The Forum.

The Erith Riverside Gardens are a lovely place to visit, and to sit and watch the world go by. Recently the gardens have been the home of some free yoga sessions. The next free sessions are being held on Saturday the 7th September 11-12pm. Then on Saturday the 14th September from 11-12pm, and finally an evening session on Monday the 23rd September from 6.30 - 7.30pm. Bring along a yoga mat and wear suitable loose clothing. Before anyone asks, no, I will not be participating!

Now for some rather sad news, that I have to admit I did see coming. Erith Town Forum have decided to disband. A message was sent to a number of local people, including myself, on Friday afternoon. The message reads in full thus:- "Erith Town Forum Management Committee met today. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the future of the Forum. After much careful thought both prior to and during the meeting it was decided that now is the appropriate time to close Erith Town Forum since it no longer has sufficient voluntary officers able to give time and attention to make sure it can be as active and useful to the community of Erith as it has certainly been in the past. We are extremely proud of the achievements of Erith Town Forum over many years. Another consultative group has come into being “The Erith Think Tank” who aim to do many of the things the Forum have done in the past but using new modern methods of communication and generally operating in a different way. You will find details of their activities through The Exchange, the organisation now refurbishing the old Carnegies Library for use as a community hub. The funds raised by the Chairperson of Erith Forum from local business and larger charities over the years have been spent to organise events for senior citizens, young people and the community as a whole, together with the cost of hiring the Veterans Club for regular meetings and secretarial services. There is a small amount of money left in the accounts and the Management team recommend that this be divided between 2 charities – the Erith Food Bank and Evergreen, both of whose services are in greater demand than ever. In case you are in doubt as to who Evergreen serve, it is largely the older generation who are sick, returning from a hospital stay or simply lonely. These people need help to keep their homes clean and tidy and company to keep them mentally stimulated. We have sent a note to all Members of the Forum inviting them to comment on the above and await their reply. Meantime we would like to thank you for your contributions and regular attendance at Forum meetings and events over many many years, and hope you will be able to get to the Think Tank meetings and enjoy participating in their activities". To learn more about the Erith Think Tank, and to join in with its activities, click here. 

Back in July I wrote at some length about the threat to the two metre VHF amateur radio band. A proposal had been submitted by France to make the Aeronautical Mobile Service the primary users of the 144-146 MHz (2 Metre VHF) band and demote the Amateur Radio Service to secondary users - effectively removing them from the band. Thanks to concerted efforts by the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) and other European amateur radio societies, At 144MHz, after a major effort, the 144 to 146MHz frequency range was successfully withdrawn from the French WRC-23 aeronautical proposal. This hot topic had been the subject of detailed submissions by the IARU, France and Germany. This excellent result for amateur radio occurred in parallel to a number of other proposals being adopted to support aeronautical interests. The upshot of this is that the 2M amateur band is saved and can continue being used exclusively by licenced amateur radio operators. 

Here is a message from Caroline Field of Orbit Housing Association:- "Orbit and Wates invite you to join us to celebrate the completion of Erith Park and launch of Arthur Street regeneration. Our community fun day, organised with residents of Erith Park  celebrates the new community.  We are building homes here, not just houses, and that means working together to create a lasting community legacy. We would love to welcome you to show our appreciation of your contribution to the new community of Erith Park – and our future vision for Arthur Street. Join us for a day filled with fun activities and entertainment for all. It’s the weekend so feel free to bring family members if you wish. Food and drink vans will be available on the day. Saturday 14th September 1-4pm. Community Room, Adamson Court, Dell View Road, DA8 3FG". Caroline also wrote to me to explain the recent decision by Bexley Council to reject the initial plans for the demolition of the old Arthur Street Estate, which I covered in detail last week. Caroline writes:- "As you know the planning committee resolved to give consent for the demolition of Arthur Street and the building of our new development.  What people often don’t realise is that there are other processes to go through before a planning consent is confirmed and you can actually start work.  Some of these processes involve lawyers so they can take some time.  We plan to start work on structural demolition at the end of September and we are still hoping to get our main consent confirmed by then. However, as is normal in these circumstances, we submitted a simpler application to cover the demolition as a back up.  This is what the Council have refused". It would appear that the decision from Bexley Council is a minor blip, and not the major problem that some had envisaged. The regeneration of the Arthur Street Estate is much needed by hundreds of local people. 

Since my piece on the potential new Micro Pub in Welling which I covered last week, a reader who wishes to remain anonymous Emailed me to inform me that planning permission has just been given for The Bolthole in Falconwood Parade, Welling. This will be another Micro Pub. The writer and I share the opinion that this may be one too many in the Welling area, and we share concerns that the opening of a third micro pub in a relatively small catchment area may lead to the market becoming over saturated. On the other hand, there is a large residential community around the Falconwood area, which might well support the venture. Regarding the application, I notice that another local resident has submitted an objection on the Bexley planning website. The person has submitted the following comments:- "This application should be refused and the applicant asked to apply as a public house (not a Micropub). Micropubs should not serve lager as the applicants have suggested on their website. The area is not suited to a venue that will supply large quantities of lager, creating antisocial behaviour to residents and children playing nearby. The alternative is strict conditions that say all beer sold must be unpasteurised and therefore conform as real ale whether served on draught or in bottles/cans. This can be tested and will prevent the sale of mass-produced lagers. If the applicant is to be allowed to serve fizzy lagers, they should be required to have door staff as a condition of the licence between 1800 and 2300 on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and bank holidays". on top of this, another local resident has submitted the following, which I was not aware of, until now:- "After your comments about lager on your blog it did make me wonder. This area The Green in Welling has a history of anti-social behaviour. There is a covenant on all our property deeds that no intoxicating alcohol should be sold on this estate, but we have two restaurants who sell same but to customers, and three off-licences so I presume nobody takes any notice of these things now, as it was in 1936. I did mention it to the Planning Officer". What do you think of this situation? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

