The queue.

The scene above will be familiar to most people now; I took the photo whilst queuing outside of Morrison's in Erith one evening last week. Whilst I have heard a few grumbles about the enforced isolation and social separation, most people seem to be taking the new rules and precautions well.  In my experience, the queue moves quite quickly, and only adds a few minutes to the shopping experience. The queue looks long, as people are spacing themselves two metres from each other, but it also moves quickly as a result. On one occasion whilst queuing, an individual jumped over the crowd control barrier and joined the queue in front of me. Before I could say anything, the store security guard intervened - the interloper was removed after some altercation and shouting. I think this was the exception; generally people in the queue are considerate and patient. What do you think? Share your personal experiences with me by Emailing me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

CB radio seems to be making a comeback, with people stuck at home, bored and looking at for them - new ways to communicate with others for free. It seems strange that in an era of online video conferencing with apps such as Skype, Zoom and FaceTime that a nowadays relatively little known hobby that had its roots in the pre - mobile phone era of the late 1970's and early 1980's could be returning to the scene. If you are not aware, CB radio - formally known as Citizen's Band radio is a licence free, relatively short range alternative to Amateur Radio. Citizens band radio (often shortened to CB radio) is a system of short-distance radio communications between individuals on a selection of 40 channels within the 27-MHz (11 metre) band. In the United Kingdom, CB radio was first legally introduced in 1981, but had been used illegally for some years prior. In December 2006, CB radio was deregulated by Ofcom and it is now licence-free. Although the use of CB radios in the UK has declined from its peak, it is still popular, especially with the farming community, Land Rover owners and Mini-Cab services. CB radio was first introduced into the United Kingdom around 1972. Early use was known around the airports in the UK, particularly Stansted in 1973. As citizens band radio has been advertised in the US since before 1962, it is possible that a number of these radios were brought into the UK and used illegally. In the period 1976–1978, CB radio in Britain was much popularised by novelty hit songs and its use in the film Convoy and the usage of illegal CB radio peaked in 1980. Companies in Britain sold US equipment quite openly, and equipment was readily available in car accessory shops. During this time, a great many CB clubs emerged in the UK and they became centres of protest in the march towards legalisation, in the hope that existing equipment could be used legally. In response to this, the government commissioned a white paper proposing a CB service called "Open Channel" around 860 MHz. The big problem for the UK was that the 27 MHz band was already licensed legally to radio control model aircraft users. They were paying for a licence to use the band, and interference resulted in loss of control of the aircraft. Many expensive models were written off, and the safety implications were obvious, but there was no practical way to police a separation, and the government did not rate the protection of model flying as an important issue. The UK Government eventually legalised CB radio, and on 2 November 1981 a CB service was introduced on a frequency band and offset that is incompatible with the imported American radios. At the same time the ownership of non-UK approved 27 MHz transceivers was made illegal except for those obtained by UK radio amateurs. The government initially proposed an FM system on a 928 MHz band with an RF Input power not exceeding 500 mW. This was unacceptable to the CB lobby partly because the low power would give a short range but mainly because the cost of equipment to operate in this band would be prohibitive. The more knowledgeable CB enthusiasts made a counter proposal to use a frequency around 220 MHz. This was immediately dismissed by the government who pointed out that it was a reserved military frequency band. It was subsequently discovered that the frequency had been unused since the Second World War. The government initially refused to relent and continued their insistence on legalising the 928 MHz band. The CB lobby continued to insist that any CB system had to use the 27 MHz band, be AM and a maximum output power of 4 watts (i.e. the US system). Ultimately, the government hinted that they were going to give in to the CB lobby but, as it turned out, only up to a point. CB was eventually legalised on a 27 MHz band but not the band used in the US. Whereas the US used a band occupying the range 26.965 to 27.405 MHz, the UK system was to operate on 27.60125 to 27.99125 MHz. These awkward frequencies would prevent illegal US sets from being modified outside of the type approval system, though it was possible to have existing A.M. radios modified to comply with the new F.M. standard. The choice of frequency would also give the UK electronics industry a head start in the production of unique UK only radios. The system was FM as expected, but one initial surprise was that the power limit was set at 4 watts. The surprise was short lived when it was realised that antenna restrictions would limit the real radiated power to little more than a 500 mW system. A further restriction on power applied if the antenna was elevated by more than 7 metres from the ground. The antenna restrictions were largely ignored and, in the main, un-policed. The government of the day had hoped that UK based manufacturers would be able to compete on a level playing field with foreign (notably Japanese) manufacturers for a share of the potential market. As it happened: the awkward choice of frequencies conspired against this ideal. The frequencies were such that, initially, only one manufacturer in Japan had the capability of producing the frequency synthesiser chips capable of producing the transmission frequencies and the local oscillator signals for use in receive mode. This manufacturer, not surprisingly, refused to supply any UK based manufacturer while it was attempting to keep Japanese manufacturers supplied. In the event, the UK market saturated within a few months and many Japanese manufacturers and UK importers were left with vast amounts of unwanted stock. Within a year of the introduction of CB to the UK, CB radio sets were being given away free with some purchase or other by many of the major retailers. After this, many UK CB radios were relegated to the backs of cupboards or into the loft. From the inception of legalised CB radio, there has been much abuse of the system, with frequent complaints that CB radio was not policed properly in spite of the licence revenues. CB channels still remained busy in many areas, despite mobile phones becoming increasingly common and feature rich. Many of the original advantages of mobile CB have been surpassed by the development of mobile internet access, satellite navigation systems, and the proliferation of other instant communication technologies such as text messaging. The introduction of a new licence free handheld PMR 446 radio service has provided much of the features of traditional C.B., in a small handheld format. This service is not directly comparable with C.B, as PMR446 was intended to provide a short range service. Changes to the UK's amateur radio licensing system mean that it is now possible for people under the age of 14, and anyone else, to gain legal access to most of the UK amateur frequency allocation with only basic technical knowledge.  A small but very active UK CB group still carried on, and several companies sell brand new CB in this country, as a quick Google search will show. It would seem that some of the old CB rigs are being dusted down and put back into use during this period of Covid - 19 lockdown, which to my mind can only be a good thing; a substantial number of CB radio operators "get the bug" and want to go onto other radio related activities - principally getting themselves licenced as an Amateur Radio operator. In many ways Citizen's Band is a gateway that leads on to Amateur Radio. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

