk a few steps before needing to sit down to get to my breath back. Although I have already had some tests at Erith Hospital, I have been instructed by my GP after a couple of telephone consultations that I need to have further blood tests. I suspect that the GP currently unclear as to the cause of my condition, and is merely "ticking the boxes". I'm not normally somebody who suffers from ill health so this has really knocked me for six. I am not a great celebrant of Christmas, Easter or birthdays but the Bexley Beer Festival is the one occasion I really look forward to. Realistically, although I may wish to attend the event, even if I was chauffeured door-to-door, I would find it very difficult to stay for more than a few minutes as I'm so physically exhausted. Having said this, I would strongly advise anybody with an interest in local events, real ale and volunteering to get a bus, cab, or other public transport to the rugby club for the event as it is in my opinion, one of the most interesting and involving dates in the local social calendar. Comments and feedback as usual to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The end video this week is a short documentary on the large train and rolling stock maintenance depot located in Slade Green, which next year celebrates its 125th anniversary. The depot has a fascinating history, and it was instrumental in shaping what is now the area known as Slade Green. The late Victorian era witnessed a significant expansion of the railway network, and the South Eastern Railway (SER) recognised the need for a substantial new depot to service its growing fleet, particularly the suburban tank engines operating on the busy North Kent lines. While considering an expansion of the existing facilities at Bricklayers Arms, the increasing freight traffic necessitated a dedicated new location. The marshlands of Crayford were identified as the ideal site, and in April 1898, construction commenced on what was initially known as "Whitehall, Erith." Completed in October 1899 under the South Eastern & Chatham Railway (SE&CR), the new engine shed was an impressive feat of engineering for its time. Equipped with ten parallel tracks, two of which fed a dedicated repair shed, and boasting two 50-foot turntables, it had the capacity to handle around 110 steam locomotives. This centralised facility allowed for the closure of smaller, less efficient sheds at Woolwich Arsenal and Deptford, streamlining maintenance operations. A notable feature was the 150,000-gallon water tank, complete with a water softener, essential for the steam engines. The establishment of the depot spurred the development of the surrounding area. To house the influx of railway workers, approximately 145 houses were built, forming the nucleus of the "railway village" that would become Slade Green. To serve this growing community and the depot itself, Slade Green railway station opened on July 1, 1900. The early 20th century brought significant changes to the railway landscape. Following the grouping of railway companies in 1923, the Southern Railway (SR) embarked on an ambitious electrification program for its suburban lines, adopting the 660 V third-rail system. Recognising the need to maintain the new electric multiple units (EMUs), the SR proposed a major conversion of the Slade Green depot in 1924. The existing engine shed was adapted, and a new heavy maintenance shed was constructed. This work was completed by the end of 1925, just in time for the commencement of electric services to Dartford in June 1926, marking the gradual phasing out of steam locomotives at the depot. Slade Green also became a pioneer in railway maintenance technology, becoming home to one of the UK's first mechanical carriage washers in 1935. Under the Southern Region of British Railways, the depot continued to evolve. In 1953, both the depot and the adjacent railway station officially adopted the name "Slade Green." To accommodate the longer EMU formations being introduced, the original engine shed was extended in 1954, with the new brickwork carefully matching the original 1899 structure. The late 20th century saw further modernisation. With the introduction of the Class 465 and Class 466 "Networker" fleets in the early 1990s, British Rail undertook a significant redevelopment of the southern end of the depot. The 1925 repair shed was demolished and replaced with a modern, eight-road maintenance facility, officially opened in 1991. This new depot was equipped to handle the advanced technology of the Networker trains while still providing support for the older "slam-door" stock until their eventual withdrawal in 1995. Today, the Slade Green depot is owned by Network Rail and operated by Southeastern. It remains a vital maintenance hub, providing berthing and upkeep for a diverse range of modern electric multiple units that serve the busy commuter routes across the region. Recent multi-million-pound investments have further enhanced its capabilities, including a new wheel lathe, carriage wash, and extended overhead gantry, ensuring the depot can continue to support the reliability and efficiency of the railway for years to come. Comments and feedback to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.