I am a big fan of Google's Chromebook computers. Chromebooks run a cut down version of the Linux operating system called Chrome OS, and the only locally installed application on the simplified computers is the Chrome web browser. All "apps" run on the machines are actually web based applications that are remotely accessed; whilst the machines do have a limited amount of local storage, users are strongly encouraged to store their data in encrypted form in the cloud.  I have had a Google Chromebook by Samsung - (the photo above is my own model) since 2012, and I have been very satisfied with it - especially considering their inexpensive price. Most Chromebooks cost between £179 and £279, though it is possible to spend considerably more, though personally I can see only limited benefit in getting a pricier model, as most of the "heavy lifting" of any computing is not done on the Chromebook itself. but on the server in the cloud. Chromebooks are basically terminals onto the net. As long as you have a good WiFi or a 4 / 5G connection, you are good to go. Google's Chrome operating system has proved to be extremely robust and secure, though it has to be said it has far less to do than a "full fat" desktop / Laptop operating system such as Windows 10. I bought my Chromebook back in 2012, when they were a relatively knew phenomenon; I paid £229 for it - which I thought was little enough that if it did not work for me, little money would have been wasted. On the contrary, I found it to be an excellent tool with long battery life, a decent screen and most important to me - an excellent keyboard very similar in style to a MacBook Pro. I spend most of my time online typing, so keyboard quality is something very important to me - and also the reason that I am not a fan of tablet computers - I am primarily a content creator, rather than a content consumer. I recently encountered an issue which I had been half expecting, but which nevertheless came as somewhat of an unpleasant surprise. I powered up the Chromebook one evening recently, and a pop up notice appeared on screen, which said:- "This device will no longer receive the latest software updates. Please consider upgrading". I did a bit of research, and the current Chromebook will continue working, but it will not get functionality and security updates in future. This is not too bad really - the machine has been a workhorse for seven years, so it really does not owe me anything. If I want to continue using it with continuing updates, I can install a full Linux operating system on it. Saying that, I do like Chrome OS, and looked at possibly getting a brand new Chromebook at some stage in the future. One thing I discovered was that buying a brand new Chromebook does not guarantee you will get six and a half years of updates to it from Google. Support from Google for Chrome OS on a device lasts from the moment that particular model is released by the manufacturer, not from when the end user purchases it. Every Chromebook has an "Auto Update Expiration (AUE) Date" after which the operating system is unsupported by Google. If you happen to buy your Chromebook late in the product's life cycle, you may be surprised how soon the AUE date arrives. You can see the AUE dates for the whole range of Chromebooks listed in order of the manufacturer by clicking here. Would this put you off buying a Chromebook? What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

One of the most widely known companies to have a historic association with Erith was Callender's Cables, formerly known as The Callender Bitumen, Telegraph and Waterproof co. Originally the company was primarily concerned with the production of bitumen and waterproof damp course material for the building trade, with cable making little more than a side line. The rapid growth in telecommunications in the late Victorian era led to cables becoming the company's main product, and in 1896 the firm was reorganised as The Callender Cable and Construction co, which was later changed to British Insulated Callenders Cables, or BICC. By 1965 the Erith based factory was the principal manufacturing facility for the world's largest cable group - the production area covered some 65 acres and provided employment for 1,300 local workers. Callenders were one of the main manufacturers of PLUTO (Pipeline Under The Ocean). Callenders also contributed much to the area of culture and the arts; Callenders Cableworks Band, which was started in 1890 as a Salvation Army band. Some members wanted to play a wider variety of music, so the band was relaunched as a temperance promoting popular music band. Callender's employees included at least a hundred instrumentalists who spent their leisure time in four band groups. The Senior Band consisted of 31 picked men: this was the band which broadcast on BBC Radio. There was also the A-band, the B-band and a learner's class of beginners from school age onwards; the A- and B-band members and the learners could all be promoted upwards as their skills developed and vacancies occurred. There was also a degree of "poaching" of skilled instrumentalists from other bands, not necessarily local to the area; It was kept quiet at the time, but in August 1925 when the St Hilda Colliery in South Shields temporarily closed, seven members of the colliery band, which was undoubtedly one of the best in the UK at the time, were all offered positions working at Callenders, even though they were miners, not cabling engineers. It is understood that their "day jobs" were nominal at best - making the tea or doing a bit of sweeping up - they were actually recruited primarily for their musical talents, and the prestige that they would bring to the company. This "poaching" of the best musicians from other brass bands carried on over the next ten years or so - a period when the Callenders Cableworks Band were considered the very best in the country. They became popular around the country and gave many public performances, and had a regular feature on pioneering radio station 2LOduring the early days of radio. The Band's first broadcast was from radio station 2LO on 27 February 1925. By 1932 the Band had twice toured all stations of BBC Radio, and they were to broadcast there twice again in April of that year, by which time they had broadcast 72 times on radio. By 16 December of that year, they had broadcast 80 times. They aspired to performing music which was "out of the rut of marches, operatic selections and other pier head pieces." They performed on 5 March 1932 at the Queen's Hall, London. On the afternoon and evening of Sunday 20 March of the same year, they performed at the opening of the new art deco frontage of the Central Bandstand, Herne Bay, Kent. On 18 December 1932 they took part in a special BBC Radio programme in which most of the music had been composed especially for them. Under the name of Callenders Senior Band they recorded Colonel Bogey, Entry of the Gladiators, Le Grenadier, Les Huguenots (parts 1 and 2), Three Dale Dances and Triana on 78 rpm disks. They recorded A Sailor's Life (Descriptive Fantasia), parts 1 and 2, conducted by Tom Morgan, on two Broadcast Twelve disks. Broadcast Twelve Records was a United Kingdom based record label introduced in 1928 to partner the regular "Broadcast" brand records introduced in 1927. These brands replaced the Aco Records label. The manufacturer of the discs were the Vocalion Gramophone Company. "Broadcast" discs were 8-inch (later increased to 9-inch) and "Broadcast Twelve" discs were 10-inch 78rpm gramophone records, but with small labels and a fine groove pitch so they would play as long as regular 10 and 12-inch discs respectively. They ceased production in 1934. The label was a subsidiary of the British branch of Vocalion Records. In brass band competitions over the years they had 25 wins, 11 second places and 3 third places. For some years they took part in the Elthorne Band Contest which started in 1919 at Elthorne Park. The competition had four sections with many entries, and a massed band concert. They won the competition on 20 May 1924 and 3 May 1925, and again on 7 June 1930. The band was disbanded at the start of World War 2, and reformed at the end of the war; though it never regained the prestige it had once held - and in any case brass band music was losing favour with the listening public. The band struggled on until 1961, when it was finally wound up due to a lack of members. Ironically the history of the band is now starting to come to the fore again, and interest in what Callenders did in the early decades of the twentieth century is now starting to grow.

