Quintet.

The front doors of the former Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith, were open to the public for the first time in well over a decade last Sunday afternoon. The reason for this was a performance by five members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra of three pieces of classical music, including one by a little known composer from Erith, whose work has not been performed in public in living memory. A capacity audience of 130 visitors listened to the nearly two hour long recital, which was held to raise money to refurbish the book lift in the Grade II listed library building, which is being restored and converted into a community, arts and education centre by not for profit group The Exchange. The programme of music consisted of:- Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958): Phantasy Quintet, followed by a piece by Percy Hilder Miles (1878-1922, of Erith) String Quintet in A - which to me in some parts sounded very similar to the theme from the "Band of Brothers" TV series by HBO, but I digress. This piece was followed by a short interval, then the recital was concluded by W.A. Mozart (1756-1791) String Quintet in C. The recital was hugely popular; I spoke to many concert goers who were keen for recitals of this type to be staged on a regular basis. The BBC Symphony Orchestra members who formed the string quintet were so impressed by the excellent acoustics in the building that they are keen to return to make some recordings. The Phantasy Quintet by Percy Hilder Miles was performed in public for what may well have been the first time in nearly a century; Miles was born in Crayford 1878, he lived nearly all his life in Erith, at 18 Queen's Road. Percy was a child prodigy, composing from the age of 8. He was also a very talented violinist and performed the Beethoven violin concerto with an orchestra at the age of 13. At 15 he entered the Royal Academy of Music and one year  later composed this quintet in A major, which was the piece played last Sunday. Later, in 1917 he reminisced about the work in a letter to his cello-playing brother Maurice: “A thing of mine I have a very warm affection for is the A major quintet...for grace and charm, general euphony, transparency and naturalness, I have never beaten that A major quintet”. It is a short work which reveals the influence of Brahms and Dvorak, both of whom had written viola quintets only a few years earlier. Percy became a Professor of Harmony and Counterpoint at the Academy upon graduation and later became an examiner for the Associated Board. As such he travelled all over the Empire, going six times around the world, including a stint in Australia. Percy never married and sadly he died of pneumonia in 1922 aged just 43. He left behind over 150 compositions, mainly Chamber Music, but also some songs and a few orchestral works and concertos. He is buried with his parents in Brook Street cemetery. There are plans for the first ever CD recording of his music in the Autumn.

Another event to shortly be taking place in the former library is that visitors from the parallel world of Par Bexia are inviting residents to visit their planet at two special performances at the The Old Library, Erith. The visit to the Old Library, Erith on 21 and 28 June is connected to the Performing Places project and is being hosted by The Exchange, who manage The Old Library.  The Old Library plays host to an exciting programme of events and is also home to the fabulous Bookstore Café. Performing Places features beings from a parallel universe Bexleyheath, called Par Bexia. Par Bexia is falling apart. The Par Bexians want to understand more about our Bexleyheath and how we care for the town centre and the people that live, work and visit it. They believe they will learn how to care for their own place from this visit. The Performing Places concept was developed by Professor Sally Mackey from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and has already been delivered successfully in several other towns, including Oldham, Abergavenny and Camden. The Old Library event, called The Bexliest Day of our Lives, promised to treat Bexley residents like real VIPs. They will shoot through the galaxy in our time travelling space portal, be offered a Bexley burger in our famous Earth Café, the chance to meet our very own Bexley human replica robots - and maybe even audition for a special Parbexian episode of ‘Bexley’s Got Talent’. This piece of children’s theatre will be performed by Drama, Applied Theatre and Education students from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and is aimed at 10 and 11 year olds, with their families. You can find more about the event, and book spaces by clicking here.

As I covered back in April, Bexley Council and a couple of their hired consulting firms undertook two open days in the empty commercial units at 68 Pier Road, Erith. This was to encourage opinion and feedback on the proposals the council had published relating to improvements in the public realm in the local area. Over two hundred people turned up to these events, and the council have now decided to expand the consultation with two additional open days. The events are held as part of the Erith Kitchen, at Pier Road on Friday, June 14 4pm-9pm and Friday, July 12 4pm-9pm. Residents can also fill out a survey online at www.greatererith.com/riversidegardens.

Residents in Sandcliff Road in Erith are up in arms yet again – and with very good reason. They are blighted by the incompetence of Thames Water. Ever since 1998 the road has had drainage problems – a giant chemical effluent leak caused several thousand gallons of industrial liquid waste to seep up through the drains and flood a number of houses in the road; I recall at the time that several houses were evacuated for months on end – and one was condemned as unfit for human habitation, Thames Water were subsequently fined £250,000 by the Department of the Environment for the spillage, and their apparent inability to properly organise the subsequent clean up. There have been a number of sewage floods in the road since, to the point where locals re – named the road “Poo Mews” – something which seems to have stuck. Back in 2012 there were floods of liquid excrement – you can read all about it on the News Shopper website here. Since then, nothing much has been done to permanently rectify the situation. In the last few days with the heavy rain, Sandcliff Road has once again been flooded with raw sewage. It strikes me that the local residents are blighted not just by the actual floods, but by the damage to the reputation of the road. I would not be surprised if house prices are badly affected by the situation – after all, who would want to live in an area where you had a strong chance of ending up knee deep in other people’s number twos when you ventured outside your front door? From Thames Water’s perspective, it is a PR disaster; I think the main reason that they don’t take a more proactive approach to the problem is that Sandcliff Road is a little travelled side lane, with a predominantly working class population. If a flood of dung was to happen in somewhere rather more affluent (rather than effluent) like Bexley Village, I reckon that the “sharp elbowed middle classes” would have got a rather better reaction from the powers that be. I have walked down Sandcliff Road several times recently, and I can confirm the aroma of multiple bowel movements is hard to ignore; it is just as well I am a non smoker, as the volume of methane in the air could well be close to a combustible level. I feel sorry for the residents, and hope that the problem can eventually be resolved. If you have any insight into this situation, please Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com - any messages will be treated in the strictest confidence. 