It is rare that I ever celebrate a business going bust; as regular readers will be aware, I am keen to publicise and promote local independent businesses - indeed, more on that theme later in this update. I do not normally comment on stories that make the national news, as there are professional journalists who can report those stories far better than I. Also the Maggot Sandwich has a primary focus on local events and current affairs. I am making an exception in this case however, as I have commented on the subject before, and I feel that it is of interest to many readers. You may have seen in the press over the last week news that the store Brighthouse has called in accountancy firm Grant Thornton as official receivers after the company became insolvent. Whilst I feel sorry for the staff who are almost inevitably going to lost their jobs, I cannot say that I am sorry that the firm has gone bust. For those that may not be aware, here is some background to Brighthouse, their dubious business model, and the people they preyed on. To my mind, the definitive indicator that a town had gone to the dogs is when Brighthouse moved in. I was reading an article recently, in which Karl Dayson, an academic who specialises in the study of affordable finance said that “I can think of no better marker of social deprivation than having a Brighthouse store open in your area”.  Brighthouse were until last week a chain of retailers specialising in household goods such as furniture, washing machines, televisions and cookers. Their unique selling point was that you could purchase goods on credit with no deposit, and with very low weekly repayments. The stores were designed to appeal to young families – the aisles between goods on display were wide enough for a child’s buggy to be wheeled easily along them. Brighthouse offered credit to those who would otherwise be unable to qualify for it – mainly people on benefits. This all sounded great – helping those otherwise unable to afford the basics of a home to get what they need. The downside of it was the eye wateringly high interest rates that Brighthouse charged. Several debt charities expressed dismay at the high charges. A basic washing machine that cost £399 in Curry's would have cost £1,560 from Brighthouse, albeit broken down into “affordable” £10 weekly payments at an interest rate of 69.9% APR. Just like the notorious pay day lenders, the poorer you are, the more you pay for goods and services. Debt advisor Anne Young, who has advised many former Brighthouse customers said “These companies are preying on people who cannot afford to go anywhere else. I do think that they are robbing the poor, when you look at their prices. They are charging a ridiculous amount for goods you can buy on the high street for a third of the price”.  To give an example, a small television which costs £99.99 in Argos would cost a total of £606.84 paid over a total of 156 weeks. Brighthouse argued that their TV was covered against malfunction and accidental damage over the course of the repayment period, but this needed to be set against the fact that you could buy six similar televisions for that same amount of money elsewhere. Brighthouse claimed that if you could find an identical product anywhere on the high street, that they would match the price. This was actually quite difficult, as Brighthouse had a lot of “own name” brands, such as Baird; these were simply not available anywhere else; they also included a number of options that other retailers on the high street don’t, and the pricing structure was so bewilderingly complex that direct comparison was rather difficult.  The demographic for Brighthouse customers is fairly straightforward; a majority are women between 26 and 45 years of age; they earn less than £13,000 a year, and around fifty percent are receiving at least part of their income in the form of benefits. You can really view Brighthouse as a cross between somewhere like Argos and loan company – and its’ customers are overwhelmingly people who did not qualify for a credit card or scored too lowly for a conventional, lower interest loan. The kind of goods that the company sold (furniture / consumer electronics) did tend to depreciate over the course of the loan period, to the point that by the time the loan was fully paid off, the goods were essentially worthless. On top of this, Brighthouse had a policy of repossessing goods if payments were not met, even if the customer was only one or two payments away from completing the purchase.  Normally a court order is required to repossess goods when more than a third of the credit payments have already been met. Brighthouse had a nasty habit of sending round bailiffs without such legal niceties – exploiting the fact that many of their customers were ignorant of the law. All in all, Brighthouse succeeded because they could – their target customer did not qualify for a loan from a conventional source, and was not aware of low cost resources such as credit unions. They relied on the customer being sucked in to the colourful, brightly lit and shiny shop with the promise of low repayments, even if they do end up paying for what seemed like half a lifetime. Fortunately this has now come to an end. The failure of Brighthouse has come over a period of around three years. In 2017, Brighthouse was ordered to pay £14.8 million to 249,000 customers by the financial regulator, Financial Conduct Authority. This was in response to the retailer's inability to pay customers who had cancelled agreements after one down payment. The company at the time was told it had not been a responsible lender. Brighthouse had also been accused of charging excessive interest on lending. In April last year, the FCA introduced a cap on interest and fees companies like Brighthouse can charge. This put the company in a very fragile financial position; the compulsory closure of all of its 240 UK stores under the current Coronavirus regulations meant that Brighthouse cashflow was severely curtailed, and accountants Grant Thornton were called in to wind up the business. Brighthouse may have operated a legal business; whether they operated a moral one is open to debate. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Local businesses are working on ways to service their customers whilst they are on lock down. The excellent Bexley Brewery have just started a home delivery service. You can join their Email list by contacting shop@bexleybrewery.co.uk  They comment:- "We'll be sending out our new beer and cider list every Monday, so please look out for it. If you don't see an email from us in your in box, please check your junk/spam folder as your server/spam guard may be sensitive to attachments, if there's still nothing there, please drop me an email and let me know. As we did this week, we'll be taking orders on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, with last orders being Wednesday 12 midday (we have to be very prompt on this). We then start to workout delivery routes and organise the orders ready to deliver from Wednesday afternoon onwards". Another local organisation that is changing to accommodate the quarantine situation is The Bookstore Cafe, which has had to close to visitors. Instead they are also offering a delivery service. Their announcement reads:- "Get The Bookstore straight to your door with our Oven Ready Meal offer. Choose from a selection of meals including pies, curries and hot pots, all for £5 including delivery. Deliveries are made on Fridays. So please let us know what you are after by Thursday 9am. To place an order, follow this link, or give us a call on 01322 341144. We are offering Orbit residents our individual oven ready meals for £2.50, including delivery. Home cooked nutritious affordable ready meals made with the best ingredients by the best local chefs. To find out more, follow this link or give us a call on 01322 341144". Head Chef Louisa Budds is sharing some of her recipes. Download the recipe here, and watch the how-to video below.

Now that a large majority of the UK are working from home, it has become apparent that some of the tools that many use to keep in touch with family and friends - and not to mention work, have come under scrutiny. I don't know if you saw Prime Minister Boris Johnson early last week, when on Tuesday when he shared a screenshot of “the first ever digital Cabinet” on his Twitter feed. It revealed the country’s most senior officials and ministers were using the popular video conferencing application Zoom to discuss critical issues facing the UK. The use of the Zoom software is likely to have infuriated the security services, while also raising questions about whether the UK government has its own secure video-conferencing facilities. The decision to use Zoom, as millions of others stuck at home during the Coronavirus outbreak are doing, comes as concerns are growing about the conferencing app's business model and security practices. Most notably, the company has been forced to admit that although it explicitly gives users the option to hold an “end-to-end encrypted” conversation and touts end-to-end encryption as a key feature of its service, in fact it offers no such thing. Specifically, it uses TLS, which underpins HTTPS (secure) website connections and is significantly better than nothing. But it most definitely is not end-to-end encryption (E2E). E2E ensures all communications are encrypted between devices so that not even the organisation hosting the service has access to the contents of the connection. With TLS, Zoom can intercept and decrypt video chats and other data. Whilst this might not matter for social calls between friends and family, when big corporations, or indeed governments become involved, it is a whole different issue. Despite Zoom offering a meeting host the option to “enable an end-to-end (E2E) encrypted meeting,” and providing a green padlock that claims “Zoom is using an end to end encrypted connection,” it appears that the company is able to access data in transit along that connection, and can also be compelled to provide it to governments. So, it's not E2E. While that is not something that will bother most Zoom users, whose conversations are not highly sensitive nor confidential, for something like a UK Cabinet meeting, the lack of true end-to-end encryption is dangerous. Personal information gathered by the company included, but was not limited to, names, addresses and any other identifying data, job titles and employers, Facebook profiles, and device specifications. It also included "the content contained in cloud recordings, and instant messages, files, whiteboards ... shared while using the service." In other words, it was, arguably, the Facebook of the video-conferencing world, sucking every piece of data it can from you and any device you install it on. Speaking of Facebook, Zoom's iOS app sent analytics data to Facebook even if you didn't use Facebook to sign into Zoom, due to the application's use of the social network's Graph application programming interface. In short, while Zoom’s ease of use, reliability and excellent user interface has made it a godsend for people stuck at home, the company continues to raise red flags about its honesty, its privacy policies and its business model. 

This month marks the 35th anniversary of the first UK cellular telephones going on sale to the general public. The official launch was on the first of January 1985, but for the first few months, phones were almost exclusively sold to corporations and large businesses. It was only at the beginning of April 1985 that the general public could - for a price - buy a transportable phone, such as the model shown above - click on the image for a larger view. The companies we know as Vodafone and O2 today were Racal-Vodafone and Securicor-Cellnet back then; phones were the size of a small suitcase and only did voice calls - no text or apps, let alone any kind of camera or GPS. The two companies had spent the months up to the 1st January launch deadline fighting for cell sites and testing coverage, particularly in London. There was no hint of site-sharing. The services used analogue TACS (Total Access Control System), and later ETACS (Enhanced TACS), as more frequencies became necessary. The analogue calls could easily be monitored using a radio scanner - as in the infamous Princess Diana "Squidgygate" tapes. The cellular service was not actually the first mobile phone system available - there was a Carphone Radio service called Band 3, but that was push-to-talk and all calls had to go through an operator to be connected. Calls were limited as was the number of users. You had to go on a waiting list and wait for a subscriber to close an account before you could buy one. It was complex, limited in coverage and extremely expensive. The first modern, cellular call was undertaken by Vodafone's Michael Harrison, the son of former Vodafone Chairman Sir Ernest Harrison, who was the first to test the system, calling his father at midnight on 1st January, 1985. Michael Harrison secretly left his family’s New Year’s Eve party at their home in Surrey in the UK to surprise his father, calling him from London’s Parliament Square. Harrison made the historic call from one of the first mobile devices – a Transportable Vodafone VT1, which weighed 11lb (5kg) and had around 30 minutes of talk time - more on this groundbreaking device in a bit. Harrison recalls that the line was crystal clear, although the excited shouting of New Year’s Eve revellers in London created considerable background noise. As Sir Ernest Harrison answered the phone, Michael said: “Hi Dad. It’s Mike. This is the first-ever call made on a UK commercial mobile network”. Which isn't quite “one small step” but is better than, “Watson come here I want to see you". The official press launch was held days later at St Katherine’s Dock in London where Vodafone had hired comedian Ernie Wise make the first public mobile phone call. Wise brought the same transportable device to St Katherine’s Dock in London in a 19th century mail coach, using one of the oldest forms of communications – sending a letter – to highlight the speed and convenience of these new mobile phones. Ernie Wise’s call was received at the original Vodafone headquarters, where a handful of employees were based in an office above an Indian restaurant in Newbury, Berkshire. Heavy and cumbersome, the first generation of mobile phones were sold in the UK from 1984 – before the first products were even available and before the network was officially live. Such was the demand for a fully portable, cellular phone that more than two thousand orders had been taken by the Vodafone sales team before Michael Harrison made his call from Parliament Square. By the end of 1985, over twelve thousand devices had been sold. Very soon afterwards a good friend of mine got given a VT1 portable TACS phone by his then employer, British Telecom. The phone was so powerful that when he made trips to the Carrefour Hypermarket in Calais, he could call his Mum to find out what she wanted him to buy, connecting via the British mobile phone cell in Dover (there was no international mobile roaming back in those days).