It has come to my attention that we will shortly be losing a well known and very popular local figure. Rob Radcliffe, who has been the vicar at St.John's Erith - Bexley's oldest church - since 2011 is about to move on. He's heading off to the Isle of Man, where he was born, to take charge of four churches in the island. The official Church of England announcement reads:- "Bishop Peter is pleased to announce the appointment of The Revd Mark Radcliffe, currently Vicar of St John the Baptist, Erith, as the new Vicar of Malew and Santan, succeeding the Revd James McGowan. Mark was born on the Isle of Man but with both of his parents serving in the British Army, his childhood saw him living in different locations across the globe, including a spell in Singapore. Prior to ordination Mark worked for various organisations as an Information Technology Officer and was also an active member of St Philip and St James’ Church in Walderslade, Kent, where he served on the PCC, Diocesan Synod and Bishop’s Council. Mark also spent time as the Lay Chair of Rochester Deanery as well as chairing the Diocesan Youth Committee. Mark began training for ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham, in 2005 before being ordained deacon in 2008 and serving his Title in the Parish of St John the Evangelist, Welling. Revd Mark took up his current position as Vicar of Erith in the Diocese of Rochester in 2011 and has overseen a growth in school outreach work that culminated in over 800 young people attending the most recent Christmas Carol services. Mark is 56 years old and in his spare time he enjoys walking and reading military history and science fiction books. On his appointment the Revd Mark Radcliffe said, ‘I am looking forward to spending time getting to know the congregations of the parish and the local communities that they serve whilst trying to discern God's plans for our shared future’. Commenting on the new appointment, Bishop Peter said ‘I am delighted to welcome The Revd Mark Radcliffe to the Diocese of Sodor and Man.  Mark brings with him substantial experience of parish ministry and a desire to reach out across the entire community with the Gospel and with a ministry of care.   I thank Wardens, Parish Officers, and colleagues for sustaining the life of the parish through the period of Interregnum, and I express my gratitude and happiness that we have been able to appoint a new Vicar so swiftly.  I now look forward immensely to welcoming Mark into our diocese and into the Southern Mission Partnership.  Thanks be to God.’ Please pray for Mark as he prepares to move to the Island and please also pray for the people of St John the Baptist, Erith, as they prepare for a period of vacancy". In case you were wondering, Rob will be using the first name of Mark when he moves to his new post. I have no idea why. I will miss my occasional chats with him; we used to discuss old computers and military history, of which he is a great enthusiast. Rob is a Maggot Sandwich reader, and I hope he will continue so to do after his move to pastures new. I wish him well in his new parish.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "Since the last weekly update there have been no crimes to report. This is great news however we continue to remind residents to double lock front doors, check windows are closed securely and ensure your vehicles are safe with no items left out on show. PC Arif and PC Tom Smith have been carrying out proactive patrols targeting hotspot areas. Police Community Support Officers Cathy and John have been out on foot patrol engaging with local residents and carrying out reassurance visits to vulnerable residents. Street a week was carried out in Taunton Close where residents had the opportunity to speak to officers about local issues. The next community contact session will be held in Barnehurst Golf Club on Tuesday 10th September 2019 at 11.00am. We look forward to seeing you". Belvedere ward:- "Last week, there was damage caused to the window of a residents vehicle in Brigstock Road overnight from Wednesday 21st to Thursday 22nd August. It appeared to be an attempt to gain entry to the car which had been parked in Halt Robin Road. Having completed door to door enquiries, we have been unable to establish any witnesses or possible leads as to who may have been responsible. If anyone has any information in relation to this incident, please contact the team. Earlier in the month, there was a catalytic converter removed from a vehicle in Eardley Road. Again, this took place overnight (seemingly in the small hours of the morning). We are in the process of viewing CCTV in relation to this incident. Anyone that may have any information, again please contact the team". Bexleyheath ward:- "There has been one report of a burglary on the ward as well as an attempted burglary reported. Wednesday 21/08/2019 Burglary– Iris Avenue Bexleyheath – Happened overnight and entry was gained via the side extension. Wednesday 21/08/2019 – Attempted Burglary along Martens Avenue Bexleyheath. Suspects tried to gain entry on rear door of property and happened between midnight at 2am.  A Theft of motor vehicle was reported on the Tuesday 20/08/2019 along Market Place Bexleyheath between 3.40pm & 4pm. Also on the Wednesday 21/08/2019, there was a report of a theft from motor vehicle near Albion Road Bexleyheath. There was also a report of a purse stolen from the victim’s hand bag, purse was discovered stolen whilst shopping on the Broadway on the Wednesday 21/09/2019". Crayford ward:- "It has been a relatively 'Q' week for crime in Crayford this week. However, we did have a residential burglary and a robbery. The burglary took place on bank holiday Monday, 26th August between 14.00-15.20 in London Road. Entry was made by smashing windows to gain entry. Among the items stolen was a Louis Vuitton handbag and contents including an annual train pass, photography equipment, an air rifle and sentimental jewellery belonging to the victim’s elderly Mother. The robbery took place near Greggs in Crayford Road on Tuesday 20th August between 19.10-19.20. Three IC3 males were seen to follow the two victims from Town Hall Square, past the library and Sainsbury's and out to Crayford Road where they had their property stolen. Items stolen include a laptop and bag containing work related paperwork, currency, keys and fobs to home and vehicles, a watch, a sports bag. The victims believe they were targeted due to the nature of their jobs. A white Range Rover Evoque number plate LM16XGY was stolen from Inglewood Road between 15.30 on Friday 23rd August and 08.50 on Saturday 24th September, the owner still has the keys. A catalytic convertor was stolen from a black Toyota Prius Plus on Friday 23rd August between 11.40-12.10 whilst parked at Hall Place car park. Number plates were stolen from Dale Road on Tuesday 27th August between 16.30-21.45, EU64SXJ should be on a white Ford Transit with L and Q markings on. A black and blue TREK bicycle, model 4300 D 13 was stolen with all accessories from the bike shed outside Crayford BR Station on Tuesday 27th August between 07.55 – 17.05. We cannot stress enough the importance of locking doors and windows securely when leaving your property, even for a short time. Make your home look like it is occupied, consider a burglar alarm or CCTV, ring door bells are brilliant too. Please look at www.met.police.uk/burglary for lots of useful tips and advice on keeping your home safe and secure. Our next community contact session will be held on Wednesday 4th September at Sainsbury's Café between 16.00-17.00, please feel free to come along for an informal chat".