In last week's Blog update I wrote at some length about historical local engineer Thorsten Nordenfelt and his work on early submarines; I touched on the subject of his collaborator, the Reverend George Garrett, and now I will expand on this. The Reverend George Garrett (1852–1902), clergyman and submarine designer, was born on the 4th July 1852 at 45 Waterloo Road, Lambeth, London, the third son of John Garrett, an Irish curate, and his wife, Georgina. The Garretts moved to Manchester in the early 1860s, and George attended Rossall School in Fleetwood until 1867, when the family was financially ruined and he was moved to Manchester grammar school. From 1869 he worked as a schoolteacher and studied chemistry at Owens College, Manchester. The combination of work and study reflected the financial pressures on his father. At Owens he developed an effective system for self-contained breathing, using caustic potash to remove carbon dioxide from the exhaled air. Work on this device probably damaged his lungs, and brought about his early death. In 1871 he went to work and study in Ireland, and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, with an honours degree in experimental sciences in 1875. After a year travelling in the south seas Garrett married Jane Parker of Waterford—they had four children—took the Cambridge theology examination, and in 1877 became curate to his father. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–8 and the war scare that gripped the British empire inspired Garrett to develop a simple one-man submersible, built in Birkenhead and demonstrated by the autumn of 1878. This secured support for a company from a mystery backer, possibly the Swedish armaments magnate Thorsten Nordenfelt, for the construction of a larger, 33 ton, steam-driven version. This craft, the Resurgam, was completed at Birkenhead in November 1879. Extensive trials were conducted at Liverpool and at sea, demonstrating that it could be submerged, if only briefly, and propelled underwater. This was the first time any vessel had been mechanically propelled below the surface. In February 1880, while on a voyage to Portsmouth for Royal Navy inspection, the boat was lost off Rhyl in a storm. In August 1882 Garrett travelled to Sweden to work for Nordernfelt's Submarine Torpedo Boat Company. Here the interests of inventor and owner clashed; Garrett sought an effective submersible, while Nordenfelt wanted a torpedo boat that could submerge. While Nordernfelt's name graced the product, the design was essentially Garrett's. The new boat carried a single locomotive torpedo. The boat was completed in August 1883, but underwater trials were hampered by the poisonous fumes from the steam plant. However, public trials were held in September 1885. Despite Garrett's best efforts the flawed design did little more than show that it could operate on the surface and run briefly underwater. It was sold by Nordenfelt's agent Basil Zaharoff to the Greek navy, and delivered in January 1886. While trials in Greece were a failure the Turks were persuaded otherwise, and bought two boats. These were badly built, inferior, if larger, versions of the prototype, and did not work when completed in 1887, though Garrett did manage to carry out the first submerged launch of a torpedo. In their efforts to make the boats work the Turks even commissioned Garrett as commander, though on an honorary basis. A fourth boat was built at Barrow in Furness to an improved design, but the hectic schedule of work in Britain and Turkey finally caught up with Garrett, never in good health, who suffered a breakdown. He recovered in time to demonstrate the latest craft at Portsmouth in May 1887, and at the jubilee naval review in July. Eventually the Russians agreed to try the vessel on a sale-or-return basis, but it was wrecked, en route on the Danish coast. Garrett, who was living in some style at Southampton, continued to work on enclosed steam systems, but when the Nordenfelt company was subsumed into the new Barrow Shipbuilding concern, which eventually became Vickers, Garrett lost his major backer. The Germans built two Garrett/Nordenfelt submarines, but paid no royalties. Not surprisingly, they also made them work rather better than the originals. In 1890, after discussions with John Jacob Astor, Garrett moved to the United States to become a farmer in Florida. He was already seriously ill with the pulmonary disease that was to kill him. Farming proved disastrous, and after a spell as a railway fireman in New York, and an American soldier during the Spanish-American War of 1898, when he became an American citizen, he died of tuberculosis in New York Metropolitan Hospital on 26 February 1902, aged forty-nine. He was buried in Mount Olivet cemetery, Maspeth, New York on 1 March. Garrett's career combined innovation, triumph, absurdity, and failure in a way that quickly obscured his real contribution. By creating a submersible, though it failed, he spurred the work of others, notably the American John Holland, which resulted in effective submersible warships entering service within a decade of Garrett's death. The Garrett family remained in the United States, and subsequently prospered. At the time of writing the Resurgam had been located by divers, with the possibility of being raised.

Monty Python’s Spamalot is a musical comedy adapted from the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like the motion picture, it is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian legend, but it differs from the film in many ways. The original 2005 Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, received 14 Tony Awards nominations, winning in three categories, including Best Musical. This is the amateur premiere by members of Erith Playhouse. You can read more about the production and also book tickets by clicking on the link here.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association, starting with the report from Barnehurst ward:- "Good news for Barnehurst, no burglaries have been reported in the last week. We have had another theft from motor vehicle in Barnehurst Avenue on Friday 07th June 2019 at 1900 hours. On this occasion a hole was made to access the vehicle however nothing was taken. This area has been targeted particularly over the last month. Can we ask you double check your vehicle is locked as thieves will go round trying door handles until they get lucky. Remove all items even if you feel they have no value. Sensor lights may quickly discourage thieves away from your vehicle too. A quantity of drugs were found following a drugs warrant being executed on Friday 07th June 2019 in the local area. Investigations are ongoing. Just a reminder our community contact session will be on Tuesday 18/06/2019 at 4.00pm in Barnehurst Golf Club, Mayplace Road East, hope to see you there". Belvedere ward:- "On two consecutive nights recently there were reported break-ins at B&Q in Lower Road. These offences took place in the early hours of both Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th June at around 2am. Two males were seen to break into the store via the locked exit doors after having smashed through glass panels with a hammer in order to gain entry. In total around £6500.00 worth of goods were removed from the store. There was a burglary in Abbey Road on Sunday 9th June at around 7.30pm. A male gained entry to the property via the rear door before being disturbed and challenged by a resident of the address. The suspect made his way from the property without having taken anything from within. An attempted garage burglary took place in Grosvenor Road on Sunday 9th June at 5.35pm. Two young males were caught on CCTV as they were observed trying to enter several garages without success. All of these incidents are still being investigated. The team also attended the Sikh Temple in Lower Road on Sunday 9th June to offer Smartwater kits to the community". Bexleyheath ward:- "Good news: There have been no reports of residential burglaries over the last week. There has been a report of a theft of motor vehicle along Heversham Road on Monday 10/06/2019 between 3 & 4pm. Ward officers are conducting regular patrols along drug hot spots on the ward along Albion Road and surrounding areas, so far the team has had approximately 18 stop and searches. Car parks on the ward are also included in the patrols. ASB patrols also take place around the war memorial as the team have received complaints about ASB and drugs. 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:- "On Monday 3rd June property was stolen from a delivery vehicle at the rear of Currys. The rear number plate was stolen from a vehicle parked in Old Road on 5th June. A white Ford Transit van was stolen from Bexley Lane at 00.20 on 7th June, this has since been recovered by Crayford Safer Neighbourhood team in Shearwood Crescent. A bag was stolen from the locked staff room of a local business in Waterside on Friday 7th June between 18.15-18.20. The bag was discarded nearby but money, ID, and an IPhone were stolen. Between Thursday 6th and Friday 7th June a car was broken in to and money taken in Woodside Road. A front number plate DY59FHM was stolen on 8th June from Maiden Lane, this should be on a blue Fiat Punto. A blue Nissan was stolen from Ridge Way between Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th June, it has since been recovered from Halcot Avenue. A lady had her money taken on Monday 10th June at 14.00 whilst near Stadium Way, at this time there are no further details. £10,000 worth of tools have been reported stolen from a building site at Mayplace Primary School in Woodside Road on Tuesday 11th June, no further details given at this time. A light metallic grey sports car with a canvas roof has been stolen from the garage area of Claremont Crescent on Monday 10th June, the wing mirror was broken on the driver's side, the garage door had already been damaged. We have been very busy around the ward this week with our officers conducting uniform and plain clothes patrols, many stop and searches completed and class A and B offences detected". Erith ward:- "We have been hit again with quite a few theft from motor vehicles, do all you can by not leaving anything on show in your vehicle overnight, even a little bit of small change left is enough to tempt some people. Also remember to lock the vehicle doors, you will be surprised at how many people forget to do this. One Burglary from the week at Bexley college where a male broke into the café and stole some items of food and drink this was captured on CCTV. Crimes of note from the week: Shoplift <£200 Wednesday 05/06/2019 Morrisons, James Watt Way; Theft from motor vehicle Monday 03/06/2019 Winifred Road; Theft from motor vehicle Thursday 30/05/2019 Pembroke Road; Theft from MV Thursday 16/05/2019, Erith Road; Other theft Saturday 08/06/2019 W M Morrison petrol station, James Watt Way; Burg-Bus/Com Monday 10/06/2019 Bexley College, Walnut Tree Road; Theft from motor vehicle Wednesday 05/06/2019 Chandlers Drive; Theft from motor vehicle Tuesday 11/06/2019 Chichester Wharf".

