Purple Willows.

Thanks to the eagle eyes of a reader, a mystery has been uncovered. It would appear that the redevelopment plans submitted by Bexley Council to its own planning department in respect of the scheduled improvement works to the garden and seating area at the entrance to Erith Pier have been suddenly withdrawn. The plans had included improved seating, new planters, and a children's play area, amongst other features designed to improve the public realm. The upper image above shows the current layout of the Pier Square entrance in Wharfside Close, and the lower image outlines the area that had been scheduled for improvement by the council. After some investigation by a source within Bexley Council, I was informed that:- "The current planning application for Pier Square was for outline consent and was submitted last year primarily to get early feedback on potential parking and traffic management issues. The process has been really helpful and we now have enough information to address these concerns and move forward with the project. However, the designs were only at early concept stage so the project required a further application full with detailed designs, transport statement and technical packages etc. This week, the planning officer advised we withdraw the current application to make way for a full planning application which will be made in September. The project is still very much going ahead and this was just an administrative requirement. I’ll ask Development Control if it would be possible to add a couple of lines on the planning portal to explain the application will be superseded with a full planning application in September and I will update the Comms team accordingly". Good news; the area around the entrance to Erith Pier could do with some upgrading, as it has remained almost untouched since it was created in 1999. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

The former Cairngall Medical Centre in Erith Road, Upper Belvedere (photo above - click on it for a larger version) is to re-open as the Purple Willows children's nursery and day care centre in October of this year. The new nursery will be offering 92 places and will be split into baby suite, toddler room and Preschool class with each room designed with modern equipment and excellent resources to meet the needs of the children. The nursery will also provide a multi-sensory room to encourage children to explore their environment and increase concentration. Whether another local nursery is needed or not is currently unclear - opinion is divided. What is certain however is that opinion is in unanimous approval that the current doctors surgery is being in internally refurbished and repurposed, rather than being knocked down and being replaced by yet more flats - as is happening to the former Belvedere Police Station, diagonally opposite. 

I know that a fair number of Radio Amateurs and other radio enthusiasts regularly read the Maggot Sandwich; however not all of them are members of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) like myself, and thus it is entirely possible that some hams may not be aware that moves are afoot to take the 2 Metre VHF amateur radio band away from Radio Amateurs. A proposal by France to make the Aeronautical Mobile Service the primary users of the 144-146 MHz (2 Metre VHF) band and demote the Amateur Radio Service to secondary users - effectively removing them from the band. The report says that this is “part of a broader consideration of the spectrum allocated to that service.” The 2M band is not, after all, one of the little-used microwave bands, it is a legally protected main amateur radio band. Not only that, for Europeans 144 – 146 MHz is their entire 2M VHF band. What was really weird about all this is why this is a French proposal and not a European-wide proposal. Apparently this is a move by the French company Thales Group to grab these frequencies for some kind of aeronautical communication system they are proposing. A campaign to prevent the loss of this primary amateur communications band - much used by RAYNET, the disaster and emergency communications service during hurricanes, floods and other disasters, when mobile phones, land lines and other forms of communication are unavailable. 2M VHF gets through when conventional communications cannot. There is now a petition which concerned individuals can sign, which states:- "The 2 Meter Amateur Radio Band (144-146MHz) is under Threat due to a proposal from France during the World Radio Conference 2019 meeting that the 2 Meter band should be allocated as a Aeronautical Band. We, the Radio Amateurs find this totally unacceptable that a harmonised worldwide primary user band for Radio Amateurs is being proposed to be used as an Aeronautical Band as it is meant to be a 'protected' band for Radio Amateurs. We want the CEPT to reconsider the proposal from France. Amateur Radio is still a strong and ongoing hobby for 100 years and we must preserve and protect our hobby". Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) RSGB President Dave Wilson, wrote to Ofcom strongly expressing the RSGB’s concerns about the proposed WRC-23 aeronautical Agenda Item that includes 144-146 MHz - the protected 2M ham band. The President’s letter started by stating that the RSGB “shares the concerns of the global amateur community and views the French proposal as lacking a proper understanding of the implications of sharing an aeronautical application with weak-signal terrestrial and space communications services”. It continued by saying that “from our perspective, and in the view of the wider global amateur community, we do not foresee any realistic feasibility of a sharing scenario which does not seriously degrade or impede amateur usage of the spectrum, given the extent and complexity of current amateur services’ primary usage”. The letter stated that there seems no justification for including this band in the proposed study, and that the RSGB is not convinced that there are “any innovative sharing methods” which would not inevitably constrain both incumbent and new services. The letter went on to say that “inclusion of this spectrum in the study is likely to involve regulators in a lot of extra work, when the outcome can be sensibly predicted at this stage”. On top of this, there are millions of Radio Amateurs world wide who own 2M VHF equipment, who would lose the utility of it should the band be re-allocated to other uses. It has also effectively stopped amateurs from buying 2M equipment for the foreseeable future, hurting specialised radio retailers such as Martin Lynch and Sons, Nevada and Waters and Stanton. You can sign a Change.org petition to try and save the band for radio amateurs by clicking here. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

One of the disadvantages of the Maggot Sandwich only publishing once per week is that I can often miss out on any "scoop" stories. This has most definitely been the case in this edition. A story broke late on Monday night, and was to my knowledge first covered by Darryl Chamberlain of the excellent 853 Blog, which primarily covers Lewisham, Woolwich and Charlton. As regular readers will be aware, I do not cover issues relating to party politics, and endeavour to remain neutral in my reporting. I do cover issues that relate to local concerns, irrespective of the elected representative who it involves. It came as quite a shock to me that local MP Teresa Pearce has announced that she is not going to stand for re-selection as an MP at the next general election. I know that many local residents - whatever their political affiliation - think very highly of Teresa, as indeed do I. She is that rarest of things - an honest, straightforward and very hard working MP. I have to say that I do not live in her constituency (I live about 300 metres outside of it), but she has always been very helpful and friendly. She will continue as the MP for Erith and Thamesmead until the next general election, which could be as late as 2022, but in the current terrible state of parliament, and the disarray of both main parties, it could be somewhat sooner. One has to also remember that the electoral boundaries are going to be changed at some point in the future, which will effectively do away with her constituency. On top of this, she has been an MP for nine years thus far, and effectively been "on call" 24/7 for all of that time. On top of this I understand that Teresa has a couple of members of her family with serious, long term health problems. I feel that she deserves a rest. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