Erith ward - no reports this week. Northumberland Heath ward:- "Search warrant executed on Saturday 24/8/19 at Hind Crescent. Items of interest were found and enquiries are ongoing. Officers are working around the clock to bring criminals to justice. If you are concerned about police activities in your area or you would like to speak with an officer please contact us. If you have any information you would like to pass to police related to criminal activities please contact Crimestoppers anonymously on freephone 0800555111. A set of number plates has been taken from a parked and unattended vehicle in Belmont Road. If you happen to see registration number S800TTP please contact police so further enquiries can be made. Should you wish to protect your vehicle from this type of offence drop us a line and we may be able to provide appropriate anti-theft devices". Slade Green and Northend ward: -"On Friday 23/08/2019 number plates were stolen overnight from a vehicle in Cornwallis Close. Please let us know if you require any anti theft screws. There was an attempted theft of a catalytic converter from a vehicle in Alexandra Road around 2.30pm on Saturday 24/08/2019. Fortunately the suspects were approached by a neighbour and drove off.  A pushbike was stolen from a garage in Brompton Drive in the last week. It was noticed missing by the victim on Sunday but they hadn’t been to the garage area for a few days so it is unclear at this point when the theft occurred. CCTV enquiries are ongoing. Unfortunately the victim does remember that they did NOT lock their garage leaving it insecure. Please please always lock all your property. A moped was stolen from a drive in the afternoon of Monday 26/08/2019 in Bridge Road. Enquiries are ongoing". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglary: No burglaries this week. Crime Prevention: Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you're going out for a few minutes. Photograph and keep a detailed inventory of each item of jewellery and keep it in a separate place. Remain vigilant at all times; Theft from Motor Vehicles: Overnight of Wednesday 21/08/19 and Thursday 22/0819 a vehicle parked in Wolvercote Road was broken into, a laptop and various other items stolen. At 5:00am of the Friday 23/08/19 vehicle parked in St Edmunds Close broken into, bag left in passenger footwell, however nothing taken as suspect believed to have been disturbed by another resident. Overnight of Friday 23/08/19 and Saturday 24/08/19 a vehicle parked in Wolvercote Road, had the rear passenger quarter light window smashed, untidy search ,nothing believed to have been taken. theft from a vehicle parked in Hartslock Drive overnight of Sunday 25/08/19 and Monday 26/08/19, the driver’s window was smashed, a wallet containing various bank cards and cash taken from the driver’s side door pocket; Another vehicle parked in Wolvercote Road, broken into during the early hours of Monday 26/08/19 - the driver’s window smashed, an untidy search, nothing believed to have been taken; Overnight of Sun 25/08/19 and Mon 26/08/19 a vehicle parked in Maran Way broken into and a laptop and sat-nav taken; Overnight of the Sat 24/08/19 and Sun 25/08/19 a vehicle parked in Northwood Place broken into, a wallet containing bank cards/travel card /store cards left in glove compartment stolen .Sometime between 7:00am and 6:00pm of the 26/08/19 a company vehicle parked outside Argali House, Kale Road, had the driver’s side window smashed and a sat-nav stolen; A vehicle parked in Redpoll Way between the hours of 4:00pm and 10:15pm of the Monday 26/08/19 was broken into and a wallet containing a bank card and a driving licence stolen; Criminal Damage to Motor Vehicles - A company vehicle parked in Dalberg Way had a window broken. Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention - coins for the car park, sunglasses or other items that can earn quick cash are irresistible to the opportunist thief. The cost of replacing a window is often much more than that of what’s stolen. Tell family, friends and neighbours. Good News: Excellent work by PC Pruden resulted in a male being stopped and searched, he was found to be in possession of a Class 'A' drug and cannabis, the male is now serving a custodial sentence". West Heath ward:- "We are pleased to say that there have been no burglaries reported over the last week. We are however still suffering from motor vehicle crime on the ward. One attempted theft from motor vehicle in Bedonwell Road on Wednesday August 21st between 11.25pm – 11.30pm. A male was seen attempting to try to open the victim’s door without success. The male then walked away without gaining entry;Tools worth approximately £500 were stolen from a van in Long Lane overnight between Thursday 22nd August 9pm – Friday August 23rd -8am; An attempt was made to steal a motorbike in Madison Crescent on Sunday August 25th at 11.45pm. A male was seeing dressed in motorbike clothing and wearing a helmet. The suspect was disturbed by the victim banging on the window the male made off on the back of a silver scooter. The team have been working flat out this week conducting arrest enquiries and assisted with the policing at the Notting Hill Carnival over the bank holiday weekend. The next drop in police surgery will be held at the Bostall Library in King Harolds Way on Monday September 2nd between 12-1pm. All are welcome to attend". 

The end video this week shows the first day of service of  the new 301 bus route, which runs from Beresford Square in Woolwich via Plumstead, Thamesmead and Abbey Wood on its way to its termination at Bexleyheath shopping centre. The journey in real time takes approximately thirty five minutes. The producer of the short video has sped up the footage so that the journey only takes five minutes, and is accompanied by some pretty awful and distracting music for some unfathomable reason. You can always turn off the audio. Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

The Garden Party.

The photos were taken by me yesterday at the first summer garden party hosted by not for profit group The Exchange in the old Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith. Some really good news now; after having open for six months now, The Bookstore Cafe (seen in the uppermost photo above - click on it for a larger version) in the old Carnegie Library building has just been awarded the best place to eat in Erith by the reviewers of TripAdvisor. You can read their submissions by clicking here. The garden party included a number of events - you can see a Bhangra dance lesson in the second photo above - originally this had been intended as a one - off session, but it proved so popular with visitors that a second session was quickly organised. Following this, a group of African drummers and circus performers took to the stage, as well as sensational traditional drumming, the group juggled hats, metal bowls and wine bottles, danced and clowned with the appreciative audience. The performance ended with the Bhangra drummer joining the African group in a stunning cross genre performance that had the audience up and dancing. As well as the musical performances, a barbecue was run by Old Haven BBQ, who source all of their meats from Pickett's Butchers in Bexleyheath. Later in the day soft rock group Shindig played, and there was the welcome return of the very popular BBC Symphony Orchestra string quintet. Originally it had been intended to hold some of the performances outside, in the newly created herb and vegetable garden to the rear of the library building, but the rain meant that these were moved into the main library hall area. To be honest, I felt that the amazing acoustics in the main hall added to the performances, and that the move inside would have been a good idea whatever the weather. More on performances in the Carnegie Library at the end of this week's update. 