Northumberland Heath ward:- "Unfortunately we had two garages broken into. Burglars will usually try a shed or garage first because they can potentially find tools needed to get into a house nearby. It's worth having a good padlock on the door with no exposed screws. Pay attention to hinges as these are sometimes easily removable. Consider a battery operated alarm; they look low-key but respond to movement or contact with an extremely loud siren. If you have windows then these could be vulnerable unless they are secured with wire mesh or grills. Drape a sheet or blanket over items inside to keep them covered from view. Ideally lock everything away securely. Never leave your garage or shed door unlocked if you are not around. Check that your insurance covers the contents of your outbuildings. A set of number plates has been taken from a parked and unattended vehicle in Frinsted Road. If you happen to see registration number RN51CCY 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. Our next open surgery to give local residents an opportunity to speak to us about any issues or concerns is due to take place 4pm Friday 21/6/19 at the Library in Mill Road DA8 1HW. The surgery is scheduled to run for an hour and no prior notification is required to attend". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Two vehicle crimes in the last week to report. Tools were stolen from a van in Peareswood Road overnight on Sunday June 9th and overnight on Monday June 10th some Rayban sunglasses were taken from the glove box of a car parking in Hazel Road. Please do not leave anything valuable in your car, even if it is parked on a driveway as both of these vehicles were. The police helicopter was flying over and the ward in the early hours of Sunday June 9th and noticed a moped driving dangerously on the pavements in Slade Green. Units were called and after a short chase, both suspects were caught, arrested and interviewed. We just are awaiting a charging decision but our thanks goes to our colleagues in the air. 2 positive stop and searches from Mark and James this last week with a PND fine issued to a suspect after a car was stopped in Whitehall Lane with 3 occupants. The vehicle and suspects were all searched with some drugs recovered. The team helped Immigration Officers last week on an operation in Belvedere, no arrests made. Photo's were sent to us by Orbit Housing showing a group of youths on the roof of Grange House Sunday afternoon. No positive ID's at this time but enquiries are ongoing and the access door to the roof area has been secured with warning letters sent out to all residents in the block and in Daleview". Thamesmead East ward:- "Vehicle Crime - Theft of Motor Vehicle Martham Close Thursday 06/06/19 between 10am – 6pm Vehicle seen on drive at 10am Victims husband arrived home at 6pm the vehicle was no longer at the location however there was evidence of broken glass on the ground. Victim had been home all day and heard nothing. Thamesbank Place Friday 07/06/19 between 2:30pm – 8am 08/06/19 Victims vehicle has been removed from location without permission my suspect/s unknown. Chadwick Way Monday 10/06/19 between 12pm – 9:40pm suspect/s unknown taking victims vehicle from the location without permission. Theft from Vehicle. Maran Way Monday 10/06/19 between 9:15pm – 8am 11/06/19 Victim states vehicle broken into suspect/s removed items within". West Heath ward:- Unfortunately we have two burglaries and an attempted burglary over the last week. On Thursday June 6th between 07.15 and 07.30 the victim was at their home address in Woolwich Road when the victim was at her home address in her bedroom. At approx. 0715 hours the victim's husband left their home address via the side gate as he does every morning. At approx. 0720 hours the victim heard a noise as if a door was being closed and thought nothing of this as she normally hears next door in their property. A few minutes later she went downstairs and noticed her phone had been taken from the kitchen side along with her purse containing multiple store/membership cards and 2x debit cards. A Lloyds Bank car and royal bank of Scotland card which was also taken. There was no sign of forced entry. On Monday June 10th between 1am to 2pm a window was forced to a property in Amberley Way several electrical items were taken. One attempted burglary in Long Lane on Monday June 19th at approximately 11.30pm. The property was empty following the recent death of the resident, a window was forced but entry was not gained. We have also had several reports of motor vehicle crime this week. A black Ford Fiesta was stolen from Woolwich Road overnight between Tuesday June 4th between 5pm and 5.30pm the following day. A green Volkswagen Polo was stolen from Brampton Road between midnight and 6.30pm on Thursday June 6th. The team executed a warrant in Darenth Road on Wednesday June 12th to seize a believed pit bull to assess the dog and to ascertain if it could potentially be of a dangerous breed".

The end video this week comes courtesy of long established local recycling firm, Abbey Car Breakers, whose large facility is located at Wheatley Terrace Road in Erith, close to Morrison's supermarket. They have around seven hundred vehicles for breaking and recycling on site at any one time, and also sell new and refurbished spare parts for a wide range of vehicles. I had occasion to visit Abbey Car Breakers last week, on the lookout for a rare and  hard to located component for a friend's car. The last time I visited Abbey Car Breakers was about thirty years ago, and the place seems to have changed little - they still have a huge supply of new and used spares for a wide range of vehicles. Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Chance.

A while back I got asked about a quite well known historical figure who used to live in the area; his name was Robert Austin, but he was more popularly known as "Robert the Devil" - he was an exhibitionist and showman, and I understand he had a strong man act that sometimes toured around North Kent and beyond. He had a couple of party tricks. He often drank in the pubs on Erith river front, and was notorious for betting other drinkers a pint of ale if he could swim across the River Thames from Erith to Coldharbour Point in Havering, Essex and back - which he invariably did. As I have previously written, the currents and undertow in and around Anchor Bay make this one of the most lethal stretches of the Thames for swimmers, and why most people who enter the river end up getting fished out by the Metropolitan Police or RNLI as corpses. It would appear that Robert Austin was a very strong and confident swimmer who could repeatedly challenge this. On top of swimming the river, Austin would permit a man to break a granite kerbstone over his chest with a sledge hammer - for the price of a gallon of beer! He lived at 17 Maxim Road, Erith - the address no longer exists. He was for a time the master of the Thames Sailing Barge "Chance". The subject of the mural on the side of The White Hart African restaurant (see the photo above – click on it for a larger view). He died on the 4th November 1944, and is buried in the Churchyard of St. Johns Church, West Street. His short obituary does not mention his nickname, but does tell of him being a strong swimmer. I suspect that he timed his Thames swimming challenges with slack tide, as I don't believe even an Olympic standard swimmer could manage the very strong currents and undertow when the river was in full tidal flow. 