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "Despite the lock down there have been two burglaries on the ward over the last week. Both of these occurred in Parkside Avenue. In both cases entry was gained by the front door. An Audi was taken on the first occasion. However on Sunday morning the suspect was confronted and made off empty handed in a blue Audi A3 or S3 in the direction of Parkside Cross. He was described as a white male in his late twenties with brown hair wearing dark clothing. There was also a theft of number plates in the car park in Badlow Close. Unfortunately since the lock down officers have had to move people on and give strong words of advice to people who continue to flout government advice. Please only leave your premises if absolutely essential e.g shopping for essentials daily exercise, work etc. Please keep safe". Belvedere ward:- "The team executed a drugs warrant at an address in lower Belvedere on Thursday. Cannabis was found at the address and the occupant is being dealt with for possession. Last week the team were extracted a lot from the ward due to the Corona situation. However when assisting Thamesmead Moorings Ward on Friday we stop and search a male for drugs, after a short chase that is. He was found in possession of a quantity of cannabis and lots of cash. Needless to say he is being dealt with for possession with intent to supply. Potentially a lengthy investigation is underway. On Thursday 26/03/20 we had an attempt garage burglary in Lower Park Road. Happened around 23:15. Nothing taken on this occasion but damage caused. Unfortunately this crime type is still happening so please be alert as much as possible while on lock down!" Bexleyheath ward:-"Wednesday 25/03/20 2000 – 2100 Criminal Damage Long Lane windows on vehicle smashed. Wednesday 25/03/20 1900 – 26/03/20 1040 Criminal Damage Long Lane windows on vehicle smashed. Wednesday 25/03/20 2200 – 26/03/20 1330 Criminal Damage Long Lane windows on vehicle smashed. Thursday 26/03/20 0001 – 26/03/20 1545 Number Plates Stolen Royal Oak Road. Friday 27/03/20 1740 Theft From Motor Vehicle Horsham Road. Between Wednesday 25/03/20 1400 and Saturday 28/03/20 1400 Theft From Motor Vehicle Freta Road. A few motor vehicle crimes this week, please continue to be vigilant around your homes and what items you are leaving on display". Crayford ward:-"A practically unheard of report for Crayford this week. At the time of reporting we have had one report of attempted burglary in Inglewood Road, between 22.00 on 29th March and 18.00 on 30 March, whereby the garage door was forced open but nothing appears to have been stolen. We have been actively patrolling the ward and engaging and encouraging our residents to adhere to Government direction. As ever, please call 999 in the event of an emergency, 101 for non-emergencies. You can contact our team directly on 020 8721 2584 or email at Crayford.SNT@met.police.uk Please stay safe". Erith ward:-"As a team we have been out on the ward on Foot and on Bikes patrolling every part of Erith, explaining to residents not to be out in groups and giving them advice which is in line with what the government are saying for us all to keep safe. We have a full team in Erith and are still doing the daily work we always do. Weapon sweeps are being carried out daily and we are now also twice daily visiting all shops in Erith checking everything is OK. Crime in Erith this last week has been low. Crimes of note from the last week Theft from Motor Vehicle Church Road. Theft from Motor Vehicle Maximfeldt Road." Northumberland Heath ward:-"There has been an Attempted Theft of a Motor Vehicle outside Belmont Road , Erith. Victim witnessed a male looking at his motor vehicle outside his home address. The suspect was seen taking photos of the lock placed on motor vehicle. Unfortunately there is no CCTV Evidence or further links for further investigation. Theft from a motor vehicle on Walsingham Walk, Erith .Victim had her rear cluster light and registration number plates stolen. Residential Burglary Northumberland Park ,Erith.Victim returned home and noticed her front door damaged and unlocked . Nothing was stolen from property. This report has been closed as there are no further lines of enquiries. Attempted theft of a delivery vehicle on 116 Hurst Road, Erith. Victim was a delivery driver delivering parcels on Hurst Road when he left the keys in the ignition while delivering the parcels. A witness alerted the victim of a white male trying to get into the victims vehicle. The driver then attempted to remove the male from the vehicle. Another 4-5 Males then approached the driver and ran towards Colyers Lane with the vehicle in situ. The victim had a cut to his head. This was reported by a third party as the victim left and didn't want to wait for police to attend. Police haven't been able to contact the victim for further investigation. SNT will be patrolling Hind Crescent as much as possible. The team are increasing their patrols around all four wards to provide reassurance patrols in the local area. There are no contact points organised for this month . You can always contact the local team on Twitter @MPSNorthHeath or on the ward phone 02087212502. Officers have been patrolling busy areas within the ward to prevent any anti social behaviour incidents while the outbreak of the coronavirus. As most of the shops are closed on Bexley Road we haven't had any ASB reports or theft reported to us recently." Slade Green and Northend ward:- "We had a burglary in Hollywood Way last Thursday between 0800 and 1500. Entry was made via the key in the keysafe and only specific items were taken. Please ensure nobody apart from those trusted have your keysafe code if you have one. Our team currently are patrolling and doing as much as we can to keep everyone safe and indoors. Please remember that anyone out in groups will be stopped and asked to go home if there is no valid reason to be out. This can result in a fine but we will only resort to this method if there are repeat offenders or anyone refusing to comply. We hope you are all keeping safe during these testing times and please let us know if there are any areas that groups are regularly seen congregating." Thamesmead East ward:-"Lensbury Way SE2 on Sat 28/3/20 between 10:40pm – 10:45pm Victim noticed vehicle alarm going off at 22:40pm, when victim went to check, it was found the vehicle had been entered. Items had been taken from the arm rest compartment by suspect/s unknown. Pointer Close SE28 on Sun 10pm – 1:45pm Victim reports motorcycle stolen from location by suspect/s unknown. Mangold Way DA18 on Mon 30/3/20 2:50pm Victim reports windscreen wipers have been removed from both victim's vehicles and left discarded on the ground. Criminal Damage Watersmeet Way SE28 on Wed 25/3/20 between 10pm – 7:45am Victim heard a noise at 10pm but disregarded it at the time, when victim went into the study the following morning the outer pane to the widow was seen to be smashed by suspect/s unknown. Carnoiste Close SE28 Tues 31/3/20 7:45pm – 10:30am victim returned from work to find kitchen window smashed by suspect/s unknown entry to property not gained nothing taken. Good News - A female who was circulated by PC Pruden for stealing a poppy charity box from Taris Shop Yarnton Way in October 2019 was found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court and sentenced to 14 weeks at her majesty's pleasure. On Sat 28/3/20 at 8pm a phone call was received from a relative worried about his elderly brother and sister in law who both have underlying health issues and are self-isolating for 12 weeks on the ward. The couple have not been able to go shopping for essentials and do not have internet or mobile phones so had been unable to organise shopping delivery. PCSO Buckley contacted the couple who gave her a shopping list which she delivered on Sunday. The couple thanked PCSO Buckley stating “it felt like Christmas”.  West Heath ward:-"Excellent news again this week, no burglaries or motor vehicle crime reported to us. Despite the current difficult climate, the team are continuing to conduct proactive burglary patrols on foot and in vehicles. We have conducted weapon sweeps jointly with our colleagues from Crook Log and East Wickham, as part of this weeks' focus on knife crime. We have carried out regular visits to local shops and businesses that are open to reassure both the public and shop shopkeepers that we are still a visible presence. Please remember to keep your distance when shopping, Keep calm and wash your hands!"