I was recently contacted by a reader who had attended the recent record breaking charity auction of the guitar collection of David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Following his auction visit, the reader wrote to me regarding the Vox Guitar Organ that I wrote about at the time. I was able to provide him some information that I had covered on the Blog in the past. The brains behind many of the JMI / Vox musical instruments and amplifiers was a chap called Dick Denney (photo above - click for a larger view). The man who many regard as the UK’s most important guitar amplifier designer was actually deaf in one ear, but Dick Denney’s perforated eardrum may have been the making of him. As a result of his affliction, he was exempted from military service during World War Two and seconded to the Vickers munitions factory in Crayford – something that would permanently alter the trajectory of his life. During the pre-war years, Dick had become infatuated with both jazz music and radio electronics. Early experiments resulted in the inevitable destruction of the family radio, but Dick’s skills improved and his wages from the factory enabled him to buy components. His work at Vickers also meant that Dick was freed from an unwanted apprenticeship in his father’s barber shop, and perhaps most importantly of all, it introduced him to a man named Tom Jennings. During the war, amateur radio activity was prohibited so, as a guitarist, Dick turned his electronic skills to amplifier building. His goal was to develop an amplifier that was loud, but also small and light – and he had ample opportunity to test them out. Munitions factories were understandably a choice target for the Luftwaffe’s bombing attacks, and a as a result, the staff at Vickers in Crayford spent extended periods sheltering during air raids. Entertainment was in short supply down in the shelters, and so to keep up morale, Dick, Tom Jennings and a few other members of the workforce would put on musical performances – these performances with Jennings gave Dick a chance to test and refine his amplifier designs. Jennings was clearly impressed with what Dick had produced, and being of an entrepreneurial mind, discussed a joint venture with Denny where they would produce amplifiers for organs and accordions together. However, nothing ever came of the plan, and after the end of the war, the pair went their separate ways and lost contact. Dick was born in Erith, and, at an early age, became interested in the guitar and amateur radio, whose novelty attracted thousands of hobbyists in the 1930s and to this day. He was soon a leading exponent of the Hawaiian guitar, and his radio skills enabled him to listen to American shortwave radio broadcasts, which inspired his creation of instruments and amplifying equipment. His fragile health excluded him from wartime armed forces; instead, he worked at Vickers' munitions factory, in Crayford, where he first met the accordion-playing Jennings, who shared his interest in musical innovation. After the war, Dick ran a radio and sound equipment shop in Belvedere. By 1951 Jennings was running the fairly successful Jennings Organ Company, but it soon become apparent that diversification was necessary to grow the business. He also owned a music shop and would notice growing interest in guitars during the early rock ’n’ roll years. Since there were very few guitar amplifiers available in the UK, and becoming an importer for American Gibson and Fender amps was not viable due to import restrictions in austerity post war Britain, Jennings tried to adapt one of his organ amplifiers for guitar. It proved unsuccessful, and the project was shelved. Meanwhile Dick Denney had set up in business as an electronics and radio repairer, while moonlighting as a busy dance band guitarist. However, in 1952 he suffered a collapsed lung and was forced to take time off to recuperate. His idea grew from a portable amplifier-speaker unit he developed, while convalescing from  respiratory illness in 1952, for use with his Hawaiian guitar. In 1955, Dick demonstrated his system - not the first to be made in this country, but certainly the most effective - to the owner of a Dartford music shop, Tom Jennings, who proposed a joint manufacturing venture. So began Jennings Musical Industries, and their trademark, Vox, was applied to all Dick's JMI work. Indeed, the early 1960s rise of British guitar groups caused an explosion of interest that left JMI struggling to keep up with demand. Dick produced three more original designs - a 100-watt amplifier, three times the power of any previous equipment; a guitar-organ, allowing the guitarist to produce his own accompaniment; and a wireless microphone system, the forerunner of those used in today's stage musicals. This was on top of his work on his most famous creation, the Vox AC30 amplifier - the sound of the "British Invasion". Jennings sold JMI in 1968, by which time a franchise agreement had been struck with an American manufacturer for use of the Vox name. Dick left the company in 1967 to pursue a career as an independent consultant and designer, which he maintained until his death. He went on to become an instrument technician for The Beatles and local band The Rolling Stones; in an interview some years ago, Denny's grand daughter recalled that:- "He toured the world demonstrating Vox equipment’, sometimes on American TV. He also set up equipment for The Beatles and The Rolling Stones at important shows. Apparently, Dick was fond of The Beatles and enjoyed banter with John Lennon who called him ‘nanny goat’ because of his beard”. Fans once mistook him for a Beatle and tore some of his clothes. They clearly did not notice the cosy cardigan Dick habitually wore, or his trad-jazz goatee. He also came to The Beatles’ rescue at a Scarborough gig when some amplifiers on trolley stands started trundling down the sloping stage towards them. Thereafter, they were fitted with braking casters. Although he never became rich, Dick felt content that he had made a living being paid for what was essentially his hobby. He combined a working knowledge of electronics with a musician’s sensibility and great ears to achieve the sounds he liked using the technology and components of the time. That countless guitarists have appreciated Dick’s amplifiers is testament to his skill and judgment. Dick died a few months after his 80th birthday on the 6th of June 2001, leaving a son, five daughters and the most wonderful sonic legacy.