There has been much concern regarding changes to several local bus services; At present the 428 route serves Darent Valley hospital and Bluewater after leaving Dartford town centre. TfL’s proposals would see the route terminating in Crayford with passengers asked to transfer to the 96 route to reach Dartford town centre, Darent Valley hospital and Bluewater. Slade Green Councillor Stef Borella said that:- "At present the 428 route serves Darent Valley hospital and Bluewater after leaving Dartford town centre. TfL’s proposals would see the route terminating in Crayford with passengers asked to transfer to the 96 route to reach Dartford town centre, Darent Valley hospital and Bluewater. One proposal I will be suggesting to TfL will be for the 428 route to terminate at Darent Valley hospital and travel as an express route from Crayford to the hospital. This would therefore deliver some savings to TfL while still delivering a direct bus route to the hospital from Erith, Slade Green and Crayford. I would urge local residents to respond to the consultation arguing that a direct link to the hospital be maintained.” More on changes to the 428 bus route later in this article. One of my local news correspondents, who chooses to remain anonymous, has submitted the following report and analysis on the changes to several local bus services. He writes:- "Some bad news for residents (potentially) in the North / East of the Borough. TfL are now consulting on cutting the 428 back to Crayford and cutting the 492 back to Dartford. A forerunner to this change was made in December 2017 when Route 96 began to operate via Darent Valley Hospital. At this time, it was known that changes to the 428 were afoot and that it was likely that the 428 would be made 'Double Decker' and be cut back to Dartford to improve reliability. That said, with TfL budget cuts now biting particularly hard, it would seem they will be cutting the 428 right back to Crayford to give an end-to-end journey time of some 26 minutes and therefore needing no more than 4 buses instead of the current 7/8. This represents a significant cost saving for TfL although it would appear all buses will be double-deck moving forward. The arguments behind this change are not only that there is now a repetition of the 428 east of Crayford by the more frequent 96 but also that the 'Hopper Fare' also allows people to make the same journey albeit with one change at Crayford Bridge / Sainsburys in each direction for the same cost. I personally am somewhat supportive of the change, although I hear through the grapevine that the reason for making this change now is to provide a future westbound extension of the 428 to Abbey Wood when Crossrail opens (and therefore they need to get the reliability up between Erith and Crayford). As for the 492, east of Dartford it replicates the 480 and 490 buses that Arriva run in Kent. Of course, it is probably the case that they no longer wish to be paying to supply what is, in effect, a cheaper service than the 'Provincial' service that Kent County Council etc. will be involved in. The 492's lengthy detour around Chastilian Road north of Crayford (and also Mayplace Road in Barnehurst) makes it unattractive for the residents of Crayford, Bexleyheath and such to use to Bluewater and Dartford in any event; so it should be the case that the shortening to Dartford is entirely sensible. Moreover, the key use for the 492 bus in the mornings and evenings is school children to the Dartford Grammar School, the Girls' School and the Technology College. These students will be unaffected. The 492 runs with 6 buses, so I assume it will also then be reduced to 4 or 5. Another cost saving, if nothing else. There will also be re-routing in Dartford. Most will know that buses around Dartford are now going the 'same way' they go towards Bluewater when travelling back towards Crayford. Market Street, the Library and such have now been closed off as a result of a huge increase in housing and Dartford developing a 'new public realm'. This is a good change as at least this way people get the bus at the same stops in each direction and also brings Crayford-bound buses right next to Dartford station. Personally, I don't find the changes at all that bothersome. Yes, people from Chastilian Road and Mayplace Road won't be able to get to Bluewater without a change and yes, the limited number of people on each 428 who need to get through to other places will need to change but even if this wasn't cost-cutting it would at least be sensible for cutting the number of 'overlapping' routes and the bits that a lot of people just don't use enough. There's also the issues of reliability: I think the days of extremely long routes such as Bluewater - Dartford - Crayford - Bexleyheath - Bexley- Foots Cray - Sidcup are numbered as people who are making shorter journeys should not be to the detriment of people who might make a long journey as buses get later in traffic. At least two shorter routes would be more likely to deliver people on certain journeys to their destinations more quickly. From my point, the Community Rail Partnership is currently bringing together some ideas as to how to change buses in the Borough for the benefit of end users including creating new journeys presently unavailable within the framework of current routes. Examples include Bexleyheath station to Upper Belvedere and Welling station to Erith. There is also a need to create improved services towards Abbey Wood and Erith in preparation for Crossrail". I am aware that a campaign has been set up to try and save the 428 bus route. The group write:- "Slade Green has long been forgotten by everyone now we have been told that the 428 bus route will no longer travel to Darenth Valley/Bluewater and will terminate at Crayford. We the undersigned want to petition Arriva London to continue with the current bus route. Without this bus route the people of Slade Green have no direct route to a local hospital. Elderly people and those that do not drive use this service to attend appointments and Accident and Emergency services. Without this bus route it will put extra pressure on the ambulance service and will be detrimental to local peoples health. Currently it can take an hour plus on a good day to get to Darenth Valley, travel time will be massively increased and pressure put on other services if residents have to travel on different routes. The 96 which is the only other bus that travels to Darenth Valley is already overstretched by the time the bus arrives at Crayford passengers are rejected because they are over full. We ask Arriva London to rethink their plans for the bus route and help the residents of Slade Green. We also feel that this will make more residents isolated and will affect their health as people won't be able to attend appointments. We also feel that this will have an affect on economy as people will not be able to access Dartford or Bluewater easily. We cannot get to any other hospital directly Queen Mary's -2 buses, Queen Elizabeth's 2 buses. Most appointments are give at Darenth Valley Hospital" You can see the group's petition on Change.Org by clicking here.