The end video this week may well be of particular interest to drinkers of bottled water. It features the story of the ill - fated Dasani brand of bottled water, which got the unfortunate nickname of "Sidcup Spring". Give it a watch and send any comments to hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Two stars.

The photos above show a couple of views of Erith Pier - the longest pier on the River Thames by quite some distance. Last year the very first Erith Pier Festival took place; the organisers expected around four hundred people to turn up to the inaugural event. As it turned out, something over four thousand people visited the pier on the day - helped by the excellent weather at the time. The Erith Pier Festival will be returning to the riverside on the 21st September 11am - 9pm this year. The festival will feature live music, various pop - up food stalls from the Erith Kitchen, Bexley Brewery will have a beer tent serving some of their excellent, locally brewed real ales, and there will be a number of children's entertainers as well. You can read more about the event by clicking here. Please note that the "Get there by boat" option is erroneous - it is not currently possible to visit Erith Pier by any public river service. If you own your own ship, that is however another story. 

I know that some sections of the popular press have been getting quite upset over the price of computer printer toner, and it is indeed a complete rip – off. I think that they were missing a trick, however, as there is something that is an even bigger con; I know it is something I have mentioned before, but I do feel strongly that it needs to be revisited. Why is the cost of men’s wet shaving razor blades so extortionate? Some are £15.75 for a measly eight blades. The materials involved in their construction and the labour utilised is minimal – the production lines are almost completely automated, and the materials are high quality, but there is little metal involved in reality. The only conclusion that I can come to is that the reason razor blades are so eye wateringly expensive is that the companies that produce and sell them seem to have the market completely sewn up. They charge so much just because they can. I think the only solution to this would be for a new player to enter the market to produce blades of an equivalent quality and durability (don’t get me going as to how quickly blades wear out – you are lucky to get four shaves out of a blade, nothing like the month of use that the manufacturers’ claim) at a fraction of the cost. I cannot believe that this would be technically or financially impossible. It takes someone with the kind of business expertise and audacity that have caused Ryan Air to overturn the short and medium haul air travel industry, to be able to challenge the big players in the men’s grooming market.  I bitterly resent being held over a barrel when it comes to shaving. On a side note, does anyone have a clue why there are no mousse or gel hair removal products targeted at men? A facial “Immac for Men” or similar might be an interesting product. I don’t know if there are any technical or medical reasons why such a product could not be brought to market. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please leave a comment below. All comments will be moderated and published within 24 hours of receipt. Email me at the usual address:- hugh.neal@gmail.com.

A form of ferry service has been in place at Woolwich since the 14th century, as a way of allowing the community to safely cross the Thames. The service pre-dates all other tunnel and bridge crossings in the capital. The documentation from that date refers to the waterman who ran the ferry, William de Wicton, sold his business and house to William Halle, for £10. In 1320 the ferry was sold again for 100 silver marks. There is no further mention of the ferry during the years that Woolwich rose to prominence as a royal dockyard under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Much later, in 1810 the army established its own ferry that ran from Woolwich Royal Arsenal to Duvals Wharf. In 1811 an Act of Parliament was passed to establish a ferry across the Thames from Woolwich at the Old Ballast or Sand Wharf, opposite Chapel Hill, where the dockyard then terminated. The ferry became known as the western ferry and was run by a company that called itself The Woolwich Ferry Company. The Western ferry continued to operate until 1844, when the company was dissolved after a history of inept management. The current free ferry was set up in the 1889 and has run ever since. The ferry infrastructure at the Woolwich terminals had been in operation for over 50 years, providing a ‘roll-on/roll-off’ transport service, and has seen traffic volumes using the service dramatically increase over this period. Over 1 million vehicle crossings and 1.95 million passenger journeys were recorded using the service in 2014, which is operated and run by Briggs Marine Contractors, under a long term operating contract with Transport for London (TfL). Since the two new ferry vessels entered service earlier this year, there have been an almost constant series of mechanical and electrical breakdowns, labour strikes and other disruptions to the service, which the public was erroneously told the introduction of the new ships would prevent. There have been several problems with the new service; the ships are run by electric motors powered by diesel generators, and the new automated docking system is also powered by electro magnets. The diesel generators have so far proved far less reliable than predicted. On top of this, the electro magnetic docking system only seems to work properly when there is little wind or tide affecting the movement of the ferries as they dock. Anything less than perfect conditions causes the ferries to bounce on the docking mechanism, and fail to make a secure contact. I have read reports that the new ferries, despite their new technology, are actually far harder to operate than the old 1960's models that they replaced. On top of this, there are a series of ongoing labour disputes between the ferry crews and the management of the service; at the time of writing these are unresolved.

Shock news following the recent health and hygiene inspection of the KFC Drive Through (I will not call it "Drive Thru" as that is an abomination). Bexley Council inspectors visited the restaurant located at 1, Manor Road, Erith on Tuesday the 6th of August. After the visit, the chain outlet scored a worryingly low two out of a possible five stars on the "Scores on the Doors" hygiene rating system. The low, two star award, means that "Improvement is necessary" - not what you would expect of a large multinational food franchise. How could a multinational mega brand allow one of its stores get into a position that it can only rate a two out of five star rating? It is immaterial whether the store is company owned or a franchise – the standards expected are identical. The damage to the KFC brand should such information become widely known is difficult to calculate, but it certainly would not be good. The Erith store has had a history of problems; In the summer of 2016, I received several reports of certain menu items being unavailable when requested, and I also heard a couple of unsubstantiated rumours that the store was suffering cash flow problems. It would seem from the investment subsequently made into the store, that these rumours were either incorrect, or had been successfully resolved. The Erith KFC branch made it into the tabloid papers back in February of last year; one of the largest news stories both nationally and locally had been at that time that of the temporary closure of a majority of KFC fast food restaurants around the country due to problems with their supply chain management, which had recently been taken over by courier firm DHL. KFC outlets around the UK ran out of ingredients, and had to temporarily close. Footage, allegedly showing KFC staff transferring raw chicken from a car into the side entrance of the Erith store was taken by a local person and uploaded to Facebook. The uploader made a number of unsubstantiated claims about the restaurant, including that staff were sleeping in the building. This was all published by the Sun newspaper without verifying any of the claims - not surprising as the Sun is well known for not letting the facts get in the way of a good story. A local source informed me at the time that the box the workers had taken from the car into the back of the restaurant actually contained a selection of cleaning materials. I was also told that when the Erith KFC Manager realised that the workers could not serve much in the way of food, and they could not at that stage be sent home, he got them to carry out a deep clean on the kitchen and the public areas of the restaurant - an instruction that apparently did not go down too well with some of the staff.

The vintage photo above (click on it for a larger view) was originally taken by me as part of a school geography project on the River Thames, way back in 1981. You can see Erith Police Station - when it still was a police station, and not a seedy and badly converted bunch of low rent apartments as it is nowadays. Next to it are some buildings that were a remnant of the old Erith - they are boarded up in the photo; not too long afterwards they were demolished to make way for sheltered housing. I came across the photo whilst going through a huge pile of photographs whilst clearing out a cupboard in my Mum's house some years ago. Nearly all of the shots were consigned to the bin. A few choice ones I have kept, and may share a couple with you online in the next few weeks. Unfortunately the rest of the geography project photos of Erith have disappeared - I was hoping to be able to archive them, but sadly this is not going to be the case.