There is to be a public meeting / consultation on Thursday 18th July commencing 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Christchurch Primary School on the redevelopment of the Hainault, Lesney Park Road, Erith. The Infant Welfare and Maternity Home was opened in 1920 by the Erith Urban District Council in a large Victorian house named 'Hainault', bought for the purpose as a cost of £1800. The Home had six beds, three of which were in the maternity ward. There was also an infant welfare centre, and antenatal, dental and school clinics were held there.  The coach house and stables were converted into an operating theatre.  The staff consisted of two midwives, a ward maid, a cook and a caretaker. The Maternity Home remained open during WW2, although it was in a danger zone.  A temporary clinic was added in 1943.  In 1944 a flying bomb exploded nearby and caused considerable damage, but the only injury was to a baby in its cot. In 1945 the building was extended and the bed number increased to 22. In 1948 the Home joined the NHS under the administration of the Woolwich Group Hospital Management Committee.  It was renamed the Hainault Maternity Hospital. In 1956 the bed numbers were increased to 24. In 1965 a delivery unit was added, which provided two first-stage rooms and a bathroom, WC and sterilising room. The Home closed in 1974 with 21 beds, a victim of the new NHS policy of placing maternity units in general hospitals. From 2009 until 2014 the Hainault became Hainault Hostel, a long-stay hostel with 12 beds for people with learning difficulties run by the MCCH Society Ltd. After 2014 it was closed, and is now being readied for demolition.

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association; firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "A great week on the Ward this week with absolutely no crimes of note to report. There were a couple of criminal damages and thefts from Motor vehicle but all these were domestic related with the suspect being known to the victim. Officers continue to patrol the ward and several stop and searches have been conducted in the fight against drugs. Officers also assisted housing officers in the prevention of breach of peace while an empty premises was boarded up at Hampton House. Other good news for Barnehurst residents is that the local police team is now at full strength with the arrival of PC Smith. The next community contact session is to be held at Barnehurst Golf Course on Thursday July 18th at 11am". Belvedere ward:- "There was a recent garage burglary in Mossdown Close. The team viewed CCTV of this incident which showed a white transit van travelling to and from the area on three occasions. Along with a great deal of sentimental items, an orange and black KTM motorcycle was taken from the garage which has then been seen on numerous occasions being driven throughout the north of the borough. The investigation continues – we would ask that anyone that may be able to offer information as to the whereabouts of the vehicle, please contact the team. There was also a garage burglary in Monarch Road from which an orange quad bike was stolen. This was the only item taken from the garage, which had its padlock cut to gain entry. Again, if anyone has any information in relation to this, please contact the team. During patrols of Ruskin Road on Monday night (8th July) we had reason to speak to three males at the location, each of which were searched for drugs. Cannabis was found and a Community Resolution (a warning) was issued to one of the males. We have been continuing our Street a Week initiative recently with visits to Shortlands Close and Hattersfield Close". Bexleyheath ward:- "There have been no reports of burglaries or attempted burglaries on the ward. One report of Theft of motor vehicle at the Civic car park that was reported on the Tuesday 09/07/2019. Also there has been three reports of theft from motor vehicles: Saturday 06/07/2019 - Long Lane Bexleyheath number plates stolen from vehicle; Wednesday 03/07/2019 – Bexleyheath Marriott Hotel – Catalytic converter stolen from vehicle stolen at about 1250hrs; Wednesday 03/07/2019 – Sainsbury's Car Park Broadway Bexleyheath – number plate and catalytic converter stolen from vehicle. A purse was reported stolen on Friday 05/07/2019 between 1300hrs-1415hrs. Purse was taken from victims handbag in the M and S store Bexleyheath. Also on the Saturday 06/07/2019 between 1245hrs and 1315hrs – Victim was pick pocketed along the Broadway and mobile phone was stolen. 13 youths have been stopped and searched around the ward and two have been dealt with for possession of cannabis. 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:- "No burglaries to report. The biggest crime generator on the ward this week has been motor vehicle crime with 5 theft from motor vehicle and 2 theft of motor vehicle. Theft from motor vehicle at Hall Place on Wednesday 3rd July; Theft from motor vehicle in Perry Street on Saturday 6th July; Theft of motor vehicle from Crayford Way on Saturday 6th July; A catalytic convertor was taken from a vehicle overnight of Friday 5th July in Tanners Close; A vehicle was stolen from Tower retail park on Sunday 7th July; Theft from motor vehicle on 8th July outside Bookers Cash and Carry in Thames Road. And finally a theft from motor vehicle on Wednesday 10th July at Hall Place, Bourne Road. Officers continue to patrol drug hot spot areas carrying out stop and searches, recently completing several positive searches. One of these after a foot chase in Marden Crescent. The same officers have also recovered two stolen mopeds over the last week. Crayford officers also assisted housing officers in preventing a breach of the peace while evicting a squatter before boarding premises".