The Norman Park housing development in Lower Belvedere is set for an appreciable expansion. The site currently has 402 homes on it, which were built back in 2007 on an area that had previously been a mix of industrial land and Thames marshland. The development is now set to expand with plans to build 69 apartments on a vacant plot of land near Yarnton Way and Eastern Way. It has to be said that the area is not greatly attractive, being located on the junction between two major roads and on an area that is prone to flooding. One of the original reasons for constructing the residential development in that part of Lower Belvedere was because of the hoped for improvement in local transport infrastructure. The Belvedere to Rainham river crossing would have been virtually on the doorstep of Norman Park residents, but that crossing has now been cancelled - at least for the time being; these projects have a habit of being on and off - depending on what politicians have their say in such things. The other issue with the Norman Park development is that it is not well served by existing public transport - you have the 401 and 180 buses - which are not as regular as they really need to be. The developers claim that "Belvedere railway station is just two minutes walk away" - which is a work of fiction worthy of the Booker Prize. In reality if you live on the estate, or are thinking of enquiring about one of the new apartments which have just been approved by Bexley Council, you will need to have a car. The road infrastructure is very much set up to be car - centric, as is Thamesmead next door. Belvedere, both Lower and Upper features heavily in the council’s growth strategy, which outlines an additional 31,500 homes and 17,000 jobs in the borough up to 2050.

In further local development news, the revised Bexley Growth Strategy document - more properly entitled:- "Preferred approaches to planning policies and land-use designations - Bexley’s local plan preparation Regulation 18 stage consultation paper (February 2019)" has recently been published. The document runs to well over two hundred pages, and it makes for quite complex reading. If you feel like taking a look at it, you can download a PDF file of it by clicking here. Thanks once again to Maggot Sandwich regular Miles for alerting me to the document. One of the local areas that will be affected if the plans go ahead is in Erith at the area at the end of James Watt Way and Wheatley Terrace Road currently occupied by Abbey Car Breakers. The site, which has riverside access currently has a covenant on the land, which prohibits any construction which would prevent access to the banks of the River Thames. The council are debating removing this restriction to allow the site to be redeveloped for housing. The long term plan appears to be that the Eastern end of Erith will gradually be changed from predominantly light industrial and recycling use into residential accommodation. As with many of these plans, they are subject to change and even cancellation.

Now for a piece of local history about which I knew nothing until relatively recently. It is the story of some old Royal Navy wooden warships that were repurposed as floating sanatoria for the victims of Smallpox in the late Victorian age. The smallpox epidemic which began in 1881 placed great strain on available hospital beds in London and the South East; it must be remembered that this was decades before any effective immunisation was available to protect against the deadly disease, which has now been completely eradicated. To create more bed space the Metropolitan Asylums Board (MAB) chartered two old wooden warships from the Admiralty; the Atlas, a 91-gun man-of war built in 1860 but never fitted out for use at sea, was to be used for acute cases, and the Endymion, a 50-gun frigate built in 1865, would be the 'administration block' and storeroom.  These were converted at the cost of £11,000. Originally MAB wanted to moor the ships at Halfway Reach, near Dagenham, but the Thames Conservancy, who were responsible for the river, insisted that they be moored off Deptford Creek in Greenwich, near where the hospital ship Dreadnought had been sited. The first patients were admitted on board the 120-bedded Atlas in July 1881.  By the end of the epidemic in August 1882, almost 1000 patients had been treated on the ship, of whom 120 had died. A Royal Commission had been appointed to look at the arrangements for infectious disease patients due to growing public concern about the spread of infection to houses in the vicinity of isolation hospitals. Its report, published in 1882, recommended that smallpox patients should be treated in isolation hospitals along the banks of the Thames, or in hospital ships on the river itself, and that their convalescent hospitals should be sited in the countryside at some distance from urban areas. The Commission also recommended that a central ambulance service should be established. Following this report, the smallpox hospital ships Atlas and Endymion were moved in 1883 from Greenwich to new moorings at Long Reach, some 17 miles from London Bridge, adjacent to the Crayford salt marshes on the River Thames. The iron paddle steamer Castalia joined them in 1884.  Built in 1874 by Thames Ironworks for the English Channel Steamship Co., she had been intended to run between Dover and Calais.  Designed with a double-hull to prevent rolling and therefore sea-sickness, she had proved unsuitable and had since been moored at Galleons Reach. The owners sold her to MAB in 1883, who refitted her as a hospital ship. Both engines and paddle wheels were removed and the space decked over.  The lower deck was divided into five wards for 84 female patients.  Five ward blocks for another 70 female patients were built on her upper deck, giving the Castalia the appearance of a floating row of houses.  The blocks were placed obliquely so as to catch more light and air. The three ships were moored in a line, with the Endymion in the centre, about 50 metres from the shore, but not connected to it. They were connected to each other by a complicated gangway which allowed for the rise and fall of the tide and for slight sideways movement of the vessels. The Atlas contained the wards for male patients and even had a chapel on deck, which was used for overflow patients during epidemics.  The ship could house up to 200 beds using the main, lower and orlop decks, with isolation wards on the upper deck. New admissions were delivered to the reception rooms on the orlop deck and then taken by a lift to the upper deck. Also on board were the dispensary and sleeping quarters for the medical staff. Conditions were very cramped; the only windows were the former gun ports and the ceilings were very low. The Endymion, as well as being the administrative centre, had a kitchen / galley on the main deck where all the food for the hospital ships was prepared.  The mess rooms for the staff were on the deck below, as were the storerooms. Living quarters for the Matron, the steward, the male staff and some female staff were also on board. Before leaving the ships, the staff bathed, washed their hair and changed their clothes completely. All the ships were heated by steam generated in the hold of the Endymion, connected to the other two by flexible piping (each ship had its own boiler as a reserve, but there were no heating stoves). The Long Reach pier was built to connect the ships to the few service buildings on land. Some of these provided sleeping accommodation, bathrooms and dressing rooms for the nurses and female attendants. The site also contained a laundry and storerooms. A mortuary was built nearby, as well as stables for the horses used to transfer convalescing patients to Darenth Camp, an hour's drive away. There were also a garden and a recreation ground. In 1886 a shed was built to house the engines and dynamos needed for electric lighting. The Electric Lighting Act, 1882, permitted the setting up of supply systems by persons, companies and local authorities, and MAB installed electricity on the Atlas (a fire on the Training Ship Goliath in 1875 had been caused by lighting oil lamps). In 1893 MAB had decided to build a land-based smallpox hospital at Long Reach, but the project was delayed. Building work finally began in 1901, just as another smallpox epidemic erupted in London. By this time the ships were in poor condition and were proving costly to maintain.  They were dangerous, being prone to fire despite being lit by electricity, and were vulnerable to weather hazards as well as collisions with other ships (in 1898 the Castalia was hit by SS Barrowmore, an immigrant ship).  It was difficult to restrain delirious smallpox patients from throwing themselves overboard.  It was also impossible to increase the number of patients the ships could accommodate. The smallpox ships became redundant in 1903 when Joyce Green and the other River Hospitals began to open.  The ships had held 300 patients, therefore a fivefold increase in service was expected for smallpox patients (although a major epidemic never occurred again in London).  They had given 20 years of service and accommodated over 20,000 smallpox victims. The ships were auctioned off for scrap in 1904. The Atlas realised £3,725, the Endymion £3,200 and the Castalia £1,120. In a perhaps unusual act of near-sightedness by MAB, the electricity apparatus was also scrapped and Joyce Green Hospital remained lit by gas until 1922. The hospital was closed and demolished in 2000 / 2001. 