On top of this, the area has just got a completely new bus route - the 301 service, which now runs between Woolwich, Thamesmead, Abbey Wood and Bexleyheath. From Saturday the 13th July, new Route 301 operates from Woolwich, Beresford Street to Bexleyheath, Shopping Centre via Plumstead Station, Nathan Way, Thamesmead Town Centre, Bentham Road, Abbey Wood Station, New Road, Woolwich Road and Long Lane. The route is operated by Arriva London with double decker buses and operates every 12 minutes during the day on each day of the week, and every 15 minutes each evening. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Hall Place has to be one of the most historic and picturesque locations in the whole of The London Borough of Bexley. Most recently it was used as the location for one of the Alcock and Brown centenary commemorations. There is a free to visit exhibition featuring the story of the forts trans Atlantic flight located in the main building, which is open until the 27th of October. The opening times are from 10am to 5pm daily. Hall Place has been home to many organisations over the centuries. The main building dates back to 1537, when it was built for a wealthy businessman and former Lord Mayor of London, Sir John Champneys. In rather more recent times, during the Second World War, it was home to many American service personnel, some of whom worked for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services – the predecessor to the CIA) who used it as a base to train agents to be dropped into occupied Europe. Ian Fleming was based at Hall Place for a period when he was acting as an intelligence liaison officer; it is thought that some of the roots to the James Bond novels may have started whilst he was stationed there. In addition to the OSS, there was also a “Y” radio intercept station, code named “Santa Fe”. The grounds were filled by antenna towers and long wire aerials, feeding then state of the art H.F communication receivers located in the main building, staffed by members of the U.S Army 6811th Signals Intelligence unit. These powerful RCA AR-88 receivers - as seen in the lower of the two photos above - click on it for a larger view - were used to intercept German radio traffic, including both the Enigma and Lorenz ciphers. The encrypted signals were then passed by secure telephone lines up to Bletchley Park for decryption. The interception of weak and sometimes garbled signals made for very strenuous work; operators would spend eight hour shifts listening intently via headphones; any missed digits might make the message indecipherable, and possibly leading to lost lives – operators would often end their mammoth listening session with shaking hands and bloodshot eyes. The Great Hall and Tudor Kitchen housed the set room and cryptographers work rooms, some of the men’s billets were up in the Great Chamber and the Parlour was used as a mess room. The roof was strung with radio antenna wires and outbuildings were erected in the gardens. The GI’s made an impression on the neighbourhood, attending dances at the Black Prince pub, and playing softball on the Hall Place lawns. Some observers noted  said that to their knowledge none of the local’s ‘ever inquired what we were up to at Hall Place.’ It was one of the only intercept stations that was permitted a copy of the “Elephant Book” – a painstaking compiled list of German military call signs from previous, decrypted messages. This gave an indication of just how important the stately home and its contribution to the war effort was. Today the historic building and its formal gardens are open to the public, and the main building is available for hire for special occasions - if you have very deep pockets.

The screen capture above shows data from an internet enabled weather station in Northumberland Heath; the capture was taken at just before 2pm on Thursday afternoon - as you can see, the local temperature at that time was a staggering thirty seven degrees Celsius - for readers in the USA, that is ninety eight point six Fahrenheit. I got stuck on a broken down B12 bus in Parsonage Manorway, on my way home from Bexleyheath. I waited twenty odd minutes in the blazing sun for another B12 to turn up so that I could complete my journey. As many may well be aware, I suffer greatly in the heat, and this incident was an extremely challenging one for me. I have been reading some fascinating research this week into the whole thorny subject of climate change – and before you mentally switch off, it is not quite what you might be thinking. My own personal view on the contentious subject is that there are a lot of vested interests and hidden agendas on both sides of the climate change camp. Much of what we now may attribute to warming due to increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere may turn out to be periodic fluctuations in the output of the Sun – however, I believe that we cannot afford to take the chance based on any particular entrenched dogma; and secondly whatever the actual situation, one unescapable fact is that we have finite natural mineral resources, and it may be several hundred years before mining the moon or the asteroid belt becomes financially or technically viable. In the meantime we have to try and reconcile the current situation: The global warming advocates are mainly financed by large grants or bursaries from the research universities – it is in their vested interests for climate change to be real; conversely the climate change deniers are financed by various big businesses and mega corporations, and they too have their own biased axe to grind. It would seem to me that the opponents are pretty much as bad as each other when it comes to trying to get an unbiased, accurate view of the situation. That may have now changed, a report published a while ago throws a great deal of uncertainty into the very building blocks of climate change research – the temperature and weather data used. It turns out that much of the weather data has been gleaned from a network of mostly privately owned weather stations around the United States of America. Some of these stations have been operational since the early 19th century, though some are much more recent. One thing that has come to light, is that for many years a phenomenon known as UHI (Urban Heat Island) affects the readings from weather stations; in essence, urban areas with large amounts of concrete, asphalt, warm buildings and vehicles make the temperature readings appear warmer than they really should be. This effect is more marked after dark as these surfaces retain the heat of the sun, and release it slowly, just like a giant storage heater. The results recorded by weather stations in areas such as these are understandably skewed. The problem has been that over the last hundred years or so, urban sprawl has happened; weather stations formerly in countryside areas are now in fully developed, urbanised regions. The previous system for measuring temperature change did not take into account the location of the weather stations, so the results were biased in favour of a large degree of temperature increase. Researchers have been revisiting the historical data to try and reconcile the results against modern Urban Heat Island information. It would seem that once this is taken into account, the actual increase in global temperature is now somewhat unclear, and certainly something that the climate change experts need to carefully ponder – it would seem that both pro and anti camps have been working from incorrect data for years. It will be interesting to see where this all leads. I suspect the popular press will pick up on this soon. The fact remains, however, the temperatures in recent summers in the UK have been extreme, as was very much evident this Thursday, and we are predicted to have even more extreme weather in the weeks to come.