Erith ward:- "Police seized a vehicle for being driven with no insurance, residents complained about the noise it was making and the poor manner of driving so we took action. We attended a Recruitment day in Erith town centre on Wednesday hopefully there will be more of these (See image above) Dates for your Dairies: Erith community fun day St Fidelis Road Saturday 20th July 11am/3pm. CCS Costa Coffee Erith Wednesday 17th 4pm". Northumberland Heath ward - no report received this week. Slade Green and Northend ward:- "This week is a good news weekly update as there are no significant crimes to report on our ward. On Monday 08/07/2019 PCSO Mark and PCSO Adam from Erith SNT attended Erith Sports Centre, where Peareswood School and the other schools in the Woodland Academy held a “Race for Life” event in aid of Cancer UK. All year groups from years 3 to 6 from all 3 schools did one and a half laps (600m) of the track and everyone should be commended for their efforts on the day. On Tuesday 09/07/2019 PCSO Mark attended St Pauls school to speak with years 5 and 6 about behaviour in and out of school. From September the school will have regular visits from Mark to carry on engagement with the pupils (this is already happening at Peareswood School). After attending the school, Mark then attended the “Welcome Café” at St Augustines Church for tea and cake with local residents, Vicar Jim Bennett and church staff. The café is open to all from 11am until 2pm every Tuesday with lunch served from 1230. On Wednesday 10/07/2019 Mark was asked by PCSO Lorraine from Northumberland Heath SNT to join her at Jacqueline's Gems nursery in Stelling Road on Northumberland Heath ward to have a chat with all the pre school children about our role in the community. A great time was had by all with the children posing for pictures wearing our hats and pretending to use our radios. Proactive patrols are regularly taking place across the ward with PC's Mark and James regularly seen out and about on their pushbikes. We are aware of several cars that are driving in an anti social manner in recent weeks with “drifting” and wheel spins reported across our ward and Erith Town Centre. 3 vehicles are being investigated with one already seized by Erith SNT. If you do see anything relating to this or any other local issue, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Our next CCS is on Saturday 20/07/2019 from 1000 hours in Forest Road café". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglary - Sydney Road Saturday 6/7/19 between 10am – 10:30pm Victim reported unknown suspect/s have forced entry to bedroom door, no damage seen. A tidy search with draws being disturbed and items taken from within. Vehicle crime - Lensbury Way Wednesday 3/7/19 Victim tried to unlocked van and noticed the lock had been tampered with. Victim was unable to unlock the vehicle with the key. On Sunday 7/7/19 suspect stated the vehicle would not drive over 15mph. A mechanic informed the victim suspect/s have cut 3 inches of a sensor lead from underneath the vehicle. Sydney Road Thursday 4/7/19 between 3:30 – 10:30am 5/7/19 Victim reported unknown suspect/s have approached the vehicle and removed the catalytic convertor without permission or knowledge. Lensbury Way Saturday 6/7/19 between 9am – 5pm 7/7/19 Victim left vehicle locked in a parking bay. The vehicle was not drivable as needed a new engine. When victim returned to vehicle at 5pm on Sunday 7/7/19 at 5pm it was no longer parked at the location. No evidence of broken glass and victim is still in possession of the keys. A neighbour told the victim that they had seen a low loader truck near the vehicle but the time is unknown. However the neighbour did not see any suspect/s and did not see the vehicle being placed on the truck. Southmere Drive Saturday 6/7/19 between 6pm – 11am 7/7/19 Victims vehicle windscreen has been smashed by suspect/s unknown, unsure at present if anything removed. Kale Road Sunday 7/7/19 between midnight – 4am Monday morning Victim reports vehicle's exhaust and Catalytic Converter had been cut out from underneath car. Leatherbottle Green Sunday 7/7/19 between 10:30pm – 5:37am Sunday Victim's vehicle broken into. Ipad in Gucci case and loose change taken by suspect/s unknown. Yarnton Way Sunday 7/7/19 between 7pm – 8:35 Monday victim reported vehicle broken into Satnav and loose change removed by suspect/s unknown. Hinksey Path Monday 8/7/19 between 8pm – 5am Tuesday 9/7/19 victim reports front passenger side window smashed, seems suspect/s have leant inside vehicle. Tavy Bridge Wednesday 10/7/19 between 4pm - 8:30am 11/7/19 Victim reported that unknown suspect/s have gained entry to vehicle and stolen property from within, no signs of forced entry. Vehicle was parked in the resident's car park that has a security gate. Victim is concerned as suspect/s now have a fob for the gate. Good News: A Street A Week was held in Sydney Road and we were happy to see several residents come along. Any issues were discussed and some residents were interested in our Weekly Crime Update. If you are interested please email the team and ask to be added to our list". West Heath ward:- "One theft from motor vehicle in Pembury Road. The victim discovered his car ransacked on Tuesday July 2nd. This is the second incident of this nature in Pembury Road over the last week. PCSO Reid held at street briefing last Saturday in Pembury Road and spoke to a number of residents regarding their concerns. A moped was stolen from Bedonwell Road on Sunday July 7th between 06.30 – 07.30. The vehicle was later found near Streamway but had sustained damage. On Monday July 8th a vehicle was stolen from an address in Glenview. The suspect made off with the vehicle having taken it for a test drive. The vehicle was later found in Ramsden Road Erith. It is not known at this stage if the vehicle was damaged when found. A blue Yamaha bike was stolen from the driveway of a property in Lansdowne Avenue on Tuesday July 9th between 00.30 – 0035am. The vehicle had a disc lock on it and it is not known how the lock was cut off. Several males were seen on the victim's driveway at the time of the incident. The team, along with our colleagues from Crook log, arrested a Male last Thursday in Darenth Road for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and for being in possession of a machete".

The end video this week comes from American firearms historian Ian McCollum, who examines the rather chequered history of a Maxim machine gun that was manufactured in Hiram Maxim's factory in Fraser Road Erith, and was then sold to the Russians, only for it to be captured by the Germans during the First World War, and subsequently modified for their own use. Leave a comment below, or alternatively you can Email me with comments to hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

The John Burns.