As I have reported in the past, collecting old computers can on occasion bring large financial rewards. Just as items like classic cars increase in value over the years - and are now considered a far better investment than most stocks and shares, old computers from the 1970's and 1980's are now rapidly increasing in value. The most extreme example of this happened when the current record price for an Apple-1 was set in 2014 at a Bonhams History of Science auction in New York City. That computer fetched a stunning $910,000, despite early estimates predicting it would go for between $300,000 and $500,000. The Apple-1 was Apple’s first computer. It launched in July 1976, a year before the better-known, vastly superior Apple II. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak started working on the Apple-1 as a hobby, with no goal beyond showing it off to the people at the local Homebrew Computer Club, which he attended. In the end, they built only 175 Apple-1 computers. Only around 60 remain in existence. This is part of the reason for the huge prices paid for the antique Apple-1 computers now - a combination of a now hugely popular brand and a degree of rarity. The Apple auctions really only take place in the USA where the brand has a unique position in American home computer history. In the UK, the situation is somewhat different. No UK home computer has, or likely will reach anything like the value realised in the USA, but several interesting artefacts have turned up. Most recently a very early prototype of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum - the ground breaking, affordable British home computer released in 1982. You can see an early production model in the upper of the two photos above, and the lower photo shows the prototype that has recently been uncovered after 38 years in a dusty store cupboard at the offices of Nine Tiles Software, a subcontract company who had been responsible for the Basic ROM in the earlier Sinclair ZX80 and ZX81 computers, and finally the ZX Spectrum. The prototype machine itself has a full travel keyboard (unlike the production models, which had "dead flesh" rubber keyboards to keep the cost down) with the commands hand written on the top. All the chips are labelled, and the underside of the board is all hand wrap wiring. The layout has familiar components, but the is very different from the final configuration of the ZX Spectrum. Somewhere along the line the machine has gained a new Z80 processor, which has a date code from 1986. Judging by labels on the ROM chips, the prototype computer dates from around July 1981. Dominated by the Z80A CPU, the board lacks a case, a reflection of its prototype nature, but features much of the chip set that would go on to form the internals of the ZX Spectrum. The layout differs and the machine lacks the socket required to connect a cassette recorder. Instead, audio cables have been hardwired into the board. The keyboard connector also differs, with a substantial connector in place of the flimsier flex affair that would bedevil production machines. The rare ZX Spectrum prototype has now been donated to The Centre for Computing History. You can see a short video below showing the prototype and the museum volunteers who will be exhibiting it after it has been restored. In a recent interview, restorer and museum CEO Jason Fitzpatrick,  said: "We'll first dump the ROMs, preserving any data left in them. Then we'll check out the circuit and make sure it is electrically sound - we will remove the chips and check the voltages to ensure there will be no damage." If all is OK, the team then will have a crack at seeing if the prototype still works. Not that there is an awful lot one can actually do with a 16k ZX Spectrum. Regardless of what happens with any switch-on, the hardware will be on display "within the next two weeks" at the museum. It will be unpowered, but the team has plenty of Sinclair hardware on hand for those who wish to visit.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a report from Barnehurst ward:- "Another good week crime-wise across the ward with no burglaries or vehicle crime-related offences reported. Please remain vigilant. Remember, make sure that your vehicle is locked securely, do not rely on the electronic fob always check manually that your vehicle is locked. Lift Lock Secure Make sure that your UPVC doors are locked properly Lift the handle, lock with the key and check to make sure that it is secured Please also take time to check the security at the back of your property, make access to rear gardens as difficult as possible, Think about how you would get into your own garden if side gates etc were locked and then make it as difficult as possible, plant spiny/prickly bushes against walls and fences, do not leave bins against walls or near gates as these can be used by suspects to climb over. Consider security lighting and install an alarm. The team are more than happy to pay you a visit and give advice regarding preventative security measures, just contact us and we will make an appointment to see you. We are always looking for intelligence around crimes and those who commit them. If you have any information or suspicions of criminal activity please let the team know and we will look into it. If you feel uncomfortable talking to the police consider calling CRIMESTOPPERS on 0800 555 111 this is completely anonymous and you do not have to give any personal detail. A member of the team will be a Barnehurst Golf course on Friday 8th March at 1pm. Please feel free to pop in and have a chat about any local issues that may be concerning you. As always, please follow us on twitter @MPSBarnehurst and Facebook Barnehurst police". Belvedere ward - no report this week.  Bexleyheath ward:- "On Tuesday 26th February there was a report of a distraction burglary that had happened along Heversham Road Bexleyheath. The suspects tried to convince the victim to have their trees cut for a price but cash and jewellery was taken from within the property. Also between Thursday 28/02/2019 & Friday 01/03/2019 another burglary was reported along Belvedere Road Bexleyheath, entry was via the rear kitchen window and car keys were taken and vehicle stolen. Also on the Friday 01/03/2019 along Belvedere Road Bexleyheath Reports of a burglary, the front door was smashed to gain entry and Police had arrived within 2 minutes and the suspect had made off; On Saturday 02/03/2019 – There was a report of an interference with a motor vehicle along Mayplace Road East Bexleyheath. A window was smashed but nothing taken; On Friday 01/03/2019 at about 3.30pm, there was a report of a theft of handbag from the bowling alley in Bexleyheath by means unknown; Friday 01/03/2019 – There was a report of a theft of bag that was taken from a pull along trolley at about 2pm in one of the shops along the Broadway Bexleyheath; Tuesday 26/02/2019 – There was a report of damage to a vehicle along Park Grove Bexleyheath, vehicle was scratched. The team has received reports of males on bikes causing ASB in the carpark area at the Premiere Inn, patrols are conducted daily. The next drop-in surgery is on Wednesday 13/03/2019 between 11am and 12 midday at the Central Library, Bexleyheath. 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. Remember in an emergency please dial 999 or 101 for non-urgent reporting".  Crayford ward:- "Firstly we are pleased to say there have had no burglaries this week on Crayford ward. On Monday 4th February at around 15.00 an elderly male was approached and bumped in to in Sainsburys by a female. He later realised his bank card and driving licence were missing and that cash had been taken from his account. Also, in Sainsburys car park on Thursday 7th February a male asked a lady for directions as she was getting in her car, her bag was on the passenger seat, she later realised her bag was light and that her purse, driving licence and bus pass were missing, both these offences are believed to be distraction thefts. Front and rear number plates were stolen from a white VW caddy van in London Road on Tuesday 5th February. An open back Ford Transit van registration K100 POO was stolen from the top end of Iron Mill Lane between 21.00 on Saturday 2nd March and 10.30 on Sunday 3rd March. A white Ford Transit, GN07SFU was stolen from Shearwood Crescent on 4th March between 21.00-22.30. A SORN silver VW Golf, registration S65RNX was stolen from outside a business in Swaisland Drive between Thursday 28th February and 1st march. Designer clothing and sunglasses were stolen from a locked Ford Focus whilst parked in Old Road between 18.30 on the Monday 25th February and 14.00 on Tuesday 26th February. On Friday 1st march between 10.15 and 13.30 a catalytic converter and part of an exhaust were stolen from a Honda Civic parked in the car park by Ladbrokes Stadium. In Halcot Avenue on Friday 1st March between 14.50 and 15.50 a rear gate was kicked in and the lock and fence post were damaged. On Wednesday 6th March between 6.30 and 15.30 a grey Renault traffic van LB65JXU had the lock drilled out of the rear doors and a quantity of power tools stolen. Lead was stolen off the roof of a building site in Station Road overnight on Sunday 3rd March. The team have been taking part in Op Sceptre + patrols and other taskings across the ward to deter knife crime and serious violence offences". Erith ward:- "We have been out this week on daily weapon sweeps in a lot of areas across Erith, This involves searching bushes and other areas for hidden weapons, and this is a national operation at the moment. We have also been patrolling our ASB hotspot areas, plus spending some time in the shops around Erith, talking to shop keepers etc. Crime from the week: Shoplift <£200 Tuesday 26/02/2019 Iceland Foods Plc, Town Square; Theft from MV Tuesday 26/02/2019, South Road; Theft from MV Tuesday 26/02/2019 Spurrell Court, South Road; Other theft Wednesday 27/02/2019,Morrisons, James Watt Way; Making off Wednesday 27/02/2019 Wm Morrison petrol station, James Watt Way; Theft from MV Thursday 28/02/2019 Riverdale Road; Theft from MV Thursday 28/02/2019, James Watt Way; Burg Res Wednesday 03/03/2019, Kempton Close – Garage broken in to 2 Motorbikes and tools stolen".  Northumberland Heath ward:- "Unfortunately we have had three burglaries reported to us over the past week. Two of these were in close proximity to each other. The victim has left her property around 7pm on Thursday 28th February which she lives locked and secured. She returned to the property around twenty four hours later to find that a window at the rear in the kitchen to be smashed and glass on the floor of her kitchen. She then noticed that a bedroom had been entered and drawers were open. There was mess on the floor from an untidy search. A large quantity of cash was stolen along with jewellery. On Friday March 1st between 7.10am and 7.35pm a property in Avenue Road was broken in to via rear window being smashed. An untidy search was conducted and laptops were stolen. A property in Carlton Road was burgled between Saturday March 2nd at 09.30am and Sunday March 3rd 11.30am. The victim is currently on holiday and the burglary was discovered by the victim's mother who was checking the property daily. Entry was gained via a glass panel in the garage window being smashed. Tools were stolen from the garage and a television stolen from the lounge. One report of criminal damage to a motor vehicle in Carlton Road. Wing mirror smashed on Thursday February 28th just before 7pm. The team are continuing to conduct weapon sweeps across the ward to deter violent crime. Thankfully we have not found anything. The next Community Contact Session will be held in the Library at Mill Road On Wednesday March 13th at Midday". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Only 1 crime of note whereby there was an attempted break in of a garage in The Nursery between 22nd and 28th of February. There have been several garage break ins and attempted break ins in recent weeks. If you have a garage please ensure it is secured properly. Several weapons sweeps have taken place across the ward in the last week with some positive results. Officers have recovered a knife, 2 small axes and 2 saws from various locations across the ward. There is nothing to show that any of these items have been related to crime but at least they are now off the streets and are going to be destroyed to prevent any possible future use. PCSO Mark spent the day at Peareswood Primary school this week speaking to pupils from years 3, 4 and 5 and will be visiting the school each week from now until the end of summer to engage with pupils in class talks and general visits. On Saturday 02nd March a male was stopped and searched in Slade Green Road and found with a small quantity of cannabis on him. A Community Resolution was issued. One suspect was interviewed on on Sunday 03rd March in regards a previous drugs search. They were issued with a fine for the offence". Thamesmead East ward:-"As part of our initiative to prevent knife and violent crime among especially young people ( Op Sceptre) we have visited the people on our ward who are at risk of violent knife crime. Positive engagement. Assisted our sister ward Thamesmead Moorings for a proactive patrols on the Thistlebrook Site where four stolen motor bikes were recovered and 2 restored back to owners. The team attended a NHW meeting with Abbey wood ward. Turnout was very good and the importance of NHW in the community was spelt out. We had a very impressive turn out for our Street-a-week meeting on St. Andrew's Close SE28. Residents agreed to form a Watch. Sunday 03/05/2019. Theft of number plate. Tuesday 05/03/2019… In the morning a person had his mobile phone snatched from his hands by males on moped on Wolvercote ward. Tuesday 05/03/2019. Early morning Theft from motor vehicle Lensbury Way where Sat Nav was stolen. Wednesday 06/03/2019. Person issued with Cannabis warning near Southmere Village. We are still looking for people for ward panel. Your voice will make the changes required in Thamesmead East. Be part of this great initiative. Neighbourhood Watch provides a sense of togetherness in the community and also an added security. Please mobilise your fellow residents and neighbours to be part of this great initiative to send out clear messages to criminals and trouble makers". West Heath ward:- "Burglaries - 2: Friday 01/03/19 - Brampton Road between 6.45pm and 7.30pm, Suspects smashed the back patio door and taken several items of jewellery; Monday 04/03/19 – Friars Walk. Daytime between 9am -7.30pm. Entry was gained by forcibly removing a rear window, an untidy search followed and items taken along with the family's pet dog. Some useful information was gained from our door to door enquiries. The dog has subsequently been returned and enquiries are ongoing.  Motor Vehicle crimes - 0: The good news is we have had no motor vehicle crimes reported other the past week. We've had a busy week assisting with a warrant, resulting in the arrest of a suspect by PC Bangura for possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply. We have also been involved in Smart Water kits to residents in Welling. Our Street Briefing at Bostall Community Library on Monday 4th was very well attended despite the cold weather. The main issue raised was vehicles speeding along King Harold's Way. We took your concerns to our meeting with the Councillors on 06/03/19, and discussed various issues. We are planning a speed enforcement operation over the coming week. We have also undertaken two weapon sweeps this week: 1 in West Heath Recreation Ground 2 in Stevens Park and we are pleased to report that nothing was found. A car radio was recovered from a front garden in New Road".