As regular Maggot Sandwich readers will know, I am vey keen o supporting local policing and efforts to support law and order. As I have written in the past, things that start off in the USA almost inevitably end up later occurring here in some kind of osmosis. A story broke this week which could potentially be a cause for concern should the same thing take place in the UK. Amazon's home security company Ring has enlisted local police departments around the USA to advertise its surveillance cameras in exchange for free Ring products and a “portal” that allows police to request footage from these cameras. The agreement also requires police to “keep the terms of this program confidential.” Dozens of police departments around the USA have partnered with Ring, but until now, the exact terms of these partnerships have remained unknown. A signed memorandum of understanding between Ring and the police department of Lakeland, Florida, and emails obtained via a public records request, show that Ring is using local police as a de facto advertising firm. Police are contractually required to "Engage the Lakeland community with outreach efforts on the platform to encourage adoption of the platform/app.”Ring donated 15 free doorbell surveillance cameras to the Lakeland Police Department, and created a program to encourage people to download its “neighbourhood watch” app, Neighbours. For every Lakeland resident that downloads Neighbours as a result of the partnership, the documents show, the Lakeland Police Department gets credit toward more free Ring cameras for residents: “Each qualifying download will count as $10 towards these free Ring cameras.” A Ring doorbell camera currently costs $130 on Amazon US. Police already have access to publicly-funded street cameras and investigative tools that help them track down almost any criminal suspect. But Ring cameras are proliferating in the private sphere, with close to zero oversight. Andrew Ferguson, a professor at the University of the District of Columbia School of Law, said in a recent press interview that products like Ring can remove typical judicial due process. Typically, police have to get a warrant from a judge before collecting digital evidence. Ring’s Law Enforcement Neighbourhood Portal, given to police for free as a part of the agreement, lets police request footage directly from Ring owners. “What people fundamentally misunderstand is that self-surveillance is potentially a form of government surveillance,” Ferguson said. “Because the information that you are collecting—you think to augment and improve your life—is one step away from being obtained by law enforcement to completely upend your life. Amazon is convincing people to self-surveil through aggressive, fear-based marketing, aided by de facto police endorsements and free Ring camera giveaways. Consumers are opting into surveillance. And police are more than eager to capitalise on this wealth of surveillance data. The result of Ring-police partnerships is a self-perpetuating surveillance network: More people download Neighbours, more people get Ring, surveillance footage proliferates, and police can request whatever they want. People often buy and use Ring doorbell cameras under the premise that they’re making their individual homes safer. But these people aren’t just making choices for themselves. They’re consenting to surveilling everyone in their neighbourhood and anyone who comes in the vicinity of their home, including friends and family, delivery workers, and anyone else. Professor Ferguson said that it is important to remember the societal impacts of these decisions. “Amazon has products to sell, and an incentive to get consumers to be fearful and buy their self-surveillance technologies; police have a related interest to obtain surveillance from areas that they don't have the resources to obtain surveillance from,” Ferguson said. “You can see why it’s in their economic sense. But it raises some problems and troubles and issues that society should have about whether this is the type of self-surveillance world we’re comfortable with.” As I wrote earlier, what happens in the USA has a way of filtering over to the UK, often more quickly than anticipated. CCTV coverage of one's home is fine; the problem comes when video files are uploaded into the cloud with no proof of how secure that is, and also the default standard is that the local Police have full access to all footage - it strikes me that in the UK and mainland Europe this may well be subject to the GDPR laws. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association; firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "Good news, yet another week goes by and no burglaries have been reported on Barnehurst Ward. In Downbank Avenue on 21st July 2019, overnight a Ford Transit van with work tools inside was stolen. This van was later found in Cricketers Lane, Erith however tools from inside the vehicle were missing. Our next coffee with cops is at Barnehurst Golf Club, Mayplace Road East at 11.00am on Wednesday 31st July". Belvedere ward:- "We are pleased to report that Belvedere now has all its Neighbourhood Watch signs put up. If you are a new Coordinator you should note they are now up, if you reported damaged or lost signs you should now see them fixed or replaced. Please let us know if this has not been done". Bexleyheath ward:- "There have been no reports of burglaries or attempted burglaries on the ward over the last week. We have had three reports of catalytic converters being stolen from three vehicles over the last week: Monday 22/07/2019 – Albion Road car park between 0835hrs and 1635hrs; Monday 22/07/2019 – near Marriot Hotel Broadway at about 1345hrs; Monday 22/07/2019 – Albion Road at about 1345hrs. There was also a report of a theft of motor vehicle along Rydal Drive Bexleyheath. This could of happened anytime overnight from Sat 20/07/2019 at about 8pm and Sun 21//07/2019 at 10am. There was a report of a theft of motor vehicle on Tuesday 23/07/2019 along Royal Oak Road Bexleyheath between the hours of 4.15pm and 4.35pm. There have been two reports of theft of purses reported on the ward: Both happened on Monday 22/07/2019 between 1215 and 1245. A purse was stolen whilst in M and S or Dorothy Perkins. Also the other was between 1015am and 1030am whilst victim was shopping. There was a report of money taken from victims handbag whilst in the Savers store between 2.15pm and 2.25pm".