I took the photos above from Erith Pier this morning; thanks to information from Darryl Chamberlain of the excellent 853 Blog, I was aware that the just decommissioned Woolwich ferry, the John Burns was being taken down river by tug from Woolwich, and travelling over the English Channel to Normandy, where it was headed for a breakers yard to be scrapped. I went to Erith Pier just after 9am on a bright and cold Sunday morning. The place was deserted when I arrived, but it was very pleasant indeed - very quiet and peaceful. After a while, a few people turned up - mainly to watch the world go by, although one chap found a seat on one of the many benches on the pier, and produced a book and proceeded to read. The John Burns had been scheduled to leave Woolwich at 9am, and by 10.30 no sign could be seen of it at Erith, and I was considering giving up my vigil. One other pier visitor looked at me and said "are you waiting for the ferry?" I confirmed and we got talking; it turned out that there had been a delay in getting the tugs ready to tow and push the decommissioned ferry, and it did not make an appearance off Erith until 10.45am, when I took the photographs above - click on each of them for a larger view. Two of the three old ferries were taken out of service on Friday night, and the John Burns last week. The end video this week shows the celebrations that took place on one of the vessels on its final journey across the River Thames. The three ferries, the John Burns, the Ernest Bevin and the James Newman, have sailed the route between Woolwich and North Woolwich since 1963. The John Burns had originally meant to be sent over to France on Tuesday, but for reasons unknown it was delayed until today, when I was fortunate to take the photos above. It was sad to see the familiar old ship going to scrap in France, but as anyone who has travelled on the Woolwich ferries over the last few years will know, the three vessels were completely worn out and no longer fit for purpose. The two new hybrid diesel electric ferries will go into service in the New Year, after extensive alterations are made to the docks and jetties on each bank of the River Thames. In the meantime there is no Woolwich ferry service at all - which is going to cause all sorts of problems for regular travellers across the river - especially as the Blackwall and Rotherhithe tunnels are unreliable, as is the Dartford River Crossing - more of which later in this update.

I took the photo above last week; the sign above the door of the White Hart and the new African restaurant and bar contained therein, stating that it was due to open in September has now been taken down. The reason is that the licensing hearing regarding the White Hart is now due to be held in Bexley Civic Offices at 2 Watling Street Bexleyheath at 10am on Wednesday the 17th October. From my understanding a number of objections to the licence application have been made by local residents. The principal objection is to the proposed White Hart opening hours, which are from 10am until 5am the next morning, with drinks served until 4.30am seven days a week. Bearing in mind the location of the former pub in a conservation zone, the fact that it is adjacent to retirement flats, and residential apartments, not to mention the flats located directly above the restaurant and bar area, it seems to me that this licensing request is impractical and absurd in the extreme. I hope to attend the licencing committee meeting, as I get the feeling that it could be an interesting and informative event. If the restaurant / bar were to get a licence, I would expect that it would be allowed to open from midday to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and from midday to 11pm on other nights, in a similar way to other licenced premises. All this is moot, however, as it will be down to the committee to make the decision. As of Friday lunchtime, the White Hart is open for business; quite how this works legally prior to the licence being granted, I do not know.  More on this issue in the weeks to come. 

Doreen Ives, the Chair of the Friends of Christ Church Erith (FOCCE) writes about the quiz night and fund raising raffle held last Saturday night in Christ Church hall:- "On Saturday 29th September we held our annual Quiz Night and Grand Raffle Draw.  It was a really good evening of fun, laughter, and surprised pleasure. The latter being for those present, who were lucky winners of the very worthwhile raffle prizes.  CRIBS (Christian Resources in Bexley Schools) were our Quiz Masters and they did a great job.  The questions were family friendly and suitable for all ages.  The winning team portrayed this perfectly, being made up of two people from each of three generations.  The prizes won by those not attending the event were delivered to the winners by Chris Wakeman or me. The event raised just over £1,000 which will go into the fund we are growing to install toilets in the Church building.  Almost half of the money raised for raffle tickets came in from sales outside the event from signed up members of FOCCE, friends, family, neighbours and work colleagues of Church members, so it is clearly worthwhile approaching these people, who care for our Church building but do not actually come to regularly worship here. Grateful thanks must go to the Committee Members of FOCCE who helped to organise and set up for the evening, our Quiz Masters and those who donated the raffle prizes.  Lastly, thank you to all who came along on the night and everyone who helped to clear away so efficiently at the end of the evening. We will do it all again next year; so if you didn’t participate this time then be sure you come along next year to find out what you have been missing!"