Finally a short video featuring Bexley's libraries is below; do give it a watch, and either leave a message below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

The satisfaction tour.

When the light and weather is right, parts of Erith can at times look positively exotic. The photo above shows the key worker apartments (called Tramway House) on the corner of Stonewood Road and West Street, right next to the new Bexley College site. The apartments overlook the Riverside Gardens and the River Thames in one of the nicest locations in the town. If the flats had been built in somewhere like Putney, they would be the thick end of a million pounds or so.

Only a matter of weeks after Erith KFC gave up in their bid to open their drive through around the clock, another local restaurant is bidding for a late – night licence. K’s Spice – the Nigerian restaurant in Pier Road, has submitted an application to Bexley Council to extend its opening hours; currently the place opens from 10am until 11pm, and the owners wish to extend this until 2am daily. I don’t think that the application will meet with success, as there are flats located above the shop unit, and opening into the early hours of the morning would undoubtedly cause noise and disturbance. It would be interesting to see if the council licensing team take other criteria into account when deciding whether to grant opening hour changes to food outlets. For example, should they take account of the restaurant’s “Scores on the Doors” food hygiene rating? If this is the case, then K’s Spice would be on a sticky wicket, as it only gets a rating of one out of a possible five stars for kitchen cleanliness. As I have written in the past (and many reader have agreed with) in my opinion, any restaurant that fails to meet a minimum of three out of five stars (which is described as being the lowest acceptable rating) should be compulsorily closed until such time as the place is deep cleaned, and new equipment installed so that  their rating meets or exceeds a three star rating. The “Scores on the Doors” rating sticker should also have to be displayed by law. I notice that whilst food outlets in Bexley hardly ever have their rating stickers displayed, food outlets in Dartford are far more likely to publicly show their stickers. I think this could at least part be because Dartford’s restaurants seem to overall have a higher standard of food hygiene. I was walking around Dartford Town Centre last weekend, and I noticed with satisfaction that almost all places had a four or five star rating, which they proudly displayed on their window sticker. I don't know the reason for the discrepancy between Dartford and Bexley, other than as we know, the London Borough of Bexley has the worst food hygiene ratings in the whole of the UK. Whether Bexley have less staff available to police the system, or Dartford better promote and foster good food handling and preparation techniques I don't know, but the message seems to be clear. If you are going out for a meal in the local area, you are probably better off going to Dartford if you want to avoid the possibility of food poisoning. Dartford has another point in its favour if you read comic books. News Stand Comics have opened a comic book store in the shop unit at the base of the clock tower opposite Dartford Station and behind the Orchard Theatre. It used to house the tourist information centre, but now is the home of a wide variety of comics, action figures and collectibles. Until now local comic fans had to go to Bluewater or London to buy the latest editions. Now there is somewhere more local to go. I wish them well.