Erith has been the location for an astonishing number of world changing inventions. It is unfortunate that prime amongst these is one that will forever be associated with the carnage in the trenches of the First World War. Hiram Maxim, the American born, naturalised Briton who invented the eponymous Maxim machine gun had his factory at Erith, which I covered in some depth recently; Maxim's company later merged with the larger Vickers company to become Vickers Sons and Maxim, and went on to produce the most heavily used machine gun of WW1. It was responsible for more deaths in combat than any other weapon at the time. What a lot of people don’t realise is that the biggest killer of World War One was not a weapon at all, it was a disease. More people died during the great flu pandemic of 1918 than died as part of the conflict itself. Figures are somewhat vague, but it is estimated that five hundred million people around the world  became infected with the H1N1 influenza virus, of these, between fifty to one hundred million ended up dying; at the time this was between three and five percent of the world population, making it the deadliest natural disaster in recorded history.  What was especially unusual about the outbreak was that the victims were mainly young, normally fit people, rather than the elderly and infirm. The reason for this was that the H1N1 virus caused a massive over – reaction in the body’s auto immune system. The strong immune systems in healthy people were thus far worse affected than those in elderly people or infants, and consequently more people at the prime of their lives ended up dying. To maintain wartime morale, British and allied censors removed almost all references to the horrendous flu outbreak in newspaper stories featuring the UK, Germany, France and the USA, and instead focussed on flu stories in the then neutral Spain. Consequently the outbreak nowadays gets called the Spanish Flu, when in fact the terrible effects were felt all around the world.

It is now just over three months since I quit Sky TV after twenty three years of subscription to their satellite TV service. I was expecting to "go cold turkey" but quite the opposite has actually been the case. Despite Sky writing to me on a weekly basis, unsuccessfully trying to persuade me to rejoin. The quality of programmes on Sky, and especially the selection of premium movies leaves much to be desired, and I seriously resented paying for premium channels like Sky Atlantic, and still have to sit through advert breaks. All Sky subscribers are actually paying a subscription to watch adverts – it makes no sense. In the USA, commercial TV companies are already feeling the pinch. Some are cutting back on the number and length of their commercial breaks to try and tempt back customers who are now voting with their feet and leaving the traditional broadcasters and moving to subscription based, advert free streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Netflix knows their customers hate adverts. "We know one of the benefits of an ecosystem like Netflix is its lack of advertising," Howard Shimmel, a chief research officer at Time Warner, told Bloomberg in an interview last year. "Consumers are being trained there are places they can go to avoid ads." In response to Netflix's advertising policy, many networks have actually cut back on the amount of ads they show in an effort to lure back in the younger Netflix / Amazon Prime Video generation. Media analyst CordCutting.com crunched some numbers and found that each Netflix subscriber saves themselves about 158.5 hours of commercials per year. The number will be somewhat lower in the UK and most of Europe, where fewer adverts are allowed per hour of broadcast television, but it is still a substantial number. As I have previously written, I consider the Sky business model to be fundamentally broken, and if they don’t move away from hugely expensive satellite broadcasting and convert to a full streaming service, I think they will be dead and gone in the next five years. What do you think? Comment below, or Email hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "There was a recent report of a burglary early hours of Thursday 8th August along Drummond Close Erith, entry was gained by smashing the front door of the property. Also there was a report of theft of motorbike outside an address along Normandy Way Erith between 9 pm and 9.30 pm The team shall also be holding a contact session between 4 pm and 5 pm at the Barnehurst Golf Club along Mayplace Road East if anyone wishes to speak to the team. If you do wish to pass on information to Police then please contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111. 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". Belvedere ward:- "On the 31/07/2019 we had a burglary in poplar mount. The thieves stole gold, jewellery and tools. They gained entry via the rear windows and door, from the alleyway it is believed. Happened sometime between 10:00 and 21:00. The team assisted the RSPCA on 07/08/2019 by seizing two mistreated dogs form an address on Erith Road. Just over our border by PC Smith was happy to help out. We have, for a while now, had complaints about certain HMO's in Barnfield Road. If you are experiencing problems with any of the residents of the HMO's please let us know. Our next Street-a-Week will be on 18/08/2019 from 12:00 - 12:30 on Halt Robin Road, at the junction with Upper Park Road". Bexleyheath ward:- "There have been reports of fights and disturbances in and around the Golden Lion public house, Bexleyheath. The council is seeking witnesses for more information. here seems to be no reports off any burglaries or attempted burglaries on the ward over the last week A theft from motor vehicle was reported overnight on the 04/08/2019 & 05/08/2019 along Pinnacle Hill, tools were stolen from a van. Also along Rochester Drive Bexleyheath, suspects had tried stealing a van off the driveway at about midnight. A purse was reported stolen from an elderly female. Believed to have been taken in the H and M store on the Broadway, this was reported on the 03/08/2019. Also a wallet was reported stolen which was reported in ASDA on the 6/08/2019. There was a report of a victim using an ATM on the Broadway on the 01/08/2019 and was unable to use the machine. They were approached by two youths who allegedly tried to help him get the card out of the machine and victim thought this was suspicious and took their card and walked away. Money was taken from victims account, card was cloned. There was also another report of suspects calling the victim to say they need to upgrade their online banking security and to log on to their online banking which they did and money was stolen. The team regularly conduct patrols along drug hot spot areas and ASB areas on the ward and conduct regular stops and searches where necessary".

Crayford ward:- "On 3rd August between 12.00-14.30 a catalytic convertor was stolen from a vehicle parked in Bexley Lane. Between 1.20-1.25am on 3rd August two vehicles had items stolen from them in Falsfaff Close, items included two pairs of Rayban sunglasses, a handbag and a wine coloured Barbour jacket. Number plates were stolen from Stadium Way on 3rd August between 11.15-12.15, LX16VXB should be on a red Citigo Skoda. At about the same time on the same day and place, someone attempted to remove number plates from a silver Ford Focus. A Bosch garden strimmer and other items were stolen from a garden shed in Marden Crescent overnight between 3rd and 4th August. A green and white Greenmech Dual Feed towable wood chipper was stolen from a locked yard in Thames Road over the weekend 3rd and 4th August. A white Fiesta van GJ68XYU was involved in a road traffic accident at Swan Lane on Saturday 3rd August. It has since been reported stolen by an unknown person. Our next community contact session is on Wednesday 14th August between 16.00-17.00 at Vintage Lindy Lou's in Waterside Gardens, Crayford". Erith ward:- "We had the Erith Ward panel meeting and had a really nice turn out of people, if this meeting would interest you feel free to contact me for more information. The priories we set out which was chosen by the residents of Erith are as follows - Extra patrols around Compton Place which includes a meeting with the local Cllr. ASB patrols around West Street. Crimes of note - Burglary Residential 01/08/2019 Rutland Gate - By unknown suspect attempting to gain entry into victims house and damaging the front door and making off without gaining entry. Theft of Motor Vehicle 01/08/2019 Fraser Road. Theft of a  Motor Vehicle 02/08/2019 Avenue Road. Theft from Motor Vehicle 20/07/2019 Park Crescent. Theft from Motor Vehicle  03/08/2019 Bexley Road, Theft of Motor Vehicle 06/08/2019 James Watt Way".  Northumberland Heath ward - no report this week. Slade Green and Northend ward - no report this week. Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglary - No household 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 Burglary Business/Commercial The Beam Engine House, located in Bazalgette Way, SE2 was broken Into between the hours of 4:00pm on Friday 02/08/19 and 07:50am on Sunday 04/08/19. Numerous items taken, unknown Total value of items taken and damage caused to gain entry, however a new roller shutter was costing about £3,500. Theft from Motor Vehicles - Between the hours of 11:245pm on Thursday 01/08/19 and 10:15am of Friday 02/08/19, a vehicle parked locked and secure on the drive of a property in St. Katherines Road, DA18, was broken into. No damage was caused to gain entry, the glove box was searched. A hire vehicle locked and secure parked Kale Road, had windows smashed, untidy search. The theft of a Catalytic converter had occurred at 10:55pm on Monday 05/08/19 in Grange Crescent, SE28. Between 9:am of Monday 05/08/19 and 8:00 pm of Tuesday 06/08/19,a vehicle was stolen from Eastgate Close, SE28.The theft from a motor vehicle occurred in Kale Road .The incident happened in May 2019, after the victim had noticed the passenger door was open and the victims purse was on the passenger seat. Bank cards and cash ,which apparently the victim had left in the vehicle were taken .bank cards were cancelled Victim had not contacted police regarding the theft, it was only after officers contacted the victim following a search of a male found to be in possession of the stolen cards. Good News - Message of thanks from the staff from at the Beam Engine House to Mark Headley - Designing Out Crime Officer and PCSO Dennis Hobbs for help given". West Heath ward:- "No burglaries reported to us over the last week. Unfortunately we have had a number of vehicle crimes. On Friday August 2nd at approximately 8.30 am a vehicle was broken into in Hythe Avenue, an untidy search of the vehicle was made but nothing appeared to be stolen. Attempted theft of an exhaust/ catalytic converter in Bedonwell Road on Tuesday August 6th between 10.30 – 10.40 am. A vehicle was broken in to in Glenview on Monday August 5th at approximately 9.45 pm via the driver's window. Untidy search of the vehicle, no further details known at this time. Theft of motor vehicle from Cranbrook Road between Saturday July 27th and Sunday August 4th, the victim was on holiday and returned to discover the vehicle missing. The victim was still in possession of the keys. Theft of a motor vehicle from Preston Drive on Wednesday August 7th between 4.15 – 4.30 am, thankfully the vehicle was later recovered. One report of criminal damage to a motor vehicle in Longleigh Lane on Saturday August 3rd between 1 am and 2 pm when the owner returned to the vehicle and discovered several dents that were not there before. The team arrested two prolific offenders over the weekend, one for failure to appear and the other was wanted on recall to prison".