I noticed a story that came up on the national news earlier this week, and it got me thinking. On Tuesday, the Welsh Secretary announced that Tolls on the two Severn bridges will be scrapped earlier than expected, it has been announced. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said that free-flowing traffic will begin before Christmas - two weeks earlier than planned. The new road conditions will take effect on December 17. It currently costs £5.60 to cross one of the bridges into Wales - but it is free to leave. Not paying the toll will save regular commuters up to £1,400 a year. When the tolls first came into force in the 1960s it was set at a mere 2s 6d - about 12p per crossing. The first bridge has been in place since 1966 and the second bridge opened in 1996. The newer crossing was renamed earlier this year to the Prince Of Wales Bridge. Additional six million cars a year will cross the Severn once tolls are scrapped, government predicts. Mr Cairns made the announcement at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, where he said the immediate benefit to Wales would be worth over £100m a year. He said: "Scrapping tolls before the festive period is an early Christmas present for hard-working commuters who will be £1,400 a year better off." I am sure that regular readers will see where this story is going. What benefits would making the Dartford Crossing free to use bring local businesses and workers? The Dartford Crossing is more or less a captive market since the nearest alternative river crossing is a congested 15 miles away, which means that a crucial route that was supposed to become toll free in 2003 is earning the government millions. The toll system is broken, but it is in the government's interest for it to remain that way - it is a cash cow that unfairly penalises users both local and from far away. On top of this, the recent increase in charges will also lead to an even further rise in number plate theft - a major local problem. Local criminals are stealing legitimate plates from parked motor vehicles in order to circumvent the automatic number plate recognition system used to charge drivers for using the Dartford Crossing. Vehicle number plate theft is now endemic in the local area. Indeed, according to a recent report published by the Daily Telegraph, highly organised vehicle crime gangs are using falsified car registrations to avoid detection by the police. One in twelve of the 37 million vehicles on UK roads could have cloned registration plates, according to the new research. The vast number of cloned plates, in which a car’s identity is disguised by the false use of an authorised registration or characters amended to a registration that does not exist, are associated with serious criminal activity. Dr Ken German, a director of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI), who collated figures from various official sources, said in the Telegraph article that according to the police there are thousands of cloned plates spotted every day by their automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and CCTV cameras clearly in an attempt (they suggest) to avoid detection when stealing petrol, parking illegally, speeding or committing more serious offences such as burglary or robbery. About 1.75 million of the 37 million vehicles of all types in the UK (about 32 million of those being cars) are estimated be wearing cloned registration plates. This is made up of 250,000 vehicles of all types - including cars, motorcycles, HGVs, vans, caravans, motor homes, plant and agricultural machinery - reported stolen last year, plus the 500,000 vehicles written off by insurers. There are also about a million vehicles still unrecovered from the last decade. The remainder of the one-in-12 total - about 1.25 million vehicles - is made up of legitimate registrations that have been doctored so they read differently. More than 100,000 sets of number plates are stolen every year but many more will have been altered with paint, a felt tip pen or black tape to deceive ANPR cameras or witnesses to a crime. Dartford drivers who often use the Thames crossing pay a discounted rate of £1.67 to get across if they drive a 'standard' sized car. As of this week, these account holders were told the price has increased to £2 per journey. This 33p increase works out to about 20 per cent more than they paid previously. Account holders in Dartford have reacted angrily to the changes. Some users have reacted on FaceBook, saying that they will close their payment accounts and use the crossing illegally (which sounds to me like people blowing off steam, rather than an actual campaign of civil disobedience). A resident of Rochester has also set up an online petition campaigning for the Dart Charge to be completely abolished. Jayne Phillips started the online petition on 38 Degrees after she heard the news. It seems to me that what is sauce for the goose really ought to be sauce for the gander; if the government can make the Prince of Wales bridge free to use, why cannot they also make the Dartford River Crossing / Queen Elizabeth II bridge not be made free? If the financial benefits are reckoned to be so high in Wales and the West Country, with its relatively low population density, how much more beneficial would making one free in the most densely populated portion of the United Kingdom? What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively you can Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

You may recall that I recently wrote about the News Shopper, and the banner their website displays to any reader using a web browser that has an advert blocker enabled, as you can see in the screen capture above - click on it for a larger copy; The latest versions of the most popular web browser currently in use (Google's Chrome browser) have ad blocking enabled as part of its basic functionality, The web advertisers claim that blocking their adverts decreases users interactions with websites, and reduces the engagement levels on specific pages. For some time this assertion has been left untested. but now, a detailed academic study using the popular Mozilla Firefox web browser into the web browsing habits of users both with and without ad blocking functionality in their browsers has been carried out. The results make for very interesting reading. The report conclusion states:- "Web users are increasingly turning to ad blockers to avoid ads, which are often perceived as annoying or an invasion of privacy. While there has been significant research into the factors driving ad blocker adoption and the detrimental effect to ad publishers on the Web, the resulting effects of ad blocker usage on Web users’ browsing experience is not well understood. To approach this problem, we conduct a retrospective natural field experiment using Firefox browser usage data, with the goal of estimating the effect of ad blocking on user engagement with the Web. We focus on new users who installed an ad blocker after a baseline observation period, to avoid comparing different populations. Their subsequent browser activity is compared against that of a control group, whose members do not use ad blockers, over a corresponding observation period, controlling for prior baseline usage. While the impact of ad blocking on the ecosystem of the Web has been substantially investigated and documented, there has been little research into the impact of ad blocking on engagement with the Web. Opponents of ad blocking have asserted that ad blocking results in substantial breakage of modern websites and Web applications, which results in poor user experience and decreased Web engagement. This outcome, they suggest, could threaten the future growth of the Web. On the other hand, proponents of ad blocking have argued that ads are such a detriment to the browsing experience that users are willing to make the tradeoff by removing ads from their browsing experience entirely. In this paper, we present a natural field experiment that addresses this tension directly by estimating the causal effect of installing ad blocking extensions on various measures of Web engagement. We find that installing ad blocking extensions substantially increases both active time spent in the browser and the number of pages viewed. This empirical evidence supports the position of ad blocking supporters and refutes the claim that ad blocking will diminish user engagement with the Web".

There has been some controversy around the impending closure of the Cairngall Medical Practice in Erith Road, Upper Belvedere. The practice has been limping along with temporary GP's and administrative staff for several years, and after the owners of the building refused to renew the lease, it was evident that it was the end of the line for the very long established medical practice, of which I have been a patient since I was born. The practice will continue seeing patients for a while yet - the surgery is not now scheduled to close until the 31st March 2019, so existing patients have considerable time to join another nearby GP surgery. Personally I have already transferred to another nearby practice, and I have to say that in my personal experience, the transfer process was exceptionally straightforward and hassle free.

Last weekend's Erith Pier Festival attracted over four thousand visitors - a remarkable number, considering it was the first time the event had been held, and it did not get the level of publicity I would have hoped for. In an interview in the News Shopper, Councillor Louie French, deputy leader of Bexley council, said: “I’m delighted to have seen Erith pier brought to life by thousands enjoying one of the last days of summer at this unique festival. There was a brilliant atmosphere and we had the weather on our side on the day. If you came along to the festival, please consider leaving feedback using our quick online survey. It takes just a few minutes to complete, and will help us to bring even more community events like this to Erith, so we can develop this part of our borough into a thriving riverside town". You can access the survey by clicking here. The more local people who take the survey and give some positive feedback, the greater the chance that the Pier Festival will become a regular annual event - something I am certain that people would warmly welcome. 