Hearing of the sad death of actor Bob Hoskins this week, it did remind me of an incident that happened many years ago, not long after I had passed my driving test. I was accompanying a friend who was still a learner so that he could get some much needed practice (back in those days you could legally accompany a learner as soon as you had passed your test, unlike today). It was a Sunday afternoon, and we were driving along Romney Road in Greenwich, right outside the National Maritime Museum, and had stopped at a Zebra crossing.  There was a bang and a sudden jolt; momentarily I thought my friend had dumped the clutch and stalled the car. We then both realised that the car had been rear – ended by another vehicle. I looked over my shoulder and saw a large, dark green Jaguar XJ-6 saloon far too close for comfort.  I told my friend to pull over to the side of the road, and the Jaguar followed. The night before this incident, ITV had shown the television premiere of “The Long Good Friday” – a movie which is now regarded by many critics as the finest British gangster film ever made. I had watched it, and was much taken by the performance of Bob Hoskins, as the tough and resourceful London gang leader who tries to move into property development, and unwittingly ends up on the wrong side of the IRA. Anyway as we checked the very minor damage the bumper – little more than a small dent if I recall, who should get out of the Jaguar than Bob Hoskins himself! As he came over to us, a woman at a nearby bus stop came over and started jabbering “I saw it all – he rear ended you – it’s all his fault!” Hoskins turned to her and said “it OK lady, I have it under control”. He turned to us and said “completely sorry – all of my fault”, and the interloper cut in a second time with more nagging. Hoskins now growled at her “I have told you – SHUT IT!” Which did the trick – the woman was so taken aback she was silenced. He pulled out his wallet, saying “can we sort this out like adults? Would £200 do to fix your bumper?” Bearing in mind the entire car was probably worth a maximum of £200 back then, my friend accepted gladly – he knew he was getting an amazingly good deal. Bob Hoskins was friendly and open, though we only spent a few minutes with him, he seemed like a genuine, completely down to earth bloke.

The advert above was first published back in 1903. It does rather infer that other local bakers were not hygienic - I am not sure if such an advert would be permitted nowadays. Still, it does show that even 111 years ago, a local food producer was very conscious about cleanliness. Something that some local outlets today seem to have forgotten.

Have you ever dug an old computer, games console, or other bit of long forgotten old electronic kit out of a cupboard or loft, only to find that the original, light grey plastic case had turned a nasty tobacco brown colour? Many people think that this is just a bit of ingrained dirt – but the staining does not come off, however much you scrub. This unwanted phenomenon has been known for several years, and has been researched by a number of people keen on restoring vintage home computers. The problem is caused by the special kind of plastic used to manufacture the cases. It is called ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene – you can see why even the scientists just call it ABS!) The plastic is made of three different substances, which when mixed together in certain proportions give the plastic its strength, flexibility and impact resistance. The trouble with ABS plastic is that it is very flammable unless steps are taken to do something about it. Scientists came up with a flame retardant chemical that could be added to the ABS plastic mix to stop it combusting. The chemical was one of the CFC group – which you may recall used to be widely used, until  it was discovered that they caused serious damage to the Ozone layer, and were then internationally banned in the 1990’s. Back in the 1980’s though, the chemicals were used in all sorts of ways. The discolouration of ABS plastic cases is caused by a chemical reaction when strong sunlight containing a high percentage of Ultra Violet (UV) light is allowed to shine onto the plastic. Any computer left on a desk in an office, or games console left in a kid’s bedroom would suffer this. The UV light causes the element bromine from within the CFC fire retardant to slowly leak out of the mix – bromine, which is naturally a brown colour – and this is what causes the tobacco – like staining to the ABS plastic. A group of hobbyists, some of whom have a background in chemical engineering have worked on a way to remove this horrible discolouration which can seriously affect the looks of what otherwise would be some attractive and historically important computers. They have created a cleaning gel called RetroBrite, which when pasted onto the discoloured ABS plastic surface of an old piece of electronic kit, then exposed to a UV lamp for a few hours, will completely remove the brown discolouration and return the object to an “as new” appearance. For various technical and legal reasons, this bunch of enthusiasts have been unable to patent RetroBrite, and instead publish online their formula for making it, and instructions on how to use it. To be honest, RetroBrite is pretty nasty, corrosive stuff, and has to be treated with caution. You can read more about it here.  If you ever see RetroBrite available for retail sale, it has been produced by a third party, not the original creators. Because one of the active ingredients in RetroBrite is high strength Hydrogen Peroxide, it is illegal to transport by post or courier. Some shady characters have offered pre – mixed RetroBrite bottles for sale on EBay. This actually contravenes the website’s rules, as it is regarded as a hazardous chemical. If you ever see RetroBrite for sale, it is dodgy. Making it from the recipe on the RetroBrite website is perfectly acceptable, however, and to be honest, it works best when it is freshly made. You can read a detailed account as to how it is made, and how it actually works by clicking here.

I seem to be having a bit of a Dartford oriented theme this week; readers may recall that a couple of years ago that I observed that whilst Liverpool never ceases to find excuses to celebrate the Beatles, and their links with the city, Dartford seems almost embarrassed to be the home of the Rolling Stones in comparison. OK, you have the Mick Jagger Centre, but that is about as far as it goes. Some years ago a campaign was started to get a blue plaque erected on Platform 2 of Dartford Station, to commemorate the place where Keith Richards and Mick Jagger first met on returning from buying obscure blues albums in Soho. They discovered they shared a deep love for the music, and the rest, as they say is history. The plaque campaign came to nothing, and currently there is no form of commemoration at all. One thing has changed though. A local company has started running something called the Satisfaction Tour, which describes itself as “Join us on a fascinating and fun – filled coach tour of Dartford – Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ home town. Discover where Mick and Keith grew up and met before the formation of the Rolling Stones, the world’s greatest rock and roll band. Tour guests staying at the Hilton Dartford Bridge Hotel will be collected from the hotel and taken to Dartford Railway Station, where the tour begins. The tour will then take you onto the places associated with Jagger and Richards early years, such as visits to their childhood homes and schools. Dartford Railway Station where Keith and Mick became reacquainted on platform 2 in October 1961; The hospital where they were born; Keith's teenage home; Holy Trinity Church where Mick was christened and Keith sang in the choir; Len Goodman's Dance Studios; Keith's childhood home where we visit the garden and his bedroom. Near here you will have the opportunity to stop for refreshments. Mick's childhood home; Wentworth Primary School where Keith and Mick first met; Dartford Technical College where Keith attended (now Wilmington Grammar); Mick's teenage home; Dartford Grammar School where Mick attended.” I would imagine that this would generate a lot of interest amongst foreign Stones fans, though personally paying a tour fee of £32.50 to stand on Dartford Station and then to look at Len Goodman’s dance studios (which incidentally are situated above a kebab shop in Market Street, Dartford) has a somewhat limited appeal. I hope the tour does well. You can read more about it, and see some vintage photos of the legendary rockers if you click here. 