The end video this week is a return to a local jazz combo who I first featured a couple of weeks ago; The Tom Fleming Trio were filmed in the main hall of the former Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, courtesy of The Exchange. Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.  

Thirteen.

The photos above - click on either for a larger version - show the garden party held by The Friends of Christ Church Erith last Sunday afternoon in a private house in Avenue Road, Erith. The event was held to promote the Friends group, to sell raffle tickets, and to bring local people together for food and drinks and to experience one of the very best gardens in the area. The fund raising aspect of the event is to raise funds to install toilets and washing facilities inside the Grade II* listed Christ Church building. At present, anyone who needs to use the toilet needs to trek round to the church hall, which is quite a walk, especially in bad weather, or in the dark. The Friends group have been working towards getting toilet facilities within the church building itself for around five years, and things are now moving towards realising the project. The plan is to construct three toilet cubicles - male, female and a larger unisex disabled / baby change facility in the East lobby of the historic building; the area where the toilet facility will be located is not currently used, and in effect is "dead space". A firm of specialist church architects have been engaged, and a series of preliminary drawings has been created. The final design choice will be made in August, and corporate sponsorship - along with money already raised by the Friends group will go towards the cost of the building work. More on this story in the future. You can read more about the Friends of Christ Church Erith, and the work they do by clicking here. Do feel free to join, and help maintain the historic local landmark building. 

This week marks an important landmark for me - it is the thirteenth anniversary of the launch of the Maggot Sandwich, which was first published on a Saturday night in July 2006. Very soon the Blog took on a regular format, being updated every Sunday afternoon. I am proud to say that I have not missed a singe weekly update in all thirteen years, even to the extent of having to go elsewhere to publish when my home broadband connection failed. Back in 2010 I won an award from OFCOM at a Blogging conference they held in their HQ building on the South side of the Millennium Bridge in London. It was at this point I met fellow local Bloggers Darryl Chamberlain of 853, and Malcolm Knight of Bexley is Bonkers. Over the years the Blog has led me to meet many people whom I otherwise would never have been in contact with, and a number of close friendships have resulted. The Blog is just a hobby for me, albeit a time consuming one; each update of the Maggot Sandwich take around ten hours to research, write and edit. The work is spread throughout the week; I don't sit down each Sunday morning and plough through it all, as some readers have erroneously suspected. This week the Maggot Sandwich becomes a teenager. I have no idea where it will head from here, but I have no plans to slow down or stop publication. Please feel free to leave comments below, or you can Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

One worrying trend is now coming to light; homeowners are deliberately failing to report minor crimes in their area, because they fear that doing so could damage the value of their property. Now that there are several online services featuring interactive online crime maps, homeowners are turning a blind eye to minor crimes, raising fears that the interactive maps are actually distorting official crime statistics. A recent survey found that half of households had been the victim of minor property crime, such as vandalism or theft from a garden shed. Two thirds of the people surveyed said that they did not report the incident to the Police. One in twelve said that their motivation for not reporting the crime was the worry that it might adversely affect local house prices. Official statistics show that the crime rate in England and Wales fell by seven percent in 2017, the most recent year that figures have been published, to the lowest figures since 1981. Studies in the U.S.A show that higher crime rates depress house prices. Since 2011 the Police have mapped every incident of recorded crime online, where users can see exactly how many crimes and the type of offence committed on every street in Britain. More than half of prospective house owners check the website before they buy, and almost two thirds said that they would not buy a property in an area with a crime rate that was higher than average. The figures have raised concerns that crime mapping may be encouraging criminals and distorting crime statistics. What do you think? Have you encountered this kind of behaviour?

In the early 1800's two Scottish engineers, Tom Chalmers and David Ross Fraser, emigrated independently to the USA to further their studies. It was a coincidence that they met, and after working in various manufacturing places, realised that their knowledge and experience warranted them starting their own business. A mining engineering works was then established by them in Chicago in 1847. In 1891, with a well won international reputation, they set up a similar works at Erith in what is now Fraser Road, under the supervision of D.R. Fraser, which became one of the largest employers in the Borough. The land sold to Fraser and Chalmers for the works consisted of an 18 acre site which had been excavated for valuable foundry loam and subsequently part was used as a recreation ground. The machine shop of the factory is said to have been built on the site of several historic cricket matches played from 1884 to 1890 between Erith and Australian teams - On Saturday 20th September 1884 a local team of sixteen played an eleven raised By a Mr. H.H Hyslop - a local businessman, from the Australian touring side of that year. Hyslop's Australian team won. A similar match took place between another scratch Australian team again put together by Mr. Hyslop on the 3rd May 1890. The Erith local team was composed of eighteen local men, pitted against a visitors team which included nine members of the Australian test side. This match resulted in a draw. Hopes for a rematch were dashed when the cricket ground was sold and the Fraser and Chalmers factory was built on the site. Nevertheless, local historians refer to the matches as "when Erith took on the Australians". The principal products produced were initially machinery for mines, including prospecting plants, crushers for rock and ore, and engines for running machinery. Over 90 percent of the Erith products were exported. During the Boer War the works had a slack period and the nearby Maxim gun factory made an offer of £300,000 for the Fraser and Chalmers factory which was rejected. The firm began to recover in 1902 and were receiving success in the home market with the growth of conveyor belt and turbine production. Access to the works was improved in 1906 by the construction of Fraser Road alongside the factory where only a rough track existed before Conditions in the factory were explained in a small book entitled "The Rules and Regulations of Messrs Fraser and Chalmers Ltd, Erith Works, Erith" dated 1900. Every employee was provided with one of the books. It stated that the working week was to consist of 54 hours, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5.45 p.m. and Saturdays 7 a.m. to 12.15 p.m. No-one was allowed to enter the works after 8 a.m. without special instructions. Workmen were not allowed to bring intoxicating liquids onto the premises or to harass their fellow employees. A medical officer had been appointed after several accidents at the works. In the pre World War I period there was a marked expansion of trade and intake of workers. Then, on the outbreak of war, men leaving to join the forces were told that their families would be supported up to 10/- a week (50p in today's currency). The heavy mechanical work carried out at Erith during the 1914-18 War was attracted to the attention of The General Electric Company Ltd. After a period of negotiation the company was acquired by them on 1 April 1918 to complement the GEC works at Witton. The Fraser and Chalmers name was retained. The plant was heavily involved in work for the War Department, and it was also one of the largest employers in the local area; including a large number of women, in what had previously been a male dominated industry. Workers at the factory assembled armoured cars and military tractors which were sent over from the USA in kit form; controversially close to the end of WWI, the Fraser and Chalmers Erith works manufactured hollow shell casings ready to be filled with chemical agents - something that would later become illegal under international law. They also made most of the explosives handling and conveying equipment for The Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. As if this was not enough, the Fraser and Chalmers works was also one of the largest manufacturers of marine engines in Europe. They made triple expansion coal fired steam engines for the use in fishing trawlers, and large scale steam turbine engines used in both British and French naval vessels. They also were one of the very first companies to introduce turbocharging to their smaller petrol and diesel powered motors. Eventually GEC closed the Fraser and Chalmers site, and it was converted into what is now the Europa Industrial Estate in Fraser Road. 