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Not a bad week across the ward with only one crime of note reported, sadly this has been recorded as an attempted burglary which occurred at 7.15pm on Thursday 27th September in Eversley Avenue. The occupant was upstairs at home at the time and heard someone downstairs banging on the back door, they called out receiving no response, upon investigating they noticed that the bottom panel of the kitchen door had been kicked through. The property is a terraced house that backs onto an alleyway, thankfully no entry was gained and no property stolen. Please be extra vigilant especially with the darker evenings and consider installing security lighting. The team will be happy to pay a home visit and offer security/crime prevention advice if required, just pop us an e mail with yours details and we will arrange a convenient time to attend. This week saw the team conducting another successful drugs warrant. On Friday 28th September with the assistance of Crayford and Bexleyheath safer neighbourhood teams a warrant was executed in the Hurstwood Avenue area and a quantity of drugs were seized. The occupants were processed for possession offences. Please take a look at our Facebook and twitter pages for the video of the entry. If you have any information about drug dealing/use or any other crime, we would love to hear from you ,call the team in strictest confidence or crime stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Our next community contact session will be on Wednesday 10th October - 1pm at Barnehurst Golf Course, join a member of the team for a chat about any local issues that may be of concern. As always, we can be found on Twitter @MPSBarnehurst and Facebook Barnehurst police". Belvedere ward:- "There was a firearm incident last week in Albert Road. A shop front window was damaged during this incident and no persons were injured. We have met with the shop owners to provide reassurance and gather intelligence. We have been actively patrolling the area and looking for individuals matching descriptions in the area. The team have also been concentrating patrols around the early evening in the Streamway/ Grosvenor Road areas due to several reports of a group of youths gathering to use what is thought to be cannabis. At this stage we have been unable to identify any members of this group as they will frequently run from officers patrolling the area. Our patrols are set to continue for the foreseeable future. The team were working late over the last weekend and were called upon to assist a male who had been injured after being subjected to an assault in Station Road late on Friday evening. The assault happened at around 21:10 on 28/09/2018. The male was taken to hospital but his injuries were not life threatening or changing. If anyone has any information or witnessed this assault please contact the team. More recently, several of the storage sheds on the Albert Road / Victoria Street estate were broken into over the last few days. At this stage there do not appear to have been any items removed/ stolen. The team will be carrying out patrols of the estate and are working with Orbit housing to secure the sheds as soon as possible. Our next Community Contact session is on Friday 5th October 2018 at the All Saints church in Nuxley Road, starting at 10am, followed by another on Wednesday 10th October at Lesness Abbey ruins site from 3pm". Bexleyheath ward:- "Below is a summary of some of the reports that have come in on our ward: Saturday 22/09/2018 – Bowling Alley Bexleyheath. Unattended mobile phone had been reported stolen; Wednesday 26/09/2018 – Theft of purse was reported in the Broadway Bexleyheath area; Saturday 29/09/2018 – Asda store had reported criminal damage at the store; Saturday 29/09/2018 – Purse was stolen from victim whilst in the entertainer shop. We are receiving reports of anti-social behaviour in the Asda car park area which the team are currently looking into to try and tackle. Patrols are also still continuing around Martens Grove and Grove Road including the garages to reduce anti-social behaviour. The teams shall be at Lyndhurst Church on the 14th October between 1030am and 1pm for a Community Contact event that has been advertised online. 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:- "We are really pleased to say that crime has been relatively low in this last week. On 25th September between 06.00-18.00 number plates (VK61SYW) were stolen from a white Volkswagen parked at Crayford BR Station, this matter will be referred to BTP for further investigation. Between 21st September and Tuesday 25th September number plates (ET04CWZ) were stolen from a silver VW Polo Twist whilst parked in Royston Road. On 27th September a grey Samsung S8 was snatched from a display at Carphone Warehouse, valued at £700. Please be aware that scam phone calls have been received locally from a male saying he is a police officer from Hammersmith Police Station, he had the name and address of the person receiving the call. The person I spoke with said they were going to call 999 but realised the line was still open and waited until the line was properly cleared before making another call. If you receive a call such as this it is unlikely to be genuine, please remember that police or a bank will never ask for your pin number or arrange a courier to collect your card. We attended Haberdasher Askes Academy on Thursday 27th September and met reception and nursery children as well as Key stage 1 and 2 children and talked about staying safe when out and about what the police do. Our ward panel meeting was held Tuesday night at Europa Gym. Thank you very much to Len and Yvonne and all the staff for allowing us to use their meeting room and providing teas and coffees. Members of the ward panel voted that ASB (Anti-social behaviour) and traffic related issues should continue to be Crayford “promises” over the coming months. The next ward panel meeting will be held on Saturday 19th January 2019 at 10.30 at a venue to be confirmed. If you are interested in taking part, please contact us for further information at Crayford.SNT@met.police.uk We assisted Barnehurst SNT with a drugs warrant on Friday 28th September with two people being processed for possession of drugs. Our team have been patrolling open spaces this last week due to concerns about anti-social behaviour and drug use. Erith ward:- A report from a Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator in Vickers Road - "I am getting lots of reports of 7 or 8 youths (approx. 17 years of age) on bikes hanging around the Pom Pom shops around 8/9pm onwards. They are being very intimidating and following people. They shouted at one resident, but he had headphones on and could not make out what was said to him. Another resident was blocked by the group forcing them to walk in another direction. A member my own family was so scared that they walked home another route, as the youths were smoking cannabis". From PCSO Adam Winch - "As you can see from the below crimes of the week, there have been 3 burglaries in the Erith area. Please make sure when you leave your address to lock your front and back doors plus make sure windows are closed. We have been out and stopped a few groups of students smoking cannabis outside Bexley Collage. We will work with the collage to put a stop to this as over the past few weeks local residents have been complaining about this issue. Crimes of note for the week - Other theft 26/09/2018 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc,JAMES WATT WAY; C/Dam Veh 23/09/2018 BEXLEY ROAD – Hole made in the metal work of the car; C/Dam Veh U500 26/09/2018 PARK CRESCENT - Windscreen smashed; Burg Res 19/09/2018 WINIFRED ROAD - Between material times/date venue was broken into and property stolen; Burg Res 27/09/2018 WEST STREET - Suspect has gained access to flat roof and used a flower pot to smash the sons bedroom window at the rear of the house. Once inside suspect has stolen a play station and £20 cash; Making off 29/09/2018 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, JAMES WATT WAY; Burg Res 22/09/2018 STONEWOOD ROAD – Res Burg of cash from cashbox, stolen from living room; Theft of MV 01/10/2018 UPPER HOLLY HILL ROAD. Dates of note: Community Contact Session - Wednesday 10/10/18 at Costa Erith 11am and Wednesday 17/10/18". Northumberland heath ward:- "No burglaries reported this week which is good news. One theft of number plates in Brook Vale over the past week and one report of criminal damage to a parked vehicle in Bexley Road. The team attended the Erith Pier festival on Saturday, a female was given a Community Resolution for possession of cannabis. A group of youths in Erith were also found in possession of cannabis and an investigation is to follow. We also attended the MacMillan Coffee Morning event on Monday this week which was held in the Library in Mill road. A fantastic sum of just under £175 was raised and a good time was held by all who attended. We have also conducted weapon sweeps, and have conducted a street a week to talk to local residents and see if there are any issues in the area where they live. The next drop in surgery will be held at the Library in Mill Road Erith on Friday October 12th at 4pm. All are welcome to attend". 