Crayford ward:- "There have been three robberies in Crayford this week. The first occurred on Sunday between 8.05 and 8.22 near McDonalds, a black iPhone and bus pass was stolen. The second robbery occurred between 8.20 and 8.30 in Crayford Way by The Rise and Airpods were stolen. The suspect for these robberies was described as IC3, early twenties. The third robbery occurred at the bottom of Station Road between 11.50-11.58, the victim was robbed by IC1 males for his Apple iPhone 8 and earphones, all the victims were teenagers. It has been reported that an empty property in Crayford Way had a door forced and entry made between 12.00 on Tuesday 16 July and 15.00 on Wednesday 17th July. It appears that someone had been sleeping there but nothing appeared stolen. The property is now fully secured. Vandals destroyed two large round picnic tables with seats attached and damaged hard wooden benches as well as damaging plants at Hall Place, the cost to replace and repair is significant. A catalytic convertor was stolen from a green Honda Jazz between 12.00-19.30 on 17th July from Stadium Way, on that same day and location another catalytic convertor was stolen, vehicle details not updated on report at present. A white Mercedes van, registration PN65 EJG was stolen without keys from Shearwood Crescent on Friday 19th July between 5.05 and 5.10. It was later involved in an RTC and recovered by police. A motorcycle was stolen from Lower Station Road on 18th July between 13.00 - 17.00, no further details given at this time. A shed was broken in to at the allotments at Bourne Road between 20.00 on Saturday 20th July and 06.00 on Sunday 21st July and two knives were stolen. Youths were reported jumping on vehicles at the Mazda garage on Friday 19th July at approx. 00.15, damage was caused to several vehicle bonnets. On Monday 22nd July between 7.30-16.00 a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso registration number GF07 YHB was stolen from outside a property in Ridge Way. Our next community contact session will be held on Wednesday 31st July at Vintage Lindy Lou's at Waterside Gardens, please come along if you would like to have a chat about anything that may concern you. Please see the attached link https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/96-428-492/. Cuts are proposed to route 428 and 492 from January 2020. Please read this and consider how it may affect you or your loved ones, at the very least route 96 will be even busier. Already evident is that it will affect people trying to go to Darent Valley Hospital or to Haberdashers Academy, please take the time to have your say". Erith ward:- "PCs Dan and Markus from Erith have been on cycle patrols across the ward. Stopping and searching people, we have been sharing the cycle patrols on our twitter profile so be sure to check them out, plenty of searches carried out and a few good results. Adam attended an Orbit residential scheme pop up event. And finally the full team attended the community fun day on west street, which seemed to go well, NHW was also there in full force hopefully signing up a few new members. Crimes of the week – Erith bowls club was broken in to on Monday night and items were stolen. Theft from motor vehicles is on the decline so we are going in the correct direction. Finally, be sure to drink plenty of water in this weather and check on your neighbours if they are venerable just to make sure they are ok and having plenty of fluids". Northumberland Heath ward:- "The team have been patrolling Northumberland Heath recreation ground. Today we issued a community resolution for 1 male adult with regards to cannabis. Our new PC Lucy has had an arrest this week with regards to a domestic related incident. The team assisted with a mental health assessment. After receiving some intelligence from members of the public, the team recovered a stolen motorbike in York Terrace. Very pleased to say, there have been no burglaries again this week. Our next community contact session is on Wednesday 7th August at 2pm in the Mill Road Library. Please do come along and meet a member of the team and discuss any issues or concerns you have, or just pop in and say hello". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Four more number plate thefts in the last week. Two occurred during the daytime on Thursday 18/07 close to Slade Green train station. Both victims were commuters. The other two happened around 11pm on Monday 22/07 in Hazel Road, both vehicles were close to each other in the road. Patrols of these areas will be taking place, especially the train station area. A male has signed an ABC (Acceptable Behaviour Contract) with ourselves and Bexley Council as he was identified as being involved in recent ASB in and around Rainbow Road. This is a result of some excellent work by PC's Mark and James as well as good information given by residents on the estate. Two Orbit tenants in our ward who have been causing issues for neighbours, came to our office this week and both tenants signed an Orbit Tenancy Management agreement meaning their behaviour must stop or Orbit will look to seek possession of their property. Our next Community Contact Session is on Sunday (28th July) at our Pier Road SNT base from 6pm. At this week's panel meeting the promises chosen for us to concentrate a bit more effort on for the next three months were ASB Open Spaces, Vehicle ASB and Drug issues (Dealing/taking)".

Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglary: On Friday 19/07/19, between the hours of 07:15am and 07:20 am, a burglary occurred in Overton Road, the back door was open. The victim heard a noise behind her and turned around to see a suspect standing in her living room. He said 'Sorry I'm looking for my cat' and then made off out the kitchen over the back fence which leads onto a service road which is gated at both ends but can be accessed by climbing the fence. A bank card was taken and used locally. CCTV has captured the suspect using the card. Investigations ongoing to identify the suspect. Attempted Burglary: Wednesday 24/07/19 an attempted burglary in Portmeadow Walk, the victim stated that they went to take the rubbish out of the front door ,when it was noticed the Yale lock was warped and the whole lock unit spins. the victim believes that someone tried to break in .There was a second lock and that kept the door secure ,so no one managed to enter. Crime Prevention: Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you're going out for a few minutes. Photograph and keep a detailed inventory of each item of jewellery and keep it in a separate place. Motor Vehicle Crimes: On Thursday 18/07/19 between the hours of 00:01 and 06:00am an unknown person cut off the catalytic converter from the vehicle, which was parked near Dexter House, Kale Road. Another Theft from Motor Vehicle occurred in Maran Way between the hours of 12:00 am and 12:30 am. The exhaust pipe ripped apart and part of the pipe taken away, believed to be the catalytic converter. Wolvercote Road, Vehicle Interference on Friday between the hours of 07:00am and 11:00am an unknown suspect smashed the drivers window ,no apparent property taken .Saturday 20/07/19 a vehicle parked locked and secure in Kale Road had the drivers window smashed and a mobile phone taken . the incident happened between 11:00am and 12:00am.Between Tuesday 16/07/19 at 11:00am and Sunday 21/07/19 at 10;30am a vehicle locked and secure in Lensbury Way, had the rear doors damaged ,tools and other equipment taken ,unknown value . Between the dates and times of 21/07/19 at 04:30 pm and 23/07/19 at 06:45pm a vehicle parked in Whernside Close had the vehicle damaged by an unknown suspect using an implement scratching the vehicle .A vehicle parked in the garaged area in Dalberg Way was scratched by an unknown suspect ,down the whole passenger side of the vehicle .This incident happened between Saturday 20/07/19 at 06;00pm and Monday 22/07/19 at 06:15am. Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention: Did you know that your vehicle is like a shop window? If you can see any property left on view then so can a thief. Take it with you. Recent thefts of Catalytic Converters on the ward. Vehicles made after 1974 all have Catalytic Converters. There are 3 precious metals in your Catalytic Converter and thieves know this. Protect your vehicle before you become a victim of theft. Mark your catalytic converter by etching your vehicle registration onto the metal shell, or by using a Secured By Design (SBD) approved forensic marking solution which is heat-resistant. This makes it easier for police to trace the converter back to your vehicle should it ever be stolen, and links offenders to a crime. Consider fitting additional security on your vehicle(s) by installing an SBD approved converter security product, such as a catalytic converter clamp".West Heath ward:- "No residential burglaries to report this week, however there were two business burglaries at the same premises in Brampton Road on Monday July 27th. Several males were seen acting suspiciously just before midnight in a vehicle and on pushbikes. It is not clear at this stage if anything was stolen".

The end video this week was shot in the main hall of the Erith Old Carnegie Library mentioned earlier in this update - it features the Tom Fleming trio, a band headed not unsurprisingly by a chap called Tom Fleming, who is a guitarist, record producer, arranger and mixer. You can see his website by clicking here. Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.