Bexley Brewery have just won another award. They have won the Gold award for their Black Prince Rum Porter at the SIBA South Eastern competition at the beginning of the month. SIBA is the independent trade body for small breweries, and each year they hold the competition to judge beers in various categories from their brewery members all over the UK. Black Prince Rum Porter will now go on to the national competition next year along with other regional Gold winners.

Whilst doing some research for this Blog update, I came across some information that may well be of interest to a number of Maggot Sandwich readers. The largest and most successful privately owned television station in the UK is one that you probably have not heard of. Talking Pictures TV (TPTV) is a British free-to-air vintage film nostalgia television channel. It launched on 26 May 2015, on Sky channel 343 (it is now on channel 328). It is on air for 24 hours a day, and concentrates on older British films, both classics and B-films, but the schedule also includes some American films, straight-to-video programmes, cinema shorts, and period home movies of British locations. The channel was initially only available via digital satellite on the Sky platform in the United Kingdom. Since the 15th September 2015, it has also been available on Freeview channel 81. It became available on Freesat channel 306 in February 2016, and on Virgin Media on 1 June 2017. On Freeview it was initially broadcast only in standard definition (SDTV) on HD multiplex and could only be received by Freeview HD equipment. From 30 November 2017, it became available, to those within coverage (90 percent of UK households), on any TV capable of receiving Freeview. TPTV is a family business, founded by Sarah Cronin-Stanley, and is run by her with assistance from her father, former producer/editor Noel Cronin, and her husband Neill Stanley. A wide range of movies from different genres are shown, including horror, comedy, drama and thriller films. In-house productions are also shown, as are items from the Cronins' own back catalogue, including Noel's Dandelion Distribution, as well as series from the Southern TV franchise archive, and early American television shows. Movies are usually copied directly from film reels; damaged reels from the catalogue are often replaced by donations, either from online, viewers or available libraries. One of the aims of the founders was to maintain the history of British cinema; it was said to have been in the making since ca. 2007. Classic movies were originally shown on terrestrial channels, such as BBC and Channel 4, but had declined in the 2000s, with the most well-known of films occasionally getting aired. Cronin-Stanley explained to the Watford Observer in 2016 that "People were interested in the big titles but he [her father Noel] wanted to save the smaller, more obscure titles, from getting lost". However, television networks rejected their pitches, unconvinced that it would be of high demand, so they decided to set up the channel independently. For over 20 years, Cronin-Stanley and Cronin have been patrons to a DVD membership club, The Renown Film Club, for fans of B-film classics. Cronin had worked for The Rank Organisation and Central Office of Information, and bought the rights to several libraries that owned films that air on TPTV, such as much of the Southern Television library, and originally licensed them out to terrestrial channels. Many of the films aired on Talking Pictures TV are available to buy on DVD, often sold as compilations under different genres, through the distributing company, both online and through the Renown's telephone service. Each DVD set is full of films made between the 1930s and 1960s, and also include special features, such as interviews and history. Other merchandise is also sold on the website, such as mugs, clothing, biographies, and calendars (available to buy in December for the new year), often branded under Talking Pictures TV's name. In spring 2019, Renown released its first CD compilation album named Hits From the Flicks, three CDs of songs from musicals and movies with pop song theme tunes that had aired on the channel. Talking Pictures TV is especially popular with older viewers, and has a weekly audience of about 2 million - an astonishingly high number in the current multi channel broadcasting environment. 

There are going to be severe restrictions to traffic in Crayford for some time next week; Parts of Crayford Road between Nando’s restaurant in Roman Way and McDonalds restaurant, at the junction of Station Road, will be closed from between 10pm on Monday 22 July and until around 1pm on Tuesday 23 July. Vehicle access will be maintained to the garages underneath Town Hall square until 9.30am on the 23 July. Buses that use this route will be diverted. The usual town centre parking restrictions will be in force. Local car parks are expected to be busy. Barriers will be installed to assist with the road closure on the evening of Monday 22 July.  While vehicle access will be restricted for a short time, there will be emergency vehicle access. The reason for this extensive disruption is due to a visit by His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent KG will visit Crayford on Tuesday 23 July to officially unveil the magnificent new Alcock and Brown (photo of them above - click on the picture for a larger version) bench. The special occasion is part of the centenary events that mark 100 years since the pair made the first ever trans-Atlantic flight in a Vickers Vimy originally designed and built in the Vickers Factory, Crayford. Local business Erith Group paid for the new bench designed by artist Tony Stallard. It will sit outside the Tower Business Park close to the Clock Tower. Along with the bench, a number of plaques based on the aeronautical feat will also be unveiled. They were designed by local schools and the mental health group Centrepieces and made by ‘M@ke’, with support from the Learning and Enterprise Centre Bexley. The Duke’s visit coincides with the 100-year anniversary of Alcock and Brown’s visit to Crayford on 23 July 1919. They returned to celebrate their achievement at the re-opening of The Princesses Theatre by the then Duke of York (later King George VI). HRH Duke of Kent will be met by the Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Bexley. Major David Hewer OBE. He will be accompanied by the Mayor of Bexley and Chairman of the Alcock and Brown Centenary Project Group (Crayford) Councillor Geraldene Lucia-Hennis.

Next weekend The Exchange are holding a summer garden party. Saturday, July 27, 2019 11:00 AM Sunday, July 28, 2019 7:00 PM.  A weekend of outdoor pleasure at the new garden around Erith's Old Library.

"This is a free event, but please let us know you are coming by signing up for the event.

There are some elements that you will need to book onto in advance of the day, and can do so by following the links below.

The programme:

Throughout the weekend, there are things to do including Painting a Big Garden Mural, planting workshops and Garden Games.

There is also going to be a Garden Hat Competition - we will be taking polaroids throughout the event, and prizes will be given on Sunday.

Saturday 27 July

11am - Drop-in Seed Bomb workshop with Re-Instate

11am - Drop-in Flower pressing 

12pm - BBQ with Old Haven BBQ

12pm - Live Acoustic music 

12.30 - Theatre Box Performing Arts perform!

1.30 - Taster Yoga Class with Bayleaf Yoga (Book here)

2.30 - Bhangra Dance Workshop 1 with Jugnu Bhangra Group (Book here)

3pm - African circus skills and drumming from Emmanuel the Magnificent

3.15 - Bhangra Dance Workshop 2 with Jugnu Bhangra Group (Book here)

5.30 - Live Shindig soft rock

8pm - Live Classical music from members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra

Sunday 28th July

11am - Matisse inspired Print workshop  (Book here)

12pm - Lunch time talk on 'Erith & The River Thames' by Ken Chamberlain, Erith & Belvedere History Society  (Book here)

1pm - Live Cello & Guitar music from Sophie Gledhill and Tom Fleming

2pm - Spoken word performance by Jade, Theatre Box Performing Arts

2pm - Sashiko Embroidery Workshop with Lemuel MC (Book here)

3.30 - Live Jigs & Reels 

4pm - Judging of the Garden Hat Competition with prize from Rosie Beard Illustration

5-5.30 / 6.15-6.45 - Live Steel Pan Band"