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "On the weekend of Saturday 22 / Sunday 23 September an empty property in Daleview was broken in to. Nothing was taken but a mess was left behind. 2 overnight vehicle crimes have taken place, number plates were stolen from a vehicle on Monday 1st / Tuesday 2nd October at Orchard House car park and a window was smashed and several small items stolen from a car in Leycroft Gardens on Thursday 27th / Friday 28th September. On Wednesday 3/10/2018 officers from our team went on a multi-agency operation out on the Darent Industrial estate (photo above). 3 arrests were made by the Immigration team. A male known to our team for causing local ASB issues has this week been given an Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC) meaning he has very strict conditions as to how he behaves when out and about in the ward and the borough of Bexley. We are looking to implement several more ABC's over the coming weeks as we try and clamp down on groups causing issues locally. PCSO Mark attended the Slade Green Seniors Film Club on Tuesday where there were 63 residents in attendance enjoying tea, sandwiches and cakes before a screening of The King's Speech. This free event is growing each month and it is nice to see the older citizens in the local community coming together and engaging with each other so well. Well done to Lyn and Paul, both of whom are N.Watch coordinators in the ward, for organising this monthly event so well. Above is a picture of Mark trying to grab (yet another) biscuit! Our next Community Contact Sessions (CCS) are at 12pm Thursday 04/10/2018 in the Forest Road café and then at 2pm in our SNT office in Pier Road, Erith on Sunday 14/10/2018". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglaries - On Saturday 29/09/18 between the hours of 06:20 pm and 06:57pm a burglary occurred in KINGFISHER CLOSE. Entry to the property was through the rear garden and by smashing a glass panel of UPVC door, resulting in £1000.00 of damage. Currency was taken following an untidy search of bedroom. Motor Vehicle Crimes - On Saturday 29/09/18 at 07:00pm a motor vehicle was stolen from an address in RUSHDENE while the vehicle owner was unloading items and taking into a property.Vehicle keys were left on the front seat. A motor cycle which was locked was stolen from outside WYFOLD HOUSE, WOLVERCOTE ROAD,SE2 between the hours of 06: 30 pm on Friday 28/09/18 and 06;30pm on Saturday 29/09/18. Between the hours of 11:00pm on Sunday30/09/18 and 10;20am on Monday 01/10/18 a vehicle parked locked and secure in DOLPHIN CLOSE, had the driver's window smashed, loose change and a phone charger holder taken. There is a new community event every Wednesday for the over 50's between 12:00 am – 3:00pm at THE ATRIUM, TEESWATER COURT MIDDLE WAY, THAMESMEAD, DA18 4DG". West Heath ward:- "There was a suspicions male offering building work in Edwin Close on the 10/09/18, only reported this week. Male claimed to work for a gutter company which when checked was not the case. Male damaged paving slabs with his ladder before leaving. A bin was set on fire in Canberra Road on Tuesday 25th September by suspects unknown. There was also a burglary in Canberra Road on Sunday 30th September sometime between 10am and 8.45pm. Entry was gained by levering a rear window and a garden table used to climb in. An unity search of the upstairs rooms ensured, It is unknown at this stage if anything was taken. There were reports of moped riders in Exmouth Road smashing car windows at about 10pm on the 26th September. There was also a burglary in Exmouth Road some time between 9am and 2pm on Tuesday 2nd October, the resident arrived home to find the back door open, nothing was taken, suspects believed disturbed by resident return. There was a further burglary in Okehampton Crescent early evening of Thursday 27th September. This time entry was gained by smashing the glass in the front door. An untidy search followed but unknown if items missing at this stage. Our colleagues in response team stopped a vehicle in Plymstock Road and Two people were arrested for possession of class A drugs on the 28th September. The next Community Contact Session is at Dryhill Road on Wednesday 10th October, 5pm – 6pm".

The end video is as promised some footage taken on the very last trip across the River Thames at Woolwich by the Ernest Bevin ferry. The captain is playing Frank Sinatra's "My Way" over the ship's public address system. Do give the video a watch, and either leave a comment below, or alternatively Email any comments to hugh.neal@gmail.com.