Last week I featured Walnut Tree House, which until 1932 used to occupy the site now the home to Erith Council Offices. Walnut Tree House was owned by John Parish, a successful businessman who owned Erith Ballast Wharf on the banks of the River Thames, and also the ballast and loam pit in what is now the Europa Industrial Estate in Fraser Road. Once the pit was exhausted, it was decided that the great big quarry was ideal for use as a sports venue. Erith Cricket Club, Erith Football Club and Erith Shooting Club all used the facilities. A later ballast and loam excavation site was located on the land sided by Bexley Road and Fraser Road, which was eventually worked out in 1970. Since then it has been unused, though as Malcolm Knight of Bexley Is Bonkers has pointed out, there are rumbles that the site may finally get redeveloped – it got purchased by an Essex based property development company called the Anderson Group back in January, most likely as a housing estate. The situation is still far from decided. I will be keeping tabs on it. Other planning news indicates that the traveller pony that has been living on a piece of waste land at the end of James Watt Way may be in danger of losing its home. Bexley Council are discussing the potential redevelopment of the old RMC Aggregates site (currently in temporary use by Abbey Car Breakers as an overflow from their main site) and the adjacent river front land, including the area currently occupied by the pony. They are keen for the site to be used for industrial or commercial purposes; I quote:- “The eastern part of the site offers opportunity to make use of the river frontage. Accordingly there is a preference for industrial and commercial uses. As these are in close proximity to existing and potential residential areas it is necessary to ensure that new industrial and commercial development is of high environmental standard, especially where close to residential properties”. It will be interesting to see where they go with this. More news as it arrives.

The ninth Bexley CAMRA Beer Festival is almost upon us; it runs from the 15^th to the 17^th of May, and is held at the Old Dartfordians Sports Club in Bexley Village. It is an excellent venue, and is much better served by public transport than the old venue, which used to be Sidcup Rugby Club (a great venue, but miles from anywhere and a pain to get to and from).  Not only is the Old Dartfordians Club far easier to travel to and from, but it is in fairly close proximity to Bexley Village itself – which is helpful if one fancies a post festival curry, as there are several Indian restaurants in the town that display a three star or higher “Scores on the Doors” rating. I will be covering the festival in greater detail after the event.

I received the following message in the week from a local musician and Vox enthusiast, following my piece on the connection between Vox and Erith. "I am contacting you about your recent MS story about the Stones and/or The Beatles visiting the Vox factory in  Erith. I would refer you to Jim Elyea's excellent book "Vox Amplifiers - The JMI Years" Vox's main facility was at 119 Dartford Rd. According to Jim's book, JMI production moved to the Erith building in 1965 and production continued there despite a fire on December 1 1965, it is not clear whether Vox actually owned the building as it also housed another Royston Industries company Burndept's Ltd (JMI was partly owned by Royston at this point). In January 1967 there were 150 employees at Erith. The Vox factory in Erith was closed in 1970. Apparently Mick and Keith were regular visitors to the Dartford factory as they were Dartford boys themselves but all reliable sources confirm that the Beatles never visited the Vox factory in Dartford or Erith. The Kinks, also Vox users, never visited the factory as "it was too dangerous for Muswell Hill boys to go to Dartford". Tony Hicks, lead guitarist with The Hollies was a frequent visitor, as were the Dave Clark Five. Hank Marvin brought his red Fender Stratocaster that he had bought at Jennings shop at 100 Charing Cross Road into the Dartford factory one day because he was having trouble keeping it in tune...the powers that be simply decided to give him a new one. The Charing Cross Road shop was more likely to have been frequented by the stars of the time. Much more information including photos, lists and details of JMI employees can be found in Jim's excellent book ".

Local bus company Stagecoach buses are currently testing new, hybrid engine double decker buses. On Tuesday afternoon I saw one running on the 602 school bus route. The very smart looking, brand new bus was in the middle of Bexley Road at the bus halt in front of the Erith Riverside Shopping Centre. It had broken down! The driver and another Stagecoach person (possibly a mechanic) were trying to restart the vehicle, which appeared to be completely dead, apart from working hazard warning lights. These vehicles are largely reliant on computer control, and I would not have been surprised if there was a computer related problem – this is one of the most common causes of faults on the networker trains used by South Eastern. I have witnessed this whilst on the platform at both Cannon Street and Dartford stations. The driver could not get the train to start up  - it had completely frozen. He ended up doing what many PC users do in such circumstances – he switched it off, then back on again. I suspect that the bus crew would probably end up having to try the same technique. I hope that the teething troubles are soon overcome, as it would be a great move for Stagecoach to replace the older vehicles in their fleet with more economical and lower emission buses. Ideally they would go for Hydrogen fuel cell powered buses, as have run in and around Waterloo in the past. The trouble with these zero emission vehicles (OK, they emit a little water vapour, but that is it) is that currently they are prohibitively expensive to purchase. Hopefully as the technology matures, the costs involved will come down and we will have many hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles.

Word reaches me from one of my confidential sources that the closure last Wednesday of The British Music Experience exhibition at the O2 Arena was long overdue.  My source, who had some involvement with the project in the past wrote “It was a fabulous exhibition with interesting exhibits and lots of audio visual interaction, but unless you went around it slowly and logically there was almost too much to take in. The ticket booth was set up on the assumption that there would be huge queues lining up, but I found both the 02 and the British Music Experience like a ghost town, and sometimes I saw more staff than visitors. The entry fee was very high indeed - it was always my view that the place could not survive”. This is all a great pity. From my understanding the reason for the closure is that their sponsors refused to renew their support for the 2014 / 2015 season; the Experience is now looking for a new home. I wonder if a local venue might make a good place for The British Music Experience might be the former Woolwich Granada Cinema? It is currently being used as a cathedral by the Christ Faith Tabernacle Church, who seem to have made a very good job of restoring the old Art Deco building, which has Grade II listed status, so I very much doubt if they would be interested, which would be a pity, as the Granada has strong historical musical connections;  it was used in the 1950’s and 60’s as a live music venue as well as a cinema. Buddy Holly held some gigs in 1958 (one of which my late Dad attended), Roy Orbison, and even the Beatles played the place back in 1963 – though I doubt they would have been heard over the screaming!

The video to end this week is a curiosity. It, along with several others, has been made by a professional Hollywood film editor. He's taken an episode of Gerry Anderson's "Space:1999" and intercut it with an episode of the original "Battlestar Galactica" to tell a completely new story. It really does go to show just how much a good editor can do to influence a film. It is very well done; for the most parts you cannot "see the joins". Feel free to leave a message below, or Email me directly at hugh.neal@gmail.com.