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "I am very pleased to report that there have been no crimes to report over the last week. Whilst this is fantastic news we must not become complacent neither as local police or residents. Local police will continue to patrol ASB hotspots and potential burglary hotspots. We will also continue with stop and searches, especially in the battle against drug use and dealing, where sufficient grounds allow. We also implore residents to remain vigilant in a combined effort to keep crime at a low rate. Simple things like making sure windows are shut when the house is empty will help deter burglars. So many windows are left open at this time of the year when temperatures are soaring. Ensure that your car is securely locked and please do not leave any valuables on display in your vehicle. Let's keep this low crime trend continuing". Belvedere ward:- "No burglaries to report this week. We have been continuing to patrol in particular the drug hotspots on our ward in both uniform and plain clothes. Two male adults were stopped having been seen parked up in Ruskin Road Belvedere. Both were searched and cannabis found on the driver of the vehicle. He was issued with a community resolution for cannabis. Unfortunately at the time he was not driving his car so no further action in terms of driving under the influence could be pursued. Also this week both PC Rob and PCSO Jay have spent a lot of time dealing with incidents in our 2 local primary schools. In partnership with staff at the schools they are dealing with issues involving bullying between both parents and pupils. PC Rob has resolved one by issuing one of the parents an Harassment warning letter. PC Marc has spent time attending our local shops who deal with money transfers where letters warning the shops of becoming victims of money laundering have been delivered. This is a MET wide initiative looking at reducing money laundering and stopping the bad guys being able to hide their illicit gains using law abiding businesses". Bexleyheath ward:- "There have been two reports of a theft of motor vehicles reported on our ward: Tuesday 09/07/2019 – Albion Road Car Park between 1330hrs and 1340hrs; Tuesday 16/07/2019 – Watling Street Bexleyheath Motorbike stolen from a car park in Watling Street. There have been two reports of purses / wallets that were stolen. Saturday 13/07/2019 – Along the Broadway exact location not given; Friday 12/07/2019 – Believe to be outside M and S on the Broadway. A mobile phone was reported stolen on the Broadway believed to be outside Cancer Research shop on Friday 12/07/2019 between the times of 1130hrs and 1145hrs. A shopping bag was also reported stolen on Thursday 11/07/2019 by Monsoon / Accessorize. The team regularly conduct patrols along drug hot spot areas and ASB areas on the ward and conduct regular stops and searches where necessary". Crayford ward:- "Unfortunately we have had a residential burglary and a business/commercial burglary in Crayford this week and an increase in motor vehicle crime. On 12th July a burglary occurred between 8.20-12.30 in Ridge Way, entry was made via the front door which was kicked in, a safe was stolen containing cash, nothing else was touched or removed. Overnight 12th/13th July the VCD club at Old Road was broken in to, windows were smashed and one window was removed, money was stolen from the gaming machines. There was a theft from motor vehicle at Bookers, Thames Road on 8th July at approx. 11.00, a mobile phone, driving licence, purse and currency were stolen, the items were stolen while the vehicle was being loaded. A high value of tools and a bag containing personal items were stolen from a white Ford Transit on 10th July between 12.00-14.00 in Bourne Road. The sliding door was opened but there was no signs of damage. A rose gold Samsung J3 was stolen from the staff area at KFC on 10th July at 16.09, this has been clearly captured on CCTV.  An incident occurred at Claston Close for which the suspect has been arrested. Someone tried to break in to a van whilst parked in Green Place overnight 11th/12th July, when this proved difficult the perpetrator stole the number plates instead, AJ59BWF should be on a blue Ford Transit.  A grey Yamaha that had been left insecure and then stolen outside KFC on 11th July was later recovered at Bostall Hill. A black Piaggio Nrg 50 with the registration of LC67UBK was stolen from Optima Park on 9th July between 15.30-15.45. A number plates were stolen from a vehicle (no details given) overnight 12th/13th July from Tanners Close. Criminal damage was made to a black Ford Fiesta whilst parked in a poorly lit area close to Sainsbury's on 14th July, this was discovered by patrolling police officers and the registered keeper made aware. A black Aprilia SR50, number plate LK03MKF was stolen from Crayford High Street between 23.00 on 12th July and 02.00 on 13th July. A door was badly damaged on a white Citroen whilst parked in Sainsburys car park overnight 13th/14th July. An Apple iPhone 8 was stolen off a table at McDonalds on 14th July between 22.30-22.35. A grey Volkswagen Golf registration RJ60RYY was stolen outside a property in Bexley Close, it had been advertised for sale, the male jumped in it and drove it away before the registered owner could get in to the vehicle.  A TV was stolen from the communal area at Elwick Court in Beech Walk overnight 14th/15th July, it is not known how entry was gained. On 13th July, youths caused criminal damage at St Paulinus community hall. They entered the playground area through an unlocked gate and jumped on shed roofs causing damage, they also damaged children's toys. The youths are aged between 12-15 years of age. Number plates YF58WEV were stolen from a black BMW 1 series outside Crayford BR Station (date and time not confirmed on report). A blue BMW 1 series was stolen without keys from London Road, it seems a window was smashed while it was being removed (at this time the date and time has not been confirmed on the report). A ladies EM Decathlon bicycle with a mark “Born to be wild” was stolen from near Crayford Library, at this time the date and time have not been confirmed. Please be sure to double lock doors and close/secure windows when leaving your home and always be aware of your personal possessions when out and about. Crook locks or similar are always a bonus to secure vehicles. I know sometimes it seems inconvenient but these simple tweaks can prevent crime happening to you or someone you may know. We will be holding a community contact session at Crayford Library on Wednesday 24th July between 10.00-11.00 if there is anything you would like to discuss face to face". Erith ward:- "Weekly crime report: Theft of MV (Motor Vehicle) Thursday 11/07/2019 Christchurch Avenue; Theft from MV Friday 12/07/2019 Avenue Road; Theft of MV Saturday 13/07/2019 Avenue Road; Theft from MV Thursday 02/05/2019 near,Queen Street Baptist Church, Queen Street; Theft of cycle Thursday 11/07/2019, Dell View Road". Northumberland Heath ward:- "The team continue to target ASB on Bexley Road and surrounding alleyways, working together with the schools and the local authority. This week we visited Jaquelines Jems Nursery on Stelling Road. We had a lovely question and answer session with the children. The team have been doing door to door enquiries in Becton Place, with regards to a breach of tenancy when smoking drugs within their premises, especially when it is affecting other residents.Very pleased to say, that there have been no burglaries again this week. Our next community contact session is on Friday 26thth July at 4pm in the Mill Road Library. Please do come along and meet a member of the team to discuss any issues or concerns you have, or just pop in and say hello". 

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "We had the pleasure of attending The Slade Green Big Local Event last Saturday and enjoyed speaking to a lot of local residents and engaging with potential members. Our outdoor event season is now in full swing and our volunteers have been pulling out the stops to help us staff our stand most weekends to spread the word about NW and recruit new Coordinators and other NW scheme members across the Borough. We have had 3 sets of number plates stolen in the last week. All of them occurred overnight. They were in Reddy Road on Tuesday 16th July, Canada Road on Sunday 14th July and Peareswood Road on Thursday July 11th. If you would like some anti theft screws for your number plates, please let us know. PC James found and recovered a stolen vehicle in the car park behind Grange House yesterday (Weds 17th July). All parking areas are regularly checked on patrols for stolen vehicles. PCSO Mark attended the Slade Green Big Local Community Fun Day last Saturday (as did Bexley Neighbourhood Watch!) where many many people enjoyed all the bouncy castles, farm animals, donkey rides, slides, football etc. Picture of Mark and Mel from Big Local is above - click on it for a larger view. A new anonymous watch has been set up for Cook Square in the Frobisher Road estate. It has been running for a few weeks but all residents finally have their letters now that Mark is on full duties again". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglaries - No burglaries this week. Remain vigilant at all times. 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 - Thursday 11/07/19 an unknown suspect/s stole the catalytic converter from the Victim's vehicle while it was securely locked and parked at Argali House, Kale Road. A neighbour informed the Victim that she observed two males near the Victim's vehicle at around 03:00am. 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. Good news - Following an arrest by PC Pruden attended Stratford Magistrates Court, where a suspect, arrested by PC Pruden was found guilty. Following a theft from a Motor Vehicle, forensic evidence was found linked to a known suspect, an on-going investigation is being undertaken by PC Pruden". West Heath ward:- "Good news this week, we have had no reported burglaries on the ward. Unfortunately, there are several reports of motor vehicle crime this week. On Saturday July 13th at 12.50pm a silver grey golf was stolen from a driveway in Gypsy Road. The victim was still in possession of the keys and no sign of forced entry was seen; Two reports in Plymstock Road this week on Saturday July 13th between 1pm – 2pm a child's bike was stolen, also overnight between Saturday July 13th at 10pm to Sunday July 14th a motor vehicle was tampered with. The owner discovered the vehicle with its doors open and the belongings scattered within it. It is not believed that any items were stolen; Theft of a white Ford Transit van from Hurlingham Road on Monday July 15th; A black Audi was broken in to overnight on Tuesday July 17th between 8am and 7am the following morning. An untidy search was conducted and it is not known at this stage if anything was stolen. The team assisted the Crook Log team with the execution of a drugs warrant on Tuesday morning where a small amount of drugs were found. We have also continued to carry out positive stop and searches for drugs and other possible offences. PC Gill Couzens also arrested a male this week for failure to appear and for being in breach of a court order".

The end video this week features St. John the Baptist Church in West Street, Erith. It is the oldest building in the town by some considerable margin - it is over a thousand years old, and there are references to it predating the signing of the Magna Carta. Leave a comment below, or alternatively you can Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.